The transparent gray menu briefly flashed before Jadis¡¯ eyes before a sudden flare of white light blinded her, sending her crashing to the ground in a tangle of limbs.
¡°Ow! God fucking damnit!¡± She shouted, voice echoing in her ears as she struggled to regain her feet, eyes watering from the flash and the fall.
Just as her vision was starting to clear and she was half way on her feet, a sharp, bony mass collided with her side, sending her right back to the ground. The monstrosity had caught up with her.
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Straddling her prone form, the undead assailant grappled its many smaller right arms with hers, grasping and squeezing, doing its best to hold her in place as it reared its left club arm back to bring the heavy end down on her head. Scrabbling with the abomination, Jadis barely managed to get her right arm free in time to catch the deadly arm before it slammed down on her skull. She struggled, twisting and turning, trying to pull away as far too many arms tangled with hers, sharp bones tearing at her skin and wrapping around her throat.
And yet, Jadis wasn¡¯t doing any of that.
Jadis was sitting on her rump, staring at the skeletal horror as it grappled with Jadis.
Her mind spun with confusion, shock, and pure adrenaline as she both wrestled with the creature and sat a few feet away, watching herself fight for her life.
The unoccupied Jadis looked down at her hands, expecting an out of body experience much like the one she had with D. Perhaps her soul had disconnected itself from her body? But, no, she could see her solid flesh, could feet the dirt she sat on. This second Jadis was as real as the one who was pinned to the forest floor.
She could see through both sets of eyes, one pair from the position under the attacking monster, the other not. There was no separation. Her mind reeled as she tried to process two different sets of sensory input.
Distracted, the fighting Jadis¡¯ right hand slipped and the bone monster slipped free and swung it¡¯s club appendage down at her head, missing and hitting the ground by scant inches.
There was no time to deal with the bizarreness of being in two places at once. The body of Jadis that wasn¡¯t yet caught in the struggle searched around for anything heavy, eyes landing on a head-sized rock that stuck out of the ground near the roots of a tree.
Tearing the stone from the earth, Jadis quickly ran at the creature, intending to strike it from behind as Jadis continued to hold off its arms from strangling or clubbing her to death.
Thinking about what she was doing served only to confuse her further and Jadis slipped, her foot catching on a root. Jadis crashed down on top of the pile, sending her breath out of two different sets of lungs, a mind-bending feeling she wasn¡¯t sure how to process.
Fortunately, her weight slamming in from above also managed to dislodge her assailant, sending the bone beast off to one side, for a few seconds at least. However, with no lungs to worry about, there was no wind to be knocked out and the monster almost immediately righted itself and threw all its considerable mass into tackling Jadis again.
This time, Jadis didn¡¯t try to coordinate what her two bodies were doing consciously, instead just moving on instinct.
Grabbing the bony arms on either side, Jadis managed to manhandle the creature into a position on the ground between her two selves, one on either side, pinning the horrible monster down as its whipped around, slapping against her legs.
The Jadis holding onto the monster¡¯s left arm had less arms to deal with and so reached out and grabbed hold of the rock she¡¯d dropped in the tumbling confusion. Putting all the force into the attack she could, Jadis swung down at the cluster of heads on top of the abomination.
¡°Fuck you, asshole!¡± Jadis screamed from two different mouths at the same time as she struck.
One skull instantly shattered as the rock connected with it, bone shards exploding outward. Still the creature struggled, trying to get free and continue its assault.
She swung again, breaking a second skull, then a third. With a fourth swing the last skull split into pieces. Still the body of the skeleton struggled, headless yet driven by endless aggression.
Blood was dripping from Jadis¡¯ arms, legs, and sides as the sharp bones of the creature continued to cut and scratch at her, the whipping tail the worst offender. She had to find a way to end the creature, for good, or it would bleed her dry.
Choosing a new target, Jadis slammed the rock down on the bone-club arm, aiming for as near the shoulder as she could. It took a couple tries, but eventually the bone shattered and she tossed the now dismembered arm away. With no arm on the left side of the creature anymore, that half of Jadis was free to attack the wildly flailing tail.
A much harder target due to its constant movement, eventually she managed to break the tail off and toss the bony whip to the side.
Jadis continued with her methodical deconstruction of the monster¡¯s limbs, one of her bodies holding the creature down while the other smashed bone with stone. Once the arms were all gone, she broke off the legs as well. In the end, all the was left was a densely packed mass of bone that represented the creature¡¯s torso lying on the ground, still slightly rocking back and forth as it struggled to move without any appendages.
Jadis sat back, sweat and blood dripping off her skin, bruises already forming all across her pale flesh. She was tired, sore, and rapidly coming down from the adrenaline high that had kept her going.
She looked up, staring at herself as she sat on either side of the wriggling skeleton pile.
¡°What am I¡?¡± she murmured simultaneously from two mouths, a stunned expression mirrored on both faces.
Jadis was starting to become inured to traumatizing mental experiences. First and foremost, she¡¯d experienced the mind warping chaos of The Between. Then, she¡¯d sat and had cookies and milk with a god. After that, she¡¯d been given an entirely new body with a penis, something she¡¯d definitely never had before.
Yes, the last item was something she¡¯d asked for, but that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t a significant mental adjustment to overcome.
So, with all of those experiences under her metaphorical belt, was having two bodies at the same time actually all that difficult to comprehend?
Yes. Yes, it was.
¡°So, that Mirror Knight class literally doubled me? Literally?¡± She talked to herself, a habit she¡¯d been indulging in ever since she¡¯d first arrived on Oros since there was no one else around to judge her. Except now, she was literally talking to herself.
Both of Jadis spoke at the same time, words synchronized and inflections identical. She couldn¡¯t even tell which one was the original body, since she was consciously within both bodies.
¡°Is this permanent?¡± She again spoke aloud, tilting her head to the left, which gave her an odd kind of vertigo since tilting both heads to the left did not mean her heads mirrored each other while she was facing herself.
Suddenly, a flash of dark blue light emanated from the lumpy skeletal torso. The light was by no means blinding, which meant Jadis could see perfectly well as strange occult symbols appeared in the air around the torso briefly before disappearing a moment later.
In response to the blue light, a few pieces of bone that were closer to where Jadis rested started rolling across the ground, snapping onto the creature¡¯s central mass like magnets.
¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± Jadis double shouted, grabbing the rock up off the ground and quickly smashing the newly attached bones off the mass.
After the deed was done, Jadis noticed that she hadn¡¯t had to think about which of her bodies to use to grab the stone; the one closest had done so naturally, the same way her closer arm would reach for a pen on a desk.
¡°This is just too freaky,¡± she said, standing up on wobbly legs. ¡°I need a minute to gather my thoughts.¡±
She frowned in annoyance as she continued to speak from both of her selves at the same time. Making a conscious effort, she willed just the one still holding a rock to speak first.
¡°It¡¯s getting dark and I need to find someplace to hide in case more of these¡ things, shows up.¡±
Her other self nodded in response and said, ¡°Maybe bring this thing with, though? I could try and figure out how it works, maybe a better way to kill it?¡±
Somehow, talking to her double felt stranger than when she was just thinking aloud. Speaking to a second person that was also her felt a million times more deranged than just talking to herself normally. Still, as the dark settled in around her, the sun dipping low enough to hide behind the mountains, talking to someone else was a huge comfort.
Pretending she wasn¡¯t alone might be crazy, but what about her situation wasn¡¯t utterly insane? Might as well roll with it until better options presented themselves.
Chapter 5: Mysteries of the Menu
The dark settled around Jadis as both of her bodies huddled together under a rocky overhang situated at the base of the cliff overlooking the valley. The recess carved by some natural event of geology was nothing near what anyone would call a cave. It did provide a meager amount of shelter, though, letting Jadis put her backs to a presumably unassailable wall. She had further fortified her makeshift hidey-hole by dragging a few broken logs and branches to cover the front of the alcove.
Fort Knox the nook was not, but it was a place for Jadis to rest that to any casual observer on the outside looked like nothing more than a pile of pine debris scattered against a natural stone wall.
Jadis took a deep breath, one head with eyes closed, leaning against the back of the alcove while the other stared out of the gaps in the branches, watching for any sign of movement in the darkening forest.
Damn but if it wasn¡¯t weird to have eyes open and closed at the same time. In a sense, it wasn¡¯t any different from when she closed one eye and kept the other open. Whenever she thought about it, though, her head would hurt as the disparate sensations of one body too many assaulted her.
¡°Okay, order of business, I need to see what exactly changed when I took that weird-ass Mirror Knight class,¡± her leaning self said.
¡°I mean, other than the obvious,¡± her self on watch continued the thought.
She was getting a little better at voicing different sentences from only one or the other source the more she did it.
Willing the status menu into existence, she examined it for any changes.
Aside from the change in primary class to the expected Mirror Knight, Jadis noted her combined level rating was at one instead of zero.
¡°That makes sense, I guess. If you can have multiple classes, it keeps track of the total level. If I¡¯ve got one class, though, then it¡¯d be the same number as the one class.¡±
A flash of annoyance crossed Jadis¡¯ face as she realized she¡¯d been speaking from dual voices at the same time again. Continuing her thoughts, she made conscious effort to only speak from one of her selves.
¡°Looking at my other stats, the only thing that¡¯s changed is my health. I¡¯m, what, about a quarter dead?¡± She looked down at her arms and legs, both pairs, noting the bruises and lacerations, some of which were still oozing a little blood.
¡°Guess I could be a lot worse off, though.¡± Her on-watch self responded to her resting self¡¯s pseudo-question. ¡°But, that does make me wonder: is my health pool separate for each body or is it shared?¡±
From what Jadis could tell, her injuries were unique to the individual bodies. There were scratch marks on her one left arm that were not mirrored on her other body¡¯s left arm. However, when she tried to will a different status menu into existence for her other self, nothing happened.
¡°One mind, one status,¡± she concluded. ¡°¡but does that mean if I get one head cut off, the other me dies, too?¡±
She stared at herself for a moment before shaking her head at the thought, not willing or able to experiment with the possibility.
¡°Lets just assume no matter what, I don¡¯t want a lethal blow to either of my bodies.¡±
Jadis wiped one hand across her face, wishing she had access to a bath, some rubbing alcohol, and some medical gauze. Even a few band aids would be better than the big fat nothing she had at the moment.
Well, not nothing. She had her loincloth still, right? Looking down, Jadis noticed that both of her bodies had a loincloth.
¡°Wait, my class doubled my clothes? Hold on, would it have doubled everything I was holding, if I had anything to hold?¡±
The possibilities of what could be done by doubling herself and anything in her possession were starting to make Jadis¡¯ head spin.
¡°Fuck, please tell me I can do this again. Please, D, tell me I did not just miss a massive opportunity to double my equipment or something.¡±
Jadis groaned, a plaintive whine escaping her lips at the thought of the missed opportunities should her current doubled nature be a one time, permanent effect rather than a skill that she could turn on and off.
Wait, did she have skills? Oros was operating on some kind of RPG-like magic system. She had a class, so it made sense for her to have class skills. Why couldn¡¯t she see them?
Jadis was abruptly startled from her contemplation of hidden class skills by a flash of dark blue light.
The mass of bones that had been the skeletal creature¡¯s torso was doing something magical again. She had brought the surprisingly solid collection of bones with her when she¡¯d sought out a place to stay for the night. Smashing the thing to pieces with a rock was certainly on her list of things to do, but she wanted to see if she could glean any more information from the still living monster before she ended it.
Did it count as alive? Could she even actually kill it?
Jadis didn¡¯t have a clue what was possible. Once she had seen a skeletal monstrosity walk towards her with less than honorable intent, Jadis had thrown all considerations for what was reasonably possible in her new world out the window. Magic did whatever the fuck magic wanted to do, after all.
Well, maybe magic had free license to bend reality over a table and make it its bitch, but that didn¡¯t mean the people who used magic didn¡¯t have rules to follow. Figuring out what those rules were was a top priority.
The occult glowing symbols faded from the air around the torso and Jadis watched for something to happen. Other than the same attempts at wriggling away from her the torso had been doing since she had smashed off its limbs, nothing happened.
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¡°Well, can¡¯t be sure, but that looked like the same pattern of symbols as last time. Guess there aren¡¯t any bones around to gobble up, huh?¡± Jadis mused, flicking a finger against the disabled monster.
It was difficult to examine in the growing dark but looking closely at the torso was changing Jadis¡¯ opinion of its general composition. What she had thought was just a bunch of bones mashed together like a wad of playdough was looking more and more like a shell. There was a spine and a ribcage, but it was all filled in with more bones. No gaps or spaces between the bones at all.
¡°What the hell, are these mouse bones or something?¡± Jadis exclaimed, peering closely at the details. Tiny femurs, tibias, ulnas, and so on were jammed into any spot in the outer shell where the shape of bones would have left space. The torso was a complete barrier, preventing anything on the outside from getting inside.
¡°Now I wonder what¡¯s inside? Skeletal heart? A brain? Tiny gnome with a control panel?¡±
Jadis laughed a bit at her own joke, maybe starting to feel a bit silly from the exhaustion that was weighing her down. She needed to sleep. How exactly sleep was going to work with two heads, she wasn¡¯t sure. No matter what, though, it was probably best if she resolved the bone monster situation before sleeping. She didn¡¯t want to risk this creature figuring out a way to attack her again while she was unconscious and defenseless.
Picking up her trusty smashing implement, one Jadis held the torso in place while the other proceeded to slam the rock down. The bones were tough, but it only took a few tries before the skeletal shell was split open like the world¡¯s worst coconut.
Taking a look inside, Jadis could see nothing but darkness. Leaning in close to get a better view, she recoiled in sudden shock and horror as a bright orange eye the size of a baseball surfaced from the black mass within.
Acting on instinct, Jadis slammed the rock down on the squirming eyeball, a loud splat echoing in the tiny cave.
¡°Oh fuck, I think I¡¯m going to puke,¡± Jadis gagged. Dark purple and orange viscera were dripping from the hand that had struck, a smell like three-day-old squid mixed with vinegar emanating from the goo.
As she feebly tried to wipe the nasty gunk off her hand without getting more the foulness on her, she noticed that a transparent screen had popped into the corner of her vision. When she focused on it, the screen enlarged, displaying a notification.
And then, a moment after she had finished reading the first notification, a second one drew her attention.
The information Oros¡¯ system notifications had just magically shoved into her mind was almost enough to distract her from the putrid stench of the dead monster.
¡°Okay, a lot to unpack there,¡± she said, getting to her feet. ¡°First, though, I¡¯m getting this crap as far from me as possible.¡±
Picking the cracked bone shell up, Jadis carried it out of her hiding spot and ditched it a few hundred feet away, one of her bodies staying at the entrance to her alcove while the other did the dumping.
She was amazed to find she could somehow walk with one body through the dark, quiet pine forest while the other stood in one spot. It was surreal, being able to see two completely different views at the same time, particularly when she watched herself walk away from herself and then return minutes later. Jadis wasn¡¯t quite used to the look of her new body yet, which only added to the impression that she was watching a stranger. Except, even as she watched the stranger walk towards her, she was also watching a stranger stand by the hidden nook, waiting for her.
Once she was back inside the stone alcove, Jadis settled down, bodies leaning against the wall shoulder to shoulder. The stink still lingered on one hand, and she¡¯d left her rock outside to lessen the smell, but with the dead demon thing far and away she felt she could actually think with some clarity.
¡°Level two, it said, right?¡±
She concentrated and pulled up her status menu again, noting the change in level. Additionally, her attributes now had a what she assumed to be her free point available, highlighted with a slight shimmer.
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but frown a bit, staring at the single free attribute point. ¡°Just one, huh? How much of a difference does a single point make, anyway?¡±
¡°Only way I¡¯ll know is by putting the point to use,¡± her second self answered. ¡°It¡¯ll still be hard to judge without some way of measuring things. I mean, how do I test the difference between thirty and thirty-one strength?¡±
Looking at the different attributes, she could guess what each one represented, though the difference between fortitude and endurance seemed like something for English teachers to argue. One thing she saw that she doubted was a coincidence was the fact that her health pool was two hundred and her vitality was twenty.
¡°Those are probably linked. Is it as simple as a times ten ratio?¡±
Her left self shrugged as her right self shook her head in uncertainty. ¡°No way to know when we don¡¯t have anyone to ask. I bet D didn¡¯t even check to see if anyone was still living in that death-trap village before he dropped me off here. Fucking slacker¡¡±
Was that blasphemy, calling her patron deity a slacker? It was true, though, from what she¡¯d seen of his personality. Still, with the possibility of D taking offense to her criticisms, she decided to tone back on calling the god out specifically. She did not want to think about the ways in which he could make her life more difficult than it already was.
¡°Okay, time for an experiment. Putting the free point into vitality to see what happens.¡±
It was a simple experiment, she admitted. Not much of a plan. But, with the data she had, it seemed the safest course.
Willing the attribute point to be applied to her vitality stat, she watched as the numbers shifted and her status menu changed.
¡°Ha! It is a times ten ratio,¡± Jadis crowed in delight to see her hypothesis confirmed. ¡°Even better, it raised my current health, too!¡±
She checked her bodies, looking for signs of any change to her injuries. She didn¡¯t feel especially better, but some of her cuts looks less severe, like they had been healing for a day or two, rather than hours fresh.
¡°Okay, okay, that¡¯s a big step forward. Still have a lot of questions about attributes, but this is a start.¡± Lightly running a hand over one particularly bad bruise on her thigh, Jadis considered her next step. ¡°Now, there has to be some explanation somewhere in the menu for having a clone. Maybe there are pages?¡±
Jadis focused on her status menu and tried to turn it over, like a page in a book. Nothing happened. Next, she tried concentrating on concepts like ¡®page two¡¯ or ¡®expand¡¯. Still nothing. Eventually, she resorted to thinking hard on different concepts, just as she had when she¡¯d first figured out how to access her status page.
Eventually, one straightforward phrase clicked.
¡°Skills Menu.¡±
|
Skills
|
|
Primary:
Mirrored Body
|
Secondary:
None
|
Tertiary:
None
|
Jadis let out a small exuberant victory whoop from both her selves, arms wrapping around each other in a gleeful hug.
¡°One skill, Mirrored Body¡¯, and nothing else, huh. There¡¯s got to be more to the menu than this, though¡¡± She had to admit, she was feeling excited. Living in a true fantasy world with leveling up mechanics was what she had wanted from D. She¡¯d had a rocky start to Oros, but the more she was able to unpack the capabilities of her menu and stats, the more interested she was in exploring more.
Willing the title of the skill to explain itself was the simple trick to learning more.
|
Mirrored Body
Passive Skill. Your physical form is duplicated, allowing you to exist as two beings at once. While the body is duplicated, the mind and attributes are not. Your twin bodies share the same health and magic pool. The further your bodies are apart from one another, the more mental strain you will be under.
|
¡°Oh.¡±
Jadis was glad for the confirmation on what she¡¯d suspected about her new extra body, but also a bit let down, in a sense. Passive skill meant Mirrored Body was on all the time, she was sure, which was great in that she wasn¡¯t spending any resources to activate it or keep it active, so far as she could tell. On the other hand, she truly had missed the opportunity to duplicate any tools or weapons she might have been able to find.
¡°Imagine if I¡¯d been holding some sacred sword of holy damage or the like when I accepted the class,¡± Jadis mused leaning one head against the other form¡¯s shoulder.
¡°I know, right?¡± She sighed in response. ¡°Also, if this is on all the time, like, all day and night, does that mean I need double the food and water? Donkey balls on toast this is weird¡¡±
¡°It really is,¡± she laughed, huddling in both bodies close as the night grew chillier. Jadis had nothing but herself, at least for the moment. She hoped she would be enough to get through to morning.
Chapter 6: Scavenging for Beginners
In the morning, Jadis felt the worst she had ever felt in her life, multiplied by two. As it turned out, her perception of pain was present across both bodies, so every stiff muscle and sore bruise was felt across the sum total of two sets of limbs. Having two bodies had in all likelihood saved her life, but she was not enjoying the experience so far.
On the bright side, she had discovered that she could keep one self awake while the other self slept, in a fashion. When one of her bodies slipped into full unconsciousness, the other was able to stay somewhat vigilant, eyes open and ears listening. She couldn¡¯t say she was completely, fully alert, it was more like she semi-conscious and day-dreaming, however knowing she wasn¡¯t being snuck up on in the night by more bone demons did wonders for her peace of mind.
¡°I am so thirsty right now¡¡± Jadis murmured, stretching out her aching muscles as she tried to work a painful kink out of her shoulders. ¡°And hungry, too. When was the last time I ate?¡±
¡°Never, technically,¡± she answered herself, ¡°I mean, if I¡¯m talking about this body, er, two bodies, I¡¯ve technically never eaten anything.¡±
¡°That can¡¯t be good for my health,¡± she said, ¡°even if I¡¯m not human. I doubt Nephilim, whatever those are, can go without water for long. Speaking of health, I should check my health pool, I guess.¡±
Doing so, she found her health had gone up by a single point, making the total one hundred and seventy-two.
¡°I guess sleeping doesn¡¯t restore health, huh?¡±
¡°Or maybe it does but sleeping in a bare cave offers next to no recovery.¡±
Discussing her thoughts about the RPG-style mechanics of Oros between her twin forms was starting to feel a little more natural. It was nice to have someone to talk to, even if that person was her.
Exiting the alcove, Jadis made her way back in the direction of the demon she¡¯d killed, wanting to check it out in the morning light. On arrival, she found that the broken remains were just where she had left them and were just as wretched smelling.
Kneeling to take a closer look at the dark insides of the bone shell, she found that the blackness she¡¯d seen before was actually a floppy mass of branching tentacles, not unlike a nerve cell¡¯s dendrites. The squished orange eyeball in the middle made the demon goo look a lot like a cell nucleus in overall structure.
Interesting to see, but she wasn¡¯t sure how useful the information was. At the very least she now knew she needed to destroy the core inside the middle of a bone thief in order to kill it, if she ever ran into another. An encounter she hoped to avoid for the foreseeable future.
At least until she got some weapons and armor. Once she was armed, she wouldn¡¯t mind a second go at one of the bony monsters. In all honesty, as awful as the fight had been in the moment, the exhilaration of victory was exactly the thrill she¡¯d been hoping for when she chose to go to a fantasy world at D¡¯s suggestion. She wanted to feel that excitement again.
First things first, though. She needed to find some food and water.
Examination done and parched throats demanding attention, Jadis left the remains where they were and headed back towards the base of the cliff. The brook on top spilled over the edge, which meant it had to continue somewhere down below. On the way back, she kept two pairs of wary eyes on the lookout for anything skeletal stalking the trees around her.
Nothing but birds flitted about around her, which was starting to bother Jadis. She¡¯d seen birds ever since she arrived on Oros, and some insects, but she hadn¡¯t seen much else in terms of wildlife. No deer or wolves, not even a squirrel. She was beginning to wonder if such animals existed or not.
No, they had to exist, she reasoned, if for no other reason than she had seen the bones of such animals in the remains of the bone thief demon. Though, the demon might be the answer as to why she hadn¡¯t seen any landbound animals running about the forest. That one monster certainly couldn¡¯t account for an entire forest¡¯s worth of deer, but if there were more of those demons¡
As Jadis searched the escarpment for signs of water, she picked up two large branches to use as clubs, one for each of her bodies. The clubs were large and hefty enough that she felt she would be able to put some bone-crushing force into any swing she made with it, which made her feel a little more secure in her lone wandering.
Eventually, Jadis did find water streaming down the cliff face. She wasn¡¯t exactly sure it was the same source of water as she¡¯d seen above, and she was even less sure it was safe to be drinking water from an unfiltered source, but she couldn¡¯t see much of a choice.
She drank from the water with one body while the other stood careful watch. Thirst slaked, she noted with displeasure that her body standing guard was still thirsty. It seemed she did, in fact, have to feed and water both of her twin forms, even though they shared a health pool. Still, only a minor drawback she supposed considering she now had what many, many people over the course of history had wished for: a second pair of hands.
After both bodies had drunk their fill, Jadis decided she had to go back to the abandoned dwarf village. She didn¡¯t have any idea how to forage for food in a wilderness, much less hunt a wild animal, even if there were any animals around to hunt. The chance of there being more bone thieves in the village seemed high to Jadis, but the likelihood of starvation if she just wandered through the woods aimlessly seemed even more certain.
¡°Even if there isn¡¯t any food, maybe I can find some tools or weapons. Hell, just a kitchen knife would be pretty freaking useful right now.¡±
¡°Or maybe there¡¯s a map somewhere in that place?¡± She nodded her head in agreement with her own statement. ¡°That bible or whatever it was in the temple to D was pretty much pristine. Maybe there¡¯s more stuff like that in other buildings?¡±
Jadis hummed thoughtfully. She was making a good point; she needed to check for supplies in the village. But what if she ran into another demon? Or more than one?
¡°If I see a lone demon, I give it a good smack with these,¡± she said, hefting up her makeshift clubs. ¡°If there¡¯s more than one demon, I run like hell.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a terrible idea,¡± Jadis immediately rejected the notion of running. ¡°That demon ran me down without breaking a sweat, literally. I can¡¯t bet on something that doesn''t have lungs to run out of breath.¡±
Jadis nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°Sure, but what else can I do? I¡¯m pretty sure the only reason why I was able to fuck that last one up was because there was two of me. If more than one of those things comes at me, I lose the numbers advantage.¡±
Thinking on the problem as she walked, Jadis was reminded of an old action movie she¡¯d seen some years ago. ¡°I could pull a Leonidas? Defend from a single direction and numbers don¡¯t make as big a difference, right?¡±
¡°That could work,¡± Jadis shrugged. She wasn¡¯t sure about the logistics of replicating what the Spartans had done against the Persians with just two of her, no shields, and no military training, but she figured having some kind of plan was better than no plan at all.
First step, she needed her Thermopylae. The alcove in the cliff wall wouldn¡¯t work, she immediately decided. It was too far away from the village¡ªshe¡¯d be exhausted by the time she ran all the way back to it. Plus, the entrance was too wide to effectively block off, even with two bodies.
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One of the dwarf huts might do, she considered. The buildings were small and cramped for her, but most she had seen were largely intact and only had single entrances, not counting the windows. If she could block the windows off and make room inside one, she could use the building¡¯s front door as a funnel.
With an idea of what she wanted to do becoming more and more solid in her mind, Jadis strode purposefully to the west side of the valley, looking for the stone buildings she¡¯d seen the day before.
Jadis did spot one of the dwarf homes after a while of walking, but instantly dismissed it as a rally point. The roof had partly caved in on one side, leaving that part of the hut open to the world.
¡°No way bone demons can¡¯t climb in through there,¡± she mumbled, belatedly realizing that maybe she should be trying to keep quiet now that she was close to the outskirts of the village. Doing her best to be stealthy, Jadis stayed low and entered the broken building with one body while the other stayed outside, keeping watch. The house wouldn¡¯t do for defense in a fight, but it could still potentially hold some useful supplies.
Inside, she found various pieces of broken furniture and some moldy old rags, too moth eaten to be of any use. She did find a pair of leather boots underneath a broken wardrobe, though they were far too small for her feet. She took them anyway, figuring she might be able to make some use out of the leather and laces.
With nothing else promising inside, Jadis moved on, circling what she thought to be the main location of the village, heading a bit north towards the cliff and mountains she¡¯d spawned on when D had put her on Oros. There, still outside the village proper, she found a second, more promising building.
The stone house was a bit larger than the others and the roof was fully intact. The door was still on the hinges, too, though the simple wooden slide lock on it was broken. Checking inside, Jadis found the furniture was more intact than the last place. Unlike the last house or the first one she¡¯d entered, this home had interior walls that split the space up into a main area with a kitchen and two bedrooms.
The main room had shelves that must have once held foodstuffs and other supplies, but were sadly empty, much to the displeasure of Jadis¡¯ grumbling stomachs. She found several iron knives, rusted and flaking. They looked too far gone to use, so she left them where they lay. There were a few clay jars, empty, that she set aside. She had no use for them at the moment, but if should figure out how to start a fire, she could use them to boil water she was sure.
The first bedroom she checked had a bed with a moldy straw mattress and a worn-looking dresser. The dresser drawers were open and empty. As she turned to exit the bedroom, a thought struck her and she turned back, got on her hands and knees, and checked under the bed. To her delight, a wooden box greeted her and she eagerly pulled it out.
¡°Starting to feel like a treasure hunter here,¡± Jadis smiled to herself as she went to open the lid, but frowned moments later. The wood box had a lock on it, a bit rusty but still solid. Tugging on the lid, she could hear the wood creaking under the strain of her prying hands, but it still held solid. Jadis carried the box outside and handed it to her second self who was standing guard to hang onto for later.
In the second bedroom, she found much the same furniture as the first, but with two differences. First, the dresser did not look like it had been rifled through, all the drawers shut. Second, and more disturbingly, there was a pile of torn up leather and metal scraps on the floor. A brown stain marked the wooden floor all around the ravaged materials.
¡°I¡¯m no crime scene investigator, but I feel like this might have been someone¡¯s final resting place¡¡±
Jadis tentatively picked up a few of the leather scraps as she stared at the stain. Best she could tell, there was enough material to have been an outfit at one time, maybe even leather armor? There were no rotting bits of flesh, but that didn¡¯t entirely surprise her. Any flesh could have been eaten long ago by scavengers and insects. With the windows glassless and shutterless, the building wasn¡¯t exactly airtight.
¡°Bone thieves¡¡± she murmured, considering the lack of skeletal remains. ¡°One guess as to how they got that name¡¡±
Disregarding the scraps, Jadis checked the dresser and grinned at what she found. There were clothes inside most of the drawers, some of them intact. She pulled out several shirts and trousers made from a rough brown material she wasn¡¯t familiar with. There were signs of moths having taken a toll on some of the pieces, but most were intact. Unfortunately, all of them were too small to fit her, but she was certain she could improvise some kind of coverings from the cloth. The bottom drawer also held a series of wound up strips of leather, a ball of twine, and a spool of thread with a wooden needle. No scissors, sadly.
Jadis hadn¡¯t used a needle since she was a little girl, forced to sloppily patch a few cloth squares together when her grandmother had tried to show her how to make a quilt. With her experience so limited, trying to use the needle would be a struggle. Necessity was a good teacher, though, so she had confidence she could figure something out.
Checking under the bed, she chuckled to find another box, smaller than the first. It, too, was locked, but that didn¡¯t bother Jadis so much anymore. She never would have guessed finding a bunch of old clothes and scraps would have made her so happy in her previous life, but here she was.
Having looked through the building, Jadis exited, passing her loot to herself as she went to check on something she¡¯d seen through one of the windows.
Behind the house was a small wooden shed, door hanging slightly ajar.
Eagerly Jadis swung open the shed door, hoping for a collection of tools or maybe even stored and preserved food. What she found was a wooden bench with a hole in the middle, a dark pit looming below.
It took the modern girl a few seconds to realize what she had found. Lip curling in distaste, she closed the door and went back around front.
Her twin, waiting for her with arms full, grinned, and said, ¡°Hey, at least I¡¯ve got somewhere to go when nature calls from now on.¡±
¡°Yeah, true. Which, speaking of, I totally want to try standing while taking a whiz! Guys are so damn lucky they don¡¯t have to deal with taking a seat every time. Lucky bastards.¡±
Jadis nodded in agreement with herself. She didn¡¯t dwell on the natural necessities for long, though. She was fairly certain she was going to use this building as her basecamp, but she wanted to check out at least a couple more spots. Taking her loot with her, Jadis kept circling northwest.
The third building found was far too ruined to have any use at all, with walls collapsed and roof missing. Judging by the charred remains, she guessed the hut had caught fire. She didn¡¯t bother sifting through the remains and moved on.
Her fourth stop looked much like the first. A small hut with a caved in roof, she doubted there was anything of use inside. Sighing in resignation, Jadis almost left right away, but hesitated. She hadn¡¯t done more than a quick look from the outside, which was foolish on her part. She was in a real survival situation, she reminded herself. She needed to be more thorough.
¡°Don¡¯t be a lazy looter, Jadis,¡± she chided herself.
Stepping inside, Jadis moved broken wood around, checking for anything of use. After a few minutes, Jadis moved to go, disappointed in her lack of success. As she reached the door, a creaking floorboard cracked under her weight and her foot went straight through, far further than what she had expected.
¡°Ow, fucking splinters,¡± she complained distractedly. Once she had pulled her leg out, Jadis peered into the hole she¡¯d made. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust, but eventually they did and her expression changed from curiosity to excitement.
¡°There¡¯s a cellar!¡±
Hurrying out of the building, Jadis checked the perimeter. On one side, partially hidden by an overgrown bush, was a cellar door leading straight into the earth. Eagerly, Jadis pulled it open and descended the creaking wood stairs. The cellar had barely any light filtering in from above, but there was enough for her to spot several rows of shelves, lined with earthenware jars.
Fingers trembling with excitement, Jadis pried the lid off one of the jars, breaking a seal made from sap or something like it. Inside was a yellowish jelly, semi-transparent, with little gold berries floating inside. She had no idea what the berry was, but it was the most beautiful berry she¡¯d ever seen.
Dipping a finger in, she brought a dollop of the preserve to her tongue and took a taste.
¡°Mmm, that¡¯s so good¡¡± she moaned, relishing the sweet yet tart flavor. The taste reminded her of a kiwi mixed with a raspberry.
In minutes, half the jar disappeared into Jadis¡¯ stomach. She only stopped when she realized she needed to share with her second body. Passing the jar up to let her second self eat, happy that she could continue to enjoy the delicious flavor while she worked, Jadis checked through the rest of the jars in the cellar.
Many of them had broken seals, the food within spoiled, but about a quarter of the jars had seals intact. Jadis counted two-dozen jars that looked usable.
¡°Okay, so here¡¯s the plan,¡± the Jadis on the surface said, licking her lips as she finished off the sweet preserve. ¡°I go back to that intact house and start blocking the windows. Secure the place as best I can with the furniture there.¡±
¡°In the meantime, I start carrying these jars back to the house, along with any wood pieces that look like they¡¯ll be of use in boarding the place up,¡± Jadis in the cellar continued, already shifting the good jars towards the stairs.
With a plan in place, Jadis set to work.
Chapter 7: Venturing Into the Village
Jadis stood tall in the stone hut she¡¯d repurposed to be her own personal fort, heads in the rafters of the thatched roof. It had taken some time, at least a few hours she guessed, but she¡¯d managed to create halfway decent defenses, if she said so herself.
One Jadis had stayed in the house, using the old furniture to build up barriers in the windows. With the addition of extra wood from a couple of the other abandoned homes, she felt the piles of wood were heavy and solid enough to make any attempts at breaking through a real challenge. Nothing was nailed in place, since she lacked nails much less a hammer, but with larger pieces jammed against the walls and into the window frame, she was confident in their stability.
Her other body had transported the clay jars of preserved food from the cellar she¡¯d found them in over to her new base. It was while she was making cautious trips back and forth from the two buildings that she noticed the effects of one limitation of her body doubling skill. When she was at both places at the same time, a pressure headache started to throb behind her temples. However, once she started walking back, the headache lessened until after a few minutes it was gone completely.
The skill had told her in its description that the further her two bodies were apart, the more mental strain she¡¯d be under. She guessed that the throbbing headache was evidence of the strain. By her estimation, the distance between the two buildings was about a thousand feet, maybe fifteen hundred at most. That felt like plenty of space to work with if she needed to separate her selves, but she did want to test the limits of just how far she could actually go if she needed to.
¡°Testing can wait until I¡¯ve got more important things in order,¡± she said aloud, dismissing any plan to experiment for the moment.
¡°Like dressing my wounds,¡± she agreed with herself.
Looking at herself, she chuckled a bit. Ironically, despite the name of her class, she was sure she¡¯d never need to use another mirror ever again. With two independent sets of eyes, she could check herself over in a way no one else on Earth could. Maybe other people on Oros, but not Earth.
She examined the condition of both her bodies, eyes raking over her forms. Both were fairly banged up with scratches, cuts, and bruises on arms and legs, as well as a few places on her torso. With no true medical supplies, she had no way to properly sterilize or bind the more serious cuts, the worst of which had her worrying about infection. She had a makeshift solution, though.
When she¡¯d finished carrying the jars back to the hut, Jadis had used the strength of both sets of arms to pry apart the lids of the two boxes she¡¯d discovered under the beds. The wood cracked and shattered under her combined efforts, rendering the iron locks useless.
¡°Who needs a key when you¡¯ve got guns like these?¡± She¡¯d laughed, flexing one of her biceps at the time.
Inside the first box, she¡¯d found a leather pouch with ninety silver coins inside it. Forty of them had been about the size of a quarter and had the image of an acorn on one side, some kind of fancy crest on the other. The crest had two axes crossed in front of a shield with a crown over the top. She could make out small symbols on the shield and words on both sides of the coins, but the letters were foreign to her and she had no clue what they said.
The other fifty coins had also had the crest on one side, but had a tree on the reverse side instead of an acorn. The coin was also a bit larger, closer to the size of a half-dollar coin. She guessed they were different denominations, but she would have to wait until she found some living folk to find out what the difference was and what they were worth.
The box had also had a small gold pin, a silver ring with a green stone set in it, and a flat piece of wood with what looked like a family portrait carved into the surface. The contents were clearly the treasures of the former owner of the building. She felt a twinge of guilt as she stared at the faces in the wooden portrait but shook her head clear of any sentiment. She couldn¡¯t afford to leave potentially useful supplies behind out of some misguided sense of respect for someone that was likely long dead.
While the silver and gold were probably the most monetarily valuable things in the box, the true treasure in Jadis¡¯ eyes was the last thing she¡¯d found in the box: a steel flask.
Opening the flask, Jadis had taken a sniff and found that it was filled with a highly alcoholic drink, something as potent as vodka if she had to guess from the smell.
She¡¯d set the task aside until she¡¯d finished barricading the hut, but now that she had that done, taking care of her wounds was priority one.
Combined with the clothes and rags she¡¯d found, Jadis used the alcohol to sterilize her wounds and bound them tightly. Fortunately, she had enough cloth left over to wrap both of her chests. She felt a lot better with her injuries cared for and her boobs no longer bouncing about free.
Despite what the rude menu had said, she was not an exhibitionist and would be more than happy to get some decent clothes on her back.
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Still¡ she had to admit she was enjoying the view. As she sat in the darkened, defended stone hut, making a few last adjustments to her bindings, she couldn¡¯t help but admire her looks. Without the cuts and blood to distract her, she was very appreciative of the ability to take in her own beauty. As she ran fingers over her soft skin and tight muscles, she felt a stirring in her loins, an unfamiliar tightness that she¡¯d only experienced once, on the day before.
Both heads snapped down to look at her two rising pillars that were obscured only by flimsy pieces of cloth.
¡°Fucking hell, now is not the time,¡± she murmured from both lips, longing tinging her words and eyes. Her throat went a bit dry at the thought of what sensations she might experience from two identical bodies being pleasured at the same time¡
¡°No!¡± She admonished herself. ¡°Not now! ¡maybe later,¡± she said, shaking her heads.
Jadis still had things to do. The sun showed the day hadn¡¯t even reached noon yet and she had a lot of things she wanted to work on before night came. Jadis didn¡¯t know if the bone thief demons cared about day and night, or if they slept, but she knew she had to sleep, and she certainly couldn¡¯t see in the dark. If she wanted to feel safe that night, there was more to be done.
Fortunately, the second locked box¡¯s contents were going to be of great help in securing her safety.
Aside from another pouch of silver coins and a silver necklace with blue stone pendant, the box held one of the most useful tools she could have hoped for: a knife. Small in her hands, clearly made for someone to fit the size of the dwarves who must have built the village, the knife was still sharp and without rust thanks to a silver trimmed leather sheath.
With knife in hand, Jadis got to work on improving her wooden clubs.
Jadis wasn¡¯t a survivalist nut, nor did she have much training beyond what she¡¯d learned from a single year in the girl scouts. She certainly had no experience making weapons. However, what she did have was an overabundance of wasted hours spent watching internet videos that revolved around survival situations or making primitive tools.
Using the knife, she peeled off all the bark from the thick branches she¡¯d found, removing any little twig stubs and giving them a smooth grip. Next, she cut the tips of the larger ends of the branches, splitting them in half.
From what she remembered, the videos she¡¯d seen had shown the men chipping away at stone pieces to give them a proper shape, but Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how long that would take and decided to skip that step. Instead, she found a couple large rocks that had about the right shape she was looking for. She didn¡¯t need to make axes to cut trees, just blunt objects that could break bones.
Wedging the stones into the split ends of the branches, she wrapped them in place first using the twine she¡¯d found, then the leather strips.
In the end, she¡¯d turned the wooden clubs into stone clubs, each one about the length of a baseball bat, their feel heavy and solid.
¡°Okay! Now I feel like I can break some demon skulls!¡± Jadis smiled, swinging the hammer-like weapons, testing their weight. ¡°Not bad for a city girl, eh?¡±
¡°Not bad at all!¡± she grinned in response to her silly question, white teeth shining.
Heading out of her fort, Jadis decided she was ready to head a little further into the village proper. She¡¯d found some good loot searching the outer huts, but she was certain there had to be more in the buildings that surrounded the stone temple. A village had to have had shops, right? Craftsmen? Smiths? Tailors? If she could find any places of business, she had high hopes of finding ever more useful tools and equipment.
Before she headed into the village, Jadis took a couple of empty jars to the water source she¡¯d found and collected as much water as she could, drinking her fill and leaving the full jars in her hut. She didn¡¯t want to have to go looking for water in the dark if she was gone longer than she intended.
Preparations complete, Jadis proceeded to the village, her walk slowing to a crawl as the village homes and clearing came into view.
She paused at the tree line, both sets of eyes watching the cobbled streets and open spaces for any signs of movement. Nothing stirred. With a deep breath, she crept her way towards the closest building, a larger stone structure with two stories.
Like every other building Jadis had come across so far, the structure¡¯s windows were without glass and gaped wide, shutters either open or missing. There was no door on this side of the building, but Jadis still moved close and took a look through the windows.
A mass of splintered wood was all that greeted her. The interior looked ransacked, like a tornado had danced within. With how damaged everything looked, Jadis had no desire to try and sort through the mess. However, there was the second floor to check still. The first floor might be a wreck, but that didn¡¯t mean the whole structure was a loss.
Putting aside the hammer one body carried, Jadis put her foot up on the sill of one window and boosted herself up, grabbing hold of the second story window and pulling herself up.
¡°For once I¡¯m glad this place was built for little people,¡± Jadis mumbled as she climbed up and into the second floor window.
Unlike the first floor, the second was far less damaged, the furniture displaced but not shattered. She searched the rooms thoroughly, checking every drawer and under all the beds. Eventually, she had to admit defeat. There was nothing of value in the building.
¡°Maybe this place has already been looted?¡± She wondered. With all the drawers and boxes thrown open and askew, her assumption felt right. ¡°I might not be the first to try and gather supplies here¡¡±
Shrugging, Jadis made her way out of the building and rejoined her double. Just to be certain, she checked the perimeter of the building for any cellar doors and found none.
Moving on, Jadis followed the same pattern, checking the next four buildings for any useful resources with one body while the other waited outside, standing watch. None of them held anything that Jadis could even remotely call worthwhile. Three of the four had cellars, which had excited Jadis at the prospect of more hidden food stores, but all were disappointingly empty of anything but broken rubbish.
As Jadis moved to check the sixth building, a slight movement she almost missed caught her attention and she paused, ducking low behind a wobbly wooden fence between two buildings. Across the road, hanging from the partially exposed rafters of a thatched roof, a creature made of bone was slowly swinging back and forth.
Chapter 8: No Battle Plan Survives First Contact with the Enemy
A large, thick-boned arm with a massively oversized hand grasped the wooden beam, anchoring the bone demon in place as it slowly swung side to side like a deadly pendulum. The main mass of the creature was balled up, limbs curled tight and difficult to distinguish from each other. Visible at the top, though, was a row of skulls in a strip like a mohawk, five in total, all of them decidedly human in appearance.
Jadis¡¯ eyes stayed locked on the demon as she thought about what she should do next, watching for the slightest indication it had spotted her. Aside from the gentle rocking, the bone thief was as motionless as the dead.
Should she attack it? She had made the stone clubs specifically for the purpose of fighting any bone demons she came across. Her heart was beating like a drum and shivers were running up and down her spine, not from fear but from anticipation. This monster was the adventure she was looking for, the fantasy turned reality she¡¯d been dreaming of whenever she read a book or played a video game. She had to admit, she¡¯d come back to the dwarf village half because she was looking for a fight, not just because she needed to scavenge supplies.
Still, now that she was staring down the barrel of impending combat, she hesitated. Not for fear of the fight, but for simple logistical purposes. How exactly was she supposed to start the battle with the bone thief? It was hanging from the top rafter of the roof of a two-story stone building across the road from her. Her instincts screamed at her that the best thing to do would be to attack it while it was unaware of her presence, get the drop on it.
She doubted she could, though, since she had no confidence she could climb up that building without making enough noise to wake the monster, if sleeping was what it was doing. For all she knew, the second she stepped out into the road it would roar to life and come leaping down upon her, skeletal claws coming for her flesh.
¡°What do I know about these things?¡± Jadis whispered quietly, watching her foe.
¡°Other than they are made of bone?¡± She replied, both heads tilting a bit in thought. ¡°They don¡¯t die unless you kill the eyeball hidden in the core. That, and they can run pretty fast. Aggressive, too. At least the first one, was.¡±
Jadis recognized that everything about the first one might have been specific to it as an individual, but with how Oros¡¯ reality was built like a game, she felt as though a bone thief could be relied on to act as any other bone thief would.
¡°Besides,¡± she murmured, plans forming in her mind, ¡°A dog will act like a dog. Let¡¯s throw this one a bone¡¡±
Having gotten into position a few moments later, Jadis found a fist sized stone and tested its weight. She doubted she could do much damage to the demon¡¯s skeletal shell, but she took careful aim. Maybe her surprise attack would get lucky and she¡¯d kill it with one toss of a rock?
With a grunt of effort, Jadis hurled the stone at the hanging demon, the projectile flying farther and faster than she had expected. It zipped through the air and struck with a loud crack. Unfortunately, what it struck was a wooden roof beam several feet to the side of the bone thief.
¡°I never did do much pitching in softball.¡± Jadis shrugged, taking a few steps back and readying her club as the demon stirred.
The skeletal monstrosity unfolded itself from the ball it had made, far too many arms spreading out around the egg-shaped torso. The demon had two improbably large arms and two smaller pairs below the big ones in a triangle pattern on either side of the body. What Jadis at first took to be a tail turned out to be a third leg jutting out the rear, each leg terminating in a horse¡¯s hoof. The row of skeletal heads all clacked together like a macabre Newton¡¯s cradle.
Jadis had only seconds to process these details as the creature unfurled itself, spotted her, and immediately launched itself out of the roof. It landed on the road two stories down in a clatter of bones on stone, seemingly unaffected by the fall.
¡°Come and get these bones, fucker,¡± Jadis snarled with a savage grin, backing a few more steps away, club raised overhead. She stood ready, just beyond the corner of the stone building she¡¯d last searched.
The demon rushed directly at her, leaping over the wooden fence with ease. It charged with single-minded purpose, using its huge arms to lope along like a malformed gorilla. Just as it passed the edge of the building corner, Jadis sprung her trap.
Her second body, waiting for just this moment hidden behind the building, slammed her stone club down on the attacking demon with perfect timing and coordination. Her ambushing body didn¡¯t need to see the bone thief to know when it would be in striking range; her body acting as bait did all the seeing for her.
The demon was wholly unprepared for the surprise attack, the stone club smashing down on top of its torso, instantly shattering the rearmost skull. Thrown off balance by the weight of Jadis¡¯ attack, it tumbled to the ground in a rolling heap that the bait-Jadis was able to skip out of the way of before it bowled her over.
Wasting no time, both of Jadis¡¯ bodies rush at the downed demon and started hitting it with their clubs, the loud cracks of breaking bones echoing in the village.
The bone thief only took seconds to right itself, but in that time Jadis was able to destroy one of its large arms and break several of the others.
Before Jadis could land another blow, though, the demon lashed out with a leg and cow-kicked her in one stomach, sending her stumbling back with gasping for breath. Worse, the pain of the attack was enough to distract her other body from its attack, turning her swing into a miss. Off balance, Jadis couldn¡¯t move out of the way in time as the demon used its remaining large arm to sweep her legs, knocking her to the ground.
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In an instant the demon was on top of her, a familiar pattern of many arms grasping at her own, trying to immobilize her as the big arm rear back to crush her.
Jadis didn¡¯t hesitate as her second self swung her weapon like a golf club, smashing into the bone torso with enough force to lift the creature up and off her downed body.
Leaving her club on the ground, Jadis grabbed the demon¡¯s big arm as it scrambled to right itself, yanking it hard and straight out. Her standing body struck true at the opening made, snapping the bone like dried wood. With its primary weapons eliminated, Jadis resumed her assault on the reeling bone thief, striking at it from two different angles, giving it no room to strike back.
Raising her stone club over her head for another blow, aiming at the cracks forming in the torso shell, a movement behind Jadis caught her double¡¯s eye. Instinctively, she spun to the left and out of the way just as a second bone thief launched itself through the air in a tackle.
The second demon landed in a pile of flailing skeletal limbs on top of the first, the mass rolling across the ground in a clatter. Jadis didn¡¯t stop for a second and immediately ran, sprinting into the forest to the east, making a beeline for her fortified hut. With a second bone demon¡¯s arrival, the numbers were no longer in her favor. She needed to get to her defenses where she could turn the battle back into a two-on-one combat instead of even numbers.
As she ran, Jadis occasionally whipped her head behind her to see how close the demons were to catching up. The new demon, body smaller than the other and shaped like a dog, ran on all four legs, a pair of human-like arms jutting from its back, clawed fingers reaching out towards her. One of its three heads was antlered like a deer and Jadis thanked D it hadn¡¯t managed to skewer her from behind with the sharp weapons.
With the enemy closing the distance, Jadis strained to sprint even faster, breath coming in ragged gasps and sweat pouring down into her eyes. Soon, the clearing with her stone hut came into view. Putting in a final burst of speed, she ran for the door to her base.
Seconds before her body in the lead reached the door, a cold and bony hand wrapped around the ankle of her body running in the rear. She tripped, falling hard onto the ground with a jarring impact. Distracted and in pain, her self in the lead failed to stop in time and ran directly into the wooden door of the hut, just barely avoiding smashing her head into it by turning her shoulder.
Stunned, Jadis didn¡¯t have time to react as the dog-like bone thief got on her back, human limbs wrapping around her neck and squeezing in a stranglehold while its front legs pressed down on her arms, holding her in place and keeping her from struggling.
Jadis gasped for breath, eyes water and pale face turning red. She could barely do more than feebly twist and kick with her legs as the demon choked the life from her.
No, that was wrong. She could do more. Unlike the poor men, women, and animals the demon had stolen its skeletal body from, Jadis had more to defend herself with than just one set of arms and legs.
Struggling up from her stunned slump against the door, Jadis turned and ran at the demon that was strangling her to death. Grabbing hold of the monster¡¯s antler rack with her left hand for leverage, Jadis slammed her stone club like a hammer on the scapula of the demon¡¯s left-side back arm. She shattered the bone in two strikes, its arm falling off in a heap of disconnected remains with its connection to the demon severed.
The thief reacted wildly, letting go of Jadis¡¯ neck and trying to switch targets, bucking and thrashing at the unpinned Jadis.
Dropping her club, Jadis picked the bone thief up and swung it around, tossing it away and off to the side with a scream of effort. She knew she didn¡¯t have time to follow up on the overturned demon, though. Despite the blood pounding in her ears, Jadis could hear the sound of the first bone thief crashing through the trees towards her.
Getting her coughing body to her feet, Jadis dashed inside the hut, managing to get within just in time as the tripod-gorilla monstrosity came into the clearing. From what she could see, it had put some of itself back together, having regained its other large arm, though she could still see many cracks and breaks in the bones of both arm and shell.
Readying herself, Jadis realized she¡¯d left one of her clubs on the ground outside.
¡°Fuck it,¡± she coughed, tears still streaming down her snarling face, ¡°I only need one hammer to deal with you!¡±
Perhaps reacting to her shouted challenge, the bone thief rattled its four remaining skulls together, jaws snapping and clacking. It ran forward, barreling into the open doorway where Jadis stood, club raised high.
As it reached the door, Jadis¡¯ second self slammed the door shut, the impact jarring both woman and demon, but the demon taking it worse. Its large body caught in the door, she held it shut on the creature and pinned it in place with all her strength.
With a rage-filled shout, the other half of Jadis brought the stone club down on the demon, shattering a hole in the curved back of the skeletal torso, exposing a wriggling mass of purple flesh. She swung again, muscles burning from the effort as she aimed for the newly made hole, trying to land a death blow. The skeletal monster struggled and twisted about, arms and legs flailing, throwing off her aim but unable to effectively attack or defend itself.
By the fourth swing, Jadis¡¯ club struck purple flesh with a squelching, popping sound. The bone demon¡¯s struggles went wild, desperately trying to pull itself out of the door. At that moment, the second bone thief charged, crashing into the door with enough force to momentarily send Jadis reeling back.
However, the demons¡¯ action acted counter to each other. With one trying to pull back and the other rushing forward, neither were able to act to full effect and take advantage of the few seconds it took Jadis to get back into position at the door.
Once again, Jadis slammed the door shut, this time catching both demons between door and stone frame, cracking and breaking several of the smaller limbs on both creatures. With perfect coordination, Jadis attacked at the same time she crushed the demons in the doorway, breaking two of the smaller demon¡¯s heads off the body completely.
As the dog-like bone thief flailed, one of its legs went deep into the hole Jadis had cracked open in the larger demon¡¯s protective shell. With a disgusting squelch, the clawed skeletal paw sunk into the purple flesh, dark goo spurting out in a fetid torrent. With a shudder, the bone thief ceased its struggles, going still as death.
Seizing the initiative, Jadis grabbed hold of the still fighting demon¡¯s arm with both hands. Putting one foot against the door and leaning back hard, she yanked the demon against the hard edge, holding it firmly in place while her second self lined up another blow.
With two swift strikes the un-grappled back arm of the smaller demon was broken off. Held in place, it had no means of defense at all as Jadis bashed through the bony torso. Once a large enough hole had been made, she jammed the end of the club into the wriggling mass and pulped it like a mortar and pestle, not stopping until all movement from the demon ceased.
All went quiet in the hut with the death of the second demon. Jadis stood there, heart beating in her ears and gasping breath rough against her throat.
Speaking as one, both bodies expressed the only ineloquent thought her numb mind could think of in the silence of victorious combat.
¡°Holy shit.¡±
Chapter 9: Nighttime Deliberations
|
Congratulations!
Bone Thief Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
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|
Level Up!
Mirror Knight has Reached Level 3.
1 New Skill Available for Selection.
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|
Level Up!
Mirror Knight has Reached Level 4.
1 Attribute Point Awarded.
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|
Congratulations!
Bone Thief Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
|
|
Level Up!
Mirror Knight has Reached Level 5.
1 New Skill Available for Selection.
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A barrage of system notifications flashed into existence before Jadis¡¯ eyes the moment she thought to check her status menu. Each one demanded acknowledgement before disappearing, allowing the next to pop into existence. She blinked rapidly, shaking her head at the sudden influx of mental menu screens.
¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, D. I am thrilled to be leveling up, but I am just a tiny bit fucking exhausted at the moment. Give me a minute to breathe, will ya?¡± Jadis panted, hands on knees as she slowly came down from the adrenaline high of fighting the two demons. Both bodies were still wedged into the half-opened door of her commandeered hut.
Looking between her selves, she was bleeding from multiple open wounds and one of her necks was badly bruised from the attempted strangulation. Her feet were also bleeding, having been cut during her pell-mell dash through the forest and back to her base. Aches and pains were making themselves known all over her bodies. She was, frankly, a mess times two.
Taking advantage of her forethought, Jadis used the jars of water she¡¯d collected earlier to quickly wash off her wounds, dousing them in alcohol and wrapping them up with the remaining cloth she¡¯d scavenged. By the time she was done, the sun was dipping low in the sky, the western mountains already casting the valley in deep shadows.
Not sure of what else to do with them, Jadis pushed and dragged the bodies of the bone thieves out of her doorway and into the woods, taking them at least a hundred yards away from her hut. She kept careful watch of her surroundings as she did so, fully expecting more of the vicious creatures to come running out of the encroaching darkness. The tension of expecting another attack didn¡¯t leave her until after she¡¯d returned to the hut, gone back to the water source to refill her jars, and returned to the hut again, barricading the door.
Alone with herself in the dark of the completely shut off hut, Jadis sat on the floor, leaning shoulder to shoulder with her double.
¡°God, I wish I had a bed right now¡¡±
¡°I¡¯d settle for a blanket. Anything soft to sit on, really.¡±
She groused to herself, bodies aching from the fight, but a subtle glow of satisfaction was also warming her chest. She¡¯d killed those demons. Two of them, at once. No, it hadn¡¯t gone perfectly as planned, but her plan of catching them in a chokepoint had worked. Even better, her on-the-fly idea of using herself as bait while her other self waited in ambush had also worked. Being able to coordinate attacks against her enemies in perfect synchrony was a massive boon. She had no idea what kinds of classes were standard out in the wide world of Oros, but she was fairly certain Mirror Knight was a top tier choice. She was immensely glad she had chosen it now that it had proven its worth so many times over.
¡°Well, for all I know, most people get classes that turn them into unstoppable juggernauts or all-powerful wizards and I¡¯m just fucking about with my dingy little weirdo class.¡±
She shook her head at the thought. ¡°Nah. My class is the best class ever. I¡¯m going to continue to believe that, for my own sanity, until proven otherwise.¡±
¡°Speaking of my class,¡± she nodded in agreement to her self-aggrandizing plan, ¡°Should probably take a look at my level ups and all that.¡±
Jadis grinned, happy to see the results of her hard work so instantly displayed before her. She concentrated and her status menu appeared.
|
Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (5)
Secondary Class: None
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 5
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|
Health: 135/210
|
Magic: 10/10
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Attributes
|
|
Strength: 30
Dexterity: 10
Agility: 10
Vitality: 21
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 15
|
Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 70
Focus: 1
Resilience: 10
Will: 5
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| |
|
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Jadis winced seeing her health so low. She hadn¡¯t dropped below fifty percent yet, but it had dropped by around forty points compared to what it had been at the start of the day. Considering she¡¯d only regained a single point over one night¡¯s sleep, she didn¡¯t like to see how quickly her health was being used up.
From her level up notifications, she saw that she had gained one attribute point to spend on whichever attributes she wanted. She almost immediately put it into vitality, considering how much it had helped her before, but stopped herself from making a hasty decision. Her notifications had said she¡¯d earned new skills to choose from as well. She concentrated on her skills menu, eager to see what she had available.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Her vision filled with a large screen, a list of options laid out for her.
|
2 Skill Selections Available.
New Skills:
Minor Attribute Improvement I
Crushing Blow
Improvised Weapon Mastery I
Light Illusion
Knight¡¯s Rest
|
¡°Okay, interesting, we¡¯ve got some options here¡¡± she mumbled, examining the screen that was thankfully unaffected by the lack of light in her hut. ¡°Might as well check them each one at a time?¡±
¡°Yeah, makes sense,¡± she agreed with herself. ¡°I¡¯m curious about the last one, though. Is that a pun?¡±
¡°Probably is. I doubt the gods who set up a game-like magic system for a whole world to operate on would be above making puns.¡±
Checking the skills one at a time, Jadis read through their descriptions, examining and judging their use as best she could.
|
Minor Attribute Improvement I
Passive Skill. Increases a chosen attribute by 3 points. Can be selected for each attribute up to 5 times.
|
¡°That seems useful,¡± she said, looking over the first skill. By the description, it seemed like a means to quickly increase the number of points she had in a particular attribute. Though she¡¯d only gone up five levels, she¡¯d already established a pattern. So far, it looked like every even number level was giving her a single free attribute point to spend however she saw fit, while every odd numbered level was giving her the option to choose a skill. If she chose Minor Attribute Improvement, she could increase a stat by three points, something that would take six levels to do otherwise.
¡°Minor Attribute Improvement is a definite ¡®maybe¡¯. Increasing my base stats could make a huge difference. Then again, maybe the number of points I get to spend per level goes up at higher levels. Better keep reading.¡±
|
Crushing Blow
Active Skill. Empower your next physical attack at the cost of stamina, dealing extra damage. Only works with bludgeoning weapons. Cost ¨C 5 stamina.
|
Crushing Blow sounded like an amazing skill. Only problem she had was in the cost.
¡°What the hell is stamina? I mean, nothing on my menu says anything about stamina!¡± She threw up her hands in frustration.
¡°Maybe it¡¯s a hidden value¡?¡± she guessed, annoyed at the lack of clear instructions. ¡°Considering I don¡¯t have a clue how much stamina I have or what attribute governs it, I think I¡¯ll pass on this one.¡±
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Improvised Weapon Mastery I
Passive Skill. Provides a minor boost to the damage dealt by either objects never intended for combat or weapons made by unskilled hands.
|
¡°That could be useful,¡± she mused. ¡°I mean, a passive bonus to damage is great, though the lack of specifics on what a ¡®small increase¡¯ is does make it hard to choose.¡±
¡°And, what about the future?¡± Jadis pointed at her two clubs that she¡¯d left propped on the wall by the door. ¡°Those are killer and all, but I¡¯m kinda hoping to get some real weapons at some point. This skill would become completely useless the moment I get an actual weapon.¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m right. Pass.¡± Jadis nodded her head. ¡°I get the feeling these skills are kind dependent on what actions I¡¯ve taken in combat so far, though. Kind of like the class options, I guess?¡±
¡°Probably true,¡± she agreed, moving on to the next skill on the list.
|
Light Illusion
Active Spell. Create a simple illusion that can distract or obscure. Effects are visual only. Illusion cannot move. Cost ¨C 50 magic.
|
¡°Magic!¡± Jadis cried out excitedly. She had been hoping her class would allow her to cast spells of some kind. She didn¡¯t mind being a melee fighter at all. In fact, the more she fought, the more she found herself enjoying the burn of her straining muscles and the thrill of crushing her opponents in direct combat. Still, magic was cool.
¡°Look at that cost, though,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯ve got ten magic total. This spell needs fifty to cast it once.¡±
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s pretty bullshit,¡± Jadis said with disappointment. ¡°Well, I could put a free attribute point into Focus, pretty sure that¡¯s what governs my magic pool, then select a Minor Attribute Improvement to increase Focus by another three. Then I¡¯ll have enough mana to cast the Light Illusion spell. But is it worth it?¡±
¡°I¡¯m kind of already built towards melee with my high strength,¡± Jadis debated with herself. ¡°If I sink all my resources into a spell, it¡¯s got to be worth not increasing the power of the stats I already have a natural investment in.¡±
¡°It could be super useful to create an illusion of myself though, for bait purposes. Less chance of something going wrong, better ambushes¡¡±
¡°But how often can I cast it? I¡¯ve got no idea how quickly magic replenishes. What if its just as slow as health?¡±
¡°Yeesh, good point, me.¡± Jadis ceded the argument against going down a magic-centric path. ¡°Let¡¯s avoid picking spells for now, unless one comes up that¡¯s not exorbitantly expensive like Light Illusion is.¡±
She moved on to the last skill available, the one she suspected of punnery.
|
Knight¡¯s Rest
Passive Skill. Regain health at a moderately increased rate when sleeping. Cannot regenerate lost limbs.
|
¡°Fuck yeah!¡± Jadis high fived herself upon reading the skill description. ¡°First choice made; I am absolutely taking Knight¡¯s Rest.¡±
First skill choice definitively made, Jadis reviewed her short list for her second skill.
¡°Minor Attribute Improvement is the only other skill I feel confident is useful in all situations for me, especially if I use it for strength or vitality. It¡¯s kind of a toss up between those two, since I¡¯m not as certain the of the effect of the other attributes. Actually, I¡¯m curious to see it used on an attribute like strength. I¡¯ve seen what can happen when I put a point in vitality. What¡¯ll happen if I put points in something like strength? I bet I can get to superhero strong, eventually.¡±
¡°But¡¡± Jadis drew out the word, second guessing herself. ¡°Crushing Blow could be amazing, what with all the bone crushing I¡¯ve been doing in the past twenty-four hours. It might be worth the risk. I could even experiment with what the description means by stamina by practicing with it, right?¡±
The decision was tough. Jadis had hemmed and hawed for a few minutes, indecisiveness holding her back. Whenever she¡¯d played RPGs in the past, she¡¯d never been overly cautious with what build choices she made, just experimenting with what was available and making it work as best she could.
The choice she made here wasn¡¯t for a game, though. What she chose had very real consequences for her immediate and distant future.
With a dual grunt of frustration, Jadis made a concerted effort to push aside her second-guessing. ¡°Hell with it. I¡¯ll take the attribute improvement. I want to see what¡¯ll happen when I put it in strength.¡±
Caution thrown to the metaphorical wind, Jadis confirmed her skill choices and felt a subtle shift ripple through her body. Her hands checked her bodies for any sign of change, noting no obvious differences.
Flexing one bicep, she wasn¡¯t sure if it was more defined or not.
¡°Feels a little harder, maybe?¡± She said, uncertainty coloring her voice as she squeezed the already well-defined muscle.
¡°Eh, maybe, maybe not,¡± she tilted her head side to side. ¡°Maybe three points isn¡¯t all that much? It did call it a minor improvement.¡±
¡°Yeah, true.¡± She nodded her head. ¡°Or, here¡¯s a thought, it doesn''t affect how my muscles look? I mean, that¡¯d be great, actually. If I put a bunch of points into strength and end up looking like Steroid Stacy or some shit like that I¡¯ll be kind of pissed.¡±
¡°Well, whatever the case, I know one stat that had an immediate affect and I¡¯m using it now.¡±
Jadis concentrated on her menu and spent her free attribute point on vitality, bring her health pool up by another ten. A slight relief to her pains washed over her with the change. She couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the magic of Oros, entranced by the idea that she had actually just made herself healthier with a mere thought.
Satisfied with the choices, Jadis ran a final critical eye over her main menu and skill menu.
|
Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (5)
Secondary Class: None
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 5
|
|
Health: 145/220
|
Magic: 10/10
|
|
Attributes
|
|
Strength: 33
Dexterity: 10
Agility: 10
Vitality: 22
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 15
|
Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 70
Focus: 1
Resilience: 10
Will: 5
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| |
|
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Skills
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Primary:
Mirrored Body
Knight¡¯s Rest
Minor Strength Improvement I
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Secondary:
None
|
Tertiary:
None
|
She smiled to see her progress. ¡°Level five in only two days! Not bad in my opinion.¡±
¡°Not bad at all,¡± Jadis said with a yawn, both her bodies yawning and stretching at the same time in the same way. ¡°I bet there¡¯s a bunch of adventurers out there who would laugh at me for being such a scrub and not hitting level ten on day one, though.¡±
Jadis laughed at her own self-deprecation, then rubbed her empty stomach. ¡°I¡¯m fucking exhausted, but we should probably eat, right?¡±
¡°We?¡± She answered her own question with a startled blink. ¡°The fuck am I saying?¡±
She had actually forgotten for a second that she had been talking to herself, not a second person. Maybe she had been doing a little too much talking to her mirror body for the past while. She didn¡¯t want the people she hoped to eventually find to think she was a crazy person, holding conversations with her own double.
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not crazy at all¡¡± she murmured, staring at herself from her seat on the floor while she also got up and walked over to where she¡¯d stored the jars of food and water. She watched herself bend over, giving her a great view of her barely clothed ass.
¡°Not crazy in the slightest,¡± she said sardonically, straightening up and bringing her dinner back to herself.
The jar this time was filled with some kind of pickled root vegetable, vaguely akin to a beet but with an odd horseradish-like tang. She didn¡¯t love the flavor, but finished the jar between her two forms anyway, drinking her fill of water.
¡°I really hope Knight¡¯s Rest makes a difference,¡± Jadis murmured, one body laying out flat across the floor, stretching out as best she could in the small hut.
¡°I guess I¡¯ll find out in the morning,¡± she answered, keeping watch in the dark while half of her drifted off into exhausted slumber.
A somber silence fell over the place Jadis had claimed as a home. The gentle creak of pines swaying in a mountain breeze was the lullaby that lulled her into complete unconsciousness, second set of eyes too weary to remain vigilant. As her thoughts drifted off into slumber, she wondered what adventure waited for her in the morning.
Chapter 10: Morning Relief
Jadis woke slowly the next morning, stiffness in her muscles and bones from sleeping on a hard floor. She groaned, uncertain of where one body began and the other ended, having somehow twisted into a tangle of pale limbs during the night. Pulling her limbs apart, she frowned, a bit angry at herself for not keeping watch throughout the night.
¡°This place is too dangerous to let my guard down like that,¡± she grumbled, rolling her two bodies away and up into sitting positions across from each other. ¡°I have got to be more¡ªHoly fuck!¡±
Jadis¡¯ self-recriminations were interrupted by the sudden realization of what she was seeing mirrored in the laps of both her selves.
¡°Is this morning wood?¡± She questioned, gawking at the pillars of tumescent flesh jutting from her groins.
She hadn¡¯t experienced it the morning before, perhaps too tired or distracted by the day¡¯s events at the time, but this dawn had brought with it the fabled erection she¡¯d heard joked about amongst the boys she¡¯d known in high school and on the internet. Nothing was hidden, either. The loincloths she still wore had bunched up and been pushed aside, putting her sizable assets on full display.
Jadis had already gotten intimately familiar with her extra appendage her first day on Oros. She¡¯d also seen it plenty during breaks she¡¯d taken to address the necessities.
Peeing while standing had been as satisfying as she¡¯d hoped.
However, she¡¯d not seen herself at full attention and uncovered since that first exploration of her new body. This time, not only was she seeing herself from her normal perspective, but also looking at herself from a second person view. She had to admit the view she did have was turning her on.
As she stared at the improbably large dicks that were even more improbably her own, certain thoughts about how to address her base desires came to mind.
¡°It¡¯s the age-old question, though, isn¡¯t it?¡± she said, staring at the throbbing cocks, not yet making a move to touch herself.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Jadis¡¯ lips quirked up in a wry smile. ¡°If you fuck your clone, is it gay or just masturbation?¡±
She wasn¡¯t sure that debate applied to her case, though. The person sitting across from her wasn¡¯t a different person, it was her. There was no mental distinction, she was all just one being that happened to have double the normal amount of body parts, with half able to walk away from the other half and operate independently.
So, if she, hypothetically, were to indulge in a bit of harmless, sexual fun with her dual self, that didn¡¯t make her weird, did it? No worse than anyone else who might choose to ¡®flick the bean¡¯ every now and then?
¡°Er¡ I guess this is more like, polishing wood?¡± She corrected her thoughts, realizing that the euphemisms that she used to apply to herself weren¡¯t accurate anymore.
¡°Actually, shit, now I need to do this,¡± she said, a thought dawning on her. ¡°I haven¡¯t even had time to check the rest of my equipment down there. Besides! This is going to be way easier to do than with a mirror.¡±
As she scooted towards herself a little, knees touching, she gave herself an exasperated look.
¡°Didn¡¯t I just say I needed to be more careful and not let my guard down around here, since it¡¯s so dangerous?¡±
¡°Yup,¡± she nodded. ¡°I¡¯m a big fucking hypocrite.¡±
Without further delay, Jadis reached out and grasped both of her turgid members in her hands, instantly groaning in a lewd duet as her hands ran up and down her shafts.
[Censored Sex Scene. The full scene can be viewed on ScribbleHub.com]
¡°C¡¯mon, me,¡± her self on her back said breathlessly, ¡°can¡¯t suck your own dick all day.¡±
Slowly, savoring the overly sensitive sensations that tingled her spine as she pulled away from her own self, Jadis separated and rolled off and over to her side. With both bodies lying flat on their backs, staring up at the ceiling, she took a few minutes to let her heartrate calm.
¡°I can¡¯t help but notice that I am still at full mast¡¡± Jadis said, glancing at both of her slick members standing at attention, seemingly still willing and able to go another round.
She looked around the dark room, seeing only barricaded windows and door. She listened for any sound, hearing only the call of a few birds chirping in the morning light that was peeking in through small gaps in the roof and closed windows. No other sound or sight called for her attention.
Smoothly, the Jadis that had been lying on the floor shifted up and swung a leg over the head of her other body, firmly pressing her pussy down onto her face. She grasped the throbbing dick in front of her and licked her lips.
¡°Turnabout¡¯s fair play, even when I¡¯m the only one being turned on, right?¡±
She chuckled at her own pun, but only for a moment, as her mouths quickly became occupied with more important tasks.
Chapter 11: The Living Need, The Dead Provide
Jadis had to admit, she was a dirty girl.
¡°¡Do I still call myself a girl?¡± She pondered, eyes turning to her half-erect dicks. She shook the thought off. She¡¯d been calling herself by feminine pronouns for way too long to change now.
In any case, she was exceptionally filthy, and not just in a figurative sense. Having gone two full days now without any kind of bathing, she would have been a bit rank even if she hadn¡¯t been rolling around in the dirt fighting for her life against multiple bone demons. The morning¡¯s activities, as pleasurable as they were, had not helped matters.
Jadis used her hands to swipe at the sticky mess coating her, still impressed by the sheer quantity of seed she¡¯d pumped out. She didn¡¯t think she could honestly complain, since it was a definite turn-on for her, but the volume was causing her problems when it came to cleanup.
¡°Okay, first things first,¡± she said, licking her fingers clean, ¡°I¡¯m starving. I don¡¯t know how much I drank from myself there, but I need some real food.¡±
¡°Then, I need a bath. Hygiene is important, especially with all these cuts¡ªOh!¡±
Jadis cut herself off, realizing that she still needed to check the status of her health pool. Since she¡¯d gained the Knight¡¯s Rest skill, she was hoping she¡¯d healed more over this last night than the one before. Concentrating, she pulled up her menu.
|
Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (5)
Secondary Class: None
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 5
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|
Health: 165/220
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Magic: 10/10
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Attributes
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Strength: 33
Dexterity: 10
Agility: 10
Vitality: 22
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 15
|
Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 70
Focus: 1
Resilience: 10
Will: 5
|
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Jadis grinned at the sight of her health pool. Compared to the last time she¡¯d checked, it had gone up by a full twenty points.
¡°This Knight¡¯s Rest skill is no joke! Three more nights of sleep and it¡¯ll be like nothing ever happened!¡±
She laughed in open delight at the convenience of living in a magic and leveling based world. At the same time, she checked her dressed wounds, finding that many of the worse ones looked a week old rather than from the day before, and some of the minor scrapes and bruises had disappeared completely. Jadis ran a hand over her knee where she knew a bad scratch had been from her first encounter with a bone thief. The flesh there was completely healed, smooth and free of scars.
¡°Well, shit,¡± she gave an incredulous chuckle. ¡°I wonder if I even can scar. If I can¡¯t, is that because of magical healing, or is it because I¡¯m not human?¡± She considered the possibilities idly, knowing she wasn¡¯t going to get an answer until she found someone to ask.
Self-examinations completed, Jadis ate another two jars of preserves, both some kind of mild-tasting cucumber-like vegetable, except with purple flesh instead of green. As she finished the jars, she found her stomachs still growling for more, but held off. She had a little less than a dozen jars left with no guarantee of finding any more food in the village. Rationing seemed prudent.
Picking up her clubs and a couple of clay jars, Jadis opened the door to her hut carefully, peeking out and keeping watch for any sign of movement. Or anything even faintly resembling a bone.
Nothing but the overgrown clearing and the pine forest greeted her outside.
Cautiously, Jadis left the protection of what she was starting to think of as her home and headed for the small flow of water coming from the cliffside not too far away. Once she was there, she took turns with her bodies, stripping down completely and washing off the sweat, grime, and gunk that had built up over the past couple days. Dumping full jars of cold water over her head wasn¡¯t exactly the hot shower she would have preferred, but it did the trick. What¡¯s more, the chilly mountain water did a lot to bring her mind to full alertness.
¡°Woo! Shit, that¡¯s better than coffee,¡± she said, leaving her clothes off while she dried as best she could in the open air.
¡°I¡¯m thinking I should resume my search of the village for supplies,¡± she thought aloud, keeping her voice soft so it wouldn¡¯t carry far in the quiet of the forest.
She nodded to herself, not seeing many other choices that made sense. ¡°I could try foraging in the woods, but I don¡¯t have a clue what to look for. Or I could try finding a road and following it away from this valley.¡±
¡°But who knows how long it would take to walk to anywhere with actual civilization? It could take weeks on foot for all I know.¡±
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
¡°Yeah, fair points. I¡¯m sticking with the looting plan for now I guess,¡± Jadis said somewhat distractedly. She¡¯d started looking at herself again, watching her tight muscles move under smooth skin, perfect breasts still slick with water and pert nipples taught from the cold.
¡°Fuck do I need to stop staring at my own self,¡± she laughed, forcing her eyes away before they drifted lower. She had to remind herself she was standing naked in a clearing, demons that wanted to steal her bones possibly nearby. She could ogle her assets another time.
Wait, that wasn¡¯t right. She shouldn¡¯t be ogling her own assets at all. She was not a narcissist. She dressed quickly, hiding the most distracting parts of her anatomy as best she could.
Jadis very carefully kept her eyes on the trees around her as she walked back to her hut with jars full of water, doing her best to keep the body she had walking behind from staring at her behind.
After she had put the jars away in the hut, Jadis started on the path she knew would take her to the village, thinking about the skeletal monsters that might be waiting for her, rather than any amoral impulses she might be suppressing. She doubted the three she¡¯d killed so far were the totality of the demons roaming the village and valley. She¡¯d yet to have seen a single squirrel, much less anything larger amongst the wildlife, and she assumed that was the product of the bone-stealing demons. And there were the former inhabitants of the village to think of. She doubted the three demons were enough to have wiped all of them out, along with an entire forest¡¯s ecosystem of vertebrates.
There had to be more demons around. Or did there? The forest was, from her experience so far, empty. Maybe the demons had largely moved on, only a few stragglers staying behind. With how dilapidated and overgrown the village was, surely that meant whatever had happened to drive everyone away, or worse, had happened a some time ago. Potentially years ago. If there wasn¡¯t anything with bones to steal, would the bone thieves hang around or would they head to more fertile hunting grounds?
Once again, Jadis felt a pang of frustration at her lack of knowledge. There was so much she didn¡¯t know about her current situation. In the most general sense, she knew that D¡¯s stepfather and his second cousin were fighting by proxy, sending a hero and a demon lord to battle it out on Oros periodically. Had D said how long between instances? She felt like it was in the range of centuries, but wasn¡¯t sure.
Did D send her to Oros during a period of downtime, or when the hero and demon lord were already in heated battle? Were there demons rampaging across the land, killing everything and everyone, or were these three she¡¯d beaten the remnants of a long-defeated army? Did the demons even act in armies?
The bone thieves she¡¯d fought so far hadn¡¯t come across as particularly intelligent to Jadis. They seemed smart enough to try and ambush her, but most any predator in nature had that level of cunning. None of them had been using weapons or wearing armor. Did they not know how, did they lack the resources, or was there something else she couldn¡¯t account for preventing them from wielding a sword or donning a suit of armor?
Jadis had no answers.
Reaching the edge of the village proper, Jadis put her fruitless thoughts on hold and held still. No sound of clattering bones reached her ears. Moving slowly and carefully, she headed into the cleared area around the village, anticipating attack.
No attack came. If there were still skeletal monstrosities about, they were waiting within the buildings where she couldn¡¯t see them.
Deciding to resume where she had left off the day before, Jadis headed to the building she had been about to check before spotting the big-armed bone demon. House by house, room by room, she searched for anything of value to her survival. All the while she kept one of her bodies on the lookout, eyes and ears on constant alert for signs of hostile attention.
For the first few stone buildings, her luck was much the same as had been for the other houses she¡¯d checked before. Nothing of worth was left behind, just scraps of wood and molded cloth, sometimes a few rusty cooking utensils. The fourth structure she searched, however, held a grisly prize within.
In the basement, for this building had one, Jadis found the remains of a dead person.
There wasn¡¯t much left of the man. Desiccated bits of flesh and hair were strewn across a corner of the stone-tiled floor, some kind of leather and metal armor scattered in a pile of twisted bits. There were no bones left at all, but a braided pile of dark brown hair still attached to dried skin told Jadis this had probably been a man at one point, with an impressively large beard.
¡°Definitely dwarves,¡± she whispered, nose wrinkled as she crouched over the remains. ¡°Gotta be with that kind of advanced facial hair.¡±
Other than the corpse, Jadis spotted something of real value tossed to the ground nearby. A leather backpack, probably once belonging to the dead dwarf, was left untouched by demon hands.
Slipping the straps open, she searched the contents. Laying out what she found inside, she catalogued her recovered loot.
A rough spun shirt and a pair of patched leather pants. One steel canteen, free of rust. One length of rope, maybe forty or fifty feet long. A small leather pouch with a lot more of the silver coins she¡¯d found before, in both sizes. A second pouch filled with a variety of simple jewelry, including rings, bracelets, and necklaces. A bag of something that had probably been food at one point but was little more than black mold. Four bronze candlesticks. One steel dagger a little larger than the one she already had, but with a less ornamental hilt. A tightly rolled up woolen blanket.
Jadis immediately threw away the sack of spoiled food, not wanting to even bother trying to recover the bag from that mess of decayed filth. The rest she put back inside the backpack and tossed it up the cellar stairs for her twin to hold onto.
Clearly, the dead dwarf had been looting the village, too. Though perhaps he had been looting in a more monetary focused sense than her, since he¡¯d focused on coins and jewelry. She might have a use for the trinkets one day, but Jadis was most excited by the rope, dagger, and blanket. Those items seemed of far more practical value to her situation.
She wasn¡¯t done searching the basement, though. If the looter had come to the village with the express purpose of searching for valuables, the man had no doubt come more prepared than with a simple dagger for protection.
There, hidden under an overturned shelf, Jadis found what she knew had to be somewhere in the basement; The dwarf¡¯s weapon.
The dwarf had apparently been an axe man. The handaxe felt like a hatchet in Jadis¡¯ hands, but it was made of solid steel and little rust marred its surface. The edge had a few chips in it but looked plenty sharp in her opinion. Giving it a few test swings, Jadis took the weapon with her happily, grateful to have expanded her arsenal.
¡°Thanks,¡± she said to the remains, ¡°I hope you¡¯ve gone off to whatever afterlife you were hoping for.¡±
As she came out of the cellar, Jadis spotted the sheen of metal partially hidden in the weeds a few feet away from the stone hut. Checking the spot, she found a partially rusted crossbow. The wood was rotting and the string was gone, so she left it where it was.
¡°Axe and crossbow, huh?¡± She mused as she gathered up her looted pack. ¡°Guess those weren¡¯t super effective against the bone thieves.¡±
Jadis continued her search of the village, finding more useful items here and there, but no more dead adventurers or whatever the dwarf had been. By midday, aside from what she¡¯d looted from the backpack, she¡¯d found two more usable blankets, a fur skin rug that had come from something large enough to be a bear, but with gray and black striped fur, a cast-iron frying pan that had avoided enough weather to not get unusably rusty, and a wooden box containing a sewing kit, complete with needles and thread.
The final score came from a building on the far southern edge of the village that had been surrounded by wooden racks and barrels. It didn¡¯t take long for Jadis to figure out that this had been some kind of leatherworker¡¯s shop.
The workshop had held dozens of animal skins and leather, much of it unusable due to exposure and rot. However, there was still quite a bit that wasn¡¯t bad off at all, the leather on top protecting the stacks underneath. All in all, Jadis was able to salvage twelve good-sized cuts of leather and seven more cuts of less processed-looking hide.
Most of the tools she found didn¡¯t look like they were useful or in good condition, so she mostly left them behind, but she did find a couple of wooden mallets that she could see possible uses for.
All in all, Jadis felt her excursion into the village had been a great success. Gathering everything she had found between the two of her, she headed back for her home base. She¡¯d searched half the village and there were probably more buildings beyond the western side and into the woods, but what she had found so far was more than enough for her to carry. She still needed to keep a couple hands free for her clubs.
Jadis smiled a dual smile as she headed back to her little hut, already thinking up ways she could use the leather and hide to make some real clothes, maybe something that could actually serve as some kind of protection. As she walked and planned, she almost missed the slight movement of white at the corner of her home base.
Both bodies dropping low, Jadis hid behind a couple of pine trees as best she could, watching the edge of the hut.
As she watched, a skeletal abomination stalked into view, a gentle click of bone on bone the only sound audible. Jadis quietly lowered her salvaged supplies to the ground and readied her clubs. She had an uninvited guest to greet.
Chapter 12: No Solicitors
The bone demon was a gangly monstrosity, humanoid in the loosest sense. While it had a normal number of arms and legs for a man, two of each, they were all twice as long as its already elongated torso, each multi-jointed to an extreme degree. The arms ended in feet and hands as one would expect, however, the finger bones were also elongated and exceptionally sharp, closer to scythes than anything else. It also possessed four necks that split off from the shoulder and torso, each one long and winding with a different kind of skull on the end of each. One was human-looking, the other three were from horses or deer.
Jadis grimaced at the skeletal man-hydra, unhappy with the prospect of fighting something that had such greater reach than her. With its long arms and legs, it could take swipes at her with its wicked claws before she could get anywhere close to striking at the core. The multi-jointed limbs looked difficult to pin down as well, no doubt able to twist and bend and come at her from odd angles.
Still, Jadis had two advantages on the demon. First, there were two of her and only one of it. Second, it hadn¡¯t spotted her yet.
She watched from her hidden vantage as the bone thief crawled along the outside of her hut, walking on all fours rather than stand upright, giving it an even more unnerving appearance than it already had. It snooped along the windows, scythe-fingers picking at the shutters. Its multiple heads clicked and clattered their jaws as it seemed to puzzle over the windows before eventually moving around front to the door.
From her position coming from the village, Jadis viewed the hut and demon at a right angle, the front door facing south. She would have preferred to have been completely behind it, but so long as the demon remained unaware of her presence then she could make do.
Slowly, the bone-thief pushed open the unlocked door, cautiously sticking two of its heads in to look inside. Jadis noticed that the other two stayed outside, looking around.
So the monster was wary of ambushes. Good to know, Jadis thought. She was also a little confused as to why the skulls mattered at all for vision. The creature had no actual eyes, after all. Did it really need the skulls to see and hear?
She chalked it up to magic bullshit and put the thought from her mind for the time being.
Jadis waited with building apprehension, holding her breath, desperately hoping the demon would move forward and go fully inside. There was no way she was going to miss an opportunity to kill the abomination, especially since the creepy thing could show up later in the night now that it knew someone was living in the hut.
As seconds ticked by, Jadis was almost certain the demon wasn¡¯t going to go further in, but then, relief washed through her as the two skulls outside twisted their way inside and the demon moved further into the building. Jadis thanked D she had decided to close the two interior doors, assuming that to be the reason why the bone thief was moving in further to check the blocked off rooms.
Jadis wasted no time, stalking forward in a quick but careful trot. She tried to make as little noise as possible, doing her best to get the drop on the man-hydra while it was awkwardly stuffed halfway into the hut, only its legs still sticking out. If she could break the legs off, she was certain she stood a better chance at defeating the demon.
As she closed in on the hut, only a few dozen feet away, the bone thief must have heard something as it suddenly began to back out.
¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± Jadis cried out, both bodies rushing forward with clubs raised.
The left leg of the demon snapped out, whipping through the air like a deadly projectile, the blind attack missing her left body by mere inches. Before it could snap the leg around or back up further, Jadis was upon the skeleton. She swung both her clubs like baseball bats, both aiming for the leg that still had its foot on the ground. Her right self angled her attack by spinning a bit to the side, putting the heads of the stone clubs on a collision course with each other.
Any other duo of fighters would have had to have trained for years to pull off a pincer attack with enough precision and timing to hit two clubs counter to each other at the same point at the same time. But Jadis wasn¡¯t a duo of fighters. To her, the maneuver was no different from clapping her hands.
The leg bone crunched to splinters as the stone clubs connected, pulped by the force of the blow. The rebound shook Jadis¡¯ arms as she took a second to back away, but the damage to the demon was done. The whole right leg was severed from the coordinated attack, disconnected bones falling to the ground.
Jadis gave ground as the skeletal demon lashed out again with its leg, then back out of the hut. As she had expected, its unnatural number of joints allowed it to bend at odd angles and extract itself in moments, already turning to face her.
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She had already struck the first blow, though, and crippled the monster to boot. A vicious grin broke out over both of Jadis¡¯ faces as she started in on the demon.
¡°Not so fun being the one caught off guard, is it motherfucker?¡±
Jadis taunted the demon, uncaring if it understood her or not. The bravado was for her own sake.
Keeping to a hit-and-run strategy, Jadis would feint with one body, forcing the bone thief to swing its arm out at her. Once the arm was in motion, the other half of Jadis would leap in and strike, aiming at whatever part of the demon was closest. Missing a leg, the demon couldn¡¯t cow-kick or take both arms off the ground at the same time, not without losing balance and falling to the ground. Jadis couldn¡¯t have hoped for a more favorable outcome from her opening attack against the enemy.
Perhaps sensing the poor position it was in, the demon suddenly scrambled up and away from Jadis, climbing up onto the roof of the hut. It didn¡¯t do so without taking another blow from her club, cracking one of the remaining leg¡¯s bones, but not breaking it off.
From atop the roof, the demon used its long reach to swipe both arms at her, aiming to slice her with the claws. Jadis backed off, her crippling maneuver somewhat invalidated. The bastard demon had made it so it no longer needed to stand, lying on the roof and using the hut as a defensive position to strike at her from.
Jadis could still reach the core if she tried, what with the stone hut not being particularly tall, but she couldn¡¯t get in that close without taking potentially devastating damage from the demon¡¯s scythe claws. She needed to change tactics. Adapt. Running away wasn¡¯t an option; the demon would just use its magic to reattach the broken leg and come after her.
A mad plan came to Jadis. Immediately she dismissed it as an utterly ridiculous idea, one that would probably get her maimed, if not killed. Yet, continuing the fight as she was would almost certainly produce the same result.
Fuck it. Jadis preferred a mad plan to none at all.
While one of her selves kept up the attack, swinging her club at the demon to keep it distracted, the other ran back to the trees where she had left the spoils of her morning looting trip. In seconds she had grabbed up two large leather squares and carried them back to the battle.
The scant moments it took to do so were costly, the demon partially coming off the roof to press an attack on a lone Jadis. But the demon missed the opportunity, not reacting to the changing battlefield fast enough. Jadis successfully kept it cowed with several wild swings, one of which broke off a couple of the demon¡¯s bony fingers. It settled back down on the roof as the other half of Jadis returned.
Jadis kept a piece of leather in her off hand, giving the other to her other half and doing the same. She got closer together and waited for the right moment, which did not take long to come.
The demon swung at her again, arm swiping through the air. Jadis dropped her club and used both hands to catch the limb in the sheet of leather. As she had hoped, the bone-blades were not sharp enough to cut clean through the thick treated leather. Jadis quickly grasped the arm and pulled, using her full strength to hold the creature¡¯s limb in place.
Predictably, the bone thief reacted by slashing down at the Jadis holding its arm, but she was ready for that. The other Jadis leapt in and grappled that arm with her leather as well, grabbing hold and pulling. In unison, both of Jadis¡¯ selves yanked hard, dragging the demon off the roof, but not only that. Both yanked in different directions, left and right. The end result was the demon¡¯s core was suspended between the two pale warriors, unable to resist the strength of her arms as she pulled hard on its limbs.
If any outsiders had been present, they might have thought the scene was perhaps the most bizarre form of tug-of-war ever enacted.
Despite the success of her mad plan, the demon was still alive, which Jadis had to admit was a significant flaw. She had immobilized the monster, but not permanently. Its remaining leg was still kicking, too, lashing out, not able to reach either of her but certainly making it difficult for her to maintain a solid grip as it pushed against the ground and against the walls of the hut.
¡°Now what?¡± she looked across the struggling bone demon at herself.
¡°Well¡¡± she grunted, fighting to maintain her hold of the deadly arm, ¡°I think I remember playing a game called red-rover.¡±
¡°Say no more,¡± she said to herself, a maniacal grin blossoming on her faces.
Jadis started running. It was tricky to keep her grip on the struggling, squirming arms of the demon, but not so difficult she couldn¡¯t build up some speed, which she needed. Sprinting in unison, she ran for the closest tree, aiming to pass the pine between the two of her, right where the demon¡¯s core hung.
At the last moment, the demon swung its leg out and kicked to the side, throwing Jadis¡¯ aim off. The force of the collision was still enough to shatter bone and the left side Jadis went tumbling to the side, the demon¡¯s arm torn off and instantly scattering to pieces.
The other side of Jadis maintained her footing well enough to run forward a few steps, but was caught in the side as the demon curled its arm in and bashed against her with its core.
Still, she did not go down. Reacting to the momentum of the attack and her own sprint, Jadis whipped around and swung the demon off and away, sending it sailing through the forest for a greater distance than she would have thought she¡¯d been capable of. The bone thief crashed into a pine tree with a clatter, collapsing to the ground. Missing both an arm and a leg, it struggled to get up off the forest floor.
¡°Time to finish this,¡± Jadis panted, second self jogging up to the self that had just tossed the monster away, carrying her discarded clubs with her.
¡°Fuck yeah,¡± Jadis growled. The thrill of combat had her blood pumping and ears ringing, her breath heaving in her chest. She loved it.
The two of her fell upon the demon with clubs swinging. Bones shattered and splintered, bits scattering amongst the pine needles. Skulls broke, limbs were smashed, and finally the shell core split wide open, a demonic orange eye staring up at two beautiful, snarling faces.
¡°Came to the wrong neighborhood, fucker,¡± Jadis said before swinging two unified clubs down for a final time.
Chapter 13: No Bones About It
The bones were gone.
Standing in the small clearing where she had dumped the bone thieves from the day before, Jadis searched with growing dismay. At first, she thought she had the wrong spot; the forest was large and she was no tracker. She could have gone off course and missed the place where she had left the dead demons. But, no, the demon¡¯s themselves were still present, at least what was left of the deflated, fleshy tentacles. Their ruined, rotting corpses were stinking up the area, their smell unmistakable.
It was just the bones that served as the demons¡¯ shell and form that were gone.
¡°Fuck!¡± She cursed in unison, holding the remains of her most recent kill between her two bodies. She¡¯d planned on disposing of the remains with the rest, leaving them far from her hut. Now, though, she had a feeling that her plans had to change.
¡°The other bone thieves must have found them, taken the bones for themselves,¡± she said, voicing her concerns. ¡°I bet this bean pole here got a bunch of its bones from the bodies here.¡±
¡°Maybe that¡¯s why it was searching the hut? Looking for whoever killed the two here?¡±
¡°Probably,¡± she answered herself. ¡°But there has to be more. This guy doesn¡¯t have enough bones to account for all the ones that were here.¡±
¡°Damn¡¡± Jadis shook her head, tempted to toss the bones she carried down in frustration, but held back. It had been tedious enough the first time gathering the broken pieces from the ground. She didn¡¯t want to do so a second time.
¡°What do we do now,¡± she asked, watching the trees around her carefully, checking to make sure she herself was not being watched by any skeletal entities.
¡°Well, I think we should¡ª¡± she paused mid thought, tripping over her words. ¡°Er, I think I should bring the bones somewhere the demons aren¡¯t as likely to just stumble across. Maybe that basement we, ah fuck, I, found the preserves in?¡±
¡°I think I need to figure out this whole pronoun thing,¡± she looked at herself with a worried frown. ¡°If I¡¯m getting this confused when I¡¯m alone with myself, what¡¯s going to happen when I have to talk with actual other people?¡±
The frown was mirrored on both faces, but she shook her head. ¡°I do need to figure it out, but first things first. Bones and demons.¡±
Priorities established, Jadis acted quickly. If there were more bone thieves in the vicinity, she didn¡¯t want to be caught off guard. The smell of the dead demons already permeated the area so she dumped out the cracked shell of her current load, spilling more purple-fleshed remains out on the forest floor.
The bones she took back with her, heading for the stone house with the first cellar she¡¯d explored. She kept her heads on swivels as she walked, constantly checking for any sign that more bone thieves were about but couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the demons and their behavior.
The gangly demon had searched her out, coming right up to her stone hut. It had, at the very least, the ability to recognize her hut as different from the others scattered around the village outskirts. Maybe it had stumbled on her home base by luck, maybe just by general proximity, or maybe there was some other factor she didn¡¯t know of. Jadis could only prepare against what she could anticipate. At a minimum, she had to assume the demons were capable of finding her home, if not already aware of its location. More could simply be stalking the forest right now, looking for her since she hadn¡¯t been home all morning.
Another aspect of the demons she was curious and confused about was their power level. Not that she knew what level the demons were, or if they even had levels the way people did on Oros, but she assumed there had to be some method of rating their overall strength. How else would the system know how much experience to award her upon the slaying of a demon?
After the last kill, she¡¯d gotten another message informing her she¡¯d slain a demon of Samleos, but no level up notification. She¡¯d gone up three levels after beating the last two, but nothing after the gangly demon.
Was it because the demons were of different power levels? Or was it because she¡¯d struggled so much in the two-on-two fight. Maybe the system took effort into account. Or, now that she thought about it, the difference was in her levels. The cost of going up in levels usually increased the higher levels went in most RPGs. Jadis felt safe in assuming the same was the case on Oros.
The gangly demon had been easier to fight than the gorilla one or the antlered dog one, that she was certain of. She¡¯d barely taken any damage at all, having only lost ten points of health. Was that because she was stronger, or because it had been weaker than the other demons? Maybe both?
No matter the answers to her questions, Jadis desperately wished she could tell the difference in levels between her and the bone thieves. Any kind of system that hinted at how much of a danger the enemy would be before she engaged would have been extremely valuable. No method of identifying foes had presented itself to her so far, though.
Jadis¡¯ thoughts were interrupted by a movement in the trees to her right, a faded white thing moving silently low to the ground. She froze, her dual bodies mirroring the action of the stalking monstrosity.
The skeletal demon had been walking a path that would cross her own at an angle. It stood a few dozen yards away on four legs, the stolen skulls of two sharp-toothed carnivores swaying back and forth in the fore. It too had a dog-like appearance, similar to the antlered one Jadis had slain, but Jadis had been more interested in human anatomy while studying and didn¡¯t trust herself to know the difference between a wolf skeleton and a big cat. Not that such things mattered anyway with the bone thieves. They seemed to just do whatever they wanted with limbs, regardless of anatomical accuracy.
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From what Jadis could tell, the monster had no extra arms and only the two heads. It did have two long tails which were probably as long again as the whole of the demon¡¯s body. However, all in all, this was the most normal looking of all the skeletal abominations she¡¯d seen so far.
All of these details she took in at a glance, scant seconds passing as she and her foe sized each other up.
¡°Let¡¯s see if a second demon is enough to get me another level,¡± Jadis murmured, her eyes locked with the empty eye sockets of the enemy¡¯s skulls.
As if reacting to her words as a challenge, the bone thief clattered its jaws together, crouched, then lunged forward, sprinting at her with startling speed. Reacting on instinct, Jadis hurled the bones she had been carrying at the rapidly approaching demon to obscure its vision, then rolled out of the way to either side.
With the remains of its fallen compatriot tossed in the way, the demon wasn¡¯t able to turn its lunge in time and overshot both of Jadis¡¯ forms. It rebounded quickly, though, whirling about and digging its claws into the dirt as is scrabbled to sprint at the Jadis on the left.
Left Jadis hefted her stone club, anticipating the attack. She didn¡¯t move, waiting to see how quickly the demon would come at her. Her lack of movement did not mean Jadis was idle overall, however. The Jadis on the right repositioned, her club in hand and her powerful legs crouched and ready.
In a flash the demon launched itself at her, darting low, both of its snapping jaws aiming to hamstring the left Jadis. Acting as one, both of Jadis¡¯ selves attacked at the same time, two stone heads coming down in unison on the creature.
The demon pulled its bite at the last second, dodging the blow from left-side Jadis but it couldn¡¯t dodge two people at once. Right-side Jadis smashed her stone club into the back of the monster, shattering the spine of the creature with such force the front half went spinning through the air while the back half of the skeleton broke off and tumbled across the ground.
¡°Ha! You¡¯re even more pathetic than the last one!¡± Jadis crowed, taunting the demon that was now crawling across the ground, half of its body now gone.
Jadis¡¯ grin turned to a sour frown as a series of dark blue symbols flashed into existence around the demon and the bones that were scattered around it started rolling across the forest floor towards the core of the demon, smaller ones literally flying through the air and attaching themselves to the shell.
¡°Oh, fuck you!¡± Jadis growled as she pounced, bringing her dual power to bear against the reforming abomination.
The bone thief tried to dodge back, newly attached parts still forming but giving it some leverage, but Jadis was relentless. She smashed the demon¡¯s extremities, breaking every bone that got in her way before eventually there was nothing left to stop her from cracking open the shell and pulping the demonic eye-tendril thing within.
The whole battle lasted a minute at most and left Jadis barely breathing hard, her heart beating fast more from excitement and bloodlust than any real exertion.
|
Congratulations!
Bone Thief Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
|
|
Level Up!
Mirror Knight has Reached Level 6.
1 Attribute Point Awarded.
|
The double notification passed before Jadis¡¯ eyes in quick succession as she dismissed one after another.
¡°Thanks for the free level, I guess,¡± she shrugged, looking down at the remains of her fallen foe.
¡°Ugh, now I have even more to carry though,¡± Jadis complained to herself, kicking the broken shell of the demon and wincing a bit at the minor pain.
The fight had gone remarkably smoothly. Jadis had not taken even a point of damage, her hair more ruffled by her own dodge than anything the demon had done. Jadis didn¡¯t want to make any rash judgements, but she was starting to feel more and more confident that the skeletal demons, at least when encountered alone, were much less of a threat to her than she had originally estimated. In fact, Jadis suspected that if she had some actual armor, she¡¯d probably be in relatively little danger.
Certainly, if multiple attacked her at once, she¡¯d run the risk of being overwhelmed. However, Jadis was revising her previous assumptions. She¡¯d thought it best to avoid the demons and only attack when she could ambush them. Now she was beginning to think maybe catching them off guard wasn¡¯t absolutely necessary.
¡°I¡¯m totally strong, aren¡¯t I?¡± she asked herself while picking up as many bones as she could comfortably carry.
Jadis smiled at herself, knowing full well she was being more than a little egotistical. But hey, she just slaughtered two demons like a pro! Who else was going to sing her praises for her triumphant deeds if she didn¡¯t?
¡°I¡¯m absolutely awesome,¡± she agreed, grinning. ¡°And I think we deserve a pat on the back.¡±
Walking over, Jadis did just as she suggested, patting her double¡¯s back.
¡°I just said ¡®we¡¯ again,¡± she pointed out, handing over a good-sized armload of bones to herself.
¡°Yeah, I did, didn¡¯t I.¡±
¡°I have got to figure this shit out,¡± she sighed, thinking of the weirdness of her physical and mental situation.
¡°Okay. Let¡¯s dump these bones in the cellar and then get back home. No daydreaming though, I need to be on high alert.¡±
With a silly salute, Jadis acknowledged her own orders and collected as much of the rest of the bones that could be carried.
It took a bit of time to ferry all the bones to her chosen hiding spot, especially since she took the time to carry the shell of the most recently felled demon to the other pulped bodies and dumped the horror squid on the ground, figuring it was best to keep all of those disgusting flesh-snots in one spot far away from the skeleton cellar. It would have taken less time if she had split her selves apart, but she didn¡¯t want to risk one of her selves getting caught by a demon alone. She was feeling a bit proud of her combat accomplishments, but she wasn¡¯t quite that confident.
Arriving back at her hut, she thoroughly checked it for any signs of further demon intrusion. Finding nothing, Jadis closed herself off from the forest, barricading the door, and settled in to spend the rest of the afternoon doing something she¡¯d never done before: crafting armor.
Chapter 14: Crafting and Conversation
Jadis was not a craftswoman.
Her efforts at patching together some simple clothes had produced reasonable results when she¡¯d used old cloth as her material, but leather was a far cry from anything she¡¯d worked with before. In all frankness, she didn¡¯t have much idea of what she was doing. One whole sheet of leather had been sacrificed on the altar of her ineptitude already, having been cut, slashed, punctured, and just all together twisted into a mess.
She needed armor, though, and if Jadis was anything, a quitter wasn¡¯t it.
After returning from her exceptionally hectic morning, Jadis spent the remainder of the day trying to put together something that would provide a little cover to her more vulnerable parts. She had no illusions that she¡¯d be making anything even remotely close to what a professional could do, but some protection was better than none. Besides, with all the leather and hide she¡¯d managed to scavenge, she felt she had a reasonably good chance of stumbling across a working design simply through trial and error. She had no lack of material to work with anymore.
The two of Jadis¡¯s bodies sat cross legged, side by side, backs reclining against the stone wall of the hut. While she still had no bed or comfortable chair to recline on, what she did have now was a relatively soft fur skin to sit on. The pelt was large enough it covered most of the floor of the room and would make a good bed, leaving only her feet to dangle off the edge if she fully stretched out.
While she worked on cutting and sewing the leather armor into shapes she thought might do well at protecting her own hide, Jadis talked things over with herself. There were a lot of things on her mind, but at the forefront of everything, she was concerned about what to do when she did eventually meet the natives. Non-demonic natives, anyway. She knew what she was doing when she met any of Samleos¡¯ spawn.
¡°Let¡¯s assume, for the moment, that there isn¡¯t a skill that lets people instantly know what class or level or anything like that a person has.¡±
¡°Big assumption,¡± Jadis interrupted herself, acknowledging the thought had no strong basis in experience. ¡°There could absolutely be a skill that does that and we just don¡¯t know it.¡±
¡°True,¡± she continued her train of thought, ¡°but in most RPGs I¡¯ve played or books I¡¯ve read, if there¡¯s a skill that lets people identify other individuals or monsters, everyone has access to it. That, or it¡¯s such a rare and valuable skill, hardly anyone has it and those who do aren¡¯t just walking around everywhere.¡±
¡°The protagonist always gets identify, though. Just like that one story with the spider, yeah?¡±
¡°Yeah, the spider story. But!¡± Jadis held a finger in the air, ¡°I¡¯m not a protagonist. I¡¯m just a person. Yes, inserted into an alternate dimension by a god, but still. If you were to call anyone a protagonist on Oros, it¡¯d probably be whoever the hero is.¡±
¡°True¡¡± Jadis agreed, then paused her conversation to focus on the vambrace she was trying to put together. Using all four hands for fine detail work actually felt pretty natural to her now that she¡¯d been a double-person for a few days, but she couldn¡¯t think heavy thoughts while trying to do something delicate with two bodies at the same time.
Eventually, she managed to get the leather into a close approximation of what she¡¯d envisioned and she continued.
¡°It¡¯s possible people out there do have a way of identifying others and it¡¯s equally as likely there isn¡¯t a way. For now, I assume there isn¡¯t because it¡¯s better to be prepared than not.¡±
¡°Right.¡±
¡°Right, so, assuming no one can tell I¡¯m one person with two bodies, the only way they¡¯ll know is if I tell them or if I give it away through word and action.¡±
¡°Do I care if people know?¡± Jadis looked up at herself, violet eyes meeting each other.
In all honesty, she wasn¡¯t sure if she should care or not. The unknowns were so numerous it was practically overwhelming. What if people have pre-conceived notions about the Mirror Knight class? What if there was some cultural or religious taboo against it? Or, what if the opposite were true, and the class was highly revered and she damned herself as a blasphemer by taking a class that was reserved for only a specific elite?
With so many different possibilities swirling around in her heads, Jadis could do nothing but shake them both and toss the speculation out the window.
¡°I¡¯m going to, for lack of better information, presume it¡¯s safer if I don¡¯t tell people we¡¯re the same person. I¡¯m the same person.¡±
She quirked her lips up in unison. ¡°That means saying we should be the way we talk, from now on.¡±
¡°God, that makes me sound like a crazy person,¡± she sighed in bewildered exasperation. ¡°Can I blame this bizarreness on D? I¡¯m going to blame it on D.¡±
¡°We¡¯re going to blame it on D,¡± she corrected herself. ¡°Besides, it¡¯ll only look crazy to me. To anyone else, it¡¯ll look normal to see two people talking to each other like they''re two people instead of the same person. Fuck that was a weird thing to say out loud.¡±
¡°Okay, fine,¡± Jadis pressed on. ¡°We¡¯re two different people. At least to the public eye. What¡¯s our story, then?¡±
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Jadis slid one of the somewhat finished vambraces on her arm and frowned. The bracer was kind of loose and without any buckles, she had no way of tightening it. Sighing, she started pulling the stiches apart, getting to work on starting over.
¡°Considering we look exactly alike? I¡¯d say we¡¯re identical twins. What else?¡±
¡°Cousins who happen to share a super strong family resemblance?¡±
She gave herself a deadpan stare. Jadis did not deign to acknowledge the stare or the stupidity of her own suggestion.
¡°So we¡¯re twins. Twins that are both named Jadis?¡±
Jadis shook her head. Stiches now pulled apart, she moved to cut the leather a bit shorter, then had a sudden burst of inspiration. Pulling an extra piece of cloth she had from her pile of materials, Jadis laid it on the inner side of the bracer, giving it some padding and making it a tighter fit without having to cut the leather shorter. She got to work on stitching the two materials together and resumed her considerations.
¡°We¡¯ll have to come up with two new names. Nothing else makes sense.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± she said, holding the bracer in place while the other her stitched. ¡°Gotta be honest with myself here. I do not like the idea of calling one of me, er, one of us, Barbara or something like that.¡±
¡°Yuck,¡± Jadis made a face. She had always had a bit of a complex about her name coming from the villain of a popular book series, but she did have some appreciation for the fact that it was unique. At the least, it didn¡¯t make her sound like someone¡¯s grandmother.
¡°Let¡¯s keep it simple. Two people, two syllables in my name. Ja-dis¡±
¡°That would make me¡ Jay?¡± the Jadis on the left pointed at her own chest.
¡°And I¡¯d be Dis,¡± the Jadis on the right nodded her head.
She tilted her two heads, thinking for a moment.
¡°We¡¯re spelling it D-Y-S, if anyone asks,¡± Dys eventually said, her furrowed brow smoothing.
¡°And I¡¯m spelling my name J-A-Y. Feels like a boy¡¯s name to me, but I guess I¡¯m kind of half boy anyway?¡± Jay said with a wry smile. It would be weird calling herself by two different names, but everything about her life for the past three days had been as weird as corn-flavored lip balm. What was one more bit of bizarreness to add to the ever-expanding list?
¡°Well, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m half per se¡¡± she ruminated, glancing down at her crotch significantly. ¡°But it¡¯s certainly a big part.¡±
Jadis giggled at her own joke, pausing in her work to slip on the leather vambrace. The fit wasn¡¯t perfect and the stitching was crooked, but all in all it seemed she¡¯d managed to make something that could, if one squinted at it and held it at a distance, be seen as halfway passable armor.
¡°Okay! That¡¯s one! Just three more to go,¡± Dys said with a bit of forced cheer. Honestly, she wasn¡¯t particularly enjoying crafting the armor. The process was tedious and didn¡¯t give a smidge of the thrill she felt when fighting the bone demons that haunted the valley she¡¯d found herself temporarily living in.
¡°Also, we still need to come up with some kind of actual backstory. We can¡¯t just tell people we¡¯re from another world and were plunked down on Oros at the whim of a god,¡± Jay huffed. ¡°If anything¡¯s going to get us into trouble, it¡¯s going to be saying anything that gives us away as being reincarnated.¡±
Jadis frowned with two faces. Yet again her ability to properly plan out her next steps was thwarted by a lack of knowledge of her new world. Would the idea of divinely gifted reincarnation be alien to the peoples of Oros, or was it known?
¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, inter-dimensional travelers might be common for all I know,¡± Jay cursed.
¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it anymore,¡± Dys curtly cut herself off. ¡°Thinking about D¡¯s negligence is just going to piss me off and that¡¯s not helping me.¡±
The heat that came through in Dys¡¯ voice made it clear enough to Jadis that she was, in fact, already pissed off at D. She still did her best to put aside the anger. She had a lot to be thankful of when it came to her benefactor. D didn¡¯t have to do anything he¡¯d done; if it weren¡¯t for him, she might very well still be floating about in the chaotic abyss of ¡®The Between¡¯ as he¡¯d called it. Remembering the feeling of what that was like sent a shiver down her spine.
Still, she was growing more and more certain that her whole less than ideal situation was a purposeful machination by D. He was probably enjoying watching her struggle.
Jay cut a strip of leather with the shears and passed it to Dys. ¡°What about our free attribute point? Where are we putting that?¡±
Dys shrugged, mirroring Jay¡¯s uncertainty. ¡°Vitality again? Every point there is putting us further and further away from an early grave.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Jay nodded, ¡°but how about we put it in an attribute we don¡¯t know the purpose of? Try and figure out what they do?¡±
Jadis found herself conflicted. She truly wanted to experiment with her stats, figure out what did what. At the same time, she was held back from putting the point anywhere aside from the two stats she was sure of because she didn¡¯t know if doing so would be a waste.
What if the only use ¡®Dexterity¡¯ had was to boost accuracy with ranged attacks? Fat lot of good that would do her what with her exactly zero number of ranged weapons.
¡°Seriously, what¡¯s the difference between Dexterity and Agility, anyway?¡± Dys voiced her irritated thoughts. ¡°How the hell am I supposed to pick where to put a point when those are literally synonyms that mean the same thing?¡±
¡°They don¡¯t literally mean exactly the same thing,¡± Jay said, deciding to be the voice of reason to Dys¡¯ voice of frustration. ¡°Otherwise they¡¯d just be the same word. There¡¯s some kind of linguistic difference.¡±
¡°Right, yeah, again though, how the hell am I supposed to know the difference?¡± Dys sneered at Jay.
¡°I guess we¡¯re not supposed to know,¡± Jay said, sneering right back. ¡°It¡¯s all a great big fucking mystery perpetrated by D¡¯s divine step-dad. Probably has some kind of monopoly in play with priests being the only ones who know all the answers. Bet that¡¯s how he keeps everyone in line or some shit like that.¡±
¡°Exactly,¡± Dys said, riling herself up further. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what a god would do. Keep the people coming to church for answers about the system. I guarantee that¡¯s what we¡¯ll find out as soon as we make it to an actual town.¡±
As she ranted at her twin, Jadis realized she was starting to enjoy herself. Not the bad-mouthing of D¡¯s step-father; she honestly didn¡¯t feel that strongly about the unknown, unnamed god, one way or another. D seemed to be fussy about him, but Jadis had no quarrel. No, what she was enjoying was the impassioned conversation she was having.
Yes, the conversation was with herself. But she¡¯d always talked to herself in the past. Voicing her thoughts this way, using two different voices, pretending to be two different people, it was kind of entertaining. Almost like she was putting on a show, only just for herself.
Both of her twin forms smiled at her unvoiced thoughts. She was growing ever more certain that she was some kind of naturally weird person, what with the ease she was taking to holding conversations with herself.
So she might be a little crazy, so what? There was no one around to judge her right now anyway.
¡°No one but a bunch of bone thieves,¡± Jay said, finishing the stiches on a second vambrace. ¡°Not that their judgement counts for much.¡±
A malicious grin spread across Dys¡¯ face as she put together the material to start their work on the third bracer. ¡°And it¡¯ll count for even less tomorrow when they''re squashed and rotting in the woods.¡±
Chapter 15: No Excuse Needed
Rain started falling in the night, bringing with it a sharp drop in temperature that cooled the pine forest valley and chilled Jadis¡¯ stone hut. Wrapped up in two of the much too small blankets she¡¯d salvaged, Jay and Dys huddled together for warmth and thanked D that the hut¡¯s roof had no serious leaks.
Jadis had half a mind to curse herself an idiot for cannibalizing the third blanket she¡¯d found as lining for her janky leather armor. The cold damp was awful, freezing every bit of her that wasn¡¯t under blankets or pressed up against her own double. She¡¯d needed the padding, though, and the lack of blankets wasn¡¯t the true problem.
The fault lay in her own complacency. Her first couple nights on Oros had been tolerable, temperature-wise at least. She knew that all the survival guides she¡¯d ever watched or read emphasized the extreme importance of making a shelter, which she had done. But part of that shelter should have been the creation of a fire. Jadis hadn¡¯t bothered, and now she was suffering for it.
Not that Jadis was certain a fire was a good idea when horrible skeletal monsters were prowling around with the intent to rip her bones from her flesh. She had no idea if the demons could smell smoke, but the light would probably give her away. Now that she was shivering in the dark, though, Jadis found that she didn¡¯t really care if demons might possibly find her hut, she wanted a damned fire to keep her tits from freezing off.
The long, cold night was a miserable experience, made barely tolerable by Jadis¡¯ twin bodies wrapping around each other. She kept watch the whole night as well, keeping one self awake at all times, trading off between the two every few hours. The hazy torpor that came with keeping one body conscious while the other slept wasn¡¯t as restful as fully going under, but Jadis wasn¡¯t going to risk a nighttime ambush. She doubted the bone thieves cared much about cold rain.
Jadis could barely tell when the morning came, the steady rain not letting up in the slightest. Gray light filtered in through the gaps in shuttered windows and roof eaves, but hardly enough to see by.
The lack of light was a problem. Jadis hadn¡¯t finished her armor project and she needed to be able to clearly see to work with thread and needle. She wanted to finish her armor for both bodies before starting on her plan to purposefully hunt down the skeletal demons in the valley. If she was going to head into combat, she wanted to be as prepared as she possibly could be.
Sighing heavily from two pairs of lips, Jadis checked her status menu to see how much her health had gone up. Before settling in for the night, she¡¯d decided to put her level six attribute point into vitality, not quite willing to experiment blindly just yet. The point had brought her health pool up to two hundred and thirty and she¡¯d gone to bed with one hundred and sixty-five health points.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (6)
Secondary Class: None
Tertiary Class: None
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Combined Level Rating: 6
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Health: 188/230
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Magic: 10/10
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Attributes
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Strength: 33
Dexterity: 10
Agility: 10
Vitality: 23
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 15
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 70
Focus: 1
Resilience: 10
Will: 5
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¡°So, twenty-three health points healed? That¡¯s three more recovered compared to yesterday,¡± Jay mused, looking over her stats.
¡°What¡¯s with the difference? The only thing that¡¯s changed is we have a, well, not bed exactly, but we¡¯ve got blankets and a fur rug.¡±
¡°No,¡± she shook her head, ¡°that¡¯s not the only thing that¡¯s changed. We upped our vitality. That might have a direct impact on health recovery, not just the total health pool.¡±
¡°Eh, maybe,¡± Dys shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Either way, we don¡¯t have full health yet. Probably best we wait on bone-boy hunting until we¡¯re at full strength.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Jay agreed.
The two sat across from each other on the gray pelt, cross legged. Two more jars of preserves were shared between them, one jar containing something similar in taste to carrots and the other filled with an apple-like fruit that had dark green flesh. It was an acceptable breakfast, but after every meal Jadis was craving meat more and more.
¡°So, what do we do today,¡± Dys asked, chewing on the last of the green fruits. ¡°It¡¯s still raining, so we aren¡¯t hunting for demons or looting the village.¡±
Jay took a long gulp of water before answering. ¡°Too dark to try and sew right now, too.¡±
¡°It¡¯s too cold to sew. My fingers are freezing! I could stick a needle through my thumb and I probably wouldn¡¯t feel it,¡± Dys blew into her cupped hands, trying to keep them warm.
¡°Wish we had a fire,¡± Jay lamented, staring at the cold and empty hearth of the little fireplace the hut had. A small sooty puddle had formed in the base of it from where rain water had found its way inside the chimney.
A short silence dragged out between the two as Jadis thought over her options.
¡°I can think of another way to keep warm,¡± Dys finally spoke up, violet eyes trailing over Jay¡¯s pale curves still dimly visible in the gloom of her stone shelter.
Jay quirked an eyebrow, her eyes doing much the same to Dys¡¯ barely clothed form. ¡°We didn¡¯t have morning wood today, so we don¡¯t have that as an excuse.¡±
¡°Who needs excuses?¡± Dys said as she crawled to her knees and closed the distance to Jay, walking on all fours.
¡°Someone who at least pretends to not be a complete degenerate?¡± Jay murmured, enjoying the deliciously sexy sight of Dys on all fours, back arched and eyes hooded with lust.
As the two stared each other down, dual hearts thumping and bodies heating with arousal, both suddenly started giggling madly. Jadis couldn¡¯t help herself. Pretending to be two people was fun and felt natural, but the illusion wasn¡¯t perfect. She was still basically making sexy poses at herself in a mirror, eyeing up her own body with excited desire. Jadis couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the silliness of it.
¡°I¡¯m still fucking horny,¡± Dys said between fits of giggles, one hand moving to stroke Jay¡¯s muscled thigh.
[Censored Sex Scene. The full scene can be viewed on ScribbleHub.com]
Jadis had discovered that one body could climax without the other following suit, but the arousal and pleasure she felt was still being experienced by one consciousness. The Dys half of her felt like she was about to pop at any moment.
¡°Well,¡± Jay said, staring at Dys¡¯ member with lascivious smile on her lips, ¡°I guess if we want to be scientific about this experiment, we have to show we can duplicate our initial results.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think duplication is anything we¡¯ll have trouble with,¡± Dys said, her own husky voice sending a heated thrill up both of Jadis¡¯ spines. ¡°This time, though, I want to try something a little different.¡±
Chapter 16: Self Loving
¡°This is a terrible idea,¡± Jay said, looking up at the looming Dys. ¡°You and I both know I¡¯ve never done anything like this.¡±
¡°Yeah, duh.¡± Dys said. ¡°But it¡¯ll be sexy as hell.¡±
¡°I¡¯m probably going to puke.¡±
¡°Well, don¡¯t,¡± Dys advised.
Jadis rolled both sets of eyes, her logical reasoning still active, but her arousal too high to much care for sensible decision making.
[Censored Sex Scene. The full scene can be viewed on ScribbleHub.com]
Both stayed as they were in the aftermath, the only sound in the stone hut their heavy breathing, synced in perfect rhythm. It took many minutes before coherent thought returned to Jadis¡¯ mind.
¡°I think the rain stopped,¡± Dys finally said.
¡°Yeah,¡± Jay said, voice raspy from its recent abuse.
¡°Wanna try that again?¡± Dys asked, her dick still rock hard.
Both were silent for a moment as Jadis mulled her options over.
¡°Only if you¡¯re the receiver this time,¡± Jay said, wiping a bit of cum from her eyes.
Dys was of one mind with Jay and assumed the best position she could for the imminent throat fucking she was to receive.
Sometime later, after a couple more rounds, feeling a bit sore throated but immensely sated, Jadis left the hut with both bodies, trekking through the sodden forest to get to the brook where she could clean up and get more water.
Even though her scent was sweet, her cum was still sticky and didn¡¯t feel great when cool against her skin. After a quick wash in cold water, Jadis returned to her hut to resume the task of making her armor. Though the sky was still overcast, the day was brighter and she now had enough light to work by.
¡°I really wish we had shoes,¡± Dys said, wiping her bare feet off with a disgusted look on her face. The general grime of walking around barefoot in a pine forest with sap sticky needles was bad enough. Adding the mud of a fresh rainstorm to the mix was thoroughly unpleasant.
Jay used a jug of water to help rinse Dys off, just as she had done for her, the pair doing their best to keep the mud out of the hut. ¡°I doubt we could make shoes per se, but we¡¯ve probably got enough material here to make some kind of wrap for our feet. It¡¯d be better than nothing, anyway.¡±
Dys shrugged her shoulder. ¡°If we have enough,¡± she said agreeably.
By the end of the day, between the efforts of her two selves, Jadis had managed to make two mostly complete, hopefully functional, sets of hide and leather armor.
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When fully dressed, both Jay and Dys had sleeveless chest protectors that were double padded and thick, but not so stiff that they restricted movement. Bracers protected their forearms, though she found she couldn¡¯t quite manage armor for her biceps, not without belts or buckles. Her thighs were similarly unprotected, but shin guards had been easy enough to make. Finally, she¡¯d traded out her loincloths for leather skirts, the skirts cut into thick overlapping strips that reached down to her knees. A pair of leather sandals rounded out her ensemble. A far cry from the boots she would have preferred, but better than the nothing she had.
As a final touch, the material of her loincloths she used to make a more traditional pair of underwear for each of her selves. Considering how much fun she was having with her two packages, she had decided she didn¡¯t want to risk any harm to them by carelessly letting them flop about during combat.
She was enormously thankful to D that no harm had come to either of her favorite organs during the fights she¡¯d been in so far.
With the sun setting over the mountains and darkness covering the valley, Jadis stood in her hut, comparing the fits of her armor on both bodies. Looking at her crude leather protections, coupled with her stone clubs, she was feeling like quite the barbarian duo.
¡°I think we¡¯re ready to take on some demons,¡± Jay said, adjusting the way a shin guard rested on one of Dys¡¯ legs. ¡°With this armor, we¡¯ll hopefully take less damage and be able to take on a lot more enemies in a day.¡±
¡°Fuck yeah,¡± Dys said with a grin. ¡°I think it¡¯s time we did some power leveling. D put us here to stir things up. We¡¯ve gotta have some real power to make an impact.¡±
Standing up, Jay and Dys looked each other in the eye, an equal amount of excited determination overflowing from their expressions. Both were eager to put their new armor to the test as well as recapture the thrill of the fight Jadis was growing to love.
¡°Shame it¡¯s night now,¡± Jay said with a frown, fists going to her hips. ¡°Probably not a good idea to try and hunt demons in the dark.¡±
¡°Yeah, I guess. Not a lot else to do now that we¡¯ve got the armor done, though.¡± Dys complained, hands on hips, brows furrowed. ¡°And I¡¯m not tired enough to sleep yet, either.¡±
The two stood in mirrored stances for a silent while as the sound of the wind blowing through the pine trees filled the quiet hut.
¡°I guess there¡¯s at least one thing we can do before bed,¡± Jay said with a sly grin, eyeing Dys¡¯ toned body, admiring they way she looked like an exotic barbarian warrior.
¡°Yup, there¡¯s one thing,¡± Dys agreed, her eyes running over Jay¡¯s figure in the same fashion.
¡°Who goes first?¡± Jay asked, already moving to take her new armor off.
¡°Does it matter?¡± Dys responded, pulling off her own armor.
Jadis realized that honestly it didn¡¯t matter much at all, since she felt everything from both bodies equally, but an odd sense of fairness compelled her to at least try to give her two alter egos a chance at going first for the idea she had brewing.
¡°Rock, paper, scissors?¡± Jay asked, a questioning note in her voice.
¡°That literally cannot work,¡± Dys said with a deadpan. Looking around the room, she spotted the coin purse that held her pilfered silver.
¡°Heads its you, tails its me,¡± she said, flipping a coin into the air.
When the coin clattered to the floor, both of Jadis¡¯ selves leaned over the silver piece to check the result. With a smile, Dys looked up at the half dressed Jay.
¡°For this, I¡¯m going to need you on your stomach,¡± she said, eagerness already coloring her voice as she quickly divested herself of the rest of her clothing.
[Censored Sex Scene. The full scene can be viewed on ScribbleHub.com]
¡°What a fucking mess,¡± Dys said with a breathless laugh, admiring her handywork.
¡°Better start cleaning it up,¡± Jay said, her voice unintentionally strained to Jadis¡¯ surprise. Jay¡¯s unfulfilled arousal was still making it hard for her to think straight. ¡°Doing this one at a time is great and terrible all at once.¡±
¡°Yeah, it is,¡± Dys said while straightening up. ¡°I¡¯m kinda tempted to sacrifice a blanket to cleaning all this up. We can wash it in the morn¡ª¡±
Dys¡¯ words were cut off by a sudden bang against the blockaded door of the stone hut.
A clattering of bone on bone echoed sharply outside, followed shortly after by another crash against the wood door.
¡°Shit,¡± Jay and Dys cursed from their compromising and defenseless position on the floor.
Chapter 17: Rude Interuption
Jadis scrambled to her feet in a tangle of limbs as the barricaded door shook again from a powerful impact. From the sound of things, at least one bone thief was attempting to batter its way into her appropriated home. Naked and sticky, Jay and Dys lurched forward and threw their weight against the door, holding it¡¯s abused timbers in place against another resounding smash.
¡°Are you fucking kidding me right now,¡± Jadis grunted through two sets of gritted teeth. The armor she had spent two days putting together lay in little piles on the floor, utterly useless to her in the moment. White hot fury blazed in Jadis¡¯ eyes at the injustice and inconvenience the damned bone thief had inflicted on her.
Not only had it chosen to spring a fight on her right at a moment when she couldn¡¯t make use of her armor, the demon had managed to blue ball one of her bodies in the process.
¡°I am going to slaughter this donkey fucker and every other shit-eating bone thief in the goddamned valley!¡± Jay screamed, grabbing her two stone clubs and tossing one to Dys.
Waiting for another bone-jarring thud against the door to strike, Jadis threw the barricade off to one side immediately after, removing all resistance. Taking a couple of steps back, she readied both her selves to strike, Dys on the left and Jay to the right of the door, careful not to let her clubs get caught in the rafters overhead.
A moment later, the door crashed open as a horrendous amalgamation of bones charged through, practically taking the door off its hinges.
The skeletal demon was bulky, a prominent ridge of bones acting as a battering ram on its front with half a dozen skulls nestled on either side of the keel-like structure. It had six legs with many-fingered hands for feet, almost like a beetle in general placement on the bulbous torso.
All these details Jadis took in during the brief instant the abomination charged through the door with an overcommitment of force thanks to Jadis¡¯ removal of the improvised barricade. Unable to slow its momentum, the monster slammed into the stone partition wall at the back of the room, bones cracking with the power of the impact.
Jay and Dys brought their clubs down on the bone thief in unison, striking at the demon¡¯s protective shell while it flailed for a moment, trying to recover from its battering ram charge. Much to Jadis¡¯ dismay, however, her stone clubs bounced off the hard skeletal shell of the demon, not even putting a dent in it, much less cracking it open.
¡°Fuck!¡± Dys roared, quickly reeling back and taking aim at one of the creature¡¯s limbs to try and disable it.
Before she could attack again, the demon lashed out with one of many arms, striking her naked and unprotected side. Jadis could not help but double Dys up from the pain, the blow having hit her hard and knocking some of the breath from her as she stumbled back.
Jay, however, was still able to act. Swinging low, her club struck the joint of where a middle leg attached to the egg-shaped body of the demon, snapping it off like a dried twig.
Instantly, the enraged bone thief launched itself at Jay, knocking her down to the ground as it tried to ram its hard keel ridge against her skull. Jadis had no doubt the strength of such a blow could cave her skull in. The only thing that saved her in that moment was awkwardness of the demon¡¯s large body trying to fight inside the cramped quarters of a dwarven hut.
The demon¡¯s limbs floundered for purchase as it scrambled against the walls, the broken furniture Jadis used as barricades knocked around and crashing against the combatants in the raucous confusion. It tried to attack Jay, slamming its ram forward but hitting the stone wall instead.
As it tried to maneuver to strike again, Jadis was not idle. Jay grabbed hold of one of its arms on the left side where she had managed to sever one already and yanked hard, throwing it off balance. As it tilted and attempted to keep itself upright, limbs stretching out for handholds, Dys attacked.
Stone met bone as Dys brought her club down on the rearmost leg on the already damaged left side of the monster. The large femur shattered, sending bone splinters in a cascade around the room.
The demon tried to whirl around and retaliate, but Jay wouldn¡¯t let it. Holding firmly onto the remaining arm on that side of their assailant, she rolled and pulled, dragging the lopsided creature to its weak side, trying to overturn it.
While the demon did lose balance and crash to its side, it did not do so without inflicting further damage to Jadis. The partial bulk of the bone thief crashed down onto Jay while one of its grasping right arms caught hold of her, tearing at the flesh of her shoulder with bony fingers.
¡°Get the fuck off me!¡± Dys shouted while battering the ram-demon with her club, raining blows down on the toppled monster¡¯s side.
Broken bones flew about the dark stone room, the dimness briefly illuminated by the appearance of dark blue arcane symbols appearing in the air around the demon as it cast a spell to reattach shattered bone to its central mass.
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Jay and Dys did not let up the attack or give the demon time to recover. Jay grabbed hold of flailing skeletal limbs, pulling them taught and holding them in place while Dys broke them with precise, brutal blows. All the while a string of profane curses erupted from both of Jadis¡¯ lips, the anger boiling inside her overwhelming any fear or pain. Jadis would not stop fighting until the rage fueling her ran dry.
The demon ran out of limbs before Jadis ran out of fury, so it turned out. Even with two more casts of the bone-attaching spell, the abomination either ran out of usable bone or the magic power that fueled its spells. Either way, Jay and Dys were left bruised and bleeding, but victorious, standing tall over the skeletal shell that contained the wriggling demon within.
With aching arms, Jay searched the dark corners of the room for her supplies while Dys watched the door, checking to see no more bone thieves were on their way. Even in the low light Jadis could see that the fight had wrought a lot of damage. She had to carefully maneuver around the overturned and broken furniture, shards of scattered bone, as well as the shattered remains of clay jars.
Amongst the wreckage she found the steel hatchet she¡¯d taken from the dwarven corpse. Grimly, while Dys kept eyes and ears on high alert for any movement in the moonlit forest, Jay hacked away at the thick shell of the incapacitated demon. This demon¡¯s bone armor had been the first to withstand Jadis¡¯ stone clubs. At least its limbs had been susceptible to her primitive weapons.
It took quite a few steady chops, but eventually Jadis managed to hack her way through to the demon¡¯s core. Surprisingly, the ugly purple creature inside wasn¡¯t any larger than the others she¡¯d killed from what she could tell, its shell was just that much thicker, affording it greater protection.
A swift chop of the hand axe ended the demon¡¯s life of bone thieving.
Much to Jadis¡¯ disappointment, only the expected menu alert letting her know she¡¯d slain a demon of Samleos popped into her vision. There was no follow up notification letting her know that she¡¯d gained a new level.
¡°Fucking useless bitch,¡± Dys spat angrily. ¡°Interrupts our fun, wrecks our shit, gets our bed dirty with mud, and we don¡¯t even get a D forsaken level out of it?¡±
Jay wrinkled her nose. ¡°And now we¡¯re going to have to deal with this stench all night, too.¡±
Thinking about it for a minute, Jadis decided she would, at the least, not tolerate dead demon stink in her bedroom. Wordlessly, Jay and Dys carried the demon¡¯s broken shell out of the hut, keeping a wary eye out for any sign of ambush. Moving around back, Jadis promptly dumped the limp remains of the foul monster into the deep hole of the outhouse.
Hurting from her wounds and her energy flagging, Jadis tossed the empty shell a few yards away from her hut and got back inside the stone building and blocked up the door again. Deciding she¡¯d have to leave inventorying the damages for the morning when there was more light to work by, she gathered up all the armor pieces strewn about the room, shook out her fur and blankets, then dragged it all into the left back room of the hut.
Previously, she hadn¡¯t tried sleeping in either of the bedrooms because of their size. The space was far too limited, not allowing her to fully stretch out when she laid down on the floor. Now, however, she was eager to put one more layer of protection between her and any curious bone thieves that might search out her little refuge, possibly drawn by the skeletal remains littering the place that she couldn¡¯t do anything about.
Huddling into the cramped quarters made worse by two bodies, Jadis checked what the status menu said about her health.
¡°One hundred and thirty-seven!¡± Jay cried out in dismay. ¡°That¡¯s almost one hundred health points gone!¡±
Dys furrowed her brows, wrapping Jay¡¯s still bleeding shoulder with the scrap remains of leather she had left. ¡°What a fucking disaster¡¡±
Jay sighed unhappily. ¡°Could be a lot worse, I guess. Could have happened while we were sleeping.¡±
¡°Might have preferred that, actually,¡± Dys said ruefully. ¡°Fighting for my life while covered in cum is awkward.¡±
¡°I¡¯m the one with cum all over my back,¡± Jay corrected, swiping at the dirty remains of their earlier, more pleasant, activities. What was left felt cold and grimy against her skin.
¡°Right, I think I lost track for a minute there,¡± Dys said, shaking her head.
In truth, Jadis had briefly forgotten which of her bodies was which in all the confusion of the fight. Both felt like natural extensions of each other, so in the heat of battle she didn¡¯t think of her two bodies as separate entities the way she did when she was pretending to have a conversation, talking to herself.
¡°I think I¡¯ll stay awake for as much as possible tonight,¡± Dys said, sitting down and settling with her back against the door so it couldn¡¯t be opened without shoving against her. ¡°We share a health pool, but between us you¡¯re more physically damaged.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if that makes a difference,¡± Jay replied, wrapping her shoulders in a blanket before laying out on the fur rug. She chose to sleep curled up, cognizant of the lack of space. Using Dys¡¯ thigh for a pillow did help make the tiny room more comfortable.
Despite how tired she was, it took a long while for Jadis to fall asleep. She was still angry that her evening had gone so wrong. With how well she¡¯d handled the two-tailed skeleton dog, she¡¯d hoped to change her dynamic with the demons to one where she was the hunter on the prowl and they the cautious and wary prey. It seemed fate or D or whatever had sent Jadis a reminder that she still needed to be respectful of the amount of damage a single bone thief could do to her, especially if she was caught off guard.
She wondered if D had actually been watching her exploits over the course of her first few days on Oros. If he had, he¡¯d been getting a real eyeful of the lewd and kinky shit she¡¯d been up to with her double. The idea of being spied on while she¡¯d been erotically engaged with herself made her face flush a bit, but she shrugged the budding embarrassment away. She had no doubt that D had gained full knowledge of the depths of her licentious depravity when he¡¯d been staring directly at her bared soul. Besides, it would be more than a little silly to get shy now, after she¡¯d already put on a show.
A show was what D wanted of her, she told herself as her mind started to drift into the haze of slumber. Tomorrow, she vowed, she¡¯d be putting on a good performance for the peeping god. A violent, bone shattering, demon slaying show.
With maybe an occasional break for illicit carnal pleasures.
Chapter 18: Short Rest
The rest of the night was not a restful one for Jadis. At some point, when the dark was deepest and the forest was silent as the grave, a clacking of bone on bone could be heard outside her hut. Though she could see nothing, boarded up in her tiny shelter and the pitch-black absolute, she could hear creeping monsters prowling just outside the stone walls of where she hid.
She did not pray to D that she would go unnoticed. Jadis was certain that D wouldn¡¯t answer a prayer like that from her considering the bargain they had made. She did, however, keep as quiet as she could so as not to attract any demonic attention.
Whether due to her own efforts or divine intervention, no more demons came knocking on her door that night. The morning light came, and with it came truth.
Jay was hurt. With all the adrenaline worn off, two bodies lying together in the dark for a whole night with little to distract her, Jadis was forced to face the plain facts. The blow she had suffered from the large bone thief falling on her had left her ribs bruised, some possibly fractured. The clawed hand of the demon had also dug deep into her shoulder. It was a flesh wound, but it was still a bloody one that was impairing the free movement of her left arm.
When she thought about it, Jadis had to admit that her health pool was telling her a dire story. She was at one hundred and thirty-seven out of two hundred and thirty, before Knight¡¯s Rest. If she had been playing a game, she wouldn¡¯t have been too concerned, seeing as she had a little more than half her health points to rely on. Jadis wasn¡¯t playing a game, though, and when looked at as a true measure of her life, her health points were saying she was nearly half dead.
The thought shook her a little, though she wasn¡¯t sure of the accuracy of her assessment. She wasn¡¯t interested in dying again, not so soon. She might have gone into her deal with D with a fairly cavalier attitude as to her survival, but now that she had the body she¡¯d always longed for, doubled in number no less, she didn¡¯t want to lose it. Either of them.
Did that mean she should act more cautiously? She rolled the thought over in her head, weighing it carefully. It was only yesterday that she had resolved to act more aggressively to hunt down the demons that plagued the valley. Flushed with the idea of being armed and armored, and maybe just a bit enamored with her own strength, she had felt she had a good handle on combating the bone thieves. Now here she was, strongly considering going back to sneaking around the village like a mouse at a cat show.
Jadis didn¡¯t like the idea. She wanted to be strong. She was strong. She loved the thrill of fighting and the panting exertion that came with it. Defeating demons, her enemies, made her feel accomplished in a way that nothing else had in her previous life.
Yes, that was it. She loved feeling like she had accomplished something. Jadis had never thought of herself as particularly violent or combative. She had never backed down from a fight before, but she hadn¡¯t gone looking for any, either. The bone thief she had crushed that first afternoon on Oros, only a few days ago, was the first real physical fight she had ever been in. She had wondered, after having taken to killing demons so quickly, if maybe she was, unknown to her own mind, actually a bloodthirsty maniac.
No, she was not. That was a silly thought. She loved the thrill of combat, but she didn¡¯t feel any craving to kill anyone when she examined the possibility in her mind¡¯s eye. What she felt when she destroyed the demons was the feeling as though her actions mattered. Maybe not to anyone else in the whole world, but what she was doing mattered to her.
That was a feeling she¡¯d not felt before her rebirth. Ever.
Soulful introspections aside, Jadis needed to make a decision about what she was going to do. Again, the idea of staying hidden shoved its way to the forefront of her mind and again it instantly annoyed her. Jadis didn¡¯t want to hide. She didn¡¯t want to do anything stupidly reckless, either.
With the sun most definitely up and both her bodies most certainly awake, Jadis checked her status menu.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (6)
Secondary Class: None
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 6
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Health: 153/230
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Magic: 10/10
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Attributes
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Strength: 33
Dexterity: 10
Agility: 10
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Vitality: 23
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 15
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 70
Focus: 1
Resilience: 10
Will: 5
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Her health had gone up by sixteen points. That was five less than the previous night, to her memory. At least that served as proof that the amount recovered wasn¡¯t some kind of percentage of her total max health, otherwise it would have been the same.
Both Jay and Dys sighed in unison. Her decision was made. Jadis needed time to heal.
She refused to think of it as hiding, though. She wasn¡¯t cowering in fear like some lost puppy. She was taking a brief rest to regain some strength. Grudgingly, she applied some of her physiotherapy training she¡¯d learned during her admittedly short time at college. Everyone needed a rest day.
Since Dys was the less injured of the two, she got up and went about the business of cleaning up the main room of the hut while Jay stayed put and acted the part of the convalescing patient.
Jadis knew from the description that Knight¡¯s Rest would only heal her while she slept, but she saw no reason to aggravate Jay¡¯s wounds. She had two bodies, so she might as well take advantage of the fact.
Amongst the wreckage of the main room, Dys found several pieces of armor she¡¯d missed when moving into the cramped back room. Most of the rest of her supplies were fine as well, though she had a terrible time trying to find some of the needles that had been scattered across the floor, knocked loose from her pilfered sewing kit.
The real loss, though, were her jars of food preserves. Several had been broken, ruining the contents. There were only two jars left.
Resigned to the fact, Dys cracked one of the jars open and shared the contents with Jay. The contents were some kind of tart green berry that made her stomachs hurt a little from the sourness, but she was in no position to complain. After drinking their fill of water, Jadis settled both of her bodies down to sleep the day away.
A full day and night passed with Jadis doing little more than sleeping. She had resolved to rest and rest she did. Periodically throughout the day and night, Jadis could hear the tell-tale clatter of bone thieves creeping around near her hut, but none of them stayed long and none attempted to enter. Whenever she did hear them come close, though, Jadis had both clubs to hand, ready to attack any skeletal intruders.
The fact that the bone thieves did not try to tear down her barricaded door said a lot about the creatures. Jadis had been curious for a while now about how smart the demons were. Considering the obvious evidence of her having killed one of their own in the vicinity, as well as the closed-up door and windows, she would have thought that they¡¯d have drawn the obvious conclusion by now. As they refrained from sieging her abode, Jadis felt she had an answer to the question of demonic intelligence.
They were stupid.
On the morning of the next day, Jadis reviewed her status while sharing the last jar of preserves between her two selves. The fare was more of the sweet gold berries she¡¯d eaten before. Those were her favorite out of everything she¡¯d had so far, so at least the taste brought her a little cheer.
¡°One hundred and ninety-eight,¡± Dys said with relief in her voice. ¡°We healed over forty points from all that sleep.¡±
¡°And my ribs and shoulder feel way better,¡± Jay said between mouthfuls of sweet berries.
¡°I guess that means as long as we can sleep, we can recover pretty damn quickly. Cracked ribs usually take something like a month to recover from, maybe longer. We just healed most of that damage up over the course of two nights.¡±
¡°Probably should have done this as soon as we got Knight¡¯s Rest.¡± Jay mused. ¡°If we weren¡¯t out of food now, I¡¯d say we should keep sleeping until we have full health.¡±
Dys nodded along. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d be nice. I feel like we¡¯ve been undereating as is, though. We¡¯re both starting to look a little thinner. If we want to keep our pretty figures, we¡¯ve got to find some more food.¡±
¡°Too much to ask for pizza delivery, isn¡¯t it,¡± Jay said dryly, gazing upwards through the bare rafters to where D was presumably looking down on her with a bored expression on his faceless countenance.
Jadis had the night before made a promise to put on a show for D. So far, she¡¯d failed to live up to that vow, having spend the whole day sleeping. She¡¯d needed the rest, so she didn¡¯t feel bad per se about not following through on her half-asleep pledge, but it did rankle her a bit.
Having no more food was an excuse. She knew enough about nutrition to know that it would take weeks to starve. She could fast for a day and sleep to full health and it¡¯d not harm her in the least. If anything, it¡¯d only help her, since having full health would be a major boon in any upcoming battles.
The truth was, Jadis didn¡¯t want to wait. She was itching for a fight. She couldn¡¯t stand the idea of spending another day in idleness when there were demons stalking around her home, acting like they owned the place.
Well, maybe they did own the place, since they¡¯d probably killed all the villagers and taken the town as their den.
Ownership of property was beside the point. Jadis was the top dog in this village now that she was here. She was going to crush those despicable demons to shards. It was them that would be fleeing her, assuming they were smart enough to know fear.
Mind made up, Jadis finished her breakfast and morning ablutions, then armed herself for war.
Unlike all her previous walks through the forest, Jay and Dys did not skulk today. Before, she¡¯d always walked slowly and carefully, hiding behind trees, keeping low and quiet. Now, she walked boldly. Jadis wasn¡¯t going to be hiding on this day. She walked in the open, challenging any bone thief that might be nearby to come and meet her. She had two stone clubs she was eager to introduce them to.
Checking the trees behind her hut, Jadis found that the shell she¡¯d tossed there was gone. No surprise, the other bone thieves had taken the skeletal remains for themselves. Other than a lack of bones, nothing else waited in that spot for Jadis, so she moved on.
Her next stop was the cellar where she¡¯d hidden the remains of the other two bone demons she had killed. Quickly checking inside, she found that the bones were piled up in the corner she had left them in.
Good. She had been worried that the demons had some way of detecting loose bones and would find them regardless of where she hid them, but apparently that wasn¡¯t a skill they possessed. She still worried the spot would be found, so she¡¯d be on the lookout for a better spot, but that was a low priority. She wouldn¡¯t need to hide any bones at all if she killed all the demons, after all.
From the skeleton filled cellar, Jadis worked her way south west and approached the village proper. The lichen-covered stone buildings looked as still and silent as they had been the last time she¡¯d visited, but Jadis knew that there had to be enemies lurking about somewhere. Some were stalking the woods, she was sure, but other demons were likely haunting the deserted town, waiting in ambush.
Looking at the stone temple dominating the northern part of the dwarven village, Jay and Dys grinned. Demons weren¡¯t the only ones who could set up an ambush.
Chapter 19: When a Plan Comes Together
Preparations complete, Jay strode out of the half open double doors of the temple. Makeshift stone club in hand, she made no attempt to hide her presence as she walked out into the main thoroughfare that split the village in two. The eastern buildings on her left she had already searched over the course of the previous days. The western buildings to her right were as of yet untouched by her hands. Any of them could house a skeletal abomination within.
Stopping perhaps a hundred paces down the road, Jay took in her surroundings, making note of particular stone buildings that seemed like they might have been workshops or the like. She wanted to check those places in particular for supplies. Looking down the road, she could see that it continued in an almost straight path southward, bending a bit to the east as it progressed. Eventually the road disappeared into the tall pine trees of the forest.
Aside from the main road, maybe another fifty or so paces from where she stood, Jay could see a smaller road that branched off, heading to the west. From what Jay could see, the village was a lot closer to the western mountains that enclosed the valley, so the road had to lead right into side of the mountain there. Perhaps it went up the mountain? She was certainly curious and made mental note to check.
A few clouds passed overhead, putting the village in momentary shadow on an otherwise sunny day. A light breeze ruffled Jay¡¯s white hair as she stood quietly, watching and waiting. The creak of pine trees swaying in the wind was the only sound she could hear, the gentle, almost rhythmic squeak of groaning wood almost a song.
The only issue with that creaking wood was it had come from the building directly to Jay¡¯s right.
Barely turning her head, Jay watched from the corner of her eye as a skeletal figure, cloaked in shadows, took slow, sneaky steps inside the first floor of the abandoned house. She could see it through the open windows and front door as it crept along on two horse-like legs. Its figure was hunched, curling half-bent over, with three long arms jutting from its torso, the extra one coming out of the middle of the chest.
Jay couldn¡¯t help but curl a lip in revulsion when she saw the heads the bone thief had stolen. One of the five was, without doubt, a baby¡¯s skull.
Waiting just long enough for the bone thief to reach the door of the house it had been hiding in, Jay abruptly turned and sprinted for D¡¯s temple.
In a flash the demon was chasing after her, bone striking cobblestone in an otherwise soundless run. Jay wasn¡¯t sure if it would have been more or less creepy if the skeletal abominations screeched or roared at her as they hounded her. Either way, being chased by a creature that meant to tear her flesh from her bones got her heart pounding in a disturbingly exciting way.
Maybe she was just a little twisted in the head.
By the time Jay reached the partial open doors of the temple, the pursuing demon was only a couple paces behind her. It was clearly faster than she was, and if she planned on fleeing the bone beast, there was no chance she¡¯d be able to outrun it. But Jay wasn¡¯t fleeing.
As soon as Jay entered the temple, Dys sprung the trap Jadis had devised.
Jadis didn¡¯t know much about trap making. She understood a few basic concepts from the survival videos she¡¯d watched online and at least a couple of fiction books she¡¯d read that tackled survival tropes. Very few of the traps that came to mind were anything that she felt she could recreate, not with her lack of tools and training. However, there was one trap she felt was within her capabilities. A deadfall trap.
The bone demon sprinted inside the temple just as Dys pushed against the wooden pews she and Jay had stacked high on one side of the temple doors. The tower of wood crashed down on top of the demon in a deafening racket of wood on stone and bone. The demon¡¯s momentum carried it forward a bit, but half of it was pinned under the weight of wood that had toppled down on it.
Before the creature could recover, Jay and Dys were upon it, raining blow after blow down on the prone demon. Bones shattered with the force of their blows; attacks made in tandem that the lone bone thief could not defend itself against. In mere seconds Jay and Dys overwhelmed the monster and split its shell, squashing the wriggling mass within.
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Congratulations!
Bone Thief Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
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¡°Way easier when we know what¡¯s coming!¡± Jay said with a laugh, still panting a bit from her dead sprint.
¡°Yup, smooth as silk,¡± Dys agreed, shaking a bit of the smelly demon mush off her club. ¡°We should get this stacked up again quick, though. That was a pretty loud crash. Other demons might already be on their way.¡±
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
Jadis acted quickly, her two bodies working in unison to efficiently stack the pews on their sides, creating another heavy tower to the right of the temple doors. The pews were meant for people of smaller stature than her and would have felt like sitting on a kids bench if she did sit on one, but they were still of solid construction and when set on their sides were a little taller than she was. Arranging a few pews like pillars and stacking near a dozen more on top turned them into a decently effective deadfall, as Jadis¡¯ first kill of the day proved. The trigger was just Dys pushing the tower over, rather than the precariously set wooden trigger that a true deadfall trap would have, but the end result was the same.
Once the pews were restacked, Jadis tossed the dead bone thief¡¯s remains to the side and out of the way. Poking her head outside, Dys saw that the commotion of her short battle had drawn some attention.
Two more bone thieves were stalking along the edges of the main road. One was another of the dog-like forms she¡¯d encountered before, only much larger and with two long necks ending in horse or deer heads. The other bone thief was more human-like, though it had an asymmetrical number of arms on either side of its squat torso, one of the large arms ending in pickaxe-shaped bone protrusion.
Dys walked a few paces out of the temple, waving her club in challenge at the two enemies.
¡°Come on, boneheads, come get your daily supply of vitamin D!¡± She jeered at them, ready for another round of combat.
Predictably, the two demons sprinted at her in a silent charge. Dys quickly backed up, hustling backwards into the stone temple, keeping an eye on their progress. The bone dog was far faster than the pickaxe skeleton and reached the doors first.
Unable to catch both demons in her trap, Jadis didn''t waste the opportunity and still pushed the tower over and caught the charging demon in the collapsing mass of heavy wood. This time Jadis was able to time the shove a little better and caught the demon fully in the trap, burying it completely.
As Jay moved to strike at the demon as it struggled to pull itself free from under the pile, Dys kept her eyes on the second demon. The pews had blocked the door and it had stopped its sprint just short of colliding with the blockage.
Apparently not quite stupid enough to try and climb over the unstable pile fighting, the pickaxe skeleton turned and went around the left side of the building. With the dog skeleton pinned and Jay smashing the parts of it that were sticking out of the wreckage, Dys moved to intercept.
The demon reached one of the broken windows in moments, smashing the remaining glass as it moved to enter the temple. Before it could, Dys swung her club like a baseball bat, slamming the demon¡¯s torso with enough force to send it flying back out of the window, landing on its back a few paces away.
¡°Ha! Eat dirt, fucker!¡± Dys laughed, heart pounding and adrenaline high.
A crunch echoed in the temple, punctuating Dys¡¯ laugh as Jay broke open the shell of the four-legged demon. It had pulled itself out of the pile too late, Jay¡¯s repeated heavy attacks smashing its shell to pieces. The demon was promptly squashed by another crushing blow.
Outside the temple, the bone thief had regained its feet and moved to enter the window again. As it moved to the window frame, Dys could see the demon¡¯s orange eye looking at her from the hole her club strike had put in the demon¡¯s shell.
Target clear, Dys swung at the eye, all too happy to take advantage of an easy opportunity.
In a surprisingly dexterous move, the bone thief caught Dys¡¯ club in the three arms it had on its left side and pulled her off balance, dragging her closer as it swung the pickaxe arm down at her head.
Reacting quickly, Dys let go of her club and let herself drop and roll to the side, the bony pickaxe glancing off her shoulder. As she rolled to her feet, the bone thief climbed its way inside the temple, intent on pouncing upon the now disarmed Dys.
Jay¡¯s club struck the demon with an overhead blow, crunching bone and sending the monster bouncing against the floor as it lost balance. Moving quickly, Dys lunged at the prone demon grabbed the pickaxe arm and yanked on it, dragging the abomination across the floor of the temple, keeping it off balance while Jay struck again and again, breaking off arms and legs before finally pulverizing the main mass of the demon.
The moment the second demon was slain, two more notifications popped into Jadis¡¯ mind, letting her know she had defeated two more of Samleos¡¯ spawn. A third message appeared shortly after.
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Level Up!
Mirror Knight has Reached Level 7.
1 New Skill Available for Selection.
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¡°About time!¡± Jay said, dismissing the notifications.
¡°Fuck yeah,¡± Dys grinned. ¡°I bet we¡¯ve got some cool new skills to choose from, too.¡±
Looking at the dead demons and pile of pews blocking the door, Jay gave a dramatic sigh. ¡°Better get ready for more demons first before we start reading, though. I don¡¯t want to be caught off guard again.¡±
¡°Yeah, fair. Let¡¯s get back to work.¡±
Jadis had to smile at the thought of what she was doing being her ¡®work¡¯ now. Slaying bone demons was a far cry from the career she¡¯d planned on having in physiotherapy. She wasn¡¯t complaining, though. Not at all.
By the time the sun had passed its zenith and was heading towards the western mountain peaks, Jadis had killed seven more demons using her bait and trap technique. There were a few mishaps, some of the demons managing to land blows on either Jay or Dys, but the injuries were minor and, much to Jadis¡¯ delight, mitigated by the leather armor she wore.
One particularly nasty demon with antlers for hands raked its sharp natural weapons against Jay¡¯s chest, only leaving some light furrows in the tough leather. Jadis was certain that if she had been unarmored, the attack would have slashed her flesh open and left Jay bleeding out on the ground.
Having armor was wonderful.
With more demons slain, so too came more experience. Jadis was awarded two more levels over the course of the fights, bringing her total level to nine. She was extremely pleased with the results of her day so far.
The stream of demons had slowed, though, and by mid afternoon Dys had stood in the open road for what felt like an hour before Jadis decided there were no bone thieves around to take the bait. She highly doubted the valley had been emptied of all skeletal demons, but at the very least there were none in the vicinity of the village. At least, none that were rushing head long to at her to steal her bones.
There was the possibility, she knew, that there could be more hidden somewhere in the vacant stone houses, laying their own ambush for her, but she had doubts. The demons had acted with little intelligence so far, ambushing as more a matter of happenstance than by any true plan. All of the bone thieves she had killed so far had rushed mindlessly at her the moment they seemed to realize she knew they were there.
Well, if there were any demons waiting for her, she¡¯d be ready for them. Jadis had three whole levels to increase her power. The next bony monstrosity she ran into was going to get a good taste of what a level nine Jadis could do.
Chapter 20: Level Up
Jay and Dys sat side by side on the dais inside D¡¯s temple, between them was a clay jar half filled with water that they shared between them. They had no lunch, having eaten the last of the food that morning, but at least they had water. The noxious stench of dead demons had been mitigated by dumping the purple remains in a pile on the road out front of the temple. If bone thieves could smell, it would no doubt attract them to the location, which was something Jadis welcomed. The actual bones left behind by her victims she left in one corner of the church. She planned on moving them to the cellar where she had dumped the other bones before the end of the day.
Also on the dais was the holy book of D worship Jadis had found on her first, less successful, trip to the temple. The pages were still completely undamaged despite the book being tossed on the ground. She still couldn¡¯t read any of the words, but the pictures were interesting to look at.
Setting the curious tome aside, Jadis stopped distracting herself and focused on her level ups. She had, as expected, one free attribute point to spend where she wanted, as well as two empty skill slots to fill. Jadis couldn¡¯t help the eager grin that crossed both her faces at the prospect of what new skills she might have available to her. Upon pulling open the selection menu, she had to admit the list had certainly expanded a bit.
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2 Skill Selections Available.
New Skills:
Minor Attribute Improvement I
Crushing Blow
Improvised Weapon Mastery I
Light Illusion
Minor Damage Reflection
Mirrored Strikes
Looking Glass
Refracted Mind
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The number of skills had gone up by four entries. Skipping the ones she already knew, Jadis checked the new skills, starting with Minor damage Reflection. Jay read the menu out loud, just for the sake of talking since there was no real need.
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Minor Damage Reflection
Active Spell. Coat your bodies in an ethereal shroud that will reflect a small portion of damage done back onto your attacker. Does not mitigate damage done to the caster. Cost ¨C 30 magic. Duration ¨C 5 minutes.
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¡°That¡¯s a cool spell,¡± Jay commented after reading the description. ¡°I wonder how the damage is reflected? Like, would a cut magically appear on our attacker¡¯s arm if they sliced one of ours?¡±
Dys shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Maybe. It might cause direct damage to the health pool, though. It¡¯d be kinda funny to take a hit and yell back, ¡®stop hitting yourself¡¯ when they act all confused about why they¡¯re hurting, heh.¡±
¡°Yeah, but bone thieves don¡¯t react in a satisfying way¡¡± Jay trailed off, crossing her arms and tilting her head in thought. ¡°Plus, if it is a one-to-one reflection on where the damage is done, it won¡¯t be much help against bone thieves. I mean, not the same way it¡¯d be helpful against an enemy with an actual human number of limbs.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s see what the other skills do before we pass on it. I can see a lot of use coming from the skill in the future.¡±
Moving to the next skill, Dys read it¡¯s description.
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Mirrored Strikes
Passive Skill. Physical attacks made against a target in tandem with your mirrored body will deal increased damage. Attacks must be made within one second of each other. Damage increase does not apply to spells.
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¡°Oh fuck yeah,¡± Dys said as she finished reading the skill out loud. ¡°That is a no brainer, we are taking that skill.¡±
¡°Abso-fucking-lutely,¡± Jay echoed the sentiment. ¡°It doesn¡¯t say how much the damage is increased, but with how we attack in unison all the time anyway there¡¯s no reason not to take this skill. Only¡¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Dys said, ¡°Yeah, I know. We¡¯re really empowering ourselves on the physical melee side of things right now, but we¡¯re neglecting the magic side. We haven¡¯t taken a single spell so far, and this skill won¡¯t apply to any spell we might want to take in the future. No synergy with spell damage at all.¡±
¡°I mean, looking at our attributes, it¡¯s just confusing. All our stats there are super low¡ª¡±
¡°Shit, our arcane and divine attributes are zeros,¡± Dys chimed in.
¡°Yeah, but our eldritch, whatever that is, is our highest stat! It¡¯s double what our strength is and we don¡¯t even know what it does.¡± Jay finished with an exasperated sigh, tossing her arms up in the air with frustration.
¡°If we saw something that looked like it¡¯d actually make use of the stat, I¡¯d say we take it. But so far, the non-spell options are just taking better advantage of our stats.¡± Dys shook her head, running a hand through her white hair. ¡°Look, let¡¯s not worry about it right now. We¡¯re doing great with melee. I like melee!¡±
¡°Me too,¡± Jay agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s just finish reading the skills. Maybe one of them will use eldritch and we just complained for no reason like a couple of assholes.¡±
Dys and Jay shared a short laugh before Jay continued onto the next skill.
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Looking Glass
Active Spell. See through the reflective surface of any object you are aware of within 500 yards. Does not work on living entities. Cost ¨C 100 magic. Duration ¨C 10 minutes.
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¡°Well that¡¯s useless,¡± Dys said, immediately dismissing the spell skill as an option. ¡°Even if we had a mirror, which we don¡¯t, the cost is ten times what we have in our magic pool.¡±
¡°True,¡± Jay nodded her head, ¡°But it doesn''t specify we have to use a mirror. Just a reflective surface. I bet one of the glass shards from these broken temple windows would work.¡±
¡°Still don¡¯t have the magic for it. Still doesn¡¯t have anything to do with our eldritch stat.¡±
¡°Fine, yes, shut up,¡± Jay pushed Dys¡¯ shoulder. ¡°It¡¯d just be pretty damn useful to be able to leave little pieces of glass in spots and use them to check if there are bone demons hanging around. It¡¯d be like having our own security cameras.¡±
Dys didn¡¯t argue the point. Instead, she read the final skill, growing quieter with each word uttered.
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Refracted Mind
Passive Skill. Compartmentalizes your mind at will, allowing your mirrored bodies to move and act with finer control for less mental effort. Allows your bodies to move further apart from one another before experiencing mental strain. Does not create separate consciousnesses.
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¡°Huh.¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the Refracted Mind skill. It seemed like a kind of upgrade to her Mirrored Body skill, except from a more mind-centric standpoint. Moving two bodies at the same time did take some concentration, but honestly, she¡¯d found it to feel fairly natural, her additional limbs obviously extra, but still hers and entirely responsive. Did she really need a skill to do something that she already felt comfortable doing?
¡°Does not create separate consciousnesses,¡± Jay repeated, raising an eyebrow at Dys, who mirrored the expression. ¡°That would be weird, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Weirder than a girl talking to herself all day? I mean, in between the times she¡¯s giving herself oral?¡±
Jay scoffed. ¡°Everybody talks to themselves. Besides, I¡¯ve now firmly decided. We¡¯re still just one person so it¡¯s masturbation. We¡¯re just better at it than everyone else.¡±
¡°¡Right.¡± Dys finally drawled, giving her double a long, hard look.
¡°Anyway! Is Refracted Mind worth it? We¡¯ve got a handle on what we¡¯re doing here,¡± Jay refocused the debate. She held up her hands and posed her fingers in unique patterns.
Dys did the same, only shifting her fingers to take different positions.
Jadis found that she could make the gestures fairly easily, independently moving her fingers on her four hands without too much concentration needed. Testing her limits, she tried moving her hands and fingers into new positions at the same time, making different symbols.
Moving both sets of hands independently was still doable, but she found herself getting a bit confused and moving the wrong fingers on the wrong hands at first. She recovered quickly enough, but the fine control needed to hold her fingers in odd and unfamiliar configurations did take a lot of focus, doubly so with two extra hands.
¡°Okay, maybe if we¡¯re going to take up sign language, it might be useful.¡± Dys said, some doubt coloring her voice. ¡°Or any job that requires fine motor control. But we¡¯re mostly just swinging clubs. I doubt we¡¯d get much out of this.¡±
¡°True¡¡± Jay said, drawing the word out. ¡°Let¡¯s try something a little different though.¡±
Getting to her feet, Jay took her club and moved to the open floor of the temple. Pretending she was attacking an enemy, she started swinging her club at the empty air, alternating between horizontal and vertical strikes at random.
Dys, instead of swinging her club, stayed on the stone platform and picked up the leatherbound book. She started turning the pages, carefully flipping through.
Jadis found that, with effort, she could do both tasks at the same time, but it was hard. She knew some people had trouble patting their head while rubbing their belly, which she¡¯d never struggled with, but she imagined this was what it was like for them. She also found she couldn¡¯t read the words on the pages while still concentrating on the club attacks. Not that she could read the unknown alphabet anyway, but even focusing on trying to read had her stumbling mid-swing. The difference in tasks was too big.
She stopped her test after a few more tries, returning Jay to her seat next to Dys.
¡°So, it could possibly make multitasking easier. We¡¯re good at it already. Do we need to be better?¡±
¡°Possibly?¡± Dys answered Jay¡¯s question with a shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be a waste. Is there any skill we¡¯d rather take?¡±
¡°Minor Attribute Improvement. I¡¯m positive more strength will do us good. Hitting harder is never a bad thing.¡±
¡°Fuck, choices like this are difficult,¡± Dys cursed, running a pale hand through her white hair.
After long moments of consideration, Jadis decided to wait on taking the Refracted Mind skill. It seemed useful, but not of imminent need. The previous skill options appeared to stick around as she leveled up, so saving it for later seemed a reasonable choice. She could always select the odd mental skill at level eleven, if there were no better options. For now, she¡¯d go with the Minor Attribute Improvement.
The only decision Jadis had left after skill selections was what to do with her extra attribute point. She¡¯d been consistently putting all previous points into her vitality. More health was a good thing. She was itching to see what putting points into other attributes would do for her, though. Maybe it was time she experimented a little?
Hmm. No. Not yet. She¡¯d keep putting the free points into vitality, at least until she got her vitality score up to twenty-five. That was a nice, even number, representing an amount of health Jadis felt comfortable would be able to withstand a few bad attacks from demons without dropping her to death¡¯s door. She¡¯d have the last free point she needed at level ten anyway, and she was almost there. She¡¯d experiment with another attribute once she hit her health goal.
Choices made, Jadis brought up her status and skill menus, cementing her decisions with a bit of mental focus. She reviewed her menu with some satisfaction.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (9)
Secondary Class: None
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 9
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Health: 208/240
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Magic: 10/10
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Attributes
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Strength: 36
Dexterity: 10
Agility: 10
Vitality: 24
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 15
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 70
Focus: 1
Resilience: 10
Will: 5
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Skills
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Primary:
Mirrored Body
Knight¡¯s Rest
Minor Strength Improvement II
Mirrored Strikes
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Secondary:
None
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Tertiary:
None
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Jadis was eager to try her newest combat boost on a bone thief. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was just in her head, but she felt stronger. With her improved strength and the Mirrored Strikes skill enhancing the damage of her attacks, she was certain the results of her next fight would be even more marked.
Jadis walked her two selves over to the entrance of the temple. There was still plenty of good light left in the afternoon and she was going to take advantage by looting the western half of the village. On a whim, Dys walked over to where she had stacked the wooden pews and picked one up. She¡¯d been able to pick them up before, but doing so now she felt a definite change. The weight of the heavy wood was much easier to handle.
Dys tossed the piece of furniture at Jay, who caught it easily. For a few moments, the two tossed the pew back and forth, marveling at the fact that they could toss something around that had to weigh a hundred pounds at least. Maybe more? She couldn¡¯t tell for sure, lacking context. She¡¯d never tried to pick up a pew before.
¡°Never been a tall, athletic, beautiful, sexy woman with a dick before, either,¡± Dys laughed, putting the pew down.
¡°I don¡¯t think the last three parts have much to do with the whole judging weight thing,¡± Jay said dryly.
¡°Nope. Just enjoying saying it.¡±
Playful banter done for the time being, Jay and Dys shouldered their clubs and stepped out of the temple, turning to investigate the closest building on their right. As much fun as she was having fighting and leveling, she was going to be having a lot less fun if she didn¡¯t find some food soon.
Chapter 21: Loot Crates
The first major find of the afternoon was a tinderbox.
Jadis had never seen a tinderbox before, not in person. She almost didn¡¯t recognize it for what it was and discarded the little metal box as unimportant. The metal box fit in the palm of her hand and had a removable lid. Inside were two compartments, one with an oddly shaped piece of metal and a gray stone in it, the other stuffed with some kind of fluffy lint. It was only when she absently tapped the metal piece and stone together that the realization came to her of the tool¡¯s use.
¡°A fucking fire starter!¡± Jay crowed in delight.
¡°Sweet! I was not looking forward to trying to rub sticks together,¡± Dys called from outside the building.
Just as before, one of Jadis¡¯ selves stayed on the outside of the building, keeping watch for any bone thieves that might be lurking nearby, while the other went inside and searched for useful tools or supplies. Doing two fairly different things at once made Jadis wonder if maybe she should have taken the Refracted Mind skill after all. She wasn¡¯t struggling, but she was curious if she¡¯d be better at keeping watch and searching at the same time if she had the skill.
There was no point in regrets, though, especially so quickly after she had made a decision. She¡¯d revisit the skill once she hit level eleven.
The building held no more treasures for Jadis, valuable as it was, so she moved on. She¡¯d checked three of the west side stone structures so far, finding little other than broken furniture and rotting debris. The old wood would probably make for good fuel for a fire, she thought, but other than that was of little use.
Her methodical search of the buildings went much faster when she wasn¡¯t trying to be stealthy. While she didn¡¯t go out of her way to make noise, she no longer skulked through the dwarf-sized homes and shops, worried about running into demons. She¡¯d slain over a dozen now and was feeling more than capable of handling any she might run into at this point.
As the day progressed towards evening, Jadis found a few more items of interest. Another good steel knife with a sheath, this one larger than the others she¡¯d found so far. The size felt more comfortable in her hand, at least. She also came across a large iron cauldron with little rust. If she could find something to cook, she was sure the black pot would be of great use. Finally, another large coil of rope, about the same length as the last one she¡¯d found.
Nothing else of use was to be found in the buildings on the western side of the main road, but Jadis still had hope. The cobblestone road that branched off and headed westward had more stone structures to search. She was also certain that there had to be more outlier buildings on the west side, same as was on the east.
There was still light in the sky, so Jadis didn¡¯t delay and dove right in to the dilapidated structures.
Disappointment was the main of what Jadis found for the rest of the search. Most buildings had cellars, many of them containing jars and crates that would have no doubt contained preserves and foodstuffs, but all of them were either empty or spoiled.
The one building on the offshoot road that did hold items of interest was a stable. There was no food, but a blacksmith¡¯s anvil had been left on a wood block, along with a variety of tools. The anvil and tools didn¡¯t look like they would be much use to her, but there were a fair number of horseshoes in different sizes. She took half a dozen of them, dropping them in her cauldron with the rest of her finds. She wasn¡¯t exactly sure what she could do with them, but ideas were sparking in her brains.
With the prospect of going hungry looming over head while the sun edged ever closer to the peaks of the western mountains, Jay and Dys stood in the middle of the road, contemplating their options.
¡°Time to head back?¡± Dys asked, voice low, keeping her eyes to the empty houses around them. The evening shadows were long in the valley and the nearly silent forest could be unnerving at times.
¡°We need to haul all those bones to the cellar, still.¡± Jay pointed out. ¡°Don¡¯t need the demons reusing them.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Dys nodded. ¡°We can continue the search tomorrow, I guess.¡±
Jay and Dys both turned to look up the road they had been searching along. All the buildings in the village proper had been gone over now and she felt certain she¡¯d found everything that could be useful to her, either now or in the future. The road, however, continued in a curved path to the northwest, going up an incline towards the cliff face of the mountain that towered to the north. She didn¡¯t have a good view, but from what Jadis could see, there were more buildings up the path, a cluster of them.
¡°Do we risk it?¡± Jay asked the question aloud that was bouncing around Jadis¡¯ skulls.
Silence reigned between the two as a cold breeze ruffled their hair.
¡°Fuck it, I¡¯m curious,¡± Dys finally broke the quiet and started marching up the road. ¡°We¡¯ve got time to take a quick look.¡±
¡°Yeah, what¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡± Jay asked sardonically. She was tempting fate, perhaps, but she had found that things went more her way when she took bold action. She hoped the trend would continue.
The road curved upwards, turning what would have been a fairly steep hill into a manageable incline. She guessed it was for the sake of carts or wagons. She hadn¡¯t seen any in the village, but she had found old wooden wheels in the stable, and a few more broken ones along the main road. The trees that lined the path were mostly small and young, the forest clearly having been cleared here years ago. A stack of cut pines rested on one spot near the top of the hill, each log pile more than twice Jadis¡¯ height. The pile had served to block her vision of the building cluster, but as she approached along the curve of the road, she found she had a full view of the compound.
There were four large stone buildings and a fifth made of wood, the first she¡¯d seen since coming to Oros. They were all single-story structures, but large and wide. They also had stone tile roofs, like the temple but unlike the rest of the buildings in the village.
Of far greater interest than the buildings was what lay beyond and to the side of them. As Jadis had walked up the path, she¡¯d thought she¡¯d heard the sound of running water and it turned out her ears had not deceived her. The top of the hill was dominated by a large pond, or small lake, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure on what the qualifications were. A dam had been built on the south-western side of the pond and water was flowing over the top, creating a small stream that went down the hill and disappeared into the forest. Where the water for the pond came from was even more interesting.
A wide cave mouth yawned open at the base of the bare cliff face. The entrance was wide enough that Jadis was sure three buses could have driven in side by side with room to spare. The water came from within, not really flowing so much as just acting as an extension of the lake, stretching deep enough into the cave that Jadis couldn¡¯t see where it ended. On the right of the water, the same side as the buildings were on, there was a wide path that had been clearly constructed by human, or dwarven she supposed, hands. Four of Jadis could walk shoulder to shoulder along the path without getting any feet wet.
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¡°Mining camp?¡± Jay guessed, taking in the scenery.
¡°I guess so,¡± Dys tilted her head from side to side. ¡°I guess that would explain why there¡¯s a village out here in the middle of nowhere. Had to have some kind of export, right?¡±
¡°Certainly wasn¡¯t farming. Or lumber since the trees aren¡¯t all that disturbed.¡±
¡°Take a quick look?¡± Dys asked, already walking forward.
¡°I wonder what¡¯s in the log cabin there,¡± Jay pointed. ¡°It¡¯s weird that there¡¯d be one here when this is probably where they were getting all the stone from to build the rest of the village. Unless there¡¯s a quarry around here somewhere and we just haven¡¯t spotted it.¡±
Jay and Dys approached the wooden building first, as it was on the outer edge anyway. Somewhat excited to see what might be inside the oddly out of place cabin, Jadis¡¯ mood plummeted upon checking inside.
The shuttered windows were all wide open and the two doors on either side of the rectangular structure were completely off their hinges, lying on the ground in the door frames. Inside were a series of basic bunk beds, all much too small for Jadis to fit. The mattresses were little more than moldering sacks stuffed with festering straw, not even worth a second look. There were wooden footlockers on the floor next to the beds, all opened or overturned and patently empty. Over all, the building had the look of a poor-man¡¯s barracks that had been abandoned for years.
¡°Bummer,¡± Dys said, shaking her head.
¡°Yup,¡± Jay agreed, poking one of the bunks with her club, causing the straw-filled cloth to flop over and splatter on the floor in a soggy mess. ¡°Maybe the other buildings will be more useful.¡±
The first two of the stone buildings had been workshops of some kind from what Jadis could tell and had been fairly well looted already. There was little inside that could be used, just old work tables, broken crates, and scattered tools either too rusty or too alien to Jadis¡¯ knowledge to know what to do with. She found another anvil in one of the buildings though, and what looked like an old-fashioned forge, so she assumed it had been a smithy before the village was overrun by demons.
The third stone building was the largest and, if the large stacks of crates were any indication, had been a warehouse. Predicting this building would have the greatest chance of having something of use to her, Jadis took some extra time to search through the crates. Most were opened already, a pile of broken wood haphazardly tossed in one corner already from where previous looters had searched the stores.
The more Jadis looked through the crates, the further her hopes fell. The warehouse had been picked clean, little more than scraps left behind. The final wooden box, filled with nothing but cobwebs, left Jadis unreasonably despondent. She¡¯d known it wasn¡¯t likely she¡¯d stumble upon a treasure trove of preserved foods here, but she¡¯d still let her hopes rise higher than she probably should have. She was not looking forward to going to sleep without a dinner, waking up to no breakfast even less.
Turning to leave, the building, Jay ducked her head through the doorframe, stopped, and turned back.
The stone building was long and tall, clearly intended to hold a lot of storage. Jay was able to stand inside without worry of bumping her head, and only had to duck down a little when coming through the door. From outside, Dys could see that the roof was stone tiles. Looking up, all Jay could see was a wooden ceiling.
Was there a second story to the tall building? There shouldn¡¯t be enough room for a full story, not from what her two sets of eyes were telling her, but Jadis suspected there might be an attic of sorts. During her search, Jay hadn¡¯t seen any stairs or ladders, but she searched the ceiling again, this time just looking for openings.
Off in one corner, hardly visible due to the ever increasing dark of the late evening, Jadis spotted it. There was simple wooden hatch in the ceiling, large enough that Jay shouldn¡¯t have much trouble climbing though. The panels blended in well with the rest of the ceiling. She dearly hoped that fact, coupled with how the door hatch was closed, meant no one had previously thought to search there.
The ceiling was not so tall that Jay couldn¡¯t easily hop up, and with a little jump, she knocked the panel open and then grabbed the edges of the hole, pulling herself up to look inside.
The attic was nearly lightless and it took several minutes for Jay¡¯s eyes to adjust. Eventually, though, her vision acclimated enough for her to see what the dark crawl space contained.
Twelve crates were stacked within, seemingly untouched. Eagerly, Jay pulled one that was close by to her and brought it down. Prying it open with the knife she¡¯d found earlier, both Jay¡¯s and Dys¡¯ faces broke out in wide grins as she saw what was within.
¡°Hard tack!¡±
Boxes of hard, dense, square biscuits filled the crate. They¡¯d all been sealed up with some kind of wax, none of the boxes Jay popped open looking spoiled or insect infested at all. She knew from the survival videos that she used to watch that the brick-like biscuits were extremely tough to eat but lasted for years if stored properly. Considering the size of the crate and how many boxes could fit inside, Jadis guessed that there had to be hundreds of these tough biscuits in just the one crate.
¡°Fuck yeah!¡± Both of Jadis¡¯ bodies let out shouts of joy.
¡°I¡¯ve never been so happy to see a cracker before,¡± Jay said, carrying the box out to set next to Dys.
¡°Now if we can just find some clam chowder, we¡¯d be set,¡± Dys quipped, picking up one of the palm-sized bricks and giving it a quick test bite. ¡°Ow! Hard as fuck, aren¡¯t they?¡±
¡°Yeah, duh,¡± Jay said, hopping back up into the attic access hole to grab the rest of the crates. ¡°That¡¯s the name, right? ¡®Hard¡¯ tack?¡±
¡°Whatever,¡± Dys said, tossing the biscuit back into the box and closing it and the crate up. ¡°Let¡¯s get the rest of those crates checked quickly. We don¡¯t have much time left before sundown.¡±
Pulling the rest of the crates down, Jadis found that four more of them were also filled with hard tack, ensuring she had a large supply of the stuff and no chance of starvation in the immediate future. There was enough of the edibles to probably last her for a few months, though she dearly hoped she wouldn¡¯t have to rely on the dense cracker bricks for that long. She¡¯d never had any before, but she knew it had a reputation for blandness.
Aside from the five crates of hard tack, three more had sealed clay jars that had not fared as well as the tack. Whatever had been in the jars had spoiled, the buildup of rotting gasses causing the seals to break or the clay to outright shatter. Those crates Jadis tossed aside, uninterested in in examining further. Two more crates held lots of little boxes inside of various shapes and colors. Opening a couple, Jadis found that they contained something that smelled an awful lot like tobacco, though the leaves were an odd red color. These crates Jadis also set aside, not being a smoker in her past life and not planning on taking the habit up in her current one.
The last two crates were filled with more jars, these ones smaller than the last but more numerous. Popping the seal on one, a golden treasure greeted Jadis inside.
¡°Is that¡?¡± Dys trailed off outside as Jay stuck a finger in the little pot and pulled out a sticky dollop of sweet goodness that lit up her tastebuds the moment it touched her tongue.
¡°Mmph,¡± Jay said around her finger in her mouth, sucking it clean. ¡°It absolutely is.¡±
¡°Honey,¡± they both said in unison, happiness coloring their voices.
¡°Time to take this stuff and run,¡± Dys said, joy bubbling up inside her chest.
¡°Agreed,¡± Jay said, packing the opened jar into the iron cauldron they¡¯d been carrying around. ¡°We can¡¯t take it all, but let¡¯s take a crate of the hard tack and a few jars of honey back with us. We can get the rest tomorrow.¡±
Taking her hard earned spoils, Jadis left the remaining crates of food in one corner of the warehouse where she thought it unlikely any bone demon would just happen to stumble on them and destroy the precious foodstuffs. Not a likely prospect, but Jadis felt like being a little cautious.
Turning to go, Jadis realized that there was still one last building she hadn¡¯t checked. She didn¡¯t have much time left in the day, not if she wanted to move all the bone thief remains to the cellar, but she figured it couldn¡¯t hurt to take one last quick look.
Popping her head in, Dys quickly surmised that the last stone building had been another workshop of some kind, similarly looted just as the others had been. In the shadows of the interior, Jadis saw various wooden racks and tables but not much else. The dark was almost enough that she nearly missed the odd piece of cloth hanging from one of the windowless walls.
Curious, Dys set her load down and went inside, examining the cloth closer. Picking it up in her hands, she quickly realized that it wasn¡¯t actually a cloth, but a fairly fine net hanging from some pegs in the wall.
¡°What would miners need with a net¡?¡± Dys wondered aloud.
Like a lightning bolt an idea struck Jadis. Moving so fast she nearly knocked herself out getting out through the doorway, Dys ran outside and looked at the darkening waters of the small lake. Jay followed shortly behind, turning her gaze to the lake as well, seeking any sign of movement.
There, in the shallows, she saw them. Shadowy forms slipping through the water, dark and sleek, barely visible, but definitely there.
¡°Fish,¡± the two said in unison, voices soft with something akin to reverence.
¡°MEAT!¡± the two shouted moments later, with a lot less reverence in their voices.
Chapter 22: Stalkers
As excited as she was at the prospect of getting to eat some fresh fish, Jadis refrained from putting her extremely limited fishing skills to use and retreated from the mining compound for the day. She had a more than adequate food supply already, so there was no rush to dive in after the dark shapes gliding through the water. Time stopped for no one and the day¡¯s light was almost exhausted.
Actually, now that she thought about it, maybe time could be stopped for particularly strong mages? For all Jadis knew about magic on Oros, maybe there were wizards pausing time every few minutes and she just didn¡¯t know it because she was part of the world that was paused. A weird thought, but not anything Jadis cared to dwell on. Even if it was true, she couldn¡¯t do anything about it anyway.
Quickly returning down the curved road and to the main village, Jadis saw that the pile of bone thief corpses still lay undisturbed in front of the temple where she had left them. No more demons were in sight, lending some credence to the idea that Jadis might have exterminated the majority, if not all, of the skeletal aberrations wandering around the valley. She still doubted that was the case and planned on acting as though there were more around until she had true reason to believe otherwise, but a girl could dream.
On reflection, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if she actually did want all the bone thieves to be dead just yet. Now that she had established she could basically farm them for experience, she planned on doing just that for as long as it was feasible. She¡¯d already noticed diminishing returns in how it was taking more and more dead demons to level, though it wasn¡¯t consistent. She guessed that it might be that the different bone thieves gave different amounts of experience, but she had no proof. Either way, she wanted to get as many levels out of the monsters as she possibly could before leaving the valley, now that she had secured a large food supply.
Jadis was eager to see what the rest of Oros had to offer. She was even more eager to talk with some people that weren¡¯t her. Still, Jadis wasn¡¯t going to waste what looked to be a valuable opportunity. The more experience and levels she got now, the safer she felt she¡¯d be once she struck out into the wider world.
Jadis made plans as her two bodies worked to ferry the excessive amount of bones from the temple to the old cellar where she¡¯d left the rest of the remains. Nothing had disturbed either location while she¡¯d been gone, much to Jadis¡¯ relief. The less material the demons had to work with, the better, was Jadis¡¯ reasoning.
The sun set before Jadis finished moving all the bones, but with the moon¡¯s light overhead Jadis was able to get the last load stashed away. Taking her hard-earned loot, she headed back to her small stone hut.
Her current accommodations were also a consideration. Jadis had chosen the hut because it was mostly intact and made for a good defense, but it wasn¡¯t perfect. The house was cramped, made for people shorter than her, which not only left her feeling confined at times, but also meant she always had to be careful how she swung her clubs on the occasions she¡¯d had to fight inside. Now that she had grown in strength, she wondered if she could move to a larger space.
The temple was a possibility. It had a large open space, but there were also a lot of wide open windows and while Jadis was certain she could handle most any single bone demon in a straight fight now, she wasn¡¯t keen on giving them opportunities to sneak up on her while she was resting. The stone structure did have a tower, though, a feature she¡¯d only briefly investigated that morning while setting up her ambush spot. She didn¡¯t think there was much space there to stretch out, but it could be used as a decent fall back shelter.
Then there were the buildings in the mining compound. Specifically the warehouse since it too was tall and spacious inside. It had less windows to worry about and lots of crates that could be used as barricades. It was also directly next to a good water source and potential food source, if she could figure out how to catch the fish swimming in the lake.
She¡¯d have to think about it. It wasn¡¯t as though she had many things to move, she just felt a bit leery of moving into a location within the village when she wasn¡¯t sure how much demon activity it might have at night.
Something to test, Jadis mused. She might just try staking out the village to see what it was like at night sometime soon.
Speaking of staking out, as Jadis got within sight of her stone hut, she was unsurprised to see another bone thief stalking through the trees nearby. With how they¡¯d been sniffing around her commandeered abode the night before, it was no shock that there might still be demons hanging about, hoping to find more bones for their collections.
The skeletal shape Jadis could make out in the darkening shadows was a large one, four-legged and wide. The general impression she got from it was that of a bear, sans all fur and flesh of course. The biggest difference she could see, though, was the large, thick, club-like tail that swung behind the demon¡¯s main body. The latter third of the tail was just one large, solid mass of bone, slapped together like a bundle of wood. Jadis had to imagine getting hit by that bulk would be a terrible experience, provided she lived through it.
Well, she¡¯d been hoping for a chance to test out her newest skill and strength boost.
Setting aside her looted supplies, Jay and Dys readied their clubs for combat.
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¡°Hey, you!¡± Jay called out, pointing at the shadowed demon. ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone ever teach you it¡¯s rude to hang around a lady¡¯s house when you¡¯re not wanted?¡±
¡°Yeah!¡± Dys added, ¡°People around here might think you¡¯re a stalker or something!¡±
The provocations weren¡¯t necessary, but insulting the brainless abomination was kind of fun.
As expected, the foe lumbered towards her. This particular bone thief had sacrificed speed for bulk in its body design. Jadis had to wonder if the varied forms were a conscious decision on the part of the squiggly demonic blobs inside all the bone constructs or if it was some kind of random chance. If the demons had shown any inclination to talking, she would have asked. Alas, her enemy had consistently chosen the way of violence. Jadis was more than capable of responding in kind.
As the large skeletal creature neared her, Jay and Dys put distance between each other, forcing the foe to choose one or the other to focus on. Dys on the left and Jay on the right, they both raised their clubs and readied for an attack.
The demon showed no preference for either of Jadis¡¯ bodies, loping forward, aiming it¡¯s shockingly singular skull towards the space between the two women. Caught slightly off guard, Jadis almost didn¡¯t react in time as the approaching monster suddenly shifted and spun, whipping its tail around in a wide arc that easily encompassed both of her bodies in the path.
Jay and Dys both jumped back barely in time, the deadly bone club sweeping by at hip level. At the tail end of the arc, the solid mass of bones struck a pine tree truck that was roughly as wide around as Jadis¡¯ bicep. The trunk shattered into a hail of splinters, wood shards flying everywhere as the bone thief finished its spin, head facing Jay.
¡°Well fuck you too,¡± Jay said a little breathlessly, the power of the demon¡¯s attack unexpected. Jadis was certain if the tail had struck any part of her, that part would have been liquified in an instant.
Wanting to end the fight before the bony beast could make another spin attack, Jay and Dys both moved forward at the same time, swinging their weapons at the demon¡¯s shoulder and haunches, respectively.
Once again taking Jadis off guard, the bone thief reared up on its hind legs and, with startling ease, deflected Jay¡¯s attack by one of its bony paws.
Dys¡¯ attack did hit true, though it didn¡¯t shatter the monster¡¯s hip bone as she¡¯d wanted, only causing a few minor cracks.
Reacting to the attack, the demon swiped at Dys¡¯ legs with its long tail, not quite succeeding in knocking her to the ground but at least managing to stumble her. At the same time, the demon swatted at Jay with sharp claws, aiming for her face. On its hind legs, the large creature now stood head and shoulders taller than Jadis and had a long reach to leverage against her.
Jay and Dys both backed off rapidly, pulling away from the dangerous bone thief before it could land a hit.
¡°Well, shit,¡± they said in chorus. ¡°You¡¯re a little better at this than your friends were, huh?¡±
Back on all fours, the bear-like skeleton stalked after Jay, having focused on her. She was forced to backpedal, dodging behind trees and constantly turning, doing what she could to keep the large claws from slashing at her as the foe pursued. Dys followed behind, looking for a way to attack but unable to get close as the demon¡¯s large tail swung at her.
¡°Fine then, back to basics!¡± Jay shouted, still dodging out of the way of the oncoming monstrosity.
Falling back on tried-and-true tactics, Dys broke away from the conga-line and rushed over to the hut entrance, ducking inside the open doorway. If the demon was going to make things difficult for her, Jadis would return the favor and force the bone bear to shove its head through the small door to come after her. With all of its bulky size, there was no way it¡¯d be able to spin its tail at her or swipe with its claws properly, not with the limited space. She¡¯d have a much easier time attacking the demon then. Dys would be waiting to the side of the door, ready to attack once Jay dove inside.
It was only seconds after she¡¯d entered the hut that she realized she hadn¡¯t left the door open when she¡¯d left that morning.
From within the shadows a bony limb struck at Dys, slamming against her shoulder and knocking her to her hands and knees. A mass of grasping hands latched onto her, pulling at her arms and trying to wrap around her throat.
Dys rolled with the fall, letting the as of yet unidentified skeletal attacker knock her onto her back while fending off the many limbs from grabbing hold of her neck or head. Before it could get proper hold of her, Dys got one foot between her and the attempted strangler and kicked out with all her strength.
The bone thief was launched backwards, crashing into the wall with bone jarring force. However, with the limited space of the stone hut, there was little Dys could do to put distance between her and the demon. In moments the monster had recovered and was launching itself at her once again, its many arms grabbing at whatever part of her it could.
Outside, Jay was not doing much better. The skeletal bear wasn¡¯t fast, but it was fast enough. It kept right on her heels, slashing with claws or snapping with oversized teeth. If she put too much distance between them, though, the demon would spin round and swing its deadly club tail at her, forcing her to dive out of the way, giving the monster precious moments to move in close and attack. All she could do was dodge and back up, dodge and back up, never getting too close or too far away.
Jadis didn¡¯t know what to do. Whether by accident or intent, the two bone thieves had managed to separate her two selves, neutralizing the power of her Mirrored Body skill. If Jay ran in to help Dys with her attacker, the bear would be right on her back. She had no doubt the large bone demon could tear into her, even inside the small space, long before the two could put down the multi-armed demon inside the hut. Conversely, Dys couldn¡¯t get the grabby demon off of her for long enough to flee back outside, nor could she kill it on her own. Dys was stronger than the bone thief, but she¡¯d been forced to drop her club and had to constantly grapple with the many grasping limbs, keeping them from latching onto anywhere vital before they could do real damage.
As the dodging and grappling carried on, Jadis felt her mind fraying a bit at the seams. The things her two selves were being forced to do were decidedly different actions and multitasking for so long was making Jadis¡¯ head ache with effort and stress. She knew it was only a matter of time before her concentration slipped and she made a fatal error, moving to grapple with Dys only to take the action with Jay¡¯s body.
Jadis needed to think of a way out of her predicament, fast, because in short order her bones were going to find themselves attached to whole new bodies if she didn¡¯t.
Chapter 23: Between a Bone and a Hard Place
Dys wasn¡¯t winning her fight.
The bone thief that had been hiding within the dark hut had too many limbs to block all effectively. For every one arm she grabbed and pried off of her, two more would latch back on, digging bony fingers into her armor or flesh. The demon battered her constantly, kicking off the walls and throwing off her balance, causing her to slip or tumble to the ground, keeping her from gaining any equilibrium.
The chaotic scramble going on inside the stone house was not helping Jay in her efforts to avoid being eviscerated by the bear-skeleton. Only seconds had passed and she¡¯d already had a clawed paw slash left thigh and her right side because of her split concentration distracting her. Her makeshift armor was the only reason those attacks hadn¡¯t been grievous wounds, but she knew without doubt that her leather protections would do nothing against one of the demon¡¯s tail swings.
Dodging and backing up wasn¡¯t tenable. Jadis couldn¡¯t run, she couldn¡¯t escape, and she certainly couldn''t hide within the walls of her pathetically inadequate hut. Jadis needed to do what worked best for her. She needed to be bold.
Switching directions, Jay shot towards the stone hut, heading for the left front corner. Stalking right on her heels, the bone bear followed. Jay purposefully pulled ahead, hoping she¡¯d timed everything right to get the correct distance.
In a moment, Jadis realized she had.
The demon¡¯s giant mace of a tail came swinging at her, the powerful spin aiming for her center mass.
Jay dove forward, hitting the ground on hands and knees, scrabbling across the ground as the mass of bone crashed overhead against the stone wall of the hut. The demon had not been strong enough to crush stone with bone, the impact jarring and stopping the full rotation of the bone thief¡¯s attack. The time it would take for the demon to reorient were precious seconds Jadis needed.
Jay pulled herself forward, getting to her feet and running around the back of the building, taking the corners as tightly as she could. The bulky bone monstrosity was already resuming its chase but couldn¡¯t turn with the same speed she could while running. Before the demon had fully gotten around back of the hut, Jay was already turning around the front, heading for the door.
Dys, still grappling with the many-limbed demon, pushed to have the attacker with its back to the door. If she could angle it right, she should be able to hold it in place long enough for Jay to give one or two good strikes to its core from behind.
The demon was not cooperative. It flailed wildly, causing both to spin and, by the time Jay got to the door, Dys¡¯ back was squarely in the frame.
Jadis didn¡¯t waste time and adjusted her plans. She could hear the other demon already rounding the side of the building.
Dys fell backwards, knocking the back of her head against the top of the door frame but otherwise falling back out into the open air of the night, right at Jay¡¯s feet. With the moonlight shining down, Jay could see exactly what Dys had been grappling with.
The bone thief was like a six-legged spider, the limbs radiating out around a single thick mass. Several skulls were attached to two opposite ends of the round body, their animalistic jaws snaping and clicking together uselessly since they had no necks to angle them into position to bite.
Turning away from Dys¡¯ struggle, Jay faced the right corner of the hut in time to see the huge skeletal bear come around the edge in a mad rush of deadly bones. Her eyes met empty sockets as the two locked gazes for a brief second.
¡°How the fuck are you running like a fat man when you¡¯re nothing but bone?¡± Jay snarled at the demon, brandishing her club.
Taking the bait, the demon spun. Its long tail tipped with a massive mace hurtled through the air at Jay, wind whistling with the strength and speed of the attack.
Jay dove forward, getting under the swing just as Dys pushed up with all her strength, lifting the spider-skeleton high enough to be in the direct ark of the tail.
The impact was immense. The club tail swept the smaller demon off of Dys, several of its grasping arms simply left behind, broken off at the base as the force of the larger demon¡¯s attack could not be resisted. The arc¡¯s forward momentum was once again arrested as tail met the stone wall, only this time with a bone demon core sandwiched between. The strangler bone thief was crushed against the edge of the door frame, shell popping like a watermelon struck by a sledgehammer, purple goo spraying out in a disgusting splatter.
Jadis had only a moment to act and she did. Before the bone bear could fully turn around from its swing, Jay lunged forward across the ground, leaving her club behind. She grabbed hold of the demon¡¯s back right leg and yanked hard, dragging it towards her. The pull on its leg put the demon off balance as is tried to turn around, stumbling only a bit as it kept itself upright. The small delay was enough.
Dys, Jay¡¯s club in hand, launched herself at the bone thief, slamming the stone head down on the hip of the leg Jay pulled on, shattering the bone and breaking it off. Jay was sent rolling back from the sudden lack of resistance to her pull, but so too was the demon sent lurching forward.
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The two backed away, Dys helping Jay to her feet as Jay still held onto the large femur of the leg the two had robbed the demon of, tossing away the rest of the bones. Hearts beating in their ears, breath coming in ragged gasps, they faced the now limping monstrosity as it turned towards them, toothy jaw hanging open in a silent roar.
¡°Okay fuckface,¡± Jay snarled.
¡°Let¡¯s try this a second time,¡± Dys finished.
Splitting apart, Jadis had her two selves put space between each other again, forcing the demon to choose one or the other as a target. Repeating its same tactic, the bone bear tried to swing around and swipe with its tail, but couldn¡¯t put the same power and speed into the attack now that it was down one leg. Both Jay and Dys easily dodged back and out of the way, letting the bone mace sail by before both rushed in. Dys swung her stone club down on the shoulder of the demon while Jay swung her stolen femur down at the base of the enemy¡¯s tail.
The two attacks struck in unison, the first mirrored strike Jadis had managed to pull off during the whole fight.
The demon¡¯s shoulder exploded from the force of the attack, shards blasting out and away as a second leg was removed from the bone thief¡¯s body. The blow didn¡¯t just break the bone so much as instantly transform whatever section it struck into bone dust.
On the other end of the bony beast, Jay¡¯s strike shattered not just the base of the demon¡¯s spine, it broke the femur she was holding, splintering both to bits. Jay was left holding only a small piece of pointy bone in her hand.
With tail and both legs on one side of its body gone, the demon flopped to its side in a clatter, nearly managing to catch Dys¡¯ leg in its snapping jaws before she could skip out of the way. Jadis couldn¡¯t help but turn both pairs of her eyes on the broken bone in Jay¡¯s hand. Mirrored Strikes had caused her attack to hit hard.
Jadis blinked out of the momentary distraction as purple symbols formed around the fallen demon, its spell casting strange shadows in the night as it tried to reform its body with magic.
Jay and Dys did not hesitate, both leaping into frantic action. Dys immediately set about smashing its skull off while Jay grabbed hold of the creature¡¯s tail before it could reattach. She pulled it away from the demon, an effort that took surprising force as the demon¡¯s spell tried to draw the bone back to the core. Once it was clear, she tossed the mass of bone off and away from the scene of the fight.
All the while Dys continued striking the beast, breaking off anything she could reach. By the time Jay returned to her side, bear-skeleton was barely recognizable. The hard shell core of the demon, nestled firmly in the ribcage, was soon all that was left of the once fearsome bone thief. At that point, Jadis was able to retrieve her second club from inside the hut. Another tandem strike from the two shattered the thick bone core, revealing the tentacled demonic eyeball within.
¡°Huh. This one¡¯s got a red eye instead of orange,¡± Jay pointed at the squirming demon now exposed.
¡°Well, fuck, I guess that means you¡¯re special, huh?¡± Dys said, still panting, club resting on her shoulder. ¡°Especially colorful, especially strong, especially tough¡¡±
¡°Still a dumb fucking demon, though.¡± Jay ended the demon¡¯s struggles, picking up a broken bone from the ground and stabbing it down into the unblinking red eye.
¡°Fuck this is going to hurt in a minute,¡± Dys said, looking at all the red marks, welts, and cuts she¡¯d gotten from her fight with the squashed spider-like bone thief. Her arms and legs were covered in injuries that were already starting to ache terribly as the adrenaline seeped out of her body.
Jay started gathering up the bone thieves¡¯ remains. ¡°I¡¯ve got all this, you go grab the supplies and get inside.¡±
Jadis honestly wanted to lay both her bodies down right then and there, close her eyes and go to sleep for a solid week. The day had been long and exhausting, this last fight sapping away the last dregs of her energy. She couldn¡¯t leave things as they were, though. At a minimum she needed to get her supplies inside and the stinking demon corpses away from the house.
Looking at the splattered demon goo all over the door frame, though, Jadis realized there wasn¡¯t going to be any way for her to clean that mess up. She¡¯d have to live with the smell for the night.
Bones tossed away into the forest and supplies brought inside, Jay prepared some food as best she could in the dark while Dys laid down on the fur rug on the floor of the too-small bedroom. Between the two, Dys had gotten the worst of the injuries and deserved a rest.
Jadis knew that hardtack wasn¡¯t meant to be eaten dry, so she crushed a few of the biscuits up into a jar half-full of water, letting the broken bits soak and soften. She also added a generous amount of honey to the mixture, forced to stir the gooey slop with her fingers since she didn¡¯t have a spoon.
Stirring the thick slurry while she could still smell the dead demon gunk stinking up the front of the house did not do great things for Jadis¡¯ appetite.
Jadis suppressed the shivers of revulsion and forced herself to bring the jar to Jay¡¯s lips and take a mouthful. The texture was awful, like oatmeal gone wrong, but the taste was no different from eating a bland cracker slathered in honey. Taking another gulp, Jay passed the Jar to Dys, sharing the utilitarian meal between them. Most any other food would have been better, but Jadis could make do with the hardtack and honey.
¡°What a day,¡± Jay sighed, leaning against the wall while Dys propped herself up with her head in Jay¡¯s lap once their meager dinner was finished.
¡°Mirrored Strikes is something else, though, isn¡¯t it?¡± Dys said, reaching out and grabbing the club she¡¯d used to crush the demon¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I mean, look at this.¡±
Even in the dark Jadis could see that the stone head of the club had been broken, a large chunk having been chipped off the front where it had impacted the demon¡¯s bones.
¡°Another item for our growing list of things to do,¡± Jay murmured, running a hand through Dys¡¯ hair. ¡°We need to make some new clubs, sturdier ones than these. Can¡¯t have our weapons breaking in the middle of a fight.¡±
¡°Hey, we might get lucky and find some more weapons. Like that hatchet, only our size and actually useful for combat.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Jay leaned her head back against the wall. ¡°More likely it¡¯ll be dwarf sized, if we find anything.¡±
¡°Well, let¡¯s add searching that cave to the list. A miner¡¯s sledgehammer would probably do just as good if not better than these,¡± Dys wiggled the stone club in her hand for emphasis before putting it down.
¡°So, we need to make or get new weapons, search a probably dangerous cave, move our base to somewhere better than this house¡ª¡±
¡°Somewhere with a lock,¡± Jay interrupted.
¡°Yeah, somewhere we can lock up when we aren¡¯t in it. Oh, and also figure out how to catch fish. That everything?¡±
¡°Other than kill a shit ton of bone thieves and level up? Yeah, that¡¯s about it.¡±
¡°So where do we start?¡± Dys asked, looking up at Jay.
¡°I dunno. But we¡¯ll figure something out in the morning.¡±
Chapter 24: Upgrades
Jadis¡¯ health went up by nineteen points over the course of the night, putting her at one hundred and sixty-four. She supposed the damage wasn¡¯t too bad considering how close she¡¯d come to truly fucking up and getting strangled and beaten to death by demons. At least, her health seemed good enough that she didn¡¯t feel the need to spend another full day of doing nothing but sleeping. She had goals to accomplish and didn¡¯t feel like delaying.
Throughout the night, Jadis had heard the sounds of other bone thieves stalking the woods around her hut, along with the accompanying glow of at least a couple of them cannibalizing their fallen brethren¡¯s bones. At least one had the thought to pry at the boarded-up window of her saferoom, but hadn¡¯t broken in. As dawn came and Jadis came to full wakefulness, she could still hear the click-clack of a bony body patrolling around outside her front door.
¡°I need to pee,¡± Dys said crossly, bleary eyes staring daggers at the closed door with an unseen demon behind it.
¡°Well, that¡¯s priority two.¡± Jay readied her club, bending her knees to crouch slightly, hand against the door. ¡°We deal with this dipshit first, then we pee, then¡¡±
¡°Breakfast?¡±
¡°Yeah, that works. What a fucking way to start a morning.¡±
The bone thief waiting outside for her was a squat, bulky thing with a second set of arms and legs coming out of its back that probably would have made it possible for the abomination to walk just as well upside down as right side up. An excellent defense against getting flipped over, she supposed, but Jadis didn¡¯t test the theory.
Moving out from the opened door and rushing the demon head on, both Jay and Dys struck the enemy in unison. The power of the synchronized attack was once again boosted by Mirrored Strikes, blowing apart the demon¡¯s bony shell to devastating effect. The bone thief was dead in seconds, core blasted to bits by a second coordinated swing of her clubs.
Standing over the defeated demon, Jay looked at Dys and shrugged slightly. ¡°Not as bad as the bear one, huh?¡±
¡°Nope. Gotta say, I¡¯m liking the Mirrored Strikes skill. Any other skills that come up that¡¯ll power up our duality thing, we take. This is freaking awesome,¡± Dys finished with a laugh.
¡°Yeah, I was thinking the same thing,¡± Jay agreed sardonically as together they scooped up the shell containing the demon¡¯s dead core to carry with them. They were headed to the outhouse anyway.
Once the rest of Jadis¡¯ morning routine was done, she decided to head to the village main road to check out the situation. She made a quick detour to drop of the bones from her first encounter of the day, pleased to find that no demons had found the cellar full of skeletons yet.
¡°We need a better spot for these, too,¡± Jay said with a frown, tossing an armful of bones into a corner of the room.
¡°Yeah, probably a good idea,¡± Dys agreed, tossing her own load down. ¡°It¡¯s starting to get full in here anyway. I mean, not exactly packed, but damn these are a lot of bones.¡±
Finished offloading the unwanted remains, Jadis resumed her trek, coming up on the side of the stone temple. Peeking around the corner, she spotted three more bone thieves milling around the pile of dead demons she had left in front of the temple. Their bizarre, asymmetrical forms stalked from side to side around the road, their empty skulls occasionally clattering in a staccato rhythm.
¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining, but do you think we can handle three at once?¡± Jay asked, eyes locked on the trio of demons.
Behind her, Dys kept her eyes on the trees of the surrounding forest, watching for any bone thieves that might be trying to sneak up on her. A little smirk quirked her lips as she tilted her head.
¡°What did one prostitute say to the other?¡±
¡°Shut the fuck up, that¡¯s bad,¡± Jay said, admonishing her twin self. ¡°Besides, if we do this right, we won¡¯t be the ones getting boned.¡±
¡°That¡¯s an awful pun,¡± Dys shook her head.
¡°Yeah. Okay let¡¯s¡ª¡± Cutting herself off with a thought, Jay halted her imminent charge.
Jadis hadn¡¯t gone through all that horrible trouble the night before to not learn to check her corners.
Jay popped her head through one of the broken windows on the side of the temple. As she had suspected, a fourth bone thief was inside, sitting curled up in a corner to the right of the large doors.
¡°Sneaky devil,¡± Jay and Dys said in unison.
Dangers identified and assessed, Jadis leapt into action before any more enemies showed up or any of the current ones noticed her presence. The two hopped into the temple through a broken window and converged on the bone thief as it came out of whatever torpor the demons seemed to enter when inactive.
The twin blows of her clubs shattered the skeletal monster before it could fully react. The sounds of stone cracking bone echoed in the open air of the temple, quickly drawing the attention of the patrolling demons outside. Before the first one could even reach the doors, Jadis had already slaughtered the bone thief hiding inside and had moved both her bodies to the open door of the temple.
The first demon to reach the doors was hit with a double horizontal swing from either side of the door, the mirrored strike bashing the creature¡¯s bones and knocking it heels over head in a cartwheeling spin as it clattered to the ground inside the building. With that auspicious start, Jadis went into a whirlwind of attacks, slamming the downed demon and the two that followed shortly after.
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The whole fight took a couple minutes, the end result being Jay and Dys breathing heavily and the bone thieves breathing no more. The two had not taken any damage at all, dispatching the demons easily thanks to Mirrored Strikes.
¡°Who needs a morning workout when you¡¯ve got demons for neighbors?¡± Dys asked, nudging one of the broken open shells.
¡°Not us, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Jay answered, picking up one of the larger bones that had been split clear in two by one of their double attacks. She eyed it dubiously; the huge bone was nearly as thick around as her forearm at its thinnest.
¡°What we do need, though, are new weapons.¡± Dys held up the club in her hand for inspection. She could see a crack peeking out from under the leather bindings she¡¯d used to secure the stone to the wood, starting to run down the shaft of the club. ¡°I don¡¯t think these can take the power of our attacks for much longer before they break.¡±
¡°Okay, well, we¡¯ve got priorities. Before anything else, let¡¯s make sure there aren¡¯t any more demons loitering around in the village.¡± Jay said, immediately setting out the temple doors. There was a lot to do and not enough time in the day.
By mid-morning, Jadis had run a sweep of the village, killing three more bone thieves with the same ease as the first four she¡¯d found in the village. The sixth demon killed had been enough for Jadis to reach her next level, bumping her up to ten. Without debate, she immediately put the free attribute point into vitality, rounding out her total health pool to two hundred and fifty.
With the village cleared out of any immediate threats, Jadis spent the rest of the morning addressing her living situation. She wanted a building that was safe and secure, preferably with a door she could lock while she was out and about, but at the same time she didn¡¯t want to spend too much time and effort on it. Jadis had every intention of leaving the little dwarf village and pine forest valley. Her planned stay was a temporary one, just until she felt she¡¯d milked the bone thieves for every drop of experience she could wring out of them.
With her future plans in mind, Jadis settled on the smithy in the mining compound as her new base of operations. It had the boxes of food already there, easy access to water, and lots of wood to use for barricading or starting a fire.
Jadis looked forward to having a hot meal that night, fully intending to make use of the tinderbox she¡¯d found.
Moving all of her supplies from the old stone hut to the smithy took some time, longer than it should have only because she ran into two more bone thieves in the woods around the hut. They were dispatched with little fuss, relatively speaking, the main time sink being the time it took to dump the bones into the cellar.
With all her resources moved, Jadis then took the time to set the building up for defense. She blocked the side door off completely by putting the anvil in front of it, closed and barricaded the windows, and even replaced the broken piece of wood that acted as a kind of old-fashioned sliding door lock. It wasn¡¯t a perfect fix, but she could secure the door from inside.
Locking the door from outside was a trickier proposition, one she didn¡¯t have an easy answer to. She was no carpenter, much less a locksmith. Her eventual solution was to take a length of rope, tie one end to the exterior door handle, then tie the other end to a small tree growing nearby. It absolutely would not stop a determined bone thief from breaking in the door, but if one of the demons did so, the sapling would snap, giving Jadis an easy to spot visual warning.
For the rest of the day, Jadis searched the mining compound for anything she could use as new weapons, or to make clubs better than what she already had. She even went so far as to venture into the mouth of the cave that she now neighbored. It was within the cave entrance that she found her greatest treasures of the day.
A dozen or so paces into the cave, partially hidden by the dark and the curving cave walls, was some kind of waystation; Jadis wasn¡¯t sure what else to call it. A shed made partially of wood and partially of cut stone blocks, it sat at the absolute limit of how far Jadis was willing to enter the cave without a light source.
Fighting demons in the moonlight was one thing. The pitch dark of an unlit cave was a different beast all together.
Within and around the waystation were various scattered mining tools, from shovels to sledgehammers to pickaxes. Most were in poor condition, but a few of the tools were in decent enough shape that Jadis was certain she could use them for combat if needed. They were still on the small size, though, clearly intended for people maybe half her size. Thus, they lacked the reach she would prefer.
Amongst the typical tools Jadis would expect to find were items that she did not know as much about, not being a miner. Their use for digging out stone escaped her, but their potential for weapons struck her in mere moments of examination.
There were various sizes of solid iron wedges stored in the waystation. Some were on the small size, but a few were quite large. Jadis picked out two of the wedges, each one easily twice as large as the heads of the sledgehammers she¡¯d found so far.
¡°Time for an upgrade,¡± Jay and Dys said with mirrored smirks, clinking the two heavy pieces of metal together like champaign glasses.
From the rest of the miscellaneous scattered supplies found in and around the cave entrance, Jadis found a stack of cut logs that had probably been intended as columns and bracers for cave ceilings further in. They were a bit too large for her purposes, but were thick and solid and already had oblong holes cut into the top ends, she assumed for the easy fitting of cross beams.
With her steel hatchet, and daggers, Jadis cut the wooden shafts down to size, shaping them into appropriate sized handles. She did screw up on one of her attempts and had to toss the broken remnants into the cold furnace of her new temporary home. Fuel was fuel, after all.
It took much of the afternoon to get them they way she wanted, but before the sun had reached the western mountain peaks, Jadis had crafted herself two new iron-headed mauls.
Unlike her old stone clubs, which she had pulled apart to repurpose the leather and twine, the new weapons were longer and heavier. The stone clubs had been about the size of baseball bats to Jadis¡¯ estimates. These new weapons were three handspans longer. The iron wedge heads were not exactly sharp on the front, but they were certainly closer in nature to an axe than a club. The mauls could be easily reversed, though, with the back end of the wedges serving as extremely blunt instruments of demon doom.
To add to the weight and strength of the clubs even more, Jadis had fitted a few of the iron horse shoes around the bases of the clubs, directly below where the wedges sat. Even with a couple test swings in the air, Jadis could feel the power and momentum behind each pass of the heavy mauls.
¡°Fuck, I think we could probably crack open real armor with these,¡± Jay said with some awe in her voice, proud of the deadly instruments she¡¯d cobbled together.
¡°Yeah, no kidding.¡± Dys agreed. ¡°Actually, let¡¯s try a little test, here,¡± she said, walking over to a head-sized rock on the side of the lake.
With a grunt, Dys swung the maul overhead and brought it down onto the stone. The rock shattered with the blow, bits of stone splinters spraying everywhere.
¡°Nice!¡± Jay and Dys said in unison, both giving little fist pumps.
Now that Jadis had her preparations complete, she was ready to go to war. The bone thieves wouldn¡¯t know what hit them.
Chapter 25: Bones Do Not Float
Bones do not float.
It took Jadis three days to realize the density of bones meant they would sink if put in water, not float on it like wood. Without the buoyance that came from flesh and lungs full of air, skeletons sank like stones. As a former medical student, she felt more than a little chagrined that she hadn¡¯t remembered the simple biological fact.
Fishing with a net was not easy. Another fact Jadis discovered three days after moving next to the lake. Jadis had no experience with fishing of any kind, so she hadn¡¯t expected to be a stellar success at the practice, but the sheer frustration that came from watching potential meals go slipping out from her grasp every time she tried to cast her net was driving her a little mad.
Three days after Jadis had moved her base of operations to the mining compound, she¡¯d found herself hurling bones and curses into the lake at the mocking fish in a vain hope to strike one dead. She didn¡¯t succeed, but she did discover the fact about bones not being buoyant.
¡°Okay, I guess we can toss all these bones into the water.¡± Jay said while frowning at the lake. ¡°Lot more room down there than the cellar.¡±
¡°This is going to be a lot of back and forth trips,¡± Dys said, sighing at the prospect of spending hours carrying armloads of skeletal remains up the hill. ¡°This is going to suck.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s just do it. No time like the present.¡±
¡°Yeah, fine,¡± Jadis said through Dys, agreeing with herself. ¡°This has been kind of a slow day, anyway.¡±
Since her move a few days previous, Jadis had spent her time hunting down bone thieves to slaughter for experience. The ease with which she was striking them down now was almost laughable compared to her first fights on Oros. On her first full day of hunting, she killed fourteen of the demons, then another twelve on the next day.
A big factor in her increasing ability to crush her opponents were the makeshift mauls. Solid and heavy, they cracked bones like walnuts. Combined with her Mirrored Strikes, her duo attacks were devastating against the bone thieves. She no longer needed to set up a deadfall trap in the temple, just wander around the village and surrounding forest until she came across her quarry.
With so many demons slain, Jadis had pushed her level up to twelve. Upon reaching level eleven, she¡¯d been offered two new skills to choose from:
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Improvised Armor Mastery I
Passive Skill. Provides a minor boost to the defensive value of armor worn that was never intended for combat or made by unskilled hands.
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Moonlit Mirrors
Active Spell. Gain increased night vision so long as there is some ambient light. Cost ¨C 20 magic. Duration ¨C 2 hours.
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Both seemed useful to Jadis, but ultimately she had decided to choose the skill she¡¯d been offered previously, Refracted Mind. She¡¯d been a little anxious about the effects of the skill, concerned that once she had it, she¡¯d somehow split her consciousness into two or something of the like.
She needn¡¯t have been worried. Once the skill had taken effect, Jadis hadn¡¯t noticed any immediate differences until she started having her two bodies act independently from each other. With the skill, she was able to multitask doing completely different things with each body with far less concentration or effort than had taken before. Having Jay prepare a meal while Dys gathered wood from the forest was now not only possible, but easy.
Jadis had breathed a sigh of relief once she¡¯d assessed the full extent of the changes the skill had wrought on her. She wasn¡¯t sure what she would have done if she¡¯d actually manifested some kind of alter ego.
Upon reaching level twelve on the second day, Jadis had gained another attribute point and, true to her word, had decided to experiment with it. She¡¯d put the point into Endurance, bringing its total up to sixteen. She wasn¡¯t certain, but after doing so she felt as though she could exert herself for a little longer before she started breathing heavily, which made sense to her. She had guessed Endurance probably had something to do with a person¡¯s staying power or ability to keep moving before running out of energy. She planned on bring the attribute all the way up to twenty just to make sure. She doubted it¡¯d be a waste, even if it was doing something other than increasing her stamina.
On day three, Jadis had decided to rest. While she rarely took any bad hits from the bone thieves anymore, they still did some small damage. With so many fights over a short time, she¡¯d amassed a fair number of wounds even with her nightly recovery. So, on day three she rested, doing very little in the way of combat.
Still, she¡¯d found that she was a little too restless to sleep past noon, which is how she¡¯d found herself failing at fishing and rediscovering some basic biology facts.
Carrying the bones up out of the cellar and tossing them into the small lake wasn¡¯t difficult or even tiring, just tedious. Fortunately for Jadis¡¯ under-stimulated mind, twice during the process she ran into bone thieves. Though they brought a little excitement into the chore for Jadis, they were dispatched too quickly to be of any real challenge. Even worse, once they were dead, they just added to the amount of bones she had to carry up to the lake to dispose of.
¡°Is it just me or are there more of these bony fucker¡¯s running around then there were before?¡± Dys asked, chucking an armful of skeletal remains into the waters of the lake, tossing them as deep as she could get them.
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¡°Yeah, I mean, compared to the, what, seven or so we got when we were trapping the temple? Definitely more,¡± Jay answered, hurling her own load into the lake. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a reason?¡±
¡°Probably us, I¡¯d guess. We¡¯re stirring things up. Seemed like they weren¡¯t doing much until we got here. Maybe they¡¯re just all waking up?¡±
¡°Where are they coming from, though?¡± Jay asked as the two turned to walk back towards the village. They were close to done with the task and Jadis was eager to finish and find something else to do.
¡°My guess,¡± Dys mused, running her fingers through her hair while balancing her maul on her shoulder, ¡°They¡¯re coming from somewhere to the south. Haven¡¯t really seen any coming out of the cave, and there¡¯s nowhere to really hide in the village. Not that many bodies, not with how thoroughly we¡¯ve searched it.¡±
¡°Maybe so. Makes me wonder if when we do leave, if we should head south or not.¡± Jay looked in said direction. She couldn¡¯t see much, not with the ever-present tall pine trees, but from what she saw when on top of the mountain cliff, she had a general idea.
The valley opened up wide to the south, stretching outwards into what seemed to be a vast forest with a few rolling hills. There hadn¡¯t been any sign of civilization from what she had seen, but the only road leaving the village headed south. If she went any other direction, she¡¯d be striking out into unknown wilds without even a disused dirt path for a guide.
¡°Problem for another day,¡± Dys dismissed the thoughts. ¡°We¡¯ll worry about direction once we¡¯re good and ready to go on a hike.¡±
Jadis got her task done in a few more trips, tossing the last of the bones in the water while giving a contemptuous middle finger to the agitated fish swimming within. She¡¯d only been eating soggy crackers mixed with honey for three days and she was already thinking about just diving into the water and swimming after the scaly bastards just for a taste of variety.
Well, at least she was always full now.
Jadis spent the rest of the day napping, resting, and engaging in some more pleasurable pursuits. The first morning after her move, Jadis had found that her morning wood had returned with a vengeance, something she guessed had to do with how she was no longer short on food and wasn¡¯t sleeping off terrible injuries every night anymore. A quick, immensely satisfying, session of giving each body head had become Jadis¡¯ morning routine.
Perhaps she could have simply ignored the erections, or thought about wrinkly old men or something equally unappealing to kill her arousal, but Jadis didn¡¯t want to. She¡¯d asked D specifically for her fun new appendages and she was going to use them. Even if D might be spying on her from his living room, watching her suck her own mirror self¡¯s dick through his little tablet, she didn¡¯t care. Hell, she¡¯d put on a show for him, if that¡¯s what he wanted.
Despite the somewhat flippant thoughts that went through Jadis¡¯ head while she played with herself, putting on a literal show for D had not been Jadis¡¯ intention when she¡¯d started her forth day. Yet, as the day progressed, she found herself in just that position.
The morning had started well enough. After a quick sixty-nine and breakfast, Jadis had tried to fish a little, with no success. While fishing, she noticed a few dark clouds overhead but though little of them. Overcast days had been common in her experience on Oros so far. Once she was done frustrating herself with fishing, Jadis set out into the village to hunt down more demons.
There were a few stalking the between the old buildings, none of them quite so challenging or dangerous as the bear-like one had been. She set up her attacks against them by using her old trick of letting one rush her self left in the open as bait while the other self waited around a corner. The strategy was effective, though perhaps no longer strictly necessary. Jadis didn¡¯t really need surprise attacks to kill the demons anymore.
After the fifth demon, the well ran dry in the village and Jadis couldn¡¯t find anymore demons to hunt. With a shrug, she set about dumping out the squished remains and putting the bones in a pile for her to carry up to the lake later. As Dys dumped one of the dark purple many-tentacled bodies into the every growing pile of dead and rotting corpses Jadis had made in the middle of the village road, she stopped to stare at the eyes.
Almost all of the demonic cyclopean eyes had vibrant orange irises. However, a couple, including the one Jadis had just dumped onto the pile, had a different color. This one was more yellow. Jadis had no idea if that made any kind of difference in judging the nature of a demon, or if it was no more significant than the difference between brown and blue eyes on a human, but she did wonder.
The challenging bear-like bone thief had had a red eye. It had been the first noticeably different demon eye she¡¯d seen and it had been her most dangerous enemy to date. This yellow-eyed demon had been much smaller than the other bone demons she had fought. Smaller, weaker, and just overall far less of a challenge. In fact, Jadis was fairly certain she could have taken the pathetic monster down no weapons at all. She probably could have just picked it up and smashed it against a tree a few times like the horror movie villain she¡¯d seen do with a teen camper in a sleeping bag.
Cheesy horror movies aside, the thought that eye color might indicate strength level with a demon percolated in Jadis¡¯ mind. Jay and Dys stood around the pile of bodies, staring at the decaying corpses, thinking about levels and how to identify them. Did demons have levels? That¡¯d make sense, at least to her, but did it make sense on Oros? If they did have levels, did they spawn at their specific level and just stay like that or did they have to earn levels the same way she did? Was that why some of the bone thieves were weaker while others were stronger? Or was it just some kind of natural variable?
Jadis let her mind wander heedless of her surroundings for far longer than she likely should have, especially when there might be enemies patrolling nearby, only coming to her senses when she felt a cold splatter start to fall on her head and shoulders.
Looking up, the dark clouds she¡¯d seen that morning had multiplied, covering the sky from horizon to horizon. A few fat drops of rain quickly escalated to a full downpour in the few seconds it took Jadis to think about what to do. Hating the idea of being caught out in the rain, Jadis ran into the closest building she knew for certain had no demons waiting inside.
The stone temple was dark and more than a little eerie with the sound of rain and thunder echoing in the open space, but Jadis had grown used to exploring dark and spooky environs. The shadows didn¡¯t bother her anymore. Briefly she¡¯d considered running all the way back to the mining compound, but in Jadis¡¯ experience heavy downpours never lasted too long. She hoped the rain would pass in a few hours and once it did, she¡¯d resume her hunt.
¡°Well, what do we do now?¡± Dys asked, shaking herself to try and dry off a bit. The rain had been cold and she was already wishing she had a towel and warm fire.
¡°Nothing much to do¡¡± Jay answered, watching Dys as water dripped from wet hair down the sides of her face.
Both looked at each other, studying the droplets that clung to lips, dripping from chins and rolling down pale skin.
¡°I can think of a way to warm us up,¡± Jay said, watching one particular water droplet as it charted a course down Dys¡¯ neck to her chest, disappearing under leather armor.
¡°In here?¡± Dys said, her own heart starting to beat a little faster as blood rushed to her lower body. She gestured with her head, ¡°With him looming over us?¡±
The statue of D still stood tall over the dais, arms spread wide, mischievous and mocking smirk barely visible in the gloom of the darkened temple.
¡°Why not? He watches us anyway.¡±
¡°Yeah, true,¡± Dys said, drawing close to Jay, wrapping hands around her waist as she reciprocated the gesture. ¡°Besides, if he¡¯s got a problem with us having a little bit of fun in his temple, he can come down here and tell us himself.¡±
Jay nodded, biting her lower lip. She glanced at the statue on top of the raised stone platform of the temple as she began grinding her hips against Dys¡¯. ¡°Might as well make it a front row show for him, yeah?¡±
¡°Fuck yeah,¡± Dys agreed, violet eyes burning with lust.
Chapter 26: Temple Defilement
Jay¡¯s leather skirt and loincloth hit the floor as she bent forward, putting her hands on top of the base pedestal D¡¯s statue stood on. Arching her back, she looked over her shoulder at Dys, thrusting her ass out and squeezing her legs tight together.
[Censored Sex Scene. The full scene can be viewed on ScribbleHub.com]
When Dys was finally spent, Jay pulled herself away from her mirror self¡¯s body and sat back on her haunches, gasping for breath as both slowly recovered.
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Eventually, Dys raised her head up and looked over Jay¡¯s head, staring at the smirking stone face of her patron deity. ¡°Enjoy the show, Mr. Voyeur?¡±
¡°Well, even if he didn¡¯t, I¡¯m absolutely down to do this again,¡± Jay said with a grin, leaning back with her hands on the floor, her slightly flagging erection already starting to resurge.
¡°It¡¯s still raining, right?¡±
Jadis stopped for a moment, listening to a reduced, but still present patter of rain on the roof.
¡°Yup,¡± Jay said, answering Dys.
Dys grinned with pearly white teeth, her playful expression turned sinful by the cum still dripping from her features.
¡°Then we might as well put on an encore.¡±
Chapter 27: Three Weeks
As Jadis watched her cum drip off of Jay¡¯s chin, Dys¡¯ cock still twitching, she wondered if she might have gotten into a bit of a rut.
For the past three weeks, Jadis had been following a fairly regular routine. Starting in the morning, after a breakfast of soggy hardtack and honey, she¡¯d comb the abandoned dwarf village and the surrounding forest for bone thieves. She mostly found them roaming solo, but occasionally came across small groups of two or three. Regardless of numbers, she¡¯d slaughter the demons, tossing their bones into the lake and their actual fleshy tentacle-eye bodies into piles around the area. Her hunt would last until late afternoon, at which point she¡¯d visit D¡¯s temple and thoroughly desecrate the holy ground by milking her two selves dry using every perverted sexual technique she could think of that didn¡¯t involve penetration.
The temple was definitely starting to smell a bit musky.
After an hour or so of carnal pleasure, Jadis would finish the day by attempting to fish. She couldn¡¯t say she was actually fishing, since she never caught a single damn gill-faced bastard, but she still tried. Any variation to her diet was a welcome one to Jadis¡¯ thinking at that point. Even warming up the hardtack and honey mixture over a fire she¡¯d managed to build in the smithy¡¯s forge hadn¡¯t improved the mush by much.
At the moment, Jadis was at the tail end of her almost ritualistic habit of pseudo-fucking herself in front of D¡¯s statue. She wasn¡¯t truly certain why pleasuring herself in D¡¯s temple had become such an integral part of her daily life, but at the least she didn¡¯t have to worry about making a mess in the room she ate and slept in. If she were being honest with herself, she knew the reason had nothing to do with practical concerns like cleanup. Maybe she really did just like the idea of putting on a show for someone?
