| Now, of course, the problem is that the evidence of Alysia's innocence is in a place that your intrepid heroes think they can't go back to. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
Chapter 27: “Letting Sleeping Dogs Lie” The glorious Wight strolled through the forest in a hurried, yet, casual manor. Her mood of excitement mixed with joy was easy to see. “Ahh finally!” She swung around the defender, her sword, cutting through several hanging vines with ease. “I’ve finally found her~” It had been ages since this woman had been so excited and high spirited. Finally, Zelia had found the person she was searching for. Her name was Astoria, a succubus most had assumed was long since dead. Few questioned her untimely demise and even fewer dared search for the body, however, this did not deter our Beautiful Wight. After her conversation with Genevieve’s associate, Zelia finally discovered where this powerful woman rested. Abruptly stopping, it appeared that she arrived at her destination. The ancient ruins of a makeshift tomb stood before her, the sun casting a long shadow upon the Wight. Pushing the crumbled stone door open, she walked inside and gazed over the crafted crystal tomb that greeted her. Aside from the engraved of a shield covered with two horns and a single fang no other marks covered the bright translucent coffin. Zelia attempted to push the tomb open but to avail. After that, she quickly drew her sword and delivered several slashing attacking, all of the failed to even create a visible mark across the luminous surface. Collapsing to the ground, the Wight began to sink into oblivion, cursing herself constantly for her severe defeat. She couldn’t help but feel weak, after several years of searching and striving to locate her goal… Nothing but unanswered questions and wasted time. It was disheartening to say the least. Slowly picking herself, Zelia contemplated leaving when something inside yanked at her soul, urging it to study the box once more. Look to the right. The Wight obeyed the voice, convinced it was simply her inner self attempting to try once more. Making her way around the tomb once more, the Wight found something else: Three empty slots. Looking closer at them, she concluded that they must be locks that keep Astoria sealed within the coffin. Find the gems… Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire… “Three gems…” Zelia muttered, echoing the phrase she just heard within the confines of her mind. The voice sounded strong and familiar, commanding power the Wight had not felt in ages. This newfound feeling of strength gave her renewed energy to move forward, igniting a flickering flame and turning it into a roaring fire that engulfed her instantaneously. Rising from her position, the woman stood firmly up and gazed up at the ruined ceiling. In normal circumstances this usually mention nothing but now... Things were different. Instead of failure and defeat, only determination and passion shore in her eyes. The depths of strength that glowed in her at this very moment would have even put the sun to shame! Finally, after Zelia’s moment of renewing passion, she took her leave from this place. As the woman walked away from the scene the voice from before couldn’t help but chuckle, watching events slowly unfold. ------------------------------------------------ (A few days later, Nethas( After returning from Cnossos)) Morning rays of light pierced through the covered window of my room and partly illuminated it. My eyes slowly cracked open at the sudden change in lighting and forced me to move around. Much to my surprise, both of my lovely girls were gone. Knowing them, they probably both woke up at the same time and began fighting once they got downstairs. Although I hated to see they both fight constantly I couldn’t say I didn’t understand where they were coming from. Both of them wanted me for themselves yet I insist constantly on them sharing me whenever possible… It’s like I enjoying writing death wishes for myself. Pushing aside these thoughts, I jumped up from bed and got dressed before making my way downstairs in search for food. As I strolled down the stairs into the kitchen doorway I was greeted to the sight of something completely foreign: Both of my girls were cooking… Together! Alysia was preparing flour while Olivia was cooking the usual fish and eggs. I couldn’t believe my eyes when they both appeared so… Happy, the event was more surreal than half of the things I had seen on the island so far. “Ah, morning~” They both chimed, giving me a quickly chill before I greeted then with a simple wave. “Anything wrong dear?” Olivia asked, “Are you feeling alright?” ((Was I feeling alright? I could ask the same of you!)) “Yeah I’m fine… Smells pretty good.” That was about the only thing I could say. “Careful!” Alysia blurted out, pointing to the Wyvern’s lack of attention on the fish. She appeared to be gazing at me, examining to see if I really was well and neglected to smell the fish being overcooked. “Damn!” Olivia quickly pulled them off and glared at the Salamander. “You could have warned me sooner bit-… Alysia.” Instantly that correction raised a red flag, something was up with them. I knew those two were acting strange but now my suspicions are confirmed, they were putting on an act… But to what end? My first guess was because what happened at Cnossos but I had already forgiven her for that, what else could have prompted this? “Finished!” They both chirped, snapping me out of my drifting. “Ah…” They walked over and set the full course down consisting of the usual fish and eggs but also had fresh bread along with a cup of milk. At first I was hesitant of the milk but after a sip it tasted safe enough and I dug in. The fish was a little burnt but otherwise it tasted great along with the eggs. Even without butter, the bread tasted fantastic and I couldn’t eat it quick. All in all, I eat everything within a few minutes, grabbing my stomach in utter satisfaction. “How was it?” The both of them hung around me, expecting a fantastic answer. “It was really good!” I exclaimed, triggering them to smile and collect the plates. After that it was silent for a few minutes, my two girls were cleaning up the small mess they made as I watched a simple bird outside and tried to piece this mess together. “Good morning!” Medus stated, walking in. “Smells great, save any for me?” “No.” They said, both giving him a glare. He laughed and strolled over to the drawer, pulling a small bottle of wine out and took a seat next to me. “Forgot to ask… How was Cnossos?” “I think you know already…” The old man began snickering and took a quick sip before continuing. “Then I’m guessing she didn’t pay you?” “Well… Not really…” He sighed then started drinking more of the wine. “Its fine, I should have known that woman wouldn’t pay you…” “You could have warned us about that!” Alysia finally jumped in, raring to tear him a new one. “Do you know how much shit we went through with that woman?!” He simply chuckled, “Then I guess you are to blame for my large loss of money? I guess I just won’t pay you for a few months~” This instantly prompted her to almost draw her sword and prepare to strike him, forcing me to jump up and stop her. “No Alysia!” I yelled, glancing around for Olivia but she had disappeared. “Let me go!” My companion appeared furious, ready to ripe him apart. “This bastard needs to die now!” “Enough.” My other companion appeared again with the box I got from Melissa. “You still had that?” I inquired, “I could swear we dropped that somewhere…” “I was planning to use these but I believe Medus could use them to try and make back a little bit of profit.” “What is it?” The old man swiped the box and examined the outside of it. “Couples fruit I think…” “Really?” He peaked inside and saw the fruit. “I should be able to sell these to a vendor down in the market for maybe one third of my money.” He stood up and walked out, thanking Olivia and shouting at Alysia to watch the store. “Thanks for the save.” My companion looked away and blushed. “It was the least I could do…” She replied, prompting Alysia to grab unto my shirt. “Enough goofing around, time to train.” She shot a quick glare at Olivia before beginning to drag me outside. My other companion quickly stopped her. “What.” Alysia groaned. “Let me train him this time, you can go watch the shop.” Olivia’s eyes hinted at something, something cold and void of emotion. The Salamander was hesitant but finally resigned and released me, leaving us to go watch the front. The Wyvern sighed then took my hand, giving me a warm smile before walking me out to the backyard. The wind was mild, a brisk breeze on a clear day. Olivia pulled out a small wooden sword and handed it to me, dropping into her usual combat stance. “Are you sure you don’t need a weapon?” I asked stupidly. “I don’t now go.” I felt completely uneasy facing my companion when I had the slight advantage but I obeyed her and charged, watch her closely. I didn’t even stand a chance… In seconds, I found myself face first in the dirt with my sword knocked away from my reach. Olivia was on top of me, pinning down both of my hands and sighing. “Wha… How…” Needless to say I was speechless. “You have so much to learn…” I couldn’t believe it, within a matter of seconds she took me down and I didn’t even get a chance to react. Despite all of this I still believe my companion was holding back. “Let’s start again, from the top.” “Ok...” I stood back up and tried again. By the time practice was over I learned two things: two moves that could save me, my body growing slightingly stronger, and my companion hits much harder than I thought. Walking inside, I took off my shirt a moment and whipped off the sweat from my forehead. “You might want to take a bath love,” Olivia commented, gazing at me. I had to admit a bath would be a wonderful idea considering I must have smelled like a several month old piece of cheese left in the fridge. “Mind showing me where the bath house is then?” “Sure love.” She gave me a towel and attempted to hold my hand just when Alysia came in, appearing quite pissed. Pushing Olivia away and stealing the towel, she took hold of my hand and pulled me away from my wyvern. “I’ll let you watch the shop while I take him to the bathhouse, alright?” “Not in your li-…”Olivia began but abruptly after gazing over at Alysia. “Just go.” My companion quickly slipped through the door and disappeared. I wanted to pursue her and question her strange behavior but Alysia took a hold of my arm and pulled me along, rushing to the bath house with all speed. After we exited the building and made our way from it my companion decided to slow her pace a bit and steady pull me along. This presented me with an opportunity to find out what was happening but just as I pulled my arm away the Salamander tightened her grip and looked over at me. I tried to speak out but the gaze in her eyes shocked me and caused me to become mute. Satisfied with my quiet, Alysia turned back around and muttered something under her breath I couldn’t make out. In truth, I wanted to get away so bad, I wanted to understand why Olivia was acting so weird, I wanted to enjoy the day with my girls… None of that was happening it appeared. We finally arrived at the bathhouse. It was a smaller structure compared to others in the town but still held a figure of authority and power. Several small marble columns held up the triangular shaped roof while the exterior walls took most of the central weight of the center. A small sign was handing over the door, stating the location’s name. In proud and artistically painted letters it was called “Silvia Spring’s Bath House”. Walking up the small steps first, Alysia opened the door and pulled me inside. The interior of the building was extremely cool, giving it a cold yet warm atmosphere at the same time. The entrance hall was fairly bright with candles floating here and there. Paintings of witches, succubi and other demonic creatures were featured all over the walls. To the right was a small service desk along with several towels and on the left were two doors that must have dictated either private rooms or storage. Alysia ignored the woman at the front and pushed past, heading straight towards the bath. “Hold it Hothead!” The girl called out, disappearing and reappearing in front of Alysia. “The bath is closed today.” “Move it Nivia.” My companion pushed the girl aside and continued walking. Catching another glimpse of her I noticed that she was wearing a red dress and small cute hat. Rather than trying to analyze everything about her I simply assumed she was a witch and focused on the matter at hand. “Please don’t go in!” She pleaded, “My master is currently bathing and must not be disrupted!” “I’m sure Silvia won’t mind company.” The Salamander replied, walking into the bathroom while dragging me along. The room opened up into an open roofed hot spring with spouts pouring water into the pond. Along the walls of the room were several statues of various demons along with white marble columns next to them. At the end of the light blue pool of water was a horned woman relaxing with her eyes closed. When Alysia entered into the room the woman sighed and stared at me and my brave lover. “You could knock.” She muttered, lifting herself slowly out of the water. Her appearance resembled a young girl yet with the curved horns on her head I knew she wasn’t human. “Yeah I could have.” My companion appeared to be in a sour mood while she stared down the creature. “I’d like to have some time alone in the pool if you wouldn’t mind.” “And you expect me just to give you whatever you please on my ONLY day off this month?” “I’m asking you as a friend to just give us some alone time.” They stared at each other for a few moments before the woman sighed and jumped up out of the water. “I’ll be expecting gold and blood for this later, Dragon” Instantly Alysia threw her a small bag. Silvia, as she was called, caught it and opened the bag, counting the blood covered gold. “Have I become that obvious?” “Just a little.” Alysia smirked. The woman simply chuckled and waved as she grabbed a towel and walked out, yelling at the girl from before about not locking the doors. And accompanying that with what sounded like loud smacks and a variation of pleas to stop. As soon as we were alone again my companion stripped off her armor and set it down on the floor, slipping into the warm water while constantly keeping her tail above the surface. While she was busy I slowly moved towards the door but quickly found her staring at me again. “Come here, we need to talk.” My lover stated, beckoning me to enter the water with her. I was hesitant to join her but if I could get information about how the both of them were acting strangely then it would be well worth it so I quickly stripped down, placed my towel close to the edge and dived in. The warmness of the water made my tense muscles relax and my worries almost melt away. As I entered the pool of liquid, Alysia wrapped her arms around me and gazed into my eyes. I could see the overwhelming worry radiating from them. “You wanted to talk…?” I questioned, feeling rather hesitant at first. “Do you love me?” The inquiry hit me like a bag of bricks, completely shocking me for a moment. “Of course I do!” I responded, desperately trying to explore her sorrowful eyes. “Why would you ask such an obvious question like that?!” She didn’t respond for a moment, shifting uneasily around until her grip slowly eased up. Unhesitating, my arms latched onto hers, effectively stopping her rapid retreat which allowed me to plant a soft kiss onto her soft lips. The look of shock that painted her gentle features was priceless. “How… How you could love a monster like me?” Hearing these words was as if my body was pierced by thousands of needles. ((So that’s what this is about…)) “Alysia… To me, it doesn’t matter what you are like.” I gazed into her eyes. “I love you, despite any fault you think you may have.” “But how can you?!” Tears began streaming from her beautiful eyes. “I destroy everything I touch!” “Because I do!” My voice rose slightly, emotions I could never explain came out in a bloom. “I don’t care about how you act; I love you no matter what!” “What if I end up killing you?!” “Then at least die in your arms…” My lover still appeared disheartened but finally accepted my constant pleas of commitment and dropped the idea, embracing me again and relaxing in the bath for the rest of the time. The warm glow of the moon welcomed us as it rose gently into the sky. As if to indicate our time to leave, we heard loud cries from the entrance hall and both agreed it was a sign to get dressed and head home. My companion donned her armor as I put my shirt and pants on. A strange tingling sensation greeted me as my wet skin touched the shirt and pulled it close, forcing me to expel a soft giggle. I wrapped my red scarf around my neck and watched as Alysia equipped her sword and led us out to the main hall. Upon our way out we witnessed Silvia apparently punishing another strange creature holding