¡°I¡¯m such a freak,¡± both Jay and Dys said in unison, Dys punctuating the statement by licking a bit of the cum off of Jay¡¯s face.
The two leaned back, seated on the steps of the temple dais, legs stretched out before them and hands supporting them from behind. They were both naked and covered in fluids, the culmination of both their daily hunt and daily pleasures leaving them slick with sweat and other things.
¡°Maybe it¡¯s time we moved on?¡± Jay pondered aloud, leaning her shoulder into Dys. ¡°I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m getting bored, exactly, but I feel like we might be stagnating.¡±
Dys leaned into Jay, reciprocating the gesture. ¡°Yeah, I mean, I don¡¯t think I can get bored of your, er, our bodies. But the bone thieves aren¡¯t putting up much of a challenge anymore.¡±
¡°Definitely getting diminishing returns on experience,¡± Jay added, nodding along. ¡°I think we might have out-leveled this place.¡±
Jadis had, from the start, set out with the intent to wring every last drop of experience she could from the bone thieves before moving on. Looking at her status menu, she felt she¡¯d probably accomplished her goal.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (17)
Secondary Class: None
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 17
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Health: 299/300
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Magic: 10/10
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Attributes
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Strength: 57
Dexterity: 10
Agility: 10
Vitality: 30
Fortitude: 20
Endurance: 21
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 70
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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Jadis mentally whistled in appreciation of her stats. The amount they¡¯d gone up over the past few weeks of power leveling had been dramatic thanks to the skills she¡¯d unlocked at levels thirteen and seventeen.
At level thirteen, Jadis had been offered two different passive skills by Oros¡¯ system. Both had been similar, their differences only in the specific attributes they affected.
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Knight¡¯s Tenacity
Passive Skill. Increases the Fortitude and Resilience attributes by 5 points.
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Knight¡¯s Resolve
Passive Skill. Increases the Endurance and Vitality attributes by 5 points.
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Choosing which of the skills to take had presented a minor dilemma to Jadis. She wanted both, since increasing even one attribute by five points seemed amazing, much less two of them at the same time. However, she didn¡¯t know which to go with since they both represented interesting opportunities.
On the one hand, Knight¡¯s Tenacity would increase both Fortitude and Resilience, two attributes she knew nothing about. Such a drastic jump would no doubt give her strong insights into what the two attributes did, though. Her only other way of figuring it out being putting her evened-number-level free attribute points into the stat one at a time and gauging the difference that way. Taking Knight¡¯s Tenacity would let her skip all that.
On the other hand, Jadis knew exactly what Vitality did and increasing her health pool up to a solid three hundred practically made her salivate. Plus, as a bonus, Knight¡¯s Resolve would also boost her Endurance up, which would let her know what that stat did. She already had her suspicions based off the single point she¡¯d already put into that attribute, but Knight¡¯s Resolve would be a nice fast forward button for her intentions.
She¡¯d ended up stressing over the decision all night before getting frustrated with her own indecisiveness and impulsively picking Knight¡¯s Resolve.
With the stat boost, she was able to confirm that Endurance did what she thought, directly increasing her stamina. An interesting realization, one that had her reconsidering Crushing Blow. Stamina was still an invisible stat to her, though, so Jadis left that skill firmly on the backburner.
As it turned out, Jadis needn¡¯t have fretted over her thirteenth level skill choice. At level fifteen, Jadis was offered two more spells.
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Tilted Mirrorland
Active Spell. Warp a single target¡¯s perception of the landscape around them, causing confusion and vertigo. Cost ¨C 40 magic. Duration ¨C 30 seconds.
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Nightmare Reflection
Active Spell. Warp a single target¡¯s perception of you to that of a terrifying entity, causing panic and fear. Cost ¨C 25 magic. Duration ¨C 10 seconds.
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While interesting, neither spell tempted Jadis. She didn¡¯t have the magic to cast either, and in all honesty powering up her attributes just looked far more appealing to her. She ended up selecting Knight¡¯s Tenacity, increasing the two mystery attributes of fortitude and resilience.
There was no immediate change as far as Jadis could tell after she brought both stats up. The lack of results had been more than a little disappointing for Jadis. In fact, she still wasn¡¯t sure what resilience did. Fortitude, though, she figured out.
During one of Jadis¡¯ fights with a particularly large bone thief reminiscent of the bear-like one she¡¯d had so much trouble with previously, except this one had three heads, no tail, and extra long front legs, she had messed up. Slipping on a muddy patch, Dys had gone down hard on her side, leaving her wide open to a powerful strike from the demon that had sent her flying across the ground.
The attack had hurt and, if Jadis hadn¡¯t had two bodies, she was fairly certain she wouldn¡¯t have been able to get back up in time to avoid getting pounced on by the bulky bone beast. Still, Jay had been able to pop one of the demon¡¯s skulls, acting as a good distraction while Dys got back up.
The fight had ended with another dead demon (with another oddly red eye inside), and with Jadis having taken less damage than what she thought she would have considering the blow she had been hit with. After some hesitant experimentation involving knives that Jadis was pretty sure would have had any therapist worrying about her mental health, Jadis had reached the conclusion that fortitude increased her natural resistance to damage. Nothing to do with armor, she was fairly certain, just her inborn ability to resist harm.
Once again, Jadis marveled at the frankly ludicrous videogame logic Oros seemed to operate on. How exactly was her skin somehow less susceptible to cuts because a number on an imaginary panel in her head went up? Yet, somehow, despite the apparent increase in toughness, her skin still felt exactly as soft and smooth as when she first arrived on the world.
Magic was weird.
The big change had come at level seventeen, which took nearly two weeks to get to after level fifteen. Per her expectations, she¡¯d been offered two more skills. The first one had caused a few raised eyebrows.
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Kaleidoscopic Boost
Active Skill. Increase a random attribute by 15 for 12 hours. Cannot be activated a second time until a full 12 hours have elapsed.
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A randomized boost to one of her attributes? Jadis had frankly been baffled. The skill was the most videogame-like of all the skills she¡¯d been offered so far. Not that the skill sounded useless, or anything. Far from it. A fifteen-point increase to any one of her attributes was massive. Plus, since it changed every half day, she could potentially use the skill to find out what all the mystery attributes she had affected. Not a bad skill at all in Jadis¡¯ opinion.
Still, the skill was unstable. There was no guarantee that it¡¯d boost an attribute that¡¯d be helpful to her, after all. She didn¡¯t know what the arcane and divine attributes did, but considering both were at zero and she¡¯d been getting along just fine without them, she didn¡¯t think boosting either of them up to fifteen for twelve hours would be horribly helpful.
Or maybe it would be? Maybe having a divine attribute would give her some kind of holy power that let her smite demons faster?
Well, whatever pros and cons Kaleidoscopic Boost offered, all consideration for the skill had gone out the window when Jadis had read the description of the second skill she¡¯d been offered at her level up.
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Mirror Knight¡¯s Might
Passive Skill. Multiplies a chosen physical attribute by 1.5. Attribute chosen when skill is first selected and cannot be changed.
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Jadis wasn¡¯t a mathematician. She had, however, been accepted to university and into medical school and was thusly fairly confident in her ability to do basic arithmetic, including multiplication.
¡°A fucking fifty percent increase!?¡± Jay and Dys had both shouted at the time, utterly flabbergasted by the massive potential enhancement to one of her attributes being offered.
After the surprise wore off, Jadis had taken the skill without hesitation. Nor did she hesitate overlong about which attribute she would boost. There was really only one stat that mattered when it came to how much damage she could dish out in a fight. Putting the bonus where it would do her the most good, Jadis selected her strength attribute when prompted by the skill, then watched with glee as her strength score jumped from thirty-six to fifty-four.
Jadis hadn¡¯t been using her free attribute points she¡¯d gotten at levels fourteen and sixteen. With the Knight¡¯s Tenacity and Knight¡¯s Resolve skills, she¡¯d seen three of her mystery attributes get boosted significantly, giving her solid information on at least two of them. Instead of putting the points directly into an attribute, she¡¯d decided to hold off on bumping any of her other stats up, banking on the idea another skill might come along that¡¯d let her increase her other attributes. She¡¯d save the free points she got at even levels until she saw a good reason to use them.
Mirror Knight¡¯s Might felt like a good reason to use them.
Testing the numbers and how the skill affected them, Jadis spent a free point on her strength and saw it go from fifty-four to fifty-five. At first, she thought the skill had been a one time wonder, multiplying her total strength score at time of skill acquisition and nothing more. But when she put her second free attribute point into strength to be sure, the number jumped up to fifty-seven.
Thirty-eight times one-point-five was fifty-seven. The multiplicative skill worked off of what her strength score would be before it multiplied the numbers. The system just seemed to round down with fractions, or so Jadis guessed.
Thrilled with her new skill, Jadis had been eager to test out her newfound strength. Her strength score had nearly doubled compared to what it had been when she¡¯d first arrived on Oros, and it showed.
The temple pews that Jadis had been tossing around before were now about as heavy as paperweights to Jadis. She found that rocks that she was certain had to weigh hundreds of pounds could not only be moved but lifted over her head and tossed around like sacks of potatoes.
A single strike from one of her makeshift mauls was able to blow right through the average bone thief now, no Mirrored Strikes needed. The few times where she did get a double attack off on a hapless demon, her target had been literally mulched.
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m liking this whole strong as shit thing,¡± Dys said with a smile. For emphasis, she reached a hand under Jay and cupped her ass, then lifted. With minimal effort, she had Jay balanced on one arm.
Grinning down at her mirror, Jay laughed and said, ¡°We have got to be at superhero levels by this point.¡±
¡°Eh, maybe a B-tier superhero,¡± Dys shook her head, setting Jay back down on the stone stairs. ¡°We¡¯ve got to be stronger than anybody back on earth is, easy, but I don¡¯t think we can stop speeding buses from running over distracted kids or anything like that.¡±
¡°Yeah, well, we can stomp on demons like the chumps they are now, though.¡±
¡°Which does bring us back to the point, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Dys sighed, standing up and stretching her arms overhead. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should hang around this old dump for much longer.¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± Jay nodded, getting up to stretch as well. ¡°It took, what, nine days to go from level sixteen to seventeen? That¡¯s a huge drop compared to how fast we were leveling a month ago. We need to find some new demons to fight, some that¡¯ll give us more of a challenge.¡±
Hooking her thumb over her shoulder, Dys motioned to the statue behind them. ¡°I doubt D was interested in watching us bash empty skulls for this long, anyway. Even if we are spicing it up with a little hanky-panky.¡±
¡°Mmm,¡± Jay hummed, ¡°True. Guess we should start figuring out how we¡¯re going to transport our stuff?¡±
Dys nodded. ¡°Sounds good.¡±
Both gathered up their scattered armor and weapons, then headed out of the temple, passing by the pile of dead and decaying demon squid bodies that was now as tall as they were. Jadis had lost count as to how many bone thieves she¡¯d killed since arriving on Oros, but for the past few weeks she¡¯d been killing more than a dozen every day, the numbers only rising with time.
¡°I still wanna know why some of them have different eye colors,¡± Jay said, passing the stinking corpse pile with a grimace. She hadn¡¯t bothered putting on her armor and was just carrying it bundled up in her arms, same as Dys. There was no sense in putting it on when she planned on taking a dip in the pond to wash up as soon as they got back to their house.
¡°Another mystery for another day,¡± Dys shrugged. ¡°Maybe we can figure out some way to test a few demons, later.¡±
Jadis shook both of her heads at the thought as she returned to the mining camp. It was not all that long ago that she¡¯d been terrified of the bony monstrosity that had snuck up on her that first day on Oros. Now she was dismissing them as trivial, no real threat at all.
Leveling up and growing stronger truly was amazing. Jadis couldn¡¯t wait to see just how powerful she could become.
Thoughts of her future and where she would travel to now that she was finished with the abandoned village danced through Jadis¡¯ heads for the rest of the evening and night, only occasionally interrupted by the sound of a few bone clicks echoing in the forest outside. Jadis paid those clattering bones little mind, though. The demons could wait until morning, when she¡¯d crush them just as she¡¯d done to all the others that she had come across.
It wasn¡¯t until shortly after dawn, as Jadis was stoking the fire in the forge to start on breakfast that she realized something was terribly wrong.
From somewhere outside of the stone workshop, a cacophony of clacking noise resounded, like dozens of drummers have taken wooden blocks and started smacking them together in a discordant symphony of dissonant sounds.
Wincing, Jay ran to the door and threw it open, trying to see where the terrible noise had come from. Dys, meanwhile, quickly started throwing on her armor, as Jadis couldn¡¯t imagine the noise was coming from anything friendly or harmless. From the door that faced the cliff and cave mouth, Jadis saw nothing. Stepping outside and taking a look around the corner, Jadis froze in shock as she spotted what was making the noise.
From the other side of the stone dam that contained the pond, crawled a massive monstrosity of bones. Only its head and shoulders stuck up over the dam, but what she could see was enough to dwarf her. Dozens upon dozens of skulls, all of them humanoid, were clustered together into a giant bouquet of macabre spectacle. As Jay stood staring at the creature, the skulls seemed to all turn in her direction, locking on with empty eye sockets. Another deafening clatter of bone against bone shattered the quiet of the morning, the vibrations powerful enough to send ripples across the surface of the pond.
¡°Well fuck you too!¡± Jay screamed back at the behemoth, giving it a double middle finger.
¡°And fuck you, D!¡± Dys screamed from inside the workshop, pointing up at the ceiling. ¡°This isn¡¯t what I meant by a fucking challenge!¡±
Chapter 28: The Behemoth
Jay rushed back inside the smithy, scrambling to get her gear on as Dys finished pulling her on her own. Jadis had no illusions about trying to hole up in the small stone building and hiding from the huge bone demon, she was in a fight or flight situation and flight was looking like an exceptionally good option.
¡°What the fuck even is that!?¡± Jay shouted as she squeezed her armor on. ¡°It¡¯s got to be bigger than a god damned whale!¡±
Dys tossed broken crates and furniture aside, throwing open a shuttered window to look at the approaching monstrosity.
¡°Shit, it¡¯s coming this way,¡± she cursed, grabbing a hold of her maul. ¡°And it brought friends.¡±
The bony behemoth continued its slow climb over the edge of the stone dam, stalking along with half of its legs in the water. The creature was almost crocodilian in shape, with legs splaying out to the sides the way a reptile¡¯s would, only it had six legs instead of four. A long, snake-like tail whipped the air behind the long body, tipped with a spiky ball of crushed bones the size of a barrel. Its full size revealed, Jadis judged the body was as long as a bus, not counting the tail that nearly doubled its length, and had to be as tall as an elephant.
From what Jadis could see, it wasn¡¯t made of giant bones, but was instead masses of normal sized bones clumped and stitched together into shapes that approximated what a creature would actually have, anatomically. Jadis could only imagine how many hundreds of dead bodies it would have taken to make such a creature.
Not that the details of how the demon was put together mattered at the moment to Jadis. What did matter was that the huge thing was slowly making its way towards her, along with about half a dozen smaller bone thieves.
The bone thieves were not actually small. They were normal sized, matching the general looks of many of the other skeleton-stealing demons Jadis had fought and killed over the past month. They only looked tiny next to their giant friend. Regardless of relative size, however, there were still six of them charging around the pond shore, heading on a direct path for her little stone house.
¡°I don¡¯t think we can outrun those,¡± Jay said, finishing getting the last of her makeshift armor on.
¡°Maybe the big guy, but we¡¯ve got to deal with small fry first,¡± Dys agreed, already rushing out the door.
Jadis hated to do it, but she was going to have to run. Fighting a creature that big was a stupid idea, a needless risk that would almost certainly get her killed. She¡¯d lose all the supplies she¡¯d gathered up, but it was better than losing her life. She¡¯d take care of the faster moving bone thieves first, then make a break for it.
As Jay exited the smithy, the fastest of the charging demons reached the corner of the building where Dys waited for her. With a powerful horizontal swing, Dys slammed the four-legged, predatory looking bone thief to the side, crushing it between maul and wall. The blow wasn¡¯t enough to kill outright, but the follow-up overhead swing from Jay as she emerged from the stone smithy squashed the demon¡¯s core.
¡°That¡¯s one,¡± Jadis growled from both her selves, turning to meet the oncoming pack of silent attackers.
The other five arrived shortly after, throwing themselves at Jay and Dys in a confusing barrage of thrashing skeletal limbs. A bone thief with a vaguely humanoid shape leapt on top of Jay, causing her to stumble back from the momentum, though with her greatly increased strength she was able to toss the monster off and into an eight-limbed abomination that was trying to get at Dys from behind while she swung at a lopsided bone thief that had charged her head on.
Realizing her error, Jadis backed off from the scramble, letting the demons push her back until she had both her selves with backs to the wall of the warehouse. She was already outnumbered; things would only get worse if she let the demons surround her and attack her from all sides.
For the next few strenuous seconds, all Jadis could do was toss the demons off and away from her as they repeatedly tried to leap on top of her. Some would go low, trying to take her out at the knees while others would charge straight in, relying on momentum and bulk to try and knock her down, but she was able to knock them back and away, shoving with her mauls or kicking with her bare feet if she had to. Eventually, opportunity presented itself and Jadis pounced on it.
Hurling two bone thieves off of her selves, a third moved in between Jay and Dys, bony claws reaching for Dys¡¯ leg. Striking in unison, Jadis had both her bodies swing their mauls like golf clubs, straight at each other with the demon in the middle.
The resulting explosion of mushed bone thief splattered bone shards and purple flesh-goo all over Jay and Dys, but it brought the demon count down to four.
From that point, Jadis went on the offensive, putting space between her bodies so there was enough room to swing at full extension. Each of her blows shattered bone, sending limbs flying as she put all her strength into finishing off the four remaining demons as quickly as possible. She hadn¡¯t forgotten about the true threat looming in the background. She couldn¡¯t see it from where she stood, but the sound of its clacking bones was growing closer and closer.
With a decisive downward blow, Dys finished off a third demon, breaking open its shell in a messy splatter. With synchronized timing, she blindly swung her maul up and around, spinning towards where Jay had shoved the lopsided demon into the path of her attack. With a huge crash, the demon was sent careening into the warehouse wall where it struggled to right itself for only a moment before Jay put her hammer to it. As the number of assailants dwindled, Jadis had an easier and easier time of dispatching what was left. Working in perfect unison, the powerful blows that Jay and Dys could rain down on the demons made short work of them, especially whenever she could coordinate a Mirrored Strikes attack against a target.
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As the last of the demonic vanguard was slain, a dark blue pulse of light flashed from the other side of the smithy building. Jadis couldn¡¯t help herself. Ducking to one side, Jay stuck her head around the corner to see what the huge bone thief was doing.
In one of the bone behemoth¡¯s hands was a pile of skeletal remains, dripping with water. Another pulse of light emanated from the space around the demon¡¯s head as arcane symbols appeared in mid-air, outlining some kind of deformed star. As the symbols faded, an opening formed in the solid mass of bones that made up the abdomen of creature and a small blot of darkness dropped out, a faintly glowing orange eye resting in the center.
Jadis watched as the behemoth tossed the bones onto the ground before the naked demon, a new shell quickly forming around its fleshy tentacled body and eye. In mere moments a newly born bone thief was rising from the ground, three legs lifting it up as it turned towards where Jay watched from the building corner a few dozen yards away. A sharp clatter of bone on bone was its roar of challenge as it immediately started rushing her towards her.
¡°It¡¯s fucking breeding!?¡± Jay and Dys shouted, dismayed to see more demons being created.
Even as the new foe was charging towards her, the huge mother demon was raking its front limbs through the ponds waters, dragging out more and more of the bones Jadis had tossed in there as it created more demons to wear the skeletons like suits.
¡°Okay, you know what? No, that¡¯s a big fat fucking no!¡± Jay screamed as she met the oncoming bone thief with a swing of her maul, crushing it to death less than a minute after it was born.
¡°We cannot let that thing keep sending its spawn to chase us!¡± Dys continued, running back into the smithy. ¡°It¡¯s going to fucking flood us!¡±
Grabbing hold of her target under one arm, Dys ran back outside as Jay swatted another newly made bone demon aside with her maul. Two more bony abominations were already being formed at the feet of the behemoth as the mother monster used both hands and magic to collect more and more bones from the water. With weeks¡¯ worth of bone-thief hunting to fill the pond with skeletons, the supply it had to work with was plentiful, to say the least.
Tossing her maul to the side, Dys grabbed hold of her package in both hands. Like she was in the hammer throw event in the Olympics, Dys swung around one of the dwarven anvils. She¡¯d never been in much for track and field, nor had she ever tried a swing around and toss before, but with the size of her target, Jadis had confidence she¡¯d hit something.
With a fierce shout of effort, Dys finished her spin and loosed the several hundred pound missile, sending the mass of hard iron flying through the air.
As Jadis had hoped, it struck the bone behemoth, cracking against its shoulder before thumping to the ground, fortuitously landing on top of one of the several partially formed bone thieves, crushing it. As deadly as the heavy projectile had been to the unlucky smaller demon, it didn¡¯t seem the anvil had done much more than put a few hairline cracks in the massive monster¡¯s skeletal shell.
It did, however, get the demon spawner¡¯s attention.
In a move familiar to Jadis, the behemoth whipped around with surprising speed for something of its size. Instinctively, Jadis dove to the ground, both her bodies dropping prone as a heavy weigh whizzed through the air over their heads. A tremendous crash echoed around them as the bone-spiked tail crashed into the wall of the smithy. Unlike the bear-shaped bone thief Jadis had encountered before, however, when the behemoth¡¯s tail hit stone, it didn¡¯t bounce off.
The huge morning star tail tip went right through the wall without stopping, knocking out a whole corner of the building.
¡°Shit.¡±
Jay and Dys both scrambled to their feet as they hastily backed away, Dys grabbing up her weapon, the two trying to keep out of range of the wrecking ball of a tail attack the behemoth had. She had succeeded in getting its attention, though now that she had it, Jadis was drawing a blank at what to do next.
As her two selves quickly rounded the corner of the warehouse, another deafening clatter of bone-on-bone vibrations filled the air. The awful din eclipsed all other sounds, even making it hard for Jadis to think as she put some distance between her and her enemy. Unable to hear anything else, Jadis failed to notice a bone thief charge at her from the side before it was too late to react.
The low to the ground demon tackled Dys from the side, slamming pointed antlers into her abdomen with its charge. Knocked to the ground with a scream of pain that couldn¡¯t be heard over the thunderous clamor the behemoth was still emitting, Dys tried to toss the demon away from her, but one of its sharp antlers had pierced through her leather armor to her ribs.
Before the demon could do more damage, Jay struck it from behind, knocking off its rear end and cracking open the core. With a roar, she jammed her hand into the open shell and ripped the still squirming demon out, tossing it away to splatter on the ground in the mostly open hill of the slope that lead down to the village from the mining compound.
¡°Shit in a hand basket,¡± Dys hissed as she ripped the antlers from her body.
With a mental glance, Jadis saw that the attack had dropped her health from a full three hundred to two hundred and fifty-three.
¡°We need to keep moving,¡± Jay shouted, her ears ringing as she helped her twin self to her feet. It was an instant later that she realized she could hear herself talking, indicating the behemoth had stopped its sonic attack.
Acting on instinct as an ominous feeling loomed over her, Jay and Dys both dove to the side as the massive tail of the huge demon smashed into the wall near where they had been standing half a second before.
Crawling over the top of the warehouse roof, the behemoth looked down at the two with its countless skulls, its long tail having whipped over the top like a scorpion stinger. One of its huge hands reached towards the two, barely missing them as they desperately rolled away across the ground. With a casualness belying the enormous strength of the bone behemoth, it pulled its tail from the hole it had put in the wall and began clambering down the building, giving chase to the two as they got to their feet and ran for cover behind the wooden barracks on the far edge of the compound.
¡°We are going to fucking die!¡± Jay and Dys screamed as Jadis wracked her brain for some idea of how to slay a giant.
Chapter 29: Dying the Cool Way
Dys was having trouble running. The pain was slightly dulled by the adrenaline flooding her veins, but Jadis could still feel the sharp pull in Dys¡¯ left side from where the surprise bone thief¡¯s antlers had pierced her. Sprinting full tilt, even the short distance to the log cabin barracks was agonizing.
The bone behemoth was already crossing the distance, following behind Jay and Dys as they dodged behind the wooden building, giving Jadis only moments to consider what she should do. Brain stalling, Jadis had both of her selves scan her surroundings, looking for any potential advantage she could wring out of the bad situation.
They were at the edge of the compound, on the top of a hill. The road was to their right, following a gentle curve to mitigate the steepness of the slope. The hillside was covered in small trees, mostly saplings shorter than she was, but was a dense enough thicket that trying to run through it might slow her down. At the base of the hill was the western edge of the village proper with its stone buildings, and slightly beyond that was D¡¯s temple with it¡¯s stone tower.
None of the details surrounding her seemed in any way helpful. As Jadis started moving both Jay and Dys south, thinking to run for the road and try to lead the huge demon away from the lake filled with bones, she spotted the stacked pile of large logs between her and the top of the road.
Jadis didn¡¯t waste time or breath with words. Jay and Dys were her, no explanation of plans was needed.
Leaping forward, Jay ran out from behind the cabin as the behemoth was putting one of its huge bony hands on the edge of the roof.
¡°Eat my ass you Halloween decoration reject!¡± Jay shouted as she ran past the abomination, heading for the log pile.
At the same time, Dys fell back through one of the log cabin windows, crouching low and staying silent to avoid drawing attention. With one hand pressed against the bleeding holes in her side, Jadis hoped she could find something to staunch the wounds soon before Dys suffered from the effects of blood loss.
Running full tilt towards the large stack of logs, Jay looked over her shoulder to see the behemoth chasing right behind her. It moved slowly, at least it seemed to, but accounting for its size, each forward step of the demon was moving it forward dozens of feet at a time. Its apparently sluggish movements were effectively fast when put into context.
Reaching the logs, Jay double checked what held them in place with a quick glance. Each log was as long as the behemoth¡¯s body, and thicker around than Jadis could reach with one set of arms. They were piled high, stacked on each other tall enough to reach an arm¡¯s length over Jay¡¯s head. On either side of the pile, four large wooden stakes had been stuck into the ground, holding the logs in place.
Seeing that things were as she remembered with the log pile, Jay changed trajectory and started running east, down the slope of the hill. She had to time the turn right, making sure to angle the bone behemoth so it would follow behind her as well as put the log pile to its back.
Dys, hiding in the cabin, looked out the open door of the building just in time to see the huge demon winding up its attack.
With Dys¡¯ sight to guide the timing, Jay dropped into a slide like a baseball player, wincing at the rough ground scraping the backs of her thighs. The minor pain was instantly forgotten as a whoosh of air passed over Jay¡¯s head, the huge bone mace at the end of the behemoth¡¯s tail missing her by inches as it swept through the trees and saplings without slowing in the slightest.
¡°Shit biscuits!¡± Jadis couldn¡¯t help but curse as she rolled Jay to her feet, continuing her breakneck sprint down the hill. She had to put more distance between her and the giant demon.
Seeing the behemoth commit to the chase, lumbering down the slope after Jay, Dys moved out of the cabin and made a beeline for the logs, trying to move as quietly as she could despite her wounds making her limp. As she neared the logs, she heard a familiar clattering sound approach from her right, in the direction of the pond.
Another bone thief was finishing up adding more bones to its body, two large arms ending in clubs making up the bulk of its form. It turned towards her, eyeless skulls seeing her as she rushed across the open space.
¡°Fuck me,¡± Dys groaned, then double-timed it to the log pile as the distant demon gave chase.
Jay was nearing the bottom of the hill, the behemoth right behind her. If she left the hill and sought cover in the village before Dys could destroy the stakes holding the logs in place, the bone behemoth might not be in the right place for her plan to work. With another bone thief to deal with, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how long it¡¯d take for her to spring her trap. She had to stall.
Screaming both to bolster her nerves and because she was fucking terrified, Jay skidded to a halt and reversed course, rushing straight back up at the massive demon bearing down on her.
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Perhaps surprised by the sudden reversal, the behemoth was slow to respond and swiped its right front arm at Jay a little too late, getting the angle and distance wrong. Jay dove forward, rolling up and under the attack, coming to her feet right in the many, many faces of the huge demon. Dozens upon dozens of skulls stared at her with chattering jaws as Jay bared her own teeth at the skeletal monstrosity.
¡°Bitch!¡± Jay shouted as she swung her maul into the compound sphere of skulls. It wasn¡¯t Jadis¡¯ most eloquent moment, but she was finding it hard to think of witty one liners while fighting for her life.
Her maul crushed multiple skulls in a swath of destruction, the swing carrying through the demon¡¯s bones with greater ease than Jadis was expecting. Capitalizing on the momentum, Jay used the swing to roll off to the side as the whale-sized bone thief reacted the same way other bone thieves did when struck: it ignored the damage and tried to kill her.
The bone behemoth slammed the ground where Jay had been a moment before, ramming its skulls into the earth as it thrust forward with enough force to send dirt splashing up like water.
As Jay stumbled away from the Behemoth, Dys was dealing with a smaller, though no less deadly problem.
Dys had reached the log pile, splintering the closest wood stake to bits with a swing of her maul. As she had rushed for the second, the newly formed bone thief had reached her, bounding around the corner and swinging one of its long club arms at her. Dys hadn¡¯t been able to roll out of the way, her wounds restricting her movement, and caught the edge of the attack on her shoulder with a pained cry.
¡°Oh just fuck off!¡± Dys screamed, swinging her maul back at the bone thief, knocking it back with a one-handed blow.
Turning and swinging at the next post, Dys split it at its base just as something hit her back, hard. She crashed forward against the logs, causing the pile to shift and groan as pain bloomed all along Dys¡¯ back. As the bone thief reared back to strike her again, Dys purposefully dropped and rolled to her wounded side, biting down a scream at the excruciating pain as she dodged the next attack from the demon¡¯s club arm.
Rolling up and away, Dys used the momentum to swing forward and break the third post, causing the stack of logs to shift slightly, though not enough to collapse the pile.
Jadis was glad to have her Refracted Mind Skill, because the pain of Dys being struck from behind and aggravating her bleeding wounds absolutely would have been enough to distract her at a crucial moment as she desperately dodged around the huge limbs and tail of the behemoth.
To keep the demonic behemoth from crushing her outright, Jay had to constantly shift and duck into its blind spots. Its huge arms and tail constantly slammed and swept the ground, tearing up the earth as Jay essentially kept below the demon¡¯s chest where it had trouble seeing her. Jadis didn¡¯t know why the bone thieves needed their skulls to see and fight when there was nothing in them, but the same principle held true for the giant.
Trying to crush her, the behemoth slammed its body down onto the ground as Jay barely danced away in time to avoid becoming a pale pancake. As she did so, she slammed her maul into its right arm, though the damage it did was superficial. Her goal wasn¡¯t to do damage; she just needed to last long enough for Dys to do her part.
In that moment, Dys ducked under the swing of the bone thief assaulting her, dodging a blow that would have pulped her head had it connected. Fighting through the pain, she swung her maul back at the bony demon, crushing its shoulder and sending it stumbling back.
Jadis couldn¡¯t waste the time to press the attack on the reeling bone thief. The more time passed, the more likely the behemoth was to finally land an attack on Jay and just one hit from a creature of that size would be devastating.
Swinging around, Dys swept her maul in a low swing that took out the final post.
At the same time, the now one-armed bone demon recovered its footing and swung for Dys, club arm hitting her back again and sending her flopping forward onto the ground.
The ground just beyond the path of the now collapsing log pile, as it turned out.
Pulling her legs out of the way just in time, the towering stack of logs, each one likely weighing thousands of pounds, fell on top of the bone thief, crunching it to dust as the pile rolled down the hill, heading straight for the back of the behemoth.
Knowing what was coming, Jadis sprinted away from the bone behemoth, trying to get out of the way before the avalanche of wood reached them both. Before she could take even a few steps away, though, the tail of the colossal bone thief came crashing down in front of her, missing her by inches. The spiky mass still landed directly in her path, causing Jay to trip over it in a disorienting and painful scramble of limbs. Before she could recover from her fall, the demon whipped its tail up and away, bony spikes catching into her armor and flesh, sending her cartwheeling through the air for a dozen paces where she landed hard on the dirt, something in her right knee crunching audibly with the impact.
¡°Fuck!¡± Jay screeched, voice breaking with the pain.
Rolling over onto her back, she stared up at the behemoth as it loomed above her, huge hand raised high overhead, poised to slap down on top of her prone form and swat her like a fly.
Jadis watched with morbid detachment as impending death hung over her head.
She grinned, a bit of blood streaking her white teeth as she lifted a middle finger at the bone behemoth.
¡°Eat my dick,¡± she growled viciously as the rolling logs collided with the behemoth, catching it completely off guard.
The huge logs rolled down the hillside, bouncing and crashing along due to the uneven ground. Some impacted the legs of the bone behemoth, knocking it off its feet, while others were launched higher, slamming into its side and bowling it over. The demon was swept away in a tide of trees, its size and weight no defense against the momentum of so many heavy logs.
Jadis watched with twin smiles as the mess of bone and wood crashed to a stop at the base of the hill, rolling into the back of a stone building which partially collapsed, creating even more destruction.
As Dys hobbled to her feet and Jay groped around for her maul to use as a crutch, her smiles faded to gaping mouths of disbelief.
The pile of wood and rubble shifted as the visible pieces of the bone behemoth shifted, trying to extricate itself from the heap of logs and stone pinning it down.
¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck,¡± Jadis shouted from both her selves in unison, running Dys down the slope to Jay as fast as she could. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you just die the cool way, you piece of shit!?¡±
Chapter 30: Aftermath
Jadis checked her health pool as Dys sprinted as fast as she was able to down the hill towards Jay¡¯s prone form. She nearly tripped as she physically flinched upon seeing the numbers.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (17)
Secondary Class: None
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 17
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Health: 62/300
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Magic: 10/10
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Attributes
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Strength: 57
Dexterity: 10
Agility: 10
Vitality: 30
Fortitude: 20
Endurance: 21
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 70
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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Sixty-two health out of three hundred. It was the lowest her health had been since arriving on Oros, less than a quarter of her max.
Jadis had a near gut-wrenching impulse to run away when she saw the state of her health pool. She wanted to flee, find a quiet and dark hole to hide in, and sleep for however many days it would take to get her health back up to full, then sleep another week on top of that to be safe. An errant flick of the behemoth¡¯s tail would likely be enough to end her in her current condition. The instinct to escape screamed in Jadis¡¯ mind.
She ignored the flight response, continuing her charge downhill to reunite her mirrored selves. If she didn¡¯t kill the bone behemoth while it was temporarily disabled, and she had no doubt about the transient nature of its incapacitation, there was no guarantee she¡¯d get another chance.
Reaching Jay moments after the crippled twin had grasped hold of her maul, Dys helped her to her feet. Wrapping arms around each other, they supported one another as they rushed towards the toppled and half buried giant demon as it struggled to pull itself free of the logs and stone house rubble.
Taking in the damage done, Jadis could see the behemoth had been badly broken by the collision. Several of its arms were broken and shattered, two of them completely sheared off the body. The body itself was partially crushed, large cracks crisscrossing the bone shell, with sections caved in from the impact. There was no sign of the dark purple flesh core she knew dwelled within though. She¡¯d have to break her way in.
As Jadis neared the demon, indigo colored symbols appeared in asymmetrical patterns all around its body, glowing briefly as a spell Jadis had seen used several times before surrounded the behemoth. The various skeletal shards mixed into the heap of debris surrounding the demon began flying through the air, attaching onto the bone shell core, filling the cracks and fixing the caved in parts.
¡°Oh no you don¡¯t,¡± Jadis said through two pairs of gritted teeth, stumbling through the jumbled mess of logs, stones, and bones.
Dys was having trouble swinging her maul at full extension from the damage done to her side and back. Upon reaching the closest exposed side of the disabled behemoth, she swung with her right arm, slamming the sharp end of her weapon down into the dense barrier of bone, burying the tip into the shell.
Less than a second later, the blunt side of Jay¡¯s maul impacted Dys¡¯. Jay, too, was having trouble swinging her maul with one leg crippled, unable to plant her feet for proper leverage, but it didn¡¯t matter. The timing was synchronized perfectly, triggering Mirrored Strikes.
Bone exploded like shrapnel from the force of the blow, a hole the size of a manhole cover broken through the demon¡¯s protective shell.
From inside, Jadis saw dozens of glowing orange eyes surrounded by a sea of purple tentacles staring up at her.
Without hesitation, Jadis began jamming her mauls down into the foul mess, pulverizing the unprotected demon core. Gouts of dark blood and glowing ocular fluid began spraying up and out of the jagged hole as she pressed her attack, splattering her in the noxious fluids.
The repulsive smell and disgusting sight was almost enough to distract Jadis from the sudden sound and movement coming from the other side of the behemoth, but with two sets of eyes watching, she caught the motion just in time to react. Letting go of her mauls still partially stuck inside the fleshy mess of the demon core, they dove down.
With an ear-ringing crack, the behemoth ripped its tail out from under itself where it had been entangled, snapping off the end. The remaining length of tail whipped through the air, barely missing Jay and Dys as they dodged to the ground. Unfortunately for the bone behemoth, its tail continued straight into its side, colliding with the shafts sticking out of the hole in its shell.
The force of the blow thrust the mauls deep into the core of the demon, a fountain of black ichor spraying out from the mortal wound.
Jadis scrambled to get out of the way as the behemoth convulsed, its tail and remaining trapped limbs thrashing around in a chaotic seizure. Logs and stones shifted and rolled as the gigantic bone thief lashed out in a blind bid to kill what had already done the same to it. Even if she hadn¡¯t been crippled, she would have found it impossible to escape the death throes of the demon unscathed. As it was, Jadis simply gritted her teeth and tried to stay out of the way as huge forces rolled and shifted under and around her, slamming into her wounds.
Both Jay and Dys bit back cries of pain as their abused bodies were further battered, but the behemoth¡¯s struggles did not last for long. Eventually, the movement died down as the demon¡¯s blood soaked the earth. With a final clatter of bones, the broken tail of the behemoth fell still, silence reigning absolute over the wreckage of Jadis and the demon¡¯s battlefield for several minutes.
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¡°I think I¡¯m going to puke,¡± Jay said, breaking the silence.
They weren¡¯t the triumphant words of victory Jadis would have wanted to say, should anyone have been around to hear and record her words for posterity, but they were the truth. The terrible injuries her bodies had sustained were hitting her hard, making her heads spin with pain induced nausea. The nasty smell of dead demon wasn¡¯t helping.
¡°Ugh, gotta get up,¡± Dys slurred, pulling herself free from under a log that had come close to collapsing on top of her. ¡°There might be more regular-sized bone thieves around. We¡¯ve gotta get somewhere safe.¡±
¡°Fuck, what¡¯s our health at?¡± Jay hissed, looking at her knee. Her leg was already swelling up and turning purple.
Checking her status menu, Jadis ignored the list of notifications about the demons she¡¯d killed, mentally pushing those aside while she inspected her remaining health pool.
|
Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (17)
Secondary Class: None
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 17
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Health: 39/300
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Magic: 10/10
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Attributes
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Strength: 57
Dexterity: 10
Agility: 10
Vitality: 30
Fortitude: 20
Endurance: 21
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 70
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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¡°Fuuuuuuck,¡± both Jay and Dys moaned, physical pains momentarily forgotten as Jadis saw just how close to death she was. Her current health was barely above ten percent. As she watched, Jadis saw her health tick down another point to thirty-eight.
¡°Shit, I think that¡¯s me,¡± Dys said, clutching at her side.
Indeed, Dys was still bleeding from the antler wounds on her side, blood soaking the leather armor. All other considerations put aside, Jadis immediately set about getting Jay and Dys to their feet and back to somewhere protected where she could take the time to attend to Dys¡¯ injuries.
It was a struggle, but before Jadis could flee the scene for the safety of the compound, she had to pull her mauls from the fetid insides of the dead demon. Going elbows deep into the goopy flesh was more than enough to make both her bodies puke, though since they hadn¡¯t yet had breakfast that morning there wasn¡¯t much to come out of their empty stomachs. Eventually, weapons in hand, she managed to pull her selves together and stagger up the hill back to the smithy. Along the way, she let the mental notifications wash over her mind.
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Congratulations!
Bone Thief Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
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The expected announcement of her slaying of bone thieves popped up in her mind¡¯s eye for each of the eight she¡¯d killed during the fight. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if the newly spawned bone thieves would warrant a different notification from the system, but so far as she could tell there was no difference.
The notification that came after the bone thieves was a new one for Jadis, curiosity breaking through the aching pain at the sight.
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Congratulations!
Bone Thief Matriarch Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Mother of Samleos.
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¡°Matriarch? Demon Mother? What¡¯s that about?¡± Jay asked through a grimace as she limped along, using her maul as a makeshift crutch.
¡°Well, I guess they¡¯ve got to come from somewhere,¡± Dys shrugged, immediately regretting the action afterward. Her back felt like it was one large bruise, and her side was on fire. ¡°It did look like it was spawning more demons at the pond.¡±
¡°Damnit, there better not be more waiting for us up here.¡±
More notifications were waiting for Jadis¡¯ acknowledgement, but she shunted them to the back of her mind as her twin selves reached the mining compound. Unwilling to be distracted when she didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d be attacked by more bone thieves waiting in the wings, Jadis cautiously made her way between the buildings, checking around every corner before moving forward. She even poked her head through the smithy door first before entering, just in case there was another ambush waiting for her.
Jadis found no demons hiding within the walls of her makeshift home, just the low burning fire in the forge and a giant hole where a corner of the building used to be.
¡°Shit licking turd monkey,¡± Jay growled as she hobbled around the room, doing her best to gather up the most necessary supplies for transport to a different building. ¡°Why did that fucking mother demon or whatever have to come here anyway?¡±
¡°Maybe some of its kids told on us,¡± Dys said, pulling her armor off with some difficulty.
¡°That looks bad,¡± Jay said, glancing over at Dys as she worked.
Her side was caked with blood, some still leaking out of three holes in her pale flesh. One looked much deeper than the other two.
Going silent as she concentrated, Jadis put all her attention on cleaning off and dressing Dys¡¯ wounds. As long as she could apply enough pressure to stop the bleeding, she was fairly confident Knight¡¯s Rest could heal her without need for stiches or any of the other normal medical treatments she was sure she¡¯d need if she was back on Earth. Of course, she was less certain the skill would do much for infection, but Jadis would just have to cross that bridge when she got there.
Once she¡¯d managed to reuse her chest wraps as bandages for Dys, Jadis took a few minutes to examine Jay. Her worst wound there was her knee, which had to be fractured if not worse from what she could tell. She could still move her toes, though, which was a good sign. Jadis¡¯ passive healing skill didn¡¯t mention broken bones, but it didn¡¯t exclude them. Knight¡¯s Rest only specified it wouldn¡¯t regenerate lost limbs. Jadis double checked all her fingers and toes to make sure, but everything seemed to be where it should be.
Once the bleeding wounds were bandaged and the supplies gathered, Jadis relocated her selves to the warehouse. The warehouse also had a hole in one wall, put there by the bone behemoth demon mother thing, but stacking a few crates to plug that one much smaller hole was far less effort than trying to secure one of the other abandoned buildings in the compound. Jay arranged things while Dys rested, her wounds the worst of the pair.
¡°Maybe we leveled up after all that,¡± Jay said once she¡¯d done all she could, gingerly laying back on the fur skin rug the two used as a bed. ¡°If we got to level eighteen, we can put a free attribute point into our vitality. That¡¯d put us just a little bit further back from death¡¯s door, I think.¡±
¡°We D damned better have gotten a level after all that,¡± Dys said with a tired grunt.
¡°Yeah, let¡¯s see what the menu says¡¡± Jay trailed off as the remaining mental announcements overlayed her vision.
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Level Up!
Mirror Knight has Reached Level 18.
1 Attribute Point Awarded.
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Level Up!
Mirror Knight has Reached Level 19.
1 New Skill Available for Selection.
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Level Up!
Mirror Knight has Reached Level 20.
5 Attribute Points Awarded.
|
|
Congratulations!
Secondary Class Unlocked.
New Class Options Available.
Please Choose Secondary Class.
|
¡°Huh,¡± was all Jadis could think of to say as she stared at the notifications.
Chapter 31: Secondary Class
Ever since she¡¯d first accessed the decidedly videogame-esque menu system that existed on Oros, one of the first of many questions that had popped up in Jadis¡¯ mind revolved around the class system. What exactly did the menu mean when it referenced Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary classes? At the time, she¡¯d been eager, thrilled, even, to explore the system Oros was opening up to her. Unfortunately, she¡¯d only received a partial answer when she¡¯d been offered several class options and her primary class slot had been filled. Try as she might, she hadn¡¯t been able to re-access the class selection menu that had popped up to choose another class after she¡¯d chosen Mirror Knight as her primary and any other attempts to glean information were fruitless. Without any answers or means of seeking them out, she¡¯d put aside the question of how her secondary class would come into play and focused on other, more immediate concerns, like survival.
Now, here Jadis was, a mess of broken bones and bruises lying on the floor of an abandoned warehouse, with a menu notification screen floating in her mind¡¯s eye asking her to choose a secondary class.
Not that Jadis was uninterested in answering the question of what secondary classes were or how it would interact with her primary class, she was just having trouble expressing much excitement through the pain.
¡°Maybe we should wait to check this stuff out until after we¡¯ve healed up a bit?¡± Dys groaned. Her arm was pressed up against the bandages wrapped around the wounds on her lower left side, keeping up the pressure as best she could. She was lying on her stomach, her back a mess of purple bruises from where the bone thief¡¯s attacks had pummeled her. ¡°I¡¯m not sure we¡¯re equipped to think straight right now¡¡± Jadis was fairly certain several of her ribs were cracked and broken from what she could feel.
Jay lay next to Dys, propping her leg with the broken knee up on a nearby crate. ¡°Maybe. We might get something that could help us heal, though. We¡¯d feel pretty stupid if we tried to sleep all this damage off for the next couple weeks and we could have healed ourselves up in a day with some new secondary class feature or whatever.¡±
¡°True¡¡± Dys sighed, which only made her wince. Big movements of the chest hurt. ¡°What about our Mirror Knight levels? We can get a new skill there.¡±
¡°Plus level twenty gave us five attribute points. I bet reaching level twenty is how we unlocked the secondary class, too,¡± Jay said, considering the timing. ¡°Well, whatever. We¡¯ve got six attribute points to use. Let¡¯s slap them into vitality and¡ª¡±
¡°Wait,¡± Dys interrupted. ¡°We¡¯re getting ahead of ourselves. Let¡¯s see what the skill options are first. And the secondary class. We might want those points in a different attribute to help with our healing or something.¡±
¡°Good point, me,¡± Jay said, a little smile playing across her lips.
¡°You¡¯re welcome, me,¡± Dys said tiredly, eyes closed as she rested her head on one forearm.
Mentally focusing on what skills level nineteen had made available to her, Jadis read over the first option.
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Knight¡¯s Guard
Active Skill. Temporarily increase perception and reaction speed while in a guard stance. Cost ¨C 1 stamina per second.
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¡°That might have been useful during that fight,¡± Jay said, considering the skill. ¡°Might have avoided taking some of those hits. I certainly would have liked some increased reaction speed while dodging the bone mother.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Dys said without opening her eyes. ¡°But I feel like we did more running than guarding during that fight. What even counts as a ¡®guard stance¡¯ anyway?¡±
Jay shrugged. Most of what Jadis knew about combat came from reading books and watching movies or other media. She wasn¡¯t going to pretend she was any kind of trained practitioner of martial arts, but she did feel like she had a basic grasp of what a guard position was.
¡°Probably have to have our weapons up in a defensive posture or something like that,¡± Jay murmured.
Knight¡¯s Guard seemed useful, but it didn¡¯t thrill her. Jadis moved on to the next skill.
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Mirrored Body¡¯s Shifting Reflection
Active Skill. Transfer injuries from one mirrored body to another. Does not affect health pool.
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¡°Woah,¡± Jay and Dys said in unison.
¡°That sounds like a freaky fucking skill,¡± Dys said, cracking one eye open to look at Jay. ¡°We could just, what, choose which body has the holes in their side?¡±
¡°Very freaky.¡± Jay agreed. ¡°What would that even look like?¡±
Thinking about the skill sent a bit of a shiver down Jadis¡¯ spines. Seeing wounds magically disappear from one of her selves would be great, but seeing, and no doubt feeling, those same wounds appear on the other of her selves would be horrible, or at least so she imagined. Still, the skill obviously had its uses. If she could transfer Jay¡¯s broken leg to Dys, who was already in no condition to move around much, Jay would be free to walk and thus Jadis could get a lot more done, even defend herself more effectively if needed.
¡°Freaky as it is, I think that¡¯s probably the best skill for us right now,¡± Jay finally said.
¡°Yeah, fine, but next time we get fucked up you¡¯re taking all the injuries,¡± Dys glared daggers at Jay.
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, we¡¯re the same person,¡± Jay said, tossing her hands in the air in exasperation.
¡°So then it¡¯s fine if you take all the injuries I have right now.¡±
¡°Whatever!¡±
Jadis was beginning to suspect she might be a bit punch drunk. She was basically arguing with herself over whether her left hand or her right hand should be the hand to hurt. Or, was it more like her two hands were arguing with each other? She was starting to confuse herself.
Taking the skill, Jadis immediately concentrated on trying to shift the broken knee from Jay¡¯s leg to Dys.
As Jadis watched, the purple swelling and pain receded from Jay¡¯s leg over the course of several seconds while the corresponding leg on Dys purpled and swelled, pain blooming in equal and opposite measure. The process was not instantaneous, but took no more than ten seconds total.
¡°Fuck! Now I¡¯m even more of a wreck,¡± Dys cursed, her now injured knee uncomfortably pressed against the floor.
Jay, on the other hand, got to her feet, her right leg now fully functional and free to move. It felt and looked as though nothing had happened to it at all.
From an overall perspective, Jadis supposed the level of pain she was feeling wasn¡¯t actually any less or more than when the injuries had been more spread out between her two bodies. She felt what both felt at all times. However, with her Refracted Mind skill compartmentalizing the sensations her two selves experienced, she had to admit feeling all the injuries focus on just one of her felt awful.
¡°Okay, okay, this is bearable,¡± Dys said through gritted teeth. ¡°And more importantly, necessary.¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to start moving more of our supplies, get our shit together. But first, let¡¯s experiment with this skill a bit. See what its limitations are.¡±
For the next few minutes, Jadis tried shifting injuries between her bodies. She quickly determined that she couldn¡¯t split the difference between her two selves, meaning if she had a cut on Jay, she couldn¡¯t transfer only half of the cut to Dys. It was either all on one or the other of her. However, she could shift very specific injuries. With careful thought, Dys could move the bruises on her back to Jay while not transferring the broken ribs.
Once the limitations were established, Jadis moved several of the more minor injuries from Dys to Jay, giving that half of her self some relief and to make it a little easier for Dys to get into a comfortable position. None of the wounds she put on Jay were enough to hinder her as she went about moving more of her supplies out of the broken smithy and into the warehouse. She¡¯d miss having the fireplace for warmth at night and warm food, but the broken-down corner of the home was too much to fix.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
¡°We can still cook food in there when we want,¡± Dys assured herself. ¡°We just won¡¯t sleep in there.¡±
¡°Mmhmm,¡± Jay hummed, carrying the crate of honey jars into the warehouse. ¡°Speaking of, we really need to eat.¡±
¡°Just pass me one of those jars,¡± Dys said with a sigh, hand already reaching out as Jay passed one jar to her blindly. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can stomach any hardtack mush right now.¡±
As Dys popped the wax seal on the jar and stuck a finger into the honey to lick clean, Jay stopped halfway out the door. Both remained motionless for a long pause as a long dormant memory resurfaced in Jadis¡¯ mind.
¡°Isn¡¯t honey¡ antibacterial?¡±
¡°Yes, yes I think it is.¡±
¡°And doesn¡¯t it help speed up healing?¡±
¡°Pretty sure, yeah.¡±
¡°Am I really that oblivious?¡±
¡°Seems like it.¡±
Moments later, jar in hand, Jay was slathering every scrape and cut on Dys¡¯ body with honey. Jadis was certain all her wounds could be healed with Knight¡¯s Rest, but she was also fairly sure that the amount of healing Knight¡¯s Rest gave her was dependent on upon factors like how well cared for her injuries were. The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory nature of honey had to have some multiplicative effect with her skill, or so she hoped.
¡°Okay, we¡¯re kind of stalling here,¡± Jay said as she carefully re-wrapped Dys¡¯ bandages after putting some honey directly on the three antler wounds.
¡°Right, the secondary class,¡± Dys said, now flipped over on her back, leg propped up on a crate. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look.¡±
As she continued to apply the honey to any open wounds, Jadis concentrated on her menu and the secondary class slot. Immediately, another menu popped up. Much like she¡¯d seen when she¡¯d been prompted to select her primary class, the new menu was displaying a list of classes, two of which she was familiar with.
¡°Dedicated Pervert and Exuberant Exhibitionist¡¡± Jay said aloud with a resigned sigh. ¡°I kind of forgot about those¡¡±
¡°Hey, at least those being there prove that secondary classes aren¡¯t some kind of special category. It¡¯s getting the same options as the primary,¡± Dys pointed out. ¡°So let¡¯s get to the good stuff and see what else we¡¯ve got on tap.¡±
¡°Yeah, cause those two are out of the question,¡± Jay nodded.
Doing a quick count, Jadis saw that the list held three more classes, not including the two she had been offered when she had selected her primary class. Checking out the first on the list, Jadis was pleasantly surprised to see it wasn¡¯t some kind of joke class like the other two she¡¯d already dismissed were.
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Primeval Barbarian
You have no need of modern armor, or even proper weaponry. Your savage might is aided by only the most basic of arms, which suits you just fine. Most skills from this class will empower your naked defenses and strengthen your barbaric combat style.
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¡°Barbarian?¡± Jay and Dys said in unison, looking at each other. ¡°We aren¡¯t barbarians!¡±
Jadis felt a little offended. Sure, she had spent the last month running around in somewhat skimpy leather armor, bashing her enemies to death with what amounted to giant clubs, but she wasn¡¯t a barbarian. She was an intelligent woman making the best of a survival situation in the most effective way available to her.
¡°¡We are a little savage, aren¡¯t we?¡± Jay finally said, rubbing a bit of honey onto a cut on her upper arm.
Dys held up a hand, putting her forefinger and thumb an inch apart.
¡°Just a smidge.¡±
Jadis decided to stop thinking about her possibly barbaric inclinations and moved on, taking a look at her next available class.
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Perverted Ritualist of D
Your perverse actions have defiled the temple of a god, garnering his interest rather than his ire. This class will put your depraved nature to good use, allowing you to perform eldritch rituals that will bolster your strengths as well as aid you in performing ever more exciting debaucheries.
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¡°Another joke class, huh?¡± Jay said, shaking her head.
Jadis readily recognized that her request to be a futanari was, by its inherent nature, a perverted wish, but that didn¡¯t mean she was a sex crazed maniac, willing to sacrifice a whole third of her potential ability to increase in power to a class centered around fucking. True, she did quite enjoy pleasuring herself. And, yes, true, she did have a bit of a narcissistic love of her own looks, she had to admit that now. And, well, yes, she¡¯d basically made it a ritual practice to go pseudo-fucking in the temple every day. And¡ª
¡°Fine, I¡¯m a fucking pervert, okay!?¡± Jadis shouted from both her selves, glaring heavenwards at where she presumed D was looking down on her with a mocking, knowing grin.
¡°I just don¡¯t like being called out on it, okay?¡± Jay grumbled with a pout, sitting down next to Dys. ¡°I mean, what the fuck? You cannot tell me D didn¡¯t put that class on our list just to tease us.¡±
¡°It¡¯s got his name on it and everything,¡± Dys said, her face in more of a grimace. ¡°It¡¯s got to be on purpose. Unless the system meant ¡®D¡¯ as in¡¡± she motioned down towards her crotch.
¡°Hmph. Apparently Oros has multiple classes dedicated to being a pervert. I would not be surprised at all if that was a pun.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s just check the last class.¡±
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Bone Thief Slayer
You have become an expert in the act of killing the demonic spawn known as bone thieves. Few have the experience and knowhow you do when it comes to putting such creatures to death. This class specializes in skills that will make it even easier for you to slay bone thieves and their variations.
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¡°Specialize?¡±
Looking over the last class, Jadis couldn¡¯t help but feel it might be a tad too limiting. Bone Thief Slayer¡¯s description indicated it would give her skills specifically for the killing of bone thieves. How well would those skills carry over towards fighting other types of demons? There had to be other types if Oros was offering her a class that specialized in this one species of demon in particular.
Also, what if she was in a fight with something other than a demon? Like, what about bandits? Would this class¡¯s skills be useful against a regular person? Probably, but probably not as useful.
¡°We¡¯re leaving this area as soon as we can, anyway,¡± Dys said, waving a dismissive hand. ¡°Once we¡¯re out of here, we might not even run into any more bone thieves.¡±
¡°Agreed. This one¡¯s a no go,¡± Jay said. ¡°I guess that just leaves the Primeval Barbarian class?¡±
¡°I guess,¡± Dys answered, a frown creasing her brow.
Though it was the most useful looking of the classes she had available to choose from, Jadis honestly didn¡¯t feel any draw towards the Primeval Barbarian class. She didn¡¯t want to run around in leather scraps, swinging makeshift clubs at her enemies for the rest of her days. One of the reasons she wanted to get the hell out of the bone-infested abandoned village was to find real civilization, with people and shops and, wonder of wonders, real weapons and armor. Her mauls were effective, and she did like smashing things, but she dreamt of more.
Reviewing her options again, Jadis¡¯ attention was caught by a single word in one of the class descriptions.
¡°Eldritch rituals¡¡± Jay murmured quietly, ¡°Eldritch¡¡±
With a sudden start, Jay and Dys turned their heads to look at each other.
¡°Eldritch!¡±
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (20)
Secondary Class: None
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 20
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Health: 36/300
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Magic: 10/10
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Attributes
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Strength: 57
Dexterity: 10
Agility: 10
Vitality: 30
Fortitude: 20
Endurance: 21
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 70
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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Staring at the menu overlaying her vision, Jadis stared with some trepidation at her attributes.
¡°Eldritch is our highest stat,¡± Dys said, a tinge of excitement coloring her voice.
¡°You really think this Perverted Ritualist class will make use of it?¡± Jay asked, her tone hopeful.
Dys shrugged with her one good shoulder, which still hurt enough to make her regret the action. ¡°It¡¯s got the word right there in the description. I doubt it¡¯s coincidence.¡±
¡°Okay, but if we do take this class, we¡¯ll be playing into the whole pervert thing, guaranteed. Is it worth it?¡±
Jadis had to stop and think about it for a moment. Was locking herself into what sounded like a class dedicated to sexual debauchery really worth potentially taking advantage of a single attribute on her status menu? Was it worth the risk, when she didn¡¯t even know for sure the class would actually make use of the stat in question?
Would it really be that much of a downside to have a class that gave her a legitimate excuse to do the perverted things she was already doing?
¡°Okay, fine, you got me, D,¡± Jay said dropping her head in defeat.
¡°Perverted Ritualist of D it is!¡± Dys said with a forced cheeriness, giving Jay a thumbs up.
Unlike when Jadis had selected her primary class, there was no flash of light to blind her. A simple pop up menu appeared before her eyes, acknowledging her selection, then disappeared. That was all.
¡°I don¡¯t feel any different.¡±
¡°Neither do I,¡± Jay concurred.
Checking her skill menu, Jadis found there was nothing new added. Blinking in confusion, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure what to do until she remembered that she had a spell menu as well, a feature she¡¯d made no use of so far. Looking there, she found a new spell had been added to the Secondary Class section.
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Spells
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Primary:
None
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Secondary:
Debauched Duplication
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Tertiary:
None
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With a quirked eyebrow, Jadis focused on the spell and read the description out loud.
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Debauched Duplication
Ritual Spell. Duplicate the effects of a single passive skill. Effect persists until the ritual is repeated and a new skill is selected.
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¡°Holy shit¡¡± Jay and Dys both trailed off after reading the spell¡¯s text. ¡°That¡¯s¡ªwait. Wait a second.¡±
Perfectly synchronized, the two bodies of Jadis looked each other in the eyes.
¡°Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡± They asked each other, identical mischievous grins playing over their faces.
¡°Two hands are better than one¡¡± Jay started.
¡°¡and six hands are better than four.¡± Dys finished.
Chapter 32: Ritual
¡°This is so fucked up,¡± Jay mumbled breathlessly, staring down at Dys.
¡°Just¡ªjust shut up and do it,¡± Dys responded through gritted teeth.
When Jadis had focused on the idea of performing the ritual spell Debauched Duplication, ideas she knew were alien to her flowed into her head. They weren¡¯t exactly instructions, per say, no glowing list appeared in her vision as the menu screens did. Instead, it was more a like a memory that wasn¡¯t hers popped into her mind, training she¡¯d never done trying to guide her. It was an odd sensation, one of the weirder experiences she¡¯d had since coming to Oros, which was saying something in her opinion.
The steps of the ritual that came to her mind were simple enough, though predictably perverted just as Jadis had expected. The requirements were a step beyond in terms of depravity when compared to anything Jadis had done with herself over the past month, but honestly they weren''t anything she hadn¡¯t been thinking about trying already. The problem was with executing those lewd acts when one of her participating selves was an injured mess. Something about stab wounds and broken bones really broke the mood for Jadis¡
Still, she wanted to make use of her new class and ritual spell right away. Having one of her bodies down and out for an extended period of time was too much of a liability, especially if there were more bone thieves running around, something Jadis was certain had to be the case.
Jadis¡¯ determination to get the ritual done was what led her to the position she¡¯d put her two selves in that was giving her pause. Per the system-prompted memories that were guiding her along, Jadis needed to, clinically speaking, start with insertion. Insertion of the not-oral kind. Once that was achieved, she had to bring herself to full climax, inside, without spilling a drop.
Not a difficult task in of itself, barring certain obvious hangups she had with the idea. The far more challenging aspect of the ritual was the repetition of it. To fulfill the requirements completely, she had to do the deed twice. An hour. For three hours.
Jadis had noticed from extensive use over the past month that her male member didn¡¯t have much, if any, of a refractory period. She¡¯d stay erect and good to go for as long as she was horny. She still got tired, though, and the idea of going for six orgasms over three hours felt like a high mountain to climb, especially considering her already exhausting morning.
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To aid her in her deviant endeavor, Jadis had used her five free attribute points she¡¯d gotten from level twenty and put them all into her vitality, pumping her max health pool to three hundred and fifty, simultaneously increasing her current health to eighty-six. Fifty more points of health had definitely had an effect, healing up some of the injuries on Dys so that she looked like she¡¯d been recovering for a week or more. The last point, the one she¡¯d gotten from level eighteen, she put into endurance. She wasn¡¯t sure how much of a difference a single point would make, but Jadis had a feeling she was going to need all the energy she could get.
Once her decision had been made and her preparations completed, Jay and Dys had gotten into position, the one Jadis had her selves paused in, a small amount of hesitation stilling her movements.
[Censored Sex Scene. The full scene can be viewed on ScribbleHub.com]
Eventually, though, Jay reached her sixth peak, releasing one final load into Dys¡¯ backdoor. As her cock pulsed and the numbing pleasure unfocused her thoughts, a white light blinded Jadis, both physically and mentally. Jadis was immediately reminded of the flash of light she¡¯d experienced when she¡¯d accepted her primary class and her first skill had taken effect.
A moment passed and the light cleared. As both Jay and Dys blinked, the warehouse suddenly much darker than it had been for the past hour or so, Jadis realized with amazement that she was seeing herself with her dick stuck in her other self¡¯s ass from an angle off to the side.
Slowly, Jay and Dys turned their heads in unison to the right, locking eyes with a third Jadis sitting on the floor a couple of feet away, naked except for a white loincloth around her waist.
¡°Hi?¡± the new half¡ª er, third? Third. The new third of Jadis waved at her other selves.
¡°Well, shit,¡± Jay said, leaning back, her dick finally popping free of Dys¡¯ much abused ass.
¡°I guess we can¡¯t use this skill to duplicate our stuff, too, huh¡¡± Dys groaned, a deep frown creasing her brow from where she still lay on the ground.
¡°Well fuck, me, you¡¯re acting like I¡¯m not happy to see me,¡± the new third Jadis said, getting to her feet.
¡°Well, no, clearly I am pretty happy to see me,¡± Jay said, pointing at the erection poking out from under the third Jadis¡¯ simple loincloth.
Third Jadis looked down, then crossed her arms and shrugged. ¡°It was a pretty hot first thing to see upon creation, what can I say?¡±
All three paused for a moment before sighing in unison.
¡°We are so fucked in the head.¡±
Chapter 33: Skills and Names
¡°So, what are we calling me?¡±
With the ritual completed, Jadis now had three of her identical selves to work with. Jay and Dys were both resting after all the hard work they¡¯d just put in while the new extension of Jadis¡¯ existence was pulling Dys¡¯ gear on, since Dys wasn¡¯t likely to need it until she healed up.
¡°Good question,¡± Jay mused between gulps of water. ¡°Jadis is a two-syllable name. Kind of hard to split it up into three.¡±
¡°Does it matter? We¡¯ll probably switch to a different skill once I get up and running and our third wheel won¡¯t exist anymore,¡± Dys said from her place on the rug. She was still lying in roughly the same spot as during the ritual, just in a more comfortable position.
¡°That¡¯s¡ almost a scary thought,¡± the third Jadis said while all three paused for a moment, considering the ramifications.
Jadis had mostly just been thinking about how useful it would be to have an extra third pair of hands to replace Dys while that part of her recovered. She hadn¡¯t thought about how odd it might feel to have a part of her disappear, even if she¡¯d only just added that part to her. It would probably be even stranger if she personified that part of her and then¡ de-summoned it, or whatever.
¡°Do we even want to use the ritual on a different skill later? I mean, out of everything we could duplicate, is there anything that¡¯d be better than having me?¡± Third Jadis voiced what Jadis was pondering. ¡°Is there any other skill worth it?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not like we have to think that hard about it, it¡¯s not permanent. We can change the skill out any time we want,¡± Jay reasoned.
¡°Well, considering the ritual takes three hours to complete, we can¡¯t do anything else while we¡¯re doing it, and it¡¯s a literal pain in the ass? We can¡¯t just switch all the time,¡± Dys pointed out, rubbing a hand over her sore backside. ¡°So it should be something strong and useful all the time.¡±
¡°Probably should have thought this through before doing the ritual,¡± Third Jadis lamented with a sigh and shake of her head.
¡°Knight¡¯s Tenacity and Knight¡¯s Resolve both give an additional ten attribute points,¡± Jay started listing options on her fingers. ¡°Minor Strength Improvement II gives six. Those would be okay to duplicate, but if we¡¯re talking raw stats, Mirror Knight¡¯s Might gives us that fifty percent boost to any stat we choose. We could double our strength, or put it towards a different stat.¡±
¡°Plus there¡¯s Mirrored Strikes. It could hit twice as hard if we double it,¡± Dys chimed in.
Finished adjusting her armor, Third Jadis tilted her head while pointing a finger at Dys. ¡°It might hit twice as hard. For all we know, since the description of the skill is ¡®Physical attacks made against a target in tandem with your mirrored body will deal increased damage,¡¯ that might mean duplicating the skill won¡¯t do anything at all. It¡¯s already doing what it says it¡¯ll do. No hard numbers to duplicate like with Mirror Knight¡¯s Might.¡±
¡°Eh,¡± Jay said, holding her hand out flat and wobbling it back and forth. ¡°I doubt it¡¯s that limited. I mean, Mirrored Body worked and that doesn¡¯t talk about any hard numbers.¡±
¡°Wait, double checking that,¡± Third Jadis said.
A moment later, all three made a collective humming noise.
¡°It does say ¡®two beings at once.¡¯ That¡¯s a hard number.¡±
¡°We have no idea if numbers actually matter though,¡± Dys pointed out.
¡°Fuck, okay, take a step back,¡± Jay said while passing a water jar to Dys. ¡°Let¡¯s just assume for now that all our skills are fair game and will be duplicated if we use the ritual.¡±
¡°Then, assuming that¡¯s the case,¡± Dys said after drinking her fill of the water, ¡°we could probably use Knight¡¯s Rest so we can heal up twice as fast.¡±
¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s of no use during the day when we¡¯re not sleeping,¡± Third Jadis said with a shake of her head. ¡°It¡¯d be a waste all day long since you can¡¯t really sleep while one, or now two, of us still walk around doing stuff.
Jadis had experimented early on after getting her Refracted Mind skill with having one self sleep while the other self went about normal activities. It only sort of worked, unfortunately. While one self could sleep while the other stayed awake and was far more lucid when compared to before she got the skill and had done the same thing, she still couldn''t be too active or her sleeping self would be roused to full wakefulness. It seemed her mind, while compartmentalized, wasn¡¯t completely partitioned off.
¡°Then Mirror Knight¡¯s Might is probably the best alternative to Mirrored Body,¡± Jay reiterated. ¡°We know what it¡¯ll do and we know it¡¯ll make us a lot stronger. It¡¯d be useful in most any circumstance.¡±
¡°Except, aren¡¯t we kind of already doubling multiple stats with Mirrored Body? Tripling them right now, actually?¡± Third Jadis said, running a hand through her hair.
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¡°The skill says it doesn¡¯t duplicate our attributes¡¡± Dys said, trailing off.
¡°But I don¡¯t feel any weaker right now,¡± Third Jadis said while she picked up one of the mauls, swinging it around with ease.
¡°I don¡¯t either,¡± Jay agreed, flexing her arms. ¡°Our health pool is the same, clearly that¡¯s not being doubled, but I don¡¯t think the skill is splitting our strength score between us.¡±
Jadis¡¯ different selves looked at each other in silence for a short while, considering the implications.
¡°If it¡¯s not splitting our strength attribute, then that means when we doubled ourselves the first time, we doubled our effective strength, too,¡± Jay finally said, brow furrowed as she followed the logic train. ¡°And right now, with this ritual, it seems like we basically tripled it.¡±
Third Jadis motioned at the empty air as Jadis¡¯ menu screen filled her mind. ¡°And I bet our collective tits that other attributes aren¡¯t being split between us, like dexterity and agility. Even if we don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing, if they aren¡¯t being split, we¡¯re getting way more by having a third me than if we duplicated Mirror Knight¡¯s Might.¡±
¡°Okay, okay,¡± Dys said, holding up her hands in surrender. ¡°I think I¡¯m all in agreement. Third me is worth keeping around.¡±
¡°We might still want to test other skills out later,¡± Jay shrugged her shoulders, ¡°But I think we made the right choice here.¡±
¡°So,¡± Third Jadis said, looking between the two of her selves, ¡°What are we naming me?¡±
Jadis¡¯ multiple selves were silent as she thought the self-imposed question over. She¡¯d never had any nicknames growing up, only occasionally was ever called Jay by a few people in passing, the moniker not sticking. The names Jay and Dys were the extent of her creative powers when it came to renaming herself.
¡°We could use our last name?¡± Jay said hesitantly, a question in her tone.
Third Jay shook her head a moment later. ¡°People who do that have cool last names like Ward or Shepherd.¡±
¡°Or Van Halen,¡± Dys chimed in.
¡°Not lame Swedish names like Ahlstrom,¡± Third Jadis finished. ¡°Plus, we¡¯ve got a one syllable thing going here.¡±
¡°Ahl?¡± Jay suggested, followed by a scrunching of the nose that was mirrored on the other two Jadis¡¯ in the warehouse. ¡°Nah, not Ahl.¡±
¡°Well if we¡¯re going to be so picky about it, we might as well start calling her Mini Me,¡± Dys grumbled in irritation.
¡°What about Jadis backwards?¡± Third Jadis countered, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Sidaj? Sid, maybe?¡±
¡°Syd,¡± all three said in unison as Jadis finally came to a decision.
¡°Though if we ever somehow make a fourth one of us, good luck trying to make a backwards name out of Jay,¡± Dys pronounced before settling further down on the rug to rest.
Name assigned and all such considerations resolved, Jadis double checked her armor on Jay and Syd, then had them head back outside to deal with the aftermath of the bone behemoth attack. For as much as Jadis had done in the day so far, from slaying a giant demon to creating a third clone of herself via a three hour long buggery ritual, the sun had not yet reached it¡¯s zenith. From what she could tell, it was probably still an hour before noon.
Stepping outside, Jay and Syd looked around the immediate area, checking to see if any bone thieves were getting close to the warehouse. Nothing was nearby, so far as she could see, but her strong suspicion was that if there were any more bone thieves in the area, they¡¯d probably have one exceptionally large distraction to keep their attention.
As soon as Jadis¡¯ two selves walked to the edge of the mining compound and took a look down the hill towards the village, she saw that her hunch had proven true.
What looked to be a dozen bone thieves of various shapes and sizes were crawling across the remains of their matriarch. Even as Jadis watched, one of them flashed dark blue as magic surged around them, bones adding onto their skeletal frame.
¡°That¡¯s a lot to take on at once,¡± Syd commented, resting her maul across her shoulders as she observed the demons as they, what, feasted? She wasn¡¯t sure if what they were doing counted as eating.
Jay shook her head, motioning with one hand. ¡°We can¡¯t let them keep that up, though. They¡¯ve already had hours to consume bones freely from that pile and they¡¯ll only get stronger. We¡¯ve got to cut them down now before they get even bigger and stronger.¡±
¡°If they see us, though, they¡¯ll all just charge. That¡¯s too many to take all at once, even for these guns,¡± Syd said with a lopsided grin while she flexed her biceps. ¡°Maybe if all three of us were up and we had our full health¡ª¡±
¡°Actually,¡± Jay said, cutting Syd off, ¡°I think I have an idea.¡±
A smile spread across all three pairs of Jadis¡¯ lips as Dys¡¯ half-slitted eyes rested on the iron cauldron that they had moved into the warehouse with the rest of their supplies.
In only a few minutes, Jadis¡¯ plan was set up. Iron cauldron hanging from an exposed wood beam on the broken side of the smithy, Jay had her maul raised and ready. From her position partially hidden behind one of the crafting buildings, Syd watching the swarming demons. Ready to run and lead the demons away from the compound if things didn¡¯t go as planned, Jay began striking the cauldron, an obnoxious clanging sound reverberating through the clear valley air.
All of the bone thieves reacted to the sound, clearly agitated and looking around for the source, but as Jadis had hoped, only a few of them left the tempting pile of bones to chase down the source of the noise. Four demons loped up the hill on various numbers of legs, following the bait as Syd retreated behind the wall of the building so she wasn¡¯t seen too soon.
¡°Time to put this new body through it¡¯s paces,¡± Syd growled, lifting her maul to an overhead position as Jay moved up next to her, her own maul raised and ready to crush skulls.
When the first and fastest of the approaching bone thieves reached the top of the hill and moved in among the buildings, Jay and Syd attacked as one, the power of the Mirrored Strikes smashing the skeletal monster to bits in an instant. With that auspicious beginning, Jay and Syd proceeded to tear through the other three demons, crushing and splintering their bones with each coordinated swing of their weapons.
In less than a couple minutes, the first wave of her foes were dead, a small cut on Syd¡¯s arm the only injury sustained.
¡°We really are getting good at this, aren¡¯t we?¡± Jay said, grinning as she knocked the remains of a dead bone thief to the side.
¡°I can¡¯t wait to see how we do with all three of us,¡± Syd said with equal zeal.
As Jadis had expected, the sounds of her fight had caught the attention of more of the bone thieves, the sounds of skeletal bodies racing up the hill reaching her ears. She wasn¡¯t worried. Confidently squaring her shoulders, Jadis faced both of her selves towards the oncoming enemies that were unknowingly sprinting towards their doom.
¡°We¡¯ve got this.¡±
Chapter 34: The Right Class for the Right Pervert
¡°That¡¯s so fucking gross.¡±
Jay and Syd stared down at the mass of pulsating pustules hanging off to one side of the demon mother corpse, noses wrinkled from both the smell and the sight. As she watched, one of the gyrating growths split open, a slew of tiny purple tentacles spilling out as a miniature demon spawn core pulled itself out and plopped like a wet turd onto the ground. The demon¡¯s orange eye stared up at her unblinkingly before the little abomination started crawling away, attempting to slip away under one of the many logs piled around the behemoth¡¯s corpse.
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Congratulations!
Demon Hatchling Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
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The notification appeared in Jadis¡¯ mind as Syd lifted her maul from where she¡¯d crushed the fleeing demon spawn.
¡°I guess they lay eggs,¡± Syd commented, futilely wiping some of the goo off of the weapon onto the ground. It was going to take a thorough washing in water to get rid of all the gunk built up on the maul from the dozen demons Jadis had just killed.
¡°Ugh. Nasty. Maybe we should just burn all this,¡± Jay suggested, smashing an egg to pulp that looked like it was just about to hatch.
¡°Maybe¡¡± Syd mumbled as she looked over the corpse of the huge demon.
Jadis had, with relatively minor difficulty, finished off the demons that she had found feasting on the corpse of their matriarch. The injuries her two active bodies had sustained in the fighting had only been enough to drop her health pool to seventy-six, fifteen points total lost, which was an exceptionally positive result compared to the odds Jadis was against. What wounds each of her bodies did take, Jadis had transferred onto Dys who was able to weather the damage in her spot of safety. A bad blow to an elbow that would have slowed Jay down and made her vulnerable and more likely to spiral down into worse injuries was nullified thanks to Jadis¡¯ new Shifting Reflection skill. She had to admit, the skill had some excellent combat utility, in the right circumstances.
In any case, she¡¯d dealt with the bone thieves as quickly as she could, which brought her to the body of the dead matriarch, now far more exposed thanks to the activities of the bone thieves that had been recycling her bones.
A huge egg sack, as big as a horse in Jadis¡¯ estimation, was attached to one side of the demon¡¯s tentacled body. There had to be a hundred purple globes of twitching flesh inside of it, each one with a shell just barely translucent enough to show the shadow of the tiny demon stuffed inside, it¡¯s singular eye glowing through.
¡°Let¡¯s keep one,¡± Jay finally said, poking her maul into the mass of eggs.
¡°Well, we did want to study a bone thief squid core when we got the chance to¡¡± Syd agreed, though the hesitation in her voice mirrored the trepidation Jadis felt at the idea of actually keeping one of the little demon squids around her.
She had hoped, at one point, to capture a demon that had a different eye color from the rest of their kind to see if she could figure out a reason for the difference, since the few she¡¯d come across with different colorations had been oddly more powerful than the average bone thieves she¡¯d encountered. Now, with the behemoth dead and all of its many distinctly orange eyes on full display, Jadis wasn¡¯t so sure the idea of eye color indicating demonic strength was an accurate one. After all, if it was a sign of greater strength, why were the matriarch¡¯s eyes just the normal orange color she was used to seeing on bone thieves?
¡°Hmph. Let¡¯s just grab one with an odd eye color and kill the rest. It¡¯s an opportunity to maybe learn something about these bitches, at any rate.¡±
Decision made, Jay took a quick jog back up the hill to fetch a container while Syd watched the wriggling mass, looking for a likely candidate. Eventually she spotted one egg amongst the rest that was on the small size but had a partially visible eye pressed up against the semi-translucent eggshell.
The eye glowed light blue, a color Jadis hadn¡¯t seen represented before among the demons she¡¯d slain so far.
¡°You¡¯ll do,¡± Syd grunted, grabbing the slightly squishy egg from the pile and setting it aside. The cold, slimy mucous coating the egg was an unpleasant discovery, though not a surprise.
Nothing about the nastiness of the demons surprised Jadis anymore.
A few moments later, Jay returned with a clay jar and Syd plopped the egg inside. Putting the lid on and setting the container off to one side, Jay joined Syd in the task of getting rid of the rest of the demonic brood.
Jadis decided against trying to burn the body and egg sack. She didn¡¯t want to risk starting a forest fire. It would have been a terrible irony to die to a fire she started just to clean up the body a massive monster she¡¯d overcome great odds to slay. Instead, Jadis just went about breaking all the eggs in an unpleasant and protracted bout of demonic hatchling slaughter.
¡°I feel like we¡¯re clubbing seals,¡± Jay complained, grimacing at the disgusting smells and splatters. ¡°I might be sick again.¡±
¡°Just¡ªdamnit, let¡¯s just get it done,¡± Syd growled before tossing her maul aside.
Tired of doing it the long way, Jay and Syd put aside their weapons and grabbed one end of a log, lifting it up off the ground and letting the huge weight drop down on what was left of the egg sack.
The resulting splatter was enough to make both of her bodies gag, but Jadis was done.
¡°Did that get us any more levels?¡± Syd wondered out loud as the two picked up their weapons and the clay jar before heading back up to the mining camp to clean off and rest.
¡°Just one more,¡± Jay answered after a quick check of the notifications running through her mind¡¯s eye. ¡°I guess hatchlings don¡¯t count for much experience points-wise.¡±
Killing the dozen demons that had been scavenging the matriarch¡¯s bones had turned out to be a huge boost to Jadis¡¯ new secondary class. While Mirror Knight hadn¡¯t gone up in level, no surprise at all since it was generally taking dozens of bone thieves to increase that classes¡¯ level by that point, her Perverted Ritualist of D class had jumped all the way up to level seven from the single battle.
¡°Level eight now,¡± Jay mused, looking at her main menu. ¡°I wonder what skills are available from this crazy class.¡±
¡°I one hundred percent guarantee at least one of them will be all about fucking.¡±
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¡°Duh.¡±
Once Jay and Syd had washed off, they returned to the warehouse and joined Dys, finally resting after a tiring half of a day. As the three sat in a loose circle, preparing some hardtack and honey for a meal, Jadis reviewed the new skills made available to her upon reaching level eight in her secondary class.
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3 Skill Selections Available.
New Skills:
Minor Attribute Improvement I
Erogenous Exacerbation
Anatomical Adaptation
Lascivious Empowerment
Ritualist¡¯s Resilience
Minor Fractional Spread
Eldritch Overlay
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¡°¡Yeah, there¡¯s no way that first skill isn¡¯t a sex thing,¡± Dys said dryly, staring at the Erogenous Exacerbation skill.
¡°Hey, it might be something practical,¡± Syd said sardonically.
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Erogenous Exacerbation
Active Skill. Temporarily increase the sensitivity of a single target¡¯s erogenous zones. Lasts for one day.
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All three bodies let out a sigh upon reading the skill description.
¡°Let¡¯s just¡ set that aside for now,¡± Jay grimaced. ¡°Who knows? Maybe it¡¯ll have some kind of synergy with another skill that¡¯s actually useful.¡±
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Anatomical Adaptation
Passive Skill. Your sexual partners will be better able to accommodate your size.
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¡°Okay, well, that¡¯s¡ something.¡±
While Jadis was quick to dismiss the first skill as impractical, she was less certain when it came to Anatomical Adaptation. From her experience performing the Debauched Duplication ritual, having a skill that would make her length and girth less of a barrier to entry, so to speak, might actually be quite useful for a class that was based around sexual rituals. Even if she never met another person, a possibility she prayed to D wasn¡¯t in her future, the skill would still make her self-interactions much easier.
¡°Put that one on the short list,¡± Dys finally conceded.
Pouring some water into the retrieved cauldron, Syd mixed in the honey and crushed hardtack. ¡°Next!¡± She called out.
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Lascivious Empowerment
Ritual Spell. Multiply a single attribute by an amount that increases per number of participants involved in ritual. Effect persists until the ritual is repeated and a new attribute is selected.
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¡°Now that¡¯s both sexy and practical,¡± Jay said with a grin. She was holding the clay jar containing the demon egg, examining the still unhatched tentacle monster within. Looking up at the other two, she asked, ¡°Do you think it would count us as one participant or three?¡±
¡°Dunno,¡± Syd shrugged. ¡°Also, what¡¯s the multiplier? What are the conditions for participation? Is there a limit? That¡¯s a lot of unknowns.¡±
¡°Yeah, color me interested, but that¡¯s probably a second-string selection depending on what else we¡¯ve got available,¡± Dys commented.
¡°Okay,¡± Jay agreed, ¡°putting that one on the short list under Anatomical Adaptation.¡±
Jadis moved on to the next skill, hoping for better but quickly growing disappointed.
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Ritualist¡¯s Resilience
Passive Skill. Increases the Resilience attribute by 15 points.
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¡°That¡¯s a huge improvement,¡± Syd said, trying for a positive tone.
¡°¡ªbut it¡¯s an attribute we don¡¯t even know what it does,¡± Dys finished the thought with a huff.
¡°Still, that¡¯s a big number compared to anything we¡¯ve gotten from Mirror Knight,¡± Jay pointed out. ¡°The only other skill we¡¯ve been offered with that large of a raw number was Kaleidoscopic Boost, and that one was a roulette.¡±
¡°Mm, still not interested,¡± Dys dismissed the skill. ¡°Maybe we reconsider it when we know what resilience does.¡±
¡°On to the next, then.¡±
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Minor Fractional Spread
Passive Skill. Increase all physical attributes by 0.1 of the Eldritch attribute.
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¡°That¡¯s¡ª That¡¯s actually really good!¡± Jay cried out excitedly.
Doing quick math, Syd calculated, ¡°We¡¯d increase all our ¡®physical¡¯ stats by seven points! I don¡¯t know how many attributes count for that, but if it¡¯s more than two it¡¯s way better than Ritualist¡¯s Resilience.¡±
¡°Finally, we¡¯re seeing a use for our Eldritch attribute!¡± Dys added.
Jadis gambled that the strange, perverted class would have something to do with her eldritch stat, and it seemed her gamble had paid off. She was still curious as to why the attribute was so much higher than the rest of her starting stats, but just finding a use was amazing.
¡°Taking that one, no question,¡± Jay said with finality. There was no counter argument Jadis could think of to reason out why she shouldn¡¯t take the skill. It was a no brainer.
¡°Let¡¯s see if the last one can top that baby,¡± Syd murmured as Jadis pulled up the description for the last available skill.
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Eldritch Overlay
Ritual Spell. Replace the total of a single attribute with the total of the Eldritch attribute. Effect persists until the ritual is repeated and a new attribute is selected.
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¡°Fucking sweet!¡± all three Jadis¡¯ said in chorus.
¡°This pervert class fucking rocks!¡± Syd said while high-fiving Jay. ¡°Absolutely worth it.¡±
From her position sprawled out on the rug, Dys cocked an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Why is it so powerful? Isn¡¯t this too good for a class we got for basically just fucking in a church?¡±
¡°Hey, don¡¯t look a gift horse in the mouth,¡± Jay admonished her mirrored self. ¡°If D or the Oros system or whatever wants to give us a broken-ass class for defiling a temple, I¡¯m not going to complain.¡±
Dys and Syd both nodded in agreement. Jadis would take every advantage she got, happily. If D was going to throw her in a forest with the proverbial wolves, it was only fair that he give her some reward for overcoming the challenge. Of course, that view assumed D was the one who gave her the class, which she wasn¡¯t certain of, but ultimately it didn¡¯t matter. The class was chosen and so were her next three skills.
Decisions made, Jadis selected Eldritch Overlay, Minor Fractional Spread, and for the sake of smoothing over any future rituals, Anatomical Adaptation. Almost as an afterthought, she threw the four free attribute points she¡¯d gotten from the even numbered levels into her strength score. When all was said and done, her main status menu looked quite a bit different from what it did at the start of that day.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (20)
Secondary Class: Perverted Ritualist of D (8)
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 28
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Health: 141/420
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Magic: 10/10
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Attributes
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Strength: 73
Dexterity: 17
Agility: 17
Vitality: 42
Fortitude: 27
Endurance: 29
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 70
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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¡°Well that explains what the system means by ¡®physical attributes¡¯ Jay whispered in awe, looking over her drastically improved stats.
¡°I think Minor Fraction Spread added to strength and then Mirror Knight¡¯s Might multiplied it,¡± Syd announced, reviewing the numbers. ¡°The math doesn¡¯t make sense otherwise.¡±
¡°Our health pool is more than double what it was when we first came to Oros,¡± Dys added, a small laugh in her voice as she stretched out, her wounds looking even more healed from the sudden influx of health points. ¡°I am feeling real good about us right now.¡±
¡°And we still have a ritual to perform,¡± Jay clapped her hands in delight. ¡°Which attribute should we overlay to freaking seventy?¡±
Chapter 35: Testing Attributes
¡°Well, that¡¯s all we¡¯re going to learn about that one,¡± Syd called out in frustration, tossing her maul down on the ground in mild disgust. ¡°What are we on and what do we have left, anyway?¡±
¡°Resilience now, just will left,¡± Jay said from inside the warehouse. ¡°It¡¯s the last one. Switch out.¡±
¡°Okay, switching out,¡± Syd said, leaving the side of the mining pond and heading into the warehouse, changing out places with Jay.
Ever since she had reviewed and selected her new skills for her secondary class around noon, Jadis had been experimenting with using her Eldritch Overlay ritual to increase the score of the various different attributes that she had no clue on what they did. Eldritch Overlay¡¯s ritual was, blessedly, much shorter than Debauched Duplication¡¯s. Performing the ritual once took a single hour, a third of the time her only other ritual spell took, though still far too long to use at any time other than when she was in a safe and secure location. That being said, it was no less of a perverted mess.
Walking back into the warehouse as Jay walked out, Syd approached Dys who was sitting on top of a stack of crates, set up so that she almost looked like she was seated on a throne. Not that Dys¡¯ current appearance looked like anything that could be described as royal.
Being naked was almost an afterthought to the lewd mess Dys had become. Jay and Syd¡¯s cum was plastered all through Dys¡¯ hair, sticky ropes dripping down onto her chest and shoulders. Her face, despite being washed and wiped clean, still had traces of white seed smeared across it.
¡°After today, I am not going to be the focal point of any more rituals for a long ass time,¡± Dys said sternly to Syd as she approached.
Syd laughed as she pulled out her quickly hardening member. ¡°Stop acting like you don¡¯t love it.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t say I didn¡¯t love it, I¡¯m just starting to feel like we¡¯re picking on me at this point.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t pick on myself,¡± Syd shook her head.
Dys leaned forward on her seat, getting her face in the optimal position. ¡°Pretty sure we are.¡±
¡°Shut up and put your mouth to better use.¡±
With a quick thrust, Syd shoved the head of her cock into Dys¡¯ mouth, silencing any more verbal banter as the two began the ritual.
Outside, Jay shuddered as the sensations distracted her for a moment. Jadis could multitask well enough that Jay could continue experimenting with her current overlaid attribute, but she was still fucking her own face. Quite the distraction.
While the ritual proceeded, Jadis reviewed what she had learned about her attributes so far, focusing more on what Jay was doing and letting Syd and Dys¡¯ perverse actions become background noise in her mind, at least for the time being. Since the ritual took so long, Jadis had taken to experimenting with the effects of an increased attribute to learn what it did with one of her selves while the other two went about performing the ritual for the next attribute. It was the most efficient use of her time.
Jadis hadn¡¯t bothered overlaying her strength attribute. It was her highest stat now at seventy-three, plus she knew exactly what the attribute did.
Her first test had been to increase dexterity, which had initially been a disappointment. Nothing had changed so far as Jadis could tell once the stat¡¯s score had gone up to seventy, she felt completely normal. That was, until she had grabbed her maul and done a few test swings. Her massively increased dexterity had made her attack movements incredibly precise. Not just smoother, but far, far more accurate. Jadis hadn¡¯t thought she¡¯d had any problems hitting her marks before, but once she¡¯d boosted dexterity and saw the difference, she was amazed.
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She also noticed that her ranged accuracy was greatly increased. Before, if she threw a rock, she was satisfied if it landed in the general vicinity of her target. After the overlay, she could pitch a rock at a target on the other side of the pond and hit it dead center.
Switching out dexterity for agility had been a particularly bizarre experience, as she suddenly lost the accuracy she¡¯d been enjoying. It wasn¡¯t an uncomfortable sensation, but it did make her feel like she¡¯d lost something important.
Agility, as it turned out, controlled her speed. With the boost, she was able to sprint at speeds that felt superhuman, running from the village and back again in a fraction of the time it took her before. The attribute made her attacks faster, too, not just her foot speed, though not more accurate the way dexterity did, and despite the increased speed, her blows didn¡¯t seem to hit harder than they already did with her massive strength.
¡°However the fuck that makes sense,¡± Jay grumbled.
Vitality Jadis knew, but still overlayed to test a theory. Bringing her health pool up to seven hundred had been a glorious sight, but the overall results had been a huge disappointment. Her current health had gone up by two hundred and eighty points, dramatically lessening the severity of Dys¡¯ wounds, but as soon as she switched her overlay to the next attribute, her health went back to the way it was before she¡¯d boosted her vitality. Unfortunately, Jadis couldn¡¯t use the skill as a quick way to heal herself up to full. The huge bonus to her health was still a consideration, though.
Fortitude and Endurance were both known, so Jadis didn¡¯t waste her time checking them, though they were both still in the running for a final decision on where Jadis would be putting her overlay on a day-to-day basis.
Jadis had been excited to boost her non-physical stats to see what they would do. Since she now knew eldritch was one hundred percent an attribute used for spells, she started calling that column in her menu her magic stats. Sadly, her results were mostly frustrating.
Overlaying arcane and divine did nothing, at least so far as Jadis could tell. She tried multiple different exercises, attacks, and even praying to D to see if something would happen. Nothing did. Jadis supposed it wasn¡¯t too big of a shock, since she didn¡¯t have any spells that mentioned either arcane or divine in their descriptions. She only had the two spells, really, and one of those didn¡¯t even mention eldritch.
Focus, however, Jadis did figure out. With another application of her ritual, her magic pool jumped from ten to seven hundred. If she ever wanted to start selecting the various illusion-based spells she was being offered on her main class, she now had a viable way of giving herself more than enough magic power to cast the spells freely. Nothing else could be gleaned from increasing the attribute, though, and so far as Jadis could tell, her magic pool was the only aspect of her self the focus stat affected.
¡°Following the logic demonstrated so far,¡± Jay murmured, trying hard not to think about the lewd sounds and lewder sensations coming from inside the warehouse, ¡°resilience is probably a defense attribute the same way fortitude is. But since it¡¯s in the magic column, it probably defends against magical attacks.¡±
Jadis felt fairly proud about her reasoning, feeling quite logical and scientific, like a scholar that had come to a well-researched conclusion.
¡°So¡ how do I test magical defense?¡±
Drawing a blank, Jay tossed her hands in the air and walked back inside the warehouse, seeing no point in standing around doing nothing outside.
Once Jay was inside, the almost mechanical way Jadis had been able to continue the ritual slipped and the full affect of what her two other selves were doing was forced to the forefront of Jadis¡¯ attention.
[Censored Sex Scene. The full scene can be viewed on ScribbleHub.com]
¡°I think,¡± Syd pronounced between mouthfuls, ¡°We should do this ritual one more time in the morning, set it to vitality. Getting that extra three hundred health should be plenty to put Dys in good enough condition to leave.¡±
Jay nodded along, at least when her tongue wasn¡¯t running across Dys¡¯ shoulder. ¡°We can¡¯t hide all those bones and I feel like those dumb demons are going to just keep coming. Time to pack up and head south like we planned.¡±
¡°What if the mother demon came from the south?¡± Dys asked, leaning back and enjoying the feel of two eager mouths cleaning her up. ¡°Do we still want to head in that direction?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not keen on climbing over mountains, especially when we don¡¯t even have enough armor and clothes to fully cover all three of us,¡± Jay pointed out.
¡°We can handle any bone thieves we come across out in the forest,¡± Syd said with assurance. ¡°What we can¡¯t handle is freezing cold.¡± Indeed, most of the surrounding mountain peaks were capped with snow.
¡°Then it¡¯s settled. We head south.¡±
Chapter 36: Heading South
Jadis was not able to start her journey south and out of the village the next morning. As it turned out, she¡¯d neglected to consider what preparations she needed to do before leaving. Fortunately, her method of putting honey on her worst injuries to fight infection and inflammation seemed to have worked and she regained thirty-five health overnight. After switching her Eldritch Overlay to Vitality and bring her current health even higher, she had three sets of hands to work on getting everything set.
First and foremost, Jadis addressed her weapons and armor. With three bodies now, she didn¡¯t have enough for all of her selves to be fully equipped. She was also out of most of her leather materials, so her options were limited. In the end, her solution was to use one of the three blankets she¡¯d found and turn it into a sort of poncho, using a length of rope to make a belt to keep it from being too loose. Dressing Syd up in the poncho, she used what little scraps of leather and cloth she had left to make a rough skirt for her as well.
To tackle the lack of weapons, Jadis decided to go a different route for equipping Syd. Since that third of her self was basically without armor, she wanted to keep her away from the frontline of action, at least a little. Using the hatchet and knives she¡¯d scavenged, she cut down one of the tall but young pine trees and removed the bark, carving it smooth and making it easy to handle. On one end, Jadis cut a notch into the wood, then used some string and the last bits of leather to wrap the longer one of the daggers she possessed into place, making a spear.
The spear was as long as Jadis was tall, giving Syd quite a bit of reach. She wasn¡¯t certain how useful the spear would be at first, at least against bone thieves, but with the coming of the new dawn, there were several more around to test the new weapon on.
While not as devastating as her mauls, Jadis was able to slam the spear into any bone thief that approached with massive force, easily holding the demon back or even pinning it to the ground if she angled the attack the right way. With her increased strength, Jadis was fairly certain that if the spear had been made of stronger materials, she¡¯d probably be able to simply pierce right through the shell and out the other side. As it was, the spear could only go as deep as the blade.
Definitely a weapon tree Jadis was interested in exploring further, should she find someone who could make or sell her some new armaments.
Equipping Syd resolved to the best of her ability, Jadis spent the rest of the day coming up with a means of transporting the supplies that she wanted to bring with her on her trek southward. She had no backpacks or enough materials to try and make some, at least not without destroying the two blankets and the fur rug she had left and that wasn¡¯t something she wanted to do.
Taking stock of what she wanted to bring with her, Jadis had crates of hardtack and jars of honey for her rations that she absolutely had to take as much as she could. There was also the iron cauldron, the hatchet, the knife, the sewing kit, and the small sack of coins and jewelry she had. Then there was her tinderbox, the fishing net she¡¯d had no luck in using, and the holy book of D she¡¯d recovered from the temple and was unable to read. While most of her supplies were small enough to carry by hand fairly easily, the real challenge was carting around all the hardtack and honey. Not that the crates were too heavy for her. In fact, with her current strength, Jadis found that she could toss the crates around like they weighed next to nothing. The issue was handling them. While she could easily carry the weight, actually carrying seven crates of supplies, even between three bodies, was awkward and unwieldly.
It took some time and experimentation, but eventually Jadis hit upon a solution. Using the net and the rope she had left, she made a kind of hammock, attaching the ends to either end of one long log she retrieved from the supply of cut logs that would have been used as support beams in the cave. Stacking the crates inside the hammock, she could lift them all up at once, carrying the load on the shoulders of two of her selves walking in single file.
Jadis put the smaller items she had with her into the hardtack crate she¡¯d already been eating from, including the sewing kit, tinderbox, and book of D. The cauldron was too big to fit in a crate, but that she just left hanging by its handle on the log.
¡°I think I¡¯ll keep this on me, just in case the spear breaks,¡± Syd commented, putting the steel hatchet in her rope belt.
¡°Are we forgetting anything?¡± Jay asked, checking to make sure the rope and net hammock was secured. ¡°Other than stuff we can¡¯t take with us, like walls and a roof?¡±
¡°This little guy,¡± Dys answered, holding up the clay jar with a baby demon inside. ¡°Still hasn¡¯t hatched yet.¡±
With a shrug, Jadis added the jar to the crates with her other small things, making sure to wedge it into a tight position so the lid wouldn¡¯t easily come off.
¡°Then, I think we¡¯re good to go, at least, we¡¯re good to go in the morning.¡±
By that time, it was already late afternoon and Jadis saw no reason to leave so late in the day. She¡¯d only make it a few hours at most before she¡¯d have to stop for the night.
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Resting another night and recovering another twenty-eight health, Jadis woke to a sunny day and gathered her prepared things after a quick breakfast. There were a few more bone thieves skulking around the piles of bones left outside, but Jadis dispatched them easily enough. She no longer even attempted to hide the bones in the water, especially since she was leaving. Some of the bone thieves had gotten quite large, feasting on the bounty of bones overnight, but increased size was no great challenge to Jadis. Not with three of her to attack in unison.
|
Level Up!
Perverted Ritualist of D has Reached Level 9.
1 New Skill Available for Selection.
|
¡°That¡¯s a nice way to start the day,¡± Jay said, grinning at her other selves.
¡°I wonder what weirdness we¡¯ll get for a skill this time,¡± Dys murmured, pulling open the selections available.
|
Ritual Robe Mastery I
Passive Skill. Provides a minor boost to the defensive value of robes or similar clothing. Cannot be used in conjunction with armor.
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¡°Does this count as a robe?¡± Syd asked, tugging at the makeshift smock she was wearing.
Jay shrugged. ¡°No clue. Probably?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t care, either,¡± Dys finished. ¡°Definitely not taking that one. We want armor, D damnit all!¡±
¡°Does that count as taking his name in vain?¡±
¡°Also don¡¯t care,¡± Dys waved the question off. ¡°If he cared about stuff like that, he probably would have cared more about us fucking in his temple.¡±
With all of her selves murmuring in agreement, Jadis checked the second skill.
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Breath Control
Passive Skill. Greatly increases the length of time you can hold your breath. Length of time scales with Endurance.
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¡°Okay¡¡± Syd drew out the word, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. ¡°That¡¯s certainly an interesting and useful skill, completely unrelated to anything deviant or sexual.¡±
¡°Oh yeah,¡± Dys echoed, ¡°Totally innocent and not at all intended to make it easier to throat fuck myself¡ª¡±
¡°Let¡¯s not get started on that right now,¡± Jay interrupted her mirrored self. ¡°We need to stop delaying and get a move on. It¡¯s taken us long enough already and daylight is wasting.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± Dys agreed. ¡°I say we forget these two skills and take the Lascivious Empowerment skill we got as an option before. That one¡¯ll give us an attribute boost.¡±
Syd nodded her head in agreement. ¡°Yeah, that sounds way better than these options. Besides, we all know we like the little gagging sounds we make when we¡ª¡±
¡°Getting off track again!¡±
¡°Right. Choice made, let¡¯s see what the ritual requires,¡± Syd said holding her hands up in surrender.
Mock argument done, Jadis selected her new skill and shivered a bit as the artificial memories of what she needed to do to perform the ritual filtered into her mind. She couldn¡¯t help but let out a groan as the knowledge of how long the spell would take to cast revealed itself to her.
¡°Fuck, it¡¯s a two-hour deal,¡± Dys cursed.
¡°No time for that,¡± Jay sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll save it for when we camp tonight.¡±
A lascivious smile spread across Syd¡¯s face as Jadis focused more on the details of how the ritual was to be performed. ¡°Looks like fun though.¡±
¡°Later,¡± Jay admonished her triplet. ¡°We¡¯re on a schedule here.¡±
¡°Yup. But tonight, we¡¯re going to have a real good time,¡± Dys said with a sly tone. Punctuating her next statement with a squeeze of Jay¡¯s ass, she whispered, ¡°And it¡¯s your turn to be on the receiving end.¡±
¡°Still the same person,¡± Jay pointed out as she moved to pick up the front end of the log cradle.
¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s fun to pretend,¡± Dys said as she picked up the back end of the log.
¡°God, I¡¯m lonely,¡± Syd groaned, moving out ahead of the other two, leading the way down the path away from the mining compound and towards the village center.
Jadis probably had spent far too much time by herself. If she didn¡¯t have multiple bodies to speak out of, holding full conversations with herself, she¡¯d probably look like a complete loon to anyone else. Which meant she was an actual complete and utter loon, but at least only she and D were privy to that fact. Jadis felt certain that D would keep her secret.
Reaching the main road of the village, Jadis took one final look at the stone temple and it¡¯s tower, the sight of which had been the whole reason she¡¯d come to the village in the first place.
¡°Thanks for the fun and the perverted class,¡± Jadis said in unison, giving a little wave to the abandoned structure.
With nothing more to say, Jadis headed south, following the cobblestone road out of the village. After only a few minutes of walking, Jadis was beyond all sight of the village, the buildings completely obscured by the tall pines surrounding her.
Somehow, without the now familiar dilapidated houses nearby, Jadis felt far more alone than she did moments ago.
¡°Ah, fuck the depressing thoughts,¡± Syd called out, shaking the unnerving feelings off. ¡°We¡¯re finally getting on the road and starting our real adventure!¡±
¡°D didn¡¯t make a deal with us to just sit around in an abandoned warehouse, sucking our own dicks all day,¡± Dys added.
¡°True,¡± Jay agreed. ¡°Time to see what¡¯s going on in the wider world. Maybe meet a few people, kill a few demons¡¡±
¡°And shake things up!¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but smile at the thought of finally getting out of the little valley she¡¯d spawned in and getting out into the rest of Oros to mix things up. She really had fallen into a rut, something she¡¯d made a deal with a god to avoid doing. She felt more than a bit dumb for letting that happen.
Well, she wasn¡¯t going to do that again. She was here for adventure!
¡Raunchy sex, too, but still.
Chapter 37: On the Road
After about an hour of walking, the road leading south from the dwarf village changed from cobblestone to simple packed earth, though it stayed just about as wide. Jadis was no tracker, but to her untrained eyes it didn¡¯t seem as though anyone had walked or ridden on the path in quite some time. Still, the way was clear and consistently aimed southward, so she stayed on the road.
As she walked and the day progressed, Jadis occasionally spotted bone thieves stalking through the trees, most of them at a far enough distance that she didn¡¯t bother hunting them down, though a few came close enough to catch sight of her and attacked with their typical mindless abandon. None were more than a few moment''s delay, the skeletal demons of negligible threat to her.
Since Jay and Dys were saddled with carrying the supplies, Jadis had Syd range out and around the road, acting as a forward scout. Other than the pine trees she was used to and the occasional skele-demon, the only thing of note Jadis found all morning was the brook running roughly parallel to the road, about two hundred paces away. By her guess, its source was the mining pond on the top of the hill.
Around noon she stopped, taking a moment to rest and drink some water. She didn¡¯t feel particularly tired, a fact she attributed to her increased endurance. So, after what she guessed was only a quick fifteen-minute rest Jadis was back on her several pairs of feet and heading down the road again.
Eagerness to see new sights was definitely egging Jadis on. Every step she took now was bringing her ever closer to strange places and stranger peoples, a whole fantastical world to explore. She couldn¡¯t help but smile at the thought of what she would hopefully find sooner rather than later.
¡°I am so looking forward to meeting an elf,¡± Syd murmured. She was several hundred feet ahead and to the left of Jay and Dys, far outside of earshot, but talking out loud was performative for Jadis anyway. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to touch those ears. With all this forest, I¡¯m betting elves are what we run into first.¡±
¡°Nah, it¡¯ll be dwarves,¡± Jay countered. ¡°That village was made for people dwarf-sized, so wherever this road leads probably means more of the same.¡±
¡°Boring answer,¡± Syd complained. ¡°But probably correct. Still, I want pointy ears to play with so I¡¯m sticking with elves as my bet.¡±
¡°What, don¡¯t want to play with a dwarf beard?¡± Jay laughed. ¡°God, I hope they aren¡¯t the old school bearded-lady type dwarves. That¡¯d be a real buzzkill.¡±
¡°You¡¯re both wrong,¡± Dys chimed in from the back. ¡°First thing we¡¯re finding when we get to wherever this road is going is more demons.¡±
Both Jay and Syd booed Dys, shaking their heads.
¡°Doesn¡¯t count,¡± Jay rejected Dys¡¯ guess. ¡°We¡¯ve already run into demons. You can¡¯t bet on more demons.¡±
¡°They¡¯ll be different demons. Not bone thieves.¡± Dys gestured with her maul, waving it like teacher would a ruler. ¡°Something like ¡®fire spitter¡¯ or ¡®soul sucker¡¯ or ¡®acid¡ªacid fucker¡¯, I don¡¯t know.¡±
All three giggled a bit, the laughter bubbling out of Jadis due to her good mood. She truly was quite happy to be on the road, even if she wasn¡¯t certain of where she was going to end up.
¡°Fine, fine, Syd bets elves, I bet dwarves, and Dys bets on demons of some non-bone variety,¡± Jay reiterated the choices made. ¡°What are the stakes?¡±
¡°Winner waited on hand and foot by the other two?¡± Syd suggested.
¡°Fine by me,¡± Dys agreed.
With a laugh, Jay agreed as well. ¡°Done deal!¡±
No matter which of her self¡¯s guesses were right, Jadis would be a winner. A simple game of guessing what was coming did wonders to keep Jadis entertained as she travelled the otherwise fairly uninteresting forest landscape.
By the time the sun was reaching the end of its path across the sky, Jadis had travelled far enough south that she felt she was no longer in the valley she¡¯d started in. The mountains she was used to seeing to the east and west of her were now more northeast and northwest. Other than those distant landmarks, all she could see around her were pines, pines, and more tall pines. She took the lack of mountains to the south to be a good sign, however. To her limited understanding of history and civilization, most human settlements were built around water and water always headed to the lowest spot it could. Heading south felt like she was going downhill, and the brook that was still running roughly parallel to the road supported that hypothesis.
Jadis just hoped the existence of magic on Oros didn¡¯t invalidate her assumptions on where people would choose to build their towns.
Perhaps an hour before night fell, Jadis picked a small clearing a little way away from the dirt road to set up camp. Splitting up duties between her three selves, Jadis cut down some of the smaller pines with her mauls, setting up a basic lean-to. The sky had been clear of clouds all day, but in her experience so far, the mountain weather brought rains on quickly and unexpectedly.
Making a firepit with a few rocks, Jadis gathered wood and used her tinderbox to get a campfire going. It was easy enough to fill the cauldron up with water from the brook and get a meal started.
As she pulled a few bricks of hardtack from her supplies, Dys checked on the jar with the demon egg inside.
¡°Still hasn¡¯t hatched,¡± she announced, watching as the faint blue glow of the eye within the translucent shell turned up towards her.
Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure how she felt about the little unborn eyeball staring at her. The idea of the demon somehow being aware of her despite not yet hatching was¡ disturbing.
¡°Take your time, I guess,¡± she said to the egg with a flat stare before closing the lid. Almost as an afterthought, she wedged the jar back in place so it couldn¡¯t be opened. Just in case.
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All three of her selves sat down to share a monotonous meal that was, frankly, becoming unbearable. Jadis was about ready to start mixing pine needles into the slurry, just to get a new flavor. She refrained, though, since she wasn¡¯t sure what that would do to her stomach.
As she ate, Jadis went over which of her attributes would be best to improve with her Lascivious Empowerment ritual.
¡°Considering the description states the amount it multiplies a stat ¡®increases per number of participants involved in ritual¡¯, then it¡¯s either going to multiple by three or by one when we do this,¡± Jay started the discussion.
¡°Depends on if it counts us as one person or not,¡± Dys added.
Syd shrugged her shoulders before stating, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯ll only count as one. I mean, I know we¡¯re just one person. We just happen to have three bodies. I feel like if the number of bodies involved was the determining factor, it¡¯d be phrased that way. It says ¡®participants¡¯ though, and we¡¯re just one person participating.¡±
¡°Probably true,¡± Jay conceded. ¡°Whatever the case may be, however, it doesn¡¯t say how much it¡¯s multiplying per participant. It¡¯d be nice to know how much it¡¯s potentially giving us before we make a choice on which skill we boost.¡±
¡°Does it matter?¡± Syd asked. ¡°We can just do the ritual again if we want to put it elsewhere.¡±
¡°Yeah, but a two hour break for ritualistic fucking, while fun, isn¡¯t very practical,¡± Dys said while washing down her hardtack and honey mush with some water. ¡°At least not when we¡¯re out in the wide-open woods like this.¡±
¡°Right, same issue as Debauched Duplication. Can¡¯t switch all that easily so we want to pick something we know we¡¯d find useful all the time.¡±
¡°Strength, then,¡± Syd immediately said, following up Jay¡¯s assessment. ¡°It¡¯s our only real method of dealing damage, thus our only way of defending ourselves. All our other stats are much lower, though not as low as they were thanks to¡ª¡±
The realization struck Jadis like a thunderbolt.
¡°Motherfucker!¡±
¡°Why the fuck didn¡¯t we put our free points into fucking Eldritch!?¡±
¡°I am so fucking STUPID,¡± Jadis cried out from multiple selves at the same time, berating herself for her own unthinking actions. She was so used to ignoring her abnormally high eldritch stat that even after gaining the Minor Fractional Spread skill and Eldritch Overlay spell, she¡¯d gone right back to disregarding the now extremely relevant attribute.
¡°Okay, now that we¡¯ve realized the freaking obvious,¡± Jay huffed, ¡°We¡¯ll be using the ritual to increase eldritch. Agreed?¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± Syd nodded.
¡°Agreed, however,¡± Dys paused, thinking things through from what she¡¯d experienced already, ¡°Unless the ritual boosts the skill by ten or more points, we won¡¯t see any tangible difference for most of our attributes. Fractional Spread gives us a tenth of our eldritch attribute, and from what we¡¯ve already seen, the system doesn¡¯t round up on percentages.¡±
¡°True,¡± Jay allowed, ¡°But hopefully it will give us a good boost to eighty or above. Even if it doesn¡¯t, we need to be putting everything we can into eldritch to maximize our gains. Whatever stat we put Overlay onto will also be benefiting from Lascivious Empowerment.¡±
¡°Then that¡¯s that,¡± Syd said, smiling broadly. ¡°Shall we get started?¡±
With eyebrows raised suggestively, Dys looked at Jay and crooned, ¡°No time like the present!¡±
Heart already beating fast at what was to come, Jay stood and stretched, feigning a bit of nonchalance for no reason but Jadis¡¯ own amusement.
¡°Let¡¯s clean up a bit first,¡± Jay suggested, ¡°then we can get down to business.¡±
Stripping her armor and clothing off, all three of Jadis¡¯ selves walked to the brook to wash in the waning light of the evening sky. Strolling about the outdoors utterly naked barely registered to Jadis anymore, she¡¯d grown so comfortable doing it. As she went about washing in the clear cold water of the forest stream, Jadis took her time to admire the beauty of her shapely form.
Powerful muscles moved under a soft and smooth covering of pure white skin, so defined at times that if she stopped moving, Jadis was half convinced she was looking at a marble statue instead of her own flesh. The shape of her breasts practically compelled her to want to touch them, to play with the small pert nipples. Looking lower, there was even more begging for her fingers and lips, her toned abs and trim waist exciting impulses inside her she didn¡¯t know she had. Then there was the swell of her ass, curved and tight yet still plush to the touch. The sight made Jadis salivate.
Jadis didn¡¯t care if she was being vain or narcissistic. She was beautiful and sexy and she loved it.
¡°Fuck, I can¡¯t wait anymore,¡± Dys said, wrapping her arms around Jay from behind as they stood in the knee deep waters of the brook. ¡°Let¡¯s do it now.¡±
Grinding her hardened shaft against Jay¡¯s ass, Dys nibbled on Jay¡¯s ear. Hands roaming across Jay¡¯s chest and stomach, she slid her fingers across smooth and hairless skin, raking her nails on sensitive patches, sending little thrills up Jay¡¯s spine.
¡°Let¡¯s just do it,¡± Syd voiced her own agreement, squatting low in front of the two entangled mirror bodies of her own self.
Syd grabbed hold of Jay¡¯s throbbing cock, running her hands up and down it once before impulsively engulfing the head, running her tongue around the crown with intense eagerness.
A synchronized moan slipped from all three as Jay thrust forward, forcing more of her turgid length into Syd¡¯s mouth. Pulling back, she gyrated her hips back against Dys, using her ass to grind against her dick.
Dys¡¯ hands cupped Jay¡¯s breasts, rubbing and squeezing in all the right ways she knew she loved, drawing out pants and moans from Jay in a lewd song that filled the night air. At the same time, Jay¡¯s own hands wrapped themselves into Syd¡¯s hair, dragging her head up and down her cock, reveling in the feel of her tight, wet mouth, though not yet pulling her the full length, working up to it.
Syd¡¯s hands roamed, running up and down both Jay and Dys¡¯ thighs, occasionally dipping into the dripping V found between both their legs, teasing the wet folds there, tickling and teasing, eliciting her own gasps from the two above.
¡°Wait, wait,¡± Jay said, pulling Syd off of her cock with a supreme effort of will. ¡°We can¡¯t do this here.¡±
¡°Yes we fucking can,¡± Dys insisted, Jadis¡¯ excitement warring with her better judgement. The heat of the moment getting the better of her, Syd ran her tongue up the full length of Jay¡¯s shaft, from base to tip, before ending with a lustful kiss to one side. At the same time, Dys ground against Jay harder, rubbing her own cock hard against the valley of Jay¡¯s ass, her precum already flowing, adding a slippery lubrication to the vulgar act.
¡°Yes, we can,¡± Jay agreed, running one hand through Syd¡¯s hair, the other reaching behind her to palm Dys¡¯ ass. ¡°But we¡¯re standing in cold water and the sun is going down. And since we don¡¯t want to catch a fucking cold and we really don¡¯t want a demon to sneak up on us in the dark, how about we move this to beside the fire?¡±
The logic was entirely reasonable. What¡¯s more, it was Jadis¡¯ own logic coming from her own accurate assessment of the situation. She still wanted to ignore everything and just start fucking right then and there.
With one final lick, Syd abruptly stood. ¡°Fine,¡± she growled. ¡°Let¡¯s fucking go.¡±
Almost angrily, Jay, Dys and Syd parted, bodies aching with need. Rather than immediately racing for the campfire though, all three moved towards a boulder sticking out of one side of the riverbank. It was a large mass of rock that had to weigh a ton if it weighed a pound and was just the right height for Jadis to sit on it comfortably.
Working together, the three ripped the stone from the ground and carried it back to the camp before tossing it down by the fire with a weighty thump.
¡°Take a fucking seat,¡± Jay whispered into Dys¡¯ ear before giving it a kiss. ¡°This is going to be a hell of ritual.¡±
Chapter 39: Voices
Jadis counted for one. At least, as far as Lascivious Empowerment was concerned, she was only a single participant in the ritual. She supposed she should just have been glad that the ritual could be done with only one active contributor, but it was still a little disappointing to not see her numbers go up as much as she hoped they would.
As she had thought would be the case, the focal stat of the ritual, in this case eldritch, went up from seventy to seventy-seven, confirming a single participant was worth a ten percent increase. The relatively small increase of seven points meant none of her stats affected by Minor Fractional Spread changed, but her vitality was boosted by the same seven points as eldritch was thanks to Eldritch Overlay, so Jadis couldn¡¯t truly be all that unhappy with the results. Besides which, now that Jadis knew what the ritual was capable of, she had a lot of hope for what she could accomplish with it if she found a sufficient number of willing partners.
During the night, as Jadis¡¯ pleasantly exhausted bodies cuddled together, two bone thieves came across her camp and interrupted her sleep. Not that they caught her off guard since at least one of her selves was always awake and on watch, but it was annoying to have to get up from her comfortable pile on the fur rug to deal with the bony pests.
As a consolation, the second bone thief gave enough experience to push Jadis¡¯ secondary class up another level, rounding it out to ten. Without hesitation Jadis put the single free attribute point she gained from the even-numbered level into eldritch, bringing the stat¡¯s total up to seventy-eight.
With the dawn, Jadis rose, made breakfast, and cleaned up the camp. She was eager to make her way onward for many reasons, not the least of which being the thought of possibly finding someone who she could do the Lascivious Empowerment ritual with in order to increase the gains she got from it. But before Jadis could truly entertain the idea of inviting anyone to join her in a lewd and debauched ritual, she needed to find people first.
Getting back on the road, Jadis¡¯ good morning mood was slightly dampened by a shower of rain overhead. The bad weather was hardly a torrential downpour, just a light summer rain really, but it was enough to turn the road she was following into a muddy creek. On several occasions, either Jay¡¯s or Dys¡¯ makeshift sandals slipped off her feet, getting caught in the mud. In a bout of frustration after having lost one sandal again to the mire the road had become, Jadis simply took the remaining sandals off her feet and threw them away. Syd didn¡¯t have any foot protection anyway and was doing well enough, so Jadis figured her other two selves could make do without.
Jadis imagined the lack of discomfort she experienced walking barefoot in the woods had something to do with her fortitude attribute toughening her skin. She knew she didn¡¯t have the calluses to prevent damage, her skin was still as unnaturally smooth and perfect as it had been when she first spawned on Oros. She hoped she could keep her skin as it was, a thought that had her seriously considering overlaying fortitude once she had her base health back to a reasonable state.
As Jadis considered her options, talking things out amongst her selves, Jadis kept plodding along, heading south down the winding road. The omnipresent pine trees surrounding her changed little, their huge trunks towering around her a constant and easily ignorable scenery. The pines were so ubiquitous to her surroundings, when Jadis actually did come across something that wasn¡¯t just more conifers, it shocked her into silence.
There, in the overcast light of a rainy midmorning, was a fort.
Syd waited for Jay and Dys to catch up, having been walking a hundred or so paces ahead and slightly off the road. Instinctively, Syd crouched low behind a tree, observing the gray structure for any signs of movement or life.
From what Jadis could see, a stone wall with crenelations on the top that was about twice her height, more or less, was curved in a large circle inside a clearing that had been cut out of the forest. The dirt road she had been following led right up to the wall, going in through an arched gate that stood open. Right where the road entered the gate, Jadis could see that the dirt was replaced with cobblestone, just like back in the dwarven mining village.
A stone tower, rounded and with stone tiles making a pointed roof, loomed from the center of the clearing, located in the middle of the defensive wall. Jadis could tell the walled off area of the clearing was large enough to hold the main part of the abandoned village she¡¯d come from, if the houses were squeezed together. The clearing the fort stood in was double that size, making it impossible to approach without being seen by anyone who might be watching from the walls or tower.
However, from what Jadis could see, there was no one watching. No guards patrolled the top of the wall, no faces looked out from the tower windows. There were no flags flying from the top of the fort, nor was there any sound or sign of movement coming from the wide open gate.
¡°Another abandoned place?¡± Jay asked as she and Dys put their supply sling down.
¡°Probably,¡± Syd answered, not taking her eyes off the structure. ¡°It¡¯s a rainy day, people might be holed up inside their homes, but I¡¯m not seeing any smoke from fires.¡±
Dys pointed to the left. ¡°Look, there¡¯s a road heading east.¡±
¡°West, too,¡± Jay nodded, looking to the other side. ¡°This has to be some kind of hub spot or something.¡±
¡°If a fort on a three way intersection is empty¡¡± Dys trailed off, leaving the thought unspoken. Jadis didn¡¯t want to jinx herself. There still might be people around.
Not seeing much choice other than to just move forward, Jadis left her supplies in a pile behind a few bushes before striding forth into the open clearing. As the three of her walked out, Jadis half expected some sound of alarm or cry of ¡®who goes there?¡¯ to challenge her presence.
Nothing of the sort occurred.
Jadis walked all the way to the open north gate of the fort without anyone taking any action to stop her. When she reached the gate, she peered through the open iron-banded doors and saw what she had feared to find. The fort was dead and empty.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Doors and windows stood open, some of the doors broken and collapsed on the ground. Several buildings had the signs of old fires having been put out long ago, soot and char marring them. The tower in the center of the stronghold had a hole in one side that a bone behemoth probably could have squeezed through, not leaving much doubt in Jadis¡¯ mind as to the fate of the people who might have once inhabited the fort.
There was no sense crying over it. Jadis had dearly hoped she¡¯d be meeting people when Syd¡¯s eyes had spotted the clearing, but it wasn¡¯t to be. Heaving a heavy sigh, Jadis went and retrieved her supplies, just to make sure she didn¡¯t lose track of them, then entered the fort to search it for anything useful.
Amongst the various abandoned structures, Jadis found that the fortification had been set up with a smithy, a stable, a tailor, two separate barracks, a large inn, three different shops that Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely certain of what they had once sold, and several private residences, all of which were sized for dwarves, same as the mining village. Searching the awkwardly small buildings, Jadis found little of use, the place having been picked clean by scavengers from what she could tell.
What she did find were several more bone thieves hiding amongst the ruins, the lot of which Jadis dispatched with prejudice.
The tower was a daunting challenge to search, and Jadis spent as little time in it as she could. With the giant hole in the side, she wasn¡¯t convinced the structure was sound. Worse, since it was both scaled for dwarves and meant to withstand an enemy assault, the small doorways, tight corners, and narrow halls were difficult for her to maneuver through. Jadis didn¡¯t linger on it, especially when the signs were obvious that anything of true value had likely already been taken from the place.
When she thought about it, Jadis felt as though the fact the fortress had been scavenged already was a good sign. If everyone everywhere for miles around were dead, there wouldn¡¯t be anyone to loot the place. Clearly the demons weren¡¯t using the stuff left behind by people who were either fled or dead. The abandoned fort wasn¡¯t a great sign, but Jadis chose to look at the bright side. There had to be some people around somewhere.
The few items that Jadis did find that she decided she could make some use of she found in the remains of the large inn. There were blankets in some of the rooms that were still in decent shape, plus a few dented mugs and plates made from copper. She took the metal dishware, seeing no harm in having them, and used her sewing kit and some of the extra blankets to refine Syd¡¯s poncho into more of a padded tunic. It wasn¡¯t great. In fact, Jadis was fairly certain it looked like shit, but it was marginally better than the poncho. The two blankets she had left over she added to her stock.
By the time Jadis had made a thorough search of the fort and killed off all the bone thieves infesting it, it was already mid-afternoon. Since the rain was still persisting, Jadis decided to simply call it a day and stayed in the fort for the night. She didn¡¯t relish the idea of camping in the rain and the inn¡¯s roof didn¡¯t leak. It had beds, too, though they were too small for even one of her, much less three. To overcome the minor inconvenience, Jadis carried the beds out of their rooms and pushed five of them together in the main space of the inn, making herself one large bed to lie across.
Even with her fur rug on top of it the straw mattresses smelled of mildew, but once she got the fire going and the doors and windows barricaded, the building was warm and dry and made for a pleasant enough place to spend a night. At least Jadis had good company to keep herself entertained.
The fort was, as it turned out, actually on a five-way intersection of roads. There were four gates, each leading in a cardinal direction, but out of the south gate the road there split in two, a cobblestone road heading true south while a worn dirt road headed southeast. Since the road heading south looked far more finished than the rest, and it was the direction Jadis had been heading so far anyway, Jadis chose to continue south the next morning.
Leaving the fort behind, Jadis followed the wet cobblestones through the pines, a light mist persisting for much of the morning until the sun came out around noon and burned it away. Unlike when she had left the village, the path leading south from the fort did not revert to bare earth and stayed made of stone. As Jadis trekked down the path, she found more signs of people having once inhabited the forest, though nothing recent.
An old campsite had been made a few hours away from the fort, a small clearing in the trees with several rings of stones for firepits. The ashes in the stone circles were wet and cold and small plants were already growing in the clearing, so Jadis doubted anyone had been there for a long time, but she was no good judge of such things.
Further down the road she found that the brook that came from all the way back in her starting valley merged into what could truly be called a river, the cobblestone road bridging the water with a solid stone arch. Next to the bridge was a log cabin, similar in construction to the wooden barracks she¡¯d seen in the mining compound. There was nothing inside the building but old worn furniture a size too small for Jadis, but since the building looked otherwise undamaged, Jadis hoped that meant she was nearing some point of safety. There was still some daylight left, but since the cabin was there and available, Jadis stopped at that point and stayed by the riverside overnight.
With another night¡¯s rest, Jadis decided her health was likely recovered enough that she could switch her overlay to something other than vitality. Sleeping indoors and on beds seemed to increase the effectiveness of Knight¡¯s Rest and her health had gone up a fair amount. Since Jadis wanted to make up for some of the time she¡¯d lost by searching the fort the day previous, Jadis overlayed her eldritch stat onto agility to increase her speed.
The boost to her movement was intense and it took a few minutes for Jadis to get used to the change. Having her selves run and jump around to acclimate herself to the increased speed and maneuverability, Jadis discovered that she now had the stats to easily leap onto the roof of the cabin, and probably a fair bit higher. With a run, she could actually jump straight across the river, something she did multiple times since it was so fun.
Once she felt accustomed to her stat changes, Jadis got back on the road, jogging along at a good clip. Without the boosted vitality, Dys¡¯ leg and side were still sore so she didn¡¯t push herself as hard as she could, but the distance she could travel was still massively increased.
More signs of civilization passed by as Jadis made her way, though she only briefly stopped to check them. Another campsite, this one with a wooden palisade. An old stone building at a crossroads that was missing its roof, likely due to a fire. The broken down remains of a wagon, pushed off to one side of the road.
As the day progressed, the towering pine trees seemed to shrink in size somewhat, their trunks not quite as wide, their density decreased, giving the forest a more open feel. Jadis also saw less and less bone thieves, going hours between sightings and only having to stop to kill a few.
By the time the sun was approaching the western horizon, its warm light filtering through the trees, Jadis felt extremely satisfied with her progress. She had no idea how many miles she¡¯d travelled, but the mountains where she had started were no longer visible over the tops of the trees around her. With her increased agility, she had to have covered dozens of miles on that day alone.
Since night was imminent, Jadis had Syd keep an eye out for another place to rest. Camping at old camp sites or waypoints was far preferable to making her own spot from scratch. As Syd ran ahead, she almost missed the faint, unusual sounds being carried along on the gentle evening breeze. The odd sounds were something Jadis hadn¡¯t heard in well over a month, so utterly unfamiliar and unexpected they nearly made her drop everything her selves were carrying.
Jadis heard the sound of voices. Voices that weren¡¯t her own.
She could hear men talking.
Chapter 40: Meeting the Locals
¡°I think I won the bet¡¡± Jay whispered, only Dys¡¯ ears around to hear as the two continued down the road at a much slower pace than before. Jadis had to consider what to do, as from what she could see with her third self¡¯s eyes, she¡¯d run into a pair of dwarves.
Ahead of Syd, at a bend in the road where it looked to curve around a rocky hillock, stood two figures. Decidedly male with their thick light-brown beards, they had suntanned skin and straight shoulder length hair tied back and out of their eyes. At the distance Syd stood, she couldn¡¯t make out their faces, but nothing of what she could see stood out to her as disturbing or unusual.
The two were about the same height, with stout builds and broad shoulders. They wore brigandine armor colored brown with green accents, letting them blend in with the forest environment. Both carried crossbows that they held in one hand, while their off hands were occupied with their helmets that they had taken off for some reason. Jadis could see that they also had swords belted to their waists. Overall, the two men looked well-armed and armored. If Jadis didn¡¯t know with certainty that she had died and been reincarnated on another world filled with magic and demons, she would have thought she¡¯d stumbled onto two medieval reenactors. Except, they were much too short for playing the part of a dark ages soldier.
With how far back Syd was standing from them, Jadis couldn¡¯t tell exactly how tall the men were, but her best guess was waist height. The men didn¡¯t have the stubby arm-and-leg build she expected from every depiction of dwarves she¡¯d seen back on Earth, they actually looked quite proportional, but they were undeniably much too short to be anything but dwarves.
Since Jay had won the bet she had going with her selves on which species she¡¯d come across first, Jadis planned on giving that third of her self a special treat when next feasible, but such considerations had to be put aside for the moment.
¡°Okay, we found people. Now what?¡± Dys murmured, she and Jay still about a hundred paces back from where Syd stood observing the two dwarves.
Jadis had been thinking a lot about what she should do when she did eventually meet people. She had no background or history to fall back on to explain her presence in the demon-infested forest. She didn¡¯t know where she was, when she was, or who anyone else on Oros was. She didn¡¯t even know if she spoke the same language as other people on this world. With so little to work with, Jadis had come up with a barebones backstory for herself to explain why she was alone in these lands, or rather, why three ¡®sisters¡¯ were alone and wearing clothes and armor made from scraps.
Her story was thus: The three of them were from a village up in the mountains to the north. Small and out of the way, they had spent their whole lives there and knew little of the world outside of their mountain home. A few months ago, demons had attacked the village, burning it down and killing everyone, the triplets being the only survivors who fled the catastrophe, wandering lost through the mountains until they found the abandoned dwarf mining village.
It wasn¡¯t much of a story, and Jadis was fairly certain it could fall completely apart if the right questions were asked, but it was the best she could come up with. She wasn¡¯t even sure if she should bother lying about her class and being three people, but as she had thought it out before, she planned on withholding that information until she had a better idea of how it would be perceived. Of course, if there were some way others had of seeing her class, that problem could be a moot point, but she¡¯d tackle that concern when and if it came up.
Of course, if no one spoke English, Jadis didn¡¯t need to concern herself with backstories or concealing her class and had a whole different problem to overcome, one she had no idea how she¡¯d tackle.
God, she really hoped D hadn¡¯t screwed her over by not giving her some kind of ability to understand the local language of where he¡¯d dropped her off.
As Syd observed the two men, she couldn¡¯t quite hear what they were saying to each other; either the distance was too great or they were speaking in hushed tones, but what she could tell was that they looked like they were arguing. Standing close, backs tense, occasionally throwing their arms up or out in wild gesticulations, the dwarves definitely looked heated.
Jadis wasn¡¯t sure what to do. With how angry the two were acting, it almost looked like they were going to come to blows. Should she approach them mid-argument and interrupt, or wait until they were done? What if they did get violent and one attacked, maybe even tried to kill, the other? Should she intervene? Jadis hadn¡¯t prepared for her first encounter with intelligent life on Oros to be like this, and indecision paralyzed her as she hid from sight, watching the two argue.
Suddenly, the dwarf on the left dropped his helmet and crossbow, quickly grabbing the dwarf on the right and putting him in a headlock. The other also dropped his helmet and crossbow and started flailing, beating on the first dwarf¡¯s armored back and chest as the two struggled.
Jadis almost ran forward to intervene, not willing to watch the first two people she finally found try to kill each other, when she saw that the first dwarf was roughly rubbing his knuckles against the scalp of the dwarf he had put in a headlock.
¡°A noogie?¡± Jadis couldn¡¯t help but ask aloud from her multiple selves, mouths hanging open in surprise.
At her exclamation, as relatively quiet as it had been, the two dwarves froze, then quickly dove to the ground, grabbing up their crossbows and pointing them in Syd¡¯s general direction.
One called out a few words in a language Jadis didn¡¯t understand, then the other called out as well, more words that sounded vaguely Germanic but held no meaning to her.
¡°Fuck, D, did you really fucking put me here without a way to talk to people?¡± Syd grumbled angrily while looking to the sky.
Acting in the moment the two had dived for their crossbows, Syd had ducked back behind the tree she¡¯d been spying on the dwarves from. As the two shouted out a couple more unknown commands, their tones decidedly on edge, Jadis made the snap judgement to try and deescalate the situation.
Afterall, if they did shoot at her, she was fairly certain she had the speed to run away or the strength to fight if she had no choice. Probably.
Throwing her free hand out to the side from behind the pine tree, Syd held her palm out towards the two, waving in what she hoped would be taken as a sign of peace, or at least showing she meant no harm.
All was silent for a few moments, before one of the dwarves called out again. Jadis still didn¡¯t know what he was saying, but she assumed it was probably something to the affect of ¡®come out and show yourself¡¯. She hoped that was what he was saying, because if he was actually saying ¡®stay there or we shoot¡¯ then she was about to make a terrible mistake.
Slowly, Syd stepped out from behind the tree. She did not drop her spear, keeping it to hand but also keeping the spearhead pointed up in the sky while keeping the other end on the ground. She hoped her grip conveyed that she wasn¡¯t threatening the two dwarves. She only had one chance at a first impression after all.
As Syd emerged into view, she saw the two dwarves stare at her, slack jawed. Seeing as they were just standing there, making no move or reaction, Syd stepped just a little further out from behind the pine.
Since the two were still silent, Jadis decided to take a risk and spoke first, speaking for the first time to someone other than herself in over a month.
¡°Uh, Hello. Do you¡ understand me?¡± Syd asked, left hand still open and raised.
The two continued their gawking silence for a few moments longer before the one of the left slowly nodded his head and answered, ¡°Aye, we speak Imperial.¡±
Relief washed through Jadis at the man¡¯s words. D had done something to make sure she spoke the local language. He¡¯d called it ¡®Imperial¡¯ instead of English, whatever that meant, but she¡¯d figure it out later.
The man¡¯s voice was gruff and held an accent, decidedly Germanic to her ears, though not exactly the same. She wasn¡¯t sure what the difference was, but she¡¯d heard enough of the German language and people who spoke English with the accent to tell that there was something slightly off about the way the man was pronouncing his vowels.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Syd let a grin spread over her face, not holding back a bit of the delight she felt at finally speaking with a native to the land she¡¯d been transplanted to.
¡°Great! Do you think you can stop pointing those at me? It¡¯s a little uncomfortable.¡±
The two seemed to startle at this, then lowered their weapons slightly, though not fully.
¡°Who are you, and what are you doing here?¡± The gruff dwarf on the left asked, his brow now furrowed in a scowl that didn¡¯t seem to sit well on his otherwise pleasant face. ¡°Speak truth, or I¡¯ll know it! I¡¯m an excellent judge of character.¡±
The right-side dwarf snorted at the last, though he quickly schooled his expression when the first dwarf briefly sent a glower his way.
¡°My name is Syd,¡± Jadis remembered to say, maintaining the cover story that she was three different people. If the dwarf was asking for her name, she assumed that meant he didn¡¯t have some magical way of just knowing it like an identify skill or spell. ¡°I¡¯m lost. I¡¯ve been following this road for a few days now. You¡¯re the first people I¡¯ve come across.¡±
¡°Hmph,¡± the dwarf seemingly in charge, at least between the two of them, grunted. ¡°Lost, is it? Bad place to be wandering without a notion of where you are going. And in rags, to boot. Where did you come from?¡±
Syd pointed north, back they way the road led. ¡°The mountains, to the north.¡±
¡°Which village?¡± he questioned, obviously suspicious. ¡°Which valley?¡±
¡°The mountains, not a valley,¡± Syd lied, shrugging. ¡°It was small, there were few of us. We didn¡¯t call it anything but the village.¡±
The dwarf considered that, his stance relaxing just a bit. That answer seemed to be a reasonable one in his eyes.
The second dwarf finally spoke, lowering his crossbow and smiling in a reassuring manor. His voice was a little lighter, less gruff and more clear. ¡°Syd, was it? It¡¯s not that we mean to be rude, but you¡¯ve caught us off guard and this is a dangerous land these days. Step a bit closer, would you? I¡¯d like to check you with my Detect Stone, make sure you aren¡¯t a demon playing an elaborate ruse.¡±
So they did have some way of casting a detect spell. Interesting. Despite the polite words and friendly smile, Jadis got the distinct impression that the request was more of a command, especially with how the first dwarf still glowered, his crossbow only a quick move away from being pointed at her.
¡°How close?¡± Syd asked, already slowly moving forward. She didn¡¯t see a way to refuse without causing suspicion or alarm. ¡°And what are your names? Like you said, I don¡¯t want to be rude, but where I come from it¡¯s only polite to introduce yourself when meeting strangers.¡±
As Jadis walked Syd forward, her other two selves had moved up behind her, standing back and off to the other side of the road. She felt they were far enough away that with their focus on Syd, Jadis doubted the dwarves noticed their approach. If these two turned hostile, she was ready to respond in kind.
¡°That¡¯s close enough,¡± the second dwarf said as Syd closed the distance by about half, only a couple dozen paces away from the two now.
That much closer, Jadis had a much better view of their appearance, and was a tad disappointed. The famously bushy and braided beards of the dwarves she expected were not present on these two. In fact, she¡¯d seen bigger beards on bikers back on Earth. They both looked remarkably similar to each other, and both looked middle-aged to Jadis, perhaps in their late thirties or early forties, but she had no idea what that meant on a dwarven timescale. While Jadis had no interest in men, she recognized that they were both handsome enough to warrant a second look from most women. Not movie star attractive or anything, but their faces were well put together, if a bit rugged.
Watching carefully for any sign of a trick, Jadis saw the second dwarf pull a small round stone from a pouch on his belt. It was red, with some blue, faintly glowing lines traced across it, and a hole in the middle. The dwarf held it up between thumb and forefinger, framing Syd in the hole Jadis assumed.
¡°Detect,¡± the dwarf said quietly, though loud enough for Jadis to hear. After a second, his brow wrinkled in confusion and he turned to the first dwarf.
¡°It says she¡¯s a Nephilim, whatever that is. Level thirty combat class.¡±
Jadis breathed a mental sigh of relief, lowering Syd¡¯s empty hand. Clearly, that Detect Stone, whatever it was, was limited in the information it provided. Race was provided, and her level, but nothing more specific it seemed.
¡°Not a demon, though,¡± the head dwarf said, finally lowering his crossbow completely. He shrugged a shoulder, looking up at her apologetically. ¡°Sorry about that, miss. Can¡¯t be too careful out in these woods. Didn¡¯t think any civilians were left after the evacuation.¡±
Evacuation? Jadis wanted to ask but filed that bit of information away for later questions.
¡°Name¡¯s Ludwas,¡± the second dwarf said as he put the little stone away. ¡°And this old grump is my brother Gerwas.¡±
¡°Not that old,¡± Gerwas grumped, stooping down to pick up his helmet and planting it firmly on his head.
¡°You said you were lost, right?¡± Ludwas asked, picking up his own helmet though he didn¡¯t put it on. ¡°If you¡¯re looking to make it to Felsen, you¡¯re on the right road for it.¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± Syd said, shaking her head. Jadis decided admitting her ignorance in this situation would be better than trying to bluff knowledge of things she was ignorant to. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Felsen is. My village was very small, way back in the mountains. Never left it before a couple months ago.¡±
The dwarves looked momentarily taken aback, but Ludwas recovered quickly.
¡°Well, must have been far back in the Kalters Wall, eh?¡±
Syd nodded, not having a clue what that meant but making the logical assumption that was what the dwarves called the mountain or mountain range to the north.
¡°Why¡¯d you come down here, then? Mountains are that way,¡± Gerwas said motioning back up the road, though it sounded less of an accusation and more of an honestly curious question.
¡°My village was destroyed by demons,¡± Jadis said, feeling more and more confident her fictional backstory would sound believable to these two.
Both pulled a face at the mention of demons, nodding sympathetically.
¡°We can take you back with us to the forward outpost. The captain will want to speak with you anyway,¡± Ludwas said with a comforting look. ¡°You can tell him what happened and then send you along to Felsen. The port¡¯s running again, so you can take a ship back to somewhere safe.¡±
¡°No one else made it? Just you?¡± Gerwas asked before Jadis could properly process everything Ludwas had said, his tone a lot less gruff than it had been at the start.
¡°Actually,¡± Syd said, seeing it was time she spilled the beans, ¡°My sisters are with me. Can I tell them to come out?¡±
Gerwas and Ludwas both looked around them, scanning the trees. ¡°Sisters? Aye, tell them to come out,¡± Gerwas said. ¡°Tell them no funny business! You¡¯ve been proper polite so far and they best be on their good behavior, too.¡±
Jadis was a bit amused by how Gerwas kept putting up a tough front that didn¡¯t last long. Maybe he thought he had to show a tough face to intimidate her? It wasn¡¯t effective, though, not coming from someone half her size.
¡°It¡¯s safe!¡± Syd called out, keeping up the act.
Immediately, Jay and Dys moved forward, coming out from the trees on the far side of the road.
As they came into view, their makeshift mauls slung over their shoulders, the two dwarves both let out startled gasps.
¡°Fuck my ear, there¡¯s two more of you!¡± Gerwas exclaimed, taking a step back as both Jay and Dys came to a stop next to Syd, Jay on the far left, Dys in the middle, and Syd on the right.
Jadis was gratified to learn that ¡®fuck¡¯ was an acceptable curse word to use. It would have been a pain to have to explain to others what it meant if it wasn¡¯t a word used on Oros, because Jadis wasn¡¯t going to stop using it anytime soon.
¡°Gerwas, Ludwas, these are my sisters Jay and Dys,¡± Syd said by way of introduction.
¡°We¡¯re triplets,¡± Dys added, grinning down at the two gawking dwarves.
¡°¡I can see that,¡± Ludwas said, scratching his beard. ¡°And the whole, er, height, thing, what have you, that¡¯s just how big you Neph-er-watzits come, eh?¡±
¡°Nephilim,¡± Jay corrected. ¡°And yes. We¡¯re normal for our race.¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t sure at all about the veracity of that statement, but the dwarves didn¡¯t seem to know what Nephilim were anyway, so it didn¡¯t seem likely they would be disputed on the matter.
¡°Not used to people of our size?¡± Dys asked, curious. All the buildings so far had been dwarf sized, so Jadis expected the dominant population to be the same height as these two, but did that mean there weren¡¯t any other normal sized races in the area?
¡°Aye, aren¡¯t many folk running around as tall as you lot,¡± Ludwas answered with a laugh.
¡°Try none,¡± Gerwas grunted. ¡°Saw an orc once that would have come up to your shoulders, but you three knock that big man right off the scale.¡±
Wait. Orc? An orc came up to her shoulders? Weren¡¯t orcs supposed to be hulking brutes, way bigger than the average man in most fantasy media? Maybe these were more like Tolkien orcs, more human or goblin-like in size.
¡°Ah, sorry to ask,¡± Jay said, trying not to sound too flustered by the odd thought that was slowly starting to push its way to the forefront of Jadis¡¯ mind. ¡°There were only other Nephilim in our village. We heard stories, but we never met any other races. You two are the first we¡¯ve met that weren¡¯t like us. Are you¡ dwarves? Is that the right word?¡±
¡°Dwarves!¡± Ludwas exclaimed, barking out a quick laugh.
¡°We¡¯re taller than most men!¡± Gerwas shouted, looking somewhat insulted. ¡°Just because you¡¯re snow-skinned giants doesn¡¯t mean you can call us short!¡±
¡°Ah, lay off them,¡± Ludwas said, putting a hand on his brother¡¯s shoulder. ¡°If they¡¯re as sheltered as some of the folk back in Falk¡¯s Reach, can¡¯t blame them for not knowing a man from a sprite.¡±
Gerwas grunted, drawing himself up a little taller as he looked up into Jay¡¯s eyes. ¡°We¡¯re humans. Normal sized humans, not like those short bronze-skinned ones from up past the Siren Sea.¡±
¡°Gerwas, Phelocians are not that short, stop being a prick just because you lost coin to Terentio last night,¡± Ludwas sighed in exasperation.
The two brothers turned towards each other, starting to squabble, becoming a background noise that Jadis tuned out. The unlikely truth she¡¯d been perhaps willfully ignorant to the possibility of ever since she¡¯d stumbled across the ¡®dwarven¡¯ village had sat its big fat butt right in the middle of her thoughts. A question that she¡¯d dismissed as unimportant early on demanded an answer now.
Just how fucking tall was she?
Chapter 41 POV: Aila
¡°Hey, Bean Pole, have you seen your uncles?¡±
Aila looked up from her book with a start, blinking owlishly at Volker. She¡¯d been rereading the last two pages of Chapter Three: Practical Applications of Elemental Magic for the past hour. She felt she was close to having the material completely memorized and the annoying man¡¯s interruption was disrupting her concentration.
¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen them since lunch,¡± Aila answered, trying to keep her tone neutral. ¡°Try asking Terentio.¡±
¡°I tried him first,¡± Volker said with the air of a child telling their mother they¡¯d already washed up before dinner. ¡°And I asked Specht. Dulfa and Wolfe, too. No one¡¯s seen them for more than an hour.¡±
She wasn¡¯t surprised. Aila knew her uncles well. Her whole extended family was from the same village in the northwest of Faustinroth, so she¡¯d grown up with Gerwas and Ludwas around nearly as much as her own parents. The two were prone to wander the woods when they didn¡¯t have a task or job to keep them focused. She supposed that was part of why the gods had gifted them Scout classes when they came of age. The roles suited them well.
¡°They¡¯re probably in the forest, exploring,¡± Aila told Volker. Attempting to dismiss the warrior, she turned her eyes back to the book while assuring him. ¡°They¡¯ll be back before the sun sets.¡±
Volker tsked loudly, then set his booted foot on the log next to where Aila sat, leaning forward to adjust the laces.
¡°Never around when you need them, eh? Always roaming. You¡¯d think they¡¯d take you along more often, at least.¡±
Aila sighed quietly. Volker was trying to chat her up again, clearly. He was persistent, she had to admit. Most of the other mercenaries in the camp had taken her rejections to their advances easily enough, but Volker didn¡¯t seem to want to give up. If she wasn¡¯t so annoyed by his willful disregard of her obvious disinterest, she might have been flattered. Maybe.
It wasn¡¯t that Volker was a bad sort. He was fairly good looking, strongly built, and had rather attractive green eyes. He wasn¡¯t overtly rude or crass, in fact he was generally one of the more well mannered of the mercenary band. She imagined it was because he had been raised in the capital and had picked up on some of the more upper-class mannerisms.
Still, he called her Bean Pole.
Everyone called Aila Bean Pole. It was a nickname that had stuck to her since childhood. She¡¯d always been tall and skinny, even before she had her full set of adult teeth she¡¯d been exceptionally taller than the other children. Someone had once said she was as tall as a bean pole and growing just as fast and the name had stuck ever since.
She hated the name.
Aila¡¯s family only called her Bean Pole if they were purposefully trying to rile her up. They knew it annoyed her and generally reserved it only for times they wanted to tease. Everyone else, though? Especially the mercenaries she barely knew? They thought it was a good laugh of a nickname and kept calling her it even after she told them not to.
So, she let them. Aila wasn¡¯t one to complain. She simply marked those down who didn¡¯t listen to her polite and earnest request as people not to be concerned with. If they would not pay attention to her desires, she felt no compunction about ignoring them and their wants.
She supposed it was fortunate, in a sense, that others had overheard Gerwas and Ludwas teasing her with the odious nickname all those months ago when she¡¯d first arrived at Far Felsen. The nickname did make it easy to judge who was more of an ass than a friend.
¡°¡and if Captain Renz agrees, we might set up an ambush tomorrow morning, draw in some of those bony demons that are still running around here and there. Maybe we¡¯ll get a level out of it.¡±
Volker had been prattling on for a while and Aila had mostly ignored what he¡¯d been saying, lost in her own thoughts. The mention of levels had caught her attention, though, if but briefly. She could easily tell what Volker was getting at as his damnably attractive green eyes tried to catch her own blue ones. It irked her that he knew how to draw her in so easily.
Levels. Aila was so close to reaching her twentieth level. With all the work she¡¯d been doing for the past six months here on Weigrun, plus the incidental experience she¡¯d gotten from the few times her uncles had actually let her join in on some demon hunts, she was already level seventeen. Having unlocked her primary class only two years ago, she thought it was an impressive number of levels for her age. Even before coming to Weigrun, she¡¯d already reached level twelve. Luckily, the Bernd¡¯s Blades mercenary company had thought her drive to level so fast with a non-combat class was impressive as well. That willingness to push herself hard and having her uncles to vouch for her had gotten her a job in the mercenary company, one that had gotten her another five levels in six months. An amazing amount of growth, even considering the extra experience that could be gained from participating in demon slaying.
It was just such an abysmal shame that the levels were in Cart Driver and not in a class she actually wanted.
Volker knew she was pushing to level up to twenty as fast as she could to unlock her secondary class. He was dangling the idea of a demon extermination ambush in front of her, hoping she would accept, probably thinking it would earn him some favor in her eyes.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
By the gods how it tempted her.
¡°Thank you for letting me know,¡± Aila said with a small smile, again keeping her tone neutral. She closed her book as she stood up from her seat on the log. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask my uncles if I can join them, if they are also participating in the ambush.¡±
¡°Well, if they aren¡¯t, I have no problem letting you join me,¡± Volker said, drawing up beside her and looking up to her with a much broader smile of his own. He¡¯d dropped all subtly and just gone straight for the kill. ¡°You¡¯re always welcome to join me on any expedition hunts.¡±
¡°Thank you for the offer, but no,¡± Aila responded with a firm denial. ¡°My uncles are my sponsors and per company rules I¡¯m only supposed to go on hunts with them. Maybe once I have a combat class. If you¡¯ll excuse me, it¡¯s getting late and I have a few things to take care of.¡±
With that, she walked away from Volker with large strides made larger by her long legs. She suppressed a small shiver at the feeling of him watching her go. For all his civility, she didn¡¯t need to turn around to feel Volker¡¯s pretty green eyes roaming across her legs and ass.
Aila didn¡¯t like the attention, but she didn¡¯t blame him for his interest. Didn¡¯t her own eyes seek out the handsome men around her? She¡¯d be a hypocrite if she got mad at him for looking, and so long as that was all he did, she could live with it. Besides, if she were to be freakishly tall, it was nice to at least get something out of it other than an unwanted moniker.
Aila thought her legs were her best feature. Long and shapely, and toned from years of outdoor labor, they were exceptionally attractive in her opinion. They looked good in the leather breeches she habitually wore, a style she¡¯d picked up from some of her more daring friends back home who had made visits to the capital or other big cities. She was quite satisfied to have some part of her that gave her some confidence in her appearance.
Not that she was completely lacking in confidence. If she were to be asked, she¡¯d have to say she had fair looks, but nothing compared to the true beauties that could be found in the big cities. She didn¡¯t have much of a bust, and her frame was on the skinny side. Her copper-colored hair was alright, she supposed, but the large number of freckles that came with it almost made her as self-conscious as her height did. Her face wasn¡¯t plain, not by any means, but the freckles were distracting and if she could afford the cosmetics, Aila would have happily covered them up every day.
The true issue though, was her height. Aila was six feet and seven inches tall, by Imperial standards, or in common terms, about twenty hands tall. Twenty! The average woman was sixteen hands high or so, maybe a bit more. Most men were seventeen hands tall, maybe eighteen hands if they were tall like her uncles, but twenty? Utterly freakish.
Whatever her perceived physical deficiencies, they didn¡¯t stop Volker from trying to bed her. Maybe he was attracted to woman taller than him? Odd thought. Most men Aila knew preferred it the other way around.
In any case, Aila had no interest in a fling with Volker, or any other mercenary around camp for that matter. She was here for levels, and more importantly, here for the kind of experience that would help her get a combat mage class. Her priorities put flirting with men in heat far down the list of importance.
Walking through the camp, Aila nodded amicably to the various others who were about on their business. It was nearing sunset and many were preparing for the shift change of the guard or working on the night¡¯s meal. With fifty soldiers and a dozen or so support staff, the forward outpost was always busy.
Aila herself had nothing to do at the moment, which is why she¡¯d been reading. The shipment of supplies she¡¯d carted up to the outpost on her wagon that morning had already been unloaded and everything that would be taken back to Felsen was also loaded up. She¡¯d be ready to ride her supply wagon back to the city in the morning with no delays, so long as the weather held. Since she had no actual purpose, she didn¡¯t know where exactly she was walking to, but having excused herself from Volker, she walked with the simulated confidence of someone with a mission.
Walking briskly as she did, Aila quickly found herself at the gates of the palisade, still open since the sun was still above the horizon. Siward and Jagger were on either side of the gate, standing watch. She gave polite smiles and nods to them both and they greeted her much the same way.
¡°Looking for your uncles?¡± Siward asked. He was younger than many of the other mercenaries in Bernd¡¯s Blades, closer to her age of twenty. ¡°Saw them go out maybe an hour ago.¡±
¡°No, just stretching my legs,¡± Aila answered, taking a few steps further out past the gates.
The scenery ahead never ceased to impress her. The edge of the Great Southern Forest stretched out in front of her, massive pine trees at least twice the height of any ordinary tree lining the slope a couple of hundred yards away. They were towering giants, far larger than anything they had back home. And from what she¡¯d heard around camp, there were trees even bigger the closer one went to the mountains. They had to be quite the sight.
¡°Don¡¯t you go wandering too, Bean Pole,¡± Jagger called out. ¡°At least not until my shifts done. I don¡¯t want to have to be a part of any search parties.¡±
Aila frowned, the uplifting mood the sight of the beautiful trees had given her brought firmly down by the scraggly camp guard. Schooling her expression, Aila turned back to frown down at Jagger.
¡°I¡¯m not a fool. I¡¯ll be staying right within sight of the gate, I can assure you.¡±
¡°Fine, fine,¡± he waved her off dismissively. ¡°I just¡ª" Jagger cut off mid-sentence, pointing past Aila. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s your erstwhile uncles. And¡ªby the gods, what do they have with them?¡±
Aila spun back around to see what both Jagger and Siward were staring at. There, coming out of the forest along the road, were Gerwas and Ludwas. But the two men barely registered, as Aila immediately saw what had caused their surprise.
Walking behind her uncles was a giant. No, not a giant like the demons or magical beasts she¡¯d heard of or read about. It was¡ no, she was, like a walking statue. She was¡ beautiful. The woman, for Aila could easily tell she was one, had a shockingly attractive face, like something one of the great elven artists of old had carved from marble. Even at a distance Aila could clearly see the woman¡¯s flawless features. The captivating beauty was made surreal by pure white skin, snow white hair, and startling violet eyes, all combined together to make a woman that would have been eye-catching anywhere, except she was also¡ so¡ tall!
Aila had met orcs that were her height, some that were a couple of hands taller, even, though rarely. This woman towered over her uncles, who were both eighteen hands high themselves, their heads only reaching to the middle of her waist.
As she watched in confused awe, Aila faintly recognized that her uncles were waving to her, or to her and the gate guards she supposed. She responded tentatively, waving a hesitant hand in their direction, only to freeze in shock at the realization that there were two more giants walking behind the first one! Three giant women!
In Valtar¡¯s name, how tall were they?
Chapter 42: Change of Scenery
Jadis raised her collective eyebrows at the sight before her as the two men, not dwarves, led her out of the forest. There was quite a lot to take in, but fortunately, she had three sets of eyes to do all the seeing.
Spreading out before her was a twilight vista of strangely jagged hills rising like waves, smooth slopes of green grass on one side with vertical cliff-faces on the other, their tops cresting in sharp peaks of stone. None were so tall that they could be called mountains, but there were many such hills stretching across the land for miles and miles to the east, west, and south. The land itself seemed to slope downward the further south it went, giving Jadis an excellent view of the expansive rolling hills as they went all the way to what Jadis was fairly certain might be an ocean or a sea. It was hard to tell, the distance was so great and the setting sun wasn¡¯t helping, but she thought she could see the sparkle of water on the far horizon.
More immediate than the hills and hypothetical ocean, was the wood palisade camp that stood before her. Tall pines had been chopped down to make a circular wall, a similar setup to one of the temporary camps she¡¯d seen on the road, though quite a bit bigger. There were actual gates set up on this fortification, another major difference, and there was a tall wooden tower in the middle, no doubt serving as a watchtower for the surrounding lands.
This had to be the forward outpost Gerwas and Ludwas had told her about. The two were a bit light on the details, but they¡¯d told her that they were a part of a mercenary company called Bernd¡¯s Blades and that this outpost was one of several they had set up around the perimeter of the forest. How many camps there were exactly and how many soldiers there were manning the forts was not mentioned in their explanation, a purposeful omission Jadis suspected.
She didn¡¯t blame them for being a bit cagey on potentially sensitive details with her. She¡¯d probably be suspicious too if three random women of a race she had no familiarity with walked up on her out of nowhere and started a conversation, especially in an area that had hostile demons running around. So long as the rest of the mercenaries stayed as reasonable as the two brothers were behaving, Jadis would be happy. And, if they weren¡¯t so polite? Jadis would be ready to run or fight. She hoped it wouldn¡¯t come to that.
Speaking of the other mercenaries, Jadis could see three of them standing at the open gates. There were two men wearing much the same style armor as Gerwas and Ludwas, plus a woman wearing a tunic and leather pants. The two men looked to be cut from the same cloth as the brothers, if just a bit shorter. It was hard to make out their features under their helmets, but one at least had a beard and both had a thick, stout build that made Jadis think of muscled working men.
The woman was far more of a draw for Jadis¡¯ eyes, if for no other reason than her bright ginger-colored hair. Long and straight, her red hair was blowing like a flag in the wind. Jadis couldn¡¯t make out her features well with how far away she still was, but what she could see, she liked.
¡°Looks like our niece is waiting for us,¡± Ludwas commented from his spot next to Jay. The man had had to practically jog along to keep up with Jadis¡¯ stride when they first started off together. Now Jadis had slowed her normal walk into more of a strolling speed, just to keep from out pacing the two men.
¡°Niece?¡± Jay asked. ¡°Mercenary work a family business?¡±
¡°No,¡± Ludwas answered with a shake of his head. ¡°Just the three of us. Most of our family is sane. Just us with more spirit than sense.¡± Ludwas laughed at his own assessment. He was certainly the more jovial of the two.
¡°I¡¯ll not ask you to leave aside your¡ weapons,¡± Gerwas said a moment or two later, once again filling the role of the authoritarian. ¡°But keep them shouldered. If you make any moves that could be seen as a threat, it¡¯ll be a bad evening for you.¡±
Jadis nodded all three of her heads, but verbally answering with Jay.
¡°Noted. We¡¯ll behave if you all behave, too.¡±
¡°Aye, they¡¯ll behave,¡± Gerwas gruffly assured her. ¡°Captain Renz runs things tight, and Bernd would skin any man of his who broke the codes.¡±
Jadis wanted to ask about what codes Gerwas was talking about, but just then the group had drawn close enough to the fort gate that the guards called out, grabbing all of their attention.
¡°Oy! Ger, what¡¯s the word?¡± The guard with no beard shouted.
¡°Civilians! From the Wall!¡± Gerwas shouted back. ¡°Aila, go fetch the Captain, you hear?¡±
With an obvious start, the redheaded woman Ludwas had pointed out as his niece turned and ran back into the camp, quickly disappearing among the pavilion tents and log cabin buildings Jadis could see clustered inside the palisade walls.
In another minute, Jadis and her escorts were drawn up against the gate, the two guards trading whispers with the brothers. Jadis didn¡¯t try too hard to eavesdrop, but she at least heard a few words like ¡®Nephilim¡¯ and ¡®mountain village¡¯ passed back and forth.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Setting down her supply sling, Jadis took the time to study the men, the camp, and her surroundings. She couldn¡¯t get a full view of the camp just standing at the gate, but what she could see sent a certain thrill of excitement through her. Everything she saw looked like it had come straight out of a medieval fantasy novel: there were men walking around in armor, horses grazing on hay in a pen, and banners with coats of arms displayed on tents and flying from the top of the central tower.
As she watched in curiosity, some of the soldiers seemed to notice her, many stopping to stare, some whispering to each other while other just openly gawked.
Jadis got the distinct impression she was going to stand out in a crowd no matter where she went. Everyone she was seeing were about the same height if not shorter than Gerwas and Ludwas. They were all human, too, from what she could tell, though some had enough armor on and were wearing helmets, so she couldn¡¯t be certain. Except¡
¡°Ah!¡± All three of Jadis exclaimed, drawing startled looks from the four men standing around her.
¡°What?¡± Gerwas demanded, ¡°Some problem?¡±
¡°Ah, no,¡± Syd said, smiling sheepishly at the agitated mercenary, all the while Jay and Dys keeping their eyes on the man who was staring back at them. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We just, you know, aren¡¯t used to other peoples.¡±
¡°And?¡± One of the guards prompted, the one with a decidedly scruffy beard.
¡°Well,¡± Dys answered in a low voice, ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but that man there with the yellow eyes. He¡¯s an elf, right?¡±
The four looked back in through the gates, staring down the crowd of at least a dozen or so men and a few women that had gathered and were now eyeing the three of Jadis in open curiosity.
¡°Aye, Ulfraen is an elf, why?¡± Ludwas finally answered Dys¡¯ question.
Jadis inwardly squealed in glee but kept her outward reactions minimal.
¡°We¡¯ve never seen one, is all,¡± Dys responded. ¡°This is all new to us.¡±
¡°Nice to guess right this time, too,¡± Jay said. ¡°After getting it wrong about you and dwarves and all that.¡±
¡°Dwarves¡?¡± One of the guards asked, but Jadis only half heard the explanation Ludwas was giving him.
The man Ludwas had identified as Ulfraen, and who Jadis now had confirmation was an actual honest to goodness elf, was both similar and different from what she had expected. He was taller than the other soldiers, by about half a head, and much more slender in build. His skin was faintly bluish in color, decidedly not a human complexion, and his eyes were solid yellow, no iris or sclera, just solid orbs of gold. He was wearing some kind of light armor and had no helmet on, so not only could Jadis see his dark purple hair, but also his sharp pointed ears. Strangely, as Jadis watched, his ears actually moved back and forth, angling out and in her direction like a cat¡¯s or a dog¡¯s ears would.
Jadis had really been hoping to run into elves first, and while she¡¯d lost her bet with herself, since humans weren¡¯t one of her three chosen options, she was still ecstatic to see proof positive that elves were real.
Was it wrong of her to be thinking up ways she might be able to chat up any pretty female elf mercenaries she might run across in the camp?
Her possibly inappropriate thoughts were interrupted by the crowd parting as the redhead from before returned, a short man in full plate armor walking next to her.
Wait. No, he wasn¡¯t short, Jadis realized a moment later, the redheaded niece was just tall. Jadis hadn¡¯t noticed the first time she¡¯d seen her, but now that she was closer and had others standing nearby to give context, she could see that Aila was actually quite tall.
Well, tall for a human, Jadis supposed. Her uncles were both about mid-waist on her, but she guessed the top of Aila¡¯s head would just barely be at chest height.
¡°I¡¯m told you¡¯re civilians,¡± the fully armored man brought Jadis¡¯ attention back to the here and now.
He was the same height as the brothers, which meant he was a little taller than most of the rest. His armor was the most realistic-looking set of full plate Jadis had ever seen, with a green and grey tabard over his torso, displaying a stylized bear symbol that had a couple of swords crossed over it. He had one hand resting casually on the bastard sword belted to his waist, another sight that had Jadis gushing at how good it looked to see on what appeared to be an actual knight in shining armor.
Immediately Jadis remembered that the armor and sword looked fantastically realistic because it was real and she wasn¡¯t visiting a renaissance fair.
Fortunately her lapse in attention wasn¡¯t noticed. The knight was still talking.
¡°I am Captain Renz of Bernd¡¯s Blades. By the authority of Prince Kestil of the Alfhilderunn Empire, I am charged with protecting these lands and have been given authority to offer aid to any man, woman, or child of Weigrun that seeks asylum from the demons who have invaded these forests. Do you seek protection from Samleos¡¯ Spawn?¡±
The speech the mercenary captain had given was obviously one he¡¯d spoken more than a few times before, the words said in a perfectly enunciated tone that screamed memorization. With how properly he had announced his reason for being there, Jadis imagined this was a required duty that had to be offered before any further action could be taken.
She briefly wondered what would happen if she declined the offer. Would that cause her to be turned away?
The answer to that question would have to be found out later. Jadis wasn¡¯t about to turn down an offer of assistance, for two main reasons.
Firstly, she wanted to get as much information out of these mercenaries as she could and playing into the role of the lost refugee seemed a good way to go about it without arousing too much suspicion.
Secondly, Jadis could smell campfires on the light breeze, and with that smell of burning wood came the delicious, mouthwatering scent of meat. Jadis was one hundred percent on board with accepting asylum with the Alfhi-whatever Empire if it meant she¡¯d get something to eat that wasn¡¯t hardtack and honey.
¡°Yes!¡± Jay, Dys, and Syd answered the Captain¡¯s question in unison, their perfectly synchronized voices seeming to startle the soldiers.
¡°We seek refuge; a safe place to sleep and something warm to eat,¡± Jay clarified. ¡°If you¡¯re offering.¡±
After taking a moment to perhaps consider, Captain Renz motioned for the three of Jadis to enter the gates.
¡°Come in, then. We¡¯ll get you three a place to settle by the fire. Now, tell me, where exactly did you all come from and what happened?¡±
As Jadis entered the mercenary camp, she cranked her improvisational gears up a notch. She had a feeling she was going to have a lot of explaining to do, and depending on what the captain asked, a lot of lies to tell.
Chapter 43: Campfire Interrogation
Meat. Glorious, delicious, mouthwatering meat. Jadis didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ever been so happy to have some thick, juicy meat in her mouth.
Well, different kind of meat¡
Objectively, the unidentified slab of meat that had been roasted over a campfire wasn¡¯t especially good quality. It was gamey and a bit tough, the seasoning was limited to salt, and it had far more char to it than Jadis ordinarily went for. But it wasn¡¯t fucking hardtack and honey mush and thus was the most glorious thing Jadis had ever tasted.
Jadis had to struggle not to devour the plates of food the camp cook had given her, if for no other reason than she didn¡¯t want to look like an ill-mannered beast. She was already getting the impression that the mercenaries were thinking of her, or rather, the three of them, as a trio of ignorant mountain barbarians. She imagined her general lack of knowledge and backstory did promote that picture. The patchwork clothes and roughly cobbled together weapons probably aided that thought along quite a bit.
Having led her inside the camp and ordering those who had duties to resume them, Captain Renz had sat the three of her down around one of a few campfires, large logs having been put around it in place of chairs, and had commanded the camp cook to bring the three of them meals. Jadis was supremely grateful that the captain had thought to get her some food before any kind of questioning. She guessed the whole ¡®offering aid¡¯ speech was something the mercenary captain took pretty seriously.
The cook had, at least at first, given her portions appropriate for the various soldiers that were also lining up for their evening dinnertime, but quickly realized his error and had piled several more plates high once he saw how quickly the three of her were munching through the meaty meal. They¡¯d also been given wooden mugs filled with ale, bitter but surprisingly cold and refreshing. Jadis had to say, the hospitality the mercenaries offered was pretty damn good.
¡°And the three of you are the only survivors?¡± Renz asked, eating his own plate of meat and some kind of boiled vegetables. Jadis hadn¡¯t gotten to those yet, but they smelled good.
¡°Yes,¡± Jay answered the captain¡¯s questions. While she was lying about her origin for now, Jadis planned to tell as much truth as she could. Lying had never been her forte. ¡°At least, we¡¯re pretty sure. The demons destroyed everything. We were a small village, about forty of us, and there were a lot of demons. My sisters and I ran once it was clear the village couldn¡¯t be defended. We came back in the morning and it¡ªit wasn¡¯t a pretty sight. We didn¡¯t find anyone else, so we left.¡±
¡°When did it happen? How many demons?¡± Renz continued his questioning, clearly looking for more detail.
¡°Maybe two or three months ago?¡± Jay prevaricated. By her count, she¡¯d been on Oros for less than two months, but she didn¡¯t want anyone to know that, at least not yet. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure. Dys? Syd?¡±
Jadis¡¯ other two selves paused in their eating to shrug or mumble a negative. Jadis had to remember to do that sort of thing occasionally, especially if she was trying to make people believe that they were three separate women.
¡°As to how many there were, I¡¯m not sure about that either. Maybe double our numbers? It was night and we couldn¡¯t see everything going on.¡±
While Jay explained what happened to the imaginary Nephilim village, Dys and Syd weren¡¯t just idly eating. Those two parts of Jadis kept their eyes open and ears perked, watching and listening to the mercenaries around her as well at taking note of camp itself.
From what she could see, the camp had a semi-permanent look to it with several buildings made of logs, some of which she guessed were barracks for the mercenaries. There were a few tents and pavilions made of sturdy cloth, but they looked like they were being used for places like where the cooks were preparing the meals, not places for people to sleep. There was a pen with horses in it, an animal Jadis had guessed had to exist based on the horseshoes she¡¯d found in the abandoned village, but there were also some large bovine-looking beasts that had wide horns or antlers, almost like a moose. They didn¡¯t look like any animal Jadis had seen back on Earth and she was eager to take a closer look at the strange creatures at some point.
The mercenaries themselves, now that the excitement of finally meeting actual people had worn off somewhat, were a little underwhelming. They were almost all humans, at least so far as Jadis could judge, and generally kind of rough looking. They were decked out in medieval armor and weapons though, so Jadis was happy to see that. Their armor was more uniform then Jadis would have expected from a band of mercenaries, most of them wearing the same style and colored brigandine that Gerwas and Ludwas wore. A few here and there wore something heavier, such as a solid steel breastplate, but only the captain was wearing full plate.
Jadis had always thought of mercenaries as being something patchwork or ragtag in nature, but these people looked far more like professional soldiers in uniform than the ¡®adventurer¡¯ type of mercenary Jadis had imagined.
Most of the mercenaries were giving Jadis and the captain some space, eating their dinner while seated at long tables with benches under a few of the aforementioned pavilion tents. They kept sending surreptitious glances Jadis¡¯ way though, clearly curious. While Jadis couldn¡¯t hear most of what was being whispered, she heard enough to understand that her unknown race was at least one hot point of discussion.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Not all of the mercenaries were far and away, though. Gerwas and Ludwas had stayed nearby, eating their meals while sitting on another log by the campfire. Their pretty redheaded niece had also joined them, much to Jadis¡¯ delight. While she hadn¡¯t had any opportunity to talk with the girl yet, from what she could see she was very interested in getting to know more about her.
¡°And what happened then?¡± Renz prompted.
¡°We wandered in the mountains for a while. Lived on what we could find until we came across a stone village at the base of the mountains. A valley north of here,¡± Jay pointed in the general direction, ¡°Maybe a few days travel away. Well, maybe more, depending on how fast you walk.¡±
Jadis told the story of the month she¡¯d spent in the village to Renz with as much truthful detail as she could, leaving out any parts that¡¯d reveal she was just one person, instead treating the story as though there had been three of them there all along. She described the village, the buildings that were in it, as well as the number of bone thieves that were running around it.
Renz interrupted her explanations multiple times, asking for details on the village and its whereabouts, what the conditions of the buildings and mining camp were, and most particularly any details on the bone thieves occupying it. When Jadis started describing just how many of the bony demons she¡¯d been slaying, Ludwas broke in on the conversation.
¡°You¡¯re spinning a loose yarn there, miss,¡± the man said with an incredulous look. ¡°The three of you were killing dozens of bone thieves a day? At level thirty? Not likely!¡±
Gerwas joined in with a laugh, ¡°You three have a strong look about ye, but not that strong.¡±
¡°I, too, find your story somewhat unbelievable on that count,¡± Renz said, though he gave a pointed look with his dark eyes at the two brothers, immediately causing them to subdue their laughter. ¡°How is it that you three were able to fight and kill so many demons together? Yet you could not defend your village with others of your kind close at hand?¡±
¡°We weren¡¯t level thirty when our village was attacked,¡± Dys quickly answered. Mixing a bit of truth in, Jadis continued the explanation. ¡°The village was ambushed by many demons at once, and we were level fifteen at the time. Plus, most of the village were not combat classes. The dozens we killed later were in much smaller groups, so were easier for us to handle.¡±
¡°Hold on,¡± the redhead, Aila, broke in, speaking for the first time in Jadis¡¯ hearing. ¡°You went up fifteen levels in three months!?¡± She seemed genuinely shocked.
Did she just accidentally screw up her whole story? Was leveling that fast unrealistic to how most people on Oros leveled? If fifteen levels in three months unbelievable, what did that say about her actual leveling speed of thirty in about a month and a half?
Not knowing what else to do, Jadis went with her gut.
¡°Yeah, we did,¡± Syd shrugged casually, boldly looking Aila in the eyes. ¡°It was that or die.¡±
¡°Aila, you aren¡¯t the one to ask questions here,¡± Renz said, cutting the woman off as she opened her mouth to say more.
There was a bit of an awkward silence as Renz studied the three of Jadis, an assessing gleam in his eyes. For her part, Jadis kept eating. It was getting uncomfortable being stared at and questioned so much, but she wasn¡¯t going to let the discomfort stop her from stuffing herself full. Meat was too good to waste.
Finally, Renz broke the silence.
¡°It¡¯s not unheard of, that kind of level growth, during a demon invasion. The extra experience the gods award one for slaying demons is not inconsiderable.¡± Renz stated his opinion on the matter slowly, with voice raised just a little higher in volume. Jadis got the impression he was making his voice just a little more audible so that those mercenaries that were eavesdropping in the background could hear his pronouncement. Aila hadn¡¯t been quiet with her exclamation and more than a few heads had turned.
¡°That said,¡± he continued, ¡°I would like to verify how it is you three survived such a pace. From what Gerwas and Ludwas have told me, all three of you have combat classes. Forgive me, I know it¡¯s rude to ask, but do any of you have a secondary class capable of casting healing spells? Or do you all have some skill that allows you to recover health at an accelerated rate?¡±
So it was rude to ask about what capabilities her classes had, huh? That was a fortuitous cultural quirk Jadis was happy to take advantage of.
¡°We all have the same classes,¡± Jay answered, drawing a curious look from Renz and the other three at the campfire. ¡°We do everything together so we were offered the same classes and chose the same. We¡¯d rather not reveal the details,¡± Jay said, putting on the performance of looking back at her two ¡®sisters¡¯ and getting their nods of agreement, ¡°But I will say that our primary classes give us a passive skill that lets us recover our health quickly while we sleep.¡±
Renz nodded after a moment, seeming to accept that answer. ¡°I know of a few archetypes that offer skills that do that. My own knight class does the same,¡± Renz said, surprising Jadis. ¡°Thank you for answering my questions.¡±
So Renz had a ¡®knight¡¯ class. Presumably not Mirror Knight like her, but some other variation? He¡¯d used the term ¡®archetype¡¯ as well. Did that mean certain kinds of classes had similar skills? Maybe Renz had Knight¡¯s Rest too? Jadis was burning with questions of her own but refrained from immediately asking them. Easing into asking about such details that would reveal her ignorance seemed prudent. The captain was talking about a lot of terms as though they were common knowledge, as obvious as the sky is blue. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure what exactly would change if she revealed just how little she knew about the system, so she kept her mouths closed on that point for the moment.
¡°Is there anything else we should know about?¡± Renz asked suddenly, breaking Jadis¡¯ reverie. ¡°About the village or the demons you saw. Was it only bone thieves, or were there other types?¡±
¡°Not that I can think of,¡± Jay answered, then turned to Dys and Syd. ¡°How about you?¡±
¡°No other demons,¡± Dys said around a mouthful of the delicious boiled vegetables.
¡°Yeah, that was it¡ª¡± Syd started, then Jadis remembered a rather big detail. ¡°No, actually, there was the big one we killed.¡±
¡°Big one?¡± Renz asked, bringing a mug of ale to his lips.
¡°Yeah, when we killed it, the message called it a, what was it?¡± Syd started, turning to Dys.
¡°It was called a ¡®Bone Thief Matriarch¡¯¡± Dys supplied, nodding her head slowly. ¡°It also called it a ¡®Demon Mother of Samleos¡¯ too, if that means anything.¡±
All three of Jadis leaned back in surprise as Renz sprayed a mist of ale out in front of him at Jadis¡¯ words.
¡°You¡ªYou three killed a what?¡±
Well, shit. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t have mentioned that part.
Chapter 44: Setting Things Straight
¡°Logs? You killed a demon matriarch with logs?¡± Renz repeated, having listened to Jadis¡¯ slightly edited recounting of her fight with the bony behemoth.
¡°You three have got to be the luckiest ladies I¡¯ve ever met,¡± Ludwas exclaimed, shaking his head.
During her explanation, several more of the mercenaries had come closer, listening in on the story. Jadis could hear them whispering their disbelief to each other, some tossing her looks that clearly implied they thought she was making the whole thing up.
Aila didn¡¯t bother to imply.
¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± the redhead stated flatly. ¡°It takes on average a team of six with a CLR of forty or more to take down a bone thief matriarch, and even then, it¡¯s no guarantee they won¡¯t take loses. There¡¯s no chance the three of you, without any proper equipment or weapons or even a plan, managed to slay a demon mother.¡±
CLR? That was a bit video-gamey sounding. That aside, Jadis was more than a little offended by Aila¡¯s accusations. True, Jadis was kind of lying about certain details, but she really had slain a bone thief matriarch. In fact, she¡¯d done it with just two of her, so she if anything, her lies were just playing down the apparent awesomeness of her feat. Jadis felt her hackles rise as she frowned.
¡°Well, we did,¡± Dys said, glaring down at the woman. ¡°Maybe it¡¯d take six of you, but we¡¯re not you.¡±
Jadis could see Aila was glaring right back up at her, not backing down in the slightest. The girl looked pretty good angry, she had to admit. The knowledge that she was assessing the redhead a certain way immediately cooled Jadis down before she fully lost her temper.
¡°I acknowledge that we got lucky,¡± Jay said, playing the role of the mediator. She didn¡¯t want to start any fights if she could help it. ¡°If the log pile hadn¡¯t been there, we probably wouldn¡¯t have lived through that. But it was and we did.¡±
¡°That¡¯s still an utterly¡ª¡±
¡°Aila!¡± Ludwas half shouted, half hissed. ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time for you to be talking.¡±
With a reproachful look, Aila seemed to bite back her words, settling back in her seat.
¡°If what you claim is true,¡± Renz broke in, taking back his command of the conversation, ¡°Then you have done a great service to the Empire. There¡¯s a standing bounty on matriarchs. The three of you can likely claim it, provided your story is in fact true and the body can be verified.¡±
A bounty, huh? Jadis liked the sound of that, though she didn¡¯t like how much doubt there was in Renz¡¯s tone.
¡°What if I have something with me that might prove I killed a matriarch?¡± Jay asked, a thought coming to Jadis¡¯ mind.
¡°Such as?¡± Renz raised an eyebrow.
Jay got up and stepped over to the supply sling Jadis had carried with her all the way from the village. Rummaging around the opened crate, she pulled out a lidded jar and caried it back over. In the meanwhile, Syd wiped off her now empty copper plate, then passed it to Dys to hold. When Jay took a seat next to her, she opened up the jar and let the small round egg roll out onto the plate, the slightly glowing blue eye inside visibly twisting and turning in circles, staring at its surroundings.
¡°Fuck me!¡± Gerwas cursed, a similar sentiment echoing among the mercenaries gathered close enough to see.
¡°You brought a demon into my camp?¡± Renz growled, his voice low and dangerous.
Blinking at the hostile response, Jay wavered a bit. ¡°Well, just an egg, but yeah. We took it from the body of the matriarch.¡±
¡°What if that thing possessed an animal, or one of us!?¡± Gerwas practically shouted. ¡°Have none of you any sense?¡±
Moving quickly, Gerwas reached out from his seat to grab the plate, probably with the intention of squashing the egg, or maybe throwing it into the fire. Jadis couldn¡¯t know for sure what his intentions were, as the moment his hand reached out, Syd grabbed hold of his wrist and held it, unmoving as stone. The man struggled for a moment, a look of bewilderment crossing his face as he tried to first push past Syd¡¯s grip, then pull away. Syd¡¯s arm didn¡¯t budge an inch as Gerwas struggled.
¡°It¡¯s our egg, our proof and prize for killing that matriarch,¡± Jay said with a solemn voice, putting the little demon sphere back into the jar and closing the lid. ¡°And I¡¯m keeping it.¡±
The cold anger Jadis felt at the thought of Gerwas destroying something she¡¯d claimed as her own was actually startling to Jadis. Wasn¡¯t she trying to play along with the mercenaries here, blend in as much as she can? It was just a stupid little demon egg, nothing to get upset over, she¡¯d literally squashed dozens of them herself. Still, this one egg was her egg. She wasn¡¯t going to let someone else just casually destroy something she¡¯d taken as hers. Even the idea of it rankled her.
¡°Enough.¡± Captain Renz commanded, waving a sharp hand.
With a dour expression, Gerwas settled back and Syd let his wrist go.
¡°That is¡ certainly enough evidence that I¡¯m willing to write Bernd for permission to send a team north to verify your claim. I¡¯d want to check that village out anyway, from what you told me. Sweet Pine Valley is supposed to be straight north of here, following the roads, that¡¯s likely the village you three were living in.¡±
Renz stood up from his seat by the fire, sweeping first Jadis¡¯ three bodies with his dark glare, then the rest of the nearby mercenaries. ¡°And as to that demon egg, it¡¯s not illegal to have and poses no threat so long as it¡¯s contained. Some alchemists and enchanters can use them in their work.¡± Renz stepped forward and tapped the top of the jar in Jay¡¯s hand. ¡°Just get something more secure than a clay jar. Also, no offense to any of you, but I¡¯m going to insist the rest of your supplies there be checked. We need to be sure there aren¡¯t any uncontained demon spawn contaminating them.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Jadis didn¡¯t argue.
It seemed as though both dinner and the interrogation were over at the point. Jadis brought her crates over to one of the tents and let a couple of men there search the contents, checking for anything out of the ordinary. While Dys stayed nearby to make sure no one messed with her jarred demon egg, Jay followed Captain Renz to one of the wooden buildings.
There wasn¡¯t a lot of room for guests to begin with it seemed, much less room for three exceptionally tall women, but Renz ordered some room made in a barracks that had a few bunks unused for the sake of any message runners or the like to use. There was no way Jadis could use the beds, so with Renz¡¯ permission, Jay pushed a few of them to the side to make some room on the floor.
Syd stood near Gerwas, Ludwas, and the still glowering Aila. She hadn¡¯t said anything since her uncle had silenced her objections to Jadis¡¯ story, but she hadn¡¯t left either. Instead, she seemed to be staying near her uncles, watching Jadis in a manner that reminded Jadis of a hawk watching a rabbit. She wasn¡¯t sure she liked being on the receiving end of such an intense stare, not when she didn¡¯t know what was going through the girl¡¯s head.
¡°Sorry about grabbing you like that,¡± Syd said a bit lamely, motioning to Gerwas¡¯ wrist. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t hurt you.¡±
¡°Eh, no offense taken,¡± Gerwas said, waving of Jadis¡¯ apology. ¡°It¡¯s just, demon spawn, you understand. Even just one can cause a lot of harm if it goes undetected for long enough.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Syd agreed, not really understanding but playing along.
¡°That said,¡± Gerwas murmured, looking up at Syd appraisingly, ¡°I¡¯m curious to know what your strength attribute looks like. You holding me back that easily can¡¯t all be natural physique.¡±
¡°Gerwas,¡± his brother warned disapprovingly, ¡°That¡¯s more than rude. Don¡¯t mind him, Syd. He¡¯s just a simple oaf, doesn¡¯t always remember his manners.¡±
¡°I¡¯m more mannered than a brash buck like you,¡± Gerwas sourly replied, giving Ludwas a smack to his chest with the back of his hand.
¡°Not half as polite or a third as smart as any of the other old goats wandering the pastures back home,¡± Ludwas shot back, punching Gerwas¡¯ shoulder.
In moments, the two men were bickering and shoving each other in something that wasn¡¯t quite like a brawl. Jadis didn¡¯t bother to intervene, figuring this was just par for the course for these two. Instead, the third of her that was Syd just shrugged and excused herself from the campfire, turning to go join Dys.
¡°Is strength your highest attribute?¡±
Syd startled a bit, finding Aila had followed right behind her.
¡°What was that?¡± Syd asked, turning back to face the girl. She wasn¡¯t sure if she should be thinking of the redhead as younger than her or not, but she felt like she should be. Before she¡¯d mysteriously died back on Earth, Jadis had been twenty-two years old. It was hard to tell, but she thought Aila was younger, though probably not by much.
¡°I said, is strength your highest attribute? Is it what you focused on?¡± Aila repeated, then clarified. ¡°Gerwas didn¡¯t focus exclusively on strength for his class, but he¡¯s still fifteen levels higher than you and his physical stats are enhanced. You must have put everything into strength to be that much stronger than him.¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t sure what to make of Aila¡¯s question. She seemed almost accusatory in her intensity, but at the same time Jadis didn¡¯t get the feeling she had ill intentions.
¡°Should you be telling me about your uncle¡¯s stats like that?¡± Syd asked, running one hand through her hair as she considered how to answer.
¡°I¡¯m not saying anything he wouldn¡¯t freely admit,¡± Aila answered, turning her chin up a bit. ¡°His level is free to know anyway.¡±
Jadis internally shrugged. If she wanted to know so badly, she¡¯d tell her. Maybe it¡¯d help her accept how she, or rather, the ¡®three¡¯ of them had been able to take down the demon matriarch.
¡°It¡¯s not my highest. It¡¯s my third highest attribute right now, actually. Though it¡¯s not far behind the other two,¡± Jadis explained truthfully without giving away any numbers. Strength had always been her second highest stat, behind eldritch, ever since she¡¯d come to Oros. Now that she had her Eldritch Overlay ritual, that made it her third highest stat.
Aila looked almost crestfallen at the explanation, her expression flashing between mixed emotions of frustration and disbelief. Without another word, the redhead stormed off, leaving Syd behind to stare.
As confusing as that interaction had been, Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely upset to see the oddly confrontational girl go. She had a great butt and watching her walk away afforded a pleasant view.
That was a rude thought, Jadis acknowledged, but hey, she wasn¡¯t catcalling or anything gross. Just a thought. Just a long, long thought about how good that ass would look bent over and¡ª
Woah, she really needed to get control of herself. Jadis shook Syd¡¯s head, careful not to do the same with Dys and Jay since it wouldn¡¯t have made sense for them and what they were doing. She might have spent a little too much time ¡®pleasuring¡¯ herself. Her thoughts were twisting to the erotic far to easily when she had more important things she should be focusing on.
Syd joined back up with Dys and helped put all their supplies back together, nothing untoward having been found. In the meantime, Jay had her own conversation going with the captain.
¡°Thank you again for the hospitality,¡± Jay said, smiling at the dark-eyed man. ¡°It¡¯s very kind of you.¡±
Renz gave a simple nod in response, gesturing to the space made in the barracks. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Bernd¡¯s Blades has always held themselves to the highest standards. In the morning, we¡¯ll send you along to Far Felsen and you can make your way back to the central lands of the Empire. It¡¯s far safer there than here in these dark times.¡±
That was interesting. Central lands and Empires. Jadis was eager to explore the rest of Oros, but she had a few different ideas though.
¡°What if I¡¯d like to stay here?¡± Jay asked. ¡°The mountains are my people¡¯s home. I¡¯m not sure if I want to leave¡ªif any of us want to.¡±
Renz squinted up at Jay, firelight gleaming in his eyes. After a few silent moments, he spoke slowly. ¡°Wanting to avenge what happened to your village is an understandable impulse, and you three have done well for yourselves so far. It might seem a fair idea to stay because of the success you and your sisters have had, but don¡¯t walk into danger with one eye shut.
¡°Bone thieves are a dangerous demon, but among the many variations we¡¯ve seen here, they are the lesser of them. Numerous, vicious, but stupid in their maliciousness, bone thieves can be tricked and trapped the same as a wild beast. There are many demonic monstrosities that have far more cunning, with power to match it. As strong as you three appear to be, you¡¯re underequipped and I would hazard undertrained as well, at least so far as fighting demons goes, or else your village might have had a different fate.¡±
The mercenary captain inspected Jay¡¯s face, assessing her reaction to his words, then let out a huff of a sigh.
¡°With all that said, if you and your sisters are set on staying in harm¡¯s way, then I still would tell you to go to Far Felsen. Prince Kestil has ordered all civilians out of Weigrun until the lands are made safe, but in Felsen you can register with a mercenary company, or even as independent mercenaries, unaligned with any of the official guilds or companies. That would give you the lawful right to stay here and slay demons for bounties.¡±
Jay nodded in acknowledgement of Renz¡¯s advice. It seemed like genuinely good guidance, and the part about getting revenge, while not applicable to Jadis¡¯ true situation, felt like it was coming from experience. Regardless, Jadis took the information the mercenary captain was giving to heart.
¡°Thank you for the advice and information,¡± Jay said, holding out her hand to shake Renz¡¯s. Belatedly, she realized that shaking hands might not be a thing on Oros, or at least not among this particular culture.
Fortunately Renz only hesitated a moment before clasping Jay¡¯s forearm, the Oros version of a handshake more of an¡ªarm shake? ¡ªthan what Jadis was used to.
¡°I¡¯d recommended you visit an armor smith second after you register with the magistrate,¡± Renz advised, giving Jadis¡¯ arm a squeeze before parting and heading for the barracks door. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you found that armor, but it looks like a blindman stitched it together.¡±
¡°Hey¡¡± Jay frowned, looking down at the leather bit¡¯s she¡¯d sewn together herself. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad.¡±
Chapter 45: Nighttime Thoughts and Morning Preparations
Sleeping with the mercenaries in the barracks was more of a challenge than Jadis would have thought it would be. Having spent so long with only the sound of her own breathing and movements, every little noise any of the dozen or so strangers made in the long bunkhouse style building brought her to full wakefulness, same as if she were under attack by bone thieves in the night.
She might have been on more of a hair trigger than she had realized.
Keeping one of her awake and on watch, switching out the same as she had done when alone turned out to be the only way she could comfortably get some sleep. Jadis didn¡¯t want to seem as though she didn¡¯t trust the sanctuary she¡¯d been offered, though, and kept whichever one of her that was awake lying on the mat the mercenaries had provided for the three of her to sleep on, in addition to her own blankets and fur.
As she drifted in the haze of semi-wakefulness, not quite fully conscious but still mostly aware, Jadis listened to the goings on of the camp at nighttime while thinking over her options for her next steps.
Captain Renz had given solid advice, clearly intended for persons that had a grudge to settle with demons, but still useful. The question wasn¡¯t so much whether or not she should take his advice as good, so much as it was whether or not she should stay in the area or head to safer lands. She could see advantages to both.
On the one hand, if she stayed, she¡¯d likely have to follow Renz¡¯s guidance and register as mercenaries, maybe independent ones. That¡ªThat sounded a lot like being an adventurer to Jadis and the thought thrilled her. Sticking around, what had he called the place? Weigrun? Sticking around in Weigrun seemed like it would afford a lot of opportunities to level faster fighting demons from what she understood from the earlier conversations. On top of that she could earn money doing bounties.
On the other hand, there wasn¡¯t anything that said she couldn¡¯t do all of those things elsewhere. Jadis doubted Weigrun was the only place with demons attacking it, even if she didn¡¯t yet have a full picture of what was going on with the Demon Lord and all that business. Heading to the ¡®Central Lands of the Empire¡¯ as Renz had called it didn¡¯t mean she¡¯d have to stay there necessarily. Or maybe it did? Would it be harder to leave than it was to enter? Jadis wasn¡¯t quite sure on that count, but if she could join a mercenary band here, she was sure she could do the same in the Central Lands, whatever that meant.
Still, Jadis was drawn towards the idea of staying in Weigrun for at least a little longer. It felt like there was a lot more to see and do in the primeval-looking lands. If bone thieves really were the relatively small fry of the demons running around Weigrun, then she was definitely interested in seeking out some of the other demons to challenge herself, push her limits. Growing stronger was a huge pull for Jadis.
Staying at least until the mercenaries verified her story about the demon matriarch seemed a given. She wanted whatever reward was on offer for that feat. She¡¯d go to Far Felsen, maybe join up with a guild or something like it, play it by ear. Staying adaptable had worked out well for her so far. So long as she didn¡¯t just rest on her laurels, doing nothing, she felt fairly confident she couldn¡¯t really make a wrong choice.
Besides, after her talk with Renz, she now had a good excuse for reasons why she¡¯d want to stay in a demon-infested land. Revenge was a strong and easily relatable motivation. She could definitely sell the story that she was sticking around for personal vendetta reasons, hopefully garnering little pushback with that as her purpose for sticking around.
As she jointly slept and considered her options, Jadis listened to a few whispered conversations among the mercenaries. None were particularly worrisome, most of what she heard were snippets of conversations between mercs that were going on night watch or coming off of it, discussing the day¡¯s events. Generally, the comments she heard were some variations on how strange the three pale giants were, how none of them had heard of Nephilim or the like, and how unbelievable it was that three level thirty people were able to take down a bone thief matriarch. Interestingly, one of the mercenaries, Jadis couldn¡¯t be sure who, had rather impassionedly insisted that it was entirely possible, but it had to mean the three sisters had powerful, rare classes.
That was a useful tidbit of information. Not all classes were necessarily equal. Ludwas had said she¡¯d had a ¡®combat¡¯ class when he identified her with that stone of his, whatever that thing was, which implied there were non-combat classes. If there were combat and non-combat classes, and there were different rarities to classes, that could mean that conceivably, a level thirty in one class did not equal the same amount of power as a level thirty in another class.
Would admitting to having a rare class improve her situation? Did she even have rare classes? It felt like she did, especially when she compared what she knew of her classes to what she could observe of the soldiers around her. Even now, as she shared this building with a dozen or so mercs, a couple of them women and the rest men, there weren¡¯t any crazy empowerment rituals going on, sexually charged or otherwise. She doubted ritual spells like what she did with her selves were common occurrences, at least from the limited interaction she¡¯d had with the locals so far.
Wouldn¡¯t it figure D would give her an utterly ridiculous class just to mess with expectations?
Whatever. She wasn¡¯t complaining. She liked both of her weird-ass classes.
One other topic of conversation Jadis did overhear among the occasional whispers she picked up on was commentary on her looks. Jadis had been rather narcissistically enamored of her own appearance ever since she¡¯d come to Oros, a fact she now freely admitted to herself but absolutely would not be voicing out loud. It seemed others agreed in her appraisal, though. She was turning heads, not just for reasons of height or odd backstory.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
The comments on the three of her looking like vagabonds were a little cutting, though.
At dawn, the camp came back to full life and the three of Jadis joined the mercenaries for their breakfast, sitting down with Gerwas, Ludwas, and the still pensive-looking Aila. Sitting down at one of the long tables with benches was¡ challenging, but she made it work.
As her three selves ate a tasty vegetable stew, she learned from the affable brothers that Aila would be driving a wagonload of loot the mercenaries had collected from their battles with demons to Far Felsen, and also to get more supplies. Gerwas and Ludwas and a couple of other mercenaries would be going along to guard the wagon and Jadis was welcome to follow along.
Jadis idly wondered what parts of demons were being sent back as loot, and what use those parts might have. Renz had said the demon egg could be used for alchemy and enchanting, did other parts of demons have such uses? Another question for the ever-expanding list.
¡°Take this with you,¡± Captain Renz¡¯s voice came from behind Jadis as she voiced her intention to join the wagon heading to Felsen.
Jay shifted around in her seat, seeing the once again fully armored man standing behind her. He passed her a folded up piece of paper, which Jay took and upon looking at it, found some kind of strange script written on the inside, with a wax seal on the bottom next to what she assumed to be Renz¡¯s signature.
¡°Pardon the question, but can any of you read?¡±
Jay looked up from the mystifying letter, a bit chagrined. Of course she could read. Just, not whatever this was.
¡°Not this language, no,¡± Jay admitted, passing the letter to her sisters to let them take an unnecessary look. ¡°What¡¯s it say?¡±
The mercenary captain nodded, pointing at the letter now in Syd¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s my testimony that you three have properly presented yourselves to a lawful representative of the Empire and accepted the Second Prince¡¯s sanctuary. It will also serve as proof that you reported the slaying of a bone thief matriarch and await verification. I¡¯ve already sent a runner off to Bernd at the third outpost. He should be back with a response by mid-morning and provided he approves, I¡¯ll be sending a team to the Sweet Pine Valley to check on your claim. It might take a couple of weeks to get there and back, but if you stay in Felsen or nearby, and your claim is verified, that letter will ensure you get the reward.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Jadis chorused in three voices, once again causing those around her to startle. She probably needed to dial back the perfect synchronicity of her selves when she did that. Then again, causing people to jump a little was kind of fun.
¡°What is the reward, anyway?¡± Dys asked. Jadis hadn¡¯t ever gotten any word on that.
¡°A matriarch of any kind is worth a fair sum of coin,¡± Ludwas answered, leaning an elbow on the table. ¡°A bone thief matriarch? That¡¯s got to be a hundred eagles I¡¯d say. Wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±
Gerwas nodded, ¡°Aye, should be. Split three ways, that¡¯s a fine reward to be sure.¡±
¡°That is¡ a lot?¡± Syd said, her tone questioning.
¡°Are you unfamiliar with coin? Duerr told me you have coin amongst your supplies,¡± Renz asked, folding his arms.
¡°Ah, we found those in the dwa¡ªhuman village,¡± Jay explained. ¡°We didn¡¯t use coin in our village, we had no need. We just held onto what we found because we thought it might be useful.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure others can give you a more detailed explanation,¡± the captain said, nodding a head towards the bearded brothers, ¡°but suffice it to say, with ten eagles, you could purchase a good riding horse with saddle.¡±
¡°Not that any of ye could use it,¡± Ludwas mumbled under his breath.
Jadis had Jay ignore the jibe, instead thanking Renz for being an ever-flowing font of useful information.
Syd, on the other hand, gave Ludwas a kick under the table, setting him to spitting a sip of his ale out into the face of his brother Gerwas which got the two bickering again.
With the morning meal wrapping up and daylight burning, Jadis gathered up her supplies and joined Aila at her wagon along with the four mercenaries guarding it. Approaching the large, uncovered wooden wagon, Jadis got to get a better look at the alien bovine creatures she¡¯d seen the evening before.
Two of the large bull-like animals were yoked to the wagon. Each one was as tall as man was at the shoulder, with large shoulder humps similar to bison. Their horns were wide and covered in small protrusions. Jadis recognized those horns as having been attached to a few of the bone thieves she¡¯d slain in the past, though there were definitely different antlers she¡¯d seen more commonly. They had dark brown fur with green stripes, almost like a zebra, which was probably the weirdest thing about them. Jadis didn¡¯t think green fur was even possible. Then again, compared to the literal tentacle monster egg she had in a jar, green fur wasn¡¯t all that strange.
Thinking about the egg reminded Jadis of something Renz had said before. While the wagon prepared to depart, Dys quickly dug the pouch of silver coins out of her supplies and approached the camp cook, the man and a couple of others cleaning up his workstation.
Jadis didn¡¯t yet know the value of the coins she did have, but she didn¡¯t think any of them were the ¡®eagles¡¯ Renz had mentioned, so she doubted she would be giving away something she¡¯d regret. Without trying to barter, Dys offered a handful of the smaller silver coins to the cook, asking for a sturdy container that could be easily secured.
With eyebrow raised, the cook took just two of the small coins before walking off to a little building that Jadis assumed held the camp supplies. He returned a moment later with an large empty glass jar, somewhat similar to a mason jar, but with a glass top that could be sealed tight with a metal wire clasp.
Thanking the man, Dys hurried back and rejoined the wagon just as it was ready to move out.
¡°Creepy bugger,¡± Gerwas remarked as Dys transferred the egg from the clay jar to the glass one, securing the clasp.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Syd responded, tapping the side of the jar lightly and watching the blue eyeball within spin to face her. ¡°It¡¯s almost cute, in a weird way.¡±
That comment drew some strange looks from the mercenaries.
¡°What?¡± Syd asked defensively. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m calling it as cute as a kitten or anything. I just don¡¯t think it¡¯s all that creepy.¡±
¡°Deranged¡¡± Jadis heard Aila whisper under her breath.
The other mercenaries chose not to comment further.
With a crack of the reins, Aila urged the zebra-bison forward, driving the loaded wagon out the gates of the camp.
Jadis followed behind, shouldering mauls and spear. Gerwas had graciously told her to put her supplies on the back of the wagon, an offer Jadis had no problem accepting. She eagerly anticipated what the day of travel with the mercenaries would bring, even if it was going to be a markedly slower pace than if she was running on her own. She had much to see, even more to learn, and depending on how safe the road to Far Felsen was, maybe some new demons to slay.
She couldn¡¯t help the grins that split her faces, white teeth shining in the morning light. Today was going to be a good day.
Chapter 46: On the Road Again
¡°You see, this one¡¯s technically a silver penny, but everyone calls it an ¡®acorn¡¯ because of, well, obvious reasons. You can buy yourself a meal or an ale with one of these at most taverns. Meal might cost a few if it¡¯s a more well-to-do kind of place. Ten of these acorns are worth one of these, an ¡®oak¡¯. I can¡¯t remember what those are supposed to be called, now that I think about it, but it doesn¡¯t matter! Just call it an oak and everyone will know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±
Jadis listened to Ludwas¡¯ earnest explanation of money and coin with only one ear. Or rather, she did so with Jay¡¯s ears, that third of her mind focusing on the man as he walked next to her, the two of them a few paces to the left of the slow-moving wagon. As he talked, he held up the two different silver coins, examples of the ones she¡¯d looted from the dead village.
¡°You could buy a new set of clothes for a couple of these oaks,¡± Ludwas continued. ¡°Or buy a chicken for one, maybe a smatterling for two oaks if you¡¯re into that kind of egg. I think a cheese wheel would go for one oak if you wanted one of those¡ª¡±
Ludwas continued listing out examples of what acorns and oaks could buy, not following any particular pattern and occasionally using words that Jadis had no familiarity with. But he was genuinely trying to inform her of what were reasonable prices for commodities she might want or need, so she appreciated the effort.
As Ludwas talked and Jay listened, Dys held her own conversation with Gerwas on the right side of the wagon.
¡°Maybe about two years? Close to that, I¡¯d say,¡± the mercenary grumbled, scratching as his thick beard. ¡°I¡¯ve lost track of what moon it is but suffice to say it¡¯s been well on two years since the demon lord struck Weigrun.¡±
¡°Just Weigrun? If he¡¯s here, I¡¯d think there¡¯d be more, I don¡¯t know, destruction?¡± Dys prompted.
Keeping two different conversations going at the same time was a little taxing for Jadis, but with her Refracted Mind skill it was manageable.
Gerwas shook his head, making a symbol with his fingers across his chest Jadis didn¡¯t recognize but assumed was either superstitious or religious. Was superstition a thing in a world with magic and gods?
¡°This demon lord is a sly one, gods blast him. He didn¡¯t rally one massive army and charge the eastern borders like they usually do in all the stories. We would have been ready for that. Instead, he sent smaller armies to different lands all around the edges of the empire, forcing us to spread our own forces thin to protect the people. Then, while the empire¡¯s armies were busy dealing with the fodder, he sent a true invasion force to the Rubaline Dominion. Whole country¡¯s overrun. Poor bastards¡¡±
Gerwas trailed off at the end, a look of pained pity on his face. Jadis wondered if he had some direct experience with what had happened or knew people from the fallen country. She didn¡¯t press those questions, though.
¡°Can¡¯t the empire push them out of Rubeline? The demons, I mean?¡± Dys asked, trying to get as much information on the world situation as possible.
The man shrugged and shook his head. ¡°Not yet, no. Like I said, this demon lord is a tricky bastard.¡± There was the little hand sign again. ¡°He took the islands and the main landmass of the Dominion, then built walls. Walls! His force there mostly just stays holed up and protected, sending out random numbers of wild demons to chip away at our defenses while in the meantime, our armies can¡¯t breach their defenses because of how spread thin we are.¡±
¡°That sounds pretty bad,¡± Dys nodded along.
¡°Well, it¡¯s not the end of the world. We¡¯ll root them out eventually,¡± Gerwas said, putting a bit more spirit in his gruff voice. ¡°This invasion will be a long one, drawn out, but we¡¯ll win again, always do. They say the hero¡¯s up north dealing with the demons that invaded there. It¡¯s only a matter of holding out long enough for him to get strong enough to slay the corrupting wretch. And we¡¯ll be getting stronger, too! Dark times to live in, demon invasion and all, but with all the extra experience Valtar and his holy host grant us for slaying Samleos¡¯ demon spawn, we¡¯ll be far stronger than our parents before us.¡±
At the mention of parents, Gerwas quickly looked up at Dys, giving her an apologetic grimace. ¡°Ah, sorry, didn¡¯t mean to bring up any sore wounds.¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Dys assured him. Jadis didn¡¯t have to try to fake a frown on her face. She didn¡¯t actually know what had happened to her parents back on Earth now that she was dead and reborn. Were they alright? She had no idea how she had died, or for how long she¡¯d been dead. She hoped they were doing okay.
Jadis put the thought of her parents aside, not willing to let her spirits be dampened. They¡¯d have been just as excited as her at the thought of exploring a fantasy world with magic and adventure. Maybe not so much the sexually deviant stuff¡ª
Ugh. She did not want to start thinking down that route.
As Dys continued her conversation with Gerwas about the state of the war with the demons, Syd was once again ranging ahead of the main group, ahead of the wagon by a hundred or so paces, only now she had company.
Aside from Gerwas and Ludwas, two other mercenaries had been sent along to guard Aila and the wagon, both of them scouting the cobblestone road ahead of the wagon for problems. One had introduced himself as Specht, who came across as taciturn and standoffish. He had a broken nose with a scar running across it, an injury Jadis was sure had to have an interesting story behind it. The other man had said his name was Volker. He was cleanshaven, unlike most of the rest of the men Jadis had met so far, and had bright green eyes. He was far more talkative and outgoing compared to Specht.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Jadis was also fairly certain the man was hitting on her.
¡°¡ªAnd then, when the fire-crested reaver hound came charging towards us, slavering maw opened wide in a howl of rage, I aimed and shot my crossbow right down its burning gullet! Perfect shot! Didn¡¯t even have a skill for it at the time. Just my naturally good aim.¡±
Jadis mostly ignored the stories Volker was telling Syd. Three conversations were a bit much to handle, even with her mind partitioning skill, and most of what he was saying just seemed to be the kind of bragging a guy would do to talk himself up to a girl he was interested in. Jadis didn¡¯t dislike the man, he actually seemed like a mostly okay sort, but she had no interest in him in the way he was so obviously interested in her.
Instead, Syd focused on the road and landscape around her.
The strange, wave-like hills south of the pine forest were honestly beautiful. They looked almost as though some titan had come along, cutting off slices of the rolling hills and taking them elsewhere, leaving behind stark stone cliff-faces on different sides of the hills. Many of them actually had leaning peaks, like a water wave was actually about to crest and fall, just it was all dirt and stone.
The cobblestone road they were following meandered between the hills, sticking to the valleys between but always coursing southward. Jadis had learned from the mercenaries that the distant flash of shining water she¡¯d seen from the edge of the forest was indeed the southern sea and Far Felsen was a port city that had been built into a natural bay there.
As Syd let Volker''s idle prattle wash over her, observing the strange scenery, she spotted movement on one of the hills to the west.
¡°What are those?¡± Syd interrupted the green-eyed mercenary, pointing out the herd of brown-furred creatures grazing on the grass.
There were a dozen of the beasts, all vaguely deer-like except that they had long tails that swung behind them. Combined with their long necks, it almost made them look like fuzzy brown dinosaurs.
¡°Huh? What are¡ªOh, those are snow elk. It¡¯s summer now, so they don¡¯t look like much, but once the snows come, their fur turns white.¡± Volker squinted at the herd, filling Syd in. ¡°Their snow-white fur is really quite beautiful, though if I may say, they pale in comparison to you.¡±
Syd¡¯s head jerked down, eyeing the grinning mercenary with a raised eyebrow. Honestly, Jadis had figured the man would spend at least the rest of the day chatting her up before making his intentions known. His boldness surprised her, almost enough that Jadis¡¯ other selves nowhere near the conversation nearly reacted.
She had to admire that kind of confidence.
¡°Thank you, that¡¯s sweet. But I should let you know now; you aren¡¯t my type.¡±
Jadis didn¡¯t try to sugar coat her words. In her experience, if you were going to turn someone down, it was best to be clear so there were no misunderstandings.
Volker¡¯s grin turned to a disappointed frown. ¡°Ah, a shame. If I may ask, is there any chance one of your sisters might¡?¡±
¡°No,¡± Syd shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re all pretty similar in what we¡¯re attracted to, and I¡¯m sorry, you don¡¯t fit the mold.¡±
¡°Too short?¡± The merc asked, his grin returning. He seemed to be accepting the rejection well. ¡°I can assure you, size doesn¡¯t count for everything.¡±
Syd let out a bark of laughter at the innuendo. She was glad to know that old saying was shared between Earth and Oros.
¡°No, no, nothing to do with your height,¡± Syd grinned back at the man. ¡°If you really want to know, I¡¯ll say that she¡¯s more our type, if you get my meaning.¡± Syd hooked a thumb over her shoulder, indicating Aila driving the wagon.
¡°Oh. Oh!¡± Volker exclaimed, the realization lighting up his eyes. ¡°Well damn me then. That¡¯s that then.¡±
Specht chose that moment to break into the conversation, adding his own commentary for the first time in over an hour.
¡°Better luck next time, boy. You¡¯ll find a big¡¯un who¡¯ll fall for you eventually,¡± the now chuckling man teased, patting Volker on the shoulder. ¡°Maybe you should head for the west, find yourself a nice orc lady. You might even live through the wedding night if you gain a few more levels!¡±
Volker brushed off Specht¡¯s hand, ignoring the jibe. He looked up at Syd with a half-smile, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°What can I say, I have a type, too.¡±
¡°What about her then?¡± Syd motioned behind her again. ¡°She¡¯s tall, for a human, right?¡±
Volker laughed, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to entice Bean Pole since spring, but she¡¯s as cold as the winter wind to me. Despite my best efforts, I haven¡¯t even seen a hint of a smile from her sent my way.¡± Volker dramatically clutched at his heart with one hand. ¡°Ah! To be tempted by such beauty on a daily basis yet turned away like a beggar at the tavern door. Torture! And now three more temptations suddenly appear, making their way into my broken heart, kindling hope, only to quash it just as quickly! I am truly the most piteous of Valtar¡¯s children!¡±
Jadis found it hard not to crack up at Volker¡¯s overly theatrical histrionics. Bursting out into laughter while Dys was learning about demon invasions from Gerwas and Jay was politely discussing armor and weapon prices with Ludwas would have been more than a little impolite, not to mention confusing. Syd still openly giggled at the performance the mercenary was putting on, happy he had a sense of humor about his failed advances at least.
Once she had her giggles under control, Syd asked the still bemoaning man, ¡°You called Aila something just before. Bean Pole? What¡¯s that about?¡±
¡°Hm? Oh, just a nickname. Apparently, it¡¯s from her childhood. I know she might not seem like much compared to you and your kin, but she really is quite tall for a human woman,¡± Volker answered. ¡°I think her uncles call her that, so we all started to.¡±
¡°Huh,¡± Syd mused. Bean Pole was appropriate for a person of great height, she supposed, but she wouldn¡¯t want to have a nickname like that. It wasn¡¯t exactly flattering.
¡°You know, you may have better luck with her than I have,¡± Volker broke into Jadis¡¯ thoughts.
¡°What? Who, Aila?¡± Syd furrowed her brows down at the now slyly grinning man.
¡°Who knows? That might be why all my attempts have been met with failure. I¡¯m not one to begrudge another their chance at glory. If you¡¯re interested, I say make a move.¡±
Syd¡¯s lips quirked at Volker¡¯s advice. She hadn¡¯t been too focused on the redhead, what with everything else vying for her attention, but the girl was in her strike zone. Those freckles splashed across her cheeks and nose were adorably cute.
Both Jay and Dys eyed Aila surreptitiously while they continued their own conversations. Jadis had noticed Aila was giving the two of her glances, always quickly looking away whenever their eyes met. Was there a chance?
Well, as Jadis had observed not all that long ago, bold actions usually worked out for her. Couldn¡¯t hurt to test the waters, see how Aila responded.
Only, if she was going to flirt with the pretty redhead, she was damn well not going to do it with her two uncles walking right next to her.
Chapter 47: Talking with a Cart Driver
¡°So, CLR. What¡¯s that about?¡±
Aila looked askance at Jay, her seat on the large wagon combined with her height putting her head close to level with Jay¡¯s. Her brow furrowed over her blue eyes, her look a mixture of suspicion and confusion which was really quite cute on face.
¡°What do you mean, what¡¯s it about?¡± Aila responded after a moment. ¡°It¡¯s CLR.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m assuming it stands for ¡®Combined Level Rating¡¯ but I¡¯ve never heard it abbreviated like that before so I just wanted to make sure.¡± Jay shrugged her shoulders. ¡°We¡¯re speaking the same language, but this isn¡¯t my native tongue. I might be missing context.¡±
English was not only her native language, but it was also the only language Jadis spoke with any confidence. However, since she was supposed to be a trio of Nephilim villagers who lived their entire lives on a remote mountain with no contact, pretending English wasn¡¯t her first language seemed like a good cover for any gaps in knowledge she might display. The language they were speaking was called ¡®Imperial¡¯ by the mercenaries, anyway, plus whatever writing system they were using was not using the same alphabet she was familiar with.
Aila gave Jay a guarded look, then a nod. ¡°No, you¡¯re right, it stands for ¡®Combined Level Rating¡¯. Nothing else.¡±
The cart driver went silent after that, brow still furrowed, but staring off ahead and down the road.
Jadis sighed internally. She was getting some pretty obvious ¡®I¡¯m pissed¡¯ vibes from the redhead. Maybe trying to force a conversation was a bad idea.
Other than the fairly informative conversations Jadis had had with the wagon guards all morning long, the trip had been uneventful. Around noon they had stopped for a short meal by a stream, letting the zebra-bison, actually called aurochs she¡¯d been informed, drink their fill. After the quick lunch of dried meat and some kind of pear fruit, they¡¯d gotten back on the road.
Jadis used the opportunity to try and position her selves so that one of her would be alone with Aila and out of earshot of the others. Syd had taken to ranging ahead once again, only this time Gerwas and Ludwas also scouted ahead with her, telling her about mercenary life or pointing out local plants and wildlife that were interesting. Dys had moved back with Volker and Specht, striking up a conversation about the kinds of demons they¡¯d been fighting and the battles they had been in. Most of what Volker told Dys was a repeat of things he¡¯d already told to Syd, so Jadis was already familiar, but he didn¡¯t know that.
With her two selves running interference, Jadis¡¯ third self Jay was free to talk openly with Aila, test the waters and see what might happen without a peanut gallery to get in the way. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like Aila was particularly receptive to any of Jay¡¯s attempts at conversation.
¡°You seem like you know a lot about levels and classes and the like. Did you study somewhere?¡± Jay asked, trying again to get Aila talking.
¡°No,¡± she answered shortly.
That was a definite frown on her lips. Jadis crossed education off her mental list of topics to talk about. There was clearly some kind of sore spot to avoid there.
As Jadis tried to think up another topic while also weighing the pros and cons of just abandoning the attempt all together and just leaving the seemingly sour girl to her own business, Aila spoke up first.
¡°Do you have a divine class? I¡¯m not asking for specifics. You don¡¯t have to answer that question, not if it bothers you. But it¡¯s divine-based, right? You¡¯re primary class? Maybe your secondary?¡±
The words seemed to tumble out of Aila, like she had to force it all out at once or she wouldn¡¯t have been able to ask anything at all.
Jadis considered what she was asking, running a hand through her white hair. ¡°Divine? Do you mean¡ gifted to me by a god?¡±
Aila scrunched her nose up, an odd grimace crossing her freckled features. ¡°No, all classes are a gift from the gods. I mean, is one of your classes based off the divine attribute? Are you and your sisters able to heal each other or do holy damage to demons or something like that? Tell me you got paladin archetypes. You did, didn¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you three are killing demons so easily, leveling so fast?¡±
Oh. So the divine stat was linked to healing and holy damage, huh? Interesting.
¡°No,¡± Jay refuted Aila¡¯s assertions. ¡°Divine is one of my lowest stats. Same for my sisters.¡±
That was true. Along with Arcane, zero was a pretty damn low number.
The girl seemed to deflate in her seat, slumping forward. She mumbled something that Jadis couldn¡¯t quite hear over the sound of the wagon wheels, but she thought might have been to the tune of ¡®unfair¡¯.
¡°Hey,¡± Jay said, turning to walk backwards and look Aila in the eye, ¡°I know we just met and I don¡¯t really know you, but I feel like you¡¯re kind of taking me leveling up fast and all that unusually personally. I mean, why does it bother you so much?¡±
Aila¡¯s head popped up, glaring at Jay for a moment, mouth opening briefly before she shut it with an audible click of her teeth. A few seconds later, she started again.
¡°It¡¯s nothing to do with you.¡± She paused, seemed to rethink her words, then clarified, ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not your fault. I just¡ªI look at what you and your sisters have done and I wish it were me.¡±
Huh. So she was envious of her? That¡ wasn¡¯t the best place to start. But it was a point of conversation. She could work with it.
¡°So,¡± Jay drawled, eyebrows raised and one hand rubbing her chin, ¡°You wish you were being stalked by bone thieves on a daily basis for weeks on end, constantly fighting for your life? You have interesting fantasies there, Blue.¡±
¡°What!?¡± Aila spluttered. ¡°I¡¯m not¡ªI¡¯m not fantasizing about stalking and, and, fighting for my life!¡± She huffed, composing herself. ¡°And who are you calling Blue?¡±
¡°Would you rather I call you Bean Pole?¡± Jay shot her a lopsided grin. ¡°Because, no offense, that seems like a horrible nickname. Plus, you¡¯ve got nice blue eyes. So, Blue.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
Aila leveled a stony glare at Jay, failing to break down Jay¡¯s defiant grin.
¡°Don¡¯t call me Bean Pole,¡± Aila finally said, breaking eye contact.
¡°Alright then,¡± Jay readily agreed, her smile growing a little brighter. ¡°So, tell me Blue, what¡¯s bothering you?¡±
She didn¡¯t respond right away, blue-eyed gaze locked on her uncles a few hundred feet ahead where they were talking with Syd. Eventually she motioned one hand to Jay, saying, ¡°Turn around, you¡¯re going to walk into that bush.¡±
Jadis had already seen it through Dys and Syd so Jay was in no danger of tripping, but she appreciated the concern Aila displayed. Jay turned back around, skipping a few steps around the small bush that had grown up between the cobblestones.
¡°Well?¡± Jay prompted. ¡°The hindquarters of those aurochs cannot be more interesting than talking with me, can they?¡±
A small huff of a laugh escaped the redhead¡¯s lips. Progress.
¡°I didn¡¯t get the class I was hoping for when I reached majority,¡± Aila finally admitted, a small frown pulling down the sides of her lips. ¡°I didn¡¯t even get something in the same archetype of what I wanted.¡±
¡°Sorry, language thing. Majority?¡± Jay asked for clarification.
¡°Majority. Age of Majority. When you get your primary class,¡± Aila explained.
¡°Ah, I understand,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°So, the sys¡ªgods gave you a class you didn¡¯t want. Couldn¡¯t you wait until they offered you something better?¡±
¡°No,¡± Aila said with a defeated sigh. ¡°It would have been pointless. When the gods revealed my status sheet, it was clear I hadn¡¯t been born with any innate talent in the arcane attribute.¡± She looked sidelong at Jay, her frown turning mournful. ¡°One of my lowest scores, if you¡¯re wondering.¡±
¡°Arcane? You wanted to be a spell slinger then?¡± Jay asked, risking a term she wasn¡¯t sure was shared between their cultures.
¡°Spell slinger?¡± Aila gave her an odd look. Clearly that wasn¡¯t a common phrase. She¡¯d nix it from her lexicon for now. ¡°I wanted a class in the wizard archetype. Gods, I would have taken sorcerer, too. Anything that uses arcane spells, really.¡± Her look turned wistful. ¡°I spent so many years of my childhood helping Old Hele with her chores just for the chance to be near someone with a wizard class, hoping and praying it¡¯d be enough to prove to the gods I was worthy. It wasn¡¯t.¡±
The last was said with a sour tone.
¡°So that¡¯s it? You¡¯re not trying to be a wizard anymore?¡± Jay asked, not with any accusation in her voice, just trying to understand.
¡°Of course I¡¯m still trying. I¡¯m level seventeen now. I¡¯ve been putting every free attribute point I¡¯ve been given into arcane, and I¡¯ve taken all five levels of Minor Attribute Improvement for the same purpose. It¡¯s taken two years, but I¡¯m almost there. Just three more levels and I¡¯ll be twenty and I¡¯ll finally be able to get an actually useful class.¡±
¡°Should you be telling me your skill choices like that?¡± Jay pointed out.
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she dismissed the concern. ¡°Who cares what skills a Cart Driver has. That¡¯s my class, by the way. Cart Driver. Not even one of the valuable or high skill labor classes. Cart Driver.¡±
Jadis felt she had a pretty clear picture now. Aila had wanted to be a wizard or sorcerer, a badass goal in her opinion, but had been dealt shitty cards by the system or gods or however it worked and hadn¡¯t gotten a class she wanted. She¡¯d been forced to take a class she hated and spent a couple of years working her way up to the point where she was close to possibly getting what she wanted.
Then three strangers come along and announce that they had gone up almost the same number of levels in only a few months. That would probably put a bitter taste in her mouth, too.
Jadis decided she probably shouldn¡¯t ever tell the discouraged woman that she¡¯d actually gone up thirty levels in about a month and a half.
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Aila broke the silence again, seeming to physically brush the bitter frustration off her shoulders by straightening her back and giving a little shake of her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to burden you with all that. Forget it. And I also apologize if I¡¯ve been rude to you and your sisters. I¡¯ll apologize to them too.¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Jay assured her. ¡°No problem. Sometimes it¡¯s good to vent. Let all the bad eating at you out.¡±
Once more Aila gave Jay an odd, indecipherable look. Jadis wondered how many of the things she said were things that didn¡¯t translate well. She could only hope the language barrier excuse kept up.
¡°This is an assumption on my part,¡± Jay started, motioning a hand towards Aila, ¡°But I¡¯m guessing you came to Weigrun with your uncles because demons give extra experience when killed, right?¡±
Aila nodded in agreement after a short moment of hesitation.
¡°But I¡¯m guessing you aren¡¯t actually doing much demon slaying since you¡¯re not a combat class. Sometimes you tag along with some of the mercenaries and get some incidental experience, just for being around or something like that, right?¡±
Aila nodded again.
Thank D that assumptive leap of logic had panned out. Jadis hadn¡¯t known if experience was shared across ¡®parties¡¯ or groups or whatever, but she¡¯d figured something of the like had to be the case or there probably wouldn¡¯t be much point at all to Aila putting herself in harm¡¯s way for no reward.
Well, there were other ways Jadis could think of to power level someone, so to speak, but she was glad her first guess had been the correct one.
¡°I¡¯ll also bet you either don¡¯t get taken along for the fights that often, or when you do, it¡¯s in such a large group that whatever experience you¡¯re getting is lackluster at best.¡±
With no denial from the redhead, Jay continued, coming to the point of her questions.
¡°Well, if you want, you can come along with me and my sisters to slay some demons. We decided we¡¯ll be sticking around for at least as long as it takes to get our matriarch bounty, maybe longer depending on how things go in Felsen. I can tell you we¡¯re definitely going to be killing a lot more demons in the near future. We¡¯ve got a lot to pay them back for. If you¡¯re interested, I¡¯ll ask them to make sure they¡¯re okay with it, and you can join us. I bet we can get you those last three levels pretty fast.¡±
Jadis watched Aila¡¯s face for any reaction to her proposal, positive or negative. There wasn¡¯t much for her to go on, the redhead¡¯s visage held in a perfectly neutral expression. As the moment stretched on and the wagon continued to roll, Jadis started to think her pitch had been received poorly. Then, Aila muttered a strange comment under her breath.
¡°Second time in two days¡¡±
¡°Huh?¡± Jay asked, not sure if she had heard correctly.
¡°Nothing,¡± Aila waved Jay off. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡±
¡°Sure! Offer¡¯s open any time,¡± Jay said with a smile.
Even if Aila ended up not reciprocating her interest, Jadis did genuinely hope the Cart Driver took her up on the offer. It had to suck not getting the class you¡¯d been dreaming of for most of your life. Jadis didn¡¯t mind helping out, even if she didn¡¯t get anything out of it. She doubted it¡¯d even take that much effort on her part anyway.
As Jay walked next to Aila on her wagon in what she now thought was a companionable silence, Jadis¡¯ attention was drawn to something Gerwas was saying from his spot far to the front, next to Syd.
¡°That rockfall looks new,¡± Gerwas was pointing out, indicating a pile of stones and rubble that seemed to have fallen from the side of one of the hills, partially obstructing the road. ¡°We¡¯ll have to let the lord know in Felsen. Should send a crew to clear that away.¡±
¡°Aye,¡± Ludwas agreed, turning his head up to Syd. ¡°You see, my young friend, some demons will set up rocks or fallen trees or the like along the roads to use for ambushes. They¡¯re clever in a devious sort of way.¡±
¡°So there might be demons hiding over there right now, waiting to ambush us?¡± Syd asked, pointing her spear towards the rocks.
¡°Not much chance,¡± Gerwas assured her. ¡°We¡¯ve both got skills to help us spot the hidden or sense when things are trying to sneak up on us. Maybe this lout here wouldn¡¯t notice, but I¡¯d have heard or seen something if any demons were lying in wait. Not much gets past Ol¡¯ Gerwas, you can trust that.¡±
¡°You mean like how my sisters and I snuck up on the two of you yesterday, and you didn¡¯t even know they were nearby until I told you?¡±
¡°Uh, hm,¡± Gerwas grumbled, stroking his beard, ¡°That was an exception¡ª¡±
His words were cut off as a loud rumbling roar shook the air, a huge inhuman figure rising up from behind the fallen stones.
¡°Fucking useless scouts!¡± Jadis heard from far away, middle distance, and right up close as Volker and Specht cursed at the two brothers, shouldering their crossbows.
In all honesty, Jadis mirrored the sentiment.
Chapter 48 POV: Cart Driver
Grundwyrm. It had to be.
Rock and stone shifted and tumbled, the pile of debris partially obstructing the road ahead not just falling away but moving as a beast would because it was a beast, a demon-possessed amalgamation of slate and granite. On eight stubby legs it rose, each one as thick around as a barrel. A long, rocky tail thumped the ground behind the wyrm, counterbalancing a huge head with a stone horn on the nose that was as tall as a man.
The demonic monstrosity opened its maw, a mouth wide enough to bite an ox in half, letting loose another terrifying roar of grinding stone on stone.
Aila had not gone to a proper school, there hadn¡¯t been one in Red Tree, her little village was too small for that. But she¡¯d still learned her numbers and how to do sums and calculations and was quite good at them, too. It didn¡¯t take much math to process the odds presented before her.
Her uncles, both level forty-five scouts. Volker, a level forty-two soldier, and Specht, a level forty-three arbalist. Three level thirty mystery combat classes in the forms of Jay, Dys, and Syd, strangers she knew little about and had no information on fighting abilities. And finally, one level seventeen Cart Driver. Her party in summary.
Versus a grundwyrm, a demon typically handled by ten or more level forty and up soldiers with at least one or two mages, preferably a cleric as well.
¡°We need to run,¡± Aila stated as calmly as she could, already trying to rein in the two startled aurochs. Aurochs were stoic beasts, less prone to panic than horses or oxen, but even two sturdy and well-trained bulls were going to flinch in the face of a walking boulder fueled by demonic hate.
She could see her uncles and the giant Syd skipping back and away from the wyrm as it lumbered towards them. Gerwas was shouting, she couldn¡¯t hear what over the noise of the stony demon¡¯s steps, and Ludwas was reloading his crossbow. He must have fired it off, gods know why, since no bolt would do any good against an opponent made mostly of rock.
¡°Grundwyrms are slow, we might be able to outrun it,¡± Aila continued, speaking just as much to herself as to the nearby Jay. ¡°It¡¯s good that it sprung its ambush too early, I can probably turn the cart in time¡ª¡±
¡°Forward!¡± Specht shouted from behind, ¡°Forward gods blast you, go ¡®round it!¡±
What? Why in Valtar¡¯s name would she push forward with that blocking the way?
Aila turned around in her seat, looking back to see what madness had taken hold of Specht only for her blood to run cold.
A dozen gangly figures were rushing down the side of the hill to the left behind the wagon. Each one had to be between twenty and twenty-four hands tall and shaped like snow elk that had been twisted into mockeries of men. Their heads were crowned with splayed antlers, making them seem even taller. She could see even at a distance the lines of tentacles moving under the fur and flesh of the corrupted creatures, the ends protruding out of the arms, acting as hands and fingers wrapped around spears, swords, and axes the demons had either made or stolen from the dead.
¡°Switch!¡±
Aila was startled back into the present moment by Jay¡¯s sudden shout, loud enough to echo in the valley between hills that the demons had set their trap in.
¡°What are you¡ª¡± She started to question before Jay abruptly ran forward, her large makeshift maul grasped in both hands.
She was so fast! Aila had seen higher level mercenaries and message runners that specialized in speed and agility move faster, but Jay ran far, far faster than someone of her level ought to be able to.
As she watched her rush forward, she saw that Syd was running back towards the wagon, except she wasn¡¯t just running back alone, she had picked up Aila¡¯s uncles, one under each arm, and was sprinting with just as much speed.
Before she could process the bizarreness of seeing two large men being carried around like children, another voice speaking right next to Aila shocked a small scream out of her.
¡°Keep going forward, that way!¡± Dys shouted, pointing to the right of the road, where a hill sloped upward.
It was possible for the aurochs to pull the wagon up the hill, but not with any speed. Even a slow-moving rock monster like the grundwyrm could catch them if they tried that.
¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Dys called out as she started sprinting away before Aila could voice her objections. ¡°We¡¯ll distract the big guy!¡±
A moment later and Syd was next to the cart, putting Gerwas and Ludwas down, both rolling with the situation with the calm and experience of professional mercenaries. Ludwas immediately hopped up on the wagon and fired his crossbow at the quickly closing demon wretches.
¡°Keep them aurochs moving, girl!¡± Gerwas shouted, already reloading his own crossbow from firing a shot. ¡°Give us time to shoot them down!¡±
Aila stopped gawping like a stunned goose at those words. She couldn¡¯t do much in a fight, but she had to do what she could. With a shout and a crack of the reins, she got the aurochs moving forward as fast as they could, angling the wagon off to the right, trying to aim away from the huge rock demon that was now slamming its head down on the ground, trying to crush Jay as she darted around in front of the wyrm.
From behind, Aila heard the sounds of the Wretches rapidly approaching, as well as the sounds of crossbows firing. Glancing quickly over her shoulder, she saw Specht had gotten on top of the back of the wagon and was firing off bolt after bolt at the oncoming demons, his arbalist skills allowing him to reload faster and shoot more accurately. Gerwas and Volker had thrown their crossbows onto the wagon and drawn their swords.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Only a couple of the twisted wretches had fallen to the ranged attacks of her fellow mercenaries. Ten of the demons had closed the distance, the fastest charging headlong at the wagon, spear set before it. A disgusting, terrifying squeal erupted from its distorted elk face as it neared, leveling its weapon at Gerwas.
Aila flinched, disturbed to see her uncle being set upon by such a dreadful creature. But before the wretch reached him, a spear of much greater length shot out from the side, spearing through the demon¡¯s armpit from the left.
Syd¡¯s spear skewered the charging demon and, with a show of strength Aila could barely believe, swung the wretch around with the momentum of its own charge, spinning it fully and sending its body flying into the main knot of attackers, sending them tumbling into a pile of tangled limbs.
¡°Keep shooting the fucking crossbows! I¡¯ve got this!¡± Syd commanded.
Indeed, she did have the wagon covered, her spear striking out and piercing any wretch that came close, constantly jumping and dodging from side to side, keeping the howling demons at bay.
¡°Up, up!¡± Aila heard Gerwas shout as he and Volker ran beside the now faster rolling wagon, pulling themselves up with the help of Ludwas while Specht kept firing.
A sudden sharp crack echoed like thunder, grabbing Aila¡¯s attention. She¡¯d been so focused on the twisted wretches attacking she¡¯d nearly forgotten about the massive stone demon that was still ahead of them.
¡The massive stone demon that was now missing a leg.
Jay and Dys were darting around the side of the grundwyrm, dodging out of the way of its stomping and headbutting, staying clear of its lethal tail swings. With perfect coordination, the two abruptly dashed in close, one swinging her club hard into the stone side of the wyrm, the other bringing her own weapon down onto the backside of her sister¡¯s blunt maul a mere moment later.
The effect was explosive, a huge chunk of stone breaking off as cracks ruptured around the point of impact. One of the middle legs below the now gaping crater in the side of the wyrm snapped off, having lost too much stone to stay attached.
¡°How¡ª?¡± Aila asked aloud, distracted by the sight enough that she forgot her surroundings entirely, enough that she stood from her seat a bit, just to see what Jay and Dys were doing a little better.
¡°Down!¡± Ludwas commanded, putting his hand on her shoulder and keeping her head low.
There were still wretches attacking the wagon.
Some of the demons had started hurling rocks back at the mercenaries firing their crossbows, trying to strike them down, unable to get past Syd.
The fight was a running affair, but the wagon had finally hit the steeper slope of the hill and was losing speed despite the best efforts of the panting aurochs. The eight wretches that still stood were spreading out, trying to circle the wagon, throwing stones, and trying to attack from different angles. Syd couldn¡¯t be everywhere at once, even as fast as she was.
A horrible gurgling sound came from the right of the wagon. Aila turned to look but was unexpectedly enveloped in the arms of her uncle Ludwas. She could hear him cry out in pain as an awful, nauseating smell of bile and blood began clouding the air around them.
One of the wretches could cast spells, Aila realized. An acid spell? Something close range, probably a breath-based attack. How frequently could it cast? Did it have others or just the one? How much damage could the spell do and how long did the acid effect last?
The analytical side of Aila¡¯s brain worked overtime, filling her conscious thought with diagnostic questions, because if she didn¡¯t, she¡¯d have to deal with the emotional comprehension that her uncle was currently melting while holding onto her.
Aila couldn¡¯t see, but the gurgling sound stopped abruptly, followed shortly after by a string of foul curses.
¡°Fucking nasty ass piece of dogshit! Motherfucking wendigo wannabe puke stains! Sit on your spears and spin you fucking prolapsed assholes!¡±
She¡¯d never heard a couple of those words before, but Aila was impressed by Syd¡¯s colorful vocabulary, nonetheless.
Dropping the reins to the wagon, Aila eased her uncle off of her, letting him lie down flat on the crates to the front of the wagon. As she did so, another rock whizzed by her head, but she ignored the attack. She had to see what she could do for Ludwas¡¯ injuries.
The acid spell¡¯s effect was still lingering, the putrid yellow substance still coating the back of his armor, sizzling as it ate away the material. His brigandine and helmet and protected him from most of the attack, but some amount of the acid had still gotten through and was eating away at his flesh.
¡°Nevermind me, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Ludwas said through gritted teeth. ¡°Keep your head down, Bean Pole.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± she said reflexively. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get this off of you.¡±
As she spoke, Aila pulled a cloak she kept for rainy days out from its spot under the wagon seat and wrapped her hand in it, using it as improvised protection so she could start wiping the foul acid off of Ludwas¡¯ armor. As she did so, he struggled to pull his gloves off, trying to pass them to her.
The whole wagon shook as something large crashed into it. Aila looked up to see that Syd had again skewered another wretch, slamming it against the side of the wagon, breaking its neck with the force of the impact.
With a quick twist, Syd spun and hurled the now dead demon at one of the other few still remaining, bowling it over. A third wretch chose that moment to slip close and strike with a rusty axe, slicing against Syd¡¯s arm and leaving a deep gash, though doing less damage than Aila would have expected to her unarmored flesh.
A crossbow bolt appeared in the axe-wielding wretch¡¯s eye, Volker letting out a cry of triumph as the demon collapsed to the ground.
¡°Almost there, men, just a few more!¡± Gerwas shouted from somewhere on the back of the wagon.
Syd¡¯s spear went through the chest of the wretch that she had knocked to the ground with its twisted kin, silencing its vile noises and stopping its movement for good.
¡°I¡¯ve got to go help my sisters,¡± Syd called out, barely stopping long enough to glance back at the cart, her violet eyes sweeping the mercenaries, briefly lingering on Aila and Ludwas. Without another word, she ran off, heading towards the still raging battle of two pale giants against a stone wyrm.
Aila almost wanted to stop her. There were still wretches around the wagon, and what exactly was she going to do against a creature made of stone with nothing but a spear? Not even a real spear, either, but a dagger tied to a length of wood.
Then Aila looked around, seeing the string of dead demons trailing behind the still slowly moving wagon. The only two wretches still moving were limping away, trying to flee as Specht and Volker put more bolts into their backs.
As the wagon kept rolling, Aila helped her uncle into a better position, pulling off his armor as the lingering effect of the acid spell faded, making it safe to touch. She called for someone to pass her a bandage kit with cure salves, wincing as the adrenaline started to wear off. Some of the demon¡¯s spell had gotten to her, despite Ludwas¡¯ best efforts, leaving painful patches of bile-burnt skin. As she worked to quickly patch her uncle up, she couldn¡¯t help but lift her gaze towards the road where the Nephilim were.
Aila wanted to see what Jay, Dys, and Syd were going to do against the powerful, deadly grundwyrm that should by all metrics far outclass them. Because from what she could see so far, it looked like they were winning.
Chapter 49: Beating on a Boulder
Jadis was about ready to start running.
Every move of the massive stone lizard thing was like a mini avalanche. While not much different in size from the bone thief matriarch, this stone demon had to weigh hundreds of tons. Each time one of its boulder-sized feet slammed the ground, Jadis could practically feel the air pressure from the strength and mass of the stomp pushing against her. Just standing near it felt overwhelming as the demon¡¯s sheer size and bulk was a weapon all its own, not even mentioning the huge horn and tail it kept swinging in her direction, trying to impale or crush her.
She felt like a caveman fighting a tank.
She¡¯d had some success, at least, in that she¡¯d managed to knock two of the stone lizard¡¯s legs off. It had eight for some reason, though, so breaking off a leg or two was of limited effect. What was with demons and extra limbs, anyway?
Of far better import, the part of her that was Syd had finished up protecting the wagon from those horrifying deer demon things. With Syd now rushing in to help with the fight, she felt a little bit better about her chances.
Jadis had gotten used to the bone thieves, no longer caring overmuch about the intrinsic horror of aberrant skeleton monsters, so it had been a while since something had gotten her heart jumping just in terms of fright factors.
Bipedal deer people with twisted tentacle limbs sticking out from under their skin that could vomit acid bile like a firehose would definitely be haunting Jadis¡¯ nightmares for many nights to come.
Jadis shook the thought of what had happened to Ludwas off. She needed to concentrate.
Jay dashed forward, swinging her maul around and smashing it against the stone exterior of the demon, right where the shoulder and neck met. At the same time, Dys swung her maul at the other side, intending to trigger a Mirrored Strikes attack. Unfortunately, Dys had to pull back on her swing and roll out of the way as the bus-sized stone lizard shifted and swung its head around at her, nearly crushing her between the side of its long head and its body.
Being made of stone, the demon didn¡¯t seem to have the same limitations a flesh and blood body would. Its head, tail, and legs all bent and folded as needed in directions Jadis wouldn¡¯t expect them to be able to. As long as it was an axis at which two rocks connected, it seemed like the demon could bend there. The complication of trying to predict how and where the rock monster was going to pivot to attack her made the fight far more difficult and dangerous, the strangeness and unpredictability of its movements making up for their lumbering speed.
As Dys moved back and ran around the front of the demon, Jay shifted further back, nimbly leaping over the huge tail that rushed through the air like a freight train. The sound of the stone appendage slamming into the ground wasn¡¯t the huge crash it would have been in a movie, more of a muted thump, but the sight of the tail scoping through the dirt like a hand through water was plenty impressive all on its own, no overblown sound effects needed.
Dirt flew everywhere as the stone lizard shifted again, its tail moving on an odd axis as it sprayed soil and rocky debris out in a wide arc, catching Jay with some of it. Some got in Jay¡¯s eyes, but with more than one pair to look out for her, Jay turned and pulled back and away in time to avoid the tail as it crashed to the ground where she had been standing a moment before.
As Jay pulled back to clear her vision, Syd arrived, striking out at the demon¡¯s side with the blunt end of her spear. There was no chance the dagger-tip of the spear was going to pierce solid rock and the backend of the wooden spear wasn¡¯t going to do any damage either, but that wasn¡¯t the point. As Syd¡¯s attack landed, so did Dys¡¯.
Dys¡¯ maul slammed down onto the face of the rock lizard, right at the base of the huge sharp stone projecting up like a rhinoceros horn. A sharp crack echoed in the valley as the stone shattered, pieces flying off, though the horn didn¡¯t break completely.
With another roar like a thousand cinderblocks being dragged across concrete, the demon lunged forward at Dys, smashing its face down into the ground with enough force to bury it several feet deep.
Dys skipped back and away and to the side, moving as far out of the way as she could, though despite all her agility, not fast enough.
The demon pushed forward, scooping up and out, throwing a literal wave of dirt and stone into the air in front of it. Dys was knocked back and down, hundreds of pounds of dirt bowling her over. As she struggled to recover from the fall, the stone lizard turned and reared back, huge boulder of a head moving to slam down onto the prone form of Dys.
Having tossed her spear aside, Syd slammed a rock she¡¯d picked up from the ground into the side of the demon¡¯s tail, right at the base, coordinating her attack in unison with Jay¡¯s maul strike on the opposite side of the tail. Cracks and fissures ruptured through the stone beast, parts breaking as the tail lost the durability it needed to stay intact. The colossal weight of the tail worked against itself as the whole appendage suddenly snapped off, crumbling to the ground.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
The stone demon¡¯s counterbalance gone, its stability disappeared and it stumbled forward, crashing face first into the ground, mere inches from Dys as she rolled out of the path of destruction.
As Dys rolled and dodged, the unbalanced and struggling demon still snapped its neck around to fold its head against its body in an attempt to crush her. The move clipped Dys¡¯ leg, sending a sharp jolt of pain through her.
¡°Not my fucking leg again!¡± Dys screamed out, rolling to her feet and limping away.
While Dys moved back, Jay and Syd attacked again, coordinating another Mirrored Strike, this time against the rearmost back legs of the creature.
Syd¡¯s hands stung as the rock she was attacking with broke under the force of the blow, shattering and cutting into her palm and fingers. She winced, pulling back, her attack not destroying the leg but certainly putting some new cracks in the boulder-based shell of the demon.
Jay¡¯s attack had done a bit better, breaking off a large chunk of stone, but the demon was still moving well enough that it was turning to face her, its huge and unwieldy head snapping around to try and pulverize her.
The demon was unbalanced now, but it was still far more intact than Jadis would have liked considering how much damage she herself had taken. Taking a quick look at her health pool, Jadis saw that she¡¯d dropped down to two hundred and forty-two out of four hundred and twenty. She hadn¡¯t been at full health to begin with and this fight was dragging on. Was it time to cut and run? Surely, without its tail, the demon wasn¡¯t going to be able to chase after them, not with how unbalanced it was now.
As Jadis considered fleeing, she heard the sounds of a commotion coming from where she¡¯d last noted the wagon being. Frankly, she¡¯d lost track of it, all of her selves focused on the colossal boulder crocodile in front of her.
Boulder-dile? Boulder-dile.
As Jay jabbed at the boulder-dile with her maul, keeping its attention on her, Syd looked to see that Gerwas, Volker, and Specht were all rushing down the hill, straight towards Jadis and the giant demon.
She had to give them credit for bravery, but what exactly did they think they were going to do with crossbows and swords against a rock monster?
At that point Jadis noticed that they weren¡¯t carrying either of those expected weapons, as she had previously seen them equipped with, but instead had steel maces with round heads in their hands. As he approached, Gerwas tossed one to Syd.
¡°Take it! The only way to kill a grundwyrm is to break it down and find the core somewhere in the middle!¡±
Syd caught the small, er, normal sized mace and gave it a test swing. ¡°Grundwyrm?¡± she murmured, testing the odd word.
Jadis liked boulder-dile better, though maybe she¡¯d keep that name to herself for now.
The three mercenaries closed in on the stone demon and started leaping in to strike once with their blunt weapons before rapidly backing away to avoid reactionary attacks from the boulder-dile.
The damage they did wasn¡¯t much, but it was causing more and more cracks to form in the stone body of the demon as it awkwardly whirled around, lashing out randomly as it was attacked from many different sides.
Jadis could see now that the mercs weren¡¯t stupid or acting unnecessarily brave. They were trained soldiers, men who¡¯d probably been fighting for years as part of the same unit. The three men didn¡¯t have the same level of unnaturally unified coordination that Jadis and her three selves had, but they moved as a team, calling out warnings to each other as Gerwas acted as a lead, ordering strikes in one moment or telling them to back off the next. If there were a dozen more mercenaries like them around, Jadis could well imagine that they could handle the boulder-dile all on their own.
Well, Gerwas and the rest didn¡¯t have a dozen more mercenaries to back them up. They had her.
Dys and Jay moved in at the same time, mauls striking against the middle left side of the boulder-dile, near where she¡¯d previously knocked a leg off, while Syd¡¯s newly acquired mace struck the damaged horn on the face of the demon.
The rino-like stone horn shattered, breaking off as the demon lunged and snapped its jaws at a now retreating Syd. As it did, a different snapping sound echoed as stone broke apart in a great fissure from where Jay and Dys had struck. The demon¡¯s front half charged forward after Syd, leaving behind its rear half as its body broke in two.
A shout of triumph went out from the three mercenaries as they began attacking the severely damaged stone demon even more fiercely. The monster was still moving, struggling to chase after Syd or lash out at any target that came close, but it now had less than half the mass it had before, only three legs, and a head far too large for what remained of its body to balance properly.
Joining in with the mercenaries, Jadis began attacking with all three of her selves with abandon, her mauls and mace smashing huge chunks of stone off the demon.
The demon was still a dangerous foe, even in its weakened state, or so it proved when one of its remaining legs suddenly shifted at an unexpected angle and knocked Specht down, nearly crushing him. Jay was close enough to grab the man up and unceremoniously toss him aside, possibly hurting his pride but at least preventing him from being squashed like a grape under the foot of the boulder-dile.
With one more good swing of her maul, Dys broke open some hollow section of the demon¡¯s body that was just behind the head, between where the shoulder blades would be if the monstrosity¡¯s form followed actual biology. Inside the hollow space Jadis saw a large wriggling mass of purple tentacles, one large red eye peeking out from the center of the Lovecraftian wet dream.
Jadis didn¡¯t hesitate, all three of her immediately striking the core of the demon from three different angles, pulping the purple flesh into a quivering mush of foul-smelling goo in an instant.
All struggles from the stone-beast ceased as the demon¡¯s true body was destroyed.
In the sudden silence that filled the air, the three forms of Jadis fell back from the fallen demon, sweat dripping from their pale flesh as black blood dripped from their weapons.
¡°I¡¯m starting to believe you three really did take down a matriarch on your own,¡± Gerwas broke the silence, patting Jay on the arm, not quite able to reach her shoulder.
¡°Was there ever any doubt?¡± Jay said with some false bravado, shouldering her mace.
As the makeshift weapon¡¯s haft landed on Jay¡¯s shoulder, a crack that had formed during the fight finally split and the maul broke in two, the heavy end falling to the ground behind her.
¡°Some,¡± Gerwas answered, eyeing the broken end of the weapon lying in the grass.
Chapter 50: Victorious Wagonride
|
Congratulations!
Grundwyrm Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
|
The message that appeared in Jadis¡¯ vision as she checked her notifications was vaguely disappointing to Jadis. She had kind of liked calling the stone demon a boulder-dile. It was a good name if she said so herself. She supposed she had to acknowledge grundwyrm as the correct name now, though.
Tsk. The fuck was a grund, anyway?
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± A pained voice asked from next to Dys.
¡°Oh, sorry, nothing,¡± Dys assured Ludwas. ¡°Just thinking about that big stone lizard demon.¡±
¡°Hah,¡± Ludwas exhaled, a bump in the wagon ride briefly interrupting his words. ¡°That¡¯s something you should be smiling about! I know I am. Got a level out of all that. You got a couple as well, too, I heard. Worth a little pain, right?¡±
¡°Maybe a little,¡± Dys smiled down at the prone man.
The two were riding on the back of the wagon, Ludwas laid out on his stomach on a blanket and made as comfortable as he could be. The acid spell attack he¡¯d tanked to protect Aila had done a number on him, the worst damage to his shoulders and back of his neck. He¡¯d been wrapped up in bandages, a healing salve of some kind that smelled like a mix between mint and ginger slathered all over him.
Dys had some of that same salve stuff on her leg, the gash she¡¯d taken from being hit by the grundwyrm not quite as bad as she¡¯d thought, but still painful to walk on. No broken bone at least. She had to admit, the salve was helpful in reducing the pain, and she¡¯d even seen her health pool go up a couple points. She probably could have walked on it, but everyone else had been insistent that Dys rest on the wagon.
The aftermath of the ambush had been brief, with Gerwas and the other mercenaries quick to cut the eyes from the dead demon carcasses, both from the huge stone one as well as the smaller ones that they had called ¡®Twisted Wretches¡¯. There was some fear of more potentially being around, though in Jadis¡¯ opinion, if there were more, she would have thought they¡¯d attacked while the big demon was still alive, not after.
Apparently, the wretches were not uncommon in the hills around Far Felsen, but their presence had been largely on the decline since a demon mother responsible for spawning them had been slain some five months prior. The grundwyrm, though, was a type of demon that had heretofore only been sighted in the north-western reaches of Weigrun, up near the mountains. That there was one so far south and near Felsen was a major concern for the mercenaries and they were eager to alert their leader and the local magistrate in charge of Far Felsen that one had been killed. The eyes the mercenaries had cut from the demons were for proof of their story, as there were people who could identify the demons they came from, and because they could be turned in for a bounty.
Jadis had to admit the part that interested her the most about what the mercenaries had told her was the idea of a bounty.
The fight against the demons had absolutely cemented the need for new weapons and armor in Jadis¡¯ mind. Not only had Jay¡¯s maul been broken, but the idea of what could have happened to her when she had hardly a bit of physical protection if she hadn¡¯t been fast enough to dodge was obvious. If she were ever in a situation where she was forced to eat an attack the way Ludwas had, she imagined she¡¯d be in a far worse state. New weapons, armor, and maybe shields too, were all going to cost money, though. With three of her, that meant three times the amount, all of which would probably have to be custom made considering her size. The mace Gerwas had lent Syd, one of many extra pieces of equipment the prepared mercenaries kept in the wagon for emergencies, was an object lesson in both the need for good equipment, and the fact that nothing made for regular humans was going to fit her.
Getting equipped wasn¡¯t going to be cheap, not from Jadis¡¯ understanding of prices she¡¯d gotten from Ludwas¡¯ explanations earlier in the day. With the small bag of coins and jewelry she had, she might be able to fully equip one of her with basic gear, but not all three. It was a frustrating thought, being held back by a lack of funds. She¡¯d have to work hard at getting demon bounties to boost her funds as quickly as she could. A task she¡¯d be certain to do without a group of mercenaries around.
One thing that bothered Jadis quite a bit was how much her experience gain had been reduced. Ludwas had gained a level, and so had Volker and Aila. Gerwas and Specht hadn¡¯t, while Jadis had gained two more in her secondary class.
Just two levels. She¡¯d fought and killed a dozen of those wretches and another behemoth, admittedly not a demon matriarch but still a massive demonic monster, and she¡¯d only gotten two levels. Not even a single level in her main class!
The split in experience was even across active participants, with a smaller cut going to less involved but still contributing members like Aila, according to Gerwas. Since there were four mercenaries in the fight, plus the ¡®three¡¯ of her, and Aila too, Jadis didn¡¯t get the huge boost in experience she was used to getting from big, life-threatening fights.
The mercenaries hadn¡¯t complained at all, though, not even Gerwas or Specht who hadn¡¯t gained any levels. The amount of experience they had gained was more than they expected against the demons they had killed compared to the size of their group, apparently. Ludwas was also only slightly ahead of Gerwas in levels so he expected to gain his next level quite soon. All of them had quite high spirits, thinking they had gotten more experience because the demons were even higher level than expected, netting them a bigger reward for surviving the ambush.
Jadis was pretty sure the reason they were getting more than expected was due to her in fact only counting as one participant, not three, but she was fine with letting the mercs operate under their false assumption.
Well, Jadis shouldn¡¯t complain too much. From what she¡¯d learned from Aila, gaining levels with the kind of speed she had been was far outside the norm. That she had gained two levels in just one fight was amazing. Not unheard-of, since her secondary class was much lower than her primary, but still a decidedly fast-paced increase.
With Perverted Ritualist of D reaching level twelve, Jadis immediately put the one free attribute point she received into eldritch. The level eleven skill selection made available required a bit more consideration, however.
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Ritualist¡¯s Resistance
Passive Skill. Increases the Fortitude attribute by 15 points.
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The first new skill was straight forward. Similar to the Ritualist¡¯s Resilience skill she¡¯d been offered and not taken previously, the skill provided a flat fifteen-point increase to one of her attributes. That was a more tempting offer than the previous skill, since she knew what fortitude did, namely increase her physical resistance to damage. Fifteen points was no small boost to the useful stat and definitely worth consideration.
The second skill wasn¡¯t as straight forward but was more interesting as a result.
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Dance of the D
Ritual Spell. Increases your target¡¯s ability to move gracefully. Target of the ritual will be more likely to land on their feet, tumble without damaging themselves, and move with the deft touch of a trained acrobat. Effect persists until the spell is recast and a new target is selected.
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Moving with more grace didn¡¯t sound like a combat skill at first, but upon deeper thought, Jadis realized that it did have utility. If she¡¯d had this ritual in effect on her, would she have been able to avoid falling prone as Dys in front of that attack from the grundwyrm? She might have avoided the damage altogether if she¡¯d been able to roll out of the way more smoothly.
The skill was also interesting because it was the first of her rituals that made it clear that she could cast it on someone other than herself. She could only have one target active at a time, but if she were in a position where she wanted someone else to have greater grace in movement, like say, a party member, the skill would be useful.
Did Jadis want party members? After experiencing how much experience she was losing out on by sharing, she wasn¡¯t as sure anymore. She¡¯d offered to let Aila join her not but a few hours ago and she wouldn¡¯t renege on that offer, but did she truly want something more permanent?
On the one hand, having a party, even just one other person, would mean a drain on the amount of experience she got. On the other hand, it would mean safety in numbers, companionship, and if she could get one or more people who would join her in her Lascivious Empowerment ritual, big boosts to her stats.
Yeah, she wanted party members. There were far more pros than cons. The drain to experience gain could potentially be negated anyway, if the increase in party members meant an increase in the number or difficulty of demons she could slay.
After a little more hemming and hawing, Jadis took the ritual skill, Dance of the D. She wanted the protection Ritualist¡¯s Resistance offered, but Dance of the D had more potential use in a party situation, something she was hoping she could get into soon.
Laughing a bit internally at the sort-of pun she¡¯d made with dancing and parties, Jadis focused on the alien knowledge of how she was to perform her new ritual as it magically generated in her memories. What she learned brought a small frown to her face. Unlike the other rituals, all of which had merely implied the need for multiple partners, this ritual explicitly indicated that she would need another person to join in. The ritual was, otherwise, far less perverse compared to the other spells she¡¯d acquired so far. At least that would make it easier for her to ease someone into participating in one of her rituals, she supposed.
Thank D for small favors.
¡°Is aught amiss?¡± Aila interrupted Jadis¡¯ thoughts.
Jay was walking next to the wagon, Syd walking some paces behind keeping an eye out on their rear, while the three mercenaries were scouting ahead and to the sides far more rigorously than they had at the start of the day. With Jay walking abreast of the wagon, Aila had apparently noticed the small frown Jadis had unconsciously shown on all three of her faces, though fortunately she wasn¡¯t in a position to see the same frown appear on all of her selves at once.
Turning her frown into a smile, Jay shrugged and waved Aila¡¯s concern off.
¡°I was just thinking about a new skill I¡¯ve been offered. I¡¯ll have to discuss it with my sisters, see what they think about taking it. It¡¯s just a little different from normal, is all.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Aila said, nodding and giving Jay a hesitant smile back. ¡°The way you three work together when fighting is amazing. You must have trained to move like that for a long time. I¡¯m guessing you coordinate all your skills, too?¡±
¡°Yup!¡± Jay agreed, skirting past the coordination training to focus on the skills. ¡°So far, we¡¯ve always taken the same skills and will probably do the same here. I know conventionally, most people would say a party should diversify their skills and abilities to better cover a wide range of situations, but for us we all go with the same thing because it gives us intimate knowledge of what our capabilities are. Since I can do it, I know Dys can do it, that sort of thing. Helps us coordinate better.¡±
Jadis was rather proud of that string of bullshit she¡¯d just weaved. So long as Aila bought it, she¡¯d happily use the explanation in the future again to explain why she and her other selves were all so alike in capabilities.
Aila nodded, her eyes taking on a contemplative look. ¡°That makes a lot of sense. I have to say, though, your talk of ¡®party diversity¡¯ is really quite forward thinking of you. That¡¯s the kind of talk I¡¯ve seen mercenaries from the Capital and other major cities discuss. It¡¯s a modern school of thought being pushed by the Scholars of Charos as of late.¡±
¡°Oh, really?¡± Jay responded lightly, hoping to play the point off as something of a coincidence. ¡°Party diversity is something that¡¯s taught by my people as just basics. The only reason my sisters and I aren¡¯t set up like that is because we¡¯re triplets. If we were just regular sisters, I¡¯m sure we would have chosen different classes that complimented each other.¡±
¡°Your current plan of being all the same class has worked out well for you, though,¡± Aila said with a more certain smile. ¡°If any others of your kind have ever given you grief over your choices to mirror each other¡¯s class and skill selections, then I think that fight back there proves them wrong.¡±
¡°Thanks for that,¡± Jay said with a small laugh.
Jadis groaned internally. Maybe she wouldn¡¯t use that explanation again. Her fictitious backstory was already spiraling off in weird directions. No wonder liars were prone to getting caught. She¡¯d have to come clean about her true nature as a Mirror Knight with anyone who formally joined up with her as a party member. There was no way she¡¯d be able to keep things straight if she kept having to expand her fake reasoning for her choices as well as remember details about her non-existent village and culture. Sticking close to the truth would be so much easier...
¡°No, thank you,¡± Aila said with some force, once again interrupting Jadis¡¯ thoughts.
¡°What for?¡± Jay asked, tilting her head in question.
¡°For saving us. For saving me. That wasn¡¯t the first encounter with demons I¡¯ve had driving this wagon back and forth from the camp and Far Felsen, but I can assure you, that was the worst, at least in so far as comparing our manpower to the demons. If you and your sisters hadn¡¯t been here today, I¡¯m absolutely certain we wouldn¡¯t have lived through that. So, thank you. Truly. I owe you and your sisters my life.¡±
Jadis was taken a little aback by the heartfelt words coming from Aila. Her impression of the girl so far had been a little cold, but the warmth in her voice was honestly a tad embarrassing. Jadis hadn¡¯t thought of the situation as that of her saving others, just a fight that needed to be won, or a task needing doing. She¡¯d just done it, instinctively, same as any other fight.
¡°Hey, no problem, Blue,¡± Jay finally said, using the new nickname she¡¯d given Aila to try and deflect some of the embarrassment she was feeling from the genuine words of gratitude the girl was saying. ¡°I think I can speak for my sisters in saying we¡¯d be happy to do it again, any time.¡±
¡°No, not any time,¡± Dys called from the back of the wagon. ¡°Hold off on calling over any more grundwyrm things for us to fight until after Jay gets a new weapon. I¡¯m not giving her mine.¡±
As Aila chuckled at Dys¡¯ comment, Jadis thanked D that her class let her set up and deliver her own cheesy jokes.
Conversation between Jay, Dys, and Aila became far more easy and pleasant then, mostly kept to light topics concerning Weigrun and the things Aila had seen the mercenaries do since she¡¯d arrived. Ludwas occasionally chimed in, but seemed mostly content to let the three girls speak. Jadis found that Aila was far easier to talk with now that she¡¯d warmed up to her and opened up a little, though she sensed Aila was still a bit prim in her speech and attitude. Jadis figured it was probably just the redhead¡¯s natural demeanor to come across as a tad cold.
Eventually, with the sun starting to set on the western horizon, Gerwas called out from ahead, causing Aila to perk up.
¡°Ah, I barely noticed. It looks like we¡¯ve just about made it.¡±
Following Aila¡¯s pointing finger, Jadis looked ahead at the hill the road was curving around, her first sight of true Oros civilization revealing itself.
Chapter 51: Far Felsen
A thick, blocky fortress rested on top of a tall cliff overlooking a dark sea, the whole structure made of gray and blue stone. One large tower lorded over the castle, a bright yellow flame burning at the top, acting as a beacon to any ship or sailor treading the water within sight. Huge structures showed themselves built into the side of the cliff, leading down to the shore hundreds of feet below where a walled town had been built against the base of the rock face. Beyond the strong walls and three-story buildings dominating the city¡¯s skyline, the white sails of dozens of moored ships peeked into view.
Far Felsen was an impressive sight, one that had Jadis¡¯ inner fantasy geek squealing in delight. This city was exactly the kind of place Jadis had been hoping to see when D had first told her about the fantastical nature of Oros.
From what Gerwas and the other mercenaries had told Jadis'' several selves, Far Felsen as a city wasn¡¯t all that old, relatively speaking, but the fort on the top of the bluff had been established nearly five hundred years ago. The place hadn¡¯t changed much since that initial founding, until after the last demon invasion had been repelled some one hundred and thirty years ago. The emperor at the time had ordered the port around the fortress expanded, the city built up around it to support the needed infrastructure, all so settlers could be encouraged to move to Weigrun.
The exact details were still a little nebulous to Jadis, but the gist of the situation she¡¯d gotten from the mercs was that Weigrun had been a largely untamed land in the south with few inhabitants until some intrepid explorer had discovered eleria in the mountains on the north side of Weigrun.
Eleria was a rare and valuable material necessary for crafting enchanted items, like the tool Ludwas had used to identify if Jadis was a demon or not. With the revelation that large deposits of the magical mineral were to be found in the Kalters Wall Mountain Range, thousands of people had hopped onto ships and made their way to Far Felsen and Weigrun, hoping to strike it rich.
Jadis supposed it was a bit like the American Gold Rush, just more magical.
A lot of money had been put into the infrastructure of the blossoming colony, the previously empty land growing in population by leaps and bounds over the course of a century. While not as fast growing as the American frontier as Jadis understood it, Weigrun had spawned dozens upon dozens of small mining towns all over the north part of it, with dozens more farming villages set up to feed the growing populace. Up until about two years prior, there had probably been hundreds of thousands of Imperial citizens inhabiting the southern land.
With the demonic blitz, though, that number had shrunk significantly.
Those ordinary farmers, miners, and townsfolk that hadn¡¯t been killed by the initial surprise attack of the demonic invasion had undergone a massive evacuation. Tens of thousands of men and women set sail from Felsen and the other smaller ports, heading back to the central continent and perceived safety. The growing communities that dotted the land had turned into ghost towns, not unlike the village Jadis had found herself living in. The populace dropped to a mere fraction of what it had been at its height.
Not everyone evacuated Weigrun, though. There were thousands of soldiers and stubborn ordinary people who had stayed to defend the city of Far Felsen, as well as a few other large towns elsewhere on the subcontinent. The empire had withdrawn much of its citizenry from Weigrun, but it wasn¡¯t a complete retreat. The value of the Eleria mines couldn¡¯t be discounted.
Once the demon lord¡¯s war-of-attrition-plan had revealed itself, the empire had put great effort into reclaiming Weigrun so that more Eleria could be mined. Hence, six months ago, the Second Prince Kestil had hired multiple mercenary companies to occupy the land around Felsen, slowly working their way inland, slaying the demons infesting the hills and forests to make the place safe for workers to resume mining operations.
All of the information Jadis had learned about Weigrun, Far Felsen, and the demonic invasion of the land she¡¯d learned about during the day long wagon ride to the city had prepared her for a medieval fantasy city that had been worn down by war and rife with refugees. She imagined the place had to have struggled to feed and safeguard the thousands of fleeing people that must have passed through its gates for the past couple of years. Maybe it had at one point, but the city Jadis saw before her was anything but worn down or overwhelmed.
Far Felsen¡¯s stout walls stood tall and clean with colored flags and pennants flying high. The road leading into the large gates was wide and clear, with a steady, orderly line of people moving in at an efficient pace. There were no shanty towns or decrepit buildings lining the outer edges of the walls, no camps of starving asylum seekers begging for entrance to an uncaring city. The city was, for lack of a better word, shockingly clean.
At least, Felsen was clean on outward appearance. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if the image would hold up once she was inside the walls, but first impressions indicated the people in charge were running a tight ship, keeping the populace safe and fed while maintaining a strong and disciplined defense.
Jadis wondered if that was the doing of the magistrate she¡¯d heard the mercenaries mention, the prince who was supposedly backing the whole reclamation of the area, or if the way Far Felsen looked was just an accurate example of how all cities in the empire were treated. Demonic invasions were a reoccurring thing on Oros, from what she understood. It made sense to Jadis that any group of people that had been around for generations of the attacks had probably learned well how to deal with such situations in an efficient manner.
As Jadis mulled over possibilities, the wagon drew up to the gates, bypassing the short line of what looked to be farmers and workers being checked by the gate guards before being allowed entrance to the city. Passing by the line of about forty men and women, Jadis couldn¡¯t help but stare at some of the people she saw. More than half of them were humans no different from the mercenaries she¡¯d already met, but several were elves like the one man she¡¯d seen back at the camp, though they had different coloration, looking more reddish in color compared to the mercenary elf¡¯s blue skin.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
There were also races Jadis hadn¡¯t seen before but could guess at what they were.
At least one man had to be an orc, his olive-green skin and large frame signaling him as one. Oddly, despite standing head and shoulders taller than the humans around him, Jadis didn¡¯t find him to be all that intimidating. Maybe it was because she herself still towered over him? That, or it was because the orc had a massive potbelly and long gray beard that made him look a bit like a seasick Santa Claus.
There were also several much smaller men and women, slender and petite. They looked to be somewhere around or below chest-height on most of the humans, which meant they were closer to thigh height for her selves. They all had eyes much too big for their faces and had strange symbols all over their tawny skin. Jadis couldn¡¯t tell if they were tattoos or some kind of natural spotting.
None of the people in the line looked armed or armored, not even the Santa orc. Jadis had to wonder who the people were and what they were doing outside of the walls if they weren¡¯t mercenaries.
As much as Jadis was staring at the people, they all stared right back at her. Dozens of eyes roamed over Jadis¡¯ selves, expressions ranging from curious to confused to disbelieving. Some whispered to their neighbors, mouths hidden behind hands, while others just gawked openly. It didn¡¯t seem as though any of them had ever seen a Nephilim either.
Jadis was starting to wonder if D had invented a whole new race when he put her on Oros in this body. At the very least he put her somewhere where Nephilim weren¡¯t a common sight.
The wagon came to a stop in front of the city gates, off to the left side. To the right, several guards were checking each man or woman in the line as they entered the city, asking for their names and jobs which were checked against lists. Even the stoic, disciplined guards were slowing in their work, sending glances towards the three pale giants gathered around the wagon.
Jadis noticed that these guards weren¡¯t dressed the same as the Bernd¡¯s Blades mercenaries. These men were armored in steel chest plates and chainmail, with white surcoats that had some kind of blue eagle heraldry on it. They had halberds at hand, with wooden truncheons hanging at their belts. Their helmets were also different, with wide flat steel brims and no cheek guards, unlike what Gerwas and the others wore.
From an open door built into the wall just beyond the arch of the open gate, three more guards came out, one of them much shorter than the others. It took Jadis a moment to realize, but the short man in the lead was the same race as the other short tawny, almost orange-colored people she¡¯d seen standing in the line. His beardless face also had thick lines swirling across it, dark green and decidedly tribal looking.
¡°Names and company?¡± the short man asked in a surprisingly deep voice considering his size. The guard kept his focus on Gerwas who had taken the lead of the mercenaries, but he, too, darted his eyes to Jadis¡¯ selves periodically.
¡°Gerwas of Red Tree,¡± Gerwas answered, naming the rest of the mercenaries as well before announcing that they were with Bernd¡¯s Blades.
¡°And them?¡± The guard pointed towards Jadis where she had decided to stand with all three of her selves to one side.
¡°Civilians from Kalters Wall, come down from the mountains because of demons. They¡¯ll need registration,¡± Gerwas answered for her.
At that prompting, Jadis remembered the letter she¡¯d been given.
¡°I¡¯ve got a letter from Captain Renz,¡± Jay spoke up. ¡°If you want to see that.¡±
With a nod from the man in charge, Jay retrieved the letter from her supplies on the wagon and passed it to the small man.
Taking the folded document, the guard slowly read it over, his eyes slowly rising higher and higher as he went over the contents. As he absorbed the details of whatever Renz had put in the letter, the other two guards moved towards the wagon, one of them greeting Aila in a familiar way.
¡°Evening, Bean Pole,¡± he said, ¡°And, ah, Ludwas, what happened to you?¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but notice the way Aila¡¯s face went stiff and blank when the guard called her the nickname Volker had told her about.
¡°Long story,¡± Ludwas grunted, still lying splayed out on the back of the wagon. ¡°Short of it being we were ambushed on the way here. Might be bad luck on our part but might also be that some matriarch or two has gotten past the line and is breeding a new wave somewhere in the hills.¡±
The two guards voiced their dismay, peppering Ludwas and the others with questions as they did a perfunctory search of the wagon. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure what they were looking for, but inspections like this seemed to be the standard practice for anyone entering the city.
¡°Well, you three are an oddity,¡± the short guard stated, grabbing Jadis¡¯ attention.
He stared up at the three of her, one hand holding the letter up while the other rested on his hip. As he spoke, Jadis recognized a faintly different accent to his words, different from the Germanic inflections that Aila and the mercs had. The man sounded similar, but also somehow smoother, almost rhythmic in the way he spoke, like he was just about ready to break out into a song but never quite got there.
¡°From anyone else I wouldn¡¯t believe it, but from Renz¡ Well. I will be confirming with a Detect Stone, you understand.¡±
It didn¡¯t seem like he was asking for permission, unlike how Ludwas had, but Jadis got the feeling that the tiny guard very much had a say in whether or not she was allowed to enter the city. Not seeing a way around it, nor seeing any negative reaction from Aila or the mercs, Jay, Dys, and Syd all shrugged their assent.
¡°We¡¯re not demons, so go ahead,¡± Dys answered, leaning against Syd, her hurt leg raised up a bit to avoid putting much weight on it.
The guard pulled out a stone with a hole in the middle, identical to the one Ludwas had used the day before. Speaking the word aloud three times, the guard used detect on all three of her, brow furrowing a little.
¡°The letter says you should all be level thirty,¡± the guard gruffly pointed out, his eyes faintly accusing. ¡°How do you explain the difference?¡±
Jay waved behind her, indicating the road that disappeared into the hills to the north. ¡°We fought some demons on the way here. It gave us two levels each in our secondary classes.¡±
¡°What, did you fight another matriarch?¡± he asked, his tone a little mocking as he flapped the letter in his hand a bit.
¡°No, it was a grundwyrm,¡± Aila called out from her seat on the wagon.
¡°And a dozen twisted wretches,¡± Ludwas added with a labored voice. ¡°Can¡¯t forget those¡¡±
The guard looked between Aila¡¯s stony, serious face, Gerwas¡¯ nodding head, and the three pale giants who all simply shrugged in unison.
¡°Get inside the gates,¡± he said with a disbelieving sigh. ¡°We¡¯ll need to hear the full story on this one.¡±
Chapter 52: Mercenary Compound
For a medieval fantasy city, Far Felsen was surprisingly cozy. With the sun having dipped below the horizon, Jadis expected to be greeted by dark and dirty streets that smelled of filth and chamber pots. Maybe some drunk people stumbling about or at least a couple of mysterious cloaked figures stalking between alleyways, staring with sharp eyes from under face-obscuring hoods. Instead, the cobblestone streets were clean and well lit, with flaming lanterns that emitted no smoke lining the road. Every person Jadis could see looked well-behaved and honest. Not one skulking thug or ne''er-do-well in sight.
Was she disappointed to not be greeted by a seedy, sinister city? No. Not really. But with how bad things had looked in the forest, with abandoned villages and destroyed forts, demons running around everywhere trying to kill everything, Jadis had grown a few expectations of what civilization would be like once she found it.
Felsen wasn¡¯t proving to be the barely surviving spot of civilization she¡¯d imagined, but it was most certainly a beautiful sight that put little grins on Jadis¡¯ selves.
The stone wrought buildings were less utilitarian in design, compared to the abandoned village. These buildings had wood accents, painted shutters, and clay tile roofs rather than thatch. The windows had actual glass in the frames and a few of them even had flower boxes hanging from them. The sight of the little posy flowers framing one of the houses was so surreally pedestrian it gave Jadis mental whiplash, especially when she compared the homey scene to the literal stone fortress built into the side of the cliff visible in the background behind the house.
It had taken about an hour to go over the details of the wagon trip with the gate guards. Many questions had been asked and specifics gathered on the number of demons, their type and ability, as well as their location and method of ambush. Jadis hadn¡¯t been grilled as hard as she had worried she¡¯d be when it came to her role in the slaying of the demons, especially the big stone lizard thing, but the whole interview had still taken tediously long. By the time the guards were done with her and the mercs, Jadis was dog tired and ready to go back out the gates and camp if it meant she¡¯d finally get some rest.
Such melodramatics weren¡¯t necessary, however. With the interrogation over, Aila put the cart back in motion, driving it down the wide road to the western side of the city, close up against the cliffs. Gerwas had explained that while civilians were supposed to report to the magistrate¡¯s office right away, the office would be closed by now and she could go in the morning.
¡°You can stay in the Bernd¡¯s Blades quarters for the night. There¡¯s plenty of room since most of us are in the forward camps out in the field,¡± Gerwas told her, walking next to Syd. ¡°Once you go to the magistrate, you can take up a bed in the asylum barracks that¡¯s set up near the docs, or pay for a room in an inn, which there are a few still operating in the city. More so as taverns, but I know some are still letting out rooms to independent mercenaries.¡±
¡°Are the asylum barracks for people who are waiting to leave, back to the central continent, I mean?¡± Syd asked.
¡°Aye,¡± Gerwas confirmed. ¡°I don¡¯t know that there are any left still waiting at this point, so you¡¯d probably have the place all to yourselves. If you three are looking to sail off, might as well save your coin and stay there.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure that we are,¡± Syd said, eyeing the streets as they walked. ¡°I think we might stay for a little longer, slay a few more demons, if signing up as a mercenary isn¡¯t too onerous.¡±
¡°Ha! Thought you three might feel that way,¡± Gerwas laughed gruffly. ¡°It would be a shame not to put strong arms with good fighting instincts to use.¡±
The city quarter around the base of the cliff was dominated by larger, wide buildings surrounded by their own tall walls, sectioning off the streets into smaller blocks. The men and women walking the road here were all armed and armored, unlike most of the people Jadis had seen closer to the main gates. There were a variety of different sigils and colors displayed on the tabards and surcoats worn, with matching flags and pennants hung proudly from different buildings, denoting which belonged to which mercenary company. It didn¡¯t take long to spot Bernd¡¯s Blades¡¯ heraldry.
Aila drove the wagon right up to and through the walled arch and into a courtyard where several mercenaries greeted them. An elf with purplish skin took charge, talking with Gerwas to get the story of what had happened. As they spoke, Jay and Syd helped unload the wagon while Dys stuck with Ludwas and Aila.
A woman wearing robes in the green and brown colors of Bernd¡¯s Blades rushed out from the main building and hurried to Ludwas¡¯ side. White shining symbols appeared around her hands as she held them over the injured mercenary¡¯s back. Jadis watched the man¡¯s flesh and skin miraculously regrow before her eyes, his wounds magically healing.
¡°I don¡¯t know what you did to injure yourself like this, but don¡¯t do it again!¡± She scolded Ludwas like a cross mother chiding her child. ¡°I just fixed Gerwas last time you two were in town and now here I am fixing you. How do you two find yourselves so much trouble?¡±
¡°Ah, what can I say Hela,¡± Ludwas replied, his voice sounding far less strained as the healing magics washed over him. ¡°If we didn¡¯t find the trouble, someone else would. Might as well be us, we¡¯re used to it.¡±
¡°Hmph. Too used to it,¡± Hela shook her head in admonishment. Glancing over at Dys where she sat with her back leaned against the wall, she quirked an eyebrow and demanded, ¡°And you, big woman? Are you a troublemaker, too?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Dys answered, grinning.
Jadis didn¡¯t feel she was anyone more apt to cause trouble than anyone else but considering how wild her time on Oros had been so far, she wouldn¡¯t argue with the older woman¡¯s quick assessment.
¡°Of course you are,¡± Hela intoned, eyeing Dys¡¯ injured leg. ¡°Well, you sit there and don¡¯t cause any trouble in my sight and I¡¯ll see to that leg of yours after poor Ludwas here.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
¡°Ah! I am ¡®poor Ludwas¡¯ now! I knew you cared,¡± the man sang, smiling up at the dour woman.
She slapped him lightly on the back of the head with one glowing hand. ¡°Be quiet or I¡¯ll leave you to heal the natural way. Teach you to value your skin more.¡±
As the healer worked her magic on Ludwas and he aggravated her with his flippancy, Aila approached Jay. Her face was as stoic as ever, but her body language was less stand-offish and more hesitant, like she was working up the nerve to act on an impulse.
¡°Does your offer still hold?¡± Aila finally spoke, looking up at Jay as she handed a large crate off to Syd. ¡°About letting me level with you, I mean.¡±
Jay¡¯s face broke out into a wide grin as she looked down at the redhead. ¡°Feeling a little more convinced we can handle ourselves?¡± she asked in a teasing tone.
¡°Yes,¡± Aila answered with a firm nod of her head. ¡°I am.¡±
Jay¡¯s eyebrows rose at Aila¡¯s honest reply. She liked that, the blunt truth being put out plain and in the open. Aila clearly hadn¡¯t trusted the three giants well enough to put her life in their hands before, but now she did. Jadis couldn¡¯t see any reason to fault her for her initial hesitation or change of heart. Aila had gone up one level already just by hanging around Jadis during one fight. How much more could she gain if she spent a few days in her company?
Jadis didn¡¯t mind the mercenary attitude. She wanted Aila to empower herself, too, if she were being honest. No reason that they couldn¡¯t jointly make use of each other.
¡°Let¡¯s talk about it in the morning. Join me and my sisters for breakfast?¡±
¡°Done,¡± Aila nodded. ¡°I will see you three then.¡± With that, Aila marched off, giving little nods to Dys and Syd as she passed, making her way into the large two-story building that made up the headquarters of the mercenary band.
¡°Damn. If only I¡¯d slain a demon against terrible odds, perhaps I¡¯d have gained her favor,¡± Volker said under his breath to Specht, close enough to Syd for Jadis to overhear.
¡°A girl has to have standards, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Syd said in a sing-song voice, patting the green-eyed man on the shoulder.
As Specht laughed at Volker and the bemused man made joking defense of himself, Hela finished up with Ludwas¡¯ healing.
Jadis was amazed to see the bandages come off his back and neck, revealing clear, unmarred skin where raw, melted muscle had been only a couple minutes before. Jadis had, of course, experienced magical healing herself, her skill Knight¡¯s Rest letting her recoup from her injuries at an unnaturally fast pace, but the overnight speeding up of healing didn¡¯t compare to the near instantaneous recovery Hela had accomplished for Ludwas.
¡°How¡¯s your health number?¡± Hela asked, checking over Ludwas¡¯ back with now no longer glowing hands.
¡°Full! I feel as fresh as spring flowers! What did we mere mortal men do to deserve an angel in our midst like you?¡± Ludwas said with aplomb, getting to his feet and helping Hela up to hers. He gave the woman a swift hug and a kiss on the check, which netted him another slap to the head.
¡°Bah, take your flattery to younger hens, you fool,¡± she said, though Jadis couldn¡¯t help but notice the woman stifling a smile.
¡°And what about you?¡± Hela asked, approaching Dys. ¡°How is your health?¡±
¡°I¡¯m at a little over half full,¡± Dys said with a shrug. ¡°So better off than Ludwas was, I think.¡±
The healer kneeled down and held her now once again glowing hands over Dys¡¯ leg. ¡°Then let¡¯s get you back to full. I should have more than enough magic to get you there.¡±
Immediately, Jadis felt a wave of pleasant warmth wash over her, like her soul was being dipped into a hot bath. It was soothing, not just because she could feel her wounds close up across her bodies, but because the healing magic felt calming and good, making her want to simply lay back and bask in the¡ª
Wait. Bodies?
Quickly, while Jay moved in front of her to block Syd from view of the talking mercenaries in the courtyard, Syd pulled down the bandage on her arm, checking where she¡¯d been cut by one of the twisted wretches. The wound was healing up, disappearing as quickly as the injuries on Dys.
Jadis hadn¡¯t thought about the fact that her health pool was connected across all her selves and how that would interact with any healing magic she received. How was she supposed to explain that healing one of her would heal all three? Could she pass it off as a skill, or was that implausible? Shit, did she have to reveal her true nature now of all times?
As seconds ticked by into minutes and Jadis tried not to let her worry show on her faces, Hela¡¯s face began to scrunch up with some confusion.
¡°I thought you said you had half health,¡± she stated, eyeing Dys suspiciously. ¡°I¡¯ve gone through enough magic to heal at least a hundred health points now. If your wounds had brought you so low, you should have told me. I would have healed you both up to safer numbers with a stronger spell.¡±
¡°No, I¡¯m fine, I have a lot of health,¡± Dys said, waving a placating hand at the healer. ¡°If you need to conserve some magic, what you¡¯ve done so far is plenty.¡±
Hela kept going, her slightly wrinkled brow furrowing as she pumped more healing magics into Dys. ¡°I won¡¯t have you leaving my care with less health than I can manage for you. Put that big hand of yours down,¡± she slapped at Dys¡¯ hand, forcing the much bigger woman to simply lie back and accept her ministrations.
After another minute, Jadis¡¯s health pool was almost completely full, reaching just ten points shy of her full four hundred and twenty max. Hela pulled back at that point, the soothing white light leaving her hands as she wiped her brow, looking a bit worn.
¡°By Valtar, you must have put a lot of skills and attributes into your vitality. I can¡¯t let my magic go any lower than it is now, in case there is an emergency, but if you give me an hour I¡¯ll recover enough to finish the job and get to your sisters over there,¡± Hela explained while running her fingers over Dys¡¯ leg, checking for any issues.
Jadis felt fine. In fact, she felt better than she had in days, finally having all three of her selves almost completely healed. Seeing her opportunity, Jay and Syd moved in, helping Dys and Hela up to their feet.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, we all have a skill that accelerates our healing overnight,¡± Syd said, motioning to her slightly bloody bandage that now concealed her perfectly healed arm. ¡°I¡¯ve healed off worse.¡±
¡°Yes, I¡¯m almost full now anyway,¡± Dys assured the older woman. ¡°You¡¯ve shaved a week of bed rest off for me, and that¡¯s more than enough. I¡¯ll be topped off in the morning.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not even really hurt,¡± Jay said, brushing off a few flecks of dirt from her shoulder. ¡°So don¡¯t go to any more trouble for us. We¡¯ll be fine!¡±
The mercenary healer eyed all three with the air of a suspicious parent, but after a moment seemed to let it go. ¡°Well, if any of you three experience any side effects from battle or disease, tell me and I will take care of you. You aren¡¯t part of the company, but you did right by our own so we¡¯ll do right by you.¡±
With that, the woman turned away and went to check on Volker and Specht, leaving Jadis to her selves.
¡°Mother Hela can be a mother hen, but she¡¯s a good woman,¡± Gerwas said from behind the three giants. ¡°Come, let¡¯s get some food and I¡¯ll show you where you can sleep for the night.¡±
Jadis followed him and Ludwas into the building, eager for a meal of what she hoped would be more meat, but more than that, keen on getting to a bed or three. It had been a long day and she was truly feeling exhausted, both physically and mentally. Still, Jadis was excited despite her exhaustion. She had a whole new city to explore, filled with magic, elves, orcs, and who knew what else waiting for her in the morning. Not to mention a cute, blue-eyed redhead to have breakfast with. That alone was enough of a draw to make Jadis want to sleep sooner, so the next day would come faster.
Chapter 53: Waking Up Late
Jadis woke with a start, a soft knocking on a wooden door jerking her out of a deep sleep. Floundering, all three of her selves wrapped in a tangle of long limbs, she moved to sit up, blinking owlishly in the light that streamed through the partially curtained window. For a moment, she couldn¡¯t remember where she was or how she¡¯d got there, a feeling of utter incomprehension twisting her mind in circles. Then the knocking came from the door again and Jadis¡¯ thoughts came back into order.
After a quick cold meal of bread, cheese, and glorious sliced meats, Jadis had been shown to a large room in the mercenary company¡¯s headquarters that was ordinarily reserved for important guests. She didn¡¯t rate as all that important, but there were no other guests anyway and all the other private rooms would have been a cramped fit for the three giant Nephilim.
The room was large and well appointed, with a thick, soft rug, rich green curtains, and dark wood tables with finely carved chairs. Against one wall stood a large plush bed that could have held five men in it with room to spare. The furniture was all too small for Jadis. Even the huge bed would have left her feet dangling, but the ceilings were tall enough that she didn¡¯t need to stoop and with a bit of creative redecorating, Jadis had shoved the bedframe upright and against a far wall, turning the goose down mattress and comfy blankets into a nest on the floor.
Even better than the bed, the room had a connected bathroom with actual plumbing. Plumbing! Jadis had given up all hope of seeing anything quite so modern as a flushing toilet and a running bath, but there they were, if in an unfamiliar design. The toilet was an awkward experience, size disparity once again making things difficult, and the bath couldn¡¯t hold even one of her completely, her arms and legs having to dangle outside the metal rim. But the water was gloriously warm and there was a drain in the stone floor of the bathroom so Jadis didn¡¯t mind splashing up a great sudsy mess with all of her selves making ample use of the sweet-smelling soap.
Feeling gloriously cleaner than she¡¯d been in far too long, Jadis had snuggled all three bodies into a pile in the makeshift nest she¡¯d made and promptly fallen completely asleep, not even one of her selves staying up to keep watch.
Waking up clean and well rested, her health full and her bodies free of any aches brought on by sleeping on the barely covered earth was so disorienting that for a moment, she almost thought she was back on Earth, in her dorm, late for class.
The knock came from the door for a third time, this time accompanied by a familiar voice.
¡°Jay? Dys? Syd? It¡¯s Aila. Are you coming to breakfast? It¡¯s already past ten.¡±
She¡¯d slept in. Jadis hadn¡¯t done that in a while, the constant state of alertness forced on her for so long ensuring she always rose with the sun. Without any part of her on watch to notice the sunrise, she¡¯d slept like a log.
Scrambling to her feet, Jay stepped up to the door and opened it, happy the redhead had thought to come get her since she¡¯d clearly missed their morning breakfast date. Just as she started pulling open the door, Jadis realized a fact she¡¯d forgotten in her sleep-fogged haze. After the wonderful warm bath, she¡¯d not put on any clothes since what she had she¡¯d washed as thoroughly as her own skin and had left up hanging to dry. She¡¯d gone to bed au naturel, a state she was comfortable being in having spent so long alone with only herself for company.
She was naked as a jaybird as she opened the door for Aila.
Moving with all the speed her seventy-nine points in overlayed agility afforded her, Jay did not rudely slam the door in the young cart driver¡¯s face. Instead, she stepped to the side, hiding herself behind the door while Dys and Syd quickly wrapped themselves in blankets behind her. With the height difference, Jay had to bend low to one side anyway to look out the doorway. Aila was also taller than most people, her head nearly brushing the doorframe. Jadis dearly hoped that her quick movement combined with Aila¡¯s higher-than-average head height meant she¡¯d not just flashed her naked cock, half erect from morning wood, right in the redhead¡¯s face.
Flashing Aila an abashed smile, Jay tilted her head a little lower and greeted the freckle-faced girl.
¡°Morning! Sorry, still half asleep, forgot I wasn¡¯t wearing anything yet.¡±
Aila¡¯s frozen expression didn¡¯t change much, other than a couple of blinks. After a moment, she met Jay¡¯s violet eyes with her own blue ones and answered slowly.
¡°¡it¡¯s fine, I didn¡¯t mean to intrude. The kitchen¡¯s closed for breakfast now so I thought you and your sisters might join me for breakfast out in the city.¡±
¡°Sure!¡± Jadis chorused from all three selves, careful not to answer at exactly the same time.
¡°Just give us a few minutes to get dressed and we¡¯ll be right out,¡± Jay grinned at Aila, running one hand through her messy white hair. ¡°Don¡¯t want to give the city an eyeful.¡±
¡°No, of course not,¡± Aila agreed with some confusion in her voice. ¡°I mean, yes! Of course, take your time. I¡¯ll wait by the stairs.¡±
Waving a bit awkwardly, Jay gently closed the door.
All was silent in the room for a moment as Jay stood with her forehead pressed against the wall above the doorframe, Dys and Syd sitting together under the covers.
¡°She totally fucking saw something,¡± Syd finally announced.
¡°Yeah, but she didn¡¯t freak out, so maybe she didn¡¯t think it was all that weird that I¡¯m packing a dong?¡± Jay said, tone uncertain.
¡°Or she just wasn¡¯t sure about what she saw and is questioning her own senses,¡± Dys sighed, getting up from the bedding on the floor. ¡°Come on. Either way, she didn¡¯t back out of breakfast and we¡¯re starved.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°So fucking embarrassing,¡± Jay groaned, moving to pull her now dry underclothes and armor from where they hung in the bathroom.
Jadis had grown quite accustomed to nudity during her relatively short time on Oros, but flashing someone she was interested in first thing in the morning, only a couple days after they¡¯d met? When they hadn¡¯t even had a drink together or been on a date yet? That was outside of her comfort zone. There was a reason she hadn¡¯t taken that weird streaker class she¡¯d been offered.
Dressing quickly, Jadis made herself as presentable as she could, considering the shambles that were her clothes. She also put the bed back together and in its proper place. She wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d be back to the room again, since Gerwas had indicated that today she¡¯d have to register with the magistrate and wouldn¡¯t be under Bernd¡¯s Blades¡¯ hospitality, so she didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for whoever was going to be cleaning the room up later.
Aila was indeed waiting for Jadis by the stairs when she exited the room, a puzzled look on her face that quickly smoothed into the neutral placidity she normally wore.
¡°Hey Blue, sorry for keeping you waiting. We must have needed the extra sleep,¡± Jay greeted the girl as casually as she could manage.
¡°Did you have a place in mind for food?¡± Syd asked, grinning brightly.
¡°You must know all the best places,¡± Dys asserted, looking down at the shorter woman.
Jadis saw Aila¡¯s eyes flicker down slightly before quickly jumping back up to meet the gazes of the three giants. A light blush rose in her pale cheeks for just a moment.
Yup. She¡¯d seen something.
¡°I know a place that has outdoor benches. Good leg room for me, so I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be more comfortable for you three than elsewhere. I¡¯ll take you there,¡± Aila said in a cool, unflustered voice, completely covering up the momentary flush that had colored her face.
Following Aila out of Bernd¡¯s Blades¡¯ headquarters, Jadis saw far fewer mercenaries about than she had expected, none of them anyone she recognized. The building wasn¡¯t the largest she¡¯d seen, but it was still a huge structure. The dining hall she¡¯d been given dinner in the night before had been large enough to hold hundreds of people, easily. Hardly anyone had been in the hall for dinner either, though, the cavernous place made more so by the lack of activity.
Jadis guessed that most of the mercenaries had to be out in the field and when she asked Aila, received confirmation.
Most of the people in Far Felsen were mercenaries, or so Aila explained. Bernd¡¯s Blades had built their hall in the city before the demons had invaded, having already been heavily active in Weigrun for years, along with many other mercenary companies. A whole district of the city had been sectioned off for the mercenaries, hence the large walled-off compounds all gathered together.
Taking a walk through the mid-morning streets of Felsen, Jadis saw far less activity than she would have expected considering the size of the place. Most of the people she saw looked like mercenaries, though some clearly weren¡¯t and had to be regular workers, probably the necessary but mundane type of person that kept a city running. There were no children, though, Jadis noticed. She didn¡¯t spot a single one.
Jadis was led through the orderly streets to a section that felt like a mix between residential and commercial, with many of the buildings set up to have shops on the first floor and living space above. Most of them were closed up, their doors locked and windows shuttered, but a few still stood open, maybe about a third of the total. There was also a large square with a flowing fountain in the middle, numerous tents set up around it. The tents had to be a market or bazaar, though the numbers were obviously reduced, the square nowhere near capacity.
Aila strode past several places that had the enticing scents of cooking food wafting out from them, taking Jadis to a building slightly down the road from the large square. It looked like someone had taken two three-story buildings and connected the top floors together, creating an arch. There was a paved courtyard beyond the arch where benches had been placed, along with a variety of potted plants, showing someone cared at least a little for aesthetics if nothing else.
While still not quite the right size to be comfortable, the benches were wide and the table tall enough that Jadis didn¡¯t have too much trouble crowding her selves into the space along with Aila. As she took her seats, a wide-eyed brunette looking every bit the part of a tavern barmaid approached.
¡°What can I get the four of you?¡± she asked in a slightly awed tone. Even sitting on the bench, Jadis was still taller than the diminutive woman.
¡°You know what¡¯s good here,¡± Jay motioned to Aila, letting her take the lead.
Sitting stiff-backed and slightly apart from the three Nephilim, Aila nodded and ordered plates for each of them, then thought better of it and ordered double helpings for the three giants, plus four loaves of bread.
As the waitress scurried off inside the building, Jadis found herself alone with Aila, no one else in the courtyard of the restaurant.
Before an awkward silence could take shape, Jadis struck up a conversation in the best way she knew how: by doing it with herself.
¡°It felt so good to finally have a warm bath again, didn¡¯t it?¡± Syd asked Dys. ¡°It¡¯s been, what, months?¡±
¡°Absolutely. I felt almost bad putting these scraps back on this morning. Even with all that scrubbing we still couldn¡¯t get our clothes all that clean,¡± Dys answered, picking at the leather bracers she¡¯d inexpertly crafted.
¡°Better than what I¡¯m wearing,¡± Syd said, motioning to the tunic and skirt she¡¯d fashioned from coarse blankets. ¡°We have got to get some new clothes after this. Any recommendations?¡±
Syd turned to Aila expectantly, casting a lure to rope the silent redhead into conversation.
¡°I know a tailor that does well with tall fittings,¡± she answered. ¡°She caters more to orcs than anyone else so her sense of style is¡ different from most, but her work is quality.¡±
Jadis smiled, happy to get the redhead talking. In moments, a pleasant chat took off between Aila and her selves, discussing clothes and what was considered fashionable lately in the big cities of the empire. It turned out that Aila wasn¡¯t exactly a fashionista and didn¡¯t pursue trends, her own habit of wearing leather pants not seen as ¡®in trend¡¯ nowadays, but since Aila spent so much time riding back and forth from Felsen to the camps around the outer perimeter, she overheard a lot of people talking, many of whom had traveled from all over the central continent, so she was generally in the know when it came to what was currently popular.
Eventually the discussion on whether or not leather was good for all seasons or not was interrupted by the waitress returning with four plates balanced on her arms, a second woman right behind her with even more. The plates were piled high with scrambled eggs, sausages, and sauteed vegetables. Large loaves of brown bread were also laid out on the table, with heaping helpings of fresh butter and a red jelly that almost tasted like apples, but not quite. The only true oddity of the whole dish were the slices of lightly fried fish that were also added to one side of the plates. Otherwise, the presentation was comfortingly familiar to Jadis.
Jadis immediately dug in, letting out little happy noises as she devoured the delicious meal. She didn¡¯t know what the cost was, but she¡¯d have happily handed over the entire purse of silver coins she¡¯d brought with her if asked, she was so pleased with the food.
Aila ate a little more circumspectly, but still kept a good pace with Jadis, clearly not one to peck at her plate.
¡°So, what¡¯s the difference between being in a mercenary company like Bernd¡¯s Blades and being an independent?¡± Dys asked between mouthfuls.
Aila seemed to consider the question carefully before answering.
¡°Well¡¡± the redhead began, launching into a detailed explanation.
Chapter 54: Picking a Path
¡°Mercenary companies mean stability,¡± Aila explained, taking a sip from her mug of tea. ¡°If you join up with one, you have an organization that supports and supplies you. Weapons, armor, lodging, and guaranteed pay. Even if you aren¡¯t on duty for some assignment, the company still pays you, at least the good ones do. They invest in you and you put in the work to make coin for them. It¡¯s a fair exchange.
¡°But, you have to follow orders. You sign a contract for a certain number of years of service, plus there¡¯s usually mandatory training, drills, that sort of thing. Whatever the captains say, you do. If the company says they took a contract to sail to Weigrun and secure the land from demons, then you have to go. Unless you want to break your contract, which means paying a large fee. Or worse if you don¡¯t have the funds.¡±
¡°So you signed up for that, joining Bernd¡¯s Blades?¡± Syd interrupted. ¡°You signed a contract with them, I mean?¡±
¡°Yes, but not the same kind my uncles did,¡± Aila said before taking another bite of her eggs. ¡°I¡¯m not technically a mercenary. I don¡¯t have a combat class so I don¡¯t qualify, at least not for Bernd¡¯s standards. I¡¯m a ¡®camp follower¡¯ by legal definitions. The contract isn¡¯t as binding or lucrative, but it has its advantages. If I do get a combat class when I hit level twenty, I have a guaranteed spot in the company, should I choose to join.¡±
To Jadis, it sounded like the job Aila had taken was almost like a paid internship. She did the not so glorious work for now, banking on the idea she¡¯d get a better, higher paying job in the company later.
The whole setup seemed far too similar to how Earth businesses operated to Jadis. She¡¯d expected a little more fantastical adventure, less mundane business practices. Then again, she supposed people everywhere were just trying to operate in an efficient manner. Companies and contracts made sense when you were dealing with making money. Besides, the companies in question were still mercenary companies that were fighting demons, so it wasn¡¯t all that bad.
¡°What about independent mercenaries?¡± Jay asked between mouthfuls of sausage.
¡°And guilds? Captain Renz mentioned guilds, but I don¡¯t know how that differs from mercenary companies. Do you?¡± Dys asked, the latter part directed at Syd who performatively shook her head in the negative.
Aila took a few moments to chew before answering, head tilted a little to one side in thought.
¡°Guilds are just that. They are guilds. Groups of people who are organized, working together for mutual aid. They aren¡¯t oriented towards combat like mercenary companies, though, at least not typically. Merchant guilds, explorer¡¯s guilds, alchemist¡¯s guilds, and so on. Practically any business you can think of, there¡¯s a guild for it.¡±
¡°So if we wanted to, say, chop down trees instead of slaying demons, we could join a lumberjack guild?¡± Dys asked.
¡°Lumberjack?¡±
¡°Er, logging guild,¡± Dys hastily clarified. Add another word to the list of phrases not known or used by the people of Oros. Or at least not in the ¡®Empire¡¯.
¡°Right,¡± Aila nodded, brushing past the unfamiliar word. ¡°If you wanted to join a guild, you¡¯d have to pay dues, but you¡¯ll also be protected and supported. It¡¯s not exactly the same thing as a mercenary company, but it¡¯s a lot easier to succeed in a business venture if you are part of an appropriate guild.¡±
¡°And independent mercenaries?¡± Jay asked again. Jadis wasn¡¯t too interested in learning more about guilds, at least not for the moment. They didn¡¯t sound at all like they would meet her needs.
¡°Independent mercenaries are those who have signed up with the local governmental body, usually the magistrate, to operate as mercenaries without a company backing them.¡±
¡°That all?¡± Syd prompted, a small frown creasing her brow. ¡°I mean, what¡¯s the point of signing up? Does it do anything?¡±
The redhead put her fork down to take a knife to the bread, slicing off a piece. As she buttered it, she explained further.
¡°If you sign up as an independent, you gain the legal right to come to restricted areas like Weigrun, places the empire has deemed too dangerous for ordinary citizens to live or travel. It¡¯s not a free pass to go anywhere and everywhere you want, but you can go to more places than you¡¯d be able to otherwise. It also gives you license to hunt magical beasts and claim bounties.¡±
¡°Wait, I¡ªwe can¡¯t claim bounties without being a mercenary? What about the demon matriarch we killed? Renz sent people to verify,¡± Jay cut in, sitting up a little straighter.
Jadis had assumed Renz was being honest, everyone at the forward camp had treated her kindly. But had the captain sent his men to go take the proof of the demon mother¡¯s death, so they could take the bounty for themselves? She hadn¡¯t even thought about the possibility that they might be cheating her.
¡°Anyone can claim a bounty on demons,¡± Aila assured Jay, motioning with one hand towards the waitresses who were standing in an open doorway, whispering to each other. ¡°Those girls there could claim a bounty on a demon, if they somehow managed to kill one. The Empire doesn¡¯t care who slays them, just so long as the demons are destroyed.
¡°The bounties I¡¯m referring to are for magical beasts or common outlaws. Not just anyone can go out into the wilds to hunt poison drakes or the like. You have to have a license for it or be in a hunter¡¯s guild, for example. Being an independent mercenary is one way to get that license. Same for hunting bandits or outlaws. The empire doesn¡¯t want just anyone to run around causing trouble trying to track down wanted criminals. At the least they want you registered and in their books so if you do cause damage or harm, they can hold you accountable.¡±
¡°So being an independent mercenary is kind of a catch-all, then. Opens a lot of doors, lets you potentially do a lot of different things,¡± Syd said, nodding her head in understanding.
¡°Yes, that¡¯s a good way of looking at it,¡± Aila agreed. ¡°I have a distant cousin on my mother¡¯s side. Garlindt. He gathers silver caps in the forests around the base of Kalters Wall¡ª¡±
¡°You mean the mountains where we¡¯re from?¡± Dys interrupted. Jadis was a bit confused on the geography. Kalters Wall were the mountains she¡¯d appeared at the base of, in the north part of Weigrun.
Aila blinked, thinking about the question for a second, before realization changed her expression and she clarified.
¡°No, not on this side of the wall, up north. If you go straight north, though the mountain range, you¡¯d be on the southern side of the central continent. Kalters Wall divides Weigrun from the rest of the continent. It¡¯s only possible to get here by ship since the mountains are so treacherous. My cousin lives north of the Wall, but in the southern reaches of the central continent.¡±
¡°Ah,¡± Dys nodded, understanding the layout better. ¡°Sorry, please continue.¡±
¡°Right,¡± the redhead agreed, taking a moment to remember her point before resuming. ¡°My cousin Garlindt is an independent mercenary. He gathers silver caps and hunts some magical beasts, like thornroot boars. He makes a good living, and has the freedom to set his own terms, be his own man. On the other hand, since he¡¯s not a part of a company, he had to work his way up on his own. He spent many years, dangerous years, at low levels with inferior equipment and little funds, struggling to make his way. He got there, eventually, and now he and a few other independents work together and are secure, easily of a level to handle any of the normal dangers they face in those forests. But it was a gamble. Fighting alone or in small groups is risky. He could have easily joined the ranks of the many who thought they could find their fortune as independent mercenaries and only found their graves.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Jadis understood the implicit warning. Being an independent mercenary meant she¡¯d be mostly on her own, too. No structure to fall back on and pay her bills, heal her injuries, or protect her if she got too far in over her head.
The idea didn¡¯t bother her. Jadis had been fighting on her own against demons for well more than a month. She¡¯d proven she could handle herself. And, considering her odd classes, she had her own support structure built in. With three of her, she was never completely alone. Sort of.
¡°What about them,¡± Syd inclined her head towards the two waitress that were still talking in low tones in a doorway, no other customers around for them to wait on. ¡°They don¡¯t look like mercs. How come they get to stay here in Weigrun if the place has been ordered evacuated?¡±
¡°They¡¯re part of a guild, I¡¯m sure,¡± Aila said after a final bite of buttered bread. ¡°Being in a guild that was hired to act as support is one way of getting here. Or some merchants actually pay the empire to come, since supplying mercenaries in safe zones like this can be extremely profitable.¡±
Guilds again, which didn¡¯t sound like the right path to Jadis. Nor did official mercenary companies, for that matter. Jadis didn¡¯t want to be a soldier taking orders, she wanted to be an adventurer, going where she wanted, seeing new lands, slaying monsters, ravishing the occasional fair maiden, and just generally doing as she pleased. Maybe that was an irresponsible plan, but it felt right to her. D had told her to ¡®shake things up¡¯ but had been vague on what methods she could use. She could probably become quite a force for any mercenary band she joined, make a real difference in the war efforts against the demons, she was sure. But she could do that as an independent as well, and thus also better please herself. She wanted the freedom to roam and do what she willed. Maybe not the smartest choice, she admitted, but if felt like the right one.
She just hoped turning in dead demons for bounties would earn her the money she needed to afford food, much less equip herself.
¡°Thank you Aila,¡± Jay said with a smile. ¡°That was a lot of good, useful information. It made a big difference in our planning.¡±
¡°You are welcome,¡± the redhead acknowledged, returning a small smile to Jay.
Turning towards her other two selves, Jay raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Independent?¡±
¡°Independent,¡± both answered in unison.
Keeping up the show was important so far, so she kept up the act of communicating between her selves as though they really were sisters for now. But now came another decision, one that rested more on the other person at the table.
¡°So, we¡¯re going to register as independents. Once we do and are out of danger of breaking any laws, do you want to come with us to hunt some demons? We¡¯re happy to help you get the last two levels you need to be level twenty, at the least.¡±
Aila seemed to think over the offer, her purposefully neutral face not betraying much of what was going on in her head. With her back straight and hands folded in front of her, she looked like a poster girl for good posture. It irrationally made Jadis want to see the redhead flustered. Thinking back on the flush on her pretty face from earlier, Jadis found she much preferred that look to the icy visage she presented now.
¡°I do have a job with Bernd¡¯s Blades,¡± she stated slowly. ¡°I can¡¯t run off on my own. I¡¯m free today, but tomorrow morning I¡¯ll be driving the wagon back to the forward camp, then making a circuit around the forest perimeter for the next ten days. And, if you are going to be an independent, then you won¡¯t be allowed into the camps, not freely, and certainly not to work in joint venture with the company. You¡¯d be competition.¡±
¡°Ah,¡± Jay murmured.
So the obstacle was duty to a job. However, what Aila had said wasn¡¯t an explicit no. That meant she had to be at least a little interested, Jadis surmised. Well, bold action had served her well in the realm of combat. Why not here and now?
¡°How long does it take to sign up for mercenary work?¡± Jay asked, pushing away her plate, now clean of food.
Aila seemed slightly confused by the question. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Not long, maybe an hour at most? It¡¯s mostly just filling out a form.¡±
¡°Perfect,¡± Jay grinned. ¡°We¡¯ll go sign up now and, if you want, you can join us on a little hunt. Trust me, Blue, when I say we can move way faster when we aren¡¯t following a cart. You come with us out into the hills and we¡¯ll see how much experience we can earn for the rest of the day.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t say we couldn¡¯t potentially make a lot of progress in that time,¡± Dys pointed out. ¡°We got you a whole level in just one fight. Give us a whole afternoon of hunting and who knows? Might get you there by nightfall.¡±
Aila¡¯s lips thinned a little, eyes contemplating the three giants. Jadis could practically feel the redhead assessing her, weighing the risk versus the reward.
¡°And what do you get out of it?¡± Aila abruptly asked.
Jay quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Who says we have to get anything out of it?¡±
¡°Kindness is one thing. Charity is another. What you are offering is something nobles pay high level mercenaries to do for their children for a lot of coin, and you are trying to give it to me for free. I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t mean to insult, but the gift shines too brightly. I won¡¯t be blinded to the costs that hide behind it.¡±
Aila was cool in tone, not accusing, but certainly not friendly. Jadis had the feeling Aila must have been burned by a bad deal in the past to look at her offer with such icy scrutiny. Or maybe it was cultural? Either way, Jadis figured it was time to apply a bit of blunt honesty. The freckled, stern girl seemed the type to value bluntness.
¡°We aren¡¯t asking for anything upfront or in payment afterwards,¡± Jay explained, leaning a little closer towards Aila and lowering her voice. ¡°If you accept, we¡¯ll take you hunting with us for the afternoon, with our promise to bring you back to Felsen by nightfall, safe and sound, no strings attached. If you don¡¯t want to, no offense taken. All that being said, there is something we could use help with and we¡¯d rather your help than anyone else.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t imagine asking your uncles,¡± Syd said from Aila¡¯s side, laughing a little.
¡°Remember we said we all take the same classes and skills?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Aila nodded, face a little less neutral and a little more curious.
¡°Well,¡± Jay continued, ¡°Our secondary classes give us access to ritual spells. The one we unlocked most recently requires a minimum number of participants. If you want to repay us for the leveling, you can help us perform the ritual.¡±
¡°Ritual spells?¡± Aila repeated, a dawning look of comprehension crossing her face. Sudden light filled her eyes as she leaned forward. ¡°You have a class that focuses on ritual spells? A Ritualist archetype?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Jay confirmed, Dys and Syd nodding along. By now, all four were leaning in towards each other around the table. Aila kept her voice hushed, but the excitement was palpable in her tone.
¡°You have a high number in the eldritch attribute, don¡¯t you? All of you?¡± she asked, eyes darting between the three.
¡°It¡¯s our highest stat, actually,¡± Dys admitted. She figured a little more honesty couldn¡¯t hurt.
Aila laughed, cutting the sound off quickly. ¡°Do you know much about Assignment Theory?¡±
At the three¡¯s blank expressions, Aila shook her head and continued. ¡°Never mind the details. The short of it is, scholars who study classes believe that a big part of what classes are offered to you have to do with what you do as well as what your attributes are. The class descriptions we get all but confirm that, but what I mean is, the more exposure I have to magic and spell casting the greater chance I have of unlocking a magic casting archetype class at level twenty.¡±
¡°Then it sounds like you¡¯d be interested in participating in our ritual, huh?¡± Syd said, grinning mischievously. ¡°Regardless of leveling with us.¡±
Aila drew herself back a bit, regaining a bit of composure. ¡°Yes. I most certainly would. If what you want is an extra hand in a ritual, I¡¯m willing to join you three. In fact, I do want that more than even the leveling, and it would be even better to perform that ritual before I level to twenty. Though, that just puts me back into a position of owing you even more.¡±
Jay sighed, shrugging. ¡°You don¡¯t owe us anything. It¡¯s a fair exchange. We want to do a ritual, you want magic experience, it¡¯s win-win. But if it¡¯ll make you feel better, how about this. In exchange for an afternoon of leveling, you take us on a date.¡±
Jadis inwardly smiled at the way Aila¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, her cheeks flushing a little. Clearly, she hadn¡¯t expected Jay to just come out and ask her like that, and honestly, neither had Jadis until the moment had come. It was a risky plunge, but worth it in her assessment. Not everyone knew when they were being flirted with, and Jadis wanted to make it clear that while she really didn¡¯t mean to make any demands of Aila, she was interested.
¡°All three of you?¡± Aila finally said, eyes drifting between Jadis¡¯ selves.
Crap. Jadis hadn¡¯t thought of how that might come across. Three sisters propositioning the same woman. That was probably weird. There was nothing for it.
Jadis nodded all three of her heads, not backing off from what she was presenting in the least.
¡°We do everything together,¡± Jay said with a lopsided grin, mirrored on the faces of her other selves.
¡°¡Okay,¡± Aila agreed after a long pause, hiding her flush by tossing her hair back and resuming her perfect posture. ¡°I, uh, I can agree to that.¡±
Wide grins spread across all three of Jadis¡¯ pale faces.
Chapter 55: Badges
Aila had insisted on paying for the late breakfast, saying it was the least she could do considering how Jay, Dys, and Syd had saved her and her uncles from the demon ambush. A small token of gratitude, but one Jadis felt was entirely unnecessary. Still, Aila did insist and had taken care of the bill. Seeing the local currency exchange hands for the first time did help Jadis understand prices just a little better, at least.
After breakfast, Aila had given Jadis directions on where to find the magistrate¡¯s office, then parted ways, saying she needed to get ready if they were indeed going out of the walls on an excursion.
Jadis needed to get ready, too, not just sign up for her mercenary license or whatever it was. With Jay¡¯s maul split in two, she didn¡¯t have a full complement of weapons anymore. At the very least she needed to see about purchasing an appropriate replacement before heading out. A more in-depth shopping trip was on the docket for sure, one involving weapons, armor, survival supplies and gear, however those could wait for now. Buying just one weapon that could serve Jay was the minimum requirement. But before she browsed any smiths or stores, she had to register as a merc.
Finding the magistrate¡¯s office was simple enough. Felsen was laid out in a grid pattern with easy to navigate streets. There were even street signs, though Jadis couldn¡¯t read them, the local script alien to her. She still had no issue finding the large building in what looked like a posh side of town, with larger, more decorative buildings in abundance. Most were clearly closed up and not in use, just like much of the city Jadis had seen, but the ones that were in use looked like they were more than just mansions for the wealthy. Guild headquarters, if she had to guess, but didn¡¯t investigate more than a few curious glances.
Upon reaching the large four-story structure, Jadis passed by several guards who watched her selves with careful curiosity before entering the building. Inside was a marble-floored lobby with tall standing desks running alongside one wall that reminded Jadis of a bank. A few men and women were behind the desks, talking with different people, some dressed like fighters, other in more practical clothing that gave Jadis old-fashioned European vibes. She was fairly certain at least one man was wearing lederhosen¡
Conversation didn¡¯t exactly stop when Jadis entered, but more than a few eyes turned her way, her presence causing a significant distraction for a few people at least. Before Jadis could decide where to start, a voice she hadn¡¯t expected called out to her in a familiar greeting.
¡°Jay, Dys, and Syd! Good to run into you three here,¡± Ludwas called with a smile, approaching the mirrored women. ¡°Saves me a lot of trouble hunting you down. Not that I think it¡¯d be hard to find any of you.¡±
¡°I doubt you¡¯d have to search for long,¡± Syd agreed with a smile, taking the lead. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±
Ludwas had walked over from where he¡¯d been talking with an older blonde man in a nice coat. He motioned the three to the side, out of the way of the open double doors of the office entryway. Patting Syd on one arm, he pressed a small sack that jingled metallically into her hands.
¡°I was here for this. It¡¯s the pay for turning in bounties on the demons you all slew yesterday.¡±
¡°Nice of you to give us a cut, but you didn¡¯t have to,¡± Syd looked at the bag in surprise.
Jadis hadn¡¯t thought about the bounty for the grundwyrm and wretches. She¡¯d just assumed it would go to Bernd¡¯s Blades since the fight had happened as part of their supply run or whatever the wagon was called.
¡°Nay, not a cut. That¡¯s all of it,¡± Ludwas corrected, nodding his head at the sack of coins. ¡°We talked it over last night. Without you three yesterday, we¡¯d have been slaughtered to a man. That reward is the least you deserve.¡±
Hearing that, Jadis tried to pass the bag back, feeling that taking it all wasn¡¯t fair to Ludwas or the other mercenaries who¡¯d fought just as hard as she had. He refused to bend, however, explaining that his brother as well as Specht and Volker were in agreement that the three giants were due the reward. They were getting paid by the company in any case while the three of her wouldn¡¯t get anything otherwise.
¡°Quit your humble ways and just take the coin,¡± Ludwas insisted, ending the argument with finality. ¡°We¡¯re not the ones walking around in rags, remember.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Syd sighed in acceptance. The reward was a total of twenty-four eagles, a coin she had been told of but hadn¡¯t yet seen. On one side of the silver coin was an eagle crest that looked exactly like the one that was visible on the flags hanging from the face of the magistrate¡¯s office, as well as emblazoned on the armor of the various guard¡¯s Jadis had seen.
¡°Here to register, right?¡± Ludwas asked, satisfied that Syd had finally taken the money.
¡°We¡¯re going to sign up as independent mercenaries,¡± Jay affirmed.
¡°Thought you¡¯d do as much,¡± he nodded. ¡°Shame not to have the three of you in the Blades, but who knows what the future might bring? Many a man has started out an independent and joined a company later.¡±
¡°True, you never know,¡± Jay smiled in pleasant agreement, though Jadis already knew there wasn¡¯t much chance of her joining a company.
Pointing towards one of the desks that didn¡¯t have anyone standing before it, Ludwas said, ¡°You three head on over there and they¡¯ll get you sorted. I won¡¯t hold you up any longer, and more to the point, I¡¯ve still got the rest of the day on leave. I¡¯ve got a sharp-tongued healer I need to see about buying a drink for.¡±
All of Jadis¡¯ selves smiled at that, though Dys was the only one to comment.
¡°A drink? It¡¯s still morning, you know.¡±
¡°Aye, and not a moment to spare in it. It¡¯ll be like haggling a penny-pinching merchant to take a price half of what he wants to sell for. Might take hours! But by the gods is that woman a fine one to fight for,¡± Ludwas explained enthusiastically.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
¡°Good luck,¡± Syd patted the eager merc on the shoulder as he left. Jadis wished him well in his wooing endeavors.
Striding over to the indicated desk, Jadis was greeted by an elf. She was a cute, slender woman with light purple skin and glowing green eyes. Her silver hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her long ears were perked up and out, facing towards Jadis¡¯ selves as she approached.
¡°Hi. We¡¯re here to sign up as independent mercenaries,¡± Jay said, smiling down at the woman who was looking up at her with the consummate professional¡¯s mask of customer service friendliness.
¡°So I overheard. I have the paperwork here. If you need it, I can help fill the forms out for an oak each,¡± the elf politely explained.
Taking her up on the offer, Jadis paid the worker the coins she asked for, asking her to read the form aloud so Jadis could understand what she was signing.
The contract wasn¡¯t particularly complicated, nor was it filled with the excessive legalese speak Jadis feared it might contain. Straightforward and to the point, it outlined what was allowed and what wasn¡¯t, what her responsibilities to the law and to the empire were, her liabilities and protections, and so on. It all lined up with what Aila had outlined for her during breakfast and since nothing seemed to be hidden in the language of the contract to try and trap her into some onerous duty or unreasonable demand, Jadis had no trouble signing the documents.
There was a fee to sign up, amounting to two eagles each, but the cost was easily paid with the money Ludwas had just presented her with. Once the price was paid and the ink dried, the elf attendant whisked the contract and coin away and disappeared behind a door, bidding the three to wait for a few moments. She was back after a short wait, followed by an older man with a pointed beard and a twirly mustache.
¡°Greetings,¡± he said, gazing up at the three of Jadis with a raised eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯d heard talk of some giants entering the city, however¡¡± he trailed off, one hand twiddling his mustache.
Jadis wasn¡¯t surprised to hear that she was being talked about. She guessed it wasn''t everyday that a trio of pale women nearly twice as tall as most men came visiting the city.
¡°Ah, but never mind that,¡± he said with a shake of his head. ¡°My name is Hugo. If you three would be so kind as to follow me, I will take you to where we will make the badges that will mark you as mercenaries of the Alfhilderunn Empire.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Jay agreed readily. ¡°Mind if we ask what¡¯s involved?¡±
Hugo was already leading them away and through a door further down the line as he talked, taking them down a long hallway with many doors.
¡°Certainly. We have an enchanted circle that will link the badges to your status sheets. Once the spell is completed, you will be able to show the badge to anyone and it will confirm that you are the correct holder linked to it. You¡¯ll also be able to share your status sheet with others, giving visual confirmation of your status should you so choose or be required to for some legal purpose in the future.¡±
¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll be able to see our classes and stats?¡± Jay asked, trying to keep the sudden nervousness out of her voice.
Jadis hadn¡¯t been told anything about the magical badges before now. Maybe it was such a common practice it hadn¡¯t seemed worth bringing up to Aila or the others. However, if the badge was linked to her stats and other people could look at it, wouldn¡¯t that instantly reveal her true nature as one person? Could she even have three badges?
¡°No need to worry,¡± Hugo said as he opened up a door on his left, ushering the three inside. ¡°No one will be able to see your status sheets without your permission, not even officials like myself. The privacy of a status sheet is sacrosanct, after all. However, what I or any other official of the Empire with the proper enchanted device will be able to do is check the badge you hold to confirm it is in fact your badge and not someone else¡¯s.¡±
The room the man had brought her to was large and mostly empty, windowless, and made of bare stone. A large circle was inlaid into the smooth stone floor, complicated arcane runes and symbols outlining it with more taking up the middle space. Other than the circle, there was a pedestal with a large glass ball on it to one side, a faint amber light glowing inside.
¡°Please, take these,¡± the mustachioed man presented a steel circular badge to each giant. They were palm sized for him, but much smaller in her hands. Each one was identical, with strange runes carved in silver on one side, the imperial heraldry on the other.
Jadis was feeling more than a little uneasy thinking about all the possible ways this enchantment or whatever it was could go wrong. She dearly hoped she wasn¡¯t about to reveal her true nature to this Hugo guy in a few scant moments, but it felt like it was too late to back out now. Would her hiding the fact that she was one person count as fraud? Did the empire even have laws applicable to her situation? She wasn¡¯t eager to find out, not via any method that had her on the wrong side of those laws.
¡°Do we do this all at once or¡?¡± Jay started asking, motioning towards the circle.
Hugo shook his head, moving to stand behind the pedestal with the glowing glass orb. ¡°One at a time, please. This will take but a moment.¡±
Trying not to show her hesitation, Jay walked into the middle of the circle and faced the older man. Before she could ask what to do next, a sudden, blinding flash left her blinking.
¡°All done!¡± Hugo announced, smiling up at the disoriented giant. ¡°Please, present your badge to me so I can confirm it took, if you would.¡±
Jay rubbed her eyes, grumbling a bit at the lack of warning before walking over and letting Hugo see the little metal disk in her hand.
He pulled a small disk of his own from his pocket, waving it near the badge. It glowed blue and Hugo nodded, satisfied. ¡°It appears to have worked without issue. Next, please!¡±
Taking her place in the circle, Dys managed to close her eyes before Hugo could blind her, though the flash was still so intense it left Dys blinking. There were no warning bells or signs of any other problem the moment after, and when Dys showed her badge to Hugo, it also glowed blue when he inspected it.
As Syd took her turn, Jay asked as casually as she could, ¡°Would it cost extra to get a second badge, if we lose one of ours?¡±
Hugo nodded after the blinding flash enveloped Syd. ¡°It would cost another two eagles for a replacement badge to be made. Do try not to lose them but worry not if you do. They will only work in your hands. Others cannot use them to gain information about you without your consent, nor can other use them to pretend to be you.¡±
The man smiled ruefully as he checked Syd¡¯s badge to make sure it worked. ¡°I cannot tell you how often I¡¯ve made replacements for mercenaries. So many stories of narrow escapes in monster-infested caves or demon-haunted ruins. All with the same ending of having to flee, necessitating leaving belongings behind, thus requiring a new badge be made.¡± He looked over the three, motioning to the little disks. ¡°I suggest purchasing necklaces or the like you can attach those to. Far cheaper than a whole new badge. Of course, I¡¯m quite sure most of the stories were exaggerations, the true villain perpetrating the loss of the badges was likely a mix of strong liquor and loose morals. But I digress.¡±
With a wave of his hand, Hugo escorted Jadis out of the room and back out to the lobby.
It seemed her true nature hadn¡¯t been exposed, thankfully. Jadis didn¡¯t know the story behind it, but class privacy was clearly taken extremely seriously on Oros. She made a note to investigate the reasons further at a later date. Perhaps Aila could explain?
Speaking of the pretty redhead, with one necessary errand completed, Jadis was keen to move on so she could meet the woman at the company headquarters. The registration hadn¡¯t taken long at all and she still had plenty of time before noon.
Taking her leave of the magistrate¡¯s office, Jadis headed for the market square she¡¯d passed through with Aila before. Reaching it quickly, she split off in three directions, searching the shops and stalls for anything that looked like it would be large enough for her to use in battle. Surprisingly, it only took a couple of minutes before one of her spotted a merchant selling something that could possibly do the trick.
Chapter 56: Ritual Talk
¡°That¡¯s new,¡± Aila commented, looking Jay over.
¡°Yeah, just needed something to replace my old maul,¡± Jay said, patting the huge, wooden mallet resting on her shoulder.
The merchant Jadis had discovered carried a variety of odds and ends, half of which Jadis would have categorized as utterly useless garbage. There were wooden buckets with cracks in them, glass bottles without stoppers, chipped mugs, bent copper plates, and more all scrambled together in heaps. His stall was like a trash bin that had been turned out onto a table, hosed off to a barely acceptable degree, and then given a price tag. Not everything was garbage though. One section of the junk monger¡¯s stall had been set aside for poorly maintained weaponry, and it was there that Jadis found her prize.
Among the decayed iron swords, bent spears, and chipped axes was a truly massive wooden hammer. The head was square and had a couple of iron bands on it, while the shaft was without any adornment at all. If she had to guess, Jadis imagined it was the kind of tool meant for hammering dock pylons into the ocean floor or some such construction related activity. It was as tall as most of the men were in the market, and the head was bigger around than Aila¡¯s waist. No way the mallet could be handled by any normal person.
Except, the magic of stats in a game-like world probably meant that there were people out there who could use the giant hammer without issue. Unless counterbalancing the great weight of the weapon would cause problems? Jadis didn¡¯t know how that would work out, but for certain the merchant that sold it to her wasn¡¯t able to lift it. He had been only too happy to sell the hulking thing for what Jadis thought was probably a reasonable price. He hadn¡¯t been shocked when Jay had easily lifted it and swung it with the same practical ease as a child with a stick, but then again, he had quite an impressive customer service smile on his face for the whole transaction.
Jadis wondered if there was some kind of skill in play that merchants used to make selling things easier.
There were other things Jadis wanted to purchase, but she only grabbed one other item she knew she¡¯d need for her ritual with Aila since any serious purchasing of gear was something that would probably take much longer than the time she had. One other thing she did take care of right away though was lodging. Before she left the market, she asked around and was directed to an inn just a few doors down from the restaurant Aila had taken her to. The inn was large, with three stories, the first floor serving as a tavern. The place was clean and, more importantly, had high ceilings, saving Jadis from having to stoop at all times. Not every building she had checked during her search had the dimensions to hold her so easily.
The plump woman behind the bar had, after the initial shock, been quick to welcome the three giants into her establishment and had shown her to a room that, while not as large as the one in the mercenary headquarters, was certainly large enough. The innkeeper had even been kind enough to let Jadis remove the much too small twin beds from the room so she had ample space to create another blanket and mattress nest on the floor.
With lodgings secured for a price that Jadis calculated as sustainable for at least a month based on her current funds, Jadis had returned to Bernd¡¯s Blades¡¯ HQ and met up with Aila, the redhead already waiting for her.
Aila was wearing her normal leather pants and a green tunic, but she also had a leather pack on her back, a knife in her belt, and a quarterstaff in hand. She also wore a simple leather breastplate with shoulder pads and bracers over her tunic. Jadis didn¡¯t know where that armor had come from, but the ensemble looked good on Aila¡¯s lean form. She looked prepared and put together, ready for an excursion.
¡°I like the armor,¡± Jay complimented her as the two waited by the gate. Dys and Syd had gone inside to gather the supplies Jadis had brought with her. Jadis planned to drop it all off in her room at the inn before they left the city.
¡°Thank you,¡± Aila said, a small but genuine smile showing on her face. ¡°I can show you the armor smith who I bought it from if you like. He¡¯s not the best in the city, but his quality is good considering his level, and his prices fair.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that,¡± Jay said, tapping a finger against the poor-quality makeshift bracer on her forearm. ¡°What I¡¯ve got is better than going around naked, but my sisters and I could definitely use an upgrade.¡±
At the mention of nudity, Jadis saw Aila¡¯s face flush out of the corner of her eye.
¡°The ritual you need me for,¡± Aila rushed to say, quickly changing the topic while turning her face away from Jay. ¡°Will it take long? What are the requirements and what does it do? From what I¡¯ve read, most eldritch based rituals can be quite chaotic compared to arcane or divine based rituals.¡±
Seeing an opportunity to learn more about magic and the associated stats, Jadis answered Aila¡¯s questions while setting the stage to ask a few of her own.
¡°It won¡¯t take too long, it¡¯s actually one of the shorter we¡¯ve unlocked. Should take one hour. The description reads, ¡®Increases your target¡¯s ability to move gracefully. Target of the ritual will be more likely to land on their feet, tumble without damaging themselves, and move with the deft touch of a trained acrobat. Effect persists until the spell is recast and a new target is selected.¡¯ It¡¯s not particularly specific on the true effects, but the result should be interesting.¡±Stolen story; please report.
¡°That is interesting,¡± Aila murmured with the air of a scientist analyzing a new find. ¡°I¡¯m curious to see it in action. I presume that the ritual will let all three of you cast at the same time so long as the requirements are the same, so you should be able to cast it on each other within that one-hour timeframe, rather than repeating it three times over and spending three hours doing it. That¡¯s really quite convenient, you all having the same ritual class.¡±
¡°Actually,¡± Jay said while tilting her head to one side, watching Aila closely, ¡°we were thinking of casting the ritual on you, Blue, if you¡¯d be willing.¡±
¡°Me?¡± Aila looked up, startled. Her neutral mask broken for a moment, Jay saw a gleam of longing in her expression for just a moment before she recovered her calm and went placid again.
¡°Why me? I appreciate the thought, but I¡¯m certain the effects of that spell would be more useful on any of you three rather than me. Why hinder the movements of one of you?¡±
¡°Well, we¡¯ve never had a ritual spell that let us cast on target other than ourselves before. This would be sort of a test,¡± Jay explained. ¡°Plus, we¡¯re already pretty fast, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed. We¡¯re confident we can protect you out there, but things can go wrong quickly in battle. Better you have a buff that could help you dodge and run away than us.¡±
Aila seemed to think about that for a moment, one side of her lips quirking downward for a second before she nodded her head. ¡°That¡¯s reasonable. Then, if you and your sisters are okay with it, I¡¯m happy to play the part of the test subject.¡±
¡°Good!¡± Jay said with a smile.
At that moment, Dys and Syd came around the corner, Jadis having done her best to time her other selves¡¯ approach so that her conversation with Aila wasn¡¯t interrupted. With their arrival, Jadis headed off down the road with Aila, making a beeline for the inn. As the quartet, or duo in reality, walked, Jadis shifted the conversation about spells to probe Aila for what she knew.
¡°So, you said eldritch rituals are usually chaotic. Does that mean arcane and divine rituals aren¡¯t? I can¡¯t say I know much about them,¡± Jay admitted.
¡°We didn¡¯t get much training on those stats,¡± Dys added. ¡°We never planned on becoming ritualists so we¡¯re kind of out of our comfort zone when it comes to magic spells.¡±
Zero training counted as not much in Jadis¡¯ opinion, so she wasn¡¯t lying.
¡°Never planned¡?¡± Aila sounded a bit pained at Jadis¡¯ admission that she had lucked into the casting class, but she quickly moved on to explaining.
¡°Arcane and divine rituals are rare, but the few classes that do get them follow a pattern. Since arcane spells are elemental in nature, rituals spells involving them usually involve the specific element that is being called forth.¡±
At Jay¡¯s questioning look, Aila expounded, ¡°For example, there¡¯s a wizard in Bernd¡¯s Blades that can create stone walls with a ritual. I know he needs specific pieces and amounts of stone that are used up by performing the steps of the spell. If he doesn¡¯t have those components, he can¡¯t cast the ritual.¡±
¡°That makes sense,¡± Jay nodded along.
So, now Jadis knew that arcane spells were based around elements. Probably the four classical ones of fire, earth, wind, and water. However, she wondered if there was more to it, like ice or lightning elements.
Aila continued her explanation, switching subjects to divine spells.
¡°Divine spells are, as you know, either benedictions or maledictions as they relate to the gods. Any class that gets ritual spells of a divine nature is going to be dedicated to the worship of one or more gods, so the rituals will involve specific worship practices of that god.¡±
¡°Any examples?¡± Syd prompted.
¡°Hmm¡¡± Aila hummed, thinking about. ¡°I¡¯ve never actually met anyone with divine rituals, at least not that told me as much. I¡¯ve heard of powerful, high level priests that use rituals of prayer to perform large scale benedictions of healing, but I¡¯ve never seen it.¡±
Even more interesting. It seemed that three different magic stats, arcane, divine, and eldritch covered different kinds of spells. Which, now that Jadis thought about it, made sense. Why have three different stats if they all did the same thing? Arcane for elemental, divine for what sounded like healing and ¡®maledictions¡¯, whatever those were. Eldritch for¡ what? Buffs? That¡¯s what it seemed to do for her.
¡°Then, what do you know about eldritch rituals?¡± Dys asked. Getting Aila¡¯s take on what she expected should be illuminating. It would also help Jadis gauge just how likely Aila was to freak out over the more sexual nature of her spells.
¡°Eldritch spells usually involve physical changes and enhancements, or physical debuffs to a target,¡± Aila said in a considering voice. ¡°Or, on the other side of things, they involve illusions, usually the kind that can mess with perceptions and such. I¡¯ve never met an eldritch ritualist archetype, but from what I¡¯ve read, most of their rituals are mixes of physical actions and sacrifice.¡±
The redhead frowned, turning concerned eyes on the three Nephilim. ¡°One example I read about involved sacrificing a goat and smearing the blood on the body of the target in an hour-long chanting ritual. Is that¡?¡±
¡°No! Fuck no, nothing like that,¡± Jay quickly denied. ¡°No blood sacrifice or killing goats in our rituals.¡±
Aila looked pleased to hear no animals would be harmed in the performance of the ritual.
¡°What does the ritual entail? You never said.¡±
All three of Jadis smiled. They had reached the inn and as Dys and Syd dashed inside to put their supplies away, while Jay stayed with Aila outside and explained.
¡°Well, it¡¯s not how our rituals usually go, but this one basically wants us to dance.¡±
¡°Dance?¡± Aila asked, a blank look on her face.
¡°Dance. It does have some other specifics that we¡¯ll have to fulfill for it to count, but yeah. We need to dance.¡±
Aila crossed her arms, her blank expression turning slightly troubled. ¡°I don¡¯t really know how to dance. I mean, I¡¯ve done the harvest step a few times, but¡¡±
¡°No worries,¡± Jay assured her, giving the shorter girl a pat on the shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ve got enough experience dancing that I¡¯m sure we can lead you along.¡±
¡°Plus, we¡¯ve got this to help!¡± Syd announced as she ducked through the doorway of the inn, coming back outside, Dys right on her heels.
In her hands was a drum, a simple instrument Jadis had bought while in the market, figuring it would be much easier to dance to a beat than nothing but silence.
Aila looked doubtfully at Syd and the drum but straightened her back and nodded. ¡°If that¡¯s what¡¯s required, then I will do my best.¡±
¡°Great!¡± all three of Jadis grinned in unison.
¡°Now, let¡¯s get outside of the walls so we can do this ritual and get to the real fun,¡± Jay said, turning in the direction of the city gates. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how this ritual goes and how powerful its effects are.¡±
Chapter 57: Dance
Dance of the D was not an explicitly sexual ritual, a confusing circumstance for Jadis considering the nature of her ritualist class, especially when compared to the acts she had to perform for the other spells she had unlocked. In simplest terms, the ritual required dancing. Though it wasn¡¯t the only requirement, dancing was the main one, and was thus hardly anything Jadis could think of as perverse. The act was chaste, even, in her opinion.
On the other hand, the secondary requirements did add some raciness to the prospective ritual. Having at least one other participant was nothing to get excited about, but the ritual also specified the level of clothing those involved could wear, and that the ritual be in an open, public setting. The magically created memories Jadis had received upon unlocking the spell did not state total nudity was needed, thank goodness. She had no idea how she would have convinced Aila or anyone else to dance naked in the wide open with her if the instructions had been just a bit lewder. Still, telling someone you barely knew that they had to strip off a good portion of their clothes out in the middle of a field was an awkward experience for both parties involved.
¡°Why do I need to take my armor off?¡±
Aila was looking askance at Jay, her arms crossed. Jadis had led her out of the city and to the east, away from the walls and the overwatching fort sitting on its cliff. A quick jog that was slow for Jadis but a winding pace for Aila had taken them to the side of one of the many hills surrounding Felsen, out of sight of any casual observers.
Now, standing here in the open air, telling a woman who she only met a few days ago she needed to take off her shirt before she started dancing with her, she was feeling just a bit like a creep.
¡°Look, I¡¯m not the one who makes the rules on these things,¡± Jay explained, setting her mallet down against the bare rock of the hill¡¯s cliffside they had stopped next to. ¡°The spell needs¡ skin exposure. It¡¯s just the way it wants it.¡±
As Jay spoke, Syd pulled her tunic top off, leaving her in just a simple skirt and a chest wrap. Dys removed her own leather top, bracers, and shin guards, leaving her in much the same state as Syd.
¡°That is the most bizarre requirement I¡¯ve ever heard of,¡± Aila said dryly, studiously keeping her eyes on Jay¡¯s face and not the two women stripping behind her. ¡°For truth, by Valtar¡¯s name, you swear this is necessary?¡±
¡°It is. We wouldn¡¯t lie to you about something like this,¡± Jay said, pulling her own bracers off. ¡°Are you still willing to join us or do we need to get our gear back on? We¡¯ll still take you hunting demons if you¡¯ve changed your mind.¡±
As much as Jadis wanted Aila to join her in performing the ritual, she wasn¡¯t going to force the issue. If she wasn¡¯t comfortable with it, then that was that and Jadis would wait to cast it until she found someone else willing to participate.
Aila looked Jay up and down, her eyes briefly darting to the two half-naked forms behind her for just a moment before she shook her head and started shrugging her backpack off.
¡°No, I¡¯ll do it,¡± Aila said as she put the pack down and started unbuckling her leather armor. ¡°But I am intensely curious about the ritualist class you all unlocked. Does every ritual require¡ ¡®skin exposure¡¯ as you put it?¡±
¡°No,¡± Dys said, bending down to pick up and toss a few rocks away that were scattered in the grass at their feet. Jadis didn¡¯t want her or Aila to trip on anything while they were occupied. ¡°All of our other rituals don¡¯t mention anything like this as a necessity. It¡¯s just this one.¡±
What Jadis said was true, though what she left out was just how much more depraved her other rituals were in comparison. Eldritch Overlay didn¡¯t technically require she remove any clothes at all, but the one hour of non-stop oral sex would certainly be far messier if she didn¡¯t remove her clothes beforehand. It just wasn¡¯t strictly required that she do so.
As Jay stripped off all but her chest wraps and leather tassel skirt, Aila quickly and efficiently removed her own protective gear, leaving her in her tunic, leather pants, and boots. With unspoken prompting from Jay, Dys, and Syd, Aila hesitated only a moment before taking off her green tunic, revealing she wore something reminiscent of a camisole that left her midriff exposed underneath.
¡°Good enough?¡± Aila asked, a small blush lighting up her freckled cheeks.
¡°Boots off too, I think. Unless you want to take your pants off, but I think bare feet would be enough,¡± Jay said, trying to keep her voice light and teasing.
Aila didn¡¯t answer verbally, but she quickly sat in the grass and pulled her boots off, trying to hide the more vibrant blush that was spreading across her face by keeping her head down.
With boots off and feet bared, Jadis sensed by whatever mechanism skills and spells worked by that Aila was past the threshold requirement needed. If the redhead had been wearing shorts or a skirt, Jadis felt as though she probably could have kept the boots on, but whatever. This worked well enough.
¡°Now what?¡±
Holding out her hand, Jay helped Aila to her feet.
¡°Now, we dance,¡± Jay answered, grinning.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
Taking the lead, Syd started thumping a simple beat on the drum she held against her hip. Humming in harmony with her selves, Jadis started with the tune of a pop song she didn¡¯t recall the lyrics to but half-remembered as being pretty fun to dance to at a club she¡¯d partied at once a couple of years ago. It was a little embarrassing, the three of her just dancing out in the open, with only her humming and a single drum to keep the beat, but having three bodies made it slightly less awkward than it would have been otherwise.
At first, Aila just stared, which did not help Jadis¡¯ nerves. Eventually though, after a few moments of just watching, Aila joined in. Her movements were a bit stiff and she clearly wasn¡¯t used to the kind of club dancing Jadis was performing, but she caught on quick enough, moving her hips and knees with the beat Jadis set.
After a minute or so of dancing, Jadis started to notice an effect. The inner glow that she had experienced in the past when performing her Debauched Duplication ritual had reappeared, only this time, the faint, barely noticeable glow was coming from Aila¡¯s freckled skin. If it weren¡¯t for the shadow cast by the hillside cliff, Jadis doubted she would have noticed, but the inner light was there.
Before Jadis could bring the light to Aila¡¯s attention, the redhead spoke up, eyebrows raised.
¡°Do you hear that?¡±
Keeping the drumbeat going but pausing her humming, Jadis found that she could hear something, faintly. Except, there was nothing. All was quiet around her and Aila, nothing but the wind and the distant sound of the sea breaking against the shore. But there was a feeling welling up inside her, a feeling that was music without sound.
Instantly Jadis thought of her encounter with D, in the living room that didn¡¯t exist and the chair that could be described as nothing but a chair. The music was there but not there, a sense that could be described as nothing but music, despite possessing no sound nor beat nor melody. Nevertheless, it was music.
Jadis didn¡¯t stop or speak, she just moved with the incomprehensible rhythm, her hips rocking and hands sliding up and through her hair. Through eyes half closed, she saw Aila fall into the rhythm, too, surrendering to the alien sensation.
The four moved together, shifting and sliding, growing closer as they danced. Soon, Jay was grinding against Dys as Dys was grinding against Syd and Aila was among them, moving with all three in time with the intense thrumming of the ethereal music.
As the hour passed and the music feeling grew more intense, sweat made their skin slick as they glided against each other, their movements drawing them closer and closer to each other. Arms and hands brushed against bare skin, legs and hips gyrated and ground against one another. Jadis lost track of which of her selves was which as she moved with the beat, her senses all focusing on the beauty that was Aila in motion.
Though Aila had started out stiff, her movements had only grown more and more natural with time, her dance growing more sensual in pace with how smooth and beautiful her form grew. Her eyes closed, her long red hair flowing around her, she couldn¡¯t see the glow growing brighter and brighter in her flesh. Sweat soaked her camisole and her breath was coming in quick, panting gasps that sent thrills up and down Jadis¡¯ spines.
The music¡¯s pace increased in intensity with the illumination within Aila, growing ever more frantic and frenetic, forcing all four bodies to keep up, no thought of stopping or pulling away even remotely entertained. Jadis was panting too now, sweat dripping from her foreheads as the heat and exertion built closer and closer towards something that had to be near, had to be completed, and had to be done in time with the pounding music that flooded and overwhelmed all other senses without ever making a single sound.
The rhythm spiraled faster and faster, closing in tighter and tighter just as Jadis¡¯ selves drew tighter and tighter around Aila, the smaller woman surrounded by all three. They moved together, rubbing and sliding against her in unison just as she did the same against them, their movements synchronized into perfect symmetry, all focused on the same want, the same need to reach the end the music promised them.
As suddenly as the mental music had started, it climaxed, reaching the peak Jadis and Aila had been working towards. The glow coming from Aila flashed brightly, enveloping her completely while at the same time failing to obscure even the slightest part of her writhing, gyrating form. All four reached the same conclusion, their dance ending in breathless gasps becoming the only sound as both the light and non-music faded away, leaving them pressed up against each other, their limbs intertwined.
Aila looked up into one of Jadis¡¯ faces, her eyes open wide now, pupils dilated and skin flushed. She breathed heavily, her chin practically resting on Jadis¡¯ stomach, her hot breaths tickling Jadis¡¯ bare abdomen.
¡°So?¡± Jay finally spoke after a moment, Jadis having brought her senses back in line well enough to remember which of her was which. ¡°Do you feel any different?¡±
Aila blinked, seeming to regain her senses through force of will, pulling back slightly from the three towering bodies surrounding her, though only a little.
¡°I¡ªI do. I feel, smoother, somehow. It¡¯s hard to describe¡¡± she trailed off, her breath still coming quickly.
¡°Show me,¡± Jay demanded as all three of Jadis collectively took a step back, giving Aila room to move.
Aila did show her. Wordlessly, she moved, stepping away with the grace of a cat, her feet and long legs moving with a smoothness Jadis could see though she found it hard to define. Starting slow, Aila spun in place, her long hair whipping out and around her in cloud of red. She twirled and stopped and twirled again with a perfect ease and precision that Jadis didn¡¯t think she could replicate barefoot and on uneven ground.
Suddenly, Aila cartwheeled, then flipped, making the movements seem as natural as walking. In a display of flexibility, she ended her final cartwheel in a full front split, landing in the grass in a perfect pose. Even more impressively, she raised herself back up from the split without aid, making the shift up look elegant.
Watching the impromptu show Aila had put on for her, Jadis realized that she was as hard as rock under her skirts. She was surprised her underclothes hadn¡¯t ripped off her bodies, she was feeling so passionately turned on.
Aila turned and looked up at the three of her, a bright smile meeting the intense gazes Jadis knew were on her faces.
¡°This¡ªthis is amazing! I feel so different, so precise! I can move in exactly the way I imagine myself moving¡ª¡± Aila gushed, her previous fa?ade of icy coolness gone as the excitement rushed through her. As she spoke, her eyes glanced down and her voice caught in her throat.
Everything was silent again for a long moment, the only sound being the wind and the sea and the slightly panting breath of four women.
¡°So, I wasn¡¯t imagining things this morning,¡± Aila stated, her eyes now locked onto the bulges visible under Jadis¡¯ loose skirts.
Uncertain of what else to do to ease the sudden tension, Syd abruptly elbowed Dys.
¡°Told you she fucking saw something.¡±
Chapter 58: Awkward Explanation
Logically, Jadis knew that if she ever intended to enter into a carnal relationship with anyone other than herself, she¡¯d have to address the futanari situation. It was no small matter, pun not intended, that she had both masculine and feminine genitalia. If a woman was sexually attracted to Jadis¡¯ looks, that probably meant she was a lesbian, which meant if she suddenly sprung the fact that she was equipped with a pillar of man-meat, then said woman was likely to lose interest. Now, bisexual women were another possibility and those with such proclivities were more likely to be interested in Jadis¡¯ estimation, but even so, having both sets of equipment could still be a turnoff.
The question that had rattled around in the back of Jadis¡¯ mind for a while was, did she inform her potential sexual partner upfront? Or did she wait a while, get to know them, feel them out, and then tell them? Both ideas had merits and drawbacks. Being honest and open right away meant there was no confusion, less chance of hurt feelings. On the other hand, it meant telling a person who might not even be interested in her in a sexual way about the status of her genitalia. Not exactly a bell that could be un-rung.
In either scenario of how she planned on tackling the hurdle of her unique sexual biology, Jadis hadn¡¯t planned on bringing the issue up by waving a crotch bulge in the face of her future date.
¡°Sorry,¡± Jay said a moment after Syd¡¯s attempt at breaking the tense silence. ¡°I¡ªer, we got a little excited. Didn¡¯t mean to be rude or gross or anything¡¡±
Jay trailed off as she uncomfortably turned away from Aila, Dys and Syd mirroring the movement.
¡°Fuck, this is awkward,¡± Dys cursed, rubbing the back of her head. ¡°Just, give us a minute to calm down.¡±
Was this how uncomfortable guys felt when they popped a boner in front of someone they liked? Jadis could heretofore only imagine, her life experience before rebirth being an entirely female one. Now that she had more equipment, she was encountering situations she¡¯d only previously been on the periphery of, mainly a few ridiculous classroom incidents in high school.
Teens could be cruel.
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but fidget a bit as the three of her stood there in the short shadow of the tall cliff, facing away from Aila. What exactly was she supposed to say to smooth over the situation? ¡®Ha, yeah, that dancing was sexy as fuck, couldn¡¯t help myself. Don¡¯t mind my throbbing schlong, it¡¯s just a natural reaction.¡¯ Fucking hell that sounded dumb. No way she could say any of that to¡ª
¡°Are you calmed down now?¡±
Aila¡¯s question startled Jadis, a surprised noise coming from all three of her selves.
¡°Huh? Ah, yeah, sorry, better now,¡± Syd said. The confusion and awkwardness had done a wonderful job of killing her erections.
Turning around, Jadis saw that Aila had her neutral face on, an icy mask that betrayed no emotion. Keeping her eyes up and firmly away from anything below their waists, Aila addressed the three giants.
¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not offended. I¡¯m¡ confused.¡±
Jadis nearly breathed a sigh of relief and Aila¡¯s words, but kept her own faces straight, waiting for her to finish what she was saying.
¡°For clarity, and, excuse me if this is indelicate, but,¡± Aila seemed to struggle a tad with her words, a slight blush betraying her stoic expression. ¡°But, do all three of you have¡ª¡±
¡°Cocks?¡± Dys interjected, seeing how Aila was grappling with the word.
¡°Yes. That.¡± Aila said with a sharp nod.
¡°Correct,¡± Jay said, shrugging one shoulder. ¡°All three of us.¡±
Aila took a moment to internalize the answer to her question. Darting her eyes a short distance lower then back up, she motioned towards her own chest, still wearing only her camisole undergarment.
¡°But, you have¡ chests. I thought you three were, um, sisters. Female sisters,¡± she said with a small wince. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re all very beautiful and I didn¡¯t imagine any of you were, um, male examples of your race.¡±
Jadis perked up at the mention that Aila thought she was beautiful. Did that mean she thought she was ¡®attractive¡¯ beautiful, or did she mean that from more of an abstract viewpoint? Jadis couldn¡¯t tell. Aila¡¯s face was practically glowing red at this point from embarrassment. Hard to judge if any of that blush came from any other emotion.
¡°We aren¡¯t male,¡± Jay said. ¡°Yes, we have breasts. Yes, we have penises.¡±
¡°And we also have vaginas,¡± Syd joined in, raising her hands up in a shrug. ¡°We¡¯re equipped for all occasions, I guess you could say.¡±
The blue-eyed girl visibly balked at that admission, her mask breaking for a short moment as her face seemed to twist in a series of conflicted emotions. Was that confusion or revulsion in her eyes?
A second later, the answer revealed itself.
¡°Is that normal for your kind? Nephilim, I mean? I¡¯ve never heard of anyone like that,¡± Aila asked, her face showing obvious intrigue, not a hint of disgust or a sign of aversion anywhere.
A wash of relief flooded Jadis. She hadn¡¯t intended to share her dual-sex nature with Aila today, and certainly not in this exact manner, but she had meant to share it eventually. Probably after their date tomorrow. If she¡¯d been rejected right then and there, it wouldn¡¯t have been the end of the world. Jadis wasn¡¯t some wilting flower that would crumple under the weight of a single negative response to her advances. However, having one of her secrets spilled in such a way had definitely put her on edge. She could still handle a rejection, though. She didn¡¯t need to be accepted by anyone. She had herself.
Still, it felt good to not be turned down out of hand by a girl she was definitely interested in.
¡°Yes,¡± Jay answered with a start. Jadis had probably hesitated a little too long, lost in her thoughts.
¡°Every Nephilim we¡¯ve ever known is the same,¡± Dys confirmed.
That wasn¡¯t a lie. She¡¯d only ever know the one, herself, so she was being truthful. Technically.
Fuck, she hated having to tell lies of omission. It made her feel like some kind of double-dealing crook or con artist. Or worse yet, a politician.
Yuck.
¡°That¡¯s¡ huh.¡± Aila started and stopped, clearly at a loss for words. Eventually, she seemed to galvanize, straightening her shoulders. ¡°In any case, we¡¯re wasting sunlight. If we¡¯re still going to hunt demons today, we need to get dressed and get a move on.¡±
With that pronouncement, Aila began pulling on all of her gear with studious efficiency.
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but stare for a moment. That was it? Are you normal for your race or not? No other questions or comments?
Slowly, Jadis¡¯ three selves moved to gather their things, pulling on her own armor. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, though. The question was burning a hole through her stomach.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°You don¡¯t have any other questions about¡ our nature?¡± Syd asked, eyeing Aila sidelong.
She paused in the middle of lacing one boot, looking up and then away again almost immediately. There was a visible flush burning the redhead¡¯s ears, though she was clearly trying to hide it. ¡°Yes, actually, I do. But I¡¯m sure they can wait until our date.¡±
A brilliant grin burst across Jadis¡¯ three faces. Aila hadn¡¯t thought better of their date. She wasn¡¯t backing out. She was interested.
¡°Alright then,¡± Jay said, her voice tinged with the warmth and excitement she was feeling. ¡°First thing¡¯s first. Demons. Any ideas on where we can find them?¡±
Clearing her throat, Aila took to the change of subject with visible relief. ¡°The hills around Felsen are fairly well cleared out of most demons, but twisted wretches still persist. The demon matriarch that was spawning them was killed maybe half a year ago, but they¡¯re a lingering threat. The roads are patrolled and have wagons and convoys running them, so unless their trying for an ambush, the wretches stay clear.¡±
Finished strapping on her gear, Aila gracefully stood and motioned to the east. ¡°There are large open spaces to the east, plus only one settlement that¡¯s still inhabited by a garrison of mercenaries. There are far more active settlements to the west. I think we probably have a better chance of running into wretches if we go that way.¡±
¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± Jay nodded along.
With her own gear reequipped and her spear, maul, and mallet in hands, she felt ready to slay some demons.
¡°Okay Blue, piggyback or princess carry?¡± Syd asked, passing her spear to Dys and approaching Aila.
¡°What?¡± she stared blankly up at Syd, no spark of comprehension in her blue eyes.
¡°Piggyback,¡± Syd motioned with her left hand, ¡°Or princess carry?¡± she finished, motioning with her right. Feeling mischievous, perhaps due to her greatly uplifted mood, Jadis did not explain further.
Aila looked confused for another few seconds before tilting her head in question and asking uncertainly, ¡°Princess carry?¡±
¡°Princess carry it is!¡± Syd announced, speedily swooping down and catching Aila under her knees before the redhead could react. In one swift motion, she¡¯d swept the startled girl up in her arms, backpack and quarterstaff included.
¡°What are you¡ª¡±
Jadis didn¡¯t wait for Aila to protest. With everything and everyone in hand, she immediately started sprinting eastwards, her long stride and supernatural speed eating up the ground at an incredible pace.
¡°Like you said, daylight¡¯s a wasting!¡± Syd half-shouted over the wind.
Aila only squeaked in alarm as Syd carried her, all three of Jadis bounding across the grassy landscape.
As she ran, Jadis kept an eye out for any sign of movement, be it twisted wretches or otherwise. With three sets of eyes scanning the surroundings, there wasn¡¯t much she missed. Other than the omnipresent hills and grass, she saw another herd of the snow elk she¡¯d seen before, untwisted and untainted by demonic influence. There were also a few other animals she saw, such as small gopher-like creatures with greenish fur that blended in with the environment, and a large turtle that had thick spikes all over its shell.
There was also, surprisingly, a flock of birds that looked almost exactly like wild turkeys. In fact, if there was a difference between the turkeys she saw on Oros and the ones she remembered from Earth, she couldn¡¯t tell.
She was almost tempted to detour her run and grab one of the turkeys, just to find out if they tasted the same as Earth turkeys but shook the impulse off. She had more important business to attend to.
After a solid twenty minutes of running, Jadis spotted something she had a feeling wasn¡¯t natural.
¡°Is that a pig man?¡±
All three of Jadis drew to a halt along the crest of a small hill, looking down into a shallow valley where she had spotted movement.
Trudging along with a snow elk tossed over one shoulder was a pig walking on two legs. Covered in dark brown fur, it had the classic pig snout one would expect from a porcine creature, with four large tusks curling out of its closed mouth. Its arms and legs were short, almost comically so, giving it an almost unbalanced gait. Based on the size of the elk it was carrying, she guessed the pig man was about the same size as human man, just wrong in all of its proportions. The creature wasn¡¯t wearing any clothes, but it had a large spear in one hand.
¡°It¡¯s a twisted wretch,¡± Aila spoke up from her position, still cradled in Syd¡¯s arms. ¡°Boar variety. Wretches take many different animals for their bodies, not just elk,¡± she helpfully added.
¡°Oh, I guess that makes sense,¡± Jay nodded thoughtfully, watching the stocky thing plod along.
Jadis had the feeling the elk over the wretch¡¯s shoulder was probably intended as a new body for another demon if what Aila was saying was true.
¡°Should we follow it?¡± Syd asked. ¡°Might lead us to more wretches.¡±
¡°If we can sneak behind it, that¡¯s a good idea¡ª¡± Aila started, but was cut off by Dys.
¡°Nope, never mind. It spotted us,¡± Dys said with annoyance, tsking.
The wretch had indeed noticed them, having dropped its dead prize and turned to face them. It made no move to charge, instead pointing its spear up at them and squealing horribly, almost like it was challenging them to come face it.
Jadis saw no reason not to accept its invitation.
¡°Down you go,¡± Syd announced, gently setting Aila onto her feet.
She was far too graceful and surefooted now to stumble, but Aila still seemed to be a bit weak-kneed from being carried around at such speed.
¡°What¡¯s the plan? Strike from a distance? Surround it and attack from the rear while one of you gets its attention?¡± Aila asked, looking up at the three giants as they readied their weapons.
Jay stared back down for a moment and then hefted her wooden hammer up for emphasis. ¡°I was going to go hit it with my mallet. Maybe twice if needed.¡±
The look on Aila¡¯s face was unimpressed. ¡°It¡¯s a lone twisted wretch. If it¡¯s not hunting as part of a group and it isn¡¯t running away, that means it¡¯s probably of a high enough level it¡¯s confident it can handle itself alone. Don¡¯t you think a plan would be beneficial?¡±
¡°Okay, then, here¡¯s the plan,¡± Jay agreed with a shrug. ¡°Dys, you and I will run down there and hit it from both sides. Syd, you stay here and protect Aila, in case something goes wrong. Ready?¡±
¡°Now hold on, that¡¯s not really¡ª¡±
¡°Ready!¡± Dys and Syd chorused.
In the next moment, Jay and Dys were sprinting down the hillside, aiming for the lone boar wretch.
¡°How in the gods'' good graces have you three survived this long if that¡¯s your idea of planning?¡± Aila asked, watching the two pale giants as they ran towards the single foe.
Syd shrugged, then flexed her arm, showing Aila a bulging bicep. ¡°Muscle and chutzpah. Victory favors the bold, after all.¡±
Jadis could hear Aila mumble ¡®chutzpah?¡¯ under her breath, but by that point, she was within range of the boar and focused on the task at hand.
Approaching from both the left and right, Jadis moved in on the boar, forcing it to pick one direction and defend, leaving the other side exposed.
Making its choice, the twisted boar faced Jay and opened its porcine maw, a yellowish globule of rancid-smelling gunk shooting out like a bullet straight at her face. Dropping into a roll, Jay dodged underneath the hissing projectile, barely getting out of the way as it lobbed past her.
Raising her maul as she approached from the right, Dys moved to strike the wretch when it whirled with surprising speed, thrusting its spear right at her chest. Dys pulled her swing, trying to dodge, but failed to evade the pig¡¯s attack entirely. The sharp iron head of the spear cut through the leather armor on Dys¡¯ left side, the glancing blow driving deep enough to draw blood.
As Dys pivoted and sidestepped out of the way of the wretch¡¯s follow up thrust, Jay finished her roll and turned it into a lunging shove. Haft of the mallet braced between her hands, she tackled the wretch from behind, knocking it forward and onto its squealing snout.
Before it could recover from being pushed down, Dys brought her maul down on the demon¡¯s arm, the wedge-end cutting through the stubby flesh. Black blood fountained out of the severed limb, writhing tentacles poking out of the exposed flesh as the monster tried to roll over and away from Dys.
Less than a second later, Jay¡¯s mallet slammed down on the wretch¡¯s chest.
If Jadis hadn¡¯t been certain of the effectiveness of a giant wooden hammer in battle before, she was convinced now. The wretch popped like a watermelon, black blood, tentacles, and guts spraying outward in a disgusting display, soaking Jadis¡¯ bare feet, much to her displeasure.
¡°See? Chutzpah,¡± Syd said, giving a suitably impressed Aila a pat on the shoulder.
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Congratulations!
Twisted Wretch Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
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A message flashed before Jadis¡¯ inner eye, followed shortly after by another.
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Level Up!
Mirror Knight has Reached Level 21.
1 New Skill Available for Selection.
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¡°Oh, nice! Must have been right on the edge,¡± Syd grinned.
¡°What happened?¡± Aila asked, something in the way her eyes moved telling Jadis she was reading her own system message.
¡°We leveled,¡± Syd explained, starting to move down the hill. ¡°And it¡¯s about time! Can¡¯t wait to see what kind of skills we get at level twenty-one.¡±
Chapter 59: Chaotic Demon Hunters
Aila might have had a point about planning.
The thought came unbidden to Jadis as she rapidly backtracked away from the mob of twisted wretches that were trying to swarm and overwhelm her three selves. Five of them had long, wicked spears they were jabbing at her, while another five had swords and axes and were constantly trying to flank on the edges, pulling around the three of her in a wide circle. If it were just the ten vicious boar and elk demons the situation would be bad enough, but they were not all.
¡°Duck!¡± Aila screamed from her protected position behind the three giants.
A rock the size of a watermelon went hurtling past Dys¡¯ head a second later, barely missing by inches as she dodged out of the way. The huge projectile struck the ground with a thump, the sound mostly drowned out by the accompanying roar of stone grinding against stone.
A grundwyrm, this one about half the size of the one she¡¯d killed before, was plodding along behind the ten wretches. It had a different tactic from the previous stone lizard, though. Dipping its tail into the earth like water, it would pull out a rock or boulder and then hurl it through the air at great speed. Its accuracy was poor, but the demon was throwing a rock every few seconds, forcing Jadis to abort her own attacks or risk being crushed.
¡°Keep backing up!¡± Syd shouted from her position in the front of the wedge, solely for Aila¡¯s benefit.
The pell-mell retreat from harassing demons had not been how Jadis had planned her hunt with Aila would go, but she only had herself to blame.
Upon killing the first pig-like wretch in the shallow valley, Jadis¡¯ three selves had gathered together with Aila and had decided to head in the direction the demon had been going. Jadis figured that if the wretch was carrying a body somewhere for demonic possession or whatever it was the demons were doing, then it stood to reason she¡¯d find more demons wherever the ugly boar-man was going to. She¡¯d been right, though her successful prediction wasn¡¯t as desirable an outcome as she would have liked.
As they had walked, she¡¯d not been paying full attention to her surroundings, much to her chagrin. Thoughts of her new skill options had been foremost in her mind.
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Lesser Attribute Improvement I
Passive Skill. Increases a chosen attribute by 5 points. Can be selected for each attribute up to 5 times.
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The skill was, upon a quick check, a slightly upgraded version of the Minor Attribute Improvement Jadis had received access to ever since level three. From what Jadis had learned in conversation with Aila, attribute improvement skills were something everyone gained access to. Perhaps every certain number of levels it offered better versions? That made sense to her, at least.
Adding five points to her eldritch stat would most definitely be useful, but Jadis would reserve that choice for when no other skills on offer looked better. She checked her next skill.
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Piercing Strike
Active Skill. Empower your next physical attack at the cost of stamina, dealing extra damage. Only works with piercing weapons. Cost ¨C 5 stamina.
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A forgettable option. Jadis figured she¡¯d been offered the skill as a consequence of her use of a spear recently. The skill was no different from Crushing Blow, other than the type of damage it affected, so far as she could tell. Jadis saw no reason to take the skill barring a lack of better options. Fortunately, she had a much, much better option presented to her by the system, or gods, or however it worked.
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Improved Mirrored Body
Passive Skill. Your physical form is tripled, allowing you to exist as three beings at once. While the body is tripled, the mind and attributes are not. Your triplet bodies share the same health and magic pool. The further your bodies are apart from one another, the more mental strain you will be under, though the distance your bodies can be from one another is increased compared to the base version of this skill.
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The Improved Mirrored Body skill was exciting to Jadis for two reasons. First and foremost, it meant that better versions of skills were confirmed as something she could potentially unlock. If there was an improved version of that skill, that meant there could be improved versions of Mirrored Strikes or Mirror Knight¡¯s Might as well. How much harder would an Improved Mirrored Strikes hit if that skill existed?
The second reason and more immediate reason the skill excited Jadis was the possibility of freeing up her Debauched Duplication spell. It seemed everything Improved Mirrored Body would give her was already being provided by her duplication of the base version of the skill. Taking the improved version would allow her to keep the benefits of having three bodies, plus even more distance to play with without having negative effects, and would then give her the option of using her duplication ritual on another skill.
The thought of what passive skill she would duplicate instead of Mirrored Body had been her big distraction when she had rounded the hillside and encountered the ten wretches, all of them on high alert, spotting the three of her instantly.
She had, naturally, started running straight at them, her conviction that bold action would see her through only shaken when the rock behind the wretches had stood up and charged.
¡°There should not be another grundwyrm here!¡± Aila shouted, sprinting back the way they had come. Even when she was running full tilt, Jadis could keep up while running backwards, fending off the attacks of the twisted demons. ¡°They are only seen in the north! Two in two days is ridiculous!¡±
¡°Run now, analyze later!¡± Jay shouted back, knocking one of the wretch¡¯s spears back with her hammer.
The demons weren¡¯t attacking blindly, Jadis noticed. They would poke with their spears or swords in unison, trying to attack from multiple angles at the same time, the better to catch her with one attack while the other was parried. They couldn¡¯t move with the same synchronicity as she could, but they still attacked like they were practiced in the art of combat and trained as a unit.
She saw that there was no way she could take on ten of the determined wretches, not while dodging the boulder-dile¡¯s projectiles and watching out for Aila. That was far too much for her to handle at once.
¡°Time to make space!¡± Syd yelled before leaping back and hurling her spear at the closest elk-like wretch.
The force of the spear hitting the demon sent it flying off its feet as it practically flipped heels over head, slamming into the ground. Jadis couldn¡¯t tell if the blow had killed the demon or not, but that was besides the point. Before the wretch had even finished hitting the ground, Syd had whipped around and scooped Aila up, tossing her over her shoulder as all three of Jadis spun forward and sprinted into overdrive.
A cry of alarm from Aila alerted Jadis to the danger of her move as she rapidly weaved out of the way. Several of the wretches had responded in kind, hurling their own spears as the fleeing girls. At least one tried something like the projectile vomit technique she¡¯d seen used before, but it was more like the flamethrower variety that had gotten Ludwas and not the longer-range puke bullet the boar had used earlier. Grass sizzled as the stinking mess melted the ground but was far too slow to catch Jadis.
Another rock the size of a dog went flying past Jay, but the more distance Jadis put between her selves and the demons, the less accurate the grundwyrm¡¯s attacks were. She was, however, still forced to split off, Jay running more to the left while Syd and Dys ran to the right.
The wretches did not split up, all nine of them continuing their chase after Dys and Syd. The grundwyrm was also following the two, but the stone beast wasn¡¯t able to keep up and was falling behind.
¡°Sorry, I¡¯m going to need your staff,¡± Syd told Aila as she carried her. ¡°As soon as we stop.¡±
¡°Stop?¡± Aila called out in panic, bouncing around on Syd¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Why are we stopping!?¡±
¡°We¡¯re here to hunt demons, aren¡¯t we?¡±
¡°Yes, but¡ª¡±
Aila¡¯s words were cut off by a yelp as another rock crashed to the ground at Syd¡¯s heels.
¡°We aren¡¯t letting these fucking bastards live,¡± Dys shouted as they ran. ¡°And that grundwyrm is worth a lot of experience!¡±
¡°Shit!¡± Aila screamed, jostled as Syd dodged to one side as a smaller rock flew past her. ¡°If we¡¯re stopping, go that way!¡± Aila pointed to her left, Syd¡¯s right.
A hill with the sloped side facing them was there, the cliff side edge barely visible to one side.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
¡°Go around the base! Break line of sight with the grundwyrm!¡± Aila commanded.
¡°Got it!¡± Dys and Syd shouted back in unison.
As the two sprinted away with Aila, demons trailing behind, Jay ran further to the left, then slowed and doubled back. Seeing the demon Syd had speared struggling behind the pack, giant spear still lodged in its chest, Jay charged at it.
A sickly green glow suffused the wounded wretch as Jay neared, arcane symbols floating briefly around it. With a sudden burst of speed, it rushed at Jay, a translucent yellowish-green globe of something floating behind it.
Jay¡¯s hammer smashed into the side of the wretch with a mighty crack, its arm and shoulder breaking as the demon toppled to the side in a heap. Before she could follow up on the attack, the floating globe caught up with her and the demon and shone brighter for just a split second.
¡°Fuck that doesn¡¯t look good,¡± Jay started to say, but only got about as far as ¡°Fuck¡ª¡± when the globe exploded in a burst of rancid stench and vapor.
Pain seared Jay¡¯s eyes and lungs as the noxious gas attacked her, eating away at her health pool. She couldn¡¯t suppress the cough that wracked her body as tears nearly blinded her, her eyes watering from the burning fumes.
A noise at her feet reminded her of the imminent danger she was in and Jay stepped back barely in time to dodge a swipe from the not yet dead wretch on the ground. It squealed hideously as it struggled after her, trying to kill her even in its dying moments.
¡°Fuck you too!¡± Jay shouted around a cough as she finished the demon off with a mallet blow to the head.
Ripping Syd¡¯s still intact spear from the dead wretch¡¯s chest, Jay started chasing after her other selves, a throbbing pain in her head that wasn¡¯t coming from the noxious gas attack starting to make it hard for her to focus.
Dys and Syd were also feeling the migraine-like ache as they rounded the sharp edge of the hill cliff, several hundred yards between them and Jay now. This was nearing the limit of the feasible distance she could handle being apart from her selves. As they rounded the edge of the cliff, Syd tossed Aila off her shoulder.
Aila had no issue landing on her feet with all the grace of a cat, instantly tossing her staff at Syd for her to use.
As the first eager wretch rounded the corner, Dys swung her maul with full force from right to left, smashing the body of the attacking demon between iron head and stone wall. At the same time, a second spear-wielding demon appeared, stabbing violently at Dys.
Syd parried the blow with a slap from Aila¡¯s quarterstaff. Her timing wasn¡¯t perfect and the spear still scraped against Dys¡¯ side, but the bladed head didn¡¯t quite slice through her leather armor. Syd had just enough time to swing back at the wretch, knocking its elk-like head back and away, giving Dys the opportunity to reverse her own swing and trigger a mirrored strike against the wretch.
Gore splattered across the ground as the second wretch¡¯s arm ripped clear from its shoulder from the attack. The wretch did not die, though it did crash to the ground in a squealing heap. Jadis had no time to finish it off as the rest of the demon pack rounded the corner and tried to swarm her.
Once again backpedaling, Dys and Syd swung back at the seven remaining uninjured wretches as they continued their assault. Unfortunately, without a weapon made for her height, Syd lacked the reach advantage Dys had, but the wretches had no spears left, now only attacking with swords and axes. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how long it would take the grundwyrm to round the corner of the cliff, but she planned to do as much damage to the wretches as she possibly could before it arrived.
From behind Dys and Syd, a small object whizzed through the air, striking one of the wretches trying to circle to the right in the side of the head.
Aila was keeping back and out of the way but had scooped up several stones and had begun hurling them at the demon possessed animals. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how much damage the rocks could be doing, but Aila was surprisingly accurate, hitting with each throw. The tossed stones were a distraction if nothing else, one Jadis was quick to take advantage of.
As one stone hit and caused a wretch turn and scream in her direction, Syd lunged forward and attempted to put the end of the quarterstaff through the demon¡¯s eye. She missed the eye, but the staff punched solidly into the porcine wretch¡¯s throat, causing it to stumble and fall back.
By that point, having given ground the whole time, they were reaching the end of the cliff side and Jadis could see the giant stony lizard rounding the far corner. The cliff to their left was only about thirty feet high and getting shorter as they continued to back away. As Dys, Syd, and Aila gave more ground and the wretches chased, Jay struck.
Having gone round the other way to meet her other selves as they circled the hill, Jay partially cut across the top of the hill. As the pack passed below, Jay leapt from above, landing behind the demons.
Jadis knew Oros wasn¡¯t a video game and, while it had a stats and leveling system, should not be treated as one. Still, she couldn¡¯t help but take some inspiration from a game she¡¯d played more than a few times. As Jay fell from above, she brought her mallet down one-handed on the hindmost wretch, the one Syd had poked hard in the neck.
The demon¡¯s skull caved into its chest from the force of the overhead blow, instantly killing it.
As several of the demons whirled to face Jay, Dys struck, knocking one, then another down with rapid back and forth swings of her maul. Syd followed up by tossing the quarterstaff like a spear into one of the distracted demons, putting enough force into it for the blunt end to at least partially penetrate the flesh of the creature¡¯s back.
At the same time, Jay tossed the spear she¡¯d retrieved to Syd who caught it with the same sure ease as one would toss a ball between one¡¯s own hands.
With spear, maul, and mallet swinging, Jadis laid into the diminished demon force, striking blows in conjunction with her selves over the course of several seconds, crippling or outright killing several more of the wretches.
¡°Dodge!¡± Aila screamed from behind and Jadis didn¡¯t hesitate, all three of her juking to either the left or the right.
A boulder slammed into the ground where Jay had been standing a moment before, rolling forward and crushing one of the wounded wretches like an over-ripened tomato.
Jadis had thought three sets of eyes were more than enough to cover all avenues of attack, but Aila was showing her worth, keeping constant watch on the huge stone demon making its way closer on eight stubby legs.
¡°Thanks!¡± all three of Jadis shouted out as they continued the fight, crushing another wretch with maul and mallet. Only three more of the pig-like demons remained standing but with another rock crashing to the ground inches away from Syd, Jadis decided to move.
Grabbing Aila under one arm, Dys dashed around the side of the hill, heading for the more open, sloped side. Jay and Syd followed behind, the three mobile demons chasing after. As they turned the corner and moved into the open space, one of the demons tried to cut them off by hurling its axe at them. Surprised by the move, Jay didn¡¯t dodge out of the way in time, the blade burying itself a few inches into her leather-padded chest and striking her chest bone.
¡°Fuck!¡± Jay cried out, the blow striking harder than she would have liked.
Taking the opening, Syd lunged forward at the now weaponless wretch, skewering its head with her spear before tossing its now lifeless body to the side and into the feet of the two remaining wretches, causing them to slow and stumble.
Ripping the axe from her chest, Jay reversed it and hurled it back at the wretches. The handle bounced uselessly off of one of the impeded demons, but it was enough to trigger Mirrored Strikes for Syd as her spear exploded through the creature¡¯s chest, killing it.
The last demon fell as Dys charged from the side a moment later, sans Aila, sweeping her maul in a low swing through its legs, breaking at least one of them. The wretch only had a second to squeal in pain before Jay¡¯s mallet came down on its head, silencing it forever.
¡°Shit, I¡¯m bleeding a lot,¡± Jay growled out, one hand going to the open wound in the center of her chest.
The grundwyrm could still be heard coming, catching up to their side of the hill. Thinking fast, Jay switched weapons with Syd, then moved to join Aila where she was waiting a few yards away, a stone still in hand and ready to be thrown.
¡°Got anything to stop the bleeding?¡± Jay asked, already pulling her leather chest piece off.
¡°Yes,¡± Aila said simply, dropping the rocks and pulling her backpack around, rummaging inside for a few seconds before pulling out a small copper jar with a lid.
As Jay bared her chest and Aila began smearing a thick bluish salve into the wound between her breasts, Dys and Syd raced up the slope and to the edge of the cliff, looking down on the stone wyrm as it plodded along, intent on catching its quarry.
¡°If it worked the first time¡¡± the two said as the demon passed thirty feet below.
Both leapt off the cliff at the same time, hammer and maul aiming for the rear half of the grundwyrm. Their plunging attacks struck true and the effects were explosive. Not only did the tail of the boulder-based demon break off, the fourth and rearmost pair of legs did as well, Jadis¡¯ double blow causing the demon¡¯s back to break apart into bits where her attacks landed.
The attack did not kill the grundwyrm and Dys and Syd were forced to quickly scramble away as the stone beast tried to whirl and crush them, but it did neutralize its ranged tail attack. As the now unbalanced grundwyrm gave chase, the two of Jadis ran back the way they had come, leading the demon back around the hill.
As they ran, they passed by four of the wretches that had not died, their several injuries wounding and incapacitating them, but not killing them. Jadis didn¡¯t stop to finish them off, an idea flitting through her mind that she decided to act on, or she would act on as soon as the stone demon was dead.
In the time it took the pursuing wyrm to chase Dys and Syd around the hill in one long lap, Aila had slathered enough of the poultice into Jay¡¯s wound to stop the bleeding. Wrapping her chest in bandages Aila also provided, Jay quickly got her chest armor back on and was ready and waiting as Dys and Syd kited the stone monster around.
Leaving the large spear in Aila¡¯s hands, Jay dashed forward with a large rock in hand. With three of her now surrounding the smaller, partially diminished grundwyrm, with her far greater speed and Mirrored Strikes, it was only a matter of time before the beast was falling apart, stone head and legs breaking off and collapsing into pieces.
In the end, Jadis peeled the rocky exterior of the demon apart, exposing a hollow in roughly the middle of the wyrm¡¯s body containing a wriggling mass of tentacles with a large yellow eye in the center.
¡°Hey, Blue! Get over here and finish this thing off!¡±
Startled into action by Dys¡¯ command, Aila rushed over, clutching the spear that towered several feet over her head. With only a tiny pause, she lowered the spear point and jammed it into the writhing mess of dark purple demon. It took a few tries, but eventually the tentacles ceased squirming and a system message displayed across Jadis¡¯ vision.
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Congratulations!
Grundwyrm Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
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¡°Well fuck, that was a hell of a fight,¡± Jay panted, dropping the rock she no longer needed.
¡°I leveled,¡± Aila whispered, hands letting go of the spear. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. I¡ªI actually leveled.¡±
¡°Nice!¡± Syd grinned, slapping the shorter woman on the shoulder, sending her stumbling a bit. ¡°Congratulations!¡±
¡°Good work,¡± Jay smiled at Aila, patting her a little more gently on the other shoulder.
¡°Don¡¯t relax just yet, though,¡± Dys warned, yanking the spear from the grundwyrm demon core and putting the shaft back in Aila¡¯s hands. ¡°We still have four more twisted wretches to finish off.¡±
¡°Huh?¡± Aila looked up dumbly at Dys, clearly still trying to process the whirlwind fight.
Putting a hand on her back, Dys guided the redhead back towards the cliff side of the hill as Jay and Syd followed along. ¡°There are four more still alive, crippled. Pretty sure you¡¯ll get more experience if you participate with a killing blow.¡±
¡°Not exactly sporting,¡± Syd shrugged, ¡°but they¡¯re demons and trying to kill us, so fuck ¡®em.¡±
Using her mallet and maul to hold the wounded wretches down, Jadis let Aila finish the remaining demons off. Without being in the heat of battle, Jadis almost felt sorry for the basically helpless creatures, until one of them tried to projectile vomit acid at Aila, forcing Dys to slam her foot down on its mouth to prevent it.
¡°Shit, I think that burned my foot,¡± Dys complained, trying to wipe her bare foot off in the grass.
¡°At least you didn¡¯t get an axe to the chest,¡± Jay groused, putting one hand over the cut piece of leather, red bandages just barely showing through. ¡°Plus, I got gassed by one of those fuckers. A burnt toe is not that big of a deal.¡±
¡°I feel fine,¡± Syd piped up. Indeed, she had suffered nearly no injuries at all.
A laugh interrupted Jadis¡¯ self-directed complaints. Aila leaned against the spear in her hand, a genuine smile on her face as little bursts of incredulous laughter bubbled up from her core.
¡°I have to say,¡± Aila commented between fits of giggles, ¡°you three are the most chaotic team of demon hunters I¡¯ve ever seen in action.¡±
Jay grinned, brushing white hair out of her still stinging eyes. ¡°Effective though, right?¡±
¡°Absolutely,¡± Aila agreed.
Chapter 60: Interested
After checking her system messages, Jadis found that her secondary class had gained a level as well, bringing it up to thirteen. Jadis almost wanted to throw caution to the wind and find another one of those grundwyrms. They were certainly good for large boosts of experience. Upon a moment¡¯s consideration, however, she decided against it. Her health was looking awful at about a third of her total max and her armor was proving to be woefully inadequate to the task of defending against real weapons rather than claws and bones.
Still, she¡¯d gone up two levels, one for each of her classes, and Aila had gotten a level, too. Overall, an exceptionally successful hunt, in her opinion.
After letting Aila know it was time to return to the city, a plan Aila wholeheartedly agreed with after insisting the three giants let her apply more salve and bandages to their wounds. They also took the time to cut the eyes from the demon cores to present as proof of their kills.
¡°A second grundwyrm in the hills,¡± Aila had said with a worried crease to her brow as they extracted the stone demon¡¯s eye. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be making it past the perimeter without notice. The magistrate is probably going to order a full-scale search-and-slay to find out where they are coming from and to put a stop to it.¡±
With the demon eyes collected in a sack, another convenience Aila had thought of that Jadis had not, Jadis also gathered the swords, spears, and axes the wretches had been wielding, then started the trek back to Felsen. Aila made no complaint about being carried; in fact, she wrapped her arms around Syd¡¯s neck as they jogged along, an act that sent a little delighted thrill up Jadis¡¯ spines.
The run back to Felsen took longer than when they left. With all the fighting, injuries, and strenuous activity, Jadis was feeling far too tired to sprint full tilt, but a light jog with her long legs and high agility still ate up the ground at a fast rate. As she ran, Jadis reviewed the skill options her secondary class had presented her upon reaching her thirteenth level.
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Ribald Recovery
Passive Skill. Regain health at a moderately increased rate while having sex. Cannot regenerate lost limbs.
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So. A sexualized version of the health regenerating skill she already had. Not a terrible option, but not a necessary one, either. Jadis could see the advantage of not having to sleep to heal, but on the other hand, both this sexy skill and Knight¡¯s Rest used the adjective ¡®moderately¡¯ in their description of how greatly increased the healing rate was. Eight hours of sleep was a lot easier to accomplish than eight hours of sex, and both would likely yield the same result.
The eight hours of sex kind of felt like a fun challenge, but Jadis did not think she¡¯d want to do that every time she needed some healing. That being said, if one of her bodies slept while the other two went at it like rabbits, would she be doubling her healing? Was it even possible for one of her to sleep while the other two fucked?
Food for thought.
Uncertain about the viability of Ribald Recovery, Jadis checked the second option given to her.
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Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond
Ritual Spell. Increase one attribute of your target by 0.5 of your Eldritch attribute. Cannot be cast on self. Target chooses the boosted attribute. After the initial ritual, the spell requires recharging or the effect will end after three days.
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Interesting. A powerful boosting ritual that Jadis couldn¡¯t actually make use of herself. Had she been offered the skill because she¡¯d started adventuring with another person? It seemed that way, as Jadis had noticed that the skills she was offered were influenced by her actions, at least to a degree.
Honestly, Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond seemed like a great skill, one she¡¯d be happy to take, provided she had someone she could use it on. The woman Jadis was carrying in her arms was certainly someone she was willing to take a chance with and perform the ritual with, but was Aila willing?
Jadis saw no way around it but asking. Maybe not right now. After their promised date? Would one date be the socially acceptable timeframe to bring up the possibility of participating in a sex ritual?
Well, between the two skills, Jadis figured it was best to take Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond. Even if things didn¡¯t work out with Aila, it was still a powerful boost that Jadis was sure she¡¯d eventually find someone to use it on, who¡¯d be willing to be her partner of both the lewd and the adventuring sort.
She hoped Aila would be that partner. Even more than the lascivious dancing they had enjoyed together, Jadis was impressed by Aila¡¯s preparations and cool, level-headed thinking when under duress. The Cart Driver had been wildly out of her league in the fight with the wretches and wyrm, but she hadn¡¯t freaked out or become paralyzed with fear. She¡¯d done what she could, given good advice when able, and offered excellent support.
Jadis was liking the freckled cutie more and more.
¡°Get anything good for your nineteenth level skill?¡± Syd asked, feeling a sudden need to speak with the redhead she was cradling.
¡°Yes, actually,¡± Aila nodded, her voice a little shaky from the bouncing jog. ¡°A high tier laborer archetype skill that rarely gets offered. It gives me plus five points to both dexterity and agility. It¡¯s the biggest boost I¡¯ve ever gotten from a skill. It¡¯s not a magic attribute boost, but it¡¯s an amazing increase considering my class.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
Jadis liked the smile that was unconsciously spreading across Aila¡¯s face. She wanted to see it more often.
¡°There are benefits to hanging around us,¡± Jay chimed in. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve gotten two levels in two days just from being near you. I absolutely will say there are benefits.¡±
¡°Think you might want to stay near to us regularly?¡± Dys asked, trying to make the question sound casual. Even to her own ears though, she didn¡¯t think she succeeded.
Aila was quiet for a long while and Jadis didn¡¯t press her. She honestly wasn¡¯t even quite sure what she was asking of the redhead. She let her think, hoping whatever conclusion Aila came to would mean they¡¯d be spending more time together.
Eventually the three crested a hill and saw the gates of Felsen in the near distance. Patting Syd on the shoulder, Aila asked to be let down and the four slowed to a walk.
¡°Let¡¯s say, just hypothetically, I was willing to break my contract with Bernd¡¯s Blades and join up as an independent mercenary with you.¡± Aila¡¯s face remained stoic and neutral as she spoke, her eyes staring straight ahead and not glancing at any of Jadis¡¯ selves. ¡°I can see the potential benefits to my leveling rate. However, what benefit do you three gain? If we were to enter into a¡ partnership, I don¡¯t believe it can or should be one-sided. What do you get out of it?¡±
¡°We¡¯d get a competent, skilled woman who clearly knows about logistics and other such things that we have no experience with,¡± Jay answered honestly.
¡°Plus, you¡¯re definitely going to be able to kick some ass once you have a spell casting class in another level,¡± Dys pointed out. ¡°You¡¯ll be contributing plenty in fights once we get you a little more magical muscle.¡±
Aila¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but she did glance sidelong at Jay, then Dys, then Syd.
¡°And what if we don¡¯t partner in more¡ personal ways?¡±
¡°Then we don¡¯t,¡± Syd stated with finality.
¡°You getting involved with us in an intimate way isn¡¯t a requirement,¡± Jay elaborated. ¡°If you want to be our cool, magic casting mercenary partner but don¡¯t want to become anything more than that, then that¡¯s fine. We can accept that, and we¡¯ll still be happy to have you along.¡±
After a moment¡¯s pause, Dys continued, ¡°That being said, I think we¡¯ve got to be up front with you. We would like your participation in some of the rituals we perform for our secondary class. However, that dancing ritual we did with you? It wasn¡¯t typical to how our other rituals go.¡±
¡°In what way?¡± Aila asked, her eyes showing an inner light of curiosity.
¡°Our other rituals are usually a lot more physically intense.¡±
¡°Define ¡®intense¡¯,¡± Aila prompted with a raised eyebrow.
With a deep breath, Jadis took the plunge.
¡°A lot more sexually intense,¡± Jay explained.
There was a pregnant pause, broken only by a small, ¡°Oh,¡± from Aila.
¡°If that¡¯s a dealbreaker for you, we totally understand,¡± Syd rushed out. ¡°And like we said, we¡¯re absolutely not requiring your involvement. I mean, we¡¯d be thrilled if you did because you¡¯re beautiful and smart and we¡¯d rather do the rituals with people we¡¯re attracted to and fuck I am blabbering¡ª¡±
Jadis cut herself off, her nerves unexpectedly getting the better of her. She hadn¡¯t thought approaching Aila about the possibility of sex with benefits would be quite so difficult.
Silence hung between them for a while as they neared the city gates, Jadis keeping her mouths shut for fear of making more of a fool of herself. She wasn¡¯t sure if she should have dumped everything onto the floor right in front of Aila like that, but at least it was out there.
¡°It¡¯s not a dealbreaker,¡± Aila suddenly said, her face still neutral though a tell-tale blush was coloring her ears. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m not opposed to the idea at all. I¡¯m¡ interested.¡±
Excited grins broke out across Jadis¡¯ faces.
¡°That being said,¡± Aila continued, ¡°I still need to think about this. About what it means if we were to partner up. Can we hold off on the date for another time? I promise, even if I stick with Bernd¡¯s Blades, I will go on a date with you three. I¡¯d just like to think things over tonight.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Jadis readily agreed, all three of her answering in unison.
There it was. Aila was interested. Aila was interested in her. Hope kindled to a roaring flame of passion, Jadis immediately accessed her menu and selected the Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond as her newest ritual spell. The skill chosen, she took it as a promise for future events.
By that point they were close enough to the city gates that Jadis didn¡¯t want to risk further talk being overheard. She and Aila passed through the guard check quickly, the gate having almost no line at that time of day. The guards checked Jadis¡¯ three badges, confirming ownership with a small device of their own. Since the guard using the magic instrument made no reaction or comment, Jadis assumed the official, Hugo, had not been lying and the guards weren¡¯t able to see her menu details.
Once inside the city, Jadis and Aila parted ways with a promise to meet up early in the morning at the restaurant Aila had taken her to before. Whether that meeting would be one of new partnership or farewells, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure, but with the way she saw Aila look at her when she thought she wasn¡¯t paying attention, Jadis was leaning towards partnership. Hopefully partnership with benefits.
Stopping by her inn to drop off the weapons she¡¯d pilfered and drawing a few looks of concern from the plump innkeeper, Jadis sought out a healing clinic Aila had told her of located in the market square. The clinic was staffed by priests of the local religion and offered minor healing for free and greater feats of regeneration and rejuvenation for a fee, depending on what was needed. Jadis very much wanted to find out more about the local religion, if for no other reason than to see how exactly her patron D fit into things, but she held off on asking any questions. Her main purpose in going to the clinic rather than taking Hela up on her offer to heal was to avoid any awkward questions about how if one of her was healed, all three of her selves were healed.
Upon reaching the clinic, Jadis transferred all the wounds her bodies had taken onto just Jay using her Mirrored Body¡¯s Shifting Reflection skill. With only one person to heal there was a lot less for the healing priests to get suspicious about. After a couple of coins spent and a fast couple of minutes of healing, Jadis was good as new, though her armor wasn¡¯t.
¡°New weapons and armor, tomorrow, for sure,¡± Jadis mumbled as she left the clinic. The slashes her makeshift leathers had taken made it obvious she needed something far more durable.
Healed up and about as respectable looking as she could manage considering she was wearing junk, was barefoot, and had bloodstains on what little she did wear, Jadis visited the magistrate¡¯s office for the second time that day. Turning in the bag of eyes mere hours after becoming a registered mercenary caused a minor stir among the workers manning the service desks, but after a short wait to verify her bounties, Jadis was paid a sum almost as large as the one Ludwas had given her. As her bounty was paid out, Hugo made an appearance, discussing the demon eyes turned in with several of the workers in hushed whispers. More than a few difficult to interpret glances were sent Jadis¡¯ way and before she could become embroiled in any further commotion, Jadis took her silver and made a polite but hasty exit.
Now that she had what she judged to be a solid amount of coin, Jadis decided she¡¯d hold off on visiting the magistrate¡¯s office with bounties to turn in for a while. She already stood out enough already just from appearance alone. She didn¡¯t need even more attention, at least not from what amounted to the local government.
She could stand for a little more attention from pretty women, though.
Errands done for the day, Jadis returned to the inn and paid for a triple portion of a hearty meal the establishment provided. The food had a homey taste to it and was exceptionally filling. Sitting at one of the tables in the inn¡¯s main room was a challenge, but the roasted duck made the too-small chairs worth it.
Bidding the innkeeper a good night, Jadis retired to the second floor, quickly cleaning her bodies up in the common washroom before shutting her selves up in her room.
She had a ritual to perform and after several days of restraint and a whole lot of titillation via interactions with a certain redhead, Jadis was feeling more than a little eager to begin the perverse ceremony.
Chapter 61: About Time
Construction in Felsen favored stone as a building material. Wood was used for plenty of different aspects, like roof rafters, doors, and other finishes, but solid stone was the main component of any structure in the city. A natural consequence of most buildings being made of stone was the that the floors and walls were thick and sturdy. And soundproof.
Jadis wasted no time as the bedroom door locked behind her. All three of her bodies were naked in moments, cloth and leathers stripped off and tossed aside, unnecessary to the coming event. Seeing her own body, three identical versions from three different views had Jadis more than excited. Her erections were at full attention in moments, her nipples tightened from more than just the cool air and a familiar heat and wetness forming in the cores of her selves.
¡°It¡¯s low risk, but are we sure we want to go through with this?¡± Syd asked.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Her hands moved to Jay and Dys¡¯ rock-hard members, long fingers lightly tracing along pale flesh. Both moved in closer to Syd, their own hands starting to wander across shoulders, chest, breast, and abs.
¡°We know you appeared with Debauched Duplication. We might have lost track of which of us is the original,¡± Jay answered, her breath already starting to grow heavy, ¡°but with you we know for sure. Once we switch the skill we are duplicating, you¡¯ll be the one to disappear.¡±
¡°Probably,¡± Syd agreed, no particular concern in her voice. Jadis was, after all, just one person. It was a little weird to think about, but functionally dismissing Syd was only diminishing her number of limbs, not removing a person from existence.
¡°It¡¯s a great opportunity,¡± Dys continued, mouth moving to nip at Syd¡¯s ear. ¡°When else are we going to get the opportunity to fuck ourselves in the pussy?¡±
[Censored Sex Scene. The full scene can be viewed on ScribbleHub.com]
As Dys moved to kneel behind Jay, she smiled wickedly.
¡°And I¡¯ll do all the work.¡±
Chapter 62: Gone and Back Again
Sweat dripped from Dys¡¯ brow and nose and fell onto Jay¡¯s back and neck as she panted with exhaustion. Her legs felt weak and unsteady as she held her half-crouched position behind Jay, her inhuman stamina starting to fail her. Her hands wrapped around Jay¡¯s waist in a powerful grip.
[Censored Sex Scene. The full scene can be viewed on ScribbleHub.com]
Syd¡¯s body, having already been glowing for some time, flashed brightly as Jay¡¯s orgasm subsided. The illumination was nearly blinding, but slightly less so than the first time. A strange sensation entered Jadis¡¯ mind as it cleared from its cum-induced haze. The need to choose a new skill to replace what had been duplicated before impressed itself upon her consciousness.
Jadis had deliberated which skill to duplicate quite a lot as she had gone about her business about town before retiring to her room in the inn but hadn¡¯t given it any further consideration once the ritual had begun, her mind far too distracted by more pressing, sexy concerns. Now that the moment had come, she still found herself uncertain as to what to choose. She¡¯d narrowed her choices down to three possibilities, but all three had pros and cons that made picking one difficult. Out of ten passive skills, the three possibilities she¡¯d earmarked for duplication were Mirror Knight¡¯s Might, Minor Fractional Spread, and Mirrored Strikes.
Mirrored Knight¡¯s Might seemed like the most obvious choice. The skill was already pumping her strength attribute up by fifty percent. If she took the skill again, she could increase another of her stats by fifty percent, or even potentially boost her strength up by double, assuming the duplicated skill would stack in that way. It was always possible that the skill might add fifty percent to the already multiplied strength stat, which would mean an even higher number. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how the skills would interact, but either way would be an impressive increase to her ability to smash demons.
The downside in her mind, though, was what might happen if she came across a skill she wanted to duplicate more, later. Admittedly, Jadis knew she tended to act in the moment rather than plan long term, but she was trying to give some thought and care to what skills she chose. So far, she¡¯d seen no sign of being able to respec her stats or skills so the choices she made were likely permanent. So, after considering the ramifications of duplicating a skill that would massively raise her strength, Jadis had to wonder, if she grew to rely on that huge increase, would she be in a sore bind if a better skill, one that made more sense to duplicate, came along? If she gave up something like twenty-five or thirty-seven points of strength, depending on how the system worked the combo, she¡¯d suddenly be a lot weaker, presuming the skill she was duplicating instead didn¡¯t do something better for her strength.
The presumption of loss when she hadn¡¯t even selected the skill yet made Jadis¡¯ brain itch. It was the kind of negative thinking she tried to avoid, but it was a consideration. Thinking about the ways taking a skill might backfire was the important planning. Of course, she could avoid all of that hoopla with Mirror Knight¡¯s Might and go with a different skill, like Minor Fractional Spread.
While not as dramatic an improvement, duplicating the eldritch-dependent skill would give her seven more points in all of her physical attributes. Agility wouldn¡¯t be affected, since it was currently being overlayed by another skill, but the remaining five stats would benefit from the increase. Plus, the boost would only get better as she continued to funnel points towards eldritch. Also, if she did end up switching her duplication skill to something else, the drop from twenty percent to ten percent wouldn¡¯t be quite as hard to adjust to. There really weren¡¯t any downsides to duplicating Minor Fractional Spread that Jadis could think of, other than she wouldn¡¯t be benefiting from the massive boost to her strength duplicating Mirror Knight¡¯s Might would give.
There was also her third option, Mirrored Strikes, to consider. The skill had no hard numbers, thus had the greatest amount of uncertainty as to how duplicating the skill would affect Jadis. However, Mirrored Strikes turned her already powerful attacks into absolutely devastating blows. If she could increase the damage her joint attacks did by even half again as much, the results would be¡ considerable, to put it lightly. The boost to raw attack power when her bodies worked together was extremely attractive.
Her earlier internal deliberations on what she should choose swirled in Jadis¡¯ mind for a short while when she suddenly noticed the glow coming from Syd¡¯s skin start to fade.
¡°Shit, we¡¯re on a timer!¡± Jay cried out.
Panicking, decision still unmade, Dys lunged for the pile of discarded clothes on the floor. Grabbing a leather pouch from out of the heap, Dys withdrew a silver coin and flipped it into the air.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
¡°Heads it¡¯s Mirror, tails it¡¯s Spread!¡± Dys called out, watching where the coin landed and spun on the stone floor.
¡°What about Mirrored strikes?¡± Syd asked as she and Jay floundered in a slippery, sticky heap as they tried to disentangle themselves.
¡°Fuck, too late!¡± Dys cursed.
Syd¡¯s glow was rapidly fading and Jadis could feel the opportunity to choose closing.
¡°Tails!¡± Dys announced as the spinning coin¡¯s momentum petered out.
Acting immediately, Jadis made the conscious effort to select Minor Fractional Spread for duplication. As she willed the change to take place, a bizarre sensation rippled through Jadis as Syd¡¯s glow flared up even brighter than before. Suddenly, Jay was no longer entangled with another sweaty body and she collapsed onto the blanket nest with a surprised grunt.
The feeling of losing a whole body was so bizarre, Jadis had trouble putting words together to describe it. She had grown used to piloting three selves at the same time, seeing from three perspectives while processing the physical input of three bodies that weren¡¯t always experiencing the same things. To suddenly lose one of those bodies was jarring, yet inexplicably, Jadis couldn¡¯t explain what was actually wrong.
She still had her hands and her feet. She still had her eyes and ears and nose. She could see and feel and move around without any issue whatsoever, in duplicate even. Nothing was wrong with her and she was unhindered in every way, her strong bodies feeling even stronger as she sensed a change brought on by Minor Fraction Spread¡¯s duplication.
Yet, she felt that she should feel wrong, because of her immediate memories telling her she should have more to herself than she currently had.
¡°I don¡¯t like this at all,¡± Jay said with a shudder, standing up from her prone position on the ground.
¡°We need to get Syd back,¡± Dys agreed as she stood as well. The weird feeling of missing a part of herself was supremely uncomfortable.
Accessing her menu, Jadis mentally brought up her skill selection choices for Mirror Knight and confirmed her selection of Improved Mirrored Body. The moment she did so, another blinding flash of white light engulfed both of Jadis¡¯ selves, causing stunned disorientation as the light faded.
¡°Fuck, forgot how confusing that feels,¡± Jay said, rubbing her eyes.
Between Jay and Dys stood a third self, identical in every way just as expected, except that she was clean of all sexual fluids and, oddly, wearing a white loincloth.
¡°Well, I¡¯m back!¡± Syd announced with a wave.
¡°And you brought¡ more underwear,¡± Dys said with a puzzled tone. ¡°Or is it the same?¡±
Kneeling and checking the clothing pile, Dys confirmed that Syd¡¯s previous loincloth she¡¯d been wearing before was missing from the heap of discarded garments. The rest of what she had been wearing was there, but the loincloth she¡¯d been summoned into the world with had apparently de-summoned when she had.
¡°I guess that means the loincloth is a concrete part of the spell effect?¡± Jay questioned, staring at the pristine white undergarment wrapped around Syd¡¯s hips.
¡°Also, we just found a great way for me to clean my underwear,¡± Syd pointed out, lifting the loose cloth up to sniff. ¡°This thing¡¯s freshly laundered.¡±
¡°Shut the fuck up,¡± Jay and Dys both said as they wrapped around Syd from both sides. Impulsively, both placed wet kisses on either side of Syd¡¯s face.
¡°Glad to be three again,¡± Jay said with a sigh.
¡°However briefly, being just two felt so off,¡± Dys agreed, leaning her head against Syd¡¯s.
Syd, wrapping both of her mirrored selves in her arms smiled and said, ¡°Good to be loved! Even if it¡¯s self-love.¡±
Basking in the comforting feeling of rightness having three bodies gave her, Jadis simply existed unthinking for a few minutes. Eventually though, she had got tired of standing, her worn out stamina not having recovered from the events of the long day.
Settling down into her nest, arms and legs wrapping around each self in a reassuring knot of giant-sized limbs, Jadis pulled up her main status menu to double check what she hoped duplicating Minor Fractional Spread would do.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (21)
Secondary Class: Perverted Ritualist of D (13)
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 34
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Health: 500/500
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Magic: 10/10
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Attributes
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Strength: 85
Dexterity: 25
Agility: 79
Vitality: 50
Fortitude: 35
Endurance: 37
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 79
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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Jadis couldn¡¯t be unhappy with what she saw. Her attributes looked robust in her opinion. Considering Aila had been happy with a five-point boost to two physical stats, Jadis supposed having two skills that worked together to give her a total of seventy-five more points spread across five attributes was¡ well, fuck, maybe more than robust. Jadis was beginning to think she might be something of a monster.
She had to wonder, if her stats looked this good, how¡¯d they look for someone like the chosen hero of Oros?
Chapter 63: The Magistrate
Waking up around dawn the next morning, Jadis went about cleaning up and getting dressed. With her shuffling of skills and subsequent stat increases of the night before, Jadis was eager to get back out into the wilds and fight some more demons. Not only was her strength looking good at a solid eighty-five points, but the increase to her other stats seemed like they¡¯d make a big difference in the way her next encounter with a pack of wretches went. Of course, what would make an even bigger difference would be new, more reliable, weapons and armor. A shopping trip was definitely in order.
Gathering up the poor-quality weapons she¡¯d salvaged from the wretches, Jadis tied them into a bundle. She figured she could sell the weapons at the same shop she¡¯d bought her big mallet at. Even if they weren¡¯t worth much, every penny counted. Digging through the boxes of supplies she¡¯d taken with her from her starting village, Jadis also pulled out the bag of plundered jewelry she¡¯d found on the dead adventurer¡¯s remains from the basement in the mining village. She wasn¡¯t sure what they were worth, but silver was silver and she was sure she¡¯d get a decent amount of coin from selling the little bag of rings and bracelets.
Now that she thought about it, she supposed the dead man had likely been an independent mercenary, just like she was now. She¡¯d have to be careful not to become a pile of old junk in a dingy basement somewhere, too.
Jadis also planned to check on Aila. This morning was the moment of truth. Either she was going to be joining up with her or they would be saying farewell to one another. Jadis earnestly hoped it wouldn¡¯t be a goodbye today.
¡°Let¡¯s skip breakfast for now and find Blue,¡± Jay said after finishing getting her damaged makeshift armor on.
¡°Also, let¡¯s see if this town has something like a bathhouse. Wiping ourselves off with cold water is way worse now after having a hot bath at Bernd¡¯s headquarters,¡± Syd said, rubbing a towel in Dys¡¯ hair to dry it.
¡°Fuck, warm water would be nice,¡± Dys sighed.
The inn, while chosen for its tall ceilings and decently sized rooms, did not have private baths. The communal restroom on the second floor had plumbing, but it did not have heated water and the tub was even smaller than the one at the mercenary HQ. Jadis was forced to pour cold water over her heads and give herself wipe-downs with towels. No worse than bathing in the streams out in the pine woods, but now that she was in a city, Jadis hoped for better.
Coming down the stairs, Jadis was greeted by the smell of freshly baked bread wafting from the open kitchen door. The plump innkeeper came bustling out with a tray of steaming rolls upon Jadis¡¯ morning greetings. Breakfast came as part of the cost of the room she was renting, but considering her appetite, Jadis decided not to take advantage of the pleasant woman¡¯s hospitality beyond snagging a few of the, to her at least, bite sized rolls. If Jadis ate her fill, she was fairly certain the kindly woman would take a loss on the deal.
Slipping out of the inn door with her weapons and looted gear over her shoulders, Jadis breathed in the slightly salty air of the port city. A breeze was blowing in from the sea, tickling her noses and ruffling her hair.
¡°Beautiful day!¡± Jay said with a white-toothed grin, stretching her arms high overhead.
¡°Yup, lots of sun, lots of fresh air,¡± Dys agreed.
¡°Lots of guards walking our way,¡± Syd added, glancing to the left at the double column of eight city guards marching down the road, led by a taller man in slightly fancier-looking armor.
¡°You three!¡± the lead guard shouted as the retinue neared her, ¡°You three are Jay, Dys, and Syd, the so-called Nephilim.¡±
The man wasn¡¯t asking a question so much as he was making a statement. Jadis supposed it would be difficult to mistake her and her mirrored selves for anyone else.
Turning to face the ¡ª guard captain? ¡ª Jadis put on her most respectful expressions and made sure not to look like she was about to use any of the many weapons she was currently carrying. She didn¡¯t know why the guards were looking for her, but she was sure things were likely only to get worse if she made herself look hostile. No way did she want to start a fight with a whole city filled with guards and soldiers.
¡°Yes, can we help you?¡± Jay answered, taking the lead from her middle position.
¡°Present your badges for confirmation,¡± the guard captain commanded gruffly.
The man was shorter than either Gerwas or Ludwas and had to crane his neck far back to look up at the three giants. Jadis figured he was probably only an inch or two below average height, comparing him to the soldiers lined up behind him, but they were all dwarf-like in size to Jadis anyway. His salt-and-pepper beard was neatly trimmed and his nose was bent. As brusque as he was, Jadis got the impression he was an experienced soldier.
¡°Okay,¡± Jay agreed readily to the guard¡¯s demand.
Pulling their badges out, all three of Jadis let the guard captain check them with a device identical to the one the gate guards had used to check them the day before. As the enchanted device flashed blue, the captain grunted in acceptance.
¡°Right. You three come with us.¡±
The guards moved upon a wave of their leader¡¯s hand, taking up station on either side of Jadis¡¯ three bodies, lining up in perfect formation so that she had nowhere to go but where the captain led, unless she wanted to get physical.
¡°Why? What do you want with us?¡± Dys asked, trying to keep the growing concern out of her voice.
The guard captain turned back the way he and his men had come and began a brisk march. Seeing the fully armored and armed men surrounding her start to move as well, Jadis felt compelled to march to, though she had to slow her pace slightly to keep from overtaking the captain or bumping into him.
¡°The magistrate has requested your presence,¡± the captain finally answered Dys¡¯ question. ¡°That¡¯s all I know, so keep quiet and don¡¯t make trouble.¡± The captain¡¯s gruff and somewhat impatient tone brooked no argument. He expected obedience.
Jadis was half tempted to start asking all kinds of questions just to annoy the imperious man. His honestly rude attitude was getting on her nerves. While she didn¡¯t generally mind authority figures who were just doing their jobs, this guy was being a bit of a dick for no reason that she could tell.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
As the merits and drawbacks of potentially pissing off a guard captain rattled back and forth in Jadis¡¯ head, she and her guard escort passed through one of the large main roads of the city. Spotting a familiar head of red hair, Jadis focused and saw Aila watching her and the column of guards with wide eyes.
Seeing Aila instantly distracted Jadis from any thought of antagonizing the guard captain, not only because it was embarrassing to let someone she was interested in see her being led away by guards, but because of what Aila was wearing. She was wearing her typical leather pants and boots, but her tunic wasn¡¯t the green and brown colors of Bernd¡¯s Blades but was instead grey. She also had her large backpack on and her quarterstaff in hand. She looked like she was ready to go out trekking in the hills, not drive a wagon.
A triple grin couldn¡¯t help but split Jadis¡¯ faces at the realization that Aila had chosen to join her over sticking with the mercenary company. Just as quickly though, Jadis dampened the grins and gave Aila a helpless shrug, motioning to the guards as the group turned the corner and marched away from Aila.
Jadis felt just a little bad a moment later, Syd glancing over her shoulder to look, when she realized that her joy at seeing Aila equipped to partner up and adventure with her had meant she¡¯d completely ignored Gerwas and Ludwas standing next to the redhead. The two were geared up in their standard mercenary kit and Jadis imagined they were there to see their Aila off, maybe give Jadis a strong word or two about keeping their niece safe. Now she wondered if they were about to turn her around and lead her back to the Blades, just to keep her from getting involved with a trio that was being dragged off by the city guard.
Instead, next time one of Jadis¡¯ selves glanced back, she saw that Aila and her uncles were following behind the procession, surprisingly determined looks on their faces.
The knowledge that she wasn¡¯t being instantly written off bolstered Jadis¡¯ mood.
Marching quickly, the guards escorted the three Nephilim to the same large government building she¡¯d gotten her badges from and turned in her bounties. Led inside and past the lobby area, Jadis was taken through a door and up a couple flights of stairs to the third floor. The decorations in the hallway were much more impressive than anything Jadis had seen in the city so far. A blue and white carpet ran the length of the wide hall. Detailed portraits of royal-looking men and women lined the walls, and even the doors between the paintings looked expensive with rich carvings decorating them. At the end of the hall stood a double door guarded by two more guards in what Jadis could only describe as ceremonial armor. The hall had a tall enough ceiling that the two guards¡¯ halberds could be held at attention without any difficulty, a fact Jadis was grateful for since it meant more headroom for her.
With a word from the guard captain, the two guards opened the doors and the captain went inside while the eight guards that had been escorting her peeled off and took up positions along the walls.
Not seeing any other reasonable course of action, Jadis followed the captain and ducked through the large doors into a richly appointed study.
A woman sat behind a large dark desk, her presence instantly capturing Jadis¡¯ attention. She was an elf, her skin a light-blue color and her hair blood-red and tied back in a braid. Her eyes had that same solid color quality as the other elves Jadis had seen and disturbingly matched her hair in color. She was beautiful, in a sharp kind of way. Everything about her intense expression and perfect posture gave Jadis the impression the woman was someone who was used to giving orders and having them obeyed.
The elf was not wearing armor, but what she did have on looked like some kind of military uniform and was colored in the same white and blue heraldry the guards wore. Jadis saw no sign of a weapon, either, but a red glass orb the size of a soccer ball floated in the air to the side and behind the woman¡¯s head, glowing ominously. Jadis assumed the elf woman was probably some kind of spell caster.
¡°The mercenaries Jay, Dys, and Syd, as requested,¡± the guard captain announced, drawing himself up in a salute that involved putting his closed right fist on his chest.
¡°Thank you, you may go,¡± the elf said. Her voice had a different accent from what Jadis was used to hearing from almost everyone else she¡¯d spoken to on Oros. While Aila and the other mercenaries had a vaguely German-like accent, this elf sounded almost like she was an upper-class Brit with how posh her tones were.
The guard bowed slightly and promptly left, the doors shutting behind Jadis with a soft click, leaving her alone in the room with the blue elf.
¡°So¡¡± Syd drawled, breaking the tense silence.
The elf¡¯s head turned slightly, dark red eyes focusing on Syd with such predatory intensity that Jadis faltered in her words, shutting her mouth with an audible click.
The tense silence resumed for another solid minute as Jadis awkwardly stood in the middle of the room. Bookshelves lined two of the walls and a huge fireplace took up another wall, a couch and comfortable-looking chairs set up in front of the hearth. A pot of what smelled like tea was sat steaming on the desk in front of the elf, untouched. Neat stacks of papers failed to not clutter the desk, barely any of the dark wood surface visible under the mass of official-looking forms. Rich blue curtains were partially drawn across the windows behind the elf, the morning light filtering in through the clear glass.
¡°Which of you are which?¡± The elf finally spoke again, her sharp tones making all three of Jadis jump a little at the sudden sound.
¡°I¡¯m Jay,¡± she answered from the middle, then motioned to her right and left. ¡°This is Dys and this is Syd.¡±
¡°And you are?¡± Dys prompted after a few more seconds of silence from the imperious elf.
¡°I am Magistrate Vraekae,¡± the elf answered, leaning back slightly in her chair. ¡°I have received reports that the three of you were directly involved in the confirmed slaying of two grundwyrms in the hills around Far Felsen in as many days. Is this true?¡±
So the magistrate wanted to know about the stone demons? Jadis let out a mental sigh of relief. Aila had said the grunwyrms were unusual for the hills and that the guards would want to get more information. She hadn¡¯t expected to be dragged to the head honcho¡¯s office first thing in the morning for questioning, but she supposed news of demons showing up somewhere they shouldn¡¯t be would make any responsible leader want to investigate.
¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± Jay answered truthfully. ¡°We killed one alone yesterday, and a bigger one the day before with some mercenaries. Bernd¡¯s Blades.¡±
¡°With that equipment?¡± The magistrate motioned to the weapons Jadis¡¯ selves were armed with.
The guards had not taken any of her weapons from her yet seemed to have no problem leaving the three of her alone in a room with the supposed leader of the entire city. The realization that the guards knew the three of her were strong enough to take on a grundwyrm and yet didn¡¯t think to disarm her while in the presence of their boss caused the hairs on the backs of her necks to prickle.
¡°Yes,¡± Syd answered, ¡°Though I used a rock I picked up from the ground because my spear wouldn¡¯t do much to stone¡¡±
¡°And you encountered the grundwyrm where, exactly?¡± she continued her inquiry, drilling Jadis with question after question about where, when, and how Jadis encountered the grundwyrm as well as how she dealt with it.
The magistrate took Jadis¡¯ explanations in without even a twitch. She simply sat with rigid posture, her stern gaze putting Aila¡¯s sometimes icy expression to utter shame.
¡°And you three claim to be Nephilim, from Kalters Wall?¡±
Jadis blinked at the unexpected turn in the conversation.
¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± Dys answered. ¡°We¡¯re Nephilim.¡±
¡°Impossible,¡± the elf sharply retorted. ¡°There are no Nephilim.¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t sure what to say to that.
Hesitating, then shrugging her second helpless shrug of the day, Jay said, ¡°But, we are? I mean, we¡¯re standing right here, so yeah. There are Nephilim. Why are you saying we aren¡¯t?¡±
Standing up from her seat and walking from behind her desk, Magistrate Vraekae approached the three giants, the glowing red ball following behind her. Hands clasped behind her back, she stared up at Jay with hawk-like intensity. When she spoke, her words were precise and cutting.
¡°Because all the Nephilim died nearly two thousand years ago.¡±
Chapter 64: Cat Out of the Bag
The magistrate¡¯s pronouncement hung heavy in the air between them. Her words weren¡¯t exactly an accusation, but they did feel like a challenge. If the Nephilim as a race were known to have died out some two thousand years ago, how could Jadis claim to be one?
How the fuck was she supposed to know? D had plopped Jadis down on Oros without a clue about where she was much less any info on her species. She had no idea before Vraekae¡¯s assertion that the Nephilim were an extinct race that they were even a real race on Oros and not something D had just plucked out of thin air to insert into the world, custom made just for her.
Jadis did not know this elf, nor did she have any idea what she was liable to do with any information she gave her. It didn¡¯t seem smart to lie to the magistrate, nor did it seem a good idea to just announce she was reincarnated from another world on the whim of a god. Sticking as close to the truth as possible without spilling the beans on her true origins had been her plan so far when speaking with authority figures. Jadis saw no reason to change that strategy now. However, she was going to choose her words carefully moving forward with this tense interaction.
¡°We don¡¯t know much of anything about other Nephilim,¡± Dys spoke first, mouth pulled down in a frown. ¡°Our people¡¯s history isn¡¯t something our parents talked about. You probably have more info on what happened to our people outside of our village than we do.¡±
¡°Perhaps,¡± Magistrate Vraekae mused. ¡°But that still does not explain how it is you and your supposed village came to be in the mountains of Weigrun, thousands of leagues away from the Nephilim¡¯s Final Bastion where the last of their kind fell to the demon lord of the time. The fate of Lyssandria¡¯s Children is one recorded in history as having ended that day. None survived.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Jay nodded, struggling to keep up with all the new terms the elf was throwing around. ¡°But we are Nephilim. So, maybe not every Nephilim died out?¡±
¡°And for two-thousand years your people simply avoided all contact and communication, hiding in Kalters Wall?¡±
¡°Suppose so,¡± Syd shrugged. ¡°We weren¡¯t there for most of those thousands of years. We¡¯re only twenty-two.¡±
¡°And the rest of your kind? Where are they?¡± the magistrate pressed, her tone still as sharp as a knife.
¡°The village we came from was destroyed by demons,¡± Dys answered.
¡°So far as we know, all the rest of our race is dead,¡± Jay finished, her brow creased with genuine unhappiness.
Nothing Jadis had said was a lie, technically. The village she came from was destroyed by demons; it just wasn¡¯t a Nephilim village. That her whole race was extinct was also true, so far as she was aware. Only, she just learned that information seconds before confirming it back to the powerful elf.
She was also truly sad to hear she was the only one of her kind. Jadis liked her new body, or bodies as was the case, and was earnestly hopeful that she might some day find more people on Oros like her, if for no other reason than she wanted to meet more people that were physically like her. That short-lived dream seemed to be dead on arrival according to Vraekae.
¡°And you are quite certain no others remain from your village? All that is left are you three?¡± She repeated, blood-red eyes staring unblinking at Jay.
Jay shook her head and simply replied, ¡°It¡¯s just us.¡±
The magistrate gazed at Jay for a moment longer before turning on her heels and swiftly walking back behind her desk. She opened a drawer and pulled out a large, round, flat piece of metal covered in arcane runes that glowed slightly even in the morning sunlight. Putting the plate-sized metal disk on the desk, she stared at Jadis, one hand still behind her back while the other rested fingers on the metal surface.
¡°I do not know what you are hiding, but I can tell there is a lie somewhere in your story. Frankly, so long as it does not jeopardize the safety of my city or the interests of the Empire, I do not care about what secrets you are keeping. However,¡± the elf tapped the metal disk with one sharp nail, ¡°In my time as magistrate and even before, I have seen more than a few charlatans claim to be something they are not all for their own personal gain to the detriment of my fellow citizens. I am not one to let potentially harmful lies fester and grow when I can cut them out at the root.¡±
Vraekae took her hand off the disk and motioned palm up at it. ¡°This is a Full Identification Plate. It will allow me to see your status sheets as linked to your badges. I have no idea what would motivate someone to claim to be part of a long dead race, but if that is your lie, I will know it now. Place your badges on the plate and I will confirm with my own eyes.¡±
¡°Hold on,¡± Dys raised her voice as all of Jadis drew back in alarm. ¡°We were told when we got these badges that no one could see our status sheets without our permission!¡±
The magistrate inclined her head slightly. ¡°Correct. You are free to refuse and leave my office. You are not under arrest. However, know that if you do refuse, all three of you will be banished from my city and all territories held under my power. You can return to Kalters Wall, your ¡®home¡¯, if that is what you prefer.¡±
Well fuck. The bitch was blatantly coercing her. It took a monumental amount of self-control for Jadis to not lose her cool and shout some choice expletives in the face of the pushy prick and storm out of the office. A glance at the ominously glowing dark red ball floating at Vraekae¡¯s shoulder certainly helped cool Jadis¡¯ temper, though not completely. Anger still simmered in her chest at the arm-twisting the elf was submitting her to.
If the plate did what Vraekae claimed it would, her nature as a Nephilim would be confirmed, however, the fact that she was actually just one person instead of three would also be revealed. That was a secret Jadis had no wish to share with the blue bitch.
But if she didn¡¯t show the magistrate her stat menu, then she¡¯d be effectively exiled from all civilized lands in Weigrun. That meant no more nice inn room to sleep in at night. No more hot food. No new weapons and armor, either.
¡No more Aila, in all likelihood.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Fuck.
¡°We do have a secret,¡± Jay announced, face turned stony with masked anger. ¡°It¡¯s no threat to you or anyone else for that matter, at least so far as we are aware. However, we don¡¯t want it shared with anyone without our explicit consent.¡±
¡°If we allow you to see our status sheets,¡± Dys continued, ¡°then we demand your word that you won¡¯t tell anyone else what you see. You have to vow it on whatever you hold most sacred and if you break your promise then know that you¡¯ll have made us your enemy.¡±
¡°And to be clear, if you don¡¯t want to give us your word, then we are leaving right now. We¡¯ve lived in the wild on our own just fine before now and can continue to do so,¡± Syd finished.
Her terms set down, Jadis waited to see how the magistrate reacted, nervous bubbles of apprehension making her stomachs feel a bit sick. Playing hardball with a city official was somehow much more stressful than when she was fighting demons.
The elf woman regarded the three giants with one raised eyebrow. It was the least aggressive emotion Jadis had seen on her face the whole meeting, something akin to amusement.
¡°None of you are in any position to make demands of me. Further, announcing that you would consider me your enemy is the equivalent of stating you would consider Alfhilderunn to be your enemy. I do not think you would want the entire Empire as a foe.¡±
Vraekae¡¯s rebuke caused the sick feeling inside Jadis to intensify. The fact that she was messing around with matters she didn¡¯t have the first clue about was truly biting her in the butt. She did not have any idea what the political ramifications were of what she¡¯d just demanded of the magistrate.
However, she wasn¡¯t going to just roll over and let the sharp-tongued elf push her around.
¡°Well, if that¡¯s the way it¡¯ll be, so be it,¡± Jay said with more conviction than she felt.
Vraekae watched the three for a long time, letting the tension draw out in what Jadis was beginning to realize was probably some kind of psychological tactic. The elf was trying to make her uncomfortable, to see how she¡¯d react. Well, Jadis could handle fighting demons the size of buses. She could handle a little awkward silence from a haughty asshole.
Channeling Aila, Jadis kept her three faces neutral and her posture straight and unmoving. She wouldn¡¯t be the one to flinch in this game of chicken.
The corner of the magistrate¡¯s lip quirked upward. ¡°At least I can see the claim of your age is accurate. Very well. By my honor, I will keep your secret so long as it does not endanger my city or the Empire, may Valtar hold me true.¡±
That seemed to be the best Jadis was going to get. Taking a step forward, Jay withdrew the badge she carried from the small pouch at her side and placed her badge on the softly glowing disk.
¡°Here. Our secret isn¡¯t that we aren¡¯t Nephilim.¡± As she spoke, the enchanted metal thrummed to life and a magically crafted image identical to the one Jadis saw in her mind¡¯s eye when she willed it appeared in the air above the badge. ¡°And it isn¡¯t that we¡¯re hiding any other Nephilim somewhere. The secret is, there aren¡¯t three of us left. There¡¯s just one.¡±
Magistrate Vraekae read across Jay¡¯s status menu, unmoving except for one finger that tapped her desk lightly.
¡°Yours now, please,¡± she motioned to Dys.
¡°It¡¯ll be the same,¡± all three of Jadis spoke at the same time, causing the elf to flinch slightly, though she recovered quickly.
Indeed, when Dys put her badge down on the metal plate, the same status sheet appeared. After a few seconds, Syd put hers down on the disk too, showing a duplicate result.
¡°Fascinating,¡± Vraekae finally pronounced, her posture relaxing slightly.
Jadis noticed the hovering red ball of doom floated a little further back, its glow diminishing slightly.
¡°Your claim to be member of a long dead race is accurate. I must say, I am pleased to see that is the case. An extremely unusual circumstance, for sure, but not one that I foresee bringing harm to Far Felsen or the empire.¡±
Before Jadis could really process how quickly the magistrate shifted from guarded hostility to open acceptance, she continued with her inquisitive analysis of Jadis¡¯ menu.
¡°I am not familiar with the class Mirror Knight. However, based on the absurdly high nature of your attributes for your level, I assume it is a rare grant of the gods. Perhaps exceptionally so. Further, considering your secondary class, I can presume which god in particular favors you. No wonder you are prone to keeping secrets, if you have gained enough of his interest to warrant a class that features one of his names. Is it Mirror Knight that is duplicating your physical form?¡±
Jadis was honestly taken aback by how easily the elf seemed to accept her odd situation. So you¡¯re a single surviving member of an extinct species, ¡®unusual¡¯ but that¡¯s it? No outrage at pretending to be three people? She didn¡¯t even comment about the ¡®perverted¡¯ part of her secondary class. Instead, the woman was just casually mentioning she wasn¡¯t surprised she kept secrets because of D? What was that supposed to mean? What was any of this encounter supposed to mean?
¡°Yeah,¡± Jay answered, her tension not yet relaxing, mostly due to not knowing what to do with all the built-up anxiety. ¡°It lets us, or well, me, have three bodies at the same time.¡±
¡°Again, fascinating. I will not ask for further details as I have already invaded your privacy further than is warranted, it seems. However, if you find yourself in the imperial capital, I recommend you visit the Class Archives. The archivists there would pay handsomely for information on a unique class and any details on how it was acquired. Considering it is your primary class, the story of how you managed to get it must be¡ special.¡±
A bark of surprised laughter escaped Jadis¡¯ lips, unbidden. ¡°Yeah, I guess you could say that.¡±
¡°Just to make sure,¡± Syd asked, picking up the badges from the desk, ¡°but you don¡¯t have a problem with our, my, class? Either of them? You¡¯re not going to tell us we can¡¯t pretend to be three anymore, are you?¡±
The magistrate¡¯s face relaxed into a surprisingly soft smile as she took her seat behind her desk. ¡°No, you are breaking no law by presenting your three duplicate selves as separate individuals rather than the single being that you are. I will caution you that any attempt to use your unique status to commit acts of fraud will be punished as appropriate by the law, but as is, you are doing nothing legally wrong.¡±
As she put away the identification plate, she continued. ¡°And as to your secondary class. As long as your rituals bring no harm to others, then I have no reason to object.¡± A playful smirk actually danced briefly across the blue elf¡¯s lips as that one expressive eyebrow quirked upward. ¡°I have heard of Destarious granting some truly bizarre classes in the past. It seems the one you were given is at least harmless in terms of how the rituals are performed.¡± Her face turned back to its normal, stern expression. ¡°Just be sure not to involve anyone without their consent.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Jay nodded, a little nonplused.
¡°Then, that¡¯s all? You just wanted to verify my race?¡± Syd asked.
¡°More accurately, I wished to verify that three strange giants wearing nothing but rags that came from nowhere and claimed to be of a dead race and had verifiably killed demons far beyond their apparent means were not a threat to my people or city. From what I can see of your menu, and by how you have comported yourself in this interview, I have my answer.¡±
¡°Ah, right,¡± Jay said again, still taken aback by the situation.
¡°So, does that mean we¡¯re good to go?¡± Dys asked, uncertain of what the etiquette was for asking the de facto leader of a city if she could get the hell out of her office.
¡°Yes, you may go.¡±
Turning to leave, relieved and still slightly confused about the whole encounter, Jadis froze with one of her hands reaching for the door when Vraekae spoke again.
¡°One more thing. May I have your permission to inform the prince of your race? He may wish to authorize a search of Kalters Wall to see if any more pockets of your people still exist in secret. To save one of the races thought to be eradicated by the demons from extinction is something he may wish to invest time into.¡±
¡°Uh, sure,¡± Syd shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know of any other Nephilim villages in the mountains, but if he can find more, that¡¯d be amazing.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± the magistrate said, giving Jadis another one of her piercing stares. ¡°Take care, Jadis.¡±
¡°You too,¡± Jadis said in chorus, then quickly exited the room before anything else potentially life altering could come up.
Chapter 65: Companion Acquired
¡°Are you alright, are any of you hurt? In trouble?¡± Aila asked, concern evident in her voice.
As soon as Jadis had left the magistrate¡¯s office, she¡¯d been escorted back to the lobby by a single guard, some secret message conveyed to the men standing watch indicating only one was needed to show Jadis the way out. When she¡¯d exited the back corridor, she¡¯d found Aila and her uncles waiting in the lobby, grim and worried expressions on their faces.
Aila had immediately approached Jadis, nothing panicky in her actions or movements but the worry she tried to hide behind her normally stoic mask peaked through.
¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± Jay assured her, putting on a soothing smile. ¡°The magistrate just wanted to talk to us about the grundwyrm we killed. Had some questions about what we saw and where it was.¡±
¡°That¡¯s no reason to send near a dozen guard to lead you three away like common thieves,¡± Aila pronounced crossly. ¡°Is that really all?¡±
Still standing in a public lobby with many ears around, Jadis kept her explanation to a minimum.
¡°No, she wanted to know more about our race, too,¡± Dys said in a lowered tone. ¡°We can tell you about it later.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Syd joined in, ¡°We haven¡¯t eaten yet and we¡¯ve had our fill of government buildings for now. Mind if we take this elsewhere?¡±
Aila nodded, motioning to the large double doors of the building. ¡°Then let¡¯s go. We can eat at the Archway.¡±
¡°Well, you four can,¡± Ludwas spoke up, reminding Jadis that Aila hadn¡¯t come alone. ¡°We¡¯ve got a job to get to. Can¡¯t delay returning to the camp, the wagon will be leaving soon.¡±
¡°Does that mean¡?¡± Jay trailed off, looking expectantly at Aila.
The redhead nodded, a smile threatening to break through on her face. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve ended my contract with Bernd¡¯s Blades. I was coming to your inn to rent a room when we saw the guards taking you all away.¡±
¡°Nice!¡± Syd grinned, holding up her hand for a high five.
Aila stared in confusion, along with Gerwas and Ludwas.
Clearing her throat, Syd turned her hand towards Dys who slapped it with a resigned sigh.
¡°Guess that¡¯s not a thing around here, culturally.¡±
¡°We¡¯re really glad you decided to join up with us,¡± Jay brushed past the awkward moment, still grinning. ¡°We¡¯re going to have an amazing time. You won¡¯t regret it!¡±
¡°Aye, you better not make her regret it,¡± Gerwas growled in his best impression of a bear. ¡°I had a long speech I was going to give about what I will be doing to the lot of you if any harm comes to the Bean Pole, and that¡¯s before her mother gets involved. We¡¯ll have to skip it for time, but I think you three are smart enough to take my meaning.¡±
Aila threw Gerwas a withering look that bounced off of his thick skin harmlessly. ¡°I know, I know, you¡¯re a grown woman and you can make your own damn decisions. I still say it¡¯s a wild risk you¡¯re taking and your parents will have our hides¡ª¡±
¡°Shut your gopper,¡± Ludwas interrupted. ¡°Aila¡¯s not one to make a decision without thinking it through a dozen times.¡± Reaching a hand up to put it on Aila¡¯s shoulder, he looked Jay, Dys, and Syd each in the eye, saying ¡°We¡¯ll just have to trust her, and you three, that you know what you¡¯re doing.¡±
¡°Yes, and speaking of, I believe we all need to get moving,¡± Aila announced with a bit of force.
Exiting the municipal building, Jadis gave Aila and her uncles a bit of space while they said their final farewells. Their goodbyes were short and sweet, over in moments. Jadis waved the two mercenaries off, a little sad to see them go. They were an endearing couple of oafs.
¡°Well, should we head to the Archway?¡± Aila asked, indicating the restaurant she¡¯d taken Jadis to before. ¡°Or do you mind waiting here for a little while first? I know you wanted to get away from the building right away, but I need to register as an independent mercenary now that I¡¯m not with Bernd¡¯s anymore. It won¡¯t take long, I¡¯ve already got a badge, it just needs to be re-registered.¡±
¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine, we can wait out here,¡± Syd assured Aila.
The former wagon driver rushed back into the building while Jadis stayed outside, happily breathing in the fresh morning air after her stressful encounter with local leadership.
There was a lot to take in from the conversation, interrogation in actuality, she¡¯d had with Magistrate Vraekae. Beyond the fact that Jadis¡¯ race hadn¡¯t been custom-made by D and had an ancient history on Oros, there was a lot more about her classes to consider. Vraekae had said her classes were rare, exceptionally so, but hadn¡¯t evinced all that much surprise at the revelation that Jadis was one person instead of three. Was that because she¡¯d seen other classes do something similar? Or was it just because the sharp, hawk-like elf was good at hiding her emotions. She certainly seemed better at it than Aila, and Aila was fairly skilled at the practice.Stolen story; please report.
What about what she¡¯d said about D? She¡¯d called him Destarious. Was that his real name, or at least what he was called on Oros? He had said he went by many names, so she supposed it wasn¡¯t too surprising, but that Vraekae also wasn¡¯t surprised about the alternate name was interesting.
Then there was her placid acceptance of Jadis¡¯ more racy class. Was that because there were others that also had sexualized or sex-focused classes? Did that mean Aila and others might be more open to the idea of her perverted class skills since they weren¡¯t necessarily unheard of?
Then there were the tidbits of information the magistrate had dropped about the Nephilim. Thousands of leagues away? The Final Bastion? Lyssandria¡¯s Children? None of the info directly impacted her, but Jadis burned with curiosity. She wanted to know more about her current race¡¯s history and perhaps figure out why exactly D had seen fit to bring her back in the form of a dead species. Was there some meaning behind it? Or did he do it because they just happened to fit Jadis¡¯ criteria for what she wanted out of a new body, more or less?
Jadis wasn¡¯t sure about much coming away from that impromptu, mandatory meeting, but it had given her a lot to think about. She had a lot of new questions to explore.
The thought occurred to her that she still had the holy book she¡¯d found in the temple to D tucked away in her supplies. Perhaps she could bring it to a priest and use it as an opening to ask more about D? Maybe even turn the conversation to history so she could learn more about Oros¡¯ history?
As she considered her options of investigating the many new threads of intrigue that had been opened up to her that morning, Aila exited the governmental building and returned to Jadis¡¯ side. With Aila¡¯s registration now in order, Jadis was eager to depart.
¡°Thanks for sticking around,¡± Syd said as the group headed for the main market square. ¡°It means a lot that you did, just so you know.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Aila brushed aside the comment. ¡°Think nothing of it. Remember, you saved my and my uncles¡¯ lives. At the very least we could pay your bail if you were arrested for some silly infraction.¡±
¡°What, not going to claim that we couldn¡¯t possibly be at fault and were wrongfully accused in this scenario?¡± Dys asked.
¡°With how odd and ignorant of common customs the three of you are? I¡¯ll be more shocked if at least one of you isn¡¯t fined by the local guard within the next week.¡±
¡°Thanks for the vote of confidence,¡± Dys grumbled, though a smile still played across her lips.
The two quickly made their way to The Archway, finding a seat at a table in the open courtyard. This time they weren¡¯t alone and a couple of the other tables were filled with military or mercenary types. Mostly men, the other patrons openly stared at the three giants, whispering back and forth just low enough that Jadis couldn¡¯t make out what they said, but just loud enough that she knew they were doing it.
Doing her best to ignore the attention, Jadis ordered several large servings of food for each of her selves as well as one for Aila, insisting on paying for the meal this time. Tucking into the meal as soon as it was served, Jadis discussed next steps with Aila.
Aila was quick to agree that before they could do any truly serious demon hunting, all three giants were in dire need of a weapon and armor upgrade.
¡°You all seem to have a lot of health,¡± Aila said, motioning towards Jay¡¯s chest, ¡°but you got lucky with that axe. If it had dug any deeper, that could have been a killing blow. Your fortitude is probably decently high, but it¡¯s not as high as an archetype specialized for combat without armor, I can tell. You need something better than all that.¡±
Jay¡¯s fingers ran across the open gash in her chest piece. ¡°Yeah, that one hurt like a bitch. Any suggestions on where we can go for some good armor? You mentioned a smith you know, if I remember correctly.¡±
¡°Oh, and a tailor,¡± Syd pipped up, swallowing a mouthful of eggs. ¡°We still need something better than this crap,¡± she said, tugging on the coarse material of her stitched blanket tunic.
¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take you to the smith and the tailor I know,¡± Aila readily agreed. ¡°Anything they make will have to be custom crafted, though, so it might take some time before you¡¯re fully outfitted.¡±
Dys hummed, fingers drumming on the wooden table. ¡°I imagine the cost for custom armor will be high, never mind weapons. Any idea on price ranges?¡±
Aila shrugged and shook her head. ¡°All good armor is custom fitted to a degree; but for you three? I can¡¯t imagine it¡¯ll be as simple as minor adjustments to premade gear. It also depends on what kind of armor you want made, the material it¡¯s made from, and so on.¡±
Taking a bite of her fish, Aila looked at Dys consideringly before pointing at her with her fork. ¡°My uncles once told me that a good set of full plate armor could buy a whole house in most towns, and that¡¯s before enchantment. Multiply that by three and even that reward you got from the grundwyrm isn¡¯t going to get you far.¡±
Jay sighed heavily. ¡°Seems like we¡¯ll have to prioritize based on what we can afford for now and then earn what we can as we go.¡±
¡°And we can¡¯t forget about paying for room and board, food, and Blue¡¯s cut of the profits,¡± Syd pointed out. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to budget things.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have to¡ª¡± Aila began to protest but Jay cut her off.
¡°Yes, we do. You¡¯re on the team now, right? So that means you get a cut. Even if you aren¡¯t contributing much to the fights right now, you will be soon enough and you still need to make a living too. So don¡¯t argue and take your share.¡±
Aila closed her mouth tightly, lips pressed thin, but made no further argument.
¡°On the bright side, once that scouting mission or whatever comes back from the village where we were staying at with the proof that we killed a demon mother, we¡¯ll hopefully get a big reward for that. I¡¯m sure that¡¯ll help our savings,¡± Syd pointed out.
¡°The reward for a matriarch¡¯s death is substantial,¡± Aila nodded at Syd. ¡°I¡¯m not certain of the sum, but it would pay for quite a lot of what you three might want, depending on the armor and the smith.¡±
¡°Then we¡¯ll price things out for now and once we get our big payday, we can go hog wild,¡± Jay announced with a grin, drawing a confused look from Aila.
¡°Hog Wild? What do hogs have to do with shopping?¡±
All three of Jadis smirked and sighed at the same time.
¡°Never mind.¡±
¡°For now, let¡¯s see what kind of stuff we can buy with what we¡¯ve got,¡± Jay said, finishing the last of the food on her plate.
Chapter 66: Smithy
Taking a trip to the craftsman quarters of the city was an interesting experience. While there were weapons and armor for sale in the market square, Aila had explained that there wasn¡¯t much use shopping there since nothing premade was going to suit Jadis¡¯ needs. Speaking directly to the smith to get custom work done would be the quickest and most efficient way of getting something usable. Thus, Aila led the three giants to a section of town just off of the docks where large buildings billowing clouds of smoke squatted in clusters set far apart from other stone structures.
There were all kinds of workshops, Jadis quickly realized, not just the expected smiths. Carpenters, bowyers, fletchers, shipwrights, coopers, ropers, masons, and more were hard at work in the various buildings, crowds of busy men and women rushing about in a flurry of activity as the medieval-style industry worked hard to churn out supplies and products.
Not everything was as Jadis would expect from medieval Earth technology though. She couldn¡¯t help but gawk in wonder at a man who cut a large timber post into square blocks without a single tool, visible streams of air slicing through the wood as he channeled a spell. Jadis had to wonder if craftsmen casting magic was a common thing or if the man had some kind of rare class, the existence of such a thing newly presented as a possibility to her by her interaction with the magistrate.
Jadis didn¡¯t have time to stop and stare at either the magical or the mundane practices of the local workers. Aila led her along at a brisk pace, taking her straight to the smith she knew might be able to make her some custom armor. Upon reaching the large smithy staffed with half a dozen harried-looking workers, Jadis was greeted with disappointment.
¡°No, I can¡¯t take on any custom jobs right now. I¡¯m already backed up with a large order from the Dawn Brigade,¡± the tiny smith shook his head, the tattoos covering his face giving him a fierce look.
¡°How long until you¡¯re done with their order?¡± Aila asked, handling the conversation. ¡°We¡¯re willing to wait for quality work, Cellach. And you can see from looking at them that it¡¯ll be a sizeable commission.¡±
Aila motioned towards the three giant women standing outside of the armor smith¡¯s workshop. While the ceiling of the shop left plenty of headroom for even someone as tall as Aila, Jadis would have had to crouch or stand bent over to fit. Instead, she elected to wait outside, watching the goings on through the large open doors of the shop.
¡°Sizeable indeed,¡± the smith echoed in a sing-song voice. ¡°But I¡¯ll be at this work for The Dawn for the next month at least. Are you willing to wait that long?¡±
Glancing back at Jay, Dys, and Syd, Aila shook her head. ¡°No, not if that¡¯s just to start work. Thank you for your time anyway,¡± she said, offering her hand down to the diminutive man.
¡°What about a recommendation?¡± Dys asked, putting her arm against the door frame to lean inside the shop. ¡°Any other smiths you know that might be able to do the work?¡±
The smith Cellach looked Dys up and down, his sharp eyes glinting in the fires of the forge. ¡°Crafting anything for a big beast like you and the two behind you would be a true test of skill. I can¡¯t easily recommend anyone who had both the ability to make something so oversized as to suit whatever you are, as well as has the time to do it.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t think of one person?¡± Dys pressed, violet eyes questioning. ¡°Not one smith you¡¯d be willing to point us to?¡±
The smith made an odd noise halfway between a grunt and laugh. Pointing his finger out the door and past where Jay and Syd stood, he answered, ¡°You can try Sabina, if you¡¯re willing to take the risk. She¡¯ll have the time.¡±
¡°The time, but not the skill?¡± Aila asked, arms folded.
¡°She¡¯s skilled enough for most things,¡± Cellach wobbled his hand in a so-so motion. ¡°She¡¯s young and low level. She may take the job just for the experience. But the quality won¡¯t be the same as mine,¡± he shrugged.
Dys nodded, waving for Aila to come out and join her. ¡°Thanks for the tip,¡± she smiled at the little smith. ¡°Good luck with the job!¡±
Waving them off, Cellach quickly turned back to his work, scolding his slacking assistants who had slowed their work to stare at the pale giants back into action.
¡°Let¡¯s go see what this Sabina has to say,¡± Syd told Aila as they walked away from the busy smithy. ¡°Maybe she¡¯ll give us a discount if she¡¯s that low level.¡±
¡°If she¡¯s that low level, she probably won¡¯t have the right skills to do the work,¡± Aila advised, but still took the lead and guided the three of Jadis down the alley Cellach had indicated. ¡°She might not even have the right tools and materials for that matter.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t hurt to ask,¡± Syd said, not disagreeing with Aila¡¯s assessment.
Jadis had figured it might be difficult to find someone who could handle making three custom extra-large sized armor sets for her. She wasn¡¯t surprised the first person they¡¯d gone to had turned them away. So long as they found someone eventually, Jadis would be happy. She just hoped she wasn¡¯t going to be forced to pay out the bunghole to get anything made.
¡°Hey,¡± Jay whispered, leaning down to reach Aila¡¯s ear. ¡°Maybe a weird question, but what exactly is Cellach?¡±
Giving Jay an odd look, Aila¡¯s face morphed into realization. ¡°Oh, my uncles said you three didn¡¯t recognize them as humans when you first met them. I suppose you wouldn¡¯t know what other races are, would you?¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
¡°I have some guesses,¡± Jay answered with a wry smile. ¡°But I¡¯d like to know for sure before I make a fool of myself in public or something.¡±
¡°He¡¯s not a goblin, is he?¡± Syd chimed in. ¡°I¡¯m betting goblin.¡±
Dys shook her head. ¡°Halflings. He and the others are so tiny. Gotta be halflings.¡±
Aila smiled and waved both guesses off. ¡°No, he¡¯s a gnome. All gnomes are small and have those blueish or greenish markings on the faces and bodies.¡±
¡°Shit, I was way off,¡± Jay clicked her tongue. ¡°I was betting they were some kind of beardless dwarf offshoot.¡±
¡°Beardless dwarf¡?¡± Aila murmured, clearly confused.
Before Jadis and Aila¡¯s conversation could continue, they arrived at the building Cellach had indicated. The smithy was even larger than the last one and had dozens of figures running around, in, and out of it. Multiple large smokestacks billowed their ashen clouds from above and the huge bellows pumps the size of cars could be seen all along one wall of the structure being pumped continuously by sweat-drenched workers. The constant clang of iron and steel echoed from the open doors and windows, forcing anyone within a dozen yards to shout to be heard.
¡°This is a communal workshop,¡± Aila explained when she saw Jay¡¯s questioning look. ¡°Smiths that don¡¯t have a personal shop can rent workspace here. Give me a second, I¡¯ll see if I can find this ¡®Sabina¡¯ or someone who knows her.¡±
Aila promptly dove into the rush of busy workers, occasionally stopping one or another to shout a question.
Jadis kept three sets of eyes out as well. Not that she thought she¡¯d spot the recommended smith, she had no idea what the woman looked like, but it was interesting to see what the workers were doing. Some of them were tossing their own looks towards Jadis, a reaction she was growing used to. She supposed it wasn¡¯t every day that the locals saw lily-white giants wandering around town, especially if the race was supposed to be extinct.
Among the many interesting sights of the smiths and other workshops in the surrounding block, one thing that Jadis did notice was a pair of guards standing a few hundred yards back down the road. City guards were a common enough sight in the mostly military-occupied city that seeing the two was nothing unusual on its own. What made them notable was that Jadis was fairly certain she¡¯d seen the same guards back outside of the magistrate¡¯s office.
Was the magistrate having her followed? Jadis had thought the meeting had resolved any suspicions of duplicity on her part, but maybe not. If the magistrate still had lingering doubts, she could well guess that she¡¯d have put a guard detail on her to watch for suspicious activity.
The thought was an unpleasant one, but also nothing Jadis could do anything about, at least for the moment. She didn¡¯t plan on breaking any laws or doing anything more than slay demons and perform, from what she understood, perfectly legal lewd rituals. Hopefully the guards would get bored after a while and leave her be, or the magistrate would lose interest once the guards had nothing to report.
Wait. Did the guards have some way of spying on her when she was in her inn room? Magically, perhaps? One of her previously offered skills had said it could let her look through mirrors to see things with a spell. If she could have access to a spell like that one, then so could others, potentially.
Jadis shivered at the notion that some random mage could be spying on her in private without her knowledge. She sure hoped there was some kind of defense against magical intrusions of that sort.
While she thought about the terrible ways her privacy could be violated in a world of magic, Jadis noticed Aila come out of the smithy, wiping sweat off of her brow from the heat the forges put out.
¡°One of the workers is getting her, she should be out in just a sec¡ª¡± Aila started to say before a woman in a black leather apron came rushing up behind her and tapped on her shoulder.
¡°Hi! Dunkel said you were looking for someone to make custom armor and I can see why! You¡¯re a tall one! Orc armor might work, but you¡¯re too thin for most pre-made stuff. A custom fit is the best way to go, even if you were average height, but you¡¯re not, so even more of a reason! It¡¯s great that you came to me because I¡¯m free to start right away!¡±
The woman spoke in a half-shout, her high-pitched voice colored with a different accent from most other¡¯s Jadis had heard in Felsen. She almost sounded Italian, though more like a second-generation American-Italian than someone who spoke English as a second language. She also spoke a mile a minute, her whole spiel to Aila coming out on practically one breath.
She was shorter than Aila by a good amount, but taller than most of the other human women Jadis saw rushing about the smithy. She guessed she was about the same height as Gerwas or Ludwas, which she supposed meant she was tall for a woman, though not nearly as much as the lanky redhead. Her hair was black and wavy, cut short in an almost pixie cut. Her skin was bronze colored and not from a tan; the brown shirt under her apron had its sleeves rolled up to the shoulder, exposing well-defined muscles.
A wide grin broke out on Jadis¡¯ faces as she finally noticed the one thing about the talkative smith she should have picked up on right away. Her ears were long and pointed, swiveling about in an almost animal fashion.
Yet, her ears weren¡¯t as long as other elves Jadis had seen around town. Her eyes weren¡¯t a solid color, either. They were a warm chocolate color, though Jadis noticed they had a slight yellow sheen to them that occasionally caught in the light.
Half-elf? Was that a thing on Oros? Jadis had a poor track record of guessing what race people were so far, but she was willing to bet gold that this woman was some kind of mix between human and elf.
¡°No, I¡¯m not looking for armor for me. I have armor that suits me already. Are you Sabina?¡± Aila asked, trying to stop the excited smith from carrying on with her false assumption.
A pout briefly appeared on the half-elf¡¯s lips at Aila¡¯s words. ¡°You¡¯re not? That¡¯s a shame. I bet you¡¯d look amazing in some heavy plate, maybe with a great helm? I¡¯d love to make you a breastplate at least. Yes! I¡¯m Sabina! What¡¯s your name? You¡¯ve got great hair, by the way.¡±
Aila seemed flustered by Sabina¡¯s quick pace and open compliments, eyes darting around in concealed panic. Taking the opportunity to speak as Sabina paused briefly, she verbally jumped in.
¡°I¡¯m Aila and the armor isn¡¯t for me, it¡¯s for them,¡± she stepped to the side and motioned towards Jadis¡¯ three selves.
Sabina seemed to notice the giants standing a couple yards back for the first time, her smile faltering as her mouth dropped open in surprise, her eyes growing wide as saucers.
¡°Oh, wow,¡± she whispered quietly enough that Jadis could only tell that was what she said by reading her lips.
¡°Hey there,¡± Jay said, taking a few steps forward and extending her hand in greeting to the stunned half-elf. ¡°I¡¯m Jay and these are my sisters Dys and Syd. Think you can make us some armor?¡±
Sabina stared up at Jay, ignoring her outstretched hand for a few moments as she gazed up in awe. Just as Jadis was starting to feel a little awkward, the dark-haired woman suddenly jumped forward and grabbed her hand with a squeal of delight.
¡°Oh gods, yes!¡±
Chapter 67: Armor Agreement
A flood of words spilled out of the young smith¡¯s mouth, coming so fast that Jadis only caught half of what she said. In fact, she suspected not all of the words being said were English, or Imperial, or whatever the common language was called. All the while she was jumping up and down while clutching onto Jadis¡¯ hand like a lifeline, gripping so tightly Jadis was starting to worry she was going to lose feeling in her fingers.
¡°Hold up, hold up!¡± Jay tried to cut in, raising her free hand to catch the half-elf¡¯s attention with no success. The girl just kept going.
Finally, Dys and Syd walked up and put a hand on either of Sabina¡¯s shoulders, firmly holding her in place as Jay grabbed the girl¡¯s hands in hers and leaned down lower, putting her face close to the smith¡¯s adorably cute one so she didn¡¯t have to shout over the din of the forge behind her.
¡°I can¡¯t understand you when you talk that fast. If we¡¯re going to work out a deal, we need to talk calmly, okay?¡±
Sabina had stopped her onslaught of babbling words as soon as Jay had brought her face close to hers. Upon hearing Jay¡¯s pronouncement, her face darkened in an embarrassed blush, her pointed ears twitching sporadically.
¡°I¡¯m sorry! I got a little excited and I didn¡¯t think you three would show up here and ask for me and I had just been thinking of what kind of armor I could make for you and the timing is just so amazing and¡ª¡±
Jay put one finger on Sabina¡¯s lips, silencing her run-on sentence and making her blush even more deeply.
¡°Okay, you¡¯re excited, I can tell,¡± Jay nodded, grinning at the blushing half-elf. ¡°Let¡¯s go talk somewhere a little quieter, okay? And you can cool your head while we walk. Is that alright?¡±
Sabina nodded, her face still flushed, but didn¡¯t try to speak.
Withdrawing her finger and letting go of the smith, Jadis looked around and saw Aila standing off to the side, giving her a raised eyebrow look of both amusement and concern, her eyes darting to the half-elf practically vibrating with enthusiastic energy. Not sure what to say, Dys just gave her a little shrug so Sabina couldn¡¯t see.
Leading the way, Jay headed from the forge and took Aila and Sabina through a different alley, towards the open air of the docks.
The docks weren¡¯t exactly quiet, with even more people and soldiers going about their business unloading or loading supplies from or onto the different sailing vessels moored at the port. There was, however, an overlook along the large oceanside thoroughfare that served as the main route for workers to bring supplies between the docks and the crafter¡¯s quarters. It was a little more out of the way and any passersby on the road were at enough of a distance that they wouldn¡¯t hear much if anything at all.
The ocean was a deep blue and the wind coming off of it was chilly, almost enough to make Jadis wish for a few coats. She could see an ocean wall had been built trailing around from the large cliff overlooking the city, breaking the waves there and keeping the port waters calm. In the far distance she spotted the white sails of another ship coming in, or maybe just patrolling the waters for all she knew.
Jadis had to wonder, in a fantasy world like Oros, were sea monsters a legitimate concern?
Were mermaids a thing?
Shaking the thought away, Jadis focused on the task at hand. Jay sat on the stone wall of the overlook while Syd took up position standing next to her. Dys stood a little further back towards the road, keeping one eye on the people passing by, the other surreptitiously tracking the two guards that had followed the group. Aila stood to the other side of Jay across from Syd.
Looking slightly more composed, Sabina stood a few paces before Jay and apologized in a bashful tone.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for babbling. When I get excited everything up there just wants to come out all at once, you know?¡± she said, motioning towards her head with one hand.
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Jay said, smiling kindly. ¡°We just couldn¡¯t keep up with most of what you were saying. Imperial isn¡¯t our first language.¡±
A small lie, if technically true. English was Jadis¡¯ first language, not Imperial, but it was a good cover for some of her slip-ups with words and phrases not used by the locals.
¡°Oh, right, of course, that makes sense,¡± Sabina nodded, her eyes shining with that slight golden light. ¡°Everyone was saying you three couldn¡¯t be from the Empire, that you had to be unknown natives or something. You speak Imperial really well, by the way, your accent is a bit weird but your words and grammar are great!¡±
So people were talking about her. No surprise, Jadis supposed. She¡¯d have to keep an ear out for any of those rumors, find out exactly what people were saying about her.
¡°Thanks,¡± Jay grinned. ¡°So, what were you saying about thinking of making armor for us?¡±
Sabina¡¯s face flushed again and her ears shifted back like a dog that had been caught doing something bad. Jadis was beginning to suspect that the best way to observe an elf¡¯s emotional state was watching how their ears moved. Then again, Vraekae¡¯s ears hadn¡¯t moved at all during their meeting. Maybe Sabina was just bad at controlling her emotions? Seemed to fit.
¡°Did I say that?¡± Sabina asked, her hands clasped together in front of her, fingers wringing each other. ¡°Um. Well, I may have spotted you three yesterday evening when I was passing through the town square and the rumors were right, you three really are giants,¡± the smith explained, glancing at the grinning Syd. ¡°And even if you three aren¡¯t strength builds, with those frames and muscles I¡¯m positive you could handle some heavy plate. I¡¯ve got a lot of ideas for some plate armor that I¡¯d like to try and I know it¡¯d look amazing on women like you.¡±Stolen novel; please report.
The last was said with an earnest desperation that actually made Jadis blush a little, though it didn¡¯t come across on her marble-like skin.
¡°Then it¡¯s great luck that we ran into each other!¡± Syd responded, grinning and giving the half-elf a wink. ¡°We¡¯re in desperate need of new armor, as you can see.¡±
¡°And you seem to be in desperate need of someone to make armor for,¡± Jay continued, smirking. ¡°How about we work something out?¡±
¡°Yes! Please!¡± Sabina said, almost rushing forward but clearly restraining herself. ¡°I¡¯ve got so many ideas that I know could work on giants like you three with a lot of strength. Are you focused on strength with your attributes? All three of you? Cause if you are I have some ideas for heavy armor and shields that could be amazing!¡±
¡°We¡¯re strong, yes,¡± Jay confirmed. ¡°And heavy armor sounds great. We¡¯re getting pretty tired of wearing leather armor that can¡¯t stop much.¡±
¡°Or no armor at all,¡± Syd added.