a mirror like object in her hand with the witch from before next to her, slowly pleasuring herself to the action occurring. I quickly looked away and turned to my companion for answers. “What is that girl from before and what is she punishing?” “Silvia is a Baphomet while the girl she is punishing is her Familiar, Kivia.” She replied, going on to explain that the Familiar serves the Baphomet as a witch does but performs other duties. “Stay away from them in the future.” “Right…” Judging from how they act I heeded these words and took it personally to remember them. The street was dark, appearing as a swirling mass of mystery and unknown dangers. My companion stayed close and lit the way for me. A small girl walked along and slowly lit the lamps, illuminating the path a little more. The faint glow from the houses also helped, brightening the road before me in a matter of minutes. As we walked I began to think about what I initially wished to ask her back at the bathhouse. “Hey Alysia… Why were you and Olivia acting so strange earlier today? “Oh… That…” She sighed, a light amount of sweat rolled down her neck. “We were trying to get along more around in the hopes of things going back to normal…” “I see…” I looked away, my face glowed red slightly. I was rather surprised I couldn’t figure that out for myself considering the previous few days. “I wasn’t in shock or anything like that if that’s what was bothering you…” ((I should have been!)) “Oh…” Her face now began to turn red as she turned away. After that we walked until we came upon Medusa’s Bane, possessing Alysia to halt. I turned to her. “I need a drink so I’ll meet up with you at home later.” She stated, heading inside. “Uh… Ok, see you later tonight…” I watched as my companion strolled in. I couldn’t help but sigh and continue home. Alysia still seemed concerned about Cnossos even after I talked with her. It was understandable but still frustrated and upset me. Why couldn’t she just trust me? I swore I would stay with her no matter what … Why didn’t she believe me? Then there was Olivia… Why didn’t she just tell me what was on her mind to begin with instead of dancing around the problem with Alysia? My mind was growing more exasperated by the second so I stopped thinking about it and concentrated on merely getting home. Approaching the house, instead of the usual darkness, I was greeted with several lights lit inside the house. This was puzzling seeing as how the store was closed and medus almost always fell asleep by now and never lit candles. Walking in, my wondering questions were solved in the blink of an eye. ------------------------------------------------------------------- (Medusa’s Bane) The flickering candles cast fanciful and twisted shadows across the walls. Sitting at the bar were two women, both of whom had secrets they wished no one to ever discover. “So… You lost control huh?” Tedra inquired, sharing a small cup of hard rum with the disheartened Salamander. “I didn’t mean to… I just thought I could control it…” Trailing off, Alysia glanced away and took another drink. “How did he react to it?” “He… He said he still loved me.” “Really? Damn, he’s really started to sound more and more like a nut case…” The ogre sighed. “Wish I had a man like that…” “Don’t get any ideas.” “I’m not!” She lifted up her cup and gazed into the liquid. “Just pray he doesn’t find out about her.” “How would he?” The salamander shook slightly upon hearing that statement, her thoughts shifting to another time. “I never plan on ever mentioning her!” “Just be careful ok? I’ve been hearing some troubling reports from the Northeast recently…” “Have things gotten worse?” “Worse than worse and to top it off I’ve also heard she has increased her search area and doubled her efforts.” “Persistent as usual I see…” “Can you blame her? I’d do the same thing if it was-“ “Enough!” Alysia slammed her glass on the table, trying desperately to contain her emotions and memories before slowly calming down. Tedra was used to such outbursts so she remained silent. “You know how I feel about bring that up…” “My bad… Sorry, I got a little carried away.” “Its fine, I shouldn’t be doing that after all that you’ve done for me.” “Bah, I’m just happy you didn’t turn out like that other salamander in Kaori.” “We should all be grateful for that…” Alysia quickly finished off her drink then set the mug down on the counter. “Time for me to be getting back before they start worrying about me.” She got up and headed to the door. “Watch your back out there.” “Yeah yeah, see ya general.” The salamander replied as she walked out. “Heh… I gave that up years ago…” Tedra muttered, slowly finishing her rum off. The cold air felt relaxing on Alysia’s skin as she slowly headed back home. Her mind was swarming with thoughts about the woman her love must never meet. Just the simple idea of him meeting her gave the salamander complete shivers. Approaching her home, Alysia let out a quick sigh of relief and dropped her lingering thoughts, focusing on how she would just relax for the rest of the night. Several candles were glowing through the windows but she paid them no heed, assuming either Alex or Olivia lit them for some reason or another. Upon entering she discovered why the candles were lit. “You!” The salamander yelled. “Ah finally…” A voice stated. “Now we may begin.” |
| I wonder what Zelia is searching for? In any way, I admire the wording! I would swear it wasn't that good before. Now it's great nevertheless! |
| Signature removed. It was too good for this cruel world. |
| Will read this very soon (you should post in the update thread...didn't even know this was a chapter) =P |
emeraldtryst said: Will read this very soon (you should post in the update thread...didn't even know this was a chapter) =P Never! *Fights against the government* Eh, I just assume most people see I posted here so no need to post in the update thread. :P |
| Nice job of capturing that uncomfortable vibe. I get the impression that this recent turn isn't going to help, either. |
| Nice to see that you're working as hard as ever, exactly 2 new chapters since I last looked at the story (pffft). Anyway, the closure of the Labyrinth arc was nice, things with Alysia are certainly becoming more interesting. Though I have to say, the smiling breakfast-making duo was probably the most terrifying MSG moment I've seen so far, honestly. |
| Chapter 28: A Price to Pay Just as I thought the night would peacefully… Everything changed. Zelia and Cholris had decided to pay us a special visit to discuss “business”. Alysia just returned while Olivia stood between me and the ever enticing Wight. Both of my companions appeared ready to fight while Zelia wore her calm and collected smile as always. “What the hell are doing here?!” Alysia’s voice was filled with growing anger. “Now now, no need to get upset.” Zelia stated. “I’m simply here to talk.” “Like hell.” The Salamander reached for her sword. “What the hell do you want?” “As I said to the Wyvern, I’m only here to talk.” The Wight repeated. “How can we trust you?” Olivia questioned, keeping me as far away from her as possible. “Oh come now, what reason would I have to lie to you?” “Several.” They replied, becoming more on edge. Zelia simply sighed and started reaching for her sword when I cut in. “Hold on!” They suddenly turned to me. “Look, starting a fight this abruptly isn’t going to solve crap. Zelia, do you swear that you are only here to talk?” “Of course darling, I would never lie to you~” Her usual smile started to glow softly, giving my heart a soft push. “Alright, then can we at least hear her out?” I asked. Alysia and Olivia gave me a very irritated gaze before submitting and calming down. The Wight smiled and moved her hand from her sword. My companions moved over to me and dragged me into the kitchen, sitting me down next to them. Zelia and Cholris followed and took a seat on the opposite side. I wondered for a moment where Medus was but then remember he had a habit of falling asleep on the anvil. The air in the room felt heavy and thick, candlelight still giving the room a soft glow to it. Zelia couldn’t help but smile and stare deeply into my eyes while Cholris read over her book. Alysia and Olivia kept me close and glared over at the Wight, ready to strike at any time. “Oh… Didn’t know we were having guests over.” Medus stated as he walked in. “Nice of you to wake up, lazy bum.” Alysia said, still holding her eyes on Zelia. “Nice to wake up from a relaxing sleep.” He yawned and looked over her eyes. “Yeah… Say, could you do me a favor?” “What?” He took out another bottle of wine from the rack and began drinking. “Head upstairs and stay up there until we finish down her.” Her gaze moved to Medus, instantly giving him what appeared to be a massive chill. “Uh… Sure, good night everyone.” He quickly exited the room and headed upstairs. Apparently he got the message. “I’ll cut to the chase since you all seem on edge…” Zelia started. “I’m heading north to meet with a old business friend of mine and I could use some support just in case I run into trouble.” “Alright seems simple enough…” I replied before Alysia cut in. “North… You mean…” Her face went slightly pale. “Yes, she means Kaori.” Cholris added. “No, we refuse.” My Salamander stated, not an ounce of doubt in her voice. “I’m not going to risk Alex’s life over something as trivial as a mere escort.” “Alysia…” My concern for my lover started to grow. Why did she so quickly refuse to take the job? Does this have something to do with what she is hiding? If that was the case then I needed to know what that “something” was. “I see… Well if that is your answer-“ Zelia slowly got up and attempted to leave until I spoke out. “We accept the job.” I answered, immediately forcing Alysia to pull me away and talk to me in private. “What the fuck! I just said we refused!” She sounded furious but my mind was preoccupied with other matters. “Something has been bothering you these last few days and I am damn determined to find out what.” I whispered in the sternest voice I could muster. “Please, let me help…” My companion was hesitant at first, constantly appearing to fight within her mind over and over until one side claimed victory. As luck would have it the side supporting me was the victor. “Fine… But you need to promise to just stay close to me or Olivia at all times alright? Kaori is a nightmarish place filled with the best scum the island has to offer.” Her warning sounded severe, brimming with what felt like past experiences and horrifying memories. I merely nodded then turned to Olivia for a moment. “Are you sure you agree with this? I mean… I could potentially be in harm’s way all the time…” My voice echoed with uncertainty. “I will follow wherever you go love.” Olivia smiled, releasing some of the built up tense. I turned back to Zelia and nodded. “Excellent! We shall be off by midday tomorrow; meet us at the town entrance when you are ready to depart.” The two guests got up and headed out. I couldn’t help but see Zelia was smiling the entire time as she exited the house. When they left the candles started to fade until they disappeared completely. “Well… That went pretty well I think…” I blurted, earning me glares from my two companions. “What? I thought it went well…” “Yeah, I bet.” They both answered before getting up and dragging upstairs with them. It was around that time that my stomach began to rumble as it usually did this time of night. The both of them took notice and instantly starred at each other. “You had him for the bathhouse so it’s my turn.” Olivia started. “Yeah right, like I count that.” Alysia pulled me closer. “He’s mine this time.” “In your dreams wh-“ My wyvern stopped herself abruptly, still wishing to not upset me. “Aww what’s the matter slut? Too afraid to say it?” My Salamander chuckled. Olivia started at her for a moment then looked to me. I nodded, giving her the sign I knew about the deal. Olivia simply smiled then started in. “At least I’m not a wild slut that can’t even control her most primal desires.” Alysia’s tail started to grow brighter instantly. “You wanna go again whore?” “Gladly slut.” They both prepared to strike when I wrapped my arms around Olivia and pulled her away. “You know Alysia; I do love how you cook steak. Could you go downstairs and make me some?” I smiled, hoping to defuse the situation quickly. There was a short silence before Alysia sighed and let go of me, heading downstairs and started cooking. Olivia turned to me and grinned, pulling me into my room. “Thank you love.” She started. “I just wanted to avoid a rather nasty fight from occurring…” It was true; I didn’t want to get caught in a fight involving the two of them. “Since you did that I have a surprise for you.” My Wyvern opened up the window, grabbed me and took me out onto the roof. The night sky was clear with thousands of stars and a glowing crescent moon lighting the black vale that was space. Before I could enjoy standing I was pulled down next to Olivia, clutching her hand while we starred up into the beauty that was the universe. Even though I was more of a rock hound and an amateur archeologist, I still had a decent amount of knowledge of stars and their placement in the sky. Despite this, I found it extremely difficult to even identify the most basic constellations. Pushing those thoughts aside it was still a wonderful night with a gorgeous woman right next to me. “Well? Do you like your surprise?” She asked. “Yes, it’s beautiful.” I replied, still gazing upwards. “Love… Do you ever feel it was a mistake ever coming here?” My Wyvern questioned. “Hmm… I’ve never thought of that…” It was an idea that didn’t really come to mind often. Glancing over at her, I noticed an ever growing sadness beginning to overtake her. This, as it usually did, caused my heart to ache so I tried something completely new; I jumped unto her this time and planted a kiss. Needless to say the surprised expression was there loud and clear as we our lips parted. Another strange idea also came to mind, something I hoped would cheer her up: my singing. “I can't stop this feeling… Deep inside of me… Girl, you just don't realize… What you do to me… When you hold me… In your arms so tight…You let me know… Everything's all right, ahahah…“ The words came out kind of rhythmic but I still had difficulty singing without the music and the “Ouga Chaka ouga” playing in the background. “I'm hooked on a feeling… I'm high on believing that you're in love with me!” Olivia added, stealing the rest of what I wanted to sing. My eyes widened as she sung, completely astounded that she knew something from my world. My mind started racing, pushing the most obvious question from my mouth. “How… How do you know that song?” “My father used to sing it to my mother all the time…” She stated, bringing up even more questions. “Am I to assume the song itself was your answer?” Her clever grin enveloped her face. “Ahhaha… Yes it is.” I smiled. “I feel coming to this world wasn’t a mistake at all.” We kissed again briefly before I jumped off and began asking her more questions about her father and what else he told her. “So did your fa-“I started until Alysia peeked her head out the window and interrupted me. “It’s ready.” My Salamander’s tone was annoyed to say the least. I sighed and decided to leave all of my questions till late. “Coming Alysia.” I answered, heading to the window followed by Olivia who looked just as upset as Alysia. My Salamander led us downstairs again into the main kitchen area and prepared enough for everyone, lighting a few candles around the room so we could all see. Instead of the usual stuff that came along with beef, the sides were a small piece of bread and a few pieces of wild carrot along with a glass of wine. I immediately dug in, completely starving due to the day’s events. My two companions ate more slowly, watching each other as carefully as possible. When we all finished Olivia decided to take care of the dishes while me and Alysia walked upstairs. Entering my room again I fell unto my bed facing towards Alysia. The grin that rose across her face was that of anticipation. “Uhh… What are you…?” I muttered, watching as she walked closer. “You know, I could go for a little bit of dessert right about now.” Her hand slowly slid up the side of my leg, sending small pulses of pleasure through me with her warm claws. “Olivia could walk in an-“Alysia quickly shut me up when she covered my mouth with her claw. “Just relax and let me enjoy this~” H-scene so… Afterwards we both lay together on the bed, softly cuddling until Olivia walked in. Unluckily for me my pants were still off which in turn earned me a very cold glare from my companion. “Olivia this isn’t what you think!” I blurted out. She simply shut the door and walked closer. “I didn’t think this whore would take advantage of you while I was busy for a moment… Guess my trust was misplaced.” My Salamander began to chuckle. “Not my fault you decided to take care of the cleaning, slut.” Alysia’s grinning really wasn’t helping the situation. “Perhaps I should just deal with you here