¡°Before you four get ahead of yourselves,¡± Aila broke into the conversation, acting as a voice of reason, ¡°We need to discuss cost. A full set of heavy plate is a high cost. Multiplied by three and we¡¯re looking at a lot of coin. Plus, plate armor can take weeks to make for just one set and Jay, Dys, and Syd need a set each. Maybe take a moment to think about the logistics of this transaction?¡±
Jadis grimaced on all three of her selves, Aila¡¯s sound logic grounding her from the infectious excitement coming from Sabina. Considering the funds she had now and the needs she had to fulfil for the immediate future, she couldn¡¯t afford to let the cute half-elf just run off on her own tangent. And from the look on Sabina¡¯s face, she seemed to realize there were limitations as well.
¡°I¡¯ll give you a discount!¡± the smith chirped, bouncing once on her toes. ¡°A big one! I don¡¯t eat a lot and my rent is already paid for the next month so I can cut the cost down to¡ª¡±
¡°Woah, hold up, that¡¯s not going to work,¡± Syd cut the girl off. ¡°You deserve appropriate pay for your work. Don¡¯t go promising us the moon and then starve yourself to get it.¡±
¡°How about this,¡± Jay said, spreading her arms wide. ¡°Make us something quick and basic, like a breastplate or something to protect our vitals. We¡¯ll pay you for that work and if we¡¯re all happy with what we get, we can take our order to the next step, okay?¡±
Sabina pouted for a moment but quickly brightened. ¡°Fair! You won¡¯t regret hiring me! I can craft some basic chest protection in no time!¡±
¡°Deal,¡± Jay said, holding out her hand.
This time, Sabina took it in a more reasonable fashion, hand clasping at Jadis¡¯ wrist in a firm grip.
¡°Can I get your chest measurements? I¡¯m pretty good at guessing inches by eye but it¡¯s best to confirm.¡±
Jadis readily agreed to the request and since she wasn¡¯t wearing a leather chest piece, Syd kneeled on the ground and let Sabina measure her.
The half-elf pulled a long string with colored markings on it, quickly whipping it around Syd¡¯s neck, across her shoulders, her back, her chest, and torso. As she measured, the half-elf mumbled constantly to herself, memorizing the sizes.
¡°Wow. Your chest is huge¡¡± Sabina said, then began coughing violently. ¡°I mean! No it¡¯s not! Wait, no, not that it¡¯s small, it¡¯s huge compared to most people! I mean, your chest is really quite proportional for your size!¡±
Jadis tried not to laugh at the smith¡¯s embarrassment and waved her concern off. She couldn¡¯t help but send a cheeky smile Aila¡¯s way, the redhead seemingly catching a bit of proximity embarrassment from Sabina.
One thing that intrigued Jadis was the fact that Sabina was measuring her in what looked like actual inches, the same as used in America back on Earth. The languages being the same Jadis had assumed was some trick of D, maybe altering her own speech patterns so she could understand the native language, but the fact that Oros had inches and feet, too? There had to be something going on with that. It was too unnatural to be a coincidence.
¡°Hey, can I see that measuring string for a second?¡± Syd asked.
Taking the string from Sabina with no objection, Syd stood to her full height and dangled the string down from her head to her feet. There was barely enough string to run her full height. Jay stood and quickly checked but couldn¡¯t read what the markings on the string meant.
¡°What¡¯s this mean?¡± Jay asked Aila, pointing to the mark Syd had held with her thumb.
Glancing at the string, Aila answered, ¡°One hundred and nine inches.¡±
Now Jadis knew. She was nine feet tall, plus an inch.
She wasn¡¯t sure what to do with the information, but it was nice to finally have an answer to the question. No wonder she¡¯d thought normal humans were dwarves when she first saw them. She was fucking massive.
¡°Hey, would any of this metal be useful to you?¡± Dys asked on impulse. She¡¯d been carrying the bundle of looted weapons from the wretches and held them up, showing them to Sabina.
¡°Hm. Ah! Yes, actually,¡± she said after taking a closer look. ¡°I can melt this down and use it for the armor. If you give these to me, I¡¯ll subtract them from the materials cost.¡±
Agreeing to the exchange, Dys passed the bundle to Sabina who seemed to have no trouble taking the load of weapons under arm.
¡°Speak of, do you know anyone who can make us some better weapons than this?¡± Syd asked, showing her the makeshift spear she was still wielding.
The smith grimaced at the crudely constructed weapon. ¡°I can make weapons, too, but that would also take time. What are you looking for? I can talk to some of the other smiths and see if anyone has anything that might work or can craft something quickly.¡±
¡°We¡¯ve been getting along pretty well with blunt objects like this,¡± Jay held up her mallet, giving it an easy one-handed swing. ¡°But we¡¯re not picky. We don¡¯t have any skills that favor one particular type of weapon over another. We just want gear that¡¯s sturdier than the stuff we¡¯ve got right now.¡±
¡°Okay, I¡¯ll see what I can do!¡± Sabina said cheerfully.
Taking a few more minutes to hash out the price, Jadis gave Sabina ten silver eagle coins, with a promise of another ten on completion of the breastplates. The smith insisted the armor would be done by tomorrow, though Aila¡¯s skeptical look expressed a lot of doubt in that claim. Jadis wasn¡¯t so sure either. She¡¯d never seen an armor smith at work, but three chest plates in just a day seemed ambitious to her.
Taking their leave of the smiling and waving half-elf, the three of Jadis and Aila headed down the road and back towards the main market square.
¡°We may as well see about fitting you for some decent clothes,¡± Aila told her, pointing at the rags Jadis was wearing on her bodies. ¡°But I hope we can get to hunting some demons this afternoon though.¡±
¡°Me too,¡± Jay said agreeably. Remembering the newest skill she¡¯d acquired though, she leaned down as they walked and whispered into Aila¡¯s ear.
¡°We¡¯ve got a new ritual with our latest level that might interest you.¡±
Aila glanced up at Jay¡¯s sly grin, her face masked in neutral placidity.
¡°What kind of activity does this ritual entail?¡± she asked, tone even.
¡°Something a lot more fun than dancing,¡± Jay replied, keeping her voice low.
¡°A lot messier, too,¡± Dys added from Aila¡¯s other side.
¡°Lots of panting and sweating, ideally,¡± Syd said from behind, finally drawing a reaction out of Aila.
Keeping her head level and posture straight, Aila ignored the blush that was creeping along her freckled cheeks. ¡°We can talk about it when we¡¯re in private.¡±
Jadis grinned wickedly.
Chapter 68: Impulse
The tailor was, as Aila had warned, an odd woman. Somewhere in her forties with graying hair and crow¡¯s feet, she had a bustling energy that had more focus than Sabina¡¯s but still gave her a forceful image. Her shop was filled with examples of her work, most of which looked radically different from the fashion Jadis had seen worn around the city. The tailor liked to use a lot of leather, apparently. Clearly this was where Aila got her fine-fitting leather pants from.
¡°My husband is a cobbler and can put some shoes together for you,¡± Klara said, running her measuring string along the outside of Dys¡¯ leg. ¡°I can take your foot measurements as well and pass them to him if you like?¡±
¡°That sounds good,¡± Dys agreed with a nod. ¡°We¡¯ve all got the same sizes so if you can ask him to make three identical pairs, we¡¯re happy to pay.¡±
The tailor voiced her assent as she continued noting down Dys¡¯ measurements in a little notebook. She idly swatted at a fly that tried to land on the page, cursing under her breath.
Jadis was too tall for the tailor¡¯s shop. The ceilings were only around eight feet in height and forced Jadis to stoop when her selves entered. Unable to take proper measurements with Jadis¡¯ bodies ducking and bending to fit in the building, Klara had led Dys out the back door to the little courtyard-like space between buildings where Dys could stand straight. Fortunately, she had a step stool as she was used to catering to taller clientele like orcs and could reach Dys¡¯ shoulders well enough to work.
With how detailed the tailor¡¯s measurements were, Jadis had been forced to admit her anatomical oddity. Klara had been, understandably, shocked by the reveal but hadn¡¯t freaked out as Jadis feared she might in the worst-case scenario. Once Jadis had explained this was just the nature of her race, the tailor had accepted the fact and moved on to business. She still sent a few curious glances towards Jadis¡¯ crotches though.
Jadis couldn¡¯t blame her. The woman was basically crotch height to Jadis anyway. Where else were her eyes supposed to drift naturally?
Considering Jadis now knew people about the city were whispering about the three pale giants from the wilds already, she could easily imagine that her dual-sex nature was going to be joining the rumor mill, even with Klara¡¯s promise of confidentiality. Other people knowing didn¡¯t bother Jadis overly much, but she did worry if it would cause any potential problems.
She hoped not. Oros didn¡¯t seem to have the same cultural or religious hangups that Earth did, but Jadis had only experienced an extremely small slice of the local society. Who knew what kinds of beliefs one could run into out in the wider world.
While Dys patiently stood still so Klara could get all the data she needed, Jay and Syd inspected the clothes on display with Aila. While there was an assortment of premade garments hanging on racks in the shop, there were far more wooden mannequins displaying the true variety of what the shop was capable of producing. Most of the styles of clothing gave off the fantasy vibe Jadis loved; clothing that wasn¡¯t quite historically accurate to Earth¡¯s medieval period but would fit right into a movie or video game set in the time frame. There were also outfits that looked oddly modern to Jadis, like the leather pants Aila wore or the long leather coat Jadis saw displayed on one of the mannequins. The strange mix of styles made Jadis wonder if they were natural, or if gods like D had influenced them in some way.
¡°The question is,¡± Syd semi-whispered to Aila as they examined some black leather pants hanging from a rack, ¡°do we stick with skirts? Or do we switch to pants like yours and just let everyone stare at our bulges.¡±
Aila looked aghast at Syd, then shushed her as she glanced at the young girl folding some bolts of cloth at the back of the shop, someone Jadis was fairly certain was the tailor¡¯s daughter.
¡°Must you be so crass in public?¡± Aila gave Syd her most stern glower.
¡°Does that mean we can be crass in private?¡± Syd asked innocently.
¡°No.¡±
¡°Oh come on, it was a legitimate question,¡± Syd pouted, bent nearly half over with her hands on her knees while she talked. ¡°What do you think we should wear. I¡¯m sure Klara¡¯s almost done with Dys and we need to figure out what to order.¡±
¡°Long skirts are out of the question,¡± Jay added, holding up a skirt that was one of the few garments on display that didn¡¯t have some kind of leather incorporated into the design.
Syd nodded. ¡°We need to be able to move freely, armor or no armor. So. Short skirts and risk people smaller than us getting an upskirt peek or pants that couldn¡¯t possibly hide our packages? Which do you think?¡±
Aila¡¯s icy demeanor was marred by the furious blush Syd¡¯s words were eliciting, a blush Jadis was growing to love the more she saw it on Aila¡¯s freckled face.
¡°Well, logically,¡± the redhead started while keeping her voice low, ¡°the first option is better since that¡¯s just a chance of exposure, not something that would draw every eye to you constantly.
¡°But everyone stares at us anyway,¡± Jay pointed out.
¡°True,¡± Aila allowed, ¡°but they aren¡¯t staring at your nethers. Well, perhaps some of them are, but overall they are mostly just looking at your height. If you put your self on display like that, you¡¯re going to be drawing even more attention.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Jay agreed.
¡°And are you one of the ones checking out our nethers?¡± Syd teased, whispering practically in Aila¡¯s ear.
Aila glared at Syd, putting one finger to her forehead and pushing her back slightly.
¡°Yes, actually,¡± she said deadpan. ¡°But I¡¯m not discussing that sort of thing in public.¡±
Jadis¡¯ shining grins grew wide at the redhead¡¯s admission.
Klara gave Dys an odd look as she finished up measuring her arm length.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°Sorry, just thought of something good,¡± she made a quick excuse, brushing off the woman¡¯s raised eyebrow.
Jadis had hoped dearly that Aila would be receptive to the idea of doing rituals that were risqu¨¦ to say the least, but with the way the woman was talking, Jadis was beginning to think that she was more than open to the possibility. Which in all honesty meant she needed to tackle the identity question.
If Jadis was going to enter into a true partnership with Aila, she wanted to at least be upfront with her about her nature as a single person with three bodies. If she couldn¡¯t trust the redhead to keep that secret, then she probably couldn¡¯t trust her to be her support and ally on the battlefield. The inverse was also true. If she was someone Jadis felt could be trusted to be her companion in both battle and travel on what could be a truly long adventure, then she deserved to be trusted with the secret of how her class worked.
She¡¯d tell Aila the truth. She had to.
¡°What about this?¡± Aila asked, breaking into Jadis¡¯ thoughts.
She was holding up a pair of pants she¡¯d taken from a rack partially hidden behind a display of posing wooden mannequins dressed like they belonged in a flamboyant band from a village or the like.
The pants were, on par for the course in the shop, made of leather. But they didn¡¯t look like they¡¯d be quite as tight fitting as the ones Aila wore. They also had a leather skirt wrapped around and folded down from the waist with large pockets set into the front and side. The skirt reached to about mid-thigh and looked almost padded with thick material.
¡°Best of both worlds?¡± the former wagon driver said, showing the garment to both Jay and Syd.
¡°Yeah, that would fit us to a tee,¡± Jay smiled warmly at Aila. ¡°Thanks Blue!¡±
A few moments later Dys reentered with Klara and Jay showed the tailor the pants, placing an order for several pairs as well as for tunics and boots. Considering her propensity for mud and blood, Jadis ordered three sets of clothing for each of her selves. By adding a little extra to the price, Klara assured her that the first set would be done in the morning.
The cost of her shopping today had certainly done a number on her funds. Based on what she¡¯d paid for room and board, Jadis was fairly certain she could have lived for six months on the coin she¡¯d received from the two bounty collections alone. The cost of outfitting and equipping herself was high, but she supposed it was an expected cost. Much like starting up a company, she had to spend money to make it. Not that making money was her end goal anyway. She had no plans to hoard any wealth, she just wanted to be fully equipped.
Even in a fantasy world, there was no escape from the daily grind.
After leaving the tailor shop, Jadis led Aila back to the inn she¡¯d rented a room in. She still needed to rent her own room and stash her things; she still had her backpack with all of her belongings on.
¡°What does the new ritual you¡¯ve unlocked do, exactly?¡± Aila asked as the quartet made their way to the inn.
Checking her surroundings to make sure no one was close enough to overhear, Jay leaned down to whisper in her ear.
¡°It lets us boost one attribute of a target other than ourselves by half of our eldritch attribute.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ That is a powerful boost, potentially,¡± Aila said slowly, her brows drawn in thought. ¡°If eldritch is the highest attribute all of you have, that could be a huge jump in power, especially if all three of you use it on one person. Though you could just cast it on each other, couldn¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Ah, true¡¡± Jay trailed off. If she was actually three people like Aila thought, then there wouldn¡¯t be anything stopping them from just passing the buff from one to the next to cover all three.
This lie was getting complicated. Jadis was already rankled at the idea of constantly having to be dishonest about who she was and where she was from. An impulsive desire for honesty surged through her.
¡°There¡¯s an issue with that, though,¡± Dys said before she stopped and quickly guided Aila into a narrow alley between stone buildings.
Syd took up position leaning against the wall, watching the road as Dys and Jay gathered around Aila.
¡°Look, we¡¯ve been kind of hinting at things so far, but before we go any further, I think we need to be explicit with you,¡± Jay announced seriously. ¡°I mean, with what we told you yesterday I¡¯m sure it¡¯s obvious to someone as smart as you, but we¡¯ve got to just put this out there now so you can decide what you want to do.¡±
¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± Aila said, her own face masked in intense seriousness.
¡°Our secondary class is called Perverted Ritualist of D,¡± Dys told Aila. Taking a deep breath, she continued, ¡°And the perverted part at the beginning is super central to the rituals we perform.¡±
¡°I did gather that,¡± Aila nodded along, keeping her composure. ¡°From what we did yesterday and the things you¡¯ve¡ implied.¡±
¡°Yeah, okay, but let me be blunt,¡± Jay said, hand motioning between herself and Aila. ¡°The ritual that¡¯ll boost a stat by fifty percent of our eldritch? That¡¯s going to involve sex. And I don¡¯t mean some kind of chaste, in and out, over in five minutes deal.¡±
¡°It¡¯s going to involve fucking. Lewd, raunchy, fucking.¡± Dys punctuated her statement by tapping her finger to the palm of her other hand.
¡°Further, the effect only lasts for three days before the spell needs to be recharged by more sex,¡± Jay continued the explanation, pushing past any embarrassment she was starting to feel by so blatantly discussing such a bawdry topic.
¡°On top of that, if we really want to get the best possible use out of the spell,¡± Dys opened her arms wide, ¡°There¡¯s another ritual we already have that we¡¯ve already used that empowers our eldritch attribute based on how many participants are involved. It¡¯ll be to both our and your benefit to do that ritual too if we¡¯re going to do the other one.¡±
¡°So, before we get to that inn,¡± Jay said, tossing one thumb over her shoulder, ¡°you should know exactly what you are getting yourself into if you want to fully get on board with participating in our rituals. And,¡± she said, voice growing a bit high pitched.
¡°If you¡¯re going to join us in rituals you might as well save your coin and share a room with us. Cause we¡¯re going to be sharing a bed a lot of the time anyway,¡± Dys finished the thought.
Aila absorbed the information without the expected blushing Jadis had anticipated. She kept her cool and simply listened, face as placid as a frozen mountain lake. A few moments after Dys¡¯ final words, Aila broke her silence, eyes moving solemnly between Jay and Dys as she spoke.
¡°I¡¯m not a virgin. I¡¯ve been with a couple men before. Boys, really, but that¡¯s beside the point. I¡¯m not a prude nor am I afraid of casual sex. That being said, I don¡¯t generally engage in such pursuits frivolously. I want you, both of you, to know that while I do see the leveling benefits your rituals would have for me, the only reason why I would ever consider entering into a sexual interaction at all is because I do find the three of you attractive. And not just physically. In fact, I¡¯ve never looked at other women that way before, so honestly I¡¯m a little¡ªI¡¯m a little surprised. But I do like the three of you, which is just a whole other confusing since there are three of you and that¡¯s not something I¡¯ve imagined before and¡ª¡±
Aila stopped herself, her calm demeanor breaking at the end as her face flushed. Taking a slow, deep breath, she darted her eyes between Jay and Dys with a timid smile.
¡°Sorry. I¡¯m still interested. In fact, I¡¯m very interested. And I think I¡¯ll take your advice. About saving my coin, I mean,¡± she said, her gaze lowering to the ground in embarrassment. ¡°I just didn¡¯t ever think I could potentially be in a¡ªa relationship with, um, siblings. If we go somewhere more, um, permanent with this relationship, long term, I have no idea how I would explain that to my parents¡¡±
¡°Well, don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Jay said earnestly, drawing a sharp look from Aila. ¡°Because we aren¡¯t sisters.¡±
¡°What?¡± Aila asked, blinking in utter confusion.
Having spoken on impulse, her words leaping out of her mouth without really thinking in reaction to Aila speaking so open and honestly, Jadis threw caution and planning to the wind and plowed ahead.
¡°My primary class is called Mirror Knight. It lets me duplicate myself into three bodies. I¡¯m just one person.¡±
¡°What!?¡±
Chapter 69: Explanations
¡°How do you even get a class that can do this?¡± Aila asked, staring at the cut on Jay¡¯s hand as it disappeared, reappearing at the same time on Syd¡¯s hand.
¡°Lots of self-reflection,¡± Dys quipped.
After the initial shock had worn off, Aila had firmly grabbed hold of Jay¡¯s arm and dragged her to the inn, Dys and Syd trailing behind. There was a slight awkwardness when Aila had to ask Jadis where her room was, which Jadis pointed out with some bemusement, but as soon as it had been indicated Aila shoved all three of Jadis inside and had demanded an explanation.
Aside from reading her Improved Mirrored Body skill verbatim for her, Jadis had also asked Aila to whisper a random word into Jay¡¯s ear while Dys stood on the other side of the room with her ears plugged. Instantly Dys repeated the word, showing access to knowledge only Jay could have. Finally, she used a knife to make a small cut on her hand and used her Mirrored Body¡¯s Shifting Reflection skill to transfer it between her three bodies.
¡°That¡¯s bizarre. Bizarre! I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen a stranger class skill in my life,¡± Aila shook her head in disbelief.
Demonstration finished, Jay wrapped a cloth around Syd¡¯s hand. ¡°Which? The wound transfer or us being three in one?¡±
¡°Both!¡± Aila cried out in exasperation. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I even want to know what other skills you have. I¡¯m not sure I can handle any more surprises.¡±
That drew a concerned look from Jadis. She did in fact have another surprise, namely her Earthly, non-Oros origin. Was now the time to explain that she was a reincarnated soul, put into the body of an apparently extinct race, sent on a mission by the mysterious god D to disrupt the established order?
Instinct was telling Jadis that maybe now wasn¡¯t the time. At the least, she should probably wait to explain something potentially devastating to Aila¡¯s world views until she understood the situation a little better. Still, the thought of continuing to hide things from Aila was making her skin itch.
¡°What?¡± Aila asked, catching Jadis¡¯ attention back to the moment. ¡°Is there something else insane you¡¯re not telling me?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Jay admitted. ¡°There is. But I don¡¯t really want to tell you about it.¡±
¡°Not because we don¡¯t trust you!¡± Syd was quick to interject. ¡°It¡¯s just, it¡¯s such a personal matter that honestly, we kind of want to keep it to ourselves for now.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not harmful to you,¡± Dys added. ¡°We swear. It¡¯s just not something we¡¯re ready to talk about with anyone.¡±
Aila took Jadis¡¯ explanation in somberly, nodding her head slightly at the end. ¡°Okay, I can understand that.¡±
All three giants looked at Aila then, faces serious. ¡°Are you mad at me for hiding the truth?¡± Jadis asked, speaking in perfect unison.
Head drawing back and looking confused, Aila pointed at Jay and said, ¡°Don¡¯t do that, it¡¯s confusing. Just, one at a time, okay?¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Jay agreed. ¡°But, are you mad? I get it if you are, at least when it comes to my weird duplicating body skill. I just don¡¯t want everyone knowing about my class and what I¡¯m capable of, you know?¡±
¡°I get it,¡± Aila said, visibly calming as her composure returned. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. I¡¯m¡ªwell, I¡¯m a little angry. You¡¯ve been flirting with me for the past couple days and I thought it was three different women, er, Nephilim doing the flirting which was very confusing, I¡¯ll have you know. Now that I know you¡¯re just one person, it¡¯s kind of a relief?¡±
¡°Yeah, sorry, I can see how that would be confusing,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why we said something, we wanted to show you some trust. It didn¡¯t seem fair to hide what we are if you¡¯re going to become involved with us, even from a practical, business kind of standpoint as mercenaries.¡±
¡°Why do you keep saying ¡®we¡¯ when you don¡¯t have to?¡± Aila interrupted, glancing between the three of Jadis.
Dys shrugged. ¡°Habit, I guess? We¡ªI am just kind of used to thinking of myself that way. We¡¯re one person, but when you have a skill that lets you compartmentalize your mind so you don¡¯t get confused about which hand is doing what, I guess it¡¯s just easier to think of it as ¡®Dys¡¯ hand or whatever.¡±
¡°Compart¡ªNo, wait, I don¡¯t want to know. I¡¯ve got enough to think about as is.¡±
¡°Sorry.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Aila sighed. ¡°Really. I¡¯m not mad. Shocked and confused and a bit relieved, but not mad.¡±
There was a single small desk with a chair in the bedroom. Pulling the chair over, Syd offered it to Aila who took a seat facing the bed-nest Jadis had made. Sitting down cross-legged in the nest, all of Jadis¡¯ bodies faced Aila with apprehensive smiles.
¡°So, is there anything else you want to ask about?¡± Dys asked.
¡°Might as well get it all out there,¡± Syd added.
¡°In the spirit of trust, as long as you don¡¯t pry into my one private matter, you can ask any questions you want,¡± Jay offered.
Aila looked at the three seated Nephilim consideringly before leaning forward slightly, putting her right elbow on her knee and her chin on her fist. Humming softly, her face didn¡¯t betray her thoughts. Seconds dragged out into a minute, then longer.
¡°What?¡± Dys asked, grinning anxiously. ¡°You¡¯re starting to make us a little nervous.¡±
¡°Considering the confusion you¡¯ve put me through, I think you can bare a few more seconds,¡± Aila admonished, eyebrow raised over piercing blue eye.
¡°Fair enough¡¡± Dys trailed off.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
All in all, Jadis didn¡¯t think her reveal to Aila had gone too terribly bad. In fact, she¡¯d consider her reaction to be far better than she feared, especially compared to the nightmare possibilities of bad reactions she¡¯d envisioned when she¡¯d first started thinking about how others might react to her class. It didn¡¯t seem like anyone was going to try to burn her at the stake. Or at least, no one she cared about was rejecting her outright based on her class alone.
¡°So. First question,¡± Aila finally spoke, holding up one finger on her free hand, her chin still settled on her right.
¡°Go for it,¡± Jay encouraged.
¡°Are you really the only Nephilim to survive from your village? No others?¡±
¡°I¡¯m the only one so far as I am aware,¡± Jay answered as truthfully as she could.
¡°Two. Is three the limit? I don¡¯t normally think of mirrors in threes so the fact that you have three bodies is odd.¡±
¡°I started out with one double,¡± Dys answered. ¡°I only recently got the improved version of Mirrored Body. Before I was using a skill from my ritualist class that lets me duplicate one passive skill of my choice.¡±
Aila paused at that information a moment before continuing, putting up a third finger.
¡°Three. Which of you is the original?¡±
¡°No idea,¡± Syd shrugged. ¡°I know I¡¯m not because I only appeared when I used the passive duplication ritual. The original is one of these two,¡± she motioned towards Jay and Dys, ¡°but we¡¯ve got no clue which one.¡±
¡°Interesting,¡± Aila murmured, chin rising from her hand as she leaned back in her chair. ¡°No way to turn the passive skill off and confirm?¡±
¡°Not that we know of,¡± Jay said, shaking her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter much to me anyway at this point. I¡¯m me, no matter which body you¡¯re talking to.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Aila said, nodding and taking a deep breath. ¡°Then, number four. What¡¯s your real name?¡±
Oh. Jadis blinked, all of her violet eyes widening in realization. She hadn¡¯t actually told Aila who she really was yet, in the most basic meaning, had she?
¡°Jadis,¡± all three of her said at once. ¡°My name is Jadis.¡±
¡°But you can keep calling us by whichever nickname we¡¯ve given ourselves, if you like,¡± Syd said, smirking a little at the way Aila startled at all of her speaking at once.
She needed to speak in synchronized form more often. It was kind of fun to provoke reactions.
¡°Jadis,¡± Aila repeated, seeming to taste the word on her lips. After a moment, she said the name again, then smiled. ¡°Jadis. Alright. Five. If you have a ritual spell that improves the result based on the number of participants, why haven¡¯t you already involved more people in the ritual? Even if it¡¯s sexual in nature, you could just hire a few prostitutes, you know? There are a few brothels around.¡±
That was a genuinely good point. Jadis couldn¡¯t help but frown at the simple solution Aila pointed out. In all honesty, the idea of visiting a brothel and hiring a few ladies of the night hadn¡¯t occurred to her. She had never made use of such services in her previous life; in fact, she was fairly certain she¡¯d never even seen a prostitute in person before, just on television or similar mediums.
While she didn¡¯t have any particular moral compunction against prostitution, the idea of paying someone for sex was throwing Jadis for a loop. She didn¡¯t hate the idea, in fact, it made a lot of sense. She just felt as though whoever she was going to be with in such an intimate and carnal way would be someone she had more of a connection to than just a monetary transaction.
Was she being dumb? She was potentially locking herself out of a power boost by shunning the idea of paying for sex. The whole concept just felt wrong to her though, on an instinctual level. She¡¯d need to think about it.
Not wanting to leave Aila waiting any longer than she already had by lapsing into internal debate, Jadis brought her gaze back up to the redhead¡¯s and gave her a sheepish grin on all three faces.
¡°Got to admit, the thought just hadn¡¯t crossed my mind before now.¡±
Aila frowned, then seemed to come to some understanding and nodded her head. ¡°Of course. You¡¯re from a small, isolated village. I don¡¯t imagine there were many prostitutes among your small community.¡±
¡°Never met one before,¡± Jay agreed.
¡°Do you think that¡¯s something I should do?¡± Dys asked, curious to get Aila¡¯s opinion on the matter.
Aila shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Pragmatically, it would probably be the most efficient and effective way to take advantage of a skill that just needs willing participants. As long as you have the coin for it, which you do, you could hire quite a few women for, what, a single night? Just to make sure it is completed correctly?¡±
Jadis watched her freckled face carefully as she spoke. Aila¡¯s expression betrayed no hint of displeasure or consternation with the plan she was herself putting forward. Why would she, now that Jadis thought about it. They weren¡¯t actually dating, not yet anyway. They were, at best, in the tentative stages of maybe thinking of entering into a relationship. In more honest terms, they were business partners, two mercenaries throwing their lot in with each other for mutual benefit. There was no reason for there to be any feelings of proprietary jealousy.
¡°Would you be upset if I did sleep with other women?¡± Jay asked, the words coming out of her mouth the moment she thought them.
Aila was slow to contemplate the question, turning it over carefully before hesitantly answering.
¡°No¡ But I think I¡¯d be upset if you didn¡¯t ask, first. Does that make sense?¡±
Aila¡¯s deep blue eyes looked into Jadis¡¯ violet ones with a plea for understanding, one that seemed to wish for an insight that she herself didn¡¯t quite have.
¡°Yeah, I think I get it,¡± Jay said, face serious. ¡°Let¡¯s be blunt with each other then.¡±
¡°If we¡¯re going to be entering into a sexual relationship, even if it doesn¡¯t go beyond what¡¯s needed for my rituals, we should ask what we are each comfortable with,¡± Dys calmly explained.
¡°Agreed,¡± Aila said, looking relieved at the concept of ground rules to work off of.
¡°Then, let me start by saying,¡± Syd drawled, a small grin appearing on her features, ¡°That if you want to have sex with someone else other than me, then I have no problem with it, as long as I get to watch.¡±
¡°Unless it¡¯s a guy,¡± Dys sneered at the thought. ¡°Not interested in hairy man-ass.¡±
Aila broke out into abrupt laughter, an incredulous look on her face. ¡°Why are you so crass all of the time? It¡¯s as though you have some kind of secret skill for it.¡±
¡°I¡¯m an irreverent fucker, what can I say?¡± Jay admitted with a casual smile and tilt of her head. ¡°I think it¡¯s one of my more charming traits.¡±
¡°Obnoxious, more like,¡± Aila shook her head.
¡°So? Are you okay with that rule?¡± Dys prompted, bringing the conversation back on point.
Aila paused, took a breath, then nodded. ¡°Yes, actually. So long as I can apply the same to you. I won¡¯t stop you from being with other women, but I want to at least know about it, even if I¡¯m not directly involved. But considering your ritual and participants, it would make sense if I was involved regardless.¡±
¡°Then, if I do come across others I¡¯m interested in inviting to participate in the ritual, would you feel more comfortable if we discussed the person together, first?¡± Syd asked.
Aila nodded. ¡°I think that would make me feel more comfortable, yes.¡±
Jay grinned. ¡°Good! As long as we¡¯re on the same page, I think we¡¯ll be fine.¡±
¡°I think so, too,¡± Aila smiled. Her smile grew somewhat nervous though as Jadis¡¯ collective grin grew lascivious. ¡°What?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Jay drew the word out as she leaned forward, hands going to the stone floor as she crawled forward across the ground, approaching Aila¡¯s seated figure. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve established how we each feel about other potential partners in this thing we¡¯re starting here, I think we have to ask¡ª¡±
¡°¡ªHow comfortable are you with three of me being involved in a sexual ritual with you?¡± Dys asked, crawling up to the right of Jay.
¡°Because while I¡¯ll totally respect your wishes on this if you don¡¯t feel the same way, I have got to tell you I am extremely interested in lavishing you with all the attentions three of me can provide you.¡± Syd whispered huskily, having crawled up next to Jay on her opposite side.
With three pale beautiful giants on their hands and knees surrounding Aila on all sides, gazing at her with wanton intentions, her blush reached epic proportions.
Voice a little shaky, Aila smiled timidly.
¡°I¡¯m comfortable with that.¡±
Chapter 70 POV: Lover
Aila was so nervous she didn¡¯t know what to do with her hands, her feet, or any part of her at all. Her romantic encounters heretofore had been woefully lacking, her first experience just fumbling hands in the dark of a hayloft with a boy from her village when they were teens, the second a more intimate but brief affair with Hartwin, a slightly older man who joined the army only six months after their relationship became physical. Her experiences were few, only with humans, and only with men. She didn¡¯t have the least idea how she was supposed to approach something carnal with a fellow woman.
Except, Jadis wasn¡¯t a woman, was she? She was achingly beautiful, her features perfect in such a way that inspired envy, with a stunning figure that was apt to turn heads no matter how tall she was. And yet, she wasn¡¯t human, she was a Nephilim. And, apparently, Nephilim meant she was at least partially masculine, at least in the quarters that counted for such things. Aila had seen the evidence well enough after the dance ritual and had at least caught a glimpse of something imposing when she saw whichever Jadis naked in the door that morning. So yes, she knew for a fact that for purposes of¡ªwell, of sex, Jadis had the one part she was familiar with well enough to know what to do.
However, even if Aila knew what to do with a partner who possessed the right equipment, she didn¡¯t know what she was supposed to do with three partners. What, were they going to take turns with her? Based on what Jadis had asked her a moment ago, she doubted it. Even so, what was she supposed to do? Just lay back and let them have their way? What level of participation was required from her?
As Jay¡¯s face hovered inches away from hers, the size of Jadis making Aila feel small and delicate in a way she hadn¡¯t ever felt before when with someone, she rushed to ask a question.
¡°What ritual are we doing right now? The one that¡¯ll empower me, or the one that¡¯ll empower you?¡±
Jay¡¯s gaze focused on Aila¡¯s lips as she spoke, her eyes heavy-lidded. ¡°Dunno. How about both at the same time? There¡¯s some overlap in the requirements.¡±
Aila shook her head as her breath quickened with the proximity of Jadis¡¯ two other bodies leaning in close on either side of her. She was suddenly feeling far warmer than she was moments ago.
¡°No, that won¡¯t work. You can¡¯t perform two rituals at once. You have to choose one or the spell won¡¯t take hold.¡±
Jay hummed contemplatively, not drawing her face back in the slightest. With how close she was, Aila couldn¡¯t help but notice how sweet she smelled, like some fruit she¡¯d never tasted before.
¡°Not very efficient,¡± Dys murmured next to her ear, sending a thrill up her spine. ¡°We¡¯d be done faster if we could do two at once.¡±
¡°Not that I¡¯m disappointed,¡± Syd whispered in her other ear. ¡°Just means more time to explore and have fun with you.¡±
¡°You pick,¡± Jay said, licking her own lips, drawing Aila¡¯s gaze to her soft, attractive, shockingly kissable mouth.
Aila had to think for a moment about what Jay, or rather, Jadis, was telling her. Her thoughts seemed to be moving a lot slower than normal.
¡°Um, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s involved in either,¡± she finally got out, finding it hard to meet Jadis¡¯ piercing gaze now. ¡°Maybe the one that isn¡¯t as, um, intense? Just to ease into things.¡±
All three of Jadis¡¯ bodies chuckled around her, the throaty sound sending more shivers up Aila¡¯s spine in a pleasing way.
¡°So, the one that¡¯ll empower you will take an hour¡ª¡± Syd started to explain.
¡°An hour!?¡± Aila squeaked. ¡°Of sex?¡±
¡°Yup,¡± Dys said, grin blooming across her face. ¡°No specific number of climaxes in that timeframe, but we¡¯ll have to work out at least one to satisfy the other needed aspects.¡±
¡°Should probably start with that one if an hour seems daunting,¡± Syd said, her tone teasing. ¡°Lascivious Empowerment, the ritual that increases in power per number of participants, requires two hours of non-stop fucking. Should probably work our way up to that.¡±
Aila¡¯s mouth fell open at the explanation Jadis was giving her. How was she meant to go for a total of three hours of sex? Her experiences with Hartwin had only gone for about fifteen minutes including the foreplay, never mind her clumsy encounter in the hayloft! How was she, or Jadis for that matter, meant to last for so long?
¡°I¡¯d really like to kiss you right now,¡± Jay intoned, voice low and intense. ¡°We¡¯ll have to for the ritual later, but I want to do it now.¡±
The earnest, almost desperate request kickstarted Aila¡¯s brain. She didn¡¯t know how she and Jadis were supposed to go for multiple hours, nor did she know what she was supposed to do with a woman, carnally. But she did know how to handle a kiss.
Taking the initiative, she closed her eyes and leaned forward, pressing her lips up against Jay¡¯s own.
Much as she expected, Jay¡¯s lips were soft and warm. Her firm pressure was reciprocated in a gentle way, as she could tell that Jadis was holding her strength back. She knew how strong the absurdly tall giant was and even disregarding what had to be a significant attribute boost, the Nephilim had muscle to spare. Still, Jadis¡¯ kiss was tender, almost caressing.
The idea came to Aila¡¯s mind that Jadis might be letting her set the pace when after a short while the kiss lingered with no further advancement. Since she had already taken the initiative once, she decided to continue the trend. Aila parted her lips, letting her tongue slip out and flick against Jay¡¯s, seeking admittance.
Jadis parted her lips and allowed her entrance. Aila was pleased to find that the giant tasted as sweet as she smelled. But after only a second of exploration, Aila was reminded of the extreme size difference between them.
Jay¡¯s questing tongue played with hers, the fleshy muscle dwarfing hers in what was likely an unconscious act of dominance that thrilled Aila in a peculiar way. Letting Jadis push her own tongue into her mouth, she was almost overwhelmed by the powerful length invading her. She lost track of time as the kiss persisted, but by the time Jadis pulled away, Aila was breathless and dizzy.
¡°You have no fucking idea how hot it is to watch us making out,¡± Dys said from the side, making Aila jump.
She¡¯d honestly forgotten for a moment that their kiss had an audience. Sort of. By the Gods Jadis¡¯ class and skills made this whole thing confusing.
¡°Wish you could see, actually,¡± Syd said before planting a wet kiss on Aila¡¯s neck, making her breath quicken. ¡°It¡¯s a real experience.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
¡°You could put on a show for me,¡± Aila pointed out, the words springing forth before she¡¯d properly thought them through. The passionate kiss had truly melted her brain.
¡°Ah, wait, I didn¡¯t mean¡ª¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Dys grinned, cutting Aila off. ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all.¡±
¡°How do you think we do all these rituals alone anyway?¡± Syd teased, giving her a wink.
Before Aila could say a word more, Syd and Dys closed the distance between themselves and began to kiss inches in front of her face. There was no chaste start to the kiss this time though, the two immediately sucking on each other¡¯s tongues in an erotic display that made Aila¡¯s heart beat near out of her chest.
As she watched the impassioned exhibition, Jay¡¯s hands stroked up and down Aila¡¯s sides, never quite going anywhere indecent, always staying above her tunic, but managing to light a fire in her belly that burned stronger than any time she¡¯d been with another before.
¡°You know, I¡¯ve never kissed myself before now,¡± Syd commented as she and Dys briefly separated, giving Aila a smoldering look. ¡°It¡¯s nice, but I always know what I¡¯m about to do so it doesn¡¯t have the same pleasure as when I kissed you.¡±
¡°Want to join us?¡± Dys asked, bringing her face closer to Aila¡¯s in anticipation of her answer, the answer that Aila herself knew she was going to give.
¡°Yes,¡± she breathed out, leaning forward in her seat and joining lips with Dys.
As their tongues met in an erotic battle, a third entered the fray from the side. Syd¡¯s kiss quickly joined Dys in a synchronized attack clearly meant to tear down all her defenses and leave her a breathless, moaning mess. Being on the receiving end of the more pleasurable version, she could well see just how Jadis¡¯ enemies would fall so quickly to her coordinated assault.
While the three-way kiss continued, Jadis¡¯ hands were not idle. More than just two were running along her sides now. Multiple pairs of hands were stroking her arms, shoulders, stomach, thighs, and calves, still avoiding the spots that were feeling the most needy. Aila was starting to suspect that Jadis was doing it on purpose, drawing the petting out.
Was that how they were meant to last an hour? Slowly tease one another for an extended period, edging each other along until enough time had passed that the ritual would be satisfied? The plan made sense, logically. Aila could appreciate the entirely reasonable solution to the problem.
In that moment, however, she did not want to be logical or reasonable.
¡°We¡¯re wearing too many clothes,¡± Aila panted, briefly breaking away from the kiss before diving back in.
While Jadis made no verbal acknowledgement, she must have agreed because suddenly the hands that were upon her were pulling and tugging, unbuckling her belt and pulling her tunic over her head and her pants off of her legs. Faster than she could ever have accomplished on her own, Aila was naked and she hadn¡¯t even left her seat on the chair.
Jadis had stopped moving then, her two¡ª what, extra bodies? Spares? Additions? ¡ªwere no longer kissing. All three were staring at her with longing gazes, making Aila feel extremely self-conscious all of a sudden.
¡°What?¡± she asked, her previously unused hands moving to cover herself.
One hand each from Dys and Syd moved to catch her limbs, firmly holding her back from covering her chest or groin.
¡°Sorry Blue,¡± Jay whispered in that deep, intense, odd accent of hers. ¡°You¡¯re just so beautiful. I couldn¡¯t help but stare.¡±
Aila flushed, both at the compliment and at the pet name Jadis had bestowed on her.
¡°You don¡¯t need to flatter me. I know I¡¯m too thin to be¡ª¡±
Her self-deprecations were abruptly silenced by Jay leaning in and stealing her breath away with another kiss. A short eternity later, after their lips parted, Jadis practically purred in a trio of tones.
¡°You¡¯re lovely. Petite and delicate and absolutely stunning. Now don¡¯t say anything else negative about your looks because I¡¯ll be forced to persuade you otherwise and I really want to use my mouths in other ways right now.¡±
¡°What other ways?¡± Aila asked, twisting nervously under Jadis¡¯ continued penetrating stare.
¡°Like this,¡± Syd answered, planting another kiss on her neck, making Aila arch her back and curl her toes at the pleasantly ticklish sensation.
¡°And this,¡± Dys continued, her lips and tongue brushing softly against the swell of Aila¡¯s modest left breast, just barely avoiding her pink nipple.
¡°And like this,¡± Jay finished, her mouth hover mere inches over the V where Aila¡¯s legs met and her burning core lay hidden between tightly closed thighs.
Jay gently eased Aila¡¯s legs apart with a strength that she couldn¡¯t hope to resist, even if she wanted to, which she most fervently didn¡¯t. Not that she¡¯d ever experienced anything like Jadis seemed to be intending to do before. Aila wasn¡¯t a prude and she heard more than a few bawdy tales told around the campfire about the kinds of things the more adventurous sort got up to in between the bedsheets. She just hadn¡¯t ever had the opportunity, not with her past lovers at any rate.
Well, it seemed Jadis was eager to help her make up for lost time.
Jay¡¯s lips pressed gingerly against Aila¡¯s slick folds with an almost reverent touch, making her gasp involuntarily. Before she could quite catch her breath from that first gasp, Dys had latched onto breast with full vigor while Syd captured her mouth with her own, large tongue diving deep.
Aila found herself being lavished upon from all angles, Jadis¡¯ multiple hands and lips and tongues treating her like an instrument, doing everything in their power to draw out every moan and groan from her they could. Jay¡¯s ministrations were particularly devastating. It seemed Jadis knew exactly where to put her tongue to both please her and at the same time leave her whimpering for more. Never quite penetrating, never quite putting enough pressure on her sensitive nub, just slipping and licking and tasting, leading her on and on but never satisfying.
¡°Stop teasing me,¡± Aila finally broke the kiss with Syd to desperately command Jadis, her hands coming up to wrap Jay¡¯s white hair.
Syd grinned and kissed Aila¡¯s forehead. ¡°At your command, Blue.¡±
Suddenly a long, thick, wriggling mass was thrust deep inside of Aila¡¯s core. It went so far that for a moment, she thought Jadis had inserted her manhood¡ªwas that the right word, her hazy mind asked¡ªand looked down past Dys¡¯ head still latched to her chest only to see Jay¡¯s face between her thighs, her violet eyes twinkling up at her.
¡°Oh,¡± she moaned out breathlessly. Jadis¡¯ tongue was so long it was comparable to the last man she¡¯d been with¡
That thought was flung from her head as Jay actually began to move her tongue, putting her earlier lascivious attentions to shame. The way she moved and stroked and sucked, practically devouring her burning hot and slick core made Aila¡¯s brain float off into a sea of warm carnal delights, all thoughts and worries scattered to the winds as her cries of pleasure were let out full force with no needy kiss to muffle her.
A second mouth found its way down between her legs, a strong tongue licking against her wet pearl at just the right moment to wring a choking gasp from Aila as she climaxed unexpectedly, so caught up in the pleasure of the moment she hadn¡¯t even realized how close she was to her peak.
Her fingers dug into Jay¡¯s scalp as she felt strong hands lift her up partially out of her chair, lifting her hips high as Jadis continued to draw her orgasm out, lavishing her core with attention as she shuddered and writhed. A mouth was suddenly on hers and she couldn¡¯t even begin to say which Jadis it was as she desperately kissed her between pants and moans.
Either moments or an eternity later, Aila came down from her climax, exhausted and quivering. She stared bleary eyed up at the grinning, gorgeous face of Jadis. It was a face that looked immensely pleased with herself. It was also a face that seemed to shine from within with an inner light, and not in a metaphorical sense.
¡°¡Are you glowing?¡± Aila asked dumbly, finding it a little hard to focus.
Jadis nodded, leaning down and giving Aila a quick kiss before answering.
¡°Yup. It¡¯s how I know the ritual is working. We start to glow as it takes effect.¡±
¡°Huh,¡± was all Aila could think of to say in response at that moment.
¡°Don¡¯t conk out on us just yet,¡± another Jadis said, leaning into view on her right and giving Aila another quick and sweet kiss. ¡°It¡¯s only been like, what, twenty minutes?¡±
Aila quailed at the assessment. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± a third voice said, this one from lower and, breath brushing against her slick folds and reminding Aila of exactly what kind of compromising position she was currently being held in by Jadis, seemingly without any effort at all.
¡°And I have to tell you, with how you were moaning just now,¡± Jadis said, placing a kiss on Aila¡¯s core and making her already flushed face burn brighter, ¡°I¡¯m fucking rock hard right now.¡±
Blinking, Aila remembered what exactly she had signed herself up for. She tilted her head and looked at the Jadis on her right, the one she was pretty sure was Syd. She was still wearing her poorly stitched tunic, but her skirt was gone, revealing the odd sight of what Aila at first thought was an oddly proportioned leg sticking out at a strange angle.
The full realization stuck her only after her shaky hand reached out and touched the pale, throbbing appendage and it jumped hotly in her grasp.
¡°Valtar save me¡¡±
Chapter 71: Lewd Lover’s Bond
Jadis was so hard she felt as though she could shatter stone with her dick alone.
She had almost forgotten what it was like to bring someone else to their climax. The feel of someone else¡¯s movements that she couldn¡¯t quite predict, the ecstatic moan of someone who couldn¡¯t anticipate what she would do to them, the unpredictability of every reaction to her actions, all of it made for a world of difference between pleasuring herself and pleasuring another. Jadis loved herself, loved her sexy body. She¡¯d come to terms with the fact that she had some kind of narcissistic kink going on with the way she loved to fuck herself. But touching Aila¡¯s exquisite body was doing things to her that self-loving did not.
Having someone else¡¯s hand on her cock, even a light, tentative touch, made Jadis¡¯ core clench and tighten, pressure rising to almost undeniable heights, in record time.
Fucking hell, she needed to get a hold of herself or Syd was going to pop from just a simple caress, not even a proper hand job.
[Censored Sex Scene. The full scene can be viewed on ScribbleHub.com]
¡°So, I think my skill works,¡± Dys said a little breathlessly, lying down next to Syd and Aila, hand stroking along the still visible bulge in her stomach.
¡°How deep are you?¡± Aila asked with a moan.
¡°About a quarter of the way, maybe more?¡± Dys answered.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°That¡¯s all!?¡± Aila half sat up, shocked.
She looked down at where Jay was between her and Syd¡¯s legs, tongue lapping up a mouthful of cum. There was indeed a lot of real-estate exposed still on Syd¡¯s hard member.
Smiling up at Aila¡¯s stunned expression, Jay crawled up and over her while Syd¡¯s arms wrapped around her and Dys leaned in to whisper huskily.
¡°Time for that kiss.¡±
Aila made no resistance as Jay closed in on her. As their lips met, their mouths opened and the combined mix of Syd¡¯s sweet seed and Aila¡¯s slick juices flowed across their tongues. A dual moan of pleasure and delight came from both of them as they twirled their tongues together. Jadis was pleased to find that not only did Aila not balk at the expectation of sharing a sloppy, cum-drenched kiss with her, she apparently relished it.
As the kiss lingered and Dys watched it from an excellent vantage, Jadis realized that her skin was glowing brighter. She hadn¡¯t realized that they had spent so much time already, but it seemed the ritual was nearing completion.
Gasping for breath, Aila pulled away from Jay and stared at her, blue eyes glowing in a surprisingly literal sense.
¡°I¡¯ve been asked what attribute I want to apply the Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond to,¡± she said, licking her lips.
¡°Nice!¡± Jay grinned. ¡°Better hurry up and apply it, these rituals have a short window to use them.¡±
Aila nodded and Jadis could see her eyes flicker as though she were reading something visible only to her. A moment later, her mouth fell open in obvious shock.
¡°My arcane attribute just went up by thirty-nine points! That¡¯s more than I earned from nineteen levels of doing everything I could to only increase my arcane stat!¡±
¡°Hey, happy to help,¡± Syd sighed, running her hands languidly up and down Aila¡¯s sides.
¡°You have seventy-eight points in eldritch and you¡¯re only level thirty-four?¡± she asked incredulously, twisting her hips in such a way that made both her and Jadis shudder briefly.
"Seventy-nine, actually," Jay corrected, drawing a further look of incredulity from Aila.
¡°Yeah, well, what can I say? We¡¯re gifted in more ways than one.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Aila breathed out a laugh, one hand reaching down to stroke the lump in her stomach.
Chapter 72: Marathon
Syd pulled out of Aila and a torrent of sticky white cum flooded from her tunnel, making a lewd mess all over Syd¡¯s stomach. Not that Jadis minded. She¡¯d made much bigger messes in the past and was planning on making a bigger one shortly, presuming Aila was on board with continuing to the second ritual.
Getting to her feet, Aila walked on unsteady legs to her pack and searched around inside, looking for something. Jadis savored the sight of her pert, heart-shaped ass as Aila bent over, seed still dribbling out of her from her pussy lips. It was an immensely tempting sight; one she wouldn¡¯t pass up on in most circumstances.
In fact¡
Aila let out a surprised yelp as Dys buried her face in her behind, hungrily licking Syd¡¯s sweet cum from her pussy.
¡°What are you doing?¡± Aila asked in an almost comically serious voice. ¡°We aren¡¯t doing a ritual at the moment, are we?¡±
¡°No, just cleaning you up,¡± Jay answered from her spot next to Syd, casually swiping a finger through the puddle on her double¡¯s stomach and taking a taste.
Aila said nothing for a moment, then went back to rummaging through her pack.
¡°Carry on then.¡±
Jadis was fairly certain Aila found what she was looking for after the first minute, but she didn¡¯t object to the extra time she gave her to finish cleaning up her mess.
When Aila eventually straightened up and turned around, her condition less soaked in seed but no less wobbly, she held up a small glass vial with a yellow liquid sloshing inside.
¡°To prevent pregnancy,¡± she explained before popping the cork off and downing the mouthful in one go. Her nose wrinkled at the taste. ¡°Ugh. So sour.¡±
¡°So, you always carry a potion like that around?¡± Dys asked, her hands holding onto Aila¡¯s waist as she kneeled before her. Aila was taller than Dys when she was kneeling, but not by much.
Aila frowned and recorked the bottle, then tossed it into her backpack. ¡°No, but I wanted to be prepared just in case after our last conversation about what your rituals could possibly entail.¡±
¡°I¡¯m glad one of us has some forethought,¡± Dys grinned before planting a kiss on Aila¡¯s left breast.
¡°Ready to continue? If we do the two-hour ritual now, we should be done long before dinner as long as we don¡¯t make any mistakes and have to start over,¡± Syd asked, sitting up from her prone position in the blanket nest.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
¡°What does that one require?¡± Aila asked, one hand playing with Dys¡¯s hair and she continued to shower her supple flesh with kisses. ¡°This first one wasn¡¯t too bad, actually.¡±
¡°Constant skin-to-skin contact for the full two hours,¡± Jay explained, getting up and making the blanket-nest more spread out and comfortable. ¡°And concurrent climaxes. No specific timing or number of climaxes, but you¡¯ll need to let us know when you¡¯re getting close cause if you cum and we don¡¯t, or vice versa, the ritual will fail and we¡¯ll have to start over.¡±
¡°I¡¯m still amazed by the peculiarities of your class,¡± Aila murmured.
¡°And I¡¯m still amazed by how beautiful you are,¡± Dys said between loving pecks on Aila¡¯s breasts.
A small blush spreading across her face, Aila put one hand under Dys¡¯ chin and raised her head up. Planting a kiss on her lips, she whispered, ¡°You don¡¯t need to flatter me, I¡¯m quite on board with all this after that first hour. Also, I¡¯m always in favor of efficiency and there¡¯s good reason to continue now, little point in delaying for later. Besides,¡± she reached down then and wrapped as much of her hand as she could around Dys¡¯ throbbing member, ¡°I get the feeling you¡¯re going to need to release soon or this¡¯ll get painful, won¡¯t it?¡±
Dys grinned as Aila took the lead and confidently led her by the dick back to where the rest of Jadis waited in the nest.
[Censored Sex Scene. The full scene can be viewed on ScribbleHub.com]
Five hours later, Aila lay on top of Jay, sandwiched between Dys and Syd who lay on either side of her, arms and legs thrown across her. All of them were sticky, sweat and cum covered messes. Jadis felt as though both her mind and her muscles had turned to mush after the hours long debauchery. Aila, for her part, looked about ready to pass out.
¡°Hey, check your menu,¡± Syd poked Aila in the side, prompting an exhausted groan.
Bleary eyed, Aila wiped a stray strand of cum from her brow and stared blankly at Syd from her spot on top of Jay, her sore pussy still stuffed with Jay¡¯s slowly softening cock. After a few moments, her brows shot up and a tired smile bloomed across her face.
¡°It worked! The bonus you gave me went up to forty-three instead of thirty-nine,¡± she said, stifling a yawn. ¡°That¡¯s amazing¡ You¡¯re amazing, you know that?¡±
¡°Aw, thanks Blue,¡± Syd grinned, giving Aila¡¯s cute nose a small kiss. ¡°Not so bad yourself.¡±
Aila¡¯s smile turned thoughtful. ¡°Forty-three¡ That means your eldritch attribute is at eighty-six, right?¡±
¡°Yup,¡± Dys confirmed, her hand brushing lazily across Aila¡¯s back. ¡°This ritual gave our stats a big boost, gotta say. Thanks for the help, literally couldn¡¯t have done it without you.¡±
¡°Hm.¡± Aila mused, one hand idly stroking Jay¡¯s muscled arm. ¡°This might be forward of me, and feel free to reject, but if you¡¯re willing, can we discuss our attributes? Maybe talk about our class skills? I¡¯d like to compare and plan, if possible.¡±
¡°That¡¯d be great, actually,¡± Jay said, shifting to pull her member out from within Aila. ¡°I¡¯d love to get your take on our build. We¡¯ve grown a lot without any educated guidance on what we should do. I admit to having made a few mistakes in my build early on.¡±
¡°I¡¯d be happy to offer what guidance I¡¯m able,¡± Aila agreed, stifling another yawn.
¡°It¡¯s a plan then,¡± Syd nodded, stroking Aila¡¯s long, damp hair. ¡°But maybe a nap first. I can¡¯t think straight right now, not until I get some rest.¡±
¡°Pretty sure I won¡¯t be walking straight without a long rest to recover first, either,¡± Aila murmured sincerely, burying her face in Jay¡¯s chest.
Her attempt at rest was only disturbed for a few moments as Jadis struggled through a fit of laughter.
Chapter 73: Learning Numbers
¡°You have incredibly high attributes for your level,¡± Aila declared as she looked over the sheet of paper she¡¯d sketched out a copy of Jadis¡¯ main menu on. ¡°I¡¯ve seen plenty higher, but those were for much higher level, more advanced individuals, usually people with their tertiary class unlocked at least.¡±
Aila was stretched out on the floor, her lithe body resting on the fresh blankets Jadis had retrieved from the innkeeper, the paper she was writing on laid on the stone floor before her. On Aila¡¯s request, Jadis had listed her stats for her and Aila had made a faithful duplication of the mental display.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (21)
Secondary Class: Perverted Ritualist of D (13)
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 34
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Health: 520/520
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Magic: 10/10
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Attributes
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Strength: 88
Dexterity: 27
Agility: 86
Vitality: 52
Fortitude: 37
Endurance: 39
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 86
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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¡°Your physical stats are astonishing, honestly,¡± Aila said wonderingly, tapping her oddly modern-looking metal pen to the paper. ¡°And while you don¡¯t have much in magic stats other than eldritch, even just that one stat is amazing. Adding up all your attribute points, you¡¯ve got four hundred and thirty-six total. That¡¯s insane.¡±
¡°Is it?¡± Jay asked, lying next to Aila so that she was shoulder to shoulder with her, which necessitated she curl her knees up to keep from hitting her legs against the wall. ¡°I¡¯ve never done a direct comparison to anyone else before.¡±
¡°It is,¡± Aila confirmed. ¡°Not including the boost you just gave me, my total attributes equal to one hundred and forty-four. And I can assure you that I¡¯m only a little above average for most humans at my level.¡±
That did seem like a fairly hefty disparity between her raw numbers and what Aila claimed was normal. Clearly her powerful class skills that were increasing her stats by large percentages played the main role in the why of how high her numbers were, but what about the numbers she started with? She knew she had high stats from the beginning of her reborn life on Oros. Was the difference because of her god-granted origins, or was it because of her odd race? Aila had specified humans as the average she was being compared to.
¡°What if you were comparing me to an elf? Would I be that far ahead?¡±
¡°Definitely,¡± Aila nodded, writing down more of what Jadis presumed were numbers on a second sheet of paper. ¡°Averages vary between individuals of each race in terms of what one starts with, and it¡¯s true that elves typically start with around twenty more attribute points than humans, but I¡¯m guessing you started with far and beyond more than what any human, elf, orc, or anything else I know of starts with. Do you remember your starting attributes when your class sheet unlocked for you?¡±
¡°Sort of,¡± Jadis nodded uncertainly. ¡°I can tell you my eldritch stat was seventy from the start.¡±
Aila paused in her scribbling and gave Jay an incredulous look. ¡°Seventy? From the beginning?¡±
¡°Yup,¡± Jay confirmed, running a hand through her hair. ¡°Not entirely sure why, it¡¯s just how I am.¡±
¡°Well, while that¡¯s a whole extra mystery to ponder, it does explain why your primary class and secondary class are so powerful. Most people are lucky to get an attribute at level seventy by the time they are level forty at the earliest, and that¡¯s if they hyper-focus on that one stat. You started out at that point. Basically, you¡¯ve been working with a stat that would be necessary to unlock high-tier classes most wouldn¡¯t have access to until they were getting their tertiary class, right from the very beginning.¡±
Sighing heavily, Aila gave Jay a flat look. ¡°I am intensely envious.¡±
¡°Sorry?¡± Jay said, holding one hand up placatingly. ¡°I¡¯m just lucky, I guess?¡±
¡°No, don¡¯t apologize,¡± Aila deflated a little. ¡°I¡¯m feeling pretty lucky myself, lately, what with having crossed paths with you. Please don¡¯t think of me as ungrateful, because I¡¯m not. In fact, I¡¯m more grateful than I think you can imagine.¡±
Jadis brought Aila¡¯s rambling apology to an abrupt halt with a soft kiss. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Now, why don¡¯t you show me how to read all these scribbles?¡±
With a sweet smile on her lips, Aila showed Jay what she was writing and what the symbols stood for. As she did so, Syd came back into the room, scrubbing her wet hair with a towel.
¡°I only had it for a night but I already miss that private bathroom back at Bernd¡¯s Blades,¡± she said wistfully, tossing the wet towel down in the pile of other wet towels and blankets Jadis had balled up. The tunic she¡¯d put on for decency¡¯s sake while walking the short distance from their room to the shared bathroom also quickly joined the pile.
¡°That¡¯s very distracting,¡± Aila murmured, keeping her eyes on the paper, studiously ignoring Syd¡¯s casual nudity.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
¡°May as well get used to it,¡± Syd grinned down at the faintly blushing redhead. ¡°Because I don¡¯t wear pajamas to bed. Don¡¯t even own any.¡±
¡°Pajamas?¡± Aila looked up curiously, then quickly looked away from Syd¡¯s enticing form.
¡°Night clothes,¡± Jay explained. ¡°Nephilim word, sorry.¡±
As the three spoke, Dys also rejoined them, carrying a large tray of random food she¡¯d bought from the inn. Jadis had no problem eating leftovers, not after her month roughing it in the wilderness.
¡°Dinner time,¡± she announced, putting the tray down on the small table and passing the food to her other selves and Aila.
After their long and tiring perverted ritual, Jadis and Aila had napped for an hour or two, not waking until it was past dinner time. They had never gotten the chance to go hunting for demons to gain experience, but that was hardly a disappointment for either of them. Besides the obvious delights both had enjoyed while spending pleasurable company with each other, they¡¯d also both gained considerable stat improvements from the ritual. Time hadn¡¯t been wasted in frivolous pursuits.
Once both had roused themselves from their post-coitus slumber, they¡¯d cleaned themselves up, changed out the now extremely messy bed sheets and blankets for fresh ones, and settled in for an evening of study, discussion, and plan making.
It was moments such as these when Jadis really appreciated the convenience of having three bodies. She could take care of multiple different chores at once, greatly reducing the time she spent not cuddled up next to Aila. In fact, as soon as Aila had returned from her, sadly private, shower, Jadis had kept at least one of her selves in constant contact with her cute and sexy friend.
Also sadly, Aila had put her camisole and underwear back on after her shower, though there was something to be said for the way her most tantalizing bits were hidden from view. Those smallclothes Aila wore didn¡¯t hide just how shapely her rear was¡
She shook all three of her heads. Jadis was getting distracted by sexy thoughts when she needed to focus on learning. Aila was showing her what her status menu looked like.
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Aila of Red Tree
Race: Human
Primary Class: Cart Driver (19)
Secondary Class: None
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 19
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Health: 100
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Magic: 100
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Attributes
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Strength: 10
Dexterity: 15
Agility: 20
Vitality: 10
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 15
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Arcane: 77
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus:10
Resilience: 5
Will: 10
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¡°That arcane stat is looking pretty good,¡± Jay said, tapping her finger on the symbols Aila had explained stood for seventy-seven. ¡°What were you at before the ritual? Thirty-four?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Aila said around a mouthful of some kind of meat pie Dys had passed her. ¡°And that¡¯s because I put everything I possibly could into increasing just that one attribute.¡±
¡°What did it start at for you?¡± Syd asked, settling down on the blankets on the other side of Aila, food in hand.
¡°Ten,¡± she answered, writing a few notes under her status sheet. ¡°Which is the only reason I didn¡¯t give up on my hopes of getting a mage archetype for my secondary class when I unlocked my primary. If my arcane stat had been at zero like my eldritch and divine stats, I¡¯d have been forced to give up completely.¡±
Jadis nodded along to Aila¡¯s explanation, taking in the information with little interruption, only asking a few clarifying questions. The picture she painted of how attributes, stats, and classes worked was immensely enlightening for Jadis¡¯ understanding of Oros¡¯ leveling system.
Individuals unlocked access to their ¡®status sheets¡¯ as the natives called the invisible menu when they reached the age of majority for their race. Before that point, they had no idea what their attributes would look like, though many scholars were convinced that an individual¡¯s base attributes were already present before the status sheet was revealed and was taken into account when the system offered them a choice from various classes to pick their primary class.
Most humans started with physical attributes somewhere between five and fifteen, with maybe one outlier going higher, though rarely more than twenty. Having any base stat points in the magic category of attributes was considered uncommon and anyone who started with points in those attributes was usually guaranteed some kind of mage class; hence one reason for Aila¡¯s extreme disappointment at not receiving any option better than Cart Driver despite her best efforts.
Not that someone couldn¡¯t start from zero and build up a magic attribute to adequate numbers as they leveled up their primary class; it just wasn¡¯t efficient. Not having any points in a particular attribute was also generally seen by most as a sign from the gods that they weren¡¯t cut out for focusing on that particular stat and would be better served focusing their efforts elsewhere.
¡°You reminded me of a question that¡¯s always bothered me,¡± Dys said from the seat she¡¯d taken leaning with her back against Syd¡¯s side at a perpendicular angle. ¡°And forgive me if this comes across as a stupid question, but it¡¯s just not one I¡¯ve ever gotten an answer to.¡±
¡°And you seem like the type who¡¯d know,¡± Syd added.
¡°Go on,¡± Aila said, watching Syd and Dys curiously.
¡°How do attributes interact with things like your physical body? By that I mean, does putting lots of points in my strength make my muscles bigger? I don¡¯t feel like they do because my strength has gone up by a lot but I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve gotten any bigger. Muscle-mass wise, anyways.¡±
Aila shook her head slowly before explaining. ¡°No, they don¡¯t affect your appearance. Attributes are separate from your physical form. You could have a hundred points in strength and it wouldn¡¯t make your muscles any larger. Skills can change the way you look, though that¡¯s rare, but raw attributes don¡¯t have that affect. The body is distinct from the status sheet.¡±
¡°Distinct, huh?¡± Jay mused. ¡°So that means, hypothetically, one man could be skinny as a rail and another big as a barn and they¡¯d have the same strength if they both had fifty points in strength?¡±
¡°Strictly speaking, no. They would both have the same strength boost from the status sheet, but the skinny man would have less natural strength than the large, muscular man, thus he wouldn¡¯t have as much total strength. Of course, once you reach high levels and your attributes increase to sufficiently high numbers, the natural strength your body contributes is far less noticeable, becoming negligible eventually.¡±
¡°Same for all physical stats, right?¡± Jay asked.
¡°Correct,¡± Aila nodded her head. ¡°I once knew an old man, Dirk the Pillar, who was a retired mercenary. He was so old his body had gone as thin and feeble as a reed. Yet his fortitude attribute was so high you could draw a knife across his skin as hard as you wanted and you couldn¡¯t draw a drop of blood. Well, maybe you could with your strength, but none of us children could.¡±
¡°He let children try to cut him?¡± Syd stared at Aila with eyebrows raised.
¡°Encouraged it, actually,¡± Aila confirmed. ¡°Sort of a show he¡¯d put on at festivals and parties. He¡¯d let anyone who didn¡¯t have their status sheet unlocked yet try for free, and anyone who did could bet some acorns to try. I think it was how he got his drinking coin.¡±
¡°That¡¯s messed up,¡± Dys said with a laugh.
Jadis¡¯ imagination ran wild with the thought of small children standing around a wizened old man with kitchen knives, stabbing him ruthlessly while he shrugged the little attacks off, taunting them for not trying hard enough. Magic and levels made for weird situations.
Aila let out a short laugh, too. ¡°It was. My mother wouldn¡¯t let me try, said he was being an irresponsible old fool and didn¡¯t want me to learn any bad lessons from his example. She was right, too, because when I was eight, he let a man take a knife to him who was far higher level than he let on. He was cut badly and almost died. The priest gave him quite an earful. I can still hear it today.¡±
Jadis and Aila shared another laugh at the thought before continuing their exploration of each other¡¯s stats. Jadis had decided she would reveal her skills to Aila so she could offer advice, seeing potential problems that she herself might not be able to foresee, not being a native to Oros and its system of leveling. Aila also shared her skills with Jadis, though she had far fewer to show due to her level and taking Minor Attribute Improvement five times.
As the two started to dig into their respective class mechanics over their hodgepodge meal of tavern leftovers, they were interrupted by a knocking sound coming from one of the crates Aila had stacked in a corner of the room.
¡°The hell is that?¡± Jay asked, looking at the top crate of supplies she¡¯d brought with her from the bone thief overrun village.
Getting up to check the box, Dys took the cover off to reveal an unsettling sight.
¡°Guess who decided now was the time to hatch?¡±
Chapter 74: Happy Birthday
A single neon blue eye swiveled around, staring at anything and everything surrounding it as a wriggling mass of dark tentacles writhed in chaotic patterns. There were at least a dozen of the slick looking appendages, all radiating from the central mass of the creature, each about six inches long. There was no sign of a mouth, nose, or any kind of orifice at all on the little monster. Besides the dark purple flesh of the tentacles, the only visible feature was the large, slightly glowing eye of the demon.
Jadis watched the squirming little thing inside of its glass mason jar with fascination. After finding the demon egg she¡¯d taken from the bone thief matriarch¡¯s body had hatched and knocked the jar over from within her supply crate, she had placed the jar on the floor between her three selves, all of them eyeing the demon with interest.
¡°You should kill that thing before it causes any trouble,¡± Aila said, starring coldly at the hatchling from her spot on one side of the circle surrounding the jar.
¡°What? No,¡± Jay rejected the idea immediately. ¡°It finally hatched and I want to study it.¡±
¡°Study it?¡± Aila repeated, her tone dubious. ¡°What exactly are you trying to study? It¡¯s a demon. As long as you know how to kill it, how much more do you really need to know?¡±
¡°Well that¡¯s not very forward thinking of you,¡± Dys said teasingly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious to know more about how they work? Knowledge is power, didn¡¯t you know?¡±
Aila rolled her eyes at Dys and shook her head. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s important to know your enemy, but there have been many scholars who are far more suited to the study of demons than either of us who have performed years upon years of research. I think you¡¯d be better served buying a book on demons rather than playing around with this thing.¡±
As Aila spoke, she waved her hand at the demon hatchling and it responded, several of its tentacles reaching out towards her, sliding against the glass of its tiny prison. Aila recoiled, keeping her hand far away from the questing protuberances.
¡°Okay, fair enough,¡± Jay grudgingly agreed. ¡°If others have already answered the questions, then I¡¯m fine learning from a book. But I¡¯m not going to kill it until I know I can get my answers elsewhere.¡±
¡°You¡¯re well read, aren¡¯t you?¡± Syd asked, looking at Aila.
¡°Somewhat,¡± she answered warily.
¡°Then you¡¯ve read about demons, right? What do you know about them?¡±
¡°That¡¯s a broad subject,¡± Aila said with a slight frown. ¡°Can you be more specific? Also, I¡¯m no expert on the subject and I¡¯ve never read any of the major treatises on demons and the spawn of Samleos. Most of what I know comes from sidenotes in more practical books and what I¡¯ve learned from working with mercenaries.¡±
¡°How about, do they breathe? Is it going to die just from being stoppered in that jar?¡±
The demon had crawled up the side of the glass and was hanging upside down from the stopper in the top. It looked like it might be trying to figure out how to get out, but then again, it might have just been trying to figure out why the cork felt different from the glass. It was hard to tell.
¡°They don¡¯t breathe,¡± Aila said confidently. ¡°They don¡¯t eat or drink either. Modern scholars believe they gain all their sustenance from magic power, though older theories are still prevalent, such as they feed on souls or on life force or things like that. Either way, no, it¡¯s not going to suffocate or starve if you leave it in there. It might just live indefinitely if you leave it like that, actually¡¡±
That was an interesting thought. She could set up a collection of the things. Dozens of jars filled with the squiggly demons lined across a shelf, maybe backlit with some ominous light. She could go for some real mad scientist vibes if she wanted to.
Maybe in another life.
¡°Any idea on intelligence? Can it understand us?¡±
Aila frowned, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. From what I know, only special demons like soul possessors or princes can talk. And even then, it¡¯s hard to say how intelligent they are. Demons are just conduits for Samleos¡¯ ill will. I don¡¯t think they make any decisions or plan things. They just do what their god commands them to do.¡±
¡°If that¡¯s true, then they must at least have the intelligence to understand what they¡¯re being told to do,¡± Jay pointed out.
¡°Perhaps,¡± Aila allowed, ¡°Or their god commands them like puppets. They¡¯re probably no more intelligent than a dog. I¡¯m not sure. I do know that they are always looking for ways to kill anything living that isn¡¯t them, though.¡±
So that meant the little demon was actively trying to find a way to kill them, even as it wiggled around in its jar. If it was trying to kill her, Jadis couldn¡¯t tell. So far, the hatchling hadn¡¯t cast any spells or made any real attempts to break the glass. Nor was it making any attempts at communication. It didn¡¯t seem any more hostile than a strange-looking octopus plucked from the ocean and plopped into an aquarium.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
¡°What about eye color? Does that mean anything?¡±
¡°Eye color?¡± Aila repeated, looking between Dys and the demon. ¡°I have no idea. I don¡¯t think so? At least, I¡¯ve never heard that it does.¡±
Jadis hummed consideringly. ¡°Yeah, might not mean anything. But I¡¯m still curious. This is the only blue-eyed one I¡¯ve found, and trust me, I¡¯ve killed a lot.¡±
¡°The matriarch didn¡¯t have blue eyes though,¡± Syd mused. ¡°They were just the normal orange, though she had dozens of them for some reason, instead of just one.¡±
¡°It might just be random chance, like my hair being red. Most of my family has brown hair, but a few from my mother¡¯s side have red and I inherited the color,¡± Aila added.
¡°Can demons have classes?¡± Jay asked, then continued the thought. ¡°Actually, is bone thief a class? Or is it their sub species?¡±
Aila looked thoughtful at that question, one finger rubbing at her eyebrow. ¡°I guess I¡¯m not sure? No one ever made the distinction in any of the books I¡¯ve read. Does it matter?¡±
¡°It might,¡± Syd tilted her head, staring at the demon. She moved up close to the jar, faces inches away and watched the demon¡¯s eye for any sign of recognition as she spoke. ¡°I killed lots of these little ones after I killed the matriarch, they were called ¡®Demon Hatchlings¡¯ by the messages that appear in my mind. Dozens and dozens of them, but all were demon hatchlings, not bone thief hatchlings. If they aren¡¯t bone thieves from the start, then maybe that means they don¡¯t have to be at all. Maybe this one can take a different class.¡±
¡°Why would that matter?¡± Aila asked, not dismissing the line of reasoning, instead curious about where Jadis was going with the thought.
¡°If it can choose a class, that means it can understand what a class is. If it can understand classes, presumably it can understand attributes and picking skills and things like that. If so, then maybe they can be communicated with.¡±
¡°Or they might be directed by Samleos,¡± Aila interjected. ¡°Or it could be that they aren¡¯t given options the way we are because they¡¯re demons and not favored children of Valtar and his host. Or it could be completely random what they pick because they¡¯re stupid animals.¡±
Jay sighed and picked the jar up, causing the demon to press against the glass, reaching towards her hand. ¡°Maybe. Could be any of those. But I¡¯d like to know for sure if possible. For now, I¡¯m going to keep it and observe. Maybe monitor its progress, see if it becomes a bone thief or something else.¡±
Jay carried the demon to the crates and pulled some string out from within. Wrapping the jar up, she tied the top securely in place to make sure the demon couldn¡¯t wiggle out. She almost put it back in the crate, but then thought better of it and left it sitting on top where she could see it.
¡°Why do you care so much about how intelligent demons are?¡± Aila asked, looking into Dys¡¯ eyes searchingly. ¡°They¡¯re evil, through and through. Even if they¡¯re smart enough to talk, they¡¯ve never tried to. All they do is kill. I¡¯d think you¡¯d understand that well, considering your past.¡±
It took Jadis a moment to realize that Aila was referring to her fictional destroyed village in the mountains, not her first few days just trying to survive attacks from bone thieves. She looked into Aila¡¯s eyes and saw concern, not reproach. The way Aila seemed to show genuine worry for her wellbeing and hesitation to bring up something she thought was a sensitive subject for her made Jadis want to admit her extra-dimensional origin then and there.
She restrained that impulse. Explaining the truth of her rebirth on Oros was a massive can of worms that she just wasn¡¯t ready to open yet, not even with someone she trusted like Aila. Beyond the fact that she wasn¡¯t sure if her story would be the least bit believable, there was still the fact that D had sent her to Oros with the explicit purpose of ¡®shaking things up¡¯. Not that he¡¯d specified in what way. He¡¯d implied that she should change the balance of the back-and-forth between Valtar and Samleos¡¯ forces, which basically meant the balance between people and demons. That was a balance she assumed she wanted to tip towards people; but did D see it that way?
D didn¡¯t like Valtar, his ¡®stepfather¡¯ as he¡¯d called him. And Valtar was the patron deity of the empire, the holy force of good the natives worshiped. Aila had been calling out Valtar¡¯s name, not D, nor any other god so far as Jadis had noticed. Would D really put her here on Oros to end the conflict in Valtar¡¯s favor?
Would other people believe D had sent her to help, not harm?
Jadis needed to speak with some priests. She wanted to know more about her personal patron D, Valtar, and any other gods that might exist. Before she started poking things too much, or telling anyone about the reasoning behind her origins, she wanted a better understanding of the players at work. Which was another important reason why she wanted to study the demon.
If the demons were intelligent enough to communicate, maybe she could get a better understanding of exactly what was going on to drive them to constantly attack the civilized nations of Oros every century or so. Was it all Samleos? Or was it something else, maybe multiple factors at play? Knowing more about what motivated the demons could very well change the way she approached her method of ¡®shaking things up¡¯ like D had asked.
D professed at the time to not care how she changed things on Oros, which may or may not be true. Either way, she cared how she changed things. If for no other reason than Aila, she wanted to change things for the better, not for the worse.
¡°I don¡¯t like not understanding why,¡± Dys finally said, answering Aila¡¯s question.
¡°Why? Why what?¡±
¡°Why anything,¡± Syd explained, scooting over into the blankets to get comfortable. ¡°In this case, why demons do what they do, and why they do it the way they do it. It doesn''t make much sense to me.¡±
Jay walked over to Aila and held out a hand to help her to her feet. Syd and Dys made themselves comfortable in the blanket nest while Jay led Aila to the middle of it, inviting her to join the three of her in a cozy pile of warmth.
¡°If things get dangerous, I promise I¡¯ll kill the demon,¡± Jay assured Aila as they both settled into the nest, Jay¡¯s arms wrapping around Aila¡¯s waist. ¡°Until then, I want to learn what I can.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Aila said solemnly. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can find out for you. I don¡¯t know a lot about the study of demons, but I¡¯ll read up on what I can and find people who might be able to answer your questions.¡±
¡°Thanks, Blue,¡± Syd said, giving Aila a kiss on the cheek.
¡°In the meantime,¡± Dys said from the other side, ¡°I¡¯ve got questions about magic you can probably answer with that big, sexy brain of yours. Care to give me an educational lecture before bed?¡±
Aila smiled and gave Jay¡¯s arm a pat. ¡°I can do that.¡±
Chapter 75: Magic 101
¡°Does the will attribute do anything other than the obvious for spell casters?¡±
Jadis felt rather proud about the way she had worded that question. Rather than display her complete ignorance on the subject, the phrasing made it seem as though she already knew will¡¯s normal use and was just looking for an expert¡¯s opinion on the stat. Jadis hoped it would only take a little prompting and Aila would simply launch into detailed explanations of the various magic attributes. She might not though, so she¡¯d thought up a few different ways she could ask her questions without revealing how little she knew.
¡°No, just magic regeneration,¡± Aila said, settling back against Jay¡¯s chest. ¡°It¡¯s just like endurance, but for your magic. The higher it is, the quicker you get your magic back to cast spells. No other tangible benefit.¡±
It was exceptionally difficult for Jadis to focus on Aila¡¯s explanation when she wiggled her bum like that while getting comfortable on her lap. She wanted answers about magic more than lewd things for the moment though, so she held back her natural response through a monumental effort of restraint.
¡°There¡¯s debate among mages on whether you should increase your will or focus though,¡± Aila continued, having settled into a comfortable spot. ¡°Some say you should level your focus so you have a higher base magic point total, letting you cast more spells, one right after another, before you run out. Others say you should increase your will so you can recover your drained magic faster, getting you back into the fight quicker after you¡¯ve drained yourself.¡±
¡°Which do you think is the better option?¡± Syd asked while adjusting a pillow behind Jay¡¯s back so she could lean against the wall a little more comfortably.
¡°I think it depends on the type of spells you have access to,¡± Aila hedged. ¡°If you have spells with a high cost, naturally you¡¯ll need to have a high focus or you won¡¯t even be able to cast them. If you have low-cost spells, it might make sense to have high will since recovering a small amount of magic points quickly will have you casting again almost immediately. There¡¯s also something to be said for taking a balanced approach and raising both up as equally as you can.¡±
¡°So basically, go with what you think will benefit your spells the most?¡± Dys rephrased Aila¡¯s explanation.
Aila nodded agreeably. ¡°Yes. My focus and will are both at ten, which is already balanced, so I¡¯ll probably keep them more or less equal, unless the spells I¡¯m offered when I get my second class lean me towards one or the other.¡±
¡°What kind of spells are you hoping to get?¡± Jay asked curiously. ¡°Actually, what¡¯s even possible considering your focus on arcane? With seventy-seven points, I imagine whatever class you get will be powerful.¡±
¡°I suppose anything is within the realm of possibility,¡± Aila shrugged, ¡°but I¡¯ve always hoped for a wizard archetype, preferably one with attack spells. There¡¯s no guarantee on what the gods will offer me, but I think you¡¯ve secured me at least one good option.¡±
Aila turned her head to smile at Dys, a look of genuine gratitude and affection on her visage. Unable to resist the temptation, Dys leaned forward and captured in lips in a heated kiss.
A few lovely moments later, Jadis broke the kiss and put her mind back on track to learn more about magic.
¡°I never thought I¡¯d get a mage class,¡± Dys started, focusing Aila¡¯s attention. ¡°Having my eldritch stat start out so high was as much a surprise to me as it was for you. I know maybe a few basics, but since I was never going to be a mage, I don¡¯t know much of anything about how they work from a practical standpoint. Would you mind giving me a rundown?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about explaining things that might seem overly basic,¡± Jay added, squeezing Aila a little tighter for a second. ¡°I¡¯d rather hear things I already know then risk missing out on something I don¡¯t.¡±
¡°Also, I like hearing you talk about something you¡¯re passionate about,¡± Syd finished, giving Aila a cheeky grin.
Aila was silent for a bit, thinking about Jadis¡¯ request. She could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she considered the topic. Finally, Aila looked at Syd and shrugged her one shoulder a little helplessly.
¡°Give me somewhere to start,¡± she said. ¡°Magic is a broad subject with a lot of nuances. I¡¯ve studied it, but I¡¯m no teacher. I¡¯m not sure where to begin. What do you want to know the most about?¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Syd nodded, thinking about where she¡¯d like to start the topic, ¡°how about with the wizard archetype? Also, I know my secondary class is a ¡®ritualist¡¯ archetype, right? What can you tell me about those two? Are there many others? What are the differences?¡±
Aila¡¯s expression morphed into one of greater certainty as Jadis laid out what she wanted. Straightening her shoulders, she spoke in the tone of someone who was, if not an expert, at least thoroughly well-read on the subject. As she explained, Jadis did her best to memorize the information she was being gifted with.
¡°There are many different magic-based archetypes, but when it comes to pure caster classes, there are six that are common enough that most scholars consider them to be the primary mage class archetypes, with all others being variations of them. To be clear, there are other, less common mage classes that have different mechanics for how their spells typically work, but those are rare and are also generally not combat oriented, like enchanters or alchemists.
¡°The big six are Wizard, Sorcerer, Cleric, Cultist, Witch, and Ritualist. Usually, if someone has a mage class, their class title will have one of those as part of the name, like ¡®Ice Wizard¡¯ or ¡®Sorcerer of the Purple Flame¡¯ or something like that.¡±
¡°Six main archetypes, got it,¡± Jay nodded along to Aila¡¯s explanation. ¡°And the kinds of spells they cast differ depending on the archetype?¡±
¡°Basically,¡± Aila said while raising one hand, holding it flat, and wiggling it from side to side. ¡°But it¡¯s also about which magic attribute is powering the spells. The title of the class can let you know how the spells are going to be cast, while the magic attribute will tell you what effects the spells will have. And you can usually guess what kind of spells you¡¯ll get because each magic attribute, namely Arcane, Divine, and Eldritch, have two caster archetypes that gravitate towards them. But there¡¯s plenty of overlap and it¡¯s possible to get an uncommon combination.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Dys said, frowning a bit. ¡°This sounds like it¡¯s going to get complicated, but I¡¯m game. Keep going,¡± she motioned for Aila to continue.
¡°It¡¯s not that bad, really,¡± Aila said while giving Dys¡¯ hand a pat. ¡°As long as you know what the three magic attributes govern and the method of spell casting each archetype uses, then you understand more than enough to get the gist of any caster class you might come across. Your secondary class is a good example of the rules at work, actually.¡±
¡°How so?¡±
¡°Well, the class is called ¡®Perverted Ritualist of D¡¯ which, like I said, has the title ¡®ritualist¡¯ in it. That¡¯s one of the six main archetypes right there. If all I knew about your class was the name, other than the obvious implications of perversion, I could safely assume that the magic attribute your class uses to power its spells is eldritch, since almost all ritualist classes are eldritch based. It¡¯s what that archetype leans towards. Also, since your class is a ritualist one, I can assume you won¡¯t be casting any Active Spells, just Ritual Spells.¡±
¡°Active spells being ones that have an instant cast time and effect, while rituals take time to cast and have longer lasting effects, right?¡± Syd guessed.
¡°Correct.¡±
Jadis had figured that was the difference between the two categories of spells she¡¯d been offered. Mirror Knight had given her the option of a few ¡®active spells'' in the past, not that she¡¯d taken any of them since she hadn¡¯t focused her stats in a way that would make use of them. And just like Aila had said, her ritualist class had only ever offered her ritual spells, all of which generally took hours to cast and had effects that lasted indefinitely.
¡°Do other classes get ritual spells?¡± Dys asked, curious about any overlap.
¡°Sometimes,¡± Aila shrugged. ¡°Wizard and sorcerer classes don¡¯t, at least not that I¡¯ve ever heard of, but I do know that some clerics and cultists get ritual spells. Witches do too, but their spellcasting is odd to begin with so it¡¯s kind of an odd mix.¡±
¡°Okay. Starting to get confused again,¡± Jay laughed, giving Aila a kiss on top of her head. ¡°I love that you¡¯re explaining this for me but let¡¯s take a step back. Go in order. What attribute do wizards focus on, what kind of spells do they cast, and how do they cast them?¡±
Aila truly was a font of knowledge, but trying to keep track of the alien notion of how the classes worked without being able to write any notes down was making it hard for Jadis to remember the details. It didn¡¯t help that there didn¡¯t seem to be definitive, hard rules but just guidelines. Aila also hadn¡¯t explained what made the difference between classes that were ostensibly both casting active spells.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°Actually, can I borrow your pen and a piece of paper?¡± Dys asked Aila.
Aila nodded, a slightly confused expression on her face. ¡°Certainly. But I thought you couldn¡¯t read or write?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t read or write Imperial.¡± Dys said as she crawled over to Aila¡¯s backpack to retrieve another sheet of paper. ¡°I can read and write my language just fine.¡±
¡°Oh, that makes sense,¡± Aila said with understanding.
Jadis didn¡¯t elaborate that her language was the same as Aila¡¯s, they were just using different alphabets as far as she¡¯d been able to gather from her observations.
She also took her time finding the paper, enjoying the way Aila was both avoiding looking at Dys¡¯ bent over ass as well as surreptitiously stealing glances at it when she thought Jadis wouldn¡¯t notice.
Paper and pen acquired, Dys returned to her seat snuggled up against Jay and Aila, then took on the task of writing down some notes on what Aila was explaining. Aila looked on in interest at Jadis¡¯ writing, pointing out some similarities to the alphabet system Imperial used, but otherwise she focused on explaining the differences between the different magic class archetypes and their spells.
It turned out that the three different attributes of arcane, divine, and eldritch all governed specific different forms of magic with different effects.
Arcane magic spells were elemental in nature, at least in the classical sense. Fire, water, wind, earth, and any of the various related subtypes like ice and lightning were all within the realm of spells an arcane powered class could cast. Arcane spells could also cast something called ¡®force¡¯ magic, which Aila explained as raw magic power, something with no elemental aspect.
Divine magic had spells for healing and harm, defense boosts and debuffs. Powerful divine spells could heal injury, regenerate lost limbs, remove sickness and poisons, or even temporarily increase a person¡¯s attributes. The opposite was also true for divine magic, as it could sap away health, disease and poison, or even lower a target¡¯s attributes to hinder and harm them.
Eldritch spells were for making illusions or altering the physical form of the caster or target. Body and mind were the domains of eldritch magic. While no spells could directly alter or control a person''s thoughts, false images and illusions could be cast upon a person, tricking or frightening them. The physical or attribute-based changes eldritch spells made to a person were also generally permanent or at least long lasting, unlike the temporary buffs divine magic applied.
¡°Wizards and sorcerers almost always use arcane magic. Clerics and cultists are predominantly divine powered. Witches and ritualists are eldritch magic based in most cases.¡±
¡°And the way they cast spells differs, generally?¡± Dys asked as she jotted down her notes on Aila¡¯s magical lecture.
¡°Yes. Wizard archetypes cast spells via spoken word. They have to recite spells aloud to cast them, which takes time and requires the ability to speak, but they have great versatility. Most wizard classes can cast multiple different kinds of elements, some spells even having two or three different elemental effects that can be switched out depending on the words they use when casting, effectively getting two or three spells for just one skill.¡±
¡°Convenient¡¡± Syd murmured. ¡°Maybe a little unfair, even. Double, maybe triple the spells of other classes?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a solid class archetype,¡± Aila agreed. ¡°Though there are disadvantages. Even though they are casting active spells, wizards still have the delay of speaking the words of their spell. Some can be quite lengthy, scaling with the power of their spell. There¡¯re also the spell effects to consider. Elemental damage is the most easily defended against spell damage type there is.¡±
¡°How¡¯s that?¡± Jay asked curiously.
¡°Well, fire is fire. Whether it comes from a torch or from a spell, it¡¯s still fire. The fortitude attribute makes the body more resistant to any physical damage, and fire is physical damage. The same attribute that makes you stronger against a blade also makes you stronger against a wizard¡¯s lightning blast or rock spike.¡±
¡°Oh. So magic attacks are no different from mundane attacks in that sense? A wizard summoning a rock that hurls itself at a target is no different than hitting someone in the head with a rock I picked up off the ground?¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ not wrong,¡± Aila said with a wince. ¡°But that only applies to elemental damage. In fact, that¡¯s probably your biggest weakness, looking at your attributes.¡±
Jadis raised her collective eyebrows at that statement. She didn¡¯t think she had any real weaknesses beyond a lack of proper equipment.
¡°What weakness?¡± Dys asked, a frown tugging at the corners of her lips.
¡°Your resilience attribute is a lot lower than your fortitude. Fifteen isn¡¯t a terrible number, in fact it¡¯s a lot higher than most would have at your level, but considering you three¡ªUm, you and your three bodies?¡± Aila looked momentarily confused, then shook her head and pressed on. ¡°You act the role of a vanguard in mercenary terms. You get in the front and stay there, attacking and being attacked constantly on the front line of a battle. Your physical defense is great, but against non-elemental magic attacks, you¡¯re far more vulnerable.¡±
Aila pointed at the jar with the demon hatchling inside, the small bundle of tentacles mostly still now, its one eye staring unblinkingly in their direction.
¡°Remember the acid those demons were spraying at you yesterday? And from the wagon ride, that got Ludwas? Those were likely divine-based or eldritch-based spells, non-elemental. You¡¯d have little defense against them, comparatively speaking. Any of those acid spells that hit you would hurt you far more than a fire-based spell that had the same amount of arcane power backing it.¡±
Jadis thought back to when the one twisted wretch had cast that odd bubble spell and it had popped all over Jay, nearly crippling her with its noxious gas. Would the spell have been less effective if she¡¯d had a higher resilience? Apparently, according to Aila.
¡°Interesting,¡± Syd said with a small quirk of her smile. ¡°That¡¯s definitely something I¡¯ll have to think about, finding ways to shore up the weak point.¡±
¡°But I think we got a little distracted,¡± Jay pointed out. ¡°We were talking about wizards. What about sorcerers? What¡¯s the difference between those two classes if they both cast arcane magic?¡±
Aila took a moment to reorient her thoughts, then continued.
¡°Sorcerers also cast elemental spells, or force spells which are non-elemental, except they don¡¯t have to speak any words. When they cast a spell, it just happens, instantly. Some use hand gestures or the like in my experience, but it¡¯s completely unnecessary. The other big difference is they lack variety. Not only do sorcerers not have the ability to switch out spell effects the way wizards do, but sorcerer classes are also usually mono-elemental. An individual might be a ¡®cinder sorcerer¡¯ and thus they¡¯ll only be able to cast fire spells. They will never be offered any spells with any other elemental variety to them.¡±
So it was a difference between versatile but slow casting, versus limited but speedy casting. There was probably more nuance to the classes than that, but Jadis felt like she got the idea.
¡°Is the difference between clerics and cultists the same?¡± Jay asked, moving the topic along so she could get a better big picture idea of how magic worked.
¡°No, actually,¡± Aila shook her head. ¡°Clerics and Cultists cast their spells in exactly the same way, via prayer or physical touch. The main difference between the two is clerics only cast spells that help, also called benedictions, while cultists only cast maledictions, which are universally harmful.¡±
¡°That¡¯s it? No other differences?¡±
¡°That and I suppose who they worship. Clerics follow Valtar or one of the other gods like Charos or Lyssandria, or maybe all of them as a single host. Cultists sometimes follow demi-gods, or Samleos.¡±
¡°Sounds like cultists are the kind of people most would want to avoid,¡± Dys mumbled as she took down her notes.
¡°Definitely,¡± Aila nodded her agreement. ¡°I¡¯ve never met one myself, but they¡¯re the type you should stay away from. Any person who¡¯d willingly follow Samleos is insane.¡±
¡°I can imagine,¡± Jay intoned, though she had more questions on the matter of gods. She supposed those were better saved for when she spoke to a priest, though, and kept Aila¡¯s focus on magic instead.
¡°What about witches and ritualists?¡±
¡°Ritualists are, well, what you are,¡± Aila said with a small smile. ¡°Ritualists cast exclusively ritual type spells. Long casting times, long lasting effects¡¡±
¡°Yup, got it,¡± Dys confirmed.
¡°Witches are different though, definitely one of the most unique of the six main archetypes in my opinion,¡± Aila mused. ¡°They¡¯re almost like enchanters or alchemists, really. Sort of battle version of them, I guess you could say.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t got it,¡± Dys said with a silly smile. ¡°What makes them battle-worthy and not alchemists or enchanters?¡±
¡°Alchemists create potions that can be used to cure illnesses or heal injuries or other various helpful or even harmful effects¡ª¡±
¡°Like the potion you just took?¡± Syd interrupted while she grinned slyly, making Aila blush.
¡°Yes, like that,¡± she said, pushing Syd¡¯s face away from hers playfully. ¡°Don¡¯t tease me when I¡¯m trying to be helpful.¡±
¡°Sorry, please continue,¡± Syd said while motioning for Aila to resume her explanation.
The moment Aila started talking again, Dys and Syd darted in from either side and kissed her, causing Aila to splutter in flustered indignation.
¡°Okay, now continue,¡± Jay said, holding Aila back from smacking her two other selves.
After taking a few moments to berate Jadis for being a troublesome student, Aila got back on topic.
¡°Alchemists can only make potions and those potions only have effect if you consume them. You can¡¯t force feed potions to your enemies in combat and stopping mid-battle to drink a potion to heal yourself isn¡¯t exactly easy either. Thus, alchemists might supply you for it, but they don¡¯t get involved in direct combat.
¡°Enchanters can make magic items like the detection ring my uncles have or the mercenary identification badges we have, or they can make more combat-oriented things like magic swords or enchanted shields or things like that, but they still aren¡¯t suited to combat. I mean, I suppose an enchanter could equip herself out with a fully enchanted suit of armor and flaming sword, but why would she? Better to sell that armor and keep making and selling more.
¡°Witches are like alchemists and enchanters because they can make potions and enchanted items, but the potions and items only work for them. A witch can make a wand that casts a water bolt spell every time she waves it, for example, but it¡¯ll only work if she¡¯s the one using it. Or she could make a potion that heals, but instead of having to drink it, she could toss the flask at someone and it¡¯ll explode in a cloud of healing vapor, for example. The same potion wouldn¡¯t do a thing if someone else tried to use it.¡±
¡°Wait, I thought witches were eldritch based? Eldritch magic can¡¯t do ¡®water bolts¡¯ or whatever,¡± Dys frowned at the inconsistency.
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Aila allowed. ¡°Most witches can¡¯t actually do those spells, instead they do spells that create illusions or affect your body or the like. But remember, there is overlap. Some witches are arcane based, just like some wizards are eldritch based.¡±
¡°Right, I think I get it,¡± Jay said while Dys jotted down a few more notes.
¡°Anything else about magic you think I should know, oh wise master of the arcane arts?¡±
Aila gave Syd one of her patented deadpan stares before saying, ¡°I can think of a few more things.¡±
The conversation continued into the night, with Aila providing various examples and explanations, the flood of knowledge only slowing when the well-read redhead finally ran out of steam and drifted off mid-sentence.
As Aila¡¯s eyes fluttered shut, Jadis gave her a three-pronged kiss of thanks, one to either cheek and a third on top of her head.
¡°Thanks, Blue,¡± Jadis whispered fondly, settling back to fall asleep herself.
¡°And good night to you, too,¡± she whispered at the slightly glowing eye of the demon hatchling still watching from its perch on top of the crates.
Chapter 76: Brand New Look
Waking up the next morning with an extra person mixed into the tangle of arms and legs that Jadis always seemed to end up in was a wonderfully comforting experience, one she hoped would be repeated on many mornings to come.
¡°You toss around in your sleep a lot, don¡¯t you?¡± Aila grumbled groggily while wiping the sleep from her eyes.
¡°A bit,¡± Jadis said in unison.
¡°And, um, is that¡ª¡±
¡°Morning wood? Yes.¡±
¡°Oh. And, um, should we¡?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll go away in a few minutes,¡± Jadis said while laughing as she pulled her selves and Aila apart from the knot of limbs they¡¯d become.
The two got ready for the day quickly, the sun in the sky showing it was maybe an hour past dawn already. Watching Aila get dressed caused a wave of disappointment to wash over Jadis. She was sorely tempted to stay in their shared room for another day and see if she could level up her ritualist class just by performing more lewd acts. Aila had explained during their hours-long conversation the night before, performing tasks related to the class would gain small amounts of experience. It only made sense to Jadis, then, that a bit of sensual play was a possible method of leveling, at least for her secondary class.
As much fun as fucking her way to her next level in her ritualist class would be, Aila wouldn¡¯t gain experience for the act, unfortunately. Jadis wanted Aila to get her secondary class pronto, almost as much as the redhead herself, she imagined. She was excited to see what she¡¯d be offered. She didn¡¯t think it likely her involvement, partnered with her patron deity''s possible influence, wouldn¡¯t affect the class choices Aila would be given.
Besides, Jadis was eager to get out and fight some demons again. She had her own leveling to do, plus some new armor to test out, provided Sabina had been able to follow through with her promise of smithing three steel chest pieces in a day, a feat Jadis still had her doubts about. There was also the possibility of some new weapons, and her new clothes, too, all of which gave her more than enough reason to be excited to leave the bedroom.
And yet, Jadis¡¯ thoughts went astray as she witnessed Aila shimmying into the leather pants she habitually wore¡
No, she had to focus. There were things to do today, important things, and any sexy ones could wait. Well, they could wait until after dinner, at least. Maybe.
Once dressed and presentable, Jadis and Aila made their way downstairs and had their breakfast in the common room of the inn. Sitting at the table was, once again, awkward for Jadis¡¯ oversized bodies, but she managed well enough by simply setting the chairs aside and sitting on the floor. The kindly innkeeper was nice enough to offer some cushions for Jadis¡¯ selves to sit on once she saw what she was doing, but Jadis declined. She¡¯d spent enough time out in the woods sitting on rocks and logs that sitting on a stone floor wasn¡¯t any great hardship.
Over a breakfast of sausages, some kind of mixed vegetables, and toast, Jadis and Aila discussed their plans for the day. Both agreed to swing by the tailor first so Jadis could finally put some clothing on that didn¡¯t make her look like a wild vagabond, then head over to Sabina to check if the requested armor was done. Whether it was or wasn¡¯t, from there they would head out into the hills around Felsen and see what demons might be lurking around. If possible, they might also seek out magical beasts to hunt.
¡°Magic beasts give as much experience as demons?¡± Jay asked, taking a sip of surprisingly sweet tea.
¡°No, not quite, but they do give far more than any mundane creatures. They also have value to alchemists and enchanters for the inborn magic dwelling within their bodies. You can sell magic creatures for quite a lot of coin, dead or alive. If we spot any, and they aren¡¯t too dangerous, we should go after them.¡±
Jadis took in Aila¡¯s explanation as her mouths chewed their food. She¡¯d wondered if there were any non-demonic monsters or magical creatures on Oros. It seemed there were, though they weren¡¯t as common as regular, mundane beasts were.
¡°Is that how mercenaries in the Empire normally make their coin when there¡¯s no demonic invasion? Fighting magical beasts and such?¡± Dys asked, tapping her chin with one finger in thought.
¡°For some, yes,¡± Aila allowed. ¡°Not all. But slaying a magic beast will gain you far more experience than one that isn¡¯t magical, so it¡¯s common for mercenaries who want to increase their level quickly to seek out such beasts. Sometimes the military will do the same, sending squads to hunt known monsters since it¡¯ll get them levels faster, too.¡±
¡°Makes sense,¡± Syd nodded. ¡°If there weren¡¯t demons around, I¡¯d probably do the same thing.¡±
Once they were finished with breakfast, they started to head out, but Jay stopped at the door with a pensive expression on her face.
¡°What is it?¡± Aila asked, concerned.
¡°Just a thought,¡± she murmured, then turned and headed back up the stairs to their room.
¡°Just realized we probably don¡¯t want to leave our little mono-eyed friend in the room alone,¡± Syd whispered in Aila¡¯s ear. ¡°I can see a lot of ways that could go wrong.¡±
Aila nodded with her own brows furrowed. ¡°Yes, I can too.¡±
¡°Better keep it with us, for now,¡± Dys added as Jay returned to the group, mason jar in tow.
Since she didn¡¯t have one and Aila did, Jadis put the jar with its wriggling occupant inside Aila¡¯s backpack. She wasn¡¯t thrilled about her passenger, but it took little coaxing to get Aila to agree.
¡°We need something sturdier than a glass jar for it, though,¡± Aila demanded as Jay resecured the ties on Aila¡¯s pack. ¡°It might just be a hatchling, but it¡¯s still dangerous. We can¡¯t risk it getting out.¡±
¡°Sure, we can ask Sabina if she can whip up something more durable,¡± Dys readily agreed.
Demonic newborn secured, the two headed for the tailor. As they left the inn, Jadis mostly focused on the casual conversation she was having with Aila about the city and the mercenary companies currently occupying it, but her third self, Syd, kept an eye on the two guards she¡¯d spotted following them. They weren¡¯t the same two as the day before, but they were unmistakably city guards.
It seemed as though she¡¯d gained a permanent tail, likely courtesy of the magistrate, Vraekae. Jadis wondered how long the city leader planned on having her followed and how far the guards¡¯ orders extended. Would they try to chase after her when they left the city?
If they did, the guards would need to be speedy ones.
At the tailor¡¯s, Jadis was pleased to find that the first set of clothing she¡¯d ordered was completed. The strange half skirt, half pants combo she¡¯d ordered was surprisingly comfortable, loose enough that it didn¡¯t show off her anatomy while not so loose it got in her way. The tunics her selves slipped on were also extremely comfortable, far softer than the materials she¡¯d been wearing up until then.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
When Jadis¡¯ three selves walked out of the back room the tailor had graciously allowed her to use to change, she was greeted by an appreciative once over from Aila, followed by a catcalling whistle from the tailor herself.
¡°Very nice, girls!¡± Klara said with a proud smile. ¡°With how pale you three are, I had a feeling some color and contrast would do you some good. And look at that! Stunning!¡±
¡°Thank you, Klara,¡± Jay said with a grin, feeling just a little bashful at the open praise. Her words were echoed by Dys and Syd as they stretched and moved in their new clothes, careful not to bump their heads on the low for her ceiling of the shop.
In her opinion, Klara was right. The dark blue of the short-sleeved tunics paired well with her marble pale skin while the black leather of the pants-skirts contrasted nicely overall. She hoped she¡¯d get something a little more feminine at some point, just for the odd occasion where she wanted to dress up a bit, but the clothes she had now were wonderful.
Thanking Klara for her excellent work and promising to come back in the next couple days to collect the extra tunics and the boots she¡¯d ordered, Jadis and Aila headed for the crafting district.
¡°I don¡¯t feel so much like a barbarian anymore,¡± Dys grinned down at Aila.
¡°You don¡¯t look like one,¡± Aila agreed, ¡°except for being barefoot. Hopefully your boots will be done soon. It doesn¡¯t hurt walking around barefoot like that, does it?¡±
¡°No,¡± Jay shook her head. ¡°I think my fortitude is high enough that as long as I¡¯m not stepping on nails, I¡¯m not bothered. Still, doesn¡¯t feel great stepping in mud and other gunk. I miss having footwear.¡±
¡°When I passed through Sulzarhine before coming here, one of the mercenaries showed me a bathhouse where the attendants will wash and oil your hands and feet or give you full body massages, things like that. I think you¡¯d enjoy it.¡±
¡°Well if you¡¯re inviting us, I don¡¯t think we could possibly say no to a trip to the spa with you, Blue,¡± Jay said, resisting the urge to give Aila a kiss right there in the street.
Keeping her face placid, Aila nodded and said, ¡°Of course. I think if we do head to the mainland together, we should make a point of it. I do still owe you three a date.¡±
Jadis appreciated that Aila was still playing along with the idea that she was three people, at least in public. She also appreciated how her ears grew just a little rosy with embarrassment as she talked about going on a date with her. The redhead truly was adorably sweet, even if she did like to put a mask on for others.
¡°Don¡¯t you worry. We aim to collect on that deal,¡± Syd said in just the right casual tone to make Aila blush a little more.
A few minutes later and the quartet had made it to the shared workshop where Sabina smithed. It was just as busy there as the day before and Jadis was forced to wait outside while Aila ducked inside, looking for the perky half-elf. After a short wait, Aila came back out followed by a bedraggled-looking Sabina carrying a large bundle of metal pieces stacked together.
¡°Sorry, sorry! I hope I didn¡¯t keep you waiting for long but I was working on this all night and I just finished the last of the straps and I was just checking to make sure everything was tight and secure and¡ª¡±
¡°We didn¡¯t wait long,¡± Jay gently interrupted the smith who still managed to talk a mile a minute despite her obvious exhaustion. ¡°Did you really work all night? Without sleep? You know that wasn¡¯t necessary, Sabina.¡±
¡°Oh, it was no trouble!¡± Sabina said brightly before covering a yawn behind her hand. ¡°I said I¡¯d have these done and they¡¯re done! I don¡¯t sleep much anyway. Go ahead and try them on! They¡¯ll look great on you! Nice pants, by the by! Way better than those rags you were wearing before!¡±
As she spoke, Sabina unpacked the stacked metal onto a nearby bench. Jadis quickly saw that they were the back and chest plates of three identical sets of chest armor all neatly stacked together. They weren¡¯t fancy, but they looked solid and clean. The armor even came with some basic pauldrons to protect her shoulders, an extra bit Jadis hadn¡¯t expected.
¡°Oh, but I didn¡¯t mean they were terrible,¡± Sabina quickly said as she unpacked the armor. ¡°The rags, I mean. Er, not rags, your old clothes. I¡¯m sure they were of great sentimental value to you three since you kept them for so long and wore them down so much and besides, it doesn¡¯t really matter what you wear because you three would look good in just about anything anyway but you¡¯ll look even better once you put these chest plates on. Want help?¡±
The last was said as Sabina held up one of the large chest pieces towards the closest of Jadis¡¯ selves, namely Syd.
¡°Um¡¡± Sabina said, tilting her head like a confused puppy, ¡°Dys, right?¡±
¡°That one is Syd,¡± Aila corrected from the side, making Jadis internally grin.
It made Jadis happy to know that Aila paid close enough attention to her selves that she could tell them apart despite them now wearing identical clothing. Though maybe she was still easy to figure out since her three bodies carried different weapons. She¡¯d have to swap and see if Aila could still keep track.
¡°Syd! Right!¡± Sabina said hurriedly. ¡°Sorry! Still hard to tell which is which. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get the hang of it eventually!¡±
¡°No problem,¡± Syd said, taking the proffered armor piece from the half-elf. ¡°We¡¯re practically interchangeable anyway. You won¡¯t offend us if you get our names confused.¡±
Jay sent Aila a wink as Syd spoke, making her quirk a lip up in suppressed amusement at her silly sort-of pun.
¡°Go ahead and help me get this beautiful new armor on,¡± Syd continued with a grin aimed at Sabina. ¡°I can already tell it¡¯s better than what I expected.¡±
Showing her how to do the straps, Sabina assisted Syd in getting the new armor on and properly fastened. Once the armor was on, Jadis had a feeling it was actually far heavier than it seemed, though with her massively increased strength over what was typical, she had a hard time telling.
The chest plate was thick and durable, made to take even heavy blunt blows without denting. It left Syd¡¯s abdomen exposed, but that seemed a purposeful design choice so that Jadis¡¯ ability to move wasn¡¯t hindered. The back piece was just as solid, as were the round shoulder guards. There were no embellishments to the hard steel, no engravings or gilding, but honestly Jadis kind of liked the clean look of the utilitarian piece. Looking at her self standing at full height with the armor strapped on, she felt a lot more powerful and protected than she had been a moment before.
¡°This is amazing, Sabina,¡± Syd grinned down at the beaming half elf. ¡°Seriously, great job! I don¡¯t know how you managed to do three sets of these with pauldrons on top of it, but I should really give you a bonus for this.¡±
¡°No, no need!¡± Sabina waved Syd off with a bright smile. ¡°I actually managed to level up from making these last night! Level sixteen now! That¡¯s more than enough of a bonus for me! Also, sorry, meant to mention, I did find one thing that another smith made that hasn¡¯t sold that¡¯ll probably be better than your spear.¡±
As Jay and Dys started strapping on their own sets of armor, Sabina rushed back into the smithy and returned moments later, carrying what Jadis could only describe as a lance. The huge polearm was even taller than she was and had to be close to ten feet in length. Sabina knocked into a few of the other workers as she carried the enormous thing out, causing a string of curses from them and hasty apologies from her.
¡°Here you go!¡± Sabina presented the weapon to Syd with a huff.
Taking it, Syd found that it was heavier than she thought it would be. Instead of being made of wood, the shaft of the lance was made entirely of steel, giving the solid weapon significant weight. It had a leather-wrapped handle with a cross guard on one end that was large enough to fit Jadis¡¯ hands comfortably, and a sharp bladed tip on the other end, about a foot long.
¡°Ferdi made it custom for an orc mercenary who wanted to use it while riding on his trained thunder boar. Unfortunately he died battling demons a few weeks ago, never got a chance to use it. Ferdi was going to reuse the metal but since you¡¯re here, I convinced him to sell it for cheap!¡±
Syd swung the lance once to test it, finding that despite the great weight of the weapon, it felt far easier to move than her makeshift spear. The lance was perfectly balanced.
¡°Thanks again!¡± Syd smiled at the smith. ¡°I definitely think we¡¯ll be doing a lot more business together.¡±
Paying the smith the remainder of her balance, plus the extra coin for the lance, Jadis put in another order for some more armor, this time some bracers and shin guards on Aila¡¯s recommendation.
¡°If you want to get something heavier later, you can, but it¡¯s good to get some protection for your limbs,¡± Aila instructed. ¡°With your strength you could handle full plate armor easily, but that kind of armor will take a lot longer to make, even for Sabina.¡±
¡°True,¡± the smith nodded. ¡°I could probably go without sleep for maybe a week and get it done a little faster that way but it¡¯ll still take me a couple weeks, probably longer.¡±
¡°No need for that,¡± Jay put a hand on the tired half-elf¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t wear yourself out completely on our behalf. How about a shield? That¡¯d be helpful, I think.¡±
¡°A shield! I can do that, absolutely! What kind do you want? Buckler, heater, kite, targe, tower?¡±
¡°Whatever you think would suit me,¡± Dys said with a short laugh. ¡°Go wild!¡±
That statement seemed to only fan the flames of enthusiasm in the smith¡¯s eyes.
¡°C¡¯mon,¡± Jay motioned towards Aila. ¡°It¡¯s getting towards mid-morning and we¡¯ve yet to get outside the city walls.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll let you know how well the armor performs,¡± Syd called out as she left.
Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if Sabina heard her though, she already seemed lost in thought coming up with new ideas of how she was going to make Jadis a shield in her size.
Chapter 77: Back in the Thick of Things
¡°Are those guards following us?¡±
Dys looked over her shoulder at the two city guards that had been trailing her and her other selves since she¡¯d left the inn. One was a human woman, the other a male elf, but other than that she couldn¡¯t make out much else about their looks with how far back they were. They both carried spears and shields and wore the same white and blue surcoats over armor as the rest of the city guards she¡¯d seen in Far Felsen.
¡°Definitely,¡± Dys confirmed, causing Aila to frown.
¡°Why?¡± her companion asked as she adjusted one of the straps on her light armor.
They were outside the city walls by a few hundred feet, having done all they set out to do in preparation for their hunt. The day was still young, the time mid-morning at the latest, and Jadis had high hopes of slaying a large number of demons throughout the day and hopefully getting Aila to her twentieth level and secondary class.
That was, of course, unless these guards interfered for some reason.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jay said with a hard look on her face. ¡°But I¡¯ll go find out.¡±
Breaking away from Aila and her other selves, Jay turned and jogged back towards the two guards who were following them just far enough back that Jadis couldn¡¯t hear anything they might be saying to each other, and presumably they couldn¡¯t hear her and Aila talking. Though with the elf¡¯s ears, she wasn¡¯t sure about that particular detail.
¡°Hey! What¡¯s up?¡± Jay asked as she stopped a few paces away from the two guards who had come to a stop when they saw her approach. ¡°Just going to cut straight to the point here¡ªWhy are you two following us?¡±
The woman glanced nervously at the elf. It was hard to read her expression under the helmet, but Jadis could tell by body language at least that the guard was anxious. About what, she couldn¡¯t be sure, but the way she kept turning her head towards the giant mallet slung over Jay¡¯s shoulder seemed like a good hint about what could be causing her distress.
The elf man looked far more relaxed and in control, his posture and expression not betraying any sense of nervousness. Jadis could see just a little more of his face due to the unique shape of his helmet. She guessed the elves needed something a little more open to make room for their ears. His blue skin reminded her of Vraekae, though his eyes were yellow instead of red.
¡°Orders, ma¡¯am,¡± the elf said in clipped tones. ¡°We¡¯re to stay close and make sure you stay out of trouble.¡±
¡°Stay out of trouble?¡± Jay repeated, one eyebrow raised. ¡°There¡¯s some concern that I or my sisters will be causing trouble?¡±
¡°No ma¡¯am,¡± the elf gave a single shake of his head, his eyes looking steadily up at hers. ¡°We¡¯re to make sure no trouble befalls you or the other two,¡± he corrected, gesturing with his spear towards where Dys, Syd, and Aila were waiting on ahead.
Huh. Jadis hadn¡¯t expected that answer. Why would the guards be ordered to guard her from trouble? Just as she was about to ask, the realization struck her. She was a Nephilim. The last of a supposedly extinct race, something the magistrate had personally confirmed and had said the second prince of the empire would likely take an interest in. Vraekae even knew about her class, how she really was just one last Nephilim, not three.
It seemed to her that Vraekae was making sure the rare, exotic animal that had just wandered into town wasn¡¯t going to kick the bucket before she had a chance to show said rare animal to her superior.
Jay put one fist on her hip and gave the elf a flat look. ¡°You do know that we¡¯re registered independent mercenaries, right? We¡¯re about to go hunt down demons and shit.¡±
¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± the elf nodded once and said no more.
Jay¡¯s lips thinned. ¡°We¡¯re trying to get experience points. We don¡¯t want two uninvited guests draining any away.¡±
¡°We have orders to not interact or interfere unless our intercession is necessary,¡± he calmly replied, pointedly ignoring Jay¡¯s obvious annoyance.
Flipping her stare to the female guard, Jay held back a snort as the woman visibly flinched when her eyes fell on her.
¡°Fine, then. But you two better stay back. And we¡¯re not carrying either of you if you can¡¯t keep up.¡±
¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± the guard said, though whether that word was meant as an acceptance of what she said or just an acknowledgement that she¡¯d said it Jadis couldn¡¯t tell.
¡°Hmph. Your time I guess,¡± Jay said before jogging off and rejoining Aila and her other selves.
Jadis had no need to repeat what had been said, Syd having repeated the conversation to Aila in whispers as it happened.
¡°I¡¯m guessing the magistrate assigned them to guard you since you¡¯re a Nephilim,¡± Aila said after Jay had regrouped. ¡°She can¡¯t put you under house arrest since you haven¡¯t done anything wrong, so instead she¡¯s given you a protection detail.¡±
¡°See, that¡¯s one of many reasons I like you, Blue,¡± Syd said with a grin. ¡°That big brain of yours. You caught on way quicker than I did.¡±
Aila shrugged. ¡°Makes sense, actually. You might literally be the last of your race. If I were in her place, I¡¯d probably lock you up regardless of law, just to be safe.¡±
¡°Would you?¡± Dys raised an eyebrow at the admission. ¡°Lock us up? With chains and whips and other fun things?¡±
¡°What?¡± Aila looked confused for a second until she saw the lascivious grin on her face. ¡°Oh, shut your mouth you pervert.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°For now,¡± Jay said with her own sly grin. ¡°But we¡¯ll talk more about the ways in which you¡¯d lock us up and what you¡¯d do with us later.¡±
Before Aila could indignantly protest any further, Jay passed her mallet to Dys and swept the flustered redhead up into her arms.
¡°Let¡¯s see if those two can keep up with a moderate pace,¡± Dys growled as they set off to the northwest.
Jadis didn¡¯t sprint, but she set off at a speed faster than a jog, for her at least. With her agility still overlayed with her eldritch stat, the speed she was hitting even when not going all out was still making her hair fly in the wind. She couldn¡¯t guess how fast she was for sure, but the way Aila clutched to her neck made her assume it was far faster than the reserved woman was used to going.
Checking behind her, the two guards were tiny figures in the distance even after only a minute of running. From what she could see, they were likely sprinting to try and keep up, but it didn¡¯t look like they would be able to.
¡°Hope they know how to track,¡± Syd snickered as the two guards were left behind, lost from sight as the many hills of the land around them hid them from view.
Out of sight and out of mind, Jadis stopped thinking about the guards and instead focused on finding any demons that might be prowling the countryside. There was a road that led northwest towards another large settlement, according to Aila, and Jadis followed it roughly without actually staying on it. Instead, she weaved back and forth through the hills, checking the valleys for any demons or signs that they had been present recently. It took roughly a half hour, but eventually they came across a band of twisted wretches.
Eight of the malformed demons were marching up through a valley that led towards what looked like a natural cove along the sea. Jadis couldn¡¯t see into the cove and couldn¡¯t guess what the demons had been doing there, but they were leaving, heading in the direction of the road.
¡°No sign of rock monsters,¡± Jay said as she set Aila down.
¡°No, looks like it¡¯s just wretches,¡± Aila confirmed. ¡°But don¡¯t let your guard down. We don¡¯t know how strong they are. One or two might be higher level than the others, that¡¯s not uncommon.¡±
¡°It¡¯d be nice to have one of those detection stones,¡± Syd commented as she readied her lance.
¡°It¡¯s on my list of necessary items, once I¡¯ve got the coin saved for it,¡± Aila said. ¡°For now, just be careful.¡±
¡°Will do,¡± Dys agreed before leaning down and planting a kiss on Aila¡¯s cheek. ¡°We¡¯ll try to keep a couple of them alive so you can get the killing blow."
Aila nodded at Dys¡¯ statement, tightening her grip on her quarterstaff.
¡°Just don¡¯t put yourself at unnecessary risk.¡±
¡°Roger that,¡± Jay said as she took her mallet from Dys and started heading towards the band of demons.
¡°Who?¡± Aila called after the trio as Jadis broke into a sprint, rushing down the side of the valley towards the wretches who had finally spotted them and were starting to squeal wildly as they brandished their rusted weapons.
In moments the battle was engaged.
Syd led the charge with her lance, the long point of it burying deep into one of the boar-like wretches as it tried to dodge out of the way but didn¡¯t have the speed to. Much to Jadis¡¯ surprise, the lance went right through the wretch, piercing it like a hot knife through butter, only to catch another one behind the first, smashing the two together. Syd¡¯s momentum carried her all the way up to the stuck pigs and she slammed into them, almost tripping and falling over as she struggled to maintain her footing.
She found that instead of just killing the demons in one blow, she¡¯d pierced through their torsos and had picked them up like some kind of demented kabob, carrying the squealing abominations forward as she continued her charge. The closer of the two jabbed its sword against Syd¡¯s chest, scraping uselessly against the solid metal armor there, but the rear demon had a spear and managed to cut at Syd¡¯s arm as it struggled wildly to get free from the lance it had been skewered on.
Not sure what else to do with her package, Syd angled the tip of the lance down and shoved it deep into the sloped side of the hill opposite from where her charge had started from, then let go of the lance. Backing off, she saw that the two were stuck in place, at least momentarily, as their feral struggles to get free worked against each other.
As Syd thought of what to do, Jay and Dys crashed through the remaining six demons, their mallet and maul breaking limbs and shattering bones with every swing. None of the demons had weapons with enough reach to get close as the two swung their weapons in tandem, knocking wretches down and crippling them, if not outright killing them.
One wretch reared its head back and opened its mouth in a familiar gesture. Before it could spew its payload of noxious acid, Jay pivoted and slammed her mallet down on the demon¡¯s head with enough force to put its skull into its chest cavity.
¡°None of that fuckery!¡± Jay snarled as the dead wretch collapsed to the ground.
While the two demons started making progress on extracting themselves from their pinned condition, Syd dashed towards her other two selves where they were decimating the other demons and snatched up a spear from one of the dead. Turning and taking aim, she hurled the spear at the foremost demon, putting the rusted weapon square into the wretch¡¯s chest.
¡°Ha! Aim¡¯s getting better! Thank you twenty-seven dexterity,¡± Syd crowed.
Having been struck through a second time, the squealing pig demon finally expired, becoming a useless weight helping to hold the second demon in place.
With a meaty thwack from Dys¡¯ makeshift maul, the last of the still ambulatory demons was crushed. Four were dead outright, three were broken and barely alive, and the last was still squealing and struggling where it was pinned to the earth by Syd¡¯s lance.
The whole fight took less than a minute.
¡°Alright, should be safe, come on down!¡± Dys called for Aila where she waited further up the hill.
¡°You¡¯re something else to watch,¡± Aila said as she approached. ¡°I don¡¯t think you realize just how unusual it is that you are able to take that many wretches down that quickly by yourself.¡±
¡°Hey, it¡¯s not my fault I¡¯m the biggest and the strongest. I don¡¯t even exercise,¡± Syd shrugged with palms raised up and a cheeky grin.
While Jadis giggled at her own reference, Aila just shook her head at the incomprehensible giant and set about doing her own part. The quarterstaff she¡¯d brought wasn¡¯t the best implement for executing downed demons, so instead she took up one of the fallen wretch¡¯s axes and methodically put the three partially crushed demons out of their misery.
The last demon Jay had to help finish off as it was still wildly struggling.
¡°I¡¯m going to need a lot more practice with this thing,¡± Syd said as she pulled the lance free from the hill and the two dead demons with Dys¡¯ help to slide the wretches off the shaft.
¡°Yes, or we need to ask Sabina to add a crossbar to the end,¡± Aila pointed out. ¡°Turn it into more of a boar spear. Or we could¡ª¡±
Aila wasn¡¯t able to finish her recommendation as a whistling sound of something large flying through the air caught Jadis¡¯ attention. Reacting instinctively, Jay grabbed hold of Aila and leapt to the side as Dys and Syd jumped away from where they were standing.
A massive globule of water the size of a minivan slammed into the ground where they had been standing a second later, sending crushed bits of twisted demon flesh and other debris flying in all directions. Some piece of stone or wood turned shrapnel struck Dys¡¯ temple, drawing blood, while a piece of demon flesh slapped wetly against Syd¡¯s shoulder hard enough to send her spinning, though the pauldron did its job and kept her from any serious harm.
¡°The fuck was that?¡± Jay demanded, looking for the source of the watery explosion.
It didn¡¯t take long for her to find an answer as she spotted another huge globe of water hurtling through the air in their direction, coming from the beach at the south end of the valley. A massive shadowy form was crawling up from the shadows of the cove, arcane magical symbols already swirling around its bulbous head as it prepared to launch another spell at them.
¡°I am really starting to miss the bone thieves,¡± Jay grumbled as she picked up Aila and ran out of the way of the incoming water bomb.
Chapter 78: Water Fall
Water crashed against earth with devastating force, spraying debris in a wide swath of destruction, forcing Jadis to dodge out of the way or be peppered with shrapnel. As her two selves, Dys and Syd, rushed to the left, Jay sprinted to the right, carrying Aila in her arms, angling her body so none of the flying fragments struck her.
¡°What the fuck is that?¡± Jay shouted as a third giant ball of water was lobbed through the air, landing in the wake of Dys and Syd as they continued to run out of the way of the deadly projectiles.
¡°It¡¯s a Sea Bull,¡± Aila said while somehow managing to keep her voice relatively calm. ¡°A magic beast, water bound, dangerous when provoked but usually placid if you keep your distance. But look at it, it¡¯s been corrupted by a demon.¡±
Squinting at the distant creature, Jadis curled her lips in revulsion at what she saw.
The sea bull looked like some variation on an elephant seal, except rather than a tumorous nose, it had a huge thick dome of a skull, round and hard as rock. The creature¡¯s mouth was unnaturally large, its wide maw gaping open, showing rows and rows of thick pointed teeth. Its front flippers were also far larger and more substantial-looking than what could be found on any seal Jadis had seen back on Earth. The beast was using those meaty appendages to pull its massive, blubbery body up onto the shore, its immense bulk jiggling with each movement. And the creature was indeed immense. Even hundreds of yards away, Jadis could tell the beast had to weigh tens of thousands of pounds and probably stood as tall as her while resting on its stomach.
Jadis would have thought the creature to be nothing more than an intriguing curiosity if it weren¡¯t for the obvious signs of demonic possession displayed on its bloody body. There were large holes in its flesh where writhing dark tentacles could be spotted, some of them popping out of the open wounds like roots from a potato¡¯s eyes. One particularly large tentacle was coming out of the sea bull¡¯s right eye socket and was wrapped around the base of its head.
¡°Gross,¡± Jay said with disgust. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s demon possessed. How do we kill it?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never fought one before! I¡¯ve never seen one before, not alive,¡± Aila said, letting a little panic creep into her voice.
Jadis was prevented from responding to Aila¡¯s admission by another water bomb forcing her to run and dodge, more debris showering the area where it landed. With the speed at which the corrupted sea bull was able to lob the water spells, Jadis was fairly certain she¡¯d have been struck dead on by the blasts if it weren¡¯t for her high agility keeping her ahead of the liquid explosions.
¡°You¡¯re smart, you know this kind of shit better than me,¡± Jay said to Aila as she continued to carry her companion across the battlefield. ¡°I¡¯m going to run over there and beat the shit out of it with my mallet unless you can think of a better idea! Or a better way to beat the shit out of it!¡±
¡°Alright! Hold on!¡± Aila shouted back, clutching at Jay¡¯s neck as she changed direction suddenly to dodge another incoming water ball.
As Jay and Aila spoke, Dys and Syd ran in zigzags closer to the colossal seal monster, trying to grab its attention and instantly regretting her success when the monster started spewing torrents of high-powered water streams at them like some kind of satanic pressure-washer. One shot managed to clip Syd¡¯s leg, tearing through her leather pants, and practically skinning her calf in just a second¡¯s time.
Every time either of her two selves tried to get closer to the monster, it would spray the water jets at her, forcing her to back away or be blasted. She couldn¡¯t get close enough to engage in melee, not without losing her skin.
¡°Sea bulls have strong water magic and can cast them quickly, like a sorcerer. Their magic is good at long range and close range,¡± Aila said, rattling off what she knew about the combat capabilities of the monster. ¡°they¡¯re slow on land but have extremely high vitality and fortitude. Even without their magic they can crush rocks with their skulls and bite through bone with their powerful jaws.¡±
¡°Okay, but what are their weaknesses?¡± Jay interrupted, dashing far enough back from the still lumbering along creature to feel safe in putting Aila down for a moment. ¡°What¡¯s the best way to kill them?¡±
¡°Ranged magic attacks would work best,¡± Aila said with clear frustration. ¡°But we don¡¯t have that, not yet!¡±
¡°Never mind what we don¡¯t have, just focus on what we do.¡±
Biting her lip, Aila glanced around the valley, then turned her eyes upward.
¡°There! Lead it under that ridge!¡± she commanded, pointing to the overhanging peak of the rocky hill that made up the west side of the sea cove.
Jay grinned when she saw it, reminded of how she¡¯d dealt with the bone thief matriarch.
¡°Now that¡¯s a plan,¡± she said, pecking Aila excitedly on the cheek before picking her up and slinging her over her shoulder with a hurried apology.
Dys dodged around the corrupted beast, dashing to the rear of it and drawing its attention as she almost got close enough to swing her maul down on its tail. Before she could, the monster seal flashed ocean-blue sigils around its body, heralding a huge wave of water that exploded outward from it in a circle. Dys was sent flying back, crashing to the ground with a painful thump that was only partially mitigated by the chest and back armor she wore.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°Really wish I had more coverage,¡± Dys grumbled as she quickly rolled to her feet and scrambled away from the demonically possessed sea bull, acutely aware of the difference between the parts of her that were armored and the parts that weren¡¯t after her tumbling fall.
As the monster sent more blasts of destructive waterspouts after Dys, Jay and Syd reached each other. Tossing a flailing Aila to Syd like a sack of beans, Jay immediately ran after the demon to split its attention and keep its constant magical barrage from concentrating on just one of her selves.
¡°Is it normal to be able to cast so many fucking spells that are that powerful?¡± Syd asked Aila as she carried her with her up the side of the hill.
¡°It¡¯s the demon,¡± Aila said, jostled around by Syd¡¯s quick movements. ¡°It can use both its magic resources and the sea bull¡¯s.¡±
¡°Well that¡¯s fucking unfair,¡± Syd cursed as she reached the top of the escarpment.
From the top of the sea cliff, Jadis was able to look down on the fight between her other selves and the monster. Dys and Jay were running back and forth in front of the beast, leading it back towards the ocean and the overhang of the cliff. The sea bull wasn¡¯t as fast as she was, but it was certainly far faster than its bulk would lead one to suspect. It lunged after her dodging doubles, huge fins propelling it along in sudden bursts. All the while the monster kept casting water spells, constantly skirting close but never quite landing a decisive hit on either of Jadis¡¯ sprinting bodies.
¡°Don¡¯t get too close to the edge,¡± Syd cautioned Aila as she set her down. ¡°This is a long drop.¡±
Syd couldn¡¯t follow her own advice, however. Several large rocks and boulders were sticking out of the edges of the sheered-off cliffside. Getting behind one huge stone that was partially embedded in the soil, Syd tossed her lance to the side, dug her feet into the earth and heaved hard against the rock with all the strength she could muster.
The rock shifted forward slowly, leaning up and out of the ground as Syd struggled and strained to get the boulder into position to drop it onto the sea bull far below.
As Syd displayed herculean strength, Jay and Dys did their best to kite the possessed beast closer to the cliff.
It was difficult for Jadis to balance staying close enough to the repugnant monster to keep it moving in the direction she wanted without getting so close its spells would flay her alive. She wasn¡¯t sure how long the fight had been going on for, but the way the possessed sea bull kept sending spell after spell her way made the creature¡¯s magic seem endless. If this creature was any kind of typical example of how powerful magical beasts could be, she could well understand why most mercenaries joined companies and fought in large groups. The sea bull was a juggernaut.
Dys found that her bare feet were splashing in the salty waters of the sea as the possessed monster drew close to the right position for Syd¡¯s boulder to land true. The shore of the cove was rocky and covered in pebbles. Each time water from the sea bull blasted the ground, hundreds of the rocks would spray outward and strike against Jay or Dys, some of them with enough force to bloody even her thick, high-fortitude skin.
Jay darted forward, spotting an opening as the monster angled another water jet at Dys. She swung her mallet like a baseball bat, the huge wooden head slamming into the exposed side of the beast. Jay¡¯s fingers stung as the blow rebounded off the monster¡¯s rubbery flesh and she was forced to backpedal hard as the giant seal slammed its meaty fin down at her with shocking speed. She could actually feel the air pressure pushing her back as the huge, wide limb struck the ground where she¡¯d been standing a second before.
Despite the attack doing no obvious damage, it did have the positive effect of leading the sea bull to move directly under the cliff edge where Syd had managed to balance the teetering boulder, muscles straining to keep it in place.
¡°Fuck off,¡± Syd cursed through gritted teeth as she pushed the boulder over the side of the cliff.
Jadis really did need to work on coming up with some better one liners when delivering the fatal blow to her enemies. She was envious of how all the action stars made it look easy.
The massive rock, weighing more than a ton if it weighed a pound, fell through the air with near perfect accuracy. Both Jay and Dys rapidly backed off from the demon-possessed beast at the same time, not wanting to be too close when the boulder hit.
A split second before the deadly projectile hit, Jadis saw through Jay and Syd¡¯s eyes as the sea bull abruptly shifted and then jerked its head upwards. The monster made no attempt to dodge out of the way. Instead, its huge bulbous skull met the falling rock with the force of a wrecking ball.
The sound of rock exploding echoed in the cove. Jadis stilled for a moment, shocked by what she¡¯d just witnessed. The sea bull hadn¡¯t been killed by the falling rock. In fact, it barely looked injured. It had slammed its head up into the multi-ton boulder and shattered it like the rock was nothing.
¡°Bullshit!¡± Jadis snarled in multiple voices.
¡°Look, it¡¯s not uninjured!¡± Aila cried out from Syd¡¯s side, pointing at the beast¡¯s thick skull. Aila had joined Syd where she stood on the edge of the cliff, staring down at the monster.
More arcane runes began to appear in the air around the sea bull, indicating the monster was resuming its onslaught of water spells. Glancing at where Aila was pointing as both Jay and Dys started moving again, getting ready to dodge more attacks, Jadis saw that her companion was right. While the possessed beast had tanked the falling boulder, it hadn¡¯t gotten out of it completely unscathed.
Large cracks were running across the sea bull¡¯s skull, spreading out like spider webs from the impact point. Blood was also welling up from some of the larger cracks, showing that they weren¡¯t entirely superficial. She couldn¡¯t be sure, but the monster¡¯s head and neck movements also looked more strained. Jadis could only hope there had been more internal damage to the bull¡¯s skull and spine than was readily visible on the outside.
Encouraged to see that the attack hadn¡¯t been a complete waste, Syd moved to leverage another boulder up out of the ground when the possessed beast¡¯s spell flashed and another huge water bomb was sent hurtling through the air.
Only, the target wasn¡¯t Jay or Dys.
¡°Aila!¡± Syd screamed as the powerful spell slammed into the edge of the cliff, water and debris blasting everywhere and near blinding her.
¡°Jadis!¡± Aila cried out, a wash of relief flooding through Jadis for a mere instant to hear that Aila was still alive.
The spell had struck more cliff than not from the angle it had come from, thus Aila was protected from the worst of the damaging effects. However, the cliff was still subjected to that devastating force.
Jadis¡¯ blood ran ice cold as the ground beneath Aila crumbled, the cliff edge sliding away as the redhead screamed in terror. Syd lunged forward, long fingers reaching to grasp Aila¡¯s hand, but she was too late.
Aila fell.
Chapter 79: Retreat Isn’t an Option
Jadis¡¯ hearts leapt into her throats as she watched Aila go over the edge of the crumbling cliff. There was nothing she could do to stop her fall. She could only try to save her before she hit the ground or fell into the open maw of the possessed sea bull waiting below.
Jay was closer than Dys to where Aila was falling and was in better position to catch her, but the enraged beast was facing her now and with no time to think, Jadis did the only thing she could think of doing. She acted boldly.
Darting in, Jay kept the monster¡¯s attention on her, baiting it into snapping its massive jaws down at her. As the beast attacked Jay, Dys dashed in and leapt high, bare foot landing on the back of the beast and using it as a springboard to leap up and towards the falling Aila.
The demonic seal reacted instantly, another omni-directional blast of water exploding around it to knock Jadis¡¯ bodies away from it. Jay was pushed back, barely retaining her footing as she was practically thrown into the shallows of the sea. Dys was caught by the blast mid-leap, the force causing her to tumble wildly through the air.
From her position on the top of the cliff, Syd saw what Dys couldn¡¯t as she spun mid-air. Her course was just barely out of line with Aila¡¯s fall. She wasn¡¯t going to be able to reach.
Almost as if in response to Jadis¡¯ hopeless thoughts, Aila¡¯s foot kicked out as she plummeted towards the ground, bouncing her off the rock face. She twisted as she fell, arms outstretched towards Dys.
With Syd¡¯s eyes to guide her, Dys¡¯ free hand whipped out and grabbed Aila¡¯s arm, yanking her in close against her chest as her wild, off-balance leap sent her slamming into the cliff wall with bone-jarring force. She lost her grip on her maul, the weapon spinning off and away, but she held onto Aila.
There was no time for celebrations. Aila¡¯s fall and Dys¡¯ leap had happened in a matter of seconds. The sea bull was still attacking, new runes of some water spell already forming around it as it swung its head towards where Dys and Aila were now falling together down the side of the sea cliff.
From above, Syd picked up her steel lance and took only a split second to aim. Using it like an oversized javelin, she hurled it with all her might down at the possessed beast. Jadis had no great skill in thrown weapons, but with twenty-seven dexterity and a target the size of a bus, she knew she could hit her mark.
At the same time, Jay dove in from the side, slamming her mallet against the side of the sea bull. Once again, her blunt weapon bounced off the tough, blubbery hide of the monster, but the blow landed, and that was all Jadis was looking for.
Less than a second later, Syd¡¯s lance struck the sea bull. The foot long tip of sharp steel pierced into the possessed beast¡¯s hide like it was pudding. The ten-foot-long weapon buried itself all the way to the hilt in the back of the monster, just below its neck. Its flesh rippled like water and the closest bits around the steel shaft ripped and tore in a gory fountain of blood and viscera.
Dys landed hard on her back, Aila on her chest and protectively wrapped in her arms. Pain shot through her from the hard fall, but there was no time to linger or recover. The sea bull had been distracted, but it wasn¡¯t yet dead.
Jay cried out in pain as the beast¡¯s spell fired at her, a torrent of water blasting her back and off her feet, sending her blindly flailing into the waters of the sea cove. She couldn¡¯t see or breathe as her head went under the salty waves of the ocean, momentarily panicking as she struggled to breach the surface.
The sea bull was heading towards Jay and the water. Monstrously dangerous as the beast was on land, Jadis knew it¡¯d only gain even more of an advantage if it got into the water where her one self was barely managing to find her footing in the chest-deep surf.
¡°Still alive?¡± Dys asked as she rolled over and let Aila go.
¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be fine, go!¡± Aila assured her, wiping some blood off of her face.
Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if that blood was hers or Aila¡¯s but she didn¡¯t have time to check.
Dys dashed to grab her fallen maul and then get back to the fight against the seal monster.
Syd hurled more rocks from above. Anything she could grab or tear from the earth, she tossed over the edge and down at the bull, letting the heavy stones crash against the bulk of the beast. Not all struck true, but enough crashed down on the monster¡¯s tough hide that damage was beginning to show.
Jadis could see that the sea bull was moving slower now, as well. Blood was pouring out of where her lance had impaled it, staining its flanks red and leaving a trail of gore in the rocky shore as it began pulling itself into the water.
Jay had by then gotten her balance and bearings back. She pushed through the water and waves, heading towards the shore at an oblique angle away from the pursuing monster. Another spell burst forth from the demon possessed creature, but Jay couldn¡¯t dodge effectively in the water and it hit her nearly head on. The blast knocked the breath out of her, and sent her back again, throwing her further away from the beast but also further from her selves and the shore.
Checking her health, Jadis winced to see that over just the past few seconds of combat, she¡¯d dropped from her full five hundred and twenty health maximum to just barely over one hundred and forty.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
She needed to get out of the water. Jay¡¯s head had barely broken the surface of the sea for a second time and the sea bull was already forming another spell.
Thinking fast, Jadis transferred all the physical damage that had been done to Jay in the fight so far onto Syd using her Mirrored Body¡¯s Shifting Reflection skill.
Instantly all of Jay¡¯s wounds were gone. With nothing physically hindering her, Jay pushed with all her strength and leapt up and out of the water, the beast¡¯s water bomb spell landing where she¡¯d been the barest moment later. She landed dozens of feet away in shallower water, then began running up and out of the cove.
Dys had already reversed course and done the same, backing away from the shore. Aila had backed away, too. Jadis could see her dashing up the slope. Looking at the sea bull, she saw it turning again, but this time it didn¡¯t look eager to pursue.
The monster¡¯s movements were sluggish now, and its spells were coming slower, longer and longer pauses between each cast. It looked like the possessed sea bull had finally run out of magic. Stamina too, for that matter.
Another stone the size of a watermelon struck the creature¡¯s head from above, causing it to flinch and let out a gurgling bellow. Syd had never stopped tossing rocks from the top of the cliff, though with Jay¡¯s wounds now hers, her own movements were restricted by pain and injury.
As blood continued to pour out of the gaping wound in its back and stones fell on it from above, the exhausted demon possessing the magic beast seemed to reach a decision. It started turning, heading further into the surf.
¡°It¡¯s fucking retreating!¡± Jay shouted indignantly. ¡°After all that, it¡¯s going to fucking fuck off and retreat!?¡±
¡°Let it!¡± Aila called out. She¡¯d settled off to one side, partially obscured by the edge of the hill Syd was at the top of. She was pulling things from her pack, likely her first-aid poultices. ¡°You can¡¯t fight that thing in the water!¡±
¡°Fuck that,¡± Dys growled, snatching up one of the spears from the many dead twisted wretches scattered across the valley. ¡°I just got that lance. I¡¯m not letting it fucking steal my new weapon!¡±
Dashing forward and down towards the shore again, Dys hurled the spear at the retreating sea bull. As rocks from Syd struck it, the spear did too, triggering her mirrored strikes again, letting the spear bury itself deep inside the flank of the sea bull.
A second after that, Jay threw an axe she¡¯d grabbed from the fallen wretches and it too struck the side of the monster with devastating force. The axe was small in comparison to the bulk of the beast, but it bit deep, even more blood pouring from the gaping wound.
The sea bull turned its head and lobbed another water bomb spell at Jay and Dys, but like wolves smelling weakness they sprinted forward, letting the spell arc over them harmlessly. The monster didn¡¯t have the magic power left to blow them back with waves or waterspouts as they entered into melee range, legs pumping through the pounding surf of the ocean.
Jay slammed her mallet into one of the open holes of the monster¡¯s flesh where a thick tentacle was sticking out, squashing the writhing dark purple appendage. The limb popped like a tomato and the sea bull roared with pained fury.
One huge, meaty flipper swung and slapped down at Jay, sending salty water spraying everywhere, but the monster had been bled dry by the huge wounds across its body. Its wild thrashing blows lacked the power they¡¯d had at the start of the battle.
Dys¡¯ maul dug deep into the base of the bull¡¯s tail. She yanked back hard, tearing away the flesh in a huge swatch, revealing one large parasite-like tentacle buried in the blubbery gore. Dys quickly swung again and crushed the tentacle, drawing the sea bull¡¯s attention.
The huge, bulbous head of the monster swung around to try and bite at Dys, its cracked skull bleeding, jaws opened wide. Jay was waiting for it.
Swinging her mallet with full force, Jay struck the side of the sea bull¡¯s head as it bent around towards her and Dys, going with the direction of the monster¡¯s movement rather than against. With the enormous beast¡¯s own strength aiding her, Jay¡¯s blow, powered by Mirrored Strikes, smashed the monster¡¯s head further back against its body, folding its neck far more sharply than it was ever intended to.
A loud crack echoed in the sea cove as the monster¡¯s spine snapped.
Like a puppet with its strings cut, the sea bull went limp from the neck down, its huge round head falling forward into the waves of the sea.
No notification popped up into Jadis¡¯ mental space to let her know the monster had been defeated, though. She readily saw why. While she¡¯d crippled the monster, the demon controlling it wasn¡¯t dead. Tentacles were still writhing around from where they poked out of the beast¡¯s flesh.
¡°Quick, get down here!¡± Dys shouted at Aila from where she was further back up the slope. ¡°Before it gets more magic back!¡±
Even as she spoke, another set of sea-blue runes formed in the air around the monster¡¯s head and blasted water at Jay, though she ducked out of the way easily enough.
With no hesitation, Aila sprinted back down the slope towards the beach while Jay and Dys kept the sea bull¡¯s attention. When she reached them, wading into the cold water, she immediately pulled a long knife from her belt and began cutting into the possessed monster¡¯s neck, trying to get at the demon within the flesh. Seeing Aila next to the gigantic creature gave Jadis a lot of perspective as to just how truly enormous the monster was. Aila wasn¡¯t a small woman, either, yet she was dwarfed by the massive beast.
¡°Fucking grim,¡± Jay murmured as she watched her companion slice into the gray flesh but she didn¡¯t stand idly by. She wanted the beast dead before it could regain enough magic power to cast another spell while Aila was nearby.
Dys slammed her maul down at the base of the monster¡¯s skull, sharp point planted deep and the blunt end sticking up. Jay swung an overhead blow from above, hitting the maul¡¯s head with her hammer. The beast¡¯s bony skull cracked open from the strike and with a twist and pull from Dys, the head was split wide, revealing a squirming mass of tentacles surrounding a single glowing red eye.
¡°Fuck you,¡± Aila spat at the demon, drawing a surprised look from Jay and Dys.
¡°What?¡± She said glancing at the two giants, knife poised over the grapefruit-sized eyeball.
¡°Nothing, just felt like something we¡¯d say,¡± Jay said, a tired grin appearing on her face.
¡°Yes, well, I can get mad, too.¡±
With that, she plunged her blade into the demon¡¯s core, black blood spurting out as the tentacles thrashed for a few seconds before going still.
|
Congratulations!
Arcane Corruptor of Flesh Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
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Chapter 80: Aila’s New Class
¡°Hold still, you¡¯ve got a bad cut here.¡±
¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Syd groaned, wincing as Aila slathered more of the minty-smelling poultice on the back of her legs.
¡°You need helmets. I have no idea how you managed to avoid having one or more of your skulls split open with how you three get knocked about in that fight,¡± Aila mused as she tended to Syd¡¯s wounds. ¡°Frankly, it¡¯s a miracle.¡±
¡°Not sure I didn¡¯t put a bit of a crack in one,¡± Syd touched the back of her head gingerly.
Aila slapped her hand away from the lump there, admonishing her not to mess up the application of aid she¡¯d already given.
Syd was lying face down on the grass of the valley, stripped of all armor and clothing except for her undergarments. All the wounds Jadis¡¯ three selves had received over the course of the intense fight had been transferred onto her body so Aila could apply a healing salve while the other two of Jadis gathered the eyeball cores of the demons to turn in for bounties. The two also took the time to fully investigate the sea cove, looking for any signs of more danger or items of interest.
Aila worked diligently to soothe and mitigate what damage she could, fretting over Jadis¡¯ injuries while doing her best to not look like she was fretting. Jadis smiled to herself, immensely relieved just to have Aila safe and mostly uninjured despite her fall from the cliff. She was content to let Aila say and do whatever she wanted in whatever way she wanted, so long as she was unharmed.
Seeing Aila drop off the edge had scared her more than any other moment in her fight against the gigantic sea bull monster. If she hadn¡¯t been able to catch her in time, if Aila¡¯s acrobatic enhancement from Dance of the D hadn¡¯t given her the boost she needed to kick off from the cliff and into Dys¡¯ arms, then Jadis wasn¡¯t honestly sure she knew what she would have done. Ever since coming to Oros, Jadis had been dealing with near death experiences on almost a daily basis while fighting demons. The danger was real and she knew it was, but somehow, she handled it well, the fear and panic mostly staying in the back of her mind while the thrill of combat kept her focused. She didn¡¯t feel invulnerable or anything, but she could accept the risks she was taking with her own life when she took bold action. She was putting in her best effort, so she didn¡¯t fear the consequences of what could happen.
Aila¡¯s life, though, wasn¡¯t something she wanted to risk again.
Not that it was her choice. Aila wanted to be a mercenary. She wanted to cast battle magic and slay demons and be in the thick of combat. Jadis couldn¡¯t tell her not to pursue what she wanted to do, not just because she herself was suddenly feeling nervous about her companion¡¯s survivability in dangerous situations.
What she could do, though, was swear to herself that she wouldn¡¯t let Aila come that close to death ever again.
¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Syd asked, glancing over her shoulder at Aila.
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Aila said. ¡°My health only went down by seventeen points. I¡¯m very lucky you caught me.¡±
¡°Quick thinking, pushing off the cliff like that,¡± Syd said, trying to not sound overprotective. ¡°Very smart. I¡¯m glad you have such good reflexes.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Aila responded, eyes focused on her work. ¡°And thank you again for saving me.¡±
¡°Of course, any time,¡± Syd said with a half grin. ¡°Though not literally, please. I¡¯d like to keep you around.¡±
¡°I¡¯d like to keep around you, too,¡± Aila quipped, tone light, but with an undercurrent of some emotion Jadis thought might be bashfulness.
A shy silence fell over the two for a short time as Aila continued to apply treatment to Jadis¡¯ injuries. Briefly lacking something to say, Jadis had the thought to check through her mental notifications. One notification prompted her to break the silence.
¡°Nice! I got level fourteen in my ritualist class,¡± she exclaimed happily before remembering to ask the most obvious question. ¡°Oh, shit, did you check your notifications? Did you level?¡±
Aila looked up from her self-imposed task of tending Jadis¡¯ injuries and blinked owlishly, a confused look washing over her face.
¡°Gods, I completely forgot to check. I just got so distracted by everything that happened¡¡± she trailed off, a distant look enveloping her expression as she read something only she could see.
A second later pure elation beamed from her face as she excitedly cried out her news. At the same time, she pounced at Syd, wrapping her arms around her neck and hugging her ecstatically.
¡°I leveled! Level twenty!¡±
¡°Congratulations!¡± Syd said, rolling over with a wince as she tried to hug her companion back.
Two more shouts and whoops of congratulations also echoed in the cove from where Jadis¡¯ other two selves joined in on the excitement.
¡°Thank you, thank you!¡± Aila said between a flurry of little kisses applied to Syd¡¯s cheeks and lips. ¡°I owe you so much!¡±
¡°No you don¡¯t,¡± Syd assured, turning one of Aila¡¯s little kisses into a deeper one. ¡°I wanted to help you. You don¡¯t need to give anything back.¡±
Aila broke away from Jadis¡¯ kiss and gave her a determined look that told her that Aila wouldn''t be okay with just accepting her good will without giving something back. She didn¡¯t push the matter, though. Aila had her own moral code, one that Jadis quite liked. If she felt she needed to show her appreciation, that was fine, so long as she knew Jadis wasn¡¯t requiring anything in return for what she had done freely.
¡°Alright, lie back down and let me finish bandaging you up,¡± Aila said while pushing Syd back into position on the ground.
¡°Are you going to tell me what class options you got?¡±
¡°Yes, definitely,¡± she nodded. ¡°Let me review for a second and I¡¯ll go over them with you. I¡¯d like to discuss what might synergize best with you without crippling my own versatility. Hopefully the gods gave me several options of mage classes.¡±
Syd raised an eyebrow curiously. ¡°Did you get more than three options? I only ever got three for primary and secondary.¡±
¡°No, just three. I¡¯ve heard of some people getting more or less, but that¡¯s unusual. I¡¯ve heard some say the Hero gets dozens of different hero related classes to choose from, but I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s true.¡±
As Aila explained, Jadis started to bring her other two bodies back up from the shore. She wanted all her selves to be present while Aila¡¯s new class was decided. She was also just about done with her investigation of the sea cove, more or less.
¡°Hey, before you start, it looks like there was some kind of fight here before we showed up,¡± Syd remarked, interrupting Aila¡¯s commentary on class mechanics to give her the information her other selves were coming across.
¡°What do you mean?¡± Aila asked, looking up from where she was gently applying more salve to the bad wound on Syd¡¯s calf that had happened from the sea bull¡¯s water jet spell.
¡°Jay and Dys are finding more bodies along the shore, west side of the cove,¡± Syd pointed without looking. ¡°Has to be a dozen twisted wretches at least so far.¡±
Aila looked in the direction of the two distant giants picking along the shoreline.
¡°That makes sense, actually,¡± she said. ¡°I would bet a gold coin what we stumbled on here was the tail end of a demon possession of that sea bull. The twisted wretches must have subdued the sea bull somehow and brought the arcane corruptor to possess it.¡±
¡°How¡¯s that work, anyway?¡± Syd asked, sitting up on her elbows to look back at where Aila was still tending to her leg. ¡°Looking at my notifications just now, the message that came from you sticking that fucker with your knife said we killed an ¡®Arcane Corruptor of Flesh¡¯. I thought you said it was called a sea bull?¡±
¡°The magic beast was a sea bull,¡± Aila explained. ¡°But the demon, the arcane corruptor, had possessed it. It killed the sea bull¡¯s mind but kept the body for its own. Corruptor demons can do that, it¡¯s what makes them so much more dangerous than more regular varieties of demon.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°It possessed the sea bull¡¯s body and that gave it control over its skills and spells, too?¡± Syd guessed with her brow furrowed in thought. ¡°Does that mean magic beasts have skills and spells, and a class system the way we do?¡±
Aila looked up and met Syd¡¯s violet eyes. Her normally neutral mask was softened with a tinge of obvious concern.
¡°Did no one in your village explain these kinds of things to you? About magic beasts and demons and the like?¡±
¡°No,¡± Syd shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never had any of this taught to me before. It just didn¡¯t come up, I guess,¡± she said while shrugging one shoulder lamely.
¡°I don¡¯t know how it is you can come across as both educated and ignorant at the same time, Jadis,¡± Aila grumbled before shifting forward and pushing Syd to lay back down again. ¡°You¡¯ve had a peculiar upbringing.¡±
¡°I guess so,¡± Syd agreed, feeling a bit uncomfortable with how she wasn¡¯t quite being truthful with Aila on why she didn¡¯t know anything about demons and magic.
¡°Well, to put it simply, magic beasts have spells and skills, but they don¡¯t have classes. Any other sea bulls you might come across would have those same spells that one was casting, only difference might be in how powerful the spells are or how much magic they have to keep casting or what have you. You won¡¯t find a sea bull that casts earth magic because it chose a different spell path or anything like that.¡±
As Aila talked, she pulled some cloth bandages out from her pack lying on the ground at her side. The blue eye of the demon hatchling that they had brought with her watched unblinkingly as she wrapped Syd¡¯s skinned leg with the bandages. Aila had taken the jarred demon out of her backpack and set it on the ground nearby so she could get to her supplies underneath.
Jadis idly wondered what the demon thought about being tossed around inside of the pack, if it had any conception of what had been happening at all.
¡°People like you and me have more options with our classes. Even if by some strange joke of the gods I was given the option to be a Mirror Knight like you, I wouldn¡¯t necessarily have the same options as you. Depending on the skills I chose to take and focus on, I could end up being wildly different from you functionally, even if some of our base abilities were the same.¡±
Jadis had already figured as much. Since whenever she reached an odd numbered level she was given two different choices for skills or spells, and those choices offered were dependent on her activities prior to leveling, she could easily imagine a lot of variety between individuals who had the same named class.
¡°Magical beasts don¡¯t have any options like we do. They¡¯re only going to have what all of their kind have, just with varying levels of proficiency.¡±
¡°Interesting,¡± Syd hummed. ¡°And corruptor demons? How do they work?¡±
¡°Most demons are like those wretches,¡± Aila motioned to the bodies further up the slope. ¡°They twist and warp flesh and bone, or create bodies from things like stone¡ª¡±
¡°Like the grundwyrm,¡± Syd interrupted.
¡°Yes, like grundwyrms,¡± Aila agreed. ¡°The malformed bodies they create relate to the spells and skills they use, but a wretch won¡¯t get any skills or spells from the dead they stole their bodies from, not even if they¡¯re from an intelligent race.
¡°Corruptor demons, though, when they take possession of a body, they keep the abilities of the creature or person they¡¯ve corrupted. They also don¡¯t change the bodies much, not the way a wretch would for example. Some corruptors you can¡¯t even tell that the body has been possessed.¡±
¡°So, demons can do to people what they did to that magic beast back there?¡± Syd asked.
¡°Some can, yes,¡± Aila confirmed. ¡°Some even have skills that let them blend in, using the memories of their ¡®host¡¯ to make them seem normal.¡±
¡°¡that sounds like fairly intelligent behavior to me, Blue.¡± Syd pointed out, thinking about how Aila had said she doubted demons were any more intelligent than animals.
¡°Maybe,¡± Aila allowed, ¡°but they¡¯re using skills to mimic actions and words, not thinking for themselves. From what I¡¯ve heard, they can be spotted easily once you get into any kind of real conversation with them. Gerwas told me he knew a man that encountered one once. Looked just like any other human, but when it spoke it just kept repeating the same greetings and nonsense phrases until it was confronted and it started attacking.¡±
That was some interesting nuance to the demon situation Aila had provided. Demons could possess a person and mimic their actions and words. That had to mean they were smart, at least more intelligent than Aila and those who had instructed her were giving the demons credit for, did it not? Jadis didn¡¯t think an animal could pretend to be a person for any length of time, whether they looked like one or not.
Except, she couldn¡¯t know how much skills would affect something like behavior. Maybe the demons that possessed humans or other races and managed to infiltrate communities really had no idea what they were saying or doing and were just using the lingering memories of their victims to duplicate actions. How could she test the facts, one way or the other?
Turning her head to look at the demon hatchling, Syd narrowed her eyes. She didn¡¯t think there was any circumstance that would convince her it was okay to let her little pet demonling do to a person what that arcane corruptor had done to the sea bull. She wanted to know more about demons and see just how much agency they actually had in the war between gods, but she wasn¡¯t going to sacrifice a person to a fate as horrible as what had been done to the giant seal monster.
As she considered the little demon, its glowing blue eye turned to meet hers.
Odd.
¡°Well, thanks for the lesson on beasts and demons,¡± Jay said, catching Aila¡¯s attention as she returned from the seashore. ¡°But how about we get up and head back to the city and you tell us all about the amazing new spell casting class you¡¯ve received.
¡°We found eighteen dead wretches in total along the west side of the cove,¡± Dys added, hefting a bundle of scavenged weapons over her shoulder.
¡°We took their demon eyes, too,¡± Jay held up a large burlap sack that was stained with black splotches soaking through the material. ¡°Free money, I guess.¡±
Aila nodded in acknowledgement at Jay and Dys. Finished with binding Syd¡¯s leg, she got to her feet and held up the jar of salve towards the two.
¡°Need me to apply any of this to either of you two?¡±
¡°No, Syd¡¯s wearing all the damage right now.¡±
¡°Convenient,¡± Aila said before turning to repack her supplies.
¡°Not for me,¡± Syd groaned as Dys helped her to her feet. ¡°My back is killing me right now. It sucks being the injury mule.¡±
¡°And this doubly fucking sucks,¡± Jay held up Syd¡¯s leather pants-skirt, showing the torn material of the lower leg. ¡°Just got these and already ruined.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure Klara can patch them,¡± Aila said, slinging her pack onto her back, supplies and hatchling tucked away.
Jay passed the leather pants-skirt to Syd so she could get them pulled on. ¡°Nah. We can patch them. We¡¯ve got a sewing needle and thread back at the inn.¡±
¡°You mean like how you patched your old leather armor?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Jay replied, picking up Syd¡¯s shirt while Dys helped Syd hop into her pants.
¡°You should probably just let Klara do the patching.¡±
¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±
Aila turned away and abruptly changed the subject.
¡°So, my new classes. Let¡¯s see¡¡±
Jadis eyed Aila suspiciously but decided to let the matter drop. She was more interested in finally learning about Aila¡¯s new class options than she was in defending her admittedly poorly trained sewing ability.
Aila read her first secondary class option aloud for Jadis to hear while Syd got dressed and reequipped.
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Supply-Line Strategist
You have an excellent grasp of strategy and logistics, particularly when it comes to the supplies necessary to keep a military organization running. Taking this class will aid you in better running and coordinating an efficient supply chain for any form of military campaign. Skills from this class are focused on support, but there are some options that will aid in personal defense.
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¡°A quartermaster style class¡¡± Aila said with barely hidden disdain. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s actually an extremely good upgrade from Cart Driver, if I was interested in that kind of career.¡±
¡°No magic though, I bet,¡± Jay commented with a frown. ¡°So, skip it.¡±
¡°This next one has an odd name¡¡±
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Battle-Ready Cliff Diver
Surviving a lethal drop and then slaying the foe that threw you over the edge is a unique feat. This class will make you more capable of surviving deadly plunges without injury and will boost your attack power against enemies that wallow on the ground while you fall with style. This class¡¯s skills can lead to powerful aerial attacks.
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¡°What is this?¡± Aila exclaimed, her voice growing more and more shocked as she read the description. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of any class as ridiculous as this! Who would take a class that¡¯s focused on falling off of cliffs? Why would the gods even offer something so¡ª so wrong!¡±
Jadis had paused while Aila had read out the odd class details. The description gave her an odd mental itch. Something told her it wasn¡¯t gods in general dictating the classes Aila was being offered. Just one god in particular that was sticking his non-descript nose into her business.
¡°I swear D, if you screwed Aila out of a good magic class I¡¯ll track you down and choke you with your own cookies,¡± Dys whispered under her breath so Aila couldn¡¯t hear.
Aila was showing a lot of worry in her expression. ¡°I guess there¡¯s not a lot of options, huh?¡± She gave Jay a worried look. ¡°But, it¡¯s fine, as long as I get at least one magic class, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±
With a deep, nervous breath, she read the last class option out loud.
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Nephilim Powered Arcanist
You¡¯ve gained great arcane power from lewd interactions with a lost race, the Nephilim. See just how far your power can grow from continued licentious involvement with Nephilim by taking this class. Skills from this class will allow you to cast unique force spells, their power and effects changing and scaling depending on skill modifications and the level of charge applied.
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A gentle sea breeze was the only sound as Aila stared off into the distance. Jadis waited, all three of her stock still, anxiously watching the redhead.
Aila slowly turned and looked up at Jay, bewildered. ¡°Did what I read out loud really just imply¡ª"
¡°That your magic will be powered by fucking me?¡±
Aila flinched, then nodded her head. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I thought.¡±
There was another beat of silence before Jadis awkwardly gave an increasingly mortified Aila six thumbs up.
¡°Congratulations?¡¯
¡°¡Thanks.¡±
Chapter 81: A Little Embarrassing
¡°Hey, c¡¯mon, is it really that embarrassing?¡± Jay tried to console her more-than-just-a-friend with a gentle pat on the back. ¡°I mean, my secondary class is all about sex, too, and look how good it is! I bet your sex spell class will be just as awesome!¡±
After the revelation of just what kind of magic casting class had been offered to her as her only option, Aila had taken to squatting on the ground, her face buried in her hands. Jadis could see her ears peeking out from her hair, red as beets. The embarrassment radiating off of the redhead was palpable.
¡°Please don¡¯t call it that,¡± Aila mumbled from behind her fingers. ¡°Anything but that.¡±
¡°Fuck wizard?¡± Syd suggested.
¡°Gods, no!¡± Aila quickly refused, finally pulling her face out of her hands to give the three of Jadis a pained look. ¡°That¡¯s worse!¡±
¡°Yeah, well, is it really that bad overall?¡± Dys said, one fist on her hip. ¡°You¡¯ve been fine with me having a lewd class up to now. Why is it so bad if you have one?¡±
¡°Because!¡± Aila started, then stopped. ¡°Because¡ªBecause I don¡¯t know! It¡¯s¡ªI¡¯m not a pervert like you are! I thought I¡¯d be offered something reasonable, not absurd! I don¡¯t think I could ever tell my family about this class!¡±
¡°Hey! I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re plenty pervy,¡± Jay countered lightly, not bothering to deny her own perverted nature. ¡°I seem to recall you being the one to admit you were willing to fuck the three of me when you thought I was sisters and not just multi-bodied.¡±
A dawning look of horror crossed her face and she flushed even redder, her head sinking back into her hands as she let out a pitiful moan.
¡°Oh gods, you¡¯re right¡ I¡¯m such a degenerate!¡±
Aila continued to let out a litany of soft curses and mumbled groans as she sat huddled on the ground, thoroughly dismayed and ashamed to have the only spell-casting class ever offered to her be one that flew her lewd deviancy like a flag, undeniable and irrefutable.
Jadis felt quite a lot of sympathy for her companion. When she¡¯d been offered her lewd classes, she¡¯d been offended by the implications, at least at first. Of course, she¡¯d come to terms with her own degeneracy fairly quickly, and by the time she¡¯d been offered her Perverted Ritualist of D class, she¡¯d not only resigned herself to perverseness, she¡¯d come to welcome it openly.
Aila was having a little more trouble coming to terms with her kinky revelation.
Jay walked over to the balled-up Aila and picked her up while still in fetal position, prompting a surprised yelp. She cradled the abashed woman to her chest in a tight hug, giving her a kiss on the top of her head.
¡°It¡¯s fine that you¡¯re a pervert,¡± Jay assured her, pushing past a half-choked sound of protest. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell anyone what your class is, right? You can just call it an arcanist class and leave it at that. We can keep a secret, you know. It¡¯ll be just between us for as long as you want.¡±
¡°Besides,¡± Syd added, leaning on her lance, ¡°You¡¯re in good company. No bigger pervert around here than us. We certainly won¡¯t complain if your class asks you to do anything racy with a volunteer.¡±
¡°You have to have sex with us regularly anyway,¡± Dys pointed out. ¡°If you want to keep that boost to your arcane attribute, at least. This way you¡¯re just killing two birds with one stone.¡±
Aila let out a heavy sigh, then patted Jay¡¯s arm, asking to be put down. Once back on her feet, she looked up at Jadis with defeated resolution.
¡°It¡¯s fine, thank you. I¡¯m being ungrateful, and I¡¯m sorry. I just¡ I don¡¯t know. I wasn¡¯t expecting to be called a slut by the gods today.¡±
That unexpected statement caused Jadis to break out in a chorus of laughter, the seriousness of the delivery contrasting the surrealness of the sentiment. Even Aila chuckled a little as Jadis struggled to regain her composure. When she eventually did, Jay leaned down and gave Aila another small kiss on the forehead.
¡°Who cares what they say? You¡¯re our little slut, anyway.¡±
¡°Rude!¡± Aila cried out, but there was no anger behind the admonishment. ¡°If you¡¯re going to behave like that, I¡¯ll go find some other Nephilim to power my spells.¡±
Jay¡¯s grin faltered at Aila¡¯s words, a subtle realization of implications coming to mind.
¡°You¡¯re not worried about how the class sort of makes you dependent on me, are you?¡± Jay asked, worry in her tone. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t want you to feel like you have to stay with me. I¡¯d like you to! I just don¡¯t want you to feel forced or¡ª¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Aila waved off Jadis¡¯ anxiety. ¡°If I want to leave, I assure you, I won¡¯t be stopped. That being said, I¡¯m not sure how dependent the class will be upon¡ sexual interactions with you, or more broadly, Nephilim. It might not be as reliant as we¡¯re assuming. It¡¯s kind of interesting, actually. I¡¯m probably the only person on Oros with this class, maybe the first ever.¡±
Aila let out a bemused laugh, smiling wryly up at the three of Jadis.
¡°I bet if I level the class up and learn more about it, I could write a paper about it and turn it in at the imperial academy. I could be a published scholar!¡±
Mood lifted and minor existential crisis averted, the four-but-really-two of them gathered the last of their things and prepared to leave the valley.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
¡°What¡¯s your first class skill?¡± Jay asked, hefting a bundle of half the weapons they¡¯d looted over one shoulder.
¡°Hold on, I need to actually accept the class,¡± Aila said, pausing for a brief moment.
A shiver went through her whole body as a strange pearly light flashed across her for a split-second before disappearing. Aila shook her head, blinking rapidly.
¡°Wow, that felt different from my primary class,¡± she murmured, a distant look in her blue eyes.
¡°Don¡¯t leave us in suspense,¡± Dys half-whined. ¡°We¡¯re ready to start seeing some amazing spells from the soon-to-be greatest arcanist ever!¡±
¡°What is an arcanist,¡± Syd asked a second later. ¡°I don¡¯t remember that class from your lesson yesterday.¡±
¡°No idea,¡± Aila admitted. Her head was tilted to one side as she read her invisible menu notes. ¡°Either it¡¯s some odd wording on one of the big six, which does happen sometimes, or it¡¯s a rarely seen, more esoteric class that isn¡¯t well documented. Considering the description, I feel safe in guessing the latter.¡±
¡°And your first skill?¡± Jay prompted.
¡°My first skill is an active spell called ¡®Arcanist¡¯s Force Bolt. The description isn¡¯t too weird, actually,¡± Aila admitted. She then read the description aloud.
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Arcanist¡¯s Force Bolt
Active Spell. Send a bolt of force magic towards any point within 100 feet of you. Form and function of spell can be modified by dependent passive skills. Cost and Duration variable dependent on variation of spell cast. Base Cost ¨C 25 magic. Base Duration ¨C Instantaneous.
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¡°Sounds cool,¡± Syd said.
¡°It doesn¡¯t sound too dissimilar from some wizard spells I¡¯ve read about,¡± Aila murmured. ¡°Fairly basic, actually.¡±
With a look of concentration, Aila pointed at the ground some twenty or so feet away from her. A sudden shimmer of transparent force, almost like a heat wave but more solid, burst into existence at the tip of her finger and shot out at lightning speed. When it hit the ground, the power of the shockwave physically thumped against Jadis¡¯ chest. The ground was ripped up by the spell, leaving a round crater in the dirt that was several feet wide and deep.
¡°Nice!¡± Jadis shouted excitedly, her cheers coming in various forms.
Aila had an almost stunned look on her face, an expression that rapidly shifted to elatedness.
¡°I cast a spell!¡± she cried out, tearing up a little. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I cast a spell!¡±
¡°A fucking powerful one, too!¡± Dys complimented. ¡°I bet you could knock a wretch¡¯s head right off with a spell like that.¡±
Aila smiled radiantly up at the three giants surrounding her, true happiness bright in her eyes. Before she could say anything in response to Dys¡¯ comment, however, Jadis¡¯ attention was caught by movement on the ridgeline of the valley to the east. A distant figure was cresting the hill.
¡°Something¡¯s coming!¡± Jay warned as she moved to protect her companion.
All three of Jadis instantly leapt into formation around Aila, Jay and Dys in the front with their mallet and maul in hand, Syd behind them with her long steel lance held high overhead. For her part, Aila reacted as quickly as she could, crouching low behind the living wall Jadis had made, her hand held up as though she was ready to blow something up with her mind, a very real possibility with her new class.
As the figures crested the hill and became fully visible, Jadis relaxed the tension in her bodies.
¡°Ah, it¡¯s just the guards,¡± Dys huffed, lowering her weapon.
¡°Are you four alright?¡± the lead elf guard called down, his voice breathless from chasing after them.
¡°Yes, we¡¯re fine,¡± Jay called up. ¡°Come on over if you want. We were just about to leave, though.¡±
The two guards jogged down the hill, metal armor clanking as they came. As they drew closer, concern was evident on their faces as they saw the dead demons strewn across the valley. That concern evolved into shock when the massive bloody corpse sitting in the shallows of the sea cove became visible to them.
¡°Is that a sea bull?¡± the female guard squeaked, marking the first time Jadis had heard her voice.
¡°Yes,¡± Aila confirmed, stepping out from behind Jay and Dys. ¡°It was possessed, by an arcane corruptor of flesh. We¡¯ve taken the eye core for proof and bounty, but you should go check it out so you can notify your captain back at Felsen. There were more than two dozen twisted wretches here, plus that corrupted beast. With those kinds of numbers, the guard and the magistrate should be made aware of the possibility of an increased demonic presence in the Broken Hills.¡±
Jadis was impressed with how easily Aila took charge and directed the conversation with the guards, all her earlier anxiousness, fretting, confusion, and excitement hidden behind a perfect mask of professionalism. She easily commanded their attention and focused them on what was important. Jadis was happy to let her handle the interaction, especially since she was presenting conclusions that Jadis had herself suspected but lacked the full context to know for sure.
Demon activity around Felsen seemed to be growing, not shrinking. From what she¡¯d gathered, most of the demons should be outside of the perimeter set by the mercenary companies stationed along the edge of the forest miles to the north. Such large groups of demons as this one had been should be a rarity, and grundwyrms like the two she¡¯d fought in the past few days shouldn¡¯t be around at all. Yet, here the demons were, another big group with a heavy-hitting powerhouse to back them up.
¡°Stay here, I¡¯ll go check it out,¡± the elf guard said to his subordinate, leaving the female guard behind with the three Nephilim and Aila.
As he jogged down the slope, Dys eyed the remaining guard who was giving Jadis¡¯ three selves a questioning, almost fearful look, with occasional glances at Aila as well.
Jay turned to Aila and said quietly, ¡°We can discuss your new class later, when we have some privacy.¡±
Aila nodded, then seemed to remember something. ¡°The sea bull¡¯s body. It¡¯s ruined for meat purposes with that demon¡¯s tentacles corrupting it. But we should still be able to sell some parts of it to an alchemist for ingredients. It was a magical beast, after all.¡±
She turned to address the remaining guardswoman.
¡°Would you please officially mark down our claim on that beast? There¡¯s no way we can bring the whole thing back with us and we don¡¯t have the tools or skills to properly harvest its components.¡±
The woman didn¡¯t respond, her helmeted head turned to look up at one of Jadis¡¯ bodies.
¡°Well?¡± Dys prompted, startling the nervous guard.
¡°What? Oh, sorry!¡± she said, drawing herself into a more formal at-attention stance. At Dys¡¯ continued flat stare, she hurriedly admitted, ¡°I didn¡¯t catch that, could you repeat yourself, please?¡±
Aila did so, explaining what she wanted again to the guard who pulled a small leatherbound notepad from a belt pouch. She hastily scribbled a few words onto the paper with a metal pen, then passed the pen and pad to Aila for her to sign it. While she did so, the guard glanced up at Dys, her attention obviously drifting.
¡°Problem?¡± Dys asked, quirking her eyebrow.
¡°No! No, not at all. I just haven¡¯t ever seen four people take down a sea bull before. I was told you¡¯re level thirty-four, and that you¡¯re level nineteen,¡± she motioned to Aila almost as an afterthought. ¡°The kinds of people I¡¯ve heard of fighting monsters like that in small groups are usually level sixty at least, with their third class already. You must have some impressive classes to be able to fight a monster like that at your levels.¡±
¡°If you only knew the half of it,¡± Aila said under her breath, drawing a suppressed smirk from Jadis.
Chapter 82: Power Level
¡°We should stop for the day,¡± Aila said, one hand briefly resting on Syd¡¯s arm as they walked side by side. ¡°I reached level twenty and got my second class. There¡¯s no need to push for more levels right away when you¡¯re injured.¡±
¡°Yeah, but you deserve to be strong. You¡¯ve been waiting twenty levels to finally start casting spells. You should get more than one today.¡±
¡°That¡¯s nonsense,¡± Aila shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ve saved me months of time in just a couple of days already. We can wait for tomorrow to hunt more. You¡¯re hurt. You have a fifth of your health maximum. You¡¯re struggling just to walk. There¡¯s no need to take a risk fighting demons right now.¡±
Jadis and Aila were walking back towards Felsen, but Jadis wasn¡¯t ready to call it quits just yet. She wanted Aila to level up her secondary class as quickly as possible. She needed to be able to defend herself with more than a single spell that she could cast four times at most.
Aila¡¯s magic pool was one hundred points and her first spell cost twenty-five points to cast. Four casts of the spell and she was done. The cost wasn¡¯t terrible, according to Aila, not for how powerful the spell appeared to be, even if it was a little short range. However, as Jadis had learned from Aila¡¯s lessons on magic, each point in will equated to one point of magic refilled over the course of an hour. With ten points in her will attribute, Aila would take ten hours to refill her magic pool to full, or at least a couple of hours once she was depleted before she could cast her force bolt again.
There were ways of increasing the amount of magic points recovered other than raw will stats. Some skills could increase the regeneration speed, a few greatly increasing the speed while sleeping like her Knight¡¯s Rest skill did for her health. There were potions and enchantments that could help, too.
Aila didn¡¯t have any of those things, though. She had one level and one spell, nothing else to support the class. That was a state of being Jadis couldn¡¯t let be.
¡°We¡¯re not interested in fighting anything big like that sea bull,¡± Syd assured Aila. ¡°We¡¯re just keeping our eyes out for easy prey. If we spot any more small groups of wretches wandering out here without anything big to back them up, then it¡¯d be dumb not to take advantage of easy pickings. I mean, when we fought those eight back there, we barely took any damage at all. I can stay back with you while Jay and Dys do all the work. Besides, don¡¯t you want to test your new spell on a real target?¡±
Aila frowned worriedly, walking in silence for a few more steps before speaking softly.
¡°Don¡¯t push yourself unreasonably, please. I¡¯d like to keep you around, too,¡± she said in a mirror of the words Jadis had said to her before in the valley.
¡°I won¡¯t. I plan on sticking around for a long time.¡±
Having already died once before, Jadis meant those words with more conviction than Aila could possibly guess.
As Syd and Aila spoke, Jay and Dys roamed several hundred yards out to either side. Both were climbing hills and scouring the area as they headed back east for any signs of demons. In a small concession to caution, Jadis made sure all three of her selves remained in constant visual contact, even if she didn¡¯t necessarily need to. With her upgraded skill, the range she could separate from her selves before getting a headache had grown quite a lot.
There was one other factor to consider, as well. The guards.
After the two guardsmen had caught up to Jadis and seen the massive amount of death and destruction Jadis had gotten up to while out of their sight, they seemed even more determined to stay near her. Not content to simply watch from afar anymore, the two had stuck a lot closer to Jadis the second time around, even going so far as to voice their own polite concerns about Jay and Dys roaming so far out from Syd and Aila.
Jadis mostly ignored them, or at least she tried to. The two guards weren¡¯t trying to intentionally interfere with her plans, they were just trying to do a job they had no choice but to perform. She was sure orders from the magistrate weren¡¯t taken lightly, not with how scarily powerful that red-eyed elf had been. They¡¯d been told to keep the three Nephilim safe and the guards clearly hadn¡¯t, through no real fault of their own. They just couldn''t keep up with her when she wanted to move fast.
In any case, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to be rude to the guards when they were just following their orders and were still doing their best to be polite about it. That was at least part of the reason she was just walking with Aila, rather than picking her up and running off to cover more ground quicker. She¡¯d let the guards stay nearby to soothe their wounded pride at not being able to defend their charge. Plus, they might even be helpful if she unintentionally came across another serious battle again. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure what level the guards were, but they had to be at least somewhat strong if the magistrate thought they would be capable of protecting her. They could even help protect Aila, if necessary, which was another decent reason to walk slow and keep them nearby.
Then, of course, there was the fact that Syd really did ache all over from her injuries. Even with the salve Aila had applied to the wounds, Jadis was in a lot of pain. Syd¡¯s body didn¡¯t feel like it could run, not full tilt like her other bodies. In fact, if she did have to pick Aila up and flee for some reason, Jadis planned on one of her selves picking up Syd as well. Syd just wasn¡¯t in any condition to properly fight or sprint, not with all of Jadis¡¯ collective injuries focused onto her.
Not that Jadis thought she would need to run. Even if there was a pack of about ten twisted wretches charging their way from around a hill to the north.
¡°Incoming!¡± Jay shouted from her position atop a hill that gave her a view of the approaching hostiles. ¡°I count ten!¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Her shout was purely for the sake of the guards who immediately rushed closer towards Syd and Aila, their shields and spears at the ready. As the guards closed in, Syd whispered a few words to Aila.
¡°I¡¯m going to let them get close so you can cast your spell. Don¡¯t worry about them getting to you, we won¡¯t let them. Just focus on testing out what it can do.¡±
Aila nodded, her face a mask of cold professionalism as the battle drew close.
Dys ran up from the south, reaching Aila and Syd a moment after the two guards. Giving them both a frustrated look, she gestured with one free hand, making a shooing motion.
¡°If you two are this close you¡¯ll drain some of the experience. Back off, please.¡±
The two guards looked at each other for a beat before the elf replied.
¡°Apologies, but one of you is wounded. It¡¯s best if we stay nearby to prevent any further injuries or worse.¡±
Jadis bristled a bit at the guard¡¯s refusal to step away, her opinion of them dropping from what it was just minutes before. Before she could angrily insist on them backing off, Aila put a hand on Dys¡¯ arm.
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said, voice low. ¡°If they split away from us, some of the demons might chase them anyway.¡±
That was a reasonable point, even if the guards¡¯ attitude irked her. She didn¡¯t need their help protecting her. But if the guards drew the attention of the demons and that forced them to fight, she¡¯d lose out on even more experience for Aila. She¡¯d just have to make sure the guards kept to an entirely passive role.
Jay ran down her hill, regrouping with her other selves. She was sure by then it was just one group of ten demons, nothing else to surprise her so far as she had observed. A moment later, the demons rounded the hill to the northwest, coming into view.
They were more of the typical twisted wretch variety of demons, mainly snow elks and boars, but she noticed that two of them had been horses previously. Seeing the cruelly distorted faces of animals she was far more familiar with rushing towards her on two legs was far more disturbing to Jadis than the other demons had been.
As the demons came within range, Jadis positioned her bodies in a mirror of the formation she¡¯d taken when the guards had surprised her earlier. Jay and Dys took the lead with just enough space to swing their large weapons freely. Aila stood in the middle, hand raised in a gesture of readiness, while Syd stood behind her, lance raised high overhead and ready to impale anything that might get past the wall that was her other, healthier doubles. The formation was expanded however, with the two guards flanking on either side, elf on the left and human on the right.
Seeing the two guards stand tall with their shields facing the oncoming gang of wretches, Jadis briefly wished she had a shield, too. At the very least, the two looked far more the part of professional, trained combatants than she did. With how confidently they faced the charging foes, even the previously timid human woman, she imagined they could do more than look the part.
A burst of basketball-sized magic power leapt out of Aila¡¯s hand and shot towards one of the elk-wretches that was running slightly ahead of the pack. The mostly invisible force struck its chest dead center, collapsing its torso inward and sending the demon flying backwards. The demon crashed into one of its ilk behind it, its corpse tripping the legs of the second as both crashed to the ground.
With one spell, Aila had struck down a wretch in less than a second. Jadis had to admit, she was impressed.
Aila must have been impressed with the effectiveness of her own spell as well, as she paused to look down at her hand in surprise.
There was no time to think about Aila¡¯s spell power, however. The demon pack reached Jay and Dys moments later and the battle began in earnest. Both laid into the wretches with wide, arcing swings, trying to catch and damage each demon before they could spread out around them and force the two guards to get involved. Instant death blows weren¡¯t strictly necessary, just attacks that would cripple and buy time.
As one demon fell to the ground off to the side, bones shattered from a sweeping attack from Dys, Syd stabbed down over Aila¡¯s head and skewered the wretch¡¯s chest at the same time the female guard did the same, killing the prone enemy. On the other side, a demon leapt back from Jay, only taking a glancing blow, and turned its spear on the elf to her left and standing further back.
The elf blocked the attack with his shield and countered with a stab of his own, piercing the taller creature¡¯s stomach and forcing it back. A second later, Jay finished the job with a backswing that caught the demon¡¯s head, snapping its neck like a cracker.
Jadis cursed inwardly that she wasn¡¯t able to keep the guards out of the fight, but with how many demons were in the pack, they were able to easily spread out and surround. Even with three of her, Jadis couldn¡¯t be everywhere at once.
On a bloody but brighter note, Aila got her second kill in as a horse-like wretch tried to go wide and come at them from the right. Before Syd could stab at the deranged monstrosity, another bolt of force blasted out and struck the demon¡¯s head. Its long face crumpled inwards in a splatter of dark blood and shattered bone as its neck whipped backwards with enough force that it halfway ripped off the aberration¡¯s shoulders.
The rest of the wretches quickly fell under the double assault of Jay and Dys, the two guards contributing as well. The last demon, the one that had tripped over Aila¡¯s first victim, was finished off by Aila¡¯s fourth force bolt, her final spell until enough time passed for her to regenerate her magic points. The bolt crushed the wretch just as surely as Jay¡¯s mallet would have, sealing its ignominious fate as it didn¡¯t even get to swing its rusted sword once before it was dead.
After taking a few breaths to recover, Jay and Dys turned to Aila and gave her a doubled proud grin. From behind, Syd patted her warmly on the shoulder.
¡°Fucking good job, Blue!¡± Jay praised. ¡°Three for three on your first real battle! You did way better than we did in our first fight, too.¡±
¡°Hair isn¡¯t even ruffled,¡± Dys chuckled, reaching out to muss Aila¡¯s long locks playfully.
¡°Couldn¡¯t have done it without you, literally,¡± Aila demurred, a pleased smile on her lips. ¡°I feel like I could have done more whittling them down before they got close enough for melee combat, but once I saw I could kill with a single shot, I wanted to save my spells in case one of them started to cast their own spell to counter it.¡±
¡°What do you mean, first battle,¡± a shocked voice interrupted before Jadis could reply to Aila¡¯s self-review.
The female guard was looking at Aila, aghast. The elf had a far better poker face, but Jadis had a feeling he was just as surprised.
¡°That was my first battle as a spell caster, yes,¡± Aila affirmed primly. Turning away from the guard, she looked up at Dys and calmly instructed, ¡°Let¡¯s gather what we can from these demons and get back to town. I leveled a couple more times from this fray and I¡¯d like to discuss the options I¡¯ve been given in private.¡±
¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Dys said as she and Jadis¡¯ other two selves moved to collect weapons and demon eyes.
Jadis had a feeling Aila¡¯s neutral fa?ade was hiding an extremely enthusiastic woman behind it. After all, how couldn¡¯t she be excited? She was already level three, less than an hour after getting her secondary class and unlocking spells. Jadis could only imagine she was even more eager than her to see what new spell or skill was being offered to her.
Chapter 83: Adding Mods Makes for a Fun Experience
The rest of the trip back to Far Felsen was uneventful. No demons, wretches or otherwise, crossed their path, though they did spot a caravan of six wagons with dozens of guards on horseback following a road coming from the west towards the city. A fortified settlement was somewhere along the coast west of Felsen and the caravan looked to be a merchant supply train coming from that locale.
Seeing the wagons trundling down the road from her overwatching position on a hilltop prompted a small thought in Jadis¡¯ mind. A passing whim, but the idea stuck with her all the way back to the city walls. She decided to ruminate on the idea for a while and, if it still stuck with her, she¡¯d bring it up with Aila and see if it was viable. But for the present, she had other more important matters to focus on.
Getting back into the city was hastened by having the two guards with her, a small benefit to her escort. Once inside the gates, Aila insisted on visiting the healing clinic first and foremost. Jadis didn¡¯t argue. With all of her accumulated injuries on Syd, she was happy to pay a few coins to speed the process of healing along.
The guards didn¡¯t peel off once they were inside the city, instead following them at a close but respectful distance all the way to the clinic. When Jadis tried to politely persuade them to leave her be now that she was back in the city, they just as politely refused. With a sigh, Jadis resigned herself to having the guards trail her, though she planned on bringing the matter up with the magistrate at some point.
Once Jadis and Aila had made use of the priest¡¯s clinic, they turned their demon eyes in at the city hall to collect their bounties. The eye of the Arcane Corruptor of Flesh had a high payout, and while the wretches weren¡¯t worth too much individually, with more than thirty to turn in, the overall take away was a hefty sum of coin.
Jadis tried to split the total with Aila, but she refused to take half since she hadn¡¯t been able to helpfully participate in any combat until the end. Instead, she only took the coin for the three twisted wretches she had killed with her force bolts.
¡°We¡¯re a partnership now,¡± Jay insisted as she passed Aila her silver coins. ¡°From now on, I don¡¯t care how many you actually kill, we¡¯re working together so we split the profit evenly.¡±
¡°A four-way split then?¡± Aila asked with an arched eyebrow.
¡°You know what we mean,¡± Dys said, giving her a flat look.
Aila nodded and smiled. ¡°I do. Just, I couldn¡¯t take any coin from the fight with the sea bull in good conscience. I did nothing to help. In fact, I made things worse by forcing you to save me when I fell. I know you don¡¯t blame me for that,¡± she cut Syd off as she opened her mouth to protest, ¡°but I see my secondary class as more than enough of a payment in this ¡®partnership¡¯ of ours.¡±
She thought for a moment, then gave Jadis a sidelong glance. ¡°Even if the class is probably weird and perverted.¡±
When they left the city center, Jadis noticed that the two guards had disappeared and two different guards were now following her. The two men kept their distance and made no attempt to talk with her, but they did stay fairly close by, closer than the guards who had been trailing her the day before.
Opting to ignore them, Jadis followed Aila to a merchant shop that specialized in magic beast components. Aila essentially sold the information on where to find the body of the slain sea bull, using a copy of the signed note from the guard as proof the corpse existed.
¡°We¡¯ll get far less coin this way,¡± Aila explained to Jay as an aside. ¡°But we don¡¯t have the means to bring the body back or carve it up for sellable components. They¡¯ll give us a cut of the profits this way. It¡¯ll be less than we could get if we could do more ourselves, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡±
¡°Are they going to get it now?¡± she asked, watching a group of five burly men leave through a side door of the shop, tools and equipment draped over their shoulders.
¡°It¡¯s still early in the day,¡± Aila pointed out. ¡°They should have plenty of time to get there and back before nightfall. Better to get what they can now before scavengers or worse get to the body.¡±
After the merchant¡¯s shop, she and Aila grabbed a quick meal at the Archway restaurant before heading back to the inn. Both were eager to discuss Aila¡¯s new skills, but not where prying ears could potentially overhear.
The guards at least didn¡¯t follow them into the inn.
Once they were both tucked away in their shared room with several large pitchers of ale, Aila drew out the details of her newly updated status sheet on a piece of paper for Jadis to see. She still couldn¡¯t actually read any of it, but she appreciated the effort her companion was putting in to try and teach her the local script.
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Aila of Red Tree
Race: Human
Primary Class: Cart Driver (20)
Secondary Class: Nephilim Powered Arcanist (3)
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 23
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Health: 100
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Magic: 100
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Attributes
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Strength: 10
Dexterity: 15
Agility: 20
Vitality: 10
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 15Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
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Arcane: 77
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus:10
Resilience: 5
Will: 10
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¡°I have six unused attribute points I can spend, five from reaching level twenty and another one from level two in Arcanist,¡± Aila explained.
¡°Are you going to put those points into arcane?¡± Jay asked, taking a sip of ale from one of the pitchers.
Aila was sitting at the small desk, writing things out, while Jadis¡¯ three selves were surrounding her sitting on the floor cross-legged. Each of Jadis had a full pitcher to themselves, treating them more like a mug. The size fit better for her at least. All of them had taken off their armor and put their weapons and loot aside. They had also all taken some time to wash up, which left them feeling a lot more refreshed after the stressful, exhausting day.
¡°Possibly, but I¡¯m probably better off putting them into focus or will. Your ritual has already given me a huge boost in arcane power. I can afford to use the free points on other things and maybe rely on skills that will increase my arcane attribute instead.¡±
¡°Speaking of,¡± Syd said, ¡°what skills did you unlock for level three? Anything¡ Nephilim related?¡±
Aila smirked and shook her head. In quick strokes of her pen, she outlined the two options given to her.
¡°No, they aren¡¯t depraved. They actually look entirely respectable.¡±
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Arcanist¡¯s Spike Trap Modification
Passive Skill. Adds possible variation to any Arcanist spells. Cast a rune circle with a diameter variable based on applied spell to a solid surface. When activated by a living target touching the area within the rune circle, a variable number of force spikes with variable height based on applied spell will pierce upward from the circle. Base cost of spell decreased by 0.8 times. Duration increased to number of hours equal to 0.5 times arcane attribute.
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Arcanist¡¯s Explosion Modification
Passive Skill. Adds possible variation to any Arcanist spells. Create a powerful explosion at the point of impact of a spell. If the spell has no point of impact, the explosion will remain inert until the spell expires, at which point the spell will explode. Base cost of spell increased by 2 times. Duration unaffected.
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¡°Oh, yeah, those do sound kind of normal,¡± Dys said after Aila had read out what she¡¯d written down. ¡°Not pervy at all.¡±
¡°No, not at all,¡± Aila agreed. ¡°But they are odd. They remind me of wizard skills, but they¡¯re slightly off.¡±
¡°How so?¡±
¡°Wizards often get skills that let them modify their spell¡¯s elements. Fire bolt becomes ice bolt. That¡¯s normal. These skills are saying they can alter the base mechanics of the spell while leaving the element, force, intact. Wizards can¡¯t do that.¡±
¡°Can any class you know of do that?¡± Syd asked curiously.
¡°Not that I can think of, no. Plus, it says in the description that the skill can alter any arcanist spells I may have. Most wizard skills that allow for modifications I know of are narrower in scope, focusing on specific types of spells or even just one. It¡¯s strange that these skills aren¡¯t putting any limitations on what spells I can apply them to.¡±
Jay rubbed her chin, a far off look in her eyes.
¡°Seems like there will be a lot of variety in the results depending on what modification is applied to which spell. Could be fun to experiment with.¡±
Aila tried to hide a vaguely devious smile as possibilities filled her head. Jadis could practically see the mad genius gears turning.
¡°Which are you going to pick?¡± Dys asked, interrupting Aila¡¯s likely creatively destructive train of thought.
Aila wiped the adorably Machiavellian smile off her face and straightened her back.
¡°I can see uses for both,¡± she said while ignoring Dys¡¯ knowing grin. ¡°But I think the most effective modification for now would be the Spike Trap.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Jay questioned, leaning back. ¡°I¡¯d think you¡¯d want to go for the explosion. You could probably wipe out a whole pack of wretches with a big enough explosion. Probably effective against grundwyrms, too.¡±
¡°True,¡± Aila allowed, ¡°with how strong the base power of the force bolt is, the power of the explosion would likely be high. But the cost would be increased to fifty magic points. Even if I put all six of my free attribute points into focus, that means I could only cast that explosive version of the spell three times before I¡¯m spent. I think that would limit my combat capabilities too much, at least at this level.
¡°Spike trap, on the other hand, would reduce the spell cost to five points. Even without increasing my focus, I could cast that version of the spell twenty times before running out of magic. And it would only take me an hour of recovery to get two more casts.¡±
¡°It¡¯s weaker though, isn¡¯t it?¡± Dys presumed. ¡°If it¡¯s going to reduce the cost by eighty percent, it¡¯s got to be a less powerful version of the spell.¡±
¡°Maybe, maybe not,¡± Aila shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve seen earth spells of a similar nature at work on a battlefield. They cost less because your enemy has to step on them to activate, and your allies can set them off too, making them risky. But those earth-based spike trap spells can be extremely powerful when applied properly.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m convinced,¡± Jay announced, raising her pitcher up in a toasting gesture. ¡°Here¡¯s to spike traps!¡±
¡°Thinking about it, imagine if you laid a few of those on the ground and we knocked some demons down on to them,¡± Syd said with a shudder. ¡°I bet that¡¯d be a quick way to end them, regardless of how strong each individual spike is.¡±
Aila smiled wickedly. ¡°I can think of a few more ways to use the spell than that. The description doesn¡¯t specify it has to be on the ground. Just a solid surface. I¡¯ll have to test its limitations, but there¡¯s a lot I can do with ¡®solid surface¡¯ as my only restriction.¡±
With her decision made, Aila selected the Arcanist¡¯s Spike Trap Modification skill. She also put five free points into her focus attribute so that her total magic pool would increase to one hundred and fifty. Her last point she agonized over for a few minutes, but eventually on Jadis¡¯ suggestion, she put the point into vitality so that her health total went up to one hundred and ten.
Aila was going to remain in the backline as much as possible, but a few more health points could make a huge difference if anything ever went wrong.
¡°So, are you going to try it out?¡± Dys asked eagerly. ¡°I want to see what this spike trap looks like.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure¡ª¡± Aila started hesitantly, but Jay waved off her concern.
¡°Oh come on, it¡¯s not the explosion one! Just put the trap down on the floor over there and we¡¯ll see what it looks like. The floors are made of stone, anyway. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll hurt them any.¡±
It took a little cajoling, but eventually Aila held out her hand and a ring of faintly shimmering, practically translucent runes appeared on the room floor, safely far away from all occupants.
The ring was a foot in diameter and even knowing that it was there, Jadis had a hard time seeing it. There was no glow to the runes, not exactly, so she imagined the trap would be even harder to spot in the dark. Examining the pattern, she could see that the runes were three distinct symbols repeating themselves in a pattern. Jadis wondered if symbols were part of an actual language, or if they had no real meaning.
¡°With my arcane stat at seventy-seven, that¡¯s going to stay there for thirty-eight hours,¡± Aila pointed out.
¡°Not if we test how it reacts when I set it off,¡± Jay mumbled, reaching towards the ring.
¡°Wait!¡± Aila cried out, but Jay¡¯s hand was already in motion.
Jay¡¯s fingertip brushed against the surface of the stone floor just the barest inch within the circle of runes. Instantly, a ghostly transparent spike shot up out of the center of the circle, nearly taking the tip of Jay¡¯s finger off. If she didn¡¯t have the reaction speed she had, the spike very well could have cost her an index finger.
The spike was no joke, either. It reached three feet from base to tip, the base fully encompassing the round circle of runes. The thick spike shimmered for a few moments longer before fading out of existence along with the runes on the floor, leaving no trace behind.
Aila slapped the back of Syd¡¯s head.
¡°Ow! What was that for?¡±
¡°For being a reckless oaf! Don¡¯t touch dangerous magical traps thoughtlessly like that!¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t touch it!¡± Syd whined, pointing at Jay. ¡°She did!¡±
¡°You¡¯re the same person,¡± Aila rolled her eyes. ¡°So I¡¯m going to smack all three of you.¡±
And so she did.
Chapter 84: That’s No Door
The next morning Jadis and Aila got ready for the day with as much speed as they could muster. Both were eager to get back out into the hills surrounding city to hunt down more demons for Aila to test out her new spell on. More demons slain would mean more experience, too, which would mean even more skills and spells as Aila leveled up. Even though they were splitting experience, Jadis was confident that with how much stronger and better equipped she was, and with Aila¡¯s apparently quite powerful spell trap, the two could tear through enough demons to get Aila to level ten in no time. The only real trick would be finding them.
Exiting the inn, Jadis saw that another two guards were stationed nearby, both following her as she and Aila headed to the tailor¡¯s shop. She wondered how long the magistrate was going to have the escort follow her around. She hoped that after the two guards from yesterday had made their reports, the magistrate would see that Jadis didn¡¯t need protection. She could handle herself just fine out in the field.
Klara the tailor was not happy to see that her hard work had already been torn up in less than a day when she saw Syd¡¯s pant leg. Still, after a few coins, she was willing to accept the job of repairing what she had just made and took the torn skirt-pants for patching. Fortunately, the second set of clothes Jadis had ordered were ready for pickup so Syd didn¡¯t have to resort back to her old rags while her pants were being sewn back together.
After the tailor, they quickly swung by Sabina¡¯s shared smithing workshop to see what progress she¡¯d made.
¡°Bracers and shin guards!¡± Sabina announced, carrying a load of leather and steel items out in her arms. ¡°They aren¡¯t fancy or polished and they don¡¯t have any enchantments and I wanted to make them out of full steel but I didn¡¯t have the time but I guarantee you they will protect the specific parts of your body they are covering from attacks made by creatures or demons within your level range!¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Jay said while taking the armor pieces from her. She gave the half-elf a questioning look. ¡°Though, with the way you worded that, sounds like you¡¯re saying they can¡¯t protect me from everything.¡±
¡°They can¡¯t,¡± the chirpy smith readily admitted. ¡°No enchantments, so they¡¯re no protection against non-elemental magical effects, and they¡¯re only steel, so there¡¯s a limit to how much damage they can take before they bend or break, plus they¡¯re leather on the sides and back, only metal on the top parts, so a smart or skilled enemy could get around their protection easily enough.¡±
¡°Uh huh,¡± Jay hummed doubtfully, looking down at the armor in her hands.
¡°Oh, but they¡¯re way better than nothing at all!¡± Sabina quickly assured her, only just then seeming to realize she was doing a poor job of representing her products. ¡°I made the steel double thick since you three are so big and strong! It¡¯ll take a lot to get through those metal plates!¡±
Not having ever truly doubted the smith¡¯s work, Jadis brushed off Sabina¡¯s awkwardness and put the bracers and guards on the arms and legs of her three bodies. They were easy enough to strap on with Aila and Sabina offering helpful directions and once they had been equipped, Jadis did feel far more protected than she had without them. The bracers fully covered her forearms from wrist to elbow. The leg guards covered her shins completely as well, plus they came up a little higher in a design that protected her knees as well. Jadis could feel how thick and solid the armor pieces were, but the extra weight meant nothing to her, her movements completely unhindered.
¡°Those almost look Voltonian,¡± Aila said consideringly as she watched Jadis swing her arms about, testing the feel of the armor. ¡°Is that what inspired you?¡±
¡°Good eye!¡± Sabina exclaimed excitedly. ¡°My father was from Volto and he made armor in this style primarily so I¡¯m very familiar with the design. It¡¯s not exactly the same because I added some elements of traditional Alfhilderunn craftsmanship but yes! That¡¯s what I was thinking!¡±
To Jadis the arm and leg pieces almost looked Greek, especially in combination with the chest piece and leather skirt portion of her skirt-pants. If the material had been bronze instead of steel, she would have been convinced the armor actually was from some ancient Mediterranean culture.
¡°Well, I don¡¯t know anything about Volto armor. Or Volto, for that matter. But I think this armor looks and feels great,¡± Jay said, grinning down at Sabina while her other two selves echoed the sentiment.
¡°I¡¯m glad you like them! I was worried you three might not since they aren¡¯t full plate and I think full plate would be best for you three and then I thought maybe only one or two of you would like it and the third wouldn¡¯t because I know sisters can fight over things like that, at least my brothers and sisters fought over things like that, so I could see how maybe you three might have different opinions on the armor but then again you three are remarkably similar in the way you look and talk and move so maybe you¡¯d have the same opinions on the armor which wouldn¡¯t help me if you didn¡¯t like it but I¡¯m glad that you do!¡±
¡°¡Right.¡± Jay said, her eyes starting to glaze over with how fast Sabina was talking. ¡°So, any chance you had time to make a shield or three?¡±
¡°Yes!¡± Sabina grinned happily. ¡°I only had time to make one, but it¡¯s right here!¡±
¡°Where?¡±
Sabina walked over to one of the back walls of the shop the smithy was behind where a huge door taken off of its hinges was leaning.
¡°Here!¡±
Jadis stared as the half-elf slapped the door with one hand. Multiple sets of eyes darted to Aila who was giving the giant door a skeptical look, then back to the broadly smiling smith.
¡°That¡¯s a door,¡± Dys finally pointed out the obvious.
Sabina¡¯s face turned into an adorably cute pout. ¡°No, it¡¯s a shield! A shield for giants!¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Still skeptical, Jadis approached the so-called shield and examined it more closely with all three of her selves.
The shield was slightly taller than even her great height, perhaps nine and a half feet tall, and was wide enough that two of her could get behind it if they squeezed or turned to the side. Dark planks of wood that were almost as thick as they were wide made up the primary material of the shield, but large iron bands were wrapped around the wood in six different places, riveted in place. Flipping the object around revealed a crisscross X shape of leather straps in the center, along with four thick iron bars. One bar each was attached towards the top, bottom, and either side of the back of the shield.
It didn¡¯t take much of a logical leap for Jadis to figure out what Sabina had intended. Dys slipped her armored left arm into the X straps in the center and found that her hand could comfortably reach the right-side iron bar. She lifted the heavy shield of the ground and, while it was certainly well within her capabilities to hoist the shield with one arm, the device was heavy enough to give her pause.
¡°See! It¡¯s a shield!¡± Sabina proudly announced. ¡°It¡¯s heavy, but I guarantee no arrow, spear, sword, axe, or even most magic spells will be able to get through it, not easily! It¡¯s made of Black Pine wood so it¡¯s much stronger than most wood shields except for maybe the enchanted ones but I can¡¯t do enchantments though maybe if I get a second class with enchantment spells someday I can do that.¡±
¡°What are these extra bars for?¡± Dys managed to cut in when Sabina took a breath. ¡°I guess I could put the shield on my right arm, but I¡¯m not sure why I would.¡±
¡°Control!¡± The smith chirped. ¡°Put the shield down on the ground, like this,¡± she instructed.
Following Sabina¡¯s directions, Dys set the bottom edge of the shield down on the cobblestone ground, turning herself into a makeshift wall. Leaning forward slightly, she put her left foot on the lower bar, putting her weight on it. Her right hand went to the upper bar, firmly grasping the handhold.
She felt solid enough, but as a test, Jay went around the front and swung her mallet full force at the massive tower shield. With Dys¡¯ weight behind it, the shield barely even moved from Jay¡¯s strongest blow.
¡°Solid!¡± Jay praised, sending a happy grin Sabina¡¯s way.
¡°A bit unwieldy,¡± Dys said, ¡°But I can see this hunk of chunk being useful.¡±
Aila mouthed Dys¡¯ words, ¡®hunk of chunk¡¯, with an amused expression, but she also had an appreciative look in her eyes as she examined the shield, even rapping her knuckles against it.
¡°Definitely solid,¡± she agreed. ¡°Volto designs would curve the shield though, wouldn¡¯t they?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Sabina sighed, ¡°but I didn¡¯t have the time to make something with a curve, or more than one. I just finished this one an hour ago.¡±
¡°An hour ago?¡± Syd looked at the smith with shock. ¡°It¡¯s not that long past dawn! Did you even sleep?¡±
¡°I slept!¡± The dark-haired half-elf said defensively. ¡°A few hours at least. Maybe two. I don¡¯t know, I was asleep, I didn¡¯t count. But when I get a project to work on I just have to see it through to the end or I can¡¯t sleep at all and this was just so much fun to make because I could imagine one of you three using it and that just kept me up and I had to finish so there. It¡¯s finished.¡±
¡°Well, if you aren¡¯t sleeping right, I¡¯m not sure we should give you another commission right away,¡± Jay chuckled, half amused, half worried. ¡°Maybe we should give you a break for a day.¡±
Sabina looked crestfallen at the suggestion.
¡°No! Please, if you need more, I can make you more! You don¡¯t have helmets yet, right? You three absolutely need helmets otherwise how are you supposed to protect your beautiful faces? Let me make you helmets, please!¡±
¡°Um,¡± Jay stumbled on her words, taken a little aback by the smith¡¯s obvious desperation.
¡°You can make her helmets,¡± Aila cut in while holding up a finger. ¡°But only after you make a commission for me.¡±
At Aila¡¯s statement, Sabina turned a curious eye on the taller redhead.
From out of her backpack Aila extracted the demon hatchling, still in its glass mason jar. Its one luminous blue eye stared around before settling on the smith, its many tentacles wiggling in a frenzy of activity before settling down.
¡°Gods!¡± Sabina cried out in shock, then leaned in close, staring at the tiny demon with evident fascination. ¡°Is that a demon? I¡¯ve never seen one up close before, not alive, at least. Did you pull it out of a wretch? Is it dangerous? Are you going to sell it to an alchemist?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a hatchling and we¡¯re trying to learn more about it,¡± Syd explained, grabbing the smith¡¯s attention. ¡°Knowledge is power and all that.¡±
Sabina looked confused by the expression but nodded her head after a moment anyway.
¡°We don¡¯t want this jar breaking and the demon getting loose,¡± Aila told Sabina, plinking her finger against the glass. ¡°Can you make something that will hold up better?¡±
¡°But we still want to be able to keep an eye on it,¡± Jay added. ¡°So, not just a metal box.¡±
Sabina¡¯s brow furrowed in concentration.
¡°I¡¯ve never worked with glass before. Or demons. Or glass for demons. But I bet I could make something that can hold it if I can get some glass inserts and some thin iron plates and maybe some steel wire¡ª¡±
Jadis smiled in triplicate as the smith lost herself in planning. Sabina barely noticed as she gave her the coin payment she was due for her hard work. She and Aila took their leave, new giant shield in hand. She wasn¡¯t sure if she wanted more than one of the huge things, but she figured she could test it out that day and let the smith know the next day if it was worth her time to make more.
She just hoped the excitable half-elf actually took some time to sleep that night.
Business around town completed, Jadis and Aila headed for the main gate of the city, eager to be on their way. Both had new toys to play with, Jadis her shield and Aila her spike trap spell, and both wanted to use them in their relentless pursuit of leveling up.
At the gates, the two guards that had been trailing them rushed forward but didn¡¯t try to stop them or even talk to them. To Jadis¡¯ confusion, they hustled down a side road. The gate guards, however, did call out, stopping the four.
¡°Just a moment,¡± the oddly deep-voiced gnome Jadis had met on her first day in Felsen told her, blocking her path with his tiny body.
¡°Is there a problem?¡± Dys asked, planting the giant door-shield on the ground with a thump.
Several of the guards took steps back from the shield, eyeing it dubiously.
¡°No problem,¡± the guard captain said, craning his neck back so he could look up at Dys. ¡°Just need you four to wait here for a few minutes. New protocol.¡±
Jay and Aila exchanged a worried look while Syd watched the guards let a trio of mercenaries bearing spears and shields walk out the gates with barely a glance. Whatever the new protocol was, Jadis got the feeling it was one intended for a highly specific number of individuals. The tall, pale-skinned kind.
Jadis didn¡¯t have to wonder what was coming for too long, though. After a few minutes of tense waiting where the guard captain shrugged all of her attempts at questions off with the reply, ¡®protocol¡¯, she found out exactly what the new instructions were for the guards.
Eight guards in full armor came riding out on horseback from the side road, their horses in full, shining barding. Two of them were the guards that had been following them that morning, and two more were the guards from the day before, the elf and the human woman. The other four Jadis couldn¡¯t remember having seen before but looked just as intensely official.
¡°Lead on,¡± the elf guard called out, motioning towards the four mercenaries they had been apparently tasked with following.
Giving the guard her most scathing deadpan stare, all three of Jadis spoke in unison.
¡°You have got to be fucking kidding me.¡±
Chapter 85: Get Me Your Manager
¡°We want to speak with the magistrate.¡±
The pretty elf behind the desk blinked up at Dys, her glowing green eyes drawn to the massive tower shield resting on her arm, the huge device casting an intimidating shadow. She made a valiant effort at maintaining a classic customer service professional smile, but a bit of nervousness leaked into her voice as she answered Dys¡¯ demand.
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she replied, ¡°but unless you have an appointment, the magistrate isn¡¯t available.¡±
¡°If she¡¯s got time enough to disrupt our day, she¡¯s got time enough for us to disrupt hers. Tell her we want to talk.¡±
¡°My apologies, but I can¡¯t interrupt¡ª¡±
¡°Stop,¡± Dys cut the clerk off. ¡°I get it. I don¡¯t want to make trouble for you. I¡¯m not pissed at you. Tell me what you can do, and we¡¯ll go from there.¡±
The elf blinked at Dys¡¯ growling tone. She leaned to the side slightly, eyes wandering over the collection of guards standing at attention behind Dys, her other two selves, and Aila.
All eight of the guards had followed Jadis when she stormed away from the gates and back into the city. They had refused to listen when Jadis had told them she didn¡¯t want them following her out into the hills, insisting that they had their orders to follow. She hadn¡¯t bothered trying to argue with them. They were part of a trained military. No amount of demands or cajoling on her part would dissuade them from their assigned duty.
No, if she wanted to get rid of her unwanted escort, she had to speak with the woman at the top.
As the clerk silently contemplated what to do about the angry giant holding a several hundred-pound shield in one hand and a maul as big as her in the other, Jay and Syd stood behind Dys, facing the guards. Both had arms crossed and scowls on their faces and were glowering at the assembled guards.
Jadis wasn¡¯t about to start a fight, nor could she exactly blame the guards for doing their jobs, but damn if she wasn¡¯t going to be petty and at least make the guards a little uncomfortable. Maybe it wasn¡¯t the smartest thing to do, antagonize the law enforcement in Felsen, but she wasn¡¯t feeling particularly reasonable at the moment.
Eventually, the clerk came to the same conclusion that most every person who had a job that brought them in contact with upset customers did. She got her manager.
¡°Hugo?¡± The elf called while holding up one finger to indicate Dys should wait. ¡°I think we need your help over here!¡±
The well-groomed older man who had previously helped Jadis get her mercenary badges made an appearance, his best conciliatory manners on display. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t much more helpful than the clerk.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the earliest appointment I can make for her would be next Fireday,¡± Hugo explained with an apologetic smile. ¡°She¡¯s really quite the busy woman.¡±
Fireday was four days away from what Jadis knew of the imperial calendar system Aila had taught her. There was no way she was going to tolerate a squad of meddlesome guards following her around for that long. She¡¯d already missed out on who knew how much experience from just two guards insisting on protecting her in a fight she didn¡¯t need help with. If eight of them trailed after her and jumped in every time a fight looked dangerous by whatever the hell their standard was, then her progress would be brought down to a crawl.
Before a fuming Dys could growl out a harsh reply, Aila stepped in with a more placidly neutral tone and expression.
¡°Surely you can send her a request, can¡¯t you?¡± She asked. ¡°We¡¯ll make the appointment for Fireday, certainly, but at least bring her a letter on our behalf. I can pen one right now explaining our concern.¡±
Hugo pressed his lips thin, one hand twiddling his fine mustache.
¡°I can deliver your message, but I can¡¯t promise the magistrate will even read it today, you must understand.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Aila nodded, already pulling her pack around to retrieve her notebook and pen. ¡°Just tell her it¡¯s from the Nephilim and I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll at least give it a glance.¡±
With that small concession made, Jadis decided to stop making a spectacle out of herself, at least no more than she naturally was by her simple presence. The three of her gathered themselves and stepped off to the side with Aila. The tension in the lobby of the city hall lessened quite a bit as the three giants visibly calmed.
There were more guards in the hall than just the eight that had followed Jadis, plus half a dozen clerks and a dozen more citizens of various walks of life. All had been on edge at the threat of violence. Now that she was noticing just how relieved some of the people looked, Jadis felt a little ashamed of having been the one responsible for making them nervous. She didn¡¯t think she was the type of person to threaten workers doing their jobs or to make a scene in a public setting, but the situation had really brought out the worst in her.
¡°Sorry,¡± Jay whispered to Aila as the redhead scrawled a hasty letter to the magistrate. ¡°This isn¡¯t how I wanted our day to go today.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Aila murmured, looking up briefly from what she was writing. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. We¡¯ll get this mess sorted out.¡±
Jadis appreciated Aila¡¯s patience and calm. Seeing her companion maintain her cool so effortlessly helped her center her emotions and push her anger to the back of her mind.
Once Hugo had taken Aila¡¯s letter and disappeared somewhere behind closed doors, Jadis and Aila stood off in one corner of the large lobby hall discussing battle plans while waiting. Aila had ideas on how to mix her new spells into a fight that she wanted to explore today and Jadis had a few of her own. Jadis let Aila do most of the talking, though. Her mood was still sour which resulted in a pensive atmosphere.
Jadis couldn¡¯t be sure exactly how much time passed, but more than a few mercenaries and traders came and went on their own business while she waited. Perhaps close to an hour later, Hugo came out from one of the side doors and approached, a somewhat harried but professional smile on his mustachioed face.
¡°The magistrate has agreed to speak with you for a brief moment between meetings,¡± he announced with a slight bow. ¡°Follow me, if you would.¡±
Jadis was half surprised that Aila¡¯s letter had been successful. Or that waiting had panned out. She figured the magistrate would have put her off. She¡¯d mostly just stayed to wait for Hugo¡¯s return and a polite rejection, to make a point about her seriousness if nothing else.
Aila and two of the eight guards followed Jadis as Hugo lead them into the back halls. He quickly escorted them to a large and elegantly furnished meeting room dominated by a long, wide table that had a huge, detailed map of Weigrun on it. She couldn¡¯t read any of the notations, but she was beginning to catch on to some of the letters thanks to Aila¡¯s tutelage and she was fairly certain that the city indicated at the southernmost tip of the drawn landmass was titled ¡®Far Felsen¡¯. There was also the giant mountain range depicted across the top of the map, a feature Jadis didn¡¯t have trouble identifying as Kalters Wall. She imagined her own little starting village had to be one of the dots drawn into one of the many valleys along the south side of the mountain range.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Jadis had never seen a map of the sub-continent before and one of her bodies studied it closely while the other two took in the room and its occupants.
Standing at one side of the table was the magistrate herself, Vraekae. The blue-skinned elf was wearing a uniform similar to the one Jadis had seen her wearing when they¡¯d first met, all sharp lines and formal. Her dark red eyes were focused on a bundle of papers, her hands leafing through the report with focused concentration. The blood red orb hovering over her shoulder was present as well. Jadis idly wondered what kind of spell could produce that effect, based on what Aila had told her about the different classes and spell types, but put the thought away to focus on the important matters at hand.
There were three other men in the room as well. Two looked like military officials. One an elf, the other a human, both wearing highly polished breastplates that came across as more ornamental than functional especially since the rest of their wardrobe was more cloth uniform like Vraekae¡¯s. Those two had their heads together, whispering off to one side, glancing towards Jadis¡¯ selves surreptitiously.
The third man was an older human with salt and pepper hair. Rather than wearing anything military, he looked more like a priest with thick white robes and a golden medallion displayed prominently on his chest. In fact, Jadis was certain she¡¯d seen almost identical medallions, if not so grand, worn by a few other priests she¡¯d seen at the healing clinic.
The old priest met Syd¡¯s eyes openly, a kindly but curious smile on his face. He nodded to her in greeting, a nod she returned.
Now that she was back in the presence of the intimidating, powerful woman again, Jadis didn¡¯t feel quite as forthrightly indignant. Still, when Vraekae glanced up and motioned for her to approach, Jay strode forward with as much confidence as she could muster, taking the lead while her other selves followed slightly behind with Aila.
¡°I don¡¯t want your guards following me anymore,¡± Jay stated in low tones as soon as she was within a few feet of the elf.
¡°Good morning¡ whichever you are,¡± Vraekae said in her usual clipped tones. One shapely eyebrow rose a little higher on her brow. ¡°Your culture does not exchange polite greetings?¡±
Jay exhaled a heavy sigh through her nose. ¡°Good morning, magistrate. I¡¯m Jay. Call off your guards. Please.¡±
The last word Jadis added as some small concession to propriety and respect. Not that she would ordinarily care much for such things, but Vraekae exuded a presence that demanded deference.
¡°No,¡± the magistrate said succinctly. ¡°Is there anything else?¡±
Jay stared at the cold elf for a few seconds, her body going stiff with anger at the rejection.
¡°Why?¡± Jay asked, keeping her own words brief and to the point.
Vraekae turned to face Jay more directly, her gaze briefly sweeping across the other two of Jadis to rest for a moment on Aila before focusing back on Jay¡¯s eyes.
¡°On your first day within the Broken Hills you stumbled upon a demon ambush containing a grundwyrm, a species of demon that has not been spotted in these hills before now. On your second day, you found a second grundwyrm. So far as I know you did not leave the city on your third day but on your fourth day, you encountered a corrupted sea bull. Finally, if the report you gave to Captain Renz is accurate, you came across a bone thief matriarch before coming south to Far Felsen. Somehow, you have managed to survive all of these encounters with no lasting harm. However, considering your uncanny ability to find yourself in exceedingly dangerous situations, I can only assume that your luck will run out eventually. You and I both know just how few of your kind there are left in this world, at least whose existence is verifiable. Do you truly expect me, an official of the Empire charged with the protection of its citizens, to do nothing about the danger you are continually putting yourself in?¡±
¡°They are our lives to endanger. We have goals that we won¡¯t reach by playing safe,¡± Jay growled out, struggling to keep her volume in check. ¡°No offense, but we don¡¯t want your unwelcome concern dragging us down.¡±
Vraekae¡¯s cold expression never changed, not even twitching at Jay¡¯s words, but Jadis could practically feel the temperature in the room drop as the elf regarded her silently.
¡°I am expending not insignificant resources that could be used elsewhere to make what I deem to be a suitable compromise,¡± she finally said, breaking the tense silence. ¡°I could have you and your sisters held in a cell instead, at least until I receive word back from his highness the prince concerning what he wishes to do about your situation.¡±
Aila cleared her throat, stepping forward up to Jay¡¯s side. ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am, but I don¡¯t think you can do that. I¡¯m no expert, and you are the magistrate, but I know that Jay, Dys, and Syd haven¡¯t broken any laws. If you hold them without due cause, you could be subject to sanctions and other punishments.¡±
Her words faltered a bit at the end as the magistrate leveled her foreboding gaze on Aila, but she kept her back straight and face calm. Jadis nodded along to her companion¡¯s words.
¡°What she said.¡±
The elf tilted her head to one side slightly, her tone light as she spoke directly to Aila.
¡°Aila of Red Tree, is it? How versed are you in tax laws?¡±
The arcanist looked taken aback. She shook her head slightly and answered, ¡°I¡¯m not particularly familiar. I know how to determine taxes owed, but that¡¯s about it.¡±
¡°Taxes owed. Yes, indeed. Jay and her kin have admitted to having lived in a village all their lives in the heart of Kalters Wall. Kalters Wall is a mountain range within Weigrun, a territory of the Empire. Do you agree?¡±
Aila nodded hesitantly. Jadis crossed her arms, not liking the direction Vraekae was going.
¡°This means all three of your companions are by birth citizens of the empire. So too would their family and indeed all of their village be. There is no record of Jay, Dys, Syd, their family, or anyone from their village ever paying their due taxes to the empire. I can confirm this to be the case for at least as long as these three have been at the age of majority. This means, young Aila, that if I so chose, I could have them incarcerated for failure to pay their due taxes. With how busy my schedule is right now I am sure I could see to their trial in my court sometime next season.¡±
¡°Are you seriously threatening me with tax evasion right now?¡± Jay stared at Vraekae in disbelief.
¡°I am not threatening you with anything. I am merely informing this intelligent young woman about certain facts of our law system,¡± the elf said, motioning one hand to an extremely vexed-looking Aila.
¡°Besides,¡± Vraekae continued, ¡°If I was unreasonable and unsympathetic to your desires, I could simply revoke your mercenary licenses. Then none of you could legally hunt demons in this territory.¡±
¡°And we could leave your territory,¡± Jay stated, refusing to back down. ¡°We don¡¯t mind disappearing into the forest and mountains. We¡¯re used to it.¡±
¡°But is Aila used to it?¡± Vraekae asked, tilting her head to the other side.
That innocently worded question forced Jadis to glance at Aila. Seeing the concealed worry on her face gave her pause. Would Aila be willing to follow her into wild and dangerous territory, forgoing all civilized conveniences, potentially for a very long time? Maybe they would even have to leave the Empire¡¯s territories just to avoid dealing with Vraekae¡¯s persistent demands, especially if this Second Prince person mirrored the magistrate¡¯s feelings, or worse exceeded them.
Aila had decided to throw in her lot with Jadis, committing her future to Jadis¡¯ in an intimate partnership, but Vraekae was forcing an escalation that Jadis wasn¡¯t sure was reasonable to ask of the redhead. Hell, they hadn¡¯t even known each other all that long. She couldn¡¯t blame her if she chose to wash her hands of the bizarre situation and leave Jadis to flee to the wilds all on her own.
The thought of not having Aila around anymore caused a piercing pain in all three of Jadis¡¯ hearts. She looked down at the redhead, meeting her eyes for a scant moment as she looked up at Jay.
Jadis wasn¡¯t sure where to go with her argument. The magistrate had all the power behind her and the will to use it. She¡¯d cornered Jadis and she knew it. There was no way that she could see around accepting Vraekae¡¯s babysitting guard draining her of experience.
As Jadis¡¯ faces screwed up in frustrated dismay, a gentle voice interrupted, inserting itself in the conversation.
¡°My apologies, but may I offer some assistance?¡± The aged priest said, rounding the table and approaching the gathering from Jadis¡¯ side. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn¡¯t help but overhear at least some of your discussion. Perhaps I can suggest a compromise?¡±
¡°High priest Gerhardt,¡± Vraekae acknowledged the man with a nod. ¡°This is a private matter between these citizens and my office. However, if they do not object, I welcome your council.¡±
Jadis shrugged her many shoulders, taken slightly off guard by the sudden insertion of the priest. She didn¡¯t see any reason not to hear the old man out, though. He couldn¡¯t make things worse, at least.
He smiled up at Aila, then at the three giants with a disarming warmth. One of his hands he placed on his chest, right over the strange golden medallion. The other arm opened wide in a welcoming gesture.
¡°Young ladies, how would you feel about having a cleric act as escort on your demon hunting excursions?¡±
Chapter 86: Unknown Intentions
¡°Are you feeling any better?¡± Aila asked Jadis as they exited the city hall.
¡°I¡¯m not thrilled, no,¡± Jay grumbled, her face still twisted up like she¡¯d bitten into a sour apple.
High Priest Gerhardt¡¯s compromise had not gotten rid of Vraekae¡¯s guards. Instead, he¡¯d proposed having one of his temple clerics join the escort to offer emergency aid in the case any healing was needed. With a true healer in close proximity at all times, there would be less of a concern for the three giants¡¯ safety while out in the hills, thus allowing the Nephilim greater freedom. At least, that was how Gerhardt had sold the idea.
Magistrate Vraekae had agreed to the idea readily, suspiciously so. She¡¯d told Jadis that her guards would be ordered to keep out of the range where they would sap experience away from her battles so long as the cleric was allowed to stay within range so that he or she could immediately react if healing was needed. She¡¯d also suggested the healer check them after every battle to make sure they were healthy enough to continue.
Jadis had instantly rejected the idea of some unfamiliar priest exercising some kind of veto power over whether she was able to keep going out in the wilds or not, but Vraekae had been resolute. If the priest deemed her unfit to continue for the day, her guards would close in and keep her ¡®safe¡¯ until she returned to the city.
Gerhardt had given the three Nephilim a sympathetic smile, assuring her in a grandfatherly voice that any priests he sent to watch over her would do their utmost to ensure her safety.
His assurances had not comforted Jadis at all.
¡°Fuck this is such a pain,¡± Syd cursed, glancing over her shoulder to where the eight guards were still marching behind her in step. ¡°Why can¡¯t things just stay simple? We see demon, we kill demon, we level up. Simple.¡±
Aila patted Syd on the hip.
¡°I think you need to look at this from a different perspective,¡± she said with a calm smile. ¡°There are bright sides to this arrangement that other mercenaries would probably kill for.¡±
¡°Like what?¡± Dys groused, shifting to one side to avoid knocking down a building awning with the oversized shield on her arm.
¡°Yes, we¡¯ll probably end up with some of our experience getting syphoned off by guards getting too close,¡± Aila explained. ¡°And they may even interfere if they think you¡¯re in danger. But is it really that bad to have a safety net? It¡¯s not a terrible idea to have some competent soldiers nearby if we get in over our heads.¡±
¡°No, I guess not,¡± Jay allowed. ¡°But they¡¯re going to slow us down and get in our business. If we wanted to have our hands held by bossy military types, we would have joined a mercenary company instead of going freelance.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t know that they¡¯ll be all that bad,¡± Aila shook her head. ¡°Plus, High Priest Gerhardt¡¯s offer to have a priest follow us for healing purposes is a boon. Any injuries that we might sustain that¡¯ll slow us down can be healed in the field. No need to run back to town. And unlike any other mercenaries that might be lucky enough to get someone with a healing class to work with them, we don¡¯t even have to split our earnings with this cleric. A free service like that is amazingly beneficial.¡±
All three of Jadis frowned, but Syd was the one to reply back to Aila¡¯s positive spin on the situation.
¡°I may not have all the context, but I¡¯m not ignorant. I can smell political maneuvering. That high priest guy didn¡¯t make his offer out of the kindness of his heart. He wants one of his people near me for some reason.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if that whole meeting wasn¡¯t orchestrated just for that purpose,¡± Dys added. ¡°Vraekae could have spoken to us in the hall or a side room or practically anywhere. She let us into that room so that the priest would have a reason to overhear and make his suggestion. Probably planned this whole thing out so we¡¯d meet like that and make the healer seem like a good compromise, make us want it rather than reject it out of hand if she¡¯d just offered it from the beginning.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a tad Vascillian,¡± Aila said with a surprised expression. ¡°I¡¯m not sure going to those lengths to obscure and trick is worth it in this context¡¡±
¡°A tad what?¡± Jay asked, confused by the unfamiliar word.
¡°Vascilli. He was a famous Volto prince who wrote a few treatises on politics and governance. A lot of his advice was on how to trick opponents into doing what you want, or something like that. I¡¯ve never read his works myself.¡±
¡°You had one of those too, huh¡¡± Jay pondered for a moment before shaking the odd coincidence off. ¡°But besides the point. Tell me honestly. When you were speaking with that red-eyed bitch didn¡¯t you get the feeling she was manipulating the hell out of the situation to get what she wanted?¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
¡°Don¡¯t call the magistrate that!¡± Aila admonished while reaching up and trying to cover Jay¡¯s mouth with her hand. She couldn¡¯t quite reach without hopping on her toes.
¡°Fine. That red-eyed Magistrate,¡± Jay emphasized the title in just the right way to make it sound like a foul epithet.
Aila sighed. ¡°You¡¯re probably right about the manipulation. I don¡¯t know if the high priest is involved in her request or if he has some stake in this, though. Hard to tell. Either way, there¡¯s nothing we can do about it right now, so we might as well just work with what we¡¯re given.¡±
She gave Jay, Dys, and Syd an amused but exasperated few glances.
¡°What on Oros did I get myself involved with when I decided to hang around you three?¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± all three of Jadis said with genuine contriteness.
¡°Didn¡¯t think things would swing in this direction,¡± Dys mumbled.
Aila waved the apologies off. ¡°I¡¯m not complaining. Leveling as fast as I am with you is worth a little bureaucratic trouble. Plus, there are other benefits I can think of.¡±
Syd leered down at Aila. ¡°Yeah, we should probably take advantage of those benefits tonight. We need to recharge our Lover¡¯s Bond ritual soon anyway,¡± she practically purred.
Aila did her best to hide her reaction to Jadis¡¯ suggestive words and tone, but her blush betrayed her. Making the sexy redhead blush was becoming something of an addiction for Jadis. Teasing her lovely lover was a nice distraction from her irritation if nothing else.
Jadis and Aila made their way back to the city gates, unwelcome guards in tow. The promised cleric had been sent for and would meet them there. The fact that one had already been picked out and was ready to go so quickly only lent credit to Jadis¡¯ suspicion that one or both of the powerful political leaders had planned this outcome.
The real issue of the situation was Jadis just couldn¡¯t be sure why the magistrate was so insistent on seeing to her safety. She presumed it was because she was, ostensibly, the last of her species. But why did Vraekae care? Was conservation a major concern of hers, or an important policy of the Empire? Jadis doubted either was the case.
Not knowing the motive behind the actions was grating. She already had a literal god looking over her shoulder. She didn¡¯t want any government officials trying to do the same, worming their own conditions into her life.
Jadis did her best to banish the frustrating thoughts from her mind once they reached the gates. The promised cleric hadn¡¯t arrived yet, but her escort needed time to mount up anyway. The eight guards split off from her to retrieve their mounts. Jadis was half tempted to grab Aila and run out the gates but knew that was a foolish whim. Even if she could outrun them, she doubted she could avoid leaving tracks that experienced soldiers wouldn¡¯t be able to follow.
¡°Hey Blue,¡± Syd called out while they waited for the escort to remount and the cleric to arrive. ¡°How come there aren¡¯t any healers in these guards? I mean, if they are supposed to protect me, why not send guards that can heal?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know that there are any guards that can heal in the city,¡± Aila replied. ¡°Healing is almost exclusively the domain of divine magic. Those who gain a class that can heal are generally devoted to the worship of a god or gods and are gifted such a class because of the divine favor they¡¯ve earned. Most naturally gravitate to the roles of priests because of that.¡±
¡°Couldn¡¯t you just increase your divine attribute to some high number and practice a lot of first aid? Get a healing class that way?¡± Jay asked, curious to know what would help or hinder a person trying to get a healing class.
Aila looked thoughtful, then shook her head slowly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that would work. Every healing class I know of involves some commitment to the gods and receiving their blessing. Even the rare martial classes that can heal are devoted to the gods in some way, such as paladins. You¡¯re not that dissimilar from a paladin, actually.¡±
¡°What?¡± Dys said, surprised. She looked around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear, then leaned in towards Aila. ¡°How? I¡¯m the least fucking holy person I can think of that isn¡¯t a murdering prick.¡±
The image of a shining knight in glorious golden armor, flaming sword lifted high flashed through Jadis¡¯ thoughts. Superimposing her face on that figure was laughable. She was no godly crusader.
¡°You¡¯re crass, yes,¡± Aila said with a smirk, bopping Dys on the tip of her nose with her index finger. ¡°But you¡¯re not heretical. You have a god¡¯s known title in your secondary class¡¯s name. That means at least that one god favors you. That¡¯s exceedingly rare, you know. Not many can claim to have a god look upon them so favorably that said god grants them a class that represents their divinity.¡±
¡°I¡¯m just lucky I guess,¡± Dys mumbled under her breath.
¡°Clearly,¡± Aila agreed. ¡°You¡¯d have to be, to gain the attention of Destarious, God of Luck, among other things.¡±
That was a revelation. Jadis hadn¡¯t known if D had a particular divine domain or not. Luck seemed to make some sense, since it was luck that had brought her soul into the god¡¯s reach, and it was a whole lot of luck that had kept her alive when she¡¯d been alone in the abandoned village surrounded by bone thief infested woods. Not that Jadis felt her personal efforts were inconsequential, but she was self-aware enough to know there had to be some luck involved for her to make it as far as she had come.
¡°What else is D known for,¡± Jay asked, drawing a confused look from Aila. ¡°You said he¡¯s the god of luck, but also other things. I¡¯m curious if he¡¯s known among your people for aspects different from what I¡¯ve known him for.¡±
¡°Well, he¡¯s usually thought of as the god of luck,¡± Aila started, holding up her hand and ticking items off on her fingers. ¡°But he¡¯s also known as the God of Secrets, Mischief, Madness, and Fools. Most of my family and neighbors back in Red Tree are cautious about asking him for any favors. He¡¯s a capricious god, not kind or honorable like Valtar or Ulya. There are stories of him aiding those who ask but tricking them at the same time, sowing confusion for his own amusement.¡±
¡°Yeah, that sounds like the god I know,¡± Jay said, running a hand through her hair.
¡°Might want to add cookies to that description, though.¡± Syd commented.
¡°What?¡±
¡°Nothing.¡±
Aila opened her mouth, ready to pursue the odd comment from Jadis, but Jay interrupted her, motioning with a free hand towards a robed individual hurrying towards them.
¡°I think our cleric has arrived.¡±
Chapter 87: Spike Trap
A quiet breeze swept its way through the narrow valley between two sheer-faced hills, rustling the grass as it passed. A few birds flitted out of a crevice high on one hill¡¯s cliff face, their high-pitched song piercing the silence. A small puddle of water resting in the shadows at the base of the stone rippled with unseen movement.
¡°They¡¯re coming,¡± Jay whispered, briefly touching Aila¡¯s shoulder before stepping away.
Dys stood at the center line of the valley on one end, her oversized shield resting on one corner, tilted at an angle so she could see down the straightaway. Aila waited behind her, quarterstaff in one hand, her other free, fingers flexing in anticipation. Jay walked to the right side, her wooden mallet at the ready, putting some distance between her and Dys but keeping her other self at the fore.
Suddenly, at the other end of the valley, Syd rounded the corner of the slope, coming into view. Steel lance in hand, she sprinted forward, but not at her top speed. She didn¡¯t want her pursuers to lose focus.
Behind her came twenty twisted wretches. A cacophony of discordant screeches and gurgling growls preceded them, their foul noises echoing through the narrow valley. Their corrupted forms were many, some of them elk-like or boar-like, others recognizable as having once been horses, aurochs, cows, and even one wolf. All were twisted into vile parodies of bipedal manhood, all carried stolen weapons claimed from slain victims, and all were intent on soaking the ground with Jadis¡¯ blood.
Reaching a halfway point in the valley where a knee-high marker stone had been carefully placed, Syd deftly leapt forward by some twenty feet. Upon landing, she skirted to the side and took up a position opposite Jay, keeping Dys and Aila in the middle.
The demons raged forward, their bloodthirsty howls sending a chill up Jadis¡¯ three spines. But she stood unflinching in the face of the horde. They had a trap to see through, after all.
As the demons closed in, they spread out, some continuing their pursuit of Syd, others honing in on Dys and Jay. Their line spread out just as Jadis had hoped. While they didn¡¯t all reach the demarcation stone at the same time, they were all too far committed to their charge to stop once the first spike trap went off.
A boar-like wretch placed its malformed hoof within a circle of faintly glowing runes on the ground, barely visible in the light of the early afternoon sun overhead. Instantly a three-foot-tall spike of force magic shot up, piercing through the hoof, leg, and lower body of the demon, sending it crashing to the ground. As it tumbled from its headlong rush, leg obliterated into a bloody pulp, its warped snout passed through a second rune circle. In less than a second, a squelching splatter was the final sound made by the squealing wretch as its head was inexorably pierced by a ghostly spike.
More demons were crippled or killed outright as they charged forward through the field of twenty magical spike traps Aila had set for them. By the time they had passed through the two lines of traps, eight of the wretches had been taken out of the fight, lower limbs shredded to uselessness or worse.
With traps sprung, Jay and Syd converged back towards Dys and Aila, closing the distance. The remaining dozen demons that had passed through the mine field unharmed converged on their semi-circle.
As the enemy drew close, they split in two, going to either side of the barrier Dys presented. Dys pivoted to the left and sprang forward, slamming several wretches that turned and attempted to push back against the shield, their weapons and tentacle-warped claws digging uselessly into the solid wood. As the hapless wretches contacted the solid barrier, several more spike traps Aila had cast on the shield activated, their force spikes piercing deep into the foul flesh of the demons. They were briefly carried along by her short charge, impaled on the spikes for a moment before the magic spikes disappeared and they were flung off the shield as Dys stopped and flicked her arm out.
Jay moved in behind Dys, her mallet swinging in wide arcs as she covered her other self¡¯s exposed back, keeping the enemy from taking advantage of the open target. One end of the mallet head connected with a demon¡¯s shoulder and another force spike exploded outward, piercing through to the other side of the wretch in a split second. With the spike paving the way, Jay¡¯s mallet went fully through the body of the demon, bisecting it and sending a rain of blood and gore in a wide arc across the battlefield.
Syd¡¯s lance struck out, piercing one demon¡¯s chest before wrenching it to the side, sending the demon sprawling to the ground. Using her massive reach with the long weapon, Syd kept any demon that tried to go around the side from getting close to Aila. She picked at them, striking bodies and legs, not killing with each strike but crippling and distracting, preventing any one of her selves from being surrounded and overwhelmed.
One demon on Jay¡¯s flank opened its mouth wide in a familiar gesture, a sickly green light glowing around it briefly.
¡°Vomit!¡± Syd called out a warning.
Aila whipped her hand around and cast the normal version of her force spell, the translucent bolt of energy colliding with the demon¡¯s side and sending it to the ground in a crumpled heap before it could fire off its acid attack.
At the same time, a second demon on the left also opened its maw, preparing to spew its foul bile. Swinging her shield around, Dys blocked the caustic spray, letting the dangerous liquid splash harmlessly against the wooden barrier.
The demon¡¯s acid spray pinned her down, however. Two demons rounded on Dys from either side, attacking from the left and right simultaneously. One arm locked in place by the need to block the spray, Dys used the maul in her other hand to parry blows with the demon on her right.
Syd lashed forward and caught the demon on Dys¡¯ left, tip piercing its side and jerking it down, stopping its attack for the moment, though it wasn¡¯t dead.
As the acid vomit attack ended, Dys pivoted and dropped the full weight of her door-shield on the body of the prone demon at her feet, squashing it like roadkill. Twisting her shield around to kill the downed demon revealed what was in front of Dys to her, however, showing a scene she hadn¡¯t expected.
The demon that had been spewing acid had been ready and waiting and as Dys exposed herself, it launched its spear at her. The steel tip of the spear clanged loudly against Dys¡¯ breastplate, failing to pierce but still sending a panicked lurch through Jadis¡¯ stomachs. She hadn¡¯t been able to see what the demon had been doing at all while she was shielding against it, her other two selves too preoccupied with the other demons to spare a glance in that direction.
A glowing rune circle appeared on the ground under the hooves of the demon that had launched the spear, Aila taking advantage of the wretch¡¯s momentary lack of movement. Another three-foot spike shot upward, impaling the demon and destroying its leg, sending it to the ground.
Moving forward and letting Syd deal with the wretch on her right, Dys slipped her left arm out of the shield straps and set the edge of the huge shield down on the ground. With a creaking finality, the massive shield tipped over and crashed down onto the prone demon with an audible crunch.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
In the meantime, Jay dealt with the demons on her side, a second one hit by the other side of her maul¡¯s head, causing a second force spike to trigger and rip the wretch¡¯s arm off its body.
¡°On your right!¡± Aila called out and Jay glanced down, seeing the trap she¡¯d put down on the ground there.
Jay maneuvered back, putting distance between her and the remaining three foes by her, tempting them to rush forward and step on the spike trip. To her surprise, they avoided the trap, going around it and pressing their attack on her.
¡°Not complete idiots, huh,¡± Jay said under her breath as she knocked back their attacks with her own weapon, focusing on defense. ¡°Still fucking stupid for standing in a line, though.¡±
From the side Syd charged with her lance, skewering the three demons. She didn¡¯t follow through all the way, not wanting to blunt the end of her lance by hitting it against the stone cliff face, instead letting the lance go and allowing the three demons to flop to the ground as they wildly struggled to pull themselves off from the impaling length of steel.
Without turning to look, Syd held out her hand and caught Dys¡¯ maul that she¡¯d tossed her. Jay and Syd then set about crushing the wretches, finishing them off before they could extract themselves or cast any more spells.
By that point the battle had transformed into a cleanup. All the demons still living were incapacitated and it was only a matter of finishing them off.
¡°Good work!¡± Dys called out as she bent down to pick up her shield. Lifting the shield up a little, she grimaced at the sight of mess beneath it. ¡°Ugh, not going to want to eat pancakes for a while¡ But yeah, good job Aila!¡±
¡°You as well,¡± Aila replied, an exhausted look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m out of magic power for now, though. That trap was the last of my reserves.¡±
¡°Maybe we can lead another mob of demons over to this valley,¡± Syd suggested, shaking the blood off of the makeshift maul as she looked towards the field of spike traps where a few demons were still struggling to crawl forward. ¡°After we deal with them, of course.¡±
There were four of the wretches still alive and two of them had cast spells that Jadis had encountered before. A pair of large sickly yellow-green orbs hovered in the air over the struggling demons. The last time Jay had gotten close to one of those, it had exploded in a poison fog that had left her half blind and coughing up her lungs. Jadis wasn¡¯t eager to get close to one of those evil bubbles again.
Fortunately, she didn¡¯t have to. All she had to do was¡ª
¡°Are you all well? Do you need healing? Did any of that vile demon acid splash on you?¡±
An almost melodic voice called out, interrupting Jadis¡¯ thoughts. She had almost forgotten about the healer, the young woman having stayed out of the way hidden behind a large boulder for the whole fight. She glanced over and saw the priestess hurriedly approaching. Jadis was tempted to tell the woman to stay back and remain out of the way but refrained. There was no use. She had already been close enough to siphon off some experience anyway, annoyingly.
The cleric High Priest Gerhardt had sent to aid Jadis while out hunting demons in the field was, truth be told, an exceedingly nice young woman who deserved none of her ire. She was, so far as Jadis could tell, simply a kind priestess who was only worried about making sure no harm came to her charges; no political or underhanded motivation, just pure concern for Jadis¡¯ wellbeing.
Maybe a little too much concern.
¡°How are your feet? You walk around barefoot and there are sharp rocks everywhere here you could step on. Oh, and that terrible acid, you might have stepped in some of that! Here, I¡¯ll just check to make sure you''re unharmed.¡±
The priestess started to kneel before Jay, forcing her to take half a step back to catch the cleric¡¯s attention.
¡°Dam¡ªer, darn it, Eir, you should really stay back until we call you.¡± Jay said, trying not to be too abrupt.
¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Eir said, looking at Jay, crestfallen. A tear was actually starting to form in the corner of one of her eyes.
¡°It¡¯s¡ªlook, it¡¯s fine. Just, please try to stay back, okay?¡±
¡°Of course!¡± the priestess said, her expression clearing and her white teeth shining as she smiled brightly. ¡°May I check you for injuries, Miss Jay?¡±
Jay nodded and watched in mild exasperation as Eir, the doting cleric, knelt at her feet and started checking them for cuts or burns, her hands glowing softly with some spell or other that Jadis was certain was unnecessary.
She looked up at Jay a second later, dark purple eyes meeting her violet ones as she grinned almost worshipfully at her.
¡°Oh good! You¡¯re unharmed! Just a few health points to restore and you¡¯ll be in perfect condition.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Jay said a little awkwardly, motioning with one hand at the elf. ¡°You can get up now, you know.¡±
¡°Oh! Of course. Excuse me,¡± she said before getting to her feet and peeling off to check on Syd. ¡°I¡¯ll check on your sisters now Miss Jay. Lyssandria¡¯s blessings upon you.¡±
¡°Just Jay is fine,¡± she insisted for the umpteenth time, but Eir simply bowed and continued to check on Syd and Dys, making little exclamations of concern as she went.
Jadis mentally shook her head. Eir was a sweet girl, but the elf was obsessed with Jadis¡¯ health. From first meeting at the city gates and all throughout the trip into the Broken Hills, Eir had been constantly checking on Jadis as though she were some kind of delicate flower with petals a stiff breeze could damage. The absurdity of the short elf doting on her like a helpless child almost made Jadis want to laugh or lash out in annoyed frustration.
She didn¡¯t, though. The cleric was just trying to be helpful and do the duty she¡¯d been assigned to. Jadis found it hard to fault her for being overzealous in her approach. Part of her hesitance to be harsh had to do with her appearance, Jadis had to admit to herself. The young woman was strikingly beautiful, even more so than most of the other already attractive elves Jadis had seen around the city.
Despite her gentle, almost chaste personality and her evidently holy profession, Eir did not look the part of a divinely touched priestess. Her skin was wine red and both her eyes and hair were dark purple, nearly black. Combined with her stunning good looks, the cleric looked more like a succubus than a nun. Not even her voluminous priestly robes could help dissuade the impression; they did little to hide the fact that Eir had a more than generous bosom. Jadis was certain that if she were to put a couple of horns on her head, strap some bat wings to her back, maybe put a tail on her obviously plump rear, then Eir would be a dead ringer for a sexy demon succubus pin-up.
Not that Jadis would ever tell the pure-hearted priestess something like that. Beyond the fact that Jadis got the impression that the elf was about as innocent as a vestal virgin, she didn¡¯t think she or anyone else on Oros would take being compared to a demon in looks positively.
Did they even have anything analogous to a succubus on Oros? She¡¯d have to check with Aila.
Speaking of, Aila had become the current focus of the priestess¡¯ ministrations. Jadis was glad the elf cared to check on Aila as well, even if Aila was clearly a secondary concern in her duties.
Syd took the moment where Eir was distracted by checking on Aila to scoop up a discarded spear and hurl it at one of the nearly dead demons still trying to drag themselves closer to Jadis and her group, perhaps with the intention of killing them via ankle bites. She could already hear the sound of the guards riding their horses closer from where they sat some hundred yards back, barely far enough away to avoid an experience point split.
The spear pierced the wretch through the skull, killing it and causing the green orb of noxious gas floating over it to burst into a cloud of toxic fumes.
Eir jumped at the sound, gasping.
¡°Oh! Foul thing,¡± she said, covering her mouth with one hand before looking up at Syd. ¡°Pardon my language. Please let me know if any of that substance gets in your eyes. It can cause a great deal of discomfort and even permanent damage.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Syd said with a shrug. ¡°Just, try to keep back until they''re all dead, okay?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± the priestess bowed. ¡°I will endeavor to not disrupt your activities, Miss Dys.¡±
¡°That¡¯s Syd,¡± Aila told her. She pointed to the left. ¡°The one scraping intestines off of the shield is Dys.¡±
¡°Of course, thank you,¡± Eir said, bowing again to mask a flushed look, this time to Aila. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to not confuse the three. They¡¯re just all so identical it¡¯s hard to keep them¡ª¡±
Eir cut herself off, her hand once again flying to her lips as Syd killed off another wretch, this time by tossing an axe at it.
¡°What?¡± Aila asked, looking down at the much shorter woman.
¡°I just reached level fourteen. How fortunate! Oh,¡± she gasped, glancing up at Aila, then over at Jay and Syd who had their brows drawn down in frustration. ¡°Oh, my apologies. I truly do not mean to be a drain on the experience you are all gaining.¡±
Jadis just sighed.
Chapter 88: Looking Forward
¡°Where are we, exactly?¡±
Jay stood near the top of one of the half-hills, mallet swung over one shoulder, fist on her hip. Surveying the wider landscape, she couldn¡¯t say for sure she knew which way was the right way to get back to Far Felsen. There were no man-made markers, no roads, and no recognizable terrain features that stood out to her. There were just endless broken hills.
¡°We headed north-east at the start,¡± Aila said, putting her hand up to block the sun. ¡°But sort of went in circles for a while there. I¡¯m not sure if Felsen is more south or west from here.¡±
¡°If I may suggest, perhaps we should ask the guards?¡±
Jadis glanced down at the diminutive cleric standing a few paces away from where her selves and Aila stood at the peak of the hill. The elf looked up at her expectantly with a sweet expression, hands clasped tightly together before her. She¡¯d followed them up the hill while the guards remained at the base, trailing closely but not quite getting close enough to integrate into their company. Hovering like a younger kid trying to hang with the older crowd but not quite fitting in.
¡°Why don¡¯t you go and ask them,¡± Dys said, giving the elf a nod. ¡°We¡¯ll meet you down there in a moment.¡±
¡°As you wish,¡± Eir bowed. Her expressive face showed some disappointment or dissatisfaction with the request, but she voiced no objection.
Once the elf had put some distance between her and them, making her way down to the waiting guards, Aila turned to Dys and gave her a light poke.
¡°Do you have to be so harsh with her? She¡¯s clearly just trying to be helpful.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not being harsh,¡± Dys frowned, rubbing her thigh where Aila had prodded her. Not that she felt any pain from the poke, but her instincts insisted she had to rub the spot.
¡°She¡¯s just so¡ timid,¡± Jay said, shrugging her shoulders in a helpless gesture. ¡°It¡¯s kind of frustrating. If she just spoke her mind and stopped being so, I don¡¯t know, servile? I think we¡¯d be more comfortable with her and we could get along a lot easier.¡±
¡°Yeah, I feel like she¡¯ll break down and cry if we say fuck or shit or any normal curses,¡± Syd added. She tapped her breastplate while looking at Aila incredulously. ¡°Can you believe I said ¡®darn¡¯ earlier? Me? Fucking ¡®darn¡¯?¡±
¡°I think it was Jay that said ¡®darn¡¯, actually,¡± Aila replied with a smirk. ¡°But I see your point. She does have a way about her that makes one feel like they must step carefully lest they cause her harm.¡±
Indeed, Eir did seem to promote an instinct to protect. Maybe that was why the magistrate and the high priest had maneuvered Jadis into accepting the priestess¡¯ presence? Was it a part of some ploy to limit her perceived recklessness via placing a weak cleric in her care, inspiring her to use more caution lest she come to harm? Jadis wasn¡¯t so sure. But the thought did occur to her.
Jadis hadn¡¯t let any such concerns stop her from making as much progress killing demons and leveling that day as possible. After the success of the first force spike trap battle, she had managed to lead a couple more smaller roving groups of twisted wretches into the same narrow valley, using up as many of the traps Aila had placed down as possible. Eventually, though, they left the valley and started roaming around looking for more demons hiding in the hills. They¡¯d found a few more groups, but nothing in the numbers of the first pack. Despite Vraekae¡¯s concerns about Jadis finding trouble, this day they had not found any grundwyrms or corrupted magical beasts. Though one of the small packs of twisted wretches had contained a couple of bone thieves, drawing some anxious discussion between the guards.
Jadis had to admit it was nice having the cleric nearby. Any small injuries she received from the fights were healed as soon as the action was over with. Her worries about the cleric trying to dissuade her from continuing the fight or controlling her hadn¡¯t come true, either. Eir, while constantly fixated on making sure Jadis remained at full health at all times, didn¡¯t insist on turning back or avoiding danger. In fact, she had praised the three Nephilim throughout the day for their skill and zeal at the task of exterminating the evil servants of Samleos.
¡°What level are you at now?¡± Jay asked, taking the moment where Eir was out of range to check on Aila¡¯s progress.
Aila smiled, her expression almost giddy. ¡°Level seven. That¡¯s four levels in a day, Jadis! They¡¯re low levels, sure, but I never thought I¡¯d see this kind of fast progress.¡±
Jadis¡¯ faces lit up at the news and all three of her leaned down, planting kisses on her companion¡¯s cheeks and lips.
¡°Congratulations, Blue! Can¡¯t wait to see what new spells you¡¯ve got now!¡±
The happy grin didn¡¯t shrink, but Aila shook her head. ¡°No new spells, unfortunately. But I did get some¡ interesting passive skills that should help a lot, I think.¡±
¡°Any of them my kind of skill?¡± Syd asked, making a ring with her thumb and forefinger with one hand, then thrusting her other forefinger in and out of the ring.
Aila blushed and tried to make a stern face at Jadis¡¯ antics but couldn''t quite suppress her silly smile.
¡°Maybe. You¡¯ll find out tonight, after we both have a good bath. Anyway, what about you? Any levels?¡±
Jadis quickly double-checked her notifications.
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Level Up!
Perverted Ritualist of D has Reached Level 15.
1 New Skill Available for Selection.
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Level Up!
Mirror Knight has Reached Level 22.
2 Attribute Points Awarded.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
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¡°Two levels,¡± Jay informed Aila, her own grin widening. ¡°I¡¯m getting a new ritualist skill, too. Maybe it¡¯ll be something ¡®fun¡¯ we can try out together.¡±
Jadis was also happy to see that at level twenty-two, the free attribute points given per level had doubled. That wasn¡¯t a huge bonus, jumping from one point to two, but every extra bit helped. She pulled up her status menu to double check what she had in her attributes before deciding what to boost.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (22)
Secondary Class: Perverted Ritualist of D (15)
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 37
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Health: 520/520
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Magic: 10/10
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Attributes
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Strength: 88
Dexterity: 27
Agility: 87
Vitality: 52
Fortitude: 37
Endurance: 39
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 87
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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The easy answer was, of course, to put both of the points into eldritch. With two more points her raw attribute in eldritch should be enough to work with Minor Fractional Spread to jump the total up to ninety points in the critical attribute. Once she hit that number, she¡¯d be boosting all of her physical stats up again. Plus it¡¯d continue to help Aila as well.
Then again, Jadis was curious about her own spellcasting potential. Seeing Aila use spells of her own had made her just a little envious. She loved being the strong, powerful giant trio that she was, but the force magic her redheaded sex buddy used was extremely cool to see used. None of the spells she¡¯d seen available to her so far looked like they¡¯d have a similar effect, but still. Maybe she just needed to concentrate her skills in that direction a little?
Just to check and see what her secondary class was offering before making a choice, Jadis checked her newest available selections.
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Potency Alteration
Passive Skill. Choose the virility level of your seed. Adjusts from near certain chance of pregnancy to no chance at all. Cannot cause pregnancy if the recipient of your seed is not currently fertile or otherwise incapable of pregnancy.
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Oh, that looked like a good skill. In fact, that looked like a great skill.
One of Jadis¡¯ persistent fears was the possibility of accidental impregnation. It was the main reason she had been able to resist fucking herself into oblivion, at least in the more traditional manner. Having a skill that would guarantee she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about knocking herself up? She might not ever leave the bedroom again.
Well, no, that wasn¡¯t true. She enjoyed brawling and leveling far too much to ever give it up.
There was also the benefit, she realized, of making certain that whoever she was with did become pregnant. Jadis¡¯ eyes involuntarily stole a glance at Aila. The thought of the beautiful, lithesome redhead with a belly swollen with their progeny leapt to the fore of her mind. The idea had Jadis rising to attention immediately.
No. She was getting way ahead of herself. She was absolutely not ready to be a mother.
Father? Mother-father? Confusing thought.
Either way, she wasn¡¯t ready to settle down. Maybe once the whole demon invasion thing was settled and D was hopefully satisfied with whatever Jadis managed to accomplish in her quest to ¡®shake things up¡¯ on Oros. She could see herself taking it easier at that point, finding a nice place to live, raise some kids, maybe some little pale-skinned redheads¡
She needed to stop thinking about it. Jadis wasn¡¯t even sure if Aila was interested in that level of commitment, a level that was far and above the more business-like one they¡¯d already engaged each other in.
Still, the thought tantalized her. The skill would be useful if for no other reason than she wouldn¡¯t need to worry about spending any coin on anti-fertility potions before performing her rituals with herself, Aila, or anyone else. That absolutely made it a worthy choice.
Jadis checked the next offering to see if it could beat the first option given.
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Ritual of Delayed Empowerment
Ritual Spell. Create a point boost equal to your Combined Level Rating that can be applied to one attribute that lasts for one minute. Once the ritual is cast on a single target, boost activation can be delayed up to five days later. If the ritual is repeated before the first boost is activated, the new target will gain the boost and the previous target will lose the boost.
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Honestly, not a bad choice either. Jadis could see immediate uses for the spell. One minute wasn¡¯t much in everyday life, but a minute in combat was huge. Many of her fights never even lasted longer than a minute.
If the boost could be applied to any attribute at time of activation, she could increase an attribute value on the fly as needed in emergency situations. Even if she had to choose which attribute the boost would apply to at the time of ritual completion, it could still serve as a big boost to a stat like her eldritch attribute for times when she needed a temporary surge in power to get through a tough fight.
The spell could also serve as a safety net for Aila. Since it could be applied to a target, that meant she could put the ritual on her companion and if she were to be put into a life-threatening situation, she could apply the boost to her vitality, getting a huge number of health points to keep her alive, hopefully giving Eir enough time to heal her.
Jadis blinked at the final part of that thought. Incorporating Eir into her strategy wasn¡¯t something she should necessarily be doing. She had no idea how long the cleric would be hanging around her. Once the guards had followed her around for a few days¡¯ time, the magistrate could very well realize just what a waste of everyone¡¯s time it was to send an escort after her. Or the next day it could be a completely different priest following her. Or the high priest might decide to withdraw his support for whatever reason. In any case, there was no guarantee Jadis would have a healer around her for long.
It was nice having a healer, though.
¡°So, anything you want to tell me about?¡± Aila asked, breaking Jadis out of her contemplations.
¡°Maybe once we get back to town. I can have surprises, too,¡± Jay told Aila with a smirk.
Looking at Aila¡¯s beautiful, freckled face sealed the deal for Jadis. Without an ounce of hesitation she selected Potency Alteration. The fun she could have with her selves and with Aila now was a major draw. The potential for what could be in the future, an even bigger one.
¡°Then we should probably get moving then,¡± Aila quipped. ¡°The sun will be down in another hour or so and we need to get back with enough time that we can visit the public bathhouse.¡±
As Aila walked down the hill, Jadis followed with three silly grins on her faces. Before Aila could completely distract her, she put her two free attribute points into her eldritch stat, the increase to her physical stats taking immediate effect. That was of little importance at the moment, though.
¡°Bathhouse? Felsen has one of those?¡± Dys asked, decidedly interested in the idea of seeing Aila wet and naked.
¡°It¡¯s small and honestly not the best equipped I¡¯ve ever been to, but it¡¯s a lot better than the inn¡¯s washroom.¡±
¡°I can hardly wait,¡± Syd purred in a husky tone.
The four of them rejoined Eir and the guards who had been patiently waiting. Eir was already mounted on her own horse and several of the guards who had gotten off of their mounts to stretch were remounting as they approached.
¡°So, which way to Felsen?¡± Jay asked without preamble.
¡°That way,¡± Ealdread, the elf guardsman Jadis had finally gotten the name of, indicated. ¡°There¡¯s a road some twenty minutes to the south of here. We can follow it back to the city.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s shake a leg,¡± Syd called out, confidently striding forward past the guards. ¡°We¡¯ve got a bathhouse to get to!¡±
Her statement drew more than a few odd looks from the guards, but Jadis didn¡¯t care. She had a warm bath and a warmer Aila to look forward to.
Chapter 89: Thorn In Their Side
Jadis jogged down the road at the head of the pack, forming a wedge formation as Eir and the guards followed behind on horseback. Syd took the lead point with her lance in hand along with a bundle of all the weapons they¡¯d salvaged from the wretches they¡¯d slain throughout the day. It was a large bundle of sharp edges, but Syd was in no way encumbered. Jay ran to the right with Aila in the crook of one arm, easily carrying her and her weapon at the same time. Dys ran on the left, having more difficulty with her own burden.
While the weight of the massive shield was no trouble for her, the device was incredibly unwieldly. Since it was so tall and because of the way the handles were positioned, it couldn¡¯t easily be turned on its side and carried like a smaller shield. Dys was forced to take the shield off and carry it like a briefcase. Even then it was a challenge since its great length would occasionally cause it to bounce against the terrain, throwing off her balance.
She was still able to keep to a good jog, though, her pace fast enough to keep the horses at a gallop. Jadis had been surprised at first when the horses had kept up with her speed for long stretches. She knew she was running at a high speed and that she could keep that speed for a long time, longer than an average horse should be able to run all out for.
It turned out that Vraekae had authorized some high-quality gear to the guards and their mounts. The horses were equipped with enchanted barding and horseshoes that boosted their speed and endurance. Mundane animals like horses didn¡¯t have levels or magic, but they could still be affected by the magical items enchanters could craft.
Ealdread hadn¡¯t revealed what kind of enchanted equipment he and the other guards had been issued, but Jadis got the feeling they were sporting weapons and armor the typical guards didn¡¯t receive in normal duty. She had to wonder just how much of a boost enchanted equipment could give. And how expensive it was.
As they ran with the wind whipping through their hair, the sound of the nine horses¡¯ hoofbeats echoing in the valleys the road took them through, Jadis couldn¡¯t hear much of anything until Aila leaned in and half-shouted into her ear.
¡°Do you hear that?¡± Aila asked, voice raised. ¡°Sounds like shouting!¡±
Jadis didn¡¯t, but she slowed, forcing the horses behind her to slow as well, lessening the beat of hooves and clang of armor.
At first, she heard nothing. Then, as one of the guards called out to ask what was wrong, she heard it. A distant scream, inhuman and beastlike. It was quickly cut off, but it had been unmistakable.
The guards must have heard it too as all of them tensed, straightening in their saddles, heads on swivels.
¡°What was that? Is someone in danger?¡± Eir called out, fearful concern evident in her voice.
Jadis shook her head, uncertain of the source. As she opened her mouth to speak, another scream echoed distantly, this one an obvious cry of pain from a man.
¡°That came from up ahead!¡± Aila shouted, pointing further down the westward running road.
The guards all looked expectantly at Jadis. They were there to guard her, first and foremost. It was clear in their eyes that they wanted to investigate the screams, the possibility of some number of citizens of the empire being in danger high. But they wouldn¡¯t leave Jadis¡¯ side no matter what she did. If she chose to avoid the danger and go wide around it, they¡¯d follow.
Like she¡¯d do that.
¡°Fucking magistrate might have a point,¡± Jay growled, tightening her grip on both mallet and Aila.
¡°Pick up the pace!¡± Dys shouted as all three of her and Aila shot forward in a dead sprint, heading straight for the source of the screams.
The further she ran the louder and more frequently the screams came until, rounding a blind bend in the road, Jadis was greeted with the source.
The slowly setting sun painted the road in long shadows, dazzling Jadis¡¯ eyes and playing tricks with her perception, but there ahead by some two hundred yards was scene of bloody battle. A caravan of wagons was beset by unknown monsters.
There were six wagons in the caravan, each one a large, fully covered vehicle being pulled by a couple of aurochs. The lead wagon had been overturned, the aurochs on the ground in pools of blood. The rest of the wagons were in disarray, caught up against each other, some half turned in the road, blocking the others and unable to go forward or back. Aside from the drivers, there were guards, at least ten, some on horseback, but it was hard to tell for sure how many there were as they were caught up in a flurry of combat.
Dozens of small, spiked creatures were leaping about the wagons, pouncing on the guards and their horses, latching onto the wagons and the bellowing aurochs that pulled them. Each one looked to be no bigger than a medium-sized dog, but there were so many Jadis couldn¡¯t even begin to count them as they swarmed the caravan. Their details were hard to make out, but she could see that they had round bodies with long, snake-like limbs.
¡°Any magic recovered?¡± Jay asked Aila, her pace only slowing for a moment as she took in the sight.
¡°Enough for two spike traps,¡± Aila said, tone deadly calm.
¡°Save them for if you need them,¡± Jay instructed as they headed into the fray.
Before they quite reached the embattled caravan, Syd tossed her bundle of looted weapons down on the ground. Dys came to a stop where the bundle landed and ripped a few spears from the collection and jabbed them into the ground, using them as support struts to lean her huge shield on. Jay dropped Aila off behind the shield with a brief word.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
¡°Stay behind the shield with Eir!¡±
Aila didn¡¯t argue, leaping down from Jay¡¯s arms with catlike grace, kneeling down to pull an axe from the bundle.
While Jay and Dys were delayed for a moment, Syd had already charged ahead. Drawing closer to the battle, she had a much better idea of what kind of creatures the caravan guards were dealing with.
The monsters were like mobile briar bushes, compacted into razor-spiked balls of arboreal fury. Thick vines extended from their beachball-sized bodies, grasping and pulling at anything within range. There were rosebush thorns across every inch of the tangled plant structure that made up the central mass of the creatures, but larger spikes at least as long as steak knives also sprouted randomly from the main body. With sudden bouts of spastic energy the spike balls would curl their vines into springs and launch themselves into the air, crashing into wagons, aurochs, guards, or each other.
As Syd neared, one of the spike monsters suddenly hurled itself towards her. The attack was difficult to predict, the lack of any definably head or sensory organs made it impossible to know ahead of time that the creature had targeted her for its pounce.
Ducking to the side, the spike bush flew past her head but not without drawing blood. One lashing vine limb whipped out and cut across the side of her face, leaving a trail of scratches on her cheek and temple that missed her eye by mere inches.
¡°Fucking evil chia pets!¡± Syd shouted in a rage, sweeping her lance in front of her.
The bladed tip of the weapon slashed through the vines and bodies easily, though several of the spike monsters simply rolled or leapt out of the way, glancing off the attack. One, however, was caught full on by the low sweep and was bisected, a dark splatter of demonic blood pouring out from the two halves.
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Congratulations!
Bramble Fiend Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
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¡°Demons confirmed,¡± Jay growled as she joined Syd, Dys right behind her.
Jay and Dys immediately began swinging their mallet and maul like golf clubs, knocking the round plant demons away from the surrounded wagons. Attacking the much smaller bramble fiends was awkward. They were so low to the ground for her that even with the reach her weapons afforded, her bodies had to stoop to hit the demons properly.
Syd pushed forward as Jay and Dys covered her to either side, knocking the leaping demons back as she worked to clear them off of the wagons and relieve the overwhelmed guards. Syd jabbed forward with her lance as she neared one guard trying to protect a wagon driver that was lying on the ground and clutching his arm, blood pouring out of a hole in his shoulder.
A bramble fiend was stuck to the guard¡¯s shield, spikes buried in the round wooden device, long vine tendrils wrapping up and around his arm. The shield was weighing him down with the demon latched on but he couldn¡¯t drop it with the vines tangled around his armored left arm. Nor did he have time to chop the demon off with his sword as he struggled to keep more of the demons from leaping onto the wounded driver.
One demon leapt through the air, aimed at the guard¡¯s head. Before it could connect, Syd pierced it midair with her lance, catching the writhing plant demon. With a powerful flick of the steel weapon, she launched the fiend far and away, the thorny ball arching out into the distance only to impact a valley cliff face with a faintly audible splat.
The guard she¡¯d saved didn¡¯t have the time or breath to thank her, his eyes growing wide as he looked up at his pale savior for only a moment before he turned to chopping the demon latched to his shield off of him.
That was fine by Jadis. She didn¡¯t have time to talk either.
Doing her best to clear space, Jadis focused on protecting the guards and drivers that were nearest to her. There was nothing she could do about the people towards the front of the caravan, not without leaving the injured in the back to their own fate. Fortunately, Jadis could hear her guard escort rapidly approaching, charging in on horseback.
When she looked back to check on their progress, however, she was surprised to see the guards pulling up short, right next to where Aila was sheltered behind her propped-up shield. The guards dismounted before advancing, shields at the fore and spears at the ready. They ran in as fast as they could but were slowed by the dismount.
It only took one look around the wagons for Jadis to realize why they hadn¡¯t ridden their mounts into the fray. Looking at the two aurochs hitched to the rear wagon, Jadis saw half a dozen of the bramble fiends latched onto the poor creatures. Thorny vines constricted and immobilized their legs, pressing their spiked bodies hard against exposed flesh. One of the fiends was wrapped around an auroch¡¯s neck, squeezing like a constrictor, its spikes and vines biting deeply into the beast and draining it of blood.
A man let out a strangled scream ahead of her. Two fiends were latched onto him, one around his legs, the other on his back. Spiked vines were enveloping his helmeted head, seeking openings to crawl into and dig into his vulnerable weak spots.
Jadis tried to push towards him, Syd acting as a spearhead, but as she widened the gap between her selves several of the demons leapt upon Syd. One bound itself to her left leg, digging into wherever it could, trying to trip her. A second landed on her lower back, pressing its spikes as hard as it could into whatever part it could reach.
Syd found it was no easy task to get the fiends off once they were on her. Their spikes bit into her hands when she grabbed at them and she couldn¡¯t leverage her lance to slash at something pressed so up close against her body. Jay and Dys were too far back to help, caught up in their own individual struggles with the insidious demons to keep them from wrapping onto limbs or leaping onto the injured driver. As Syd wrestled the point of her lance into the demon constricting her leg, a third launched through the air, aiming for her chest. With her lance out of position and unprepared, she had no chance of intercepting the attacking fiend.
Before Syd could attempt to dodge out of the way, an arrow zipped through the air and caught the fiend mid-leap, puncturing it from behind. The demon clunked against Syd¡¯s armored chest heavily, dropping to the ground without latching on, dead from the single shot.
Syd whipped her eyes up to where the arrow had come from.
Standing on top of one of the wagons was a feral-looking woman with a longbow. Large black horns swept backwards from her forehead, almost distracting Jadis from the woman¡¯s bright green eyes, slit like a cat¡¯s eyes, staring right into hers.
¡°What are you waiting for you big dumb bitch?¡± She yelled over the sounds of battle. ¡°Keep killing the spiked shit-berries!¡±
Snarling, Syd ignored the pain and grabbed hold of the vines wrapped around her waist, tearing the bramble fiend loose in a display of raw strength. Blood dripped from her fingers as the thorns dug into her hand, but she ripped the strangling demon off of her. Rearing her arm back, she hurled the writhing fiend forward, splattering it against the wooden side of the wagon the horned woman was perched on.
¡°Fuck yeah!¡± The archer yelled, punctuating her curse by putting an arrow into the demon that was trying to strangle the guard between her and Syd. ¡°Show them who¡¯s the real monster, whitey!¡±
¡°I think I like her,¡± Syd growled, grasping her lance with a blood-soaked hand.
She decided she¡¯d have to say hello later. But first, she had some demons to slay.
Chapter 90: Caravan Cleanup
The guards marched forward in lockstep, shields forming a mobile wall. Working with trained coordination, their spears struck the bramble fiends with precise thrusts that skewered them before tossing them to the side. Any demon that leapt at them was repelled by their shields, knocked back and away with surprising force. As they pressed forward, one of the guards spoke a word and his spear lit up in flames, each of his attacks burning the plant-based demons. Another guard¡¯s shield grew stone spikes; every time he bashed a fiend with it, the shield briefly doubled in size, magically conjured stone appearing to toss the attacking demon back before quickly fading away.
Jadis couldn¡¯t spare much attention to the skill of the guards, fighting in the thick of the demons as she was, but she could see that the battle had become a foregone conclusion. The shield wall of soldiers was eating through the fiends methodically, steadily crushing them as they moved as a unit. The only real question was how many of the caravanners would still be alive when the fighting was done.
With the guards backing her up, Jadis pushed forward towards the front of the caravan.
Syd stepped over dead fiends to reach a man swarmed with spiked demons, thrusting and slashing her lance through their thorned bodies. There was blood everywhere, on him, on the ground. She wasn¡¯t sure if the man could survive the blood loss, but his legs were still kicking so she did what she could to free him. The trouble with the bramble fiends was that even in death they were dangerous. Dead vines could still stay tangled around bodies and limbs, and their thorns lost none of their sharpness.
Dys brushed past Syd, sweeping the ground before her with her maul. Each demon she sent flying lessened the pressure on the guards around her. She didn¡¯t bother trying to kill the fiends wrapped around the aurochs, focusing instead on protecting the guards and drivers as best she could.
Jay stopped to help a man who had fallen, his legs constricted by brambles. He wasn¡¯t a guard, not with his lack of armor, nor did he look the part of a wagon driver. His clothes, despite the blood, looked too fine. To save him, Jay squashed the demon¡¯s round body with her mallet, its black blood gushing out and splattering the man.
The richly dressed man looked up at her with a mixture of alarm and gratitude, pain evident in his eyes. Not waiting for whatever it was he was trying to gasp out, Jay grabbed hold of him by the front of his shirt and bodily lifted him off the ground. The dead fiend was still lashed around his legs, drawing cries of pain from the man as it dangled heavily from his lower limbs, but there was nothing Jay could do about that at the moment. What she could do was put him on top of the wagon, away from the chaos and out of the way.
As Dys and Syd drew closer to the fore, she could hear the shouts of the horned woman ever more clearly over the sounds of battle around her. She was cursing up a storm, using all manner of profanities. Some of the words Jadis didn¡¯t recognize, possibly coming from languages foreign to her. A few actually sounded like obscenities she did recognize from other languages native to Earth.
¡°Eat my urkska-damned phlegm you motherfucking puttana! Your Samleos-fucked mother can drink my ass sauce!¡±
Jadis had to admit she was impressed.
Arrows flew from the woman¡¯s bow with unerring accuracy, striking down demon after demon, though some took two or three shots to kill. She had a stack of quivers on top of the cart with her, along with two hand axes stuck into the wood. As one bramble fiend leapt up onto the wagon after her, the horned archer spun and swept up an axe with one hand and in the same motion threw it at the demon, killing it in one blow.
The archer could take care of herself, clearly. Jadis focused on the other combatants instead. There were guards on the ground or pinned against wagons, struggling to free themselves from their constrictive demonic bindings. Their thick scaled armor had likely saved their lives, but they couldn¡¯t hold out forever.
Jadis did what she could to kill the vine demons and free the tangled guards but even as she killed one fiend after another, she could see that some of the men were already gone.
Dys crushed a demon latched onto a man lying on the ground, his body partially under a wagon, pulling the flattened fiend away to reveal unblinking eyes staring back at her. A jagged puncture wound went through his neck, no blood left in the body for any to pour out of the hole.
Jadis paused for but a moment at the grisly sight. Clinically, she registered the signs of death, her face drawn closed at the realization that she hadn¡¯t been in time for this unlucky man. She suspected that if she had come across the dead man in any other context, she would have reacted far differently. But in the heat of battle, her mind focused only on what mattered. This man was gone, but others weren¡¯t. She had to move on.
Jadis stepped away from the corpse and turned her fury upon the remaining demons. There were less and less of their number as the seconds ticked by. Their swarm was not unlimited, their spikes not infinite. Each of Jadis¡¯ bodies left piles of them dead in their combined wake.
Jay crushed a demon that had latched onto an auroch, freeing the poor beast from the demon¡¯s vines. As she swung around to kill the next fiend, she found none living near her. There were none left alive near Dys or Syd, either. She had ended up at the front of the wagon train, her guard escort a few yards behind her. There were no more bramble fiends to kill.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
No cheer went up from the victorious survivors. There were only gasping breaths and groans of pain coming from human and beast alike. With no demons left to kill, the three of Jadis stood unmoving, at a loss now that there was nothing left to vent her anger on.
Her appointed guards didn¡¯t waste time. Several pulled swords or daggers from their belts and began cutting the injured caravan guards free of the fiends that still clung to them. Others ran back towards their horses to pull packs from their saddles, retrieving healing salves, bandages, and healing potions to use on the wounded. At a distance, Jadis could see Aila and Eir both running forward to join in the rescue efforts.
Jadis shook her head, reorienting her mind. She knew what to do in trauma situations. Theoretically at least. She got to work. Jay and Dys set about pulling the dead demons off of the injured and stopping the bleeding. Syd, however, had her own bleeding to stop. She went to meet up with Aila and Eir.
¡°Oh goddess, you¡¯re injured!¡± Eir cried out upon seeing Syd. Immediately, her hands began to glow as she cast a healing spell, grasping hold of her still bleeding hand.
¡°Are you alright?¡± Aila asked, pulling bandages and her supply of healing salve from her bag.
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Syd told her, then repeated the phrase more firmly as she gently tried to push Eir away. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Eir, listen to me, I¡¯m fine. I still have two thirds of my health pool. Stop healing me.¡±
¡°What? No! You¡¯re injured, Miss Syd! I need to heal you, to keep you whole and perfect! I have to¡ª¡±
¡°You have to stop and listen,¡± Syd interrupted.
Sticking her lance into the ground, she freed her right hand to grab hold of Eir¡¯s small face, her long fingers wrapping around her cheeks and chin.
¡°Listen! I have plenty of health left. Aila has bandages and salve I can use to stop the bleeding. There are men behind me that are injured far, far worse. Some have already died. Please, go stabilize them first before you attend to my wounds, okay? Do that for me?¡±
Eir looked up into Syd¡¯s violet eyes, tears forming in the corners of her dark purple orbs. She blinked them away, her face taking on a mask of determination as she drew herself a little taller.
¡°Yes! No one else will die today, not while I have magic to heal them.¡±
¡°Good girl,¡± Syd said, letting the elf go and giving her a gentle pat on the head.
Eir rushed forward and past Syd, kneeling down beside a caravan guard who still had a fiend latched around his arm. She drew a knife from somewhere within her robes and began cutting the dead demon off while magical light radiated off of her hands, healing as she went.
Syd turned towards Aila, the redhead¡¯s face composed in her usual neutral mask. She looked up at Syd and clucked her tongue.
¡°You just can¡¯t leave the city without finding some kind of disaster, can you?¡± She said pointedly, drawing her canteen out to wash some of the excess blood off of Syd¡¯s left hand.
¡°I guess not,¡± Syd shrugged, a wry grin finding its way onto her lips. ¡°At least I gave the guards something to do, huh?¡±
¡°That¡¯s not a good thing, considering our goal of getting rid of them.¡±
¡°No,¡± Syd sighed, ¡°but at least it wasn¡¯t a grundwyrm or a corrupted sea bull. These bramble fuckers aren¡¯t quite as scary, relatively speaking.¡±
¡°Except I¡¯ve never heard of them being in the Broken Hills before. They¡¯re normally something the mercenaries in the north-east deal with, deeper into the forest,¡± Aila explained, dashing Jadis¡¯ hopes of these demons being a normal threat for the area.
¡°Well shit,¡± Syd cursed, letting Aila dress the wounds on her hand.
While Syd and Aila talked, Jay and Dys lent their help to any injured they could, though it quickly evolved into the city guards taking over the first aid efforts while the two giants cleared the carts and surrounding ground of the dead bramble fiends.
As Dys bent down to pick a dropped sword off the ground, an unfamiliar voice growled at her from the side.
¡°So, what the fuck are you supposed to be?¡±
Dys straightened, looking up into the green elliptical eyes of the feral archer.
¡°I¡¯m a Nephilim. What the fuck are you?¡± Dys answered and asked, meeting the unblinking gaze of the woman.
She grinned widely, showing Dys a full display of extremely sharp teeth.
¡°I¡¯m a Therion.¡±
Dys swept her gaze over the woman. She sat on top of the wagon, her bow held in one hand, an open canteen in the other. The therion truly had a feral look to her, from the large black horns arching backwards from the sides of her forehead to the cat-like eyes and fanged grin. Her hair was a shaggy mess of gray and looked closer to animal fur than human hair. Her ears were decidedly inhuman, long and somewhat floppy, almost like a cow¡¯s ears, also covered in gray fur. Looking further down, Jadis could see that the woman¡¯s fingers ended in sharp claws rather than nails. A slight movement behind her drew Dys¡¯ eye. A long, shaggy tail gently thumped the roof of the wagon, swishing back and forth in small movements like a dog¡¯s tail.
¡°Get a good eyeful?¡± the therion inquired, tilting her head to one side, her sharp teeth still on display.
¡°Mostly,¡± Dys answered with a slight shrug. ¡°I could stand to see more.¡±
That response drew a wider grin from the archer.
¡°How about now?¡± she asked.
One clawed hand reached for the hemline of the padded shirt she was wearing and roughly pulled it up, exposing the bare toned flesh beneath and giving Dys a good view of the therion¡¯s perky left breast.
Dys grinned back. ¡°Why, thank you, I was wondering if you¡¯d have two or more. That¡¯s one question answered. I¡¯d reciprocate the gesture, but this is harder to pull up,¡± she said while rapping her knuckles against her steel breastplate.
¡°Maybe later then,¡± the archer said, letting her shirt fall back down. ¡°Never heard of a Nephilim before, and I pride myself on having known every race out there.¡±
The way the therion pronounced the word ¡®known¡¯ left no doubt in Jadis¡¯ mind about exactly what the woman meant.
¡°Maybe later,¡± she agreed. ¡°But for now, we¡¯ve got a lot of shit to clean up before the sun sets.¡±
¡°Ugh,¡± the therion said, her grin dropping as she scowled at the dead demons and general battlefield chaos all around them. ¡°Yeah, guess so. Merde. I hate cleanup.¡±
The archer hopped down from her perch on top of the wagon. Standing at full height before Dys, she could see that the woman was taller than most, but still a few inches shorter than Aila. However, her large horns gave her a whole extra foot in height, making her seem even bigger than she was. Before she knelt down to begin extracting arrows from the slain demons, she tossed Dys another toothy grin.
¡°Name¡¯s Kerr. Catch me at the Tipsy Mule and I¡¯ll buy you a drink.¡±
Dys threw back her own grin and a nod. She would have loved to have continued the conversation with the interestingly vulgar beast-woman but her earlier statement was a true one. There was a lot to clean up and a lot to do to get the wounded caravanners back to the safety of Felsen before night fall. She wasn¡¯t so sure the wagons could be brought back, not with several of the aurochs dead.
Then again, what good was all her strength if she didn¡¯t put it to use?
Chapter 91: POV Eir
Four out of twenty men had died bravely defending the caravan from the evil spawn of Samleos. Three guards and one wagon driver. Their names were Ansbert, Moritz, Havener, and Jost. Their bravery and defiance in the face of certain death would be memorialized in the Temple of the Nine. Prayers would be made to the gods so that the Holy Host would know and remember the four as worthy and loyal followers who stood against the demonic threat of Samleos¡¯ corruption to the very last breath.
Eir would be sure to offer her own prayers after she delivered the deceased men¡¯s names to her patron goddess, Lyssandria. The honor the men had displayed in their last moments were the kinds of deeds Valtar, the All Father, would likely recognize and cause him to open the gates of his hallowed halls to their souls. Then again, they had possessed great courage in battle to fight as bravely as they did, therefore Charos could offer a place in his raucous longhouse to the men as well. The war god was fond of those who died in combat. However, Lyssandria was unlikely to set a place at her table for these men no matter how much Eir prayed for their souls, not unless they had been devout followers of the goddess of beauty their whole lives. Battles and brave deaths were not within the goddess¡¯ domain. Beauty, the arts, and love were.
Beauty was not often found on the battlefield, Eir reflected. More often it could be found in a song, or a dance. Beauty could be found in a flower, a painting, or the skilled craftsmanship of an artisan of any kind. Eir found beauty daily in the mirror at her bedside in the temple. Or any other reflection she looked into for that matter.
Eir made no vain boast when she acknowledged her own good looks. She was without doubt a creature of surpassing loveliness, recognized not just by mortal eyes but by the goddess herself. Why else would her primary class be Beloved Cleric of Lyssandria? The goddess of beauty herself had claimed her as her own, embracing Eir not just as one of her clerics, but as a Beloved Cleric, a special existence favored above others. So it was, when Eir said she knew she was beautiful, she meant it with not a feather¡¯s weight of egotism.
The battlefield was no place for a beloved of Lyssandria. Eir could and did use her magic to heal the sick and wounded; she did so happily. She saw it as a great honor to be able to bless those who were injured with the grace of her goddess. But the healing she did had heretofore always been far away from the fields of war. She was only in demon infested Weigrun at all because her older cousin Vraekae had thought it best for her to be closer to a true warzone so that her magic could be put to constant use. Eir was, admittedly, young and inexperienced. She had the self-awareness to know she was untutored in the ways of the world. Healing soldiers and mercenaries fresh from the fight against Samleos and his foul spawn was good experience, she could not deny, but Eir had never thought she would be put outside the safety of city walls and her comfortable temple. Why would she be? She was no combat healer. Her skills were best put to use in the temple, where she could remain out of harm¡¯s way.
Yet here she was, unlikely as it had seemed even a day ago, riding a horse amidst a squad of battle-hardened guards. The sun was dipping below the horizon and they were still far outside the city walls, surrounded by hills that could hide any number of demons within their shadows.
How had she come to be here?
Eir looked ahead to where a titan of a woman was pulling a wagon by her own strength, unassisted. She could see her gorgeous face in profile, her beautiful eyes, her soft lips, her flawless and lily-white skin glistening in the light of the setting sun. Her powerful, lithe, shapely body took each step with confident ease despite dragging what had to be thousands of pounds of weight behind her. She was the rare beauty on the battlefield, singularly unique. Yet, when Eir looked past her, there were two more identical to the first pulling wagons of their own. Just as beautiful, just as powerful, just as perfect.
A shiver went through the priestess. That was why she had come to be here.
Nephilim.
When High Priest Gerhardt had told Eir and the three other priests dedicated to Lyssandria at Far Felsen¡¯s temple of the three Nephilim and the need of a healer to stand watch over them, Eir had jumped at the opportunity to be near them. She had begged and pleaded for the honor. She was youngest, the other priests had more experience and higher levels and were in practical terms of greater use. But Eir was a beloved of Lyssandria. Who better than her she reasoned, a special chosen of the goddess, to serve the last of Lyssandria¡¯s Lost Children? It seemed to her it was fate that she should be in Weigrun now.
She would need to make an offering to Destarious for favoring her with this chance encounter.
The giant sisters were utterly captivating to Eir. She wanted to be near them, wanted to serve them, to be of use and value to them. Their happiness and safety were paramount. She would do anything to ease their burdens and bring them grace. She would do anything they asked her to if only they would look at her the way they looked at that tall human¡ª
Eir cut the improper idea off before it began. She was a noble born, a daughter of an elven house of high standing in the emperor¡¯s court. More importantly, she was wed to the temple, a dedicated priest. She would not pine like a schoolgirl after Jay, Dys, or Syd as though she were some, well, some sort of wanton harlot, Lyssandria excuse her crass thoughts. She had to comport herself with the grace, dignity, and decorum her position and upbringing demanded.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
But did Aila really need to keep all three of the blessed Nephilim to herself? Surely, she could spare one of the sisters for her to personally attend to in whatever way they so desired¡ª
No, that was a bad thought. She was here to serve Lyssandria¡¯s Children, not her own entirely inappropriate and unwelcome desires. She couldn¡¯t act like the therion archer had earlier. That was a crudeness no priestess should or would submit themselves to.
Oh, she¡¯d seen the way the¡ªthe lewd woman had raised her shirt to expose her bare bosom to Dys, tempting the sacred, goddess blessed Nephilim with her body. They had just met minutes before, in the middle of battle no less, and the therion was presenting herself to Dys like some, some common prostitute! How could she dare to do so?
Could she dare to do so? Eir had only just met Dys that day as well but surely they¡¯d known each other longer than the therion had known her and Dys had not seemed at all put off by the archer¡¯s brazen temptation. Her beautiful eyes had been drawn to the wicked woman in a way they had not been drawn to Eir¡
She had to stop. She was letting her mind wander in directions she had never gone before. She couldn¡¯t behave like the therion. Eir didn¡¯t have that kind of brazenness in her¡ªlewdness, improper lewdness in her. She couldn¡¯t be like the archer.
Eir glanced up from her introspective thoughts, gaze searching and eventually finding the therion woman. She was sitting on top of the wagon closest to where Eir rode in the line of horses on the side of the wagon train. The dark of the summer night washed out the color but Eir could still see the archer perfectly well with her elven eyes.
She was a beauty, in a wild, feral sort of way. Eir imagined Lyssandria would welcome the therion as a follower, though she guessed Villthyrial would favor a savage wanderer more easily, what with how crass and lowly the woman acted.
The therion¡¯s slitted eyes turned on Eir abruptly, perhaps sensing she was being watched. She met the priestess¡¯ gaze head on, a sharp-toothed grin splitting her face.
Eir looked away, ashamed of the direction her thoughts had been going. She was glad of her dark red skin since it hid the blush she was sure would otherwise be visible on her cheeks.
Keeping her head straight and her eyes pointed forward, Eir behaved herself by reciting holy passages for the rest of the ride back to Felsen so that her mind would stop wandering into such dangerous and unbecoming territory. She lost her place a few times when her gaze was inadvertently drawn to the exquisitely attractive bodies of the Nephilim, their lean muscles sliding sensually under pale skin as they toiled selflessly for the sake of strangers like the true goddess-graced saints that they were, but Eir put in a valiant effort to not think those thoughts and focus on her scriptures.
No more demons assaulted the caravan before they made their way to the safety of the city walls. Eir felt both immense relief at finally being back within sight of safety, but also a tinge of regret. Soon, the expedition would be over and she and the Nephilim would go their separate ways. That Eir would be parted from the beautiful avatars of Lyssandria¡¯s benevolent power put an ache in her heart she¡¯d never felt before.
There was tomorrow, though, wasn¡¯t there? Surely the three sisters would want to leave the city to do the gods¡¯ good work and rid the surrounding hills of more vile demons on the next day. Eir could already tell in their brief time together that they were the passionately aggressive sort who took their days in great striding leaps, not in slow, meek steps.
Not like her¡
¡°Do you think we can still make it to the bathhouse at this time?¡±
Eir perked up, ears twitching, overhearing one of the sisters talking to the tall woman, Aila. The caravan had drawn up against the city gates, coming to a stop as the guard escort called out to the gate guards and sorted out reopening the gates that had been shut at sundown. Eir had unconsciously directed her horse a little closer to the wagons the Nephilim had graciously been pulling so that none of the wagons had to be left behind with the loss of several aurochs.
¡°It should be open for another couple of hours at least,¡± Aila told the sister she was walking next to. Eir thought she was Jay, but with the shuffle of activity she¡¯d lost track of which triplet was which. It was so much harder to tell the giants apart when they weren¡¯t carrying their weapons.
¡°Probably better that we¡¯re going there late,¡± Aila continued. ¡°Should be less people around. Might have the whole bath to ourselves.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t wait,¡± the might-be-Jay said, giving the redhead a grin and a look that made Eir¡¯s heart flutter even though it wasn¡¯t directed at her.
A bathhouse. There was only one such place operational in the city, so Eir knew exactly which they were talking about. She¡¯d visited the modest facility a few times herself. The Far Felsen Bathhouse wasn¡¯t much when compared to the large hot springs and saunas of the capital, but it did have a decently large main hot pool to soak in, a far better prospect than a brass tub for women the size of Nephilim to strip down and relax¡ª
Oh. Oh.
The day had been a long, hard, strenuous adventure for Eir. She¡¯d worked up quite the sweat. Maybe a trip to the bathhouse was in order? She¡¯d have to stop by the temple first to report back to the high priest about how the day had gone but she could summarize much of the day quickly enough and then give Gerhardt the more heroic details later in a written account. She¡¯d need to collect a change of robes, anyway. Then she could visit the bathhouse to cleanse herself and relax her aching muscles from the long day¡¯s ride.
And if the three Nephilim sisters happened to be there and she just so happened to be exposed to their nude forms and her nude form was exposed to them in an entirely appropriate environment and then perhaps one or more of them allowed her to appreciate their beauty a little more closely, well, then that was just another bit of luck Eir would have to make an offering to Destarious for.
Chapter 92: Bathhouse
¡°Please, take them, it¡¯s the least I can offer!¡±
The merchant pressed the small box of uncut gemstones into Jay¡¯s hands, forcing her to take them.
¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯re not really the type to wear much jewelry,¡± Jay resisted, trying to give the box back.
The merchant had already given Jadis a bag of silver pieces upon reaching the city gates as thanks for saving his life and the lives of the rest of the caravan, but he also persisted in pressing the small box of gems into her possession as well, an extravagance Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely comfortable with. She wasn¡¯t sure what the gemstones were, but they shone a faint blue-green color in the light of the city lanterns. They were small and uncut, but there were a lot of them in the palm-sized box, enough that Jadis was sure the cost was a lot more than the bag of oak coins he''d already gifted her.
¡°Well, I suppose you could make jewelry from these, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d use them for that! These are eleria gemstones. Sell them if you like or better yet, use them to power some enchantments. Warriors of your caliber should possess some enchanted armaments in my humble opinion,¡± the merchant explained, refusing to take the box back as he held his hands up and took a few steps back.
¡°If you three hadn¡¯t come along, I¡¯d have lost my life, never mind the shipment,¡± he continued. ¡°Not only did you save me and my men, but you three pulled my wagons all the way to the city as well! You¡¯ve no idea how much of a difference losing even one wagon would have made.¡±
Eleria. That was the name of the gemstone that was being mined in Weigrun, the whole reason the empire was putting resources into protecting its assets in the colony during a demon invasion. Aila¡¯s uncles had told her the rare stone was a vital ingredient to almost all long-term, rechargeable, and permanent enchantments. Without eleria, the empire¡¯s armies would have a far greater struggle fighting off the demons.
Jadis had been curious about the magical gemstone, not having seen an example of the stuff so far. Taking another look at the open box, she admitted they were pretty stones, but they didn¡¯t look particularly magical. She wasn¡¯t sure she could differentiate them from colored glass, honestly.
¡°Alright then, thank you. We¡¯ll put them to good use,¡± Jay said, closing the box and taking it with an appreciative nod to the happy but weary-looking merchant. ¡°Stay safe out there.¡±
The merchant continued to thank her profusely, wishing her the blessings of a lot of different names that Jadis could only assume were gods based on the context. She really only knew of the three so far, and all three made an appearance in the merchant¡¯s gratitude.
Dys and Syd were waiting with Aila a few yards away while Jay finished up with the merchant. Despite her inhuman strength, the long day of demon slaying topped off by dragging three large wagons for a few miles had left Jadis¡¯ bodies feeling stiff and worn out. None of her were quite exhausted, but her selves were definitely in need of a good soak in a steaming hot bath.
The nice part about travelling with a guard escort was she at least didn¡¯t need to waste any time reporting the circumstances of her late arrival back in town to the gate guards. The escort took care of everything there. Jadis was sure they would be telling the magistrate all about the last-minute craziness of the caravan battle, unfortunately, but there wasn¡¯t much she could do about it. She just hoped the news that a new type of demon not normally seen in the Broken Hills didn¡¯t cause some kind of overreaction from Vraekae.
If even more guards tried to follow Jadis out of the city the next day, she was fairly certain she was going to lose her shit.
As Jay rejoined her other selves and Aila, she gathered up all the loot she¡¯d collected throughout the day. She had literally dozens of worn weapons taken from the wretches she¡¯d slain, along with bags of their eyes to turn into the city hall for bounties. Unfortunately, the municipal office would be closed now that it was well past sundown so she¡¯d have to hold on to the gross bags for the night.
Jadis had taken a few of the bramble fiend eyes as well, but with the need to move on quickly after the fight, she hadn¡¯t bothered spending too much time on the ugly task of butchering the mountain of plant demons.
Glancing to the side, Dys eyed the therion woman, Kerr. The archer had taken a lot more time collecting the eyes of every fiend she¡¯d stuck with one of her arrows. She could see a similar bag at her waist, stained with black blood.
Kerr seemed to sense the attention and looked in Dys¡¯ direction, giving her a wink.
Dys grinned back and gave the attractive mercenary a jaunty salute before shouldering her huge shield and heading off. The night wasn¡¯t getting any younger and Jadis was eager to get to the bathhouse as soon as humanly, or Nephilim-ly, possible.
¡°Where did Eir go?¡± Aila asked as they started heading deeper into the city. ¡°I lost track of her once we got through the gates.¡±
¡°Said her goodbyes and rushed off to the temple,¡± Syd answered, waving in the general direction the red elf had gone. ¡°Said she had a report to give.¡±
Aila frowned at the explanation. ¡°Reports of your activities are going to the magistrate and the high priest. Plus they¡¯re going to be circling around the mercenaries quickly enough, too.¡±
¡°Why them?¡± Jay asked.
¡°Plenty of guards and soldiers have friends amongst the mercenaries. Plus those caravan guards are mercenaries, too. They¡¯ll be telling the tale all night, the story changing to greater extravagances the deeper into their cups they go. You¡¯re getting to be quite the famous trio.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m thrilled about that,¡± Dys grumbled.
¡°Fame can be a problem, yes,¡± Aila said without much concern in her voice. "But it can have its advantages, too. But that¡¯s not your real concern.¡±
No, no, it wasn¡¯t.
Jadis couldn¡¯t say she cared much about how famous her names got around the city. She would stand out no matter what, a fact she was at peace with. The issue was, what were political powerhouses like Vraekae going to do as time wore on? She and the high priest clearly had their own agendas and were obviously willing to force Jadis into compliance with those agendas. Jadis didn¡¯t have much, if any, leverage to use against the magistrate. If she wanted any chance of rejecting Vraekae¡¯s interference, she needed to be in a better bargaining position, one that made it so the haughty elf couldn¡¯t just force her into doing what she wanted by threat of withholding services from Jadis that she wanted.
Services she wanted. That was the crux of the matter, really. Jadis wanted the services of the city available to her. Vraekae wanted to control Jadis. Vraekae could in essence cut off services by making it illegal for Jadis to even be in Weigrun, much less the city, under the dictates of martial law. Jadis could abandon the city and flee to the mountain wilderness to retain her autonomy, but that would mean giving up a lot of services that were honestly extremely useful. Aside from simple comforts and easily accessible food, the city was a source of clothing, armaments, healing, protection, and most importantly, companionship. Jadis didn¡¯t want to lose those benefits.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Even if Jadis left and headed for a different part of the empire, or a whole different nation, what guarantee did she have that wherever she went next wouldn¡¯t have the same reaction as Vraekae? Or worse? No, what she needed was leverage, something she could use to force Vraekae to back off and leave her be.
Well, that was a long-term need. What she needed at that moment was a bath.
Jadis and Aila stopped by the inn to drop off their gear and loot, then walked the dark and quite streets of Felsen to get to the bathhouse. Their only food so far that day had been trail rations and the smell of the inn¡¯s kitchen was a serious draw, but she controlled her selves. A hot soak was far higher on the priority list.
The bathhouse wasn¡¯t a particularly impressive structure. One story and with a fairly plain building face, the only concession to atmosphere visible on the outside were a couple of tall stone urns with flowering shrubs growing out of them on either side of the door. Inside wasn¡¯t too much better, mood wise. Clean but austere, the foyer had only a few paintings on the walls and a bit of decorative trim. Jadis guessed either the owners hadn¡¯t put a lot of money into making the place attractive, or they¡¯d pulled all the expensive accoutrements out of the building and out of the city when the demon invasion had forced an evacuation.
A desk stood on top of a raised platform and a sleepy old woman smiled at them as they entered, her eyes going wide once they registered the sight of Jadis¡¯ three selves.
¡°Oh! You three must be them giants I¡¯ve heard tell of,¡± she commented, her voice thick with a stronger accent than Jadis was used to. ¡°Just as tall as I did hear. Beauties, as well! Not nearly so barbaric looking as the rumors said. Properly dressed and all.¡±
Jadis smiled at the old woman with all three faces.
¡°We try to be,¡± Jay said, giving Aila a look. The redhead was clearly hiding a smile. ¡°If you ever hear anything to the contrary, just consider that to be vicious slander. We¡¯re always properly dressed.¡±
¡°Not in the bath I hope,¡± the old woman cackled. She ran her eyes across the group. ¡°Four bath services, then?¡±
¡°With scented soap, please,¡± Aila added, putting several small coins on the counter. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for this trip,¡± she added, glancing up at Jadis while the elderly woman retrieved a cloth pouch from behind her and passed it to the redhead.
Jadis didn¡¯t bother arguing. Instead she waved as she passed by the bathhouse crone and followed her freckled companion through a door to the right of the raised desk. There were two doors, one to the left and one to the right, and Jadis could only guess that bathhouse was split between men and women. The right door led to a reasonably-sized-for-most-but-cramped-for-her room where visitors were meant to undress. As Aila started to unlace her boots, Jadis paused as she started pulling her own shirts off.
¡°Hey, Blue? Are we going to get in trouble for being on this side of the bathhouse?¡± Jay asked, glancing pointedly at her pants.
Aila looked up and stared for a moment, blinking slowly.
¡°Probably not? I mean, you¡¯re women, er, a woman, right?¡± Aila seemed a bit confused, her face drawing into a frown. ¡°Well, I guess not really¡ But you are? Oh, whatever. If you want to go show your tits off on the men¡¯s side, go ahead, I doubt anyone would complain. But I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s going to make a fuss on this side, either. Half the bathhouses I¡¯ve seen in the cities and town coming here didn¡¯t have separate partitions for men and women anyway.¡±
¡°Huh,¡± Syd hummed at the information. ¡°Guess most places don¡¯t mind if a little hanky panky goes on in the baths then, do they?¡±
Aila looked puzzled at the words for a moment but the lecherous look on Jadis¡¯ faces cleared up her confusion quickly.
¡°No, they most certainly would mind. There¡¯s usually staff around to make sure nothing untoward happens in baths like that.¡±
¡°Here¡¯s hoping the lifeguard isn¡¯t on duty tonight,¡± Dys said suggestively.
Relishing the blush on Aila¡¯s face, Jadis quickly undressed and put her clothes into the cubbies in the wall set aside for the purpose, then followed a towel wrapped Aila into the next room. Jadis didn¡¯t bother to put the towels around her own bodies.
The actual bathing facilities were surprisingly nice. Curtains of constantly flowing water poured from carved fountainheads all along both sides of the room, the water splashing into stone grates along the floor. One side was hot water, the other side cold. There were benches everywhere for visitors to sit while they washed themselves. There was no one else in the room, a fact Jadis hoped would continue for the rest of her visit.
Aila went for the cold-water showers, shivering as she soaped her tantalizing bare body with the scented soap flakes from the sack the crone had given her. Jadis joined her on the cold side, forced to sit so she could let the water splash over her selves. Aila didn¡¯t have to sit, but Jadis was faintly amused at just how close her companion¡¯s head was to the source of the water pouring from above. Sometimes she forgot how tall Aila was when compared to the average height of most people.
Lathering up with her own share of the soap flakes, Jadis did her best not to stare at Aila despite the amazing temptation she presented. She forced herself to behave. For the moment. Based on the suspicious looks the redhead was giving her, Jadis figured Aila knew that Jadis¡¯ restraint was a temporary state.
Washing off the day¡¯s grime and feeling far more refreshed, Jadis finished showering off and headed for the open archway at the other end of the room with Aila. She couldn¡¯t help but notice a peculiarity about her friend as they walked together. Despite the cold of the shower, Aila wasn¡¯t shivering. She didn¡¯t even seem to have any goosepimples.
¡°You aren¡¯t cold? Jay asked, a shiver running through her own body from the chill water that they had been bathing in.
¡°No, not really,¡± she said, a slight smile on her pink lips. ¡°One of the skills I took from Cart Driver that wasn¡¯t a minor attribute improvement. Cold Comfort. Let¡¯s me handle freezing temperatures more easily.¡±
¡°Convenient,¡± Syd murmured as they walked into the large room with the soaking pools.
There were two large square pools in the room, one for cold and one for hot water. Large fountains were constantly replenishing the pools on the far side of them, the water draining from a few different points on the sides. There was no one else in the bathhouse either, though Jadis¡¯ ears perked up at a sound of muffled laughter coming from the wall to the left. It sounded like there were a few guests on the men¡¯s side of the bath. That was fine, so long as Jadis had this side all to herself and Aila.
Jadis followed her companion into the hot pool, easing into the steaming water. The high temperature was almost too much after the cold of the shower, but Jadis just hissed in triplicate and pushed past the almost pain of the heat. She leaned her backs against the edge of the pool and spread her arms wide, luxuriating in the warmth as she stretched her long legs to full extension.
Aila sat on the underwater steps between Jay and Dys, Syd positioned to Dys¡¯ right. She leaned back with eyes closed, using Jay and Dys¡¯ arms as pillows as she relaxed.
¡°This feels so nice,¡± she sighed, practically melting into the hot water.
¡°It does,¡± Jay agreed with a contented sigh of her own.
¡°Though I can think of a few things we could do to make this feel nicer,¡± Dys commented, leaning in a little closer to Aila so that their naked sides brushed against each other.
Aila¡¯s eyes opened to slits, blue peeking out to observe her.
¡°Funny you say that,¡± Aila said nonchalantly. ¡°I can think of a few things, too.¡±
A soft hand drifted under the water, brushing against Dys¡¯ thigh, painting grins on Jadis¡¯ faces. As her arousal stirred, Jay and Dys squeezed in a little closer around Aila.
¡°Want to tell us about those things?¡± Jay whispered low in Aila¡¯s ear.
¡°I¡¯d rather show than tell,¡± Aila answered sweetly.
¡°By all means,¡± Dys purred, moving her lips closer to Aila¡¯s sweet mouth.
Just before their lips touched, a familiar voice called out from behind them, startling them and causing Jadis and Aila to pull back from each other while simultaneously submerging lower into the water.
¡°Oh! How wonderful!¡± Eir called out in her bright, melodic tones. ¡°You all use this bathhouse too! Would it be alright if I joined you four?¡±
Jadis almost told Eir to fuck off back to the temple for disturbing her moment with Aila but restrained her immediate gut reaction. The innocent priestess clearly didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d just interrupted. Syd begrudgingly turned to look back at the elf and beckon her over. As she did so, she saw the cleric standing in the archway wearing a smile and naught all else.
A whole different kind of fuck jumped to the fore of Jadis¡¯ mind at the sight of the naked elven beauty.
Chapter 93: Pool Talks
Voluptuous.
The four-syllable word popped into Jadis¡¯ head unbidden. Voluptuous really was an excellent adjective to use to describe the elf cleric standing naked in the archway leading to the bathhouse soaking pools. Exquisitely beautiful would work as well, as would pretty much any variation on the word gorgeous.
In cruder terms, the woman was stacked.
With a white towel draped over one arm, Jadis could see Eir¡¯s body on full display. Her breasts were large but didn¡¯t show a hint of sag, perfectly shaped and capped with dark red nipples that stood erect in the cold air. The priestess was far shorter than Aila, a comparison that Jadis knew was skewed, but the shorter stature of the elf truly emphasized the bounty of her chest. Her waist was narrow but flared out at the hips in a way neither Jadis nor Aila could match, giving the elf a classic hourglass figure. She didn¡¯t have the lean muscle definition in her arms, legs, or abs the way Aila did either, much less like Jadis¡¯ athletic bodies. Instead, Eir looked soft, plush to the touch, even. Her dark red skin was as unblemished as Jadis¡¯ marble-like complexion was; though lacking the muscle tone Jadis possessed, Eir¡¯s flesh looked silky smooth and irresistibly touchable.
Jadis was busy thinking about what it would feel like to run her hands across Eir¡¯s lovely thick thighs when she noticed the nervous look growing on the elf¡¯s face. She was still standing there in the archway, her fingers twisting together anxiously, dark purple eyes not quite meeting hers.
Realizing that Eir had asked a question and she had just left the poor elf hanging for probably a solid thirty seconds, Jadis mentally shook herself out of her distraction and did her best to recover from the now slightly awkward atmosphere.
¡°Sure, come on in and join us,¡± Syd said, motioning for Eir to sit to her right.
Eir¡¯s face instantly brightened as she headed over at a quick but controlled pace. She demurely slipped into the water next to Syd, greeting all three of Jadis as well as Aila. Once Eir was fully situated in the pool, there was a bit of an uncomfortable silence between the five of them, conversation topics not immediately popping up.
Jadis couldn¡¯t be sure, but it seemed to her that Eir was purposefully not looking anywhere near her three bodies¡¯ crotches. Did she know about her unique biology? The steamy water wasn¡¯t exactly much cover, but with the way she was sitting her dicks weren¡¯t obvious either, not to a casual glance.
Maybe the elf knew some details about the nature of Nephilim? She¡¯d have to explore the possibility.
Eventually Jadis decided to break the tension with an old classic standby line.
¡°So. Come here often?¡±
¡°Um, somewhat, yes,¡± Eir said, finding her voice. She seemed to come out of a trance, clearing her throat and blinking rapidly for a moment. ¡°We have a bath in the temple, but sometimes it''s nice to come here to relax since it''s larger. Do you use these facilities regularly?¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t know they existed until today,¡± Syd answered with a casual shrug.
Jadis didn¡¯t miss how Eir¡¯s eyes were briefly drawn down to Syd¡¯s chest with the motion. A suspicion began to form in her mind that the lovely elf¡¯s presence at the bathhouse might not be a simple coincidence. Interesting.
¡°My fault, really,¡± Aila said easily. ¡°I keep forgetting that these big oafs have no knowledge or experience of the city. Should have suggested it earlier so they didn¡¯t have to try and squeeze into that little tub in the inn.¡±
¡°Oafs!¡± Eir squeaked out. ¡°Miss Aila, not to be argumentative, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s entirely correct to refer to Nephilim as ¡®oafs¡¯ as you put it. They should be treated with greater respect.¡±
The cleric¡¯s passionate statement was met with raised eyebrows, from both Jadis¡¯ selves and Aila.
Before the arcanist could respond, Dys let out a chuckle and grinned teasingly at the somewhat flustered elf.
¡°But what if I like being called an oaf?¡±
Eir tilted her head like a confused puppy. ¡°You do?¡±
¡°We like being called just about anything so long as its Aila doing the calling,¡± Dys explained with a wink.
¡°Not the ideal pet name, admittedly,¡± Jay added, ¡°But I think it¡¯s a work in progress.¡±
As Jay spoke, she slipped her hand to Aila¡¯s thigh under the water, running her fingers up and down the pleasing flesh there. Aila made no outward reaction to the touch, not taking the bait and getting riled up at Jadis¡¯ teasing, but she didn¡¯t reject her advances, either.
Dys shifted her position a little, raising her knee up out of the water so that her body blocked Eir¡¯s view of Aila a little more. Simultaneously, she slipped her left hand behind the arcanist¡¯s back, moving to palm her extremely squeezable buttocks.
That too prompted no outward reaction. Jadis idly wondered how much the redhead would be willing to put up with.
¡°Well, if it¡¯s what you want,¡± Eir replied to Jay and Dys¡¯ assertions, the doubt on her face washing away as her eyes slid hungrily along Dys¡¯ exposed leg. ¡°Then I shan¡¯t make any objections. My apologies for overstepping my boundaries, Miss Aila.¡±
¡°You¡¯re perfectly fine,¡± Aila said, her voice hitching on the last word as Jay¡¯s middle finger gently caressed the crease of where her leg met her hip.
¡°Let me ask you, though,¡± Syd said, drawing Eir¡¯s attention. ¡°Why do you care if Aila calls any of us an oaf, or dumb, or a fuckwit for that matter? What¡¯s it matter to you?¡±
Eir flinched at the crude insult, slipping a little lower into the water.
¡°I¡¯ve never called them that,¡± Aila clarified, face placid as a mountain lake while Jadis groped her under the water.
¡°Um, ah, it¡¯s just. Ahem,¡± she cleared her throat, looking every bit the innocently bashful young priestess. ¡°As you are Nephilim, I believe you should be treated with the reverence you deserve.¡±
¡°Why would we deserve any reverence at all?¡± Syd asked, interested in the odd thinking of the priestess. ¡°We¡¯re just people. Nothing particularly special.¡±
That wasn¡¯t true. Jadis was a reincarnated soul, sent to Oros from another world on the personal mission of a god. She didn¡¯t think it likely there were too many other people around who could claim the same. Not on Oros, at least. Who knew about other planets. So Jadis knew that she was certainly a special existence on Oros, at least in that sense. But why did Eir think so? She couldn¡¯t know about her origin or god-given mission. At least, she didn¡¯t think she knew. Would the elf have some inkling based on her apparent relationship with the gods?
¡°Goodness, how can you say that?¡± Eir gasped, looking offended at the very idea that Syd had dismissed her nature as anything less than extraordinary. ¡°Nephilim are the Children of Lyssandria! Her most beautiful, most beloved of creations! Heralds of her will and rightful stewards of her dominion, the Nephilim epitomize everything we who dedicate our lives to our Lady Lyssandria aspire to be. You three are her avatars on Oros!¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Jadis¡¯ lascivious hands stilled in their motions across Aila¡¯s skin for a moment as she took in the implications of the information imparted by Eir¡¯s impassioned speech. She had realized after her interview with the magistrate that the Nephilim were a known race on Oros, albeit an extinct one. Vraekae had also mentioned that the race of giants were ¡°Lyssandria¡¯s Children¡± but she hadn¡¯t known what exactly that meant, lacking context that the magistrate had not provided at the time.
If she understood Eir correctly, the cleric was saying the Nephilim were some kind of chosen race of a goddess named Lyssandria. A race that had been wiped out by demons thousands of years ago, far back enough in history to have been forgotten by the everyday person like Aila or Sabina, but still important enough to the religious practices of the priests who worshiped Lyssandria to be remembered as their paragons of virtue.
And if a young priestess like Eir knew, Jadis was as certain as dawn that High Priest Gerhardt knew, too.
Jadis¡¯ hands resumed their unseen travels along Aila¡¯s flesh, continuing to tease her companion. Whatever strange revelations might come from her conversation with Eir, she wasn¡¯t going to let herself be distracted from what was truly important to her.
Though she could multitask.
Syd leaned her elbow on the edge of the pool, shifting slightly closer to Eir, forcing the purple-haired elf to lean back to maintain eye contact with her.
¡°Thank you for the explanation,¡± Syd smiled genuinely at the elf, enjoying the way she was growing flustered with her proximity. ¡°We¡¯ve never been told about our status with Lyssandria before. In fact, we know next to nothing about Lyssandria. Our patron god is D, so he¡¯s the only one we have any familiarity with.¡±
Eir looked lost, dark purple eyes widening in disbelieving confusion.
¡°D? Do you mean Destarious? But he¡¯s¡ªhe¡¯s not your patron! He can¡¯t be. Lyssandria is¡ª¡±
¡°Unknown to us,¡± Syd interrupted, propping her head up on her hand as she gazed down at the smaller woman. ¡°Not saying we¡¯ve got any kind of problem with her; we just don¡¯t know the lady. D¡¯s our god. Our secondary classes are dedicated to him, actually. Is that a problem?¡±
Syd¡¯s question was asked with a raised eyebrow. Jadis was curious to see how the priestess would react to the information. Was there some kind of long-standing beef between D and Lyssandria? Were the two deities at odds, meaning Jadis¡¯ reincarnation as one of Lyssandria¡¯s children was meant as some kind of slight? D hadn¡¯t mentioned any gods other than his stepfather, the god she presumed was called Valtar based on context, and Samleos. What was Lyssandria¡¯s part in the family squabble, if any?
There were several moments where mixed emotions played across Eir¡¯s beautiful face. Jadis amused herself trying to follow the expressions. Well, mostly she amused herself by trying to get Aila to break her composure without putting her fingers on any directly erogenous zones, but still.
¡°I suppose it¡¯s not wrong,¡± Eir allowed, finally coming to some internal decision. ¡°But you simply must let me teach you about Lyssandria! She is your true patron, even if the mercurial D has claimed your loyalty for now, you three are simply meant to be Lyssandria¡¯s representatives on Oros.¡±
¡°You can tell us all about her,¡± Dys chimed in, her lips quirking up at the eagerness Eir was so obviously showing at the idea. ¡°Later, though. It¡¯s been a long day and I¡¯m sure we¡¯d all rather relax than turn this nice bath into some kind of Sunday School teaching event.¡±
¡°¡Sunday School?¡± Eir asked, looking even more confused.
¡°Never mind the weird words they use,¡± Aila broke into the conversation, her voice remaining surprisingly level despite the things Dys was doing to her rear. ¡°They have some odd phrases mixed into proper imperial that come from being from a secluded mountain tribe. You learn to ignore the nonsense.¡±
Before Jadis could make a smart remark to counter Aila¡¯s statement, the redhead¡¯s hand found its way to Dys¡¯ ass, giving it a good squeeze that almost made her jump. Turnabout was fair play, it seemed, and by the way Aila¡¯s fingers were moving across first Dys¡¯ and then Jay¡¯s skin, she was set on making Jadis be the first to break her composure.
¡°Just one question, actually,¡± Jay spoke up from her spot furthest away from Eir. ¡°What¡¯s Lyssandria¡¯s relationship to Destarious? They aren¡¯t on bad terms or something like that, right?¡±
Jadis genuinely hoped the answer was no. If D was using her very existence as some kind of underhanded taunt, she¡¯d have to find some way to navigate being a living insult.
¡°No, not really,¡± Eir answered, assuaging some of Jadis¡¯ fears. ¡°Though I suppose there are many stories in the combined scriptures telling tales of Destarious¡¯ tricks, sowing chaos on the mortal and immortal realms just for his own amusement. As his mother, I think Lyssandria has always been more tolerant of his mischief than other gods.¡±
Ah. There it was. D had reincarnated Jadis into the body of an extinct race that were ostensibly the chosen people of his mother. That felt like all kinds of weird when she thought about it. The possibility of her existence being an insult seemed less likely, but there was no way it wasn¡¯t some kind of ploy on the part of the off-kilter god.
Shit. The whole situation felt like it was veering more and more into the realm of political maneuvering, a detestable domain Jadis had no interest in engaging in. Not that she could afford to be ignorant, not when literal gods were the ones doing the maneuvering. She just didn¡¯t want to deal with the implications at the moment, not when she wasn¡¯t even sure what the implications were or if she could do anything about them. In any case, it was getting harder and harder to concentrate on anything other than the way Aila¡¯s hands were teasing her or the way Aila felt under her fingertips.
She wouldn¡¯t mind using her apparent status with Eir to get one thing she wanted, though.
¡°Can I ask a favor of you?¡± Syd said, grinning in a way calculated to make the obviously crushing elf twist and turn in her seat. ¡°We¡¯d never met any other races before coming down out of the mountains. But we¡¯d heard of them. And there¡¯s one thing we¡¯ve always wanted to do.¡±
Eir stared up worshipfully as Syd practically loomed over her.
¡°Yes?¡± she said, a small quaver in her voice.
¡°Would you let me touch your ears?¡±
Eir¡¯s breath caught in her throat. By the way Aila suddenly pinched both of Jay and Dys¡¯ buttocks, she got the feeling she might have gotten a little too personal. Still, it was too late to take the request back. Boldly, she added a reciprocal promise.
¡°If you do, I¡¯ll owe you a free touch wherever you want.¡±
The elf froze at Syd¡¯s offer. Out of the corner of Jay and Dys¡¯ eyes, Jadis saw Aila roll her eyes and felt her resume her gentle underwater caresses.
¡°Deal.¡±
Eir squeaked the word out, practically vibrating in anticipation.
Syd¡¯s grin widened. Taking immediate advantage of the permission given, she reached her hand out to Eir¡¯s slightly twitching left ear and gently ran her finger along the lower edge, tracing the straight line all the way to the tip before rubbing the end between thumb and forefinger.
¡°Oh,¡± was the only verbal response to come out of Eir, but the single syllable spoke volumes and, by tone and virtue, sent a pulse of warmth straight to Jadis¡¯ cores that combined with Aila¡¯s touch made it almost impossible for her to keep her cocks from jumping to immediate full attention.
Syd only brushed her fingers along Eir¡¯s soft ear for a moment longer before she pulled away. The act was dangerously addictive. As she pulled back, Eir¡¯s head leaned toward Syd, following the escaping hand for a brief moment before she seemed to come to her senses and forcibly pulled herself back.
¡°I really, really hate to spoil the mood,¡± Dys said in a voice darkened with building lust, ¡°but we should probably be getting out of the bath now. It¡¯s getting late and while we don¡¯t turn pruney, I know Aila is starting to.¡±
¡°Yeah, thanks for the touch,¡± Syd said, eyes still locked with Eir¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯ll owe you one back later, okay?¡±
The elf simply nodded, perhaps not trusting what noises might come out of her mouth if she tried to speak at that moment.
¡°Then I suppose we should get going,¡± Aila agreed, standing up and letting the water cascade off of her lithe body as she got out of the pool.
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but watch the tantalizing show as Aila strode naked over to a bench where she¡¯d left her fluffy towel. As Aila began drying herself off, the realization came to Jadis that she would have to get out of the water next and put on her own show. This caused her to glance back appraisingly at Eir, the elf apparently having not looked away from Syd once the whole time.
¡°Quick question,¡± Syd said as she shifted in the water to face Eir fully. ¡°Have you ever seen any depictions of Nephilim? Naked depictions?¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t tell if Eir was blushing, not with her wine-red skin color, but the way her ears twitched and her eyes widened was a pretty good indication of just how flustered the question made the elf.
¡°Yes, I have,¡± she practically whispered.
¡°Oh good. Then you won¡¯t be surprised,¡± Syd noted nonchalantly before standing up to her full height in front of the beautiful priestess, Jay and Dys doing the same behind her.
As Jadis¡¯ three selves exited the pool and retrieved their own towels, casually drying off in the cool air of the bathhouse, Eir sat frozen, her head locked in one position, eyes comically wide. She made no response to the farewells Jadis and Aila sent her way, just sitting unmoving in the same spot as they exited the pool room.
¡°I think you might have cracked her,¡± Aila murmured as she led the amused giants out of the bathhouse.
Chapter 94: Please
¡°She¡¯s smitten with you,¡± Aila casually pointed out as the group of them walked back to their inn. ¡°I¡¯d even go so far as to say she¡¯s deeply infatuated.¡±
¡°Can you blame her? I am pretty hot,¡± Syd said, fully aware of the narcissism of the statement.
¡°Your egotism is not your most attractive feature,¡± Aila shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips.
All three of Jadis shrugged with palms raised upwards dramatically.
¡°No, my face and body are my most attractive features,¡± Dys countered. ¡°I thought we just established this, didn¡¯t we?¡±
¡°Incorrigible,¡± Aila stifled a laugh.
¡°True,¡± Jay agreed without looking back from her position leading at the front. ¡°But we¡¯re also irresistible, apparently.¡±
¡°We didn¡¯t make you uncomfortable or anything, did we?¡± Dys asked after a moment, looking at Aila from her position to her right. ¡°We kind of just fell into the flirting thing there at the bathhouse, but if you don¡¯t like it, we won¡¯t go any further or do it again.¡±
Aila mulled the question over for a few seconds before shaking her head and smiling up at Dys.
¡°No, it¡¯s fine. We talked about this already. I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d run into someone interested quite so soon but, yes. It¡¯s fine.¡± She reached ahead and flicked Jay¡¯s ass in front of her, making Jay jump despite Jadis seeing it coming. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not a bad thing. If Eir can be trusted, and she seems like she can be, she could do the empowerment ritual with us. It¡¯d be another big jump in power for us both.¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t quite so sure about Eir being trustworthy, at least not completely. She had no doubt that the cleric had zero hostile intentions, but what was her loyalty to the temple and the high priest? Did she have some other hidden agenda, or was she a true innocent that was only being maneuvered by a higher power for their own purposes? If she was a pawn, did that excuse her from any repercussions that resulted from being used, willfully or otherwise? It was hard to say.
¡°We¡¯ll see where that goes, I guess,¡± Jay said, dismissing Eir from her thoughts for the moment. ¡°We¡¯ve got a more immediate ritual to recharge tonight. I hope you¡¯re ready to finish what you started in the pool.¡±
¡°What I started?¡± Aila asked incredulously. ¡°I seem to recall you perverts being the ones to start groping me in the water while a temple priest was sitting right next to us.¡±
¡°You must be misremembering,¡± Syd said dismissively. ¡°We¡¯re the irresistible ones, remember? You just can¡¯t keep your hands off of us.¡±
Aila slapped Jay¡¯s ass hard, drawing a purposefully exaggerated gasp from the giant.
¡°Kind of reinforcing our point there, Blue,¡± Dys said in a singsong tone.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
¡°Keep it up,¡± Syd said through a grin. ¡°We like it rough. Bold of you to make those kinds of moves when we¡¯ve got an audience, though.¡±
The redhead¡¯s blue eyes went wide as she remembered that they were, indeed, still on a public road. While it was late and the streets were empty, there were still two guards trailing them at a distance, shadowing their movements on the orders of the magistrate.
Aila¡¯s face flushed and her movements stiffened as she continued the walk back to the inn. Jadis didn¡¯t prod her companion further, though she found it hard to resist the temptation to tease the normally extremely reserved woman about her playful public lapse.
She didn¡¯t have to resist long as they arrived at the inn only a minute or two later. Once they¡¯d made their way up the stairs and into their shared room, Jadis didn¡¯t waste any time. She¡¯d done her very best to play it cool but ever since she¡¯d seen Aila undressed and with water cascading over her beautiful body, Jadis had been internally aching with barely constrained lust. The touches in the bathhouse hot pool had stirred the fire in her and now that they were alone, she was going to unleash the flame.
In one swift movement, Syd had grasped hold of Aila¡¯s waist and lifted her up, pressing her against the wall as she brought the wide-eyed arcanist¡¯s face level with her own.
¡°I want you,¡± she said bluntly, locking gazes with her companion.
¡°Don¡¯t you want to know about my new skills first?¡± Aila asked, a little breathless, eyes dilating. Her hands travelled up Syd¡¯s arms, caressing the sculpted biceps under the thin tunic.
¡°Not really,¡± Syd murmured as she planted her lips on the side of Aila¡¯s neck and sucked gently. ¡°I want you first, second, and third.¡±
Movements behind Syd illustrated exactly what Jadis meant by the statement to Aila. Jay and Dys had removed their clothing, their bodies bare and standing at full attention as they watched the redhead with hungry eyes.
¡°Get me a potion out of my bag first?¡± Aila asked, one finger pointing to where her things were piled at the desk.
Jadis didn¡¯t bother looking. Nothing over there was of any interest to her at the moment, not even the watching eye of the demon hatchling in its jar.
¡°Don¡¯t need it,¡± Syd said succinctly as she kissed her way up Aila¡¯s jaw to capture her lips in a deep kiss.
Aila broke away from Syd¡¯s lips to give her an admonishing look.
¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m fertile at this time of the moon but I¡¯m not far away either. I don¡¯t want to risk it,¡± she said with a little frown.
Syd did her best to kiss the frown away, succeeding after a few seconds of effort.
¡°We don¡¯t need it because of our newest skill,¡± Jay said from Aila¡¯s left, her hand slipping around to palm her ass and hold her up as Syd¡¯s hands started pulling the redhead¡¯s tunic off.
¡°We can choose to fire blanks,¡± Dys said from Aila¡¯s right, grabbing hold of her leg under the knee. ¡°That is, we can choose to not be fertile,¡± she amended her explanation, realizing that the native-born Oros-ling probably wouldn¡¯t understand the first phrase.
¡°We could fuck you, Eir, ourselves, or anyone and not have to worry about anything unwanted happening,¡± Syd added after briefly coming up for air.
¡°Oh,¡± was all Aila got out before Syd recaptured her lips.
[Censored Sex Scene. The full scene can be viewed on ScribbleHub.com]
¡°Enjoy the show?¡± Jay asked, her cock still buried in Dys, arms wrapped around her other self¡¯s waist, chin on her shoulder.
¡°Yes,¡± Aila answered, her legs still rubbing her unsatisfied sex against Syd. ¡°And the meal, too. It proved one of my new skills worked.
¡°Which skill?¡± Syd asked as she swallowed around a dry throat. She hadn¡¯t come yet, somehow, but with the way Aila was still grinding against her while sliding her fingers all around the crown of her cock it was becoming almost impossible to hold back.
¡°The one that lets me recover magic power by consuming your seed.¡±
Syd came a moment after the depraved statement processed through her mind.
Chapter 95: Skill Test
Once Syd had come down from her sudden climax, Jadis had insisted on an explanation from Aila.
¡°What are the details, exactly?¡± Jay and Dys had panted in unison.
¡°Mm, hold on, you really do make a mess,¡± Aila groaned out. She had even more of Jadis¡¯ thick seed splattered across her face and had to wipe more off to see.
Eyes cleared of cum, she looked up at the still joined Nephilim and then back over her shoulder at Syd. She kept up the steady squeeze of her legs, grinding her pussy against the throbbing shaft wedged between, her own need not yet satisfied. Still, she had the wherewithal to read out the details of her new lewd skill.
|
Nephilim Wellspring
Passive Skill. Restore your Magic Power via the seed of Nephilim. Each dram of seed absorbed into your body will restore 1 point of magic. Cannot exceed maximum magic capacity.
|
¡°That¡¯s some skill there, Blue,¡± Jadis laughed in triplicate.
¡°How much is a dram?¡± Jay asked specifically.
Aila shrugged. ¡°Not too much. When you orgasm¡ª¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°Cum,¡± Syd interrupted. ¡°You¡¯ve got my cum all over you, don¡¯t be prudish now.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± Aila huffed, ¡°when you cum you produce a large volume of fluid, more than I would think physically possible, even for your size. However that works, you¡¯re probably expelling dozens of drams each time, just from one of your bodies.¡±
¡°Sounds like we¡¯ll have to run some tests to see how much you can recharge from just one go with me,¡± Dys murmured, still very hard as she was treated to the erotic view of a seed splattered Aila and her own self entangled below her.
Jay shifted back from behind Dys, pulling her own cock from Dys as she spoke with a pleasured hiss. ¡°Also, that skill said ¡®absorb¡¯ not ¡®consume¡¯. That could mean more than one way of replenishing your power from our cum. Cumming inside you might be enough.¡±
Moving her hand to stop the flow of pearly liquid from spilling out of her core, Dys continued the thought.
¡°Though if you want to top up your magic points right now, I¡¯ve got a conveniently packaged supply right here for you.¡±
¡°That probably won¡¯t be enough,¡± Aila informed Jadis. ¡°The other skill I took was a large boost to my focus attribute called Arcanist¡¯s Reservoir. I have a two-hundred-and-fifty-point capacity now. Also,¡± she smiled nervously, ¡°I¡¯ve never done that before. With a woman.¡±
¡°No better time than now to learn,¡± Syd whispered hotly into her ear.
[Censored Sex Scene. The full scene can be viewed on ScribbleHub.com]
Aila sat on Syd¡¯s stick, motionless except for the heavy panting that moved her chest up and down, her eyes closed in bliss. After an indeterminable length of time, her right eye slitted open to look at Jay.
¡°One hundred and forty-nine points.¡± She stated simply.
¡°Nice,¡± Jay, Dys, and Syd all said, each with varying degrees of breathlessness from their activities.
¡°Still need another one hundred and one points to be full though, right?¡± Jay asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Aila replied languidly, her body gone somewhat boneless in the aftermath of her last orgasm.
¡°Well then,¡± Jay said standing and pressing her hip against her double¡¯s, presenting her throbbing erection to her in a double display, cock now side by side with Dys¡¯.
¡°Good thing we¡¯ve still got plenty of our ¡®magic potion¡¯ to supply you with,¡± Dys said, an eager, lustful grin on her pale face.
Chapter 96: Breakfast Plans
The next morning turned into a late start for Jadis and Aila. After the long day previous and their extensive ¡®testing¡¯ that went late into the night, neither were quick to be roused. When they did eventually wake, they made their way downstairs just in time to order some breakfast from the innkeeper and secure a table off to one corner. They discussed the results of their activities the night and day before over several large plates of oddly blue eggs and crispy sausages.
¡°Seems like we were able to get you around seventy magic points refilled per cli¡ª¡± Jay started, but her words were interrupted by Aila shoving a loaf of bread into her mouth.
¡°Around seventy points per emission, yes, I¡¯d say.¡±
Jay ripped off a chunk of the bread with her teeth and chewed thoughtfully, staring at the primly composed Aila as she buttered a slice of bread.
¡°Definitely a lot faster to refill you that way than just waiting around,¡± Dys continued the line of thought. ¡°Fast, doesn¡¯t cost us anything really, and it¡¯s fun, too. Not seeing much of a downside.¡±
¡°And you¡¯ll always have us on tap to give you a good filling,¡± Syd added, hiding a grin behind a bite of eggs.
Aila didn¡¯t overtly respond to Jadis¡¯ wordplay, but there was a twinkle of mirth in her eyes. Once she¡¯d taken a calming sip of tea, she pointed out the obvious.
¡°The difficulty of the skill is that if I¡¯ve run out of magic points and need to replenish my supply in a hurry, there¡¯s no way to do so out in the field, much less in the middle of battle. That¡¯s not a huge issue since skills that can do so are rare and usually much higher level, but that limitation is a minor drawback.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t we?¡± Jay asked, finally done with her mouthful of bread. ¡°Replenish out in the field, I mean. Nothing stopping us from having a quickie out in the hills.¡±
Aila gave Jay a deadpan glare. ¡°Do you really expect me to do¡ that while out in the open? With a gaggle of guards and Eir watching?¡±
¡°Maybe not,¡± Jay pulled a face. She wouldn¡¯t have minded if Eir bore witness, honestly, but the guards were a bit much.
¡°What about storing some of our, ah, ¡®Magic Potion¡¯ and saving it for later use?¡± Syd asked, making finger quotes as she explained her idea.
Aila considered the idea with a thoughtful frown. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t see why it wouldn¡¯t work, but at the same time, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m thrilled about the idea of drinking your, er, Magic Potion, after it¡¯s had time to sit. Your stuff is extremely sweet and I do like the taste,¡± Aila said, a blush deepening on her cheeks at the admission, ¡°but I¡¯m not sure it¡¯ll be the same when it isn¡¯t¡ fresh.¡±
Dys shrugged, humming around an undersized for her forkful of sausage. ¡°Not sure, but it might be. We should still probably test it, just to see how viable it is.¡±
The idea of Aila carrying around a flask of her spunk for later consumption was kind of hot, Jadis privately thought, but didn¡¯t say aloud. The practical use of the stored jizz was of more importance, anyway.
¡°It¡¯s alright if we can¡¯t refill until night though,¡± Aila said, breaking into Jadis¡¯ musings. ¡°Most mages have some kind of skill that helps them replenish their magic power during downtimes eventually, but even then, they have to be judicious in their usage of their spells. That¡¯s fairly standard. I¡¯ll just have to make sure to not go overboard on the spells every fight. Though if I continue to concentrate on the Focus attribute to increase my magic capacity, I¡¯ll be able to cast a lot more spells before I run out.¡±
That was a fair plan, she had to admit, but still, Jadis wanted to find a way to push their combined fighting efficiency to the furthest limit it could go. As far as she could tell, the reason why everyone Jadis had met so far seemed to be much slower in class growth than her wasn¡¯t just that she was effectively her own team and could tackle stronger enemies than a solo of similar level could, but also because the people of Oros were cautious and methodical in their approach. They didn¡¯t take big risks and instead fought demons in large groups, granting a greater degree of safety to the inherently dangerous task. Not that Jadis could blame them, minimizing risks made sense enough, but Jadis found that she couldn¡¯t live that way. She wanted to push her boundaries. So long as she was willing, she¡¯d help push Aila¡¯s boundaries too.
An idea Jadis had thought of a day or two previously popped back into the fore of her mind as she considered how to handle any midday refills Aila might need to keep her going as hard and long as Jadis was able to. Snickering at her own unvoiced pun, she explained her idea to her companion.
¡°I know this might sound like a step backwards but hear me out. How would you feel about driving a wagon again?¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
¡°I¡¯d hate it,¡± Aila answered immediately, staring at Dys like she¡¯d just suggested shearing all of her long hair off. ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡±
Dys grinned at Aila¡¯s obvious displeasure. ¡°Not saying you should go back to your old day job, but what about the idea of having a mobile base of operations, that sort of thing?¡±
¡°Basically picture a large, covered wagon we could use to store and carry our supplies and loot while out and about, but also something we could use to take refuge in when we need some privacy for certain ¡®filling¡¯ activities throughout the day,¡± Syd explained further, arching an eyebrow.
¡°We could even use it to camp out in the field when we want to go on longer, further ranging expeditions,¡± Jay finished the pitch and waited expectantly for Aila¡¯s reaction.
At first, Aila looked unconvinced, her brow furrowed. She opened her mouth, then closed it. Taking another sip of slowly cooling tea, she tilted her head in a somewhat perplexed expression.
¡°The idea does have some merit,¡± she finally voiced her take on the plan. ¡°Your obvious attempts to indulge in ¡®fun¡¯ activities while we¡¯re out hunting aside, it would be useful to have a way to transport supplies and any useful materials we gather in the field. Supply wagons are common enough in mercenary companies that are going on longer ranging expeditions, never mind military campaigns. It could work. It would slow us down compared to your usual pace though.¡±
¡°Not necessarily,¡± Jay countered. ¡°The wagon wouldn¡¯t need to follow us every step of the way. We could ride it out into the field and then use it as a kind of central point, going in circles around it. As long as we don¡¯t forget where we left it, we can just come back for it when we¡¯re ready.¡±
¡°I could put traps around it to prevent any interference,¡± Aila noted while munching on a piece of sausage.
¡°Exactly!¡± Syd exclaimed excitedly.
¡°And as you so ably demonstrated yesterday, you could pull it, too,¡± Aila smiled prettily at Syd.
All three of Jadis gave exasperated sighs and rolled their eyes.
¡°We didn¡¯t suggest this so we can turn into beasts of burden,¡± Dys said with a mock scowl.
¡°And I didn¡¯t plan on ever returning to being a cart driver, but here we are,¡± Aila said sweetly.
They discussed the idea further as they finished their breakfasts, concluding that a wagon would be beneficial but if they were going to get one, it would need to be one more suitable to their needs than the typical model of vehicle available in Felsen. Jadis¡¯ size meant a regular wagon would be a tight fit if they used it as a mobile room to retreat into, so they¡¯d need something with more space. A custom job sounded like something Sabina the half-elf smith could help with, so they decided to discuss the idea with her as a next stop after they visited the city hall to turn in their demon bounties. The cost of such a construction wouldn¡¯t be cheap and they would no doubt require a lot of coin to commission such a project, never mind the cost of aurochs to pull the wagon. The reward Jadis had gotten from the caravan merchant would help, though they would still have to see if the idea was even within reason for their current budget.
Before they got up from their seats around the table, or in the case of Jadis¡¯ selves, the floor around the table, Jay broached the topic of what she¡¯d seen the demon hatchling doing while Aila and her doubles were otherwise engaged.
¡°It was doing what?¡± Aila asked incredulously.
Jay nodded, leaning in a little closer. The only person in the open main room of the inn besides the plump innkeeper was an older man sitting at a table reading a book. Jadis thought he might be the innkeeper¡¯s husband but she wasn¡¯t sure. Either way, she didn¡¯t want him or the kindly innkeeper to overhear any talks about demons that were currently staying in the room upstairs.
¡°Definitely mimicking your motions,¡± she said, reinforcing the idea with some movements of her hand. ¡°Locked on, too. Its eye never left the show.¡±
Aila looked uncomfortable, one finger scratching her cheek. ¡°That could just be because we were the only thing for it to look at to begin with. I mean, I suppose I wouldn¡¯t expect the little monster to be staring at the wall when there¡¯s a bunch of movement right in front of it.¡±
¡°Maybe so,¡± Jay shrugged. ¡°But it was copying us, or trying to, anyway. I don¡¯t know what that might mean in the long run, but I want to see if I can figure out how much it understands.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re so insistent in pursuing this line of thinking,¡± Aila sighed. ¡°What do you hope to achieve? Even if, by some strange chance, you¡¯re able to figure out a way to communicate with this little demon and they show they have some modicum of intelligence, what would that accomplish? The Spawn of Samleos are only on Oros for one purpose. They serve his will unconditionally. No good comes from them, only corruption and destruction.¡±
¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± Jay shrugged. Her other selves got up from their seats on the floor as she spoke. Dys ran back up the stairs to retrieve the loot items they had left there while Syd spoke to the innkeeper about buying a few sundry supplies and provisions that she might be willing to part with.
Jay continued her thought, helping Aila to her feet and keeping her head close to hers so she could hear her soft-spoken words. ¡°I just have to know what¡¯s possible. It might lead to nothing, but I have to try before I can give up on it.¡±
Aila frowned but didn¡¯t reject what Jadis was saying. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she quickly leaned her head closer to Jay while she was still bent near and gave her a small kiss on the cheek.
¡°Okay. We¡¯ll see where it goes.¡±
An unexpected warmth suffused Jadis¡¯ hearts at the adorably sweet gesture. She was struck with a sudden impulse to embrace her companion but held back. She didn¡¯t want to make a bigger deal out of the act than Aila probably meant by it.
Still, as Aila and Jadis left the inn with all their gear and loot, Jadis couldn¡¯t help but take a risk. The height difference got in the way of making her movements seem casual, but she followed through anyway. As Dys and Syd walked ahead of them, Jay reached down and took Aila¡¯s hand in her own.
Aila didn¡¯t pull away and, after a few steps, squeezed Jay¡¯s hand a little tighter.
A giddy grin spread uncontrollably across Jadis¡¯ faces. She didn¡¯t need to look to see that Aila was maintaining her normal, completely neutral expression, but she wore a hint of a blush that spoke volumes to someone who knew her.
Chapter 97: Worktable Talk
The trip to the city hall came with no unpleasant surprises despite Jadis¡¯ expectations of there being some kind of interference from the magistrate yet again. The caravan rescue from the day previous had been, if nothing else, another big red flag indicating an uptick in demonic activity, what with the bramble fiends showing up in an area of Weigrun they weren¡¯t supposed to be normally.
The streets of Far Felsen were even quieter than they normally were with its evacuation-reduced population. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure why, but there were definitely fewer guards and mercenaries out and about that day. There were, of course, the two guards still following her at a respectful distance. There were also still some merchants and tradesmen going about their normal business. Still, less of a military presence.
No guards or government officials got in her way at the city hall, though, and that suited Jadis just fine. She and Aila were able to turn in their bounties and receive a sizeable number of coins in exchange. The demon eye cores that they delivered weren¡¯t anything special like the grundwyrms or the arcane corruptor of flesh, but they had killed dozens upon dozens of twisted wretches and also had a good number of bramble fiends to turn in as well. Sheer bulk made for a good income.
After the city hall, they headed for the crafter¡¯s quarters near the docks and found Sabina in her usual shared smithy space. It was late morning by then due to their slow start to the day. The crafters in the city were hard workers but it seemed many had taken a break for lunch. Not Sabina, though. She was still banging away with hammer and anvil. Since there was less activity around and inside the workshop, Jadis took the opportunity to duck down and take a look inside the forge. For the first time, Jadis was able to observe the half-elf at work, never having been able to get a good look into the workshop before.
Sabina seemed like a whole different person with a hammer in her hand. Gone were her restless movements and nervous energy. With a look of absolute concentration she pounded a large hammer down on a red-hot lump of steel, folding and shaping it with shocking speed. Each of her hammer strikes were delivered with strength and precision, the powerful movements causing the half-elf¡¯s muscles to shift and flex in mesmerizing ways. In seconds she had turned the lump into a long, thin, perfectly proportioned bar.
Satisfied with the result, she shoved the heated metal back into the large forge to keep it heated and wiped some sweat from her bronzed brow with the back of her arm. Her eyes drifted and she finally noticed Aila and the three giants watching her. Excitement lit up her face as she rushed over, then turned around and rushed back to her anvil to put down her hammer and tongs, then practically sprinted to the quartet.
¡°How¡¯s it going, Sabina?¡± Syd called out with a grin as the smith quickly approached. ¡°Hard at work today?¡±
¡°Oh yes, very busy!¡± Sabina replied with her own wide grin. ¡°I¡¯ve been working very hard and getting a lot done and I¡¯m sorry but I couldn¡¯t quite finish your helmets in time for today but I did finish your request for a cage for that demon hatchling you¡¯re carrying around which is still a very odd thing to do and I hope it doesn''t cause you any trouble but I suppose it''s your business and that¡¯s okay as long as you¡¯re taking precautions and it¡¯s not like a hatchling can do much anyways but still I think you¡¯d better be careful so I made you this!¡±
Once again Sabina released a verbal torrent at Jadis. Fortunately, it was getting easier for her to understand the hyper half-elf each time they spoke. The end result of the run-on sentence was easy enough to gather anyway as the excitable smith pulled a boxy device from under a nearby workbench and thrust it into Syd¡¯s hands.
¡°I don¡¯t know which one you are but I guess it doesn''t matter for this since it¡¯s a commission for all three of you, not that I¡¯m saying it doesn''t matter who you are because of course all three of you are individuals and shouldn¡¯t be thought of as interchangeable just because you¡¯re identical triplets but I just mean that in this case it doesn''t matter which of you takes this cage since it was meant for the demon hatchling and not as a specific item for just one of you.¡±
¡°Thank you, Sabina,¡± Syd smirked, trying not to laugh at the smith¡¯s awkward and, unknown to her, ironic explanation. She had no desire to offend the girl. She really quite liked her. ¡°This looks way better than what we¡¯re using right now.¡±
Indeed, the metal box did look far sturdier than a simple glass jar. Shaped like a cube, the cage edges were made of solid steel. The face of each side was made from thick glass and had steel wires running across the front of them in a grid pattern, reinforcing and protecting the glass. The top of the cage was hinged and had a simple latch on it that had a padlock put on.
¡°Did you make the lock too?¡± Aila asked, a little bit of surprise coloring her voice.
¡°No, no, that would have taken a lot more time to make something with pins and springs and tumblers and the key to match so I just bought one that fit well enough when I was buying the glass plates from Zeckia so that kept it simple. I mean, I could have made the lock if I had the time and I probably could have added in some extra security measures to it but this lock is sturdy so it should do alright for the purpose unless you think its not enough in which case I can probably find you something better and¡ª¡±
¡°No, this is perfect,¡± Syd interrupted Sabina gently. ¡°I¡¯m certain the little demon won¡¯t be able to get out of this and I¡¯m not too worried about anyone trying to pick the lock.¡±
Sabina smiled and sighed in relief before her expression turned suddenly pensive.
¡°So, you¡¯re not mad that I couldn¡¯t get the helmets done?¡±
¡°Why would we be angry about that?¡± Jay laughed. ¡°The speed at which you made everything else so far is amazing. We can wait a little longer for the helmets.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
¡°Oh good,¡± Sabina seemed genuinely relieved by Jay¡¯s words. ¡°I thought you might go to someone else if I couldn¡¯t get these items done quickly and I wouldn¡¯t blame you because I¡¯m really not the best smith in Felsen or even the third best in fact I probably don¡¯t rate the top ten so if you wanted to get your weapons and armor from someone more experienced than me I¡¯d understand.¡±
¡°Lucky for you, you¡¯ve earned our brand loyalty,¡± Jay reassured her. ¡°Good customer service goes a long way.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Sabina chirped, looking confused but happy. ¡°Well, okay then!¡±
¡°We do have other things to discuss with you, though,¡± Dys called for the half-elf¡¯s attention. ¡°Starting with this shield.¡±
Dys rapped her knuckles against the huge wooden shield she¡¯d carried with her. She¡¯d propped it up against the open side of the workshop, the towering device reaching the roofline easily. She had placed it so the inner side of the shield was facing them.
¡°It worked pretty well when we needed to block some bile spray,¡± Dys started, giving her accounting of how the shield worked in the field, ¡°but it¡¯s also pretty cumbersome. It¡¯s so big, even for me, that I can¡¯t see over the top or around the sides easily. Hard to tell what the enemy is doing on the other side, you know? Also, it¡¯s hard to run with. The weight was no problem, but the size made it awkward to jog with because the edges kept hitting the ground.¡±
Jadis had been a little worried that her criticisms of the shield would be met with some melodramatic show of despair and disappointment from the smith, but other than a thoughtful frown, Sabina didn¡¯t seem downcast at all. Instead, she jumped into the feedback with gusto, asking for more details on what could be done to make the shield better.
¡°I have to admit that since it was a rush job and I did make it from the unused parts of a castle door that hadn¡¯t been needed that there¡¯s probably a lot lacking in the design but I was hoping that the weight and sturdiness of something this big could help make up for any sightline issues.
¡°Most tower shields are typically at about this ratio to a soldier¡¯s height,¡± she explained as she discussed the problems Dys had. She used a measuring stick of wood to illustrate her points, holding it up against her own body for scale. ¡°Less coverage but more than enough for most combat purposes. In Volto they use a shield called the Scutum that has more of a curve to help deflect sword and spear strikes away. I could make something more like that but it would take time. Or, if you want, I could make a larger version of the round shields typically used by the armies here in Alfhilderunn? They¡¯re fairly cheap to make and are solid enough, it wouldn¡¯t take as long to make them either and then all three of you could have shield protection.¡±
¡°Well, before you make any other shields, I want to say that I don¡¯t think the giant door shield here is a complete waste though,¡± Dys clarified. ¡°But what I would like is for you to make some modifications to it.¡±
With Sabina¡¯s interest locked in, Jadis explained what she was thinking.
Rather than use the huge tower shield as a typical shield, she wanted to use it more as a mobile fortification for protecting Aila. If foldable struts could be placed on the back side of the shield, Jadis could place the shield and put it in whatever spot on the battlefield she needed it to be and leave it in place for Aila to use as cover from any basic ranged attacks or spells that might be pointed her way. It could still be picked up and used as an overlarge shield when needed, but by turning it into a portable barricade instead the device would serve a far more useful purpose to Jadis in that it would help ensure her vulnerable backline mage more protection than she would otherwise have.
¡°That¡¯s doable! Very doable!¡± Sabina exclaimed excitedly. ¡°Plus, I can add some spikes onto the bottom edge to make it bite into the ground more so it¡¯s hard to move if anything heavy hits it. Oh! I could also add some belts and pouches on the backside too, so you can store extra weapons or supplies on it that you can have some easy access to!¡±
¡°Go wild,¡± Jay chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll leave the shield here for you to work on. Do what you can and when it¡¯s ready, we¡¯ll take it out for a test.¡±
¡°We had some other ideas, too,¡± Aila spoke up. ¡°Some modifications to Syd¡¯s lance for one, and maybe some new weapons for Jay and Dys. But the major project that probably isn¡¯t your specialty that we are thinking about is a custom-sized wagon.¡±
¡°A wagon?¡± Sabina repeated, head tilting to one side. She brushed sweaty black hair from her eyes and gave Aila a half-shrug. ¡°Wagons are more the business of cartwrights than smiths but I can see what I can do if you have an idea you want me to work on. Crafting of any kind is fun!¡±
Jadis and Aila told the smith about what they had come up with while talking over breakfast and walking through the city, starting with a few half-formed ideas and suggestions for weapons but quickly breaking into ideas for the wagon. The half-elf became more interested and energetic as the explanation went on, chiming in more and more as the ideas started to flow, adding in her own thoughts and suggestions. Halfway through she grabbed a large piece of crumpled paper from a worktable drawer and a piece of charcoal and was sketching the design out. By the time they had fully outlined the plan for the wagon, she was hooked and excited to work on the odd vehicle.
¡°I¡¯ll have to enlist some carpenters to help with this, but I¡¯ll make it for you!¡± Sabina brightly assured Jadis and Aila. She folded the plans up and tucked them away in her leather apron. ¡°It¡¯ll take time, but I can¡¯t wait to see how it turns out!¡±
¡°Neither can we,¡± Jay said with a grin, the half-elf¡¯s excitement contagious. ¡°We¡¯ll leave you to your work for now then.¡±
¡°But if you want to join us for dinner some time, you are welcome to,¡± Syd added, drawing a surprised look from the smith. ¡°We can appreciate your work ethic, but you should probably take a break every now and then, right?¡±
¡°Um, okay? That sounds¡ nice?¡±
The idea of taking a break seemed to confuse Sabina. That or she was just flustered to be asked out for a meal. Either way, Jadis passed the smith a downpayment of silver coins as well as the large number of recyclable weapons she¡¯d taken from the battlefield.
Bidding the smith a good rest of her day, Jadis and Aila left the workshop. It was a little past noon then but the summer days were long. There was time enough to do a half-day excursion into the hills to hunt some demons. They decided eating a hot meal rather than trail rations made sense since they were still in town anyway and started heading for the Archway restaurant they¡¯d dined at several times before.
As they left the crafter¡¯s quarters of the city and made their way towards the more mercantile district, Jadis spotted a sign hanging over the door of a two-story building that prompted her to stop. She still couldn¡¯t read the local script, but the image on the sign was descriptive enough. A happy and drunk-looking, almost cartoonish horse was holding up a mug of beer, foamy amber liquid spilling over the edge.
¡°Does that sign say ¡®The Tipsy Mule?¡¯ by any chance?¡± Dys asked, pointing the sign in question out to her companion.
Aila looked and nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Did you read that? You¡¯re getting better at recognizing the letters, well done!¡±
With a smile, Dys started walking towards the tavern, her other selves and Aila following behind. Chances were low that her target would be around at the current time of day, but there was no reason not to check.
¡°Let¡¯s stop here for lunch. There might be someone inside who owes us a drink.¡±
Chapter 98: The Tipsy Mule
The Tipsy Mule wasn¡¯t the kind of establishment Jadis would ever have considered entering in her previous life back on Earth. The poorly lit interior was just as rough and grimy as the mercenaries patronizing it were. The smell of sour beer pervaded the large open room, with undertones of mud and blood occasionally coming through. The tables and chairs looked like they¡¯d been broken and mended and broken again over the course of years, a similarity they shared with the mutton-chopped barkeeper¡¯s nose.
Jadis ducked in through the doorway with the bold confidence her experiences on Oros had given her. She wasn¡¯t a scrawny college student anymore. She was a three-bodied giant with the strength to lift boulders like basketballs. A few rough-looking men drinking in a dank bar in the middle of the day weren¡¯t the kind of potential threats she had to be concerned about anymore. She faced literal demons on a daily basis.
All that being said, one thing Aila had pointed out to her was that there was no way to know an individual¡¯s class level without an item made with the detect enchantment or a skill that did the same thing. Any of the gruff men could be hugely higher in level than her or Aila and thus a bigger threat than they looked. Then again, she could be any level to them, too, unless they had a way to check her. That was one reason level anonymity was generally encouraged in the Empire. Less fights were started when people couldn¡¯t know for sure just how strong the person they were squaring up against was.
The patrons of the Tipsy Mule stared at Jadis as she entered the building, all conversations cut off. They continued to stare, even after Aila entered and the four of them approached the bar. The quiet intensity was starting to creep her out a little, but at least the barkeeper looked relatively unfazed. He still had a mug in hand, cleaning it with a wet rag. The stereotypical action of the barman was strangely amusing, but Jadis supposed it made sense. Stereotypes existed for a reason and bars needed clean mugs, after all.
Jadis ran her eyes over the crowd as they crossed the room. While there were about a dozen different men in the bar that all looked like the typical mercenary type, some of them even wearing armor and sporting weapons strapped to belts, none of them were either therions or female. Kerr was disappointingly not around.
Greeting the barkeeper with a nod, Dys opened up with a question.
¡°Have you seen a therion woman around here? About this tall, big horns? Goes by the name Kerr?¡± Dys held her hand up against Aila, demonstrating Kerr¡¯s height and drawing a bemused glance from the redhead.
The barkeeper grunted and turned his head to the side, looking down the bar to where it terminated in a ninety-degree angle a few feet before hitting the wall. At first, Jadis didn¡¯t see what the silent man was staring at, but then Aila let out a cough of a laugh and motioned Jadis¡¯ eyes lower.
A pair of boots were sticking out from behind the side of the bar. The boots had a certain familiarity to them, too.
Glancing at the barkeeper for confirmation, he simply nodded once, hands still occupied with the mug and rag. Looking at Aila, she gave no indication one way or the other about what Jadis should do next. So, Dys stepped closer and looked down to see the shaggy-haired therion sleeping on the floor, a barstool wrapped in her arms like a body pillow.
Once more glancing around and seeing no other options, Dys leaned on the bar with one hand and quietly called out to the sleeping mercenary.
¡°Hey, Kerr. You alive down there?¡±
No response came. Nor did any response come when she tried a few more times, getting a little louder with each attempt.
Getting nowhere fast, Jadis decided on a more direct approach. Pulling out a small silver acorn coin, Syd put it on the counter and wordlessly pointed at the barkeeper¡¯s wet, stained cleaning rag. The man paused, shrugged, then tossed her the rag before taking the coin. A second later, he had a new dirty rag in hand, pulled from somewhere Jadis hadn¡¯t been quick enough to catch, cleaning the same mug again.
Pinched between two fingers, Syd passed her purchase to Dys who then promptly dropped the damp cloth directly on top of the passed out therion¡¯s face with a wet splat.
Letting out a rather unladylike snort, Kerr sat up, barstool still clutched to her chest as she tossed the rag off with her other hand. A growl that only passed the lips of the severely hungover emanated from her as she looked blearily around.
¡°What¡¯s the big fucking idea?¡± she grumbled with an obviously dry throat.
Dys waved one hand, catching her attention, an act she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ever need to do ever since she realized just how eye-catching she was to the average imperial citizen.
¡°Hey. Bad time for that drink?¡±
The scowl on Kerr¡¯s face lessened, then disappeared completely as the fact of who was talking to her pierced the fog of sleep and any alcohol still in her system.
¡°Well hey there big stuff,¡± she smiled wolfishly. ¡°I was kind of hoping you¡¯d find me for the party last night, but I¡¯m good for a morning round.¡±
¡°It¡¯s noon,¡± Dys corrected.
¡°Whatever,¡± Kerr dismissed.
Using the stool to leverage herself back to her feet, she held the object for a moment longer, looking a little confused, then shrugged and passed it to the barkeeper who took it without hesitation. Still wearing her armor but sans bow and quiver, the groggy archer brushed past Dys and made her way to the largest table in the bar that was set off to one side. Unfortunately, it was already occupied by three men.
¡°Move, porca puttana. I want this table,¡± she said to the man sitting closest to her.
The big, bearded, heavily muscled human man looked like he¡¯d fit right in with just about any biker gang back on Earth in Jadis¡¯ estimation. His bare arms were covered in tattoos and the thick scar running across his brow spoke to a life of violence. He got up and revealed that he stood just as tall as the shaggy therion, minus the horns, but outweighed her by at least a hundred pounds, probably more. As he turned to look the feral-eyed archer in the face, going toe-to-toe with her, Jadis was briefly worried that she was about to witness an honest-to-goodness barfight.
¡°All yours, ma¡¯am,¡± the man rumbled out subserviently with a small bow of his head.
With raised eyebrows, Jadis watched the big man and his two fellow roughnecks meekly leave their table and take up seats at one as far away in the open room as they could.
Kerr flopped gracelessly into one of the chairs, letting out a small huff. She motioned for the three watching giants to take seats with a lazy wave of her hand, then flashed a hand signal Jadis didn¡¯t recognize to the silent barkeeper who nodded once, then started pouring mugs of ale from a tap. As she relaxed, the rest of the bar relaxed as well, the other patrons finally relenting in their constant vigilance as they turned back to their own quiet conversations.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
The chairs were, like everywhere else, unsuitable for Jadis¡¯ use so she simply moved them aside as her three selves took seats on the floor around the table, drawing an amused snort from the lounging therion. Aila took her own seat at the table, prompting a furrowed glance from Kerr as she acknowledged the human for the first time.
¡°And who in Samleos¡¯ ballsack are you?¡±
¡°Charming. My name is Aila,¡± she replied with a studiously deadpan expression.
¡°We¡¯re partners,¡± Jay added clarification, putting her hand on the floor as she leaned back, then immediately regretting the move. The stone floor of the tavern wasn¡¯t cleaned as frequently as her own cozy inn.
The information drew no more comment from Kerr, though she did toss the redhead another appraising look.
¡°Impressive how you got those guys to just fuck off like that with no trouble,¡± Dys spoke up. ¡°They friends of yours?¡±
¡°Nope,¡± Kerr immediately denied. ¡°Don¡¯t know ¡®em, don¡¯t care. They¡¯re just regular enough here to know to get out of my way.¡±
¡°What, win a lot of fights in here?¡± Syd asked with a grin.
¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s not why. They know I own this place, so I¡¯d toss them out on their flat ears if they talked back.¡±
The revelation surprised Jadis. She hadn¡¯t expected the brusque, cavalier woman to be any kind of business owner.
¡°You run a bar? Really?¡± Dys asked incredulously.
¡°What are you trying to say? You don¡¯t think I could run a bar?¡± Kerr raised her lip in a half-snarl, bearing sharp teeth at Dys.
¡°You don¡¯t look the type, no,¡± Dys answered honestly. ¡°Can¡¯t imagine you waiting on a customer with that attitude.¡±
Kerr laughed, her snarl turning into a lazy smile as she relaxed back in her chair. A moment later the barkeep came out from behind the counter and placed filled wooden mugs down in front of the five women. Kerr took up her ale and motioned towards the retreating man.
¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯d suck at that. S¡¯why I said I own the place, not that I run it. Hans over there does all the hard work, I¡¯m just the mostly absent investor.¡± She took a pull of the amber liquid and let out a sigh of satisfaction. ¡°Take some advice from an experienced mercenary. Invest your coin. Can¡¯t kill monsters and demons forever and its good to have a fallback plan if and when bounties dry up.¡±
Kerr made fair points. Jadis hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead, not from a financial standpoint. So far, she¡¯d been spending all the money she made as quickly as she got it, constantly upgrading her equipment and inventory. Setting some coin aside for investments that could be used for future downtime and maybe even retirement was an obvious move that she just hadn¡¯t even considered.
¡°Thanks for the advice,¡± Jadis said with all three voices at once, causing Kerr to startle and cough up some ale.
¡°Cazzo! Don¡¯t fucking do that, assholes!¡± she exclaimed, wiping some of the spilled alcohol from her lips and chin. ¡°Which one of you is the one I was talking to yesterday? And which one pulled the bramble off with her bare hands like a fucking beast?¡±
Dys raised her hand at the first question while Syd raised her hand at the second. Realizing that she hadn¡¯t actually introduced her selves to Kerr, she rectified the situation and named her three personas while taking sips of her own mugs of ale. To her surprise, the quality of the foamy alcohol was actually quite good, prompting her to take deeper gulps that drained the undersized-for-her mugs quickly.
¡°Huh. Alright, well, no way I¡¯m keeping those names straight. You three are way too identical. Therion littermates are usually pretty close in looks, but damn you three are eerily alike in looks and movement,¡± Kerr commented over the lip of her own mug. ¡°You three have got to be doing that on purpose.¡±
¡°You have no idea,¡± Aila murmured under her breath as she took her own sip.
¡°So, are you an independent mercenary too?¡± Jay asked, steering the conversation away from the peculiarities of her apparent triplet nature before Kerr could think too hard about it.
If Kerr noticed or cared about the obvious topic change, she made no sign.
¡°Yeah, of course. Wouldn¡¯t catch me dead in one of those trumped-up pseudo militaries. Way too restrictive,¡± she said while making a face. ¡°Who wants some stuck-up yagovo telling you what to do, what to eat, where to shit, and everything else for fucking years. Better to be your own boss. Set your own rules, your own hours, be your own woman, am I right?¡±
Kerr punctuated the question with her drink raised in a mock toast. Playing along, Jadis reached all three of her arms across the table to clunk her wooden cups against the therion¡¯s.
¡°Fuck yeah,¡± Jadis said in unison again, purposefully goading Kerr, a fact that the therion noticed and grinned wickedly in response.
Aila didn¡¯t join in the toast, but a small, amused smile played across her lips as she watched. With careful words, she added her own commentary.
¡°There are actual benefits to signing up to work in a mercenary company, you know. Stability, training, equipment and other resources to name a few reasons. It¡¯s not just endless orders, either.¡±
Kerr made a farting noise with her lips at Aila in response.
¡°No surprises there. I pegged you as one of those types from the start,¡± she said, leaning towards Aila and shaking her horned head. ¡°I bet you¡¯re a mage, too, aren¡¯t you? Got a wizard¡¯s staff stuck up your butt, I bet. Keeping your back straight.¡±
Aila¡¯s posture stiffened even more at the accusation, forcing Jadis to stifle her laughter.
¡°No sticks up there, I assure you,¡± Syd defended her friend. ¡°I¡¯d know, checked last night.¡±
The questionable defense drew a sly grin from Kerr and a blush from Aila.
¡°Oh really?¡± Kerr purred, her catlike eyes roving over Aila indecently. ¡°How exactly did you¡ª¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s quite enough of that,¡± Aila immediately cut the conversation short as she gave Syd a glare that promised punishment at a later date.
Jadis took the silent rebuke without complaint. She liked to tease her companion, but she wouldn¡¯t cross any lines she wasn¡¯t comfortable with. Kerr looked like she was going to press the issue, though, so Jadis grabbed the therion¡¯s attention by asking for info about the caravan and how it had come to be ambushed by demons.
The horned and possibly horny mercenary took the subject change with some reluctance, but after a little prompting, she got into the spirit of storytelling and soon enough was spilling all the details.
The caravan had come from a large settlement to the northeast of Felsen called Brightstone. It was one of the few populated towns in Weigrun that had an operational mine. Shipments of eleria were still a regular export from the town so caravans went to and from Brightstone regularly. As an independent mercenary, Kerr frequently signed up as a guard for the caravans that needed extra muscle.
¡°I¡¯m CLR fifty-four,¡± she confided as she told her story. ¡°So I can charge a little extra than the standard guards, but I¡¯m not as expensive as mercs sixty and up.¡±
¡°Not too far away from your tertiary class, though,¡± Aila acknowledged. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to charge a premium soon enough.¡±
¡°Damn right,¡± Kerr grinned wolfishly.
Jadis didn¡¯t ask for clarification, not seeing any reason to bring attention to her own ignorance if it wasn¡¯t necessary. She was confident in the answer based off of context clues anyway. It seemed the question as to what unlocked a person¡¯s tertiary class was a combined level rating of sixty.
She didn¡¯t think level sixty was all that huge of an accomplishment considering how fast she had gone from a CLR of one to thirty-seven, but then again, she had to admit her experience was wildly different from what the average person on Oros had. Level sixty probably took years, if not decades for some people to reach, especially if they weren¡¯t fighting demons that provided bonus experience on a near daily basis like she was.
The line of thought did make her wonder how most other people got their levels when they weren¡¯t fighting. Clearly, they had to get experience from doing work that was related to their class. That was how Sabina was getting her experience, from what Jadis understood. Did that mean Jadis was getting experience whenever she was performing her perverted rituals? Could she, theoretically, fuck her way to a higher level?
The thought of how she could potentially level via sustained lewdness was so distracting that Jadis nearly missed it when Kerr and Aila¡¯s conversation, which had continued as she was lost in thought, turned back her way.
¡°So, what do you think?¡± Kerr asked, eyeing Syd expectantly.
Blinking, she looked at Aila who was also looking at her patiently, one eyebrow raised in question.
¡°Sorry, run that by me again? I got distracted thinking about sex.¡±
Kerr burst out in a fit of laughter while Aila managed to look both resigned and embarrassed. Jay and Dys added to the show by giving their ¡°sister¡± disappointed looks and tutting as though they weren¡¯t also as equally clueless to the question.
¡°Fucking donkey cocks,¡± Kerr snorted out a unique explicative. She got control of her laughter a few moments later and gave Syd a lascivious look. ¡°We can talk about whatever you were fantasizing later. How do you three,¡± and with that word she motioned towards Jay and Dys as well, ¡°feel about teaming up for a job? Could use some major brawn paired with at least some brains for this. I know you¡¯ve got the brawn and the redhead here qualifies for the brains part, so if you four are a packaged deal, I¡¯m making you an offer.¡±
Chapter 99: Job Offer
If a person were to ride two days¡¯ travel along the coastline east of Far Felsen, they would eventually find themselves in the port village of Alawar. Set up within a natural coastal cove, the village had sported a rapidly growing population of more than a thousand imperial citizens with expansive construction projects constantly in the works, at least until the evacuation had brought everything to an abrupt halt. Unlike many of the other recent colony settlements in Weigrun, Alawar had not been founded for the precious mineral eleria nor was it set up as one of the many support villages whose only purpose was to supply food to the mining settlements further inland. Alawar had been established by Stenger and Son¡¯s, a merchant guild, for the purpose of harvesting a natural resource only found in Weigrun: Kettle Crabs.
Large, roundish, and thick-shelled, kettle crabs were found abundantly in the cold waters of Weigrun¡¯s southern coast but nowhere else. Each full-grown crab was large enough that the peak of their rounded back could reach up to the average human man¡¯s knee and was wide enough that they couldn¡¯t quite fit through a standard doorframe. Weighing several hundred pounds from the weight of their heavy shells, the crabs were considered a lesser magical beast. Capable of casting a few spells that allowed them to heat the area around them, even to the point of boiling water, kettle crabs were still weak enough that they posed no real danger to the average person. A fisherman with a long, special-made pole with a hook on the end was all that was needed to safely farm the crabs.
While kettle crabs could be eaten and did in fact taste good so long as they were prepared fresh, foodstuffs were not why Stenger and Son¡¯s were farming the magic crustaceans. A special organ could be harvested from kettle crabs that, with the right tools and methods, could be easily processed into an ingredient vital to the production of permanent warming enchantments and cold-resistance potions. The value of this ingredient could not be overstated, especially not in Weigrun, a subcontinent that stretched far to the south of the central continent, where winters were long and harsh.
Alawar was not one of the settlements that had been reopened when Second Prince Kestil had started his reclamation project. While monetarily important to Stenger and Son¡¯s as well as other merchant guilds, the-out-of-the-way cove wasn¡¯t of strategic importance to the military effort, nor were new heat enchantment supplies strictly necessary to the resumed mining efforts. The village had sat empty for two years, inhabited solely by seabirds, kettle crabs, and whatever other animals found the abandoned buildings to be convenient shelter. And, of course, whatever demons might be haunting the place.
There were no plans to resettle Alawar any time soon, probably not until the demonic invasion had run its course at the earliest. But at least some production of the kettle crab ingredients could be resumed from within the walls of Felsen, since mercenaries could still bring in the needed heat-organ from their hunts. That was to say, they could resume production if the right tool could be recovered from the processing workshop left behind in abandoned Alawar.
¡°It¡¯s a tall metal cauldron with a lot of tubes and stuff coming out of it,¡± Kerr poorly explained. ¡°Supposed to be pretty unmistakable. Heavy as a god¡¯s ass, too. But we wouldn¡¯t have to worry about finding it or carrying it. We¡¯d just be hired muscle there to keep the transporters safe.¡±
¡°Why do the merchants want it now? And how do they know its even still there?¡± Jay asked between bites of meat pie. ¡°And if it''s so big and heavy, how are they planning on getting it from Alawar to Felsen?¡±
The meat pie was another surprise the Tipsy Mule had, much like the excellent ale. When Jadis had asked Kerr if there was anything to eat in the inn, the therion had said there were two items on the menu. One was a meat pie, the other wasn¡¯t. Choosing the meat pie, they turned out to be small, flakey pastries with savory meat filling that had just a hint of spice. Hans, the barkeeper, was also the maker of said pies and took Jadis¡¯ three selves¡¯ obvious enjoyment of the meal with a muted air of satisfaction, especially after Jadis ordered a dozen more.
¡°To the first, I don¡¯t know and I don¡¯t care so long as they¡¯re paying,¡± Kerr answered Jay¡¯s question. ¡°To the second, they know it was there two months ago from a scout¡¯s report. Probably hasn¡¯t changed. Who¡¯s going to try and loot a giant fuck-off cauldron? Even if it¡¯s magically enchanted and expensive, you¡¯d still need to find someone to sell it to. What branleur would go through the trouble to try and steal and hawk a device meant for one damn thing that you can only do around here? They¡¯d get caught damn fast.
¡°To the last, the same way they got it from Felsen to Alawar. A fucking ship, of course. We sail over, we clear any demons that might be around to eat the haulers, they load the fancy cauldron onto the ship, we get back on board and we leave. Simple job.¡±
¡°That does sound simple enough,¡± Jay nodded in agreement. ¡°What¡¯s the pay?¡±
¡°Five eagles each,¡± Kerr said with a sharp-toothed grin. ¡°And we get to keep any demon eyes we might kill for bounties. Great pay for what¡¯ll be an easy job done in couple days at most.¡±
¡°Suspiciously good pay,¡± Aila commented. She had declined to eat any of the meat pies, professing she was still full from their late breakfast and had kept to nursing just the one mug of ale. ¡°How many mercenaries will there be on guard duty? How many laborers? What are the contract stipulations? Also, why isn¡¯t Stenger and Son''s using their own guards for security? Any merchant guild still active in Weigrun should have a force already capable of this kind of mission.¡±
Kerr shrugged nonchalantly, but didn¡¯t dismiss Aila¡¯s questions, instead answering them with the experience of a professional.
¡°They¡¯re paying for ten mercenary guards, CLR twenty minimum but thirty-plus preferred. Same set up as most caravans. There should be no more than ten workers going ashore to collect the cauldron, but there¡¯ll be sailors staying on the ship as well. The contract stipulates that we¡¯re there to protect the workers first, the ship second, and the cauldron third. If any workers are grievously wounded or killed by demons or other outside forces, our pay gets reduced from five coins to just one. We¡¯re responsible for our own supplies and healing if we need it. The guild is sending some of their own guards too, but they¡¯ll be mostly just focused on protecting the ship, probably won¡¯t even leave the docks.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
The explanation seemed to satisfy Aila and Jadis couldn¡¯t see anything unreasonable about the job details either. She was definitely interested in taking the request and going on what felt like a real side quest. Taking odd jobs like the one Kerr had described was exactly the sort of thing Jadis had expected to be doing in a fantasy world where she played the part of an adventuring mercenary. There was still a not-so-minor caveat that she had to bring up, however, before she could accept the proposition.
¡°Just so you know, we¡¯ve got an escort following us around,¡± Syd informed Kerr. ¡°Those eight guards from yesterday? We weren¡¯t with them by coincidence. The magistrate assigned them to follow us around.¡±
Kerr stared blankly at Syd for a few seconds. Eventually, one side of her lip curled and she asked simply, ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Well, you haven¡¯t heard of any Nephilim before for a reason. Kind of rare,¡± Syd answered vaguely.
¡°To put it mildly,¡± Aila spoke under her breath.
¡°They¡¯re our unasked-for escort, supposedly for our protection, and we can¡¯t ditch them. Not so long as we¡¯re in Weigrun, anyway,¡± Dys griped.
Kerr looked nonplused for a bit, then shrugged, then smiled as a thought lit up her face.
¡°I bet we can charge Stenger and Sons some extra coin for that ¡®benefit¡¯ you three come with. Eight city guardsmen on top of the sheer imposing bulk you three display? Ha! No way they won¡¯t throw us a bonus for that.¡±
¡°Us?¡± Aila asked with a raised brow.
¡°Yeah, fucking us,¡± Kerr replied with a sharp grin. ¡°Call it a finder''s fee for giving you whelps this opportunity.¡±
¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Jay said, a sentiment echoed by her other selves and, after a moment of contemplation, Aila as well.
Shaking hands with Kerr, they hashed out a few more of the job details, then excused themselves from the table. Jadis and Aila were still hoping to take a quick run out into the hills to hunt what they could before nightfall and they¡¯d already spent too much time in the city. Kerr promised to meet them at Jadis¡¯ inn in the morning so she could take them to the client to be officially hired, but in the meantime, she¡¯d contact the merchants and let them know she¡¯d secured four more mercenaries for the mission, thus saving them spots.
Departing the Tipsy Mule feeling satisfied from both the meal and the job she¡¯d signed up for, Jadis headed to the main city gates with Aila, ready for an afternoon of combat. They talked as they walked, discussing Kerr and the future mission. They both agreed that the merchant guild was probably expecting there to be far more danger in Alawar than advertised if they were willing to pay a total of fifty gold for guards alone, never mind the rest of the costs involved in such a venture.
Still, Jadis wasn¡¯t too worried. She didn¡¯t think that much money would be wasted on a job that had a low chance of success. And, as Aila pointed out, since they were independent mercenaries, there was no one to tell them that they couldn¡¯t just cut and run if things looked dire. It wouldn¡¯t be good for their reputation, but a reputation wasn¡¯t worth much if they weren¡¯t alive to trade on it.
When they eventually reached the gates, rather than the expected small number of guards normally stationed there to monitor the light everyday traffic coming and going, they found the space bustling with activity. There were dozens of armed soldiers entering and leaving, most of them wearing heraldry that Jadis didn¡¯t recognize though at least one group of soldiers was wearing the symbol of Bernd¡¯s Blades. Jadis didn¡¯t recognize any of the men, but Aila walked up to them and started asking questions, no doubt familiar with members of her former employer.
As Aila spoke to the harried looking mercs, Jadis swept her eyes across the crowd, watching for any clues as to what the excitement was all about as well as keeping her ears open for any word that might give her a hint. It was Dys who spotted a familiar figure in white robes tucked off to one side.
Sitting on a box, hands clasped before her in silent prayer, was Eir. Her eyes were closed, so she hadn¡¯t noticed Jadis¡¯ arrival. Her beautiful face was composed in quiet contemplation, the picture of a serene priestess communing with her goddess. Her look so perfectly encapsulated the beatific holy worshipper that Jadis fervently wished she had the artistic talent to paint a portrait of the lovely elf at that moment. Or at least her cell phone so she could snap a photo. Alas, she had neither, so Jadis had to content herself with a mental image to tuck away in her memories.
Approaching the priestess, Dys crouched down next to her and cleared her throat to grab her attention.
Eir did not immediately open her eyes or change her posture, but she did speak politely in response, her melodic voice just loud enough that Jadis could hear it over the din of activity around them.
¡°Yes? May I or the temple be of some service to you?¡±
¡°Not right now, but maybe later depending on how nasty the demons are today.¡±
Eir¡¯s eyes popped open at Dys¡¯ words. Her whole face lit up in joy upon realizing who she was speaking to and she almost fell off of her seat as she excitedly rushed to stand and bow reverently towards Dys.
¡°Miss Jay! It¡¯s so wonderful to see you again! I wasn¡¯t sure if you¡¯d be travelling beyond the walls today but I hoped you might. I¡ªI haven¡¯t waited here long, I assure you. As a priestess, I can conduct my daily prayers anywhere, truly.¡±
Dys took Eir¡¯s greeting and somewhat rushed explanation with some humor, guessing that the smitten elf had probably been so concerned that she¡¯d miss her chance to travel with Jadis again she¡¯d probably decided to wait at the gate all day just to be sure. It was cute, if a little overeager.
¡°We had some business around town this morning so we¡¯ve had a late start, but yeah, we¡¯re going out of the city now. Glad to see we¡¯ve got some pretty company again today,¡± Dys said, throwing a casual compliment in just to see how Eir would react.
Eir did not blush. Or, maybe she did, it was hard to tell with her dark red skin, but she did look away from Dys bashfully, her long ears twitching.
¡°Oh! W¡ªwell, I too am glad to be in your company as well,¡± she stammered out, looking every bit the shy girl talking to her crush.
When she took a breath and faced back Dys¡¯ way, Jadis noticed the priestess tilt her head down just slightly. It was impossible to tell where her dark purple eyes were looking since her elven heritage meant she had no pupils, but the way Eir quickly turned her head back away and cleared her throat while trying to hide her embarrassment, Jadis had a strong suspicion of exactly where she had been looking. She didn¡¯t bother calling her out on it, though. She could tease the bashful elf later.
¡°I¡¯m Dys, not Jay, by the way,¡± Dys corrected the priestess¡¯ assumption. A look of even greater mortification swept over her, but before the embarrassment could take further root, Dys pressed on. ¡°Do you have any idea what¡¯s going on around here? Why is it so busy?¡±
Eir cleared her throat, her eyes not leaving Dys as she waved her hand to encompass the surrounding commotion.
¡°Yes, Miss Dys, I did ask when I arrived this morning¡ªer, when I arrived not long ago, that is. The magistrate has ordered a full sweep of the area around Far Felsen. Mercenaries are thoroughly patrolling all the land in a ten-mile radius around the city, with further sweeps planned for the following days spreading out to encapsulate all of the Broken Hills. I believe after last night¡¯s events, there is some concern that the demons have found a way to bypass the line of forts along the border of the forest undetected. Magistrate Vraekae has launched a full deployment of all available mercenary companies and guards within the city to cut the infestation off at the roots before it grows out of control.¡±
Chapter 100: Professionals
A double row of twenty soldiers pushed forward against a discordant mob of twisted wretches. Each man was equipped with a large round shield and a spear and all were fully armored in plated mail and surcoats. The men worked together, pushing forward against the horde, the first row creating a wall of shields while the second row behind freely stabbed at the demons with their long spears. They did not march in just a simple straight line, either; the soldiers curved their rows so that the ends were further forward than the middle, scooping the demons like a bowl. As they marched forward inexorably and the demons fell in ones and twos, their corrupted numbers dwindling in the face of the persistent onslaught, the second row of men spread out, lengthening the curved line until eventually the ends met and the soldiers had encircled the remaining wretches completely. By then, the end result was guaranteed. It was only a matter of time.
Not that the soldiers finished the battle without taking casualties of their own. The demons, while wild and uncoordinated in their attacks, were both strong and vicious. They struck at the shield-wielding men before them with blind fury, their stolen weapons biting deep into wood and sometimes making it through far enough to hit the arms or bodies of the soldiers. There were caustic spell-casters among the wretches as well. Streams of acidic gunk were sprayed onto the soldiers, biting into their shields and armor. At least one man went down screaming as he received a blast of yellow-green bile to the face, his sallet helmet only able to do so much to protect him.
Still, the gap the man left behind was closed immediately by the other men and no demon escaped the encircling line of soldiers. The efficient slaughter continued until no wretch was left alive.
Jadis watched the battle with interest from her perch on a hill overlooking the sloped valley. Her only experience watching mercenaries fight so far had been during the wagon-ride that had first taken her to Felsen. Four mercenary guards defending against an overwhelming ambush wasn¡¯t exactly the best example of what a trained group of soldiers could do. She supposed she¡¯d also seen her eight-man escort in battle as well, but that was still a far cry different from the battle being enacted before her now.
Seeing the mercenaries methodically take the wretches apart while taking relatively few wounds of their own, Jadis could appreciate their combat method. The man who had taken acid to the face was their worst injured and from what she could see, now that the fight was over, he was already being treated by his comrades with healing potions. There was definitely something to be said for working in a large group of well-trained soldiers.
The numbers did help explain why it took so long for people in mercenary companies to level, though. The experience spread between twenty soldiers had to be miserably low, even if they were killing off an equal number of demons. Jadis didn¡¯t think she could ever settle for working in so large a group, slowing her progress to a crawl compared to her current leveling speed.
One point that watching the soldiers do their work had highlighted was the simple fact that Jadis was not a trained combatant. She was strong and durable and had a natural talent for thinking fast in battle and using her strengths to exploit her enemies¡¯ weaknesses. She also had the supernatural synchronization that came from being one person in three bodies and could leverage that advantage well in combat. What she didn¡¯t have was military training. Watching the coordinated attacks of the mercenary soldiers as they fought was an eye-opening reminder for Jadis. Where she swung her weapons instinctually, those soldiers attacked with the precision that came from years of drills and experienced instruction.
It was no wonder she¡¯d been offered a barbarian class. Her wild strikes were closer in nature to the demons than the soldiers. The only real difference between her style and the wretches was the strength and speed of her movements.
¡°It doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯ll need any help from us,¡± Aila stated, breaking into Jadis¡¯ thoughts. ¡°Shall we move on?¡±
¡°Yeah, let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Jay said with a shake of her head.
She, Aila, Eir, and the eight guards escorting them came down off the overlooking hill, heading in a generally northward direction. They kept off the road that would lead them to the fort where Jadis had first met Aila, but they weren¡¯t too far off from that same path.
The battle they¡¯d just witnessed had not been the first they¡¯d come across that afternoon. It seemed there were soldiers everywhere, the hills surrounding Felsen overcrowded with mercenary companies set on searching out every demon they could possibly find. That wasn¡¯t to say Jadis hadn¡¯t been able to track down her own quarry. An hour into their trek into the hills she¡¯d found a roving band of wretches a dozen strong to fight, putting them down quickly with Aila¡¯s help. It had been four hours now, though, and that one mob of demons was all they had been able to hunt for themselves, leaving Jadis with a niggling sense of frustration.
That fact that she¡¯d been able to find a lone band of demons despite the huge number of mercenaries combing the hills did speak volumes about the seriousness of the situation out in the hills. Somehow demons were getting past the defensive line cordoning off the Broken Hills from the Great Southern Forest. There were, according to Aila, thousands of soldiers stationed in dozens of forts all along that border, stretching across an area that would take weeks to travel. There were constant patrols going between the forts that were meant to catch any demons that tried to make their way south. There were always some that made it through, but never to this extent and certainly not unnoticed.
The wretches were a local problem, but they had been a dwindling one. The demon matriarch that had been spawning them had been slain months prior and they should have been down to their last dregs. But here they were, in numbers great enough to be a threat to hundreds of mercenaries sweeping the area. Where were they all coming from?
The answer wasn¡¯t necessarily Jadis¡¯ business to figure out. She wasn¡¯t a part of the military or a mercenary company hired to clear Weigrun of demons. She was an independent mercenary with no true obligations beyond her own personal goals. That being said, Jadis couldn¡¯t help but worry that her arrival on Oros had some connection to the sudden resurgence of demon activity that had been on the decline.
Maybe it was self-centered of her, but she was personally sent by a literal god to act as a balance-changer in the fight between the armies of two other gods. What if Samleos, God of the demons, had figured out something was up, or even knew directly of her existence, and was directing his demonic followers to put a stop to the interference before she could affect much change? It was a possibility, she supposed, but how likely was it that a god would be sending his forces directly after her as opposed to her just getting caught up in the ebb and flow of an ongoing struggle?This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Ultimately, she supposed it didn¡¯t matter too much. There wasn¡¯t anything she could do about being targeted by Samleos if she was, and if she wasn¡¯t then it didn¡¯t matter regardless. All she could really do for now was what she was already doing. She had to keep growing stronger.
By the time the summer sun had reached the point in the sky where Jadis had to consider turning back so that her group could make it back to the city before nightfall, they hadn¡¯t accomplished much more than they had in the first hour. Scenes of battles recently fought were common, and she found more active battles as well, but she only got involved in one such encounter where it looked like the group of mercenaries were getting overwhelmed by a horde of bramble fiends and bone thieves attacking together. Once she and Aila had scythed into them from the side, the demons had fallen quickly. She doubted she¡¯d gotten much experience from the battle, either, since even Aila¡¯s still low-level arcanist class didn¡¯t get a level up from the effort.
¡°We¡¯ll have to range further out to find more demon clusters, I think,¡± Syd told Aila as she carried her in her arms, jogging along at a speed matched by her escort¡¯s horses. ¡°Maybe even camp out in the wilds for multi-day trips.¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± Aila said, her arm wrapped around Syd¡¯s neck. ¡°It¡¯s good that we already commissioned that wagon from Sabina. Once that¡¯s finished, we can go on true expeditions into the forests. But there¡¯s no reason we can¡¯t camp in the normal fashion in the meantime. The inn is nice, but we don¡¯t need to come back to the city every night.¡±
There was the question of the guard escort, of course, but that was Vraekae¡¯s problem, not hers. If the magistrate was going to insist on sending them every time she left the city, then they¡¯d have to be prepared to rough it out in the hills and forests just like her.
¡°Miss Dys?¡± Eir spoke up from her seat on her horse, catching Jadis¡¯ attention. She¡¯d even addressed the correct body. ¡°I thought you should know; I can hear the sounds of battle coming from that direction,¡± she pointed to the west.
Ealdread, the elven guard in charge of her escort, also seemed to have picked up on the sounds of battle. His pointed ears had perked up as he looked in that direction.
Jadis couldn¡¯t hear anything over the sounds of the horses, but if the sharp-eared elves were telling her that there was a fight going on nearby, she believed them. They¡¯d been right every time before so far.
¡°Let¡¯s check it out,¡± Dys called out, making sure to be heard by all the guards.
Chances were good it would just be another mercenary squad putting down another group of wretches, but there was always the chance the mercs could be in need of some backup. It wasn¡¯t her goal, but there was no reason not to help any soldiers she came across out.
Course altered, Jadis picked up speed and sprinted to the west, her escort following behind.
It didn¡¯t take long for Jadis to get close enough to the commotion for her to hear what Eir and Ealdread were hearing. As they rounded a hill, the sound of boulders crashing against boulders resounded, echoing in the evening air. The shouts of men and women and the clatter of steel against bone could be heard as well. Jadis put on the speed, pushing herself harder to reach what sounded like a pitched battle involving at least one grundwyrm and bone thieves. Just as she reached the edge of the next hill, a fiery explosion lit up the long shadows of the hills, a palpable wave of heat washing over her as a massive plume of smoke rose into the air.
Jadis¡¯ three selves skidded to a halt in the face of the unexpected blast.
¡°The fuck was that!?¡± she shouted in unison.
Aila had yelped at Jadis¡¯ sudden stop but recovered a moment later. ¡°That had to be a wizard¡¯s spell. Probably a powerful, high-level caster.¡±
If that explosion had been a wizard¡¯s work, Jadis didn¡¯t wonder why Aila had always dreamt of being one. It was as though a bomb had just gone off, one big enough to take down a building.
Hearing her guard escort closing in, Jadis got back in motion and rounded the hill, finally catching sight of the explosive battle she¡¯d been hearing. The sight that greeted her was something out of a fantasy nerd¡¯s dream.
There were two grundwyrms attacking a band of mercenaries, with dozens of bone thieves and many times that number of bramble fiends launching themselves at their foes. A literal crater on one side of the valley was littered with the burnt bodies of more fiends and thieves. Crawling away from the crater was a monster Jadis had never seen before but sent a shudder up her spine.
It had been burnt badly from the explosion, but the huge creature was unmistakably spider-like in its form. With ten long, spiked legs radiating from a bulbous black core, it limped along, mangled but not out of the fight.
The demons were only half of the battlefield, though. The thirty mercenaries fighting them were a sight to behold.
Many were kitted out in heavy plate armor but they had a far less uniform look to them than the other mercenary companies Jadis had seen throughout the day. Not all held shields, not all used spears, and several had wildly different armor styles from the rest. One thing they all had in common was the symbol of a red wolf on a black field painted on their shields or dyed onto their armor or surcoats. Several of the mercenaries stood out to her as she briefly watched them battle, but one in particular drew her attention above all others.
A pale blue elf wearing red and black robes hovered forty feet in the air, a disk made of flames under his feet. Fire wreathed across his body as he chanted a deep, thrumming litany of incomprehensible words. As he channeled his spell, one of the grundwyrms hurled a boulder as big as a man at the wizard and, with a wave of his gnarled wooden staff, the stone projectile was blown away, crashing harmlessly into the open ground away from his line of allies. Not even for a moment did his chanting cease as he casually knocked away a rock that could have crushed a car.
As eye catching as the fire wizard was, he wasn¡¯t the only combatant to grab Jadis¡¯ attention. She had seen on her first day in Felsen a man who was unmistakably an orc, though he¡¯d looked closer to a green-skinned Santa than a fearsome warrior. The man who tore through bone thieves like paper in front of her now was everything that first orc was not.
Huge and muscled like an unregulated body builder, the orc wore no armor and seemed to not need any either. Bone claws and bramble vines slashed uselessly against his dark green skin, not even scratching the raging beast of a man. His head was shaved bald but a thick braided beard on his tusked face gave him the look of a Viking war god. He swung an axe with a head the size of most shields in wide arcs around him, cleaving through each demon unfortunate enough to get in his way as easily as though they were made of candlewax. Even his allies gave him a wide berth, staying clear of his attacks as he bellowed joyously with each swing.
Finally, there was a true knight in shining armor taking on one of the grundwyrms single-handedly. Despite being no taller than any other man on the battlefield, when the giant stone demon swung its arm down on him, he somehow rebuffed the blow with his kite shield, not falling back even an inch. His bastard sword glowed brilliantly with crackling energy and, as he struck a blow against the side of the wyrm, a burst of lightning exploded with the impact, shearing off a huge chunk of the grundwyrm¡¯s rocky defenses. In the blink of an eye, the knight had made the same attack twice more, breaking down the demon into chunks and pieces.
Jadis was stunned to inaction for a brief moment, caught up in the glorious sight of truly powerful combatants destroying demons on a scale she couldn¡¯t hope to match. Eventually, a response to the situation did come to her and she voiced it in her typically eloquent fashion.
¡°That¡¯s so fucking badass.¡±
Chapter 101: None May Pass
¡°Badass?¡± Aila repeated, looking up at Syd.
Jadis had almost forgotten that she still held Aila in her arms. Apparently, the term ¡°badass¡± wasn¡¯t a commonly used one on Oros, if at all. Though linguistic differences between Imperial and English was not something she needed to be bothered with at the moment.
¡°Yeah, badass. Should we get involved with all that?¡± Syd brushed past Aila¡¯s question and motioned towards the battle happening further down the valley.
Aila frowned at the sight, her answer coming slowly.
¡°I¡¯m not sure we¡¯re needed,¡± she stated hesitantly. ¡°Those are the Flame Wolves. They¡¯re one of the most elite mercenary companies in Weigrun. I doubt they need the help.¡±
Jadis hadn¡¯t heard of the ¡°Flame Wolves¡± before or of their prowess, but she had to agree with Aila¡¯s assessment. The mercenaries did not look like they needed help, despite fighting off a force many times larger than those Jadis had seen while roaming the Broken Hills so far. Despite being outnumbered, it didn¡¯t look like the Flame Wolves were taking any casualties. Or if they were taking injuries, they were being healed almost immediately by a figure Jadis spotted in the back lines.
Also dressed in black and red robes like the wizard but sporting a metal chest plate, a man was holding his hands out before him, both palms sporting golden glows that were obvious even from a great distance. Whether he was buffing the fighters or constantly healing any injuries taken, Jadis couldn¡¯t say, but it was clear the man was some kind of cleric casting divine magic.
No, the Flame Wolves had the battle well in hand. Her and Aila¡¯s abilities were not needed.
As if to punctuate Jadis¡¯ thoughts, the floating wizard finished channeling his spell and an orb of fire the size of a beachball flashed forward from him, striking the unknown giant spider demon that was still limping towards the battleline. Another massive explosion shook the air as it impacted the spider, the shockwave powerful enough that many of the bone thieves fighting the mercs stumbled, if they weren¡¯t knocked off their feet outright. The bramble fiends caught in the blast were scattered like tumbleweeds, their weight nowhere near enough to resist the effects of the blast.
Strangely, the Flame Wolves were unaffected by the shockwave from the explosion or were at least prepared for it. They immediately took advantage of the disruption it caused their enemies and hacked away at any downed demons, slaughtering them wholesale.
As the smoke and dust cleared, Jadis could see that this second magical blast had been enough to bring the ten-legged spider demon to a crispy end. Its body had been shattered by the spell, cracks in the charred shell letting out smoke from the boiled flesh within. She couldn¡¯t smell it yet, but she was certain that the flash-fried monster was going to smell like burnt earwax just from the look of its still-burning body.
Jadis had paused watching the fight long enough that her escort had enough time to catch up, their horses drawing up next to her three selves and Aila as they continued to watch the battle. It didn¡¯t look like it was going to last much longer, not with how quickly the Flame Wolves were dispatching their numerous foes, but the two grundwyrms were still putting up a fight despite the powerful blows being leveled against them.
¡°By the gods! Where did so many come from?¡±
Jay glanced over her shoulder at Eir¡¯s exclamation. The elf had drawn up close to her along with the escort and was watching the goings on with rapt attention, a look mixed between horror and fascination painted across her pretty features. The question was an apt one. Where had so many demons come from? Why were they all congregated at this location, a place basically in the middle of nowhere, now?
She¡¯d been caught up in the excitement of watching what came across as a show. Jadis had forgotten for a moment that this was a very real life and death struggle and had just stood there with her brain turned off like a trio of dumb oxen. Even if the Flame Wolves didn¡¯t need her help, that didn¡¯t mean she should be just standing by like a feckless observer.
Jadis¡¯ multiple eyes scanned the surroundings, looking for any signs of further danger or any clue as to what could have brought so many of the demons to this one location. She didn¡¯t know what she could do with the information, but she didn¡¯t know that she couldn¡¯t be helpful either.
After a few seconds, Jadis spotted something that she¡¯d initially overlooked due to the far more eye-catching activity of the battle. Along one side of the valley where the demons and Flame Wolves fought was a shadowy spot on the side of the hill that the demons had their backs to. With just a casual glance, it looked like nothing more than a fold in the landscape, darkened by the long shadows cast by the waning light of the evening sun. But when she gave it a second look from the three subtly different angles of her multiple selves, Jadis realized that the dark spot was more than just a shadow. In fact, the more she stared at it, the more it looked like a partially hidden entrance to a cave.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
¡°See that?¡± Jay pointed at the deep shadow. ¡°I think that might be a cave. Let¡¯s go check it out.¡±
¡°What? Why?¡± Aila asked, startled out of her own observation of the battle. ¡°Why would we?¡±
¡°Because if that¡¯s a cave, it might be where those demons came from,¡± Jay answered, already starting to move.
¡°And if that is where those shit stains came from, then more might come from there too,¡± Dys added.
¡°And we happen to have a mage with us that¡¯s perfect for blocking off choke points,¡± Syd finished her explanation as she carried Aila, running behind her two other selves.
Jadis¡¯ arrival at the battle scene had her at a right angle to the embattled forces so it took no maneuvering for her to get behind the demons¡¯ lines. As she sprinted into position, she kept an eye on the fight and saw when the wizard clearly caught sight of her. She was half worried he would start casting some of those explosive spells her way, but he seemed to take her appearance in stride, instead simply continuing to cast smaller darts of flame to strike demons below him.
As she passed close enough to the giant spider creature to feel the heat coming off if its smoldering body, she realized that she¡¯d been wrong. It smelled far worse than burnt earwax. More like burning dog hair mixed with vinegar.
In moments Jadis had reached the dark shadow on the hillside and confirmed that, yes, it was indeed a hidden cave entrance. Not naturally hidden, either. A round layer of grass and dirt that was clearly separate from the rest of the ground was partially covering the opening, leaving a crescent moon of the dark exposed. Reaching it, Syd put Aila down a few yards back while Jay and Dys grabbed hold of what was, for all intents and purposes, a hidden door and lifted it out of the way.
The door was perfectly round and was twice as big around as she was tall but weighed surprisingly little. While the outer side of it was contoured grass that Jadis was sure blended perfectly with the side of the hill under normal circumstances, the inner side of the door was a uniform flat white surface made from thickly layered spider threads. Behind the door was not just a cave, but a tunnel of the same dimensions as the door, its wall made of the same thick, off-white thread.
Jadis couldn¡¯t see far down into the tunnel. It was lightless and the setting sun did nothing to illuminate it as it sloped down into the earth due to the angle it was facing. Still, even over the battle noises behind her, Jadis could hear the sounds of movement coming from further down the black abyss before her.
¡°Trap it up!¡± Jay shouted as she took up positions in front of the entrance.
Jay and Dys took the left and right sides while Syd, wielding the weapon with the greatest reach, took up the middle. Standing behind them, Aila immediately began casting spike trap after spike trap, their glowing rune circles appeared all across the curved floor of the tunnel entryway. She spread the softly glowing traps out so they blocked off a full third of the way up either side of the tunnel walls and, with her greatly expanded magic pool, it wasn¡¯t long before she had thirty of the trap spells in place.
¡°Eighty magic points left!¡± Aila called out, keeping Jadis aware of how much magical gas she had left in her tank for more spells.
As she finished calling out her update, the sounds of hoofbeats drowned out anything else she might have had to say as the guard escort arrived. Leaping down from their horses, they all took up a defensive line directly behind Jadis¡¯ three selves, their shields creating a curved wall that left Jadis room to move.
¡°Sorry ma¡¯am, but this doesn¡¯t look like a situation we can allow you three to handle alone,¡± Ealdread called out to Jay from his position standing at the far left of formation.
Jay huffed out a sigh but didn¡¯t bother arguing. The guardsman was right. This wasn¡¯t just about her hunting for demons to gain levels. This was a far more serious situation. The tunnel before her was without a doubt the way the demons were sneaking such large numbers into the lands surrounding Far Felsen unnoticed. That made this about the safety of the city, not just her personal experience gain.
The sounds echoing within the demon tunnel grew closer, focusing Jadis¡¯ mind on the task at hand.
From the shadows came a familiar shape. A bone thief ran forward on two legs, an odd assortment of arms flailing wildly from its bulbous hard core while four animal skulls of different shapes and sizes clattered together threateningly. The silent abomination rushed towards her, just as intent on stripping the flesh from her skeleton as every other bone thief Jadis had met and slain. As it got within a few dozen feet of Jadis, its bony foot stepped on one of the ghostly rune circles Aila had cast.
In an instant the bone thief¡¯s leg was shattered by a three-foot spike of ghostly force magic and, as it tumbled forward and hit the ground, another force spike trap was triggered, splitting its core in half, killing the demon instantly.
¡°Where the hell were spells like that when these fuckers were all around trying to kill me,¡± Dys murmured, marveling to see a demon that had once been a serious threat slain with hardly any effort expended at all.
Seconds later and more of the demons were appearing from the shadows, but they weren¡¯t just bone thieves. Bramble fiends and twisted wretches charged up the tunnel as well. First there were only a few, then more, then dozens of corrupted monstrosities came out of the dark.
As soon as they got within range Aila¡¯s traps began going off, killing and maiming more than a dozen of the demons in a matter of moments. Despite the devastating passive attack, there were still more of the demons coming behind those that had fallen. A surge of adrenaline rushed through Jadis¡¯ bodies as the first of the demons, a twisted wretch, came close enough for her to attack. With a forward thrust of her massive steel lance, Syd pierced the corrupted boar-like form of the wretch through the chest and, with a flick of her wrists, tossed the demon to the side where it landed on another of Aila¡¯s traps that was placed partially up the curved wall, killing it in a gory spray of guts and blood.
¡°Alright you ugly-ass shit-eaters!¡± Jadis shouted in a synchronized war cry. ¡°Fucking bring it on!¡±
Chapter 102: Barbarians for the Win
All turned to chaos as a wave of more than twenty demons threw themselves against Jadis. Bone thieves, twisted wretches, and bramble fiends attacked with wild abandon, focusing their stygian fury on the pale giants that blocked their way. They had no care for their own well-being, seeking to maim and destroy at any cost, trampling their own to reach their targets and, in some cases, finishing off their own injured kin still lying prostrate on the floor from Aila¡¯s traps.
Jadis swung at the oncoming horde furiously, her three selves sweeping the area in front of them with their weapons, using their great reach and even greater strength to crush and knock back all the demons that tried to force their way out of the tunnel entrance. The vitriolic, frenzied violence the demons attacked with worked against them as, with each blow, Jadis¡¯ bodies tossed demons back into the horde where they crashed against each other, slowing themselves down as they thrashed wildly. Aila¡¯s untriggered traps were still going off as well, thinning the mob out with each ghostly spike conjured magically into existence.
Still, with so many demons, Jadis couldn¡¯t prevent some attacks from reaching her.
A bramble fiend that launched itself forward at a low angle wrapped around Jay¡¯s leg, thorny vines digging in deep as it constricted around her. Its body had caught onto her partially armored shin guard, but its reaching vines still grasped her all the way to her upper thigh, digging in and drawing blood while simultaneously restricting her movement. Wincing in pain, Jay was forced to ignore the fiend as it worked to strangle her leg. If she switched her focus to her unwanted limpet, she¡¯d expose herself to the still attacking horde. She had to bear with it.
Only, before a few seconds had passed in the hectic battle, the bramble fiend¡¯s hold slackened. Hazarding a quick glance down, Jay saw Ealdread¡¯s spear withdrawing from the core of the plant-like demon where it had stabbed clean through, killing it.
¡°Thanks,¡± Jay called out breathlessly, turning her attention back to the demons before her.
More demons managed to land blows against her, some glancing, some more serious. As one particularly large bone thief whipped its huge multi-jointed arm at Dys, Syd was forced to stab it with her lance to throw it off balance to keep it from landing a more serious blow on the otherwise occupied Dys. In doing so, Syd unintentionally left herself open and didn¡¯t see a wretch tangled up in the bodies of fallen demons stretch its mouth open wide, a sickly green glow emanating from within.
The demon¡¯s spell completed unhindered and a torrent of viscous acid sprayed across Syd¡¯s side, some of the horrid bile catching her across the face.
She couldn¡¯t help it. Syd screamed in pain and tossed her arm up to fend off the flesh-melting magical attack. A ball of force magic struck the spewing wretch, crushing its head like a grape as Aila expended a burst of her precious magical power. It was too late, however. The damage was already done and Syd couldn¡¯t stay in the fight.
Syd stumbled backwards as Jay and Dys increased the furor of their attacks to make up for their other self¡¯s withdrawal from combat. The line of guards behind her opened up to let her back away, then closed back in, then unexpectedly pushed forward. To Jadis¡¯ surprise, the guards shifted around her other selves as well, plugging the gaps and attacking the remaining demons with brutal, military-trained efficiency.
As Syd dropped to one knee, her lance fell from her hands as she clutched at the injured side of her face. Before she could do anything more, she felt a gentle pair of hands settle on the uninjured half of her face, a warm glow emanating from them. The pain lessened as the acidic bile was swept away by the power of a spell, the stinging fluid evaporating into harmless mist. Eventually the pain then faded completely, replaced by a soothing sensation as the healing magic suffused her body.
¡°What¡¯s the word, doc? Do I still have my good looks or am I going to need to invest in a mask?¡± Syd half joked, unable to keep from worrying about the damage done.
¡°Have no fear,¡± Eir spoke with uncharacteristic confidence. ¡°You¡¯ll need no such thing. I¡¯d never allow it.¡±
Checking her health, Jadis winced at what she saw. She¡¯d dropped far lower from the attacks she¡¯d suffered so far than she would have expected. The bile spell had clearly eaten away at her vitality.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (22)
Secondary Class: Perverted Ritualist of D (15)
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 37
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Health: 234/530
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Magic: 10/10
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Attributes
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Strength: 90
Dexterity: 28
Agility: 90
Vitality: 53
Fortitude: 38
Endurance: 40
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 90
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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Eir¡¯s healing spell was helping immensely, though. She saw her health tick up rapidly, jumping from the low two hundreds to a little over three hundred in seconds. The real fear, though, was her eye.
Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if the acid had gotten to her eye or not, but she¡¯d been afraid to even try opening Syd¡¯s left eye. Either her eyelid had been melted shut over it, or the acid had done far worse and destroyed the delicate organ. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if standard healing would cut it for something like a ruined eye. She knew there was a difference between healing and regenerating lost body parts and the idea of partially losing her vision genuinely scared her.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
After a few more seconds, Eir let out a weary sigh.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s all I have for now, my magic power is completely depleted.¡±
Checking the final result, Jadis saw that her health had gone back up to three hundred and eighty-four. Bracing herself, she also forced Syd¡¯s left eye open, needing to know one way or the other how bad the damage was.
Syd heaved her own sigh, this one of relief. Her sight was fine, if a little blurred from unshed tears that were easily wiped away. She focused on the elven priestess before her, seeing the worried but hopeful expression on her beautiful face.
Grinning, Syd leaned forward and planted a kiss on the cleric¡¯s forehead.
¡°Thanks Eir, you¡¯re amazing.¡±
Eir¡¯s reaction to the quick kiss would have been comical if the situation hadn¡¯t been so serious. Her body stiffened like a steel rod before it seemed to practically melt, clasping her hands to her cheeks and looking down at her feet.
¡°I¡ªI, um, ah, I¡ª¡±
Whatever words Eir was trying to stutter out would have to remain a mystery for the moment. An active battlefield was no place for the cleric to work out her feelings. Especially not with what Jadis could see was coming from either side of her little defensive line. She grabbed hold of Eir¡¯s shoulders, startling her into a meek silence.
While Eir had tended to Syd¡¯s wounds, Jay, Dys, Aila, and the city guards had kept up the fight against the waning demon horde. In the short time it took Eir to bring Jadis¡¯ health back up to a reasonable level, the threat coming from inside the tunnel had changed. Most of the initial demon charge had been slain with only a few stragglers holding out. Those various small-fry demons weren¡¯t a problem anymore. The real problem was the grundwyrm thudding its way forward from the depths of the hillside.
Jadis knew she could handle killing a grundwyrm. She¡¯d done it twice before already. But she also knew there was no way she could stop the charge of the bus-sized rock demon. It was going to come out of the tunnel. The only question was whether she and the guards would be paste on the floor or not when it did.
There was one more factor to consider, though. And that factor was the seven-foot-tall orc barbarian barreling across the field straight for the tunnel opening.
¡°Out of the bloody way!¡± the green-skinned warrior shouted in a booming baritone.
Jadis didn¡¯t hesitate, all of her selves moving at the same time.
With hands grasping Eir¡¯s shoulders, Syd lifted her negligible weight easily and leapt to the side, out of the clear line the orc was charging down. Jay and Dys did the same, shoving the guards closest to her selves to the sides to get them out of the way quicker. Aila, fortunately, was already moving, slipping out of the path of sure destruction.
The orc rushed by Jadis¡¯ bodies at an incredible pace, faster than even her greatly enhanced speed. Like a cannonball he launched himself over the pile of dead and dying lesser demons, flying dozens of feet in one leap, to collide battle axe first into the charging grundwyrm¡¯s boulder of a head.
A terrible crash of steel on stone echoed out of the tunnel as the two colossal forces met. While far smaller in size and weight compared to the rock demon, the orc¡¯s raw physical power was demonstrated to amazing effect. His axe bit deep into the stone face of the wyrm and as his rocket leap continued to power him forward; the force caused the demon¡¯s head to wrench upward and then back as the orc continued his trajectory past the monster.
Thrown off balance, the demon¡¯s charge faltered and its steps tangled as it crashed to the ground, still sliding dozens of feet as it was carried forward by its momentum.
The effect was three-fold. First, with the demon¡¯s forward movement arrested, it was unable to charge out and launch into sweeping attacks immediately, still caught in the confines of the tunnel. Second, the final three or four of Aila¡¯s force traps that hadn¡¯t yet been activated went off, the ghostly spikes spearing deep into the rock shell of the demon, cracking it like a chisel against brick. Finally, the tremendous bulk of the impossibly heavy creature crushed the bodies of the demons killed by Jadis and her allies like eggs.
Jadis had a strong stomach, but the sight of the squished demons being smeared across the ground like the world¡¯s worst jelly made her gag a little. She wasn¡¯t the only one upset by the putrid sight and smell. She grimaced as she heard the tell-tale sound of at least one of the guards puking off to the side.
The orc didn¡¯t seem bothered in the slightest.
¡°How do you like that you Plonker!?¡±
The barbaric warrior shouted in a surprisingly cockney accent, clearly reveling in the destruction he had caused. Wrenching his axe free from the stone head of the demon, he began wildly chopping down at the wyrm¡¯s body from where he stood on its back, hacking away at the rock as though it were mere wood. Jadis didn¡¯t know how it was possible, but neither the man nor his oversized axe seemed to care about such minor considerations like how sharp steel edges should be quickly blunted by striking stone. The orc broke off huge chunks of the demon¡¯s rocky shell with each blow, his attacks only briefly halted as he got out of the way of the wyrm¡¯s huge tail that swung to knock him from his perch. Before the tail could hit, the orc leapt off the demon¡¯s back and bounced off of a wall, flipping head over heels to land on its back again unharmed.
¡°Well fuck me,¡± Jay grumbled, impressed by the shirtless orc¡¯s display of not only strength but acrobatic prowess.
Before Jadis could decide if she wanted to step barefoot into the sludge that had formerly been demons so she could help beat the grundwyrm down to pebbles, more of the Flame Wolves appeared. Led by the knight with the still crackling lightning sword, the half-dozen elite mercenaries pushed their way past Jadis and her escort, their steel-clad boots trampling through the gore as though it were mere mud.
As he passed the lightning knight voiced a simple warning, muffled by his thick steel helmet.
¡°Keep back.¡±
Jadis felt a twinge of resentment flicker through her at the knight¡¯s words, but she squashed that impulse. She¡¯d rushed in to stop any demonic reinforcements from coming out of the tunnel because she didn¡¯t want the Flame Wolves to be overwhelmed. Well, looking back at what remained of the battlefield further down the valley, it was clear the mercenary company had everything well in hand. The rest of their forces were already starting to march their way, having finished off whatever remained of their demonic foes.
Jadis backed off from the tunnel, moving off to one side so that her selves and the guards could gather. It was only after Syd thought to pick up her lance that she realized that she was still holding Eir by the shoulders, the poor priestess dangling several feet off the ground. Not that she seemed to mind. When Syd looked down to apologize to her, the elf was gazing up at her with a silly smile on her face, seemingly lost in her own little world until she abruptly recognized that Syd had met her gaze.
¡°Ahem,¡± she coughed lamely, trying to turn away but not able to since Syd was still carrying her. ¡°I would never reject your assistance Miss Syd, but I am able to stand on my own. Also, my arms are starting to go numb.¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± Syd shrugged and set the short elf down safely off to the side of the tunnel entrance, far enough back from the sounds of furious battle that Jadis was confident she was out of harm¡¯s way.
While Syd put her elven package down, Dys stepped forward and took up Syd¡¯s discarded lance, getting it out of the way before it could be further trampled on by the Flame Wolf mercenaries. As she bent to pick it up, an unfamiliar voice addressed her.
¡°You must be one of the so-called Nephilim I received word of in Far Felsen,¡± the man¡¯s smooth, vaguely French accented tones spoke over Dys like a knowing professor. There was no disdainful judgement behind the words, only a gauging assessment. ¡°Fascinating. Perhaps you¡¯ll allow me the opportunity to ask you some questions, should time permit.¡±
Dys didn¡¯t need to look up to see who the speaker was, her other selves seeing clearly enough. Still, Jadis waited until Dys had righted herself and was able to look the floating elf in the face before she responded.
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s us, Nephilim.¡± Dys responded to the elf, forced to look up slightly as the wizard floated on his flame disk just high enough to be above her eye level. ¡°I don¡¯t really mind answering a few questions if it¡¯s a give-and-take kind of conversation. That said, this doesn¡¯t really seem like the time or place.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± the elf inclined his head slightly. ¡°Perhaps another time, another place. You may call me Lothaire. I am confident we will meet again.¡±
¡°Dys,¡± she offered her own name, inclining her head to acknowledge the certainty of the wizard¡¯s assumptive statement.
Without another word the wizard floated away, his flame disk making a sound like a roaring fire as he joined the rest of his company as they pushed further into the tunnel, securing it from any further incursions from demonic forces.
Jadis backed away, her bodies reconvening. As she checked on Aila and Eir, readying her selves for the trip back to the city, she mulled over everything she¡¯d seen and done over the past few minutes. For a day that had started out as something of a bust in terms of leveling, she was walking away with a lot of interesting and valuable experiences.
Mostly, though, she just hoped the revelation of how the demons were getting so far into imperial territory would distract Vraekae and keep the magistrate off of her back.
Chapter 103: POV Priestess
¡°Tunnels. The wicked spawn of Samleos have dug tunnels to allow themselves unobstructed access to the lands surrounding Far Felsen. You saw these tunnels?¡±
¡°Yes, High Priest,¡± Eir inclined her head in confirmation. ¡°I saw the entrance to one such tunnel hidden in the side of a hill some five miles from the city walls, as the sparrow flies. I couldn¡¯t say how deep or far it goes, but I could not see the end of it. Also, a horde of corrupted spawn poured forth from it in numbers that can be explained no other way. They must have either dug tunnels or expanded on an already existing cavern system.¡±
Eir stood before High Priest Gerhardt¡¯s desk with her hands clasped before her, head bowed in polite deference. As was her duty, as soon as she¡¯d returned from the field where she had accompanied the blessed Jay, Dys, and Syd, she had come back to the temple to deliver her report of what had happened that day. Just as the day before, she had gone over the excursion in broad strokes, providing the elderly human priest with the most relevant details. The finer points could be explained in a written report, a fact that Eir had every intention to take advantage of.
There was a possibility the Nephilim might bathe in the public bathhouse again.
¡°And how did the Nephilim react to this revelation? What actions did they take, if any?¡±
The High Priest was asking more questions this night than the last. Eir suppressed the minor irritation the extra questions inspired in her. Attention to detail was something she greatly respected about the High Priest. For the short time that she had known him, he had been unfailingly kind, if a little austere. He also always spoke and acted with a calm precision that Eir found to be strongly reminiscent of her cousin Vraekae, if less intense. Most likely that shared tendency towards precise details was why they got along so well.
And yet it was that normally admirable attention to detail that was starting to make Eir¡¯s teeth grind. She didn¡¯t know the three sisters would be at the bathhouse again, but there was a strong chance, considering how hard they had worked that afternoon, no doubt working up a sweat that would need to be cleansed.
Not that such perfect creatures as Nephilim would need to rid themselves of any foul excretions like a common elf. She¡¯d been held so close to Syd and she¡¯d smelled nothing distasteful, quite the opposite, really¡
She was getting wildly off topic, her thoughts veering towards the inappropriate. And High Priest Gerhardt was still patiently waiting for an answer to his question.
¡°They acted as any stalwart faithful would. They rushed to the defense of the realm and stood bodily in the way of demons who sought to vent their corruption upon the land, slaying dozens. Their instincts to act as stewards of the gods¡¯ will is strong. Once the mercenary company known as the Flame Wolves took control of the tunnel entrance, they gathered we who follow them and responsibly returned to the city.¡±
The High Priest nodded thoughtfully, stroking his white beard. He didn¡¯t ask a further question, nor did he dismiss her. He mulled over Eir¡¯s words with characteristic care, considering implications Eir was certain she was unaware of, if for no other reason than his far greater life experience.
As she waited for him to voice another question or release her from the debriefing, Eir took note of a few changes to his office. She had only been in the High Priest¡¯s office twice before, once the night previous and before that, her first day arriving in Far Felsen.
Compared to other high priests of major temples, Gerhardt kept his quarters surprisingly empty. While it was true that most priests led simple lives with few personal belongings, there was no law among the priesthood that banned worldly possessions. As a human of advanced age and, presumably, many years of experience in the temple, Eir would expect Gerhardt to have some collection of sentimental trinkets on display. Gifts from the faithful, books written on the study of the holy scriptures, or perhaps even mementos of times spent serving the gods by wandering the lands and bringing blessings to the people. Such were all things Eir had seen in the offices of other high priests she¡¯d known.
High Priest Gerhardt had none of those things. Besides the requisite tools needed for attending to paperwork and a beautiful tapestry depicting the creation of the world, there was nothing in the office except simple furniture. The bareness made Eir think of an ascetic monk, one of the small number of the divinely blessed who rejected all worldly bonds to further their connection to the gods. Yet the High Priest clearly wasn¡¯t one of their kind, else he would be sequestered in a cloister somewhere, not running a temple.
There was, however, one new item in the room that had not been there before. It was a large and detailed map of Weigrun. She¡¯d seen a much larger version in the city hall¡¯s war room when she¡¯d visited Vraekae previously. This map was not anywhere near so expansive, but it was still large enough that the High Priest had mounted it on a stand taking up most of one side of the office¡¯s wall. Curiously, there were little pins inserted in the map with strings run between them, perhaps representing places visited or to be visited, or maybe outlining a path to be taken. The pins and strings followed a path from Far Felsen, up into the Great Southern Forest, past the abandoned Havenholt fortress, all the way to the base of the Kalters Wall mountains. There was the symbol of a little village there, a place called Sweet Pine Valley, that had several more strings of different colors radiating from it, spreading out into the mountains around the village.
Eir didn¡¯t know what purpose the map and its strange markings held, but considering the place of prominence it held in the High Priest¡¯s office, she assumed it had to be important. Perhaps it outlined a proposed expedition into demon-corrupted lands? It wasn¡¯t unheard of elsewhere, but Eir hadn¡¯t seen High Priest Gerhardt authorize a paladin-led raid to hunt down demons so far from reinforcements in all the months she¡¯d been in Weigrun. Why now?This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Such thoughts were a good distraction, keeping Eir from impatience. Whenever her thoughts turned towards the beautiful Nephilim, she only grew more restless and eager to leave. Thinking about the High Priest¡¯s lack of personal accoutrements was safer.
¡°Thank you for your insight,¡± the High Priest finally spoke, his fatherly voice almost causing Eir to start in surprise. ¡°I think you have given me enough to think on for now. I look forward to reading your report in detail tomorrow.¡±
¡°Then, by your leave,¡± Eir bowed and turned to go.
Before she could reach the door, however, he spoke again.
¡°Ah, but there is one more thing I almost forgot to ask.¡±
Eir¡¯s teeth felt like they were going to crack, she clenched her jaw so hard. But she quickly composed herself and turned back to face the old fart¡ªthat was to say, wise elder.
¡°Yes, your grace?¡±
¡°You spent some time with Lyssandria¡¯s Children yesterday, did you not?¡± the High Priest asked, a gentle but inquiring smile on his face.
¡°Of course,¡± Eir easily agreed. ¡°I gave you my report on our trip into the field.¡±
¡°Not that,¡± he motioned with one hand dismissively. ¡°You visited the bathhouse yesterday, at the same time the Nephilim and their partner were there, correct?¡±
Eir¡¯s heart skipped a beat. How did the High Priest know about that? Why was he asking? She¡¯d not done anything inappropriate, had she? Yes, she¡¯d bathed in the same waters as the holy existences that were Jay, Dys, and Syd, but so had the human woman Aila. If an unconsecrated could, certainly she, a beloved priestess of Lyssandria was allowed. She¡¯d also seen them in all their full, unclothed glory, but that was no sin. Beauty was meant to be beheld, so said Lyssandria in her scriptures. And she had let Syd rub her ear, inspiring a heat in her loins that no water could quench, extracting a promise from the blessed Nephilim to let her touch her sacred body anywhere she might so choose¡
She may have overstepped her proper bounds there.
Swallowing the lump in her throat discretely, Eir bowed her head and answered truthfully.
¡°Yes, High Priest. I did visit the bathhouse at the same time as they. We shared a small time together in the pool.¡±
¡°Ah, I see,¡± he nodded his head as though some great mystery had been revealed to him. ¡°And, please forgive the indelicacy of this question, but when you shared the pool with them, did you see their bodies? Were you able to determine which sex they belong to?¡±
Heat rose up into Eir¡¯s cheeks. She thanked her mother for passing her dark red skin along to her as otherwise she feared if she had been born blue like her father, she¡¯d be blushing so fiercely she would be as purple as her eyes.
¡°Yes, I did,¡± Eir responded, doing her best to keep her voice level. ¡°They were as the Third Kind, just as written in Saint Sigrid¡¯s scripture.¡±
After a pause, she half-mumbled under her breath an amendment.
¡°Though her drawings did not do the Nephilim justice¡¡±
¡°The Third Kind,¡± Gerhardt repeated, his hand once again stroking his beard thoughtfully. ¡°That is unexpected news, though not unwelcome. I had hoped they might be of the Fourth Kind, considering their unusual identical nature. It would have made some sense.¡±
The High Priest was talking of the androgenous breed of Nephilim. To her memory, the sexless version of Lyssandria¡¯s Children had vaguely feminine features but had no genitalia. Unlike the masculine and feminine types of Nephilim that needed their opposites to reproduce just like any other race, or the dual-sex version that could reproduce with themselves or either of the other two, the fourth kind had children via some form of self-replication. Or so Saint Sigrid¡¯s scriptures said. Eir couldn¡¯t fathom how one could reproduce without the necessary¡ personal equipment, but some of the Nephilim had been able to. Thinking on it, the scriptures had said that the Fourth Kind always looked exactly as their mothers did, so High Priest Gerhardt¡¯s assumption had held merit.
Privately, Eir was quite glad Jay, Dys, and Syd had turned out to not be androgenous. She had added her gratitude to her nightly prayers to Lyssandria.
¡°Does it matter which of the different sexes they are?" Eir asked after a moment¡¯s thought.
¡°Perhaps,¡± High Priest Gerhardt said, eyes far away. ¡°If there is to be any hope of more Nephilim coming into this world, it could make a great deal of difference. Though such considerations are secondary to the safety of the few we have with us now.¡±
Not secondary to her. Eir hadn¡¯t dared think of such things in direct terms, but the High Priest was absolutely correct. If there were to be any more Nephilim, there would have to be certain actions taken. Actions that might begin with something as simple as a touch.
Eir¡¯s ear twitched as thoughts of what a touch could lead to filled her mind.
¡°Well, well, I have held you for too long, child. I am sure you are tired from your excursion outside the walls,¡± the High Priest said, once again startling Eir as she had become lost in her thoughts. ¡°Go and be at peace.¡±
Eir thanked the High Priest and once more turned to go but once again stopped at the door, this time of her own volition. A question had crossed her mind that needed to be voiced.
¡°Sir?¡±
¡°Yes, Eir?¡± he responded, having gotten up from his chair to stand before the large map. His hand was brushing lightly against the ink that represented Kalters Wall.
¡°Have the gods spoken to you concerning the Nephilim? Has any direction come?¡±
The elderly human partially turned back to face her, smiling regretfully.
¡°Alas, no. My ritual spell for communion with the gods is still on cooldown and will be for another four months. I have sent word to other High Priests who might have not yet used their guidance ritual for this year, but I have not heard back as of yet. You can trust that once I have heard any word of guidance, you and the other priests of the temple will know immediately.¡±
¡°Thank you, High Priest,¡± Eir bowed, then finally exited the austere office.
Hurrying along with as much decorum as she could, Eir headed for her quarters to gather a change of robes. She¡¯d head straight for the bathhouse after and hopefully Jay, Dys, and Syd would still be there. Even if she didn¡¯t get to spend much time with them considering the lateness of the hour, she still hoped she could see them, even briefly. Especially Syd.
Nothing could ever make the beautiful Nephilim seem ugly, but Eir had run out of magic power before she could completely restore Syd to her naturally perfect state. It was no laughing matter, but Eir couldn¡¯t help a small upturning of her lips as she thought of the last image she had of Syd. She had looked a bit funny missing one of her eyebrows.
Chapter 104: Job Prep
A salty sea breeze whipped through Syd¡¯s hair, causing her to brush her fingers through it to keep it out of her eyes. Without thought, her hand went to her left brow, fingertips rubbing gently at the restored patch of hair there. Magic really was a wonderful thing. The regenerated eyebrow sent her thoughts wandering.
The acid breath attack that had caught Syd during the fight at the tunnel entrance had done more than just melt her skin and flesh. It had, much to Jadis¡¯ consternation, also burned away her left eyebrow and some of the hair on that side of her head. While losing a bit of hair was generally speaking the least of a person¡¯s concerns when faced with a face full of caustic bile, the physical damage done had been almost immediately healed thanks to Eir. What hadn¡¯t been restored was the more cosmetic damage.
Aila had not been above teasing Jadis about the asymmetrical look of Syd¡¯s face.
¡°On the bright side, it¡¯s much easier to tell you apart from the other two now,¡± she had told her while suppressing a grin. ¡°Usually I have to rely on which weapons you¡¯re carrying to know the difference.¡±
That little tease had brought up a couple points that Jadis hadn¡¯t thought of. First, she immediately tried transferring the missing hair issue from Syd to one of her other bodies. Sadly, it didn¡¯t work. It seemed damaged hair wasn¡¯t within the scope of what Mirrored Body¡¯s Shifting Reflection could do.
The second point was the idea of cosmetic magic. Did it exist? Could magic be used to restore her lost hair, or change its color? Were there spells to alter looks, change faces, modify bodies? She knew illusions existed, but what about permanent alterations to the physical form? Eldritch magic was supposed to cover both illusions and physical elements, wasn¡¯t it? Now that she desperately hoped to get her hair back without waiting weeks for it to regrow, Jadis wanted to find out those answers as quickly as possible.
As it turned out, there was magic for more cosmetic issues. Aila had filled her in easily enough on the possibilities, but even better, Eir had a spell for just the kind of problem Syd had.
The morning after the tunnel encounter, Jadis had gone looking for the elf priest at the temple. It had been easy enough to find her, as she was already rushing out of the large front doors of the looming, almost gothic cathedral style structure. Eir had had a pensive, anxious expression, but upon seeing the three giants coming down the street, her face had lit up like the sun.
Jadis had hoped that Eir would know a priest that could fix Syd¡¯s hair and brow, but Eir had quickly assured her that no other priest was needed. With her magic power replenished, Eir had been able to restore Syd back to as she had been before the acid attack. The whole time the spell did its magic, Eir had apologized profusely for forcing Syd to go a whole night with her hair in an undesired look, practically despondent that she hadn¡¯t had the chance to finish healing her. It was clear to Jadis that Eir had gone looking for her at the bathhouse again after they had returned to Felsen but had missed her due to showing up too late.
Jadis had begun to wonder if maybe she should just give Eir permission to come visit her back at the inn. Then the priestess wouldn¡¯t have to come up with excuses to coincidentally run into her.
Once Eir had finished her cosmetic healing, Jadis had thanked the happy elf with a chaste kiss on the cheek, turning the poor girl into stuttering mess. It was hard to control her impulse to kiss her more thoroughly, just to see how the flustered priestess would react. She held back, though. The street in front of the temple didn¡¯t seem like the place to escalate their relationship.
Or maybe it was? Jadis had unlocked an amazing secondary class because she kept fucking herself on the altar of her patron god¡¯s temple. Eir hadn¡¯t gotten her secondary class yet, so maybe if she took some lewd risks, she too would get an interesting and powerful class at level twenty. She might have to bring up the idea to the adorably innocent elf at some point. She doubted she¡¯d go for the idea of sexing it up on the temple steps though.
Eir had been disappointed when Jadis had told her that she wasn¡¯t going to be leaving the city that day. The weather had looked bad since sunrise and had only grown worse as they had talked. Still, she perked up considerably when Aila invited her to join them for lunch. Jadis was pretty certain that Aila hadn¡¯t asked the cleric along out of pity for the lovestruck elf, but because she had a vested interest in getting her and Jadis together. Or rather, all of them together at least once for a particular empowering ritual.
The rest of that day had been what she could only call a day off. It rankled Jadis that she hadn¡¯t gained any levels from the day before, but it hadn¡¯t been a total waste on that front. Aila had gained one level, bringing her up to eight in Arcanist. Still, Jadis wanted levels of her own. Seeing the much higher-level Flame Wolves in action had fanned her already burning desire to grow stronger even more. Yet the next day was spent entirely within the walls of Far Felsen due to a near constant downpour of rain that lasted almost until sunset.
Not that Jadis was idle. Since hunting demons was off the menu with the poor weather, she had gone to visit her few contacts in the city, gathered supplies and generally got ready for her upcoming expedition to Alawar village with Kerr.
Jadis finally got footwear. Klara, the tailor, had three pairs of sturdy leather boots waiting for her when she went to visit her shop. While going around barefoot had become the norm for her after so long, Jadis had been delighted to have something to go between her feet and the mud and blood of the battlefield. Klara had also finished the last set of clothing she¡¯d been working on for her and had made patches to the damaged clothing Jadis had dropped off. Of course, now Jadis had even more damaged clothing that needed mending, so she dropped those pieces off with the exasperated seamstress and put a standing order in for constant repairs.
Sabina had also finished with her helmets. Seeing the design the smith had gone with, Jadis could understand why it had taken longer than any of her other armor pieces. The helmets were visored barbutes, according to Sabina. The barbute style helmet normally had no visor and was instead a single piece of shaped steel that had a T shaped opening in the front for vision. The version Sabina had made had a similar shape but did have a visor that could be lifted up and back. There were trapezoidal holes for the eyes and three thin lines on either side below the eyes to allow for breathing. The visor was also shaped to have a point or ridge running up the front of it, with the ridge continuing up along the main body of the helm. Overall, the design was sleek and strong and, once Jadis put one on, vaguely intimidating.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
It felt odd to wear a helmet that restricted her vision, but Jadis didn¡¯t complain. She already had three times the vision anyone else did to begin with. Having protection for her head was definitely worth the minor discomfort of losing some peripheral vision.
Sabina had been thrilled with how pleased Jadis had been, and perhaps even more happy with just the way the Nephilim looked wearing the helmets in conjunction with the armor she had so far. It wasn¡¯t full plate just yet, but Jadis was feeling more and more like a real knight every time she visited her favorite half-elf smith.
After getting appropriately equipped, Jadis had visited Kerr, finding the therion woman in her bar, sitting on a stool rather than passed out on the floor, thankfully. Kerr had taken in Jadis¡¯ new look and complimented her in about the way Jadis had figured she would.
¡°Nice fucking helmets, big girls. Glad to see you finally figured out that getting hit in the head can hurt!¡±
When Jadis had pointed out that Kerr wasn¡¯t wearing a helmet either when they¡¯d first met, she¡¯d brushed the comment off with a wave of a clawed hand.
¡°Therion helmets take a lot more work to put on and take off,¡± she¡¯d explained, tapping her finger against one of her impressive black horns. ¡°I just happened to be eating my trail rations when that fucking ambush took us by surprise. So don¡¯t lump me in with wooden heads like you three that run around without helmets from the start.¡±
After a few more minutes of foul-mouthed banter, Kerr had taken them to the shop operated by Stenger and Son¡¯s so that she and Aila could officially sign up for the escort job. They needed to sign up right away, though, since the expedition was set to head out on the next day.
Stenger and Son¡¯s had a large shop in the market district that also served as both a workshop and an office for the guild. In fact, she¡¯d passed by the shop a few times already. It turned out the merchant¡¯s business was more than just gathering ingredients for enchanters to use. Stenger and Son¡¯s also manufactured and sold completed enchanted items, not just the supplies used to make them.
While one of her bodies met with the guild representative that was handling the hiring, her other selves browsed the shop with Aila. The prices on enchanted items were, predictably, outrageous, even to Jadis¡¯ limited comprehension of Oros economics. None of the shop¡¯s inventory covered weapons or armor. Their specialty lay in less warlike equipment. Still, there had been items that caught her interest.
Lanterns that needed no fuel, cauldrons that heated themselves without the need for a fire, boxes that could keep anything placed inside them cool indefinitely, and pitchers that could purify any water to make it safe for drinking were just some of the fascinating magical items on display. After examining a few different versions of pitchers and cups that acted as purifiers, Jadis had to ask Aila why a vessel that purified water was needed when magic could just create fresh water instead.
Aila had explained that while magic could conjure things like water or stone into existence, magically created elements weren¡¯t permanent. If you tried to drink nothing but summoned water, you¡¯d soon find yourself dying of dehydration. The effects spells had on the world were real and permanent, but anything created by magic was ultimately impermanent and would disappear as soon as the spell was done or the magic ran out.
Thinking about it, Aila¡¯s explanation lined up with Jadis¡¯ own experiences. As soon as she had stopped duplicating her Mirrored Self passive skill with her Debauched Duplication ritual spell, Syd had gone away, including her loincloth. She supposed that meant that even though magic could heal or alter a body as Eir had so thoroughly demonstrated, it couldn¡¯t just summon a whole separate body into existence permanently. Once the ritual was cancelled, Jadis¡¯ third body and everything that had come into being with it had evaporated into thin air.
Jadis couldn¡¯t justify spending money on any of the fancy enchanted items, not when she was putting everything she had towards her weapons, armor, and the custom wagon. Aila did make her own purchase, though. She paid the shop a sizeable pouch of silver for a large, circular, metal canteen that had a strap connected to it so it could be carried off the shoulder easily. The container looked like it could hold roughly the same amount of liquid in it as a liter and the salesman had assured Aila that any consumable liquid put inside the jug would be kept as fresh as the day it was poured in, no matter how long it was in there, so long as the cap was kept on and the enchantments were recharged weekly.
Aila had studiously ignored Dys and Syd¡¯s knowing grins as she¡¯d purchased the container.
With the weather uncooperative and nothing else pressing to do, Jadis had spent the early afternoon eating a long, slow meal with Aila and Eir, chatting about many different nothings in particular. Most of the topics were news about the central continent that went over Jadis¡¯ heads, but she contributed where she could. When Jadis had mentioned that she couldn¡¯t read the local script, the priestess had eagerly volunteered her services to help instruct the Nephilim. Jadis had accepted, turning the offer to teach into a casual invitation for Eir to come visit her and Aila at the inn anytime she felt like it.
The smile on Eir¡¯s face had left Jadis with a feeling of warm butterflies in her stomach. The elf really was just too cute.
Eventually Jadis and Aila parted ways with Eir and they spent the rest of the afternoon dodging rain as they visited different shops and bought more supplies like quickly altered custom-sized backpacks, trail rations, extra-extra-large bedrolls, and additional sacks and ropes for carrying loot. Unfortunately, Jadis had to pass up the water-resistant cloaks as they were far, far too small, but she ordered some in her size to pick up when she got back from the trip.
Later that night, when Jadis and Aila had returned to their inn room, Jadis teased Aila mercilessly as she set about the task of filling her new enchanted canteen up with her ¡°magic potion¡± as she¡¯d taken to calling it. The large container had been well chosen; the size was large enough to hold the combined emissions of all three of her selves.
Of course, once the teasing and milking was done, both of them had been worked up enough that they had spent the rest of the night making sure Jadis and Aila¡¯s Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond ritual spell was well and truly recharged.
The next morning, feeling rested and refreshed, the foursome had made their way to the city docks. Jadis had told her ever-present escort about the fact that they were leaving by ship that day, so her usual escort of eight guards was waiting for them when they arrived, along with an eager-looking Eir. Kerr was there as well, of course, and she led the frankly oversized group to the dock with the right vessel.
Standing before the three-masted tall ship, watching the hustle and bustle of sailors and dockworkers loading the ship, the salt breeze blowing through her hair, Jadis could feel the sense of adventure fill up her chest. There was something about stepping aboard a ship that was bound for a dangerous port while kitted out in armor and weapons that made her feel alive. She couldn¡¯t wait to get out onto the sea.
Chapter 105: Meeting New People
Jadis had never been on a ship before. With movies being her only reference for the experience, the reality wasn¡¯t exactly what she had expected. From the outside, The Silver Breeze was a large, three masted vessel that looked like it had sailed right out of a pirate film. The only thing it lacked were cannons, though it did have two large ballistae on both the prow and stern each. Overall, given the size of the ship, Jadis had thought there would be plenty of room to roam and take in the sights of the coast as they passed it all by.
As it turned out, space was at a premium. Dozens of sailors were constantly running across the crowded deck of the ship, pulling on ropes, climbing rigging, carrying things around that Jadis had no rightly idea what their purpose was. There was a continuous, almost dizzying buzz of activity as the working men shouted out to each other, constantly communicating what they were doing or acknowledging the orders of the captain or other officers in charge, men who were also shouting at the top of their lungs to be heard over the hustle and bustle. There wasn¡¯t much room on the deck for a lone person to stand without getting in the way, a difficulty made far worse for Jadis.
¡°Not the best view, is it?¡± Dys said mildly, staring out of one of the portholes in the cramped section of crew quarters she had claimed.
¡°No, not really,¡± Aila agreed without looking, flipping a page in her book.
¡°Could be a lot worse,¡± Kerr interjected from where she swung lazily in a hammock, ¡°Could be a storm. Then we¡¯d be rocking all over the place, rolling through our own puke, soiling ourselves too, cause good luck trying to take a shit or a piss over the side of a ship when you¡¯re caught in a gale.¡±
¡°Um, if you would, please don¡¯t use such vulgar language. Or at least don¡¯t talk about those sorts of vulgarities at this present time,¡± Eir pleaded from her spot on the floor.
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but shake her heads in pity at the poor elf. If the red skinned woman could turn green with sickness, Jadis was certain she would have already.
Since there was no room up top, Jadis had been forced to stick to the deck below in a section that was meant to serve as a communal sleeping space for crewmen. Considering the ceiling was barely tall enough for Aila, there was no way Jadis could do more than sit or lie down in the cramped quarters. She couldn¡¯t even use the hammocks, sadly, since they were meant for people much smaller than her.
Since she had to go down below, so, too, did Aila. Eir followed as well, which didn¡¯t surprise Jadis, but Kerr had also joined them. Jadis didn¡¯t mind the extra company at all, or at least she wanted to say that, but her entire eight-man guard escort led by Ealdread also chose to stay below, as too did the ten-man crew of workers who were meant to dismantle and transport the enchanted cauldron from the workshop in Alawar onto the ship. Then there were the half-dozen Stenger and Son¡¯s guards who were meant to keep the ship safe and secure as well as the five other independent mercenaries that had been hired on just like her.
All in all, the crew quarters were feeling a bit full.
She could put up with the vague sense of claustrophobia the lower deck was giving her though. According to the ship¡¯s captain, a stern-looking gnome named Kruckel, they would be at their destination in about six hours. A far faster trip than if they had gone by land as even by horseback it would have taken a couple days going one way at a minimum, likely longer still going at a wagon¡¯s speed. Jadis didn¡¯t mind not being able to properly stretch her legs for a few hours if it meant shortening their trip by a week at least. One thing she wasn¡¯t willing to put up with, though, was any seasickness.
¡°What kind of ¡®vulgarities¡¯ do you mean? Can I say ¡®vomit?¡¯ What about ¡®regurgitation?¡¯ That¡¯s more a medical kind of term, I think. Ooh, how about ¡®spewing chunks¡¯, can I say that?¡±
Before Kerr could further goad the nauseous priestess into losing her breakfast, Syd reached over and put a hand over the crude therion¡¯s mouth.
¡°If you keep that up and make her puke down here, I promise I¡¯m going to pick you up and use you like a rag to clean the mess,¡± Syd informed Kerr with quiet sincerity.
When Syd pulled her hand away from her mouth, Kerr had a wicked smile on her face.
¡°I¡¯d love to see you try, big stuff.¡±
Naturally, that response devolved into a spate of not quite obscene flirting that drew a mix of reactions from the various people close enough to overhear. Not that Jadis was one to care overmuch about what other people might think about who she flirted with and how she did it, but she was interested in the others she would be working with for the expedition.
The other independent mercenaries drew her attention the most. The five of them were an eclectic mix of unique looks and personalities. Jay observed them openly, letting them know that she watched them since, naturally, they were staring at her and her other selves, too.
The oldest of the bunch was a human man named Otwin. His salt-and-pepper hair and beard gave him quite the rugged, handsome look. If Jadis had any interest in men, she could see him being an easy eight or nine. She wasn¡¯t sure exactly how old he was, but from the brief interaction she had seen between him and Kerr, she got the impression the man had been working in the trade for decades. His armor was of a slightly different design, but it looked similar to the city guards escorting her. The only real difference in his armaments was the longsword he carried instead of a spear.
The man next to Otwin looked to be his partner, or at least someone he¡¯d worked with before because the two had taken seats next to each other and spent their time talking quietly together. Tall and dark-haired, the merc had introduced himself as Mounce while sporting a jaunty grin. He looked to be a half-elf, same as Sabina, if Jadis could make the judgement. His ears were somewhat pointed and his eyes had a slight silvery sheen to them, though his skin color looked little different from Otwin¡¯s. His armor and shield were the same make as Otwin¡¯s too, Jadis noticed, though he had an axe instead of a sword. The similarities were enough that Jadis wondered if there was some closer relationship between them.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Sitting as far away from everyone else in the room was a human woman Kerr had called, ¡°that bitch Jana.¡± Apparently the two did not get along personally, though Kerr had admitted the woman was a competent fighter with a strong record of getting jobs done. She was more the handsome type of woman, rather than beautiful in Jadis¡¯ opinion, with a strong jaw. She carried a crossbow that was larger than the standard affair she¡¯d seen used by Bernd¡¯s Blades, plus a bevy of daggers strapped all over her light armor.
Then there was the gnome, Thurstan. He had happily gone around introducing himself to everyone before they¡¯d even all boarded The Silver Breeze. He¡¯d made quite a few exclamations about their size once he¡¯d gotten to the three towering giants, but all had been said in good nature. The gnome¡¯s armor was of a wildly different style from any other Jadis had seen before, consisting of triangular metal plates like scale armor except, there was no other way for her to describe it, far bushier. The puffed-out scales even extended to his helmet and, if his armor had been colored green, Jadis was sure the man could have looked passably like a small shrub. Thurstan carried a spear but had no shield. Instead, he relied on ice magic due to having an offshoot of a wizard class as his secondary, or so he had openly explained.
¡°Even if it¡¯s for a short while, we should know each other if we¡¯re going to be working together!¡± Thurstan had confided to Jay while giving her a congenial wink. ¡°Though don¡¯t feel you need to give away the whole barrel. Just a turnip or two of information so I know what to expect when we get into a fight out there.¡±
Jadis had to agree with the little gnome. It was a good idea to have some concept of what your allies were capable of before getting into combat.
The last of the independent mercs was a human man named Douglas. Jadis had to hide the smirks on her faces when the lumbering brick had introduced himself. Something about the pedestrian name tickled her given the context. Douglas was undeniably a bruiser. He stood as tall as Aila, the only other human Jadis had seen so far to match her companion¡¯s height, but was twice as wide with biceps as wide around as Christmas hams. The impression of being something of a meat head was enhanced by the somewhat vacant stare in his deep-set eyes, though when Thurstan had addressed him, he¡¯d spoken politely enough, though generally only in single syllable words. The man carried no shield and no armor, his clothes looking more like the ordinary fair a common man would wear while going about town, and his weapon was a literal meat cleaver, except three times the normal size. Jadis was intensely curious what his classes were given his equipment, but his only response when Thurstan had asked him what he could do had been cryptic:
¡°I can take a hit.¡±
There were other people in the crew quarters, too, though they were less interesting to Jadis. Six merchant guild guards armed with spears, shields, and small crossbows were along, though it had been explained that they weren¡¯t coming further ashore than the docks on this mission. Their job was to protect the ship and crew from any demons that might try to attack them. The cauldron they had been sent to retrieve was valuable, but the ship was just as expensive, if not more so. Guard Captain Waltz had made it clear that he was only concerned with the safety of the ship and his six men were not going to be sent on any rescue missions if any of the mercs fell behind.
Kerr had cussed the stodgy man out after he¡¯d left earshot but had told Jadis that what he had said was typical. Whether their target item was retrieved or not, the merchant guild would want to protect its investment. Losing the cauldron would be bad. Losing the ship, too, would be far, far worse.
The final group stuck below deck with the rest of them were the workers sent to handle the actual retrieval of the enchanted cauldron. There were ten in total, a mix of humans and gnomes and a single elf. The woman in charge was a gray-haired gnome with a high-pitched voice. She had introduced herself to the mercenaries at large as Centa.
¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you professionals what to do as I don¡¯t know a thing about fighting,¡± she¡¯d told them after they¡¯d all been sequestered in the crew¡¯s quarters. ¡°But keep it in mind that my boys and me are entirely dependent on all of you to keep us alive in this venture. So, in my opinion, I think it¡¯ll behove you all to make an effort to clear as much of the town as you can before my crew comes ashore. Then again, maybe you all think of something else that¡¯ll work and that¡¯s fine by me, just so long as you keep me and mine from harm. Remember, any of us make a fatal acquaintance with a demon and your pay will be dropped to a fifth of what it¡¯ll be if you keep us from the hereafter for a few more days.¡±
Centa had made a good point, one that Jadis had been open to discuss. What exactly was the plan once they got to Alawar? Not having anywhere near the experience of the other mercenaries, or even Aila all things considered, Jadis had been content to let the rest talk it out.
It had been a short discussion. The mercenaries had agreed that they would go ashore first before anyone else and do an initial sweep of the village. Once they were certain that the initial danger had been cleared, half of them would go back for the retrieval crew while the other half maintained a perimeter around the workshop until the crew had been escorted to the workshop at which point all the mercenaries would keep watch while the crew worked. Once the crew had gathered everything they needed to, the mercs would escort them back to the ship and their job would be done. The consensus was that the whole event should take them a few hours at most, held up only by the potential complexity of some of the enchanted equipment that needed to be dismantled before transportation.
While the presence of demons was certain, Otwin, Waltz, and Centa all agreed that the numbers should be relatively small. The report from the last scouting mission that had passed through Alawar had mentioned minimal activity, with the scouts even staying in one of the outskirt buildings overnight without issue. Since the report was only a couple of months past, they doubted that much had changed in the situation.
Jadis wasn¡¯t so sure. With how much demon activity had increased in the Broken Hills around Far Felsen, Jadis felt that there could be quite a bit more opposition in the abandoned village than was expected. Then again, the village was remote and bereft of a population. Demons seemed to be attracted to human, or more accurately, mortal activity. Maybe they couldn¡¯t be bothered with a village that had no life to corrupt? Since Kerr and the other experienced mercenaries and guards didn¡¯t seem concerned, she took her cue from them.
And so Jadis spent her time on the ship below deck, not seeing much of anything, but at least getting to enjoy some conversation and banter with Aila and Kerr. Eir, sadly, didn¡¯t participate much, beyond a profusion of apologies after she did eventually succumb to her seasickness and upchuck her breakfast.
At least Dys was able to get a bucket to her in time.
Chapter 106: Alawar
Jadis¡¯ first sight of Alawar came when the ship was pulling into the village¡¯s port. She and the rest of the mercenaries were called up by the captain so they could disembark as soon as the ship was close enough and secure the docks from any demons. The image the abandoned village presented was a striking one.
Untold centuries of erosion had created a sea cove with a small beach, the entrance to which was a natural archway in the stone cliffs large enough for most ships to sail through with plenty of room to spare. The village itself had been built into the walls of the cove, creating a layout that was just as vertical as it was horizontal. The many stone buildings were practically stacked on top of each other, rising up into the surrounding steep slope of the cliffs and taking up the back half of the cove entirely. Jadis could see that the only way up out of the cove was a manmade switchback road carved out of the left side of the cliffs.
Alawar was no city, but it was a far larger settlement than the nameless mining village Jadis had spawned near at the base of the mountains. Now that she could see the place, she wasn¡¯t sure ten mercenaries were enough to secure the village. With enough buildings to house over a thousand citizens and their places of work, there were a lot of spots for demons to hide. Then again, they hadn¡¯t been sent to take Alawar back from invasion or slay every hostile they could find. They just had to keep a small team safe for a few hours while they extracted some valuable equipment.
There were three large piers jutting out from the village docks, but the one on the right was half sunk in the water. The Silver Breeze slid gently in next to the middle pier, between it and the other good pier on the left. Before the prow of the ship had even come fully in line with the edge of the wooden walkway, the Stenger and Son¡¯s guards were swinging over the edge on ropes, acting as guides to help pull the ship in. Moments later, Kerr and Jana swung over the side too, taking point as they rushed down to the end of the pier to scout for any demons that may have started coming their way.
Jadis didn¡¯t bother with the ropes. Seeing the other mercenaries preparing to follow suit, she simply picked up Aila in Jay¡¯s arms and leapt off the ship, easily clearing the distance with her strength and agility, landing with a loud thump on the dock. Before the rest of her followed suit, Syd turned to Eir and swept the priestess up as well, paying no head to her embarrassed half-protests. Dys and Syd promptly jumped to shore as well, leaving behind her guard escort to figure out how they were going to follow.
Setting Aila and Eir down, Jadis quickly made her way past the guards working on securing the ship to join Jana and Kerr. As she hustled down, she pulled down the visors on her helmets and readied her weapons. It didn¡¯t look like anything had come rushing to attack yet, but she doubted their arrival had gone unnoticed.
¡°See anything?¡± Jay asked as she came up a few feet behind Kerr.
Kerr stood on top of one of the wharf pylons, effortlessly balancing on the wooden pole as she scanned the surroundings.
¡°Nothing hostile,¡± she answered seriously, her tone all business. ¡°Just birds and rats. But it smells like corruption.¡±
Jadis took the archer¡¯s meaning. No demons spotted yet but their presence was felt.
While she kept her two sets of her eyes focused ahead, searching the empty doors and windows of the surrounding buildings for any movement, Jadis couldn¡¯t help but glance at Kerr. Now that she was fully suited up for battle, the crude therion cut an impressive figure. The studded leather armor she wore had been dyed black, the various metal bits even painted a matte black to help her blend into the shadows. The helmet she wore had a faceplate that went on separately, attaching onto the main part of the helm so that the two halves could let her long, arching black horns stick through. The face of the helm had been designed to look like a snarling beast¡¯s maw, and the helmet even had a short black mohawk. Compared to the disheveled, half-dressed state the therion had been in when Jadis had first seen her, Kerr looked every bit the experienced adventurer now.
It took another minute for the rest of the mercenaries to make their way off the ship, but once all were present, Otwin moved to the fore and started pointing at different buildings nearby.
¡°Kerr, Thurstan, check that one on the far left. Jana, Mounce, next closer left. Jay, Aila, take the right. Douglas, Syd, take the far right after that. Dys, with me checking the middle one.¡±
As he spoke, the mercenaries started moving, heading to the buildings Otwin had instructed without hesitation. Jadis didn¡¯t want to argue the assignments and slow things down, so she just went with them, presuming the older merc knew what he was doing. As she too started to move, he turned to look at Eir and the city guard escorts that were finally catching up.
¡°If your orders don¡¯t allow it, I understand, but I ask that you stay here and keep the main walk secure. If there are injuries, we¡¯ll come to you.¡±
Eir bowed her head in consent.
¡°I will follow your wisdom in such matters, Mr. Otwin. May the gods protect you.¡±
Ealdread had his own response as he pulled abreast of the priestess.
¡°One each,¡± he pointed to four of his men. ¡°Go, stick with those pairs.¡±
He himself followed after Otwin and Dys a moment later, leaving three guards behind with Eir.
Dys looked at the elf with one brow raised.
¡°Why guard the other two? Isn¡¯t that beyond the scope of your orders?¡±
¡°My orders do give me enough discretion to make judgement calls. To aid in the success of this mission is the best way to make sure you and your sisters stay unharmed, in my opinion. Just don¡¯t force me to split my men too far or our combat effectiveness will be reduced.¡±
Dys nodded in understanding, feeling a bit more appreciative of the dutiful guard.
¡°Duly noted,¡± Otwin said with a glance back at the elf and giant. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind when we set up a perimeter around the workshop.¡±
Jadis had given the other mercenaries a barebones explanation as to why she had a guard escort and a temple priestess with her, but the guards hadn¡¯t been worked into any plans since they weren¡¯t there on behalf of the merchant¡¯s guild. Their responsibility was to keep Jadis safe, nothing more. That meant if things went sour, they¡¯d focus on protecting the three giant sisters above all others. That said, Jadis was certain that if the fighting got dicey and someone needed help, she¡¯d be in the thick of things to aid them immediately and there wasn¡¯t anything the guards could do to stop her. Ealdread had apparently figured out that the best way to protect her in this situation was to protect everyone else so the chances of her needing to run off and save anyone were reduced.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Honestly not a bad plan.
The building Jay and Aila were assigned looked like it had once been some kind of carpenter¡¯s workshop, perhaps meant for ship repairs. From the outside it looked both weatherworn and empty, the front door hanging from one hinge and the larger double doors further down standing mostly open, revealing an empty interior. Before Jay reached the bay doors, the guard Ealdread had assigned her caught up, a man Jadis thought was called Busch but wasn¡¯t willing to bet on it.
¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± he nodded at Jay, then Aila, moving up but not getting too close.
Jay didn¡¯t object. She wasn¡¯t on this job to focus on getting experience anyway, just to make some good money.
Entering the workshop, the interior was about what Jay had expected from the outside. There were some tools and worktables left behind to rust and rot, but most of the structure was empty. Still, there were closed off doors that led to who-knew where and a second floor; plenty of places for demons to be waiting in ambush. Jay took the lead and searched each area carefully while Aila stayed close behind, ready to cast a force bolt. Busch followed behind acting as a rearguard to make sure nothing snuck up on them while they searched the building.
Ultimately, Jay¡¯s assignment proved a boring one with nothing more hostile than a scared rat caught by surprise in a dusty storeroom on the second floor. Syd¡¯s assignment, though, was more eventful.
At the same time as Jay checked her building, Syd checked hers. To her mild amusement, Douglas took point before her, his hulking frame no doubt typically used as a front line in most situations, though Jadis hardly needed him to act as a shield for her. She let him take the lead, though, since Syd wielded a lance and could attack with reach anyway. The guard that joined her march behind the meaty merc was the same somewhat nervous female guard that had accompanied Jadis and Aila on their first escorted outing. Her name was Thea, if Jadis remembered correctly, and she still came off as a nervous sort. Whatever her personal mannerisms, Thea had proven herself on the battlefield before, though. She¡¯d been one of the eight that had leapt into the fight during the wagon caravan ambush as well as at the tunnel entrance. She was a more than competent fighter, just a bit jumpy.
In any case, Syd put thoughts of the guard aside and focused on the building. Perhaps it had been some kind of warehouse at one point, but the structure was large and consisted of one main room with no ceiling, just the roof rafters above. There was nothing in it now, though. There were four doors at the back of the building, however, which could have led to more rooms or were exits to whatever space was behind the warehouse.
Douglas made a beeline for the back door on the left, his huge cleaver in one hand. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation he threw open the door to reveal a small room empty of everything but a few broken chairs and a table. After giving it a quick once over, he shut the door and moved to the next.
Wrenching the next door open with his free hand, a twisted wretch that had been laying in ambush inside leapt upon him, its deformed wolf-like jaws closing around Douglas¡¯s head as it bore down upon him.