and now, ridding me of the problem at hand.” The both of them prepared to fight again, prompting me to jump up and stand between them. “Hold on you two!” They stood there for a moment in silence and watched me. “Can’t you both just get along for once in share me?” “No.” The answer from both of them was swift and cold. I sighed and pulled Olivia and Alysia close. “Oh just calm down already and fuck me.” Both of them became wide eyed, looking at me for a moment before finally taking me up on my offer. And so after that several hours were spent fully pleasing my companions to the fullest I fell into a much needed rest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunlight streamed through the open window and quickly illuminated the room once more. My eyes slowly opened to see both of my companions getting dressed and preparing their stuff for the journey. I slowly rose, stretching my arms and legs fully. Alysia was the first to notice my movement. “Morning, about time you got up.” Her smirk was a good sign at least. “Well… It was a very tiring night so…” They both giggled a little before placing some fresh clothes and a small bag next to me. “You prepared my stuff?” I questioned. “I took the liberty to store a weeks’ worth of supplies just in case this trip takes longer than expected.” Olivia’s warm smile and mood was slightly surprising. Hell, there whole “getting along” right now was unsettling but I was too tired and hungry to deal with that so I got dressed. After I grabbed my bag we headed downstairs and ate breakfast together. Alysia had a short conversation with Medus on what was happening. The old man was more than happy to give us the time off (Probably because he didn’t have much to do for us in the next few weeks and Zelia scared him shitless). Before we headed off I ran upstairs and looked through my drawers, searching for the cloak I received from Ladi. I quickly found it and pulled it out along with the large emerald. Its soft glow compelled me to take it along as a sort of good luck charm. Stuffing it in my pocket, I rushed downstairs again to join my companions. With everything set and ready to go we headed out the door with a wave from Medus. Before we set out completely I equipped my cloak and the pair of swords. Olivia wanted to put my scarf back on me but feared it would not match with the cloak I wore so she handed me a simple blue scarf to wear. I gladly accepted and placed it around my neck in a simply fashion. The market was relatively quiet with few faces except one or two vendors setting up for the day. A few seemed to recognize Alysia which prompted her to wave back. A Weresheep selling wool tried to pull me in but my Salamander quickly butted in and stopped her. The girl looked rather afraid of my companion so she backed off but still the two of them appeared to be friends in some way. After we passed the market things started getting quieter as we approached the gate. The sound of nature could still be heard around us but an ever growing chill began to settle at the bottom of my spine. As we got closer we could see Zelia and Cholris waiting for us at the gate. It appeared that they were discussing something but quickly stopped after they noticed our presence. Zelia’s usual smile was the first thing I noticed. “Ah so you have arrived and earlier than expected!” The Wight stated. “Yeah yeah, let’s just get this done.” Alysia replied. “Agreed.” Olivia added. “Very well, Cholris, if you would.” The lich opened her book. “Please come a little closer.” We stepped a little closer as a large circle enveloped the area around us. Within seconds a bright flash blinded my vision and a sense of floating came over me before I felt my feet finally touch the ground again. When I finally opened my eyes the landscape was completely different. It appeared we were in a barren wasteland, filled with hard dirt and dead shrubs dotting portions of the ground here and there. “Welcome to Kaori!” Zelia announced. “Welcome to hell…” Alysia muttered afterwards. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Perspective Switch: Castle located somewhere) “MISTRESS!” The voice was loud and familiar, akin to someone I knew very well. My eyes slowly opened as I looked to the woman before me. It was my maid Mary, a Kikimora I had rescued long ago, was yelling at me for what appeared to be not keeping my room clean. “Ah Mary… Good morning.” I smile, making her even more furious. “I swear!” She yelled, picking up my various piles of paper. “By the way, your sister is here to see you.” “Ah she is…?” With my curiosity piqued, I headed to the door while Mary continued to mutter different things about “Never keeping the room clean” and such. The thought of her frustration easily made me giggle. When I found her as a child she wasn’t very talkative but now things were different, she would talk for hours and hours about the most trivial things. I always enjoyed how she would play the lute on her times off, swaying back and forth with an almost seductive sway. I strolled down the dimly lit hallway, passing several rooms along the way. This wing was dedicated to my room, the study and the library but it originally used to be the guests wing. As I came into the main hall I looked over the balcony and gazed at my sister, Seraphina. “Sister!” I yelled, instantly grabbing her attention and walked down to join her. “What brings you to my humble home?” “I’ve come to bring some news: Another member was attacked last night…” Her voice was grim. “Wha… WHAT?!” My head started to spin, quickly becoming consumed in rage. “What happened?!” “They say she was ambushed while she was heading to meet with you.” My sister’s news leads me instantly to believe Zelia was behind this. “Damn it!” I cursed. “Damn that fucking woman… Why must she kill such innocents… ” “There is more.” The vampire continued, pulling out a letter. “I received this letter a few days ago, addressing me to give it to you.” I took the letter and opened it, reading: “Dear Carmilia: I’ve heard so much about you and your legendary clan! I’ve also heard you are running into some trouble with a certain Wight… I can help. Please meet me at the location provided below so that we may discuss and perhaps even formulate a plan to fight her. Sincerely, A” As I read it the feeling of familiarity came over me, nudging my mind to remember a certain event. I know I should always fear the idea of this being a trap but this time it just felt… Different. Nonetheless I folded up the paper and slipped it into my evening dress. “Seraphina, please get ready to leave soon.” My sister nodded and slipped off, leaving me alone in the large entrance area. “My my… How fate must love me.” My mind slipped off to thoughts of my mother and how she would always say that. With that, I walked back up the stairs and headed to my room. I need to get ready to meet someone that may turn the tide of this growing war. Something else Kami happened to make for my story. |
aspicientisDec 16, 2014 2:16 PM
| Sometimes I don't know why your companions don't just slap you in the face. You say: "We accept the job", only moments later following up to Olivia: "Are you sure you agree with this?" You're like a car salesman that tries to talk the buyer out of the sale while they're handing over the cash and signing the paperwork. =P And so now its off to Kaori...I can dig it. |
emeraldtryst said: Sometimes I don't know why your companions don't just slap you in the face. Because they love me too much. XD |
| Im surprised zelia hasn't just kidnapped you since she is the one true love lol great chapter |
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| Caught back up, off to Kaori! |
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| Chapter 29: A Price to Pay, part 2 The weather was fair and dry, leaving a taste of decay and death in my mouth. I had heard several ideas about Kaori but nothing compared to actually seeing the land itself. The barrenness and lifeless land that stretched before me was, to say the least, depressing. The occasional bush or weed did nothing to conceal the vast wasteland. “We shouldn’t stand out here in the middle of nowhere for long…” Alysia stated, setting her gaze on Zelia. “Our ride shall be here momentarily, patience Salamander.” Zelia smirked, causing Alysia to become slightly annoyed. “Besides, we have the two of you here just in case anything does happen.” “You still shouldn’t tempt fate Zelia.” Cholris spoke, reading from her book next to the Wight. “Not you too Cholris.” She sighed, continuing to watch like the rest of us. Despite both of my companion’s being right next to me I still felt uneasy as I gazed more into the landscape. I could feel that something was out there even when all I could see was barren rock. Suddenly, as I looked, something in the distance caught my eye. It appeared to be a black carriage being pulled by a pair of young centaurs. As they quickly approached Alysia and Olivia promptly jumped into battle position. Zelia moved her arm into their path. “Relax, that is our ride.” Zelia stated, waiting patiently for the carriage to pull up. A few minutes late the carriage reached up and stopped next to the Wight. The two centaurs turned to Zelia and introduced themselves to her. The first, Maxi, appeared to have light blonde hair with light green eyes. Her fur matched the color of her hair perfectly. The other horse, Matilda, had dark hair with matching fur and light red eyes. “Now that this over please get in, we need not stay out in the open long.” Maxi said, eagerly ready to leave. We all boarded the carriage; Zelia and Cholris one side while me and my companions on the other. As soon as we all boarded the two centaurs took off in a quick run, hoping to get us away from that location post haste. The carriage provided several windows but they were all practically useless due the extreme lack in scenery available. Due to this I found myself just staring into empty space for a time. Zelia kept a constant eye on me, staring at me with a yearning to overtake me any minute. My companions watched her, making sure to jump if she did try anything while I stared at my companions hoping they wouldn’t jump for no reason and start something. It felt as though it was a constant cycle of watching and silence until Cholris finally decided to break the ice and began playing the violin. The melody was soft and rhythmic, soothing the tension that filled the air. My companions and Zelia appeared calmer while she played, enjoying the music as it floated through the carriage. When she finished I thought to ask her a few things I was wondering about. “Cholris, where did you learn to play the violin?” “From Lydia.” She answered, slipping it back into its case. “She was always a naturally great player.” “I see…” Interesting to hear that Cholris has a deeper connection with Lydia aside from them simply being master and servant… “How long ago did you learn to play?” “It has been quite a many years since that time…” The lich thought back for a moment. “When I lived with the Court Mage she made it a habit to show me when I wasn’t busy.” “Court Mage?” My interest seemed to simply get more and more piqued. “I once worked with a Court Mage. We did not get much time together as he passed soon after I started working with him.” “I’m sorry to hear that…” “Don’t be; he lived as he wanted to and died without any regrets.” Once again she dove into thought. With her unofficial dropping the conversation I turned and gazed out the window. The carriage went silent again for some time until I reached into my bag and began fiddling with the emerald. Much to my surprise, Zelia instantly eyed the jewel, studying it closely until her gaze set on me again, a lustful smile covering her face. “Darling, may I see that a moment?” She pointed to the mineral sitting in my palms. “Uh… Sure.” I handed her the emerald, watching as she grabbed it from my hand and examined it more. Another grin broke along her features along with a “I’ve found it!”muttered under her breath. Perplexed, I felt some need to ask her why she was so happy at the fact of looking upon my jewel. “Tell me…” The Wight started, “Where did you happen to find this?” “It was given to me while we were in Labyrinthian.” A shocked expression overtook her as I said those words followed by her muttering “Of course!”. Zelia quickly regained her composure, looking to me with a large smile. “I really admire this stone… May I have it?” “Why do you need it? Aren’t you rich or something?” Alysia commented, jumping into the conversation. A small hint of anger appeared in Zelia’s eyes but it quickly vanished as she addressed my Salamander properly. “Yes I am but a jewel of this type is quite rare and I would love to place it in a lovely spot in my manor… That is if you are willing to give it up. I’m sure I could easily compensate you for the value it is worth.” Before I could even think to respond Alysia snatched the stone from her hand and returned it to me. “Sorry but he decided to keep it.” I was about to say something but decided against it due to the fact that my companions must finally be getting sick of my constant crap involving Zelia. The Wight quite nearly appeared ready to kill the Salamander but quickly regained herself before anyone but I and Cholris could notice. “Ah I see… If that is your answer then I won’t argue with you but if at any time you change your mind don’t hesitate to contact me.” Olivia decided to jump in then as well, adding her own opinion as well. “He is content with his decision.” At this point Zelia began to stop caring what she looked like, slowly losing her calm expression and started dreading even considering bringing along my companions. As luck would have it before anything nasty started we came to a halt, taking Zelia’s attention away from the escalating situation. I moved away the blinds and gazed out the window. The scenery had completely changed, filled with trees and other small bushes. In the center sat a moderately large mansion complex, decorated with a particular style I was not familiar with. I nudged Alysia and asked her if we had left Kaori. “No, not even close. Parts of Kaori have forested areas just like the other lands but make no mistake, we are still near the heart of Kaori…” “I see…” She went further on to explain that some of the area around the capital Kaori was what were initially looking at and that Kaori as a whole was more forested and nicer looking then what we were transported to. “Additionally, Dryads and other such creatures constantly maintain these forests areas to stop the constant push of wasteland that comes from the Capitial…” Olivia added, making my Salamander frown slightly. “No need to butt in like that!” She barked. “Then decide to give him all the info first before you end the talk.” Alysia looked pissed but Olivia ignored, igniting her rage even more. “Enough.” Cholris interrupted, jumping out. “We are here so act accordingly.” “Fine…” They both muttered. The centaurs stood next to the door and waited for everyone to exit the vehicle before they shut the door. Maxi led the carriage away while Matilda walked us to the front door. The girl used the door knocker, stepping back and waited. A few moments later a woman opened the door and greeted us with a smile. “Welcome! I didn’t expect you would get here so fast but that is no concern~” The woman stated before bowing slightly. “I am Lathmir, the Mistress of the Land.” “Greetings Lathmir, may we enter?” Zelia replied, bowing as well. “Of course Zelia, please come in!” She widened the door and allowed us all in. --------------------------------------------------------------- The night was cool and clear, the moon partly illuminated the world before us. I stood at the foot of the once proud alter and gazed up. The craftsmanship of the carved statue was unparalleled, featuring what appeared to be an old Lord from a time long since past. After I finished paying homage to it, Leina came walking up the stairs behind me. “I figured I would find you here.” The ghoul stated. “Ah sorry, I must have gotten carried away with my prayer…” I replied, rising from my kneeling position. “It’s alright my lady.” She bowed. “I’m here to report that our guests have arrived.” “Really? Excellent!” My mood instantly lightened up, realizing things might be starting to turn. “I’m quite surprised you came… I didn’t know if the message would work or not.” “Life is full of surprises Mistress.” Leina gestured me to follow her. Despite the condition of the temple originally, my girls did a fantastic job of restoring it to its former beauty. The marble pillars lined the main hall and lead straight up a flight of stairs to the statue situated to the back. The many different rooms through the temple were refurbished and made to be livable once more. The smell of salt and incense drifted through the entire temple. The temple was divided into two different wings, the living quarters and the kitchen/hall. To the left was most of the bedrooms while to the right were various rooms including the kitchen, dining hall and meeting halls/storage. The open garden was also on the left, nearest to the kitchen. As I strolled through the main, enclosed hall I watched as my girls enjoyed themselves and prepared for every occasion. Nemi was chasing Tony while Chase helped Kate with supplies. Veronica was reading peacefully in the garden as far as I knew and Jessica was organizing the weapons in the armory. Most of these girls were undead, ranging from ghouls to zombies but some were also human males and females. Jessica happened to be a female completely enthusiastic with weapons while Tony and Chase just enjoyed most undead they met. I was happy to be around such understand people; it made my heart swell with happiness and filled my head with memories of such a more peaceful time of my life. We approached the entrance, observing our two visitors standing there patiently for our arrival. As soon as they saw us approach the younger girl stopped whispering to the smilingly older one. “Carmilia! I’m overjoyed you could make it!” I announced upon my approach. “So it was you who contacted me… Your name was Agathe as I recall?” The vampire answered. “Yes that is correct. Please come in, we have much to discuss!” My heart was completely aflutter at the sight of those two. ((Finally we might have a chance to end this!)) I though while showing them to the meeting room. “Indeed we do… Could we discuss this with some tea?” The woman asked. I nodded and set Leina off to prepare some while I showed our guests to the room. Finally, things were about to change. Today would mark the day Zelia and her plans would finally be beaten. |