Syd immediately moved to the big man¡¯s defense, her lance poised to strike, only instead of striking she paused in amazement as Douglas casually put his free hand around the wretch¡¯s neck and yanked the beast off of him. As the corrupted lupine abomination struggled and thrashed in the mercenary¡¯s thick-fingered grip, Douglas simply looked into the open door of the room the demon had sprung from.
¡°Just the one,¡± he grunted in his low, monotone voice.
Apparently satisfied that there was nothing else to deal with, Douglas got down on one knee and forced the still writhing demon¡¯s head onto the floor. As casually as a butcher might behead a chicken, he brought his cleaver down on the wretch¡¯s neck, killing it in one blow.
Syd and Thea watched the whole ordeal with mixed expressions. Looking at the guard¡¯s incredulous face, Jadis was glad that she wasn¡¯t the only one feeling shocked about the man¡¯s calm execution of the demon. It didn¡¯t help that the wretch¡¯s bite had cut up Douglas¡¯ face, causing blood to pour freely down his rough features. The man just didn¡¯t seem to care.
¡°You alright there, Douglas?¡± Syd asked, motioning at the merc¡¯s wounds as he stood up from butchering the demon¡¯s corpse for the eye-core hidden inside.
¡°Yes,¡± was his only reply before he moved to check the next door.
The building Otwin, Dys, and Ealdread had taken to search had been the harbor master¡¯s office, or whatever the imperial equivalent was. One of the few three-story structures, it was mostly halls and offices, a frankly inconvenient locale for Dys to move through. Bent over and with no room to swing her maul if she needed to, Dys let Otwin take the lead with his sword and shield. Ealdread followed the same pattern as the men under his command, acting as a rear guard.
The first and second floor proved to be clear of any dangers, but the third floor held a trio of bone thieves hiding in a back office. Otwin moved in on them fearlessly, his sword cutting into the lumbering bone-constructs with little difficulty. The man was skilled with his sword and shield and handled two of the bone thieves at the same time, not letting any of their wild and disjointed strikes get through his defenses as he methodically took them apart at the joints. To keep him from getting overwhelmed, Dys handled the third bone thief.
Sort of.
There wasn¡¯t room for Dys to swing her giant-sized improvised maul in the office, not without hitting Otwin. So, she did the next best thing. Shoving the hammer head against the chest of the clattering demon, Dys shoved it hard against the wall, using her superior strength to hold it there while the older mercenary finished off his two foes. She figured once he was done with them, he could make quick work of the third while she held it down.
While Otwin and Dys handled the three bone thieves, a door across the hall burst open, a fourth bone thief charging out to leap upon Dys¡¯ exposed back.
Before it could take two steps, Ealdread¡¯s shield slammed into the demon with a burst of stone magic, sending the bony abomination skidding across the hall floor.
¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± the elf calmly stated as Dys shot a look over her shoulder.
¡°Thanks for the backup,¡± Dys said with a nod.
Once the bone thieves were dealt with, the harbor master¡¯s office was deemed clear of all hostiles and the three exited the structure to rendezvous with the rest of the mercs.
Jadis knew how her three searches had gone, but with no eyes on the other teams, she couldn¡¯t be sure what had happened with their assignments. Both of the other teams were waiting for the rest of them by the time Dys and Syd¡¯s groups came out of their buildings, with Jay and Aila being the first to make it back.
¡°Nothing in our building,¡± Mounce reported with a shrug. ¡°Except for something that¡¯s been dead for a long time. Just rotted flesh, no bones.¡±
¡°Yes, we encountered bone thieves,¡± Otwin nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll see more of that. What about you?¡±
The last was addressed to Kerr and Thurstan, who both nodded in the affirmative.
¡°Two wretches hiding in the rafters,¡± Kerr said. ¡°They were being sneaky fucks, didn¡¯t attack the moment they saw us, waited to try and ambush.¡±
When Syd confirmed that the same had been true for the wretch that Douglas had killed, Otwin frowned but nodded his head in thought. He turned to look up the road as the rest waited for him to come to a decision.
¡°So, what now? We sticking to the plan or making a change?¡± Dys asked,
Otwin shook his head.
¡°No, no, I don¡¯t think so. Just, everyone stays in communication, ja?¡± he said, looking around the group. ¡°Don¡¯t wander off and always keep at least one other within sight. We¡¯ll continue our sweep up the road to the workshop. Check every building and alley on the way. When we get up there, we check all the surrounding buildings, and the row after that, just to be sure. It¡¯ll take longer, but let¡¯s do this right.¡±
With no objections and everyone in agreement, the group set about clearing the buildings that lined the main road as it went up its own wide switchback course.
There hadn¡¯t been much resistance to their arrival so far, but as they made their way further into the village, Jadis had a feeling they were about to find a lot more. That was fine with her, though. She hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to put her real strength to use yet and she was itching for a fight.
Chapter 107: Time to Run
The demon-twisted corpse of an auroch charged around an alleyway corner, sprinting with deadly intent towards the uncorrupted mortal lives it sensed nearby. Using the massive bulk of its two-thousand-pound body, it crashed through any crates, carts, or other debris that stood as barricades to its forward progress. Not even a waist-high stone wall could slow it as the wretch simply plowed through the barrier. As the targets of its aggression came into sight, the demon let out a bellowing howl as it ran that echoed horribly in the empty streets and stone walls of the abandoned village.
Jay silenced the twisted wretch¡¯s screams by slamming her mallet into its deformed face with all the power her size and ninety points in strength afforded her. With a sickening crunch the demon¡¯s skull was crushed and its spine broken. The corrupted beast flipped backwards as its forward momentum kept its lower body moving ahead as its upper body was sent back, completing a full rotation in the air before crashing to the ground as a bleeding pile of fouled flesh.
|
Congratulations!
Twisted Wretch Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
|
¡°Fourteen,¡± Jay called out, looking over her shoulder at the archer perched on the roof of the building behind her.
¡°Yebanyi upstart,¡± Kerr called back, making a motion with her hand that Jadis assumed to be a rude one.
¡°What¡¯s the score now?¡± Aila asked Dys, keeping her voice hushed.
¡°Jay has fourteen, Thurstan has twelve, Syd has eleven, I have nine, you also have nine, and Kerr has eight. Everyone else has five or less.¡±
¡°That¡¯s more than a hundred so far,¡± Aila said with a hum. ¡°I think the reports about this place having little demon activity may have been inaccurate.¡±
Indeed, once the group of mercenaries had delved deeper into the seaside village, it had been like cracking open a seal. Demons had started coming out of woodworks, some launching surprise ambushes while others abandoned all attempts at sneaking and charged at them headlong. Aila was right that more than a hundred of the slavering monstrosities had come for their blood so far. Fortunately for the mercenaries, the attacks were disjointed, uncoordinated, and unfocused. Rarely did more than three of the demons attack at the same time, most coming at them in singles and duos. For the experienced mercenaries protecting the retrieval crew, those kinds of numbers were easily manageable.
So manageable, in fact, that Kerr had proposed a wager.
¡°As much ale and as many meat pies as I can eat is going to be a big bill for you to foot,¡± Jay teased as she casually flipped the dead wretch to the side of the cobblestone road. ¡°Better hope Thurstan catches up if you don¡¯t want to take a loss on this job.¡±
¡°Fuck you,¡± was Kerr¡¯s eloquent reply. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up myself and you¡¯ll all buy your own damn ale.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t sell me short!¡± Thurstan called out from his side of the workshop. ¡°I can drink orcs under the table on my bad nights! I win this and you¡¯ll have to reserve a whole keg just for me!¡±
¡°Shut up, I will not,¡± Kerr groused, her head on the swivel for more demons.
When The Silver Breeze had arrived in Alawar¡¯s port, Jadis guessed the time had been a little after noon. Checking the sun¡¯s position now, she figured it had been at least two hours since they¡¯d arrived and Centa¡¯s crew was still working on dissembling what they had to before they could transport the enchanted cauldron. Looking through one of the open windows with Syd¡¯s eyes, Jadis had to admit that she had underestimated just how large the object actually was.
Towering at least eight feet tall, the massive iron construction was six feet wide at the mouth and probably weighed several tons. And that was just the cauldron itself. There was also the lid, the custom pully-system for moving the cauldron and lid, the various pipes and tubes that fed to and from it that were part of the refining process and also the stand it rested on. All of it had to be carefully pulled apart, packed up, and loaded into custom carts for transport back to the ship. The task was made more complicated by the fact that Centa had to dismantle the enchantments on much of the equipment first before they could be physically pulled apart and moved, otherwise the magic would be destroyed.
From the occasional frustrated swears and curses coming from within the workshop, Jadis didn¡¯t envy Centa or her workers.
¡°There can¡¯t be many more of these things,¡± Mounce grumbled from his position watching the road from where it led off to the right of the workshop. ¡°We¡¯ve slain a literal horde of the damnable fiends over the past couple of hours. Where are they all coming from?¡±
¡°Tunnel?¡± Aila cooly asked from her position near Dys.
¡°Probably,¡± Dys nodded slightly. ¡°Could be an entrance nearby. Maybe even in the village.¡±
¡°If there was one of those secret tunnels nearby,¡± Mounce cut in, ¡°then we¡¯d have been overrun by now. This is way more than there should be, but it isn¡¯t that much.¡±
¡°These are probably just the demons from the surrounding hills being drawn in by all the activity,¡± Jana speculated, keeping her own vigil from the roof of a building across from Kerr.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
¡°Maybe,¡± Dys shrugged. ¡°But I haven¡¯t seen any come down from those cliffs or that road,¡± she said, pointing up towards the western side of the village where the landbound entrance lay.
¡°Neither have I,¡± Kerr confirmed.
¡°Dormant,¡± Douglas added his own opinion to the argument. ¡°Demons wake slowly.¡±
¡°Yeah, but not two hours of noisy fighting slow,¡± Mounce scoffed at the big man¡¯s explanation. ¡°There¡¯s got to be some way they¡¯re getting in unseen. Not one of those tunnels the Flame Wolves found, but some entrance we don¡¯t know about.¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where they¡¯re coming from,¡± Otwin¡¯s commanding voice silenced the debate. ¡°We¡¯re almost finished here. Just focus on what¡¯s in front of you.¡±
Otwin was right. After another fifteen minutes and six more various straggler demons slain, Centa and her crew were ready to move. They¡¯d loaded the cauldron onto a custom-built, heavy-duty cart that had its own enchantments woven into it for sturdiness and stability. Two more wagons of the same size but lacking enchantments had been loaded with everything else they were taking, and the workers were ready to go.
Jadis and the mercenaries spread out, letting the slow-moving carts set the pace as they followed around them. The crew had to pull the carts themselves since animals had been seen as more a liability than aid in a situation like Alawar. The fact that the crew were able to pull the heavily loaded carts was honestly impressive, though she supposed the workers had the stats and skills specialized for such jobs.
Moving down the road of the abandoned village, Jadis couldn¡¯t help her mind wandering back to the village she¡¯d spent her first months in Oros at. While the layout was different and the size far larger, the architecture of the buildings was the same and it was giving her a serious case of deja vu. The demons everywhere trying to kill her was probably adding to that feeling, especially since many of them were bone thieves. Jadis had kind of thought now that she was so far from where she¡¯d started, and much stronger, that she¡¯d have been done with bone thieves, especially since she¡¯d already killed their matriarch some weeks ago back in the mountain village. But no, here they still were, trying to rip her bones out. Such was her new life, she supposed.
A sudden clatter and crash interrupted her meandering thoughts and Jadis¡¯ selves spun to face the noise, ready to fight whatever new foe had got the jump on their little procession.
¡°Shit, the axle broke,¡± Lars, one of Centa¡¯s workers cursed as he knelt down by the second cart.
¡°You hit the pothole you dunce!¡± Centa shouted at him. ¡°You have to avoid bumps like that when carting loads this heavy!¡±
While Lars apologized to the furious gnome, Otwin was already assessing the situation.
¡°Keep the other two carts moving, leave this one behind,¡± he ordered, waving both the workers and other mercenaries onwards.
¡°This cart has half the enchanted equipment in it! We need this¡ª¡±
¡°We¡¯ll come back for it after we unload the other carts,¡± Otwin cut Centa off mid-complaint. ¡°The demons won¡¯t care about this junk, just leave it for now.¡±
Centa wasn¡¯t done being angry, not by a long shot, but she must have seen the sense in Otwin¡¯s words as she stopped arguing and kept the carts going. Not without berating Lars the rest of the way to the docks, but she kept them moving.
Once the group reach the docks, the crew quickly set about loading their burdens onto The Silver Breeze. A cargo crane had to be used for such heavy equipment, but the workers and the ship¡¯s crew knew what they were doing and got the cauldron loaded up fast, freeing up its cart.
¡°Go get the rest and don¡¯t make another mistake,¡± Centa ordered Lars, sending four other men with him. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get this cauldron secured.¡±
¡°We¡¯re prepped to go, so don¡¯t be long,¡± Waltz, the merchant guard captain, told Otwin. ¡°Only a few demons have tested the docks but Kruckel is eager to set sail and the boatmen are restless.¡±
Looking out past the docks, Jadis could see what Waltz meant. There was a line of four boats manned with sailors floating out in the small bay of the cove, tied to the ship by long ropes. She guessed they were how the ship was to get out of the port, acting as tugboats.
¡°We won¡¯t be long,¡± Otwin said to Waltz, then spoke to the rest of the mercenaries at large. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s finish this, back up the road!¡±
The cart had broken down about halfway between the workshop and the docks, up past a full turn of the wide switchback street and right before the second turn. The full compliment of mercs and guard escort followed the five workers back to the cart and set up around them. Jadis mused that they had to feel pretty well protected with so many armed fighters guarding them.
¡°Nine! Ha!¡± Kerr crowed a second after her arrow left her bow, the deadly projectile piercing a bramble fiend Jadis hadn¡¯t noticed skulking in the shadows of an alleyway.
¡°Still not enough,¡± Jay grinned at the archer. ¡°You¡¯d need another six at least.¡±
¡°But I only need two!¡± Thurstan shouted happily as he dashed forward up the road towards the bend. ¡°And I¡¯ve got them now!¡±
Two twisted wretches formed from the bodies of snow elk had just rounded the corner and Thurstan wanted them for himself. With a short chant of strange words Jadis couldn¡¯t understand, the gnome¡¯s spear glowed and the tip turned icy blue. As he neared his targets, he thrust the spear forward and the tip extended by several feet, a razor-sharp shard of ice lancing deep into the body of the wretch on the left.
Before he could withdraw his spear from the now dying wretch, a large crossbow bolt thunked into the chest of the second demon, sending it crashing to the ground.
¡°You asshole!¡± Thurstan shouted, turning to shake an angry fist in Jana¡¯s direction.
When Dys looked down at the taciturn, impassive-looking woman where she stood resetting her crossbow nearby, she glanced up at Dys and shrugged.
¡°What? It was funny. Plus your sister will eat more and piss Kerr off.¡±
While Otwin yelled at the furious gnome to stop wasting time and get back in formation, Syd walked forward to lend a hand cutting the demons open. The little guy was so upset he was too distracted to even think about the bounties he was leaving on the ground while he cursed up a storm.
Since she was walking forward towards Thurstan, Syd had the perfect view to see a true demonic monstrosity amble slowly around the corner of the building.
Walking forward on four legs, the abomination¡¯s lower half was the body of an elk overgrown to disproportionate size, its back standing taller than a Clydesdale. Patches of mottled fur had fallen off to reveal the festering flesh beneath, some of the open sores dripping with mixtures of black and green fluids. The demon¡¯s stomach hung heavy and low underneath, filled with a squirming gravid load.
From where the neck of the elk should be came the rest of the horror. The demon¡¯s upper body was that of a man¡¯s with the skin peeled off entirely, revealing the sinew and muscle beneath, its proportions exaggerated to a gruesome extent. Discolored a dark gray, the flesh was slick and putrid with mold and decay, with slimy dark tentacles occasionally bursting out from between muscles to wrap around, in, and out of the body. The creature¡¯s head was a mix between animal and man, like a crazed doctor had crushed a beast¡¯s skull and tried to piece it back together in a vaguely human shape, then glued it all together with rotting meat. A crown of three different sets of antlers burst out of the flesh atop its head, festooned with dripping entrails.
¡°Thurstan!¡± Syd shouted as she brought her lance up for a charge.
The gnome warrior spun around to stare up at the looming threat, meeting the eyeless gaze and distorted, rictus grin of the demon. Before he could do more than take a step back, abomination¡¯s mouth snapped open with an audible click.
A roiling mass of thick yellow-green gas poured out from the demon¡¯s open jaws, enveloping Thurstan instantly before flowing down and around its feet and across the road in an ever-expanding cloud of toxic death. From where Syd stood, she could make out the gnome¡¯s silhouette collapse lifelessly to the ground in mere moments.
Then, the matriarch took a step forward, gas still pouring out of its mouth as it advanced towards the rest of the mercenaries.
¡°Retreat! Now!¡±
Otwin¡¯s shouted command broke the stunned spell they were all under, unleashing pure pandemonium.
Chapter 108: Battle on the Docks
Shouts of alarm and panic echoed through abandoned Alawar as the workers and mercenaries all reacted at once to the appearance of the twisted wretch matriarch. As the five men of the retrieval crew began a panicked sprint down the street, the mercenaries and guards did what they could to slow the advance of the oncoming demon matriarch.
An arrow and a bolt from Kerr and Jana each struck the demon in the chest, piercing deep enough to reach the fletching but provoked no outward reaction. A second later Aila followed suit with her own ranged attack, sending a force bolt at the mother wretch. Dark green swirls of light and energy appeared in the air between them and seemed to catch the force magic like a net, dispersing the power of the attack before it could even reach its target.
¡°Fucking hell,¡± Syd cursed, scrambling back and away from the lethal cloud emanating from the matriarch.
¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Aila shouted, one hand tugging Jay¡¯s. ¡°We don¡¯t have the right magic or skills for that thing!¡±
Being at a disadvantage had never stopped Jadis from succeeding before. Seeing that the crew had left the carts and their loads behind in their panic, Dys grabbed one of the sturdy metal pipes that they had been transporting. Hefting it like a spear, she hurled the long piece of steel at the approaching demon with all her might.
With unexpected speed, the mother wretch caught the pipe in its deformed right hand.
¡°Well fuck me,¡± Jadis said under the breath of all three of her selves.
Almost nonchalantly, the demon reared its arm back, then hurled the piece of metal forward, sending it spinning through the air like a helicopter¡¯s blades rather than a spear. The partially crushed pipe whizzed by Dys¡¯ head, barely missing it by inches as it continued down past her with enough force to smash through the wall of a building hundreds of feet away.
¡°We need to go!¡± Ealdread shouted, his guards still standing with Jadis but clearly ready to run. ¡°This is not a fight we can win!¡±
¡°Fine! Fuck it!¡± Jay shouted back.
The poisonous mist had almost reached them by then and considering what it had done to Thurstan, a melee-oriented warrior, she did not want to see what it would do to a person with low vitality like Aila. Or Eir, for that matter. The low-level cleric was completely out of her depth in this situation. Jadis abandoned all attempts to fight as she turned and ran, picking up Aila and Eir in Jay and Dys¡¯ arms, respectively. The guards followed suit running after her, the rest of the mercenaries already retreating back towards the docks.
Behind them the matriarch never increased its steady pace, slowly moving down the sloping road like an implacable force of nature, spewing out a constant stream of noxious gas that flooded the surrounding buildings and alleyways.
With her speed, Jadis quickly caught up with the rest of the fleeing retrieval team, their group already around the bend and heading down the stretch that led to the village docks. From what she could see, the merchant guards were already pulling back, themselves retreating towards the ship, and with good reason. A dozen twisted wretches were assaulting them, some vomiting out sprays of noxious bile, others attacking wildly with whatever random pieces of club-like debris they had found amongst the abandoned buildings. Even in just the few seconds Jadis observed the fight, she could see things were turning south quickly. From the waters below them a long, chitinous crab-like pincer reached out and grabbed one of the guards¡¯ ankles, dragging him off his feet and off the dock to disappear in the dark waters with a quickly silenced scream.
Jadis couldn¡¯t pay much attention to what was going on with the merchant guards though. A dozen or more demons were rushing up the roadway to block her and the rest of the retreating crowd.
¡°Clear the way! Don¡¯t let them get to the workers!¡± Otwin shouted out another command as he charged ahead with his shield, slamming bodily into a boar-like wretch.
Jadis joined him with her Syd self, lance spearing through another wretch and tossing it to the side. Movement slowed, Jay and Dys set Aila and Eir back down so they could focus on striking down anything that got close on the sides, keeping the two women and the five workers between them. Douglas, Mounce, and the city guards moved to the front, hacking and slashing away at the demons that tried to block their path forward while Kerr and Jana sniped at anything that moved that they had a clear shot to.
Checking on her companion, Jay saw that Aila was laying down an expanding series of force spike traps behind them, turning the road into a death trap for anything that might come charging behind them. Already she was sipping from her flask of Nephilim essence she¡¯d collected the night before, using it to power more and more of the spell traps. The amount of damage so many traps could do would be devastating, though having seen what the twisted wretch matriarch was capable of, she wasn¡¯t sure the dozens of spells would be enough.
She couldn¡¯t waste time thinking about what Aila was doing. There were too many other things to grab her three-way attention.
A bramble fiend leapt from a shadowy open window to wrap its spiked vines around one of the workers, thorns digging in deep. Dys slammed her maul down on it, killing it but causing more damage to the screaming man as the spikes tore at the flesh of his arms and chest. Fortunately, Eir was at his side immediately, pouring her healing magic into the man to close the wounds as quickly as they had been made.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
More injuries were taken, however, as the group pressed forward to reach the docks. The demons were relentless in their assault and the mercenaries were panicked by the unexpected arrival of a foe so far beyond their capabilities. The balance of power had shifted dramatically and Jadis¡¯ allies were taking a toll. A bone thief¡¯s club-like arms slammed hard into Mounce¡¯s leg, buckling it and sending him to the ground. A wretch managed to spew some noxious bile onto two of the guards before being killed, slowing them down as they desperately fought through the pain.
Otwin got a hand under Mounce¡¯s arm and got him to his feet, shouting out commands to keep everyone together.
¡°Almost there! Stay together! We aren¡¯t meant to meet the gods in their halls just yet!¡±
The knot of combatants pushed forward, passing the harbor master¡¯s vacant building and making it to the open space of the wharfs. As they neared the middle dock where The Silver Breeze was still berthed, Douglas made a sudden charge forward and knocked two of the twisted wretches off the edge and into the water below.
¡°Come on,¡± he grunted loudly, turning back and waving the rest of them forward to run down the pier.
Jay and Dys moved up with the guards, blocking the demons that were attacking from the sides, making a corridor of safety. Syd and Aila moved up as well, striking down several lesser demons that tried to break through the perimeter that the guards had made with their shields. Given a chance to flee, the workers broke away and sprinted full tilt down the wooden walkway, but as they did, a shout of despair and a scream of pain spun Jadis¡¯ bodies back around.
From over the top of the three-story building came an arachnophobe¡¯s worst nightmare. Ten enormous black legs stretched out from a bulbous black core, its thick black shell blending into the shadows of the waning afternoon light. An arachnoid mouth dripped venom from fangs as long as Aila¡¯s forearm while two dozen beady black eyes were set in a wide arch over the face of the monstrosity. Each of its gigantic legs were covered with spikes as sharp as razors. From one of those terrible legs dangled Mounce, blood dripping from where the tip had pierced through his shoulder, lifting him off the ground like he weighed nothing.
¡°Mounce!¡± Otwin screamed, rushing forward and leaping up to grab the half-elf¡¯s leg, discarding his shield in the process.
Jadis didn¡¯t hesitate, rushing forward to aid the two men. Dys made her own high leap, slamming her maul into one of the giant spider¡¯s legs as it reached to impale Otwin. Her blow wasn¡¯t able to crack through the tough shell, but it did knock the limb off trajectory and caught the demon-possessed monster¡¯s attention.
At the same time, Jay jumped and caught Mounce and Otwin in her arms as they danged more than twenty feet in the air. The sound of Mounce¡¯s armor and flesh tearing as her weight pulled him off the spider¡¯s leg made her wince, but there was nothing else that could be done. The three of them landed in a roll yards away from everyone else, further back up the road. The half-elf¡¯s blood splattered across them, leaving a morbid trail behind them.
¡°Shit,¡± Otwin panted out as he grabbed at the gaping wound, trying to stop the now unconscious man from bleeding out. ¡°Watch my back!¡±
Jay didn¡¯t have the time or breath to respond as there were more demons charging them, taking the opportunity to attack them while they were vulnerable. She had to put all of Jay¡¯s efforts into blocking the bone thieves and wretches from getting to Otwin and Mounce, and she had to do it without her other selves.
Dys and Syd had a giant spider to deal with.
While four of its huge legs hung onto the side of the building, piercing straight into the stone of the walls, the other six of the monster¡¯s legs beat out an asynchronous staccato rhythm as they struck the ground, attacking in quick jabs at the two giants. The legs moved fast enough that she could barely manage to dodge them, much less hit them back. The times that she did manage to strike with one of her bodies or the other, the blows were glancing and seemed to do little to the monster. Jadis was sure if she could get a Mirrored strikes attack off on the beast it would be a different story, but she couldn¡¯t manage the timing.
Jadis had no time to concentrate on anything but the two-front battle before her, but in the moments she could spare a glance for what the others were doing, her heart sank.
More demons had come out of hiding to attack the guards and other mercenaries. The eight guards were holding a semicircle formation led by Ealdread and were trying to push towards her three selves but the dozen and more demons were blocking them. Eir was flitting between them, laying her hands on each as they were injured, healing them in small bursts as she tried to keep them alive. Kerr was firing arrow after arrow into the horde, thinning the numbers down as they rushed from either side of the wharf but she was only one woman. Aila was judiciously doing the same with force bolts, but Jadis knew her companion only had so many of those spells in her and she¡¯d already expended much of her magic power and likely her reserves as well.
Looking further down the dock to where the workers had retreated, Jadis caught glimpses of Douglas fighting something large and crab-like, his cleaver cutting great gouges into a round blue shell. She couldn¡¯t see much past him or much of whatever crab monster he was fighting, but by the sounds of it she guessed the workers had made it to the ship. Where Jana was, she had no idea.
¡°I need to get him to the priestess!¡± Otwin shouted, hoisting the unmoving Mounce into his arms.
¡°Go! I¡¯ll cover you,¡± Jay shouted back, her mallet crushing the row of skulls on an attacking bone thief.
Heralded by an unfamiliar whistling sound, a ballista bolt the size of a tent pole suddenly appeared in one of the giant spider¡¯s many eyes, causing it to recoil in pain. The ship, she recalled, had been equipped with a couple rear-facing ballista. Jadis was glad to see some action on their part.
Taking advantage of the momentary reprieve, Dys and Syd backed away from the building to turn on the demons attacking the line of guards, cutting down several and tossing them aside, making way for Otwin and Mounce to get through.
¡°We need to get to the ship!¡± Jana shouted from somewhere unseen behind her. ¡°They¡¯re pulling anchor!¡±
Pulling anchor? Jadis spared a few seconds between her different selves to verify and to her horror, saw that it was true. The last of the merchant guards were swinging up on ropes to get on board, the retrieval crew having already boarded, and the vessel was starting to pull away as the men in the towboats began rowing.
¡°Fuckers,¡± Jay cursed, dealing a deathblow to the bone thief harassing her.
There wasn¡¯t any time left. She had to get moving before the ship pulled too far away from the dock. As Jay turned to go, her other bodies and the rest of the mercenaries retreated off the stone path and onto the boardwalk, leaving Jay as the last to stand in the open, exposed and surrounded by a sea of corpses. Before she could take more than two steps, a sickly glow lit up the air around her as a yellow-green light seeped out of the wounds of the various demon carcasses scattered across the wharf and roadway.
Aila¡¯s scream of warning was the last thing Jay heard before every single one of the lifeless bodies around Jay exploded.
Chapter 109: Routed
Being able to see herself caught in an explosion was absolutely terrifying. Seeing the aftermath of her same self caught in an explosion was another level of horror.
All the demon corpses around the wharfs had exploded, bursting like gore-filled bubbles and sending flesh and bone shrapnel through the air. Most of the dead demons had been on the ground outside the shield formation the guards had made, but not all. Even then, the force of dozens of bodies exploding was powerful enough to cause serious damage to their defensive line. The worst of the damage for them came from Mounce when his lifeless body, still held in the arms of Otwin, also exploded.
For Jadis, there was too much to focus on. Dys and Syd had received minor injuries from the explosions, but Aila and the others had fared worse. Eir had been close to the blast, rushing to Otwin and Mounce when the dead mercenary had detonated. Now she lay on the ground, still breathing, but not moving otherwise. Aila was on her feet, but blood was pouring from between the fingers she had clutched to her side. Jadis was torn between her need to check on her companions and her third self.
Jay couldn¡¯t hear anything. She couldn¡¯t see anything. But she could feel. And what she felt was pain. From her other selves¡¯ perspectives, she could see herself somehow still standing in the field of death, a mist of blood and guts partially obscuring her. Bone shards were sticking out of practically every bit of unarmored space across her body. Her upper arms, upper legs and hips, her hands, and even her booted feet had been struck with the biological shrapnel from the insane attack. Almost in slow motion Jay sunk to one knee, even that small movement causing blood to pour from around the many pieces of bone peppering her body.
Still somewhat stunned and frozen in momentary indecision, Jadis reflexively checked her status sheet to see her current health.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (22)
Secondary Class: Perverted Ritualist of D (15)
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 37
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Health: 92/530
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Magic: 10/10
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Attributes
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Strength: 90
Dexterity: 28
Agility: 90
Vitality: 53
Fortitude: 38
Endurance: 40
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 90
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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Jadis had been near full health before the explosion, having barely taken any hits from the demons. The one attack had done over four hundred damage to her. That revelation was enough to snap Jadis out of her daze. Pushing through the pain, she got her mind to move.
The one saving grace of the demoniac explosion was it had not differentiated friend from foe. Any demons that had been in melee with the guards and mercenaries had also been caught up in the blast, seriously injuring if not outright killing them. That gave Jadis at least a few seconds of breathing room as she took stock of the new situation, then rushed forward to her different goals.
The guards were still alive, but the blast had injured them and at least one had been crippled and was leaning heavily on Ealdread, the guard¡¯s knee pointing the wrong direction. Kerr was getting to her feet, having been knocked back, but she looked like she was able to shake off whatever damage she had taken. Otwin had been holding Mounce in his arms when the explosion had gone off; consequently there wasn¡¯t much left of either of them. Jana was crouching low behind a pylon, reloading her crossbow. Douglas was still further down the dock, tossing some kind of crab-monster off into the water. The ship¡ª
The ship was slowly pulling away from the dock. In another minute or two, it would be past the wooden pier and out into open water, too far out for any of them to get aboard.
With no time to spare, Dys rushed to check on Eir. Kneeling next to the priestess she found that she was still alive and breathing, just knocked senseless.
¡°C¡¯mon, wake up! You need to get up!¡± Dys yelled in the elf¡¯s face, slapping her cheek lightly.
The priestess groaned pitifully, but started to stir, arms and legs moving feebly as Dys refused to let her lie unconscious.
While Dys roused Eir, Syd checked on Aila.
¡°I¡¯ll be fine, go help Jay!¡± the redhead brushed off Syd¡¯s concern, already stuffing a bandage into the tear in her leather armor.
Syd didn¡¯t waste time. She sprinted forward, running to reach Jay¡¯s side.
Jay, meanwhile, tried to stand and stumble forward, every attempted movement blooming fresh points of pain through her arms and legs. Her vitals had been protected by the armor she wore, but the attack had been devastating, nonetheless.
Thinking on whatever the hell the attack was, Jadis searched with Syd¡¯s eyes for where she suspected the source of the corpse explosion spell had come from.
The mother wretch was coming around the bend further up the road, a noxious cloud of green gas flowing around it as it came. She could see its arms were bent at the elbows, palms raised upwards, as two expanding orbs of noxious light formed above them.
Jadis didn¡¯t know what that was about and she was certain she didn¡¯t want to find out.
¡°Get down you pale fuck!¡±
Kerr¡¯s shouted words combined with Syd¡¯s viewpoint were enough forewarning for Jay to drop to the ground, crying out in pain as the move shoved more of the shrapnel deeper into her flesh. Still, that was infinitely preferable to the piercing jab of the giant spider attacking her from behind.
With the ballista bolt still stuck in its face, the demon-possessed giant spider monster had come down off the building and was advancing on the group of them, its spiked legs digging into the ground as it made to impale Jay first before moving on to the rest of them.
Not that Jadis would let that happen.
Already sprinting forward, Syd shouted a wordless war cry and launched herself into the air, landing on the thick black shell of the spider¡¯s thorax. With a single powerful thrust, she speared her steel lance down into the body of the beast, digging it down several feet into the creature. It reacted to the attack by bucking violently, trying to throw the giant off of its back but she held on to the lance, keeping her grip as she was flung about by the massive spider¡¯s wild movements.
Jadis couldn¡¯t kill the monster with just one of her, though. She needed all three of her if she was going to get the job done, and they needed to kill the spider, fast, or there was no way they¡¯d make it down the docks before it overran them.
Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t alone. Letting out war cries of their own, seven of the guards rushed forward, slamming into the side of the giant spider, their spears digging into its shell and cracking the black chitin. A force bolt from Aila also struck one of the spider¡¯s legs at a joint, the power of the magic attack causing the leg to bend the wrong way as the joint was compromised.
Leaping on top of one of the pylons, Kerr loosed arrow after arrow into the face of the spider, blinding its eyes and filling its mouth with barbed shafts. As she made her ranged attacks, she also made her opinion of the dark monstrosity well known.
¡°Fuck you, you overgrown piece of vermin shit! Go back to whatever scum-stained outhouse hole you crawled out of!¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
As the spider whirled and struck back against its attackers, another large form charged past everyone to leap onto the demon¡¯s back.
Douglas landed near Syd with a meaty thump, his oversized cleaver cutting deep into the demon¡¯s shell. One hand grasped onto her lance, he pounded the back of the spider like he was chopping up meat, breaking off chunks of the thick black shell and revealing the corrupted flesh beneath.
Syd followed up Douglas¡¯ attacks with what she could. Lacking any other option, she buried her fist into the monster¡¯s exposed organs, ripping and tearing anything she could get her fingers around.
Despite their collective efforts, the spider was still going. Even more importantly, the matriarch was closing in and the ship was pulling away. Time was running out.
¡°Eir, I need you to heal me,¡± Dys told the disoriented priestess as she came to her senses.
¡°What? Where--?¡± the elf asked groggily, then started as she caught sight of the battle happening around her. ¡°Gods! Wait, your sister¡ªJay is¡ªI need to get to her! She¡¯s bleeding badly!¡±
¡°I know,¡± Dys told her, grabbing Eir¡¯s shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s why you need to heal me.¡±
¡°What? That doesn¡¯t make any sense. I need to¡ª¡±
¡°You need to heal me!¡± Dys cut the priestess off. ¡°Just trust me and give me everything you¡¯ve got! Now!¡±
Jadis could see the war on Eir¡¯s face, though it resolved in seconds.
¡°I trust you,¡± she said, placing her hands on Dys¡¯s arms. ¡°By Lyssandria¡¯s will, I give you everything I have.¡±
Healing power suffused Dys and, by extension, Jadis as a whole.
Pieces of shattered bone fell away from Jay as she got to her feet, her health regenerated enough that she was no longer in critical condition, though she was far from peak health. Some of the larger pieces were still stuck in her flesh, but she could ignore them. She had to. She had a demon to slay.
Jay charged into the melee with the rest of her allies, slamming her mallet into one of the legs of the spider. Combined with Syd¡¯s attacks from above, her Mirrored Strikes skill was triggered. The results were devastating. The blow shattered the leg, sending a third of it skittering across the ground as it snapped free of the rest.
The demon twisted around, swiping several of its long legs in wide arcs, crashing through shields and knocking the guards back, but by then it was too late for the spider. Dys had leapt into the fight as well.
With all three of her bodies attacking at once, Mirrored Strikes was triggered over and over again in a matter of mere seconds, striking the corrupted giant spider with crushing blows that broke it down into crushed paste. Jadis didn¡¯t stop until a message appeared in her mental vision, letting her know the possessed beast was dead.
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Congratulations!
Eldritch Corruptor of Flesh Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
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An instant after she dismissed the notification from her mind, a bright flash of sickly green light zipped past her vision. A sizzling orb made of malign magic impacted the docks where the structure began stretching out over the true deep water, detonating in a spray of caustic slime that immediately began eating away at the wooden structure. A second orb struck the largest grouping of the guards as they were still regrouping from the spider¡¯s wild swings, splattering across them and drawing out the tortured screams of dying men. In seconds at least three of the guards collapsed motionless to the ground.
¡°Get up!¡± Jay shouted, tossing an injured Ealdread to his feet. ¡°Get up and get to the ship! Let¡¯s go!¡±
¡°It¡¯s too fucking late for that!¡± Kerr cursed, drawing Jadis¡¯ attention to the docks.
The wooden docks were falling apart, the power from the matriarch¡¯s acidic spell destroying the structure. As more and more of the dock crumbled into the dark waters, Jadis could see there was no getting out that way. Not for all of them, at least. Not when the ship was already past the end of the pier, the distance growing with every second.
Yes, she could make the jumps. The destroyed gap had to be a forty-foot distance at least and the ship was even further, but she could make that kind of leap if she pushed herself. The others, however, couldn¡¯t. She could leap back and forth, ferrying them across the gap, but even then, the ship was already at the edge of where they alone could make their way on. The captain didn¡¯t care if they made it on board or not. He had his own crew and interests to protect.
Of course, Jadis could leave the rest behind. She could grab Aila, but with Jay injured, one of her other selves would have to carry Jay. But she could sweep her companion up and they could go. They could go and leave the rest to be overrun by the horrifying demon mother that was bearing down on them all, its toxic fumes already encroaching on the edge of the wharf.
Jadis couldn¡¯t do it. She couldn¡¯t. How the hell was she supposed to live with herself if she just abandoned these people to die truly horrible deaths? How could she abandon Eir? Jadis knew she wasn¡¯t some shining paragon of a hero, but she wasn¡¯t the kind of cowardly prick that would leave people to die, either. She had to try.
¡°Change of plans!¡± Dys shouted as she swept Eir up into her arms and tossed the elf over her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re running out of here! Follow me!¡±
Gathering up those who were still alive but couldn''t run, Dys took not only Eir on her shoulder, but also Aila on her back. Jay picked up two guards who were too wounded to walk but were still obviously alive. Syd ran point, sprinting ahead. The rest would just have to keep up.
Aiming to get to the switchback road that led out of Alawar¡¯s sea cove, Syd rushed off to the left, guiding them all to go around the far side of the village. Jadis didn¡¯t know the layout of the village, but she knew that the road out was on the left and even if the main road was blocked by the twisted wretch matriarch, there had to be other ways up. Even if they had to jump and climb, they were getting out of the damned death trap of a village Alawar had become.
Whisps of foul green mist wrapped around the open doors and windows of the vacant buildings, the demon¡¯s deadly toxins spreading pervasively around it, but Jadis went wide, leading everyone to the far end of the wharf. Finding a side trail, the group ran up and around, desperately trying to find a path that wasn¡¯t saturated in toxic gas.
Rushing past Syd, Kerr sprinted up an alleyway.
¡°This way!¡± she shouted, revealing a route that took them through a half-constructed building.
Climbing the cut stone blocks like stairs, they made their way up to the next terrace of the village, breaking through a small patch of the foul mist that had them all coughing and tearing up. But then the way was clear and they were running up the road, past the level where the workshop had been.
¡°I can feel my force traps going off,¡± Aila spoke into Dys¡¯ ear. ¡°It must have just passed over them.¡±
Jadis didn¡¯t have the breath to spare to reply back to Aila, but she nodded in acknowledgement. After so much fighting and getting literally blown up, she was running out of energy, her muscles and lungs aching from more than just attacks and poison fumes. Still, if the mother wretch was still down by the docks, then they had put a lot of space between them. They had a good chance of getting up and out of the cove. Of course, they¡¯d still have the problem of trekking dozens upon dozens of miles back to Far Felsen, but that was a future problem. One step at a¡ª
A crash of stone on stone resounded across the village as a boulder the size of a car slammed into the side of a building, crushing it in a cacophony of destruction. Jarred out of her thoughts, Jadis looked up the road that they were jogging to see one of the worst possible things she could imagine. Not one, not two, but three grundwyrms were stomping their way down from the top of the cliff, completely blocking the road out.
¡°You¡¯ve got to be fucking me right now!¡± Syd shouted, stopping at the corner of a building to stare at the barrier to their only exit.
¡°We¡¯ll have to push past them,¡± Ealdread panted as he came to a stop near Syd. ¡°There¡¯s no other way.¡±
¡°Are you fucked in the head?¡± Kerr snarled at the guard, ¡°How in the gods¡¯ names are we supposed to get past three verdammte grundwyrms on a narrow road like that? It¡¯s a death sentence!¡±
¡°So is staying here!¡± Ealdread shouted back. ¡°We¡¯ve a better chance against those rock demons than that abomination back there!¡± he motioned with one hand back down the road. ¡°At least some of us might make it past them. Those are better odds than if we fight that matriarch!¡±
While Kerr and Ealdread argued, Jadis closed her eyes and tried to focus. There had to be another way. Could they run back down to the shore and try to swim out? No, that wouldn¡¯t work, there was no way the guards could swim in their armor and she couldn¡¯t swim while carrying the wounded. Could they climb out? Unlikely. She might be able to clamber up the steep cliffs, but not while carrying the wounded. Besides, the grundwyrms would be free to bombard her with their boulder attacks. Could she fight the three grundwyrms and kill them all? Possibly, but not while she was already wounded and worn out, and definitely not before the twisted wretch matriarch made it up to them.
There had to be something else, some other way out she was missing. Jadis hadn¡¯t come this far to die in a shitty little village on the coast. There had to be another way¡
¡°The spider,¡± Jay said, interrupting Kerr and Ealdread¡¯s argument. ¡°The spider!¡±
¡°What about it?¡± Aila asked, nonplussed by the exclamation.
¡°That thing was the same type of giant spider that was back at the battle with the Flame Wolves. Same place as the tunnel entrance.¡±
Kerr¡¯s voice was filled with disbelief as she responded to Jay¡¯s statement.
¡°You can¡¯t be suggesting what I think you are. That¡¯s fucking insane!¡±
¡°We¡¯re fucked from both directions as is!¡± Syd thundered, waving her lance to one side and then to the other. ¡°Death that way and death the other way! With the tunnel we at least have a chance of finding another exit before those demons catch up to us or we run into something worse! If you¡¯ve got another plan, I¡¯m all ears! Otherwise, fucking shut up and let¡¯s move before we get crushed or melted!¡±
¡®That¡¯s, that is¡ª¡± Kerr angrily shouted back, her words catching in her throat.
¡°Fine. Where?¡± Douglas cut Kerr off, stepping forward.
¡°It¡¯s got to be somewhere we haven¡¯t been,¡± Jay motioned to the east side of the village. ¡°Probably in the side of the cliffs where we couldn¡¯t see it from the shore.¡±
¡°No time to waste then,¡± Aila nodded, squeezing her arm around Dys¡¯ neck. ¡°If we¡¯re doing this, let¡¯s go.¡±
With no further objections, they rushed off the main road, dodging behind buildings and through alleyways to avoid direct line of sight with the looming rock demons. Following along the side of the cliff, they searched for any sign of a hidden tunnel entrance, sometimes stopping to run their hands along the stone in places that seemed like they could be the right spot but revealed nothing. As the minutes passed, Jadis felt more and more like a rat trapped in a cage, especially as she caught sight of the festering green mist of the mother wretch rising up through the buildings on the tier below them.
¡°Here!¡± one of the guards, Thea, called out. ¡°This here! I can feel the air coming through!¡±
Dashing over to a spot on the cliff wall behind a large house that boasted a spacious backyard, Syd examined what Thea had discovered. A barely visible crack in the wall, the opening blended in so well even staring straight at it she had trouble making it out, but it was there. The curve was a dead giveaway for an unnatural origin.
Setting down her injured passengers, Jadis put all three of her selves to the task of prying the tunnel door open. It wasn¡¯t easy, the stone edifice solid and heavy and the door opened on a hinge at the top, so she had to put all of her considerable strength into prying the false wall open, but open it did, revealing a silk-walled tunnel that disappeared into pitch-black darkness.
While Jadis pulled the door open, Aila retrieved several candles from her pack, passing them out to others around her. Both Eir and Ealdread rejected the offered lights, with Ealdread motioning to his eyes.
¡°I can see just fine in the dark without those, keep them for the rest of you.¡±
With candles lit, they made their way into the cliff side, Ealdread taking the lead. Jadis held the tunnel door open for those who could walk to carry the wounded. All that was left of their expedition was Ealdread, four guards in varying states of injury, Aila, Eir, Kerr, and Douglas. Where Jana had disappeared to, Jadis didn¡¯t know, having not seen the woman since the docks. With all others dead, Jadis lowered the tunnel door shut, sealing them all inside the oppressive darkness of the demon-made tunnel.
Chapter 110: Into the Spider’s Den
As expected, the tunnel wasn¡¯t empty. From the long dark depths came a dozen twisted wretches and bone thieves, their screech and clatter creating muffled echoes in the web-lined passage. As bad as the mob of vicious demons were, they were nothing compared to the twisted wretch matriarch.
Syd, Kerr, Ealdread, and Douglas plowed through the demons that tried to block their way, cutting them down with as much speed as possible. The goal was first and foremost to put distance between them and the matriarch. There was no time to linger on battles against lesser foes when a much greater threat could be coming right behind them.
As soon as the initial rush of demons were dead, they pushed forward, following the downward-slanted tunnel as it curved slightly to the west. For long minutes they jogged down the only path, finding no turns or junctions. Fortunately, they found no more demons, either, but that was only a brief reprieve, Jadis was sure. They had well and truly jumped out of the pan and into the flame, choosing to walk straight into the demon¡¯s den.
Still, what choice had they had? As much as she hated the idea of running blindly into the enemy¡¯s territory, she had seen no hope elsewhere. None that would have seen everyone out of the village safely.
But was this option any better? Did she really think they were all going to get out of this tunnel alive? There was no fucking way. She¡¯d just led them all into the nest where the demons were spawning from. How the hell was this better than fighting the grundwyrms and matriarch in Alawar?
It wasn¡¯t better, not really. Except, there was a chance in the tunnels that they might run into foes less dangerous, less overwhelmingly impossible for them to overcome. Of course, they could be running straight into the jaws of something far worse, but that was the nature of the chance. It could go either way. But at least it was a chance.
Almost as if to punctuate the thought, the group finally came to an intersection in the tunnel, a fork with a path that went hard left and the other only slightly to the right. Another chance lay before them. Left, or right? Which way led to safety and which to doom? Or was the answer the same either way?
¡°Left is west,¡± Ealdread pointed down the dark tunnel. ¡°The city¡¯s that way.¡±
¡°That doesn''t mean there¡¯s an exit that way,¡± Aila countered. ¡°That tunnel could go for miles without leading anywhere, or it could curve around and put us further away from the city.¡±
¡°Well we need to decide on a direction. How else do you propose we chose?¡± Ealdread snapped, stress evident in his voice.
¡°If both of you would fucking shut up, I could figure it out!¡± Kerr hissed.
All quieted down as Kerr listened carefully to one tunnel, then the other. Her long, animal-like ears twitched from where they poked out of her helmet, flicking and turning as she listened to sounds Jadis couldn¡¯t hear.
¡°I can hear movement coming from the right. Lots of feet. Nothing on the left.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s go left,¡± Jay proposed after a beat of thought. ¡°We should avoid fights if we can, especially with our injuries.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Eir added. ¡°I¡¯d heal you all if I could, but my magic power¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Dys cut her apologies off. ¡°You¡¯ve done what you can. We¡¯d be dead right now if you weren¡¯t here.¡±
¡°This whole thing stinks like dog shit,¡± Kerr growled, ¡°But yeah, we can¡¯t keep this fighting up. I¡¯m out of arrows and those three are practically out of blood,¡± she motioned first to her empty quiver, then to the still bone-needled Jay who had resumed carrying two wounded guards.
¡°Let me help,¡± Thea whispered to Jay, offering to take one of the guards dangling under one of Jay¡¯s arms.
Jay let that man go to be supported by the female guard and the other relatively uninjured guard. The last guard, Busch, Jay continued to carry. He had been wounded the worst out of those that had survived the acidic splash attack and had lost consciousness at some point. Considering what she could see of him under his helmet, she figured passing out had to be a welcome relief.
She knew she could certainly use that same relief right about then.
¡°Take your healing potions,¡± Ealdread ordered abruptly as the group started moving down the left tunnel.
Jadis¡¯ brain skipped a beat at the elf¡¯s statement.
¡°Hold on,¡± Syd said incredulously. ¡°You¡¯ve had healing potions this whole time and you haven¡¯t used them yet?¡±
Ealdread glanced up at her, eyes hard to read from beneath his helmet. ¡°Yes. For emergency use. This qualifies, I¡¯d say.¡±
He pulled a small, metal ampule about the size of an average person¡¯s thumb from a pouch at his waist, then passed it up to Syd.
¡°Take mine and give it to your injured sister. I¡¯m above three-fourths of my maximum health. It¡¯s not instant and will take time to regenerate, but it should recover a full fifty points of health.¡±
Syd took the metal vial and gave it a curious shake.
¡°How much does something like this cost?¡± she asked before passing it back to Jay.
¡°Ten eagles,¡± he replied shortly.
Ten eagles was double the promised pay for their days work on this dangerous mission, Jadis recalled. Kerr and Aila had both thought it a sum too good to pass up and, to Jadis¡¯ recollection, ten of the large silver coins was the cost of a common riding horse as explained to her by one of Aila¡¯s uncles. She was still getting the hang of pricing on Oros, but ten of those coins didn¡¯t sound like a small price. In fact, it was probably prohibitively expensive for the average person. Jadis¡¯ experience with imperial coinage was no doubt skewed due to the large sums of bounty coins she was raking in for demons that were normally fought in large groups.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
Still, looking around, the other guards followed Ealdread¡¯s orders and pulled their own health potions from their belts and quickly drank them. Even Douglas pulled his own metal ampule from a pocket and drank its contents in a swift gulp. Now wasn¡¯t the time to sit on an expensive potion that could save your life.
Jay unstoppered the cork cap from the little container and sipped it, the small bottle not close to a mouthful for her. It tasted vaguely like sour grapes and tingled with carbonation. Checking her health, she saw her points slowly start to tick upwards. At the rate they were going, she guessed it would take thirty minutes before it regenerated a full fifty points. Clearly not comparable to the near instant healing Eir was capable of, but definitely better than nothing.
With potions taken, the group fell into tense silence as they continued down the tunnel. There honestly wasn¡¯t much to say. With how bad things had gone and the deaths of five, probably six, people they had all been happily working with not an hour ago, they were all feeling not just physically, but emotionally exhausted.
At least, that was how Jadis felt.
The tunnel continued for what felt like at least a mile before it came to another intersection, this one a three way. With no one more qualified, Kerr guided them down the middle path, again making choices based on what she could and couldn¡¯t hear.
The further they went, the more frequent the intersections became. Soon, the tunnels were turning and twisting back onto each other, their slopes taking them higher and then lower, sometimes looping in what felt like full circles to Jadis. After an hour, she had no idea where they were and was certain she could never find her way back to where they¡¯d entered the tunnels. No matter how far they went, though, there was no sign of an exit, nor a hint of daylight. There were, however, still demons.
The group did their best to avoid any demons they could, covering their candles to hide the light whenever they heard enemies coming down one side tunnel or another. There were several stressful moments when they all sat in pitch black darkness, trying to make as little noise as possible, waiting for some mob of demons to pass them by. On one such occasion, what sounded like dozens of demons, maybe even hundreds, shuffled by a tunnel intersection for several minutes before the noise of the horde faded into the distance.
Eventually, after D knew how many hours, Kerr let out a relieved sigh.
¡°I can smell fresh air,¡± she whispered just loud enough to be heard over the muffled steps of the group¡¯s boots. ¡°Fresh air and fresh water. We¡¯ve got to be near an exit.¡±
¡°Thank Valtar,¡± Aila murmured, squeezing Dys¡¯ neck a little tighter for a moment.
Her sentiment was mirrored by everyone else and a palpable sense of hope could be felt in the atmosphere. Everyone was ready to leave the accursed tunnels and find some measure of safety. The group picked up their pace, hurrying towards escape.
With another sharp turn, the tunnel opened up wide to reveal a sight that Jadis could barely make sense of.
To the left and the right stretched a massive cavern, the ends as well as the top and bottom invisible in the inky darkness. Pale green patches of barely visible light shone in the distance, acting as the only demarcations of stone walls that would otherwise be invisible in the underground gloom. A sound of rushing water could be heard coming from far below, though its source remained completely invisible. What was visible in the tiny sphere of light generated by their group¡¯s candles were dozens upon dozens of cave tunnel entrances, round holes carved into the stone walls where the webbing ended.
¡°What the fuck¡¡± Jadis whispered in unison, gaping at the sheer immensity of the colossal cave system.
¡°How gods¡¯ verboten big is this damned warren?¡± Kerr cursed as she peered over the edge of the tunnel exit down into the abyss.
¡°Too big for the demon¡¯s to have done all this in just a couple years,¡± Aila pointed out, lowering herself off of Dys¡¯ back. ¡°This has to be the natural environment for those giant black spider beasts.¡±
¡°The demons must have possessed the spiders and taken over their tunnel systems,¡± Dys mused. ¡°Then probably expanded the tunnels so they could reach as far into the Broken Hills as they needed them to so they could get past the border guards unseen.¡±
¡°Fascinating, but not the fucking point right now. I can still smell fresh air coming from somewhere,¡± Kerr said, cutting off their speculations. ¡°There has to be an exit to outside somewhere nearby.¡±
After a silent beat, Eir spoke up, pointing with her finger.
¡°Up there. I can see starlight.¡±
Following the priestess¡¯ gesture, Jadis gazed up at where the ceiling of the cave should be but saw nothing but darkness.
¡°I can see it too,¡± Ealdread confirmed a moment later. ¡°There¡¯s a fissure in the rock up there. Thin and jagged. Some kind of gorge that leads from the surface to down here.¡±
Jadis still couldn¡¯t see anything, but she¡¯d take the two elves at their word. Clearly there was something about the strange, solid color eyes of the elves that gave them better vision in the dark.
¡°Well, fuck. I¡¯m guessing we can¡¯t climb out that way?¡± Syd said, staring futilely into the abyss above her.
¡°Not unless any of you have a flying spell or some other shit like that you¡¯ve been holding out on until now,¡± Kerr groaned, slumping against the tunnel wall.
As frustrating as it was to have not found an immediate exit, Jadis supposed the situation hadn¡¯t changed much from what it had been a minute ago. They still had to find a way out. If there wasn¡¯t one here, then they¡¯d just have to search one of the many other tunnel entrances scattered around the huge cavern.
Looking at the fatigued faces on her companions as well as the exhaustion on her own faces, Jadis amended the plan.
¡°Alright. Standing here won¡¯t get us anywhere. Let¡¯s make our way down the walls following the paths as best we can. If we can find an alcove or a something like that, we can rest and get our heads back in order, then figure out where to go from here.¡±
¡°Put out your candles first,¡± Aila advised. ¡°Their light is too easy to spot in this open space. We¡¯ll have to rely on the cave moss to see for now.¡±
The logic was reasonable and the guards who held the lights snuffed them out, plunging them all into not quite complete darkness. The ¡°cave moss¡± as Aila had called it wasn¡¯t quite as bad to see by as Jadis feared, but it still left large gaps of darkness where she and the human guards struggled to see even a few inches in front of their faces.
Along the walls where the tunnels appeared were narrow stone ledges that the group followed, led by Kerr who had little difficulty seeing in the dark. The path wasn¡¯t perfect, sometimes narrowing to a hazardous degree and sometimes hiding gaps just large enough for an unsuspecting person to fall through and disappear into the depths below, but the archer led them past such dangers without incident. At one point, Eir pointed out a black shape that crawled out of one of the tunnels on the far side of the cavern. All went quiet and still as another giant ten-legged spider crawled along the cave wall before disappearing into a different tunnel.
Once the threat had passed, they continued on their way, following the ledge path in a generally downward direction, eventually coming to a larger ledge where an underground stream poured out of a wide natural tunnel in the cliff wall. On Kerr¡¯s command, the group waited while she ducked inside the tunnel, coming back out a minute or two later.
¡°There¡¯s a cave pocket further in,¡± she reported when she got back. ¡°Plenty of space for all of us, even the three large asses over there, and it doesn¡¯t look like anything¡¯s disturbed it in a long time, if ever.¡±
¡°It¡¯ll have to do,¡± Syd nodded, ducking into the small tunnel.
The alcove Kerr had found was far enough down the bend in the stream¡¯s tunnel that it was completely hidden from any outside observers that might pass by along the ledge path. It was also, to Jadis¡¯ relief, more than large enough for everyone to get in without piling on top of each other. It wasn¡¯t quite tall enough for her to stand completely upright, but she could live with that. She wasn¡¯t planning on standing much for the next few hours anyway. As soon as they were all ensconced in the nook, she collectively collapsed to the ground. It had been an absolutely fucked day, all things told, and it was time to get some rest.
Chapter 111: Brief Reprieve
Jadis woke with a start, visions of putrid demons and melting flesh lingering for a few moments as she came to terms with where she was. The sight of bare rock walls confused her and for a second, she thought she was back in the cramped stone alcove she¡¯d spent her first night on Oros in, shivering in the cold. But then she saw that the cave was lit by glowing green moss and her memories of the past day came back to her.
¡°Easy job my ass,¡± Jay grumbled quietly under her breath.
Not that she was blaming Kerr for what had happened. There was no way she or anyone could have known that the twisted wretch matriarch would pay them a visit while they were in Alawar. That didn¡¯t mean she was happy about how things had turned out, though. In fact, she was fairly angry. Mostly with herself for not being strong enough to handle the demon mother threat when it appeared. Instead she¡¯d been forced to run.
Honestly, she felt like shit.
She still felt drained from the fights but now that she was awake, Jadis knew she couldn¡¯t go fully back to sleep. She was too pent up about the whole situation to let herself fall back into complete unconsciousness again. Not now that she wasn¡¯t passing out from lack of energy like when they¡¯d found the hidden cave.
That was the nice thing about having three bodies, though. She could let one or two of her selves stay active while the third got some more shut eye. It wasn¡¯t as good as all three sleeping at once, but it was possible for her.
Since that third of her self was the most physically injured, Jadis let her Jay self settle back against the uncomfortable cave wall and slip back into sleep while her other two bodies took stock of their situation.
Aila was sleeping, her head resting against Jay¡¯s right arm. Blankets and bedrolls from her and Jadis¡¯ packs had been spread out, giving them something of a cushion, but not much of one. Aila¡¯s light chest armor had been removed and Jadis could see the bandages around her side were stained with dried blood. Her wound had been worse than she¡¯d let on, her health having dropped to twenty points, but her healing salves, bandages, and a light touch of healing magic Eir had used on her from what she¡¯d recovered while they¡¯d traveled through the tunnels had stabilized her. Jadis had wanted to be mad at her friend for not letting her know just how bad her health had gotten, but at the same time, she couldn¡¯t get angry when she knew she¡¯d probably just put Aila through a worse ordeal. Jay had looked like absolute death after the corpse explosions.
Eir was also cozied up against Jay as well, sandwiched between her and Dys, her head resting in Jay¡¯s lap. She¡¯d been removing the remaining pieces of bones sticking out of Jay¡¯s skin last Jadis remembered. Clearly, she¡¯d passed out while the priestess had finished the job. Eir had tried to use more healing magic on Jadis, that she recalled, but Jadis had refused and told the priestess to save the power she had for Aila and Busch, the worst of the injured in the group. Jadis had already received more than enough healing to be out of any immediate danger.
To Jadis¡¯ surprise, Kerr was also sleeping leaned up against Syd, one of her long horns pressing somewhat uncomfortably against Syd¡¯s shoulder. The archer had removed her helmet and had actually wrapped her arms around Syd¡¯s left arm. She hadn¡¯t sustained much damage from the fighting but had expended a huge amount of stamina when using some of her skills, or so she¡¯d said. Jadis still wasn¡¯t sure how stamina worked exactly other than it was linked to her Endurance stat and that it was necessary for certain skills. There was no direct numerical indicator for the resource, either. It was another question to explore when she thought about it. If she remembered to.
The rest of the group was spread out a little further in the small cave. Douglas was lying flat on his back in the rear, pressed up against the wall. His face and body had been covered in cuts and lacerations but he¡¯d refused any healing or salves, simply stating that the potion he¡¯d taken already was enough. The four remaining guards minus Ealdread were grouped together, also asleep. Jadis felt bad that she had never bothered to learn the names of the three who¡¯d died but resolved to not make that mistake again. Thea and Busch she knew now, and the other two she¡¯d learned were Garver and Falk.
Ealdread was the only other person awake, the stalwart man sitting at the entrance to the alcove, staring into the darkness. Jadis supposed it made sense that the elf stood watch since he could apparently see quite well in the near darkness of the cave, but she was also sure he had to be exhausted too from the day¡¯s events.
Slipping out from the middle of the group, Dys walked as quietly as she could to the entrance and sat down next to the¡ªwhat was he, a captain? She¡¯d never actually asked.
¡°You need some sleep. Go ahead, I¡¯ve got this,¡± Dys whispered, motioning for the elf to withdraw further back into the cave.
Ealdread shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m still fine for now. I¡¯m experienced at going long hours without rest.¡±
¡°Dude, being stoic is one thing. Don¡¯t cross the border into stupid. Get some rest.¡±
Ealdread glanced sidelong at Dys, the green light of the cave moss reflecting off of his eyes.
¡°Is ¡®dude¡¯ an insult?¡±
¡°What? Uh, no,¡± Dys shrugged. ¡°More like a different word for man, but you can use it for anyone. Kind of casual, I guess?¡±
The guard turned back towards the darkness, a single finger lightly tapping against the back of his shield, the sound barely audible over the rushing water just outside the alcove.
¡°Standing watch is boring work. If you get tired, wake one of us and we¡¯ll take over,¡± Ealdread said abruptly, then stood and moved to join his men in rest.
Before he left, he put one hand briefly on Dys¡¯ shoulder.
¡°Thank you for not leaving us behind,¡± he spoke softly, barely above a whisper.
Jadis didn¡¯t feel like she had an appropriate response to that. So, she simply nodded, face turned into the oppressive blankness of the cave beyond.
Once Ealdread was settled and the omnipresent quiet of the cavern once again blanketed them, Jadis made sure that Dys paid careful attention to any odd sounds or noises that might echo up the stream¡¯s tunnel. She couldn¡¯t see if danger was approaching, but she could certainly hear it if anything tried to sneak up on them. With the brain power afforded her by Syd still being awake, Jadis also took the time to check her notifications. There were many to sift through, mostly ones letting her know about the demons she had killed, but there were a few that were more interesting.
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Level Up!
Mirror Knight has Reached Level 23.
1 New Skill Available for Selection.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
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Level Up!
Perverted Ritualist of D has Reached Level 16.
1 Attribute Point Awarded.
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Both of her classes had gone up a level each. She hadn¡¯t expected to gain much experience from the mission to Alawar, not with how many people were involved and leeching experience from every kill, but she guessed just the sheer number of demons slain had been enough to push her over the edge for the two classes. If she was leveling, she hoped that meant Aila had as well. Eir too, for that matter. The cleric getting stronger could only help them in their current dire straits.
Without much thought, Jadis put the free attribute point she¡¯d gained into her Eldritch stat. While a single point wouldn¡¯t make an immediate difference, every point she put into that vital attribute was paying dividends for the rest of her raw physical power.
More careful consideration would need to be given to what skills she had available to her. Without any fanfare she checked the first option.
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Knight¡¯s Shield
Passive Skill. Provides a moderate boost to the defensive value of physical shields while equipped. Does not affect shields created by spells.
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Not an amazing skill, but a logical one. She¡¯d been experimenting with shields so the system or gods or however it worked had given her an avenue to advance down the path of incorporating shields into her combat style. It was a strong contender for selection. She did want at least one of her bodies to have some form of shield for protection. And the skill description also said it was a ¡®moderate¡¯ boost. The last skill that she¡¯d been offered that increased defensive values had been a ¡®small¡¯ boost. Clearly this one was a stronger, and probably rarer, buff.
Setting the skill aside for future consideration, Jadis checked the other option given to her.
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Mirror Knight¡¯s Capacity
Passive Skill. Boosts your health, stamina, and magic values by 100 multiplied by the number of active Mirrored Bodies. Stamina gained from this skill is held in a shared reservoir that is drawn from before each body draws on its own reservoir of stamina.
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¡°Holy shit,¡± Syd murmured as she reread the skill¡¯s description.
The skill was powerful. A one-hundred-point boost to three different resources? That was the equivalent of increasing her Vitality, Endurance, and Focus by ten points each. Except, since it was multiplied by her number of bodies, it was more like a thirty-point increase to the three important attributes. That was, by every metric she understood from Aila¡¯s explanations, a fucking insane jump in power.
Well, was it thirty? It said it was multiplied by the number of mirrored bodies, so maybe that meant whichever was her original body didn¡¯t count for the calculation?
Syd shook her head. As if getting a two-hundred-point boost to her health, stamina, and magic pools wouldn¡¯t be an invaluable boon. No further deliberation was needed. She took the skill.
Aches and pains that had lingered across her bodies receded as the skill took effect. Wounds that still looked fresh faded, though the worse ones didn¡¯t fully disappear. As she sighed in relief, Jadis checked what her status sheet looked like.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (23)
Secondary Class: Perverted Ritualist of D (16)
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 39
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Health: 559/830
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Magic: 310/310
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Attributes
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Strength: 90
Dexterity: 28
Agility: 91
Vitality: 53
Fortitude: 38
Endurance: 40
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 91
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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So it had counted all three of her bodies. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that but decided to take it as a win anyway. Her health, both maximum and current, had gone up by three hundred points. Her stamina had as well and, while she couldn¡¯t see it reflected on the sheet, she could feel it as a lot of the fatigue she had been feeling up to that point melted away. The extra exciting change though was her magic.
Jadis finally had a magic pool. Before, she¡¯d avoided taking any spells she¡¯d been offered from her Mirror Knight class because she didn¡¯t have the magic capacity to cast any of the spells. She would have had to invest points into Focus just to be able to make any use of them and with how low her Focus attribute was, it felt like she would have been spreading herself too thin, wasting the potential she had as a physical fighter. Now, however, with one skill, she had a greater magic point capacity than Aila did.
Aila was probably going to be pissed.
Well, she¡¯d just have to wait until her own class gave her some overpowered skills. Considering the unique nature of the Arcanist class, Jadis was sure Aila wouldn¡¯t have to wait too long before she too was getting some crazy power boosts.
In any case, Jadis was excited at the prospect of being able to cast some spells. The spells she¡¯d been offered so far hadn¡¯t been direct damage types like Aila¡¯s, more of the kind that gave passive buffs to her or inflicted some debilitating illusion-style effects on opponents. Still, she was certain that any of them would be useful given the right situation. She¡¯d have to review her options with Aila and see which she thought they could benefit from the most.
Though, she supposed that was a problem for later. Jadis needed to reach level twenty-five in Mirror Knight before she¡¯d get another opportunity to select a new skill and even then, who knew what options she¡¯d be given at that point that might alter any plans she made now. There was a lot that could change with a single skill, Jadis was coming to realize.
Distracted by her level ups, Jadis almost missed it when a splash in the water of the stream echoed in the tunnel that was definitely not the same as the normal running-water noises. Brandishing her surprisingly sturdy makeshift maul, Dys crouched on one knee, waiting to see what was coming up the tunnel while her other two bodies stirred and woke the others as quietly as possible.
¡°Something¡¯s coming,¡± Syd whispered in Kerr¡¯s ear while Jay did the same in Aila¡¯s, both putting their hands over their respective sleeping companions¡¯ mouths to prevent any sudden sounds.
In a few moments everyone was up and awake, barring Busch who was still out cold. Syd, Douglas, and Ealdread moved up to the fore just behind Dys while the rest kept back, the tightness of the alcove preventing anyone else from getting closer. Weapons at the ready, they all waited to see what would appear from the black murk of the cave tunnel. In another few seconds, the gentle splashing sounds that had grown much closer suddenly stopped.
A familiar voice called out from the dark, barely above a whisper.
¡°Hey, anybody there?¡±
¡°Jana?¡± Dys quietly called back. ¡°Is that you?¡±
¡°Yes, it¡¯s me,¡± Jana replied. The splashing resumed and from around the corner came the erstwhile missing mercenary.
Her armor looked badly damaged, her crossbow was gone, and her hand was held over what looked like a bad wound on her right side, but it was Jana. She stopped a couple of feet short of them, her legs unsteady as she wavered in place.
¡°So glad I found you,¡± she panted, coughing a little into her left hand. ¡°I thought my luck had run out.¡±
¡°How the fuck did you find us?¡± Dys asked incredulously. ¡°We must have gone miles through those twisting tunnels.¡±
¡°I¡¯m a tracker,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°I tracked you. Let me in.¡±
Seeing that the mercenary looked ready to collapse, Douglas stepped up past Dys and put a big arm around her to offer some support. As he did, the rest began moving back a little to make room as he helped the injured woman into the alcove.
¡°Wait,¡± Aila hissed from her position behind Dys, ¡°How¡¯d you get in the tunnel in the first place? That round door had to weigh a ton; we needed all three Nephilim to lift it.¡±
The weary expression on Jana¡¯s face morphed into a rictal grin as she suddenly pulled one of the many daggers strapped to her armor off her body and plunged it into the side of Douglas¡¯ neck.
¡°I had some help.¡±
Chapter 112: Duty
The unexpected murderous violence caught Jadis off guard and, for a heartbeat, she didn¡¯t react. Others, however, were already moving.
Jana ripped the dagger from Douglas¡¯ neck with a twisting motion, a fountain of blood gushing out of the gaping wound as she hurled the bloody blade at Aila¡¯s face. Before any of Jadis¡¯ bodies could react to the threat on her companion¡¯s life, Aila raised her hand and a round, ghostly shield made of force magic appeared in the air before her, blocking the dagger.
Douglas, somehow not dead despite what had to be massive blood loss, shoved Jana away from himself, throwing her against the right-side wall of the alcove entrance. At the same time, Ealdread struck out with his spear, attempting to skewer Jana through the chest while Kerr tossed one of her hand axes at her from where she stood behind the front line.
Jana dodged both spear and axe, kicking off the wall as though she had no injuries at all. More daggers appeared in her hands as she began whipping them forward at anyone in range. At least one more lodged itself in Douglas¡¯ chest as he clutched one hand around his neck wound.
Before Jana could toss another volley, Syd¡¯s lance shot forward and pierced through the right side of her chest, going all the way through to impact the other side of the tunnel wall, pinning her there. Only, the woman didn¡¯t seem to care that she¡¯d been skewered like a stuck pig and threw two more daggers anyway, both aimed at Syd. One bounced off of her armor but the other dug into her upper arm.
Dys pressed forward in the tunnel, moving fast despite being forced to crouch-walk, and slammed the top of her maul into Jana¡¯s right shoulder, hard enough to hear bone crack, then the other side as well, disabling both of the murderous mercenary¡¯s arms.
Unable to attack with her arms broken, Jana stared with wide, unblinking eyes at Dys, her grin still far too wide.
¡°So glad I found you,¡± she repeated her earlier statement in gurgling tones. ¡°So glad. So glad. So¡ª¡±
Her words were cut off by Kerr¡¯s other handaxe splitting her skull.
¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Jay cursed. ¡°Seriously, what the fuck?¡±
¡°Possession,¡± Ealdread said shortly. ¡°Had to be. And it had to have brought more¡ª¡±
¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t get a kill notification,¡± Kerr interrupted the elf guard.
Indeed, now that it was pointed out, Jadis hadn¡¯t gotten one either. Putting her full attention back on the corpse of Jana still hanging limply from Syd¡¯s lance, she spotted the problem.
The open wound on the dead mercenary¡¯s side was crawling with dark tentacles, the wriggling mass no longer concealed by Jana¡¯s arm. Dys moved to slam the top of her maul into the tentacles but before she could, the whole demon slipped out of Jana¡¯s body with surprising speed. The single eye of the demon flashed emerald green in the dark before the horrid creature disappeared into the streaming water, dodging attacks from Dys, Syd, and Ealdread. In seconds the demon was gone, fled to the main cavern.
¡°We¡¯ve got to get out of here,¡± Aila wasted no time announcing. The magic shield she¡¯d conjured, some new spell she¡¯d gained from leveling, Jadis guessed, had already faded away. ¡°If she followed us, others followed her.¡±
The redhead was right. Jadis could already hear the sounds of numerous inhuman creatures making their way up the waterway to where they were hidden. Looking at the damage done by the demon-possessed Jana, Jadis saw that Eir had already laid her healing hands upon Douglas who looked extremely pale in the green light of the cave moss, but still alive. Whatever health pool the man had, it was definitely larger than the average, maybe even a rival to her own recently boosted stat.
¡°Escape upstream,¡± Ealdread ordered, already moving into the tunnel, his shield to the fore. ¡°I can hold them off while you check for a way out.¡±
¡°Hold on, we¡¯re way stronger than you, let us¡ª¡± Dys started, but Ealdread cut her off.
¡°None of you three have shields. I can see in the dark. This is why I¡¯m here. Now go,¡± he commanded, his head never turning back to look at them.
Jadis wanted to argue. The whole reason she hadn¡¯t taken Aila and leapt for the fleeing ship was because she didn¡¯t want to leave anyone behind to die. Ealdread was strong, he¡¯d proven that he was far more capable than she had given him credit at first, but she was still stronger. She should be blocking the oncoming enemy forces while everyone else searched for an exit. As Dys moved to push the elf out of the way, he whirled on her, his rock shield spell briefly flaring into existence as he pushed her back.
¡°What do you think my duty is, you giant fool? Go!¡±
Jadis snarled, her temper flaring, then she saw the expression on the guard captain¡¯s face. Her anger melted away at the resolution she saw there. Ealdread had his own mission, his own duty to fulfill. He hadn¡¯t followed after her on the Magistrate¡¯s orders because he was acting as some kind of leash on her movements or a spy, at least not solely for those reasons. He truly believed it was his duty to die to protect her.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Jadis moved her selves away from the stalwart guard, following behind Kerr who had gathered her two hand axes and was already wading through the stream up the tunnel. Eir and Aila both helped Douglas along, the man drained but still struggling along.
¡°Any magic left for traps?¡± Jay whispered to her as she let those three pass her by.
¡°A little, though I used up a lot of what I¡¯d recovered with that shield spell,¡± Aila replied. ¡°I have enough for one force bolt. I think I better save it,¡± she advised, glancing back at Ealdread.
The two guardsmen, Garver and Falk, had joined their captain, taking up positions to either side of him so that their shields created a completed barrier across the tunnel. As Thea moved to join them, Falk looked back at her and shook his head.
¡°No. Take Busch and go, if you can.¡±
That was all the guard said, turning his back on his companion. Thea stood motionless for a moment before turning back into the alcove to retrieve the still unconscious Busch.
Jay sent Aila along up the tunnel, her throat tight. She didn¡¯t like what was happening. Everything about it felt wrong, everything was moving too fast. But she wasn¡¯t sure what else to do, either. The whole situation felt so far beyond her control. So, she did what little she could.
As Thea came out of the alcove, struggling to carry Busch¡¯s dead weight, Jay took the man from her arms and sent the guard ahead of her. As they rushed after everyone else, Jay heard the sounds of combat echo behind her, the horde of demons meeting Ealdread¡¯s shield wall.
Kerr led the group up the tunnel, rushing as fast as she could with Syd and Dys right behind her. The waters had carved a winding channel through the rock that sloped slightly upwards. The tunnel ceiling dropped so low at times that Jadis¡¯ bodies were forced to crawl on hands and knees, the water deep enough in some pockets to reach Eir¡¯s waist, but they kept moving. A second branch to the stream connected to theirs at one point, but the entrance was so narrow that Jadis couldn¡¯t fit and so it was passed by.
Eventually they came to an abrupt stop, the tunnel ending in a blank stone wall.
¡°Shit,¡± Kerr spat, standing hip deep in the water. ¡°The stream goes under.¡±
¡°What are the chances there¡¯s a way out on the other side?¡± Syd asked, peering at the dark waters that were barely visible in the omni-present dim light of the cave moss. ¡°And that we¡¯ll be able to find it in the dark.¡±
¡°And that we can swim the distance?¡± Aila added.
¡°Not fucking good,¡± Kerr cursed. ¡°Motherfucking piss buckets. This is not where I planned on dying¡¡±
Jay looked back down the dark tunnel where they had come from. She couldn¡¯t hear the sounds of combat anymore. They¡¯d gone too far even for echoes. Nothing had come up behind them yet, neither friend nor foe, but that wasn¡¯t going to last.
The simple fact was that they were cornered. Even if Jadis was far stronger than any bone thief or twisted wretch individually, the numbers were against them. She couldn¡¯t hold out against the onslaught of demons forever.
¡°I will check,¡± Eir spoke up, her voice trembling slightly. ¡°If there is a way out, I¡¯ll see it.¡±
¡°What, you mean down there?¡± Dys pointed towards where the stream was coming from under the rock wall. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to see a thing under there.¡±
¡°I have the best chance of seeing any light out of any of us,¡± she argued, standing with her back straight. ¡°And besides. Lyssandria will guide me. I have faith.¡±
The instinct to call the elf crazy was strong, but then Jadis remembered who she was and where they all were. Gods did exist. She¡¯d met one. Maybe Lyssandria would do something to save her priestess in such dire circumstances. It was a chance, at least.
¡°Fine. Try it.¡±
Eir nodded once, then quickly stripped herself of her stained white robes and her boots, getting rid of any extra weight that would get in the way of swimming. Down to her small clothes, Eir ducked low, took a deep breath, then dove into the dark waters.
The tension was palpable as they waited to see if the elven priestess would return. So much could go wrong. With no light, she could lose her way. She could run out of breath before reaching an exit, or before she made it back to them. There could be a way out, but there could be demons waiting for them on the other side. Jadis had no doubt what would happen to Eir if she ran into any enemies while alone.
As seconds dragged on into minutes, Jadis began to despair of ever seeing the elf again. Jay¡¯s eyes met Aila¡¯s as she set Busch down against a wall, the three of Jadis moving to block the tunnel behind them. If it was going to be a final stand, she was going to do everything she could to take down as many demons as she possibly could.
¡°Sorry,¡± Syd whispered to Aila, putting her head close enough to the woman so that her words would be heard by her alone. ¡°I didn¡¯t think our adventure would be this short when I pitched you the idea.¡±
¡°I knew the risks going in,¡± Aila smiled at Syd, her blue eyes meeting hers unflinchingly. ¡°I¡¯ve known the risks of this kind of life for a long time. Don¡¯t go killing us off yet, though. I fully expect you to do something insane and come out on top in the end. You¡¯ve got a history to live up to.¡±
Syd grinned, then gave Aila a gentle kiss before replying.
¡°How can I argue with that logic?¡±
Just then, a burble of water came up from just before the rock wall, followed by Eir breaking the surface with a loud gasp.
¡°There¡¯s a pocket of air, maybe a minute in,¡± she panted out. ¡°Then, much further on, it opens up to another tunnel, much larger. It¡¯s far, but it¡¯s swimmable.¡±
¡°Fuck yeah red tits!¡± Kerr slapped the wet elf on the back. ¡°Great job! Now let¡¯s get going before we get turned into demon shit.¡±
¡°What about Busch?¡± Thea asked, looking at the unconscious guard. ¡°If we have to hold our breath that long, I don¡¯t think¡¡± she trailed off, her voice hitching at the end.
¡°There¡¯s no choice,¡± Jay shook her head. ¡°If he makes it, he makes it. Otherwise we¡¯ve done all we can.¡±
With no time to spare, those that needed to discarded anything that they didn¡¯t need so they could make the swim. Jadis kept her armor on her bodies, certain that she could make it regardless of the extra weight. Aila took off some of her armor, stuffed it into her pack, then passed it to Dys to carry. Seeing what she was doing, the others also passed their packs to the three giants to let them carry the loads. Thea had only just managed to strip off her helmet and chest plate when the sounds of howling wretches came echoing from down the tunnel, signaling their imminent arrival.
¡°Forget it, just hold onto me,¡± Syd told the guard. ¡°I¡¯ll pull you along.¡±
¡°Follow behind me,¡± Eir told them all, having used the few moments to rip chunks of cave moss off the walls, making a ball of dim green light in her hand. ¡°Breathe deep. Gods bless us, we can make it.¡±
With that, she dove under the water.
¡°Good luck,¡± Douglas rumbled to the room at large, then dove after her.
Kerr followed suit, then Aila. Syd went next, letting Thea grip tightly onto her belt, followed by Jay carrying Busch. Last to go, Dys took a final look back over her shoulder.
¡°Thank you, Ealdread,¡± she said softly before diving into the darkness.
Chapter 113: Mistakes
The cold, dark waters completely enveloped Jadis, robbing her of her senses. Even with three bodies, she could see and hear nothing, her entire world narrowed down to just cold water and the occasional touch of slick stone or her own selves. Her own hand couldn¡¯t be seen even when she slapped it against her own nose.
It was terrifying to be so blind.
With all her strength Jadis pushed forward through the murkiness, her legs long enough to kick against the rocky floor of the waterway. Yet, that scared her because she was afraid that if she stayed too deep, she would miss the air pocket Eir had told her about and she wouldn¡¯t have the breath to make it to the end. So she pushed upwards, her helmeted heads occasionally scraping along the top of the underwater cave ceiling.
Just as she was starting to panic that she might have swum too far, Syd spotted a dim green light ahead. Pushing towards it, suddenly burst through the surface of the water into the promised air pocket, helmet slamming hard into the rock wall as she gulped down stale air. Jay and Dys were right behind, popping their heads up into the pocket along with Thea and Busch, the latter of whom made no outward sign of struggling for breath.
Eir was in the now extremely cramped pocket, having waited for them to make it to her before moving on.
¡°Just keep swimming as far as you can go straight ahead,¡± she advised, her teeth chattering from the cold water. ¡°It¡¯s far, but we can make it.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Jay said, keeping Busch¡¯s head above water for a little longer, hoping he hadn¡¯t taken too much water in. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
With one final breath taken, they all dove under the surface again. Jadis didn¡¯t hold anything back. She powered ahead, dragging Thea and Busch along, then sweeping even Eir up in her mad dash through the dark. The second leg of the swim truly was much further than the first. It was such a greater distance that she legitimately had no idea how Eir had managed it on her own. With her own lungs burning for air, she began to have waking nightmares that at any moment she would run into the drowned body of Aila floating back down the stream.
Instead, towards the upper limit of what was possible, Eir tugged on Syd¡¯s arm, the dim moss light in her other hand directing her upwards. Pushing off the cave floor, Syd shot them upwards and they burst out into open air, coughing and sputtering. A second later Jay, Dys, and Thea joined them and, much to Jadis¡¯ relief, she realized that she could hear Aila, Kerr, and Douglas coughing somewhere nearby too.
¡°Merde, this is not much better than where we were,¡± Kerr gasped out between coughing fits.
Jadis couldn¡¯t see exactly what the archer meant. The cave was far darker than the alcove or the giant cavern, barely any cave moss lighting it. What little there was just enough to show that the chamber was narrow, exceedingly so, but the ceiling was high above them. A narrow ledge was along the left side of the stream and, at least in one spot, she could see stalactites hanging down, water dripping from their tapered tips.
¡°Hey, I¡¯m not sure Busch is breathing anymore,¡± Jay announced, still holding the man¡¯s head above the surface of the stream.
¡°Let me check him,¡± Eir said, swimming closer to lay her hands on the guard. After a moment, she shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s still alive, but he¡¯s in critical condition. We need to get him out of the water.¡±
¡°It looks like it widens ahead,¡± Kerr pointed out. ¡°Let¡¯s push forward.¡±
Swimming ahead a few dozen yards revealed the cave did widen out, a stony shore giving them all enough space to get out of the water. Once out, Eir immediately turned Busch over on his side and set about forcing the water out of his lungs by beating him on his back. A slight glow also radiated briefly from her hands as she healed him, but the light faded quickly as she spent the precious few points she¡¯d regenerated.
¡°This looks like it might actually go for a long way,¡± Kerr commented, stepping a few paces away from the group as she surveyed the cavern.
¡°So, hopefully not a dead end,¡± Aila said, shaking the cold water off and wringing it from her long hair. ¡°Though it still could be.¡±
¡°More importantly, what are the chances those demons don¡¯t try following us through the stream?¡± Dys asked, looking at the faintly rippling water they¡¯d come out of.
There was a silent pause as the question sunk in, the group still recovering from the swim.
¡°Maybe,¡± Douglas finally said, his shrug barely perceptible in the lightless cave.
¡°Maybe?¡± Syd repeated, shouldering her lance. ¡°Just, maybe?¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Douglas affirmed.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°Chances are they might not even think to look in the water,¡± Kerr clarified. ¡°Demons are fucking stupid about things like that. The little ones are, anyway.¡±
Thinking about the demon-possessed Jana, Jadis had her doubts about Kerr¡¯s assessment. Clearly the demon had been able to track them a long distance. Was all the intelligence necessary to track them, then pretend to be one of them gone now that the demon and its host were separated? If any part of Jana remained in the demon that had subverted her, then it had to be smart enough to know that they hadn¡¯t just disappeared and would have had to have swum under the rock wall.
¡°Demons don¡¯t breathe,¡± Aila weighed in with her own thoughts. ¡°If they do follow us, they¡¯ll have a much easier time with that swim than we did.¡±
¡°So we better not linger,¡± Jay nodded, kneeling down next to Eir and Busch. ¡°Time to move.¡±
¡°Just a minute more,¡± Eir argued, teeth chattering worse now. ¡°I-I can feel my m-magic restoring. I can stabilize him in j-just a minute.¡±
Jadis felt like an idiot. When Eir had stripped off her robe and boots, Jadis hadn¡¯t thought to grab the garments for her. Jadis still had most of her supplies she¡¯d purchased back in Felsen, though she¡¯d left a few things behind in the alcove during the rush. She still had a few blankets, though they were soaked. Figuring it was best to get them out and start drying them so Eir could make use of one of them, Jay knelt down and started rummaging in one of her packs. Ducking her head down at that moment was the only reason the giant spider leg didn¡¯t skewer her skull.
¡°Spider!¡± Kerr shouted out a late warning as the huge arachnid stabbed one of its many legs down at Jay, just barely missing her head as its razor-sharp barbs scraped across the metal of her helmet.
Various exclamations of surprise and alarm echoed in the cavern as Jadis focused her three selves on the foe at hand. It was, as Kerr had said, another gigantic ten-legged spider, its black shell blending into the lightless cave walls. It was on the wall at least a dozen feet overhead, the distance far but still putting them all well within range of its extremely long legs. Just like the one back in the village, it struck down at them with its sharp forelegs, trying to impale one or more of the group.
Syd struck back at the spider-demon, her lance giving her the greatest reach. She jabbed at its face and body, her weapon piercing its shell but not deeply. Jabbing straight upward was awkward and the lack of light made it hard to see what she was attacking.
Jay and Dys focused on knocking the many legs of the spider back as they attacked, deflecting them as best she could. While they fought, they shouted at the rest to move. Even without several people crowding around them, the space on the ledge was extremely limited. With others getting in the way of their dodges, it was turning an uphill struggle into an impossible task.
¡°Get back, out of our fucking way!¡± Jay ordered, almost stepping on Eir and Busch as she tried to keep the spider from impaling either her or them. ¡°Give us room!¡±
Fortunately no one argued. Aila and Thea both backed off, getting out from underfoot. Eir, however, stayed with Busch, still trying to save the dying man.
¡°Eir, fucking move!¡± Syd shouted between jabs of her lance. ¡°Leave him there!¡±
¡°I c-can¡¯t carry him!¡± Eir cried in dismay. ¡°He¡¯s t-too heavy for m-me!¡±
Jadis would have to help Eir and Busch with one of her bodies. It was a risk since it would put more pressure on her other bodies for a few critical moments, but she couldn¡¯t fight against the cave spider with the two of them getting in the way. Reacting to a brief moment where the spider withdrew two of its legs from being struck by her weapons, Jadis quickly had her Jay self turn and grab both Eir and Busch and dove back into the water, using it as cover to drag them further up the stream to safety.
Kerr, Thea, and Douglas didn¡¯t stand idly by. All three moved in to help Dys and Syd while Jay was unable to fight, joining in and giving the spider-demon other people to target. Unfortunately, the tactic worked too well and the spider reacted in an unexpected way. Switching from sharp stabs meant to impale them, it abruptly swung three of its right legs in an arc across the ledge. The move was such a startling change that Jadis didn¡¯t react in time and neither did the others, the lot of them ending up swept off the ledge and into the water, right on top of Jay, Eir, and Busch.
Everything turned into a muddled chaos of limbs and dark water. Jadis could barely tell which bodies were hers and which were her companions as they flailed desperately to get back out onto dry land where they could fight back. A brief warmth against one of her selves¡¯ skin confused her for a moment until a metallic taste got into her mouth. The taste was unmistakable and caused her heart to drop into her stomach.
Bursting from the surface of the stream Jay looked around, searching for where the blood had come from. It didn¡¯t take her long to find the source.
Douglas hung suspended in the air, impaled through the stomach by one of the spider¡¯s forelegs. The man was chopping his massive cleaver against the hard shell of the demonic arachnid, trying to cut through the leg that had speared him, but even as Jay and her other bodies moved to get up out of the water the spider pierced him again, two more legs going through his torso and coming out on either side.
¡°No!¡± Jay shouted, leaping up in a repeat of when she¡¯d tried to save Mounce.
Her left arm got around the big man¡¯s legs and for a few seconds she hung there, suspended in the air, her weight dragging Douglas down. Then a ghostly flash of light struck the demon at the joint where one of the legs impaling the man attached to the spider¡¯s body. The cave monster jerked backwards, its one leg detaching as it broke away and swung wildly from where it protruded from Douglas¡¯ body before the spider jerked back again and the sudden movement dislodged the leg and it clattered to the floor. In the next moment, Jay too slammed to the cave floor, still holding Douglas¡¯ legs. But not the rest of him.
A shower of blood and viscera splattered over Jay as she fell to the ground, Douglas¡¯s lower half having detached from his upper due to the immense damage he¡¯d taken from the three giant spider legs piercing his torso combined with her far too heavy weight. With nothing left holding it back, the demonically possessed spider monster skittered back up the high stone wall of the cavern and disappeared into a hidden tunnel near the ceiling, the entrance obscured by the dark and the stalactites.
Even as he disappeared into the den of the giant spider, Jadis could still faintly hear him chopping his cleaver against the monster¡¯s shell.
Chapter 114: Forge On
Jay vomited onto the blood-slick cavern floor, just barely getting her visor up in time to not puke inside her own helmet. Douglas¡¯ innards had covered her, the smell of blood and bowels only enhancing the nauseating horror of what had just happened. Dys and Syd gagged as well, the experience too overwhelming for Jadis¡¯ Refracted Mind to keep her emotional response separate between her bodies.
¡°Shit,¡± Kerr said, pulling herself out of the water.
¡°Gods,¡± Aila echoed the archer as she too emerged from the cave stream.
Jadis didn¡¯t want to think about what had just happened. It was too awful, even for her naturally cool control. Without looking at the severed legs laying near her, Jay stumbled to her feet and moved away from the gory scene, wiping her mouth as best she could. Her other two selves also got out of the water, helping the others out as well, already trying to put distance between themselves and where the spider demon had come from.
¡°Where¡¯s Busch?¡± Thea coughed out in a panic as she was pulled from the water.
Fuck.
Jadis had forgotten all about the incapacitated guard in all the confusion. Her Jay self had been carrying him, she was pretty sure, but she must have let him go when everyone had been swept into the water on top of her.
Looking into the dark waters for any sign of the man, Dys and Syd dove back in, quickly swimming to the bottom of the deep section of water to try and find him. After a minute of searching, they came back up with Busch between them and brought him back to the stone ledge. As soon as they set him down, Eir was there, checking the man¡¯s vitals by whatever magical means healers had.
¡°His soul has p-passed,¡± Eir shivered out softly a few seconds later. ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡±
¡°Fuck!¡±
All three of Jadis shouted, slamming fists or weapons into whatever stone surface was nearby. That was another man dead thanks to her actions. Busch had drowned because she¡¯d stupidly let him go. Douglas had died because she¡¯d ripped his fucking legs off by hanging off him like a giant fucking moron. Ealdread and Garver and Falk were dead because she¡¯d led them all into a literal demon infested cave and he had sacrificed himself to protect her from her stupid decision.
Jadis cursed again, impotent rage clouding her vision. She¡¯d never felt so terrible in her life.
¡°Hey, cry about it later big stuff,¡± Kerr broke through Jadis¡¯ haze. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here.¡±
¡°Fuck you, I¡¯m not crying,¡± Jay snarled, blinking back hot tears that had not yet fallen.
¡°Of course you aren¡¯t,¡± she agreed, walking past Jay to pick up the giant spider leg that had been ripped off by Aila¡¯s spell. ¡°I mean, what kind of mercenary would, I don¡¯t know, have feelings and shit when people they know are dying around them. That¡¯s just crazy talk.¡±
Kerr checked the torn end of the spider leg, sniffing it, then actually licked the end. She quickly spat the taste out with a grimace but nodded her head once as if she¡¯d just confirmed a fact.
¡°That spider thing wasn¡¯t possessed. That was just a natural beast taking an opportunity for a meal.¡±
¡°How could you possibly¡ª¡± Dys began to ask but was cut off by Kerr tossing the leg in her direction. A relatively impressive feat, considering the size of the leg.
¡°No corruption. I¡¯ve killed enough of those bastards to know what demon corruption smells like and whatever that spider puta is, it doesn¡¯t smell like demon. So, stop arguing, listen to your elder, and lets fucking go.¡±
Kerr was right. There was no point in wallowing in her failures. They had to get going before the giant cave spider came back for seconds or something else came along. Like the demons Ealdread and his guards had given their lives to delay. A delay she was wasting by focusing on regret.
Tossing the spider leg aside along with her self-recriminations, at least for the moment, Jadis focused on moving. They were all still very much in danger and they still needed to find a way out of the hell hole of a cave system.
As a group they left the grisly scene, leaving behind Busch and what was left of Douglas since there was nothing else to be done with the bodies. Kerr quickly took the lead and forged ahead, directing the group further upstream to where the cave widened out further, turning into less of a tunnel waterway and more of an actual large cavern, though nowhere near as large as the one they¡¯d seen before. Syd stayed right next to Kerr, not letting the therion woman get too far ahead or out of reach, just in case more giant spiders or other dangers waited in ambush. Jay kept close to Aila for the same reason, while Dys did the same for Eir and Thea. Eir still had no clothes or boots, though, and after a few minutes of walking Dys simply picked the elf up in one arm, carrying the shivering woman close to her body.
Jadis couldn¡¯t imagine being pressed up against her steel armor was all that warming for the elf, but it had to be better than walking barefoot on the stone floor.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
The cave opened up further as they went, though with all the stalagmites and stalactites getting in the way, it was hard to maneuver through the dimly lit cavern. As they hurried through the dark, Kerr volunteered a few more thoughts about where they were.
¡°I can hear other cave critters moving around in here. Them and that connard un-possessed monster tells me this cave hasn¡¯t been invaded by demons.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± Aila agreed, picking her way around one of the many rock formations. ¡°If demons had gotten in here, then they¡¯d have killed or corrupted all the natural wildlife they could by now.¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t mean they aren¡¯t coming behind us,¡± Dys grumbled in response.
¡°But it¡¯s also been a while. You¡¯d think they¡¯d have caught up by now if they had figured out that we swam up the tunnel,¡± Syd countered her own pessimism.
¡°Or there¡¯s another way around we don¡¯t know about and we¡¯re walking right into them,¡± Aila said, throwing the frankly awful possibility out in the open like a dead fish no one wanted to touch.
The mood from there was somber. The seven, or five, of them traversed the cavern with as much speed and silence as they could manage. More tunnels, the natural kind, presented themselves as options for travel, and Kerr picked one as being the best of bad options since it had a slight upward slope. On more than one occasion they were forced to backtrack as they ran into dead ends, but overall they kept moving forward, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and any pursuers.
While the caves and tunnels weren¡¯t exactly easy for her to move in, and there were plenty of smaller tunnels and crevices that she would have no chance of crawling into that split off from the paths they took, Jadis noticed that for the most part the passages were plenty large enough for someone of her size to fit. She wondered if the giant cave spiders had much to do with the unusual dimensions of the cave tunnels. From what she knew of spelunking, it was an activity that usually involved a lot of crawling and squeezing into tight spaces. That hadn¡¯t been the experience she¡¯d had so far, not to the degree she expected, anyway.
Thoughts of the giant spiders strayed towards thoughts of how badly she¡¯d fucked up the situation with Douglas, so Jadis forced her thoughts towards a different matter. What were the giant spiders eating when they weren¡¯t opportunistically feeding on unsuspecting mercenaries? Kerr had mentioned she¡¯d heard some small creatures hiding in the dark recesses of the cavern, but little beasts didn¡¯t seem like the ideal prey for such large monsters. And she doubted the spiders were going to the surface to hunt, otherwise the demonically overrun tunnels would have been discovered before now in all likelihood. With how Aila and the others didn¡¯t even seem to have a name for the giant spiders, she presumed they were a new discovery. Weigrun was, Jadis reminded herself, an apparently relatively little-explored subcontinent, more wilderness than tamed lands. It made Jadis wonder just how much more of the wide world was still unknown. The thought was a good distraction, as was the discovery of the likely natural prey of the giant spider.
Rounding one corner in a particularly wide tunnel, Kerr had come to a sudden stop, head tilted to one side like a dog that had heard a distant whistle.
¡°What?¡± Syd asked, immediately jumping to high alert.
Kerr held up a hand for silence, then crept towards the left wall, a handaxe at the ready. She stood near a lumpy rock formation for a moment, then suddenly struck it with her axe, pulling at an edge of the formation.
To Jadis¡¯ surprise, the lump of rock fell off the wall with a light clatter, then began to squirm around on the ground, revealing the many-legged underbelly of some insectile creature.
¡°The flying fuck is that?¡± Syd asked as the rest of the group closed in on the beast.
¡°Rock Crawler,¡± Kerr explained while putting her axe back in her belt. ¡°You see them in caves back on the main continent. Taste like shit but they''re edible.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve heard of them,¡± Aila said, kneeling down to get a better look at the squirming creature. ¡°They dwell in deep caves and eat the glow moss, primarily. Technically magic beasts, but certainly one of the weakest and least dangerous. I think some part of them is used as an alchemical ingredient, but it¡¯s not unique in nature so no one hunts these beasts specifically.¡±
The underside of the thing reminded Jadis of a sea roach, one of the giant isopods from back on Earth, with far too many legs. It was much larger than a giant isopod, though, reaching four feet from stem to stern and nearly as wide. Once the cave crawler managed to flip back onto its feet, it slowly began scuttling away from them and back up the wall, its rocky shell blending in perfectly with the cavern stone.
¡°Well, good to know we have options if our rations run out,¡± Jay murmured, watching the crawler as it progressed up the wall.
Much to Jadis¡¯ surprise, when it got to a certain point roughly a few feet overhead, several more of what she had thought were just features in the cave walls started moving as well, getting out of the way of the first crawler as it plowed over and past them. Even more startling was the much, much larger cave crawler that started moving closer to the ceiling; the huge insect had to be seven feet long at least.
¡°I guess the Weigrun breed is a little bigger than the ones found on the central continent,¡± Aila commented with some trepidation coloring her voice as she watched the bug bigger than her disappear into shadowy crevices overhead.
¡°Seems like everything comes bigger in Weigrun,¡± Kerr said with a muted grunt, head turning meaningfully towards the three giants.
¡°Right¡¡± Jay did a half shrug. ¡°Anyway, if we¡¯re done examining the local wildlife, let¡¯s get moving again. I¡¯d personally like to get out of this pit before we make any more zoological discoveries that we may not like so much.¡±
The group moved on, continuing their search for a way out of the cave system.
In the lightless, unchanging tunnels, Jadis lost all track of time. She had no idea how much sleep she¡¯d gotten back in the stream alcove, much less how much time had passed while wandering the demon tunnels before then. The only metric she was able to go by was bodily functions and general levels of exhaustion. And, while Jadis still felt like she could keep going, the others eventually got to a point where it seemed they weren¡¯t going to be able to continue.
With no exit in sight, they settled on finding another spot to rest in, though this time around they took some extra precautions. Rather than blocking themselves into an alcove with no exit, Kerr found them a section of the cavern that looped back around to the main one, giving them a way to escape if they were attacked from one end. Jadis also took a couple of their blankets and hung them across the entrances, blocking off sightlines to give them at least a modicum of cover.
With little energy left in them, the much-reduced group collapsed inside their pitiful campsite to get some rest.
Chapter 115: POV Healer
Cold, hungry, and exhausted, Eir wanted nothing more than to be back home in the capital, tucked into bed in her room in her father¡¯s house where she would be warm, fed, and most importantly safe from any and all demons. She would readily settle for her small and plain temple-assigned room back in Far Felsen. A street corner somewhere near the city docks held a certain appeal as well, since it would at least be a more secure prospect than the cave she was currently in.
A big, warm, smoothly muscled arm gently pulled her mostly naked body a little closer to the firm and much larger body she was currently huddled up against. Two different kinds of warmth suffused Eir as she willingly pressed herself closer to the halfway reclined Nephilim that had embraced her. As she took a deep breath that was filled with Dys¡¯ oddly sweet scent, she was forced to admit there was at least a silver lining to her current predicament. A large, strong, beautiful silver lining.
After the group had done everything they could to secure themselves in their temporary cavern shelter, cold trail rations had been passed out and they had eaten a little. The incorrigibly crass Kerr had started stripping off her armor shortly after, an act that had drawn some alarm from both her and the Nephilim. When Jay had pointed out the danger they were still in, it was the guard Thea who had responded.
¡°We can¡¯t sleep in our armor all the time,¡± she had quietly explained while removing the remains of her own protections. ¡°Wearing armor while resting or sleeping reduces the amount of stamina you regain and also slows any natural or skill-based healing you might have.¡±
A basic fact of life that Eir had neglected to remember. Comfort made a substantial difference in how much stamina was recovered during rest. Sleeping in a cold, dank, and demon infested cave wasn¡¯t high on her own list of comforting places to recuperate, but Eir supposed wearing armor while trying to sleep in such an environment couldn¡¯t be of much help to the goal of recovering one¡¯s energy.
Jay, Dys, and Syd had conceded the point and soon all of them had unequipped their armor and had gotten out damp blankets and bedrolls to sleep on. There had been some small argument as to who should stay on watch and for how long, but the three sisters had been quick to point out that they had far more stamina than anyone else in the group and could still keep going for many hours more if necessary. Jay and Syd had ended up sitting at either of the entrances to watch and listen for any threats while the rest of them had settled down for some rest.
Aila, the tall human woman who was clearly a close companion to the Nephilim, had not hesitated to slip in close to Dys¡¯ right side and embrace her in a frankly intimate display. Eir couldn¡¯t help the pang of envy that throbbed in her chest when she saw how easily the woman was able to snuggle in close to the holy Nephilim. That envy, however, was quickly extinguished when Dys reached out and drew Eir to her left side, freely offering her warmth and comfort without a second thought.
That tight squeeze of Dys¡¯ strong arm holding her against her was almost enough to make the whole terrible trip worth the trouble.
Almost.
Despite the pervasive weariness that was demanding Eir simply let go and slip into blissful oblivion, she knew she couldn¡¯t sleep. Not yet. She needed to recover magic power at a greater rate than she would by normal regeneration. Her Will attribute was at twenty, so she was passively regaining twenty points of magic power every hour. It would take her twelve hours to fully recover her magic reserves. However, as shown by the horrid events of recent history, that wasn¡¯t fast enough. If she had had more magic power available after their last rest, she could have healed Douglas for more and had more healing to spare for Busch. The two of them might still be alive then.
So, when Eir¡¯s eyes closed, she did not drift off into slumber as much as her body craved for her to do just that. Instead, Eir prayed.
|
Faithful¡¯s Prayer
Active Skill. Regenerate magic power at 3 times the rate of the Will attribute. The proper form of prayer must be maintained during the duration of the skill¡¯s use or the effect will be cancelled. No other skills or spells can be in active use during Faithful¡¯s Prayer.
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The skill¡¯s description flashed into Eir¡¯s mind as she focused on regaining her spent magic resource. With hands clasped and eyes closed, Eir was able to silently recite the scriptures and prayers of the Temple of the Nine as well as those that were more specific to her worship of Lyssandria, thus meeting the requirements of maintaining proper form. Fortunately the skill did not seem to have a problem with her being halfway lying down while cuddled up against Dys while praying, otherwise Eir might have suffered some rebellious thoughts against the gods for denying her Dys¡¯ most absolutely necessary comfort when she truly needed it.
But there was no issue and Eir could immediately see that her prayer skill was working, therefore Eir had no need to think any negative thoughts at all.
Time passed in near silence as Eir lost herself in her prayers. It was easy to enter a kind of meditative state while she mentally recited scriptures. The drips of water falling from the cavern ceiling, the occasional skittering sound of some cave-dwelling insect, and the quiet breathing of the others were all a gentle background noise for her, nothing that needed her attention and therefore easily pushed to the background. The near omnipresent silence was what made it so obvious to Eir when Aila roused from her own slumber and got to her feet.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Approximately three hours had passed when Aila stirred, Eir could tell that much by how much magic power she had regained when she checked her status sheet. While Eir couldn¡¯t see what Aila was doing, she could quite easily hear her as she stood and stretched, then quietly made her way to the far side of their camp where Syd was watching over the back entrance to their small tunnel.
Dys was still asleep, Eir could easily tell that much from the steady sounds of her breathing, as were Kerr and Thea. She supposed Aila could be offering to take over watch for Syd, she was sure the beloved child of Lyssandria could use her own rest, no matter the brave front she put on. Aila didn¡¯t make such an offer, though. Instead, from what Eir could hear, the woman sat down next to Syd and asked an utterly bizarre question.
¡°Are you going to get enough rest with just one of you sleeping?¡± Aila inquired in hushed tones, barely audible to Eir¡¯s sharp ears.
The question was so strange that Eir immediately lost all interest in her prayers. She instead focused her attention entirely on the two as they conversed.
¡°Probably,¡± Syd replied in an equally low voice, her naturally rich timbre sending a little shiver up Eir¡¯s spine that she did her best to ignore in favor of keeping her attention on the conversation. ¡°As long as some part of me gets rest, all of me benefits from it. It¡¯d be better if we were all sleeping. Way better if we were all wrapped up in a pile with you. But I¡¯ll manage.¡±
Aila chucked lightly. ¡°I¡¯d rather be in a pile with all of you, too. I say when we make it back to the city, we spend a whole week sleeping.¡±
¡°If you think sleeping is all I¡¯d be doing when I¡¯m in a naked pile with you for a week, you are sorely mistaken.¡±
¡°Oh, now it¡¯s a naked pile?¡± Aila quipped, and Eir could practically hear the smile in the woman¡¯s voice. ¡°When did that happen? You¡¯re just adding in extra details now.¡±
¡°Of course it¡¯s a naked pile,¡± Syd scoffed. ¡°When have I ever not been naked when you¡¯ve been in a sleep pile with me?¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t aware it was a prerequisite.¡±
¡°Well, now you know,¡± Syd spoke with finality.
There was some silence then, which was fortunate, as Eir needed a few moments to collect her thoughts. Aside from the indecently attractive thought of Jay, Dys, and Syd jumbled together in a tangle of arms, legs, and other decidedly more sexual parts, the way Aila and Syd were talking had reminded Eir of her brief encounter with Dys during the battle on Alawar¡¯s docks.
Dys had, for reasons unknown at the time, demanded that Eir heal her instead of her sister, Jay, who was in far worse condition. Dys had asked for trust, which Eir had given, and somehow healing the one had also healed the other.
Eir was no scholar when it came to classes or skills. She had received excellent tutoring from the best teachers her parents could acquire during her upbringing, but as her interests had always laid with temple work and Lyssandria, she hadn¡¯t studied other subjects quite as fervently as she did her scriptures. Still, she had been no slouch or shirker of duties during her education, and she was well and certain that she had never heard of any skill that allowed one person to share their health points with another person. She supposed it was possible that an individual could have a skill or spell that enabled them to transfer their vitality from themselves to another, but if it did exist, she had never seen an example in either books or in action.
Additionally, there was something distinctly odd about the way Aila and Syd were talking to each other. It wasn¡¯t a certainty, but it was almost as if¡
Eir¡¯s line of thought was interrupted by further words from Syd. The absolute dejection in her voice compelling Eir¡¯s attention, if not the content of her statement.
¡°I really fucked up, didn¡¯t I.¡±
¡°How so?¡± Aila spoke softly.
¡°I led us into this stinking cave,¡± Syd said, her voice aching with misery. ¡°It was my stupid idea. I was trying to save everyone and look at what a good job I did of that. Should have fought the grundwyrms. I could have distracted them while everyone else got by. I should have just grabbed you and everyone else I could carry and swam for the ship. Or I should have come up with a way to kill that fucking piece of shit wretch mother. I¡¯ve killed a matriarch before. I could have done it again if I¡¯d just been stronger and smarter and better. Instead I brought everyone out of one death trap and into another. Ealdread, Falk, Garver, Busch, and Douglas are all dead because of my idiocy. How the fuck did I manage to screw up so bad that I got more than half of the people I was trying to save killed?¡±
¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± Eir answered Syd¡¯s self-recriminations. ¡°You didn¡¯t fail them. It was never your responsibility to begin with.¡±
Dys opened her beautiful violet eyes to stare into Eir¡¯s, the elf having moved up to face the sleeping Nephilim directly. Eir slid her fingers lovingly through Dys¡¯ ivory white locks as she whispered soothingly to the beloved giant.
¡°Ealdread and the other guards were tasked with guarding you, not the other way around. They died with honor, fulfilling their duty to the best of their ability. They were fully aware of the risks that escorting you entailed, just the same as I. Don¡¯t diminish their sacrifice by claiming you failed them. They succeeded in protecting you for as long as they were able. Even Douglas¡¯ death is not a burden you should carry on your soul. He was an experienced mercenary who knew well the risk he was taking when he agreed to join this expedition. None of their deaths are your fault.
¡°If anything, you have kept those of us who remain alive when we would otherwise have had little chance of survival. We can¡¯t know what would have been if we had chosen another course, but that is also the truth. We chose the course as much as you. We too saw this path as the most likely for survival. You didn¡¯t make that choice for us.¡±
As she spoke reassuringly to Dys, stroking her head and hair, Eir placed a chaste kiss on Dys¡¯ forehead, imbuing the touch with her healing magic, bringing the Nephilim back to full health while also blessing her with the soothing energies of her divinely gifted magic.
When Eir pulled back, Dys was still staring up at her, only her delicate yet powerful hands had wrapped around Eir¡¯s waist, holding her gently.
¡°Thanks,¡± Dys said quietly after a deep inhalation and a pause. ¡°I needed that, I think.¡±
¡°I will gladly support you, always,¡± Eir told her, purposefully ignoring the way her heart jumped when she said those words. ¡°You have my trust.¡±
There was another, longer pause as the two of them stared into each other¡¯s eyes. The silent moment was eventually broken by Dys when she quirked up a pale eyebrow and gave her a bemused look.
¡°So, when exactly did you figure out that I¡¯m actually just one person, not three sisters?¡±
¡°You¡¯re fucking WHAT?¡± Kerr loudly exclaimed from her bedroll a half dozen feet away.
¡°Ah, shit,¡± Dys cursed under her breath, the expletive Eir heard echoed by both Jay and Syd from where they sat on either side of the campsite.
Chapter 116: Let’s Talk
¡°You¡¯re shitting me.¡±
¡°No, I assure you, no shit involved.¡±
¡°Yes, there is! That is the biggest bullshit of a skill I have ever heard of! Extra bodies? Bull-motherfucking-shit!¡±
Jadis sighed as Kerr continued to rant, as she had been for the past several minutes, about the unfairness of how some people had all the luck when it came to classes and their skills. She¡¯d been at it ever since Jadis had given her the most basic explanation she could. The therion¡¯s voice was barely contained to reasonable tones and she was limited to a small space to pace due to the size of their alcove, but she still managed to make it abundantly clear exactly how strongly she felt about the topic.
¡°Fucker fucky fucking fuck!¡± She screamed her frustration into her arms, muffling the noise somewhat. ¡°I want a cool-ass class that gives me extra bodies! Why in the Pits can¡¯t I get skills offered to me like that?¡±
The last was said in the most petulant tone Jadis had ever heard come out of a grown woman, additionally highlighted by Kerr flopping to the ground and lying spread eagle on her back. She actually kicked her heels against the stone floor.
¡°Are you going to be alright?¡± Jay asked, watching Kerr¡¯s over-the-top reaction with some mild amusement.
¡°No,¡± Kerr sulked. ¡°I hurt my tail dropping like that. Ow.¡±
Jadis rolled all of her eyes and with Dys reached over with her foot and flipped the archer onto her front, letting her abused furry tail swing free.
¡°Thanks,¡± Kerr said, voice dampened by her face pressing into the cave floor.
Jadis had been shocked when Eir had suddenly woken her Dys self and started reassuring her worries and self-doubt. She had not expected the woman to be awake to overhear their conversation, much less be able to hear their whispers when they were so far apart. As it turned out, elf ears weren¡¯t just for show.
She was less surprised that Eir had figured out her secret. Well, her class-based secret. Jadis was still successfully hiding her rebirth and non-Oros origins, a fact she was keeping in confidence even from Aila, though she was becoming less and less certain as time went on that she needed to, or even should. In any case, with what she and Aila had been discussing, combined with how Dys had forced Eir to heal her in order to heal Jay, it wasn¡¯t truly a shock that Eir had figured out her multi-body gimmick. She didn¡¯t mind the priestess knowing the truth anyway, honestly. It would certainly make any future conversations about their budding relationship easier.
Kerr overhearing the whole exchange and learning her secret as well? Definitely had not been expected.
¡°Is it because you¡¯re some kind of chosen race?¡± Thea spoke up now that Kerr was no longer raving about class injustices. ¡°Nephilim are one of the Gods¡¯ children, one of the lost ones, right? Is that why you have a powerful and unique class?¡±
Of course, with how loudly Kerr reacted to the revelation, Thea had been woken and was quickly made aware as well. Jadis was seriously considering dropping the act once they got back to Far Felsen. There was no way her secret would remain one now that the number of people who knew it had increased from two to five.
¡°Nephilim are Lyssandria¡¯s Children,¡± Eir answered Thea¡¯s question before Jadis could, ¡°but Mirror Knight is no class I¡¯ve ever read of in any of the scriptures regarding Nephilim and their ways. I doubt her race is directly linked.¡±
Eir was, to Jadis¡¯ bemusement, still sitting in Dys¡¯ lap. She had turned around and was sitting facing out and she had wrapped herself back up in one of the somewhat damp blankets, but she hadn¡¯t left her spot on top of Dys, seemingly loath to relinquish the seat now that she¡¯d claimed it.
¡°I would think it¡¯s because of her connection to Destarious,¡± Aila added her own thoughts to the discussion. ¡°Being the mischievous god that he is, I can well imagine that his influence would have something to do with what classes she was offered.¡±
Aila had, once Kerr¡¯s shouting had started, left Syd¡¯s side and rejoined the group in the center of their tunnel campsite. Jadis honestly felt bad that the moment she and Aila had been sharing had been interrupted by Eir. While not saying much, Aila had been doing her best to comfort her while her spirits were low. Eir¡¯s words had been what she¡¯d needed to kickstart her confidence and get her out of her funk, though, she couldn¡¯t deny.
When Aila had sat down with the group to watch Kerr rant, she had sat close to Dys, silently slipping her hand into hers and intertwining their fingers. The gesture was appreciated, all the more since she knew Aila wasn¡¯t one for public displays of affection.
¡°Yeah, good ol¡¯ D definitely played a part,¡± Dys said with a mirthless chuckle. ¡°That guy has a strange sense of humor, going by my second class if nothing else.¡±
¡°You act like you¡¯ve met him,¡± Kerr mumbled, face still smushed against stone. ¡°You¡¯re not a cleric and you¡¯re not that high level so no fucking chance.¡±
¡°Anyways, however I got the class doesn¡¯t really matter. I have it and now you know. If possible, I¡¯d appreciate it if¡ª¡±
¡°Wait,¡± Kerr interrupted her, head popping up from the ground. ¡°What¡¯s up with your secondary class? Are you going to tell me it¡¯s something powerful and awesome too?¡±
Dys and Aila exchanged a glance.
¡°It is!¡± Kerr leapt to her feet and rushed Dys, grabbing hold of her shoulders and shaking her with enough force to actually knock her head around. ¡°You totally have a thrashkillky amazing secondary class too, don¡¯t you? Tell me!¡±
¡°It¡¯s rude to demand class information,¡± Eir admonished the archer, pinned between Kerr and Dys as the therion continued to shake the much larger giant.
¡°Stop behaving like a child,¡± Aila stood and put a firm hand on Kerr¡¯s shoulder. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to tell you if she doesn¡¯t want to.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± Kerr groused as she backed off and took a seat a yard or two away. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me all about your super awesome secret secondary class that involves gods and shit. Who wants to know about stuff like that? Not me.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
Taking a moment to breathe, Jadis eyed Kerr where she sat with her arms petulantly crossed. She wasn¡¯t actually opposed to telling the woman about her secondary class. In fact, with the idea Jadis was starting to formulate for how they were all going to survive the trek out of the demon-and-monster-infested caverns, Kerr would necessarily have to be informed about the nature of her ritualist class. As would Eir and Thea, for that matter. However, if she was going to tell them, she¡¯d need to make sure that they were going to be at least somewhat discreet. Jadis didn¡¯t want to broadcast her skills and abilities to the whole world, after all. That would likely lead to people trying to take advantage of her and she already had enough problems dealing with Magistrate Vraekae as it was.
A small flicker of vindictive amusement passed through Jadis¡¯ mind at the thought of the magistrate. She could only imagine the absolute shitstorm she had no doubt thrown when she found out from the ship¡¯s captain that he¡¯d left her behind because he didn¡¯t have the courage to wait a single minute longer for ¡®expendable¡¯ mercenaries to get back to the docks.
She¡¯d pay good money to be a fly on that wall.
¡°Okay, let¡¯s have a little talk about this,¡± Dys said, picking Eir up off her lap and setting her down between where Thea and Kerr sat. ¡°Before I say anything, though, I want a promise¡ªno, I want an oath out of all three of you that you won¡¯t go talking about my personal information with anyone else. Including direct superiors who might demand such information in the future.¡±
¡°I would never divulge any information you might wish to tell me in confidence if you bade me not to,¡± Eir immediately confirmed, just as Jadis had expected she would.
¡°What if the High Priest asked you?¡± Dys pressed, looking down at the elf with her arms crossed and eyebrow raised. ¡°Can you swear you still wouldn¡¯t spill?¡±
Eir looked hesitant then. After a moment her eyes widened as she came to some decision.
¡°I swear upon Lyssandria, by my devotion to her and my honor as a priestess, I will not reveal any secret you share with me to anyone else unless you give me explicit permission. The High Priest would never ask me to break an oath I have sworn on my goddess¡¯ name.¡±
That was a far more serious-sounding promise than Jadis had actually wanted. She¡¯d never made Aila make any promises. She¡¯d simply trusted that Aila wouldn¡¯t go blabbing her personal info. However, Jadis did want to be sure these three understood that she wanted the information she was about to divulge kept under wraps.
With that, Dys nodded in acceptance of Eir¡¯s promise and turned her gaze upon Kerr.
¡°I don¡¯t have any superiors. I¡¯m freelance, remember?¡±
¡°Kerr¡¡±
¡°Yes, fine, I get it,¡± she rolled her catlike green eyes. ¡°I swear I won¡¯t spill the honey on your class information. I¡¯ll even give you my class information in exchange so it¡¯s at least kind of fair. Not that anything I have will be anywhere near as interesting, I¡¯m sure.¡±
That was about as strong a promise as Jadis was liable to get from Kerr. It would do. She was curious to learn about classes other than her own, so Kerr volunteering her own class info was a nice bonus. The person she was most concerned about was next, though.
Thea stared up nervously at Dys, her modest body-type and frame absolutely dwarfed by Dys¡¯ towering form, the guard appearing even smaller since she was sat cross-legged on the ground. Now that she wasn¡¯t wearing any armor or a helmet, Jadis could see that Thea was a fairly attractive-looking human woman with brown hair tied in a bun, hazel eyes, and light skin, though not as pale as Aila much less as startlingly white as herself. It was hard to tell, what with the only light in the tunnel coming from glowing green moss, but the woman looked a bit sick. Jadis could easily deduce why.
¡°Uhm, if Magistrate Vraekae orders me to tell her and I refuse, I could lose my job, or a lot worse,¡± Thea voiced her fears. ¡°She could have me jailed for insubordination. She might even put pressure on my family if I don¡¯t do as she asks¡¡±
¡°Vraekae would never be so heartless,¡± Eir said, aghast. ¡°I know she can be quite fussy, particularly when it comes to legal matters, but she wouldn¡¯t be so malicious as to threaten harm upon your family,¡± she said, shaking her head at the human woman.
¡°Beg your pardon, ma¡¯am,¡± Thea replied with a helpless shrug, ¡°but I don¡¯t want to risk it.¡±
¡°You won¡¯t have to risk anything when it comes to Vraekae,¡± Dys said as she waved one hand dismissively. ¡°She already knows about my primary and secondary classes. Question is, can you keep silent if anyone else orders you to talk?¡±
Thea still looked conflicted, but after a few moments nodded her head.
¡°I can swear that I won¡¯t tell anyone about what you tell me unless Vraekae orders me to. She¡¯s my direct commander in Weigrun. If someone else of rank orders me to talk, I can direct them to her, I think.¡±
Thea¡¯s answer wasn¡¯t as firm as Jadis would have liked, especially with those last couple words of uncertainty, but it would have to do. The fact that Thea had put in effort to come up with a way to make Jadis a promise told her enough about the woman¡¯s character, just as Eir and Kerr¡¯s promises did for them. Jadis mostly just wanted some insight into how much she could trust these three. She trusted Aila implicitly, their bond stronger than Jadis would have thought possible in such a short amount of time. Eir, Kerr, and Thea weren¡¯t at the same level, but she was beginning to see that Eir, at the very least, was far more devoted to her than a randomly assigned temple cleric was likely to be. And, if Jadis examined her own reactions, she felt far more positive towards Eir than she had when they¡¯d first met.
Jadis was starting to feel a little silly for how seriously she was treating the whole thing, especially with three pairs of eyes watching her, plus Aila observing from off to the side, her own inscrutable expression on her face.
¡°Alright then. It¡¯s a promise,¡± Dys said with a nod, arms unfolding as her hands went to her hips. ¡°So, lets get this out of the way first. My name is Jadis. To be clear, that¡¯s my name, which means me, myself, and I over there,¡± Dys waved first to herself, then Jay, then Syd. ¡°You can keep referring to each of my bodies by the nickname I gave them, but if you¡¯re talking about me overall, I¡¯m Jadis.¡±
¡°Such a lovely name.¡±
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not confusing at-fucking-all.¡±
¡°Understood ma¡¯am.¡±
The three responses were about as unique as their originators. Jadis ignored them and pushed on.
¡°As I just explained a little bit ago, my primary class is Mirror Knight. It¡¯s what allows me to duplicate my body into three separate forms. It¡¯s a mostly martial archetype, but I have had the option to learn eldritch-type spells. I just haven¡¯t learned any such spells for Mirror Knight. I think it¡¯s because I have a naturally very high eldritch attribute, so I got a class that probably wouldn¡¯t be offered to anyone else under most circumstances, at least not until they were getting their secondary or tertiary class, probably.¡±
Jadis paused, reorienting herself as she realized she¡¯d gotten a little off track.
¡°Anyway. My secondary class is also eldritch-based,¡± Jadis continued her explanation. ¡°It¡¯s what¡¯s given me the highest boosts in my power as it lets me do rituals that increase my attributes. It¡¯s also the reason why Aila has such powerful spells despite being pretty low level in her only spell-casting class. She, um, directly benefits from a couple of my rituals.¡±
Glancing back to check on her companion, she saw Aila nod in acknowledgement of what Jadis said, not interrupting. Jadis had hoped Aila wouldn¡¯t mind her revealing her involvement in her rituals since once she explained them in more detail, there was no way the three women wouldn¡¯t put two-and-two together and come to the same conclusion.
Dys looked back to the expectant faces watching her. For some reason she felt a whole lot more awkward about her situation than she normally did. Was it performance anxiety, stemming from talking to a group rather than one-on-one? Jadis mentally shook her head. Timidity was not her way.
Fuck it. Time to be bold.
¡°My secondary class is called Perverted Ritualist of D and it lets me perform sex-rituals to boost attributes. In fact, I have one that increases in power depending on how many people are involved and another that lets me increase a single attribute of another person by half my Eldritch stat.¡±
There was a pregnant pause as Jadis¡¯ words sunk in.
¡°Oh, and my eldritch stat is currently ninety-one, so that¡¯s forty-five points to one of my target¡¯s stats. Their choice.¡±
The silent moment went on a beat longer before it was broken in the most Kerr way possible.
¡°You¡¯re fucking shitting me!¡±
Chapter 117: Frank Discussions
As Jadis had expected, Kerr kicked up a furor of expletive punctuated commotion upon the reveal of her secondary class¡¯s nature. However, this time, Jadis wasn¡¯t willing to just sit by and watch the archer rant for minutes on end. As Kerr jumped to her feet, a multi-lingual mixture of foul curses already spewing from her pretty lips, Dys lunged. Grabbing a hold on both of Kerr¡¯s upper arms, she held the woman suspended a few feet in the air, putting the horned woman¡¯s head level with her own.
¡°Let¡¯s skip the angry outbursts and cut straight to the questions this time, okay?¡± Dys commanded, staring sternly into Kerr¡¯s eyes.
¡°Fuck you, I want to yell about this.¡±
¡°If you don¡¯t cut it out, I can promise you I won¡¯t fuck you.¡±
That dire prediction bought a moment of silence.
¡°But I want to rant about how its scheisse that you got two fucking amazing classes,¡± Kerr replied with an amusingly serious tone. ¡°And I want sex too.¡±
¡°Then save the ranting for after I answer any questions and we¡¯ve had a discussion with everyone, okay?¡±
¡°Acceptable¡¡± Kerr growled out after a short delay, though she did visibly calm down.
Distracting and time-consuming outburst dealt with for the moment, Dys set Kerr back down. Then, deciding that standing in such a looming posture over her and the others was probably kind of rude and unnecessarily intimidating, Dys took a seat across from Kerr, Eir, and Thea, with Aila on her right. Her Jay and Syd selves were still watching either exit to their alcove throughout the whole discussion, but Jadis only needed the one body to talk.
¡°Okay then. So,¡± Dys said, hands on her knees. She looked around for a beat, then shrugged. ¡°Any questions about the whole sex ritual class thing?¡±
¡°Yeah, how come long legs over there isn¡¯t surprised?¡± Kerr immediately asked, pointing a clawed finger at Aila.
For her part, Aila had maintained her typical cool composure during the whole reveal so far. She sat somewhat primly next to Dys, staying silent and observing. At some point she had retrieved her pack and had pulled a canteen, the non-lewd kind, out of it and was taking a few light sips.
¡°I¡¯m sure a creative person such as yourself can use her imagination to make a guess,¡± Aila answered the question, giving Kerr a droll look.
¡°Yeah, okay,¡± Kerr nodded, green eyes squinting at Aila, ¡°I figured you were probably fucking one of them. I guess you¡¯re still technically sexing it up with just ¡®one¡¯ of her, but we¡¯ll come back to that. So that means the reason why your spells are so unusually strong for your level is because you¡¯ve got triple-butt here boosting you with some kind of weird fuck magic?¡±
Aila paused, taking another sip of water, then set the canteen down before meeting Kerr¡¯s eyes with her own level gaze.
¡°Exactly. I am having sex with Jadis, which does mean all of her, and she does have absolutely bizarre yet powerful sex magic rituals that have in fact boosted my arcane power. I can testify that the rituals are completely perverse in nature but do in fact work and provide amazing benefits.¡±
As coolly as Aila delivered her answer, Jadis had been around the redhead long enough to get a good read on her. Talking so openly about sex stuff with people she didn¡¯t know well was clearly causing some embarrassment for her as even in the low green light of the cave Jadis could see Aila¡¯s ears turning red. Still, she was doing her best to support her partner in this discussion by being honest and open, a fact that Jadis truly appreciated. She would definitely have to thank Aila in some way later, probably by finding a way to make it up to her for putting her in such an awkward position.
¡°Shit. And I thought the only benefit would be that she¡¯s stunningly attractive,¡± Kerr mused, giving Jadis an assessing look. ¡°But that brings up another big question. How the fuck is your eldritch stat at ninety-one points? You¡¯re sub-forty in level. That¡¯s way, way higher than normal. As in, that just doesn¡¯t happen.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know, honestly,¡± Dys shrugged. ¡°When my system unlocked, my eldritch attribute was already at seventy. It¡¯s just how I came out of the box.¡±
¡°Fuck,¡± Kerr cursed, swallowing back a load more of angry words. ¡°The highest I ever heard a natural attribute being was thirty! How did you get more than double that? What did you do, suck a god off or something?¡±
Just wandered into his living room by accident, actually, were Jadis¡¯ thoughts on that question. Not that she was going to reveal that much at the moment. Thinking back on what little she¡¯d learned about the nature of her race from Eir back at the bathhouse a few days ago, Jadis drew on that knowledge to deflect the incredulous question.
¡°Probably because I¡¯m a Nephilim,¡± Dys did her best to bullshit. ¡°Lyssandria¡¯s Children and all that, though I¡¯m not exactly sure since no one else I¡¯ve ever met has started with an attribute that high, so far as I know. Eir might know more about that sort of thing than me.¡±
Eyes turned to Eir who shrank slightly under several intense gazes.
¡°I am not familiar with all the mechanics of Nephilim attributes,¡± the priestess said while pulling the damp blanket tighter around her shoulders. ¡°I can confirm that other races that serve as avatars to the gods are all naturally far more powerful than mortals of comparative levels, but I don¡¯t know how that translates to their status sheets.¡±
¡°So, what? Just born lucky?¡± Kerr asked, petulance creeping back into her voice.
¡°Seems that way,¡± Dys agreed, ¡°Though I would say it balances out because I keep getting in extremely dangerous, life-threatening situations on a regular basis.¡±
Kerr didn¡¯t look satisfied with the explanation, but it was all Jadis could provide, so she pushed forward.
¡°What about you two?¡± Jadis turned towards the cleric and guard. ¡°Do you have any questions?¡±
Both Eir and Thea looked like they wanted to talk, but as they both started to speak at once, Thea waved the Priestess on and deferred to her.
¡°Well, I suppose I¡¯m curious about what exactly the rituals involve,¡± Eir said shyly. ¡°I presume from Miss Aila¡¯s phrasing that the rituals are comprised of some¡ less than chaste behavior?¡±
¡°Yeah¡¡± Dys drew out the word. ¡°They really are sexually charged. At a minimum the rituals require prolonged sessions of, well, fucking.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
Jadis internally winced at how Eir flinched at the word, but brutal, open honesty seemed like the best course for this situation.
¡°The one ritual that¡¯ll let me boost another person¡¯s chosen attribute takes a solid hour of intercourse, and requires swapping our, um, ¡®fluids¡¯ with a kiss at the end. It¡¯s not the raunchiest thing I can think of by a long shot, but yeah. Not exactly chaste.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
Eir¡¯s reaction was muted, her eyes wide and unblinking. With how red her skin was, there was no way to tell if she was blushing, but Jadis was certain that the elf was either shocked to silence or so embarrassed by the whole explanation that she wasn¡¯t able to gather her thoughts. At least she didn¡¯t look disgusted.
Kerr certainly didn¡¯t look disgusted either. In fact, she looked delighted.
¡°An hour of dirty sex followed up with some squirt-swapping? That must have been fun, huh wizard-girl?¡±
Aila met Kerr¡¯s raised eyebrows and sharp-toothed grin with her own impassive expression.
¡°Arcanist, actually. Not a wizard.¡±
¡°Whatever.¡±
Since it didn¡¯t look like Eir was ready for any follow up questions and probably needed a minute to process, Jadis directed her attention to the mostly quiet guard.
¡°How about you, Thea? Any questions?¡±
¡°Yes, thank you ma¡¯am,¡± Thea nodded, her back straightening as she addressed Dys. ¡°I just wanted to ask, why are you telling us all of this? It¡¯s a, uh, unusual class and I can understand the curiosity about it, but why go into such detail now?¡±
That was a good question. And it was also a good segue into Jadis explaining the plan that had come to her mind in order to combat their dangerous and unpredictable situation.
¡°Well, like I said, one of my rituals can boost a single one of a target¡¯s attributes by half of my eldritch stat, which is no small amount,¡± Dys began.
¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± Kerr slipped in. ¡°I¡¯m CLR fifty-four and my highest stat is sixty-one.¡±
Jadis knew she was, at least stat-wise, a juggernaut compared to other people her level. She¡¯d learned as much from Aila. But to hear how much higher she was in raw numbers compared to Kerr, a career mercenary fifteen levels above her, was another matter entirely. Jadis was glad Kerr had agreed to talk about her own class details. She was now more than a little curious to see how her and Kerr¡¯s stats and skills stacked up.
¡°Right,¡± Dys continued, ¡°it¡¯s a lot. So it would give a big boost to anyone I use it on. And, per the wording of the ritual, it doesn¡¯t have a limitation on how many people I can perform it on. The only real limitation is that it wears off after three days unless it¡¯s recharged. Conceivably, I could cast the spell on as many people as I wanted to, within reason. Considering the situation that we¡¯re in, I wanted to make the offer. If any of you are interested, I can do the ritual with you so you can get the temporary boost to an attribute. In all honesty, it would probably go a long way towards insuring our group survival.¡±
¡°Ha! You know Jadis, there are easier ways to ask a girl to bed than dragging her down a demon tunnel and making up this shit about empowering sex rituals,¡± Kerr cackled, her laughter sharp and wicked. ¡°If you¡¯d just asked back at The Tipsy Mule, I would have given you a romp to remember.¡±
¡°She¡¯s not lying about the ritual,¡± Aila interjected, her tone stern. ¡°On my honor, I swear that she speaks the truth.¡±
Kerr waved off Aila¡¯s defense of Jadis as unnecessary, but the comment had brought to the fore a serious consideration that would bother her if Jadis didn¡¯t address it.
¡°Look, I want to be very clear here,¡± Dys spoke seriously, holding one finger up for emphasis. ¡°I¡¯m offering this ritual because I¡¯m concerned about all of your safety. Which, looking at it from one angle, makes it seem like I¡¯m telling you to have sex with me or you won¡¯t be safe. And that¡¯s fucking horseshit. I¡¯m personally only interested in sharing physical intimacy with people I care about, and only with their clear consent. I don¡¯t want any of you looking at this offer or this situation and thinking that it¡¯s some kind of last resort. If you accept and we do the ritual, I don¡¯t want you looking back on it and regretting it because you feel like your hand was forced. If you aren¡¯t comfortable with it, then that¡¯s entirely acceptable. I¡¯ll be doing everything in my power to make sure we all get out of this hole alive. I just felt I had to share this option with you all since it could genuinely make a difference in future fights.¡±
The group was quiet as Jadis¡¯ words settled over them. Even Kerr was respectfully quiet as she and the others considered the point Jadis had made.
Jadis was without doubt attracted to Kerr. She was sexy and athletic and the animalistic parts of her added to her exotic appeal. Her attraction towards Eir went without question. She was an absolutely stunningly beautiful elf who was thick in all the right places. Even Thea was right in her strike zone now that she was seeing her without the helmet and armor to obscure her pretty face and toned body. But none of that attraction Jadis felt mattered a single shit to Jadis if they didn¡¯t reciprocate.
Kerr seemed to be down for the fun of sex regardless of the ritual or not, which was good. Jadis loved sex and could appreciate someone who was simply happy to have a good fuck between mutually attracted adults. From what she read off the woman, she seemed open to the experience so Jadis didn¡¯t have many concerns there.
Eir, however, was more complicated. Jadis could tell the elf was crushing on her. Aila had pointed it out previously. But was that because she had a natural attraction to her as herself? Or was it because Jadis represented some ideal that had been lost to her religion millennia ago? And if Eir did choose to go along with the ritual, was it because she wanted to, or was it because she felt she had to because Jadis was a Nephilim and her faith made her feel as though she couldn¡¯t decline?
That was a religious mess that Jadis had a hard time even beginning to untangle.
Then there was Thea. Jadis barely knew a thing about the woman, even less than either of Kerr or Eir who were themselves only acquaintances in the grand scheme of things. How could she even begin to judge if Thea was okay with sex or if she was feeling pressured?
Ultimately, Jadis had to take a step back and let the women make their own decisions. She¡¯d told them the true facts of how her rituals worked and the benefits but had also made it clear that they were not required to participate and she wouldn¡¯t hold anything against them if they didn¡¯t. They were adults with their own free will. She¡¯d just have to trust that they could make their own decisions.
¡°I think I will accept, then,¡± Thea said slowly. ¡°If that¡¯s alright with you, ma¡¯am.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Dys replied with a cautious smile. ¡°If you¡¯re sure. You seem a little uncertain.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve never been with a woman before,¡± Thea admitted. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand! I¡¯m not unattracted to women, its just that I¡¯ve never gone further than some drunken kissing. This would be a big step¡ I¡¯m not certain if it¡¯s for me, though I¡¯m willing to try.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Dys nodded. ¡°And if you feel uncomfortable at any point, just say so and that¡¯s that.¡±
¡°Well it¡¯s abso-fucking-lutely for me,¡± Kerr exclaimed. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯ve got tits or dick, I¡¯m good either way as long as you know your stuff. And considering you¡¯ve got a whole class revolving around it, I feel like you¡¯ve got to have some skill at bumping bits together. Let¡¯s do it.¡±
With one acceptance tentative and the other enthusiastic, all that was left was Eir. Turning her gaze to the priestess, Dys waited patiently to see which way the elf would go. There was a quiet pause, but eventually Eir raised her dark purple eyes up to meet Dys¡¯ violet ones.
¡°I¡ªI accept your offer. With you, Jadis, I think I can.¡±
¡°Are you sure? If you aren¡¯t comfortable, I don¡¯t want to¡ª¡±
¡°With you I am more than comfortable,¡± Eir cut Dys off. ¡°I accept because it is you.¡±
¡°Ah. Thanks,¡± Dys said, hand running through her hair as she sorted through that response and why it made her heart flutter. ¡°That¡¯s¡ that means a lot.¡±
Of course, Kerr had to ruin the moment.
¡°So, what, we taking off our pants now or what?¡±
Jadis sighed.
¡°No, let¡¯s not rush into this. We¡¯ve only gotten, what a few hours of sleep? Let¡¯s get some rest and we can talk about the actual logistics of this in the morning. Or, uh, whatever time it is.¡±
The suggestion was met with general consensus and the group of them moved to return to their blankets and bedrolls. Aila immediately joined Dys at her side, wrapping her arms around Dys¡¯, but Eir and Kerr also moved in close to Dys¡¯ other side. Even Thea moved in closer, sharing the warmth as they all tried to get some more rest. As they settled back down to finish their pseudo-night, a thought struck Jadis, one that she hadn¡¯t thought about at all during the whole discussion, an aspect of the situation that she felt like she probably should have covered but it had somehow slipped her mind considering all the other important topics they had covered.
¡°Hey, Kerr and Thea, um, did I ever actually explain to you two that I have both a cock and a pussy?¡±
¡°Gods damnit Jadis, how many fucking surprises are you going to drop on me in one night!?¡±
Chapter 118: Sneak Attack
When there weren¡¯t giant spiders or corrupted demons running around attacking and killing everything in sight, the cave could actually be quite peaceful.
They had, in their search for an exit, diverged from the tunnels that contained the underground stream which meant the omnipresent sound of running water had disappeared. It had been replaced by the sound of water droplets falling from the hanging stalactites to the cave floor below. There was no wind or creaking of trees like when Jadis had camped out in the forest. Nor were there any sounds of insect life or bats chirping. Jadis wasn¡¯t even sure Oros had bats since she had yet to see one. Everything was quiet as stone.
So quiet, in fact, that it was easily recognizable to Jadis¡¯ tuned ears when she heard Kerr rouse from her bedroll to creep on top of the third of Jadis that was sleeping with Aila and Eir tucked under each of her arms. It was ever more obvious when she heard the sound of the sneaky archer undoing the ties to Dys¡¯ skirt-pants.
¡°Kerr,¡± Dys whispered sotto voce without opening her eyes. ¡°This body is trying to sleep, but my other two are still awake and can hear what you¡¯re doing.¡±
The therion startled, then huffed out an annoyed breath.
¡°That¡¯s fucking weird. How the hell am I supposed to surprise you if you¡¯re never actually asleep?¡±
¡°Not really my problem,¡± Dys murmured, still reclined on the floor with Aila and Eir cuddled up to her. ¡°So maybe cut it out?¡±
¡°Nah,¡± Kerr said without hesitation. Her hands resumed their work of undoing Dys¡¯ pants.
Dys finally opened her eyes and lifted her head slightly to watch as Kerr deftly undid the leather laces of the pants-skirt clothing she wore. The woman sat on Dys¡¯ thighs, her catlike green eyes focused on her crotch. With her wicked grin showing her sharp teeth and her disheveled gray hair fluffed out around her head and neck, Kerr looked like a wild woman. With nothing but her sleeveless undershirt and boy-shorts style underwear on, Jadis had to revise that estimation of Kerr into an extremely sexy wild woman.
As soon as the ties were loosened, Kerr¡¯s hand snaked inside Dys¡¯ pants and her calloused hand quickly wrapped around the base of Dys¡¯ cock. Or rather, it tried to. Even with as long a set of fingers as Kerr had, they weren¡¯t long enough to reach fully around Dys¡¯ girth. Not even when flaccid.
¡°Fuck me big stuff,¡± Kerr breathed out, giving Dys¡¯ member a squeeze. ¡°How in the abyss have you managed to hide this?¡±
¡°Carefully. If you keep that up, I won¡¯t be going easy on you,¡± Dys warned, her violet eyes growing dark with lust.
¡°That¡¯s kind of the point,¡± Kerr said with a light giggle. ¡°I want it hard.¡±
As she practically purred out the last word, Kerr tugged Dys¡¯ member out of her skirt-pants, a difficult feat made only more challenging as her cock began to swell from the light stimulation. There was so much length to withdraw that Kerr had to yank Dys¡¯ pants down a bit just to get enough room to fully pull her package free. When it did finally pop loose into the cool cavern air, Kerr let out an appreciative groan of approval.
¡°Oh, that¡¯s fucking amazing¡¡± she said, both hands wrapped around Dys¡¯ now fully erect member. Eyes sparkling in the low light, she leaned in close and pressed her nose against Dys¡¯ pale cock, breathing deeply. ¡°And the smell¡ It¡¯s so sweet! How the ebat do you smell so good?¡±
¡°I taste better than I smell,¡± Dys said, her voice still hushed as she struggled against the impulse to take control. Aila and Eir were still sleeping peacefully, as was Thea from what she could tell. She didn¡¯t want to wake them before they were ready, but neither did she want to stop Kerr now that her lust had been awakened.
¡°I bet you do,¡± Kerr growled out with a sly grin, her fangs on display.
She used those wicked-sharp teeth to nip playfully at Dys¡¯ skin, her mouth following a crooked path from near the base where her hands were up to the tip. She used her lips and fangs to tease and excite, no touch lingering for long as she moved erratically but ever upward. When she finally reached the tip of Dys¡¯ throbbing cock where a bead of pearly pre-cum had formed, she shot Dys another playful grin before taking a long, slow lick.
Dys shivered at the sensation. Kerr¡¯s tongue was rough, almost painfully so against her sensitive skin, though it didn¡¯t quite pass that threshold. It was wholly different from her own tongue, or Aila¡¯s for that matter. A unique pleasure-pain that curled Dys¡¯ toes.
¡°Shit, you weren¡¯t kidding,¡± Kerr whispered softly against Dys¡¯ cockhead. ¡°Sweet as fruit. Are you going to give me more?¡±
¡°If you work for it,¡± Dys hissed between clenched teeth. Her body tensed as the therion began firmly stroking her shaft with her hands.
Kerr chuckled darkly before running her rough tongue over Dys¡¯ tip again.
¡°It¡¯s not work if you love it.¡±
With that, Kerr dove in wholeheartedly. Her lips and tongue danced across Dys¡¯ cock with eager passion, seeking out the most sensitive spots along the crown and just under it. She never stopped moving, her hands and mouth in constant motion as she lavished her member with almost obsessive attention.
It was all Jadis could do to not abandon her posts and rush Kerr from all sides. The way Kerr managed to tease and pleasure her was equal parts maddening and intoxicating. There was no denying, the woman knew her way around a cock.
As it was, Dys just tried to lie still and enjoy the way Kerr moved against her. She couldn¡¯t help the little groans and moans that Kerr was purposefully drawing out of her, but she bit her lip to keep from growing too loud. When their eyes met, the therion grinned mischievously, then made a tight ring with the thumb and forefingers of her two hands, wrapping them around Dys¡¯ shaft. She firmly stroked upward along her spit-slicked member like she was squeezing out the last drop of toothpaste, sucking greedily at the tip as her hands reached the top. Then, just as firmly, she dragged down, pulling the velvet sheath of skin tight against the steel of her meat. The odd technique was strangely effective at making Jadis¡¯ abs tense in pleasure.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
When Dys let out another unintentional moan, a voice whispered into her right ear in response.
¡°I thought we were going to discuss next steps when we all got up?¡± Aila asked, her warm breath tickling with how closely she whispered.
Jadis nearly jumped out of her skin. She had been so focused on enjoying the delicious sensations that she hadn¡¯t noticed her redheaded companion stirring at all.
That realization did splash a little cold water on the fun. If Jadis as a whole was being distracted by the pleasure, that meant her two selves on guard duty weren¡¯t being as effective as they could and probably should be. There was no way they could go through with a full hour-long ritual in their current location, much less the other, longer one. Not in a place that still had so many potential dangers.
But that didn¡¯t mean she was going to stop Kerr from finishing what she had started.
¡°Kerr¡¯s impatient,¡± Dys answered Aila¡¯s question, her thoughts returning to the present.
¡°And horny,¡± the therion added, one hand pointing at her own long black horns, her green eyes twinkling with mirth.
That prompted an eyeroll from both Dys and Aila, though Dys couldn¡¯t keep that expression up for more than a second as Kerr practically attacked her cock, licking and sucking and stroking ferociously.
¡°Stop acting like you aren¡¯t into this and get down here,¡± Kerr goaded Aila between mouthfuls of cock. ¡°I could use the help tackling this monster and I need a free hand for my pussy anyway.¡±
To Jadis¡¯ surprise, Aila only hesitated for a moment before getting onto her knees and joining Kerr. She moved so that she was shoulder to shoulder with Kerr, their bodies lightly touching as Aila took hold of Dys¡¯ shaft with her soft but strong fingers and began stroking in a smooth, familiar way. The difference between their techniques could not be starker as Kerr continued to flit around capriciously as Aila proceeded at a steady, unhurried pace.
True to her word, Kerr¡¯s left hand abandoned its hold on Dys¡¯ rock-hard cock and slipped down to disappear inside her underclothes. A slightly muffled moan escaped her as she continued to suck greedily on Dys¡¯ tip. When Aila¡¯s adorably freckled face leaned down and planted a wet kiss against the side of her shaft just below where Kerr was sucking, Dys¡¯ body jerked in delight. The sight of the two beautiful girls both attending to her needy member was even more of a turn on than the feeling of their mouths against her.
Well, almost.
Tension built inside of Dys as the unexpected oral service continued, the familiar tightness in her lower belly growing as the pleasure grew. The way the two women¡¯s lips were constantly almost touching but never quite was driving Jadis up a wall. She could tell Aila wasn¡¯t doing it on purpose, but the glint in Kerr¡¯s eyes told her the same couldn¡¯t be said for her. As more of her copious precum leaked out from her, the two grew sloppier in the efforts, the wetness coating their faces, their breath growing hotter as they panted heavily.
¡°Oh, holy gods,¡± another voice spoke up, this time making all three of them jump.
Thea sat up on her bedroll, her face red as an apple as she stared at the lewd display before her. She didn¡¯t even seem to notice that they had stopped at first, perhaps not realizing she had spoken aloud. When she finally did notice that Kerr and Aila had stopped to stare at her, she looked positively mortified.
¡°Oh, ah, I¡¯m sorry! Ah, I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt. Um, I¡¯ll just¡ªI¡¯ll give you some privacy,¡± she said, turning away.
¡°Fuck privacy,¡± Kerr growled out in dark, heated tones. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to come over here and take a taste? You¡¯ll be getting acquainted with the big girl here soon enough anyway.¡±
For having never seen a car, Thea had an absolutely spot on impression of a deer caught in headlights. She just stared in response to Kerr¡¯s offer, not moving from her spot nearby, but no longer looking away either.
Growing impatient, Kerr turned and whispered into Aila¡¯s ear, though she was easily loud enough to be heard in the quiet cave.
¡°She¡¯ll come around. Let¡¯s get your girlfriend off already.¡±
Jadis expected Aila to object to that phrase, girlfriend. They hadn¡¯t ever officially made that step, their partnership ostensibly being a business arrangement, at least on the surface. But when Aila didn¡¯t deny the claim and, instead, lovingly kissed the tip of Dys¡¯ cock while humming softly, Jadis¡¯ heart sped up even faster than it had when Aila had joined Kerr in her oral ministrations.
¡°Yes, let¡¯s,¡± Aila agreed, her blue eyes locking with Dys¡¯.
That was almost enough to make Dys come right then and there.
It took every ounce of willpower Jadis had to not grab hold of Aila and immediately ravish her in the way she deserved, but she held back. She was starting to question why she was holding back, what with her better judgement not only not in the driver¡¯s seat but actually somewhere in the trunk by then, yet she still held back all the same. Self-denial was only leading to greater levels of pleasure as Jadis restrained herself, her tension growing higher and higher as she neared but never quite reached her peak.
When one more hand reached out to gently stroke Dys¡¯ length from the opposite side of Aila, that was the end. Jadis couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. Adding Thea¡¯s tentative touch was just too much stimulation, both physical and visual.
Dys groaned out a barely coherent warning a moment before her body tensed and her cock hardened to stone-like conditions. In the next moment, her first jet of cum arced high into the air, the pearly fluid splashing against Dys¡¯s stomach and chest, some reaching all the way to her chin.
¡°Oh fuck,¡± Kerr moaned, her mouth moving to capture Dys¡¯ tip as the second rope of sticky cum rocketed out of her, the powerful blast filling her mouth in an instant.
She pulled back to swallow the load as strings of cum dribbled from between her lips. Taking her place, Aila wrapped her own mouth around Dys, drinking her sweet seed greedily as her own rapturous moan sent toe-curling vibrations through Dys¡¯ cock.
Kerr laughed breathlessly, her left hand still moving inside her smallclothes as she gasped out a shudder.
¡°Fucking gods, you¡¯re not just hung like a horse, you cum like one, too.¡±
Dys couldn¡¯t respond to Kerr¡¯s crude compliment, not while she was busy climaxing with Aila¡¯s lips wrapped around her. She simply let out a strangled grunt as more and more of her seed disappeared down Aila¡¯s insatiable gullet.
¡°Shit, save some for me,¡± Kerr purred, pushing Aila off of Dys to catch the final convulsive emissions on her rough tongue.
As the wild woman squeezed out the last few drops with her hands, she looked towards Thea with her mouth open, Nephilim jizz pooling in her open mouth. She smiled around the lewd load sitting on her tongue and spoke to the guard in a half-gargled voice.
¡°Want a taste?¡± she asked, making the guard who had drawn closer look away in flushed embarrassment.
Seeing that Thea was either too reserved or too shy to engage in such wanton debauchery, Kerr¡¯s green gaze narrowed to the red-skinned form still nestled in the crook of Dys¡¯ left arm.
¡°How about you?¡± she asked the still and silent priestess that Jadis had thought had slept through the whole event.
Not so, it seemed. Jadis had no idea when Eir had woken, but she lay there, curled up against Dys¡¯ side, her dark purple eyes wide as saucers.
The priestess¡¯ head turned and she briefly looked up at Dys, then back to Kerr who was still sitting with her mouth open and full of cum, her tongue playing erotically with the sticky sweet substance.
¡°Yes, please,¡± Eir whispered, sending a jolt of electricity up Jadis¡¯ spines.
Kerr grinned wickedly around her mouthful, then crawled across Dys to lean over the still prone form of Eir to hover a few inches over her face. Opening her lips, she let a little of the creamy load pour like syrup down onto Eir¡¯s waiting extended tongue.
Having received her gift, the priestess held it in her mouth, eyes closed for a few seconds before loudly swallowing.
¡°Divine,¡± she crooned, an expression of pure bliss on her face.
Fucking hell. The pure erotic sexiness of these women was going to give Jadis a heart attack.
Chapter 119: Delayed Desire
In that moment, Jadis wanted nothing more than to grab hold of Aila and make love to her until she saw stars. Except, that wasn¡¯t true, because she also wanted nothing more than to rip the clothes from Kerr¡¯s body and fuck her until she couldn¡¯t walk straight for the next week. But she also wanted to hear Thea¡¯s sweetly shy voice stutter out her cries of pleasure as she rode her to her climax at least a dozen times over. And, of course, more than anything she wanted to give Eir a proper introduction to her thick cum. No secondhand taste from Kerr: Eir deserved to drink from the source and feel it fill her as Jadis ravished her for hours on end. In that moment, Jadis had never felt more at odds with herself about what she wanted to do next. Tragically, even with her three bodies to act at the same time, she still wouldn¡¯t be able to do all four of the things she wanted to at once.
She could certainly try though.
Jadis had to rein herself in. If she and the others were going to engage in any actual debauched rituals, they were going to need a better spot to hide in. This alcove worked only because two of her were standing watch at either entrance. For what she truly wanted to do, she needed all three of her selves free to act. Which meant that they needed to move to a more secure location. If they could even find one.
Groaning from frustration rather than pleasure, Dys sat up and gently but firmly extracted herself from the semi-circle of temptresses that had surrounded her.
¡°Hey, I¡¯m not done yet,¡± Kerr complained as she was forced to abandon her seat on Dys¡¯ legs.
¡°No, we¡¯re fucking not,¡± Dys growled hotly back.
Taking Kerr¡¯s left hand firmly in her own, she sucked her two wet fingers into her mouth, savoring the sweet, musky taste of the slick juice clinging to them. The flavor was different from Aila¡¯s now familiar sweetness, much stronger and intense and entirely intoxicating. Jadis¡¯ eyes never left Kerr¡¯s as she indulged in the small sample of syrup, conveying just how much she wanted to continue the feast.
¡°But we¡¯ve got to get somewhere we can do this properly,¡± Dys said as she reluctantly let Kerr¡¯s fingers free from her lips.
That statement transformed Kerr¡¯s lascivious grin into a disappointed frown. Before she could argue, though, Aila stood and began brushing herself off.
¡°Your other bodies are probably bursting at the seams right now, aren¡¯t they?¡± Aila asked pointedly, glancing towards where Jay and Syd now stood at the cave entrances. ¡°We need somewhere we can hole up more securely so you don¡¯t have to stand watch, correct?¡±
Dys nodded, standing up to uncomfortably cram her still hard cock into her now far too constraining skirt-pants.
¡°Read my mind,¡± she confirmed. Then, impulsively, she leaned down and kissed Aila tenderly, briefly flicking her tongue against the redhead¡¯s plush lips before pulling back. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can tell what else is on my mind when it comes to you, too.¡±
Aila looked away, hiding her blush. Her mouth twitched as she answered, ¡°I can imagine.¡±
¡°I can stand watch while you, um, do what it is that needs to be done for the ritual,¡± Thea interjected, herself now standing.
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but notice the guard¡¯s nipples straining against the fabric of her undershirt, her arousal obvious. As tempting an offer as it was, she couldn¡¯t accept. Thea deserved the same attention as anyone else, her feelings and desires no less important than any of the other girls.
¡°We can wait until we find somewhere better to camp for the time we need,¡± Dys shook her head. ¡°Besides, you can¡¯t watch two entrances at once like I can, can you?¡±
Thea couldn¡¯t argue against the point and, from what Jadis could tell of her thinking, it didn¡¯t seem like she wanted to. As unhappy as Kerr looked to be stopping before things had really gotten started, she too wasn¡¯t putting up any argument and was already reaching for her discarded armor pieces. With Aila doing the same thing, that left only one person Jadis hadn¡¯t confirmed the plan with.
Eir still lay on her hip on the ground, propped up by one arm as she sat up. One hand held fingers to her lips, covering her expression. It didn¡¯t look like she had paid full attention to the discussion and, while it was hard to tell with elven eyes, it looked to Dys like the priestess was staring off into space, lost in thought.
¡°Are you okay?¡± Dys asked quietly, getting down on one knee before Eir. ¡°We¡¯re getting ready to move now.¡±
Eir startled, looking up doe eyed at Dys, then blinked and shook her head. An embarrassed, shy smile grew on her face as she simply looked at Dys for a few seconds longer, then she seemed to remember she¡¯d been spoken to and her mind caught up with the information she¡¯d been given.
¡°Yes, of course,¡± Eir assured, moving to stand. ¡°Whatever you think is best, Jadis. I will defer to your judgement in this matter. And I, um,¡± she hesitated, then looked away and lowered her voice. ¡°I look forward to more. Later.¡±
Dys couldn¡¯t help but grin at the bashful priestess¡¯ words. Something about the way the woman spoke was both endearingly innocent and, at the same time, breathtakingly seductive. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how much was intentional if any at all.
With a goal in mind and an extremely potent motivation, the group quickly got their equipment on and their supplies gathered. They paused briefly to eat some of their trail rations but an antsy haste lingered in the air between them. Eyes drifted to parts and places unsuitable for polite company and flushed cheeks were abundant. The tension among the group was as thick as Eir¡¯s thighs and just as tempting.
There was also a musky scent perfuming the air around them, the smell of sex only adding to the enticing impulses Jadis had to struggle to contain. The scent wasn¡¯t wholly her own sweet aroma either. The collective excitement of them all had mixed together to form an almost irresistible pheromone.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°You want a secure location,¡± Kerr muttered as she secured the straps of her helmet on, ¡°I¡¯ll find you a secure location. By Charos¡¯ meaty ballsack I¡¯ll find you one.¡±
With her profane oath made, Kerr started out into the murk of the cavern system, leading them onward at a fast clip. Fast enough that Jay was forced to sweep Eir up into her arms so the barefoot elf didn¡¯t have to struggle to keep up.
Eir didn¡¯t look the least bit displeased by that turn of events.
As Kerr led them down a series of tunnels, the group was generally silent. Now that they weren¡¯t sequestered in the relatively safe alcove, the dangers of the caves they had been forced to retreat into were more apparent. As a whole, they stayed on alert, their weapons ready and their combat senses honed. Kerr slowed them down on more than one occasion, her animal-like ears twitching in response to sounds too distant for Jadis to pick up on.
Thea did break the silence at one point to ask a question, though.
¡°So,¡± the guard started, her tone evincing a casualness that wasn¡¯t truly there. ¡°When Dys, um, was, uh, doing that with Aila and Kerr. You could feel that, too?¡±
Jay glanced down at the woman, a smirk on her lips. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you were there at the end, too, Thea.¡±
¡°Yes, well,¡± Thea stumbled over her words, then shrugged. ¡°Okay. I was. But that¡¯s beside the point. You could feel when they, er, we touched Dys?¡±
¡°I am Dys,¡± Jay clarified. ¡°And Dys is me. We¡¯re all the same person, Thea. If you touch my arm, I can feel it. I just happen to have three sets of arms instead of one. Along with everything else.¡±
¡°That is the strangest skill I¡¯ve ever heard of,¡± Thea shook her head in disbelieving confusion. ¡°I¡¯ve heard stories of some heroes of past demonic invasions having some unusual skills, but nothing like that.¡±
¡°The prerequisites for getting the class were definitely something most people probably wouldn¡¯t stumble across easily,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°That does remind me, though. I¡¯d like to know more about your classes, if you don¡¯t mind. You don¡¯t have to reveal anything you don¡¯t want to, but I feel like we should probably go over what each of us are capable of. It could make a difference in planning our next steps.¡±
¡°That¡¯s, well, that¡¯s not unreasonable,¡± the brunette said after a moment. ¡°It¡¯s a little personal. But I guess, uh, we¡¯ve gotten somewhat personal already.¡±
Indeed they had. And they were going to be getting a lot more personal as quickly as possible, if Jadis had anything to say about it. Still, the hesitancy Thea displayed over talking about her class as compared to participating in a sex ritual was interesting. It seemed odd to her that the woman put sexual intimacy on the same level as talking in-depth about her class, maybe even higher on the intimacy scale. It made Jadis rethink some of her interactions with Aila, as well as the offer to discuss her class made by Kerr.
¡°I will tell you of my class as well,¡± Eir chimed in from where she was comfortably cradled in Jay¡¯s left arm. ¡°You have been so open with your classes, I think it only fair.¡±
¡°Maybe not as open as I could be,¡± Jay admitted. ¡°But I¡¯ll be just as direct with any of you about my classes now as you all are with me. You now know the parts I¡¯ve been trying to keep secret anyway.¡±
Conversation was minimal after that. Thea and Eir asked more questions about the nature of her Mirrored Body skill and Jadis answered, but they mostly tried to keep quiet as they continued their trek down the tunnels. It was hard to tell how much time had passed as they went, though at one point they were forced to stop and hide in a small nook while Kerr silenced them from asking questions for long enough that Jadis¡¯ legs started to hurt from crouching for so long.
When Kerr finally let them leave the cramped nook and they had asked what the problem had been, her response had been vaguely disturbing.
¡°I don¡¯t know what the fuck it was, but I could hear too many mouths for the number of legs.¡±
They backtracked down the tunnel to an intersection to take a different route after that was revealed.
The search was long and, after the initial heated rush, cautious. Jadis half expected they would find a way out of the caverns before they found a safe space to hole up in but no such luck was had. They did not encounter any more dangerous creatures that would force either a fight or a flight, nor did they come across any more signs of demons. The lack of demon activity was a little more worrying to Jadis than if they had found some indication that demons had been around. If they were so far lost in the depths that the demons who had been overrunning the caverns for months if not longer hadn¡¯t found the places they were treading, just how large was the cave system? How much further could it possibly go?
Eventually, however, Kerr came through. At least, she came through on finding a place where they could hide out without having to worry about anything ambushing them.
Located at one end of one of the larger caverns they had discovered, the short tunnel had an entryway that was around five feet tall and four feet wide and extended a couple of feet before widening out into a much larger, taller cave. The recessed chamber was spacious enough Syd could stand in the middle and swing her ten-foot lance around without striking the walls, and the floor was only slightly uneven. There were a few stalactites and stalagmites around the edges, but nothing that got in the way. Most importantly, there was a large boulder on the inside of the cave near the back. Once everyone was inside, Jadis was able to lift the huge rock between two of her bodies and set it down in front of the exit, blocking any curious beasts or hostile demons from getting in. The boulder didn¡¯t completely block the opening, but it was more than enough to prevent anything larger than a housecat from sneaking in while they were otherwise occupied.
¡°I think this might have been a nest for some creature in the past,¡± Aila advised as she picked up the remains of a cave crawler shell from one side of the spacious room. ¡°Though it doesn¡¯t look like anything¡¯s lived here in a while.¡±
¡°Who gives a shit?¡± Kerr exclaimed over the sound of leather armor hitting the floor. ¡°If it¡¯s not about fucking, I don¡¯t want to hear about it right now.¡±
Heads turned to see Kerr had divested herself not only of her armor, but her underclothes as well. She stood unabashedly in all her glory, her pert breasts and sharply defined abs on display. Below her firm, toned stomach at the V of where her legs met, a small tuft of soft gray hair was in perfect view. Even in the dim green light of the cave moss, wet streaks were visible on her inner thighs, a delicate droplet running down her right leg even as they all watched. The musky, intoxicating scent of passionate heat that had faded over the past few hours of searching was back in full force, filling the chamber with Kerr¡¯s aroma.
With a few quick steps, Kerr rushed forward and leapt up onto Dys, strong legs wrapping around her still armored torso. With deft hands she pulled the helmet from Dys¡¯ head and sent it clattering to the floor. While the others watched in stunned silence, Kerr mashed her lips against Dys in an aggressive, needy kiss, her smaller tongue demanding entrance to Dys¡¯ mouth as she growled out a desperate groan.
¡°We haven¡¯t even talked about which ritual we¡¯re doing first,¡± Aila murmured to Syd, just as taken with the display as Jadis was.
¡°I think we¡¯re going to have to go with the Lover¡¯s Bond for now,¡± Syd whispered back, setting down her lance as she both enjoyed the sexy show and reveled in the sensations of it. ¡°No way we¡¯re coordinating Lascivious Empowerment right now.¡±
¡°Stop talking and start fucking,¡± Kerr broke the kiss to shout over at Aila and Syd. ¡°Or I swear to the gods I¡¯ll come over there and fuck you both myself!¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing at the utterly ridiculous threat. Before Kerr could make any more complaint, however, Dys captured the therion¡¯s lips with her own, forcing her much larger tongue practically down her throat to silence her. If Kerr was under the impression that Jadis wasn¡¯t just as worked up as she was, then she was about to be disabused of that notion. Thoroughly.
Chapter 120: To Ride a Giant
¡°You heard the woman,¡± Syd grinned at Aila. ¡°We better get started before we get in trouble.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve already performed the Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond ritual with you and I¡¯m fairly certain that what we did earlier counted as a recharge,¡± Aila pointed out, her blue eyes nevertheless watching Dys and Kerr¡¯s show with interest. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have to participate in this right now.¡±
¡°No, I suppose you don¡¯t,¡± Syd admitted. "But that doesn''t mean I don¡¯t want my beautiful girlfriend joining in if I¡¯m about to have an orgy with a trio of hot women.¡±
Aila looked wide-eyed up at Syd at that declaration, the statement enough of a distraction to pull her focus away from the wantonly lewd display being put on a few feet away from them. Her gaze roved across Syd¡¯s face, a small quirk in the corner of her lips drawing them upward. Eventually she stepped a little closer, one hand resting on Syd¡¯s armored stomach.
¡°That has to be the most unromantic way of asking a person out I¡¯ve ever heard.¡±
¡°That¡¯s me,¡± Syd shrugged. ¡°Not a single romantic bone in my body. It¡¯s all just eye candy,¡± she motioned to herself, ¡°piloted by a horny dumbass. So what do you say?¡±
Aila motioned for Syd to lean down with a crooked finger and, when she did, Aila gently kissed the Nephilim on her lips.
¡°I expect a proper date when we get back to Felsen. With you in a dress,¡± she smiled. ¡°And flowers.¡±
¡°Deal,¡± Syd readily agreed before deepening the kiss.
¡°So, uh, what are we supposed to do?¡± Thea asked from where she stood to the right of Jay.
Jay stood with Eir still in her left arm, the priestess clinging to her with arms wrapped tightly around her neck as she watched Kerr and Dys still passionately making out. The three of them had been quiet up until that point, the activity of the rest of the room taking at least Thea and Eir by surprise. Jadis supposed she had been surprised too, but that felt different since she was still technically involved in the goings on of the rest of the cave chamber.
¡°Well,¡± Jay sighed as she broke contact with Eir and set the mesmerized elf down on the ground for a moment, ¡°that is actually a good question. My ritual Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond doesn¡¯t specify if I can have more than one person involved and targeted at a time. I know for a fact that we can¡¯t do more than one different ritual at the same time. Tried that already. But I don¡¯t know if that translates to not being able to cast the same ritual spell multiple times at the same time.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°Oh! Um, unless it says otherwise in the description, then you can¡¯t,¡± Eir said, turning to look up at Jay. ¡°One spell cast at a time is a standard rule of magic. Barring unique skills and spells that circumvent that rule, of course.¡±
That gave Jadis some internal pause. Not that much of anything could stop her from making out with Kerr and Aila in that moment. But with Jay not directly occupied with lustful activities, Jadis had enough brainpower left over to think about the ramifications of Eir¡¯s explanation. Since she needed to empower Kerr, Eir, and Thea with Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond and they couldn¡¯t do their individual rituals simultaneously, that meant a minimum of three hours spent on the one ritual alone. Beyond that, the Lascivious Empowerment ritual took two hours just by itself. And when she¡¯d tried the ritual with just Aila, it had taken multiple attempts to get the ritual right since it required concurrent climaxes between the two of them. Trying to juggle that kind of timing between her and four women sounded like a nigh on impossible feat.
Jadis was happy to try though.
¡°Well, if we can¡¯t do the rituals at the same time,¡± Jay said, taking off her helmet and then working on her chest armor, ¡°then we might as well get comfortable.¡±
Eir was already almost naked with the loss of her robes and boots. Thea had her own armor to divest herself of but she took to the task with brisk efficiency. Aila didn¡¯t wear much armor and Kerr was naked and grinding against Dys. Jadis could normally handle taking her own clothes off, but there was one hitch to the plan. The aforementioned therion was glued to Dys like a limpet and wasn¡¯t about to let go, not even for the necessary act of removing gear and clothing.
That was fine, though. Jadis had her own special brand of solution for problems like naked women stridently attached to her still clothed body. If that could be called a problem.
Syd and Jay broke away from the women they were respectively engaged with and began removing Dys¡¯ clothing for her. With the kind of coordination that could only come from having a trinity of magically created bodies, Jadis managed to peel Dys out of her gear. The breastplate was a particular challenge, but somehow, they managed.
¡°Nice work on that,¡± Kerr broke their kiss to pant out, her breath hot against Dys. ¡°Impressive teamwork¡ with yourself, I guess. Now get to work,¡± she demanded, reaching down to slap a hand against the large cock now pressed up against her ass.
¡°First things first,¡± Dys panted back, her chest heaving with desire. ¡°I need another taste.¡±
[Censored Sex Scene. The full scene can be viewed on ScribbleHub.com]
¡°Hey Kerr,¡± Dys said between grunts as her cock still twitched, delivering more thick Nephilim seed deep into her pussy. ¡°Guess what?¡±
¡°What?¡± Kerr asked breathlessly, all verbose vulgarities wrung out of her by the thorough pounding she had received.
¡°Just another thirty minutes or so to go,¡± Dys grinned down at her, her violet eyes dark with lust.
Kerr stared back, eyes unfocused. Then, she let out a tired giggle.
¡°Thank D for big favors.¡±
Chapter 121: Sharing is Caring
Thick, sweet Nephilim cum liberally flavored with musky therion nectar passed messily between Dys and Kerr¡¯s mouths. As their tongues danced with each other and the seed dripped down their chins, an inner light flashed within the giant¡¯s skin and Kerr¡¯s eyes opened wide, revealing their own iridescent green glow.
¡°Holy ass juices, it worked!¡± Kerr gasped, no doubt seeing the system message asking her to chose which attribute to boost her skill up by half of Jadis¡¯ eldritch stat.
Dys stared at the cum stained woman and mouthed a questioning ¡°ass juices¡± at her, giving her a raised eyebrow.
¡°Shut up,¡± Kerr growled, playfully biting Dys¡¯ shoulder. ¡°I need to think about which attribute I¡¯m putting this in. I didn¡¯t really think that hard about it before since I kind of figured you were making this shit up.¡±
¡°You thought I was lying and you still went along with all the fucking?¡± Dys asked with a disbelieving chuckle.
Kerr, who had spent the past hour getting screwed by Dys¡¯ giant cock to at least half a dozen orgasms gave Dys a look that screamed ¡®duh¡¯.
¡°Yeah, okay, fair enough,¡± Dys wiggled her head side to side. ¡°But don¡¯t take long to choose now. You¡¯ve got a limited time to pick before the ritual cancels and we have to do this all over again.¡±
¡°All over again you say?¡± Kerr purred. ¡°That doesn''t sound too¡ª¡±
Kerr let out a yelp as Dys pinched her ass.
¡°Fine,¡± the horned woman growled. ¡°I¡¯ll just put it in Dexterity. Scheisse, that¡¯ll put me past one hundred in my attack stat. Fuck, Jadis! I¡¯m going to do so much damage with my charged shot now!¡±
Exuberant over the massive boost to her attribute, Kerr planted another messy kiss on Dys¡¯ lips, her happiness temporarily overriding her exhaustion from being so thoroughly worn out by Dys¡¯ rough attentions. Jadis had to give the woman credit. She had a lot of stamina to still be going despite the long and almost brutal fucking she¡¯d been given.
Standing up while lips were still locked, Dys carefully carried Kerr over to where her other selves and the other women had been watching the lewd show for the past hour. The fact that Dys¡¯ thick shaft was still buried in Kerr¡¯s twitching pussy made the short walk an interesting experience for both of them.
Plopping down on her butt to the left of Syd and Eir, Dys reclined back against the stone wall and let Kerr catch her breath as the therion panted, her body splayed out gracelessly across Dys as cum continued to leak out around her stretched cunt lips. Exhausted but satisfied, Dys raised her fingers to her lips and licked off the remains of the cum she¡¯d scooped up from where their bodies joined so they could finish the ritual with the proper seed-soaked kiss.
Sitting on top of Syd, her wetness soaking onto the giant¡¯s crotch, Eir watched Kerr and Dys with almost fearful fascination. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure, but she didn¡¯t think the elf had blinked in the past twenty minutes.
¡°Hey, Aila,¡± Jay called out to get her girlfriend¡¯s attention. ¡°This is maybe going a step too far, but that¡¯s a lot of magic replenishment there, if you and Kerr don¡¯t mind getting a little friendly.¡±
During the debauched ritual with Kerr, Jadis had made sure that Eir, Aila, and Thea had all been attended too. She never pushed any of them too hard, especially not Eir and Thea who she had far less familiarity with, but she had teased them all with fingers and kisses, keeping them in a constant state of arousal, just in case the wanton display of lust Kerr and Dys had displayed wasn¡¯t enough.
Jadis had been firmer with Aila though. With her hands stroking and rubbing and fingering her most erogenous spots, Aila had reached climax at least once during the past hour, silently moaning out her pleasure as she firmly held Jay¡¯s hand in place while she bucked her pussy against her long fingers. Though she hadn¡¯t outright said it, by her action and her gaze Jadis could tell her girlfriend had enjoyed the show as much as Jadis had and was still worked up.
A grin worked its way across Jadis¡¯ three faces as she realized her thoughts. Girlfriend. That she could now apply that title to Aila brought an entirely different kind of pleasure to Jadis. Giddy and bubbly and wholly at odds with the obscene circumstances they were currently involved in. Still, Jadis grinned. How couldn¡¯t she? Aila was her girlfriend.
¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Thea asked, her voice tremulous from the constant erotic teasing. ¡°Magic replenishment?¡±
Jay didn¡¯t answer for her and instead let Aila choose what to do next. After a moment of consideration, she rose from her spot between Syd and Jay, her lean and long-legged body glistening with a sheen of perspiration. She glanced down at Thea and then over to where Kerr still lay impaled on Dys¡¯ cock, recovering from her hour-long sexual ordeal.
¡°My arcanist class is based around Nephilim,¡± Aila explained. ¡°Because of the sex rituals boosting my Arcane attribute. Jadis isn¡¯t the only one with entirely salacious skills.¡±
Aila stepped over Syd and, while Eir and Thea watched with gaping mouths, knelt down between Dys¡¯ legs and leaned in closer to where Kerr and Dys¡¯ sexes still joined.
¡°I assume you don¡¯t mind?¡± Aila inquired in a cool, absurdly professional tone.
¡°Mind what?¡± Kerr asked breathlessly, her body limp and her eyes half lidded as she rested in Dys¡¯ embrace.
¡°This.¡±
With a casual air that could fool anyone but Jadis into believing she felt not an ounce of embarrassment about what she was doing, the redhead grabbed hold of Kerr¡¯s tail and moved it out of the way, then dove down to lap at their combined juices. Her tongue firmly stroked up from the base of Dys¡¯ shaft, following the underside up to Kerr¡¯s aching pussy where she unabashedly licked there as well, swiping up a mouthful of cum.
Kerr hissed an unknown curse at the feel of Aila¡¯s tongue on her aching netherlips, then redoubled her groans as Dys slowly slid her thick shaft out of her. With each inch removed, more sticky seed flowed out and Aila lapped up every drop, resolute in her determination to consume all the cum that could be had from Kerr¡¯s quim.
While the redhead worked on Kerr, Eir leaned forward, intent on observing every lewd action. She watched silently, her cupped hands covering her mouth. Her naked hips rocked back and forth on top of Syd¡¯s cock, rubbing her wetness in an unconscious act of pent-up lust. Jadis almost wanted to point it out to the elf, but decided against highlighting just how lewd the priestess was being herself. Though it was a struggle to keep from moaning as the red-skinned elf¡¯s tender folds tortured her with their delightful heat and softness.
As Dys withdrew further and further, Kerr¡¯s back arched and her ass stuck high in the air. Dys kept Kerr clutched to her chest, though, face buried between her breasts as she writhed and moaned. Once Dys¡¯ dick popped completely free, a torrent of thick cum poured from the therion¡¯s tunnel, forcing Aila to latch onto her quivering opening to catch it all before it spilled out onto Dys¡¯ stomach. She pushed Dys¡¯ shaft, now slimy with cum, to the side, letting the meaty member rest against her shoulder as she hummed around her mouthfuls of Nephilim seed.
¡°Oh my,¡± Eir whispered nearly inaudibly, watching the event so closely she was only a few feet away from where Aila drank deeply of Kerr¡¯s wellspring.
Having moved to observe so closely, Eir partially blocked Jay and Thea¡¯s vision of the arousing scene. Apparently, she wanted to see what was happening more closely too, as the guard moved from Jay¡¯s lap to crawl on her hands and knees closer to the erotic sight. She watched Aila suck and lick greedily at Kerr¡¯s pussy from an angle, her body poised across Syd¡¯s legs and her face close to Eir¡¯s as they practically scrutinized the show together.
As much as those two were interested in watching the way Aila was eating out Kerr, Jadis found that she had become distracted by another sight entirely.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Thea¡¯s ass was a beautiful peach of a rear. Her underclothes did little to conceal the perfect swell of her luscious cheeks. In fact, the way the cloth strained against her ass as her back arched from her kneeling position only added to the sexiness. The damp spot of arousal that showed around the outline of her pussy lips certainly enhanced the view as well.
Jay moved to her knees silently behind the brown-haired woman. Even kneeling, their height difference presented a challenge to lining things up, but Jay didn¡¯t care. She was more than confident that she could work out a solution. Taking advantage of Thea¡¯s distraction, Jay pulled her underwear off her hips and down her thighs, revealing her swollen lips and perfect peach of an ass.
¡°Ah,¡± Thea let out a small yelp at the sudden divestment, looking back over her shoulder to see Jay grinning at her. She let out a second, more strained ¡°Ah¡± as Jay¡¯s middle finger entered her pussy, the single digit filling her up as she delved down to the knuckle.
¡°Keep watching,¡± Jay commanded hungrily, violet eyes intense.
Thea hesitated, then turned her face back to the sapphic scene.
Her grin growing wider, Jay began to finger fuck the brunette, rocking her body back and forth with the implacable strength of her movements. She delighted in the soft moans of pleasure, half stifled by Thea biting her lip. Still, as deep and thoroughly as Jay fingered her, she kept her eyes on Aila eating Kerr¡¯s pussy.
By that point, Jadis was fairly certain Aila had gotten out every drop of cum she reasonably could, yet she was still going. Maybe she didn¡¯t want to leave the job half done? From the way Kerr was groaning, it seemed like she was growing near to another climax.
Jadis was also starting to suspect an interesting trait of Thea¡¯s.
Acting on her intuition, Jay leaned forward over Thea, putting her one free hand on the floor so she could bend her head down close to the woman¡¯s ear.
¡°You like to watch, don¡¯t you?¡± Jay asked in her most sultry voice, letting her lust drop her tones deep.
Thea shivered at the words ticking her ears.
¡°Admit it,¡± Jay prodded, adding a second finger to Thea¡¯s heat, stretching her out further. ¡°You¡¯re a voyeur, aren¡¯t you? You get off on watching Aila lick pussy.¡±
Thea nodded, her eyes still locked on the two women, Dys acting as an obscene bed for their debauchery.
¡°You liked watching me fuck Kerr, didn¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Thea answered, her voice shaky with lust.
¡°You¡¯d love to watch me fuck her again, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Jay pressed, stroking Thea¡¯s clit with her thumb.
¡°Ah, ye¡ªyes,¡± she agreed, her voice breaking as her body squirmed.
¡°You would cum just from watching me fuck Aila, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Jay accused, her husky voice practically purring. As she spoke into Thea¡¯s ear, her eyes shifted to Eir who was watching their little exchange, her grinding against Syd¡¯s cock now even faster than before, her large breasts jiggling with the motion. ¡°You want to watch me fuck that hot redhead as hard as I fucked Kerr, don¡¯t you? It would mean the world to you, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Oh, yes,¡± Thea moaned, licking her lips. ¡°I want to w¡ªwatch you fuck her.¡±
¡°Maybe if you ask nicely,¡± Jay suggested with a wicked grin, ¡°she¡¯ll do you a favor.¡±
Thea bit her lip, watching as Aila brought the moaning therion to orgasm, her legs shaking as they gave out and Kerr collapsed onto Dys¡¯ toned stomach. Her tail twitched spastically as she stuttered out obscenities, most of them directed at Aila but some pointed at Jadis for enabling such an insidiously licentious event.
Aila sat back on her heels and tossed her long red hair over her shoulder and stared at Thea from the corner of her eye, her posture perfect as she knelt naked between Dys¡¯ legs. She said nothing and simply watched, waiting. She would have been the picture of dignity despite her nudity if it weren¡¯t for the giant cock resting against her in the valley of her breasts, dripping fresh precum onto her skin.
¡°Well?¡± Jay prompted, slowing her fingers to a crawl and forcing the woman to rock back against her of her own will.
Thea hesitated, opened her mouth, then closed it again with an audible click of her teeth. A moment later, she opened up again and leaned forward, meeting Aila¡¯s blue gaze.
¡°May I watch you¡ªwatch you f¡ªfuck Jadis?¡±
Aila¡¯s left brow quirked up and she glanced at Jay. Jay met her deadpan expression with a wicked grin and shrugged one shoulder.
Without a word Aila got to her feet and spun around to face away from Dys. Then, without spreading her legs, she eased back and down, letting the soaked entrance to her womanhood rest against Dys¡¯ cockhead.
¡°I expect a reciprocal favor from you,¡± Aila advised Thea, meeting her fevered gaze.
Thea moaned out her agreement as Aila worked herself against Dys¡¯ shaft, pressing down with first a little, then more, then all of her weight. Dys had to shift the deboned Kerr around, but she sat up further and braced Aila with one hand, helping to guide her down with a steady pull until the arcanist¡¯s pussy suddenly opened up and her cock popped inside.
Aila closed her eyes in aching pleasure as she slid down Dys¡¯ shaft, her legs still squeezed firmly together. The tightness caused by keeping her legs shut was even greater than what Jadis was used to and it was hard for her to resist bucking up into the practically boiling heat of her tunnel. She held back, though, letting Aila adjust as she slid down all the way to the hilt, her stomach bulging with its obscene invader as Jadis¡¯ skill allowed Aila¡¯s organs to shift and move out of the way in a biological impossibility.
Once again, Jadis had to stop and thank D for her class.
With a single, powerful move of her hips, Dys bounced Aila up, revealing several inches of her hard Nephilim member coated in the redhead¡¯s nectar before Aila slid back down on her cock, her ass slapping into Dys¡¯ pale groin.
¡°Oh, oh,¡± Thea moaned out in a high pitch as her pussy clenched around Jay¡¯s fingers.
The woman really had cum from watching Aila get fucked.
¡°Very good,¡± Jay assured Thea as she climaxed, helping the guard along as she rubbed her clit in firm circles. As she rode the orgasm out to completion and slumped forward, Jay leaned over her and asked another question. ¡°Ready for more?¡±
¡°Yes?¡± she answered, her voice trembling.
¡°Good,¡± Jay told her, withdrawing her fingers from her wet warmth and grabbing hold of her hips. ¡°Because Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond has been going on you for a little while now and you¡¯re going to need more than just my fingers inside you to complete this ritual.¡±
¡°Huh?¡± Thea asked, then let out a yelp that transformed into a squealing moan as Jay¡¯s throbbing cock pressed against her pussy, forcing its way inside her depths like a battering ram.
Soon, Jay was sawing her shaft in and out of Thea, forcing little hiccupping grunts and mewls of pleasure as she shoved in more and more of her cock inside the woman. Thea kneeled with her head and shoulders on the blanket, her breasts rubbing against Syd¡¯s leg as Jay held her beautiful butt in the air, her hands squeezing the firm cheeks as she fucked the guard. To make the position work, Jay was forced to have one knee on the ground while her other leg was set with her foot down, giving her the angle and leverage necessary to enter Thea. She couldn¡¯t force her cock all the way down to the root with how much shorter Thea was than her, but the angle felt wonderfully tight and Jay was able to thrust fast and deep into her pussy, stirring up her insides into a froth.
Speaking of tightness, Aila was still sat on Dys¡¯ cock, her incredible heat constricting around her throbbing shaft. Dys moved to draw her knees up, giving Aila armrests she could grab hold of, which Aila did immediately. With the leverage her grip now afforded her, she was able to bounce up and down on Dys¡¯ dick, controlling the pace as she watched Jay furiously buck into Thea.
A clawed hand squeezed Aila¡¯s ass as Kerr leaned in close on her far side, drawing a gasp from the redhead.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, you beautiful slut,¡± Kerr huffed, pressing her heaving chest against Aila¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯ll get you back good after Jadis gives you a nice creamy load of your own.¡±
The sights, sounds, and sensations that were coming from Aila, Thea, and now Kerr too were almost overwhelming. Jadis had to put most of her concentration into just not cumming too quickly as she struggled to control the growing tightness in her bellies. She could practically feel her seed growing within her as her bodies demanded to be allowed relief, allowed to pour their loads into the two sexy, beautiful women she was fucking. To fill them to the brim.
To breed them.
The thought came unbidden to her and her stomachs clenched as her cocks hardened and jumped within Aila and Thea, drawing out unknowing gasps.
Breeding had never been Jadis¡¯ kink, not back on Earth, anyway. But now, once again, faced with the prospect of stuffing a wanton, willing pussy full of her potent seed, she found herself inexplicably drawn to the tantalizing idea.
She wouldn¡¯t, of course. That was the whole reason she¡¯d taken Potency Alteration. So she wouldn¡¯t knock Aila or anyone else up when pregnancy wasn¡¯t wanted.
But what if it was wanted?
That strangely intriguing thought was so distracting that Jadis almost missed it when a gentle hand stroked the side of Syd¡¯s cheek. Blinking and refocusing on the present, Syd¡¯s eyes met Eir¡¯s. The priestess had turned around in Syd¡¯s lap, facing her. She sat with Syd¡¯s dripping cock throbbing against her plush rear, slick with the elf¡¯s need.
Jadis was fairly certain the priestess could have pulled her legs off the ground and balanced solely on her dick, she felt that hard in that moment.
¡°Please,¡± Eir said, and Jadis realized that Eir was repeating herself, having said the word already while her mind wandered.
¡°Please what?¡± Syd asked while her other two selves fucked Aila and Thea in the background.
¡°Please,¡± Eir asked again, her chest heaving. ¡°You promised I could touch you. Freely, wherever I want,¡± Eir pleaded, her voice barely audible over Aila¡¯s panting and Thea¡¯s high-pitched moans.
¡°Where do you want to touch me?¡± Syd replied, her jaw clenching from the overstimulation.
¡°I want to touch you like Aila is. Like Thea is. Like Kerr did before,¡± Eir explained, her voice so needy with pent up lust she looked like she was about to break into tears. ¡°Please, touch me. Let me touch you. I can¡¯t wait anymore.¡±
Syd leaned in, one hand grabbing hold of Eir¡¯s waist and the other wrapping into her tangle of purple hair. She kissed the priestess, deeply and zealously as her other selves tensed from sympathetic feelings of arousal.
Eir welcomed Syd¡¯s tongue within her, her own much smaller one struggling inexpertly to dual with Syd¡¯s, her attempts utterly in vain. When Syd pulled back, she panted with her mouth open, her tongue hanging halfway out as she gazed with half-lidded eyes at her goddess¡¯ perfect avatar.
Syd stared back, her eyes dark and hot with unrestrained passion.
¡°Beg me for it.¡±
Chapter 122: Party Compatibility
Eir¡¯s eyes widened as her body stiffened in Syd¡¯s hold. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at Syd, her hands still lightly resting on her shoulders.
¡°Beg?¡± she whispered in a tiny, confused voice.
For a second, Jadis was worried she¡¯d misread the elf. Speaking confidently came naturally to her and some dirty talk in the bedroom was a bit of fun she enjoyed but had rarely gone hard on in the past. But teasing Thea had worked Jadis up. Flushed with excitement and still actively in the middle of fucking the guard and her lover Aila, she had followed her instincts, figuring the eager-to-please priestess was more than just a little submissive, but an actual sub in bed.
Her fears that she might have gauged Eir completely wrong and ruined the vibe of the incredible orgy they had going were allayed when Eir leaned forward, her body pressing closer to Syd as her hard nipples rubbed enticingly against her.
¡°Please,¡± she pleaded desperately, ¡°please do to me what you are doing to the others.¡±
Syd grinned wickedly, the hand in Eir¡¯s hair moving to cup the side of her gorgeous face, her fingers slowly rubbing against her long ear. Eir leaned into the touch, her chest heaving as she gazed longingly into her eyes. Her hips moved to rub against Syd¡¯s straining member again, but Syd¡¯s right hand tightened on her waist and stilled her needy motions.
¡°Tell me exactly what you want me to do to you,¡± she growled out, her voice dark with desire.
Eir hesitated, then answered, ¡°I want you to perform your ritual with me.¡±
Syd scoffed and the fingers stopped stroking Eir¡¯s ear, drawing a disappointed moan from the elf¡¯s throat.
¡°Is that really all you want?¡± Syd asked, one pale eyebrow raised. ¡°Because I¡¯ll be occupied with Thea¡¯s ritual for a long time yet. If you just want the ritual, you¡¯ll have to wait your turn.¡±
Moving her left hand down to join her right at the elf¡¯s waist, Syd began lifting Eir off of her lap to put her off to the side.
¡°Wait!¡± Eir cried out, true panic in her tone. ¡°No, I don¡¯t just want the ritual! I want you to¡ªto mate with me. To have s-sex with me.¡±
Syd set Eir back down on her lap and, as a reward for her truthfulness, began grinding her wet slit against her member, eliciting a far happier moan from the priestess.
¡°Is that the best you can do?¡± Syd teased the woman further, her grin wide and toothy. ¡°Just sex?¡±
¡°I want you to¡ª¡± Eir cut herself off, biting her plump lower lip. Then, her voice practically a whisper, she answered. ¡°I want you to fuck me. Fuck me, please.¡±
¡°And what do you want me to fuck you with?¡± Syd taunted, using a bit more strength to forcefully rub Eir¡¯s heat against her throbbing shaft.
¡°I want you to fuck me with your cock,¡± Eir said, her voice hitching on the last word as her hands gripped Syd¡¯s arms. When Syd gave her another look, she amended her statement without asking, her words flowing stronger and huskier as time passed. ¡°Fuck me with your big, beautiful cock. I want to feel your giant cock pulsing within me.¡±
Leaning forward, Syd licked the tip of Eir¡¯s ear, sending a shiver down her back that she could feel all the way to the base of her spine.
¡°Where do you want my cock?¡±
¡°In my womanhood,¡± Eir started, then revised her request as Syd bit lightly on her sensitive earlobe. ¡°In my pussy! Please, please fuck my pussy with your Nephilim cock.¡±
¡°What if I want to fuck your mouth, instead?¡± Syd asked, her tongue licking at the side of Eir¡¯s jaw.
¡°Please, do it,¡± Eir answered immediately. ¡°I want it.¡±
¡°And what if I want to fuck your sexy ass?¡±
Eir hesitated, then groaned as Syd¡¯s hands cupped her full cheeks and squeezed, playing with the soft, delicate flesh.
¡°Yes, please,¡± Eir agreed hotly, sending a thrill through Syd. ¡°Anywhere you want. Any way you want. Just put your cock inside me!¡±
Syd kissed Eir, enjoying her taste as she continued to knead and fondle her ass, reveling in the wonderful way she moaned into her mouth.
¡°Well then,¡± Syd purred after breaking their kiss, ¡°the first thing I want are your big, fat tits wrapped around my dick. Make me cum with those and I¡¯ll reward you.¡±
¡°Yes!¡± Eir cried out eagerly, her voice and other parts of her dripping with lust.
She quickly scooted off of Syd¡¯s lap to let her huge member bounce upright into the cool cavern air. As she did so, Eir inadvertently turned to see Jay, Dys, Aila, and Kerr all staring at her. Even Thea was watching her from her position with head down on the ground. While not completely stilled, their movements had slowed as they had been treated to the dominant versus submissive interaction.
¡°Oh,¡± Eir said, the single syllable conveying all Jadis needed to understand that the red-skinned elf had completely forgotten about the rest of the group in her ardor.
Kerr kneeled with her arms wrapped around Aila from the side, her green eyes narrowed in amusement as her sharp teeth split her face in a wide grin. Her bushy gray tail wagged behind her as she watched the clearly embarrassed priestess freeze in place.
¡°Let me know if you need help with that big dick there, ruby cheeks,¡± Kerr offered slyly. ¡°My tits aren¡¯t as big as yours, but that¡¯s a fucking giant cock and even a pair as big as yours could probably use some backup.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Eir seemed to take some kind of bolstering offense to the suggestion, whether at the idea that she should have to share Syd with Kerr or that her bountiful breasts weren¡¯t enough for the job, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure. Whatever her line of thinking, she gathered herself, shook her head in denial, then moved back onto Syd¡¯s lap and boldly grasped her throbbing shaft with both hands.
The elf¡¯s body shivered strongly for a moment as she came to terms with the fact that she was actually handling one of Jadis¡¯ cocks. She breathed heavily, her eyelids fluttering as she gazed lovingly at the giant member gripped in her much smaller hands. She looked almost mesmerized as she slowly leaned in to place a delicate kiss on the tip of Syd¡¯s cockhead, her lips turned shiny from the precum oozing out from there. Eir licked her lips, a blissful moan rumbling through her.
¡°I told you to use your tits,¡± Syd interrupted the elf¡¯s reverie. For emphasis, Jay reached over from her position and slapped Eir¡¯s ass, producing a startled yelp from the entranced priestess. ¡°Do it proper or I won¡¯t reward you.¡±
¡°As you wish,¡± Eir breathed out, then hefted her heavy breasts in either hand.
They really were beautiful works of art. Eir¡¯s chest looked like the kind of stunning vision plastic surgeons could only dream of replicating for their clients. Perfect orbs that sat high without a hint of sag, they were large enough to overflow anyone¡¯s hands. Anyone¡¯s but Jadis¡¯. For her, they were a perfect fit.
Eir enveloped Syd¡¯s turgid cock with her breasts, wrapping it in soft red flesh that drew a primal growl of excitement from Syd. The elf began to rub against Syd, awkwardly at first, but her movements quickly grew more confident and lustful as time went on. Soon she wasn¡¯t just rubbing her breasts against Syd¡¯s cock, but her whole body was being used to further Syd¡¯s pleasure. She wanted the reward promised to her and was clearly willing to do any debauched thing Jadis asked to get it, and she would enjoy every second of it too.
¡°Open your mouth,¡± Syd grunted, her peak already close. ¡°Stick out your tongue.¡±
Eir did as asked, mouth wide and tongue outstretched as she stared hungrily at Syd and her swelling cock. She still tried to rub her tits against her shaft, but Syd took over, her hand rapidly pumping against her aching member. With the intoxicatingly erotic sight of Eir mere inches from her, it didn¡¯t take more than a few strokes before Syd crested her climax.
The first hot rope of cum filled Eir¡¯s mouth completely in a single spurt, the thick white substance coating her tongue completely. The second pulse overflowed her, long strands of seed dripping down her chin and onto her chest. From there, Syd painted the elf¡¯s gorgeous visage with cum, coating her face and hair and breasts with a massive load that probably topped anything Jadis had ever produced before. By the time she was done, Syd was lightheaded and breathing like she¡¯d just run a marathon.
Eir¡¯s red skin had been painted white with seed, the thick pearlescence dripping down her in lewd globs. One of her purple eyes had been pasted shut by a particularly large deposit and as she kneeled there, cum oozing off of her still extended tongue, Jadis could swear the elf looked like she was experiencing rapture, a look of pure bliss obscured under the crude and wanton coating she¡¯d been given.
¡°Good girl,¡± Syd praised Eir, using one finger to gently close her mouth. As soon as her lips sealed, Jadis heard her loudly gulp as she swallowed the huge mouthful of cum she¡¯d been filled with. ¡°Very good girl, Eir. Now, why don¡¯t you turn around and show everyone how beautiful you look wearing my cum?¡±
Eir nodded, her chest heaving, and she slowly turned around, revealing the mess Syd¡¯s climax had made of her to the rest of the group.
Five pairs of eyes hungrily devoured the sight, the musk of lust only growing stronger in the stone chamber. Kerr cooed happily as she grinned at Eir, her own rough tongue poking playfully out of her lips as she admired the sight. Aila¡¯s expression was hot as she still sat impaled on Dys¡¯ dick, half turned around to see and still grinding her hips against her lover. Thea had propped herself up on her elbows to better see as Jay still thrust into her from behind and, as Eir¡¯s gorgeous face and body were presented, their pristine beauty soiled in the most lasciviously erotic way possible, Jay felt her pussy clench around her shaft as she came again, the sight almost too much for the guard to handle.
It was only with absolutely monumental effort that Jay was able to hold back from spraying her own load inside the quivering guard. She wanted desperately to release, but there was one more step she wanted to take first now that they were in the crazy lewd position they¡¯d stumbled into.
¡°Such a good girl you are,¡± Syd told Eir, leaning forward to whisper in her long ear.
¡°I¡¯m a good girl,¡± Eir agreed, her hands rubbing the dripping cum into the skin of her stomach. ¡°I¡¯m your good girl.¡±
¡°Yes, you are,¡± Syd said, her heartbeat revving up again at the elf¡¯s words. ¡°Would my good girl like her reward?¡±
¡°Oh, yes,¡± Eir begged and moved to turn around, but Syd¡¯s hands around her waist stopped her.
In a swift motion, Jay pulled Thea back and away, turning her to face Syd. In the same moment, Dys shifted around with Aila still on her lap so that she and Kerr faced her too. For her part, Syd rose up onto her knees and used one hand grab Eir¡¯s legs, holding them high above her head while the other grasped her ass, placing the priestess so that her soaking wet pussy was positioned right against Syd¡¯s still dripping cockhead.
¡°Now I¡¯m going to fuck you,¡± Syd told Eir, the fingers of her one hand pulling Eir¡¯s nether lips apart as her tip pressed against her. ¡°And everyone will see that my good girl loves to be fucked by big fat Nephilim cock.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Eir hissed and her hips pressed down without any guidance from Jadis at all. ¡°I love your big fat fucking cock! I want it in me! I want to be fucked by you and I want everyone to see!¡±
Syd¡¯s cockhead pressed hard against Eir and with an ease Jadis didn¡¯t expect considering Eir was the smallest of her companions by far, she sunk deep into the woman, her pussy stretched obscenely around her shaft.
Eir wailed with ecstasy as Syd invaded her, inch after inch of pale cock stretching her out and filling her body to impossible lengths. Syd pulled the quaking elf down as far as she could go, pussy juices practically squirting out around stretched lips as they reached lower. All the way down, Eir cried out in pleasure, her words growing more and more vulgar with each inch inserted, enough so that even Kerr raised an eyebrow.
¡°Yes! Fuck me! Fuck me you beautiful fucking giant! Stick your cock in my cunt and stir me up until I can¡¯t stand! Give your good girl her reward and fill me with your seed and fuck me so hard you make me forget my fucking name!¡±
As Syd held the writhing elf against her body, her hands went to the crook of either knee and held Eir with them, spreading her legs apart to fully reveal her face and body while the point of their lewd coupling stayed on full display.
¡°Don¡¯t you worry, my good little priestess,¡± Syd assured the moaning elf as she began pumping her hips forward, stirring up her insides just as she had asked. ¡°Everyone is going to see me fuck your brains out. And I promise you, by the time I¡¯m done with you, you¡¯re going to have a whole class dedicated just to loving my cock.¡±
That vow put Eir into an ever-greater frenzy as she mauled her own tits and moaned licentiously, cum still dripping from her body as Syd thrust her giant member in and out of her, making her writhe in delight.
The sight really was too much for Thea, her position on her hands and knees facing Syd and Eir putting her in a perfect position to see their lewd coupling. Her pussy clenched again as she squeaked and shivered around another orgasm. And this time, Jay didn¡¯t hold back, releasing her seed deep inside the guardswoman.
Fuck, but it was going to be a wonderful hour and a half as she finished Thea¡¯s ritual and did Eir¡¯s as well. If this was what it was like to be in an adventuring party, Jadis cursed herself for having waited so long to give it a try.
Chapter 123: Too Much of a Good Thing
¡°How is she still going? I feel like I¡¯d have worn a hole in my pussy by now,¡± Kerr mused as she idly watched Syd continue to pound Eir. ¡°It¡¯s fucking impressive.¡±
¡°Lovely imagery,¡± Aila drawled, giving the therion a sidelong glance. ¡°I imagine she has probably been a bit pent up.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t give me that dirty look,¡± Kerr warned Aila, using her finger to flick the redhead¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Or I¡¯ll dive back down into your pussy and see if I can wear your hole out myself.¡±
Dys¡¯ hand landed on Kerr¡¯s shaggy head and gave her a little shake.
¡°Don¡¯t threaten my girlfriend with a good time unless I¡¯m invited. Also, I¡¯ve been going at it for even longer than Eir. Don¡¯t I get any credit?¡±
¡°No,¡± Kerr denied, leaning back into Dys, ¡°You¡¯re some kind of sex avatar of a goddess or some bullshit like that. Fucking four women for a few hours should be easy as breathing for you. Going to need at least a dozen sluts before it¡¯s some kind of challenge for you.¡±
Kerr emphasized her point by giving Dys¡¯ still partially erect cock a meaty slap, making her jump a little.
Jadis supposed Kerr could have a point. She did have a massive advantage over the elf priestess in terms of both natural strength and vigor, plus her absurdly high stats. So it was more impressive, at least by comparison, that Eir was still eagerly enjoying Syd¡¯s turgid member with the same passion and energy as she had when they¡¯d started an hour and a half ago. In fact, Jadis was starting to worry that the little elf might be able to outlast her.
¡°Yes, yes! More! Fuck your good girl! I love it! I love having your giant Nephilim dick in my pussy!¡±
Eir had kept up her litany of vulgar cries the whole time, too, the dam of her generally polite and, apparently, repressed speech having been broken down. Jadis had come across new surprises every day in Oros but Eir¡¯s potty mouth was definitely one of the more shocking. That the almost nun-like woman had been holding back a little due to her vocation? To be expected, Jadis supposed. That the prim and proper priestess would start using phrases like ¡°Nephilim dick¡± to describe her? Frankly, Jadis was surprised the woman even knew the words could be combined in that manner.
The Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond ritual was nearly complete, though, and even if Eir was still ready for more when it was completed, Jadis needed a rest. She¡¯d been at it for hours with the beautiful women and in all honesty, she had no idea how she¡¯d been able to pump out so much cum in and on all four of them without shriveling up like a raisin.
Nephilim biology was bizarre.
While Syd and Eir neared the end of their ritual, their latest sex position something like what Jadis would have called ¡°Missionary¡± back on Earth except Eir¡¯s ankles were up by her ears, the rest of them were chilling out while watching the show. Dys was lying stretched out on her side parallel to her other self and the priestess, her head facing the same direction. Aila and Kerr were both sitting in front of her, leaning against her torso like it was the backrest on a sofa. The two weren¡¯t exactly cuddling, not in Jadis¡¯ opinion, but they were sharing some closeness as their bare arms and legs rubbed against each other. Jadis guessed Aila was probably feeling a little awkward about the fact that she had both given and received oral sex with Kerr while caught up in the whole lewd whirlwind they¡¯d been in, but she didn¡¯t seem upset, just a little pensive. Kerr, on the other hand, looked like a cat that had gotten both the canary and the cream.
That they were all still very naked made for an exciting image every time one of her other selves looked in that direction.
Positioned at an angle to the others, Jay sat cross-legged near both Dys and Syd¡¯s heads, her left elbow propped on her knee while her chin rested on her fist. She had a pretty interesting view of her other self laying into Eir and, combined with Dys¡¯ view, she was adjusting her strokes and penetrating angles into the elf to maximize her plush companion¡¯s pleasure. She was also stroking Thea¡¯s back as she lay in the fetal position in her lap, curled up in a blanket cocoon with her hands pressed to her beet-red face.
Thea was, without doubt, definitely the most embarrassed of them all about the whole orgy thing. Jadis guessed having her voyeurism fetish exposed as well as getting fucked raw in front of multiple witness was a lot for the shy guard to handle. Still, despite her obvious trepidation with what she¡¯d participated in, Thea¡¯s eyes were still peeking out from between her fingers, watching the rough fucking Syd was treating Eir to with more than a passing interest.
It took a few more minutes of wet slaps of flesh on flesh coupled with dirty moans and dirtier words of passion before the ritual completed. Syd glowed brightly and Eir¡¯s dark purple eyes lit up as well as they messily kissed around a mouthful of Nephilim seed and Elf Nectar. Feeling a bit tired and perhaps not thinking completely straight, Jadis regretted not tasting Eir¡¯s soaked snatch before she¡¯d pumped several loads of her cum into her. The elf¡¯s flavor was definitely the most alien of them all and had a mix of sweetness and spiciness, almost like cinnamon. She looked forward to getting a chance to experience her taste later. And there would definitely be a later, that was a fact Jadis was certain of.
¡°Make sure you pick what attribute you want to be boosted,¡± Syd huffed out as she pulled away from Eir¡¯s lips.
¡°Then¡ more¡ sex?¡± Eir panted out, her chest heaving and her body drenched in cum and sweat.
¡°No, my good girl needs to rest,¡± Syd ordered, tapping the elf on the tip of her nose with her finger. ¡°Now be good and choose your stat.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Eir said and a moment later, the glow in her eyes dissipated as the ritual was fully completed.
A moment after that, the elf¡¯s eyes closed and she passed out, a beatific smile on her beautiful face that almost made Jadis forget about how much raunchy sex they¡¯d just had for almost two hours. With her passionate perverted priestess out like a light, Syd withdrew from her much-abused tunnel and a flood of thick white seed began pouring out of her. She quickly put her hand over her pussy to stop the flow from spilling out all over the blanket they¡¯d been using.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°Well, going to get in there and clean her up?¡± Kerr prodded Aila, leaning in close to her freckled face with another toothy grin.
¡°No,¡± Aila said, pushing Kerr¡¯s face back with her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve already fully recovered my magic reserves; I don¡¯t need more.¡±
Aila quickly withdrew her hand from Kerr¡¯s face as the wicked therion licked her palm with her rough tongue.
¡°Pssh,¡± Kerr hissed. ¡°Like you need to worry about excuses after all this. Just get in there and eat her cunt like you know you want to.¡±
¡°I think I¡¯ll just clean her up normally,¡± Syd interrupted their debate. ¡°Just hand me my shirt. I¡¯ll wash it out later.¡±
As Syd cleaned up the happily dreaming Eir, Jay and Dys both tilted their heads in surprised confusion. All three of Jadis looked up and met each other¡¯s eyes, drawing Aila¡¯s attention.
¡°Did something happen?¡± she asked, glancing between the different faces of Jadis.
¡°Yeah,¡± Jay nodded, a confused grin on her face. ¡°My ritualist class leveled up.¡±
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Level Up!
Perverted Ritualist of D has Reached Level 17.
1 New Skill Available for Selection.
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¡°I didn¡¯t know it could do that without combat experience¡¡±
¡°Of course it can,¡± Kerr scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t get twenty levels from all the fucking you just did.¡±
¡°You do get experience for successfully completing actions directly related to your class,¡± Aila agreed, her expression thoughtful. ¡°You just performed three successful rituals in a row. I suppose that would give some experience, though I doubt it would be a large amount. You were probably already close to leveling.¡±
¡°Eh, or she got some kind of bonus for how she did the rituals or who was participating or gods knows what other criteria goes into calculations like that.¡± Kerr stretched and put her hands behind her head as she spoke, wiggling into a more comfortable spot as she leaned back into Dys¡¯ body. She seemed to look extra comfortable using Dys for a pillow.
¡°What skills have you been offered?¡± Aila asked.
¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± Dys murmured, pulling up the first description.
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Ritual Time Reduction
Active Skill. Decrease the amount of time a single ritual takes to complete by 0.5 of the base casting time. All other requirements of the ritual must be met. Cost ¨C 150 magic.
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¡°Oh, I know that one,¡± Aila said as Dys read the description aloud. ¡°It¡¯s a not uncommon skill offered to mages that have one class that casts active spells and another class that specializes in rituals. Pure ritualists don¡¯t need magic so they don¡¯t usually have much, if any, magic reserves and so they don¡¯t meet the requirements to get that skill. Those who also have a class that cast active spells will often have the magic resources to meet the criteria and will get that skill. It¡¯s a good choice if you have the magic to spare for it.¡±
Aila frowned as she thought about it, then gave Dys a look with her brows furrowed.
¡°I thought you didn¡¯t have any magic points because you only have one point in Focus?¡±
Dys shrugged.
¡°Did I not tell you about my latest Mirror Knight skill I got at level twenty-three?¡±
When Aila shook her head in the negative, Jadis silently scolded herself for not telling her girlfriend about the important development.
¡°I got a skill called Mirror Knight¡¯s Capacity. In summary, it boosted my health, magic, and stamina points by three hundred points each.¡±
While Aila stared dumbstruck at Jadis, Kerr just rolled her eyes and sighed.
¡°I¡¯m not even surprised anymore,¡± the archer said as she shifted to lie on her side, her body partially draped over Dys¡¯ hip as she curled her legs up under her. ¡°Your insane classes are too much.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Aila said as she composed herself, ¡°that would mean you meet the requirements, for certain. I would say you should take that skill because its an extremely useful one, but I reserve judgement until I hear what your second skill on offer is.¡±
Nodding, Jadis checked her second option and read it aloud for the others to hear.
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Ritual Privacy Barrier
Ritual Spell. Create an illusory dome with a thirty-foot circumference around the point of casting. The dome blocks light and sound that comes from within from escaping but can be broken if excessive light, noise, or other actions are taken within. From the outside, the dome will automatically mimic the surrounding terrain, creating a compatible illusion. From within, the dome will look like fogged glass. The privacy barrier will remain until the illusion is broken, the spell is dismissed, or the ritual is cast a second time in a new location.
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¡°That¡¯s¡ not bad either,¡± Aila nodded upon hearing the spell¡¯s description. "It would be quite useful for setting up camp when we need to remain hidden. Illusion spells are hard to see through unless the person or demon has a skill for it or has a high Resilience attribute to counter your casting attribute.¡±
¡°Um,¡± a soft voice from Jay¡¯s lap spoke up, drawing Jadis¡¯ attention. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t recommend it.¡±
Aila, Kerr, and the different Jadis bodies turned to look at Thea, the woman still wrapped up in her blanket. She didn¡¯t exactly shrink under the combined attention, but Jay could feel her shift uncomfortably as she didn¡¯t exactly meet anyone¡¯s eyes.
¡°Just¡ªjust my opinion,¡± she said, looking at the cave floor, ¡°but the army actually discourages its mages from getting spells like that, so it¡¯s probably not a good idea.¡±
¡°Why would they tell their mages not to get an illusion spell that provides cover?¡± Jay asked, her hand still stroking Thea¡¯s side like she was a cat curled up in her lap. ¡°I guess I can see that a thirty-foot dome wouldn¡¯t hold a lot of soldiers, but it seems like it would be useful for scouts or small detachments.¡±
¡°It¡¯s because animals break them,¡± Thea replied, her body seeming to relax as she addressed Jay. ¡°If birds or a goat or something like that try to land on or climb the illusion, they can disrupt or even dispel them. I¡¯ve heard stories of demons walking right into illusions like that while the soldiers inside were sleeping. A¡ªawful endings to those kinds of stories¡¡±
That was a good point in Jadis¡¯ opinion. If the illusion lacked any substance, then random creatures assuming it was real would walk right into it, causing all kinds of problems. There were probably ways of getting around that kind of problem, but considering Jadis was only getting the one spell, she could see deferring to the wisdom of a military that had been successfully repelling demon invasions for millennia.
¡°The first skill would make Lascivious Empowerment a lot easier,¡± Syd pointed out as she finished wiping down the still sleeping Eir. Her shirt was a soiled mess, but at least the elf was reasonably cleaned off. As she stretched out on her side next to Eir and pulled the passed-out priestess in close to her, she nodded at Aila with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Remember how it took us several tries to get it right when it was just us? It¡¯s going to be a real fucking challenge coordinating concurrent climaxes across all of us even once. Two hours of that is, well, hard to imagine.¡±
¡°Two hours?¡± both Kerr and Thea exclaimed at the same time.
¡°Yeah,¡± Jay sighed. ¡°Just, don¡¯t worry about it right now. We¡¯ll talk about it later.¡±
Jadis never thought too much sex would be a problem she¡¯d have to face, and yet¡
Chapter 124: The Start of an Info Avalanche
In the end, Jadis decided on choosing Ritual Time Reduction as her secondary class¡¯s level seventeen skill. It seemed like the safer bet when thinking about long-term usefulness. Jadis loved her long sessions of extended kinky sex she got to do with her rituals, but two hours was a long time to try and pull off her Lascivious Empowerment ritual with four partners. Plus, who knew how long future rituals might require? Jadis could only imagine the chafing that might arise from a sex ritual that demanded four hours to complete, or even more.
With her immediate decision made, Jadis and the other girls went about cleaning up before getting dressed. There was a stream running through a section of the larger cavern their small chamber was attached to and they were able to wash up in it without interruption or issue from the local wildlife. Eir did end up sleeping for another hour or two, by Jadis¡¯ estimation, but eventually the well-fucked priestess came to and also washed up at the water source.
To Jadis¡¯ surprise, Eir evinced little in the way of embarrassment considering her behavior during the ritual. Whether that was because she was still just riding on cloud nine or because she genuinely didn¡¯t see anything to be ashamed of with how she had acted in front of witnesses, she wasn¡¯t sure. Either way, Eir spent as much time as possible glued to the side of one or another of Jadis¡¯ bodies, staring up at her with a dreamy expression on her face.
Once everyone was bathed and back in the chamber, Aila shored up their defenses by casting several dozen of her spike trap spells to block off the tunnel to their hiding spot. She had cast a few before, but not many since she had remained low on magic power since their last fight and had wanted to save as much as possible for emergencies. With her reserves replenished from their lewd activities, the small chamber entrance tunnel had been turned into a death trap for anything that might try to crawl through uninvited.
With the group all awake and dressed to their level of comfort, which meant shirtless for Kerr but underclothes or more for the rest of them, they broke out their supply of trail rations and shared them amongst each other. In the process of pulling out rations from her pack, Aila ended up pulling the metal box containing Jadis¡¯ pet, which did cause a bit of a stir among the rest.
¡°Why are you carrying around a svo-lach demon spawn in your backpack?¡± Kerr demanded, her lip curled in disgust as she tapped one of the glass sides of the container with the demon inside.
¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to experiment with it,¡± Jay explained, picking up the box to make eye contact with the cyclopean neon-blue orb within. ¡°Mostly trying to figure out just how intelligent demons are. Haven¡¯t had much chance though, with everything that¡¯s happened lately.¡±
Eir frowned at the wriggling mass of dark tentacles. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know just how dangerous it is to carry around a live demon like that. But still,¡± she advised while leaning against Dys¡¯ side, ¡°I would recommend killing it before it causes any trouble. If it grows into a species that can cast some form of magic, it could be a real threat.¡±
¡°Any idea when it¡¯ll stop being a hatchling and start being an, I don¡¯t know, adult demon?¡± Jay asked as she put the cube down at her side. ¡°It hatched at least a week ago and it hasn¡¯t really done anything.¡±
No one seemed to have an answer as Jadis¡¯ question was met with general silence and helpless shrugs.
¡°It might already be an adult,¡± Aila posited, head slightly tilted as she considered the contained hatchling. ¡°It came from a bone thief matriarch, correct? It might be a bone thief now and it just hasn¡¯t had the opportunity to try and make a bone shell for itself since it¡¯s been with us this whole time.¡±
¡°Definitely worth testing when we get a chance,¡± Syd nodded. ¡°But that¡¯s not a focus right now,¡± she dismissed the demon topic with a wave of her hand.
¡°Yes, for right now,¡± Dys continued the thought, ¡°I wanted to go over our classes and skills. We probably should have discussed this sort of thing before diving straight into all the¡ª¡±
¡°Amazing and mind-blowing fucking,¡± Kerr interjected with a fang-exposing grin.
¡°Yeah, that,¡± Jay easily agreed. ¡°But we were all a little worked up, so whatever. Now that we aren¡¯t all half-crazy with horniness,¡± Jay continued as Syd put a hand over Kerr¡¯s mouth before she could interrupt again, making the therion huff at being blocked. ¡°I would like to talk about what we¡¯re all really capable of so we can better plan our escape from these damned tunnels. Even if we don¡¯t run into any more demons, which I doubt will be the case, those cave spiders are a real threat, plus whatever else might be down here. Also, if one of you ended up putting your point boost into an attribute that maybe doesn¡¯t suit our immediate needs, we can redo the ritual if we need to.¡±
¡°A¡ªagain? Thea said with a slight hesitation, her cheeks blushing rosy in dim light of the cave moss.
¡°If needed,¡± Jay repeated. ¡°Also, even if we don¡¯t need to redo Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond with anyone, there is the second ritual, Lascivious Empowerment, that we should also perform while we¡¯re here in a secure, easy to defend location. I¡¯ll go over the details in a sec, but it would give me and by extension all of you another big boost in power to our attributes.¡±
¡°Since I¡¯m the one asking,¡± Dys said, picking up where her other self left off, ¡°I¡¯m willing to go first and explain all my skills from both my classes to all of you. Is everyone else okay with sharing their information with the group?¡±
While there was some slight hesitation, everyone nodded and voiced their agreement.
¡°I just let everyone watch me get my brains fucked out a couple of hours ago,¡± Kerr pointed out. ¡°And I got to watch their brains get fucked out of their skulls too. Seems silly to tip-toe around class info now.¡±
That eloquently put sentiment seemed to say it all for the group and, without further ado, Jadis began. She started by reading out her basic status sheet, followed by various class skills and spells, going into detail for each one.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (23)
Secondary Class: Perverted Ritualist of D (17)
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 40
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Health: 700/830
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Magic: 310/310
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Attributes
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Strength: 90
Dexterity: 28
Agility: 91
Vitality: 53
Fortitude: 38
Endurance: 40
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 91
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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Skills
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Primary:
Mirrored Body
Knight¡¯s RestThis narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Minor Strength Improvement II
Mirrored Strikes
Refracted Mind
Knight¡¯s Tenacity
Knight¡¯s Resolve
Mirror Knight¡¯s Might
Mirrored Body¡¯s Shifting Reflection
Improved Mirrored Body
Mirror Knight¡¯s Capacity
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Secondary:
Anatomical Adaptation
Minor Fractional Spread
Potency Alteration
Ritual Time Reduction
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Tertiary:
None
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Spells
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Primary:
None
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Secondary:
Debauched Duplication
Eldritch Overlay
Lascivious Empowerment
Dance of the D
Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond
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Tertiary:
None
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There were more than a few questions asked as she read out the descriptions of her different skills and spells, all of which Jadis answered to the best of her ability. Oddly, the one that got the most debate going was her Potency Alteration skill.
¡°I wish you had told me about th¡ªthat skill before,¡± Thea said, a relieved look on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m fertile right now, but I was, ah, worried. I have no idea if we¡¯re, um, compatible in that sense, but still.¡±
Eir, on the other hand, looked visibly disappointed.
¡°Oh, well, I suppose it makes sense to not want to worry about such things right now. But if you ever desire to seed your progeny, I would be honored to mother your children. It would actually be an amazing privilege.¡±
¡°You would say that, wouldn¡¯t you,¡± Kerr rolled her eyes. ¡°You know, it does come across as just a little creepy when a priestess that worships one particular goddess is all, ¡®please, last known member of a species that my goddess created to be her avatar on Oros, impregnate me!¡¯ Comes off desperate, at the least.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not about that,¡± Eir denied, her scowl reproachful. At least, until she glanced up at a bemused-looking Dys and she looked away, embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s not entirely about that. I¡¯m an elf. If I give birth to a single child in the next one hundred years, I¡¯ll be considered among the fortunate. I can¡¯t choose when to be fertile like you and other therions.¡±
Jadis internally mulled over the information Eir had just dropped. She hadn¡¯t known for sure until that point if elves were basically just long-eared humans, in the sense that they had similar lifespans, or if they lived for longer and, as she had seen in many media sources on Earth, were slow to populate to compensate. It seemed the elves of Oros were the long-lived, low fertility kind of elves. If that was the case, Jadis could understand why Eir would be interested in a skill that practically guaranteed impregnation.
That therions could choose to be fertile or not was also a strange and interesting tidbit, one that Jadis filed away to ask Kerr about later, when they had less pressing topics to discuss.
Once all of her skills had been read out and explained, the general consensus among the four others was that Jadis had two ridiculously overpowered classes. Kerr was, predictably, a petulant brat and complained about the injustice of it all, but they quickly moved past the perceived unfairness. There were a lot of classes and skills to get through between them all.
¡°I¡¯ll go next,¡± Aila volunteered. ¡°My primary class is utterly uninteresting, but my secondary class is¡ unusual.¡±
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Aila of Red Tree
Race: Human
Primary Class: Cart Driver (20)
Secondary Class: Nephilim Powered Arcanist (10)
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 30
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Health: 110
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Magic: 250
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Attributes
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Strength: 10
Dexterity: 15
Agility: 20
Vitality: 11
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 15
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Arcane: 83
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus:25
Resilience: 5
Will: 10
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Skills
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Primary:
Smooth Ride
Minor Arcane Improvement V
Sharp Perception
Carter¡¯s Endurance
Cold Comfort
Nimble Laborer
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Secondary:
Arcanist¡¯s Spike Trap Modification
Nephilim Wellspring
Arcanist¡¯s Reservoir
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Tertiary:
None
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Spells
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Primary:
None
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Secondary:
Arcanist¡¯s Force Bolt
Arcanist¡¯s Force Shield
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Tertiary:
None
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Jadis had never heard Aila go into full detail on the skills she¡¯d received from her Cart Driver class. She had, of course, given her an overview and told her in short terms what each one did, but hearing the actual skill descriptions was new to her. Seeing the details on what was considered a basic non-combat class was interesting and made Jadis wonder just how much regular people doing regular jobs around Oros were aided by skills that came from their classes. She could imagine having such bonuses, as mundane as they seemed to Aila and the others, would be extremely well received back on Earth.
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Smooth Ride
Passive Skill. Your ability to smoothly drive a cart, wagon, or similar land vehicle is improved by increased perception of minor obstacles that get in the way, allowing you to avoid them more easily. Hand movements when attempting to direct beasts of burden with reins are also enhanced so that your intentions are better conveyed to the animals pulling your vehicle.
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Minor Arcane Improvement V
Passive Skill. Increases Arcane by 15 points.
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Sharp Perception
Passive Skill. Increases your chances of spotting inconspicuous movement and hearing dampened threats. Creatures with stealth skills are more easily detected.
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Carter¡¯s Endurance
Passive Skill. Increases the Endurance attribute by 5 points.
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Cold Comfort
Passive Skill. Increases your resistance to cold and freezing temperatures.
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Nimble Laborer
Passive Skill. Increases the Dexterity and Agility attributes by 5 points.
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Aila¡¯s Arcanist skills and spells were all familiar to Jadis, except for her newest spell that she¡¯d apparently chosen while they were resting back at their first alcove.
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Arcanist¡¯s Force Shield
Active Spell. Create a 3-foot diameter shield that resists both physical and magical attacks. Shield appears at any unobstructed point within 5 feet of you. Any attacks or spells you cast through the shield will be nullified and break the shield. Base Cost ¨C 30 magic. Base Duration ¨C 10 seconds.
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During her reading of her secondary class¡¯s skills, Aila was forced to ignore the wicked and knowing grins Kerr sent her way when Nephilim Wellspring was detailed. Fortunately, Aila was good at putting on a professional face and ignoring the leering taunts the therion kept up, trying to goad a reaction out of her.
¡°So far, it¡¯s been a powerful class, considering I only have ten levels in it,¡± Aila concluded as she summarized her skill set. ¡°I¡¯m better with prepared positions thanks to Spike Trap, but I can still do well in more frenetic, spontaneous engagements.¡±
¡°Sounds like you¡¯re having a lot of fun with it,¡± Kerr said around a toothy smile. ¡°Especially that Wellspring skill¡ Wait! Is that why you have a second canteen? An enchanted canteen? It is, isn¡¯t it! You¡¯re carrying around big stuff¡¯s cum to drink on the go, aren¡¯t you!¡±
¡°Please stop teasing Blue so much,¡± Jay admonished Kerr, putting an arm around Aila¡¯s shoulder to draw her girlfriend in close to her side. Her ears were tomato-red and she looked like she was putting in a lot of effort to restrain herself. ¡°She¡¯s doing the best she can with the class she was given and she really doesn¡¯t need you giving her shit about it.¡±
¡°I¡¯m just playing,¡± Kerr said dismissively. ¡°I didn¡¯t actually find any stick up Blue¡¯s butt when I was licking her clean earlier, so I assume she can handle a little friendly banter.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± Aila immediately said, her face completely placid but her tone deadly serious. ¡°Only Jadis can call me that.¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± Kerr apologized with her hands raised, and to Jadis¡¯ relief, the woman actually looked genuinely contrite. ¡°No, really. If that¡¯s something special just for you two, that¡¯s fine. I can get that. My mistake.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Aila acknowledged Kerr¡¯s apology and some of the tension between them seemed to fade.
There was a moment of awkward silence among the women, but only a short beat.
¡°Well,¡± Kerr shrugged. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve shoved my foot up my nose, and somehow pulled it out, I guess I¡¯ll go next. Who wants to hear about my no-where-near-as-amazing classes?¡±
Chapter 125: Skills of a Ranged Specialist
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Kerr of Clan Nox
Race: Therion
Primary Class: Nox Archer (29)
Secondary Class: Far Wilds Traveler (25)
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 54
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Health: 150/150
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Magic: 0/0
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Attributes
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Strength: 15
Dexterity: 106
Agility: 20
Vitality: 15
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 20
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 0
Resilience: 13
Will: 0
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When Kerr initially relayed her status sheet information to the group, Jadis found herself wondering if there was actually any big difference between a person who had a combat class and one who didn¡¯t. At face value, Kerr¡¯s attributes were not significantly higher than Aila¡¯s even though she had more than twenty levels on the redhead, only ten of which were in her powerful arcanist class. Of course, Kerr¡¯s Dexterity stat was huge; with the bonus forty-five points Jadis had pumped into her, Kerr was sitting at one hundred and six points in the attribute. Even before her boost, the archer still would have had a score of sixty-one, which at least seemed high to Jadis, though she still lacked some context. Overall though, Kerr¡¯s attributes looked far less impressive to her than she expected.
¡°With that much Dexterity, you should have amazing accuracy with your bow now,¡± Aila commented as Kerr took a sip of water from her canteen. ¡°And if you have any active skills that are powered by Dexterity¡¡±
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a shame I literally can¡¯t use my bow,¡± Kerr said with a frustrated sigh, holding up her empty quiver. ¡°If we were in a forest, I could at least make some basic makeshift ones, but there¡¯s nothing down here to do that with. Without ammunition, my charged shot skill is absolutely useless.¡±
¡°Is the bow and arrow the only thing you can use a ¡®charged shot¡¯ on? You have your throwing axes, don¡¯t you?¡± Jay asked while motioning to Kerr¡¯s hand axes.
¡°Dexterity helps my accuracy when I throw them,¡± the therion shook her horned head, ¡°but it doesn¡¯t do anything for the damage. My charged shot is limited, too. Actually, let me just read it out. It¡¯s my first skill anyway.¡±
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Nox Archer¡¯s Charged Shot
Active Skill. Increase the damage of your next bow shot by 1.5 of the Dexterity attribute. Cost ¨C 10 stamina.
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If that was her primary class¡¯s first skill, Jadis could well understand Kerr¡¯s frustration with Jadis¡¯ class and skills. There wasn¡¯t much to the skill. It seemed like it would be an effective attack skill to her, since it sounded like it was adding on a static amount of extra damage per attack based on her Dexterity, but still. The skill didn¡¯t come across as particularly exciting, not when compared to her Mirrored Body or Debauched Duplication skills.