| The tyranny of perpetual resting bitch face syndrome will come to an end! You know...it's like your companions AND Zelia are catty high school girls and Cholris is the teacher or something. We'll see if she can keep order in this den of sin =) |
| you could have cut through that awkwardness with a butter-knife (or however that saying goes) Nice chapter. all i could think about is what would zelia's reaction be if Alex all of a sudden had an emerald colored condom :P I want more |
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| The sudden transition to a new speaker in 1st person kinda confused me for a bit but otherwise a decent chapter. Though Alysia's and Olivia's snootiness seemed rather unjustified just because they don't like her lol |
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| Chapter 30: A Price to Pay, part 3 “Wow…” I muttered, strolling while gazing at the house interior. “This place looks beautiful…” The house was rather small yet it felt spacious and warm. Various pictures hung from the walls along with two doors leading into different rooms on either side along with a pair of double doors at the end of the hall, leading into what must have been a large meeting hall. “Thank you young man, I try to keep it clean~” The succubus, Lathmir, remarked. “Don’t you mean I try to keep it clean?” A woman stated, walk-erm… slithering from one of the rooms adjacent to the main entrance hall. “I don’t recall you doing much cleaning…” “Now now Sebi, I try now and then…” The host puffed slightly. “So you say yet I have never seen you even consider it…” The snake woman commented, moving around to her place next to the succubus. “My apologies, I am Sebae.” “Pleasure to meet you; I am Zelia and this Cholris.” The Wight replied. “So I’ve heard… Can we get started?” Sebae commented, opening up the main hall area. Everyone started to follow until my stomach began to rumble. Lathmir giggled and turned to my group. “If you want I can have someone show you to the kitchen?” The woman asked me. “That would be great…” I responded considering I actually was starting to feel quite hungry. The succubus snapped her hand and a woman appeared next to me wearing a chef’s hat and apron. She had gray eyes and light brown hair along with a long black tail wrapped around her leg. Although she could easily pass as male I was sure she was female considering that all monstergirls were female. I felt uneasy being near her but I guess that was to be expected as well considering she was a demon. “Helen please show our guests to the kitchen~” Lathmir stated as she, Zelia and Sabae walked into the main room. Chloris, who I was expecting to follow, stayed with us. “Are you are going to entertain our companions Cholris?” Zelia asked. The Lich nodded and followed after Sofia. The Wight chuckled. “Very well, this should only take a few minutes at best. See you later~” The doors shut, leaving the three of us alone in the hall. “Coming?” Helen questioned. We followed her into a lounge room and took a seat. “I’ll prepare something quickly, wait just a moment.” The demon disappeared behind the swaying doors to the kitchen. My companions sat close to me in silence as Cholris sat across from us and pulled out her violin. She played a soft melody to ease us as we waited. Something about earlier was bothering me so I decided to go ahead and ask Cholris about it. “Why did you decide to come with us instead of going with Zelia?” It was a reasonable question considering Cholris almost always followed Zelia. “I decided it would be better to stay here and watch over you three instead… Do you not like that?” She answered while she continued to play. “No, I was just wondering is all…” After that nothing was said for several minutes. The calming of the once beautiful melody seemed to turn sadder as time passed, reflecting Cholris’s own mood. After a few more minutes past before Helen walked back in with a tray full of half sandwiches and four cups of wine. I took a few bits out of the sandwiches and my mouth melted, they tasted heavenly. The wine was also very good. “Wow, these are great! Thanks Helen!” The demon blushed. “They are just sandwiches… Nothing too fancy…” Helen sat in the other chair next to Cholris, slightly hiding her face from us with the empty tray. “I’m just glad you like them…” “I hope I’m not being rude but… What exactly are you?” I asked, making her set the tray down again. “What do you mean?” “Well… I can see that you are a demon but I don’t think you are a succubus so… What kind of demon are you?” “Ah… I’m an Alp.” “A what?” I gave everyone a confused look. “An Alp is a man that has now become infused with demonic energy, changing him into a woman.” Alysia explained while still eating her food. I examined the girl again, reasonable curious how exactly that was possible. Sofia seemed to be slightly uneasy as I gazed at her figure. “Interesting… How did you change?” I asked. “Oh… It’s a rather long story… The short version is that I ended up touching a rather powerful object and it changed me drastically…” “I see… Do you like being a woman?” This question made him even more uneasy. “Considering things could have gone worse… I suppose now I don’t mind as much. At first it was a hard adjustment but after Lady Lathmir found me things started to get easier.” “So how long have you known Lathmir?” Suddenly the soft music stopped but I didn’t notice. “I met her a few years ago… She is kind enough I suppose.” Her voice started to become distance as Cholris began to play a different song. I glanced over to see the violin playing by itself, floating in the air. The lich was nowhere to be seen until I turned and saw her standing next to me. “Cholris wha-“ She placed her finger over my mouth. “Don’t talk, follow.” Her hand took mine but I glanced over to my companions. They still sat still, watching as Sofia talked. The lich pulled me up and I saw a mirror of myself sitting there, listening as well. “The music creates an illusion that blocks out all outside sound and creates a solid reflection of you, it will last only a few minutes so we must hurry.” The lich pulled me over to the other side of the room and sat me down on a chair. Cholris’s eyes were filled with envy and lust. “Uh… What are you doing?” “As you can see I’m quite upset with Zelia at the moment so call this “Revenge” if you will.” She kissed me, forcing her tongue in and probed the inside of my mouth. I sat there and didn’t move, somewhat completely stunned. Cholris had never showed this side to herself and I had to admit, I kind of liked it. I could feel myself starting to fall for the charm she had but I pushed her away. “No… I can’t do this to Alysia and Olivia…” The lich smiled, which was not very unusual considering Cholris seemed to be more emotional than her sister. There was this certain… air about her that made me start to forget my companions. My mind began focusing on only her, desiring to have only her and to let my companions ease from my mind. I started guessing that this might have been some sort of spell but that couldn’t be it… Could it? “Just relax; I shall take care of everything.” Her words were so reassuring and relaxing. I fought with valiant effort for a few minutes but soon caved, letting the girl do whatever she wanted with me. This brought another smile to her face as she started in. Another H-scene so soon you say? Well just count yourselves lucky then! After seeing me drained three times, Cholris finally released me and got dressed. I put my clothes back on and watched as the violin started to slow, meaning we had only a few moments left. I turned to the lich as her normal face came back. “Thank you for… “Indulging” my covetous actions…” She said, looking mildly ashamed of her actions. “It was nothing… I know how you must feel seeing Zelia get all the attention while you sit lonely all the time…” The girl smiled faintly before taking her place at her chair once again. I walked over to my seat and sat, feeling mildly exhausted for the act I just preformed moments ago. The illusion faded just in time for me to lie down against my companions. They gave me a surprised look but decided not to question it and simply enjoy the moment. Cholris continued to play a more quiet melody as we relaxed; a small smile crept in the corner of her face. “Relaxing comfortable I see~” Zelia adding, poking her head in the room with Lathmir and Sabea. “Everything went well I take it?” Cholris questioned as she stopped playing. “Yes now if you are all ready, it is time for us to go.” My companions broke from their slight daydream and pulled me up. “Finally.” Alysia announced. “I was starting to fall asleep just waiting forever here.” “I could tell.” I giggled a little, making Alysia and Olivia stare at me strangely for a moment. “What? I find you rather cute when you sleep…” “Oh…” My Salamander blushed a little. “Ahem.” The Wight interjected, becoming slightly annoyed I wasn’t giving her all the attention. “Let us be on our way.” “It was nice meet you all.” Lathmir stated, showing another her charming smiles as the tow of them showed us out. Before we headed out I waved to Helen. She just smiled and waved back, taking the tray and such into the kitchen with her. We were outside the house again with the succubus and her snake friend next to us. “We have prepared you some accommodations for travel seeing as how I am sure your Lich is tired from transporting you here in the first place correct?” Lathmir stated. “Ah yes… I’m quite tired.” Cholris lied. “We will be more than happy to take you up on that offer.” Zelia winked at me, which caused both of my companions to jump in. “Actually, since I know my way around Kaori, I would much rather walk back.” Alysia stated, gazing over to Olivia for support. “I agree. I can easily fly us home from here.” Olivia added. “Oh but I must insist-“ The Wight attempted to speak but my companions butted in again. “We got it alright?!” They announced, in unison. “Oh very well.” Zelia puffed a bit and headed over to the carriage and jumped in. Cholris followed after her but stopped a brief moment and looked back at me. She had a rather faint glow about her that reminded me of the act that had just occurred. Zelia called her and the Lich hurried on after. From the window, The Wight spoke to me one last time before departing. “Farewell my love, hopefully we will meet again soon.” She winked as Cholris waved to us. Just like that, the carriage was off, pulled along by the centaur girls unto a road back into the forest. We stood there for a few minutes, Lathmir letting out a clear and heavy sigh. “Finally that infernal woman is gone.” “Agreed.” My companions stated. “I must admit… I didn’t expect you two to stand up to her, quite impressive.” The succubus laughed. “Uh… Thanks?” We all said, awkwardly. “Are you sure you don’t wish to stay longer? I’m sure we can provide transport for you back to the south?” “That’s ok; I know the land fairly well.” Alysia replied. “Very well, at least allow me to give you this.” Lathmir pulled out a map along with a small package of strange fruit. “The map shows the very basic roads as well as our current location.” “Uh… Thank you.” My Salamander sounded rather surprised but quickly regained herself and gazed at the fruit. “What are these?” “Just some snacks for the road.” She winked, causing us to get suspicious of what kind of fruit it was. “No need to get suspicious, they won’t kill you.” “That isn’t what I’m afraid about…” I said. “Best be on your way, you are losing daylight.” The sun was already in the middle of the sky which was not a good sign. “She is right, come on.” They both nudged me on down the stairs and unto the road. My companions were rather rushing now seeing as how they wanted to move quickly. Lathmir smiled and waved as we moved along down the path with the sun still high in the sky. I had this horrible feeling something bad was going to happen soon but I ignored it and kept moving. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “What do you mean you can’t help?!” Agathe yelled, completely upset at what was just said. “I just cannot afford to lose more then I have lost already… I’m sorry.” Carmilia stated, looking away from her host. Their group sat in an unused portion of the temple, a small room with a set of old chairs and a stone table, craved from white marble. Banners of older and more ancient lords hung from the surrounding walls. The ghost sat back, unsure what she could say to convince the vampire to assist her. After some thought the woman gave up. “I see… Well, I am glad we could talk in person about this issue.” The ghost replied, “If you want I can show you out…?” “I’m surprised you are giving up so easily, apparently you don’t seem to care as much as you stated.” Seraphina scoffed. “How dare you insult my lady!” Leina was quick to action as was the other vampire but Agathe hailed her. “I just don’t wish to press you on a certain topic that appears to both you intensely.” “I admire your compassion for wanting to stop Zelia but I just simply can’t jump in at the moment…” Agethe appeared disappointed, the faint lights that filled her eyes before slowly started to fade. “Although… There is the Council meeting sister.” Sera injected. “The council meeting… Of course, that might work!” “What “Council meeting”? What are you two talking about?” The ghost became curious quickly. “There is a council of Undead that meet every ten years to discuss certain individuals and events that concern them. If you and I present a case there I might gain some backing from other vampires, allowing me to help you.” “Really?! That sounds wonderful! When is the meeting?” Agethe sounded positively gitty. “In a few months which doesn’t give us much time to prepare.” “Then let me explain to you something else that may help our case tremendously… A secret even Zelia does not currently know and could potentially be her downfall.” |
| Great chapter seems that everyone wants to see zelia get the 10 foot pole out of her ass... but Chloris? that was a surprise Now I want more <3 |
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| Lathmir is one from kami's story, isn't it? She's quite modest right now. |
| Signature removed. It was too good for this cruel world. |
beast_regards said: Lathmir is one from kami's story, isn't it? She's quite modest right now. She's probably working an angle (I'd guess). Just realized I didn't comment because I already read it =P Good stuff! I'm totally not just saying that because I have a soft spot for a certain undead family. =) |