¡°You have a family class?¡± Eir asked, perking up from where she sat cuddled into Dys¡¯ side. ¡°Your family clan must be old.¡±
¡°It is,¡± Kerr shrugged. ¡°Most of my extended family have Nox Archer as one of their classes. It¡¯s been a thing for a few hundred years. Nothing special, though. Barely any difference between it and other basic archer classes.¡±
¡°Are you a part of the main clan then, or a branch?¡± Eir questioned further, a look of interest on her face. ¡°I assume branch since you¡¯re so far from the Verdant Sea.¡±
¡°No,¡± Kerr shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m in the main clan. My father is the clan head, actually, Nox va Ratosh. I just didn¡¯t want to stick around where all the trails are already walked, you know? Left the Sea years ago to travel, haven¡¯t been back in a long time.¡±
At Jadis¡¯ multi-mirrored look of surprise, Kerr blew a noise out of her lips and waved dismissively with one hand.
¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. I¡¯m number eighty-seven out of one-hundred-and-twelve children, last time I checked anyway. The old fucker is ninety and he just sired another litter with his youngest wife three years ago. Me being the chief¡¯s daughter means nothing.¡±
¡°You have one hundred and eleven brothers and sisters?¡± Syd asked incredulously. ¡°How? How the¡ªwait, youngest wife? How many wives does your father have?¡±
¡°Fifteen,¡± Kerr answered casually almost bored, leaning her cheek on her hand. ¡°I get this sometimes from people who don¡¯t know therions, so let me give you the short version, okay? Clan and branch heads usually have a lot of husbands or wives because it shows off how strong and rich and amazing and blah blah blah they are. If a male clan head has a bunch of wives, that means lots of children because we therions give birth to litters, usually two to four brats at a go. You now get one question in response to the short version. Go.¡±
Jadis sat still as she thought about what Kerr had just explained about her people. She had a lot more than one question she wanted to ask but considering Kerr¡¯s obvious disinterest in talking more about her culture, she decided to just go with the first question that popped into her head.
¡°What happens if you have a female clan head?¡± Syd asked.
¡°Well, since she¡¯s only got the one breeding hole, there are a lot less children. Doesn¡¯t really matter how many sausages you shove up there, can only get but so pregnant,¡± Kerr answered dryly. When all three of Jadis¡¯ bodies gave her an unimpressed look, the therion rolled her green eyes and added a little more detail. ¡°It depends on the size of the clan, but in the big ones like mine, if there¡¯s a female head and she wants to have a lot of little pups running around, she will usually pick a few surrogates to breed with her husbands. Her own sisters, most times, to maintain the bloodline.¡±
That was certainly one solution to what Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure was a problem. Kerr¡¯s answer created even more questions about Therion society that Jadis wanted to ask, but she restrained herself. They were, after all, supposed to be talking about Kerr¡¯s class, not her people¡¯s strange culture. Pushing her curiosity to the side, she motioned for Kerr to continue her description of her primary class skills.
With a nod, Kerr began rushing them all out, delivering a dizzying array of skills that while a lot to process, did give Jadis a lot more context for how martial classes typically worked, especially when compared to what she¡¯d learned from Aila.
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Archery Mastery I
Passive Skill. Provides a minor boost to the offensive value of bow-type weapons.
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Leather Armor Mastery I
Passive Skill. Provides a minor boost to the defensive value of leather armor worn.
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Archer¡¯s Accuracy
Passive Skill. Increases the Dexterity attribute by 5 points.
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Minor Dexterity Improvement V
Passive Skill. Increases Dexterity by 15 points.
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Missile Recovery
Passive Skill. You are more likely to recover spent arrows, bolts, or other projectiles from your targets without damaging the missile.
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If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
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Nox Archer¡¯s Trick Shot
Active Skill. Increase the accuracy of your next bow shot by 1.5 of the Dexterity attribute. Cost ¨C 10 Stamina.
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Archery Mastery II
Passive Skill. Provides a lesser boost to the offensive value of bow-type weapons.
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Bowman¡¯s Defense
Passive Skill. Increases the Vitality, Fortitude, and Resilience attributes by 3 points.
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Archer¡¯s Volley
Passive Skill. Increases the speed at which you can draw and fire arrows while wielding a bow.
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Leather Armor Mastery II
Passive Skill. Provides a lesser boost to the defensive value of leather armor worn.
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It seemed to Jadis that Kerr¡¯s class was designed to do one thing well while doing practically nothing for anything else. On an extra second¡¯s thought, she realized that since Kerr had no doubt been offered choices as to what skills she chose as she leveled, same as her and everyone else on Oros, that meant the therion had purposefully made herself into a one-trick pony. Jadis had seen just how good Kerr was with a bow during the various fights they had been in, and she had no doubts about the deadly efficacy of her skill. Still, without her bow, or in their current predicament, without any ammunition, Kerr¡¯s build was essentially neutralized with six of her eleven class skills made temporarily worthless.
As wild and carefree as Kerr made herself out to be, Jadis knew the woman wasn¡¯t a fool and she definitely wasn¡¯t stupid. She was an experienced mercenary who had the kind of forethought to invest in her own backup business so she could retire regardless of how much gold she might end up earning through her bounty hunting work. There was no way Kerr didn¡¯t know going in about the weaknesses that came from the kind of hyper-focused role she¡¯d made for herself.
As Aila and Eir asked a few questions and Kerr discussed answers with them, it became clear to Jadis that Kerr did in fact know exactly what she had been doing when she made the class. She just hadn¡¯t had all that many options, either.
¡°I ended up choosing Nox Archer¡¯s Trick Shot for the extra accuracy,¡± Kerr said as she brushed out the fur on her dog-like tail. ¡°If you¡¯re going to be reliant on a limited amount of ammunition, you want to make sure every shot fucking counts, yeah? My kin back home don¡¯t have to worry about things like that since they have access to a ready supply of arrows from the clan and can take skills for what the Nox style is known for, shooting multiple arrows at once. I don¡¯t usually have that kind of luxury when out on long trips, so I didn¡¯t go down that route. Don¡¯t find too many fletchers out in the wilds.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not that different from Imperial crossbowmen,¡± Thea softly added, barely loud enough to be heard. It was the first thing she¡¯d said in a long while, the quiet guard having gone practically unnoticed while the others talked. Jadis had a feeling the woman preferred things that way, not seeking any kind of spotlight and mostly staying to the background. Still, even if Thea was an introvert, Jadis didn¡¯t want the girl to go unheard when everyone else was talking, so she made sure to engage with her.
¡°So the crossbowmen in the army have similar skills to Kerr?¡± Jay asked, making eye contact with the shy guard.
¡°S¡ªsort of,¡± Thea briefly stumbled over her words. ¡°It¡¯s, um, not exactly the same. Kerr is, ah, a lot more focused on a single attribute than the army typically allows, but yes. I think her class would probably be a, um¡ tier one, possibly tier two, maybe? But more likely tier one.¡±
As she spoke, Thea became lost in thought, her expression turning calm and absorbed, like she was putting a lot of effort into her consideration of Kerr¡¯s class. After a moment though, she glanced up to see several sets of eyes on her and she flushed pink, looking away.
¡°N¡ªno offensive, of course. It¡¯s j¡ªjust my opinion and it¡¯s probably wrong anyway.¡±
¡°Eh, none taken,¡± Kerr assured the timid woman. ¡°It¡¯s true enough. It¡¯s not a shit class or anything, but it¡¯s basic. My secondary class is a little less common, but it¡¯s still nothing special either. Knowing you military types, it¡¯d probably be called a tier one too.¡±
¡°Tier one?¡± Dys asked, looking curiously between Kerr and Thea. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±
¡°It¡¯s an imperial rating system,¡± Aila ended up being the one to answer. ¡°The military uses it to rate the combat potential for classes and their skills. It¡¯s not exactly fool-proof and you can¡¯t apply it to every class, but it¡¯s how they generally judge the military worth of a class so they can better guide their soldiers on which classes to choose.¡±
¡°The Empire chooses your class for you?¡± Syd exclaimed as her gaze snapped to Thea, shock in her voice.
From what Jadis had understood of the Empire up to that point, people were free to choose what classes they wanted and classes were thought of as a private matter, one that was extremely personal. The idea of the military telling its soldiers what classes they had to choose seemed to fly in the face of everything Jadis knew about the society. It also pissed her off a little to think about a governing body just straight up telling its citizens what they were allowed to be and what they weren¡¯t.
Before Jadis could get too worked up over the idea, Thea rapidly waved her hands back and forth in denial, her expression a little scared as she looked up at the three giant¡¯s stormy expressions.
¡°N¡ªno! Not at all! You can¡¯t be forced to take a class, that¡¯s wrong!¡± Thea shook her head vehemently. ¡°They just tell you what the different classes tier ratings are so you can make an, ah, informed decision.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Aila agreed. ¡°If you¡¯re going to be in the military, you need a combat class. You can¡¯t expect to join the front lines if you choose Baker as your primary class at your unlocking. But if you want to be put in some kind of special assignment or the like, a higher tier class will help you with that, since it would generally mean you¡¯re more powerful and therefore more capable of accomplishing more difficult tasks.¡±
¡°Yup,¡± Kerr chirped, her chin resting in her palm now. ¡°It¡¯s a whole lot of imperial philosophy about how strong classes are. And as fascinating as all that bullshit is, how about I tell you about my secondary class before I fall asleep?¡±
They had gotten more than a little sidetracked, Jadis realized. Again. There was just so much she didn¡¯t know about Oros or how things commonly worked, so it was easy to go off on tangents if she didn¡¯t stay focused.
¡°Well, hey, I get it. If even this extremely minor talk of philosophy makes your head hurt, maybe you should go rest for a while, recover some of the little brain power you have,¡± Syd addressed Kerr with mock seriousness. ¡°Feel free to take a nap.¡±
¡°Shut up,¡± Kerr growled, baring her fangs at Syd. ¡°Don¡¯t make me come over there and bite you. I¡¯ve got more than enough brains for imperial philosophy.¡±
¡°You sure?¡± Dys asked with genuine sounding concern. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I fucked most of your brains out a few hours ago.¡±
¡°Ah fuck,¡± Kerr sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. All my brains poured out of my ears between orgasms number five and six. I guess I don¡¯t have enough left up there to read out my secondary class.¡±
¡°No, no,¡± Dys laughed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Go ahead. We¡¯re all listening. Tell us what your secondary class is about. It¡¯s called Far Wilds Traveler, right?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Kerr said, one side of her mouth going up in a half-smile, revealing one fang. ¡°It¡¯s a hybrid class. Has some combat utility but it¡¯s more focused on travel and exploration. With the skills I chose, it helps with my stealth and scouting, too.¡±
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Path Less Traveled
Passive Skill. Your movement through untamed wilderness terrains is greatly improved, allowing you to bypass obstacles that would otherwise slow you down. Any attempts to hide or move stealthily in wilderness terrains are similarly improved and others will have a harder time tracking your movements. These benefits are lost when moving through tamed, cultivated, or otherwise civilized environments.
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Handaxe Mastery I
Passive Skill. Provides a minor boost to the offensive value of handaxe-type weapons.
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Silent Step
Active Skill. Decrease the amount of noise made by you and your equipment while moving. Cost ¨C 2 stamina per second.
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Wild Traveler¡¯s Nimbleness
Passive Skill. Increases the Dexterity and Agility attributes by 5 points.
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Wild Traveler¡¯s Reflexive Dodge
Active Skill. Temporarily increase reaction speed while retreating from an enemy.
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Ambush Tactics I
Passive Skill. Deal minor extra damage with any attack made against a target that does not detect you.
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Practiced Polyglot
Passive Skill. Increases the ease with which you learn new languages.
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Landmark Navigator
Passive Skill. Decreases the chances of becoming lost so long as you are within visible range of a known landmark.
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Strong Stomach
Passive Skill. Provides lesser protection from diseases and parasites that can be spread via ingestion.
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Rest Anywhere, Sleep Everywhere
Passive Skill. Your ability to rest and recover is boosted in locations and environments that would otherwise be detrimental to your health and stamina regeneration.
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See the Hidden World
Passive Skill. You are more likely to find hidden paths or discover unknown locations when traveling in untamed wilderness terrains. Both objects and creatures that are hidden from you are more likely to be spotted. These benefits are lost in tamed, cultivated, or otherwise civilized environments.
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Silent Dash
Passive Skill. Double the speed at which you can travel while still moving silently.
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Lesser Dexterity Improvement I
Passive Skill. Increases Dexterity by 5 points.
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¡°Practiced Polyglot?¡± Aila asked, her eyebrow raised questioningly at Kerr.
¡°Yeah, what of it?¡± the archer said defensively. ¡°I like to learn new languages. Helps me invent new and interesting ways to curse people out.¡±
¡°Fair enough.¡±
Looking at the whole picture, Jadis could see that Kerr¡¯s class combo had made her into a highly specialized scout archer who could deal a lot of ranged physical damage as well as move stealthily through most terrains. While her effectiveness was reduced due to her lack of ammunition, she still had a great deal of utility for the group since she could still act as a scout and guide. While it wasn¡¯t relevant to their current situation, Jadis could see Kerr using her skills to great effect in combination with Aila and herself when hunting demons. If they managed to find their way out of the caverns, she was seriously considering broaching the subject of making their temporary partnership a more permanent one with her. Not only did she seem very strong under the right circumstances, but Jadis liked Kerr. She was fun to be around, if a little rough around the edges.
On a more immediate note, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure Kerr should have put her boost into Dexterity considering how she couldn¡¯t make much use of it at the moment. Maybe strength would have been a better choice, so she could do better in melee? Or maybe Vitality, for survivability. Then again, with her over one hundred points in Dexterity, Jadis was sure Kerr could put one of her axes in the eyeball of a fly from a hundred feet away. Considering she was a ranged attack specialist, forcing her to get up close and personal when she wasn¡¯t trained for it probably wasn¡¯t the best idea. At the very least, Jadis resolved she needed to get Kerr more things she could throw at any monsters or demons they encountered on their way out of the caverns.
¡°All right, that¡¯s me,¡± Kerr abruptly slapped her knees. ¡°Who¡¯s going next?¡±
Chapter 126: What Military Training Gets You
¡°I, um, I can tell you about mine,¡± Thea volunteered, the shy guard said with only a moment of hesitation.
¡°Sure, go ahead,¡± Jay nodded to her. ¡°Maybe you can tell me what that ¡®class tier¡¯ is all about, too? I¡¯m curious about both that and what kind of class you have.¡±
Thea nodded, squaring her shoulders and assuming a more upright posture as she sat on the ground. Her knees had been up to her chest, but as she took a breath and steadied herself, she seemed to assume a role, like her military training was taking over as she spoke in a still quiet but far more collected voice.
¡°I¡¯m not an instructor, but I can tell you some about what I was taught of the tier system by my captain during training. There are a lot of points that are taken into consideration when it comes to ranking combat classes, and it¡¯s a lot more difficult to rank little known or unique classes like yours versus ones that are common like mine. They actually had a chart back at the training camp they would show the new recruits that hadn¡¯t yet unlocked their primary class, just so they knew what they would likely be getting out of a specific class if they chose it upon their unlocking.¡±
Thea¡¯s explanation was more detailed than she had given herself credit for, and as she listed out various considerations that went into the imperial military¡¯s ranking system, Aila added in her own knowledge to supplement what Thea didn¡¯t know or needed help with. Aila¡¯s knowledge leaned more towards magic studies and mercenary company life, but there was some overlap and she did have some familiarity with the subject, if for no other reason than many mercenaries she¡¯d worked with had been in the military previously and she¡¯d picked up information here and there from being around them.
The basic gist that Jadis got out of their explanation was that the Empire gave tiered rankings for combat classes going from one to nine, though in practical terms the rankings rarely went above five. They mainly used the rankings to better allocate their manpower to help balance out their combat units, often paring a few higher tier soldiers with a larger number of low tier ones so that the more powerful combatants could make up for any deficiencies in the abilities of the weaker soldiers when in battle. They also had several different parallel tiers, such as melee, ranged, magic, and all-rounder so that squads of soldiers with particular skills could be formed when needed for special assignments.
¡°My primary class is a Tier One,¡± Thea explained, ¡°because it¡¯s one of the most common you¡¯ll find in the military. It¡¯s called ¡®Imperial Soldier¡¯ and it¡¯s solid, just not anything great like Miss Aila¡¯s arcanist class or your two amazing classes.¡±
¡°What about classes that aren¡¯t meant for combat?¡± Jay asked. ¡°Like Aila¡¯s Cart Driver class?¡±
¡°They aren¡¯t ranked,¡± Thea replied with a small shrug. ¡°Or rather, you could call them Tier Zero. Not worth taking if you¡¯re planning on being in the rank and file. That¡¯s also what they call the combat classes that are substandard, or even detrimental to your ability to fight in the army. Those are the ones we¡¯re told we should never take since they would be more of a hindrance than anything else.¡±
The idea of classes that were actually bad was an interesting thought. From Jadis¡¯ perspective, even Cart Driver had some advantages, if niche ones, that could be useful to have. Even being able to just upgrade a specific attribute by taking the repeatable Attribute Improvement skills would be better than the nothing people got back on Earth, in her opinion. With choosing an attribute improvement always being an option, Jadis had to wonder what class could be seen as a detriment? Upon voicing her thought, Aila clarified in more detail.
¡°If you do nothing but choose attribute improvements, you¡¯re missing out on a lot of functionality,¡± she said as she brushed out her long hair. ¡°Just look at your Mirror Knight class versus your Ritualist class. Yes, you¡¯ve gotten huge boosts in your physical stats from your lewd rituals and that is nothing to look down on, but Mirrored Body gives you far more versatility than just boosting any one stat could do. Paired with Mirrored Strikes, and you are capable of devastatingly damaging physical attacks. Also, your rituals are giving you very large increases. If you only choose attribute improvement skills from level one through twenty, which I admit is almost what I did, all you¡¯ll get is a total of twenty-seven attribute points spread out among your stats as you see fit, with a maximum of fifteen put into one stat. That¡¯s not much in the grand scheme of things, not when you compare it to how much more utility you could get out of better skills or spells.¡±
¡°Also,¡± Thea further expounded, ¡°You don¡¯t get to choose your first skill in a class. It¡¯s always the same. And if it¡¯s a skill that you¡¯ll never use, it¡¯s a complete waste. That¡¯s what the military scholars mean by detrimental when they''re talking about classes you shouldn¡¯t take.¡±
¡°Barroom Brawler,¡± Kerr abruptly added in. ¡°I¡¯ve known mercenaries who took that class in the past because it was the only fighting class they had access to. The first skill is something about boosting your ability to fight while drunk and using random shit for weapons. Absolute garbage skill if you''re out in a real fight against demons or magic beasts or even just fucking bandits. You¡¯ve got to be sunk deep in your cups for it to even do anything.¡±
¡°I can think of one too,¡± Eir also piped up, though she remained glued to Dys¡¯ side. ¡°Temple Acolyte. It is noble to want to serve the gods and the needs of the temple, which Temple Acolyte will let you do with skills that will aid in mundane duties, but it is a weak class. It¡¯s not technically a cleric class and makes no use of the Divine attribute and is thus incapable of casting healing or protective spells. Many who seek to join the temple are offered that class and while not discouraged per se, most high priests will direct new initiates towards more suitable classes if possible.¡±
¡°Huh,¡± Syd hummed, running her hand through her white hair. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of thought that goes into the classes people choose, I guess. But you chose Imperial Soldier, even though it¡¯s only tier one?¡±
With attention redirected her way, Thea momentarily faltered, her blush spreading as she looked away, but she gathered herself quickly and replied steadily.
¡°Yes. It was, um, the only military appropriate class I was offered at my unlocking. I joined the army when I was seventeen and was in the training camp for eight months before my primary class unlocked. If I¡¯d been there longer and had more time in some of the training programs, I may have unlocked something better, but that was my best option.¡±
¡°Ah,¡± Syd said lamely. Suddenly she felt like a bit of an ass. Of course not everyone got easy access to amazing classes like she had and pointing it out was probably a dick move. She certainly should have realized as much since her lover Aila had been forced to choose a menial labor class, something the mage-minded woman definitely didn¡¯t want.
¡°So, how does Imperial Soldier work?¡± Jay asked, trying to cover up her alter self¡¯s unintentionally rude words. ¡°What skills did you get out of it?¡±
¡°Oh, um, well,¡± Thea fumbled, then began reading her status sheet and skill descriptions out loud.
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Thea of Cold Brook
Race: Human
Primary Class: Imperial Soldier (24)
Secondary Class: Shieldsworn Guard (16)
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 40
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Health: 200/200
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Magic: 0/0
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Attributes
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Strength: 24
Dexterity: 10If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Agility: 12
Vitality: 20
Fortitude: 71
Endurance: 25
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 0
Resilience: 26
Will: 0
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The Long March
Passive Skill. Expend less stamina when on the move, allowing you to march greater distances before tiring. Weapons, armor, and other carried equipment cause less of a drain on stamina.
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Spear Mastery I
Passive skill. Provides a minor boost to the offensive value of spear-type weapons.
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Improved Vision I
Passive skill. Provides a minor boost to your sight, allowing you to see over greater distances and spot details more easily.
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Shield Mastery I
Passive Skill. Provides a minor boost to the defensive value of physical shields while equipped. Does not affect shields created by spells.
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Shield Wall Formation
Active Skill. Boosts the defensive value of equipped shields for you and any other allies participating in the shield formation. Defensive value increased by number of participants up to a maximum of double the base defensive value of the participant¡¯s equipped shield. Cost ¨C 1 stamina per 10 seconds in formation.
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Piercing Strike
Active skill. Empower your next physical attack at the cost of stamina, dealing extra damage. Only works with piercing weapons. Cost ¨C 5 stamina.
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Minor Endurance Improvement II
Passive Skill. Increases Endurance by 6 points.
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Strong Arm of the Military
Passive Skill. Increases the Strength attribute by 5 points.
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Imperial Watchguard
Passive Skill. Expend less stamina when standing guard at attention. Your muscles and joints do not stiffen from extended periods of inactivity. You are more likely to notice when others try to hide or sneak past you unnoticed.
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Quick March
Active Skill. Temporarily boost your Agility attribute by 0.5 of your Endurance attribute. Effect ends when you enter combat and cannot be activated again until you are out of combat. No cost.
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Heavy Shield of the Military
Passive Skill. Increases the Fortitude and Endurance attributes by 3 points.
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¡°I put my boost from the, ah, r¡ªritual,¡± Thea blushed bright pink, ¡°into Fortitude, as you can probably tell. That, um, helps more with my secondary class, but yes. Thank you, again.¡±
The guard looked like smoke was going to start pouring out of her ears if her face got any hotter, so Jadis did what she could to calm her down.
¡°That honestly looks like a very solid class to me,¡± Jay complimented. ¡°Certainly not weak by any measure.¡±
¡°And I know that Piercing Strike skill,¡± Dys added. ¡°I was offered that skill previously. I didn¡¯t end up taking it since I don¡¯t really focus on one specific type of weapon or damage like that, but yeah. It seems perfect for someone that uses a spear all the time.¡±
Jadis¡¯ attempts at relieving Thea¡¯s embarrassment were immediately undone as Kerr butted in with a sly grin.
¡°Improved Vision I, huh? I think I can guess exactly why a certain soldier that doesn¡¯t even use ranged weapons might pick a skill like that¡ª¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Jay cut the grinning archer off before Thea could faint. ¡°How about you tell us about your secondary class too. You said Fortitude makes a big difference with it, yeah?¡±
It took Thea some seconds to regain her composure but once she did, she detailed out her second class¡¯s skills as well.
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Shieldsworn Reinforcement
Passive Skill. The defensive value of your equipped shield is increased by 0.5 of the combined total of your Fortitude and Resilience attributes. Any shield you bear is resistant to hostile spells that specifically damage or alter shields.
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Stable Footing
Passive Skill. You are more balanced in combat and less likely to trip or stumble when acted upon by an outside force.
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Solid Grip
Passive Skill. You are resistant to being disarmed of your shield by normal means.
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Shieldsworn Shield Bash
Active Skill. Smash your shield into a target, dealing extra damage equal to 0.25 of the total defensive value of your shield. Cost ¨C 10 stamina.
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Shieldsworn¡¯s Tenacity
Passive Skill. Increases the Fortitude and Resilience attributes by 4 points.
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Minor Fortitude Improvement II
Passive Skill. Increases Fortitude by 6 points.
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Shield Guard Stance
Active Skill. Temporarily increase perception and reaction speed while in a shield guard stance. Cost ¨C 2 stamina per second.
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¡°That¡¯s actually quite good,¡± Aila remarked, eyeing the guardswoman appraisingly. ¡°Even without Jadis¡¯ attribute boost, you make for quite the vanguard. Tier four?¡±
¡°Oh, no,¡± Thea said bashfully, clearly flattered by Aila¡¯s assessment. ¡°It¡¯s a tier three class. I worked very hard to make sure I unlocked it. I thank the gods I actually managed to meet the requirements.¡±
¡°You mean you chose your stats and performed specific actions just to make sure you¡¯d get Shieldsworn Guard?¡± Syd asked, tilting her head to one side. ¡°Why that class specifically?¡±
¡°It¡¯s one of the few approved classes that I thought I had a chance of earning to be able to qualify for special detail work,¡± Thea said with a small, wan smile. ¡°I¡¯ll never be an officer, not with my lack of leadership skills. So, I decided to focus on getting a special detail assignment, like guarding nobles or high-ranking members of the military. It seemed like the best career move for me, considering. You have to have a tier three class at a minimum for those kinds of posts. So I did everything I could to make sure I would get Shieldsworn Guard and the gods rewarded my diligence.¡±
¡°Definitely a good reward for you,¡± Kerr agreed with a casual wave of one hand. ¡°I bet being a guard for nobles means you get to overhear all kinds of juicy details, maybe even see some less-than-proper behavior that the old-bloods get up to when they forget the guards are around¡ª¡±
¡°Kerr!¡± All three of Jadis¡¯ selves shouted, cutting the wicked woman off.
Thea sat with her face buried in her hands, her knees drawn up to her chest as she made herself as small as possible. Aila gave the wretchedly embarrassed guard a gentle pat on the shoulder, doing what little she could to try and reassure her. Jadis gave Kerr a three-way glare but didn¡¯t bother scolding her. There was little point. It wasn¡¯t as though the therion was going to change her teasing ways any time soon.
Besides, Jadis privately agreed with Kerr¡¯s assessment. Thea probably did have some impure motivations for why she wanted to be on guard detail for nobles and other higher-ups, even if she didn¡¯t want to admit it.
¡°I suppose I should explain my class now,¡± Eir chimed, clearing the air a little. ¡°Though I am afraid I have far less to tell, since I am a much lower level than all of you.¡±
Chapter 127: Cleric Stats and Next Steps
¡°You¡¯re, what, level fifteen now, right?¡± Dys asked the elf glued to her left side. ¡°You were level fourteen on our first trip out together, but you must have gained at least one level from everything that happened in Alawar.¡±
¡°I¡¯m level sixteen now, actually,¡± Eir corrected. She sat up a little straighter, taking on a more proper, ladylike posture as everyone focused on her. ¡°With all the healing I did, I¡¯m not surprised I gained so much so quickly. I estimate I may actually be quite close to reaching level seventeen, though that is just a guess.¡±
Eir¡¯s level was definitely a weak spot in the group. She had without a doubt the lowest level, not having unlocked her secondary class yet. Only a few days ago, Jadis wouldn¡¯t have cared overly much. At that point, she saw her mercenary group as restricted to just herself and Aila, a ¡°duo¡± that could handle everything on their own. Now, however, Jadis looked at Eir as a valuable member of the team, someone she wanted to be strong and thrive. She was also someone she cared about on a far more personal level. Jadis wanted the adorable elf to be around for a long, long time. And not just because she was extremely willing to please in bed.
¡°I will say that I was fortunately blessed in both my starting attributes and in the class I was gifted by Lyssandria,¡± Eir continued. ¡°At least for the purposes of being a healer. I¡¯m afraid I am not capable of much else, as I have devoted my whole being to the role of healing others.¡±
Eir¡¯s admission was said with a sweet sort of confidence, the elf clearly seeing no shame in the idea that she had no skills for fighting. She simply made it clear what she was and wasn¡¯t capable of. As she began reading out her status sheet and her skills, Jadis saw exactly what the cleric meant. She was designed for healing. Nothing else.
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Eir Aedraheill
Race: Elf
Primary Class: Beloved Cleric of Lyssandria (16)
Secondary Class: None
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 16
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Health: 100/100
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Magic: 250/250
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Attributes
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Strength: 8
Dexterity: 12
Agility: 10
Vitality: 10
Fortitude: 8
Endurance: 8
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 83
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 25
Resilience: 10
Will: 20
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Beloved¡¯s Channeled Healing
Active Spell. Restore physical damage and Health Points to a single target via touch. This spell cannot regenerate lost limbs or completely missing organs. Health restoration per Magic Point spent is equivalent to 0.2 of the Divine attribute. Cost ¨C 1 magic. Duration ¨C Channeled.
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Cleric¡¯s Grace
Passive Skill. Increases the Divine and Focus attributes by 5 points.
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Life Sense
Active Spell. Learn the current health of, as well as any positive or negative conditions afflicting, a target that you touch. Cost ¨C 5 magic. Duration ¨C Instantaneous.
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Lyssandria¡¯s Fervor
Passive Skill. Increases the Divine attribute by 10 points.
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Restoration of the Beautiful
Active Spell. At a touch, remove any cosmetic damage to the body, restoring it to what it was before it was harmed. Removes scars and repairs hair damage. Cannot undo flaws in the target¡¯s appearance that stem from the natural aging process of a mortal body. Cost ¨C 100 magic. Duration ¨C Instantaneous.
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Faithful¡¯s Prayer
Active Skill. Regenerate magic power at 3 times the rate of the Will attribute. The proper form of prayer must be maintained during the duration of the skill¡¯s use or the effect will be cancelled. No other skills or spells can be in active use during Faithful¡¯s Prayer. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
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Cleanse Lesser Disease
Active Spell. Cure any lesser or weaker infections or ailments that the target is suffering from. Cannot cure greater or more powerful diseases. Cannot cure poisons or parasites. Cost ¨C 25 magic. Duration ¨C Instantaneous.
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Purge Lesser Poison
Active Spell. Cure any lesser or weaker poisons that the target is suffering from. Cannot cure greater or more powerful poisons. Cannot cure diseases or parasites. Cost ¨C 40 magic. Duration ¨C Instantaneous.
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Kerr whistled low, her left brow raised high in appreciation. ¡°A ¡®Beloved Cleric¡¯ of a goddess, huh? The scarlet slut here is way out of our league. That has to rate a tier five, easy.¡±
¡°The military doesn¡¯t rate pure healers the same way as combatants,¡± Thea shook her head. ¡°But yes, Eir¡¯s class would be rated highly.¡±
¡°A point two ratio on the Divine attribute for healing is double what most healers get for their primary healing spell,¡± Aila added her own appraising thoughts. ¡°And with Jadis¡¯ boost applied to that stat, it looks like with full magic power you could heal¡¡± Aila paused a moment to do quick math in her head. ¡°You could heal four-thousand points if you did nothing but heal.¡±
Eir smiled with graceful humility as the others talked about her class and skills, though she did give Kerr a scolding look for her vulgar language. Her expression quickly switched to gazing lovingly at Jadis, though.
¡°Thanks to Jadis, I can heal so many more people now before needing rest. I only wish I had had her boost before we travelled to Alawar,¡± Eir said, her expression turning melancholy as she talked about their ill-fated fight in the abandoned village. ¡°I might have been able keep more of our people alive.¡±
¡°Hindsight is always¡ªwell, it¡¯s always more accurate than foresight,¡± Dys said, quickly revising an Earthly saying that probably wouldn¡¯t translate. ¡°Maybe I should have suggested the ritual to you earlier. But it¡¯s too late to go back now, so we should focus on what we¡¯re going to do going forward.¡±
¡°Well, what I¡¯m going to do is ask for a free cosmetic heal,¡± Kerr spoke up, moving to sit next to Eir. She held up her left leg before the cleric¡¯s face, pointing to an old, rough-looking scar that ran down the length of her calf muscle. ¡°Think you can get rid of this old mark for me with that sweet spell of yours? Pretty please?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think spending one hundred magic points for your vanity is the best use of Eir¡¯s resources considering our circumstances,¡± Aila admonished, shaking her head.
¡°We¡¯re full health, she¡¯s got full magic, it¡¯s a waste if she isn¡¯t actively recovering magic points. C¡¯mon you gorgeous little yshtaka, do me a favor, would you? I¡¯ve been putting off getting this scar removed for a year now.¡±
While Kerr cajoled Eir into removing her scar, Jadis considered the difference between Eir and the only other true mage in their group, Aila. Overall, their attribute spreads were mostly the same. Both had eighty-three points in their respective primary casting stats and twenty-five points in the focus attribute. The fact that they were so similar seemed an odd coincidence to Jadis, but what was more interesting was the fact that they were so similar despite the difference in their levels.
Aila was almost double Eir¡¯s CLR, yet Eir already had the same amount of raw magic power as the Arcanist. Then again, that was mostly due to Aila¡¯s primary class being a non-casting, non-combat labor class. Comparing the two classes definitely helped highlight just how much of a difference having a good class versus a poor class made.
Jadis was glad she¡¯d been able to help Aila in achieving her goal of earning a mage class, even if it was a touch different from what Aila had originally expected.
Eir eventually succumbed to Kerr¡¯s unabashed pleading and healed her old scar. The therion¡¯s delighted thanks quickly devolved into inappropriate offers of recompense using her body which made the red elf grow just a bit redder, so Jadis broke the two up and put their group discussion back on track. They still needed to work on planning their next steps so they could escape the cavern system.
¡°So, I don¡¯t think we need to redo anyone¡¯s Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond ritual,¡± Syd said as she effortlessly held a squirming Kerr tightly in her arms. ¡°Except for maybe the fuzz butt here. Might want to switch it over to¡ª Hey! Watch the horns.¡±
¡°My ass isn¡¯t fuzzy,¡± Kerr growled, utterly unable to break free from Syd¡¯s strong arms but still able to poke back with her sweeping horns. ¡°Also, as much fun as redoing that ritual would be, Dexterity is where I¡¯m keeping the boost. It¡¯s my best stat.¡±
¡°But you don¡¯t have any arrows to make use of it,¡± Aila pointed out. Jadis wasn¡¯t surprised that she had also spotted the issue. ¡°If you can¡¯t use your bow or any bow-related skills, you may as well switch to something else, like Strength or Vitality. That way you can be more effective in melee.¡±
¡°We could give you all of our knives,¡± Dys said, rocking her head back and forth in ambivalent uncertainty. ¡°That way you¡¯d have more to throw than just your axes. But I¡¯m not sure how effective that would be against something like the giant cave spiders.¡±
¡°Probably not very effective,¡± Kerr sighed, slumping back into Syd¡¯s embrace. ¡°Shit. Fine, you convinced me. Go ahead and fuck me senseless again. I¡¯ll put the points into Strength so I can actually break free of your stupid grasp.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s permanent,¡± Syd rolled her eyes at Kerr¡¯s antics. ¡°We can redo it again later if you want. You shouldn¡¯t get used to having the extra points anyway, it only lasts for three days without a recharge, so it¡¯ll go away eventually.¡±
¡°Unless you want to join us on a more permanent basis,¡± Aila added.
Jadis¡¯ eyes flew to Aila at her words, surprised that she had been the one to suggest it. Jadis had been thinking of offering Kerr a partnership deal so that they could team up for the future, but she hadn¡¯t wanted to bring it up without discussing it with Aila first. Looking at Aila¡¯s carefully controlled expression, Jadis caught the flicker of her eyes and quirk of her brow that spoke volumes. The redhead was on the same page as Jadis when it came to expanding their little group. They still needed to talk about it, but the idea had been planted.
¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Kerr said, giving Aila a narrow-eyed glance.
¡°Anyway,¡± Jay spoke up, ¡°we still need to work out how exactly we¡¯re getting out of this place. With all of us boosted in power, we should be able to handle the dangers down here a lot easier. But what¡¯s the plan, exactly? Do we keep wandering around, hoping we stumble across an exit? Or do we backtrack and try to fight our way out?¡±
¡°Fight our way out?¡± Eir exclaimed, alarm evident on her face. ¡°We can¡¯t do that. Even with increased strength, I don¡¯t believe so few of us can overcome the horde of demons that were back in Alawar. Not with the twisted wretch matriarch leading them.¡±
¡°But we don¡¯t know that the ugly bitch would even still be there,¡± Jay countered. ¡°Whether we could take her now or not might not even be a concern. It¡¯s been days since we fled into these tunnels. She may not even be in Alawar anymore.¡±
¡°We don¡¯t know how many demons we might encounter if we head back,¡± Aila mused. ¡°We might encounter little resistance. Or we could run into a veritable army, like the horde we heard marching past our tunnel before. It¡¯s hard to say.¡±
¡°There h¡ªhave to be other exits,¡± Thea quietly added her own opinion. ¡°Even if the demons didn¡¯t make them, there have to be other ways in and out. I¡¯m sure the, um, giant cave spiders must be coming to surface sometimes.¡±
¡°Yeah, those camouflaged trap doors don¡¯t seem like a demon invention, do they?¡± Jay nodded. ¡°I think the cave spiders make those naturally. We might get lucky and find a tunnel out made by one of those fuckers. But I don¡¯t know how long we can just wander, hoping to get lucky.¡±
¡°How many rations do we have left?¡± Dys asked.
After a few minutes searching through packs and adding everything up, the answer came out to be enough food for another three days. They¡¯d have more, except Jadis¡¯ three bodies needed a lot more food than the others to keep going, even when rationing.
¡°We can always eat cave crawlers,¡± Kerr pointed out. ¡°And water isn¡¯t an issue down here, at least not so far.¡±
¡°How would we cook them?¡± Eir asked, her tone dubious.
¡°We don¡¯t,¡± Kerr answered immediately. ¡°No wood, no fire. Not unless one of you happened to bring one of those fancy enchanted cookpots.¡±
¡°I suppose I can cure any diseases that may come from eating the raw meat,¡± Eir frowned unhappily. ¡°So long as they aren¡¯t too serious. But eating nothing but uncooked cave crawler meat won¡¯t be good for us in the long term, I¡¯m certain.¡±
¡°We could live off of it for months if we have to,¡± Kerr shrugged. ¡°Won¡¯t be fun, but it¡¯s doable.¡±
¡°Hopefully it won¡¯t come to that,¡± Jay grumbled dryly.
They took some more time to hammer out the details of their plan, mainly focusing on what they would do if and when they encountered hostile beasts or demons, but the group agreed that searching for an alternate exit was preferable to backtracking, at least for the time being. If they ended up spending days more wandering lost in the caves, they might revisit the idea of going back the way they came, but they¡¯d search for a different way out for a while longer.
Once they were all satisfied with their plans, Jadis brought up the last part of their preparation that still needed to be addressed.
¡°So, one more thing,¡± Jay said, drawing attention to herself. ¡°If you all remember, there¡¯s one more ritual that we can perform that¡¯ll improve our odds of survival. How do you all feel about a round of Lascivious Empowerment before we hit the road?¡±
Jadis felt like her delivery had been a little lame as the others stared at her with varying degrees of amused and incredulous expressions.
¡°When you put it like that, it really does come across as some horrible attempt at getting us to have sex for no reason other than your lustful perversion,¡± Aila spoke, her face deadpan.
¡°While I will literally use any and every excuse to have more sex with you,¡± Jay said seriously while meeting Aila¡¯s blue eyes, ¡°I promise I¡¯m thinking with my brain, not my cock, in this case.¡±
¡°Hey, more power for the low price of getting fucked raw? I¡¯m not complaining,¡± Kerr piped up, wiggling her plump rear end into Syd¡¯s lap. ¡°How do we start with this weird ritual again?¡±
¡°Well¡¡± Syd drawled, ¡°this one is going to be something of a trick to get right¡¡±
Chapter 128: Fully Powered and Ready to Go
Without the sun to go by, the only way to get an accurate measure of time was either by checking how many magic points one of the casters of their group recovered over time and doing the math, or by running through a ritual to completion since those took a set amount of time. Since the rituals were rather distracting, Jadis and the others weren¡¯t able to time things down to the minute, but by the time they managed to successfully run through the full Lascivious Empowerment ritual as well as redo Kerr¡¯s Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond, they ended up staying in the small cavern side chamber for approximately another sixteen hours. Just as she had predicted, getting everyone in the group to climax in unison was a huge challenge.
On their first try, Jadis used her Ritual Time Reduction skill to try and make it easier for them as a group. Using her magic resource for the first time ever had been something of a thrill, even if it hadn¡¯t had any overt effect visible in the world. When Jadis had made the conscious effort to use the never before utilized resource, she had experienced an odd tingling feeling as something she didn¡¯t even know she had drained out of her. Using magic felt like flexing a muscle she¡¯d never moved before, a wholly unique sensation she had trouble describing. When she mentioned it aloud, both Aila and Eir readily concurred with her about the odd feeling, though.
In any case, after expending one hundred and fifty magic points only to fail in the first five minutes because Eir came far, far too quickly while being serviced by Dys¡¯ tongue, Jadis decided not to use the reduction skill again until they¡¯d worked out a little practice. With a Will stat of five, it would take Jadis thirty hours to recover enough magic to use the skill again once she used it a second time and completely depleted her reserves. Coordination was going to be key.
Aside from Eir¡¯s hair-trigger, the real problem was Jadis herself. Having sex with four beautiful women at the same time was exceedingly stimulating and even with her Refracted Mind skill to help compartmentalize, it was hard to hold back her own impulses. In order to get the ritual done, they ended up focusing on just being together sexually for extended periods, working their way up towards going a full hour as a group. Communication was key, especially since Jadis had to pay attention to the signs of four different people at the same time as well as herself. That also ended up being a challenge too, since Thea wasn¡¯t the type to talk much during sex and letting others know that she was close was not her first instinct.
On the bright side, Jadis found that while she needed to maintain contact between her selves and the four women, the four women did not need to maintain contact with each other or all three separate instances of her bodies. Touching just one of her was enough.
They had to take several long breaks between attempts but fortunately, over the course of their extremely long and drawn-out orgy, Jadis was able to not only redo Kerr¡¯s ritual boost so that her Strength attribute was increased instead of her Dexterity, but she was also able to refill Aila¡¯s magic reserves from casting so many force trap spells while also filling her enchanted canteen. Kerr and Eir had been oddly happy to help Aila harvest her liquid resource while Thea had watched with unblinking interest. Still, it was such an overall tiring experience that they ended up putting their attempts at the joint ritual on pause while they slept for seven or eight hours.
After a full possibly night¡¯s rest, they resumed their attempts. Their coordination and communication had gone up significantly by that point as everyone was starting to learn everyone else¡¯s signs and tells, as well as growing far more comfortable with each other¡¯s bodies. The girls got to the point that they were no longer hesitant to touch one another and aid someone along if it looked like some extra stimulation was needed to make sure one of their numbers climaxed at the same time as the rest. It was during one of their better attempts that Jadis found out that she could not apply the ritual reduction in the middle of casting one of her rituals. When she tried, the skill simply wouldn¡¯t let her. To her, it felt like she was trying to flex that mysterious muscle but it was pressed up against a wall that wouldn¡¯t allow it to move no matter how hard she strained. But they were at that point able to get past the hour mark as a group and while they didn¡¯t make it all the way to the two-hour point and complete the ritual on that try, that was proof enough of their ability that on their next attempt, Jadis used her reduction skill. They were then, after countless tries and a whole lot of messy pleasure, able to finally complete the Lascivious Empowerment ritual.
As Jadis lay in an exhausted pile with her girlfriend and three ¨C Lovers? Partners? Companions? She needed to talk it out with them once they were back to civilization ¨C she opened up her status sheet to see the end results the ritual had on her attributes.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (23)
Secondary Class: Perverted Ritualist of D (17)
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 40
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Health: 870/870
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Magic: 88/310
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Attributes
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Strength: 96
Dexterity: 32
Agility: 114
Vitality: 57
Fortitude: 42
Endurance: 44
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 114
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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Overall, Jadis was feeling a lot stronger now. It was odd to see her Agility so much higher than her Strength, though. Not that she was complaining, but Strength had always been her biggest stat in practical terms. She was starting to wonder if she should redo her Eldritch Overlay skill. Then again, going from one hundred and fourteen down to thirty-two in agility would probably be a massive adjustment to make. She¡¯d probably have to see what else she could do to boost her Strength by other means since she didn¡¯t really want to lose her increase in Agility.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°Holy balls,¡± Kerr laughed, interrupting Jadis¡¯ thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m so fucking strong!¡±
The excited therion punctuated the statement by lifting a surprised Eir up into the air with one hand on her ass, making the sweat and cum dripping elf yelp in surprise.
¡°I bet I could even take you on now,¡± Kerr flashed Syd a cheeky grin while doing a one-armed bench press with a fretful cleric.
¡°Bet me,¡± Syd grinned back.
¡°Okay, yeah, hold on,¡± Kerr backed down, eying Syd cautiously. ¡°On second thought, I retract that statement. I already owe you too much food when we get back to Felsen.¡±
¡°Fucking pussy,¡± Syd laughed.
¡°Would you mind putting me down now?¡± Eir asked, still helplessly balanced in the air by Kerr.
Once they were done playing around and had cleaned up from their lewd activities, the group ate, rested for a short time more, then said goodbye to their cavern retreat. The stone chamber had served them well and they¡¯d had some fun times within it, but it was time to move on. Jadis doubted she would remember many things fondly about her trip to Alawar, but this part of the disastrous journey, she had enjoyed.
She just hoped the next time the five of them were together carnally, they were in a warm bedroom with a comfy cushion of some kind.
Jadis led the group, her three bodies acting as vanguards. With her ridiculously large health pool, she was confident that she could handle any surprise attacks that the group might encounter. At least, she¡¯d take the hit far better than any of the rest of the group. Kerr followed closely behind, directing Jadis on where to turn and when to stop for her to listen for unseen dangers. Originally Kerr had argued that she should continue scouting ahead, but with how difficult it was for Jadis¡¯ large bodies to pass each other in some of the smaller tunnels, they had decided not to take the risk that she might get stuck between them and an enemy her much lower defenses couldn¡¯t handle attacks from. Aila and Eir followed behind at a slight remove, keeping just far enough back that they wouldn¡¯t be caught up in a melee if they were forced to fight. Thea brought up the rear behind them. With her impressively high Fortitude and heavy armor and shield, she had the second-highest defenses of the group and could serve as the perfect rear guard to make sure nothing crept up on them from behind.
Thea¡¯s positioning proved to be critical during the first encounter of their resumed trek.
While many of the tunnels they searched forced Jadis to duck and squeeze due to her height, after several hours of exploring the group found themselves in a long, slightly curving tunnel that was wide enough for two of Jadis¡¯ bodies to walk side by side and with a ceiling more than twice her height. The large tunnel stretched onward beyond sight, with the entrances to smaller tunnels occasionally breaking up the relative monotony of the stone walls. There were few rock formations in the far-reaching cave, but it didn¡¯t have the unnaturally round shape of the cave-spider made tunnels. The effect was odd and gave Jadis pause as she stood at an entrance to the long tunnel, looking to the left and right, uncertain of which way to go as the cave stretched into the distance in either direction.
¡°Am I the only one getting weird vibes from whatever this is?¡± Jay asked, her voice muffled by her re-equipped helmet.
¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± Kerr murmured quietly from her spot just behind the trio of Nephilim. ¡°Now be quiet, I¡¯m listening for predators.¡±
They stood in silence for a long while, patiently waiting for Kerr to give them the all-clear. When the archer finally did, having heard nothing to indicate anything hostile was nearby, the group decided to follow the cave to the left. Their decision was arbitrary, since there was nothing to distinguish between the two directions otherwise, but left felt like the better choice to Jadis.
The tunnel stretched further along than Jadis had guessed, their group able to follow it for a solid ten minutes before there was any change at all. However, when it did shift, it was for the better in Jadis¡¯ opinion. The tunnel started slanting upwards at a shallow angle. Not exactly a stairway to the surface, but she figured any upward movement was better than the alternatives.
As Jadis began to hope that their escape from the tunnels was nearing, a cry of alarm from behind sent her adrenaline pumping as all three of her bodies whipped around to face the danger.
¡°Spider!¡± Thea shouted, her round shield raised high as she blocked a long black chitinous leg from reaching Aila and Eir.
The cave spider had appeared from a hidden tunnel entrance above them, the circular opening to its den capped by a seamless false door that blended into the rough stone wall. It had come half-way out of its trap door, its long legs seeking to skewer the prey it had perceived walking below it. Unfortunately for the spider, Jadis and her team were not the easy meal the spider had hoped for.
Thea¡¯s shield sang as the spider¡¯s sharply pointed leg bounced off of it, the metal ringing in the echoing cave. Jadis knew from experience that the giant cave spiders were horrendously strong, their legs capable of piercing right through metal armor. But Thea¡¯s shield didn¡¯t even dent as the monster¡¯s attack rebounded off of it.
Everyone reacted at the same time and, unfortunately, they managed to trip each other up. While Jadis¡¯ bodies moved in perfect unison, she didn¡¯t share that same connection with Kerr, which led to a momentary tangle as Syd bumped into the woman in the limited space of the tunnel, preventing both from charging back towards the spider as they were forced to catch themselves from tripping. Jay and Dys were able to shoot back towards the surprise attack with all the speed of her vastly improved Agility, though even that wasn¡¯t quite as fast as Aila¡¯s reaction.
A powerful force bolt slammed into one of the cave spider¡¯s legs, smashing the appendage at the joint and crippling it. As the spider readjusted its positioning, Thea moved to cover Aila and Eir, moving the two back against the right wall, keeping them out of the way, a move Jadis greatly appreciated as her two bodies leapt at the wounded spider with mallet and maul.
The spider wasn¡¯t able to dodge out of the way, its body not out of reach of their agility-fueled leap as the two struck the monstrous beast head on. Mirrored Strikes was triggered and the result was a gory mess of spider ichor as two more of the beast¡¯s legs weren¡¯t just crippled, they were crushed to a splattered pulp.
A moment later, Syd followed up her other selves¡¯ attack with a piercing strike of her own, her long lance puncturing the many-eyed face of the spider, the sharp steel drawing out more foul blood as the wounded predator tried to retreat back into its trapdoor tunnel.
¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± all three of Jadis cried out, not willing to let this monster escape.
Dropping her mallet and maul, Jay and Dys jumped up and grabbed hold of two of the ten-legged spider¡¯s remaining front legs and yanked hard, using their strength and weight to try and pull the beast out of its tunnel. The sharp spikes that decorated the spider¡¯s shell dug into her flesh, but Jadis didn¡¯t let the pain stop her. She wouldn¡¯t let this creature escape, not when it had tried to go after her friends.
The crack of another one of Aila¡¯s force bolts rang out as she cast another spell, destroying another front leg before it could try to counterattack against Jadis¡¯ two forms pulling the beast down. With another leg gone, the monster was having trouble fighting back against Jadis¡¯ combined strength, especially with Syd¡¯s lance still jammed into its face, acting as further leverage as she heaved on the huge monster.
Suddenly, Kerr vaulted up and over Syd¡¯s shoulders, catching hold onto the cave spider¡¯s back and began hacking away at where the back legs connected to its thorax with her handaxe. In only a few Strength-enhanced chops, the therion had dismembered another leg. Down another limb, the giant spider no longer had the leverage to resist Jadis¡¯ strength. Kerr leapt off of the creature as it slid out of the tunnel and crashed to the ground, right on top of a trio of force spike traps Aila had laid.
The sound of black shell shattering echoed again as the spike traps impaled the underside of the spider. Insectile entrails and terrible-smelling goo leaked out from underneath its body as the huge beast flailed its remaining legs. Jadis doubted the creature could survive the wounds it had just sustained, but she wasn¡¯t about to wait and see how long it would take for the thing to bleed out. Sweeping her discarded weapons back up, Jay and Dys made a three-way strike with Syd, squashing the remains of the spider¡¯s body, ending its life with gory finality.
¡°Good work,¡± Jay huffed, looking back at her companions. ¡°Everyone alright?¡±
¡°No, you¡¯re bleeding,¡± Eir pointed out, seeing the blood dripping from Jay and Dys¡¯s hands.
In a flash, the cleric was next to Syd and pouring healing magic into her, bringing Jadis¡¯ combined health back to full.
As Jadis flexed the completely restored hands of her two bodies, Syd swept her gaze over everyone and nodded once.
¡°I think we might actually make for a pretty good team.¡±
Chapter 129: The Long Under
The perfect unity of action that came from one person possessing three bodies could not be easily duplicated by the bonds of a short-lived team, but Jadis¡¯ group adapted amazingly fast to each other¡¯s combat styles as they progressed along the tunnel and encountered more magic beasts that they had to fight. It turned out that the first cave spider they had killed was only a prelude to the numbers of monsters that lay in wait in the long, mostly straight cave tunnel. And not all of them were cave spiders. At least the frequent encounters gave them all good practice working together.
Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if the long tunnel was natural or if it had been created, but regardless of origin it apparently acted as some kind of highway for the denizens of the underground cave system. That meant there were a lot of monsters to encounter, but at the same time, they were no longer backtracking because of dead-end tunnels and cavern chambers that had no exit. It was a fairly straight path and it continued its trend of generally sloping upwards, which made it a good choice to explore in Jadis¡¯ opinion, even if they ran into more beasts while travelling the tunnel. Aside from the abnormally large cave crawlers and the giant trapdoor cave spiders, there were other strange subterranean creatures that used the seemingly endless path to travel from one connected cavern to another. Not all of them were hostile, fortunately.
The type of beast they ran into most frequently was a huge pill-bug-like creature with a brightly colored shell. Unlike everything else that seemed to want to blend in, this giant insect purposefully stood out, its red, blue, and purple shell literally glowing with phosphorescence. The beast was the size of a small car and plodded along the main tunnel path, heedless of anything around it until Jadis got within range of its long antennae. Once it sensed she was there, it rolled up into a ball and sat unmoving directly in their way, content to wait for them to move on. Upon a closer look, the creature¡¯s thick shell was covered in small spikes, none larger than the first joint of Jadis¡¯ pinky finger. Which, on second thought, Jadis recognized was actually fairly large when compared to everyone else. An oily substance coated the spiked shell, making it abundantly clear to her that this beast was following the classic tactic of letting predators know that if they tried to eat it, they¡¯d either be puking it back up in short order or worse.
Since it posed no immediate threat to any of them, the group simply passed the odd beast by, along with every other instance of the creature they came across as they continued down the tunnel. Some of the magic beasts were less passive, however, and required a firm touch.
An alligator-sized salamander with yellow skin speckled with green dots exhaled crimson flames, forcing Jadis¡¯ bodies to back away as it slowly advanced on them, crawling along the left wall of the tunnel. Every attempt made by Jadis¡¯ bodies to get close was met with more flames as the monster breathed a seemingly endless supply of fire. When Aila tried to strike the beast with one of her force bolts, a magical shield of flames appeared around the salamander¡¯s body, deflecting the attack like a dodgeball bouncing off of an oblivious child¡¯s head.
¡°This is why fucking no one likes exploring caves!¡± Kerr shouted over the roar of salamander flames. ¡°There¡¯s always stupidly strong and annoying ructuose like this!¡±
As overwhelming as the yellow amphibian¡¯s dual offensive and defensive flames were, the answer to the problem of how to get rid of the damned thing turned out to be the most basic of solutions, one of the first Jadis had ever applied to any of her problems on Oros. When faced with a big, angry monster trying to kill you, hit it with a rock.
Breaking off one of the stalagmites from the floor was no real challenge for Jadis when she had her strength and her trusty makeshift maul to apply to the stone. With one of Aila¡¯s magical spike traps plastered onto the wide bottom side for good measure, Jay hurled the huge rock at the beast, smashing it hard in the head. Flame shields were good for roasting flesh and deflecting magic attacks, but not so great at blocking several-hundred-pound boulders as both Jadis and the salamander quickly discovered.
The blow from the oversized rock did not kill the fiery beast instantly, but it did knock it senseless, giving Jadis and Kerr enough time to rush forward and finish it off with a few well-placed blows. Just like all the other magical monsters they had killed during their trek through the long tunnel, there was no notification from the system that they had slain the salamander. Magic beasts did not warrant notifications, same as regular beasts or people. Only demons got the system alert treatment when killed, apparently, which at least made it easy for Jadis to assess that they hadn¡¯t yet wandered back into an area of the cavern system controlled by demons.
¡°Any idea what this thing is?¡± Dys asked, poking at the dead salamander¡¯s corpse. ¡°Or if its edible? I think I¡¯d prefer eating reptile meat over insect, if it comes down to it.¡±
¡°It, um, looks similar to beasts I¡¯ve seen in the rivers, back home,¡± Thea volunteered. ¡°And if it is, it¡¯ll be rough on the, uh, stomach. Unless the toxin is boiled out of it.¡±
Kerr shrugged and knelt down by the beast¡¯s flank and pulled a large knife from her belt. She sawed into its leg, cutting the limb free of the larger whole.
¡°I¡¯ve got a skill that¡¯ll help me deal with any issues I might have from eating it. Besides,¡± she motioned towards Eir, ¡°We¡¯ve got red tits here to fix me up if it gives me the shits.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not my name,¡± Eir scolded, admonishing Kerr in a passable impression of a perturbed schoolteacher. ¡°Please use proper names and titles.¡±
¡°Yes, Eir of the gloriously bountiful red bosom, as you command,¡± Kerr bowed her horned head with an exaggerated flourish.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
While Kerr and Eir bickered, Syd examined the head of the salamander. The spot where the tossed boulder had hit was obvious, the beast¡¯s skull partially caved in. However, despite being dented, the beast¡¯s head didn¡¯t have a large hole piercing three feet deep into it, as Jadis would have expected considering the effects of Aila¡¯s force spike trap. Double checking the base of the rock, Jadis confirmed that the trap had indeed gone off when it had hit the salamander¡¯s head. It just hadn¡¯t shredded its skull. Jadis couldn¡¯t tell if the trap had done any significant damage at all, compared to what the rock alone had done. When she pointed this out to Aila, the arcanist nodded slowly, one eyebrow arched.
¡°This beast probably had high Resilience. High enough to repel my magic attacks, which is no small thing considering your boost has brought it up to ninety-five points. It could have had natural resiliences to magic in general or force specifically, or skills that boosted its defenses. Hard to say.¡±
¡°Probably needed it to throw around all that fire,¡± Syd mused, poking its yellow body with the tip of her lance. ¡°Otherwise it¡¯d cook itself putting out so much heat.¡±
"No, my force magic is countered by Resilience, magically produced fire would be countered by Fortitude," Aila explained. "Though it is very possible for the beast to have both stats at a high level in order to counter many different kinds of magical effects."
"Ah," Syd nodded in understanding. "That makes some sense. That also explains why my attacks didn''t seem to do as much damage."
¡°In any case, it¡¯d be nice to have a mini version of this thing,¡± Dys sighed, standing up from her spot by the cooling corpse. ¡°I miss cooked food. A little fire breathing lizard we could carry around to heat our meals would be fucking awesome.¡±
¡°It¡¯d probably set our tent on fire in the middle of the night,¡± Aila pointed out. ¡°If we had one,¡± she added a moment later.
¡°So we¡¯d have to work on training it,¡± Dys quipped lightly. ¡°Let a girl dream, would you?¡±
¡°We should get moving,¡± Jay said, stepping past the dead monster and moving a little further down the cave path. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much further this tunnel goes, but we¡¯ll have to start thinking about checking the bigger side-tunnels soon to find a spot to rest. I feel like we¡¯re making good distance with this straight path, but who knows when we¡¯ll actually find¡ª¡±
A deafening hiss pierced Jadis¡¯ ears, making her teeth clench and her shoulders involuntarily cringe in reaction. The sound was like a thousand pissed-off pythons had all decided to voice their displeasure at the same time. Jadis whipped all three of her bodies around to face the sound as it continued to echo from behind them and saw a nightmare stalking towards her back line.
A huge lizard-like creature that made the salamander seem small was approaching from behind, it¡¯s massive body wide enough to take up most of the tunnel. It had thick, gray-silver scales that had sharp, squared edges covering its entire body. Squat but powerful legs carried it along, each foot sporting claws that were as long as swords. A wide tail swept behind it, sharp scales saw-toothed down its sides, the huge appendage no doubt capable of ripping and tearing its way through an ox with a single swing. The truly horrifying part of the gigantic lizard was its head, though. Or rather, its heads.
Five long necks sprouted from the monster¡¯s broad and powerful chest, each one ending in a snake-like head sporting wide neck-flaps flared out like some kind of roided-up cobra. Giant fangs too numerous to count bristled from each of the abomination¡¯s maws, all of them dripping with saliva. Blood-red eyes surveyed the group, a bottomless hunger plain in their gluttonous gaze.
¡°Get back!¡± Jadis shouted in three unified voices, rushing to put her selves between the hydra and her companions. She didn¡¯t know how strong the monstrosity was compared to anything else they had fought in the tunnels so far, but Jadis knew she didn¡¯t want anyone near those giant dripping jaws.
¡°No!¡± Thea shouted, physically shoving her shield in Jay¡¯s way as she tried to dash past. ¡°It¡¯s an illusion! Look behind you!¡±
What? An illusion?
Jadis balked, the giant monster before her obviously real and threatening. But she trusted Thea, the woman having shown her worth and competency. And besides, Jadis had more than one attention to spare in situations like this.
Jay spun back around to face the front again, at first seeing nothing but the darkness of tunnel stretching ahead of them. Then she realized that what she saw wasn¡¯t just the omnipresent dimness of the cave-moss lit tunnels, it was complete and utter blackness, a void with no shape or texture.
As Jadis¡¯ two other selves turned abruptly to face back towards the fore, Jay swung her mallet into the darkness before her. The blank nothingness rippled like water and faded away, just in time to reveal the true hydra just beyond the false veil. The gigantic lizard was practically on top of her, its illusions having distracted her and hidden its approach well enough that it had gotten within striking range uncontested.
Three of its five heads, the central and inner ones, lashed out, wide mouths lunging forward to take bites out of Jay. Reacting with all the speed her massively boosted agility afforded, Jay leapt back, swinging her mallet at the snapping jaws of the middle head.
Her wooden weapon struck the scaled snout of the hydra in a glancing blow, but it was enough to keep it from latching onto her as she dodged through the air, landing several feet back and practically squashing Eir who just barely managed to get out of the way of the Nephilim¡¯s fast-moving body. A second later and Dys and Syd were to the fore, maul and lance swinging and stabbing at the snapping heads of the beast. With the two of her selves blocking the way forward, the menacing monster could no longer easily advance, though it made every effort to either bite them or push past to easier targets.
¡°Fall back!¡± Jay ordered, sweeping her arms around and motioning her companions to back down the tunnel. ¡°Give us room!¡±
The others followed orders and backed away, the convincing illusion of the hydra gone and no longer blocking their retreat. Jadis backed up as well, giving the beast ground as its many heads reared back and snapped forward, its terrible hissing still filling the cavern with its deafening howl. Jadis kept the snapping jaws at bay with supernaturally fast and strong jabs of her weapons, but purposefully backed far enough down the tunnel to give the hungry monster enough space to get to the giant salamander her group had just slain.
With any luck, Jadis hoped the hydra would be distracted by the free meal and she and her companions could escape, no fighting necessary.
That hope was squashed immediately as the two right-side heads of the hydra snapped up the corpse and began tugging at it between them while the beast continued to advance towards them. The other three heads and their beady red eyes were locked onto the tasty morsels it saw before it, forked tongues flicking the air in anticipation of a true feast. The hydra¡¯s greedy gullet wasn¡¯t going to let them flee without a fight.
Chapter 130: The Hydra
Jadis reacted immediately to the hydra¡¯s continued aggression. Syd swapped positions with Jay, letting the maul and mallet take the forefront while the lance struck from behind with its greater reach. The three heads with no salamander corpse to distract them snapped hungrily at Jay and Dys, their lightning-fast lunges blocked by Jadis¡¯ even faster deflections. The crack of her weapons striking against gray scales echoed in the tunnel as she focused on keeping the voracious beast at bay.
¡°Aila!¡± Syd shouted as the three of her continued to give ground.
¡°On it!¡± she shouted back, glowing runic circles already forming on the cave floor between Jadis¡¯ bodies and the reptilian monster.
One giant scaly paw inevitably made contact with one of the traps and a three-foot-tall force spike sprung into existence with the intent to impale the monster¡¯s foot. Unfortunately, the magic attack didn¡¯t fully pierce the resistant scales of the hydra, the spike knocking the foot up more than anything else.
A sudden ripping sound heralded the gory split of the yellow salamander, the two heads wolfing down their halves of the large body. As lumps visibly travelled down the two necks that had swallowed the poor beast, Jadis noticed more lumps that travelled up the necks of the heads that had yet to eat anything at all. Uncertain of what the strange sight foretold, Jadis called out a warning to her companions behind her, just in time for the three dripping hydra maws to open wide and vomit gooey projectiles at them.
Black balls of viscous slime hurtled through the short span of air, a horrendous stench emanating from them. One had been aimed at Jay and, with a baseball bat swing, she knocked it out of the air to splatter against the stone wall. Long strands of sticky black slime stretched between the ball of goo and her mallet, a sure indication that anything the viscid substance touched would have a hard time getting free of it.
The other two projectiles hurtled past Jadis, to her surprise. The hydra had targeted the people behind her, a tactic Jadis wouldn¡¯t have expected from what was essentially an oversized lizard. Then again, it was a magical beast, and it had five heads to boot. More heads meant more brain power, Jadis had to assume, especially considering the hydra had very nearly succeeded in sneaking up on her via use of a clever illusion.
Syd spared a glance over her shoulder to make sure the others were alright and saw that Aila¡¯s new force shield had worked well at blocking one of the sticky black orbs from hitting Kerr. With a wave of her hand, Aila promptly shifted the translucent magical shield to the side and smeared the gunk on the tunnel wall. The other ball had met with Thea¡¯s shield, the guardswoman having taken up a defensive position in front of Eir to keep the cleric from coming to any harm. The noxious orb stuck to Thea¡¯s shield like a giant, disgusting limpet, but since it wasn¡¯t sticking to anything else, it was at least not getting in the way.
The scant seconds it took Jadis to assess what her companions were doing behind her could not be counted as a distraction, not when Jadis could focus on multiple things at once due to her multiple bodies and skills. Still, the hydra saw Syd¡¯s momentary shift of attention as a weak spot and one of its viperous heads shot forward, seeking to bite down on distracted Nephilim flesh.
Without looking, Syd thrust her lance up and into the open mouth of the Hydra. With two other sets of eyes to pay attention, Jadis didn¡¯t need Syd¡¯s eyes to see where to put her weapon for best effect.
The lance pierced deep into the monster¡¯s vulnerable mouth flesh, a glancing blow from Dys¡¯ maul against a different head at the same time allowing Mirrored Strikes to proc. The lance sunk deep, gouging all the way through the back of hydra¡¯s throat and punching through to the other side. Sharp steel protruded from the back of the beast¡¯s neck as the head briefly gagged, then reared back as blood poured out from both the gapping wound in its neck and from between its sharp, clenched teeth.
A deafening hiss of pain and anger drowned out all other sounds as the hydra recoiled. Before Jadis could take even a second to revel in her moment of success, the hydra unleashed a new trick.
Five scaly heads multiplied into ten, each one indistinguishable from the others except for a single head still gurgling out copious amounts of blood. Suddenly, Jadis had twice as many slavering serpentine maws trying to devour her as before. Clearly, five of them had to be illusions, she recognized right away. But how was she supposed to tell the fakes from the real ones? Even looking at the base of the necks where they connected to the body of the beast offered no help. The illusion made the cluster of necks look like a shifting, writhing mass of snakes. Some of the necks were clearly clipping through the others like a graphical glitch in reality, but which was which was impossible to distinguish.
Seven heads snapped forward at the same time, aiming for different parts of Jay and Dys. With no other recourse, Jadis was forced to swing at the heads she guessed were real in a desperate attempt at blocking the hydra¡¯s attack.
Syd¡¯s lance struck true against solid scales, repelling one fanged maw that had been aiming for Dys¡¯ head. Dys¡¯ maul swung through another head that turned out to be an illusion, dispelling the magical deception. Fortunately, as part of the same arcing swing, her giant maul struck another head that was real, knocking it off course from snapping its jaws around Jay¡¯s right leg. Unfortunately, Jay¡¯s mallet met nothing but air as it passed through its own illusionary hydra head, the force of her swing unbalancing her as she stumbled slightly. Another illusion was destroyed as a force bolt from Aila passed through it only to burst against the cave wall in the distance, while a hand axe from Kerr also sliced harmlessly into the eye of another phantom, breaking that illusion as well.
The seventh head that Jadis and her companions had not been able to block bit down onto Jay¡¯s right shoulder, massive jaws clamping down hard as it tried to devour the Nephilim.
Jay¡¯s thick steel breastplate and pauldrons blocked many of the foot-long teeth from piercing into her vitals, but with the way the hydra had struck her right arm had been pinned and impaled, her blood flowing freely around the jagged teeth stabbing into her upper arm. Horrible pain shook Jay in the moment of being bit, a ragged cry escaping her lips as she was suddenly hoisted into the air as the head that had her reared back, taking her with it.
In a panic, Syd tossed aside her lance and jumped onto the head that had her other self, landing across its face where she began punching violently into the wretched monster¡¯s blood red eye. Her first punch squished against soft eyeball flesh as Syd struck over and over again with an almost machine-like pace, pounding her knuckles into the vulnerable weak spot. Within a matter of seconds her rapid punches were penetrating up to her elbow.
Jay slammed against the left cave wall as the hydra violently shook its head, its jaw releasing its grip on her as it let out a hissing shriek. Syd was tossed to the side too, her tumble through the air turned into a wild fling as another one of the heads caught her leg and whipped her hard and away to crash hard against the ground dozens of feet behind Aila and the others.
Two more heads launched themselves down at Jay as she struggled to her feet, but Dys¡¯ maul was there for them. One of the heads turned out to be another illusion, its false fangs biting into Jay to no effect other than giving Jadis a lurch in her stomach. The other head was struck by Dys and, thanks to Syd¡¯s repeated punching attacks, the blow¡¯s power was massively increased. Scales shattered as the hydra¡¯s head was knocked to the side. It slammed against the cave wall in an echoing bang, rock literally cracking under the force of the impact as the hydra¡¯s skull rebounded. Dys whipped around a moment later and slammed her maul into the stunned head again, this time from above, sending it smashing down into the cave floor to the sound of both stone and bone breaking.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
As Dys reared back for another strike against the head, Jadis saw through Jay¡¯s eyes that another Hydra maw was lunging at Dys, maw stretched open wide. There was no time for Dys to dodge as she was mid swing and Jay¡¯s mallet was still on the ground somewhere from when she¡¯d dropped it while being tossed around. Syd was still yards away, recovering from her own collision with the cave floor.
There was nothing Jadis could do in that moment to stop the hydra¡¯s jagged teeth from clamping down around Dys¡¯ head.
Suddenly, an armored figure leapt past Jay and Dys, large round shield held before her. Thea launched herself into the path of the hydra¡¯s open jaws, first her shield and then her whole body entering the gaping maw. Curling her legs up, she matched her profile to that of the shield, turning into a ball of armor as the hydra snapped its jaws down on her. Or at least, it tried to.
The monster¡¯s vicious bite couldn¡¯t break Thea¡¯s shield, the steel rim of the wooden shield instead wedging itself firmly in the gaps of its massive teeth. The head reeled back, shaking and hissing as it had something stuck in its mouth that was too big to swallow in one gulp and too tough to crunch in its jaws.
¡°Holy fuck!¡± Jay cried out in alarm, Thea¡¯s reckless maneuver no doubt saving Jadis from a devastating, if not mortal, wound but also putting herself into an absolutely insane position.
The Hydra reared back then, three of its five heads badly injured. Thea held on for dear life as she was shaken around while inside the mouth of the enraged beast. Jay took up her discarded mallet as she and Dys ran forward to help, but as Syd stood, she found that her weapon was nowhere to be seen on the ground. Instead, it was held firmly in Kerr¡¯s grasp.
¡°Let go now!¡± Kerr shouted as she ran forward.
Like an Olympian with an oversized javelin, Kerr hurled Syd¡¯s lance with all the prodigious strength she had. The sharp piece of steel flew through the air with unerring accuracy and struck one of the hydra heads in an eye. The whole beast reared back as it flailed wildly and in the same moment, Thea released her grip on her shield and was sent hurtling out of the beast¡¯s mouth by its violent convulsions.
Jay caught the brave guard before she could hit the ground, clutching the armored woman tightly to her chest.
At the same time as Kerr was tossing Syd¡¯s lance and Jay was catching Thea, Eir had her hands on Syd and was pumping her with healing magic, removing all the wounds her bodies had suffered as Jadis was restored to full health.
¡°Back up to here!¡± Aila urgently ordered as she stood on Syd¡¯s other side. ¡°Get everyone past this line!¡±
Glancing to where Aila indicated, Jadis saw that Aila had laid down dozens of force spike traps all along the sides of the tunnel just a little further back from where they were, leaving a narrow path clear down the middle. Nodding in confirmation, Syd quickly swept Eir and Aila up as she turned and carried both of them back past the minefield Aila had created.
Kerr was already running back but as she fled, Jay picked up the surprised therion as well as she ran by her, still carrying Thea in her arms as well. Dys ran backwards, keeping her eyes on the hydra as they retreated, depending on the sight of her other selves to know where she was going.
The hydra was a mess. Its far left head was covered in cracked, broken scales and looked like a watermelon that had been dropped on the ground, red blood leaking through the many cracks in its damaged hide. The inner left head was missing its left eye, a stream of thick blood and eyeball fluid pouring down the side of its face. The middle head still had Thea¡¯s shield in its mouth. Without the guard''s shield-based skills to reinforce it, the shield had broken under the strength of the hydra¡¯s powerful jaws but had turned into a sticky mess of black goo and wooden splinters as the hydra¡¯s own black phlegm ball had been returned to it, served on a platter. The inner right head flopped on the ground, lying limply and barely moving as it twitched and spasmed randomly, Syd¡¯s lance buried halfway into the monster¡¯s eye. The rightmost head was the only one uninjured and it stared at Dys with murderous rage.
Jadis had no doubt that the monster had thought it would be getting an easy meal and had not expected to be so brutally repelled by prey so much smaller than it.
As they all withdrew further back down the tunnel, the hydra charged forward, once again hissing loud enough to pop eardrums as it gave chase. Its one limp head dragged along the ground under its body as it ran after them. As Jay and Dys passed through the field of traps Aila had created, the hydra revealed one more trick.
Dozens of spectral hydra heads burst out of the walls, floor, and ceiling of the tunnel, swarming the group of them as they ran. They were all illusions, lacking substance and unable to do any damage. That knowledge still could only temper, not eliminate, the visceral reaction Jadis had to dozens of entirely real looking monster heads suddenly lunging at her from all directions.
Jay and Dys startled and lost their footing as the illusions temporarily blocked their vision before dissipating. Carrying both Kerr and Thea, Jay turned her stumble into a rolling fall as she crashed to the ground on the far side of the force traps in a clatter of metal on stone. Dys wasn¡¯t so lucky.
As Dys fell, she twisted awkwardly, having been running backwards. As she hit the ground, two force traps were triggered by her side and hip. Fortunately, the magical spikes glanced off of her body, though her hip was torn open in a bloody rent by the power of Aila¡¯s spell. Not so fortunately, the force spikes sent her rolling and before Dys could get back up, the hydra was upon her.
Many things happened at the same time in that moment. As the ravenous, enraged hydra bore down on Dys¡¯ prone form, its front legs triggered the first few of Aila¡¯s spike traps. The monster¡¯s lunge was turned into an uncontrolled fall as the force spikes pierced up into its scaly feet and its momentum carried it forward, triggering more and more of the magical traps that fouled the beast¡¯s footing even if they couldn¡¯t fully pierce its armored hide. A force bolt from Aila¡¯s hand also struck the unwounded hydra head, knocking it back and up as the monster fell forward, triggering more and more of the dozens of traps, the beast thrown completely off balance. The huge monster¡¯s body slid over Dys¡¯ fallen form and collapsed on top of her since she was unable to roll out of the way.
Dys grunted in strained effort as thousands upon thousands of pounds of weight attempted to crush her. Her immense strength was only barely able to keep the hydra from flattening her like a worm, and even then Jadis was certain that it was only because the hydra¡¯s one dead head had wedged itself under its body too, giving her some room to breathe as it landed on a lopsided angle.
At the same time, Syd ran forward, catching Jay¡¯s mallet as she tossed it up to her. Leaping through the air with the mallet in hand, Syd flew past the writhing heads of the struggling hydra to land on its scaly back. As she raised the weapon overhead, Dys used her position under the beast to slam her head into its belly, headbutting it in what would be for anyone else a futile act.
But for Jadis, it was enough to trigger Mirrored Strikes.
Scales and bones alike shattered under the powerful strike Syd delivered to the Hydra¡¯s back. The thing had five necks, but it only had one spine once it went past the shoulders. The hydra hissed in pain as Syd broke its back in the middle of its body. Instantly its back legs and long tail went limp as the nerve connections were severed by the brutal blow.
¡°Fuck you,¡± Syd hissed back at the hydra as several of its heads turned to snap at her fruitlessly. Robbed of its mobility, it couldn¡¯t turn back far enough to reach her as she moved further down its body. ¡°You should have just taken the fucking salamander and left.¡±
Dys repeatedly knocked her head into the hydra¡¯s chest to keep triggering Mirrored Strikes as Syd used the mallet to crush the hydra¡¯s back feet. She didn¡¯t have a cutting weapon, so instead she pulverized the scales, flesh, and bones until they were a slurry of gore, a literal flood of blood pouring out of the horrid stumps as Jadis bled the monster out.
The hydra tried to turn away or pull itself forward, but its efforts were countered as Aila placed more force traps in the way of its front feet, shredding them and keeping the beast from moving much, and Jay hurled rocks weighing hundreds of pounds she picked up from the tunnel ground at the monster¡¯s still thrashing heads. It took several agonizing minutes, but eventually the hydra¡¯s flailing weakened, slowed, and went still as the life blood was drained from its body. The omnipresent hiss of the ferocious magic beast faded as it took its last breath, the cave going quiet except for the heavy breathing of the victorious women.
¡°Holy shit we lived,¡± Kerr stated incredulously.
¡°Yes,¡± Aila nodded, looking stunned herself. ¡°Yes, we did.¡±
¡°Yes! We killed a motherfucking Hydra!¡± Kerr shouted a little louder, grabbing Aila, Eir, and Thea in a hug as she spun the three of them around.
¡°Before you celebrate,¡± Jay said, looking down at the joyful expressions on her companions. ¡°I¡¯m still stuck under several tons worth of lizard.¡±
¡°So help me get out!¡± Dys shouted from under the body, her voice muffled.
Chapter 131: Good Eating
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Level Up!
Mirror Knight has Reached Level 24.
2 Attribute Points Awarded.
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Level Up!
Perverted Ritualist of D has Reached Level 18.
1 Attribute Point Awarded.
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The hydra had, if nothing else, at least given up enough experience to push both of Jadis¡¯ classes over the top. She received no new skills since both were even number levels, but it was still satisfying to see her numbers go up as the three added points in her Eldritch attribute were enough to boost all of her physical stats by a single point. The rest of her team also received levels and when Jadis shared her own progress, the others did the same.
Aila¡¯s Cart Driver class went up a single level, while her Arcanist class went up two levels. Jadis was curious about what kind of skill Cart Driver would offer her at level twenty-one, since in her own class and the others who had classes that reached that level, they had all received some kind of significant enhancement to the base skill that the primary class started with. When Jadis had asked about it, Aila had informed her that she had indeed been offered a skill that would have greatly improved her Smooth Ride skill, but she had not taken it or the other option the system had presented her. Since she wasn¡¯t focused on driving a cart, there wasn¡¯t much point in wasting any of her skill slots on something that had no practical use in battle. Instead, she¡¯d chosen Lesser Arcane Improvement I, which had boosted her Arcane stat by five points and taken her overall score to one hundred and two, combined with Jadis¡¯ boost.
Her Arcanist class received a new skill as well, only this time it was something she actually wanted. Aila had received modification options and had chosen a new trap modification for her spells that looked useful.
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Arcanist¡¯s Snare Trap Modification
Passive Skill. Adds possible variation to any Arcanist spells. Cast a rune circle with a diameter variable based on applied spell to a solid surface. When activated by a living target touching the area within the rune circle, a variable style of snare dependent on applied spell will bind the target to the area of the circle. Base cost of spell decreased by 0.4 times. Duration increased to number of hours equal to 0.5 times arcane attribute.
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According to Aila, even though the spell cost a little more than the spike trap modification, it should prove to be a powerful alternative to the more damaging spell alteration. She doubted that the snare trap would do much damage, if any at all, but if it was anything like other snare spells she¡¯d read about and seen, it wouldn¡¯t disappear shortly after activation like the spike traps and would instead linger, holding down the unfortunate victim either for the duration of the spell or until it was broken. Jadis had to agree, that while it wasn¡¯t a direct damage kind of spell, it did sound like a useful spell depending on the circumstances.
Eir had only gone up a single level, a product of not having much involvement in the fighting before the hydra, Jadis figured. Her progress had been slower than everyone else¡¯s so far thanks to her non-combat nature and that was something Jadis wanted to change. If possible, Jadis wanted to take the cleric out on some solo demon slaying in the future so she could boost her leveling along the same way she had done for Aila. That was a problem for later, though. In the immediate, Eir¡¯s newest skill was a progression of her disease and poison purging spells.
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Remove Lesser Parasite
Active Spell. Cure any lesser or weaker parasites that the target is suffering from. Cannot cure greater or more powerful parasites. Cannot cure diseases or poisons. Cost ¨C 70 magic. Duration ¨C Instantaneous.
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Jadis noted the increased cost compared to the other versions of the spells and when asked why, Eir had explained that technically, demons were considered to be parasites by the system and any skill that could potentially remove them from the bodies of their victims was highly valuable but also generally came with a higher cost as well. Remove Lesser Parasite wasn¡¯t enough to purge any demons from a controlled individual anyway, Eir confided, since even weak demons were considered to be Greater parasites at a minimum, the next step above Lesser in the value system, but the spell still had strong uses. In fact, after having checked to make sure everyone in the group had full health, Eir had used the parasite removal spell on Jadis just to make sure that she had no issues with the more common kind of internal pest.
Kerr had also only gone up a single level in her primary class, but that single level was a lot, or so Kerr had happily explained. Leveling slowed down significantly once a class reached twenty and only got slower the higher the level. To have reached level thirty only a few weeks after reaching level twenty-nine in her Archer class was amazing progress, far faster than any she would normally experience. There was no special reward at level thirty, unfortunately, so Kerr had just put her two free attribute points into her Dexterity, but that was still a big step forward for her. In only another five levels, she would reach CLR sixty and would unlock her Tertiary class, a feat that few people accomplished and, other than longer lived races, most never achieved during the years between demon invasions when no bonus experience was given. Kerr was, understandably, thrilled to have her progress towards one of the major goals in her life accelerated forward so much in so little an amount of time.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
Thea had gone up two levels, in her secondary class alone, which put both her level distribution and CLR into the same pattern as Jadis, funnily enough. The guardswoman had proved to be no slouch in terms of her combat abilities, a fact that Jadis was starting to realize meant Magistrate Vraekae hadn¡¯t just sent basic everyday guards to protect her outside of the city walls but had instead assigned some of her better leveled soldiers with rarer, more powerful classes. That thought also reminded Jadis that she needed to have a long discussion with the Magistrate about her situation once they got back to Far Felsen, but that was another problem for later.
Other than the single free attribute point that Thea had put into her Strength stat to make it a solid twenty-five, her newest skill had been a large attribute booster.
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Shieldsworn¡¯s Magic Resistance
Passive Skill. Increases the Resilience attribute by 8 points.
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The increase was a big one, bringing her Resilience stat up to thirty-four. Jadis was certain that if she wasn¡¯t now used to tossing around attribute boosts of over fifty points to her companions, the eight-point boost would have looked far more impressive.
¡°Just a guess,¡± Jay had said when Thea had told her about her most recent skill, ¡°but I¡¯m thinking the reason you were offered that skill is because you saw through that hydra¡¯s illusion, right?¡±
¡°Probably,¡± Thea said with a shy little shrug.
¡°It¡¯s amazing you were able to catch on so quickly. That could have been a disaster if you hadn¡¯t. Really impressive job in that fight.¡±
¡°I, um, have higher resilience than any of you.¡± Thea modestly waved aside the praise, blushing pink. ¡°And I have, ah, a couple of skills that make it easier to spot the, uh, inconsistencies with illusions. It¡¯s just part of my normal duties standing watch.¡±
¡°Yeah, no. Throwing yourself into the jaws of a giant beast to save my life is not part of normal duties,¡± Dys shook her head, not letting Thea brush what she¡¯d done off as mere duty. ¡°That was fucking amazing and also stupid as all hell. Seriously, thank you for putting yourself between me and those teeth, but in the name of D don¡¯t do something so reckless again. That was fucking nuts.¡±
Thea looked pleased, ashamed, and bashful all at the same time, an interesting mix of emotions to see on one person¡¯s face. Jadis didn¡¯t press the issue of Thea almost leaping straight down a monster¡¯s gullet any further, though. It would have come across as more than a little hypocritical, considering her own proclivity towards bold and reckless action. In reality, she admired the guts the guard had to even think of attempting such a crazy stunt.
The problem with having pulled off the amazing, insanely reckless stunt, though, was now Thea had no shield. And without a shield, a lot of her class utility was gone. There was no easy answer to that problem, unfortunately, but there was at least some potential for a solution, given some time and creativity.
At Kerr¡¯s insistence, the group spent some time butchering the massive hydra carcass that now blocked the long tunnel. Both she and Aila lamented not being able to bring the whole thing back to the city for processing, as the rare magical beast would have been worth a huge amount of gold if they sold its parts to various different crafters like alchemists and leather workers. They couldn¡¯t take it all, but they did take some parts, such as a collection of fangs, claws, and some of the larger scales from its hide. Kerr also insisted they take the monster¡¯s liver, not as an ingredient for an alchemist, but as a prize for them to eat.
¡°This is a delicacy,¡± she said with a toothy grin, holding up a bloody liver that had to weigh as much as Eir. ¡°You have no idea how fucking jealous all the lazy scum sacks back home would be to know that we get to taste a hydra liver.¡±
¡°Is it really that good?¡± Syd asked skeptically. Jadis had never been a big fan of liver when she¡¯d tried it back on Earth and she couldn¡¯t imagine it coming from a hydra would make much of a difference.
Before answering, and to Jadis¡¯ shock, Kerr bit into the liver, tearing out a raw chunk of the still warm organ meat.
¡°So. Fucking. Good.¡± Kerr moaned around her mouthful in a way that mirrored when she¡¯d had a different kind of meat stuffing her not too long ago.
With a little prodding and goading from the therion, everyone else sampled the liver as well and, having tasted it, Jadis had to admit that it was actually amazing. Despite the coppery tang from the blood, the liver had a flavor surprisingly similar to fatty salmon sushi, a favorite food of hers that Jadis had figured she¡¯d likely never get the chance to eat again.
Between the three of Jadis and the others taking decent chunks out of the liver as well, there was a lot less of the liver left after their impromptu taste test than Jadis had expected there to be. Cutting up what remained, they stored the meat in some of their leather bags for later.
The last thing they ended up taking from the Hydra corpse was a collection of its bones. Peeling the flesh and viscera from large pieces of rib and other bones was a challenge, one that they couldn¡¯t spend too much time on, but Jadis managed to gather together a decent amount of the skeletal material. She hoped that, with the use of some rope, she might be able to cobble together some kind of makeshift shield for Thea to use. It was probably a futile effort, but she figured even a crappy shield made from bones was better than no shield at all, especially since Thea¡¯s skills boosted the defensive power of any shield she equipped.
They were all tired after their long day of underground travel and fighting, especially after the hydra encounter, but they decided to push further on, since sticking around the giant corpse was probably a bad idea. The smell of blood and decay was no doubt going to attract scavengers of all sorts, some of which could be hostile.
Jadis led her companions further along the tunnel, leaving behind the slain hydra. She would have liked to have gathered more components from the fallen beast as well, but practicality dictated that they couldn¡¯t waste more time around the corpse, not when their position was so insecure and they still didn¡¯t know how much further they needed to travel before they could get out of the cavern system.
Besides, Jadis did not want to run into another Hydra so soon, even if its liver did taste great.
They travelled for another couple of hours, putting a good distance between them and the hydra carcass before finally veering off the main path and taking refuge in a small off-shoot cavern that had no other exits. After eating, everyone fell asleep quickly as at least one of Jadis¡¯ bodies stood watch by the entrance at all times, trading off the duty several times. At one point, Thea woke and joined Dys in her vigil, silently standing guard with her spear in hand, offering little conversation but at least keeping her company via her presence. After what had to have been six or eight hours, the group woke and shared a breakfast of trail rations and hydra liver, then resumed their trek through the tunnel.
Their path forward went smoothly with little interruption from magic beasts. Occasionally, Jadis saw signs of giant yellow salamanders or other large creatures in the dark, but the beasts seemed to be avoiding them, all quickly scurrying off into side passages before Jadis¡¯ group could get close. When Jadis pointed the oddity out, Aila posited that the creatures were probably being scared off by the smell of the hydra blood coming from the bones and liver and other trophies they carried with them.
Kerr took immediate credit for the repelling effects of carrying around hydra scent with them, though Jadis had the distinct impression that Kerr had not had any idea the hydra smell would be so effective at clearing their way.
Hours later, around the time Jadis was considering calling for a rest, both Kerr and Eir perked up at the same time.
¡°You hear that?¡± Kerr called out excitedly, her furry ears poking out from her helmet swiveling around dramatically.
¡°I do!¡± Eir agreed, her own red ears perking up. ¡°I can hear it!¡±
¡°Hear what?¡± Aila asked, looking around the dim tunnel cautiously.
¡°Wind!¡± Eir said, followed a moment later by Kerr.
¡°I can hear fucking wind, freckles! There¡¯s an exit nearby!¡±
Chapter 132: Dog in a Kennel
Sunlight filtered down onto Jadis¡¯ face, a glorious sensation she¡¯d been missing for far too long. A fresh scent of pine filled her nose as she breathed in a deep lungful of wonderfully clean air, untainted by the dank staleness of uncounted years in a cave. She smiled, eyes closed, appreciating the warmth of the late summer day for a few moments longer before sighing in resignation.
¡°There¡¯s no way we¡¯re fitting through there,¡± Jay informed her companions. ¡°None of us could fit through that hole, not even Eir.¡±
Syd hung from a ledge in the rock formation along the cavern ceiling, nearly thirty feet off the floor. A small hole in the rock proved to be the source of the wind Kerr and Eir had heard, a mostly straight tunnel that led to the surface. It looked more like the product of natural erosion than a tunnel dug by some creature, to Jadis¡¯ admittedly untrained eye, but either way the hole was far too small for any of them to fit through. Leading up into the ceiling at a forty-five-degree angle, the channel went through at least fifteen feet of rock. Even with her immense strength, Jadis was certain she wouldn¡¯t be able to break her way through that much solid stone, not without risking some kind of collapse, and definitely not while awkwardly hanging from the ceiling.
¡°Where do we go from here then?¡± Aila asked after Jay had explained what her other self could see from her position.
¡°P¡ªperhaps we should fan out. Um, sort of, spread out from this cave, see if we can find another exit?¡± Thea suggested, looking up at where Syd was still hanging from the ceiling.
¡°There¡¯s no guarantee there¡¯ll be another way out nearby,¡± Kerr said with a grimace, cursing under her breath.
¡°Lacking other options, I say we just search the area like Thea says,¡± Dys shrugged. ¡°Unless someone has another idea?¡±
No one else did. And so, once Syd had dropped down, the group began a thorough search of the cavern and adjacent tunnels near the small open shaft teasing them with freedom.
It was decidedly a challenge for Jadis, being so close to the surface and not being able to escape, but she tried to keep positive about the situation. At least she now had proof positive that they hadn¡¯t somehow ended up five miles under the surface and were hopelessly lost in the tunnels that crisscrossed the underside of the world. That had been a serious concern of hers for a while there.
The group was methodical in their search, marking each tunnel by carving signs into the stone as they went. Several of the tunnels led downward but Jadis made sure to check them anyway, at least up until it became clear that the tunnel wasn¡¯t going to start heading upward. Kerr and Eir were constantly listening for signs of the surface, ears twitching at every hint of a sound, but nothing ever caught their attention like the one ceiling vent. At one point, the group came across a cave chamber that looked like it had been home to some predator in years past, bones and shells of all kinds scattered about the stone floor, but there was no sign of the predator itself, or any exit.
After a couple of hours the group was forced to call it quits, weariness having grown too great for those with lesser endurance. They decided to camp in a tunnel with a dead end leading directly off of the main cavern. As tired as most of them were, Jadis was too wound up to sleep right away and told them all to get rest while she worked on a project.
One of the bits and pieces they¡¯d found discarded in the one chamber was a large piece of pill bug shell still in good condition. The purple chitin was thick and strong but not particularly heavy in Jadis¡¯ opinion. The shell curved slightly and was smaller than Thea¡¯s old shield, but with some effort Jadis was certain she could put together something usable for the guard to equip. It took a few tries to get it right, but with the use of her daggers, some of the hydra bones, and a lot of effort, Jadis managed to carve the shell into a rough approximation of a shield, with a piece of bone affixed between two holes on the upper and lower curves to act as a handle.
It took a few hours, but Jadis was eventually satisfied with the results. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was a big step over nothing.
As she sat there in the dark surrounded by various bone materials, staring at the product of her labor, a thought went through her head, a reminder of an earlier question that she had put aside. The others were asleep and there was nothing else to keep Jadis occupied, so she decided to indulge the whim. Quietly, Jadis pulled open Aila¡¯s backpack and retrieved the metal and glass cube containing the demon hatchling.
One of Jadis¡¯ bodies stood guard near the tunnel exit, but the other two sat down with their legs spread out before them, making a diamond shape between them. Setting the cube down in the middle, Jadis took a few of the various bones she¡¯d collected and placed them around the cube with about a foot of space between the bones and the container.
The small demon wriggled inside of its cube prison, its one large neon-blue eye staring first at Jay, then Dys, then at the collection of skeletal remains. Aside from some small shifts in its tentacles and the occasional movement of its pupil as it looked between her and the bones, Jadis saw no reaction from the demon.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
¡°Okay, a little closer then,¡± Jay whispered, then pushed the bones so they were directly next to the cube, some even touching the glass.
Still there was no reaction from the demon. No magic runes floating in the air like she¡¯d seen from bone thieves regenerating in the past, no attempts from the demon to break its way out to get to the bones. It just sat there, watching.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
Jadis nearly jumped at the whispered words, her two selves having focused entirely on the tiny demon in its box. Looking over, she saw Aila sitting up from her bedroll, brows furrowed as she took in the scene.
¡°I¡¯m testing to see if it will try and use the bones,¡± Jay whispered back, motioning for Aila to come closer.
At her beckoning, Aila joined Jadis and sat leaning against Jay¡¯s side, legs curled up under her as she watched the little demon.
¡°No reaction, I take it?¡±
¡°None,¡± Jay shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s a bone thief at all, since it isn¡¯t doing anything like I¡¯ve seen the others do.¡±
¡°Maybe it¡¯s still too young?¡± Aila mused, looking at the hatchling in much the same way a chef might eye a suspiciously soft vegetable. ¡°I have no idea how long it takes demons to reach a point where they are more than hatchlings, but I doubt it takes all that long. If it did, we wouldn¡¯t have so many of them ravaging our lands, destroying everything they can.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Jay murmured, considering the possibilities. After a few moments of further inaction on the hatchling¡¯s part, she tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Time to remove a variable.¡±
With that, Dys reached out and unlatched the metal cube, opening the top and laying it on its side. With bated breath, Jadis watched to see what the demon would do.
Slowly, with what looked like hesitance or caution, the hatchling slipped first one, then a couple more of its tentacles out of its steel and glass cage. With almost glacial movements, it wiggled its way out of the container and onto the cave floor, its eye darting around in many directions. As it moved, one of its tentacles made contact with a bone and the demon recoiled, inching back for a few moments before it stretched its dark, almost jet-black appendage out again, slowly running it across and around the piece of bone.
Now that she was seeing the hatchling wriggle across the ground, Jadis decided that it looked more like a messed-up starfish than a squid or octopus. There was no bulging sack body or mantle on the creature, just a large single eye on top of a central core from which a dozen tentacles radiated. If the demon didn¡¯t have the cyclopean eye, she could have been convinced that it was just some odd natural creature native to the shores of Oros instead of a highly destructive force of evil.
After a minute or two, Jadis noticed that the demon seemed to gain some confidence in its movements as it slid across the collection of bones more quickly, wrapping its tentacles around them curiously. It still made no attempt to cast any kind of spell that Jadis could tell. No bones moved or shifted to create a bone thief shell or core and nothing obviously harmful occurred.
¡°I¡¯m not seeing anything magical happening,¡± Jay finally commented aloud. ¡°How about you?¡±
¡°Nothing,¡± Aila replied, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t¡ª¡±
Her words were cut off as the hatchling¡¯s eye swiveled around to look at her and Jay, then it began gliding across the cave floor towards the both of them.
¡°Woah,¡± Jay said as the demon moved close to her leg. ¡°Stop right there, little guy.¡±
It continued forward and, realizing it was dumb to expect a demon hatchling to react to her words, Jay slapped her hand down on the ground in front of the wriggling mass of tentacles and more firmly growled out a single command like she was talking to a disobedient dog.
¡°No!¡±
To her surprise, the demon stopped. Its tentacles pulled in close to its body as it curled up, making its profile small as it came to a complete stop. Its neon-blue eye stared up at Jay, unblinking and focused solely on her.
¡°Oh,¡± Aila whispered softly. ¡°That¡¯s unexpected.¡±
¡°Yeah¡¡± Jay trailed off, staring at the little hatchling.
After another few moments of no change, Jay mentally shrugged and lifted her hand from the ground, then pointed at the cube.
¡°Back,¡± she commanded sternly, her voice as deep as she could make it without getting loud.
The hatchling¡¯s eye looked at the pointing finger, then back at Jay, but otherwise the demon made no attempt to move from its curled-up position.
¡°Back!¡± Jay repeated, motioning with her finger to point first at the hatchling, then at the metal and glass cube. She repeated the command and hand motion a third time after another minute of no reaction.
To both Jadis and Aila¡¯s shock, after the third command, the demon hatchling moved. Slowly but steadily it wriggled back across the cave floor, moving across the pile of bones to reach the cube. Without any hesitance it slid back inside and curled up again, staring out at the two women as they watched in silence.
After waiting a second to make sure nothing else was about to happen, Dys reached over and tipped the cube back upright and closed the lid, latching it firmly as the demon sat patiently inside. Once the lid was secured, the hatchling seemed to relax, its tentacles unfurling as it started moving around inside the cube.
¡°Alright, that was kind of weird,¡± Jay said, watching the hatchling resume its normal activity inside of its cage.
¡°Very¡¡± Aila agreed, clearly nonplused.
¡°Kind of like a dog,¡± Dys mused, running a hand through her white hair. ¡°Sort of listens to commands.¡±
¡°And went back to its ¡®kennel¡¯ when we told it to,¡± Jay continued the line of thought.
¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise to think of a demon as some kind of puppy,¡± Aila said with a frown. ¡°But I see what you mean, to a certain extent.¡±
¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough experimenting for tonight,¡± Jay sighed, picking up the cube and looking at the demon curiously for a moment longer before tucking the hatchling away into Aila¡¯s pack. ¡°I think I¡¯m ready for some sleep now.¡±
Wrapping Aila up in two sets of arms, Jay and Dys laid down and tried to rest while Syd kept on watch for a while longer. For a long time, though, Jadis¡¯ thoughts continued to spin in circles over the possibilities and implications of having successfully commanded a demon into doing what she wanted.
Chapter 133: Finally Free
Jadis was happy to be able to say that she woke up in the morning. Not that she feared waking, but because it had been so long since she¡¯d been able to say with certainty that it was, in fact, the morning. The small skylight in the cavern let through enough light to show that it was well and truly the start of a new day. Putting aside the oddity of her interaction with her pet demon hatchling, Jadis felt confident that today would be the day that her group of sexual deviants would finally be able to say goodbye to the tunnel system they had been lost in for who knew how many days.
As it turned out, she was wrong.
It ended up taking another five days following the long tunnel, stopping to make quick searches down promising-looking side caves before they finally found their exit. And when they did finally find it, they almost skipped it since it seemed like it had so little potential for escape. Fortunately, Thea had volunteered to squeeze into the tight confines of a tiny hole, leaving her spear and makeshift shield behind with Jadis while she checked the feasibility of escape.
The way out proved to be a cramped, contorted tunnel that Jadis¡¯ bodies could barely squeeze their way through, but it was an exit and it proved worthy of suffering through the claustrophobia. Beyond the damp, lichen-covered walls of a channel that Jadis had to crawl on her belly to pull herself through was the underside of a partially uprooted giant pine tree, its many exposed roots acting as the only barrier to the surface world.
¡°Thank the gods,¡± Aila sighed as she kneeled in a bed of moss, her face turned up to the sun¡¯s light filtering through the canopy high above. ¡°I never want to go underground again.¡±
¡°You and me both,¡± Jadis readily agreed.
She had taken a slightly less elegant approach to enjoying her newfound independence from the confines of Oros¡¯ underbelly. All of Jadis¡¯ bodies lay fully stretched out on the ground, helmets off and limbs splayed wide, as they basked in the warmth of an afternoon sun filtered through the boughs of giant pines.
Eir knelt nearby, her hands clasped in prayer as she thanked her patron goddess for whatever role she might have played in their escape from the caves. Glancing at the red-skinned elf, Jadis had to stifle a grin at the way Eir looked in her new garments. Walking around in nothing but her skivvies had gotten old, so Jadis had cut a hole in a blanket and used some rope to make a belt for the cleric, giving her at least a passable attempt at a makeshift tunic. Wearing what looked like undyed rough spun cloth with a rope belt combined extraordinarily well with the image of a woman knelt in prayer, making Eir look like some kind of penitent eremite.
Of course, Jadis¡¯ perverted thoughts couldn¡¯t help but stray to how Eir had knelt before her the night before when they had been renewing their lover¡¯s bond rituals, creating an entirely separate image at odds with the one the priestess presented kneeling among the tree roots.
¡°Okay, just stating the obvious here, but I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯re in the Great Southern Forest,¡± Kerr announced, holding a fistful of pine needles close her nose as she breathed deeply. ¡°That doesn¡¯t narrow things down much, but it¡¯s something.¡±
¡°That means we went north,¡± Thea quietly pointed out, glancing around the small clearing they were currently idling in.
¡°North,¡± Dys echoed as she sat up to look around. ¡°But how far north? We were on the east side of Weigrun, forty or so miles from Far Felsen up the coast, right?¡±
¡°Right,¡± Aila nodded, getting to her feet. ¡°The distance between Alawar and the border of the Broken Hills and The Great Southern Forest was around twenty miles, I think. So we¡¯re sixty miles from Far Felsen, at a minimum.¡±
¡°So, what, we just start heading south now?¡±
¡°No,¡± Aila shook her head at Jay. ¡°First we want to get our bearings, orient to some landmarks before we just start wandering.¡±
Jadis¡¯ three selves glanced around the colossal pine trees surrounding them, the massive growths blocking out all vision of anything more than a few hundred feet beyond them.
¡°How?¡±
Kerr scoffed, clicking her tongue at Jadis.
¡°Bon sang, big stuff,¡± she chided. ¡°Have you never climbed a tree before?¡±
With that, Kerr turned and began to quickly skitter up the side of one of the giant pines, her claws digging into the bark as she easily scaled the tree that had to be at least three hundred feet tall, if not more.
¡°Oh,¡± Jadis said mildly, feeling a little dumb.
Then, Jadis¡¯ competitive spirit kicked in. Getting to her feet, Jay glanced over the tree, looking for a way to climb it too. She didn¡¯t have Kerr¡¯s claws so digging her fingers into the bark was out of the question.
Or was it?
With a prodigious vertical leap to give her a head start, Jay leapt into the air and grabbed hold of the pine¡¯s thick, rough outer bark. One chunk came off the tree in her hand as her full weight hit, but her other hand held firm as she began scrambling up after Kerr. As soon as she got to the point where there were branches to grasp, Jay began launching herself along, forcing a cursing Kerr to struggle to keep up. Despite her lead, Jay managed to beat Kerr to the top of the tree by a few seconds, prompting more undoubtedly rude phrases in languages Jadis couldn¡¯t speak.
¡°It¡¯s pretty up here, though,¡± Jay pointed out once Kerr had simmered down and had draped herself over Jay¡¯s shoulder, idly chewing on her ear.
¡°It is,¡± Kerr agreed.
The sun was starting to set in the far west, the great golden orb just barely touching the horizon. A sea of green treetops surrounded them, stretching on past sight to both the east and the south. To the north, the snowcapped mountains loomed far closer than Jadis had seen them in a while, their peaks casting long shadows. To the east, Jadis could make out a dark strip on the edge of the horizon she was fairly certain was the sea.
¡°Merde,¡± Kerr sighed, her green eyes taking in the landscape. ¡°We went way further north than I figured. We¡¯re probably a hundred and fifty to two hundred miles north of the border right now.¡±
¡°What, seriously?¡± Jay asked, startled by the assessment.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
¡°Yes,¡± Kerr confirmed, pointing at the mountains. ¡°I know that peak. We¡¯re not all that far from where Kalters Wall hits the eastern coast. Considering how many curves and dead ends we took, I¡¯m surprised we got this far. We must have been down in that pit for way fucking longer than we thought.¡±
¡°Well, at least we¡¯ve got a bearing now,¡± Jay said as her other selves relayed the information to the others waiting on the forest floor. ¡°At least I can run all out in the forest, unlike in those shitty tunnels.¡±
¡°So you¡¯re saying I¡¯ll get to ride you again?¡±
¡°Absolutely,¡± Jay easily agreed, matching Kerr¡¯s saucy grin.
Once the two were back down on the ground, the group decided it was late enough in the day that there was no point in starting their long trek back to the city right away. Instead, they set up camp and discussed their plans on how they would proceed.
From what Aila, Kerr, and Thea remembered of the maps they¡¯d seen of Weigrun and their own explorations, a small village, closer to a roadside waystation than anything else, should have been located somewhere in the Great Southern Forest to the southwest of their location. The village was, of course, abandoned, but the road was what they wanted to get to anyway. Following the road that led to the south from that village would be the quickest way for them to find their way back to civilization. Of course, they could just head straight south to reach the border between the forest and the Broken Hills. The mercenary companies in Weigrun patrolled the border constantly and had dozens upon dozens of small forts set up all along the demarcation line, so no matter what they would be able to find people who could help them get back to Felsen. Still, the road would be better for travel, so they would at least aim in the direction of the village to see if they could find the road.
While they talked, Jadis helped Kerr improvise some arrows to fill her quiver. With the sacrifice of some pigeon-like woodland bird, they even managed to fletch them, though they were far from professionally done. With a couple dozen crude arrows for Kerr and an ugly but functional shield for Thea, Jadis felt like the two were much closer to their full capabilities than not.
It was with a general sense of excitement and relief that they set out in the morning, the crisp fresh wind blowing at their backs from the mountains. Since they wanted to travel as fast as possible, Jadis had her companions ride on her backs so she could jog at a speed only she was capable of. Jay carried Aila in her arms while Dys did the same for Eir. Kerr rode on Dys¡¯ back while Thea rode on Syd¡¯s. At first Kerr objected to being carried around like a child in her words, but then Jadis started running full tilt and the only words out of her mouth were shouts and hollers of joy as Jadis treated her to the kind of speeds horses would have struggled to keep up with.
Over the course of the day they passed by signs of humans, or rather civilized creatures, having been in the area, such as cut down trees or camp remains, however none of it looked recent. They also came across bone thieves and bramble fiends, the now horrendously underpowered demons wandering aimlessly through the forest. Jadis was tempted to just run by and ignore them, but on Eir¡¯s insistence that such dangerous creatures couldn¡¯t be allowed to freely stalk the woods where they might happen across others less able to defend themselves, Jadis stopped to slay them whenever she came across the feckless demons. There weren¡¯t that many, though, so they didn¡¯t stop often.
At her current level of strength, the once frightening bone thieves were so non-threatening to her that she was almost tempted to capture another demon for study purposes. She decided against it, however. One little devil hitchhiking with them was enough for the time being.
Some time after noon, the group stumbled across the village they had been looking for, Thea spotting the clearing it was built in. The unnamed village was, as expected, completely abandoned and in poor condition from a couple years of neglect, but as promised it was built on a road leading southwest. Not bothering to loot any of the crumbing structures, they elected to simply travel on, making as much distance down the path as they could before nightfall.
With a cleared road to run on, Jadis was able to make even greater time as she carried her companions along with as much speed as she could reasonably sustain. By nightfall, Jadis estimated that they had travelled more than half the distance to the border and probably would have been there already if travel through the untamed woods hadn¡¯t slowed their progress down. Jadis hoped that night would be their last time camped out in the wilderness before they made it back to Felsen and a warm bed.
A bed that hopefully had a few of her companions still in it.
¡°So, when we get back,¡± Dys addressed Kerr and Eir as they jogged along the road the next morning. ¡°I know I¡¯m planning on taking a break and sleeping for, I dunno, maybe a week? But after that, I was hoping we might be able to go on more outings together.¡±
¡°You were?¡± Kerr replied, a bit of surprise in her tone.
¡°Yes. Like, as a team. On maybe a more regular basis. If the two of you are up for it. Which I could understand if you aren¡¯t, considering this whole insane adventure we¡¯ve been on, but¡ª¡±
¡°Damn right I¡¯ll go hunting with you again,¡± Kerr cut Dys off. She squeezed one of her arms around Dys¡¯ neck. ¡°I was worried you wouldn¡¯t want to partner with me again since I was the one who suggested this igrya of a mission in the first place. Besides, if you think I¡¯m giving up on this stat boost and thigh-quivering fucking if I can help it, you¡¯re as dumb as you are sexy.¡±
¡°I also would be loath to cut our ties now,¡± Eir spoke up from her spot in Dys¡¯ arms. ¡°I was assigned to be your healer by the temple, but even if they took that assignment away and gave it to another, I would still remain by your side. It would take the word of my goddess to dissuade me.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Dys said, feeling just a little emotional over the sincerity in her two companions¡¯ sentiments, even if they had two wildly different ways of expressing their affections. ¡°I, uh, I¡¯m really glad to hear that. I like having you two around.¡±
As Dys hid her embarrassment from Eir and Kerr who both fawned and teased her in their own unique ways, Syd thought over what she was going to say to Thea.
Jadis had decided she liked Thea, the shy guard having proved both her worth and her dedicated loyalty. Hells, the woman had literally thrown herself into the jaws of a hydra to protect her. How couldn¡¯t Jadis trust the guardswoman after that?
The problem was, as reliable and kind and cute as Thea was, her loyalty was at the very least split, since she was a soldier who served the Empire, and more specifically, Magistrate Vraekae. Jadis wasn¡¯t as upset over the Magistrate¡¯s interference in her life, not after some time to distance herself from her initial reaction and the obvious benefits she¡¯d reaped from it in the form of Eir and the guards, but still. If Thea was dutybound to follow Vraekae¡¯s orders, then Jadis wasn¡¯t sure she could offer Thea a spot on her ¡®team¡¯, as it were. But she also didn¡¯t think she could ask the career military woman to just abandon her position and oath to take up arms with her as an independent mercenary. At least with Kerr, she was already an independent and thus was free to do as she pleased, and Eir wasn¡¯t actually part of the same power structure and had no conflict of interest by wanting to stick with her. Could the same be said for Thea?
¡°So, Thea,¡± Syd started, drawing out her words a little as they ran along. ¡°When we get back to Far Felsen¡¡±
¡°Ah, yes?¡± Thea replied, her voice betraying nervousness.
¡°Well, I¡¯ve been thinking it over,¡± Syd said, ¡°and I want to talk to you about a few things. Is there any chance¡ª¡±
Syd¡¯s next words were cut off as Aila caught Jay¡¯s attention, pointing to the slivers of the sky that could be seen through the trees ahead.
¡°Do you see that? I think that¡¯s smoke! Something¡¯s burning!¡±
Her attention immediately switched to the potential for danger as Jadis focused ahead, seeing the dark clouds of black smoke billowing through the trees in the distance. Without hesitation Jadis picked up her pace from a jog to a sprint. In a few minutes they crested a pine crowned hilltop and were able to look down through the trees to the edge of the forest, their sightline along the road unobstructed.
There, at the edge of the forest where the strange broken hill landscape began, a wood-walled fort sat, flames engulfing its watchtower while disjointed, inhuman shadows roved around and through the clearing. The smell of burning wood and charred flesh filled Jadis¡¯ noses as the winds shifted, carrying the column of smoke their way. Even as she watched, a creature with too many wide, burning wings rose up from the center of the fort and let out a chilling wail as it began flying away, heading to the southwest.
The demons had gotten to the border forts first.
Chapter 134: Bloody Reception
¡°What the fuck is that?¡± Jay cursed as she watched the flame-winged thing soar away to the south. ¡°Seriously, what the fuck?¡±
She couldn¡¯t get a clear view of the abomination, but from what little she could see of it, the red, flaming creature had a dozen oddly shaped, asymmetrical wings sprouting out of its oscillating body at every angle. She had no idea what kind of creature could possibly function with a body structure like that.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Aila shook her head. ¡°I think that¡¯s a greater demon¡¡±
¡°A what?¡±
Jadis had never heard the term before, at least not on Oros. As far as she knew, it was just demons and demon matriarchs. And the demon lord, she supposed, whatever that mysterious individual entailed.
¡°Whatever that shit is doesn¡¯t matter right now!¡± Kerr shouted, slapping Dys on the side of her helmeted head. ¡°We need to get down there!¡±
Fuck. She was right, Jadis immediately recognized. There could be soldiers down in the fort fighting for their lives at that very moment. Figuring out what the flying fiery figure was had to be a secondary concern since it was retreating into the distance.
Without another word, Jadis sprinted down the hill, weaving between giant pines to get back on the road. Even at her top speed it still took a few minutes to get to the fort and the closer they got, the worse the situation looked.
The gates of the fort stood open, one hanging loose on a single hinge. Bodies lay scattered around the gate, both inhuman and not. The watchtower in the center of the fort wasn¡¯t the only structure on fire, either. Tents and other temporary buildings could be seen burning as well. The sounds of screaming animals, horses and aurochs, could be heard coming from somewhere out of sight, but so too could the sound of battle. Somewhere inside, at least a few mercenaries were still fighting for their lives.
There was a ditch dug around the fort to make it harder to assault, wooden stakes lining the base of it. Jadis leapt over the barrier with ease and once on the other side, bodies of demons all around her feet, she set her companions down and spoke a quick word.
¡°Thea, stay back with Eir and Aila, keep them safe and shout if you need me back. Kerr, shoot down anything that I can¡¯t get to. Aila, save your magic as much as you can and stick to traps. I don¡¯t think this is the only place under attack. Eir, focus on healing others before me. I¡¯ll come to you for healing if I need it.¡±
Jadis didn¡¯t wait to hear any counterarguments to her plan of action. There was no time. Her bodies immediately turned and dashed into the fort proper.
Smoke choked the air and made it hard to see, but there was no hiding the carnage. Dozens upon dozens of demon corpses lay strewn across the ground, mixed with the viciously savaged bodies of mercenaries. Off to one side, Jadis could see twisted wretches and bone thieves attacking the mounts and other beasts of burden that the mercenaries had kept in their stables, the demons slaughtering the unprotected animals with evident relish. The fate of the poor creatures couldn¡¯t be her concern at the moment, though. A far larger number of demons were surrounding what looked to be a barracks or similar structure and from within Jadis could hear the shouts of men caught up in combat.
Jay, Dys, and Syd ran forward at three different angles, reaching the long side of the wooden building. With big, sweeping strikes, Jay and Dys slammed their heavy weapons into the demons from behind, catching many of them off guard. With each powerful swing, Jadis killed a lesser demonic aberration, sending their broken bodies flying to the sides as she waded into them like giant harbingers of destruction.
Syd took a more controlled approach, lancing demons as they turned and tried to counterattack, keeping any of the wretches or bone thieves from flanking her other two selves. There were dozens of the demons, though, and even as she slaughtered them, more came around from the other sides of the building to launch themselves at her, heedless of their own safety.
An arrow struck one horse-like wretch as it disjointedly crawled across the roof of the building, sending it collapsing down onto the ground before it could leap on top of Jay. Glancing back for a brief moment, Syd saw Kerr standing on top of an overturned wagon, bow drawn as she took precise shots, sniping demons that tried to break off from the main melee or attack Jadis¡¯ bodies at oblique angles.
On the ground near her Jadis saw Aila, a look of concentration on her freckled face as she focused on placing magical traps, not by Jadis and the barracks but around the stables where the other demons were starting to turn from their grim butchering of helpless animals. Instead of creating the smaller spike traps, she was making much larger traps that had rune circles three feet in diameter. It seemed her range was limited as she couldn¡¯t put them too close to the stables, but they covered far more ground. As one of the wretches, its horribly twisted body dripping with blood, turned and charged towards Kerr and Aila, it crossed one of the circles and triggered its effect. Ghostly force chains appeared around the edges of the rune circle and snapped tight around the demon, holding it in place. It struggled wildly to get free, but the demon lacked the strength to break the bonds that held it and was forced to yowl and squirm helplessly. Much to Jadis¡¯ surprise, the traps weren¡¯t a one-and-done spell either. When another demon tried to pass the trapped demon and stepped a foot in the circle, the chains wrapped around its leg too, arresting its momentum as it too was held in place.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
As more demons tried to rush Kerr and Aila and fell victim to her traps, Thea stood to the fore, her makeshift shield to the front as she stood firm against any demons that somehow avoided the traps. Whenever one managed to get past the snares, she would meet them with her shield, slamming into them with surprising force, knocking them back and either down on the ground or into one of the traps. When one of the demons would strike her, Thea forged on unfazed, her newly boosted Fortitude protecting her from any non-critical blows.
Eir knelt in the shadow of the overturned wagon and at first it seemed she was only hiding, trying to stay out of the way. But then Syd saw that the priestess was actually checking the bodies of the mercenaries scattered nearby. When her hands found one man who Jadis assumed had to be dead, she held him tightly as she began to glow a purifying holy light. In a few moments, the man was stirring and slowly sitting up, his vitality restored. In another few moments he was standing, a bloody sword in one hand and a shield in the other as he turned to help Thea.
The glimpses Jadis got of her companions showed that they were doing well which took at least one worry off of her shoulders, but she couldn¡¯t afford to get distracted by watching the more than competent women do their work. She had her own battle to fight and from the sounds of things inside the barracks, she needed to finish it. Fast.
Jay¡¯s mallet crushed a bone thief against the wooden wall as it tried to crawl through a window, splintering its thick core shell and splashing viscous black goo everywhere as the demon inside was squashed like a blackberry. Ducking down to look inside the window, Jay caught a look at the chaos within. Six or seven men were inside, desperately fighting against demons from multiple angles. There was no orderly line of shields, just a scrum of a melee as man and monster wrestled on the ground amidst the bodies of the dead and the overturned wreckage of bunk beds.
A wretch made from the body of some unfortunate bovine hit Jay on her side, digging its split-hooved claws into her thigh as it tried to topple her. Grabbing the demonically mutated cow around the neck with one hand, Jay lifted it high and then tossed it to the side where Dys caught it mid air with a swing of her maul, the force of her blow rupturing its body and sending a shower of blood and gore across the remaining demons as it was split in two.
There were far fewer demons on the outside of the barracks now, but still enough to block Jadis from easily getting in to help the men who were being overrun. Even as she killed another bone thief, Jadis heard the sound of a wretch inside spewing flesh-melting acid and the concurrent screams of whoever had the misfortune to be caught in the spray. Even if there weren¡¯t dozens left of the demons, just getting through the door was a problem for Jadis, both for its size compared to her and because of the bodies and other wreckage blocking the way. She needed to get inside, and she couldn¡¯t wait to clear the entrance of hostiles.
¡°Get back if you can!¡± Dys shouted at the men inside, though she knew the warning was futile. The mercs weren¡¯t able to be choosy about their positions.
With an overhead swing, Dys chopped down onto the roof of the barracks over the window. Her improvised maul crushed the wood more than split it, sending splinters in a cloud around her. She continued chopping, then reverted to grabbing the wooden beams and just ripping them aside, making her own entrance to the building. In a few seconds, she was through and Dys was able to duck into the barracks, her helmeted head knocking against the gables.
As quickly as she could, Dys moved to help the mercenaries. There was no point in trying to swing her maul inside the barracks, it was too big and she was just as likely to hit a man as a demon, so instead she dropped her weapon and just started pulling the demons off of the mercs and tossing them to one side. One bone thief had leapt on top of a man, his arms and legs pinned to the ground by many limbs as it savaged his armored body with even more bony appendages. Dys grabbed the demon from behind and lifted it straight up, slamming it into the ceiling and shattering its skeletal body. Grimacing, she reached inside and crushed the squirming tentacles within with her bare hand before tossing aside the broken shell.
The man was stunned, but breathing, so Dys left him where he was and turned to the next.
Outside, Jay and Syd continued to strike down every demon that charged her, their numbers thinning more and more. A shout from Aila caught Jadis¡¯ attention and she looked to see that all the demons from the stables had been either killed by Kerr and Thea or were contained by Aila¡¯s snare traps. Aila pointed and Jadis followed her finger to see that Thea stood over Eir, the guard watching over the cleric as she quickly rushed from one body to another across the courtyard, checking for more mercenaries that could be saved.
¡°Eir, come this way!¡± Jay shouted her command. ¡°Kerr, Thea, whoever the fuck you are!¡± she called out, indicating the newly healed soldier that was finishing off a demon that was half-sticking out of one of Aila¡¯s snares, ¡°Get over here! Let¡¯s finish this!¡±
As her companions moved in to aid in ending the remaining demons surrounding the barracks, inside Dys cursed. Tossing aside another wretch she found the man beneath dead, his throat ripped out, a pool of blood surrounding him. Before she could even move onto the next, another mercenary cried out as a demon ripped open his thigh, splattering blood everywhere as it dealt a lethal blow with its claws. Dys couldn¡¯t get to the men fast enough, the confines of the barracks making it difficult just to move much less fight. But Dys powered through, shrugging off a wretch as it leapt on her back, teeth tearing into her arm before she ripped it free and hurled it against another demon, crushing them both.
She kept on, grabbing and tearing, ripping and crushing bone thieves and twisted wretches almost blindly, moving in a whirlwind of reckless slaughter, blood dripping from her helmet and hands and every part between until Dys reached out to another enemy and it cried out in fear. It was only then that she stopped to realize she had grabbed a man by his arm, his boots dangling above the floor as she held the mercenary up and ready to toss against the pile of bodies she¡¯d made.
¡°Sorry,¡± Dys panted out, blinking the blood and sweat out of her eyes. ¡°I, uh¡ªI¡¯m sorry.¡±
¡°By Valtar,¡± the man said with a shaky breath, ¡°I think I can forgive you, all things considered.¡±
Now that her heart was no longer pounding in her ears, Dys was able to look around and see that all the demons inside were dead. Five mercenaries were left alive, in varying states of injury, but they lived.
Outside, Jay, Syd, and her companions were finishing off the remaining demons, the last few going down under a barrage of attacks from multiple angles. With the death of the final wretch, the fort was far quieter, but the sounds of burning wood and injured animals still filled the air. Jadis knew her work was far from over, but at least a few mercenaries had been saved. That was a start.
Chapter 135: Where to go Next
¡°It started about four days ago,¡± Sergeant Holtz explained, wiping half dried blood from his face. ¡°A horde of the blighted creatures came from the woods and surrounded the fort. A few hundred of them, at least, bones and wretches. Cut us off so we couldn¡¯t push out. Not the first time we¡¯ve been sieged but haven¡¯t seen numbers like this in a long time. Captain ordered us to just hold and wait for reinforcements. With all the patrols, it shouldn¡¯t have taken long for others to come, but none ever showed. By the second night, we knew we were in bigger trouble than we had thought. Still, we were prepared to hold out for weeks, months even with rationing if need be. We were ready to outlast the demons. Until this morning, when everything went to shit. That was when that great flaming wraith came down on us like a dragon from on high.¡±
Holtz sighed and wearily looked over what remained of his men gathered outside the fort. Only six soldiers, him included, were left of this border fort¡¯s garrison. The Weircroft Mercenary Company had had fifty men stationed at the Rook, as they called it, with a regular rotating roster of another twenty patrolmen who travelled between the forts to the east and west. To have so many die was a catastrophic loss of both life and manpower on a practical side, and a devastating blow to the morale of the few who remained.
From Jadis¡¯ perspective, it was an absolute slaughter. Even considering she and her group had by chance been able to get to the fort in time to save the few soldiers who had held out against the onslaught and killed what remained of the horde of demons, it was still a Pyrrhic victory at best. Even if the fort wasn¡¯t burning down to ashes, there was no way these men could hold it alone now. This part of the defensive line would have to be abandoned. And if this fort was a lost cause, what about the other forts in the line?
¡°What about signal fires, or hawks?¡± Aila asked the sergeant. ¡°Any kind of communication at all from the other forts or Felsen?¡±
¡°Yesterday we saw the smoke coming from the Roost,¡± Holtz answered, indicating the fort to the west. ¡°Thought it might be a signal fire, but the color¡¯s wrong and after that burning demon¡¡±
¡°Right, not good odds,¡± Jay murmured, looking in that direction through the eyes of her other self.
Syd had scaled another one of the tall trees, pushing the limits of how far her bodies could separate from each other as her head throbbed, but from the tall vantage point she could see the smoke of another fort in the distance in the west. Turning her gaze the other way, she could see a dark cloud of smoke coming from the fort to the east as well. Seeing even more smoke columns rising in the further distance, Jadis suspected this attack by the demons wasn¡¯t limited to just this small section of the outer line.
¡°Alright, we can¡¯t stay here,¡± Jay said, shaking her head. ¡°This place isn¡¯t safe, and I doubt there will be any backup coming anytime soon. Can your men make it to Felsen?¡±
¡°We¡¯re in as good a condition as we can be,¡± Holtz shrugged, getting to his feet from where he had sat in the muddy grass. ¡°So we¡¯ll forge on, as needed.¡±
¡°Or we could turn back into the woods,¡± Kerr spoke up from where she was sorting through quivers of arrows she had looted from somewhere, likely from the dead. ¡°Slip away and wait all this shit out.¡±
¡°Back into the woods?¡± Aila looked over at Kerr, her tone sharp. ¡°You mean run? Abandon our duties?¡±
¡°What duties?¡± Kerr said, her tone far more serious than her usual carefree cadence. ¡°We¡¯re independent mercs, not soldiers of the Empire. We don¡¯t have a binding contract like these poor sods,¡± she motioned towards Holtz and his men with one hand. ¡°No offense. Nothing says we have to throw our lives away in defense of the Empire¡¯s interests. Not even Thea has to go, she has orders to follow Jadis to the ends of Oros. Pull the stick out of your ass so it isn¡¯t poking your brain and you¡¯ll remember that sometimes retreat is the wiser option, especially when the odds are as fucking terrible as they are right now.¡±
¡°What about our duty to our kinsmen?¡± Aila stared Kerr down, her tone controlled and tinged with frost. ¡°What about our duty as imperial citizens, men and women with the means to fight back against Samleos¡¯ dark forces? What about everyone we know back in Felsen? Are you prepared to turn your back on them, knowing you could have made a difference and chose to run instead?¡±
¡°Make a difference?¡± Kerr scoffed. ¡°Look, you¡¯re a strong mage, no argument. And if you live to get some real levels under your belt, you¡¯ll be a powerhouse like few others. But you have to live to get to that level. There¡¯s no way these demons are just sieging the forts around here. With the number of fucking demonic putas that were at this nowhere fort it means that they¡¯ve got way, way more numbers elsewhere. These are full invasion tactics. Felsen probably has thousands of these shits surrounding it right now. Not even big stuff can fight that many.¡±
¡°We don¡¯t know that¡¯s the case,¡± Aila argued back, her voice still calm and level. ¡°The siege could already be broken by now. Or their numbers could be less than you think, or they might be assaulting only the border forts. We can¡¯t just assume the worst. We need to see how we can help before we run away like cravens.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
¡°No, we don¡¯t have¡ª"
¡°Yes, we do,¡± Jay cut in before Kerr could argue her point further. ¡°We won¡¯t know the situation until we see it for ourselves. I¡¯m not saying we throw our lives away against an impossible to defeat force,¡± she held up a hand as Kerr opened her mouth. ¡°Even I¡¯m not crazy enough to charge a literal army of demons. But we should see if there¡¯s anything we can do. Maybe detour along the border and check some of the other forts for more survivors? How much healing magic do you have left, anyway?¡±
The last was addressed to Eir who knelt in prayer nearby, having used her divine magic to heal the mercenaries and Jadis¡¯ wounds and sought to recover as much as she could while they weren¡¯t moving. A single point of magic power could save a life. The elf did not open her eyes but replied to Jadis¡¯ query a moment later.
¡°I have enough magic to heal roughly three thousand more health points.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Jay nodded more to herself than anyone else. ¡°If there are survivors among the other forts, Eir could make a huge difference, if that¡¯s the direction we want to go. Or should we make a run straight to Felsen first to assess the situation?¡±
The question was posed to everyone around her in general, but Jadis knew Aila¡¯s opinion mattered the most to her at that moment. When she¡¯d brought up the possibility of people they knew dying, Jadis had no doubt her girlfriend had been thinking about her two uncles, Gerwas and Ludwas, who could have either been inside the city or their mercenary company¡¯s border fort when this demonic assault began. Their safety was bothering Jadis, and she barely knew the two kindhearted men. Aila had to be worried sick.
If she was worried, Aila didn¡¯t show it on her face. She simply thought the situation over, calmly and rationally, no obvious signs of anger or resentment over her argument with Kerr.
¡°Tactically, it would be smarter to check on the city first.¡± Aila finally shared her opinion after a beat of silence. ¡°Since it¡¯s both the site where we are most likely to find help or find the worst trouble, it would be smart to establish the situation one way or the other first. Besides, we¡¯re limited on the amount of time our ¡®boosts¡¯ have remaining, anyway. I don¡¯t think we can afford to waste time checking a dozen forts from here onward, not if we want to get to Felsen by nightfall, which we still might not be able to do going at standard marching speeds.¡±
¡°No, I don¡¯t think we can,¡± Holtz admitted. "The miles from here to the city are many.¡±
¡°I think we can manage something to get around that,¡± Jay murmured, eyeing an overturned wagon near the entrance of the fort that hadn¡¯t yet been consumed by the flames. ¡°Fine then, we have a plan and we¡¯re moving out. Get your men ready to go because I¡¯m leaving in five minutes.¡±
With that, Jay strode away from the gathering to head towards the wagon, Syd already done coming down the tree and heading to join her. Dys, however, stopped next to Kerr where she stood apart from the rest and spoke softly, so others wouldn¡¯t necessarily overhear.
¡°If you don¡¯t want to go, I get it. I¡¯m not forcing you. If it¡¯s too much, just slip off. If we both live through this, maybe we¡¯ll meet up again somewhere else, D willing.¡±
Kerr snorted, her mouth in a grimace as she moved to put her snarling faceplate on.
¡°Fuck you,¡± she cursed. ¡°I¡¯m no coward, despite what tight-ass over there might be thinking right now. I¡¯ve just been in battles before. Real battles. It¡¯s a different dog from what you think it is. Just promise me you¡¯ll listen if I tell you we¡¯re walking into a death trap.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll listen,¡± Dys nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll actually do what you say, but I¡¯m not so stupid I¡¯d ignore the advice of my elders.¡±
¡°Va te faire foutre!¡± Kerr slapped Dys¡¯ thigh with the back of her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t make me put you over my knee.¡±
¡°Maybe later,¡± Dys laughed quietly, her grin only lasting a few seconds.
Jadis had more serious things to focus on than the idea of Kerr and spankings.
In just a few minutes, Jay and Syd had pulled the wagon out of the fort. Its front axle had been broken, but that didn¡¯t matter for what Jadis had in mind. Quickly she ripped the wheels and axles from the wagon and broke off the poles on the top that would have let it be covered, then used rope to lash the poles to the underside on the rear. Asking, then ordering the six mercenaries to get on, along with Kerr, Thea, and Eir, she lifted the wagon from the front and back between her two selves, turning it into a giant makeshift palanquin. She couldn¡¯t run full speed carrying so much weight, but she could still jog at a pace far faster than anything normal mercenaries could maintain, even taking into account elevated Oros standards.
As Jay and Syd started forward, the surprised mercenaries and her bemused companions bouncing around in the wagon carried between them, Dys took Aila up in her arms and ran ahead, acting as both a vanguard and giving herself a moment alone with her lover.
¡°Are you okay?¡± Dys asked, not pressing too hard but not willing to just let matters stand unsaid.
¡°Yes,¡± Aila said, after a long pause. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I mean, I¡¯ll be fine. My uncles have been mercenaries for a long time. I¡¯ve been prepared to hear the worst since I was a child. I can keep focused on the task at hand, trust me.¡±
¡°I do,¡± Dys replied without an iota of hesitation. A moment later, she added, ¡°But I¡¯ll turn straight toward Bernd¡¯s border fort right now if you ask me to.¡±
¡°I¡¯m certain you would,¡± Aila said with a small smile tugging at her lips. ¡°Thank you, for the offer. But no, my earlier logic remains true. We¡¯re working on a time crunch here at the least, and we need to use our strength where it makes the most sense to apply it.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Dys agreed. ¡°Damn,¡± she cursed under her breath a few seconds later, eyes looking to the horizon.
¡°What?¡±
¡°I guess I really should have fucked you silly last night, huh?¡±
¡°Quiet, you deviant,¡± Aila snorted.
Having successfully distracted her girlfriend from more morbid thoughts, Jadis sought to keep her mind elsewhere and asked the question that had been tugging at her since they¡¯d first come across the burning fort.
¡°What¡¯s a ¡®greater demon¡¯, anyway?¡±
¡°Well¡¡± Aila trailed off, her eyebrows furrowing. ¡°That¡¯s a complicated question¡¡±
Chapter 136: The Stone, Sieged
Demons were by their intrinsic nature creatures of corruption. But not only corruption. Their god, Samleos, had made them for the express purpose of subverting and destroying the world the other gods had made. As such, while the general inclination of demons was to infest and corrupt already existing life, thus transforming said life into a vessel for the continued efforts of Samleos¡¯ spawn to ruin Oros, not all demons followed that same pattern. Some demons were, for lack of a better word, destined for more. Some very few were entities known as Greater Demons.
Unlike their lesser brethren who relied on the warped shells of the tainted and dead to operate due to their frail and vulnerable true bodies, greater demons needed no such stolen armor. Greater demons were naturally larger and more physically powerful than the more common kind and were not only capable of withstanding extreme amounts of damage, but they were also able to cause mass levels of devastation via powerful spells and potent bodily attacks. While not capable of spawning more demons the way a Demon Mother of Samleos could, Greater Demons were still exceptionally dangerous and rightly feared for their ability to bring just as much power to bear as their matriarch counterparts, at least on an individual level.
¡°Some scholars cite the existence of Greater Demons as proof that demons actually do have levels, the same as people do,¡± Aila continued her explanation as Dys carried her along. ¡°While others point out that if demons had levels and multiple classes, then we should see more greater demons than we do. They¡¯re rare, extremely so, just as infrequently spotted as matriarchs. So if any demon can become one, why aren¡¯t there more of them considering the uncountably huge number of demons that exist during invasion times? Plus, no one has ever seen a greater demon spawn, so researchers can¡¯t be certain of what prompts their existence, whether they are like that from the egg or if they transform at a later date.¡±
¡°Almost sounds like a chicken or the egg argument,¡± Dys mused as she thought over the information Aila had given her about the greater demonic entities. ¡°No way for us to know one way or another¡¡±
¡°I don¡¯t follow. What do chickens have to do with demons?¡±
¡°You know,¡± Dys shrugged awkwardly as she held Aila in her arms while jogging. ¡°Which came first, the chicken or the egg? No one knows since no one was there to record it.¡±
Aila stared at Dys with an eyebrow raised, her blue eyes blank.
¡°Why would the gods make the eggs first? There would be no one to raise the chicks when they hatched, or roost them for the weeks it takes for them to be incubated. That¡¯s a very odd question, Jadis.¡±
For some reason, despite all the talk of demons and magic and the fact that she had literally met one, Jadis had forgotten that in a world where gods truly existed, the chicken and egg question no longer came across as quite so profound.
It was, at least, another topic to keep Aila distracted and thinking about things other than her uncles. In hindsight, Jadis realized that having her girlfriend talk about demons while her family could very well be fighting for their lives against said demons wasn¡¯t the smartest topic for keeping her from thinking about all the bad things that could be happening, but it seemed her lover¡¯s analytical nature worked in her favor in that regard. Talking about what she¡¯d read and learned from others concerning greater demons was a different kind of mental space from thinking about her uncles and how they might be faring, or so it seemed. At least Aila wasn¡¯t getting quiet and pensive. No, it was everyone riding in the wagon who embodied the concept of pensive.
While her passengers looked like they were experiencing varying degrees of anxiety ranging from minor to Holy Fuck We¡¯re All Going to Die, Jay and Syd were at least making good time despite carrying the heavy weight of a wooden wagon and nine full grown adults, plus their armor and equipment. She couldn¡¯t say that the weight was nothing, because she could most certainly feel the heavy load on her back and shoulders, but at least they were still moving at a rate faster than they would if the soldiers had been forced to march behind them.
The road they had followed to the now burnt down Rook fortress did not continue straight to Felsen, but instead went east and west towards the other forts and southeast towards another small town located in the hills. Jadis was forced to go off road once again, but in the landscape of the Broken Hills, that didn¡¯t matter quite as much. Heading in the direction of Far Felsen with only occasional course corrections from a somber Kerr, Jadis aimed to reach the city before nightfall, breaking only once so everyone could get a drink of water and relieve themselves.
The sun was approaching the western horizon when Jadis finally spotted something she¡¯d feared to see in the south: a column of smoke.
Jogging up one of the hills for a better look, Dys and Aila gazed out towards the sign of fire. It wasn¡¯t a single smokey plume like the fort, but dozens rising up from the distant coast where Jadis was certain the city of Far Felsen was located. She could just barely make out the high promontory that jutted out into the sea, creating Felsen¡¯s harbor. It was hard to see, but the castle that stood at the top of that peak didn¡¯t look like it was on fire, at least.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
¡°That¡¯s not fucking good,¡± Dys murmured.
¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± Aila didn¡¯t argue, her arm tightening around Dys a little more. ¡°But we should get closer to make sure. It might not be as bad as it seems from here.¡±
Cresting a few more hills brought Jadis and her passengers close enough to get a better view of the situation, though the sight was not improved much over distant assumptions.
An army of demons, if a seething mass of chaotic and discordant creatures that acted with no cohesion or tactics could be called an army, lay siege to the walls of Far Felsen. Their numbers were far, far beyond anything Jadis had seen so far during her time on Oros. A hundred bodies slain in the streets of abandoned Alawar had seemed like big numbers to her at the time. Seeing the thousands upon thousands of demons that roiled in mindless rage across the landscape before her drove home the point that Kerr had been right. A true battle of armies was a far cry from the smaller melees and skirmishes she¡¯d been in so far.
Beyond the masses that lay directly ahead of her, Jadis could see the leading edge of the demonic army directly attacking the walls of the city. The demons were bodily throwing themselves against the walls, the corpses of the dead turned to ramps for the still living demons to climb so they could reach the top of the walls. However, it did not look like the demons had breached the walls, not completely at any rate. Jadis could see soldiers fighting back against the horde, flashes of the armor and weapons glinting in the waning afternoon sun. There were also brighter flashes of magic interspersed among both the demons and the defenders, those signs of unnatural powers enhancing the chaotic tableau.
¡°I don¡¯t think we can breach those forces to get inside the walls,¡± Sergeant Holtz broke the silence, his voice tight. ¡°The odds of making it through to their questionable safety are low.¡±
Kerr was more direct with her words.
¡°That¡¯s a fucking slaughterhouse down there. We¡¯d have a better chance swimming to Volto from here than making it through that mess. Do not even think about attacking from this side.¡±
Jadis had to agree with Kerr. It didn¡¯t matter how strong she was in a one-on-one engagement, or against small groups. The army arrayed before her would overwhelm her with their sheer numbers in a matter of seconds if she were to rush them now. There was no way she was going to senselessly throw away her second life like that, much less endanger her friends and lovers for no good reason. But that did beg the question. What were they supposed to do now that getting through to Felsen was no longer an option?
¡°Look, on the western side,¡± Thea pointed with her spear. ¡°Do you see that?¡±
Directing her attention to where Thea indicated, Jadis saw what the guardswoman had spotted. On the far side of the army of demons from where they were, a second front of the battle was being fought. A contingent of soldiers had formed a line and was pushing at the demons from the west. Their numbers were far smaller than the masses the demons had fielded, but the shield wall they had made looked solid and unbroken as they pushed at the enemy from their flank. Jadis also spotted a familiar figure floating in the sky overhead, a tiny shape riding on a disk made of flames. Lothaire, the wizard Jadis had met when she¡¯d first discovered the demon tunnels, was raining balls of fire on the demonic monstrosities below.
¡°The Flame Wolves must be over there,¡± Jay said, pointing at the hovering elf. ¡°Or at least some of them are.¡±
¡°That¡¯s where we should go,¡± Dys nodded, straightening her shoulders. ¡°We can back up those mercenaries, help them attack from the side.¡±
¡°There are probably several different mercenary companies there,¡± Aila said, half-standing in Dys¡¯ arms to see better. There are far more soldiers on that flank than there are Flame Wolves. Some of the other forts might have avoided being hemmed in and made a counterattack.¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t a tactician and she certainly wasn¡¯t a clairvoyant, so she couldn¡¯t say what had happened or if it was something soldiers would reasonably do. But what she could say was that backing up the soldiers fighting on the western front seemed like the best option for them to offer aid in the battle.
Jadis didn¡¯t wait to talk it over further with her companions and the soldiers she had saved. Enough talking had been done already. They needed to get in there and lend what help they could, if for no other reason than Eir could literally save dozens upon dozens of lives with only a touch. Perhaps even more than Jadis¡¯ own massive strength, Eir could make a huge difference to the mercenaries fighting on the wrong side of Felsen¡¯s walls.
Running around the outer edges of the battlefield, Jadis did her best to stay out of sight from the demons¡¯ back lines without wasting too much time going too far around. Unfortunately, the demons didn¡¯t have orderly, regimented lines and the rearmost demons were loose and scattered in their grouping. She ran into several groups of bone thieves, twisted wretches, and bramble fiends as she skirted around the north side, though rather than fight them, Jadis dodged and simply ran by them wherever possible. A grundwyrm blocked her path at one point, forcing Jadis to backtrack and swing wide to avoid getting caught up in a fight that would no doubt attract the attention of far more enemies than she could handle.
Demons Jadis didn¡¯t recognize were also among the chaotic mix she evaded as she circled around to meet up with the other mercenaries. Whether they were possessed magic beasts like the giant cave spiders and sea bull, or some other variety of corrupted abomination that Jadis simply hadn¡¯t encountered yet, she didn¡¯t know. But when a thing that looked like a giant tree stump the size of house with dozens of spider-like roots for legs lumbered across her path, Jadis let the thing go unprovoked. She¡¯d probably find out what it was soon enough anyway.
Or die in the process.
Chapter 137: POV Thea
The line of soldiers that had attacked the western flank of the demons assaulting Felsen numbered somewhere between fifteen hundred and two thousand. Some had thought to bring the standards of their mercenary companies and had planted their flags at different points along the long rows of men. Among them were The Red Dawn, The Gilded Rose, Schwartz¡¯s Brawlers, Bernd¡¯s Blades, and The Flame Wolves. There were more mercenaries sporting surcoats and shields of colors that didn¡¯t match the flags, indicating membership in other companies that had not fielded their flags for whatever reason.
All the colors Thea could be sure of were from mercenaries who had been stationed at forts on the western side of the Broken Hills or had no specific station at all like the Flame Wolves. There were even a few that Thea thought might have come from the town further along the western coast, but none of the mercenaries looked like they came from the eastern front.
It seemed likely that either the western forts had not been hit by the demons, or at least not as hard, or they had somehow been able to push out from their own sieges, unlike those at the Rook, and had come to Felsen to counterattack. It wasn¡¯t a haphazard affair, either. Thea could see the military coordination and order on display. There were even rows of triage stations behind the front lines where wounded soldiers were being treated by either healers or alchemical means. Whoever was running the counteroffensive was skilled enough to know how to keep the lines running so that the attack didn¡¯t devolve into a retreat or worse, a rout.
Now that they were closer to the fighting, Thea could see why the demon horde hadn¡¯t fully turned on the soldiers outside of the city¡¯s protective walls. The demons were many, but their numbers were stretched along the walls. The demons on the eastern side couldn¡¯t even see the western, and thus were no doubt focused on the city and its defenders. Further, the attacking soldiers had formed a classic crescent maneuver, funneling the demons towards the middle while generally keeping them from moving around the edges to flank them.
¡°Alright,¡± Sergeant Holtz¡¯s voice broke into Thea¡¯s analysis of the battlefield situation. He was addressing his five remaining men with a grim look of determination. ¡°Once we get in there, we report to any higher ranking officers from Weircroft that might be here. If there aren¡¯t any from Weircroft, we report to whoever¡¯s in charge overall and join the line where they need us. We¡¯ve got our shields and swords, so we¡¯ll put them to work.¡±
As his men nodded, Thea shook her head. The familiar fear gripped her chest, strangling her throat and stifling her words. It maddened her that she could fight demons and hydra and everything between without hesitation, but speaking up to voice her thoughts was a monumental struggle. One she had to push past every single time she opened her mouth.
¡°N¡ªNo,¡± Thea stuttered out, gulping to clear that oppressive tightness. ¡°No, we need to, ah, c¡ªcover Jadi¡ªJay, Dys, and Syd. They need our shields.¡±
Holtz frowned at Thea, his face partially obscured by the helmet, but the doubt in his expression evident enough.
¡°I¡¯m not deaf, so I¡¯ve heard that protecting those giants is your duty, guardswoman Thea,¡± he said, in that particular kind of respectful tone that came from someone who wasn¡¯t sure if she outranked them. ¡°But that¡¯s not our duty. If any of our company are here, we need to join up with them, or we at least need to follow the orders of the commander in charge here.¡±
¡°No,¡± Thea shook her head. ¡°You d¡ªdon¡¯t understand. Ah, think about how strong they are. Th¡ªthink about how two carried us, um, this whole way. The Nephilim are so, so strong. They can k¡ªkill many demons, many more than, um, we can. We just need to watch their b¡ªbacks. So they don¡¯t get taken in a b¡ªblind spot.¡±
¡°Thea is correct,¡± Eir, the beautiful priestess, added as she turned her dark purple eyes on her and the mercenaries. ¡°The Nephilim are the Children of Lyssandria. Think of them as you would the Seraphim of Valtar and you would better understand their value to you in this time. Protect them and they in turn will win this battle for you.¡±
Thea thanked Eir wordlessly for her intervention. The elf had a far more eloquent tongue than her and she could see that her words had affected Holtz and his men. After only a few moments, he nodded in acknowledgement.
¡°Alright, we¡¯ll stick with you, unless we get a direct order countermanding your request.¡±
That was fair. Thea knew very well how a military man or woman always had to temper their promises with the cold draft of duty. If his commander called, Holtz would be honor bound to obey. Just as she too would be bound to obey if her own commander sent her orders.
It was not the first time Thea had thought of how troubling following orders from a commanding officer could be, but as she stared at the back of Jay¡¯s head as the giant woman carried the wagonload of them along, Thea was struck for the first time with the longing that she didn¡¯t have to follow orders and could instead chose her own way, freely. Orders had brought her to Jadis¡¯ side, but they could just as easily tear her away.
Soon after Holtz¡¯s agreement to Thea¡¯s request, they encountered the rear guard of the attacking forces. An officer flanked by two cavalrymen on horseback rode across their path, blocking them from going forward. Thea quickly recognized that the orc was a member of The Gilded Rose company by the sigil on his armor, though the other two were from a different company, the Badgers or some such name, she wasn¡¯t sure. Jadis came to a halt, her one body carrying Aila to the fore.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
¡°You! You¡¯re the Nephilim, are you not?¡±
The orc spoke in a clear, ringing voice, deep in timbre but with the diction of the formally educated, like Eir. Clearly, he recognized Jadis. How could he not? In all honesty, it was more of a shock to Thea that Holtz and the others hadn¡¯t known who Jadis was immediately. Though she allowed that the Rook was a far ways from Felsen and word didn¡¯t always travel quickly to the border forts in Weigrun.
¡°How could you tell?¡± Dys answered, a slight play to her lips that Thea recognized as the woman being a sass.
The orc stared at her, then swept his gaze over the rest of them, either not getting the joke or ignoring it.
¡°It¡¯s good that you made it back, the Magistrate has put out a sizeable bounty for your safe return, or even information as to your whereabouts. However,¡± he looked over his shoulder, ¡°You¡¯ve come at the absolute worst time.¡±
¡°Yeah, I can see that,¡± Dys replied in that odd accent of hers. ¡°So we¡¯re here to help. Make way and we¡¯ll join the fight, okay?¡±
¡°Ordinarily, I would tell you absolutely not under any circumstances. Not without bringing you to the Magistrate first, since her orders were to bring you back to her straight away and without delay if the three of you were ever found again. But considering the circumstances¡¡± he trailed off as he looked over his shoulder briefly.
¡°Nuts to that,¡± he exclaimed. ¡°If you would allow, I will simply check you all with a detect stone to be sure we aren¡¯t allowing demonic infiltration and then your arms would be most welcome in this fight.¡±
Without any objections, the orc mercenary quickly scanned them all with his detect stone, noting that each person was as they said they were and were not possessed.
Security check made and passed, Jay and Syd set down the wagon Thea and the others were riding in. They all disembarked, only for Jay to sweep Eir up into her free arm while Syd picked the unloaded wagon back up, carrying it like a mere crate in one hand. Jadis was moving before she even began to talk, forcing the others to keep up, including the Gilded Rose officer and his subordinates.
¡°Where¡¯s the fighting the worst? Middle or the edges?¡±
¡°The middle is where the heaviest fighting is, though it varies every time one of the larger specimens reaches the line and we are forced to adapt,¡± the officer answered as his horse kept pace with the Nephilim. ¡°Thank the gods the Flame Wolves are with us. Their elites have been instrumental in keeping the grundwyrms from breaking our shield formation.¡±
¡°Alright, then we¡¯re taking the middle,¡± Jay announced firmly, ignoring the protestations of the officer in a way that Thea admired, but knew she could never do.
¡°Stick with Eir,¡± Thea overheard Dys say to Aila. ¡°Keep behind the wagon and do whatever you think is best to support us and give us a place to fall back to when we need healing.¡±
Jadis¡¯ confident commands brooked no argument. Thea could tell by the way she spoke that she had no military training. She lacked the vocabulary, and further, she didn¡¯t have the true tactical grasp of the full battlefield and how her actions were going to change the flow of the fighting for the rest of the soldiers. Thea felt the urge to correct Jadis, tell her the ways her plan could be improved. But by then they had already reached the wall of men and shields that were staving off the demons with every ounce of effort they possessed. So, rather than argue and trip over her own useless tongue, Thea resolved to use her skills and strengths to the best of her ability to support Jadis and make sure she lived through the maelstrom.
Syd set the wagon down on its side, placing it firmly in the blood-stained mud. Aila and Eir took up position behind it while Kerr leapt on top of the wagon¡¯s side, her bow already firing shots off into the horde, no doubt piercing a demon with every shot. How could the therion miss, with so many enemies arrayed before her? Even as Kerr¡¯s bow thrummed with use, Eir was stopping the mercenaries that were streaming back from the triple-layered shield wall to heal the ones who were most direly injured, putting some back into the fight or at least stabilizing those who were too far gone to continue.
Jadis didn¡¯t join the line or push through. Instead, all three of her bodies simply leaped over the line, landing amidst the raging storm of bones and claws on the other side.
Seeing the giants in battle was a glory that found Thea awestruck every time she saw it. The women, or woman, clearly did not have formal training that came from a school of martial combat. Her stance was weak, her form imperfect. She left herself open on most of her swings that any soldier would have been able to take advantage of. But the raw speed and power with which she moved was devastatingly effective against the mindless demons surrounding her. With each swing of her oversized weapons, demons fell like wheat before a scythe. Thea could see why the Nephilim were the children of the goddess Lyssandria.
Even when killing, they were beautiful.
¡°M¡ªmove in,¡± Thea said in as loud a voice as she could muster, fighting to be heard over the din of combat. ¡°We have to k¡ªkeep up with them!¡±
Thea and the Weircroft men pushed forward, shoving the mercenaries between them and Jadis aside as they moved to protect her back. With the three giants knocking aside wretches and bone thieves aside with almost contemptuous ease, they cleared a section of the field before them where the demons that were funneled down the sides of the crescent met them and were tossed back again. They were like a spike, jutting into the flank of the great beast, bleeding it dry.
Her shield blocked another bramble fiend as it tried to fling its way past the trio and get onto their flank. Forming a looser wall with Holtz and his five men, Thea protected Jadis from the demons that tried to sneak around her edges, finishing off the crippled where they fell as well. It was an entirely untenable strategy for most, but with Jadis leading forward, it worked. The sheer height and mass of her bodies made her a match for the normally overpowering weight of demonic creatures that crashed around Thea and the other soldiers. By will and might, Jadis was pushing back the demons.
Then, a boulder slammed into the ground, missing Dys by inches as it crushed both several demons and one of the mercenaries that had been blocking a bone thief from attacking her on the right flank. A grundwyrm emerged from the horde, its bulk barreling towards Jadis. All Thea could do was pray to the gods the Nephilim could handle the stony demon fast enough that they weren¡¯t overwhelmed by the horde surrounding them on three sides.
Chapter 138: Battlefield
The first time Jadis had slain a grundwyrm, it had been a long, drawn-out affair of beating the demented boulder-beast down in an open field, aided by the efforts of a few more experienced mercenaries. The second time she had had no support and had instead kited the demon while wearing it down. Faced with a third time, Jadis knew she didn¡¯t have the luxury of her previous tactics. There could be no kiting the stony lizard. The soldiers behind her had to focus on the rest of the demon army raging around them, otherwise they would be overwhelmed by their numbers. No, this third time had to be different. The grundwyrm needed a quick death. And Jadis had to be the one to deliver it.
Jay and Dys moved in tandem, rushing towards the oncoming threat with a unity of form and motion that only she was capable of. Her two sets of booted feet crushed dead and fallen demons beneath them as they reached the grundwyrm at the same time. With a reversed grip, Jay swung her mallet from the left while Dys swung her maul from the right, their two weapons meeting the wyrm¡¯s head in the middle.
An explosion of stone blasted outward from the devastating impact of their weapons, the demon¡¯s head completely obliterated in an instant. Shrapnel flew everywhere, striking against their breastplates and helmets, cutting at the unarmored parts of her arms and legs. But so too were the unfortunate wretches and bone thieves that were close enough to the blast to be caught in it. Their flesh and bone were shredded and broken by the flying pieces of stone, knocking a dozen down if not outright killing them.
Still, the grundwyrm did not die with the loss of its head. Until the squirming mass of foul tentacles hidden somewhere inside its stone husk was destroyed, it would continue to fight.
Syd didn¡¯t have the right weapon for stone, but that was fine. She fell back, giving room for her other two selves to handle the massive boulder beast. Moving back, she quickly checked on the man who had been struck by the demon¡¯s tossed stone. A glance told her that while he somehow still lived, his legs were clearly crushed. If he didn¡¯t get healing soon, he¡¯d be dead.
Skewering a thrashing wretch with her spear and tossing it back into the sea of demons like a flicked bug, Syd shouted over the oppressive noise to Thea and the mercenaries still defending her back and sides.
¡°Watch over him! I¡¯ll do what I can!¡±
Without waiting for an answer, Syd crouched down and lifted the boulder that had to weigh a ton, struggling to shift it up and away from the partially crushed man. As she did so, a bramble fiend leapt from out of the demonic mass, thorny vines whipping as it tried to use her distraction to entangle her.
Thea¡¯s makeshift shield was there in an instant, giant bug carapace and hydra bone blocking the sneaky demon mid-air. Thea¡¯s thrusting shield bashed the demon aside like a pinball, knocking it into a twisted wretch where it wrapped around its malicious compatriot and the two fell to the ground in a tangled mess that was quickly trampled over by the other demons around them.
At the same time, Jay and Dys were upon the grundwyrm, their blunt weapons raining blow after stone-shattering blow onto its rapidly diminishing body. Twice the demon had struck either Jay or Dys with its rocky appendages, knocking them away with its own blows that would have no doubt shattered other mercenaries her level, but Jadis didn¡¯t falter. She had almost nine hundred health points to spare now. She could take a hit.
Checking her health, Jadis realized that in actuality, she was now down to five hundred health points, from both the grundwyrm and the many smaller cuts she had taken in the short time she¡¯d joined the battle.
How long had it been, actually? Seconds? Minutes? An hour? She wasn¡¯t sure and since there was nothing she could do to check, she put it out of her mind and concentrated on the task at hand.
Having pulled the boulder off the mercenary¡¯s leg, Syd hauled the man up under one arm, his crushed legs dangling like bloody noodles. Jadis tried not to think too hard about that as she turned and leapt back over the shield wall, taking the man to Eir so he could be saved, as well as to top off her own health.
¡°Found you!¡± Jay cheered, her teeth bared in a snarl as she broke open a section of the grundwyrm¡¯s back, revealing a pocket filled with dark tentacles and a shining yellow eye.
Ignoring the wretch that had stabbed into her leg from behind to let Dys deal with it, Jay slammed her mallet down onto the exposed demonic core, crushing it and causing the rest of the boulder-based monster to fall to pieces like a puppet with its strings cut.
¡°We both need healing,¡± Syd told Eir as she set the moaning man down behind the wagon barrier Jadis had set up to protect her vulnerable back line fighters. ¡°I¡¯m dropping below half.¡±
¡°Just a moment,¡± Eir said, one hand on the mercenary.
Syd could see the healing light suffuse him as Eir closed up his wounds and stabilized him, but his legs had been encased in armor when they were crushed, the warped and twisted metal preventing Eir from healing them fully. The man would need further treatment to save his legs, but at least his life was no longer in immediate danger. Relatively speaking.
As Eir placed her hands on her, Syd took the moment to look around and take in the battlefield. Kerr still stood on the top of the wagon¡¯s side, firing arrow after arrow into the horde, sniping down likely targets from her vantage. She had several empty quivers tossed down around her, more full ones piled by her feet as she let loose as many as she could as quickly as possible. Aila could not use her traps, not effectively with so many allies that could fall afoul of them nearby, so she had instead taken up position near Eir, helping her with the injured soldiers and directing them either back into the fray or to the triage tents behind them. As she watched, Aila threw up a hand and a bolt of force shot out, blasting off the head of some corrupted beast as it rose up over the shield wall nearby. Clearly, Aila was judicious in the use of her magic, but she was using it.
Looking at the battle in a broader sense, Jadis didn¡¯t feel like it was going to end soon. Since she¡¯d arrived, she had no doubt that she had killed dozens of the demons by her own hand, hundreds more slain by the soldiers around her. And yet the demons still came. She had just slain one of the largest and most powerful of their kind that could be found in Weigrun, and still the demons came. Their bodies were piled high against the walls, their blood had turned the ground to mud, and their forces were being butchered in droves. And even then, the demons still came.
Jadis realized in that moment why the soldiers of the Empire, or the people of Oros overall, had so much trouble with the demons. It wasn¡¯t because of their ability to corrupt or their powerful strength or their locust-like numbers. The reason demons were so hard to deal with was that they had no morale to break. They didn¡¯t care how many of their own kind died, or if their strongest warriors were taken down, or if the odds were clearly not in their favor. Demons were prepared to literally die to the last one of them if it meant harming just one more person. The mercenaries out here couldn¡¯t hope for the demons to break and run as their numbers dwindled, because the demons wouldn¡¯t run. They¡¯d keep fighting, always.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
¡°Shit,¡± Syd cursed, blinking the salty sweat out of her eyes as she rose back to her feet. ¡°We¡¯re in this for long haul, aren¡¯t we?¡±
Kerr didn¡¯t look back as she answered, firing another arrow into the horde.
¡°No fucking shit.¡±
As Syd prepared to jump back into the melee to help her other selves who were already swinging away at the demons around them, a burning heat came from overhead, dimming the late afternoon shadows that were stretched out around her. Looking up and expecting to see the Flame Wolf wizard on his burning disk, Syd instead froze in horror as a tentacled inferno fell from above, aiming straight for the wagon.
Shouts and screams reverberated around her as Syd let her lance slip from her fingers. With as much speed as she could muster, she turned and grabbed Eir and Aila into her arms to protect them, reaching for Kerr who was only then turning to look over her shoulder at the descending death. Syd had just gotten a hand on Kerr¡¯s waist as the inferno struck the ground in a true explosion of fire.
The force of the shockwave sent Syd flying, her vision gone as smoke and flame and the chaos of being tossed head over heels robbed her of her sight. But Jadis¡¯ other two selves could still see, even if she didn¡¯t want to.
Long, sinewy tentacles tipped with curved blades of white bone radiated out in dozens of directions from the singular mass of the greater demon. Each tentacle was easily twenty feet long, their sharp ends whipping through the air in a burning frenzy. Some had thin membranes stretched between them, creating horrible, asymmetrical wings that flapped at odd angles. In the center of the wriggling mass was something like a man, in only the vaguest comparison. There were no legs, only a thick, maggot-like body from which the tentacles grew, but from there came a toothy torso with oversized arms and ten-fingered hands. The head that rose up from between its shoulders was pear-shaped and just as flame red as the rest of the demon, its vertically slit mouth open wide in a gaping, toothy maw from which more fire spilled like burning oil. Aside from the red flesh and white bone, the only spots of color different were the bright green eyes that ringed the top of the abomination¡¯s head like an ocular crown. Lidless, they stared in all directions, radiating as much malice as it did heat.
¡°Get up!¡± Jadis heard someone scream, but she didn¡¯t have the wherewithal to know who it was who had.
But it was enough to shake her out of her momentary stupor. Jay and Dys moved, leaping back over the line to face the demon as Thea and the mercenaries with her fell back as well, the shield wall opening to let them in.
The greater demon was already moving, though, and as Syd gathered herself, rising up from where she had fallen, she felt something hot wrap around her leg. Suddenly she was pulled up into the air, hanging upside down as the demon¡¯s long arm grasped her and whipped her up into the air then slammed her down onto the ground with enough force that she bounced. Gasping for breath with all of the wind knocked out of her, Syd struggled to recover as the demon¡¯s other huge hand struck down at her, ten curved claws aiming to rip her open like wrapping paper.
A translucent circle made of force magic appeared between her and the demon¡¯s claws, its hand rebounding off the shimmering shield.
Aila, on one knee and bleeding from a wound on her temple, had her hand raised, her force shield protecting Syd from evisceration. Next to her, Eir lay on the ground but was already healing Aila, a hand on her leg as holy light radiated from her. Behind them, Kerr was nocking another arrow, aiming at the demonic inferno.
The demon turned towards them, flames wreathing its head as more fire poured from its freakish mouth. A gout of heat and flame jetted from it in a long spray, aiming for the trio. Another force shield appeared at Aila¡¯s behest, blocking the deadly fire for a few seconds. A few precious seconds that Jadis put to good use.
Dys landed on the demon¡¯s side, her maul raised in an overhead strike as she brought the weapon down, intending to crush the blazing monster¡¯s arm off. The arm moved and tentacles blocked her before the blow could land, knocking Dys back as she crashed onto the ground a few body-lengths away. Jay was there at the same moment, her mallet slamming into the writhing mass of tentacles on the back of the demon. Flames erupted when her weapon struck, bursting outward and singeing Jay as she was forced to back away, her wooden weapon now burning from the heat.
The demon turned towards her, several tentacles whipping around and slicing at her body. Their bladed tips scraped against the thick steel of her armor but cut into the exposed flesh of her thighs and upper arms. Moving quickly, Jay dodged back, avoiding more of the deadly appendages as she swung her charred weapon, trying to fight back but finding little success.
The greater demon let out a screeching howl as flames blossomed around it, the muddy ground flash-drying into dust as it swung on Jay, the air shimmering with heat. The haft of Jay¡¯s mallet shattered as she tried to block the haymaker swing of the inferno and she was flung back, landing hard on top of several soldiers that were unable to get out of the way fast enough.
More soldiers were gathering around the demon, shields and spears up but unable to approach due to the flames. Jadis winced as an unlucky man who drew too close was struck by a tentacle, the blade slashing but the heat literally burning his flesh within his armor as he was practically cooked by the demon¡¯s flames.
Having struggled to her feet, Syd looked around for a weapon to wield, her lance lost in the chaos. Seeing nothing, she let out a feral scream of rage, both releasing her frustration and psyching herself up for the utterly idiotic thing she was about to do.
But when had doing something stupid ever stopped her before?
Rushing forward, Syd charged the greater demon. It saw her coming, despite not facing her way, and tentacles whipped around at her to cut her down. Clenching her teeth, Syd took several of the whip-like tentacles head on, letting them slash her body, but grabbed hold of three of them. With monumental effort, she swung around with the tentacles in hand.
At the same time, Dys leapt forward and grabbed two more tentacles while Jay came at the demon from a third angle, grabbing still more of the wriggling appendages and yanking them in her direction. The demon was pulled at from three different directions as Jadis weathered the heat and the sharp tips of the slashing tentacles, hauling at the demon with all of her might.
With a sickening tearing and popping noise, the many tentacles that Jadis had grabbed tore free from the demon¡¯s body, burning blood spurting out from the empty sockets of where its detached limbs used to be. The terrible screeching and howling of enraged demon pierced the cacophony of battle, overriding all as it bellowed its pain and fury. One long arm swept out and knocked down Jay and Syd as the demon spun, wheeling about like a dervish as fire whipped out around it, burning and cutting indiscriminately.
A bolt of force magic struck the demon on the head as it turned in place, a gift from Aila that rocked it back but did not kill it. Instead, the spell focused its attention and for a horrifying instant, Jadis saw the demon¡¯s baleful green eyes latch onto her lover.
The greater demon surged forward, its twisted parody of wings lifting it off the ground as its long arms launched it along faster than a sprinter¡¯s legs. One arm reached forward, its long, many-jointed fingers wrapping around Aila¡¯s arm before she could dodge out of the way.
Sheer terror gripped Jadis as she saw Aila lifted into the air by the demon, her body carried along by the flying abomination¡¯s forward momentum as it began to take to the skies.
Jadis didn¡¯t think, she didn¡¯t hesitate. She just moved.
Dys hurled herself in the path of the demon and with a scream of hate she wrapped her legs around the arm that had grabbed Aila, one arm reaching out to save her while the other clutched at the greater demon¡¯s other arm, desperately trying to keep its claws from ripping Aila to pieces. Together, they were both lifted into the sky as the burning demon flew up and away.
Chapter 139: Greater Demon
Jadis could smell flesh burning. She wasn¡¯t sure whose it was, hers or Aila¡¯s. Probably both, she realized. The heat of the now flying greater demon was unbearable as it lifted the two of them up into the sky, its burning wings leaving trails of fire as it surged away from the ground. The wind was screaming around her ears as they flew. Or it was Aila screaming. Or it was her. Again, she couldn¡¯t tell, and again it didn¡¯t matter. Jadis needed to act now or they were both dead.
Aila dangled by her left arm from the demon¡¯s hand. It was priority number one to change that. Grabbing hold of the demon¡¯s wrist with her left hand, Dys squeezed into the burning hot flesh and tendons. She dug her thumb in as hard as she could, black blood bubbling up around the digit as she broke the skin and worked her way into the muscle. If the demon¡¯s hand worked anything like a human¡¯s, she knew it wouldn¡¯t be able to function correctly as long as she was tearing into its tendons. Dys couldn¡¯t use her right hand to help since it was occupied with holding off the demon¡¯s left arm, so she struggled to break the blazing demon¡¯s grasp.
On the ground, Jay and Syd were on their feet, already moving. The battle had not ceased around them, but the shield wall still held, fortunately. Above, Jadis could see that her third self and Aila were several hundred feet off the ground as the greater demon spiraled up. At the moment, it had carried them over the army of demons. If it dropped them there, they would be torn to pieces, even if they somehow survived the fall. But it looked like the demon¡¯s flight would keep arcing and, seeing that in moments it would take them over one of the broken hills nearby, Jadis made a snap decision.
Picking Eir up in her arms, Syd ran for the hilltop with all the speed her one hundred and eighteen points in agility afforded her. Before she followed suit, Jay stopped to gather up Syd¡¯s lance she¡¯d spotted on the ground. Snapping it up, she looked to Kerr and Thea who had both rushed over to her.
¡°Stay safe,¡± she panted out through gritted teeth. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go save Aila and myself!¡±
¡°Fuck, go!¡± Kerr shouted, head tracking the flight of the greater demon. ¡°We¡¯ll catch up!¡±
With that, Jay sprinted off, hot on the heels of her alter self.
A gurgling sound coming from the demon caught Dys¡¯ attention as she struggled with its arms. Looking at its hideous face, she saw flames appear around its head as a bright light glowed from within its vertically slit mouth. With both arms occupied, there was nothing she could do but watch in what felt like slow motion as burning bile rose up out of its throat to spray across her.
As the flames burst forth, they were stopped by a nearly invisible force, splashing off of it and pouring down the demon¡¯s chest.
Aila¡¯s force shield deflected the fire, though it couldn¡¯t stop everything. Dys cried out in pain as some of the burning liquid spilled onto her legs where they wrapped around the demon¡¯s arm. Still, better than being fully immolated.
The demon¡¯s flame breath attack ended a scant second before Aila¡¯s shield expired and by then, the demon¡¯s arcing flight path had brought them near to the hill. Kicking out with one leg, Dys slammed her booted foot into the ugly fucker¡¯s face, tearing the leather sole on its teeth but knocking its head back as it jerked and struggled with her. Purposefully giving it an opportunity, Dys let go of the demon¡¯s left arm. Instantly it grabbed at her kicking leg, its long sharp talons biting into her shin-guard and flesh alike, but that was fine. At least it wasn¡¯t grabbing Aila.
With both hands free, Dys grabbed the fingers wrapped around Aila¡¯s arm and yanked hard, breaking and tearing them apart with sickening snaps. In that moment, Dys¡¯ eyes met Aila¡¯s through the holes in her helmet. She saw fear in her lover¡¯s beautiful blue eyes. Fear for her, as her right hand reached out, trying to grasp onto Dys. But she didn¡¯t let her. Dys pulled the demon¡¯s hand away and let Aila fall.
Aila plummeted to the ground, over a hundred feet of gut-wrenching free fall before strong arms wrapped around her.
Syd caught Aila midair, leaping as high as her insane strength and agility would let her as she crested the hilltop. Aila grabbed hold of her, her scream cut off as they both tumbled through the air to land further down the hill with bone-jarring force. Syd grit her teeth as she felt something in her foot snap upon landing, but her ankle didn¡¯t matter to her in that moment. She tried to angle herself to make sure Aila wasn¡¯t crushed by her own considerable weight as they crashed down together, but the fall was rough. The pack that was still strapped to Aila¡¯s back was crushed by the impact, the sound of glass shattering audible as the two rolled across the slope of the hill, slipping from each other¡¯s grasps as they came to a stop several yards separated from one another.
As Aila had fallen, something else had risen, passing by both her and Syd. The giant-sized metal lance sang as it flew through the air, having been launched by Jay¡¯s arm up at the passing greater demon. It struck the demon¡¯s side, catching it somewhere in the mess of tentacle-wings, burying itself deep into its burning flesh. If only Dys could get to it, she¡¯d have a weapon. But getting to the weapon was more of a distant dream than a next step. How could she focus on the lance when her skin was melting?
Dys was burning alive. She could feel her metal armor cooking her flesh as she struggled with the demon. While she¡¯d managed to cripple its right hand, it had her right leg in its claws and it wasn¡¯t letting go. Further, it had changed tactics, sacrificing some of its flight tentacles to use them to wrap around her body and limbs. It could no longer fly as fast, but now Dys was caught up in its burning grasp, hopelessly entangled.
To compound her agony, Jadis¡¯ heads throbbed with teeth-clenching pain as the demon continued to steadily fly upward. The demon¡¯s movement was dragging her third self too far away from her other selves, stretching their connection the further it went. But their connection was still there, which was the only hope Jadis could see for her to live through the ordeal.
¡°Heal Aila first!¡± Syd shouted as a barefoot Eir rushed to her side. ¡°Quickly! Then heal me!¡±
Syd¡¯s ankle was broken, but that wasn¡¯t the only injury she had anymore. Her flesh bubbled and tore as third-degree burns began appearing across her body. Jadis transferred the damage from Dys to her other self, making sure that the body trapped in the grasp of the demon was unhindered by physical injury.
¡°Jadis!¡± Eir cried out, her nimble fingers quick to pull Syd¡¯s helmet off to reveal her white skin turned raw with burns. She placed her hands on her face, already beginning to heal her while ignoring her orders. ¡°You need my healing immediately!¡±
¡°No, she¡¯s bleeding,¡± Syd argued though pain-gritted teeth, shaking hand reaching towards where Aila lay knocked out and sprawled across the ground nearby, her arm so coated in blood Jadis didn¡¯t know how there was any more of the vital fluid left in the woman. ¡°Stabilize her first, damnit!¡±
As Syd struggled to push Eir away, Jay reached them and fell to her knees by Aila. When her hand went to the terribly injured arm, she recoiled at what she found. There, wrapped around the burned and lacerated flesh was the demon hatchling, its neon blue eye staring up at her.
¡°Fuck!¡± Jay cursed, heart skipping a beat at the thought of the horrid little beast taking the opportunity to possess her girlfriend.
Moving to tear the wretched thing off of Aila¡¯s arm, the demon suddenly moved, pulling its tentacles back to reveal Aila¡¯s cut flesh, blood immediately starting to pour out of it. A second later, the demon¡¯s tentacles wrapped back around, applying pressure and cutting off the tide of red, but nothing more. None of its limbs tried to slip inside her skin, no sign of magic presented itself around the hatchling. It simply wrapped itself around the injury.
¡°Are you¡ªare you trying to help?¡± Jay asked incredulously, the absolutely bizarreness of the situation almost distracting her from the ever-increasing levels of torture she was going through.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°Of course I¡¯m trying to help¡ª¡± Eir snapped, her words cut off as she looked back at what Jay was seeing. ¡°Oh, gods!¡±
Eir¡¯s hand had never left Syd¡¯s side as soon as she had reached her. The healing light of her magic was flowing through her, regenerating Jadis¡¯ lost health. But even as her skin and flesh healed, more wounds appeared across Syd, the greater demon damaging Dys almost as quickly as Eir could heal her. That light flickered for a moment upon seeing Aila¡¯s condition, but it resumed a second later when Syd poorly suppressed a cry of pain.
¡°Quick, heal her right now!¡± Jay shouted as she brought Aila closer to Eir. ¡°Never mind anything else right now, just heal her!¡±
Eir¡¯s face twisted in confusion and revulsion, but then calmed as she recognized her one duty. With as much speed as she could muster, she placed a hand on Aila¡¯s other arm and pumped healing magic into her, cutting off the bleeding and stabilizing the badly injured woman. To both of their shock, as soon as the bleeding had stopped and Aila began to stir to consciousness, the demon hatching slipped off of Aila and wrapped its tentacles around Jay¡¯s upper arm, practically turning itself into an armband as it ceased its movement and just stared unblinkingly at them all.
Whatever the fuck that was about, Jadis would have to worry about it later. She still had one of her bodies being burned and strangled alive hundreds of feet above the rest of her.
Dys struggled in the greater demon¡¯s grasp. While she was stronger than any single individual arm or tentacle of the abomination, the extra limbs worked together to overwhelm her. She kicked and thrashed and tore at flesh with her nails but the demon was killing her. If Eir had not been pumping magic healing into her, she knew she¡¯d have been dead already. She could see her health jumping all over the place when she checked her status sheet, hundreds of points of damage flickering up and then down and then up again. Almost as bad, Jadis could feel her mind stretching, the connection between her selves growing tenuous as the distance between them grew.
She had no idea what would happen if her selves were separated beyond the limits of their bond, nor did she want to find out. Already it felt like an ice pick had been shoved into her brain and was being stirred around.
Another gurgling sound barely caught Dys¡¯ attention through the pain as the demon once again prepared to spew its vile burning liquid onto her. This time, though, there was no force shield to block it. The demon pulled Dys up close to its truly revolting face, its dripping maw practically pressed up against her helmet as it prepared to pour its bile directly onto her.
With a growl, Dys bucked her head forward and slammed her head into the demon, crushing several of its bulbous green eyes like grapes. The demon howled, its corkscrew screech echoing across the battlefield as its eyeball ichor dripped down its face.
¡°Fuck you too!¡± Dys shouted back in the demon¡¯s face.
Flames poured out of the burning demon¡¯s maw as it vomited onto Dys, searing her flesh. An instant later, just as the scorching torment began, the world exploded around her and everything turned to white-hot pandemonium.
Jay looked up from her position with Syd, Aila, and Eir, wincing through the pain of her head and the pain of the burns appearing across her body as she continued to spread the damage across her three selves. A massive ball of fire had burst into existence where the demon and Dys had been flying hundreds of feet above them, lighting up the evening sky almost as brightly as the sun. As quickly as it flashed into existence, the explosion faded like a spent firework. Through a roiling fog of white smoke, Jay saw the demon fall, plummeting towards the ground. Seeking a source, Jay caught a glimpse of another light in the sky.
There, slowly floating downwards was the elven wizard, Lothaire. Even at that distance, Jadis could tell the man was spent, the flaming disk he rode upon dimmed as he floated downward, hands on knees. Jadis didn¡¯t know what kind of spell the Flame Wolf mercenary had cast, but it seemed the distraction of her fight with the demon had given the slow-casting wizard enough time to finish the spell and set it off in the greater demon¡¯s path.
Unfortunately, that meant that Dys was falling hundreds of feet out of the sky. Even more unfortunately, the demon was not yet dead, either.
Dys had slipped free of the demon¡¯s grasp as they had both been sent chaotically spinning through the air from the force of the explosion. Now she was free falling next to the demon as it was slowly gathering itself, tentacle-wings spreading as it moved to pull itself out of its plunging dive to the ground.
¡°Not without me you fucking don¡¯t!¡± Dys snarled, hand reaching out to grasp onto the handle of the lance still stuck in the demon¡¯s side.
The metal was searing hot, but Dys couldn¡¯t have cared less in that moment. With agonizing effort, Dys held firmly onto the lance in one hand while the other grabbed hold of a flapping wing and tore at it, ripping the membrane between the tentacles.
Together, the greater demon and the Nephilim, both began tumbling through the air, the demon¡¯s crude wings already damaged from the explosion. As it lost more and more of its control, the abomination¡¯s flight became erratic and unsustainable. Like a deranged spinning top that had been lit on fire, they hurtled through the sky at a downward angle until they encountered the same fate that every flying thing, living or not, always encounters in the end. The ground.
The demon took the brunt of the impact, striking the sharp angled edge of one of the broken hills as Dys¡¯ body was tossed around, rebounding off of the demon as she somehow managed to keep hold of the lance. The metal tore free of the maggot-like torso of the demon and she was thrown along to tumble across the grassy side of the hill, landing a few yards away from her foe.
¡°I¡¯m out of magic power,¡± Eir cried out, distracting Jadis for just a moment.
Syd was still lying on the ground, one arm wrapped around the cleric who had continued to restore her health the whole time. But now the priestess was spent, all of her magic gone as she¡¯d used the last of it to keep Jadis from succumbing to the continuous damage she¡¯d received. The elf collapsed then, the complete exhaustion of her magic power sapping her strength as Syd held her close.
Jay, though, was on the move. As was a newly awoken Aila.
Together they ran towards the base of the neighboring hill where Dys and the demon had landed. Jay carried Aila along, no weapon in hand as she no longer had one, but Jadis would make do. She always did.
With all lingering injuries transferred from Dys to Syd, the much-abused Nephilim got to her feet, lance in hand. There was no witty one-liner in her head at that moment. Just an overriding need to kill the fucker that had dared to lay a hand on her Aila. With a primal roar, she charged forward and skewered the greater demon on the lance while it was still righting itself. The abomination screeched terribly as the metal drove into it, but Dys didn¡¯t stop there. She continued her charge, pushing the massive bulk along and then over the edge of the cliffside of the hill. Tentacles tried to wrap around her and carry her along with it, but Dys pulled back, the sharp tips of the whip-like limbs tearing at her but not finding purchase.
The demon fell over the side, plummeting a much shorter distance than they had before, but it had no time to stop its fall with its torn wings. The blazing beast crashed onto the ground, right on top of several snare and spike traps Aila had barely enough time to cast before it landed.
Force spikes pierced into the burning red body of the demon as ethereal chains tangled themselves with its tentacles, grasping hold of the thing as it impacted hard with the rocky terrain. As soon as it landed, the wailing greater demon began spewing more fire, huge gouts of flame spraying outward as it struggled to free itself. Jay turned with Aila in her arms, keeping the flames away from her and blocking them with her own body. But before they could even reach her, Thea was there, standing between them and the demon with her shield raised, blocking the fire as it came.
¡°Fucking abyss you¡¯re insane,¡± Kerr shouted as she ran up beside them at the same time as Thea, bow drawn. ¡°How the fuck have you lived this long?¡±
¡°Luck, I guess,¡± Jay panted as she set Aila down and turned to face the writhing mass of tentacles on the ground.
The demon was held in place, for the moment, but it wouldn¡¯t last long. Jadis could see Aila¡¯s force chains snapping as the demon thrashed its tentacles, already starting to break free. She had to strike while the iron was hot and finish it, once and for all.
As Kerr shot arrow after arrow into the demon, aiming for its head to keep it blinded and distracted, Jay stepped forward and called out to Thea.
¡°Spear!¡±
Without hesitation the shieldsworn tossed her held spear up into the air for Jay to snatch. Rearing the weapon back, she waited just a moment, then hurled the spear forward. Her timing was just right as the head-sized rock Dys had clawed out of the ground struck the demon, bouncing off of a few tentacles, but still delivering a blow. Less than a second later, the spear pierced into the upper chest of the greater demon, going all the way through and out the other side as the impact was boosted by Mirrored Strikes.
Tentacles went limp as the burning demon¡¯s life bled out of it, something vital inside of it was cut by the spear¡¯s steel tip. It feebly cried out, flames shooting up out of its disgusting mouth as it raised its ruined head towards her, still seeking to burn and destroy in its last moments. Before more devastation could be wrought by the demon, Jadis¡¯ boot slammed into its head once, twice, then three times, pulping it into grisly smear on the rocky ground.
The greater demon slumped into stillness, its flames extinguished.
|
Congratulations!
Burning Rancor Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Greater Demon Spawn of Samleos.
|
Chapter 140: Cleaning Up
Just because the greater demon was dead did not mean that the battle was over. There were still thousands of demons rampaging across the battlefield, clamoring for death and destruction, heedless of the fact that one of their most powerful combatants had been slain. However, even though the death of the Burning Rancor made no difference to the attitude of the demons, it most certainly did make a difference to the morale of the soldiers.
With one of, if not the, greatest adversary knocked off the field, the troops outside of the wall took heart and found their second wind, pushing hard against the demonic onslaught. As more and more demons were felled by the spears and blades of the mercenaries, the demon army became less focused and more erratic in their attacks. Fewer and fewer of them scaled the piled bodies of their kin to breach Felsen¡¯s walls as their attention was distracted by the soldiers outside, their blind fury redirected. As the pressure on them was alleviated, the city¡¯s defenders were given the space they needed to counterattack.
The city gates opened and from within came lines of soldiers pushing outward, their shields and spears a bristling wall of martial prowess that shredded the demons that threw themselves unflinchingly at them. From behind the soldiers came a multitude of spells of varying elements, their unnatural, arcane power wreaking havoc among the demonic forces. Amidst the ice spikes, flaming explosions, flying boulders, and blasts of lightning were flashes of a crimson red light, easily overlooked as it quickly came and went. With the help of these myriad magics, the soldiers pressed forward, slaughtering demons and making space around the gates, then the walls around the gates, then more still.
There were also outliers among the mercenaries, more evident now as the enemy numbers dwindled. The barbaric orc of the Flame Wolves was visible to the right of the crescent, the large man ripping through anything before him with a wild glee that the other soldiers couldn¡¯t emulate as their exhaustion mounted. A spark of lightning showed that the soft-spoken knight was also nearby, his shining blade making quick work of many demons. There were also mercs not wearing the Flame Wolves¡¯ colors, such as a woman in green who wielded a pike, her weapon piercing forward dozens of feet with magical force with each blow. On the other side hulked a heavyset human man with a morning star who sent bone thieves and wretches flying with each swing of the lightly shining weapon. The rank and file still had their own powerful allies to rely on, while the demons did not.
Jadis saw all of this from her position in the center of the concave semi-circle formation the mercenaries had maintained since before she¡¯d arrived on the battlefield. Her two bodies, Jay and Dys, hacked away at the demons, though from a less drastically forward position compared to before the greater demon had attacked. They stood side by side, Jay carrying Syd¡¯s lance she had retrieved from the demon¡¯s body, and Dys carrying her trusty maul that had somehow, despite everything, survived the Burning Rancor only slightly singed. The soldiers around them gave them enough room to swing, but remained close enough that they were more in line with the shield wall than not.
Thea and Kerr were both there with her two selves, in their own capacities. Thea did not rejoin the wall, but instead stayed on Jay¡¯s side, acting as a kind of responsive living shield, blocking anything that came near Jay and allowing her to focus on offense while Thea handled the defense. Kerr, on the other hand, stood behind Dys, firing a constant stream of arrows at the demons, sniping many of the weaker ones down before they could even get to her, giving Dys more room to focus on the larger and more dangerous foes. Their stalwart support meant a great deal to Jadis, just as much as the care her third self received from Eir and Aila.
Both Eir and Aila had expended their magic reserves completely in the fight against the greater demon. Since neither could contribute further to the battle via magic, both stayed by Syd¡¯s side as she lay in the mud near the triage tents, half collapsed from the pain and wounds that had been inflicted on her.
Out of her total maximum health of eight hundred and eighty points, Jadis had only slightly more than two hundred remaining after the fight with the Burning Rancor. With so much damage done, Jadis felt she probably could have begged off of continued battle and taken a rest. She¡¯d certainly done more than her fair share, taking out the flying ball of flaming rage. But sitting back while others fought wasn¡¯t Jadis¡¯ way. Besides, two hundred health was about how much most average soldiers had at max and if they could keep fighting, so could she. So, Syd continued to be Jadis¡¯ sacrificial lamb, all the cuts and burns and broken bones from the nearly fatal encounter with the spicy spaghetti monster transferred to the one body so that the other two could continue to fight.
Aila and Eir dabbed at her burns and cuts with healing poultices that they had begged, borrowed, or stolen from the healers running the triage tents. In truth, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if they¡¯d had to argue much to get the healing supplies, and not only because she¡¯d been too busy gritting her teeth through the pain to pay much attention. After having killed the greater demon, Jadis had noticed the looks the mercenaries had been sending her way were a lot more¡ reverential, for lack of a better term. Something told her that her reputation around town was going to be significantly higher once everything was said and done.
That or the fact that Syd looked like she¡¯d tried to make out with an industrial oven had inspired a great deal of pity in all who viewed her.
¡°What are we going to do about¡ that?¡± Aila asked, indicating the demon hatchling that had wrapped itself around Syd¡¯s upper arm after being transferred from Jay. ¡°Because even considering what you told me it did, which is frankly ludicrous, we can¡¯t just let it stay like that.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
Syd cracked an eye open to look at the dark thing firmly clinging to her right arm. The little demon was just latched there, unmoving except for its eye which occasionally twitched, following nearby movement. It hadn¡¯t taken any further action since it had released its grip on Jay to hold onto her. At least, Jadis couldn¡¯t sense any nefarious magics or attempts to corrupt her.
Considering the hatchling had quite possibly saved Aila¡¯s life by staunching her bleeding for the time it took for Eir to heal her, Jadis felt like she owed the demon the courtesy of assuming it wasn¡¯t hostile, at the very least. Still, Aila was right. She couldn¡¯t just let it stay where it was, if for no other reason than it would cause problems when people other than Aila and Eir saw it. And even among those trusted two, there were issues.
¡°You should kill it,¡± Eir whispered urgently, her brow creased with worry. ¡°I admit, what it did was¡ unusual. But it¡¯s still a demon! Who knows what designs it holds in its warped mind? This could be part of some greater plot to bring you harm!¡±
Syd sighed through blistered lips, then groaned in barely lessened pain as she reached her left hand up to gently pat Eir on her purple-haired head.
¡°I get what you¡¯re saying. Really. But think about the contradiction in what you''re saying, yeah? Either demons are dumb beasts barely more intelligent than animals, or they¡¯re clever fiends that can plan out far enough ahead to try and ingratiate themselves to me to fulfil some greater plot. They can¡¯t be both at once.¡±
While Eir mulled that over, hands slowly wrapping Syd¡¯s thigh up in bandages, Syd turned her gaze to Aila.
¡°Hand me my bag, would you please?¡±
Aila retrieved her leather pack a few moments later on her request. Then, since Syd quickly realized that she was still in no condition to do much of anything, she asked her to dump it empty for her. The contents were what Jadis remembered, her various supplies and sundries that she didn¡¯t need at the moment, but the thing she needed was a simple cloth satchel that had at one time held some trail rations, now empty. Holding the sack up a few inches in front of the hatchling, Syd tiredly commanded it to get inside.
¡°I said, get in,¡± Syd repeated herself after a few seconds with no response.
Just as Eir started to speak, the hatchling suddenly released its grasp, squiggly limbs moving to grasp hold of the satchel, then slip inside of it. In short order, the demon was nestled inside the small bag, slightly glowing neon-blue eye staring out from within.
¡°Stay,¡± Syd told the demon, then cinched the bag closed and had Aila tie it to her belt.
¡°We are absolutely going to have to discuss this demon further later,¡± Aila said with her own sigh, eyes briefly darting to a troubled-looking Eir.
¡°Yes, we are,¡± Syd agreed, then closed her eyes. ¡°Just, maybe it can wait until after my face doesn¡¯t look like a burnt cheese sandwich, okay?¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Aila let out a choked laugh, then softly kissed Syd¡¯s blistered brow. ¡°And you don¡¯t look like a burnt cheese sandwich. You look like an egg dropped into a fire pit.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Syd groused, smiling through cracked lips at both the comparison, and the way Eir quickly spoke up to assure her that she¡¯d fix everything back to her usual perfection.
She could be healed, Jadis had to remind herself. It was just going to take time. Just like finishing the battle took time.
All in all, it took well past sunset for the last of the demon army to be finished off. As Jadis had predicted, no matter how low their numbers dwindled, the demons never stopped fighting, the last few attacking just as ferociously as they had from the start. Though, once the demons had been whittled down enough, it had turned from a desperate struggle of defense to an outright slaughter as the soldiers turned the crescent formation into a full circle and surrounded the demons to cut them down more efficiently. Even then, the demons were a serious danger, especially since many of the soldiers and mercenaries had been fighting for hours upon hours. Their energy sapped and their health low, the end was even more dangerous than the beginning for the men as tired troops fell to relentless demons that showed no sign of fatigue.
It was in the final minutes of the long battle, the field lit only by magic and torches, that Jadis got a good view of a certain blue-skinned elf with crimson eyes. Hers was a face Jadis didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ever be happy to see, but under the circumstances, she felt practically ecstatic.
Magistrate Vraekae rode upon a dark horse behind the main body of soldiers working to finish off the demonic threat. Nearby was the ever-present red orb that hovered at her side every time Jadis had seen the woman. Only now Jadis got to see what the magic apparition could do on the battlefield. Seeing the elf¡¯s magic at work, Jadis thanked her mercurial patron that she¡¯d never tried any kind of physical confrontation with the Magistrate.
The orb had grown spikes across it, each one a sharp protrusion as long as one of Jadis¡¯ hands. With blinding speed, the spiked ball of force magic would dart forward, spinning like a buzzsaw as it ripped through flesh and bone as easily as crackers. With each rapid pass, swaths of demons died, clearing the field before the soldiers lucky enough to be positioned in front of the elven mage.
As the circle closed in around the remaining few demons, Jay met the Magistrate¡¯s gaze. Her solid red eyes met her violet ones as the two regarded each other. After a moment, the implacable elf lifted one slender brow and inclined her head in acknowledgement, then turned her attention back to finishing off the last of the demons.
Jadis wasn¡¯t in love with the idea of the no doubt in-depth conversation she was going to have to have with the Magistrate, but after the multiple near-death experiences she¡¯d had since she¡¯d left the city, talking things out with the imperious elf didn¡¯t seem quite so daunting in comparison. Besides, if Vraekae felt like she needed to try and impose her will on Jadis after the whole debacle with what had happened in Alawar, Jadis was just going to have to tell the woman to deal with her choice to adventure or fuck off. Clearly, she¡¯d proved that even in the worst possible circumstances, she could come back out alive on the other end. At least, that was how Jadis saw it. Seeing Vraekae shred another dozen demons with her crimson spiked orb of death, she hoped the elf would see it that way too.
Chapter 141: Spoils of War
¡°At last count, two thousand dead and double that number wounded,¡± Aila informed Jadis with the weary tone of someone who had been awake for far too long.
¡°What about the forts?¡± Jay asked, wiping something dark from her face, a smear of dirt or blood or quite possibly both.
¡°The word is sporadic and unreliable,¡± she sighed. ¡°Many were razed like the one we came across. Others broke their sieges and either grouped together or headed for the nearest towns. There¡¯s no accurate accounting of them all just yet.¡±
Jadis observed the way Aila slumped in her seat, all energy drained. She didn¡¯t need to say it for it to be obvious that the wellbeing of her uncles was weighing heavily on her mind.
¡°You should get some sleep,¡± Dys told her, wiping her hands with a wet cloth. ¡°Rest while you can.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think I can sleep right now,¡± Aila replied softly, her blue eyes far away.
Jadis didn¡¯t push it further. She could well understand how her lover felt. She felt much the same way. Tired beyond reason, weary to the bone, but unable to close her eyes and let go. Not yet. Instead, Jay reached over and took Aila¡¯s small hand in hers and just held it, squeezing it softly. The way Aila squeezed back did bring some comfort.
After the long battle had finally finished, the demon army slaughtered to the last, there had been no great cheering or celebration from the troops. Instead, there had been a wash of relief, a feeling of exhausted accomplishment, and a dread of finding out what the toll had been for victory.
With the night well in progress, the soldiers had been pulled back inside the city walls. The wounded had been carried in first, then the dead. Jadis had helped with both, transporting the living and the fallen, rendering her services as a palanquin once more. Somehow, even though it was less physically taxing than fighting demons, aiding the injured and carrying the corpses of the less fortunate had proved far more draining.
Magistrate Vraekae had spared only a short moment for Jadis, riding her horse close enough to Jay and Dys to ask after Captain Ealdread. When she had informed the elf of his fate in brief, the Magistrate had nodded once, then told her that they would talk later and rode off, passing orders to the officers and soldiers around her. As high a priority as the woman might have put on her, Jadis supposed she had bigger problems to deal with than a stray Nephilim, all things considered.
Eventually, Jadis had found herself back inside the walls of Far Felsen, but not back at her inn. Instead, Eir had led her to the temple and had insisted she stay within until Syd had been fully healed. Considering how Syd looked and Jadis felt overall, she didn¡¯t feel like arguing with the priestess. Somehow, though, despite Eir only offering her own personal room for Jadis to rest in, she had wound up inside the sparsely furnished but much larger room belonging to the High Priest.
Gerhardt had encountered them as they had moved through the halls crowded with the injured, priests running hither and thither as they stabilized the worst of the wounded with magic and used other more mundane practices for those who could wait until later. The High Priest had looked as dignified and grandfatherly as Jadis remembered him, but blood stained the hem of his white robe and his hands were filled with bandages. Still, he had smiled upon seeing her, his relief obvious, and had greeted Eir with the warmth of a parent. On his insistence they had gone to his rooms for rest, with a promise of privacy and more healing as soon as was possible.
Kerr had never made it all the way to the temple and had instead veered off to check on the fate of her bar. Several buildings had been set on fire by the Burning Rancor as it strafed the city from above, and a great deal of damage had been done by other demons who had gotten within the defenses. So, the therion had slipped away to see to her property with a promise to meet up later. Thea had also disappeared, the guardswoman having been swept up with a group of officers that had been heading to the city hall. She had a lot to report, Jadis was sure, and duties to fulfil. Whether or not she¡¯d be back, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure. Eir had stayed with them for a while but had excused herself to clean off and find something other than tattered rags to wear. She hadn¡¯t returned in some time, so Jadis assumed either she¡¯d been roped into helping with the needs of the many wounded, or the High Priest had taken her aside to probe her about what had occurred while they¡¯d been missing. Possibly both had happened, for all she knew, but she was sure Eir would return as soon as she could.
Aila had left for a short while to speak with some of the mercenaries being healed out in the halls and find out what information she could but had come back not long later. Now it was just her and Aila alone in the room, the two of them slowly releasing their tension through the simple act of being in each other¡¯s company.
¡°I leveled,¡± Aila spoke up after a long enough silence that Jadis had thought she might have fallen asleep despite her earlier inability. ¡°Level twenty-three in Cart Driver and level sixteen in Arcanist. How about you?¡±
¡°Wow, four level jump in Arcanist? That¡¯s really good. Surprised Cart Driver didn¡¯t go higher, though.¡±
¡°With so many combatants, a lot of the experience gets spread out on battlefields. And I used my Arcanist spells more, so I got more experience for that class specifically.¡±
¡°Makes sense,¡± Dys mused aloud while thinking over what she knew about experience and leveling on Oros. ¡°I haven¡¯t checked mine yet. So many notifications.¡±
Jadis promptly sorted through all the many messages in her mental menu, filtering out the unimportant notices about dead demons to find the more relevant information. Reading through without looking too deep into the details, she announced her level progress to Aila with a tired grin.
¡°Level twenty-eight in Mirror Knight and twenty-one in Perverted Ritualist of D. Seven levels total.¡±
¡°That¡¯s amazing growth,¡± Aila smiled. With a yawn, she leaned her head against Jay where they sat together, her in a chair and Jay on the floor. ¡°Anything interesting on offer? Well, I suppose practically anything involving your classes would be interesting, but is there anything more unusual than your usual oddness?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll let you know,¡± Jay told Aila. ¡°With three new levels in Ritualist, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve got some kind of crazy new sex thing to entertain you with.¡±
¡°Are you really thinking about sex right now?¡± Aila said with an incredulous look at the burnt and bandaged third Jadis body lying on some blankets spread out across the floor.
¡°Hey, if I didn¡¯t feel like a burnt marshmallow right now, I¡¯d totally have you bent over the High Priest¡¯s desk just so we could say we did it in here,¡± Syd murmured without opening her eyes.
Aila shook her head in exasperation and indignation, then paused as she quirked an eyebrow.
¡°What¡¯s a marshmallow?¡±
¡°Never mind,¡± Jay waved the question off. ¡°Nephilim thing.¡±
Having fulfilled her contractual obligation to tease and flabbergast her girlfriend, Jadis focused on the information her level up notifications held.
The fact that she had reached level twenty-eight in Mirror knight meant Jadis had received four more free attribute points to put wherever she pleased. Since her current strategy of increasing her Eldritch stat so it would carry over to her other stats had worked well so far, Jadis saw no reason to change tactics. With a thought she put the four points into Eldritch, increasing the base number of the attribute from seventy-nine to eighty-three. The end total, though, became one hundred and twenty-four thanks to her Lascivious Empowerment boosting it by a factor of one-point-five. With the one change, all of Jadis¡¯ physical stats jumped up by a point or two bringing her overall power ever higher.
The sensation of all her physical attributes going up made Jadis¡¯ bodies shiver and she resisted the little urge to get up and test out her newly increased power. As tempting as the idea was, she was frankly too dog-tired to do that sort of thing. Instead, she moved on to checking out what new skills she had been offered for the two odd numbered levels she¡¯d gained.
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Mirror Shine
Active Spell. Increase your visibility and attract the attention of enemies by radiating a distracting gleam. Allies within thirty feet will appear dimmer and be less noticeable. Does not hinder the vision of targets affected. Cost ¨C 50 magic. Duration ¨C 5 minutes.
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An active spell. It had been a while since Mirror Knight had offered her one of those. Jadis had been thinking about going back and selecting one of the spells she¡¯d been previously offered now that she had the magic resources to spend on them. However, this new spell looked like an ideal choice for her, considering how often she was purposefully trying to make sure demons focused their malicious intentions on her and not her companions. If she¡¯d had Mirror Shine during the battle earlier, the Burning Rancor might not have even noticed Aila and she¡¯d never have been put in the danger she¡¯d been in¡
That thought alone was almost enough for Jadis to take the new skill immediately, other option be damned. But her better sense prevailed and Jadis checked the second skill on offer before finalizing her choice on the off chance it was somehow even better.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
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Knight¡¯s Power Throw
Active Skill. Empower the next spear, javelin, or other thrown weapon you hurl at an enemy at the cost of stamina, dealing extra damage equal to 1.5 of your Strength attribute. Cost ¨C 30 stamina.
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Not a bad option, Jadis had to admit, considering how often she ended up tossing her lance or other objects at her enemies. In fact, the skill looked like it was basically the same thing as Kerr¡¯s Nox Archer¡¯s Charged Shot skill. The damage was the same, but the stamina cost was triple what Kerr paid to use the ability, so Jadis guessed it was because the skill was more of a generalized option that any Knight class archetype could get rather than a specialized skill that only Mirror Knight could obtain. Even though it was an obviously useful skill, it still didn¡¯t compare to the utility Mirror Shine would grant her. Without hesitation Jadis selected the new spell.
Moving on to the next pair of skills she¡¯d been granted for her primary class, Jadis read over the options.
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Heavy Armor Mastery I
Passive skill. Provides a minor boost to the defensive value of armor worn that is heavier than the standard versions of the same equipment.
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Well, she did wear some pretty heavy armor, Jadis had to admit. She didn¡¯t notice so much, not with her greatly increased strength, but when she¡¯d stripped off her armor pieces and started to put them on one of the desks in the High Priest¡¯s room, the wood had begun to creek ominously and she¡¯d ended up putting it all on the floor instead. She didn¡¯t want to actually damage anything in the old man¡¯s quarters.
A solid, practical sort of skill. Useful, but a little boring. Of course, not all her skills had to be wild and overpowered. She had commissioned heavy plate armor from Sabina. If the manic half-elf had kept crafting it despite Jadis¡¯ disappearance, the first set might even be close to done.
If Sabina was still alive, of course.
With that sobering thought, Jadis distractedly looked over her other option given to her at level twenty-seven.
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Knight¡¯s Daring Charge
Active Skill. Temporarily increase the speed at which you run by 0.5 of your Agility attribute at the cost of stamina. Only activatable when moving towards a hostile target. Cost ¨C 5 stamina per second.
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An active skill that used stamina. Jadis had yet to pick one of those. So far, all of her skills were passive in nature, other than the single active skill that used magic, and nothing she had required any of the mysteriously unseen stamina resource. The fact that the skill would allow her to close the distance on enemies with extreme speed was nice, but Jadis was honestly more interested in taking the skill just because she was curious to see what it would be like to use a skill that consumed stamina. Maybe that was a poor reason, but being dishonest with herself wasn¡¯t a smart way to go about making important decisions.
Another point in Knight¡¯s Daring Charge was the fact that it wasn¡¯t reliant on any kind of equipment. None of Jadis¡¯ skills required that she use a specific weapon or armor type. Even mirrored blows only required a physical attack. She could set the skill off with her fists if she chose to. Jadis liked the flexibility not being reliant on any one weapon or armor type offered her. None of her skills were ever invalidated just because she had run out of ammunition like Kerr or had lost her shield like Thea during their misadventure below ground. Having weapons and armor helped, immensely, but she didn¡¯t need them the way her companions did.
Having thought it out, Jadis felt certain in her choice and went with the second option, Knight¡¯s Daring Charge. Maybe it wasn¡¯t as cool as some of her other skills, but Jadis was certain it would come in handy, especially considering gaining half-again as much agility while sprinting towards an enemy was going to boost her speeds to ridiculous levels.
With her decisions made, Jadis explained them to Aila. She readily agreed with her reasoning, humming to herself quietly while she considered the uses of both skills in combination with what Jadis already had. She floated a few ideas her way, which Jadis appreciated and tucked away for experimentation later. But before anything else, Jadis wanted to check what new skills her Ritualist class had granted her as well.
Level twenty in Ritualist had given Jadis another five points to distribute, which she immediately put in her Eldritch attribute to push it and by extension her other stats even higher. With even more points in the key stat, Jadis¡¯ physical stats leapt higher than before, even going so far as to finally push her Strength attribute past one hundred. Looking the stats over again, Jadis felt a little giddy.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary Class: Mirror Knight (28)
Secondary Class: Perverted Ritualist of D (21)
Tertiary Class: None
Combined Level Rating: 49
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Health: 282/910
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Magic: 310/310
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Attributes
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Strength: 102
Dexterity: 36
Agility: 132
Vitality: 61
Fortitude: 46
Endurance: 48
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 132
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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Now she really did need to restrain herself from testing out her new stats. She was well on her way to becoming a true juggernaut of raw physical power, she was sure. After admiring her numbers for a little longer, Jadis checked out her first set of skill options.
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D Enhancement Ritual
Ritual Spell. Increase the size of your penis by a number of inches equal to twice the number of participants involved in the ritual.
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Jadis laughed. A deep, side-aching belly laugh that startled Aila and made her Syd self groan in pain between laughs.
¡°What?¡± Aila asked, supremely confused. Her confusion turned to red-faced amusement as Jadis explained the ritual and its effects between gasps for air.
¡°Oh my god, can you imagine?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve seen horses, so yes, I could picture it, and it¡¯s completely, ridiculously insane. You¡¯re already tickling my heart with your staff when we do it, there¡¯s absolutely no need to go bigger,¡± Aila urgently advised, her absurd wording and wide-eyed desperation making Jadis laugh even harder.
Eventually Jadis calmed down enough to reassure the panicked redhead that she had no intention of taking the skill. She already had more than enough meat to play with, she felt no need to increase her already ludicrous size. Besides, taking a skill solely for the purpose of upping the length of her dick felt like a waste when she was already so gifted.
Still giggling in small fits, Jadis checked the second option of the pair.
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Duality of Flesh
Ritual Spell. Temporarily gift the target of the ritual a second set of genitalia that is the opposite sex of the genitalia they already possess. The number of targets that can be affected by the ritual at any given time is equal to 0.1 of the Eldritch attribute. The effect can be dismissed by the affected at will.
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Jadis¡¯ laughter drained away as she reread the skill, a bit of heat rising in her loins at the implications of what the skill could do.
¡°Okay, definitely taking this one,¡± Jay announced with absolute certainty.
¡°Why, what is it?¡± Aila asked.
A moment later, Aila was sputtering in mortified embarrassment, her face beet red.
¡°What in Valtar¡¯s name kind of skill is that!?¡±
¡°A fun one,¡± Jay grinned at Aila. She leaned in closer and whispered throatily into her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know what it would feel like to have my lips wrapped around your cock? My tongue worshiping it, all three of them at once? Aren¡¯t you curious about how amazing it feels to sink your big fat throbbing shaft into a tight pussy? My tight pussy? Hm?¡±
¡°You¡¯re such an obscene, lecherous beast,¡± Aila replied, doing her best to regain her cool composure. But Jadis could see the slight interest in her eye as she didn¡¯t outright reject the notion.
¡°Kerr would do it,¡± Dys tossed out into the open like a live grenade.
Aila¡¯s almost recovered expression turned to a scowl.
¡°You are not doing that ritual with her before you do it with me.¡±
Jay smiled sweetly and gave Aila a kiss on the cheek.
¡°As you wish.¡±
With a tacit promise of fun times to come, Jadis turned her focus inward once more to check the final two skills available for her to choose from. Since she¡¯d hit level twenty-one in her ritualist class, she was hoping for something even more amazing compared to the level nineteen one. Mirror Knight had gotten an upgrade to the core skill of her class, Improved Mirrored Body. Would her ritualist class be the same?
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Erogenous Cunctation
Active Spell. Temporarily delay the climax of single target. Target will be unable to orgasm until Spell is released or expires. Cost ¨C 10 magic. Duration ¨C 1 hour.
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The hell kind of word was ¡®cunctation¡¯? Jadis had read more than a few books and she was no dullard when it came to vocabulary, but that was a new one on her.
Aside from the weird word choice, the skill did look useful. It would definitely make it easier to complete her Lascivious Empowerment ritual, or any other rituals that require precise timing. It could also just be a lot of fun to rev one of her lovers up a bit and withhold release, just as a tease. Then again, Jadis already had a skill that was there to help her with difficult rituals, Ritual Time Reduction. Plus, having such direct control seemed like it might take the fun out of playing with her lovers, fine tuning her sexual skills until she had them gasping for more¡
Jadis shook her head, realizing that her thoughts were starting to get a bit off track. The skill was a solid maybe, she decided, and left it at that. Having rallied, Jadis then reviewed her final option.
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Wanton Replication
Ritual Spell. Duplicate, for yourself, the effects of a single passive skill that a target other than you yourself possesses. The ritual can be used on multiple targets, up to a maximum number equaling 0.1 of your Eldritch attribute. Effect from a single target persists until the ritual is repeated and a new skill is selected.
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¡°And we have a winner,¡± Jay grinned, then read the spell description out loud for Aila to hear.
¡°Yes, I would say that is a choice with a lot of potential¡¡± Aila readily agreed.
Chapter 142: Confession
A particularly persistent beam of sunlight worked its way into Dys¡¯ closed eyes, waking her from a deep, dreamless sleep. She grimaced, waking up slowly as she blinked the grit from her eyes and became aware of her surroundings. She wasn¡¯t sure when she¡¯d fallen asleep, having slipped into unconsciousness without realizing it sometime in the early hours of the morning.
Looking around, Dys saw that she was still in the High Priest¡¯s quarters. Her other two selves were fast asleep, as was Aila, who had somehow wound up in Jay¡¯s arms and was sleeping soundly on top of her. There was one more addition to the group that hadn¡¯t been there when Jadis had last been conscious.
Eir knelt by Syd¡¯s prone form, hands clasped in prayer. The elf must have taken some time to bathe and change, Jadis realized, as Eir looked clean and refreshed in immaculately white robes. She was silent, eyes closed as she prayed over Jadis¡¯ injured body. Her face looked troubled to Jadis, and she wondered what the source of her priestly companion¡¯s concern could be. Checking her status sheet, Jadis saw that her health had been fully restored, back to its maximum of nine hundred and ten. Looking at Syd, it also appeared as though all of the cosmetic damage that had been done by the cuts and burns were gone, too. Syd was back to looking like an identical triplet of her other selves rather than a melted copy. Whatever the issue was, Jadis didn¡¯t think it had to do with her recovery.
Suddenly remembering Eir¡¯s concerns from the day before, Syd came to full wakefulness and quietly felt the satchel still tied to her belt. Inside she could feel a gentle squirm from the demon hatchling within. Since the little demonling had obeyed her command to stay and had not tried to possess someone while she¡¯d been sleeping, Jadis figured that wasn¡¯t Eir¡¯s immediate concern, either.
Mentally shrugging, Jadis decided to skip the subtleties.
Syd reached up and wrapped her left hand around Eir¡¯s. The elf startled slightly, dark purple eyes opening wide to look down into Syd¡¯s violet ones.
¡°Hey. You okay?¡±
Eir¡¯s brain seemed to take a minute to catch up to Syd¡¯s question, her face blank until she seemed to shake herself out of her haze and nodded.
¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, then her nod turned to a shake and her face fell. ¡°Actually, no, I¡¯m not fine. I¡¯m not fine at all.¡±
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Syd asked, sitting up fully to face Eir while Dys also scooted forward to be closer. Jay was awake by then and as she stirred, so too did Aila, the redhead also waking from her much-needed sleep.
¡°I, um, I reached level twenty yesterday,¡± Eir hesitantly explained. ¡°And¡ªand the class options I was given were¡¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Syd sighed, feeling less on edge immediately. She had feared something had been done to Eir, maybe an order given by the High Priest to stay away from her or something like that. ¡°Let me guess. One of your class options is of a less than chaste nature? Probably something perverted, could also be related to Nephilim?¡±
¡°Hm? Did Eir receive a pervert class because of you too?¡± Aila asked while yawning. She sat up, but still remained comfortably on top of Jay¡¯s stomach, forcing the Nephilim to stay prone on the floor. ¡°Because if this is going to be a reoccurring thing, I think you need to start giving warnings to anyone you sleep with that they might have their class options irrevocably altered in the future.¡±
¡°No, well, I mean, yes, I did,¡± Eir admitted. ¡°But that isn¡¯t the problem.¡±
¡°Well, what is then?¡± Syd asked, her one hand still enveloping Eir¡¯s two much smaller hands. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell us if you don¡¯t want to, but I¡¯m here for you, Eir. If it¡¯s something I can help with, I will.¡±
¡°Is one of your class options bad in some way?¡± Dys asked, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. ¡°If its bad, you don¡¯t have to take it, right?¡±
¡°No, no,¡± Eir shook her head, then looked up into Syd¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad class. It¡¯s a good one. Too good. Jadis, I¡¯ve been offered an Oracle class.¡±
Jadis blinked, uncomprehending. She felt like she was lacking some context as other than their association with divination and gods, Jadis didn¡¯t know anything about oracles, much less the class on Oros. By Aila¡¯s reaction, though, Jadis swiftly realized that what Eir was saying was of significant importance.
¡°Oracle?¡± Aila slid off of Jay, going to one knee before Eir as she put a hand on the smaller woman¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s in the title?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Eir said, her expression a mixture of happiness and worry. ¡°It¡¯s right there in the title. Oracle. It even confirms it in the class description. But it¡¯s wrong! It has to be, I can¡¯t be an oracle! I¡¯m not¡ It¡¯s not the right class!¡±
¡°Hold on, I¡¯m confused,¡± Jay said, finally sitting up. ¡°What¡¯s the problem? It¡¯s just an option you can pick, not something you have to take, right? What¡¯s the big deal?¡±
Aila turned, looking over her shoulder at Jay with incredulity in her eyes. Her face spoke volumes. Something about what Jadis had just said was massively stupid and she immediately tried to backtrack.
¡°Well, I mean, maybe it¡¯s a class you should take if it¡¯s an option¡ But it¡¯s your choice, right?¡±
¡°Look, I¡¯m clearly being a dumbass right now,¡± Dys cut in on behalf of her other self as Aila and Eir both continued to give Jay some mixed expressions of confusion. ¡°I am absolutely missing something here so, please. Before I make a bigger ass of myself, would you start from the beginning, Eir? Tell me about your class options and what is it about Oracle that¡¯s upsetting you?¡±
Eir took a calming breath and slowly released it, then nodded her head once. Sitting back, she regarded her audience briefly, then began her explanation.
¡°The first class I was offered was one of the ones I expected to receive. High Cleric of Lyssandria. It¡¯s a good class, one that many who worship Lyssandria hope to achieve. It is an uncommon class, but considering I already have a rare primary class, it makes logical sense I would be offered this one as well. Especially considering how much healing I¡¯ve been doing as of late.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
¡°Then there was the¡ unconventional class option. Debauched Devotee. I believe it may have been offered to me due to my¡ enthusiasm when performing certain rituals with you.¡±
Jadis always had trouble telling how embarrassed Eir was due to the natural dark red hue of her skin. However, in this case, there was no doubt. Somehow, despite her skin tone, Eir had somehow managed to blush an even deeper shade of red. It was honestly impressive.
¡°A completely impractical class. It would have no real use outside of the, um, bedchamber. I think. It, uh, doesn¡¯t warrant any further elaboration, I¡¯m sure you would agree.¡±
¡°Maybe a little elaboration,¡± Syd said, one corner of her lips quirking up in amusement. ¡°But not now. Go ahead, continue.¡±
Eir took another deep breath, then said her next words in a rush.
¡°The third class I was offered is called Lustful Oracle of D.¡±
There was a pause of silence that lingered for just a touch too long.
¡°And that means¡?¡± Syd asked, trying not to sound ignorant even though she was certain she was failing at it.
¡°I¡¯m a beloved of Lyssandria!¡± Eir exclaimed. ¡°I don¡¯t worship Destarious! Or, I mean, I do, but no more than any of the other gods! If by some miracle of favor I was somehow to be granted an Oracle class, it should have been devoted to Lyssandria! Not D!¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°Oh!¡± Eir repeated Syd¡¯s subdued response. ¡°Not just ¡®Oh!¡¯ I have the attention of Destarious! He wants to use me as a vessel for speaking to others in the world. If I refuse him, who knows what he¡¯ll do? It''s Destarious! The God of mischief and madness! Even without direct influence, there are so many ways he could take out his ire on me. But if I accept his Oracle class, what will my lady do? I¡¯m a Beloved of Lyssandria! I¡¯m supposed to be devoted to her service¡ªHow can I be her faithful servant and be a voice for Destarious at the same time?¡±
¡°You can¡¯t,¡± Aila answered a heartbeat later. ¡°Or rather, you can¡¯t ordinarily. This sort of change in patron deity doesn¡¯t happen. Not unless there is a major influencing factor.¡± Aila turned her gaze back onto Jadis¡¯ three selves, her expression changed from worried to puzzled. ¡°What exactly is your relationship to D, Jadis?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Jay asked warily. ¡°He¡¯s my patron god. Perverted Ritualist of D, remember?¡±
¡°Yes, I remember,¡± Aila brushed past the answer and turned to face Jay fully. ¡°Jadis, let me be clear. There is, to my knowledge, only one other person with the Oracle class in the whole of the Empire right now. Just one. And she is currently the healer of the Hero. The Hero. She was a cleric of Ulya, but she gained an Oracle class devoted to Valtar when she reached level twenty. And she gained that class because she is serving Valtar¡¯s chosen Hero. There have been multiple times in history where a person with a class devoted to one god gained a class that was devoted to another, but in almost every single case I can think of, those individuals were companions to the Hero of their time and were granted a powerful class by Valtar to aid the hero in their quest to defeat the Demon Lord.¡±
Aila shook her head, expression calm but tone strident.
¡°No offense to you, Eir, but I am positive that D wouldn¡¯t offer you an Oracle class for no reason. You¡¯re just not that important, not on your own. Except, you do have some importance, in as much as you hold importance to Jadis. Which brings the question back around: Jadis, what exactly is your relationship to Destarious?¡±
Well, shit.
Jadis had known that someday she was going to have to come clean about her origins, at least with Aila. Her reincarnation into an extinct species was a topic she had been avoiding largely due to the fact that she wasn¡¯t sure how others would respond to the information. Would she be thought of as crazy? Would anyone believe her at all? What if the temple decided that her being essentially a construct created by D rather than an actual descendant of the Nephilim who once lived on Oros meant she wasn¡¯t a True Nephilim and labeled her an imposter?
What if Eir rejected her for not being a True Nephilim?
What if Aila got angry at her for lying about her origins?
What if they hated her?
Fuck. Jadis didn¡¯t want to think about what life would be like if Aila decided to cut her ties with her. Even the idea of Eir leaving her hurt unexpectedly badly. The thought of Aila breaking up with her was too much to contemplate. But she had to tell them something. Eir¡¯s new class had brought the issue to the fore and even discarding her personal relationships with the two women, Eir needed some kind of explanation. She was obviously distressed about the whole situation. And Aila¡
Aila was as stoic as ever, but Jadis could tell that she was worried. She¡¯d known that she was going to be involved in some crazy shit when she¡¯d decided to throw her lot in with Jadis. But she hadn¡¯t gotten the full truth. And for that, Jadis knew she was in the wrong.
¡°Okay, I do have a confession to make,¡± Jay started, her face serious and her tone soft. ¡°But before I say anything, I want to make sure, are we safe here? To speak privately, I mean. I don¡¯t want anyone to overhear what I¡¯m about to tell you two.¡±
Eir nodded, then got up from her spot kneeling on the floor and went to the High Priest¡¯s desk. From it she picked up a small octagonal metal prism. She held it with a look of concentration until a second later it began to glow a soft green color, barely noticeable in the light of day.
¡°A warding enchantment,¡± she advised as she sat back down before Jadis and Aila. ¡°It blocks sound from leaving its radius and prevents magic forms of observation. We should be safe to speak plainly.¡±
¡°Okay, good,¡± Dys said, nodding. ¡°So. Not sure how to say this. Hm. Fuck.¡±
¡°I¡¯m confident in your ability to say the word ¡®fuck¡¯,¡± Aila quipped in a surprisingly humorous gesture. The teasing words made Jadis grin and eased her tension, though, and she shot Aila a thankful smile.
¡°Yup, I do have a handle on that one word if no other,¡± Dys readily agreed. ¡°Okay, here goes.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not from Oros,¡± Jadis said, all three of her bodies speaking in unison. ¡°Not originally.¡±
¡°How¡¯s that?¡± Aila asked, blinking a few times.
¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Eir said at the same time, her expression a mask of confusion.
¡°I am, or rather, I was a human. Like Aila. But not from Oros. I was from a world called Earth. And I, uh, I died. Somehow.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t really remember exactly how, to be honest,¡± Syd said, picking up where Dys left off. ¡°Last thing I remember clearly about my life before was I was eating some noodles. Might have been pho? I don¡¯t know, something like that. And then I was dead.¡±
¡°Jadis, what are you¡ª¡± Aila began, but Jay cut her off.
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m rambling. Look, the important part is I died on my home world and somehow my soul caught the attention of D. The god. He, uh, he decided to make me an offer and gave me a new life on Oros. Only, for some reason when I told him about the kind of body I wanted, he kind of put me in the body of a Nephilim. And I just want to point out that I did not ask to be a Nephilim. I didn¡¯t even know what a Nephilim was at the time. He kind of just made that choice unilaterally. When he asked me what kind of body I wanted the whole race thing didn¡¯t really come up. He said I could be whatever I wanted and I just wanted to be a woman with a big dick in my new life¡¡±
Jay stopped talking, having realized that she¡¯d begun to ramble again. Looking at the blank expressions of her audience, Jadis swiftly deduced that she may have lost them somewhere along the way in her increasingly absurd story.
¡°¡am I making any sense?¡± Syd asked, trying to get a response out of her two undoubtedly confused and doubtful companions.
There was an uncomfortable silence for a long moment before Aila finally broke it with a question of her own.
¡°Are you telling me you met a god who offered to give you any body you wanted and the only thing you asked for was to have a penis?¡±
Another silence.
¡°Well when you put it like that¡¡±
Chapter 143: The Whole Truth
The explanation of her extra-planar origins took a while. A long while. It turned out that the people of Oros, or at least Aila and Eir and the circles they were raised in, had no real familiarity with the concepts of reincarnation or other worlds. Or rather, they did have the idea of other realms from the perspective of the places, or ¡®Halls¡¯ as they called them, where the gods lived and all their faithful worshipers went to after death. But the idea of a whole different planet where regular people just lived normal lives was alien to them.
Fortunately, or possibly not, they had no trouble at all with the thought of D recreating an extinct species just for the sake of his own amusement.
¡°No hidden village of surviving Nephilim in Kalters Wall?¡±
¡°No,¡± Syd shook her head, affirming Eir¡¯s unhappy conclusion. It hurt to see how crestfallen the priestess was at the admission, but Jadis was determined to be truthful with her companions from that point forward. ¡°I literally began existence only a few months ago, fully grown, on the slopes of a mountain side. Just me and a loincloth. Kind of a dick move on D¡¯s part, really. He said he¡¯d be putting me near some of his worshippers, but I guess he hadn¡¯t checked on them in a while because when I found the village with his temple, everyone was dead and it was overrun with demons. I didn¡¯t have a fucking clue what was going on.¡±
¡°Were you at least close to level twenty when you were ¡®reborn¡¯?¡± Aila asked, openly regarding Jadis as a scientist would a fascinating and rare specimen. ¡°Or maybe he gave you a guide or a special power¡¡±
¡°No, I was exactly level nothing. Gained my primary class after I, ahem, observed my reflection in a pond of water and went from there. Pretty sure that¡¯s why I got the Mirror Knight class. Looking at myself was kind of the sum total of everything I did when I first appeared on Oros, more or less.¡±
Aila¡¯s expression had wavered between disbelief, fascination, and amusement throughout Jadis¡¯ story. Now it had morphed solidly into exasperated resignation.
¡°Of course you somehow managed to gain almost fifty levels in just a few months. Why am I surprised? Gods above Jadis, do you have any idea how insane that is?¡±
¡°I¡¯m beginning to see that, yeah,¡± Jay answered. ¡°It¡¯s not like it was easy! I have had more near-death experiences in the three months I¡¯ve been here than all of the twenty years I lived back on Earth!¡±
¡°Are you a Fetch?¡±
Eir¡¯s abrupt question so thoroughly derailed Jadis¡¯ conversation and line of thought that she just stared at the elf, unblinking for a few seconds before eventually coming up with an intelligent response.
¡°A what?¡±
¡°Are you a Fetch?¡± Eir repeated her question with earnest seriousness. ¡°That is, I wouldn¡¯t think that you are considering Vraekae confirmed your race by looking at your status sheet, which was horribly rude of her, but she did look and I¡ªI mean. You¡¯re not, right?¡±
The pained look of desperation in Eir¡¯s eyes compelled Jadis to want to reach out and hug the poor elf, but she held back. She also sensed that the priestess needed some serious answers, not physical comfort. So, Jadis faced her friend directly with her Syd self, treating her with the full respect she deserved.
¡°Eir, I don¡¯t know what a Fetch is. However, I can promise you with absolute certainty that I am a Nephilim. It¡¯s on my status sheet. I¡¯d show it to you right now if I could. That said, if you want to tell me what a Fetch is, I¡¯d be happy to listen and maybe I can answer your question more clearly.¡±
Eir let out a little sigh through her nose, some of the worry clearing from her face as she seemed to come to some inner resolution.
¡°The Fetch are the Chosen Children of Destarious. His avatars on Oros, in the way that the Nephilim were Lyssandria¡¯s avatars. They¡¯re shape changers. Tricksters and illusionists by their very nature. Since Destarious made you, for a moment I thought¡ No. No, you¡¯re not. You are a Nephilim, even if your origin is decidedly unorthodox. There¡¯s no way any Fetch could do all that you¡¯ve done just for the sake of a trick. As unbelievable as your tale is, I don¡¯t take it for a lie. I believe you. I believe in you.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Syd said awkwardly while running a hand through her hair. ¡°That, um, shit. That actually makes me feel kind of, um, yeah¡ Ah, fuck. I¡¯m a mess right now.¡±
Quite the opposite of how she¡¯d figured things would go a moment earlier, now it was Jadis who was feeling overcome with emotion while both Aila and Eir comforted her. Eir wrapped her arms around Syd¡¯s head, pressing her to her chest while Aila wrapped her arm around Jay¡¯s shoulder, leaning against her in a familiar way. Relief flooded Jadis as the lie she¡¯d been carrying around for far too long did not result in the destruction of the scant few relationships she¡¯d made. Her chest felt a hundred times lighter than it had minutes before.
¡°Sorry, I just,¡± Jay sniffed, took a breath, and composed herself. ¡°Sorry. I should have told both of you the truth. It¡¯s just, kind of a hard thing to bring up. I really didn¡¯t know how anyone would react to it.¡±
Jay squirmed a bit as Aila pinched her as hard as she could, which naturally didn¡¯t do much considering how thick-skinned Jadis was lately, but still.
¡°Yes, you should have. No more secrets from me, alright? I understand why you¡¯d want to keep something like¡ªlike all this close to your chest, but no more. From what you just told me¡ªus, actually,¡± she nodded to Eir, ¡°you quite literally have no idea what you¡¯re doing. From now on, you talk to us so we can give you some intelligent advice and you don¡¯t end up making bad decisions out of ignorance. I refuse to date someone who continues to repeat stupid mistakes when they know better. Understood?¡±
¡°Yes mom,¡± Jadis said with all three of her selves, half-jokingly. Aila promptly gave her another pinch.