| Chapter 31: The Locals or Dragon Collectors, part 1 Several hours of walking through a thick forest followed up by the constant back and forth arguing of my companions was really starting to bother me. I knew we still had over a solid week of walking till we got back home but I was completely baffled why Olivia refused to fly us through Kaori at the very least. Whenever we both brought it up she simply ignored us or stated “I cannot, there are certain obstacles in this land that I myself cannot overcome even with the help of Alysia and/or you”. The overall idea of anything actually being stronger then her in the sky was a scary thought so neither of us decided to push the argument any more than that. The forest was filled with plenty of sounds and sights for me to take my mind off of the joint pains I had. The birds chirped and various little animals crossed our path on occasion. It was strange not to see any monstergirls show up to try and take me but I assumed since my two companions appeared to be tough customers most were scared off quite easily. My girls always kept their eyes open and, on occasion, would jump at the smallest sound. They were nervous but they never really showed it until they reacted for that brief moment. With the sounds of the forest not helping to alleviate the pain of walking I figured it would help to talk with the both of them a little. “You know Alysia… I never asked where you were from so… Where are you from?” I inquired. “My love, she was born here remember? That is the only place a Slaver could be born from…” Olivia answered. “Oh shut up slut! I wasn’t born in Kaori, I was born up north.” Alysia lashed out. “Up north? Could you be more specific than that?” My Salamander stopped for a moment and turned to me. “There are two territories to the north; I was born on the border of those two lands.” “Territories? Who controls them? What are they called?” My barrage of questions seemed to only annoy her more as she turned away and kept marching, leaving me and Olivia standing there a moment. “I can inform you if you wish, love?” Always one to jump in at just the right time, Olivia offered to educate me. “Sure… If it isn’t too much trouble.” I always knew more knowledge of this world would come in handy sooner or later… Hopefully later. “At the present there are five different territories along with five lords who run them. The current land in which we are in, Kaori, is run by an Insane, paranoid Ushi-Oni named Kaori. You see, each land is named after the lord who runs it. For example, the land we three currently live in, Amaranthe, is run by a Shirohebi named Amaranthe.” The knowledge she was feeding me was quite helpful but it still wasn’t what I was after. “So who runs the Northern part of the Island?” My sudden interjection into the talk pushed the conversation along. “Oh right… The northern lands are currently ruled by two different individuals named Kioko to the east and…” Before she could finish her thought, Alysia yelled at us from a few feet away to catch up. “Damn… We better get moving before that woman starts losing it and causing a drastic forest fire, love.” Olivia appeared rather annoyed with how her educational moment was ruined so abruptly by a rather impatient and jealous Salamander. “Right…” Even I was feeling rather annoyed by my lover’s sudden outburst. It wasn’t as if I and Olivia were flirting or anything… I’ll never understand her sometimes. We rejoined her quickly and kept moving through the forest. The sun was slowly starting to set, casting rather ominous shadows against the ground. I didn’t know if it was just my eyes playing tricks on me but every once in a while I would notice the occasional shadows shifting in the bushes, silent and keen. My mind kept telling me I was just paranoid but my gut was screaming for me to warn my companions. As darkness started to engulf us, Alysia pulled out a cloth from her bag, covered it in some sort of liquid (Oil I presumed) and wrapped it around a stick she found nearby, lighting it with her tail flames. The shadows jumped back in wild surprise and danced around us as we ventured onward. My eyes constantly shifted to the right with anticipation that what my gut feared was actually real, but nothing. Once the sun was almost beneath the horizon we finally made camp a few meters from the main road. Although Olivia thought that was a terrible idea, Alysia ignored her input and started a fire with her torch and added a few logs of wood and a handful of dry grass to help it grow. Everyone was silent while we cooked and ate dinner, keeping constant watch and on constant edge. The complete silence was eerie and nerve wracking. Usually I would hear crickets, owls and other nighttime wildlife spring to life but… Nothing. It was almost as if we were sitting in the middle of a war torn battlefield devoid of life. My Salamander volunteered for first watch, allowing both me and Olivia to get some much needed rest. I slipped into my small sleeping bag and tried to fall asleep. The constant quiet made it almost impossible but after a while I was finally able to drift off. I awoke only minutes later to the sound of yelling and fire blazing around the camp. Alysia was battling a few women with pig-like characteristics while my wyvern was putting out the rampaging fire. “The hell?!” I yelled, moving around in a confused haze. “Over here love!” My companion stated, pulling me away from the growing fight. It appeared while me and Olivia were sleeping the group of individuals following us had finally made their move, daringly ambushing my companion while half of us were sleeping. I counted at least a dozen of those same pig-like girls along with a pale blue girl leading them. My fierily companion was doing her best to hold them off but even she was starting to back up into a corner. “My my, what do we have here… Is the great Alysia actually backing away from a fight? I never thought I would see the day…” The blue girl smirked, enjoying her seeming victory. “Oh shut up Sacnite! I should have killed you long along but I left it up to the Legion…” My companion replied. “And wouldn’t you say that was your mistake? Although I admit the legion did cause us a few bumps in the road and a few men my group is still alive…” The woman, Sacnite, sighed a little before continuing with a renewed smile. “But once I saw you I knew my luck had turned around! Once we capture you and ransom you off to Despoina!” “HA! Why would that woman even consider paying you anything for catching me?!” My companion let out a quick chuckle before staring the woman in the face again; her eyes were more red than usual. “So you haven’t heard? Ah well, doesn’t really matter… You will learn soon enough.” Sacnite grinned and waved her hand. “ROUND THEM UP!” “OVER MY DEAD BODY!” Alysia roared to life, her tail going ablaze as she sliced through the first Orc(?). With that, the fighting truly started. My companions and the other group clashed, with my Salamander taking on a group of them at once, slashing and ripping them up like paper. Olivia fought back the others that were eyeing me, her lightning fast kicks and palm techniques beating down some and keeping most at bay. Finally, after over three fourths of the group was either beaten or dead the others backed away. My girls appeared completely in control… Until someone jumped me from behind and pulled me away. Olivia tried to react but I was already far from her close reach. “Ahahaha! It seems you aren’t good at protecting anyone but yourself Dragon Hunter!” Sacnite laughed as the shadowy figure handed me to her, a sharp knife being held to my throat. “Now surrender or I’ll gut him where he stands!” Both of them hesitated for a moment and looked to each other before lowering their guards. The woman smiled and motioned for her remaining troops to move in. The other goon girls grinned, slowly and cautiously stepping towards my companions. Olivia appeared to be ready to strike but Alysia was still eyeing her to “Back off” or something similar. Overall, things looked bad. “Remember take them al-“ A loud “thud” followed by the knife moving away from my throat allowed me to escape her grasp. I fully expected the shadowy figure to jump for me but they were gone. I gazed towards Sacnite and saw the arrow planted between her eyes as she dropped to the ground with utter surprise panted across her face. The other girls stopped dead in their tracks and watched as arrows shot at them instantly, sentencing all to a quick demise. In the confusion, I rejoined my friends as they moved around me and kept me between them. Their guards were back up again as they waited for our saviors to come out. “Show yourself already!” Alysia yelled. “Always the inpatient one, although I suppose that is a somewhat redeeming quality to you…” A woman stated, moving from the bushes along with three others. The woman before us appeared to be human but with pointy ears and unnaturally red eyes. Her hair was black, tied in a ponytail and kept on her left shoulder. Her outfit consisted on all leather armor, almost matching Alysia’s armor with exception to its color which was a light black. She had a sharp smirk across her face. The three behind her were your run-of-the mill goblins, clubs slung over their shoulders. “Great… Just great…” My Salamander sighed deeply before sheathing her sword. “I was REALLY hoping I would avoid you with this route…” “Whaaaat! Why would you avoid me sis?!” The woman whinnied a little, making the goblins behind her giggle. “SHUT UP!” “Obvious reasons Angela. Look, I’m not going back to her.” Alysia’s tone had never sounded more resolute than ever. “I don’t care what you say; I’m not going to back to that shit… Ever.” “Come on sis! Just come with me! You know Misra is dying to see you again!” Angela pleaded. “She hasn’t stopped searching for you all this time you know…” “She shouldn’t have. I left her a note explaining everything now if you will excuse m-“ A blade quickly found its way to her neck followed by more harsher words. “I tried the easy way Alysia but I don’t even know why… You are coming with me willingly, are we going to have to start ripping out spines and roasting people today? I heard young men taste wonderful when cooked with wyvern broth.” The elf started to show her more crazy side as she licked her lips and eyed me and Olivia. “Come now Angela, we both know your threats are nothing but smoke. We both know my blade will pierce through your spine long before you even get close.” My companion’s eyes were beginning to turn lighter red now, drifting between orange and yellow. “True but I’m sure any of my girls here could slip back and warn our master, sealing your fate along with dooming your friends to the pits or worse.” Her wild grin returned as she stared at me again. “I’m sure that one over there would become a wonderful sex toy for the others to use before we turn him into feed for morning grub.” My lover was close to beheading her from just that statement alone but I moved up behind her and placed my hand on her back. “Please Alysia… Just do what she says… I don’t want whatever she is talking about after us…” I honestly didn’t know how to take this situation but I sure as hell didn’t want this “Misra” to be chasing after us because of some wild vengeance spree. “My companion sighed and nodded but also quickly grabbed the blade and pulled the elf close. “If any of you lay a finger on either of these two I swear I will turn you inside out and feed your entrails to the hellhounds while you still breathe.” “That’s more like it sister.” Angela still had this wild, sadistic grin across her face as she removed the blade. “I’ve missed your threats so much~” “Just lead us on you piece of shit.” The elf chuckled and called her girls to attention before leading them forward. We gathered our supplies again, put out the growing fires and followed them with two of the three goblins leading up behind us. They quickly moved us from the main road and down another path, something similar to an old, well used deer path. Alysia and Olivia kept close to me and carefully watched as Angela lead us towards the tall mountains in the distance. |
| Is it weird that I am turned on by that Elf? No? ok great chapter asp i love it and i cant wait for more alysia backstory. #teamalysia |
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| Interesting, continue. :) Strangely enough, I loved the mundane geography part the most |
| Signature removed. It was too good for this cruel world. |
| Possible issues: As far as I know, it's Amarante (no "h" in there) unless Pants changed something without telling me. You aren't the first person to write that way though...I think it's incorrect somewhere in the rules... Also, you mentioned the territories to the north and then said Kioko was east before the cutoff. Obvious this was the character saying it, so it absolutely COULD be incorrect. Just pointing it out. Otherwise, this was a solid chapter all around. Still keeping up with the gradual character/relationship development. I like it. Sorry for the late read, but I definitely understand busy =P |
Chapter 32: Misra, The Dragon Knight or Dragon Collectors, part 2 It had been a few days since we found ourselves within custody of the insane elf named Angela and her small band of goblins. They lead us through various types of terrain from spare forests to highland mountain areas, all the while keeping close eye on me and my companions. From time to time we stopped to rest, but never long enough for me or my lovers to really try anything. When we did stop for the night, those goblins made sure to keep both Olivia and Alysia under lock and key and, as an extra precaution, Angela kept me close to her. She would try to pass off her psychopathic tendencies (Which appeared every now and then when she talked) with carefully placed questions addressed to both me and Alysia. My companion would simply ignore every word so I followed suit, frustrating the elf to no end. Angela finally gave up after a while, leaving the rest of the day filled with semi-peaceful silence. To me, the silence was more than welcome seeing as how it gave me more time to think of a way out of our current predicament. I was sure Alysia and Olivia were thinking the same thing but I had no way to check with them. I contemplated the obvious idea of using Olivia to fly us away but I feared Angela would shoot her down with a volley of arrows. Another idea was to have Alysia beat them back while we ran but I had to consider the possibility that the goblins could get the drop on her too quickly. After hours of walking without a break, Angela abruptly stopped. My companions and I halted behind her, gazing out toward part of the mountain. “Ahh Home sweet home~” Angela stated, presenting part of the mountain before her with a single gesture. Alysia sighed heavily upon seeing it but I was just plain confused. All that met my gaze was a large mountain of rocks, nothing more. I didn’t see any grand castle nor even an entrance into a basic base. “Wha… What am I supposed to be looking at?” I commented. “All I see is nothing but a formation of granite with intrusions of andesite…” “What? What the hell is “Granite”?” The elf replied, now appearing as confused as I was. “Oh for fuck’s sake, it’s a hidden base!” Alysia yelled. I could tell she wasn’t in the mood for a random geology fact. “Nice to know you still remember it Sis~” Angela went back to her usual self, psychopathic and teasing. “Every day, I wish I could forget about this hellhole yet…” The salamander looked away, diving into her thoughts again. “So cruel, Sis!” Angela playfully stated, her smile still as creepy as ever. “I’m sure Misra will love to see how much you’ve changed since you ran from us~” “Misra…” It was shocking to see how quiet Alysia was becoming as Angela talked, as if the woman was bringing all this up just to shock her. “Enough, just show us along already.” I interjected, popping the Salamander out of her thoughts and interrupting Angela from causing more trouble. “Very well, come on then~” With that we kept moving towards the mountains. You know… The mountains appeared a hell of a lot closer than they actually were. It felt like hours had passed but we were roughly the same distance as we started and to top it off I was finding more difficult as time passed to keep up, forcing our illustrious guide to trail back and pull me along like dragging some mule. Alysia and Olivia kept their gaze focused on me the entire time and waited for their opportunity to strike. As luck had it, that time was now. While walking along a rather narrow side of a hill my foot was caught up in a large root, knocking me off balance and causing me to begin tumbling down the side of the hill. Angela attempted to catch me but was entirely too slow, cursing as she jumped after me. My companions didn’t hesitate a moment, striking down the goblins before they knew what happened, then ran straight after me. Most of what happened was unclear but what I do know is I had fallen into a small open forest area with a stream running by it. I jumped to my feet and quickly examined my surroundings. My thoughts swirled with different ideas of what to do but as I made my decision Angela dropped from the hillside and entered the clearing. “There you are.” She drew a knife and held it close. “Now come along, we have to catch up to the others.” “Angela!” From above, Alysia’s voice boomed as she dropped to the ground with Olivia next to her, her sword drawn and covered in blood. “Tck.” Before I knew it, the nimble elf was next to me with her knife poised for my throat. “Hold it right there sis, you don’t want you precious meat toy dead now do you?” “…” My companions were silent, carefully watching her movements for any openings. “That’s what I thought.” Angela began to laugh softly. “I can’t believe that the woman I once looked up to had become so soft.” “What’s so tragic about someone wanting to become something other than some insane slave trader?” Alysia barked. “I wanted to be more than to be just some piece of shit living in a rotting fuckhole!” “How could you say that?! Mother Misra treated you the best out of all of us!” Angela started getting more ecstatic, her blade cutting me slightly. “Out of all her children you were by far her favorite!” “She was the one who turned me into a monster!” Alysia’s eyes slowly started turning yellow. “Thanks to that woman… I’M A FUCKING MONSTER!” “How dare you say such things about our leader!” Her knife pierced deeper into my throat, cutting a deeper wound but not causing severe damage yet. “I’ll kill this boy just to-“ Just like that, the blade dropped and the elf fell. Without warning, sharp pain spiked through my left arm, forcing my right to grab at it. It seemed that I had been struck with an arrow in my upper arm. As I gazed down I saw Angela, her head and chest pierced with arrows and my companions quickly running to my side. Olivia was the first to arrive with Alysia batting off additional arrows that flew from the other side. They tried to pull me along, but first I ran to the dead elf, pulling off her spare knife and the bag she wore, hoping for something that may help us later. Once I finished my companions grabbed a hold of me and pushed me towards the river. We crossed the river, Olivia supported my wounded arm while Alysia continued batting away volley after volley of arrows. I don’t know how long we ran but it sure felt like hours. We passed through the forest and found ourselves back on the outskirts of the mountain. Alysia seemed to roughly know where to go and lead us along, watching for anything suspicious as we followed. It grew harder as time passed to focus on any specifics as the arrow appeared to have pierced through one of my veins. Blood was slowly rushing out and since I was already dehydrated my condition was going down fairly quickly. My companions must have known this but after a while Olivia just carried me while following after Alysia. The sun was beginning to set but my lovers still kept moving, pushing as far as they could for as long as they could. Finally, they reached another clearing along the side of the mountain where they could take a quick rest. “How’s the bleeding?” Alysia asked while Olivia set me down. “It has slowed down considerably but I fear the wound may get infected if not treated.” Olivia leaned over and examined it closely. “Hurry it up, I could tell they weren’t far behind us.” Alysia was constantly watching, her sword up in a defensive stance. “I’ll remove the arrow and wrap it but I don’t have the herbs to treat this kind of injury.” Olivia quickly pulled it out, covering the site with a piece of cloth. I would have yelled out but she covered my mouth with some type of object to stop my semi-audible screams. “Just hurry!” Suddenly, as the Salamander said that, something leapt from the brush and attempted to pounce upon my companion. Alysia blocked the shot and struck back, pushing the body back. A loud yelp along with a loud thud caught my remaining attention. It appeared that a pack of werewolves had been pursuing us this entire time. There were about six of them including the one stumbling to her feet. They all looked ugly as shit, as if someone wacked each one with a frying pan till they became disfigured in some way or another. The five still on their feet lunged all at once at my companion. Alysia quickly flared her tail up and spun, launching her flames at them. The wolves howled in pain and coiled back, giving the Salamander enough time to catch the closest one and swiftly behead it. Grabbing the head, Alysia threw it at the next wolf which then wacked it away and charged. Half blind from the last attack, the other wolves also jumped back into the fray. My Companion jumped back and then charged the next wolf, quickly impaling her and then using her body as a shield against the others. Leaving her sword in, Alysia jumped over her new shield, pulled out her twin short swords, and planted them into two more frenzied wolf skulls. The remaining two saw their chance to jump and took it, baring their claws. The Salamander knew they were coming and rolled back, avoiding the blind wolf but receiving a wound from the initial wolf. Her right abdomen was colored red but she ignored it, rushing over to her sword and drawing it from the dead wolf. The last two circled for a moment before rushing her from both sides. My companion, prepared for both attacks, dropped down and jumped to the right. The wolf had no chance to move, feeling the full force of her blade as it cut through her chest and threw her aside. The other wolf leapt, hoping to catch Alysia off, but my companion was ready. Just as she would have landed on her back a fire covered tail swept at her, enveloping her in flames. The werewolf cried as she rolled around to put out the fire. The Salamander eased her pain, stabbing her sword straight into her throat. Small gurgles could be heard before silence finally fell. I gazed up and saw my companion, her eyes were red and her face was covered in blood. The wound from the battle finally caught up with her as she walked over to me. There was more blood then I suspected, spilling slowly out. “Is that all of them?” Olivia asked, still treating my injuries. “Probably not so we better go…” The Salamander grabbed at her side a moment before shaking off the pain. “I’m fine, let’s just go.” “Go? Go where?” A woman asked, spilling from the forest. “You slaughter my trackers then expect me to just let you go? Not today.” “Arete…” Alysia’s eyes shot open, her grip becoming even more firm on her sword. Before us stood a massive creature with the upper body of a pale green demon and the lower body of a massive spider. A goat skull along with what appeared to be a torn up kimono covered the top of the woman. A patch was wrapped around her right eye with her left horn also broken off a little near the top. She was, to say the least, one of the creepiest monsters I had ever seen while being on this island. “Wha… What is that…?” I muttered. “An Ushi-Oni… Something we can’t beat right now.” The Wyvern stated, standing up and rushing to Alysia’s side. “I’ll be damned, I never thought I’d ever get to see your fucking face again.” A smile crept across the demon's face. “Alysia, the dragon hunter… You’ve finally returned so that I may kill you!” As she said that, another pack of wolves joined the woman along with a few goblins. They all giggled and shrieked with delight, waiting to tear us to pieces. “Well… I hate to say it but we might not make it through this…” Alysia’s eyes turned yellow again. “See you in the next life love.” My companion bolted forward but quickly stopped as the ground began to shake. “No…” Alysia muttered before moving back and covering me and Olivia. The shaking continued for a moment before a large explosion came followed by a loud roar and the clashing of claws against scales. “Misra!” Arete yelled, pushing the erupting creature back. “I should have assumed you would come the instant I killed your little elf…” “Heh, that is the least of your worries right now Arete!” The voice yelled, sounding off another roar. “I’m going to rip you apart piece by piece then let the slaves feast on your entrails!” The clashing and roar of battle soon erupted for a few minutes before the giant spider demon moved back and sounded the retreat. “Fall back, I can’t keep paying for more wolves!” Arete yelled, running with her tail between her legs. “Watch your back Misra!” “Oh don’t worry you piece of shit, I will.” Smoke started to finally clear, allowing me to see what was going on. In the dust stood a group of individuals along with one very large serpent like creature. The large creature was the first to move, emerging from the cloud. It was a dragon like creature with the upper body of a woman and the lower body of an armored serpent. She had beautiful green hair, long green horns and piercing yellow eyes. A worn green cloth vest covered her large chest while her claws outmatched Alysia’s in size. “Alysia… I can’t believe it.” A huge smile enveloped the woman’s face. “Finally… You’re come back to me.” “Thi- This is Misra?” I asked, still barely awake at this point. “Yes… This…” Alysia hesitated for a moment. “This is my… Mother.” |
aspicientisSep 18, 2015 1:07 PM
| Chapter 33: Bold Actions or Dragon Collectors, part 3 When my companion stated that this gigantic dragon before me was her mother I was, to say the least, speechless. My mind (Or what I could use at the time) swirled with the possibilities of this and came to the overall conclusion that it was her adopted mother or she just referred her former slave leader as “Mother”. “This is your mother?” Olivia stated, studying the woman carefully. “This explains a lot.” “Shut up!” Alysia snapped, still focusing on Misra. “Mother I-“ “Can explain what?” The dragon smiled as she moved towards us. “Honestly… The first day you return to us and you are already starting shit. Fantastic.” “She is YOUR daughter after all.” Another voice added, walking out of the smoke slowly. The first thing I caught a glimpse of was her sharp light yellow eyes. They pierced right through the haze, cutting through like headlights through fog. As she materialized more it became clear what she was: a dark elf. Even without Olivia giving me a quick lesson I could tell due to her skin color and pointed ears. “Which is all the more reason we should get the fuck out of here before the legion shows their ugly heads.” Someone else included, strolling after the elf. This woman had a soft toned voice but it held an unquestionable sum of wisdom behind it. Her eyes were a soft green, blue skin and large horns parting her short hair. The dress she wore was simple yet appeared professional even with the occasional scrap found in it. “Something tells me they are already on their way.” The last voice stated. I couldn’t mistake this monster even if I wanted to, an Ogre. Unlike Tedra, this woman’s hair was a darker purple while her light red eyes bothered me. She wore a simple leather chest plate with some type of skirt. “Your input wasn’t needed.” Misra answered, glaring at the three. “Sorry.” They replied, trying to appear innocent. By this point I started to phase out slowly, bouncing between consciousness and the dream world. Olivia took notice and attempted to keep me awake but it wasn’t helping. “Looks like you picked one hell of a weak human.” The dragon said. “He won’t last long as a slave but I suppose-“ Before I knew it Alysia’s blade was against her mother’s neck. Her eyes were yellow and a wicked smile draped her lips. “Dearest mother, touch him and you will receive the sincerest welcoming home present I can give~” Misra just grinned, plucking the blade with her claw. “It’s good to see you again, I was hoping all that fire had died~” “I saved it just for you mother~” I couldn’t tell if they were about hug or ripe each other to pieces. The others stayed put, deciding that this wasn’t worth the energy, or waiting for a fight to break out. Alysia finally backed down and sheathed her sword. Those beautiful eyes of hers returning to normal once more. “That isn’t who I am anymore.” My companion walked over and helped me up. “I’m done with slaving.” “What?! How can you say that?!” The ogre cried. “You were the best of all of us!” “This is what happens when you start growing a conscience.” The blue oni added. “Enough.” The dragon stated. “It has always been her decision, that hasn’t changed.” “You’re too soft on her.” Misra turned to the elf. “Tell me Cass…” The dragon grabbed the girl by the neck and pulled her up. “How would you have raised her? Would you have trained her to be just a mere dog or did you actually plan to make a skilled killing machine?” “I-I wou-“ From there the woman just made gurgling noises as she struggled to get free. “Next time you make stupid statements like that just go ahead and kill yourself so you don’t waste my time.” With that, Cass dropped to the ground and remained motionless a moment before slowly rising to her feet. “Now then…” Misra brought her attention back to us. I still laid there drifting in and out with Olivia next to me. “I suppose we can talk more once we get back to base, won’t you agree?” Alysia gritted her teeth but grudgingly agreed. “Just make sure those two aren’t touched.” “As you wish.” The dragon turned. “Move out!” “Yes ma’am!” The others yelled, forming a semi triangle formation around us with Misra and Alysia as the leads. My companion helped me up and led the way. My vision wasn’t too cloudy but it did make certain details hazy. I half expected us to use the tunnel they made to get here but instead they traveled up a road near the Cliffside. It was particularly narrow so we switched off to a straight line as we moved forward. This lasted about an hour with Olivia hovering along the side, guiding my steps until we finally dropped down onto flat land again. Our travel through the forest felt long but it was probably only a couple miles. My feet were beginning to drag a little along with light headaches taking me from time to time. It was becoming clear that if I didn’t get patched up soon things would get a lot worse. Suddenly the group stopped. My companion jumped in front of me while the others entered battle positions with the exception of Misra. Without warning, a single arrow shot out from the trees aimed for the mighty dragon. Without so much as a flinch she caught and snapped it. “You’re going to have to try better than that Legion trash.” She announced, smirking devilishly. “Good to know I have my work cut out for me.” Spawned from the trees came an older Lizardman with a small band of the same kind right behind her. “Misra… I’ve heard a lot about you.” “And I’ve heard nothing of you but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, all Legionaries are the same.” “Allow me to introduce myself, I am Enora.” She drew her sword and pointed it at Misra. “I’m the new commander placed in charge of taking care of slavers like you.” “Ahahaha! Really? The legion is already assuming that they own this land, fucking ridiculous!” The dragon was completely consumed in laughter until she clashed her claw against the blade. “If you plan to kill me you might want to try a little harder and get a little brighter.” “Oh? You thought I came here to fight you?” The woman smiled. “On the contrary, I came here with completely different intentions.” Abruptly, I felt myself pulled away and shifted away from the group. Olivia and the rest noticed quickly and tried to respond but instantly a surge of lizardman swarmed them. Misra turned to retaliate but only met the Commanders sword. The wyvern sprinted after me while Alysia pushed through the warriors and tried to follow after. I couldn’t tell exactly what was happening but I did know I was being carried away by something quite fast. When I concentrated a little I realized I was riding a horse yet my arms were wrapped around the waist of a woman. “Just relax, I’ve got you.” The woman stated. It appeared that a Centaur had pulled me from the group and began dashing away rapidly. “Who… Who…” I couldn’t quite form words at the moment. “Relax I said, I’m not going to hurt you.” She sounded mildly annoyed by my attempts to question her. “Focus on staying awake for the moment.” I wanted to ask about my companions but nothing came out when my mouth opened. All that I could do was wait until this woman stopped and allowed me to speak with her. After clearing the forest, we emerged onto an expansive plain. The centaur gazed up and saw my companion flying right after us. “Shit!” Her speed increased but Olivia was still catching up, almost hovering right next to us. “Are you alright love?” She asked, staying close. All I could do at the moment was nod and keep myself as steady as possible. “The hell! Who are you?!” The woman looked frightened but kept her pace. “Do not worry, I’m not a slaver.” “I see… What about that other woman that was after us?” “Well…” That expression Olivia had frustrated me but there wasn’t much I could say at the moment. “Just get him to safety soon.” “Already on that, we should be at the meeting spot in a moment.” Over the horizon was a small makeshift camp I only assumed was the Legions temporary headquarters. There were several lizard guards along with centaurs working at various places. We cleared through the outer edge of the camp and came to a rather sudden halt near the center. There were several guards gathering around along with a type of Lamia lifting me off the horse girl and carrying me into a tent. Things after that began getting especially hazy which eventually led to me just slipping into a deep sleep. My dreams always seemed faded and old but, despite this, I would have perfect perception of what went on. They start with me being happily with my companions however, this time, I’m suddenly ripped from them and brought before a shadowy figure with red eyes. Their laugh is twisted and corrupt. Just as they show their face I’m sucked into the floor and get thrown into a deep chasm, falling and falling until I finally hit the ground. It was dark when I finally awoke, my body covered in sweat. I glance around at my surroundings and find Olivia resting right next to me peacefully. Apparently after they bandaged up my arm they laid me here to rest until I awoke again. My companion must have stayed by my side the entire time, watching over me as she usually did. She always looked out for me even when I did stupid, reckless things and I never understood why she did that. ((Could she really love me or was she… No, I shouldn’t think like that. Of course she loved me!)) “Ah you’re awake.” A voice stated. It seemed to be one of the lizardman from before. “How are you feeling?” “Ah… A little tired but that’s about it.” I replied. “That’s good.” She smiled. “I was ordered to inform the Commander when you had awaken so please excuse me.” With that she hurried off, letting the flap to the tent fall. “It appears you have awoken.” Olivia stated, completely surprising me. “Woah! Olivia… When did you…” “A few moments ago. How is your arm?” “It’s a little sore but that’s all… How are you holding up?” “I’m fine love, nothing I haven’t had to deal with before.” My companion smiled slightly, trying to keep her expression from clearly showing. “Wait… Where’s Alysia?” After mention the salamander her smiled faded. “I don’t know and I don’t care, all that matters is that you are safe.” “But she was hurt from the fight with the werewolves!” I stood up abruptly, wobbling a little. The wyvern jumped up and held me in place. “Relax love, you can’t rush yourself.” She warned. “Magic can heal you quickly but it drains the body.” “No I can’t, I have to look for Alysia!” Her grip around me hardened. “Do you think that woman would be happy if you just rushed yourself like this?!” There were soft hints of sadness in her voice, making me gaze up at her face. “Just take it slow alright?” I nodded, taking ahold of her hand as she slowly led me out the tent. Small contained fires illuminated the area and allowed for navigation through the camp. Despite the overall size of the camp it seemed this could hold up to a small force. The guards didn’t appear to mind as we roved around for a bit. Occasionally one guard would give me an interested gaze but it would soon pass after Olivia sent the “Back off” signal. Finally, we reached a larger tent that we assumed was the main headquarters. The sentinels didn’t stop us as we strolled in, moving the flap away to reveal a substantially large room covered in military plans, maps, and other strategic tools. The lizardman commander was over her table studying a map when she noticed us enter. “Good to see you are up and walking already.” Her smile was pleasant and clear. I wasn’t able to see her much before but now that I could she was beautiful. Her hair was a light brown with her hazel eyes. Her armor was dark green and covered most of her body with a large broadsword strapped to her back. “Yes… Thank you for the rescue earlier.” I said, bowing a little. “Bah, there’s no need for such formalities.” The woman replied. “If you don’t already know I am Enora, Commander of the Southern Bladetail Legion.” “Eastern Front?” My companion asked. “Is the Legion finally starting their purge campaign?” “Yes, we are.” Enora smiled, gesturing to the map spread out on the table. “With Kaori herself missing and the army in total dysfunction we are finally attacking the slavers directly and starting freeing all slaves.” “Won’t that just have worse consequences when the military finally reorganizes itself?” “Heh, that won’t be for quite a while.” The commander started pointing out things on the map. “Over half of the generals have already defected or died leaving only a few that are still fighting over main control. The army is split in two with half trying to contain the borders and the resting fight amongst themselves.” “So… This legion is trying to do what exactly?” I questioned. “We are trying to finally bring peace to this land.” Her gaze rested on us, her eyes filled determination. “This country wasn’t always the wastes you hear about in stories, it was once beautiful and free… We want it to return that way.” “I see…” The woman before me was confident but what I had seen so far of the land… It didn’t look very hopeful. “Oh, I didn’t catch your names did I?” A smile covered her face once again. “Ah, my apologies.” Olivia stated. “I am Olivia Shieldguard and this right next to me is Alex.” “Shieldguard? Heh, never thought I would ever meet one of them…” ((What? Why would she think that?)) The commander smirked then pulled out a bottle of wine. “Anyway, we will be moving camp in the morning to a more secure, permanent location so you are free to join us.” “Where will you be heading?” “Fort Stonefall.” She took a sip from the bottle. “It’s an abandoned Kaori fort I plan to turn into a new Legion castle.” “Thanks for the offer but we need to go find our friend.” My companion bore a deep, loathing stare into me that I ignored and kept talking. “She was injured so I don’t think she could hav-“ “Could have what darling?” My eyes widened as the familiar voice interrupted me. I spun around and saw Alysia, covered in blood with her blue flames and yellow eyes illuminating the outside. “Alysia…” She began laughing a little. “Hello darling, I’ve come to bring you home~” |
| It indeed has been a while, always good to see a story that appeared abandoned being revived. I had to reread a couple of your older chapters to get up to speed for the new ones. I see the fight for Kaori has begun, or should I say intensifies Ironic that Angela dies in nearly the exact same manner she killed Sacnite aspicientis said: She sounded mildly annoyed by my attempts to question her. lol, what did she expect? |
| Here is the comment I owe you. I wasn't too keen in commenting, things just became more complicated to make anything happen and while I am certainly flattered by your attempt to explore the region's lore, I am not sure of the future. I still must say I do like the story. It's one of the old ones which isn't that hard to read. |
beast_regardsSep 25, 2015 1:07 PM
| Signature removed. It was too good for this cruel world. |
| One of the older stories I've skipped on my first browse through the club's directory, albeit an interesting one. I noticed the relationship hinted between one of the character and protagonists of Emeraldtryst's first story, namely Deliah's sister, which is an nice touch in otherwise competition heavy environment of the later stories. |
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Malise said: One of the older stories I've skipped on my first browse through the club's directory, albeit an interesting one. I noticed the relationship hinted between one of the character and protagonists of Emeraldtryst's first story, namely Deliah's sister, which is an nice touch in otherwise competition heavy environment of the later stories. I'm always on the lookout for potential ways to hook in other stories to mine if I can. I've already had minor appearances with content from other writers to varying degrees (Beast, Asp, Chime, and dcw if memory serves). Asp and I had a fairly substantial amount of crossover--Cholris and Zelia accompanied my MC down to Blacksky, he had a romp with Genevieve, my MC's current weapons were crafted by Medus (this would have been easy to miss if you weren't looking for it) |
Chapter 34: Dreams or Dragon Collectors, part 3 Before I could blink Olivia was upon Alysia, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. The Salamander chuckled and pushed in. As the flap moved I caught a short glimpse of what occurred outside. Several Lizardman were beaten down, blood covering the tents with various different writings. Some were common insults while others were a little more elaborate like “Knock knock. Who’s there? Guts. Guts who? *Trails off with more blood and body parts covering the surrounding area*”. It was a struggle for me to not instantly throw up after seeing such a thing. It seemed Enora also saw what I had seen and drew her sword, an expression of pure anger spread across face. “I’m assuming this monster is your said “Friend”?” The Lizardman’s grip on her sword tightened. “She’s not a monster…” I retorted, my voice wavering towards the end. Alysia burst into laughter and drew closer in. “Monster you say? You’re one to make such remarks yourself “Commander”!” “I wouldn’t expect slaver trash to ever understand the sacrifices we all have had to make to fight for this country’s freedom!” The commander charged, her blade poised to skewer the Salamander’s chest. Olivia jumped in front of me but I pushed her aside and ran in front of the two. Alysia took complete advantage of that and instantly used me as a shield, wrapping her arm around my neck. The Lizardman halted and kept her sword at the ready. “I find your renewed honor so sad when we both know you shouldn’t have any!” The Salamander exclaimed, beginning to chuckle again. “I did what I had to do, that’s all that matters.” The commander kept her steady gaze on the overtly aggressive reptile and watched her movements carefully. “Really? You try to justify your actions in Moonglow when you yourself doubt your very actions!” Alysia loudly announced as her blade slipped back into her sheath. “My options at the time were limited… I had no other choice!” Emotions flared but Enora kept herself from charging again, seeing through the simple taunt. Suddenly, the ground began to rumble like before, indicating Misra was either on her way or already here. “That’s my cue~” Alysia grinned then jumped back with me in hand. “Sorry to cut our little talk short but I must be off! Laters~” “Not on my watch!” The lizardman bolted forward hoping to catch the salamander but was instead pulled aside by Olivia as the burring dragon exploded through the bottom of the tent, ripping it to shreds in a heartbeat. “Took you long enough!” My ravenousness companion yelled, slowly falling back to earth. “Someone had to finish up the mess you made earlier!” The wurm replied, scooping up us before we met the surface. “Oh whatever, just get us home!” Alysia’s still blooded smile sent several shivers down my spine. Misra grinned back and started her burying again. “Sorry dearest but I need you to sleep for this~” With that, a quick blow was delivered to my neck and blackness overtook me. *Olivia’s Persective* Just as quickly as the Wurm appeared she was gone, leaving me and the slightly injured lizardman alone amongst the ruins. What upset me the most by this whole situation wasn’t Alysia’s newfound revival of insanity but the abduction of my darling. The simply thought of what they planned to do with him was something I couldn’t bear to think of. I picked myself and the commander up, placing her against one of the only surviving supports to the tent. Her wounds were minor so I didn’t concern myself with them. “Thank you… Do you see any of my surviving men?” I turned and looked around, seeing a lot of corpses but not enough to assume all her personnel were dead. “Not as of yet but I’m sure most were out on patrols.” “Very true.” Enora stood back up and grabbed her sword from the rubble. “This was just my personal contingent. My main forces should be only a day or so out.” “What will you do from here?” “Rally my forces at Stonefall then finally storm that damnable wurm’s base!” “At least allow me some time to see if I can extract him.” “I will not halt my plans just so you can try to save your pitiful husband!” The commander shouted. “I will attack whether you are there or not!” I moved close to her, an all familiar feeling of loneliness and cold overtaking me once more. “You will provide me with the time I need.” The woman’s eyes widened for a moment before she recovered and gazed back. “I can give you three days, that’s all.” “More than enough.” I turned and walked away, spreading my wings and turning back a moment. “Thank you for your assistance earlier.” With that, my body joined the clouds and zoomed past with purpose. It would be rather difficult to track their current course due to the expansive, dense forest they had just retreated into but given their base direction was west I calculated that my chances of reconnecting with them were significantly higher than any of the options currently present. Time wasn’t my ally in this case but in most situations they never were. My condition was already rapidly developing, further driving me to waste little in my rescue efforts. With each passing day it would become harder and harder to control what I could merely describe as a “curse”. However, this time, things would be different… Things would work. Sighting them exiting the tree line, I fell back to keep out of their vision. It would be a simple task to observe them from this altitude and monitor where their base of operations current resided. Within four hours of solid travel the wurm and her passengers reached the mountains. After another hour they had dove deep within the reaches and slipped into what I could only assume was their home. The formation was rather ambiguous, concealing the true nature of its existence. If my, sometimes dimwitted, companion were here I’m sure he would have been thrilled to examine the particular crystals that formed the outer entrance to the hidden lair. Alas, that would most likely never come to pass. The information I had gather would be suffice for the moment as I slowly dropped down into a higher up mountain. A small inlet overlooking the wastes of Kaori would have to serve as my temporary shelter for these next few days as I planned out his rescue. Without a moment to lose my hands began drawing several different strategies and schemes into the rocks to use to save my poor companion. “Wait for me love… I’m coming.” “Alex’s Perspective* Waking up with a headache is always the worst. It’s sad that that is my first thought with everything that just happened but it couldn’t be helped. As my eyes focused, I started gathering where I was. It was a cave filled with the basics except a bathroom which isn’t surprising. I quickly ran up to the door, stumbling a little, and tried to open it to no avail. With no window or other way to escape I checked around the room for anything I could use. The small writing table had a candle while the small wooden dresser had rags. The search was going absolutely [i]fantastic[i]. I debated using the old wood chair but I was sure it would break upon touching the door. With that idea completely crushed I sat back down and contemplated what potentially would happen to me. Since it was Alysia I was guessing something along the lines of rape till I stop breathing while I was sure Misra was going to slice me up, cook me over an open flame then play some screwed up game with my bones. Both ideas were tempting but I still placed all my hopes on something more reasonable. Suddenly, the door unlocked and swung open. Alysia waltzed and stood before me, a grin of delight adored her face. “That face doesn’t suit you at all…” That comment just made her chuckle. “Really now? How would you prefer me darling?” “Normal.” This seemed to amuse her more than the last comment. “I’m already acting normal~” My companion reached out and grabbed my arm. “It’s time to properly meet my mother.” “Great…” I didn’t see the point in resisting so I stood up and followed her out. I half expected a slaver lair to be filled with bodies and blood but so far I didn’t see anything of the like. The cavern passages were clean (Or at least as clean as possible) while the rooms we passed through were neat and orderly. My room, along with a few others, was in one wing of the lair. Once we passed the main entrance chamber to the other side I saw more open rooms. One was filled with weapons and armor while another was a torture pit of sorts. Near the end we walked into a smaller room which contained Misra sitting atop a makeshift seat, staring out the sole window I had seen. “Ah, he finally awoke?” She turned to us. “Yes and I brought him as requested.” Alysia replied. “Excellent.” Misra smiled. “Do you mind going to help Cass with something?” “Ugh… What was it this time?” “Something about one of the dragons in the next shipment getting full of herself.” “I’ll take care of it.” My companion winked. “Play nice you two~” With that, she walked out and shut the door. The couple of minutes of silence was nerve racking but peaceful. That was soon shattered when Misra began. “I want to thank you for bring my dau-“ I cut her off. “What the fuck did you do to her?!” My anger and sadness burst without a moment’s notice. The wurm chuckled. “I simply reminded her of who she really is.” “You… Fucking bitch!” I jumped for her but she slammed me back down into the closest chair. “Calm down, I don’t like hurting valuable loot but if you get too feisty…” That smile of hers gave me the chills. I tried to breath steadily to release my anger but it was still overwhelming my senses. All I could think about was some way I could beat down this wurm for what she did to Alysia. “I can tell she means a lot to you but trust me, the Alysia you knew was just a cheap facade she created after she left.”This wurm was stopping at nothing to make more upset than I already was. “Bullshit! What the fuck did you do to her?!” “I already told you, I didn’t do anything to her.” Misra sighed, reaching for a cup of tea. “Just forget about her already and worry more about yourself.” “What the hell are you talking about?” Fear rose in my gut. “Did you think I would let you stay here with my daughter? Oh no no, I’m getting rid of you but the real question is… How.” Her creepy smiled started coming out again. “I have several ways of disposing you but… I’m rather conflicted.” “You bitch…” I muttered, still trying to hold in my enormous pit of anger. “I was debating dinner but that is such a waste of good meat. Fucking you till you died would also be delicious but I don’t wish to get too full of myself.” Seeing her laugh at her own terrible joke was just awful. “So I narrowed it down to selling you to a local buyer or letting the girls have a little feast later. Tell me, which do you think would work better?” I couldn’t hold in the rage any longer. “Heh… I’d rather be a feast for the girls. It beats fucking some old hag that probably can’t even bear children anymore.” Suddenly, I felt her fist slam into my face. The shot was enough to cause my nose to bleed but I knew I had hit a soft spot and I wasn’t going to let up. “Oh I’m sorry, is it because you’re barren or did you never find that special someone?” She slammed me up against the wall, her face inches from mine. “Such a sharp tongue… It’s a shame but I can’t have you trying to change my daughter’s mind.” She dropped me to the floor. “Tomorrow I’m selling you to a local succubus that can curb that attitude and make something out of you.” “Too weak to do it yourself? Does the mighty Misra not know who to please a simple man? No wonder you could never find someone.” “If only you really knew…” The woman sighed and sat. “You can take him now.” “Right away mother.” Alysia stated as she walked in and pulled me up. “Once you finish up with him come back and give me a full report.” The Wurm went back to drinking her tea. “Of course.” My companion pushed me out and shut the door. Our returning walk back to my room (Cell) was silent. Alysia’s smile only gave me chills when I saw it so I also kept my head down for most of the time. I contemplated trying to escape but I knew there was no way any plan was going to work without help. Alysia wouldn’t help and Olivia was nowhere to be found which left me feeling hopeless. Once we reached my room and Alysia led me in, I was thrown against the wall. “The fuck were you thinking?!” She whispered. “What…? What are you talking about…?” To describe my current state of mind as confused would have been an understatement. “Don’t “What?” me! Why the hell did you start shit with Misra?!” Her eyes were back to usual hazel which really freaked me out. “I didn’t mean to!” I replied. “And why aren’t you crazy and bloodthirsty anymore?!” “Because you idiot I was acting! I knew we wouldn’t be able to outrun her so I acted like she finally “convinced” me to join her again.” “Then what was that shit back at the legion camp?!” “Oh… Yeah… That was old grudges getting settled.” “You killed all those soldiers!” “I killed like… 3, the rest were just knocked out.” “Not the point!” I felt anger but relived at the same time, keeping me confused. Tears streamed from my eyes. “I thought you were..” “Wha… What the hell! Don’t start crying!” “I can’t help it… I’m just so relieved…”She wiped away the tears. “Well save it for later, we have escaping to do.” |
| Ah a new chapter, nice. Starting to question whether Alysia is worth all the trouble she is causing. Well guess we will find out sooner or later. ;-) |
| About damn time this started moving again. Taking a look at the big picture, I still can't figure how this is all going to play out. The MC is definitely deep in it, whichever way things go. |
Chapter 34.5: Special! The wind drifted through the trees on this calm summer night. I had taken a calm stroll through the woods earlier and decided to take a nap in a small clearing for a bit. It shouldn’t have been shocking that I had fallen asleep for this long but it was. I slowly got up and wiped the evening dew and grass from my armor. The full moon illuminated the small clearing and the water glistened slightly. “Damn…” I muttered. “Now she’s going to lecture me again…” “I wouldn’t concern myself with such petty details if I were you.” A familiar voice stated. It was someone I never thought I’d hear again… Someone I despised with every ounce of my being. I quickly turned and saw my worst fears had come to fruition. “It seems what Cholris said is true...” I yelled, pulling out my sword and shield. “How are you still alive?” “Did you really think simply killing my vessel would end me? Your naivety is astonishing!” The woman chuckled. “Seeing you like this is most amusing.” “Silence demon! You have no right to speak of appearances!” I pointed my sword at her, ready for any magic she may have. “Silly human, you still understand so little of this world!” Her constant laughter echoed through the woods. “Like your plan to use Astoria?” I replied, causing her to stop laughing. “So the little lich keeps you informed…” The woman’s smile quickly returned. “No matter, there is nothing either of you can do to stop me.” “Really? Considering the rumors I’ve heard you can’t unseal her until you’ve retrieved all the crystals…” I smirked. “It would be a shame if even one of them became lost once again.” The demon woman’s expression and tone changed to annoyance. “Try as you might you can’t stop what cannot be stopped.” “Considering I did it once, I can do it once more.” I prepared myself for a sudden attack but it never came. “What’s the matter? Still not ready to die?!” The demon chuckled, her smile sending a chill down my spine. “The day is coming but for now remember this;everything will burn~” With those final words she vanished. I sighed and sheathed my sword and shield. My heart was still fast and the burst of adrenaline was still keeping me on edge. “You didn’t tell me she could project herself now…” I stated before dropping to the ground again. “She’s getting stronger faster each day.” A voice replied, appearing from the trees. It was Cholris wearing a dark blue robe. “How long till she has enough strength to actually create a form?” My breathing was heavy now. I didn’t know I had used so much energy just to keep a solid form and wield such a strong weapon for so long. “It will still take her months, if not years.” The lich leaned down. “You shouldn’t push yourself so much.” “You know I can’t help it… I’m just used to keeping up appearances and such.” I halfheartedly smile which relieves her for a moment. “I’m happy you are looking better.” “Not as much as you would believe…” The lich sighed before sitting down. “It has become even harder to contain her lately.” “Not surprising since both of you have been getting attention lately.” I nudged her and winked. “Gunning for the same man and all that must be a chore.” Her face lit up red and she looked away. “I just wanted to see what it was like…” I laughed and patted her shoulder. “Is that why you have a more glowing figure than usual?” She instantly became flustered again and tried to reply. “How did you…” “You know I can see through any illusion you create.” I smiled. Suddenly, her flustered expression changed to light tears as she placed her head into my chest plate. “I’m sorry I’m taking so long… I’m so sorry…” She repeated this over and over while I held her head. I didn’t know what to do but found myself starting to sing. “In the spring we made a boat, Out of feathers, out of bones. We set fire to our homes, Walking barefoot in the snow. Distant rhythm of the drum, As we drifted towards the storm. Baby lion lost his teeth, Now they're swimming in the sea. Troubled spirits on my chest, Where they laid to rest. The birds all left, my tall friend, As your body hit the sand. Million stars up in the sky, Formed a tiger's eye. That looked down on my face, Out of time and out of place. So hold on. Hold on to what we are. Hold on to your heart.” |
| Teasers gonna tease... |
| Seems I've caught up... Your turn to catch up to mine Asp |
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| Chapter 35: Escape or Dragon Collectors part 4 My heart jumped a beat for a moment as those words left her mouth. “Escape? How in hell are we gonna escape?!” Reason had left me as I stared into her eyes. “Relax, I’ve got a plan.” She smiled. “First I’m-” Suddenly the door opened up and a large Ogre entered, showing utter surprise at the appearance of Alysia. Both of us turned and looked at her. “What the hell are you doing in here Alysia?” She asked, giving off a confused expression. I began to panic a little, my mind running all sorts of scenarios of escape and all of them ending badly. I looked to Alysia and saw nothing but a look of shock which just fueled my fear. “Merca... “ Alysia started before becoming overcome with laughter. “Didn’t think you were gonna get back this fast. Figured I’d enjoy this meat stick one last time before he's molded into a complete whore.” For a second I couldn’t tell if the ogre had bought it but after a grin enveloped her features I was sure the ruse had worked. “Well damn, all you had to do was tell me.” Merca chucked. “Mind if I join?” “Not at all!” Alysia pushed me to the ground. “Hell, I’ll give you the first go.” “Really? Don’t mind if I do…” The ogre walked over and held my arms while slowly pulling off my pants and licking my ear. Before she could get down to business Alysia had already planted a knife in the back of Merca’s skull and pushed her off of me. Alysia lifted her hand out to help me up which I quickly took. “There goes the plan…” Alysia muttered, pulling her knife out of the ogre’s skull and looting her corpse. “What the hell do we do now?!” My fear and panic grew bigger as Alysia thought for a moment. “Nothing else but get the hell out of here.” She walked over and handed me a bag and her knife. “Here, put these on and let’s get moving.” I looked in the bag and found a change of clothes which I slipped into quickly. They weren’t much but they were better than the old rags I was wearing. Once I got dressed we quickly exited the cell and moved through the hall with caution. Alysia stopped me and told me to stay a moment. She quickly ran down the hall and distracted the guards, telling them some prisoner down another way escaped and they quickly headed in that direction. After that she motioned for me to follow and I ran to catch up. We kept running until we approached the main exit, stopping short of the large plaza. “Well shit…” She muttered. “It’s packed to the brim in there.” “What do we do now?” “We can take the secret exit at Misra’s office.” She suddenly grabbed me and pulled me through another corridor. We took a sharp right and headed up a steep flight of stairs and ran along another hall. In just a few minutes we arrived at Misra’s office. Alysia sharply knocked a few times on the door and waited. There was no response so we quickly slipped in. The office felt more open with Misra gone but it still brought up fresh memories I didn’t care to remember. “Quit standing around and help me search of the lever!” Alysia started, sifting through various objects. “Right!” I began looking around the office, searching through various objects and furniture. Upon opening Misra’s desk I saw my clothes and belongings. It appeared the dragon worm was prepared to keep my stuff and probably sell it for a nice profit. “Bitch…” I muttered while slipping my cloak and sword on. Suddenly, a wall made a cracking noise and slip open, revealing the exit. “Found it.” Alysia smirked as she made her way toward the exit. I quickly followed after her. We ran up some stairs until we met a solid stone wall. Alysia pushed it open and bathed the passageway with light. We both stepped out and felt the sun and wind hit us with all their might. The passage seemed to have led us to one of the other step areas around the mountain. I was unsure how long I had been trapped in that cell but the wind quickly calmed me as I finally tasted freedom again. “Don’t get comfortable, we’re still not out of the woods yet.” Alysia remarked. “Indeed you aren’t.” Misra stated, standing behind us. Alysia immediately drew her sword and pulled me behind her. They locked eyes and both smiled. “Just couldn’t help but say goodbye huh?” Alysia’s tail began to blaze. “I thought we had already worked this situation out…” Misra retorted. “Why the sudden change of heart?” “Cut the crap, you knew I was going to do this from the start.” “Oh I did but I was hoping we could have caught up a little before then.” They both chuckled. “I suppose that would have been nice but sadly I do need to go.” Alysia slowly moved us back toward the cliff edge. “Of course, but could you do me one little favor?” “What’s that mother?” Suddenly, several archers and ogres appeared from the hidden cracks in the cliff side. They easily outnumbered us 15 to 1. My companion grinned and, used her free hand, grabbed my shirt tightly. “Die.” The dragon smiled as the barrage of arrows was unleashed. Without warning, Alysia pushed and flung us over the cliff side. The wind rushed through my hair as we quickly dropped toward the rocky foothills below. I tried to scream but it was a struggle to breath as air overfilled my lungs. “At least we get to die smashing into rocks…" Alysia nonchalantly yelled. Suddenly, we hit a rough and scaly surface before meeting the rocks below. The impact ripped the air from my lungs and left me heaving for a moment. Once I adjusted I realized what happened. Olivia, at the last second, had caught us and was currently flying us away from danger. |
| sudden stop still would've killed :L |
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| Wondering why the MC keeps putting up with Alysia's shenanigans. He should have taken Zelia up on her offer a great many chapters in the past, would have been a lot safer for him and as a bonus he would have been laying a glorious Wight thrice a day :-P |
| Caught up! |
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MetallumOperatur said: Wondering why the MC keeps putting up with Alysia's shenanigans. He should have taken Zelia up on her offer a great many chapters in the past, would have been a lot safer for him and as a bonus he would have been laying a glorious Wight thrice a day :-P See, Asp? I'm not the only one that thinks so. Though Zelia is still a bitch. =p Seriously though, a bit of backstory...as I recall, Zelia was supposed to be a companion but the gm team at the time read the wight and saw "instant incapacitation" on her touch and she was banned as a companion. |
emeraldtryst said: One hell of a sexy bitch, thoughThough Zelia is still a bitch. =p emeraldtryst said: Seriously though, a bit of backstory...as I recall, Zelia was supposed to be a companion but the gm team at the time read the wight and saw "instant incapacitation" on her touch and she was banned as a companion. Glad that's gone. Too bad it's a bit late for Asp :-( |
| It's never too late, *Plot device* Alysia dies... Zelia comes in and claims that ass, signs a joint custody agreement with Olivia and they all live happily ever after... Except for Alysia.. Because she died. |
|
| Ok, Big announcement but first... emeraldtryst said: Seriously though, a bit of backstory...as I recall, Zelia was supposed to be a companion but the gm team at the time read the wight and saw "instant incapacitation" on her touch and she was banned as a companion. Woah woah woah, that's not correct. at. all. She wasn't banned as a companion but Suu wanted to be careful when it came to character strength and all that. After a talk I decided she would make a better antagonist than anything so we settled on that but Suu was totally willing for me to have her as a companion. Now for the big announcement... I will be ending this story as it stands now. I have dragged it on for just a bit too long so I'll end it with simply a sum up below. Now the reason I'm ending it is just because over the new few years I'm going to be VERY busy working on a variety of projects and such. My time is, at this point, is already non-existent so I figured I wouldn't have some of you hanging off your seat to hear the next chapter when I'm pretty sure I won't be delivering for a while. This, however, doesn't mean I won't start something else new or even add small bit to this story later. Hell, this whole story was well planned out and I'd hate to see those plans wasted but, at this point or the near future, don't expect much, if anything. Since I don't want to leave most of you hanging on the end I'm going to give a brief sum up of it. For those who don't want to see it, it will be hidden in a spoiler so all good there. For those who do though, just check the spoiler below. It has been a pleasure entertaining you all and I look forward to see you all on another Air Wyvern flight! Safe Travels~ STORY SPOILERS BELOW: |
| well this is upsetting, best of luck with your other projects |
|
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