¡°Not to change the subject and all that,¡± Dys said, sitting off to the side and somehow feeling a little jealous of her own self as her two other selves got to cuddle with her two lovers. ¡°But I had no idea D had his own special chosen race of people. Are these ¡®Fetch¡¯ common? Like, are we likely to run into them around town or¡?¡±
¡°All the gods have their avatars on Oros,¡± Eir replied, pulling back from Syd and then, much to Jadis¡¯ amusement, switching over to Dys to give her a hug as well. ¡°Except for those Children who were lost in wars long ago to the demons. The Fetch are a rarity, as all such Children of the Gods are, but they are mercurial and could be found anywhere, really. There is no telling.¡±
¡°Which is beside the point,¡± Aila said, pulling away from Jay. She grabbed the chair she¡¯d been using the night ¨C morning? ¨C before and sat down, facing the rest of them. ¡°What matters right now is the fact that you are a Nephilim and, more importantly in my opinion, you are a soul who clearly has the attention of one of the gods. D gave you a mission to, what was it, stir things up? Is that right?¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Jay shrugged. ¡°He didn¡¯t really seem to care too much about how I went about it or what the results were, he just wanted a change to the status quo. Something other than the constant back and forth between Valtar and Samleos, the people and the demons.¡±
¡°Well, I hope you care,¡± Aila said with a frown. ¡°Because I can promise you, I am also not willing to date someone who is looking to alter the course of the war in Samleos¡¯ favor.¡±
¡°You wouldn¡¯t, would you?¡± Eir pulled back from hugging Dys and stared worriedly at the sack tied to Syd¡¯s belt. ¡°That¡¯s not why you¡¯re carrying that thing around, are you?¡±
¡°Fuck no,¡± all three of Jadis said in unified finality. ¡°I would think it¡¯d be pretty obvious by now that helping the demons take over and destroy everything isn¡¯t something I¡¯d want.¡±
¡°Of course not,¡± Eir said with a calming breath. ¡°I know you. You wouldn¡¯t. But then, why¡?¡±
¡°Because I don¡¯t know,¡± Jay said, holding up a hand to cut off Aila and Eir from responding immediately. ¡°I don¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m doing it. I mean that I don¡¯t know enough about demons and how they work. What if they aren¡¯t mindless? What if I can find some way of changing the war through some kind of reasonable discourse rather than strength of arms?¡±
When both of the two gave Jadis a look, she quickly sputtered out a defense.
¡°Yes, I know I¡¯m all big and strong and I like to smash things, yes that is true. But from what I understand the Hero and all the rest of everyone on Oros has been doing that same smashy-smashy thing for millennia and it hasn¡¯t worked out so great so far. If I do the exact same thing as everyone else, I won¡¯t really be holding up to my bargain with D, will I?¡±
¡°That¡ªthat¡¯s actually surprisingly sensible,¡± Aila admitted. "In a very ¡®Jadis¡¯ way, I suppose.¡±
¡°Thanks?¡± Jay said, not entirely sure if she was being complimented or insulted.
Eir spoke up after a moment, still sending worried glances at the demon-filled sack, but also clearly trying to find a solution to the problem she saw, rather than just fret over it.
¡°There are scholars who have made studies on the demons, back in the Capital, Eldingholt. Perhaps if you spoke with them, some of your curiosity would be satisfied?¡±
¡°Probably,¡± Syd nodded. ¡°I mean, I¡¯d like to talk to some people who are more educated on the matter, if possible.¡±
¡°Then we could go there,¡± Eir suggested. ¡°You could speak with them, and with the High Priests of the capital. I¡¯m sure they could offer some advice and guidance on what you should be doing with the, um, ¡®quest¡¯ that Destarious has given you.¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t so sure about the second half of Eir¡¯s idea. Hearing some advice from people who had no doubt decades more experience than her wasn¡¯t a bad idea, but at the same time she was worried that they might just insist on her doing things their way, same as things had been done since the beginning on Oros, which was absolutely not what Jadis wanted. Or D, from what she understood of her deal with the god. Plus, the more people who found out about her origins, the more attention Jadis felt she was going to get, and not necessarily the good or helpful kind. She didn¡¯t mind Aila and Eir knowing, was happy about it, even. She wouldn¡¯t mind if Kerr, the incorrigible reprobate, knew either. She trusted the wild woman. Thea too, she liked to think, though she still wanted to have an earnest conversation with the woman about their relationship first. All that said, Jadis was a lot less happy with the idea of people she didn¡¯t know at all being privy to her secrets.
¡°Maybe,¡± Dys said, giving no strong answer to Eir¡¯s suggestion for the moment. ¡°We¡¯ll see. I have to think about it. Actually, are you planning on telling the High Priest about this?¡±
¡°I feel I have to,¡± Eir admitted. ¡°If for no other reason than he has been planning a search of the mountains for your lost village and possibly other surviving Nephilim. Since I now know that to be a falsehood, I feel I must tell him so that he doesn¡¯t risk the lives of others searching for something that doesn¡¯t exist.¡±
¡°Shit. That¡¯s a good point,¡± Jay said, looking to the map in the corner of the room where Eir pointed, seeing the lines that had been drawn to plot out an expedition.
¡°I agree, people shouldn¡¯t be made to risk their lives on account of my lies,¡± Syd said with a frown. ¡°And I won¡¯t put any conditions on you. Either of you. If you feel like you have to tell someone about my secrets, I trust your judgement. But I¡¯m not sure I like the idea of the High Priest knowing about me. Don¡¯t get me wrong! Gerhardt seems like a nice enough guy, but the more people that know, the more likely I think I am to attract the wrong kind of attention. Am I wrong for thinking that way?¡±
Jadis looked between the two women, gauging their reactions to her question. Both took her words seriously, she could tell. Eventually, Aila answered her with a troubled look.
¡°No, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re wrong. Having the attention and support of a god is a boon, but there are those who might interpret your existence as D playing another one of his cruel tricks. Some might draw the conclusion that the world would be better off without you, for that reason alone. Some might even accuse you of being a False Hero.¡±
Eir looked up sharply at Aila¡¯s words. Just by context, Jadis could tell that such an accusation would be pretty fucking bad.
¡°It might be best if we are cautious with who we reveal such a delicate truth to, yes,¡± Eir said slowly. ¡°I believe High Priest Gerhardt can be trusted, as he is not a reckless sort, or quick to judge. But I do take your meaning, Aila. Your assessment does present some troubling possibilities that could very well come to pass, in the worst case.¡±
¡°I feel like this might possibly be the worst option, but what about Vraekae?¡± Dys asked. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to give her any power she can hold over me, but at the same time, I can see using her power and connections to sweep away a lot of problems that might come up from my, uh, background.¡±
While Aila frowned at the idea, Eir looked more thoughtful.
¡°She could be persuaded to keep your secret,¡± Eir mused. ¡°If she thinks it¡¯s for the betterment of the Empire. Which I think it is. You¡¯ve been nothing but a positive influence, albeit a chaotic one.¡±
¡°That¡¯s me, chaotic good!¡± Syd joked, then awkwardly cleared her throat as her audience stared blankly at her, the reference not crossing significant cultural barriers.
¡°Anyway,¡± Jay said, skipping over Aila and Eir¡¯s confusion. ¡°We¡¯ll have to talk it out some more. If possible, would both of you mind holding off on telling anyone else for now? At least until we¡¯ve all had more time to think about it?¡±
After a couple of affirmative nods, Jay continued.
¡°Putting aside the idea of telling others for now, I would like to bring the topic back around to what prompted all of this. Are you going to take the Oracle class you were offered? With everything out in the open between us, does the class make more sense now, or are you still uncomfortable with it?¡±
Eir visibly shook herself back into focus, then tilted her head in consideration. After a moment, she nodded.
¡°It does make more sense now, yes. You¡¯re not the Hero. He¡¯s already been confirmed by the High Priest of Valtar. But you¡¯re clearly a chosen representative of Destarious and are meant for greater things. It makes sense that those who would follow you would be offered special classes, just as those who follow the Hero now as well as in the past have been offered greater power so they can better support him or her. I feel I need to pray to Lyssandria about it for a while longer, but I think I will likely take the class.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not completely unheard of,¡± Aila added. ¡°Just like there are a few Oracles outside of the Empire that exist for reasons other than the support of the Hero, there can be others who are blessed by one of the gods for the purpose of fulfilling a greater deed. I just can¡¯t think of any involving D, or with quite so¡ peculiar a task.¡±
¡°I¡¯d like to hear about those people,¡± Jay said, interest piqued. ¡°Now that you two know, I¡¯ve got to tell you I¡¯m going to be asking a lot more stupid questions. There are so many things that I don¡¯t have any info on when it comes to Oros. The more you can tell me, the better.¡±
¡°Fair,¡± Aila said with a small smile. ¡°Now I know for certain that your lack of knowledge isn¡¯t stupidity, but ignorance. Ignorance can be fixed. But, speaking of,¡± Aila said while dodging back from a flick of Jay¡¯s fingers, ¡°I have a lot of questions myself. You¡¯re from, what, a place called Earth? I want to know more about it, if you¡¯re willing to talk?¡±
¡°And I would love to tell you,¡± Dys said as she stood, stretching her arms as best she could in the confines of walls and ceilings not meant for someone of her height. ¡°But we¡¯ve been sitting here long enough for the sun to go down and I am starving. Can we find some food before we do anything else?¡±
When Eir¡¯s stomach rumbled in response, it was all the answer Jadis needed to sweep her two companions into her arms and take them on a vitally important quest that took precedence over even D¡¯s godly commands: to find something deep fried. And in very large quantities.
Chapter 144: POV Guardswoman
¡°I¡¯m s¡ªsorry sir but I must refuse to answer that q¡ªquestion as I b¡ªbelieve it would breach the, ah, privacy of another¡¯s status sheet.¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t a request, guardswoman Thea of Cold Brook. It¡¯s an order. Tell me what you know about the skills and abilities of those Nephilim.¡±
Thea could feel the sweat running down her back as she stared straight ahead, eyes locked onto a tiny imperfection in the stonework of the wall across from her. It looked like someone had taken a chip out of the edge of a block about six feet off the ground, possibly when someone¡¯s armor knocked against the wall in the past, or maybe when a steel weapon had struck it by some chance. Thinking about how that chip came to be in the wall was a poor distraction against the overwhelming presence of General Egilhard, but it was all Thea had in the moment so she clung to that tiny break in the stone as tightly as if she were hanging a hundred feet off the ground.
¡°I¡¯m sorry sir b¡ªbut I must refuse to¡ª¡±
¡°Shut it,¡± the general snapped, cutting Thea off like a knife.
The hard-eyed man stood before her, stiff-backed and glowering. Pale gray eyes regarded Thea, watching her like a bird of prey would a mouse. His salt-and-pepper beard was immaculately trimmed and, combined with his hook nose, gave him a dignified look, even in his anger. He was still wearing his battle armor, the mud of the field fresh on his boots and the scent of demonic blood on his blade. Egilhard had a naturally domineering presence, an aura of command that set him apart from the common soldier even when he wasn¡¯t fuming. When he was fuming, his force of will was practically suffocating.
Thea deeply, deeply regretted being the object of his ire.
¡°Do you mean to tell me that you are refusing a direct order from a superior officer?¡± Egilhard asked, his voice steel draped in velvet. ¡°If that is what you are telling me, guardswoman Thea, then I must inform you that you can and will be court martialed for committing such a breach of protocol.¡±
¡°I¡ªI, ah, I am s¡ªsorry b¡ªbut¡ª¡±
¡°Spit it out, woman!¡± he interrupted her fumbling words. ¡°Did you leave your tongue on the floor somewhere? At least speak with the dignity befitting your station if you haven¡¯t the sense to follow proper orders!¡±
¡°I cannot d¡ªdisclose information regarding an active a¡ªassignment to anyone but my d¡ªdirect superior!¡± Thea rushed out as quickly as she could, wincing with each betraying stutter that plagued her words. Belatedly she remembered to add on at least a token acknowledgement of his rank. ¡°S¡ªsir!¡±
The general¡¯s frown deepened, his dark brow made darker by his mood. With slow, precise steps he circled Thea where she stood at full attention in the middle of the general¡¯s office. He stopped behind her, where she couldn¡¯t see his steely eyes, and waited silently except for the creak of his armor and the deep breaths through his nose.
If the general thought the looming silence would break her composure, he had gauged her wrong. The tactic no doubt worked on most people, but not on her. Thea much preferred the silence to his thundering questions. If it meant she didn¡¯t have to talk for a few minutes longer, all the better.
Of course, while the silence that was meant to discomfort her did little but give her a mental reprieve, the real torture was the struggle to keep from collapsing from sheer exhaustion. From the distant Fort Rook to the battlefield outside Far Felsen and then into the city itself, Thea had yet to take a rest. She¡¯d been up for more than a day by that point, if the light coming through the general¡¯s curtained windows told her truth. Thea hadn¡¯t even eaten yet, much less slept, and she felt like her limbs were made of lead as she continued to stand at the perfect attention General Egilhard required of her.
Inwardly, Thea cursed that she¡¯d foolishly let herself be separated from Jadis. She should have stuck with her under the pretenses of her orders to guard her, especially since no other guards had arrived to take her place once they were inside the city walls. If she¡¯d stuck with Jadis, she wouldn¡¯t have caught the attention of the sharp-eyed general. Probably.
¡°And whom do you mean when you say, ¡®direct superior¡¯, guardswoman?¡±
Fish guts and wet socks, she had to talk again.
¡°M¡ªmagistrate Vrae¡ªVraekae, sir.¡±
There was some more blessed silence, but not much.
¡°Indeed. Well then, guardswoman,¡± Egilhard said as he finished his circuit around her. ¡°As the Magistrate is currently busy with a host of duties revolving around the restoration and recovery of the province from demonic attack, I have been granted the authority to oversee all of her active military assignments and resources. And you are currently on duty as part of one of her active assignments, are you not?¡±
¡°Yes sir.¡±
¡°Which means I am at this time your direct superior, am I not?¡±
¡°Yes sir.¡±
¡°Then do as you have been ordered and tell me what you know concerning those three Nephilim.¡±
¡°I¡¯m s¡ªsorry sir but I m¡ªmust refuse¡ª¡±
¡°Gods blast it woman!¡± Egilhard shouted, his language slipping from common imperial into the harsh human tongue. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me I swear I will have you hanged for insubordination during a time of war!¡±
¡°Will you now?¡± a calm, cold, spine-tingling voice commented from behind Thea in the same language. ¡°By what means has my guardswoman committed insubordination, general?¡±
¡°Magistrate,¡± Egilhard said, his face and posture instantly schooled into perfect composure from the mask of seething fury he¡¯d betrayed a moment before.
Even without the general¡¯s acknowledgement, Thea had known who it was when the terrifying woman had spoken. No one sent chills down her spine quite like the statuesque elf. Even knowing she was a fair and honorable leader, Thea could never shake the instinctual reaction she felt whenever she was in the same room as the exceptionally powerful mage. If Egilhard had a domineering aura, Magistrate Vraekae had one a hundred times more fearsome.
¡°General,¡± Vraekae spoke softly but clearly as her boots clicked against the stone floor. ¡°You have leveed an accusation of insubordination against one of my most valued agents. Please, elaborate.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Most valued agents? That was new. When had Thea achieved that vaunted status? Even if it was true, which she doubted, Thea had no particular desire for the title. It made her sound like some kind of spy.
¡°Guardswoman Thea of Cold Brook has disobeyed a direct order from a superior officer to relay information regarding the expedition she recently returned from.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
Vraekae made the two words sound like death knells. How she was able to do it without raising her voice confounded Thea.
¡°Well, seeing as her orders were to report directly to me and no other, I will dismiss your accusation for now. Though I will keep it in mind in future reviews of her performance. Thank you for bringing this possible breach of military protocol to my attention, general.¡±
¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Egilhard replied coolly, with no obvious outward signs of displeasure. Thea doubted he was so calm on the inside, however. Not with how angry he had been mere moments before.
¡°Guardswoman.¡±
¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± Thea practically shouted like she was a mere trainee back in the academy answering to her sergeant.
¡°With me.¡±
¡°Y¡ªyes! Ma¡¯am!¡±
With that, Thea turned and followed Vraekae out of Egilhard¡¯s office, leaving the general behind to seethe in solitude.
Marching behind the intimidating elf was almost a relief. Thea had spent many, many hours doing exactly that ever since she¡¯d come to Weigrun. As one of the guards put on special detail, Thea had often found herself stationed at the Magistrate¡¯s doors or escorting her as she went about her day. Not that the elf needed an escort. She¡¯d seen what Magistrate Vraekae could do to a person with her magics. The red ball of arcane force that floated just behind her shoulder was a constant reminder of just how quickly the mage could shred a foe into paste, demon or otherwise.
Yes, falling back into her normal duty of superfluously guarding the Magistrate sounded almost as appealing to Thea as shedding her armor and falling into bed to sleep for a few weeks. Which was why when the magistrate reached her office doors and then imperiously beckoned her inside, Thea was doubly disappointed. It seemed her day was not yet complete.
Once inside, the Magistrate shed the high-collared riding coat she¡¯d been wearing and, rather than taking a seat behind her crowded yet orderly desk, she headed for the pair of comfortable armchairs set by her fireplace. With a wave of her hand, she motioned for Thea to take a seat, an offer Thea hesitated to accept for no few reasons.
¡°Never mind the upholstery,¡± Vraekae said, bringing attention to the woeful state of cleanliness the guardswoman¡¯s armor was in. ¡°It can be cleaned. Just sit.¡±
Thea wanted to tell the Magistrate that thoughts of getting her cushions dirty had been the last thing on her mind. But since her throat tightened up near enough to choke her, she simply saluted and took the seat offered to her.
Vraekae¡¯s disquieting red eyes regarded Thea for a time. Then, as she was beginning to wonder if she was trying to use the silent treatment on her just as the general had, Vraekae¡¯s orb moved.
Rather than transforming into a spiked ball of death, it morphed into a delicate-looking hand, then split in half and became two hands. With speed and precision, the hands moved to light the fire, then fill a kettle with water and put it over the fire. Then, in short order, the spectral hands prepared two porcelain cups, setting the tea leaves inside to make them ready for the water once it boiled.
All the while, Vraekae sat with eyes closed, not even looking at what her spell-created hands were doing. She said nothing, and not out of some expectation that Thea would break through use of silence, at least not by how Thea interpreted the elf¡¯s actions. Instead, she seemed to simply be absorbing the quiet, maybe even enjoying the brief reprieve from having to talk.
Or maybe the Magistrate just knew that was how Thea felt about the silent few minutes?
Eventually the tea was served and Thea held the piping hot cup in between two hands, simply letting the fragrant steam wash over her face. Vraekae sipped her own and, seemingly satisfied, she lowered the cup from her lips and finally opened her unnervingly red eyes again to regard Thea once more.
¡°I assume the general was asking you to divulge information regarding the time you spent missing with Jadis?¡±
¡°Y¡ªyes ma¡¯am,¡± Thea answered promptly, almost dropping her tea. ¡°He was.¡±
¡°Ah,¡± Vraekae mused, taking another sip from her own cup. ¡°I see she told you that she is actually one and not three.¡±
¡°Ah, um, yes,¡± Thea admitted. She¡¯d nearly forgotten until that moment that Jadis had told her that Vraekae already knew about her multi-body skill. ¡°She, ah, swore me to s¡ªsecrecy. But yes.¡±
¡°Then I imagine you will do your best to uphold that oath.¡±
¡°Y¡ªyes, ma¡¯am,¡± Thea nodded.
¡°Then I also assume that was also what the general was ordering you to divulge? Any information you have regarding Jadis¡¯ skills?¡±
¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Thea nodded again, dreading where the line of questioning was going. She knew the Magistrate was going to order her to tell her about everything Jadis had told her. And if she did, Thea¡
Well, Thea didn¡¯t know what she was going to do. Before they had gotten lost in those gods forsaken tunnels, the answer would have been obvious. She would have followed orders and told the Magistrate everything she had learned. It was her duty to obey, after all. The Emperor had chosen Vraekae to oversee the entirety of Weigrun for a reason. The Magistrate knew best when it came to the safety of the Empire and its citizens, and who was Thea to do anything other than support her in her own just and noble duties?
Now, however, Thea was less certain in her conviction that telling Vraekae was the right thing to do. After all, she¡¯d sworn to Jadis she wouldn¡¯t tell anyone. She¡¯d fought side-by-side with the amazing woman. Saved her life and had her own life saved in return. They¡¯d been¡ intimate in a way Thea had never been with anyone before.
Even knowing that Thea had been upfront with her from the start and told her that she had to obey if the Magistrate ordered her, would the air between them sour once it came out that she had revealed all? Would Jadis still look at her the same way if she knew she¡¯d given her secrets away?
Would Thea still look at herself the same way?
¡°Tell me exactly what you told the general,¡± Vraekae commanded.
That Thea did easily enough since there wasn¡¯t much to tell. A brief outline of what had happened in Alawar and how they had been forced to flee into the tunnels. Next to nothing about what had happened within other than the loss of the rest of the guards and mercenaries. Then a quick summary of their actions once they¡¯d made it to the surface. After that, once the general had ordered her to tell him about the skills the Nephilim possessed, Thea had done nothing but repeat her refusal.
¡°And that is everything? Think hard,¡± the Magistrate asked, refilling her teacup. ¡°Nothing more? Those were your exact words to the general?¡±
¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Thea nodded.
Vraekae nodded, her mouth a thin line, broken only when she took another sip of her tea. After a few more moments of silence, she abruptly stood and made her way to her desk.
¡°Very well,¡± she said as she took a seat and immediately began rifling through some papers. ¡°You are dismissed. Finish your tea, guardswoman, and then get some rest.¡±
Thea blinked, stunned by the sudden dismissal. She sat still, cup in her hands forgotten as she stared dumbfounded at the Magistrate.
¡°I¡ªis that all?¡±
Who had said that? Thea found herself asking stupidly, only then realizing that she had been the one to so recklessly blurt out a question to the Magistrate after she had been dismissed. It was just that¡ªwell, that was all?
¡°All what?¡± Vraekae asked her as she sifted through piles of papers.
¡°Ah, w¡ªwell,¡± Thea struggled to find words, doubly shocked that not only had Vraekae not rebuked her for speaking out of turn but was actually entertaining her question. ¡°I¡ªI mean, I t¡ªthought you would want more d¡ªdetails on, ah, what had happened a¡ªand what I had learned about, uh, J¡ªadis.¡±
¡°Yes, I do want more details,¡± Vraekae answered, her tone as sharp as ever, though it lacked any malice. ¡°However, you are clearly in no condition to properly recount your unexpected expedition into the recently discovered network of tunnels hiding beneath the Broken Hills. My questions can wait. You are exhausted. Go. Sleep.¡±
With that second dismissal, Thea didn¡¯t argue. Though internally, questions buzzed like angry bees, not the least of which was why hadn¡¯t the Magistrate even mentioned the idea of asking about Jadis¡¯ skills?
Realizing that she was still sitting in one of Vraekae¡¯s chairs, Thea fumbled with her still full cup of tea before finally deciding to just down the whole thing in one gulp. Choking back a cough, she quickly exited the Magistrate¡¯s office, wondering what in Valtar¡¯s name had just happened, but feeling relieved that she didn¡¯t have to refuse any of her commanding officer¡¯s orders.
Chapter 145: Company
Food. Food and Sleep. Two wonderful, amazing, incredible things that worked fantastically well as aids towards making Jadis feel more human. Well, not human, exactly, what with her being a Nephilim. More like a person, she supposed? In any case, food and sleep were incredible. Add to them both the company of two women she genuinely cared about and both were ascended to deific heights.
There had been no fried food to be had in the temple. But Jadis was no quitter and, having set her sights on finding something breaded and submerged in boiling oil, she wasn¡¯t going to stop at the first roadblock. With Aila and Eir in tow, Jadis had left the temple and made her way through the damaged but not destroyed streets of Far Felsen to return to her inn. She was half expecting the place to have been burnt down, considering the frequent signs of fire damage Jadis spotted along the way, some buildings having lost their roofs entirely. Luckily, or maybe due to good urban planning, Felsen¡¯s buildings were all made primarily out of stone and what fires the greater demon had caused had not spread far. And so, happily, Jadis found her inn to be in good condition. Even better, the inn was open and the innkeeper was home and greeted her with delighted surprise.
The innkeeper was an honest sort and, when Jadis hadn¡¯t returned, she¡¯d had her husband box up the Nephilim¡¯s belongings and had stored them rather than sell them off. She was happy to return the goods as well as rent Jadis¡¯ room back to her. And, with the incentive of some extra silver, she was even willing to lend Jadis the use of her kitchen for the evening.
Jadis wasn¡¯t much of a cook. She knew few recipes and fewer still that didn¡¯t involve microwaves or cup noodles. But breading various different meats and frying them in pans of hot oil was something she had at least the basic idea of how to do.
Again, Jadis had to thank the people who planned out Felsen and its construction materials that the buildings were made of stone and thus resistant to fires.
Accidents aside, Jadis filled her bellies and the bellies of her lovely two companions with loads of unhealthy, only mildly burnt, foods that were oh so good for the soul. While they enjoyed their dinner, they talked about some of the particulars of Jadis¡¯ past life. The idea of a world without any kind of system that gave levels and skills was utterly alien to both Aila and Eir and they had many questions about how life worked in such a deprived, magicless existence. Talking about some of the nicer memories she had about Earth did incite some feelings of homesickness in Jadis, but more than that she found joy in telling her friends about bizarre and fascinating concepts like computers, movies, and the internet. She stayed away from more dangerous topics like guns and bombs or anything she thought could be directly used for violence. Oros had enough violence of its own, Jadis didn¡¯t feel the need to import any from Earth. But explaining to Eir that elves existed as a concept but did not actually exist physically was an entertaining experience.
After stuffing themselves to bursting, Jadis, Aila, and Eir had retreated to the comfortable confines of her room. While there had been a certain part of Jadis that had wanted to take advantage of some alone time with the two beautiful women who had joined her, the greater part of her was still too tired to expend any energy on such pursuits, even as enjoyable as she knew they were. And, looking at the exhaustion that was still plain on Aila and Eir, Jadis knew they all needed more rest. So, after a quick wash, they went to sleep in a naked, yet chaste, nest of bodies on the floor.
Jadis woke first the next morning, the sun just barely peeking through the curtained window. The first thing she noticed, before she even opened her eyes, were the throbbing signs of her libido having returned to full strength. The second thing she noticed were the two soft, warm, sweet-smelling women tucked in among her own tangle of selves. As foggy as her mind was from sleep, it didn¡¯t take much brain power for Jadis to put two and two together. Or rather, put three and two together.
Just as Jadis was beginning to wake her two companions up via some absolutely not chaste methods, a knock came from the door.
¡°Who is it?¡± Jay huffed, pulling her mouth away from Eir¡¯s lovely red breast.
¡°Sorry to bother you, Miss,¡± Jadis heard the innkeeper¡¯s muffled voice come from the other side of the thick door. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t normally, seeing as you said you and your, ah, lady friends needed your rest, but you have a visitor.¡±
¡°We¡¯re busy,¡± Syd called back while eliciting a hushed gasp from Aila with her fingers. ¡°Unless it¡¯s Kerr or Thea, tell them to fuck off.¡±
¡°Beg your pardon, Miss, I don¡¯t know who either of them is,¡± the innkeeper said, the woman¡¯s persistence mildly annoying Jadis at that particular moment. ¡°However, I don¡¯t think I can tell the Magistrate to do that.¡±
All activity in the room froze at those mildly spoken words.
¡°I don¡¯t think we can ignore her,¡± Aila said after a moment, putting a hand on Syd¡¯s cheek. ¡°As much as we all might want to at the moment.¡±
¡°I¡ I need to find my robe,¡± Eir mumbled disappointedly, trying to wiggle out of Dys¡¯ arms.
¡°Hold on,¡± Dys said, squeezing the plush elf a little more tightly. ¡°Maybe we can just invite her up? She¡¯s single, right?¡±
¡°Jadis!¡± Eir squeaked, giving Dys a scandalized look. ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡±
¡°Why not? She¡¯s pretty hot, in a scary kind of way,¡± Jay joked, giving Eir a tender kiss on her slender ear. ¡°You¡¯re not trying to keep other elves away from me so you can remain my one and only good girl, are you?¡±
¡°No!¡± Eir squeaked even higher while trying to shush Jadis. ¡°That¡¯s not it! I mean, yes, I¡¯m your good girl, but no! Jadis, Vraekae is my cousin! You can¡¯t joke about things like that!¡±
That little revelation brought another pause to Jadis.
¡°Cousins? Really?¡±
¡°Yes, of course. Don¡¯t you see the family resemblance?¡±
Checking with Aila who gave her an equally surprised shrug, Jay shook her head.
¡°Got to tell you, there isn¡¯t even one part of me that thought you two were in anyway similar, either physically or in personality.¡±
Before Jadis could really process the unexpected family connection Eir possessed, another knock at the door came, followed shortly after by the innkeeper worriedly asking what she was going to do.
¡°Tell the Magistrate we¡¯ll be down in a minute,¡± Syd called back with a heavy sigh.
It took a few minutes in the end, since it took a little time for Jadis to get her selves enough under control that she could put her skirt-pants on. Once they were presentably dressed, Jadis, Aila, and Eir made their way downstairs to find the common room of the inn clear of all but a few occupants. There, sitting at a table while sipping on a cup of tea was Magistrate Vraekae. Shockingly, so too was another familiar face.
Kerr sat across from the blue elf, her face a mask of misery that Jadis quickly recognized as some combination of a lack of sleep and a strong hangover by the way she leaned with one elbow on the table, her face smooshed in her hand. She perked up significantly on seeing Jadis, though it was clear the pain in her head was keeping her from fully expressing herself in the typically carefree and jubilant way she normally would. That or the presence of the stiff-backed magistrate was putting a damper on her actions.
Aside from Kerr and Vraekae, Jadis quickly took in that there were only four other people in the room, discounting the plump innkeeper who was fussing over some tray of food she¡¯d set down at the Magistrate¡¯s table. There were four guards, two of them vaguely familiar, but one in particular Jadis was happy to see. A nervous looking Thea stood at attention behind Vraekae with the other guards. Her armor looked like it had been put back to the pristine condition it had been in before their misadventures in the tunnels, but strangely enough she was still carrying the makeshift shield Jadis had made for her rather than a proper new one.
¡°Please, take a seat,¡± Vraekae motioned for Jadis and the others to join her. ¡°And, if you would,¡± she looked to the flustered innkeeper, ¡°please accompany my guards outside for now, madam. I promise no harm will come to your property in your absence.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
In just a few seconds, the innkeeper was out the door with three of the guards, leaving Thea behind.
It didn¡¯t take a genius to see that Vraekae had gathered together Jadis¡¯ surviving party from the ill-fated trip to Alawar all in one room. Nor did it take a great leap of thought to guess why. Jadis had known the Magistrate would want to grill her for details on what had happened and, in all likelihood, try to impose more restrictions on her to prevent things from going so wrong again. Jadis had just hoped she¡¯d have had more time before the elf had sought her out, what with the aftermath of the demon attack to deal with.
Well, if it was time, it was time.
Jadis cleared some space at the table, making sure Aila and Eir had seats before settling onto the floor. She also motioned for Thea to sit as well and, despite some initial hesitance from the guardswoman, she took a seat next to Dys with a nervous glance at Vraekae. The Magistrate made no objection or sign of displeasure and instead calmly sipped her tea until everyone was settled. Once everyone was situated, she placed a metal device on the table that Jadis recognized as similar to the one Eir had used in the High Priest¡¯s quarters to prevent eavesdropping. With a tap it was activated and then, to everyone¡¯s shock, the Magistrate did something entirely unexpected.
She slumped back in her chair.
¡°Are you alright?¡± Eir asked immediately, concern in her voice. ¡°Do you need any healing?¡±
¡°No, thank you,¡± Vraekae sighed, her voice far less sharp than normal as she rolled her shoulders with her head practically hanging over the back of her chair. ¡°I am simply too tired to worry about appearances at the moment. Sleep is a luxury at times like these and I have been forced to make do with alternatives,¡± she said, motioning with one hand to her teacup.
¡°Well, if you need a nap, you can go ahead. I don¡¯t mind waiting,¡± Jay dryly suggested.
¡°I am certain you would not,¡± Vraekae replied, straightening up slightly and bringing her red eyes to bare on Jay. ¡°However, this could not wait.¡±
Pulling a folded-up paper from a pouch at her belt, Vraekae passed it across the table to Jay. Taking the document curiously, Jay opened it to see some kind of official-looking writing with an intricate stamp and seal. Of course, Jadis didn¡¯t have a clue what it said since she barely recognized the letters.
¡°And this is¡?¡±
¡°Your bank account details as well as your current balance.¡±
¡°I have a bank account?¡± Dys asked, one eyebrow raised high.
¡°You do,¡± Vraekae confirmed while she poured herself more tea. ¡°I opened it for you last night and I have had all your earnings transferred to it, seeing as it would not have been practical to bring you the number of coins you were owed.¡±
¡°What exactly were we owed?¡± Jay asked, feeling a little stupid.
Then Aila took a look at the document and let out a shocked gasp.
¡°The bounty for the Bone Thief Matriarch you killed, as well as the Greater Demon from just a few days ago,¡± Vraekae ticked off her fingers as she went. ¡°The many demons you were reported to have slain on both the battlefield and in Alawar. Plus the promised pay from Stenger and Son¡¯s, on top of an additional amount they generously donated after I had a conversation with their representatives here in Weigrun concerning their involvement with the loss of the last ¡®three¡¯ known remaining Nephilim in existence.¡±
¡°Fucking shit,¡± Kerr cursed as she leaned over to see the large numbers representing Jadis¡¯ sudden increase in material wealth outlined on the sheet of paper. ¡°Congratulations Big Stuff. You¡¯re rich! You better be the one buying me drinks from now on.¡±
¡°Of course, the rest of you have your shares for your involvement in the aforementioned events,¡± Vraekae smoothly added after Kerr¡¯s exclamation.
More stamped papers were passed out, not only to Aila and Kerr but to Eir and Thea as well. By their reactions, Jadis could tell the amounts were not small.
¡°Not to sound ungrateful,¡± Syd said after the others had voiced their surprise at their newfound wealth. ¡°But this was what you needed to see us about right away? Giving us money? That doesn¡¯t really seem like a priority all things considered.¡±
¡°It is not,¡± Vraekae tiredly agreed. ¡°Frankly, my budget is going to be stretched extremely thin for the next few months as the city recovers from this attack. That is a good amount of coin that could be well used elsewhere. That said, it is certainly related. With the number of losses we have sustained, I cannot afford to assign any more of my elite guards to safeguard you for the foreseeable future. They are needed elsewhere. Nor can I afford to pay mercenaries to do the same job, even if any of their number could be spared for the task right now, which they cannot be.¡±
¡°Well, the answer to that problem is pretty simple,¡± Jay cut in as the Magistrate paused to gulp down some more tea. ¡°I don¡¯t need your babysitters. You¡¯ve seen me on the battlefield now. You know how strong I am, and I¡¯m only getting stronger. You can keep your guards. I¡¯m more than capable of taking care of myself.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Vraekae agreed with surprising ease. ¡°You are quite right that you are exceptionally strong and, under most circumstances, very capable of handling threats that would see others in their graves. However,¡± she held up one finger, silencing Jadis before she could open her mouth, ¡°while you have shown you are extraordinarily powerful, you have also proven that you are dangerously undertrained in martial combat techniques as well as woefully ignorant when it comes to navigating Imperial society and all the perils inherent to such an endeavor for one such as you. And, of course, we cannot forget your extraordinarily reckless nature which puts you in positions of extreme danger on a regular basis.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not that bad at martial combat¡¡± Syd started to say, her words trailing off as she saw the way both Thea and Kerr cringed slightly. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m not ¡®trained¡¯ per se, but so what? That doesn¡¯t mean I need more guards. And my track record of getting into dangerous situations isn¡¯t because I¡¯m¡ªokay, isn¡¯t solely because I¡¯m reckless. My patron god is D. I have exceptional luck, both good and bad.¡±
¡°Besides,¡± Jay said, putting an arm around Aila¡¯s waist. ¡°I have an excellent guide when it comes to ¡®navigating Imperial society¡¯ or whatever you want to call it. Even if I can¡¯t read, I have people with me who can.¡±
Vraekae did not look impressed.
¡°One admittedly intelligent young human woman is hardly enough to safeguard you from those in high places who are already looking for ways to take advantage of who and what you are.¡±
¡°Because you¡¯re not looking for a way to take advantage of me?¡± Dys challenged, drawing a worried look from Eir.
¡°I am,¡± Vraekae admitted without hesitation. ¡°Your continued good health if nothing else will be a boon to my reputation and standing with the Emperor. My career will be advanced by your success, just as it would be ruined if you were to die under my watch. As it almost was with your recent disappearance. I hope that you can see why your wellbeing is of such concern to me.¡±
Jadis could, in fact, see very well why Vraekae would care so much. Her talks with Aila and Eir hadn¡¯t fallen on deaf ears. Her existence truly was a game changer and not just from the perspective of D and his attempts at introducing a little chaos into the status quo. Jadis was actively causing alterations to people¡¯s potential classes just from being around them. Or more accurately, fucking them. That was a pretty damn big deal all on its own. Never mind the implications of her potential to disrupt the precarious balance of the world¡¯s major powers. Even if no one but Jadis and her closest companions knew about her quest from D, if she continued on her current path, the possibilities her ever growing power presented would become obvious to everyone, especially to world leaders who were no doubt sensitive to such things.
¡°Yeah, I get what you¡¯re saying,¡± Jay finally said, breaking the silence. ¡°But what do you want me to do about it?¡±
¡°Settle down, perhaps have some children? You seem to have a few options who would not object to a quiet, pastoral life with you, especially now that you are financially stable.¡±
The reactions from the women around Jadis were telling, to say the least, but Jadis¡¯ selves all managed to keep straight faces.
¡°Maybe when I¡¯m older. I¡¯m not ready to settle down just yet.¡±
¡°Then I am open to suggestions.¡±
That was a good sign, Jadis supposed. Vraekae wasn¡¯t demanding she do as she said. No threats of imprisonment. Just an earnest attempt at meeting each other on common ground. It was just that Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure where that common ground was.
She wasn¡¯t going to give up on a life of adventure. Despite all the many hardships, Jadis loved the amazing things she¡¯d done and had every intention of doing more. Sure, getting broiled by a flaming demon wasn¡¯t fun, but overcoming a more powerful foe and being victorious over a foe that no one else had been able to defeat absolutely gave her a thrill like no other. She wanted to explore more, fight more, level more. She wasn¡¯t going to stop now, even if the idea of having a few children with several certain women wasn¡¯t as strange a thought to her as it once was. And speaking of those women, Jadis looked forward to going on adventures with those women for a long, long time, if they were willing. In fact¡
¡°I will always be by her side to aid her,¡± Eir spoke up suddenly, interrupting Jadis¡¯ train of thought. ¡°If she needs healing of any kind, I will be there to soothe those wounds, just as I will be there to offer her any advice she may need on political matters. I think you know that I am not untrained in such things, cousin.¡±
¡°And you¡¯re saying all this shit about her not having any kind of guide while I¡¯m sitting right fucking here,¡± Kerr chimed in, rolling her clawed hand at the Magistrate. ¡°I¡¯m not into politics or any of that shit, but I¡¯ve travelled through more parts of the Empire and beyond than I bet even you have. Even when we get lost, I¡¯m going to be there to guide her back to safety. You don¡¯t have to worry about asshole conmen taking advantage of her thick-headed cluelessness when I¡¯m around.¡±
¡°I¡ªI offer my shield,¡± Thea added a moment later, voice strong despite her stutter. ¡°To defend her b¡ªback and her blind spots. By my oath, no one, man or demon, will b¡ªbreak through my defenses to get to her. I am the only guard she needs.¡±
A hand slipped into Jay¡¯s, squeezing it tightly. Without looking at her, Aila simply held her head high.
¡°She¡¯s my lover. I won¡¯t let her face anything alone.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Vraekae said, leaning back in her chair.
¡°Like I said,¡± Jay shrugged one shoulder, a warm grin on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t need your guards. I¡¯ve got a team.¡±
¡°Actually,¡± Syd jumped in a second later, the touching words of her companions having cemented the idea she¡¯d been having. ¡°Not just a team, I think. What can you tell me about what it takes to establish a mercenary company¡?¡±
With that question asked, the Magistrate did one more unexpected thing Jadis never thought she¡¯d see her do.
Vraekae grinned.
Chapter 146: Fortune’s Favor
According to imperial law, founding a mercenary company required a minimum number of members. Ten, to be precise. Jadis and her companions didn¡¯t have those numbers, even if she were to be counted as three instead of a singular Nephilim, as most people saw her. Vraekae had been willing to temporarily waive that requirement and give Jadis special dispensation via her authority and the application of certain loopholes. She¡¯d still need to recruit more members, but at least her little guild could be established sooner rather than later.
The speed at which Vraekae was able to cite those loopholes had been rather fast. Suspiciously fast, in Jadis'' opinion, but at that point she didn¡¯t care too much about whether or not Vraekae had been planning for the eventuality of her founding a mercenary company. While Jadis had balked at the idea of joining a mercenary company and thus being under someone else''s control, starting up her own company and thus being her own boss had a much greater appeal. Even if it was playing into some plot Vraekae had been trying to manipulate her and her companions into following, that was, at least in this instance, acceptable. Jadis and Vraekae¡¯s desires were aligned in this one thing, so it was a common ground Jadis could stand on, even if Vraekae might have sown a few seeds of her own making to make the land.
There were other aspects of founding a guild that had to be addressed, ones that couldn¡¯t be skirted around. Writing a charter, establishing a power structure, assigning duties to individual members; there was quite a bit to be done. They even had to talk about where their guild would be based, since one of the requirements was they had to have a physical base of operations. Jadis and her companions ended up spending the rest of the day with Vraekae, most of it in the inn¡¯s common room gathered around the one table. There wasn¡¯t just the guild founding to do, either. Vraekae had wanted to hear the details of their trip through the cave system and had, unsurprisingly, asked a lot of questions. Jadis was mildly surprised that Vraekae hadn¡¯t gotten much information of what had gone on in the tunnels from Thea, but apparently the guardswoman hadn¡¯t been pumped for info as soon as she¡¯d gotten back to town, just a general outline.
There weren¡¯t many opportunities, but Jadis did manage to get her companions alone at different points throughout the day to speak with them privately, outside of Vraekae¡¯s hearing, just to be sure that they were okay with what they were signing up for. It was an abrupt career change for them, and a drastic one for at least two of them. Yet, despite her concerns that they were making the choice under some sense of obligation or coercion, the answers she got were encouragingly positive.
Aila didn¡¯t mind the change at all, considering she¡¯d always planned on being in a mercenary company from the beginning. Founding one hadn¡¯t been something she¡¯d pictured, but the idea was fairly attractive to her. Something told Jadis that even if her name was on the books as the leader, Aila was going to end up having a greater hand in the practical decision-making side of things. Eir had little issue with it since it was actually fairly common for temple priests to join mercenary companies, at least temporarily, so that they could better serve both the people and the gods by healing those who needed it out in the field rather than only in the streets of a town. Besides, she had repeated, it would take an act of god to separate her from Jadis. Thea had been less nervous than expected about the situation, considering she was going through the biggest change. She had to resign from the military to become a mercenary, a huge deal for someone who had planned on the military being their whole career. But Thea had been adamant. She wanted to do the most she could for her country and felt she could do more by Jadis¡¯ side than being Vraekae¡¯s guard. Jadis valued her trust and hoped to prove her feelings were right, but also made sure to insist that Vraekae be willing to take Thea back into her service, just on the off chance things didn¡¯t work out.
Kerr had been Jadis¡¯ biggest concern, since the wild woman had made it clear to her that being in a mercenary company had always felt too restrictive to her. That she was willing to join one for her sake was a big deal, and Jadis had made sure to take her aside and discuss exactly what the move meant to her.
¡°So, my bar didn¡¯t make it,¡± Kerr told Syd while they both stepped outside the back of the inn, ostensibly to stretch their legs. ¡°That burning fuckface set the roof on fire. Most everything inside was fucked.¡±
¡°That¡¯s so fucking shit,¡± Syd had exclaimed. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±
¡°Join you, duh,¡± Kerr said, poking Syd in the stomach with a sharp nail.
¡°I meant¡ª¡±
¡°I know what you meant,¡± she waved Syd off. ¡°Hans made it out fine and I still have some coin to my name. That pay the blue bitch in there handed out means I¡¯ve got enough to consider rebuilding the place, though I don¡¯t know if I want to. It¡¯d be a big investment to get it all back to where it was and I¡¯m not sure I have the patience for it.¡±
¡°But enough patience to join a mercenary company?¡±
¡°Well, if it¡¯s your mercenary company, sure,¡± Kerr toothily smiled up at Syd while resting a hand on her stomach. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine a world where any venture you¡¯re involved in is boring or burdened with bureaucracy. As long as you don¡¯t turn into some kind of tight-ass autokrat like most of the fuckers sitting pretty over in Eldingholt, then I¡¯ll stick around. There are a lot of perks to keeping you nearby, anyway.¡±
The places Kerr¡¯s hand had wandered from there hadn¡¯t been acceptable for polite company and Jadis was glad the rear of the inn was private enough to afford them a few moments of indulgence.
One matter that took a bit of discussion had been the naming of the guild. A few different suggestions were floated around, though initially none had felt quite right to Jadis. Eir had thought a holy name appropriate, The Divine Arms of Destarious and Lyssandria. Kerr had immediately countered with The Nephilim¡¯s Sluts. Both were rejected. Eventually inspiration struck and Jadis had decided on a name she felt encapsulated both her nature as a chosen avatar of D, god of luck, as well as her penchant for bold action.
¡°Fortune¡¯s Favored,¡± Vraekae mused, signing the last of the guild application paperwork. ¡°That does feel like a fitting name. What inspired it?¡±
¡°Fortune favors the bold,¡± Jay informed the Magistrate with a grin. ¡°At least, that¡¯s how I always saw it.¡±
¡°So it would seem,¡± Vraekae nodded. ¡°I will have to remember that. It is certainly an interesting and, from what I have seen of you, generally accurate bit of advice.¡±
The meeting hadn¡¯t gone on much longer after that. There were still many things left to do before they were an official mercenary company, but there was only so much paperwork Jadis could handle before her skin started to itch. Vraekae had left just before nightfall, heading back to the mountain of responsibilities that had been waiting for her all day. Everyone else stayed for a quick dinner made by a well-compensated innkeeper, though afterwards Thea and Kerr had left to attend to their own business. Left alone with just Aila and Eir, the priestess had leaned over in her chair to whisper into Dys¡¯ ear. The question she had asked had instantly perked Jadis¡¯ interest.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
¡°Would you be willing to help me with my first ritual?¡±
Once back in their shared room on the second floor, their door securely locked and clothing optional, Eir had explained the nature of her starting core skill given to her from her newly acquired Oracle class.
¡°It¡¯s a sex-based ritual, much like the ones you perform,¡± Eir said while removing her robe and neatly folding it. Jadis found it a little difficult to focus on the gorgeous elf¡¯s explanation while she was so casually stripping down to her skivvies, but she did her best to focus. ¡°I can only perform it once a month, which is actually more than most high priests I know of who are capable of communication with the gods. It¡¯s in line with other oracle classes I have knowledge of, though. Since you¡¯ll be performing the ritual with me, you should be able to speak with Destarious directly. You may ask three questions, which he will answer in whatever manner he sees fit, so be careful what you ask him. From what I¡¯ve been told, the gods are usually circumspect in what they are willing to say.¡±
¡°This is divine magic, right?¡± Jay asked, pulling her own shirt off. ¡°Why is this a ritual? Isn¡¯t that more of an eldritch magic sort of thing?¡±
¡°Any magic class can potentially have a ritual spell,¡± Aila answered her question. ¡°It¡¯s just that most eldritch-based classes are ritual classes, and most arcane and divine classes aren¡¯t. They can still have some overlap, though.¡±
¡°Well, this should be interesting,¡± Dys grinned. ¡°Never done one of these sex rituals that wasn¡¯t one of mine. You¡¯ll have to tell me what to do.¡±
¡°Your role won¡¯t be that complicated,¡± Eir informed her, ¡°though my part will require some¡ self-control.¡±
¡°I can imagine,¡± Syd said, having already stripped down completely and her cock halfway to full mast.
¡°Before we get into this,¡± Jay said, pulling Eir¡¯s attention away from the distracting spectacle Syd had made of herself. ¡°You never told me. What¡¯s the wording for your ¡®Lustful Oracle of D¡¯ class description? I¡¯ve been curious.¡±
¡°Oh, um, one moment,¡± Eir said, her deep purple eyes obviously having trouble staying away from Syd¡¯s body. ¡°Here it is.¡±
|
Lustful Oracle of D
Your connection to Destarious has grown strong, thanks to your involvement with a certain Nephilim. This class will allow you to commune with Destarious via the typically lewd methods you have grown to love and desire to indulge in. This class¡¯s skills will also allow you to provide support and aid to Destarious¡¯ faithful followers.
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¡°Well shit, I¡¯m literally right in the class description¡¡± Jay said, hands on her hips. ¡°That¡¯s got to be rare.¡±
¡°Exceedingly so,¡± Aila agreed. ¡°Very few recorded classes make specific reference to individuals, and most of those are directly related to a Hero of times past.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Syd said, ¡°but I¡¯m tired of being the only one fully naked here. Let¡¯s get this thing started, yeah?¡±
¡°What do we have to do?¡± Dys asked, turning control of the event over to Eir. This was her ritual, after all.
¡°Ah, the ritual requires a certain position,¡± Eir advised. ¡°And I¡¯m not sure we can do it easily, considering our size differences.¡±
Indeed, Eir was the shortest of Jadis¡¯ companions, her head barely reaching eye level with Jadis¡¯ crotch. Some positions were a challenge, just thanks to how much larger Jadis was than the elf.
¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll work it out,¡± Jay assured the priestess before bending down and giving her a tender kiss. ¡°Just tell me what you need.¡±
A brief explanation and some creative maneuvering later and Jadis and Eir were arranged the best they could to be able to pull off the ritual.
Eir perched on top of a stack of the ration crates Jadis still had, a folded blanket placed on top for comfort. The position had her kneeling as though she were in prayer, hands clasped, head bowed, and knees tight together. Her feet and ass hung slightly over the back edge of the crates though, giving access to her glistening pussy, which Syd was intended to make full use of.
Kneeling on the floor behind her, Syd positioned herself so that the tip of her cock rested lightly against Eir¡¯s slick entrance, ready to start the ritual at the priestess¡¯ command. Jay, on the other hand, knelt opposite of her other self in front of Eir, her head laid down on the elf¡¯s lap, just under her clasped hands.
¡°So, this ritual would normally need three people,¡± Dys pointed out from where she sat to the side on a comfortable pile of blankets and cushions.
¡°Good thing it seems tailored for someone with your unique skillset,¡± Aila mused from her seat on Dys¡¯ lap.
She was, of course, as naked as Dys was. With Dys¡¯ dick sticking up between her thighs in a familiar position, Aila was ready to enjoy the show her lover was going to put on, while also getting to sit back and idly toy with and be toyed with back by her lover.
Once again, Jadis had to say that she loved having multiple bodies.
¡°Go slowly,¡± Eir warned, her breathing already coming faster. ¡°I need to recite the full Devotion to Destarious. I cannot botch the wording while I do so or we¡¯ll have to start over.¡±
¡°Okay, but you can¡¯t put me in this position and expect me to not want to taste you,¡± Jay said with her face pressed into Eir¡¯s lap.
Eir let out a delightful squeak as Jay¡¯s long tongue dipped between her thighs. A second later she gave her a light tap on the back of her head.
¡°Please!¡± she said, ¡°I need to concentrate!¡±
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be good. Just tell me when to start.¡±
Eir took a deep breath, then nodded slightly.
¡°We can begin.¡±
Easing into Eir¡¯s tight wetness was made especially difficult because of the angle Syd had to maintain. Putting one hand on Eir¡¯s waist and using the other to guide her cock, she firmly pressed into Eir, eliciting a soft gasp from the elf once Jadis¡¯ cockhead finally popped inside. A moment later, Eir began to chant.
Whatever language Eir was reciting her prayer in, Jadis couldn¡¯t understand a word of it, but to her it sounded Nordic or Scandinavian in nature. As Eir spoke, Syd moved, driving her shaft deeper into her. It didn¡¯t take long before Jay felt something bump against her head and, from Dys¡¯ perspective, she could see that Syd¡¯s cock had filled Eir up enough to create a bulge in her flat stomach.
To fulfil the requirements of the ritual, Eir stiffly held her kneeling position, her lips the only part of her to move as she chanted. As Syd pumped in and out of her pussy, her voice caught and her words hitched at times, but she persevered in her part of the spell.
As the ritual continued, Jadis could see the effects of Eir¡¯s magic appearing on her. When Jadis performed a ritual, a white glow manifested from within her, lighting her up so that by the end she would literally glow. For Eir, it was different. The divine glow she displayed when healing was there, but that warm light mixed with a faint purple haze that, as time passed, morphed into something more like translucent fire. The purple flames were outlined with the glow of divine power and didn¡¯t burn at all. Instead, as they grew in size to envelope Eir completely, Jadis found that they only tingled pleasantly against her skin wherever they touched her. Which, unfortunately, only made it harder for Syd to control herself as she gently fucked her elven priestess.
¡°So beautiful,¡± Aila murmured from her seat on Dys, one hand running idly up and down Dys¡¯ slick shaft.
Jadis had to agree. The eroticism of the display paired with the scintillating flames made for an amazing sight.
Eventually, the ritual reached a peak as the purple flames practically licked the ceiling overhead. Eir¡¯s chanting came to an end right as Syd couldn¡¯t hold off any longer, her pumping having turned somewhat erratic. She released her seed within Eir just as the priestess unclasped her hands and put both palms down on Jay¡¯s head and uttered one final word that rang in Jadis¡¯ mind like a bell.
All went white, then complete and utter darkness. Everything was silent as Jadis floated in nothing, all the sensations from before having disappeared. She was alone.
Except.
¡°Well hey there, little gal. It¡¯s been a while.¡±
Interlude: Prince Kestil
¡°Word has come from the western front. Volto has lost the coastal city Kastoria. It was swarmed by an exceptionally large force of demons that came from the Siren Sea. There was an estimated loss of nearly thirty thousand of their citizens.¡±
Prince Kestil, second in line to the throne of the Alfhilderunn Empire, cut his egg with his fork and let the blue yolk pour out onto his plate. He watched as the viscous liquid slowly overran the small, neatly cut pieces of sausage nearby, their forms enveloped by the tide. His knife, held in his other hand, hovered over all, poised to cut off the flow at any moment, to halt the progress of the spreading contagion. But, when should he apply the dam? After three pieces of meat were overwhelmed? Four? Surely not five?¡±
¡°Such a tragedy,¡± Prince Hraustrekr, first heir to the throne, commented behind the rim of his teacup. ¡°A senseless waste of life. If only I could have spared the manpower from the northern and eastern fronts to send aid to Volto during this crisis. I will have to see if I can arrange any more divisions from the less active lines to support them.¡±
Ah. So it was. The dam withheld and the flow unhindered. The yolk left free to consume all the bits of meat it could reach.
¡°Indeed,¡± Emperor Somerulf bowed his head in a sincere display of grief. ¡°So many lives taken before their time. If only the Hero could be in more than one place at a time. If nothing else, we should send more material aid, if possible. Food and clothing can go a long way towards taking some of the burden off of the Volto senate to provide for their citizenry so they can focus efforts on more defensive measures.¡±
¡°An excellent idea, father,¡± Hraustrekr agreed immediately. ¡°I will see it done.¡±
Kestil idly wondered what numbers his brother would set aside for Volto and if they would be even remotely in line with what their father envisioned.
¡°And perhaps you can reroute some of your mercenary companies to the western front, Kestil?¡± Emperor Somerulf asked, his aged face creased with worry. ¡°Surely the southern province is more under control by now?¡±
¡°I will have to review the possibility,¡± Kestil smiled kindly at his father. ¡°I just received a report from Weigrun¡¯s Magistrate late yesterday. Depending on the situation, I will see what arrangements can be made.¡±
Ah, that was a fair opening his father had given him. Perhaps something could be done to bolster Volto, if Kestil could manage it.
¡°And what news of the southern province?¡± Hraustrekr asked, his tone mild but his eyes keen. ¡°Do many demons still haunt the Great Southern Forest? Any improvements to the eleria production?¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t read the full report yet,¡± Kestil lied. ¡°However, Magistrate Vraekae reported that there is a strong possibility that an independent mercenary managed to slay the Bone Thief Matriarch that was last sighted near Kalters Wall. It¡¯s not yet substantiated, as the mercenary apparently had not the presence of mind at the time to take an eye for verification, but Vraekae has good skills for catching out lies and she believed the account. I¡¯m sure her next report will come with confirmation.¡±
¡°Wonderful news!¡± The Emperor smiled and took a healthy bite of his breakfast. Kestil smiled inwardly to see his father¡¯s appetite return. ¡°The more of those detestable creatures that are slain, the better. I understand the Hero killed two of them earlier in the month, correct Hraustrekr?¡±
¡°Yes, father.¡±
¡°Good, good. Three dead in a single moon¡¯s time. Wonderful news!¡±
¡°And what of the eleria?¡± Hraustrekr asked, less subtly than his already clumsy attempt before.
¡°It¡¯s up,¡± Kestil admitted. ¡°The latest shipment was ten percent greater than the last.¡±
¡°Excellent,¡± Hraustrekr¡¯s smile did not quite reach his green eyes. ¡°Then perhaps we will be able to craft more enchanted weapons and armor for the war effort. The troops along the northern front have not nearly enough enchantments to allow them to properly aid the Hero with his push to drive the demons off the continent.¡±
¡°Yes, yes,¡± Emperor Somerulf nodded along, still smiling about the slaying of three demonic matriarchs. ¡°I¡¯m sure those extra resources can be routed to assist the Hero in his efforts. He has shown remarkable growth for a human, even considering he is the Hero. With the proper aid I¡¯m certain he¡¯ll soon succeed in clearing the east of those vile spawn of Samleos.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Kestil openly agreed.
Breakfast lasted for only a little while longer, with much of the topics discussed dominated by the Emperor¡¯s analysis of the current Hero as compared to the previous one, who he had known well in his youth, and the ones from before who were more a matter of historical record. Kestil did not pay much attention as the topic was a favorite one of his father¡¯s and many of the same points were repeated from recent past discussions. Other matters weighed on his mind, such as how he was to counter his brother¡¯s military machinations without showing too much of his hand. That he was plotting his own moves had to be obvious to Hraustrekr, or at least to his more intelligent advisors. There was no point in trying to hide that. Instead, it was a matter of hiding exactly how competently he was planning his eventual succession to the throne.
Once he had been dismissed from the Emperor¡¯s table, Kestil immediately headed for his own solar. The opulent marble halls of the capital¡¯s palace shone around him as he quickly made his way to the east wing. Through the tall windows, he could clearly see the great city of Eldingholt spread out around the palace, the sun shining on towering walls that had not suffered a direct demonic attack in centuries. There was not a cloud in the sky to block the golden rays coming from above, yet a looming shadow did slide smoothly into place across Kestil¡¯s view.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
¡°Your highness,¡± a deep, gravelly voice rumbled next to him.
¡°Eadgar,¡± Kestil acknowledged the hulking orc who joined him as he strode to his private hall. ¡°Is everything in place?¡±
¡°It¡¯s done.¡±
¡°Good.¡±
Kestil appreciated how brief Eadgar was with his words. He spoke little and listened much. Those aspects were but a few of many that made him a good spymaster. His written reports would have any further details he might need and if there was something of immediate concern, he would have said so. Since there was nothing more forthcoming verbally, Kestil knew that all had gone to plan.
Of course Hraustrekr would suspect him of lying about the exact amount of eleria the latest shipment contained. So, he would send his own spies to search out the truth. Hraustrekr had good spies, so they would find that Kestil had actually received a fifteen percent increase over the previous shipment and they would see that he was selling that increase to various different merchant guilds under the table for a significant profit. Hraustrekr would either confront him about the discrepancy, or he would hold onto that information as something to use against him at a later date.
Of course, the real truth was that the latest shipment had been twenty-five percent higher than the last. A fact that Hraustrekr and his spies would never know. Which meant Kestil was free to use that undocumented Eleria for purposes his brother was blind to.
Eadgar was a much better spy than anyone Hraustrekr employed.
Entering his private apartments, Kestil was greeted by another one of his cadre waiting for his return. Lady Severina stood tall, her armor shining with the golden sigils of Valtar reflecting the light of the morning sun. With her helmet under one arm and her white wings folded at her back, she looked only slightly less martial than the seraphim typically presented herself.
¡°What was so urgent that I needed to fly back to the palace overnight?¡± Severina asked without preamble. Her stern demeanor made it clear that she did not appreciate being pulled away from her field duties so abruptly.
¡°This,¡± Kestil replied with as little formality. Here in his solar there was no need for pretenses. ¡°Read and tell me what you think.¡±
The Second Prince passed Magistrate Vraekae¡¯s report to the knight. Taking a seat on his couch, he allowed Severina the time to read and process the information contained within the letter. As he waited, he assessed his two closest advisors.
Eadgar was as stoic and hard to read as ever. Even when he¡¯d read the letter his stone wall of a face had evinced no reaction. The barest twitch in his heavily muscled arms had told Kestil the orc had found displeasure in something about the letter, but what exactly that was he had not yet revealed. Kestil didn¡¯t press the man. He knew he¡¯d tell him once he had fully formed his thoughts.
Severina was easier to read. Her golden brow lowered in obvious consternation as she read and reread the report. Even if she¡¯d had her helmet on to hide the tells on her face, Kestil would have seen the way her whole body tensed and her feathers puffed out like an angry hawk. Indeed, the news must have been particularly perturbing to her as her cross-shaped irises narrowed into slits.
¡°This is a joke. A farce. There¡¯s no chance that after almost two thousand years three Nephilim would simply appear out of nowhere!¡±
¡°You think Vraekae would lie?¡±
¡°Of course not!¡± Severina almost shouted, waving the report in Kestil¡¯s direction. ¡°But she must have been tricked. Some high-level con artist, or a Fetch, or I don¡¯t know, something. But the Nephilim are dead! This is preposterous!¡±
¡°Vraekae verified, she saw their status sheets. It¡¯s in her report,¡± Kestil pointed out, mildly amused to see Severina so flustered. ¡°Do you know of a way to fake something like that?¡±
¡°No. No I do not. But still¡ª¡±
¡°What does your god say,¡± Eadgar interjected.
Trust the stolid man to cut to the heart of the concern. Severina¡¯s connection to Valtar was exactly why he¡¯d wanted to hear the Seraphim¡¯s opinion as quickly as possible. Kestil could have gone to a priest, of course. Vraekae had made it clear that the High Priest of Far Felsen knew about the Nephilim and he had no doubt reached out to the temple leadership in the capital as well. But the prince wanted to hear from those he trusted, first.
Severina composed herself, eyes closed in concentration. She centered herself in that way that her kind could do, her soul reaching out to her god for guidance. Kestil had to admit to some small amount of jealousy, when it came to the chosen children of the gods. That they had such a connection to the creators of all without any need for a class or skill was a great advantage over the rest of the populace, even if it came with certain¡ downsides.
A moment later, the Seraphim opened her eyes, brow still furrowed with displeasure.
¡°I sense a warning.¡±
¡°Duplicity?¡± Eadgar asked, his bulky frame overshadowing Severina¡¯s slender one. ¡°A threat?¡±
¡°Not exactly, no,¡± Severina slowly shook her head. ¡°I sense caution from Father. Not danger, but the shadow of it. There¡¯s something wrong, but it¡¯s¡ complicated.¡±
¡°Complicated,¡± Kestil echoed.
¡°That is my interpretation, yes. Complicated.¡±
So, not all was as it seemed. The Nephilim were likely true, though there was some greater tapestry of unseen threads being woven. Whatever picture was being manifested, Kestil would need to predict it quickly so he could gain proper advantage of it, preferably before his brother became too involved.
¡°Who would be best sent to keep an eye on the situation? Chaucer, perhaps?¡± Kestil asked his advisors.
¡°He¡¯s busy with Becket,¡± Eadgar shook his head no. ¡°The pilgrim issue.¡±
¡°Ah, yes, I remember now,¡± Kestil winced.
¡°I could go,¡± Severina volunteered. ¡°It would take little for me to dig out the true nature of these apparent Nephilim.¡±
¡°I¡¯m certain of that,¡± Kestil eyed the way Severina gripped the pommel of her sword. ¡°However, I need you for another matter. You may have heard the unfortunate news concerning Volto? I would like you to lead a squad of elites to Kastoria, see what you can do about aiding any survivors. Discreetly, of course.¡±
¡°By your command,¡± Severina nodded. She clearly wasn¡¯t happy about not going to confront the reported Nephilim, but purging the world of demons and rescuing imperiled innocents would placate her nicely, Kestil was sure.
¡°Noll,¡± Eadgar rumbled out, crossing his arms to make it clear it was his final suggestion.
¡°Noll isn¡¯t one of ours,¡± Severina countered, giving the orc a suspicious glare. ¡°Unless you¡¯ve managed to bind him to you since last I spoke with the man.¡±
¡°No,¡± Eadgar denied the idea that he¡¯d suborned the strongly independent mercenary. ¡°Soft touch required.¡±
¡°Ah,¡± Kestil let out a soft exclamation as his spymaster¡¯s meaning came to him.
Noll wasn¡¯t sworn to his service, but he was a trustworthy individual who could be relied on to report the truth to him, especially if he was paid the right price. His status as an independent mercenary meant going to Weigrun wouldn¡¯t raise any eyebrows, either. Even more importantly, the man hated Hraustrekr, so the chances of him being turned to his side were low.
¡°Yes, Noll will do. Call in any favors you have with him and get him down to Far Felsen,¡± Kestil put his proverbial seal on the plan. ¡°Let¡¯s see what we can find out about these Nephilim. Jay, Dys, and Syd, was it? They could be of great use in religious circles, even if the tale of them slaying a bone thief matriarch before reaching level forty proves to be an exaggeration. And make sure to put in a more public inquiry for Hraustrekr to see as well, Eadgar. I know he¡¯s likely getting his own reports on their miraculous appearance and we can¡¯t have him thinking I care too little about this startling new development happening in my own province, can we?¡±
Chapter 147: Mother of God
Jadis looked around wildly, startled and confused. Only a millisecond before she had been resting her head in Eir¡¯s lap while simultaneously cramming her cock into the lovely elf¡¯s tight core while also sitting to the side watching the sexual ritual with her naked girlfriend Aila sitting in her lap. Now she was experiencing a bizarre lack of sensation. She could still see and hear and feel, but for some reason everything felt wanting, or lesser somehow. It took her a moment to figure it out, but eventually she realized the issue.
She only had one body.
Yes, that was the problem. Jadis was sitting on a comfortable seat in a pleasantly decorated living room, but that was all. Just the one of her experiencing the situation from a single body¡¯s perspective. It had been so long since she¡¯d had such a limited viewpoint on the world around her that Jadis felt exceedingly disoriented, almost to the point that she nearly missed the words that had come from the sole other occupant in the room.
¡°Huh? What was that?¡±
The man smiled at her words. Not that she could see his face, but she knew he was smiling.
¡°That¡¯s one! I said ¡®Well hey there, little gal. It¡¯s been a while.¡¯ What¡¯s your next question?¡±
¡°D!¡± Jadis exclaimed, shocked that she could have forgotten the deity¡¯s face¡ªer, well, his presence.
D¡¯s face couldn¡¯t be forgotten because he didn¡¯t have a face. Or rather, he did have one, it was just that it was only a face. She knew he had one. She could see it. But just like the rest of him, all that came to her mind when she tried to focus on what it looked like was the concept of a man¡¯s smiling face, with no details whatsoever. It was the same for the rest of him as well, and even the room they were occupying. D lacked specificity. He simply was.
¡°Holy shit, it actually worked,¡± Jadis mused aloud, still orienting herself. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I doubted it, I just, I guess I didn¡¯t expect to be back in your living room for this. Like, I figured you¡¯d just speak through Eir or something¡ª¡±
Jadis cut herself off halfway though her rambling. D¡¯s response to her question had finally penetrated her befuddled mind.
¡°Hey! Are you really trying to tell me you¡¯re counting that as one of my three questions!?¡±
¡°That¡¯s two! And yes, I am. That¡¯s how the ritual works, you silly goose. Three questions are all you get.¡±
¡°Stop that you fucker! That was a rhetorical question!¡±
¡°Rhetorical questions are still questions,¡± D grinned in a sing-song voice that was decidedly masculine in an unidentifiable kind of way. He lounged back on his indescribable couch as he continued. ¡°You¡¯ve got one left, baby. Better make it count. Also, I¡¯m not sure about the wisdom of calling your godly benefactor a ¡®fucker¡¯ to his face. We gods usually let a little blasphemy slide when you mortals are just putzing around on whatever mortal plane, but really. Right in my living room? For shame.¡±
The smile on D¡¯s face had become no less describable, yet Jadis could tell that it had become somehow less relaxed and more maniacal by the end of his admonition. Apparently, Jadis really did need a reminder that she was talking to a literal god. And not just any god, but the one who had plucked her soul from the cosmic soup of the void on an errant whim and given her a second life with as little effort. She had no doubt that if he wanted to, he could change his mind about her and set her adrift any time he liked.
¡°Okay, yeah, sorry,¡± Jadis backpedaled. ¡°You¡¯re not a fucker. But seriously! Those two questions did not fucking count. Uh, with all due respect.¡±
¡°They count if I say they count,¡± D said with the idle confidence of one who knew they were always right. ¡°Next time, be more careful.¡±
¡°Oh come on! Don¡¯t be such a dic¡ªI mean, seriously!¡±
D laughed, wild and high-pitched, seemingly delighted by Jadis¡¯ distress. As she watched her patron deity mockingly giggle at her stupid mistake, a voice Jadis had never heard before cut through D¡¯s laughter.
¡°Stop torturing the poor thing, dear,¡± an impossibly perfect woman¡¯s voice said. ¡°You¡¯re being cruel for no reason.¡±
Jadis¡¯ jaw dropped as the enchanting voice was followed by the most gorgeous woman she had ever seen in her life. From a non-descript doorway behind where D sat, the unbelievable woman entered the room. Unlike D or his living room, this woman Jadis could see, though she still couldn¡¯t describe her. Not because she lacked discernable detail, but because she was simply so beautiful, so elegant, so flawless in every aspect of her being that Jadis simply had no words that felt like they could do her justice, though she still tried to find them. Her waist-length wavy hair glowed with every color of the rainbow at the same time, shimmering to new and mesmerizing colors with each small movement. Her figure was so achingly gorgeous that Jadis had to force her eyes away from the mouth-watering cleavage and hips that were highlighted by a flowing golden gown. Her face was captivating, her eyes awe-inspiring, and her lips so enticing Jadis had to stop herself from unconsciously leaning towards them for a kiss. She was the perfect embodiment of beauty and even that statement felt paltry and unworthy of her.
¡°Yes, mother,¡± D acknowledged the woman between stifled snickers.
Those words were enough to kickstart Jadis¡¯ brain into the realization of who had just entered the scene. D¡¯s mother. The goddess of beauty, love, and art. Eir¡¯s patron deity and the supposed mother of all Nephilim.
Lyssandria.
¡°Have a sweet, darling,¡± the agonizingly beautiful goddess smiled warmly at Jadis.
She sat down on the conceptual couch next to her son and set a plate of some kind filled with edible sweets that eluded all description on the definitely-a-coffee-table-and-nothing-else between them.
¡°Uh, thanks,¡± Jadis nodded blankly, not sure of what the protocol was for meeting her patron god¡¯s mother.
Not wanting to be rude, she took a sweet off the plate and popped it into her mouth. It was, predictably, absolutely delicious. Though naturally she had no way to describe in what way it was delicious, just that it was. Swallowing the morsel, she looked back and forth between the two, unsure of what to do next, before deciding to address the elephant in the room.
¡°So, I assume you probably already know, but just to make sure we¡¯re on the same page, I¡¯m Jadis. Your son reincarnated me in the body of one of your, uh, ¡®Chosen Children¡¯ or whatever the term is. So¡ are you cool with that, or¡?¡±
¡°No, no, darling,¡± Lyssandria chided Jadis. ¡°The ritual you just performed was so that you could ask my dear son three questions, not me. So, starting now, ask your three questions of him and he will answer you.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
The last was emphasized with a commanding look at her son. D, for his part, didn¡¯t look the least bit bothered and was leaning to one side of the couch, scrolling through the screen of some kind of tablet held in one hand while the other held a handful of treats. When exactly he had snatched those assorted sweets from the plate, Jadis had no idea, but she could tell that he had.
After a few seconds, Lyssandria lightly slapped D on his shoulder with the back of her perfect hand.
¡°Yes, yes,¡± he waved dismissively. ¡°Three questions, starting now. Ask away, little troublemaker.¡±
¡°¡right.¡± Jadis nodded, still struggling to come to grips with the situation.
Even though she had known that she¡¯d be talking to her patron god, Jadis nevertheless felt unprepared. Being brought back to D¡¯s direct presence had thrown her for a loop, and having Lyssandria present wasn¡¯t helping her recover her faculties. The list of prepared questions Jadis had mentally made had disappeared along with her grasp on the situation. Fumbling for an important question, Jadis asked the first one that came to mind.
¡°So, how am I doing? As far as the quest you gave me goes, I mean.¡±
¡°Fair,¡± D answered around a mouthful of something or other.
¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± Jadis started, then cut herself off.
She had been about to say, ¡°that¡¯s all you have to say?¡± But considering her initial blunder with the god, she wasn¡¯t about to repeat that same mistake again. She doubted Lyssandria would bail her out a second time. So, thinking about it, she rephrased what she was going to say into a statement.
¡°That¡¯s not a particularly helpful answer.¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± D agreed, his smile growing slightly unhinged. ¡°Not all answers are, of course. Then again, maybe you¡¯re just too dense to interpret its deep and intricately constructed subliminal meaning? It is the word of a God given to you. It can¡¯t just be what it appears to be on the surface, can it?¡±
The god of luck. Also the god of secrets, mischief, and madness. How much of what D was saying was being said just to fuck with her? After all, just because D was her illustrious benefactor and he had tasked her with a goal that he wanted, didn¡¯t mean that he wouldn¡¯t mess with her, too.
Jadis¡¯ eyes stole to the right where Lyssandria leaned, watching their interaction with a faintly amused expression. There was something so inordinately attractive about the way she sat with her legs crossed and a single slender finger held against her cheek that made Jadis want to paint her, even if she¡¯d never gotten beyond drawing stick figures. But aside from that impulse, Jadis could see the goddess¡¯s stunning face and read her expression. She was amused, but she also seemed unsurprised by what D was saying. Did that mean she understood what D was trying to convey? Or was it just that she was so used to his antics that nothing the mad god said ruffled her anymore.
Either way, looking at Lyssandria brought her second important question to mind.
¡°Has my resurrection as a Nephilim caused any issues among the gods, particularly with your mother?¡±
¡°I should count that one as two,¡± D chided her with a click of his non-existent tongue. ¡°But I¡¯ll allow it. If stepdad was here though, he wouldn¡¯t let that slide. Anyway, the short answer is, yes. The slightly longer answer is, a certain loophole in the Covenant has been sealed up because a few of my extended family members threw a hissy-fit. But, as you can see, mother dearest isn¡¯t hissing at all.¡±
A lot more information, but the kind that just spawned more questions.
The other gods knew about her, then? All of them? Jadis supposed that wasn¡¯t surprising, but the fact that at least some of them had been upset about her rebirth on Oros could be bad news for any future interactions she might have with them or their followers. What about Valtar and Samleos, the major players in this tug-of-war Jadis was meant to disrupt? Were they aware of her purpose? Was Lyssandria? She was, apparently, not unhappy with her being reborn as a Nephilim, but was she okay with what D had tasked her with, or was she unaware? Did it even matter if she had Lyssandria¡¯s approval or not?
Those questions and more bounced around in Jadis¡¯ head as she sat in contemplation, allowed time to think while the two gods regarded her silently. She wanted to ask them all, but she only had one question left, at least for the moment. She could do this ritual with Eir again in another month¡¯s time and ask another three questions then, but being forced to wait that long made her feel impatient just thinking about it. Then again, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure she wanted too much information from D. She was on Oros to live her own life just as much as she was there to fulfil her end of the bargain she had made. Relying on D for guidance too much felt like she¡¯d be ceding much of her own control to the god.
For now, she needed to ask just one more question that had the potential to affect her life in the moment, but not be the kind of question where she was just directly asking for the god to tell her what to do next. Besides, she had kind of already gotten an answer to that kind of guiding question. She was doing ¡°fair¡± so far. That was no glowing review, but it wasn¡¯t a condemnation, either. Whatever she was doing, she was doing something.
A third question. She needed one more. Glancing towards the achingly attractive goddess again, Jadis decided on what it should be.
¡°This ritual is supposed to be a way for me to ask you, D, three questions,¡± Jadis started her final question by stating what she thought to be obvious. ¡°So, with no offense intended to the present party, why exactly is your mother here?¡±
¡°Of course you would ask that,¡± D groused. ¡°And here I expected you would just let her presence go unquestioned. Point to you, mother.¡±
¡°Thank you dear,¡± she replied smoothly. ¡°She seems like a nice, intelligent soul, though maybe her eyes are a little lecherous.¡±
¡°Ha! You¡¯ve been caught staring at mom¡¯s boobs,¡± D laughed and pointed at Jadis, forcing her to splutter out a denial.
¡°No I wasn¡¯t¡ª¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine, darling,¡± Lyssandria spoke over her in a reassuring tone. "You aren¡¯t the first and you certainly won¡¯t be the last.¡±
Jadis shrunk down a little, hotly embarrassed as D continued to laugh at her in that high, unhinged way of his. She snatched up a few more sweets from the plate and stuffed one in her mouth to chew the delectable pseudo-confection furiously as she waited for D to answer her question.
¡°She¡¯s here because she wanted to see you in person,¡± D finally answered her, little giggles still bubbling up between words. ¡°At least, as in person as we can be without breaking the rules. Get a feel for who you are, you know? Besides that, she wanted to pass along a little message.¡±
With that, he languidly waved a hand towards his deific mother.
With a level of grace Jadis didn¡¯t think was humanly possible, and probably wasn¡¯t, Lyssandria rose from the couch and rounded the coffee table to stand directly before Jadis. Standing so close, Jadis was even more overwhelmed by her abject beauty, her mind feeling dulled just from her presence alone. She leaned closer, her perfect, sculpted face taking up the entirety of Jadis¡¯ vision.
With a gentle smile, she spoke to Jadis, her sweetly spoken words filling her ears and leaving no room for anything else.
¡°Though your birth was not of my making, you are my Child. Should you need my guidance, remember, your Mother is here for you. All you need to do is but ask.¡±
As the goddess¡¯s words thrummed through her, Jadis felt her existence in whatever strange reality D had brought her soul to fade, the goal of the ritual having been fulfilled. The sight of Lyssandria blurred and bled like a watercolor until the scintillating swirl of colors became too bright to look at. The sound of a man giggling madly to himself overtook all other sounds and Jadis¡¯s consciousness became untethered as she slipped away.
¡°And please,¡± Lyssandria¡¯s distant voice called out to her, barely audible by then. ¡°Tell my beloved cleric that I love her no less for her choice to accept Destarious¡¯ offer. She is still my child too.¡±
The last of the goddess¡¯s words were drowned out, overwhelmed by the maddening cacophony of D¡¯s amusement, his fit of laugher having become so raucous that it no longer resembled laughter at all but instead a great wall of sound that shook Jadis¡¯ sense of being to its core, removing all sense of self and awareness until¡ª
¡°Did it work?¡±
Jadis jumped, Aila¡¯s question having surprised her. Comically, all three of Jadis jumped at the same time, which proved to be an awkward reaction while Syd still had her turgid cock buried deep inside Eir¡¯s slick heat. The priestess let out a noise mixed between a yelp and a moan as she was bobbed around by Syd¡¯s unintentional movements.
Jay quickly grabbed hold of the elf as Syd froze, then went about extracting her self from her priestess lover. Dys, in the meanwhile, sat with Aila still in her lap, though the freckled redhead had turned halfway around to look Dys in the face.
¡°Are you alright?¡± Aila asked, putting one hand on Dys¡¯ cheek.
¡°Huh? Ah, yes, yes, I¡¯m fine,¡± Dys assured her girlfriend, giving her a quick kiss. ¡°Just, that was, well. It was something.¡±
¡°It worked?¡± Aila repeated her question from a moment before. ¡°The flames surrounding you two flared then disappeared and then you just went quiet for a few seconds. I wasn¡¯t sure if the ritual had somehow failed.¡±
¡°No, it didn¡¯t fail,¡± Jay said, holding onto an exhausted Eir who was smiling up at her with deep satisfaction. ¡°And holy shit do I have some things to talk about with both of you.¡±
Chapter 148: All Work and No Play
¡°Sabina, this is absolutely amazing. Whatever we paid you, we need to pay you more.¡±
The half-elven smith smiled bashfully, her pride in her hard work evident. Her callused hands rested on top of one of the new helmets she had crafted, fingers playing with the etched contours.
¡°There aren¡¯t any enchantments in any of them because I don¡¯t know how to do enchantments but I hope I¡¯ll be able to do enchantments if I get a class for it with my secondary class but even though I couldn¡¯t do them I left channels on the inner parts where enchantments can be added later so you won¡¯t have to order entirely new armor since this was already expensive to make and while I would appreciate the extra business I don¡¯t think you should have to pay for it all again since there are three of you and that is a lot of armor since you¡¯re all so huge and I mean that in a nice way but still that¡¯s a lot of area to cover and any way it¡¯s not perfect but I tried to add a little bit of flair to it and I¡¯ll shut up now.¡±
Once again, Sabina¡¯s words tumbled out of her like a landslide. One simply had to ride along with it until it was over. Jadis grinned, enjoying the way the well-muscled half-elf became ever more flustered as her talk went on, seemingly fully aware that she was rambling, but no more able to stop the tide of words than anyone else.
¡°They¡¯re beautiful,¡± Jay insisted, picking up one of the helmets to inspect it more closely. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you managed to make all three suits of armor so quickly.¡±
¡°I had some help,¡± Sabina admitted. ¡°While you three were missing everyone thought you were all dead but I figured you probably weren¡¯t since you¡¯re all so strong so I kept making your armor since you paid for most of it up front anyway. I managed to finish the one set right before that demon army attacked and then afterwards I knew you three were still alive since everyone was talking about how incredible you all were to kill that Burning Rancor greater demon and then when I got back to making your armor some of the other smiths lent a hand since they knew it was for you and they wanted to show some gratitude for what you did and it helped a lot so I was able to get the other two suits done in just three weeks which is really good and I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it without their help so you should thank them if you want but you don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t but you all are really nice people so you probably will.¡±
Sabina was right about Jadis¡¯ intentions. The armor was both beautiful and impressive and she was going to make sure she thanked the other smiths busy at work in the shared smithy workshop Sabina used for her crafting. Though as far as Jadis was concerned, the exuberant woman deserved the majority of the credit. The thick, darkly colored plate armor Sabina had designed entranced Jadis, even before she had put it on. The material it was made from wasn¡¯t common steel, but some kind of alloy Sabina had called ¡°Cold Flame Steel¡± which even just the name had Jadis¡¯ inner nerd excited. She could already tell the extra cost had been absolutely worth it.
¡°Did you just finish them?¡± Dys asked while admiring the heavy breastplate she¡¯d picked up from the workshop table.
¡°The last piece was done yesterday,¡± Sabina confirmed with a rapid nod of her dark-haired head. ¡°I was going to go looking for you today but I guess you have good timing since I haven¡¯t seen you since you came back to the city but I figured you were probably busy just like everyone has been and I didn¡¯t want to be a bother.¡±
Jadis had indeed been busy. Founding her new mercenary company, Fortune¡¯s Favored, had taken up a lot of her time, though it hadn¡¯t been the only drain on her days. Besides working on tasks related to establishing her fledgling guild, issues like helping with the cleanup of the battlefield, clearing the surrounding area of straggler demons, and working out new accommodations for her and her four companions had been priorities. Vraekae hadn¡¯t been joking when she¡¯d said she didn¡¯t have the manpower to spare anymore. The blue-skinned elf had immediately roped her into helping with the cleanup and, much like the rest of the mercenary companies in the city, she and her companions had been worked to the bone to help secure the area from any future attacks. They had all been so busy, Jadis had barely had any time alone with her girls, at least not as much time as she would have liked. They hadn¡¯t even had a chance to experiment with her new rituals yet.
Despite having so much going on, Jadis still wished she¡¯d had the time to check up on Sabina sooner. But with so many different things vying for her attention, the cute half-elf smith had been pushed to the back burner, much to Jadis¡¯ chagrin. She was just glad the perky woman hadn¡¯t done the same to her and delayed the forging of her new plate armor. She would have been well within her rights to, considering everything that had happened with Far Felsen in the past month.
¡°Well, sorry for keeping you waiting,¡± Jay told the smith, grinning at the way Sabina fervently waved off her apology. ¡°I have had a lot to do. Which actually brings me around to reason number two for why I came to visit you.¡±
¡°Oh, is it the wagon? It¡¯s the wagon, isn¡¯t it. I¡¯m sorry Jay or Dys or Syd or whichever one you are but I didn¡¯t get the wagon done just yet because I¡¯m not experienced with that kind of wood work and I was busy with the armor and the carpenter that was helping me has been busy with rebuilding all the roofs that were burnt by that greater demon and did I tell you I saw it swoop down and light a ship on fire? Because I did and it was terrifying and I wasn¡¯t even that close and I don¡¯t know how you managed to wrestle that monster out of the sky but its amazing that you did and I wish I had seen it but I¡¯m also kind of glad I didn¡¯t since it would have been horrible but it would have been amazing too so I¡¯m kind of conflicted on that but still I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t keep working on the wagon but now that I¡¯m done with the armor I can devote a lot more time to the wagon and I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have it done in a week or two depending on how much help I can get from other craftsmen.¡±
¡°There¡¯s no rush on the wagon, Sabina,¡± Jay assured the half-elf, finally managing to get a word in. ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I was going to ask you about though.¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t?¡± Sabina asked, her expressive face almost seeming to deflate with disappointed confusion.
¡°No,¡± Dys followed up, grabbing the smith¡¯s attention. ¡°We wanted to ask you if you might be interested in joining our new mercenary company.¡±
Sabina blinked dumbly, clearly nonplused by the question. It was probably the first time Jadis had ever seen the girl at a loss for words since she¡¯d met her. Her mouth gaped open a few times, little noises coming out as her brain struggled to catch up with her voice. After a few seconds, she found a few, though it wasn¡¯t her usual avalanche.
¡°But I¡¯m not a mercenary?¡±
¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± Dys easily agreed. ¡°But as Aila has thoroughly informed me, mercenary companies need support staff. We¡¯re going to need someone who can make repairs to our weapons and armor on a regular basis, plus handle all the extra odd crafting jobs that I know I¡¯ll come up with. We can always hire other people to do the work, but we agreed that it would be way better to have someone who¡¯s actually a part of our team rather than an outsider.¡±
¡°Plus, we thought it might be a help to you,¡± Syd continued when Dys was finished. ¡°You¡¯re probably still level sixteen, right?¡± At Sabina¡¯s nod, she continued. ¡°Then as part of the deal, if you join our mercenary company, we¡¯ll take you out in the field and power level you up to twenty so you can unlock your secondary class faster. Consider it both a thank you for doing such awesome work as well as a signing bonus of sorts.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
¡°Really?¡± Sabina squealed, her voice pitched so high it made Jadis laugh.
Rushing forward, Sabina wrapped her arms around Syd in a surprisingly strong hug. A second later, she switched to Jay, and then Dys and then back to Syd, darting back and forth between the three Nephilim in her excitement.
¡°Yes, yes! I¡¯ll join! I¡¯m going to make you so much armor and weapons and once I can I¡¯ll make you enchantments and you won¡¯t ever need anyone else I promise I¡¯ll be the best smith you¡¯ve ever had and¡ª¡±
Sabina¡¯s onslaught of gratitude continued for several more minutes. Once she had finally calmed down enough, Jadis went over the details with her, to make sure she was fully on the same page. Jadis would be registering Sabina as a combat mercenary since she currently needed another three to join her guild before it could be granted official status by Magistrate Vraekae. Sabina would be number eight. She didn¡¯t actually need to have a combat class or be active in the field if she didn¡¯t want to be, just as long as she was registered as such on paper. It could lead to problems further down the line if her company was called to action during an ¡°all hands required¡± situation but considering Jadis now had something of an in with the local city leader, she didn¡¯t think it would be an issue.
With Sabina enthusiastically on board with the plan despite the potential for some danger, Jadis discussed a few more future ideas and then finished up her business with the smith. She left her with the promise of bringing her the necessary paperwork the next day. New armor slung under several sets of arms, Jadis headed back to her new base of operations.
The question of where her mercenary company would file its physical headquarters had been a challenge, at least for a short time. While they had the money to rent or even buy property, it would have taken a large chunk out of their finances, larger than Jadis was comfortable with considering how much she had planned to do. Fortunately, the answer had presented itself in the form of a certain wild and foul-mouthed archer.
Since Kerr¡¯s bar had been burnt out in the battle and she had no strong desire to rebuild it back to what it had once been, Aila had suggested she sell the property to Jadis at a low price so it could be remade into their company hall. Kerr had been happy to accept the plan, so long as Jadis promised to hire Hans on as support staff, which Jadis had readily agreed to.
The man was an amazing pie maker, after all.
Jadis had actually offered the same deal to Hans as she had to Sabina if he was willing to list himself as a combat mercenary. Unfortunately, the stoic man had declined the offer, apparently having no desire to even risk the possibility of being called out into the field. He was also already close to CLR fifty, much to Jadis¡¯ surprise considering he wasn¡¯t a combatant at all. Power leveling him to a combined level rating of sixty would have taken a lot more effort.
In any case, Jadis¡¯ nascent mercenary company did have a guild hall. Sort of. The Tipsy Mule had needed to be gutted first and then the roof had needed to be rebuilt. After three weeks, it was finally a whole building and Jadis had been able to transfer her meager belongings from her old inn room to the second floor of the new building only a day before. Sadly, the place barely had any furniture yet and was mostly just bare stone floors and walls. Still, it felt like a good start.
¡°I¡ªIt¡¯s very nice armor,¡± Thea spoke up from where she walked in Dys¡¯ shadow. ¡°It must weigh as much as a h¡ªhorse though.¡±
¡°Probably,¡± Dys answered her shieldsworn companion. ¡°But we can handle it. With this upgrade to our equipment, I feel like we can probably just charge straight through a hundred bone thieves. No weapons needed, just our mass and our boots!¡±
¡°P¡ªprobably,¡± Thea agreed with a small smile.
Thea had elected to accompany Jadis on her errands around town that day while the rest of her guild had been busy with their own business. Magistrate Vraekae was no longer assigning teams of city guards to trail Jadis everywhere she went, but she had insisted that Jadis keep at least one of her teammates nearby at all times just in case of trouble. Jadis wasn¡¯t exactly sure what kind of trouble Vraekae was expecting to come Jadis¡¯ way in Far Felsen, but ultimately it didn¡¯t matter much to her. Always having one of her guildmates and lovers nearby was no burden at all.
Jadis sent a grin of her own Thea¡¯s way as they walked. She had been happy when the former soldier and city guard had thrown in her lot with her. So far, she felt it had been the right choice for the both of them, even if they hadn¡¯t seen much combat yet outside of demon stragglers in the fields surrounding the city. Jadis felt as though she was much closer to all of her companions now that they were an official guild, especially after she had revealed to them her extra-dimensional origins. Aila and Eir had, of course, been the first to know, but Jadis hadn¡¯t wanted to leave either Thea or Kerr out. She felt she owed them honesty; if she was to trust them with her life and their lives with her, she should be able to tell them about her reincarnation.
Thea had accepted Jadis¡¯ revelation with relatively little fuss, considering. But she supposed that was just the quiet woman¡¯s way. She wasn¡¯t the type to make a lot of noise.
Kerr, on the other hand, absolutely was.
The therion archer had required a lot more explanations before she had been willing to accept the strangeness of Jadis¡¯ claims about being given a body by D just because he felt like it. Though, once Jadis had told her all about the deal she had made with the god, Kerr had become quite excited about it.
¡°The god of luck and tricks told you to get out there and fuck up the established order? Fuck yeah, I¡¯m on board with that!¡± she had exclaimed in her typically eloquent way.
All in all, Jadis was happy with the team she had formed and the progress she had made in the past few weeks. Which was good, because she wasn¡¯t planning on taking it easy in town for too much longer. The conversation Jadis had had with her patron deity Destarious and his mother, the goddess Lyssandria, had not been forgotten. D had told her that the things she had done on Oros so far had been ¡°fair¡± in his opinion. Not that Jadis was brimming with religious zeal to meet D¡¯s approval, but she didn¡¯t want to leave things as just ¡°fair¡± when it came to her god-given quest. Pushing ahead as hard as she could go was more her style. Even though she had needed the rest, Jadis was chomping at the bit to get back out in the world to explore new places and slay bigger and badder demons.
Besides, another reason why Jadis wanted to get moving had to do with another bit of information Jadis had gotten from D. The gods were all well aware of Jadis. Whether or not they knew about her quest to tip the scales of power, she wasn¡¯t sure, but since the gods were aware of her, that meant that they were watching her to some degree or another. There wasn¡¯t anything she could do about their observation, but the stronger she became, the harder it would be for any of their representatives on Oros to get in her way should they decide they didn¡¯t want her interfering in the status quo.
Yes, Jadis was planning on getting a lot stronger than she already was. She wasn¡¯t about to let her time on Oros come to an end any time soon.
¡°You know,¡± Dys spoke quietly so that only Thea could hear her as they walked down the street. ¡°I still need to test out that new spell I told you all about before. Now that we¡¯ve got a roof over our heads, are you interested in trying it out tonight?¡±
¡°T¡ªthe W¡ªwanton Replication ritual?¡± Thea stuttered out, a blush creeping up her cheeks.
¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± Dys grinned slyly. ¡°Of course, I know you like to watch, so maybe one of the others, first?¡±
¡°M¡ªmaybe!¡± Thea squeaked out, obviously embarrassed as her eyes darted around, making sure no one was overhearing their conversation.
¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it,¡± Dys chuckled. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re due for your ¡®boost¡¯ today, anyway.¡±
Thea blushed even more deeply at the mention of the ritual that required she and Jadis fornicate every three days to maintain the large boost to her stat she currently enjoyed. Not out of dislike of that act, Jadis was quite certain. Thea was a very willing participant once they were behind closed doors. She just clearly had a lot of trouble discussing such topics in public.
As the flustered former soldier struggled to find words, Jadis decided she¡¯d teased her enough.
¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± Dys patted Thea on the shoulder and gave her a small squeeze. ¡°I¡¯ll stop. We¡¯ll talk more about it later, in private. Okay?¡±
Thea nodded vigorously.
¡°T¡ªtonight,¡± she finally got out. ¡°B¡ªbut I¡¯ll, um, watch. First.¡±
Jadis¡¯ grin widened.
¡°I can hardly wait.¡±
Chapter 149: Renovations
Guild Hall felt like a rather large overstatement. All that greeted whoever might enter the moderately-sized two-story building was an open floor with a single plain table surrounded by a few chairs. There were three doors along the back wall as well, one of which led to a barebones kitchen, the second to a lavatory, and the last which led to the second floor. In the kitchen there was a cellar door which, unsurprisingly, led to a cellar that still stocked several large barrels of ale that had survived the fire, but not much else. There was also a door that led out back to the small courtyard behind the building which then led to an alleyway abutting the surrounding businesses and shops. Other than the loss of furnishings, the first floor and cellar hadn¡¯t changed much compared to when the place had been dubbed The Tipsy Mule.
The second floor had seen far more changes, especially since it had suffered the worst damage from the fire. The roof had been entirely replaced which, fortunately, had meant the ceiling could be left open rather than closed off, giving a little more headroom. Several of the partition walls had been removed as well, creating a single exceptionally spacious bedroom connected to a large bathroom.
The bedroom was where Jadis and Thea found Aila and Eir, the two women in the middle of adding some touches of comfort to the room. The construction-related jobs Jadis and the others had hired out to professionals. Jadis didn¡¯t know a thing about building roofs and the only way she knew how to take down a wall involved a lot more destruction than she was looking to inflict on her new property. Most other things, though, Jadis and her companions had handled themselves to reduce costs. What Aila and Eir were working on were the last few touches of the custom-made bed taking up a large portion of the bedroom.
¡°This must be what gnomes feel like,¡± Eir laughed as she crawled across one edge of the bed in an attempt to pull an oversized blanket into place. ¡°This bed is so large you could get lost in it!¡±
¡°Jadis does have a way of making a person feel short,¡± Aila mused, the tall and leggy redhead also dwarfed by the giant-sized bed.
¡°It looks amazing,¡± Jay grinned brightly, admiring the finally finished product.
There was nowhere in the city, possibly the whole world, that sold beds big enough for Nephilim bodies, so Jadis had been forced to make one of her own. She could have hired a carpenter for the job but doing it herself had felt like the right thing to do. Now that it was complete, she was glad she¡¯d made the choice to make the bed by hand. Eleven feet wide and just as long, the giant square of a bed took up a lot of space. Its massive frame had needed multiple mattresses to fill it, but it was solid as a rock and should easily hold the combined weight of all three of her bodies plus quite a bit more. The exact carrying capacity was a metric Jadis hoped to test sooner rather than later, preferably later that day.
¡°It¡¯s a little mis-matched,¡± Aila remarked. ¡°These blankets and pillows are a mess of colors.¡±
¡°Pfft,¡± Syd made a rude noise. ¡°It¡¯s fine! The hodgepodge style is all the rage!¡±
¡°What are you talking¡ª¡± Aila started before letting out a yelp as Syd swept her up in her arms like a princess.
¡°All that matters is how comfortable it is, anyway,¡± Syd laughed, before leaping backwards onto the bed with a startled Aila still in her embrace.
Just as Jadis had hoped, the bedframe held with barely a creak, its many, many extra supports holding up nicely to the weight. The bed was also pretty soft, to her further delight.
¡°It is so nice to not lie down on the floor for once,¡± Syd sighed into the mess of red hair her maneuver had made of Aila¡¯s locks.
¡°You¡¯re so ridiculous,¡± Aila muttered with an undertone of humor. ¡°What happened with Sabina? Did she agree to the deal?¡±
¡°Yes, she did,¡± Dys said, sitting down on the edge of the bed and giving it a few bounces before motioning for Eir to step into her open arms, which the elf eagerly accepted. ¡°Enthusiastically. And she finished all of our armor, too.¡±
¡°Oh, that¡¯s quite impressive,¡± Eir murmured as she buried her smiling face in the crook of Dys¡¯ neck. ¡°She sounds quite talented.¡±
¡°You need to put the armor on then, give us a show,¡± Aila commanded, pushing off of Syd to sit upright.
¡°Maybe tomorrow,¡± Syd said as she pulled Aila back down and began kissing her cheek, jaw, and neck. ¡°Everything I want to do right now has nothing to do with armor or clothes.¡±
¡°Jadis,¡± Aila gasped out a playful warning. ¡°I swear you are like a goat in rut.¡±
¡°Hey,¡± Jay protested, having not yet jumped onto the bed, ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m some animal. It¡¯s just, how am I supposed to not be horny all the time when I¡¯m always surrounded by the most beautiful and sexy people on the whole fucking continent? I mean, look at that!¡±
Jay pointed at Thea who froze in mid motion, having been caught in the middle of removing her outer shirt. With the way her outer layer was partially pulled over her head, her inner shirt had ridden high to expose her flat and toned stomach and just the barest hint of underboob.
¡°See,¡± Jadis pouted with mock exasperation. ¡°How am I to resist?¡±
¡°You¡¯re an idiot,¡± Aila deadpanned.
¡°A romantic,¡± Eir corrected, holding back a giggle at Jadis¡¯ antics. ¡°A rather silly one, but endearing all the same.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Dys replied, giving Eir a kiss on the top of her purple-haired head. ¡°That was very sweet. Now come here, I want to ravish you.¡±
¡°M¡ªmaybe we should wait until Kerr gets here?¡± Thea suggested over the fit of giggles and laughter Dys was eliciting from Eir with her hands and mouth. ¡°Since you w¡ªwanted to, um, do your Wanton Replication ritual?¡±
Thea¡¯s suggestion was actually a fair one. As much as Jadis wanted to get started, she also wanted all of her lovers to be there. With how busy they had all been for the past few weeks, they hadn¡¯t been able to spend much group time together. Most nights Jadis had only been with one or two at a time, if anyone at all, as they worked on rebuilding or attended to other responsibilities. Now though, their base of operations was completed, as was their boudoir. Jadis planned on making full and proper use of it with all of her companions.
Acquiescing to Aila¡¯s request, Jadis put on her new armor. Not all of her bodies at once since she didn¡¯t want to waste too much time getting out of the armor again, but Jay strapped the thick, heavy metal on to show off her newest purchase.
The heavy plate armor was, in a word, imposing. For the first time, Jadis wore equipment that fully covered her body and the effect was striking. The dark sheen of the Cold Flame Steel combined with the broad, dense lines of the design made Jay look like some kind of black knight out of a story book. To contrast the dark look, Sabina had put a white fur trim around the neck and shoulders of the armor, which just made the whole image feel even more intense in Jadis¡¯ opinion.
The weight of the armor was not insignificant. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how much each of her bodies weighed just on their own, but the armor had to be close to the same weight. Her movement was surprisingly smooth despite how heavy the armor was, though Jadis could easily imagine getting tired much quicker if she had to sprint around a battlefield wearing the stuff. Still, the armor was so dense and her mass so great while wearing it that Jadis was sure most demons would have trouble even moving her increased bulk.
¡°What skills are you planning on replicating from us?¡± Aila asked as Jay displayed her armor in various exaggerated poses. ¡°Considering what you¡¯re capable of, I¡¯m not sure much that I have would be useful to you.¡±
¡°Not the Arcane spells, no,¡± Syd agreed, arms wrapped around Aila¡¯s waist as they cuddled together on the bed. ¡°But I was thinking Nephilim Wellspring could be useful. That, or your newest skill, Nephilim Saturation.¡±
¡°You do have magic points to replenish now. And at least one spell you¡¯ll regularly use,¡± Aila agreed. ¡°Between the two, I think Wellspring will be better for you though. Especially considering the volume of your¡ output, most nights.¡±
¡°Are you sure? It means you won¡¯t be able to hog my hot, sticky loads all to yourself,¡± Syd teased.
Aila let Jadis know exactly how she felt about that ribald joke with a few well-placed pinches.
Jadis had gained quite a few levels from the battle along the walls of Far Felsen, but she hadn¡¯t been the only one. All of her companions had leveled up and acquired new skills. For Aila, her increase to level twenty-three in Cart Driver hadn¡¯t made a big difference. None of the skills she¡¯d been offered had made much sense for her to take, so she¡¯d fallen back on what she usually did for the class and chosen an attribute upgrade. Lesser Arcane Improvement II had given her a five-point boost to her Arcane attribute, a relatively large boost that combined with other recent levels and Jadis¡¯ Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond skill, put her Arcane stat at one hundred and fourteen. Despite being only level thirty-nine and only sixteen of those levels being in an actual combat class, Aila had become an Arcane powerhouse who could compare to most mages that were twice her CLR.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Other than the attribute improvement from Cart Driver, Aila had learned two new skills for her Nephilim Powered Arcanist class. The first was a truly new spell, one that she could use in conjunction with her spell modification skills.
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Arcanist¡¯s Dart Spray
Active Spell. Shoot a spray of small, piercing force magic missiles in a twenty-foot cone. Form and function of spell can be modified by dependent passive skills. Cost and Duration variable dependent on variation of spell cast. Base Cost ¨C 50 magic. Base Duration ¨C Instantaneous.
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Aila had demonstrated the spell¡¯s base function on the battlefield a couple times since getting it and Jadis had been suitably impressed. The small, sharp darts of ghostly force magic sprayed outward like a shotgun blast when cast. The cloud of deadly projectiles expanded as it flew forward before dissipating once it reached the spell¡¯s maximum range. While it couldn¡¯t go very far, the spell did a ton of damage to enemies that got close. The further back an enemy was, the less damage they took as fewer of the individual force darts hit them, but considering the amount of power Aila could put into the spell, the effects were still devastating when used against groups of relatively weaker demons.
The other skill Aila had learned was something a little more on the raunchy side. Still useful, but definitely something that came from the more perverse side of the redhead¡¯s secondary class.
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Nephilim Saturation
Passive Skill. Temporarily increase your Magic value by 50 points per Nephilim you have intercourse with. Effect stacks but cannot be received from the same Nephilim more than once during the active duration of the effect. Effect lasts for up to five days for each individual boost to your magic you receive.
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Aila had taken the skill with the hopes of Jadis¡¯ three bodies counting as three different Nephilim so that she would receive one hundred and fifty points of extra magic rather than just fifty. Even if the skill only gave a fifty-point boost, she still would have considered it worth it since even that many points was a nice increase, but fortunately the skill did count Jadis as three Nephilim rather than just one. Jadis hadn¡¯t been sure herself which way the skill would interpret her involvement since she sometimes counted as three, sometimes as only one, depending on the skill or ritual being used. The mechanics of magic and skills were definitely still weird to Jadis.
While a boost to her magic reserves wouldn¡¯t be unwelcome, Jadis was pretty sure that if she had sex with herself, something she had no problem doing at all, she doubted the skill would also give her the full one-hundred-and-fifty-point boost. Then again, maybe it would? Jadis just wasn¡¯t sure. Either way, in her opinion, being able to quickly recover her magic pool that she already did have via slurping up her own seed seemed like the better option. As it currently worked out, she had to wait for literal days for her magic to fully recharge.
Talking it over with the others while they waited, it was decided that while Aila had a perfectly reasonable skill for Jadis to replicate, Eir did not. All of Eir¡¯s skills and spells revolved around the Divine attribute, something Jadis had precisely zero of. While being able to cast a healing spell on herself sounded great to Jadis, without any points in Divine, the spell would be completely ineffective. Which was a shame, since Eir had received a great new healing spell during her boost from level seventeen to level twenty in Beloved Cleric of Lyssandria.
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Beloved¡¯s Ranged Channeled Healing
Active Spell. Restore physical damage and Health Points to a single target via a ranged link no greater than thirty feet. This spell cannot regenerate lost limbs or completely missing organs. Health restoration per 5 Magic Points spent is equivalent to 0.2 of the Divine attribute. Cost ¨C 5 magic. Duration ¨C Channeled.
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Not having to touch her target in order to heal them was an amazing upgrade for the cleric. The spell wasn¡¯t as efficient as her touch-range healing spell as it cost five times as much magic power to use, but not having to charge into the thick of combat to heal the front line made the extra cost absolutely worth it.
¡°What if you replicated my Speak to the D ritual from my Oracle class?¡± Eir suggested. ¡°I know it isn¡¯t practical for everyday reasons, but it would allow one of us to speak with D more than once a month. We could ask twice as many questions that way.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d want to speak to that guy more than once a month,¡± Dys grumbled while resting her chin on the top of Eir¡¯s head. ¡°He was pretty obnoxious last time.¡±
¡°Maybe Lyssandria will be there again?¡±
The hope in Eir¡¯s voice made Jadis pause. The priestess had been beyond ecstatic when Jadis had told her of her encounter with the goddess of beauty and of her unwavering love despite Eir taking a class that wasn¡¯t dedicated to her. Getting to hear about Jadis¡¯ encounter with her patron deity had been an overwhelming experience for the elf, Jadis had no doubt, but it was still a secondhand experience. She couldn¡¯t blame Eir for wanting to see if she could speak directly with her goddess herself.
¡°I¡¯m willing to try it if you are,¡± Dys sighed, giving Eir a warm squeeze. ¡°Just remember that the ritual is to talk to D, not Lyssandria. She might not even be there.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Eir leaned back into Dys. ¡°But I want to try. And even if my Lady isn¡¯t there, I would still appreciate the chance to speak with Destarious directly. I feel I should try to strengthen my bond to him, since he is now also my patron, in a way.¡±
Thea¡¯s skills proved to be a different kind of difficult compared to Eir¡¯s. Rather than having no options, Thea offered too many. Improved Vision I, Piercing Strike, Quick March, Stable Footing, and Shieldsworn¡¯s Magic Resistance were all respectable options that Jadis could see herself making good use of. Even Thea¡¯s latest skill she¡¯d gained from her most recent levels, aside from attribute improvements, looked like it would be a useful addition under the right circumstances.
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Brace for Impact
Active Skill. Temporarily increase your Strength, Fortitude, and Resilience while bracing for an attack. You are more difficult to move while in this stance. Cost ¨C 20 stamina per second.
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Thea had received Brace for Impact when she had reached level nineteen in Shieldsworn Guard, though she had actually gone all the way up to level twenty in the class. Her primary, Imperial Soldier, had reached level twenty-six, but it hadn¡¯t received anything particularly useful so Thea had simply taken Lesser Vitality Improvement I to boost her health by another fifty points. Jadis had quite agreed with that choice, considering how hairy some of the fights they got in had been and were likely to be in the future.
In any case, Jadis was strongly considering replicating Thea¡¯s latest skill. It didn¡¯t require the use of a shield unlike several of Thea¡¯s other skills, and combined with the massive plate armor Jadis now owned, Jadis could see herself becoming a truly immovable object.
While Kerr hadn¡¯t yet returned, talking it over with everyone else, they all agreed that, like Thea, Kerr had several skills that could benefit Jadis too. Kerr had also gained a few levels, though unlike Thea her latest skill didn¡¯t seem as useful for Jadis and the style of her general combat build.
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Nox Archer¡¯s Brutal Shot
Active Skill. Increase the damage of your next bow shot by 1.5 of the Strength attribute. Cost ¨C 10 stamina.
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Even though Jadis had had to redo her Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond with everyone after the huge battle, Kerr had decided against empowering her Dexterity stat like she had originally planned and had instead kept the boost to her Strength. Since her Strength was over eighty points with Jadis¡¯ help, Kerr was able to take the Brutal Shot skill, something that previously she hadn¡¯t had the attributes to qualify for. Since she could use both her Charged Shot and her Brutal Shot at the same time, Kerr was able to do even more damage with her ranged attacks. Even better, she had explained, with such high Strength, she was able to increase the draw strength of her bow beyond normal means via enchantment so that even her regular shots would deal far, far more damage.
That had been Kerr¡¯s stated errand when Jadis had last spoken to her. With the silver she had earned from the bounties as well as the coin Jadis had paid her for selling The Tipsy Mule property to her, Kerr had been able to afford a new longbow with a host of powerful enchantments built into it that would dramatically increase Kerr¡¯s damage potential. Jadis hadn¡¯t expected Kerr to take quite so long to get back from picking up her new weapon, but Jadis was looking forward to seeing the apparently amazing new bow. Kerr had been visiting the craftsman working on it almost every day and her enthusiasm for the weapon was contagious.
While Jadis wanted to hear Kerr¡¯s opinion on her choice before solidifying it, everyone else agreed that out of all of Kerr¡¯s skills, Ambush Tactics I was probably the best choice. It was only a minor boost in damage to targets she took by surprise, but Jadis did prefer to catch her enemies off guard whenever possible and in an ambush situation that extra damage boost could make a difference between a first strike being lethal or not. Besides, even a ¡°minor¡± boost was significant when it was coming from Jadis.
Around that time was when the door to the bedroom burst open, an energetic Kerr strutting in with a wide toothy grin on her face.
¡°Hey there motherfuckers! Check out my new¡ªwhat the merde!?
Kerr¡¯s proud exclamation was interrupted by her surprised exclamation as she encountered Jay still wearing her dark plate armor. The therion took a few steps back, shock evident on her face before she sagged a bit, her expression turning to a scowl.
¡°You kotzbrocken, you couldn¡¯t have warned me?¡± she yelled at Jadis.
¡°How would I warn you, I didn¡¯t even know you¡¯d gotten back,¡± Jay laughed, her voice muffled by her helmet. ¡°Besides, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d freak out. You don¡¯t like the new suit?¡±
¡°It¡¯s fucking great,¡± Kerr huffed, ¡°very intimidating. Not what I was expecting to see walking into the bedroom. I was expecting a lot more nude bodies dripping with sweat and cum. More than the zero of that I see right now.¡±
¡°We were waiting for you,¡± Eir informed Kerr with a gentle shake of her head. ¡°Though I suppose none of us should be surprised by your expectations.¡±
¡°Hey, I don¡¯t want to hear that shit from someone twice the horn-dog I am,¡± Kerr tilted her horns at the red-skinned elf. ¡°Anyway, check out my new bow! It¡¯s dannatamente fantastico!¡±
¡°Yeah, it is,¡± Jay agreed, looking over the huge longbow Kerr was carrying over her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s really nice!¡±
The bow was made of metal rather than wood and was inscribed with a series of runes all up and down the length of it. The body was much thicker than normal bows Jadis was familiar with, except for where it abruptly cut back down for a leather-wrapped handle. When Kerr stood it up next to her, Jadis could see that the bow was actually a little taller than her, not including her horns, which was impressive considering Kerr wasn¡¯t a small woman.
The new bow wasn¡¯t the only thing Kerr had in hand, though.
¡°Anyway, I brought us some meat skewers and booze,¡± Kerr held up a sack that smelled like street food. ¡°So, which first? Eating or fucking?¡±
Chapter 150: Alternate Methods
¡°No, no, there¡¯s no chance that will work.¡±
¡°Why not? I¡¯ve done it a bunch of times.¡±
¡°Really? Who the fu¡ªha! I got it, you¡¯ve fucked your own ass!¡±
Dys gave a laughing Kerr a withering look. The therion¡¯s distraction wasn¡¯t helping in her conversation with Aila.
¡°Shut up horn-dog, you know you would do it given half a chance.¡±
¡°Fuck yeah I would,¡± Kerr breezily brushed the accusation aside. ¡°But you actually did it! That¡¯s so messed up!¡±
¡°Anyways,¡± Syd pushed past Kerr¡¯s cackling, ¡°It¡¯s not like it isn¡¯t fun. I promise it doesn¡¯t hurt, not really. A good kind of stretch, I guess? Different from the normal way, but not bad at all.¡±
¡°Jadis, there is no way your dick is going to fit in my ass. I know you have a skill to make things¡ easier in that regard, but in Valtar¡¯s name, that¡¯s too much!¡±
Jadis pouted, feeling a bit stymied by Aila¡¯s rejection. Having rushed through to get to some lewd ritual fun, Jay had stripped out of her armor and everyone else had gotten out of their clothes and onto the obscenely large bed. Just as things were starting to get hot and heavy, Aila had asked what requisite sexual actions were required for Wanton Replication. As it turned out, the redhead had rather strong reservations about the idea.
¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal,¡± Kerr said, finally calming her laughter down to more controlled giggles. ¡°I¡¯ve been doubled up on by a couple of handsome and well hung mercs before. Very enjoyable, feeling those two dicks pump in and out, in and out¡ª¡±
¡°Thank you, Kerr,¡± Aila cut the lecherous archer off. ¡°I¡¯m sure you had a good time. But even putting aside the idea of, of both at the same time, Jadis is more than a little bit larger than literally anyone you¡¯ve ever had sex with. Unless you¡¯ve fucked a horse at some point in your life.¡±
¡°Well¡¡±
¡°Shut up, I don¡¯t want to know.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Syd interjected, putting a hand on Aila¡¯s shoulder. ¡°If you aren¡¯t comfortable with it Blue, then you¡¯re not. I¡¯m not going to push you into trying something that you don¡¯t want to do. Testing boundaries is one thing. Forcing you is absolutely not an option.¡±
¡°That goes for all of you,¡± Jay added while meeting Eir and Thea¡¯s eyes. ¡°If Wanton Replication sounds like it¡¯s too much for you, then forget about it. I don¡¯t ever want any of you to be uncomfortable when we¡¯re together like this.¡±
Even though Jadis had been looking forward to plumbing Aila¡¯s depths, especially from two different sides at the same time, she was not willing to push Aila past any lines she was uncomfortable with. Jadis had found that she liked anal sex, both giving and receiving, but she understood that not everyone would feel the same way. It was just a shame that the replication ritual required double penetration of that sort. With Aila unwilling to give anal, much less two cocks at once, a try, Jadis wouldn¡¯t be able to replicate her Nephilim Wellspring ritual. That did suck since she was looking forward to being able to rapidly recoup her spent magic the same way Aila could. At least Kerr seemed down to try the ritual, as did Eir. Thea looked far more hesitant, though.
Jay turned to Kerr, ready to pick up from where they had left off before things had gotten a little awkward, when the horned woman tilted her head and sent her a sly smile.
¡°Hey, just a thought, but does the ritual specify who has to be the one to get double pounded? I only ask because I recall you telling me you had that other new ritual, too. What was it called? Duality something?¡±
¡°Duality of Flesh?¡± Jay replied. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one that¡¯ll let me give you a cock of your own. Absolutely a crime we haven¡¯t done that yet, but I don¡¯t see¡ª¡±
¡°I think I see where she¡¯s going,¡± Eir chimed in. ¡°Most rituals of this, ah, ¡®nature¡¯ have more than one method to them, since the wielder of the skill could be male or female or have different sexual attractions. As a Nephilim, you¡¯re both male and female at the same time. Maybe you have an alternative method you haven¡¯t realized?¡±
That was an interesting thought. Jadis hadn¡¯t considered the possibility that her strange and exceptionally lewd rituals might have been designed for more than one person. They had always seemed so tailored to her, but she supposed there was nothing about the class that precluded it from being gained by people other than her. For all she knew, there very well could be a few other sex ritualists out there with some of the same ritual spells as her. Though she doubted there would be many, considering how powerful her rituals were and how few people seemed to know about them.
Concentrating on the instinctual knowledge that taking the skill had granted her, Jadis thought about the ritual requirements. It did, by the nature of the ritual, require double-penetrative sex. However, when she thought about it from the perspective of only being a woman, rather than a dual-sexed entity with multiple bodies, she found that, yes, she did not need to be the one doing the penetrating. She didn¡¯t even need to be the one to do the penetrating exclusively. It was just the act itself that needed to happen, so long as she was involved in one capacity or another.
¡°Okay, so, you don¡¯t want my cock in your butt,¡± Syd said, turning her grin on Aila. ¡°But how about putting your cock in mine?¡±
¡°That¡¡± Aila opened her mouth, then closed it, her blue eyes thoughtful. After a moment, she continued. ¡°I feel a bit hypocritical, but yes. I think I¡¯m more comfortable with trying that.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Syd laughed, giving Aila a quick kiss. ¡°It¡¯s not hypocritical. Besides, once you see how much fun I¡¯m having, you might change your mind about giving it a try yourself.¡±
¡°I want to fuck your ass!¡± Kerr leapt up, wrapping her arms around Dys and pressing her naked body against her. ¡°I know I said I¡¯m on board with you fucking me and I still am, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m skipping the opportunity to grow a cock and cram it in a fucking sexy giant!¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°Fine,¡± Dys agreed, her own shaft throbbing at the thought of what was to come. ¡°But I¡¯m giving Aila her own cock first. And you have to help.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Kerr agreed eagerly.
¡°What do we have to do for that ritual?¡± Aila asked, her brow furrowed.
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Syd assured her with a cheeky grin. ¡°I¡¯m positive you¡¯ll enjoy this one.¡±
A minute later and Jay, Dys, Eir, and Thea were all leaning their backs against the headboard, propped up by a mountain of pillows and nicely snuggled together to watch the show. Further down the bed, Kerr was posed on her hands and knees, ass in the air and gray-furred tail wagging. She looked over her shoulder, green slitted eyes sparkling as she growled out a few taunting words.
¡°Come on there, freckles. Fuck me hard and make me moan!¡±
Behind the therion, Aila knelt with one hand on Kerr¡¯s toned ass, the other stroking the massive cock sticking out from between her legs.
¡°This feels so weird,¡± Aila mumbled, her face flushed with heat and embarrassment, though as per usual she did her best to maintain her dignity.
¡°Pretty exciting though, right?¡± Syd whispered behind her, pressing her hips a little harder into Aila¡¯s ass.
For Duality of Flesh, Syd had positioned herself behind Aila, letting her cock stick out from between the woman¡¯s legs so that it looked like it was Aila¡¯s massive shaft that was about to ram into Kerr. Of course, due to the size difference between her and them, both Aila and Kerr had needed some pillows to perch on top of and Syd had widened her stance to accommodate the height disparity as well. It was awkward but they made it work.
Jadis had fucked Kerr many times since those tense days down in the demon tunnels, but something about the idea of Aila taking control and being the one to fuck Kerr, Syd¡¯s cock only being a tool used in the licentious act, had her really worked up. A stream of precum was already dripping from Syd¡¯s cockhead, making the archer¡¯s ass slick and slippery while also filling the air with a pungent sweet smell. Her other selves were dripping as well, but Jadis was willing to let those parts of her wait. This was supposed to be a show.
Aila shifted her hips forward, her thighs squeezed tightly around Syd¡¯s shaft as she rubbed it against Kerr¡¯s ass. Keeping pace, Syd shifted forward as well, letting Aila set the speed and force of her movement. Syd put her hands on Aila¡¯s hips, but otherwise did nothing to guide her.
¡°All yours, Blue,¡± Syd whispered huskily. ¡°Make her squeal.¡±
Aila affected an air of cool indifference that clashed horribly with the way her pussy soaked the base of Syd¡¯s dick, but Jadis didn¡¯t call her out on it. Aila wanted to feel in control, so she wasn¡¯t going to spoil that for her.
¡°Fine, let¡¯s see what kind of noises I can draw out of you,¡± Aila intoned as she gave Kerr¡¯s ass a hard squeeze.
Drawing her hips back, she positioned her borrowed cock at the entrance of Kerr¡¯s slick core, her movements awkward from never having had to do them before. Syd let her figure things out at her own speed, keeping her hands firmly on Aila¡¯s waist and her lips sealed. Though, once Aila finally aligned her shaft and Syd¡¯s cockhead pushed against Kerr¡¯s tunnel, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a delighted moan from within her chest.
Kerr, meanwhile, was offering up her own version of vocal encouragement.
¡°C¡¯mon you tall bitch, shove that fat cock in me! Can¡¯t you feel how wet I am? I¡¯m so fucking ready right now, just do it! Or don¡¯t you have the balls¡ª¡±
Kerr¡¯s obscene taunts were abruptly cut off as Aila forcefully, almost violently rammed her hips into Kerr¡¯s ass, creating a loud slap that echoed in the mostly empty room. Keeping her groin pressed firmly into her backside, Syd followed along, the force of her own thrust meeting paltry resistance as well more than a foot of cock was buried deep into Kerr¡¯s core.
¡°Fuck! That¡¯s the stuff!¡± Kerr gasped out, her breath heavy and her claws digging into the pillows beneath her. ¡°Do it again!¡±
With a grunt, Aila pulled back, forcing Syd to as well, then shoved forward again, even harder than before. The meaty thwack of her flesh slapping against Kerr¡¯s echoed again, making Jadis¡¯ hearts beat even faster.
¡°Again!¡± Kerr cajoled and was promptly given what she wanted as Aila drew back and slammed forward a third time.
Over and over Kerr repeated her taunts of encouragement, though as seconds passed they became less coherent and more broken by gasps and moans as Aila found her rhythm. Long, hard, powerful strokes that crammed as much cock into Kerr as possible with every thrust, each movement creating a symphony of erotic sounds as Syd groaned and Kerr cursed, with all of those sounds underpinned by the beat of sweaty skin slapping together.
¡°You like having my cock shoved in you?¡± Aila growled out, her voice dark with lust.
With a deft reach of one long arm, she grabbed hold of one of Kerr¡¯s horns and pulled back, using the horn as a handle to fuck the therion harder.
¡°Yes! Gods yes!¡± Kerr cried out, panting and moaning around a wide, ecstatic grin. ¡°Fuck me! Fuck me harder!¡±
¡°I¡¯ll fuck you,¡± Aila told her, her blue eyes slitted. ¡°I¡¯ll fuck your lecherous brain right out of your ears.¡±
¡°Sweet promises!¡± Kerr called back, green eyes shining. ¡°But, ah! I¡¯m still able to think over here!¡±
Aila doubled down, quickening her pace even faster, necessitating shorter strokes that were nonetheless still powerful enough to bounce Kerr off of her hips with jarring force.
Jadis was glad Aila had picked up speed since Syd was absolutely nearing her climax. The dirty talk that Kerr liked to spew out of her foul mouth absolutely wound her up every time, but hearing Aila show such a dominant side was just too much to handle on top of everything else. Syd wanted nothing more than to take control and pound down on top of both of the sexy sluts, but Jadis was committed to letting Aila steer the wheel.
¡°Fuck! Je vais jouir!¡± Kerr shouted as her eyes rolled into the back of her head.
The impossibly tight heat of Kerr¡¯s cunt suddenly became even tighter as the therion came, triggering Syd¡¯s own building tightness to release unexpectedly. Hot ropes of cum were shot out of Syd¡¯s cock with force as she climaxed, but there was no stopping despite the overwhelming sensation. Aila was still going.
Not letting up despite either of her partners¡¯ reaching their peaks, Aila continued to relentlessly pound her hips into Kerr. With no stop to the onslaught, Kerr went from one orgasm to another, the second one starting mere seconds after the first ended. As Kerr screamed out her pleasure in a multitude of languages foreign to Jadis, Aila let go of the therion¡¯s horn to shove her head down into the pillows, angling her hips higher to keep up the forceful fucking.
Having never stopped thrusting despite her orgasm, Syd¡¯s cum had overflowed Kerr¡¯s pussy and turned her and Aila¡¯s crotches into a sticky mess. Thick white fluids poured out between them, stretching obscene bridges of cum between their bodies as Aila continued. Syd was letting out her own half-stifled curses as she kept going, her cock overly sensitive from the continued fucking despite having come.
Still, Aila continued her ravaging pace, not letting up until Kerr had climaxed another four times and Syd had cum a second time. In fact, Jadis was fairly certain that Aila would have kept going even longer if her legs hadn¡¯t suddenly given out and she¡¯d collapsed forward in a panting, groaning, sweaty mess on top of Kerr.
Syd fell back and away, her cock popping free from Kerr¡¯s depths to release a torrent of thick cum. The therion moaned, insensate and breathless from Aila¡¯s unexpectedly spirited ravishing of the woman. Still, her moans were drowned out by the sharp intake and curse that came from Aila as she rolled off of Kerr¡¯s back to flop off to the side.
A half hour had passed and the ritual requirements for Duality of Flesh had been met. There, sticking up from Aila¡¯s groin as though it had always been there, was a foot long throbbing cock, with a smooth, heavy-looking set of balls underneath it to boot.
¡°Wow,¡± Jay and Dys exclaimed, looking at the exhausted Aila, a sentiment that Eir and Thea echoed.
¡°So that¡¯s what you¡¯re like when you have a cock,¡± Syd panted out.
Chapter 151: Therion’s Just Want to Have Fun
Jay let out a low whistle as she examined the package Aila had just acquired.
¡°Nice cock!¡±
¡°Uh, thanks?¡± Aila answered back shakily.
The redhead had put on quite the spectacular performance while using Syd as a stand-in for having a penis. Now that the ritual was complete, Aila had her own sizable erection towering up from her crotch. A foot long and surprisingly thick, her meaty shaft would have absolutely been the largest dick Jadis had ever seen in person back on Earth. Of course, having never slept with a man before, that wasn¡¯t saying a whole lot, but Jadis felt the sentiment was valid in principle. Compared to her own oversized body¡¯s giant dong, Aila wasn¡¯t nearly as large. But dick measuring contests held no interest for Jadis. All she was interested in at that moment was performing a closer inspection on her girlfriend¡¯s cock.
Jay crawled across the bed to hover over an exhausted Aila. Quickly glancing to make sure she wasn¡¯t about to stop her, she wrapped a hand around Aila¡¯s meaty shaft and gave it an experimental stroke.
¡°Oh, shit!¡± Aila exclaimed, curling up slightly at Jay¡¯s touch.
¡°What?¡± Jay asked with concern.
¡°I, uh, I guess I wasn¡¯t expecting it to be so, um, sensitive,¡± Aila responded, still sounding shaky. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt. That felt good, just¡ I wasn¡¯t expecting it to be so strong.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Jay hummed, resuming her light stroking of Aila¡¯s cock. ¡°Now you know what it¡¯s like for me. Different from your pussy and clit, huh?¡±
¡°Very,¡± Aila agreed, then let out a little groan.
¡°Kind of surprised, though,¡± Jay murmured as she leaned in closer to inspect more thoroughly, her hot breath causing Aila¡¯s toes to curl. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to have balls.¡±
¡°Is that what I feel down there?¡± Aila partially sat up so she could see her own junk better.
¡°Of course she has balls,¡± Kerr mumbled, her voice muffled as her face was still planted firmly in a pillow. ¡°How else is she going to cum?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t have balls,¡± Jay shot back. ¡°I still cum lots, I think you¡¯ll agree.¡±
To emphasize her point, Syd leaned forward and gave Kerr¡¯s cum-soaked ass a smack, pulling her hand away coated in a thick glaze of sweet Nephilim spunk.
¡°Well, yes, but Aila¡¯s a human,¡± Eir pointed out as though that was obvious, which Jadis supposed it was but she felt like that didn¡¯t really answer the question.
Having scooted up with Jay, Eir lay on her left, examining Aila¡¯s genitals with her own intense curiosity. Gently, Eir¡¯s manicured fingers lifted Aila¡¯s sack, drawing a gasp from the redhead. Beneath, she revealed that Aila still had her pussy intact.
¡°Nephilim have a very different biology from humans or elves or other races. You don¡¯t have testes because the third form of Nephilim don¡¯t have them. If the goal of the ritual is to give her a working set of male reproductive organs, then she would need testicles otherwise the function of the penis would be impaired since Aila is a human.¡±
¡°¡true enough,¡± Jay nodded, slightly surprised at how medically knowledgeable Eir sounded. Then again, she was a healer by trade. Maybe that meant she had some training in less magical methods of practicing medicine? Then there was also whatever Eir was saying about ¡°third form of Nephilim¡± or whatever. She¡¯d have to ask what exactly that was all about. Just, not while they were in the middle of an orgy.
¡°So, what do you think,¡± Jay drawled, rubbing the sensitive tip of Aila¡¯s cock with her thumb, working the clear precum that was starting to drool out into her soft skin. ¡°Will this be a permanent addition?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t like it,¡± Aila let out a gasping laugh. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure this is something I¡¯d want on me all the time.¡±
¡°There are times when it can be inconvenient to have one,¡± Jay agreed, then gave Aila¡¯s cock a wet kiss on the head.
The precum Aila was leaking was definitely muskier than what Jadis produced from her bodies, and no where near as sweet. Still, it wasn¡¯t distasteful at all, and only slightly salty. Certainly a flavor Jadis could get used to, especially with the way Aila reacted from the brief touch.
¡°Okay, I¡¯m better now,¡± Kerr groaned as she sat up. Looking over at Aila, she blinked a few times before giving her a silly grin. ¡°That is a nice cock. You¡¯re going to have to let me test that stallion out before we¡¯re done. But right now, it¡¯s my turn to grow a cock, so who wants to get fucked? How about you in the back?¡±
Kerr pointed at where Thea sat still cuddled up under Dys¡¯ right arm. With a start, she almost guiltily pulled her hand from between her nethers now that several sets of eyes were upon her.
¡°Um, I¡ªI¡¯m just watching, right now,¡± she stuttered out, prompting a roll of the eyes from Kerr.
¡°Fine, but if not now, I¡¯m getting a taste of your ass later when I have my own dick.¡±
Thea squeaked out an embarrassed protest, but Kerr had already moved on and had practically pounced on top of Eir, her body splayed across Aila¡¯s legs.
¡°All right you lusty priestess,¡± Kerr playfully growled as she pushed a shocked elf onto her back. ¡°Time to help your guildmate grow a cock.¡±
Eir didn¡¯t have as much of an objection to the idea of being fucked by the horny therion as Jadis might have guessed, as Eir generally fixated on her during their pleasure activities. Still, Jadis supposed she was still being fucked by Jadis in this case, even if it was through an unusual context.
At Kerr¡¯s behest, the trio ended up in what Jadis would have called a missionary-style position, but Kerr called Seraphim-style. With Eir on her back and Kerr between her legs, Jay got behind and on top of them both, letting Kerr¡¯s cum-soaked thighs wrap around her and guide her length into Eir¡¯s sodden pussy. The spectacle of Jay fucking Eir while Kerr was sandwiched between them was almost comical and Jadis might have laughed, if she hadn¡¯t been so turned on.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
Kerr was far more confident with her movements right from the start and immediately fell into a steady, rolling motion that had Eir moaning piteously. Jadis had to admit that the motion was doing a lot for her, too, and she was reminded that Kerr had quite a lot more experience than her in more than just the mercenary department.
¡°Used to have a leather strap set up with a godemich¨¦ I could use on pretty little things like our scarlet slut here,¡± Kerr answered Jadis¡¯ question between thrusts. ¡°Lost it in the fire. And yes, I was planning on using it on you before I found out what you were packing under those weird skirt-pants things.¡±
Now that she was learning Kerr¡¯s technique, Jadis was almost sad that she¡¯d never gotten the chance to try out the therion¡¯s strap-on, but extra happy that her class had given her a spell that was going to let Kerr go wild.
As Kerr slowly but surely brought Eir closer and closer to her climax with Jay¡¯s aid, Jadis decided she needed a better look. And if she was going to move closer, why not bring her resident voyeur along as well?
Thea let out a yelp as Dys scooped her up and bore her closer, laying the shy guard down on her side, pressed right up against Dys¡¯ chest. With their new position, they were able to directly see where Jay¡¯s throbbing shaft was penetrating Eir¡¯s core, all movements guided by Kerr¡¯s rocking hips. To see better, Dys held Eir¡¯s left leg up and out of the way, unintentionally changing the angle of her pelvis as well as changing the pitch of her moans and the tightness of her pussy.
¡°Like the show?¡± Dys whispered into Thea¡¯s ear, knowing that Thea¡¯s brown eyes were locked onto the rutting trio.
¡°Yes,¡± Thea whispered back, her voice strained. Jadis could just hear the sound of her fingers back at work between her lower lips.
¡°We could do this ritual for you, too, if you want,¡± Dys offered, curious to see which way shy Thea would lean.
After a few moments, she responded with a stifled gasp.
¡°I¡ªI¡¯ll think about it.¡±
On the other side of Jay, Kerr, and Eir, Syd sat cross-legged with Aila in her lap. She had taken over the duty of stroking her girlfriend¡¯s new cock, keeping her turgid member nice and hard for what was to come, but not letting her cum quite yet. Jadis wanted Aila¡¯s first ejaculation to be special, or at least located somewhere special.
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Syd told Aila as she squirmed under her touch. ¡°That ritual only took half an hour. I just used my Ritual Time Reduction skill before I started up with Kerr, so you don¡¯t have to hold out for too long.¡±
¡°Is¡ªis that a wise use of resources?" Aila gasped, her blue eyes hazy.
¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± Syd countered. ¡°If this all goes according to plan, I¡¯ll be able to replenish my magic just as quickly as you can. Besides, I don¡¯t think your big girl here can wait forever.¡±
The last Syd said in reference to Aila¡¯s foot-long shaft. Running her hands up and down the now slick member was becoming a new favorite pastime for Jadis. She loved the little moans and shivers she was drawing out of Aila, and while nothing would replace playing with the redhead¡¯s burning-hot pussy, Jadis did like having the new toy to tease her Blue with. Syd¡¯s other hand had even reached lower to gently fondle Aila¡¯s heavy balls.
Jadis had never liked the look of balls, mostly seeing them as ugly, wrinkled, hairy things that hung under the only part of a man she found attractive. It was part of why Jadis had specifically asked D to reincarnate her in a futanari body that had no scrotum. However, maybe it was because they were connected to Aila, or maybe it was because they were smooth, hairless, and somehow delicate-looking despite their size, but Jadis was enjoying caressing Aila¡¯s sensitive sack. Certainly Aila seemed to be enjoying the attention too.
¡°Don¡¯t¡ªthink¡ªI¡ªdidn¡¯t¡ªhear¡ªthat,¡± Kerr panted out as she ground her crotch, and by extension Jay¡¯s dick, into Eir. ¡°I¡¯m¡ªgoing¡ªto¡ªget you¡ªfor¡ªgiving¡ªme¡ªless¡ªtime¡ªfucking¡ªEir!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t look at it that way,¡± Jay huffed over Syd, struggling to keep her own building climax from arriving too soon. ¡°I¡¯m just making sure you get your own cock quicker!¡±
¡°Fuck you and your reasonable logic,¡± Kerr growled. ¡°Hold on tight priestess because this is going to get rough.¡±
¡°Huh?¡± Eir mumbled intelligently, her eyes unfocused and mouth lolling open.
A second later, Eir¡¯s moans were turned to shrieks of pleasure as Kerr drastically increased speed, pounding hard and fast in short, quick strokes. All the bubbling carnal ecstasy that Kerr had been building up in the priestess¡¯ loins was released all at once as she tripled her speed, forcing Jay to move at the same pace and cram her oversized cock deep into Eir¡¯s core.
Eir tried to wrap her legs tight around Kerr¡¯s waist but couldn¡¯t, since Jay was right on top of her. Instead, Kerr wrapped her arms around Eir¡¯s head, practically enveloping the smaller frame of the elf with her athletic form. Jay mimicked Kerr¡¯s movements exactly, wrapping both of them up with her own much larger frame, careful not to get poked by Kerr¡¯s long horns.
As distracted as Jadis was by the raw sexual power of the moment, she also couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the size difference between her and her lovers. Kerr was already a tall, imposing figure, much bigger than short, plush Eir. That Jay was big enough to envelop them both was a testament to her size.
¡°Uhnf, fuck!¡± Kerr cursed, and Jay could feel her liquid heat pouring over the base of her cock.
The constant fluttering squeeze of Eir¡¯s orgasm combined with Kerr getting off as well was too much stimulation for Jay. The tightness in her lower stomach released as all her pent up cum released within Eir¡¯s soaked pussy, turning it into a sopping mess as her continued rapid thrusting forced much of the milky-white load out in a lewd splatter. Rope after viscous rope was pumped inside Eir, her pleasured cries muffled by the two women bearing down on top of her.
On a whim, Dys reached out and collected some of the gooey seed mixed with Eir¡¯s elven sweetness on her fingers, then brought them to Thea¡¯s mouth. Obediently the shy voyeur sucked Dys¡¯ digits into her mouth, moaning around two of them as her own orgasm hit. She curled up, knees drawn tight against her chest as she shook in a mostly silent climax, though she never stopped sucking on Dys¡¯ lewd offering.
¡°Fuck, fuck!¡± Kerr suddenly yelped, pushing Jay off of her as she struggled to free herself from the ball of sex she¡¯d help create.
Pulling out of Eir and away from Kerr, Jay rolled off to the side, almost knocking into Aila and Syd. Kerr shot up, staggering to her feet and away from Eir who lay insensate in a sweaty, cum-soaked mess. Momentarily confused by Kerr¡¯s reaction, Jadis quickly saw the reason for it. Kerr¡¯s new magically created cock and balls had been squashed between her and Eir thanks to their position.
¡°Merde!¡± Kerr gasped, then gasped in a different way as her hand wrapped around her thick shaft. ¡°Oh, fuck, that kinda hurt at first, but cazzo, that¡¯s something else¡¡±
¡°Yeah, that is fucking something else,¡± Dys agreed, looking over the monster poking out from Kerr¡¯s crotch. ¡°Is that really what therion dicks look like?¡±
The cock Kerr had sprouted didn¡¯t look anything like Jadis had ever seen outside of a hentai. It was just as big as what Aila was sporting, if not a little bigger, but unlike her very human-looking new penis, Kerr¡¯s had what looked like fleshy plated ridges running down the underside of her shaft. Even as she watched, Kerr¡¯s cock pulsed and the fleshy ridges expanded, making her already big dick even bigger. Her cockhead was also alien-looking, with not-quite sharp looking fleshy spikes running all around the flared edge of the head. It didn¡¯t exactly look like it would be painful, but Jadis had to admit the strange configuration of Kerr¡¯s exotic package was throwing her off.
¡°Fuck yeah this is what they look like,¡± Kerr announced proudly. ¡°I knew I¡¯d have a big one, too!¡± She stopped and shuddered for a moment, the sensations coming from her new organ momentarily overwhelming her. ¡°Fuck, this really is weird. Shit! I really need to stuff this baby into something.¡±
With an almost desperate look to her eyes, Kerr dropped back down onto her knees and positioned the flared head of her cock at Eir¡¯s dripping entrance, the elf letting out a surprised little exclamation, having only just then recovered her senses.
¡°Woah, woah, woah,¡± Jay stopped Kerr from plunging into Eir, grabbing the strong woman around the waist and tossing her onto her back. ¡°That dick is meant for me, remember?¡±
¡°Well fine then!¡± Kerr growled out, her hands groping at Jadis while her hips humped her new appendage against the side of Jay¡¯s stomach. ¡°Let¡¯s fucking go! I feel like I¡¯m in fucking heat right now, let¡¯s do this!¡±
Jay looked over her shoulder to where Aila sat in Syd¡¯s lap, her face obviously flushed with lust.
¡°You heard the lady, it¡¯s time to do this. Which do you want? My pussy or my ass?¡±
Chapter 152: POV Voyeur
Aila and Kerr had grown penises.
Thea could honestly say she¡¯d never in her life thought that she would see something so bizarre. She knew, from an intellectual perspective, that Eldritch magic was capable of doing some strange things to a person¡¯s body. Certainly she had seen some grotesque examples in the past, both on and off the battlefield. She¡¯d heard of even stranger things whispered among the barracks, the kinds of spells that made a person shudder and thank the gods they hadn¡¯t drawn the ire of some insanely powerful witch or ritualist. But a woman growing a co¡ªa penis? The idea had definitely not ever occurred to her.
Not that she was complaining, now that it had happened. Thea had initially been a little hesitant about the idea of a woman sporting a man¡¯s rod when she¡¯d first been confronted with the possibility, but having spent some¡ memorable times with Jadis and her more masculine side, Thea had become something of a fan. At least, she¡¯d become a big fan of what Jadis was equipped with.
Or maybe she¡¯d just become a big fan of Jadis.
Thea blushed at the thought. She and Jadis had a sexual relationship, for practical work purposes as much as for the fun it provided. There was no reason to let her mind stray towards the romantic. Aila had fairly well claimed Jadis as her lover. Thea could be happy just standing watch on the side. Of course she could. Why wouldn¡¯t she be?
Which was exactly why Thea was sitting off to the side while Aila and Kerr prepared to double up on one of Jadis¡¯ bodies, namely Dys.
¡°C¡¯mon, you don¡¯t want me in your butt?¡± Kerr whined, the flamboyantly crude woman openly stroking her flared cock. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll make you feel good!¡±
¡°I¡¯m certain of that,¡± Dys laughed while pushing Kerr onto her back. ¡°But Aila has her sights set on my back door and who am I to get in the way of my girlfriend¡¯s dreams?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not ¡®my dream¡¯ you buffoon!¡± Aila shot back, giving Dys a poke to her side. ¡°I just¡ªI want to try it the one way. Before¡¡±
¡°Before you let me try it on you?¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t agreed to that,¡± Aila responded, her freckled face cross.
¡°I know, not saying otherwise,¡± Dys grinned and shrugged. ¡°But I¡¯m glad you don¡¯t hate the idea.¡±
Thea wasn¡¯t so certain of the idea herself. Anal sex was not a new concept to her, but it also always seemed like the kind of thing that men wanted and women put up with. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t believe Jadis when she said she enjoyed it, but Thea just couldn¡¯t imagine it being as pleasurable as she made it out to be. Maybe her enjoyment of the act had something to do with her being a Nephilim?
¡°I am willing to try it,¡± Thea overheard Eir whisper to Syd in whose lap she was currently sprawled in. ¡°I am not experienced in the practice, but I¡¯ve heard it can be quite pleasurable when done correctly.¡±
¡°And where exactly would a priestess be hearing about the pleasures of getting fucked in the ass?¡± Syd murmured back while running her fingers through Eir¡¯s hair.
¡°I have my sources,¡± Eir replied while affecting an air of mystery.
In the meantime, Dys had climbed on top of Kerr¡¯s prone form, making the tall and powerful therion look tiny in comparison. Thea quietly shifted her position on the bed so she could see what was about to happen a little more clearly. She didn¡¯t want to distract anyone from what was happening, so she said nothing, but she wanted to see as much as she could. Her heart was already beating fast from her last climax. Watching Jadis pleasure the others elicited a heated response in her like nothing else ever had.
¡°Before we get started,¡± Dys said, sliding her groin against the ridged base of Kerr¡¯s new cock.
¡°I¡¯m drinking this, just in case,¡± Jay finished the sentence.
Having momentarily departed from the giant-sized bed, Jay had returned at that moment carrying a flask of a yellow-colored liquid. It took Thea a moment to recognize it for what it was. An infertility potion, the kind made by alchemists. Thea had thought Jadis didn¡¯t need such things since she had a skill that allowed her to choose the level of her seed¡¯s virility. Then she remembered that for once, Jadis was the one who was about to be penetrated, not the other way around.
Dys took the potion from her other self and downed the liquid in one smooth gulp.
¡°Ugh, tastes so sour,¡± Dys commented, smacking her lips.
¡°Aw, first I don¡¯t get to fuck your ass, now I don¡¯t get to even risk putting a litter in you?¡± Kerr complained, running her hands up and down Jadis¡¯ thighs. ¡°I was really, really looking forward to seeing if I could breed you¡¡±
¡°Maybe someday,¡± Dys chuckled. ¡°But I¡¯m not ready for kids yet. Besides, if anything, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s going to breed you!¡±
Before Kerr could argue further, Dys lifted her pelvis up in a quick, smooth motion, then just as smoothly lowered herself down on top of Kerr¡¯s erection. She stopped about halfway down, engulfing Kerr¡¯s cock, then stirred her hips around in a circular motion.
¡°Merde! Not fair,¡± Kerr hissed, sounding almost like she was in pain. ¡°Distracting me from sex with sex! Gods, you¡¯re way tighter than I thought you¡¯d feel!¡±
¡°You feel big too,¡± Dys huffed out, still stirring around her hips. ¡°I guess Anatomical Adaptation doesn¡¯t extend its effects to whatever penetrates me, only the other way.¡±
Thea leaned forward, trying to get a closer look at where Kerr was sliding inside Dys. She couldn¡¯t quite see and was considering a change of position when a pair of strong arms suddenly lifted her up. She hadn¡¯t even heard Jay sneak up on her, either too engrossed in what was happening before her or Jay showing off a level of stealth she hadn¡¯t demonstrated previously.
In one smooth motion, Jay had laid her almost directly on top of Kerr. The only reason why her head hadn¡¯t collided with Dys¡¯ cock was because Dys had lifted it up and kept it pressed to her belly with one hand. Thea¡¯s head was placed right on Kerr¡¯s stomach, her cheek pressed against her sweat-soaked abs.
¡°If watching is your thing,¡± Jay spoke from behind her, ¡°then you should at least get a good view. You don¡¯t mind, do you Kerr?¡±
¡°Go for it,¡± Kerr allowed in a strained tone.
The therion¡¯s clawed fingers found Thea¡¯s head and began flexing through her brown hair, making her spine shiver and the tingle in her nethers increase. With permission granted, Thea wasn¡¯t going to let the opportunity go to waste. Her own hand slipped back between her legs to rub gently at her wet nub as she stared intently at where Kerr and Dys were joined.
Kerr¡¯s cock, a very strange idea, was slick with juices as Dys¡¯ continued rotation of her hips had caused a small flood of sweet-smelling lubrication to stream out from between her petals. Now that she was close enough to see in detail, Thea could make out just how tightly Dys was gripping Kerr¡¯s thickness. While certainly physically larger than Kerr in all other respects, Dys¡¯ pussy had latched onto the therion with a strength that brooked no thought of looseness.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
Finally, Dys lowered herself down, slowly sinking to the base of Kerr¡¯s erection. Once she was fully down, she rocked forward and back a little more before lifting back up again. She rose until all but Kerr¡¯s flared head remained inside her tunnel before sliding back down again. She repeated this slow, sensuous motion several more times, each rise and fall eliciting a litany of delighted noises from Kerr.
Thea felt like she had died and gone to one of the gods¡¯ great halls. Seeing something so private, so lewd, so wildly sexually tantalizing was making her gush with excitement. Her fingers couldn¡¯t move fast enough as she panted out her hot breath mere inches away from where Kerr penetrated Dys.
Behind and above her, she felt Jay¡¯s hands on her back, on her arms, on her ass, stroking her along. She loved her strong touch and reveled in the feel of her as well, though she nearly jumped when Jay¡¯s lips kissed her ear.
¡°Don¡¯t you want to see it when Aila enters me?¡±
Oh, yes. Yes, Thea did want to see that.
Thea scrambled off of Kerr¡¯s stomach, hindered by not removing her left hand from where it busily worked away at her little bud. She got up and in position just in time to see Aila lining her own huge cock up with Dys¡¯ asshole.
¡°Hold on,¡± Jay interrupted, halting Aila¡¯s movement.
A second later, Thea saw Jay¡¯s hand rub across Aila¡¯s member, spreading a slippery fluid all over the veiny shaft as it throbbed angrily. By the smell Thea could tell it was some of Jadis¡¯ slick precum she had lubricated Aila with. Once Jay¡¯s hand withdrew, Aila resumed her press forward, firmly pushing her tip against Dys.
In that moment, Thea was vaguely amused to see that even Aila¡¯s newly grown cock had a couple small freckles on it.
Dys arched her back, pushing her ass out towards Aila while stilling her motions on top of Kerr. Despite her obvious willingness, Dys¡¯ back entrance still resisted the intrusion, not opening up immediately. For a moment, Thea thought that they would have to cancel the ritual until, suddenly, Aila¡¯s cock popped in the tight hole, the head disappearing inside.
¡°Oh fuck,¡± Aila whined out in the least controlled voice Thea had ever heard the tall woman utter.
Glancing up, she saw that Aila¡¯s eyes were squeezed shut and her face was twisted in what looked like a mix between pain and pleasure. Her left hand grabbed at Dys¡¯ back, scrabbling at her slick pale flesh and finding little purchase. Her right hand gripped the base of her dick tightly, holding it in place as she panted heavily.
¡°Fuck, I think I¡¯m going to cum,¡± Aila cursed, trying to hold her body back from what it so desperately wanted to do.
¡°Do it,¡± Jay encouraged her from somewhere behind Thea. ¡°Let it go. I know you¡¯ll have more in you to keep going. Just let it out inside me. I want to feel you pump your cum deep in me.¡±
Aila cursed again, then shifted slightly more forward, her cock sinking deeper between Dys¡¯ perfect cheeks. She began humping forward in small, jerky motions and Thea could tell by the way the exposed flesh of her cock pulsed she was releasing her seed inside of Dys¡¯ bowels.
Her right hand having let go of her own cock, it too scrabbled for purchase on Dys¡¯ back.
Thea wasn¡¯t sure what came over her, but seeing Aila in the throes of ecstasy, Thea felt a deep connection to the intimidating mage. Switching which hand she was rubbing herself with, Thea grasped onto Aila¡¯s right hand, holding it tight as the redhead climaxed. Aila gripped her back, fingers intertwining with hers as she came and for some reason that simple touch was enough to send Thea over her own edge. She came hard, letting out little hiccupping gasps as she clutched onto Aila, her head leaning against Dys¡¯s side and her watering eyes locked onto the lewd tableau on display mere inches from her face.
As she slowly came down from her peak, Thea heard a taunting voice come from her right.
¡°Ha! I knew I¡¯d last longer than you, freckle butt.¡±
¡°Shut up slut,¡± Aila heaved out breathlessly. ¡°Jadis didn¡¯t keep you worked up for almost twenty minutes.¡±
¡°Girls, please,¡± Dys spoke up from between the two strong-willed women. ¡°It isn¡¯t a competition. And even if it was, there¡¯s lots more opportunities to prove how good at fucking me you both are. So, speaking of¡¡±
¡°Oh, I¡¯ll show you,¡± Aila murmured, pulling herself a little closer to Dys.
She released her grip on Thea¡¯s hand then and, surprisingly, ran her hands through her brown hair before giving her a quick kiss on the forehead. Thea froze, not entirely sure what to make of that.
¡°Thanks,¡± Aila murmured quietly to Thea, ¡°but I¡¯m going to need both hands for this.¡±
With that, Thea shifted back, making room for Aila who immediately and without further preamble gripped Dys¡¯ hips and began rapidly thrusting forward, driving her hips into the Nephilim¡¯s backside with wild abandon.
¡°Fucking hell,¡± Dys said, using an unfamiliar curse. ¡°That feels¡ fuck!¡±
Dys fell forward, hands going over Kerr¡¯s head as the crude therion put her clawed hands on Dys¡¯ waist. She shifted her legs so her knees were bent, giving herself more purchase as she began her own thrusting, driving her cock up into Dys¡¯ wet core. The two women began a synchronized assault, joining their rhythms together as they dove as deeply as they could into Dys¡¯ depths.
Thea leaned back into Jay¡¯s arms, having without even knowing it fallen back into the giant¡¯s lap. Something hard and sticky throbbed against her butt, but she couldn¡¯t pay attention to that minor detail while she watched the three incredible women go at it. Thea¡¯s fingers kept playing with her soaked pussy all the way up until a much, much larger set of fingers gently pushed hers aside and began firmly stroking her. Even just one finger felt like a massive intrusion, sending shivers through Thea¡¯s body as she rapidly neared another climax. Freed to go elsewhere, Thea¡¯s hands went to her breasts, kneading and pulling at her nipples as she gasped her pleasure into the air. A second finger entered her too tight tunnel and Thea practically sobbed as she peaked again, eyes still glued to where Aila and Kerr were rutting like animals into Dys¡¯ holes.
¡°Fuck!¡± Kerr shouted, her voice raw.
She fell out of rhythm with Aila then, arms wrapping around Dys as best she could as she pressed her body up against Dys, her legs shaking as they strained to keep her buried as deeply inside Dys as possible.
¡°Oh my god,¡± Dys groaned, teeth clenching. ¡°You¡¯re so fucking big right now!¡±
Knowing that Kerr was spilling her seed inside of Dys set Thea off again. She shuddered in a smaller, but no less satisfying climax that left her feeling utterly wrung out by the time it finished.
Exhausted, Thea lay on Jay¡¯s lap, the giant¡¯s fingers motionless but still buried inside of her pussy. She made no attempt to remove them, enjoying the feeling of fullness they brought to her languid state of mind. Before her, Kerr looked as limp as Thea felt, her back on the bed but her crotch still buried to the hilt inside of Dys. Oddly, it looked to her as though Kerr was no longer supporting herself with her legs at all, and if she had to guess, the woman was hanging from Dys solely supported by her connection to her pussy via her thick, flared cock.
¡°Now isn¡¯t the time to rest,¡± Aila announced sternly, her hand slapping against one of Kerr¡¯s knees. ¡°This ritual isn¡¯t done until Jadis says it is.¡±
¡°And it isn¡¯t,¡± Dys confirmed, her voice sounding uncharacteristically weak. She let out a shaky laugh. ¡°Fuck, I wasn¡¯t expecting you to knot me, Kerr.¡±
¡°Give me a minute,¡± Kerr pleaded, one hand tiredly waving from underneath Dys. ¡°My ridges are still swollen.¡±
¡°No,¡± Aila said simply.
Shifting so that she was no longer on her knees but instead crouched behind Dys, Aila began pumping her hips again, slamming into her lover¡¯s ass with even greater force and speed than before.
¡°Cyka!¡± Kerr cried out in an eastern tongue, a sentiment echoed by Dys.
With a sharp curse, Dys shuddered and convulsed as her cock jumped and pulsed. From the tip of her cockhead sprayed ludicrous amounts of thick white seed. The first sticky rope arced over Kerr¡¯s head to land on Eir¡¯s lap where she still rested on top of Syd. More obscene strings of cum followed after, coating Kerr¡¯s face and upper body in a veritable deluge of the sweet-tasting stuff. All the while, as Dys climaxed, Aila humped her ass with an almost obsessed fervor.
It was only after Jay¡¯s two large fingers shifted inside of Thea¡¯s tunnel that she noticed that she¡¯d subconsciously begun stroking her clit again.
The frenetic fucking from Aila went on for several more minutes until Kerr eventually resumed her thrusting. All three continued for much longer, a length of time Thea was a poor judge of but she knew it had to be longer than an hour. How they all had the energy to keep going despite their own multiple climaxes, she couldn¡¯t guess. The licentious display brought Thea to her peak twice more with Jay¡¯s generous help before the three women all climaxed one final time together. By then, Jadis¡¯ bodies had begun glowing in that strange way they did when nearing completion of one of her rituals.
As Dys reared back, coating Kerr with even more seed while Aila hung onto her from behind, Dys gasped and opened her violet eyes, revealing an intense glowing light. For a moment, all was still as Dys stared into nothingness, her mind no doubt wrenched away from the carnal to the mental as the god-given system allowed her to chose what skill she wanted to replicate from what Aila had to offer her.
Suddenly, all three of Jadis¡¯ bodies slapped their right hands to their foreheads with a violent synchronized smack.
¡°What?¡± Kerr groaned, wiping away the coating of cum from her face that had practically drowned her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
¡°What happened?¡± Aila echoed in a concerned voice, her tone still breathless from the exertion she¡¯d just undertaken.
Jadis shook her heads, all of them, and answered in a unified voice that made Thea jump.
¡°Passive skills! Passive! I can only duplicate passive skills!¡±
Everyone else was quiet for a few moments longer.
¡°Oh,¡± Eir finally broke the silence. ¡°Well, I suppose we might have gotten a little ahead of ourselves, didn¡¯t we?¡±
Chapter 153: Wanton Replication
Jadis felt like an idiot.
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Wanton Replication
Ritual Spell. Duplicate, for yourself, the effects of a single passive skill that a target other than you yourself possesses. The ritual can be used on multiple targets, up to a maximum number equaling 0.1 of your Eldritch attribute. Effect from a single target persists until the ritual is repeated and a new skill is selected.
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She had gotten so excited at the prospect of being able to replicate some of her companions¡¯ cool skills, the ritual¡¯s limitation of only passive skills had flown right over her head. She must have known it, she was sure, since she¡¯d discussed the skill with Aila after she¡¯d selected it a few weeks ago, but in the moment she¡¯d forgotten. If she wanted to be generous to herself, she could just blame it on being almost a month since she¡¯d acquired the skill. Excuses didn¡¯t change anything, however. She should have double checked the skill before starting the ritual.
¡°Are you still able to acquire Nephilim Wellspring?¡± Aila asked between panting breaths.
¡°Oh, uh, yes,¡± Jadis replied from all her selves at once.
Seeing the list of Aila¡¯s passive skills floating in her mental vision, Jadis quickly moved to select the lewd skill that would be so useful in replenishing her magic power. Before she selected the skill, her eye was drawn to a facet of the available skills she was surprised to see.
Aila had acquired multiple instances of Minor Arcane Improvement, taking the skill all the way up to its full ¡°V¡± level, which granted Aila fifteen points in the Arcane attribute. When Jadis moved to select that skill, she found that it didn¡¯t let her take the version ¡°V¡±, but instead just the ¡°I¡± version of the passive. In other words, if she tried to copy a Minor Attribute Improvement skill from one of her companions, she would only get the base version of the skill, not the fully upgraded version.
Jadis hadn¡¯t planned on taking an attribute improvement passive skill from any of her companions, but it was a little disappointing to see that her ritual wouldn¡¯t let her gain a big boost to stats if she ever came across someone who had a Lesser Attribute Improvement V. Five levels in that skill equated to twenty-five points in a single attribute, a not insignificant amount. Who knew what came from higher level versions of skill? Jadis doubted it stopped at Lesser. Something she should probably ask the others about.
Well, the ritual was still powerfully useful, even if her list of options were suddenly much smaller than she had previously thought. She was able to take Nephilim Wellspring, an honestly broken skill for her to possess, which in her opinion made the ritual worth it even if she didn¡¯t have any other immediate uses for it. As soon as she¡¯d selected the skill, she felt an odd shiver run through her that felt both cool and warm at the same time. A moment after, the white inner glow fled her eyes and body and Jadis¡¯ mind was returned to the present situation.
That situation being she had two large cocks crammed into her pussy and ass.
¡°Fuck me¡¡± Dys moaned, the powerful sensations of having her holes filled making her shudder for a very different reason than her ritual skill had.
Kerr¡¯s inhuman cock was an absolutely wild experience, drastically different from her own large packages. The almost spike-like bumps along the ridge of her cockhead pressed against her tunnel walls in odd, ticklish ways, while also almost scraping at her flesh as though her cock was actively resisting being pulled out of her. The wide ridges along the underside of her shaft had also felt spine-tinglingly weird every time Kerr had pumped in and out of her, the bumpiness providing surprisingly strong stimulation. The bigger effect of those ridges was felt whenever Kerr climaxed, though. The ridges expanded, the flesh engorging, making Kerr¡¯s already wide cock even wider, particularly around the base. With how big around Kerr¡¯s shaft had grown, Jadis felt just as stretched as whenever she fucked herself, at least in terms of girth.
Compounding the almost overwhelming feeling of being stretched by Kerr was Aila. Her more normal, relatively speaking, cock was still twitching and pulsing inside of her now well-fucked back door. Aila¡¯s shaft was thick, long, and veiny; the kind of cock that would have made Aila a star back on earth, in a certain film category. Feeling it rub against Kerr¡¯s swollen ridges inside her was a fucking amazing sensation that had been making Jadis¡¯ toes curl with each thrust. Even when Aila was still, draped over Dys¡¯ back and barely moving from exhaustion, she could feel her cock pulsing within her ass, each rapid heartbeat making her flesh throb in a delightfully pleasing way.
¡°Give me a few minutes,¡± Kerr gasped out from where she was half-squashed under Dys. ¡°And I¡¯ll do my best.¡±
¡°No, not literally,¡± Dys laughed, raising herself up a little to get a better look at her therion friend. What she saw made her laugh even harder. ¡°Kerr! You look like a glazed donut! We need to wipe you off.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± she replied tiredly as cum bubbled around her lips and nose.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll get you cleaned up,¡± Jay assured her, a wicked gleam beginning to shine in her violet eyes.
¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind, Aila?¡± Dys said while looking over her shoulder at her girlfriend. ¡°As much as I love having your cock in my bum, I need to sit up.¡±
¡°Yes, of course,¡± Aila nodded, almost managing to sound casual as she slowly withdrew her dick from Dys¡¯ ass. ¡°I¡ I need a break after all that, anyway.¡±
As soon as Aila slid her shaft out of her, Dys felt a bit empty. She almost asked her girlfriend to pop her cock back in but managed to restrain the impulse. Jadis most certainly had supernatural lasting power when it came to sex, but her companions didn¡¯t. The fact that both Aila and Kerr had managed to keep up for so long was frankly amazing, though clearly the two needed a break.
To that purpose, Dys rose up off of Kerr. Or rather, she tried to, but found the task difficult due to the way her dick had knotted inside of her thanks to her engorged ridges. Slowly pulling Kerr out of her pussy made both of them shudder and gasp from the popping sensations caused by each ridge as they exited her tunnel. When Dys finally managed to fully extract Kerr¡¯s cock from her depths, she knelt there on the bed with two well-fucked holes dripping with seed.
¡°Hold on, let me help you clean up,¡± Eir chimed in as she climbed off of Syd¡¯s lap.
The naked elf quickly shuffled off the bed and disappeared into the bathroom. In just a couple seconds, she had retrieved a pitcher of water and some towels and approached the group of sticky sweaty and sticky women.
¡°For her,¡± Dys motioned towards her redheaded lover. ¡°We have a new skill to test out.¡±
¡°What do you¡ªoh!¡± Eir gasped once she saw what Jadis intended.
All three of Jadis¡¯ selves pounced on top of Kerr. From three different angles she began licking her own cum from the surprised therion. Her long tongues lapped at her face, neck, shoulders, and breasts, eliciting giggles mixed with a myriad of foreign curses. Some small part of Jadis did remember to check her stats and she confirmed that yes, indeed, her magic power was replenishing as she swallowed more and more of her sweet and sticky seed. But mostly she was just enjoying licking and sucking cum from all over Kerr¡¯s wonderful body.
¡°Do we continue?¡± Eir asked as she helped Aila wipe herself off. ¡°Considering the restrictions on your replication ritual, I can¡¯t think of any passive skill I possess that would be of particular use to you.¡±
¡°You might gain something in the future,¡± Aila pointed out, blushing and obviously trying not to be bothered by the intimate places Eir¡¯s hands were going as she cleaned her. ¡°You can always do this ritual again with Jadis later.¡±
¡°True,¡± Syd agreed around a mouthful of sweet spunk. ¡°Considering the lack of options, I don¡¯t think the ritual is worth doing with Eir at the moment. However, if you¡¯re just interested in having some fun¡¡±
Syd said the last while giving the priestess a lascivious look.
¡°I¡ªI am always happy to spend some time indulging our¡ desires,¡± Eir answered, looking surprisingly flustered for someone with another woman¡¯s cock in her hands. ¡°But the hour is already growing late and if you want to perform Wanton Replication again¡ª¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that,¡± Syd assured Eir. ¡°We¡¯ve got an idea for the next ritual, and it involves your and Thea¡¯s help.¡±
¡°M¡ªme?¡± Thea stuttered, the brunette having practically disappeared between several pillows during the short span that Jay had let her go. ¡°Um, I¡ªI¡¯m still just w¡ªwatching¡¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
¡°C¡¯mon Thea,¡± Syd grinned mischievously at the guard. ¡°You can¡¯t just watch forever. Besides, I want to replicate your Stable Footing skill. It¡¯s not as cool as Brace for Impact, but I think it¡¯ll be super useful and it might even help me meet prerequisites for getting similar skills in my class. Not sure if that works or not, but it¡¯s worth testing.¡±
¡°So what do you say?¡± Jay asked, looking up from a much cleaner though still slick Kerr. ¡°Are you ready to get into some real action?¡±
Thea managed an amazing impression of a deer caught in headlights for a few seconds before, eventually, she nodded slightly and hummed out an affirmative.
¡°Mm, okay, I can try.¡±
¡°Nice!¡± Jadis cheered from all three of her selves.
It didn¡¯t take long for Jadis to maneuver her selves, Eir, and Thea into position. For the next Wanton Replication, she decided she wanted to try a slightly different combination of her companions to meet the position requirements of the ritual. To make her vision reality, it meant Thea needed to grow herself a dick, just like Aila and Kerr. Thea didn¡¯t take much convincing and Eir was happy to help with Duality of Flesh once again.
This time, Jay lay on her back with Thea on top of her, the shy woman¡¯s thighs wrapped around her cock. Thea was much shorter than either Aila or Kerr, so the size difference made the pillar of white flesh sticking up between her legs look even more obscene. At Jadis¡¯ behest, Eir got on top of them both and rode atop of them, her more lewd and spirited side coming to the fore as the priestess happily bounced on top of Thea¡¯s lap.
With her hot pussy wrapped tightly around Jay¡¯s cock, Jadis almost thought it a shame that she used her Ritual Time Reduction to make the spell go quicker. Especially with the way Thea seemed mesmerized by the beautiful bouncing elf on top of her.
Indulging in the sensations, Jay did nothing to hold back and quickly came inside of her succubus of an oracle, making sure to help Thea along to her climax as well. Thanks to the position, Jadis was finally able to see the effects of the ritual take place as they completed it since Thea¡¯s crotch was fully exposed.
Flesh quickly warped and grew, expanding outward from the spot directly above her pussy. It wasn¡¯t exactly grotesque, but it was also far more visceral a sight that Jadis had expected. It also happened extremely quickly and, in just a few short seconds, a pair of cock and balls had grown fully formed and already half-erect on Thea¡¯s nethers.
¡°How¡¯s it feel?¡± Syd queried the shivering guard.
With one hand, Syd took Thea¡¯s shaft and lifted it up, giving it a gentle squeeze and a tug. The other hand went to her smooth and hairless balls, giving them a light bit of fondling.
¡°D¡ªd¡ªdifferent,¡± Thea stuttered out, finding it even more difficult to get her words out than normal. ¡°V¡ªvery, ah, d¡ªdifferent.¡±
¡°It¡¯s very pretty,¡± Eir said, her motions stilled as she sat on Jay and Thea¡¯s lap, giant cock still buried inside her.
Jadis had to agree. Thea¡¯s new cock wasn¡¯t as large as Kerr or Aila¡¯s, though it was still huge by normal human standards at around ten inches. It was also oddly¡ feminine looking. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how exactly to put it, but the lack of obvious veins and the smoothness of it just made Thea¡¯s dick look girly somehow. The thought made no sense, of course. A penis was about the least girly thing she could think of. But still, it was the impression she got as she gently ran her hand up and down the length of it.
¡°Ready to put this gal to some good use?¡± Syd asked, giving Thea a wide grin.
¡°I¡ªI, I guess I am?¡±
¡°Good. Then it¡¯s time for a change of position.¡±
Catching her elven lover off guard, Syd pulled her off of Jay¡¯s cock and laid back with her against the headboard of the bed. Aila and Kerr were already over there, as they had been for the past while as they recovered from their sexual escapades. Syd slipped right between them both while Dys dove between Eir¡¯s legs, licking and sucking at her sodden pussy.
That wasn¡¯t the only part of the elf she was licking, though.
Gently and with a great deal of care, Dys ran her tongue around the rim of Eir¡¯s asshole. For what Jadis had planned, she knew Eir was going to need some warming up, even if the lewd priestess expressed a debauched wantonness when it came to sex of any kind with her. Carefully, Dys prized open Eir¡¯s rear tunnel, slipping her long tongue inside to get the elf used to the feeling.
¡°Oh, oh!¡± Eir gasped out, squirming on top of Syd¡¯s lap. ¡°That¡¯s so, so odd!¡±
¡°Any good?¡± Syd asked, holding Eir firmly with one arm while her other hand played with her long red ears.
¡°Yes! It feels strange, but good!¡±
As Dys worked away at Eir¡¯s ass, two other forms leaned in from either side. Each added onto the experience for the priestess in their own way.
¡°Look at you go, you dirty priestess you!¡± Kerr said as she leaned in on Eir¡¯s left. ¡°You¡¯ve got a Nephilim¡¯s tongue in your ass and you¡¯re loving every second of it! Is that because it¡¯s a Nephilim exploring your slutty hole, or would you make those same noises if I did it to you too?¡±
¡°Ah, I uh, I¡¯m not su¡ªure!¡± Eir gasped as Dys spread her legs wider, holding them apart and bent at the knees. ¡°We might have to¡ªto test it!¡±
Kerr growled out a laugh before running her rough tongue up Eir¡¯s ear.
¡°I fucking love sluts like you.¡±
Eir didn¡¯t respond to Kerr¡¯s crass endearment as she was too busy gasping out a shaky moan from Aila¡¯s sudden participation.
Having approached from the other side, Aila had leaned over from above and started licking at Eir¡¯s clit, keeping her pussy sopping wet as she kissed and tongued the elf at her own pace.
Feeling that the time was right, Dys pulled her tongue back and carefully rubbed her finger around Eir¡¯s quivering rear hole. With firm but gentle force, she pressed the digit inside Eir¡¯s warmth, making the elf yelp and groan even louder.
Jadis took her time, pumping her one finger in and out of Eir, making sure to stretch her out well before adding a second finger to the little-used hole. After a short while, as Dys was about to add a third, Aila¡¯s hand slipped up from below and pressed her pointer finger into Eir¡¯s depths.
Dys¡¯ violet eyes met Aila¡¯s blue ones for a heated moment. Without saying anything, Dys grinned wickedly while her girlfriend acted like the perfect ice queen, one slender eyebrow raised. After a moment, the two shared a brief kiss before Dys''s tongue returned to Eir¡¯s aching pussy, lavishing it with attention as Aila inserted a second one of her fingers into Eir¡¯s backdoor.
Eventually Jadis judged that Eir was as ready as she could be. Shifting the panting priestess up, she positioned her so that Syd¡¯s cockhead was held right at the stretched wide hole that Dys and Aila were holding open. Even with all the stretching the two of them had done, Syd¡¯s cock still didn¡¯t seem like it would fit.
But when had Jadis ever backed down from a challenge?
Pulling Eir down on top of Syd¡¯s tip, Aila and Dys¡¯ fingers withdrew as Syd¡¯s cock replaced them. There was a lot of resistance. Almost too much. But then, something gave way and Syd was inside of Eir, her large, pulsing cockhead nested in an excruciatingly tight heat that almost felt like it would be too constricting to move.
¡°Jadis!¡± Eir screamed out, her fingers clawing at Syd¡¯s hair as she reached over her head.
¡°Too much?¡± Syd asked worriedly, her own teeth clenching from the intense sensation.
¡°No!¡± Eir cried out, then shuddered in what Jadis knew was a sign of the elf¡¯s climax. ¡°So good! So, so, so good! More!¡±
¡°You heard her,¡± Kerr looked at Syd with a sharp smile. ¡°Give the greedy slut more!¡±
Jadis didn¡¯t need any more encouragement. With multiple sets of hands, Jadis dragged Eir down Syd¡¯s cock, stuffing the priestess to capacity, and then beyond as her massive shaft buried itself to the hilt inside of the shaking, moaning elf. Once she was fully down, the large bump in Eir¡¯s belly obvious, Dys withdrew from the two, exposing the spot where Eir and Syd joined as well as showing the open, twitching pussy left unattended.
¡°Alright Thea,¡± Jay whispered into the woman¡¯s ear from behind as she casually stroked her smooth cock. ¡°Are you going to keep our slutty priestess waiting?¡±
¡°No ma¡¯am,¡± Thea replied, her eyes locked onto Eir¡¯s dripping lower lips.
Without any further encouragement, Thea shuffled forward on her knees and put her new spear to use.
Jadis watched from three different perspectives as the guardswoman slowly sank her twitching cock into Eir¡¯s pussy. Inch by inch she pushed forward, her progress slowed by both Thea¡¯s unfamiliarity with the motion and sensation, as well as the extreme tightness Eir¡¯s already well-stuffed body provided. Syd could feel the way her cock travelled up the moaning priestess¡¯s tunnel, her much smaller yet still sizeable shaft rubbed against her own inhuman length through the thin barrier between their respective holes.
It took some time at the gradual pace Thea had set, but it wasn¡¯t long before her hips had met Eir¡¯s and the two were locked together in a carnal embrace.
¡°Oh! Oh, Thea!¡± Eir gasped and reached out for the human.
Her arms wrapped around Thea, dragging her face down into the valley of her large, beautiful breasts. Eir held the shy woman close, practically smothering her as she squeezed her tightly. It wasn¡¯t only Thea who was squeezed, however.
Syd did her best to relax and let Thea set the speed at which their m¨¦nage ¨¤ trois proceeded, but the way Eir¡¯s ass was clenching like a fist around her whole length was driving her mad. She wanted to pump her hips into her, toss them forward and go at them from above, pull out for some relief, anything other than just sit and wait, but she held back. Eir and Thea needed a moment.
Kerr, however, didn¡¯t see it that way. Sliding past Dys and Jay, Kerr moved behind Thea and put her hand on the woman¡¯s ass. Not just on it, though. Two of her fingers slipped into the guardswoman¡¯s pussy with a wet squelching sound, making her jump in Eir¡¯s arms. Kerr pulled back, deliberately drawing Thea¡¯s butt, and by extension her cock, away from the priestess. Having forced some distance between their hips, Kerr purred in Thea¡¯s ear.
¡°That¡¯s steps one and two you¡¯ve done there. Good job! Now all you need to do is¡ repeat!¡±
With a flex of her muscled arm, Kerr shoved Thea back down onto Eir, a loud and lewd slap echoing in the room.
All three women, Syd included, let out their own unique moans at the abrupt motion. Kerr didn¡¯t let it stop there, though. With unrelenting intent, she pulled Thea back and pushed her back into Eir, setting a fast pace that had all of them panting with pleasure.
¡°There we go!¡± Kerr announced proudly as she pulled her hand away from Thea.
Now sans assistance from the horny archer, Thea kept thrusting her hips. She drove her cock into Eir¡¯s dripping pussy, her constant pounding providing the friction Syd needed to wind the tension ever tighter in the pit of her stomach.
Before Syd could quite reach her peak, Thea let out a quavering cry and stilled her movements with her cock buried deep inside Eir. From the way she shook and the way her length pulsed within, Jadis could tell Thea had just had her first orgasm with her new cock.
¡°S¡ªsorry,¡± Thea murmured as she collapsed forward onto Eir. ¡°I d¡ªdidn¡¯t, I¡¯m not¡ª¡±
¡°You¡¯re fine,¡± Jay brushed away her worries with a kiss on her cheek. ¡°I didn¡¯t last long the first time I tried out my cock either,¡± she said while trailing her hand along Thea¡¯s back.
¡°No one cares if you¡¯re a quick shot,¡± Kerr quipped from the side while making some lewd motions with her hips. ¡°So long as you still have the stamina to keep going!¡±
Thea did, in fact, have the stamina to keep going. A fact she displayed a moment or two later as she began thrusting her hips into a fuck-drunk elven priestess once more.
¡°Speaking of,¡± Dys casually said before suddenly grabbing hold of Kerr and tossing her down on the mattress.
¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m done with you yet,¡± Jay announced, looming over Kerr. ¡°We¡¯ve got lots of fucking still to do tonight.¡±
¡°And Aila absolutely needs to find out what a pussy feels like,¡± Dys pointed out.
¡°Hey! I¡¯ve got a fucking schwanz now, I should get to do the fucking!¡± Kerr protested before letting out a delighted moan as Dys¡¯ fingers found her cunt.
¡°We¡¯ll get back to that,¡± Jay said as she pulled Aila up close to her, one hand palming her ass. ¡°There are a lot of positions we can try now. And we¡¯ve got all night to try them.¡±
Chapter 154: New Recruit
¡°This is a nice building you have for your guild headquarters even if it is a little bare bones at the moment but that¡¯s okay because it has room to grow and your mercenary company isn¡¯t very large right now though considering how big you and your sisters are that¡¯s kind of ironic I think but you three are also big in the sense of fame around Far Felsen so I¡¯m sure it wouldn¡¯t be hard to find some mercenaries with no company that might want to join I mean you might even be able to recruit a few away from their current companies so long as their contract is expiring or they are allowed to break it though that would probably put you on bad terms with the other mercenary companies because that sort of thing is frowned upon but you might be able to get away with it if you make the right kind of deal but I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anyone around the city you¡¯d be willing to make a deal with a rival mercenary company for but still it¡¯s clear you¡¯d have the room for them here if you do end up going that route!¡±
Jay nodded along to Sabina¡¯s ramblings as she showed the excitable half-elf around the first floor of the Fortune¡¯s Favored company headquarters. There wasn¡¯t actually much to show off since the one giant room was so bare, but the smith received the mostly empty building with enthusiasm. A serving of meat pie from a stoic Hans was welcomed with even more appreciation, as was the sight of the open area behind the building.
¡°This space would be perfect for a workshop!¡± Sabina exclaimed, the faint glow in her eyes shining brightly as she took in the courtyard. ¡°More than enough space for a forge and anvil and a workbench and a space for tools and the buildings all around are businesses so we wouldn¡¯t have to worry about keeping people up at night and I could make most of it myself and then I could work on weapons and armor for the whole guild right here and if I do manage to get an enchantment class then there¡¯s space for an enchanting table too and even if I don¡¯t get an enchantment class if you do recruit someone into the guild who can we can work together out here and it would be amazing!¡±
¡°Absolutely,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°With the primary renovations done with the main building, a workshop expansion sounds like a great next step. Our head smith should have her own forge and not be forced to share out in a common workshop.¡±
Sabina flushed at the flattering title Jay had bestowed on her, her bronze skin darkening further. Her sharp but shorter ears twitched in a way that reminded Jay of Eir. Possibly the elven way of showing embarrassment? She¡¯d have to experiment with the idea later.
¡°Would your sisters be okay with working on a workshop for me?¡± the smith asked in an uncharacteristically short sentence while wringing her fingers together.
¡°I can assure you with absolute certainty that they are on board,¡± Jay deadpanned.
¡°Where are they right now? Because if you need to be with them I don¡¯t mean to get in your way because I know the three of you are usually together at least I usually see you three together and the talk around town is that you three are usually together and if you all are busy with something you should go ahead and leave me be and I¡¯ll just go back to work at the common forge for now and¡ª¡±
¡°They aren¡¯t here because we¡¯re actually getting ready for you,¡± Jay interrupted Sabina, cutting the word avalanche off before it went much further.
¡°For me?¡± Sabina chirped, her eyes big. ¡°In what way?¡±
¡°To take you on an outing, of course,¡± Jay casually explained.
Crossing her arms and leaning against the wall by the back door, Jay grinned down at the dark-haired half-elf.
¡°We¡¯re eager to try out that great new armor you made us, plus it¡¯s been a while since my whole team has been outside the walls together. We wanted to get out and give our new equipment and skills a real test, so to speak. Since you need leveling, figured there was no time like the present.¡±
¡°Really? Right now!?¡± Sabina practically shouted, her arms exploding into a flailing spectacle as her mouth went into overdrive. ¡°But I don¡¯t have any weapons or armor or training and I don¡¯t know anything about fighting in a personal sense and plus I still need to work on those weapon ideas you gave me yesterday and that¡¯s going to take more time and I know I¡¯m going to need to get an enchanter involved because you just can¡¯t make weapons that big and heavy without enchantments because the metal will bend otherwise and the edge and handles will deform so I still need to find someone who can do those kinds of enchantments and isn¡¯t going to bilk us on the price plus we need to source the eleria crystals and any other materials that might be needed and¡ª¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about all that!¡± Jay cut Sabina off again with a laugh.
Moving to physically still the agitated smith, Jay took hold of both her hands and held them firmly, bringing all of Sabina¡¯s movements and ranting to a halt. Jay grinned down at the wide eyes and twitching ears of the flustered half-elf, taking note of the way her breath caught.
¡°I told you, my sisters are taking care of all that. As are the rest of our team. We¡¯ve sourced a few replacement armaments, weapons that are a little better than the makeshift stuff we¡¯ve been using so they will absolutely do fine for the small excursion we¡¯re going on today. Besides, you don¡¯t have to do any fighting today. At most, you might get the opportunity to deal the finishing blow on a few demons we incapacitate, if we get the chance to. Otherwise, you just get to sit back and soak up the proxy bonus experience.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
¡°Oh, well,¡± Sabina said, shrugging and smiling but making no attempt to extract her hands from Jay¡¯s. ¡°That¡¯s fine then!¡±
¡°Good,¡± Jay grinned, giving the smith¡¯s hands a little squeeze before letting go. ¡°They should be back any minute now, so let¡¯s go inside, okay?¡±
In fact, Jadis¡¯ other selves in the company of her beautiful teammates were only thirty seconds down the street, but she wasn¡¯t yet ready to explain how she knew that to Sabina just yet. She liked the hyperactive half-elf and was very happy to have her join the mercenary company, but Jadis didn¡¯t quite have the trust level with her that she did the others. Though, Jadis hoped they would get there, with time.
Time felt like it was in short supply this morning, a feeling that was entirely Jadis¡¯ own fault she had to admit. She¡¯d kept her companions up well into the late hours of the night with her lewd rituals and more than a bit of just plain fucking. In consequence, they had all been late to rise that morning and much of the early hours were gone by the time they pulled themselves out of their giant-sized bed.
A better consequence of the debauched night were the three new skills Jadis had replicated from Aila, Thea, and Kerr. Nephilim Wellspring from her redheaded girlfriend, Stable Footing from her shy shieldmaiden, and from the incorrigible Kerr? Well, it had been a hard choice since she had so many more passive skills to choose from, many of which were attractive in their uses, but in the end, they had agreed on Path Less Travelled.
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Path Less Traveled (Replicated)
Passive Skill. Your movement through untamed wilderness terrains is greatly improved, allowing you to bypass obstacles that would otherwise slow you down. Any attempts to hide or move stealthily in wilderness terrains are similarly improved and others will have a harder time tracking your movements. These benefits are lost when moving through tamed, cultivated, or otherwise civilized environments.
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While Jadis wasn¡¯t the stealthiest woman in the world and was likely going to be even less so once she had her heavy plate armor on, the first half of the skill still looked highly useful to her. Jadis had spent a lot of her time on Oros in untamed lands, so being able to move through it with more speed and certainty felt like a good choice, especially since she often acted as a mount for her companions when they were trying to move fast.
Yes, Jadis was quite happy with the results of her first night spent in her new bed with her drop-dead sexy lovers. Three new replicated skills being almost a side benefit to the fun that she¡¯d had with her companions. She hadn¡¯t selected a skill from Eir, however, since none of her passive skills really seemed to fit. Besides, by that point, the elf¡¯s brain had been turned to putty by so many climaxes and even Jadis¡¯ knees were feeling a bit wobbly. There was only so much fucking she could do in one night.
There was also something Jadis had forgotten to take into consideration when it came to performing her rituals in a bed. And that was the mess left behind. Jadis had been forced to strip the blankets and sheets from the bed or risk the mattresses being ruined. She was definitely going to have to invest in a lot more sheets so they could be quickly traded out while the soiled ones were being laundered. That, or she needed to invent the washing machine.
While Jadis mused over the idea of how to explain the idea of an automatic washing machine to Sabina for the smith to try her hand at making one, her two other selves arrived back at the tavern-turned-guildhall, along with the rest of her squad. The group immediately went to greet Sabina, welcoming the smith into their company with at least polite grace if not genuine warmth. Eir and Kerr had never met the half-elf, after all, but Thea knew her by sight at least.
¡°That¡¯s a very pretty dress you¡¯re wearing!¡± Sabina said with a bright smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were the type to wear dresses since you were always wearing leather pants every time I saw you with Jay and Dys and Syd which is fine because you have really nice long legs and I would show them off too if I had legs like yours but the dress is really pretty and the blue matches your eyes so it really suits you!¡±
Jadis had to hide her smirking faces as Aila stiffly accepted Sabina¡¯s innocent comments. Jadis knew why Aila had chosen not to wear her usual form-fitting attire that day, and it had little to do with how nicely the dress matched her eyes.
¡°Not one word,¡± Aila quietly warned Syd a few moments later as Sabina was distracted by unloading her opinions on Thea¡¯s makeshift shield at the nearly mute woman.
¡°Of course not,¡± Syd agreed, face locked in a mask of seriousness. ¡°I would never breach your privacy like that.¡±
There were a few seconds of silence between them as they watched Thea slowly shrink away from the exuberant smith who was still talking rapid fire at her.
¡°I just think it¡¯s very brave of you to be willing to go out in public with all that meat dangling down there.¡±
¡°Shut up!¡± Aila snapped, whipping around to punch Syd in the side which only resulted in her shaking her own hand out from hitting the brick wall that was the Nephilim¡¯s abs. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to overhear! And it¡¯s not dangling! I¡¯m using wraps!¡±
¡°Still awesome that you went for it and Kerr didn¡¯t,¡± Syd said around a barely contained laugh.
¡°Only because I don¡¯t have a dress and couldn¡¯t fit all that schlong in my pants,¡± Kerr whispered in a sing-song voice from Syd¡¯s other side.
¡°What couldn¡¯t you fit in your pants?¡± Sabina suddenly spun around, directing her attention on the therion. ¡°Was it your tail? I bet you have all kinds of trouble with your tail. So many tailors and armor smiths around here don¡¯t take into account therion bodies with their wares which is a shame since it means you have to spend extra just to get a decent pair of pants adjusted for your tail but at the same time it makes sense since there are hardly any therions in Weigrun much less Far Felsen so I guess there isn¡¯t much of a market but don¡¯t you worry because I promise I can make armor for you if you want it because I¡¯ve made armor for other therions before and actually if you want I might be able to make some adjustments now if you like because I¡¯m not too bad with sewing needle and¡ª¡±
Sabina¡¯s ramblings continued as she rounded on the amused Kerr, her amusement only growing into outright laughter as the half-elf dove right around her side and started pulling on the belt of her pants and checking the positioning of the hole made for her gray-furred tail. She seemed completely heedless of the fact that she was practically groping Kerr¡¯s ass to check the fit of her pants, which only made the absurd situation better in Jadis¡¯ opinion.
¡°Yeah, I think you¡¯re going to fit right in,¡± Jay shook her head with a laugh.
Chapter 155: Kitted Out
The sight of three identical giant women walking down the main street of Far Felsen had become something of a regular occurrence over the past few weeks. Thanks in part to their disappearance causing Magistrate Vraekae to put out a major search effort for them combined with their dramatic and highly noticeable return, the Nephilim were known by everyone in town. With a well-earned reputation for being the powerhouses who had slain the greater demon known as Burning Rancor and thus turning the tide of the recent battle, most people who saw the three sisters greeted them with a warm smile and wave at least.
Jadis noticed the warm greetings weren¡¯t quite so forthcoming on this outing, however.
With all three of her bodies suited up in her newly fashioned armor, Jadis¡¯ selves formed a moving wall of dark steel as they walked down the cobblestone street. Their height, already just over nine feet, was increased by several more inches just by the nature of their helmets and boots; their strong and broad shoulders made even broader by the solid pauldrons. Each step one of her bodies took was accompanied by the dense thump of a massive weight, and that sound was then tripled. A loose stone brick left on the ground was trampled under one of Jadis¡¯ feet, shattering the rock into bits.
Intimidation was the word of the day, she decided. Even though people knew the only three people who could possibly be under all that Cold Flame Steel armor were the Nephilim triplets, foot traffic on the streets still scampered out of the way like scared mice. Only a scant few worked up the courage to wave as Jadis¡¯ selves passed them by, which Jadis was sure to wave back in polite response. She wasn¡¯t intentionally trying to scare anyone, after all. The imposing visage her three armored bodies presented was just an unintentional byproduct, was all.
Other than her armor, Jadis carried her newly acquired weapons, which probably only added to the intimidation factor. Other than Syd¡¯s reliable lance, Jadis had needed replacements for her broken mallet and woefully outdated makeshift maul. The maul had been retired to a wall in the main room of the company hall, hung up before it could meet a wood-shattering fate. So that meant new armaments, which were hard to come by in her size.
For a while, Jadis had been using axes and spears meant for more normal-sized mercenaries. A two-handed battle axe was more like a hatchet in her hands, but it was still a deadly implement. Jadis had ended up keeping an axe on each of her bodies¡¯ belts just for the sake of having a back-up weapon, copying Kerr in that regard. But to get something in her size, Jadis had paid a weaponsmith to make something quick and cheap, since she planned on having Sabina make her more permanent weapons later.
For Jay, she¡¯d commissioned an iron-banded club. Club didn¡¯t really do the massive weapon justice, though. Almost as tall as she was and as thick around as Aila¡¯s waist at the end, the club was more like a tree that had been carved thin enough on one end to fit in Jadis¡¯ hand. The six studded iron bands wrapped around it added to the significant weight of weapon, but also made it sturdier and deadlier, too. Jadis saw it as an improvement to her mallet, though the request she¡¯d made of Sabina was something she hoped would make the big club seem like a toy in comparison.
For Dys, she¡¯d gone with the only other thing else that could be made on short notice. A giant-sized axe, crudely fashioned from a block of iron. It wasn¡¯t pretty, nor was it the kind of weapon that would last, even Jadis could tell. Its edge would dull in no time and the haft would need to be replaced sooner rather than later, but the weapon was at least in the right weight category for a Nephilim. Jadis had no doubt that she¡¯d be able to bisect wretches with no problem using the brutal axe. Fuck, a grundwyrm probably couldn¡¯t take many hits from the vicious-looking thing.
All that was to say, a fully armed and armored trio of Jadis looked like they meant business.
Behind the steel wall of giants, the rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored kept pace. Kerr and Thea were the most martial looking of the bunch, their armor and weapons showing they were more than capable all on their own. Kerr¡¯s black leather armor with its snarling-wolf faceplate matched up with Jadis¡¯ dark armor nicely, and the giant enchanted bow slung over her shoulder made her look even more impressive. Thea, in contrast, had a far more orderly look to her newly altered armor. She¡¯d had to swap out her imperial surcoat for something more generic and unbranded, but she¡¯d been able to buy her armor back from the city since it had been fitted to her and would have needed alterations to be useful for anyone else. With a basic but reliable spear and, for some reason, the makeshift shield Jadis had crafted her, Thea looked more like a mercenary than an imperial soldier. Though she still marched like one.
Eir had traded in her white temple robes for something with a little more protection. ¡°Battle robes¡± she had called them, a kind of cloth and leather armor that was typically worn by mages and healers who were regularly out in the field. They still looked like robes to Jadis, but the inner layer was apparently far sturdier and overall the set looked more fitted. Eir clearly had pants and boots on under the robes as well, plus protective pauldrons on her shoulders.
Aila had commissioned a similar set of light armor to what Eir had, though Jadis knew for a fact her full set was meant to just have leather pants, not the blue dress the redhead was sporting now. Still, the leather chest piece and shoulder guards looked good on the mage, as did the hooded helmet that she wore.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Jadis had suggested the hood and helmet combo, and it had turned out to look just as amazing on Aila as she had hoped.
The one person who stood out like a sore thumb among the martial-looking group was Sabina. Yes, she was tall for a woman, not as tall as Aila or Kerr but certainly taller than Thea and Eir. Yes, she was on the muscular side, with well-muscled arms and strong shoulders. And yes, she carried a hammer and a shield and was thus armed appropriately. However, despite being an armor smith, Sabina didn¡¯t have any armor. She had never made any for herself. Thus, all she wore as she walked side by side with her experienced guildmates were her normal work clothes, including a smith¡¯s apron.
At least the leather apron made her look cute, Jadis mused.
While thinking about just how cute Sabina would look wearing that leather apron and nothing else, Jadis led her small group past the open gates of the city and out into the burnt and battle-scared land surrounding Far Felsen. The guards at the gate made no attempt to stop her or send an escort with her as they had in the past. Vraekae had remained true to her word, cancelling her orders to keep a constant vigil on the Nephilim. She hadn¡¯t lied either when she¡¯d said that she hadn¡¯t had the numbers to keep up a watch on her. There were a lot less guards stationed at the city gate; not because security was laxer, but because more men were needed out in the fields and hills to deal with the demonic threat.
Just outside the gates were ¡°The Kilns¡±. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure who had named them that, but it was an appropriately ominous title in her opinion. Giant stone ovens with tall chimneys had been crafted from the rock and stone of the hills by laborers and mages with the appropriate set of spells. Even now, three weeks later, black smoke still billowed from those awful chimneys as the thousands of bodies of the slain demons were burned en masse.
They couldn¡¯t be buried, Aila had explained to her. The flesh and bones could still be used by other demons, especially bone thieves since they could always be dug up. Even worse, the decaying bodies were vectors for all kinds of foul diseases, even worse than normal corpses normally were. Burning them all was the only viable solution to the risk so many demon carcasses presented.
The same fate had also been dealt to the bodies of the more than two thousand soldiers and mercenaries that had died during the attacks on the border forts and the battle outside the city walls. Not in the same ovens as the demons, of course. Those brave soldiers had been given ceremonial cremations by the temple, their ashes stored in urns to be sent back to their next of kin along with their possessions and final wages. Since demons could possess the corpses of loved ones, cremation was the most common way of handling the dearly departed, though some did bury their dead in mausoleums according to Eir. That was the privilege of the stupidly rich, Kerr had pointed out, which had naturally sparked a debate between her and Eir on what counted as stupidly rich, but that was nothing Jadis was in a position to weigh in on.
Seeing a group of men tossing the badly decayed bodies of the few remaining demon corpses into the fiery mouth of one of the giant kilns made Jadis think about the final member of their little group.
Jadis¡¯ bodies weren¡¯t carrying any packs on their backs for this short trip out into the Broken Hills, but Aila was wearing hers. Nestled on the side of that pack was a stiff leather and steel canteen with an extra-wide mouth. Inside that container lay Jadis¡¯ little demon hatchling.
She still wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to make of the demonling, with its neon-blue eye and oddly obedient behavior. She still hadn¡¯t found anyone who she felt she could talk to about the demon. No authority on demonic psychology and biology made a home in the southernmost colony of Weigrun, unsurprisingly. She still hoped to find someone eventually but had contented herself with her own observations. Mostly those observations involved letting the demon crawl around on the floor while she ordered it to perform simple commands like she would a dog. The hatchling took to those commands shockingly well, though so far it hadn¡¯t been able to comprehend anything more complicated than fetch.
Eir¡¯s reaction to watching a demon wriggling across the floor while dragging a little wooden ball behind it had been priceless.
Jadis didn¡¯t need to bring the demon with her anymore, she supposed. She had her own established home in the city now. She could leave the tiny demon locked up in their room. But something about the idea of just locking the hatchling away in a vault for days on end felt wrong to Jadis. If the demon was as intelligent as a dog, which Jadis was certain of that much at least by then, then confining it to a tiny prison all alone for days on end made her feel like a bad pet owner. She acknowledged that was a stupid and ridiculous thought since the demon was a demon and not a pet, but still. Keeping the demonling with the group eased her conscience.
¡°How far are we going?¡± Kerr asked, stretching out her arms as she surveyed the hills.
A cold wind off the sea was blowing the smoke inland, but the day was otherwise cloudless and fair. The last remnants of the battle were busily being wiped away by hard-working men and women and the way ahead was clear.
¡°Let¡¯s head northwest,¡± Jay pointed in the direction, her helmet making her voice echo. ¡°That¡¯s where one of the tunnel entrances is. We might have a better chance there of running into some demons.¡±
¡°And if that area is clear,¡± Dys continued, ¡°we can sprint up to the border and look for enemies along the way.¡±
¡°The border?¡± Sabina chirped in puzzlement. ¡°You mean the border of the Great Southern Forest? But the border is at least six hours away and its maybe an hour before noon now and if we¡¯re out that long then it¡¯ll be way past dark and the gates will be closed when we get back to the city and I¡¯m not prepared to sleep outside the city walls after dark because I didn¡¯t bring my toothbrush and I thought you said this would be a short outing just to check out your new armor and¡ª¡±
¡°Listen up quick tongue,¡± Kerr said while putting a firm hand on Sabina¡¯s shoulder. ¡°First thing you¡¯ve got to learn is to expect the unexpected when you¡¯re going on any kind of outing with us.¡±
¡°Okay?¡± Sabina nodded, her confusion only growing more pronounced.
¡°The second thing is, since you aren¡¯t wearing a helmet, keep your mouth shut while we¡¯re riding otherwise you will swallow a fucking bug.¡±
¡°Riding? But we don¡¯t have any horses¡ª¡±
¡°All aboard!¡± Kerr shouted, then leapt into Syd¡¯s arms. ¡°I call ¡®princess carry¡¯ this time!¡±
Chapter 156: Back to the Border
Ever since Jadis had used Eldritch Overlay to replace her Agility attribute with her Eldritch, she¡¯d been running at what she could only describe as superhuman speeds. Her three bodies sprinted across open ground like horses, her heavy footfalls pounding the ground like hooves. The feeling was amazing, to move at a speed Jadis knew no human had any right to. With her agility only going up with time, her sprint was only growing faster, though Jadis had become accustomed to the speeds enough that she felt she had become mostly used to the sensation.
Sprinting in heavy armor changed the equation by a large margin.
Rather than a trio of horses, Jadis felt more like a train running with plate armor on. Her three giant bodies jogging in single file through the valleys between hills carried an unfamiliar momentum. The earth underfoot was torn up by her boots, the ground seeming to shake with every heavy step. Running wasn¡¯t even the right word for how she moved anymore. She didn¡¯t run. She fucking thundered.
Sabina¡¯s reaction to being carried on Dys¡¯ back had, fortunately, been one of exuberant delight. Maybe even a little too much exuberance.
¡°Woo!¡± the half-elf smith shouted with one fist held high overhead. ¡°Yes! Yes! Run faster! Charge! Woo!¡±
Her innocent excitement at thundering over hills and through valleys was, while loud, also contagious. Jadis couldn¡¯t help but let out a few shouts of her own as she ran.
It wasn¡¯t all fun and games though. Jadis had suggested the trip out into the hills not just for the excitement, but also as a serious evaluation of her new armor and how it meshed with her capabilities. From what she had experienced so far, she had to admit that the weight of the plate mail was affecting her.
Her top speed was reduced. Not by a lot, but enough to notice. Further, she couldn¡¯t change direction quite so easily. She had a lot more momentum with so much steel on her back, and even with supernatural strength she couldn¡¯t completely ignore the laws of physics. Her stamina was draining faster, too. That aspect troubled her the most. It wouldn¡¯t do her any good to get to battle real quick and then have no energy left to do the fighting.
Depending on how things worked out, Jadis might have to reconsider which passive skill she replicated from Thea. The former soldier¡¯s The Long March skill was specifically designed to counter the effects of stamina drain caused by weapons and armor. Then again, she might end up getting her own skill offered to her that would help in future levels. She¡¯d have to see how future levels worked out.
It didn¡¯t take long at the speeds Jadis kept up before she and her companions had reached one of the demon tunnel entrances that had been staked out by the military. The cave entrance was perfectly round, like a titan had taken a whale-sized cookie cutter to the side of the hill. Inside were walls lined with smooth white webbing, the whole thing sloping downwards at a fairly steep angle.
A hastily constructed wood and rock fortification had been set up surrounding the tunnel entrance, not with the intent of closing the tunnel off, but with controlling any outbreak of demons that might come from below. The network of tunnels below was vast, as Jadis well knew from having been lost in them for days, and they were still in the process of being mapped out. Probably would be for months, if not years. But they needed to be explored so they could be cleared of their demonic infestation, otherwise the Spawn of Samleos would continue to pour their armies past all other defenses and right into the lap of Far Felsen.
Jadis slowed briefly as she passed the tunnel entrance, seeing what looked like a good two dozen mercenaries lined up outside the fortification gates. They weren¡¯t the stationed guards on duty but were instead likely another exploratory expedition preparing to delve into the cave system. She didn¡¯t envy them. The dark and cramped tunnels below had not been Jadis¡¯ favorite environment to visit.
There was little to no chance of running into any demons at this entrance, so Jadis picked her pace back up and moved on. Breakouts weren¡¯t common now that the Empire was actively hunting out demons in the depths, but they still happened. However, a company of mercenaries on top of the regular soldiers meant she¡¯d have to seek her quarry elsewhere.
¡°Are your uncles back at the border fort?¡± Jay asked Aila.
¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± her girlfriend responded, shifting how she sat in Jay¡¯s arms. ¡°Gerwas said they would be on patrol last time I spoke to them. Out on the roads.¡±
¡°Well, maybe we¡¯ll run into some others in Bernd¡¯s Blades.¡±
Aila¡¯s mercenary uncles had turned up hale and hearty some days after the demon¡¯s surprise attack on the city. Bernd¡¯s Blades, the mercenary company the two belonged to, had not been at the battle all, but instead had most of their forces fighting a smaller horde of demons that had besieged the three forts along the forest border that their company oversaw. Thanks to some quick thinking and conservative actions, their company had been one of the few that had survived the assault mostly intact, forts included. That meant, however, that they were now stretched thin as their manpower was diverted to cover not only the losses of the other mercenary companies, but also the needs of the new demonic threat.
Jadis hoped she¡¯d get the chance to see Aila¡¯s uncles again soon. She liked the constantly bickering Gerwas and Ludwas. She¡¯d barely gotten the chance to speak to them, much less any of the other mercenaries she¡¯d met when she¡¯d first discovered civilization, and she at least wanted to thank the ones who had taken the time to verify the veracity of her claim of killing a Bone Thief Matriarch in the mountainside village.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
With that motivation as good as any, Jadis turned towards where she knew one of the Bernd¡¯s Blades controlled forts was located.
A couple of hours of travel later found the Fortune¡¯s Favored approaching the damaged but still occupied fort. It looked much the same as the first time Jadis had seen the structure; a large ring of tall trees surrounding a watchtower in the middle. The fortification was situated on the top of a craggy overlook just on the edge of the forest, giving it a commanding view of the surrounding area. The only difference on the outside that Jadis could see was a twenty-foot section on the western side of the wall that had been broken down, though it was clearly in the midst of being rebuilt.
¡°D¡ªdo you see that?¡± Thea pointed to the east. The timid woman was forced to shout to be heard over the clank of Syd¡¯s armor. ¡°W¡ªwhere are they g¡ªgoing?¡±
A dozen soldiers armed with spears and shields were marching at a fast clip away from the fort. They didn¡¯t seem like they were just one of the regular patrols that swept the area since instead of following the border roads or heading into the hills, they were marching into the forest. They were going off-road too from what Jadis could see.
¡°Probably a hunting team,¡± Aila advised. ¡°If the scouts reported back a sighting of a large grouping of demons, whoever is in charge here probably ordered their extermination. Standard operating procedure for Bernd¡¯s Blades.¡±
Having been a member for some six months, Jadis was sure Aila was well familiar with how the much larger mercenary company acted.
¡°Let¡¯s follow them,¡± Jay announced, already changing course. ¡°If they¡¯re about to get into some action, then I want in.¡±
Catching up to the soldiers was easy enough, especially once they took note of Jadis¡¯ approach. She wasn¡¯t exactly subtle, being three giant women decked out in black plate armor and also carrying five more women with her.
¡°Hail!¡± a man in the lead called out as they drew up close. ¡°What¡¯s your business here, Nephilim?¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t surprised the man knew what she was. Any soldier stationed in Far Felsen had to have at least heard of her by that point, if not seen her during the battle or around the city after. While his question was blunt, his tone was friendly enough that Jadis assumed he wasn¡¯t protesting her presence, just the interruption she presented.
¡°Hail!¡± Jay called back, taking a stab at the local vernacular. ¡°We saw what looked like soldiers on the warpath and thought we¡¯d offer our assistance! Need a hand slaying any demons?¡±
¡°Ha! You would offer that, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± a familiar voice shouted back from the crowd of faceless, helmeted men.
It took Jadis a moment to place a name to the voice, but when she did, she lifted her visor and gave the blonde man a smile and a wave.
¡°Hey there Volker, find a tall woman who¡¯ll fuck you yet?¡±
The question prompted a chorus of laughter and jeers from the group of men as well as a proud response from the merc who had once hit on both Jadis and Aila for fetishistic reasons.
¡°I¡¯ll have you know I have!¡± He stamped the butt of his spear against the ground. ¡°And she¡¯s a far sight classier than a barbaric giant like yourself, whichever one you are!¡±
Jadis took the good-natured jibe with a grin and a wink.
¡°Well, introduce us sometime! Unless you¡¯re scared we¡¯ll charm her away from you.¡±
¡°Not a chance!¡± he waved dismissively. ¡°She¡¯s my sweet girl, through and through!¡±
¡°Shut up about your girl,¡± the first man commanded, ending the back-and-forth banter. ¡°We¡¯re on duty. As to your offer,¡± he turned his attention back to Jay. ¡°I won¡¯t deny backup would be welcome, but we¡¯re not looking to share the profits on this venture.¡±
Jadis could understand that. Mercenaries were paid by the city for proof of every demon they slew. A hunt split twelve ways was already a lot. Adding her eight people on top of that would be a big negative in the eyes of mercs trying to make a profit.
¡°The bounty is all yours,¡± Jay nodded her head towards the man in charge. ¡°We¡¯re just here for some practice, not silver.¡±
¡°Practice, huh¡¡± the man muttered, barely loud enough for Jadis to hear. A second later, he shook his head but waved her group forward. ¡°Fine then! We accept! Follow us, we¡¯ve got a heading.¡±
Setting her companions down, Jadis¡¯ group fell in line behind the Bernd¡¯s Blades mercs, moving at their much slower pace compared to what she was capable of. Jadis guessed that the dozen men all had a combined level rating in their thirties or forties. A higher level than most non-combatants, but also nothing special for soldiers during the active years of the demonic cycle. Compared to any one of her group, Jadis was sure the mercs were weaker overall since their classes were likely far more common and thus carried less benefits.
Volker fell to the back of his group as they marched onward, along with another man that Jadis quickly recognized as Specht, a taciturn merc that she had met previously as well. The two men, along with Gerwas and Ludwas, had helped her stave off a demonic ambush and slay the first grundwyrm she had ever seen.
¡°What¡¯s the mission?¡± Aila asked after they had exchanged greetings. ¡°What did the scouts spot?¡±
¡°Manticore,¡± Specht succinctly explained. ¡°Big one.¡±
¡°Has to be possessed,¡± Volker elaborated. ¡°Scouts reported between thirty and forty bramble fiends either riding on or crawling near the beast.¡±
¡°Where was it headed?¡± Kerr questioned the two soldiers. ¡°Where and when was the last sighting?¡±
Volker shrugged his shoulders, his movements exaggerated as he replied.
¡°That¡¯s the odd thing about it! It wasn¡¯t headed towards the hills or the forts. It was headed back north for some reason. Last sighting had it heading northeast from the creek that¡¯s about a mile from here.¡±
Jadis was no expert on demon behavior, but even she knew that sounded odd.
¡°If it¡¯s that close it should be charging right at the fort or at least trying to find a way to sneak in or maybe stalk the woods around the fort looking for easy pickings but to be heading away is so weird unless there¡¯s some other factor we don¡¯t know about so it¡¯s probably a good thing that we¡¯re hunting it down now but that¡¯s just my opinion and I know I don¡¯t know much about these sorts of things but maybe I¡¯m right since it¡¯s what you¡¯re all doing anyway.¡±
¡°Yes, thank you, Sabina. Good analysis,¡± Aila said dryly.
A manticore. Jadis mulled the information over as they all continued their march further into the Great Southern Forest. She knew what that creature was from Earth mythology but was surprised to find that it was apparently a real creature on Oros. Or maybe not all that surprised, considering there were plenty of other fantastical creatures and beings on Oros that were considered imaginary on her home planet. She did wonder how similar it was to what she pictured based on old Earth legends. Surely it wouldn¡¯t actually have the face of a man, would it?
Chapter 157: Manticore
They had been traveling for less than an hour when they heard the sound.
A man¡¯s voice, deep and throaty, shouted out a wordless bellow. He was so loud and his tone was so base that Jadis could feel the reverberations in her chest. The roar echoed among the massive pine trees, causing all the birds to fly away in a panic. The whole squad of mercenaries froze with the sound, heads on a swivel as they tried to determine where exactly the awful noise had come from.
¡°That way,¡± Kerr pointed with one of her arrows before nocking it to her bow. ¡°Over the hill.¡±
At her word, the men of Bernd¡¯s Blades rushed forward and up the hill, their shields and spears at the ready. Jadis and her companions followed closely behind, though she let the other mercs take the lead since this was their hunt. As soon as she crested the rocky outcropping, Jadis spotted the creature that had to have made the noise.
The beast was big. Not a giant monstrosity like the hydra had been, but its lion-like body was twelve or so feet long, not including its thickly muscled tail that was almost as long as the rest of it. It stood five feet tall at the shoulder and had to weigh a thousand pounds. All that weight was muscle, too, since it was clear to see that the beast had little fat on its body. It had no fur, just pale pink skin that looked far too human. It wasn¡¯t completely bare though, as its back and shoulders were covered in quills like a porcupine, their density decreasing the further down the spine they went. The end of its tail was thick with the quills though, the many sharp protrusions sticking out like a spiked club.
All in all, a bizarre creature but nothing Jadis found too unusual compared to some of the demons she¡¯d fought before. Then the manticore turned to face them and her opinion promptly reversed as her three faces involuntarily curled their lips in disgust.
The manticore¡¯s face was nightmarish. Like some kind of crude mockery of a neanderthal, it had a thick, heavy brow overtop heavy-lidded red eyes. Its broad nose and big thin-lipped mouth were all out of proportion, making the face feel stretched. It was hairless, its bald dome shining with reflected light, yet it had more quills on its boulder of a jaw, giving it a parody of a beard. In the brief moment it stared at them, its mouth opened wide in an inhuman smile to reveal rows and rows of sharp needle-like shark teeth.
¡°Formation A!¡± the captain of the squad commanded as the manticore let out another wordless bellow.
The dozen mercenaries of Bernd¡¯s Blades quickly moved into a ¡°V¡± shaped formation with a man Jadis didn¡¯t know in the lead. The tip of the V pointed towards the manticore with the wings fanning out behind the lead. At the same time, the beast charged forward, covering hundreds of feet in seconds as it sprinted with all the speed of a tiger chasing down its prey. Just like a great cat would, the beast leapt through the air at the last moment, pouncing upon the lead man of the group.
Rather than succumbing to the power and weight of the beast as Jadis would have predicted, the lead merc raised his shield and shouted a word. From his shield swirled a hazy aura of dark mist, like a storm cloud had focused all of its presence directly on the man¡¯s arm. As the manticore¡¯s clawed paws struck, the man¡¯s storm shield exploded outwards in a thunderclap of percussive energy, briefly engulfing the beast in fog.
The rest of the mercenaries reacted immediately. The wings collapsed in on the manticore, surrounding it on both sides like the jaws of a bear trap. The stunned monster was pierced by a dozen spears as the men attacked. In the same instant, the soldiers pushed their shields against the beast, holding it down in place as they continued to skewer its twisting, struggling body.
Jadis was impressed. These mercenaries had come prepared for a foe they knew how to handle and their tactics were working perfectly against it. Considering most fighters had far less physical strength than her, Jadis had wondered how small groups could handle larger, stronger enemies. But seeing these trained men work together with efficient tactics and coordination answered that question.
As Bernd¡¯s Blades stabbed at the struggling beast, a question did enter Jadis¡¯ mind, a question that was voiced by Aila who must have had the same thought.
¡°Where are the bramble fiends the scouts mentioned?¡±
A movement in the shadowy underbrush to Jadis¡¯ left caught her attention a moment too late as a second manticore leapt out, its huge naked body pouncing towards where Eir and Sabina stood.
Jadis reacted fast, her bodies flying into motion as they rushed to defend her elven lover and half-elf friend. She wasn¡¯t close enough to interpose her bodies between the beast and her vulnerable backline, but someone else was.
Thea¡¯s shield blocked the monster¡¯s pounce, taking the brunt of the attack. She didn¡¯t have the thunder shield or whatever it was called the other mercenary had, though, so while her action saved Eir and Sabina from being pounced on, she herself was knocked to the ground under the full weight of the manticore. There wasn¡¯t just this second manticore to worry about, either. This one had brought friends.
Dozens of beachball-sized tangles of briar vines launched themselves off of the raging monstrosity, with more coming from the bushes further down the hill. The demonically infested plant creatures hurtled themselves wildly at anyone that was near, their long vine-tendrils seeking to wrap around and strangle the life from their targets like living barbed wire.
A lot of things happened at once then. If Jadis didn¡¯t have three sets of eyes and a partitioned mind, she probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep track of everything.
Kerr loosed an arrow from her giant longbow, the projectile slicing through the air with an audible whistle before skewering a bramble fiend midair. The arrow carried the unfortunate demon back and into the shoulder of the second manticore, burying itself so deep into the monster¡¯s flesh that the pierced fiend fell off the end like limp pasta.
Aila¡¯s hand shot up and a spray of ghostly force bolts shot out in a cone. The powerful magic caught multiple bramble fiends in its deadly area of effect, shredding them to pieces along with all the underbrush that was in the way.
More fiends that weren¡¯t caught by Aila¡¯s magic threw themselves at the occupied mercenaries. Their thorny vines wrapped around their arms, legs, and torsos, interfering with their suppression of the still thrashing first manticore.
Sabina, in a surprising move, grabbed hold of Eir and leapt backwards, putting herself between the enemies and the priestess. It was a valiant action to take for the non-combatant, one that Jadis especially appreciated since it meant she could have all three of her bodies focus on the attack.
Syd¡¯s lance caught the manticore in its other shoulder, stabbing deep into the pink flesh. The beast howled in a surprisingly high-pitched screech as it was pierced by both arrow and lance. However, its massive paws and disturbing head remained focused down on Thea as it tried to tear her limb from limb. Thea wasn¡¯t passively letting the possessed monster try to eat her, though. Utilizing one of her skills, the shieldsworn suddenly bashed her shield upwards, knocking the monster¡¯s head upward. It was the perfect timing, too.
Less than a second later Jay¡¯s iron-banded club smashed into the manticore¡¯s face with all the power of a sledgehammer hitting a melon. Jay had swung her weapon like a golf club and the impact sent the monster spinning off of Thea head over heels. Its limp body tumbled several yards down the side of the hill, crushing several bramble fiends as it went.
Dys did not engage the second manticore and instead charged the first. While the mercenaries were still managing to keep the wounded beast skewered, in the few seconds since the fiends had latched onto them they were already starting to lose their control. Two manticores were more than the mercs had bargained for and Jadis meant to put the balance of power back into their favor. Shoving the lead man out of the way, Dys¡¯ eyes met the mad red eyes of the terrible beast that was already managing to shake the soldiers off despite its many wounds. It howled at her, a garbled mess of almost words that chilled her spine.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
A giant-sized iron axe head slammed down into the skull of the struggling manticore, splitting it open in a gory mess of blood and brains. Instantly the sound was silenced and the monster went limp. What didn¡¯t happen, however, was any kind of notification.
Jadis paused, confused. Demons always prompted mental notifications from the divinely created system that allowed for levels and experience points. She generally ignored them while in the midst of combat, but she still knew when they appeared, like a tickle in her brain that wasn¡¯t quite bad enough to distract her focus but still noticeable.
With this manticore, however, there was no notification. It was definitely dead, though. She was damn well certain of it with how all life went out of it. If it was dead and hadn¡¯t prompted a notification, then that meant¡ª
A shout from Kerr distracted Jadis from her thoughts, bringing her attention back to the reality of the still active combat situation.
¡°Hey, big stuff! It¡¯s not fucking dead!¡±
Dys looked down at the motionless manticore in confusion before Jadis realized that wasn¡¯t the one Kerr had meant. Jay and Syd watched in fascinated horror as the second manticore she had sent rolling down the hill rose to its paws, its loose and floppy neck snapping back into place with an audible crunch.
In seconds its smashed face reformed from the pulp it had become back into a horribly distorted approximation of a woman¡¯s face. It resembled the first manticore, but lacked a quill beard and had what Jadis could only describe as distressingly plump, feminine lips on its hideous face.
That awful face looked up the hill at where they stood and met their eyes. Its head tilted to the right, its expression almost inquisitive before its mouth split open into a too-wide shark grin.
¡°Oh, fuck that!¡± Kerr cursed before shooting another arrow down at the demonically possessed manticore.
The beast darted to the side, the arrow catching it in the torso instead of the head. It quickly disappeared into the shadowed underbrush, shocking Jadis with how easily such a large monster was able to hide itself from her sight.
¡°The demon inside is healing it!¡± Eir called out, her hands raised high as a warm light shone from her palms.
¡°Destroy its core or exhaust its magic supply!¡± Aila added while blocking a leaping bramble fiend with her force shield spell.
Jadis began to chase after the fleeing demon, but hesitated. There were still dozens of bramble fiends around them. The Bernd¡¯s Blades mercenaries were handling the ones that had latched onto them well enough now that they didn¡¯t have the first manticore to contend with, but Jadis was loath to leave so many demons still leaping around unchecked. Fortunately, she had a new spell that could help deal with the fiends while also possibly pulling the possessed manticore back towards her.
Mirror Shine was the only active spell Jadis possessed, but it was perfect for a heavy-duty tank like her. With a mental command, she expended the magic energy she needed to activate the spell.
All three of Jadis¡¯ bodies began to shine like their armor was reflecting the sun¡¯s light, even while standing in the shade of the trees. The light wasn¡¯t blinding, nor did it illuminate the area around their bodies, but all the same they became brighter and far more noticeable. At the same time, every one of Jadis¡¯ allies within thirty feet of one of her bodies seemed to dim. They didn¡¯t go invisible, exactly; it was more like they were standing in shadows than anything else. Jadis could still easily see them, they just looked grayer and almost bland.
The effect on the bramble fiends was dramatic. Every fiend that wasn¡¯t already latched onto a person turned on Jadis¡¯ bodies and launched themselves at her. Suddenly, there were dozens of the balls of sharp spikes covering all three of her selves. Their vines wrapped around every available surface and squeezed with all their might, driving their thorns as hard into Jadis as they could while also trying to tangle and restrict her arms and legs.
Jadis almost laughed at how ineffectual the fiends¡¯ attacks were against her. Their wooden spikes couldn¡¯t puncture the thick steel of her armor at all, nor could their vines restrict her movements when matched against her overwhelming strength. With the thorny fiends stuck to her sides, Jadis began slapping her open palms against the demons latched onto her, swatting them like oversized bugs. With Thea and Kerr¡¯s help, they were able to dispatch the majority in many times the speed it would have taken if the demons had been spread out and hurtling themselves at anyone and everyone.
¡°There!¡± Aila shouted, catching Jadis¡¯ attention.
She turned just in time to see the definitely possessed manticore streak through a gap between trees and swipe at one of the mercenaries who was still pulling a bramble fiend off of his back.
The man cried out in pain as sharp claws shredded his scale mail and blood poured from the back of his thigh. The manticore didn¡¯t follow up the attack though, instead slipping away into the brush again. It didn¡¯t escape unharmed, though, as another of Kerr¡¯s arrows struck it in the back.
¡°Why isn¡¯t it attacking me?¡± Jay demanded of no one in particular.
¡°It probably has a higher resilience than the bramble fiends!¡± Aila replied as she began throwing down rune circles around their group.
That made some sense. Bramble fiends were weak and likely had little to no resistance to the power of her eldritch magic. But every possessed magic beast Jadis had fought in the past had been incredibly powerful. It did seem more likely that such a creature would have at least some resistance to her spell¡¯s effects.
¡°Fucking great!¡± Syd shouted. Sure, she understood the logic, but that didn¡¯t mean she had to be happy about it. ¡°Then we turtle up! Bring it in!¡±
In a few moments, Jadis¡¯ companions and the mercenaries gathered in a circle. Aila, Eir, and Sabina stood in the middle while everyone else made a wall around them with their shields and weapons facing out. With no more bramble fiends to get in the way, they all focused on bringing down the final enemy. Jadis¡¯ three selves each stood facing a different direction, her several sets of eyes on a constant watch for the elusive manticore.
Kerr¡¯s bow twanged as she let loose another arrow into a patch of shrubs. Half a second later Jadis heard the thump of the broad head arrow hitting flesh, followed by rustling leaves.
¡°Didn¡¯t even see it that time,¡± Dys growled out next to the archer.
¡°It¡¯s some kind of stealth skill,¡± Kerr growled right back. ¡°Manticores don¡¯t have them, at least not this fucking powerful. Has to be coming from the shitstain demon.¡±
A shout from the other side of the circle prompted a flurry of activity as the soldiers struck back at the manticore as it sprinted by, its claws scraping against shields before disappearing again.
¡°Fuck this shit,¡± Syd grumbled, lowering her lance and getting into a sprinter¡¯s stance.
The manticore passed by a few more times, garnering a few more attacks and slashing at more of their group, but never committing to a full-on attack. Eventually, though, it made a mistake.
One big paw stepped inside a wide rune circle Aila had placed, triggering the snare trap. Translucent chains whipped up out of the ground and latched onto the manticore¡¯s front leg. The power of this beast was such that in a second, it had shattered the chains and pulled itself free from the trap. But not without a small delay.
Activating Knight¡¯s Daring Charge, Syd sprinted towards the monster at a speed half-again faster than her normal top speed.
Like a runaway train Syd slammed into the manticore¡¯s left side. Her lance went through and through, lifting the beast up and carrying it down the hill as her charge continued forward several more yards. The beast twisted as it struggled to free itself from Syd¡¯s skewering charge, its meaty tail thwacking her arms and sides in a futile effort. Syd¡¯s armor was as good as a tank¡¯s against the manticore¡¯s attacks.
The ride was brought to an abrupt halt a few seconds later as Syd¡¯s charge met with the broad side of a pine tree. Like many of the trees in the Great Southern Forest, this tree was one of the giant varieties, towering a few hundred feet in the air and with a trunk wide enough around ten men couldn¡¯t encircle it. Jadis¡¯ unstoppable force met the unmovable object, and the possessed manticore was unfortunate enough to be caught in the middle.
Syd¡¯s shoulder and body smashed against the tree like a hammer against an anvil. It was enough force to send her rebounding backwards, while also enough to shake the whole giant pine and bring down branches the size of smaller trees. Syd¡¯s brain was rattled inside her skull from the impact, but it was a far less gruesome fate than that of the manticore.
The beast¡¯s body was literally split in two by the force of the collision. Its upper and lower halves were sent flying in opposite directions as a mess of blood, intestines, and black tentacles were splattered all over the tree trunk, the ground, and on Syd.
Jay and Dys were already halfway down the hill following after, so they saw right away that despite the utterly devastating blow, the damned demon was still alive.
The front half of the manticore was crawling forward, its hideous, oversized head twisting and turning as its mouth opened wide and let out horrific gasping and screeching noises. The gaping open wound that was left where its lower body had once been was trailing both guts and squirming black tentacles.
To Jadis¡¯ disgust, the tentacles were actually pulling the organs back into what remained of the manticore¡¯s torso. Further, she could see the flesh twisting and knitting itself back together. The demon was still pumping magic-fueled life into the corpse of the manticore, keeping it going beyond all that was reasonably possible.
Jay¡¯s boot came down on the back of the possessed beast¡¯s neck, halting it in its tracks through her crushing weight. Dys¡¯ axe came down on the squirming mess a moment later, putting an end to the manticore¡¯s corruption and the demon¡¯s foul magic.
|
Congratulations!
Divine Corruptor of Flesh Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
|
Chapter 158: Uninvited
¡°I didn¡¯t think demons could be ¡®Divine¡¯ or anything like that. Feels kind of like an oxymoron.¡±
¡°An oxy-what?¡± Kerr asked from where she was cleaning the blood off of her arrows.
¡°Nephilim word,¡± Syd waved the question off. Of course, Kerr knew the truth that it wasn¡¯t Nephilim so much as it was reincarnation, but where outsiders could overhear that was an easier explanation.
¡°It is a reference to the attribute, nothing more,¡± Eir explained. ¡°Though Samleos is a god, after all. Not all that are divinely inspired are touched by one of The Nine.¡±
One of The Nine. Eir¡¯s words reminded Jadis that she still had a lot to learn about religion on Oros. Back on Earth, Sunday school had never been a priority for her, but now that she knew from firsthand experience that gods were very, very real, she wanted to get some education on the topic. Especially since Jadis now knew that gods other than D knew about her and cared enough about what D had done by reincarnating her onto Oros that they had changed their ¡°Covenant¡±, whatever that was supposed to be.
It was simple enough to figure by context that The Nine was a reference to the pantheon of gods that were worshiped on Oros. D and Lyssandria were presumably a part of that pantheon, as would be Valtar, D¡¯s stepfather and the god most worshiped by the people of the Empire. There were other names Jadis had heard referenced, like Charos and Ulya, but Jadis didn¡¯t know anything about those gods or even the names of the others. There was also the question of if The Nine that were worshiped in the Empire were the whole sum of all deities on Oros, or if there were others that weren¡¯t worshipped locally for some reason and were instead worshipped in other parts of the world. Additionally, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if Samleos was the only ¡°Evil¡± god around. Certainly he was the main villain of the world¡¯s history, but that didn¡¯t mean he was the only one. If there were other hostile deities out there, Jadis wanted to know about them.
So many questions had built up that Jadis felt fairly embarrassed that she hadn¡¯t sought out any answers yet. But to be fair, she and everyone she knew who she would trust to honestly answer her questions had been busy dealing with the aftermath of the battle outside Far Felsen. Though there was one source she had thought to try during quiet times when she was alone that hadn¡¯t worked out as of yet.
Lyssandria had told her that all she had to do was ask and she¡¯d offer Jadis her guidance. Jadis had tried asking, but no response had come. To be fair to the goddess, Jadis wasn¡¯t exactly certain of how she was supposed to do the asking. She¡¯d tried talking aloud, praying, thinking really hard, and just clearing her mind in a meditative way. If Lyssandria had answered her, Jadis hadn¡¯t picked up on the message.
Yes, she definitely needed to sit down with Eir and have a long discussion about religion. However, having that discussion while they were cleaning up the mess left by slaying a bunch of demons didn¡¯t seem like the right time. Even less so since the hour was growing late and they needed to get back on the road if they wanted to return to the city before nightfall.
¡°I don¡¯t think this manticore was possessed at all,¡± Volker was saying to Aila and Jay as the three stood over the creature¡¯s corpse. ¡°No sign of corruption, no notification upon death. Seems like it was clean.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a male,¡± Aila motioned towards the dead beast¡¯s hindquarters. ¡°And that definitely possessed one back there was a female. They might have been a mated pair before the demons got to the female. He could have been following after her despite the possession.¡±
¡°Or the demon was trying to lure the male so he could be possessed too,¡± Volker mused, rubbing the blond stubble on his chin.
¡°Are manticores common around here?¡± Jay asked, poking at one of the monster¡¯s quills.
¡°No, fairly rare,¡± Aila shook her head. ¡°They don¡¯t do well in the cold and Weigrun is too far south for the long summers and warm weather they prefer. But you still see them in the forests down here sometimes.¡±
¡°Some think Dryads breed them in these forests,¡± Volker whispered in a conspiratorial tone. ¡°Though good luck getting one of their kind to admit it.¡±
That little comment just prompted even more questions. Dryads were a real thing on Oros? And they bred manticores? Was that specific or did they breed magic beasts in general? Jadis really wanted to know more about Dryads, though she was reluctant to reveal her ignorance in front of Volker or anyone else not of her company who could be listening. Instead she focused on the immediate.
The squad of Bernd¡¯s Blades mercenaries was finishing up the grisly task of cutting the cyclopean eyes from the demon corpses so that they could be turned in for bounties. The captain or sergeant whatever his rank was of the men was talking with a couple of the other mercs, including Specht as well as the big man who had used the thunder shield technique. Jadis couldn¡¯t quite hear what they were discussing, but it was clearly an argument.
Abruptly, the captain threw his hands up in a gesture of frustration and stormed over to where Jay stood with Aila and Volker.
¡°As you promised before joining us,¡± the man addressed Jay without preamble. ¡°We keep the coin for the bounty on the demons from this hunt.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Jay shrugged.
¡°Messer, we would have been in real trouble if they hadn¡¯t¡ª¡±
¡°Shut it, Heiner!¡± The captain cut the big man off. ¡°A deal¡¯s a deal! We¡¯re not going to renegotiate now just because you have weak knees!¡±
Ah, that made sense. Messer didn¡¯t want to share any of the profits, but Specht and others felt Jadis and her crew were entitled to a cut thanks to their contributions. She had told them that her company wasn¡¯t interested in the bounties, and she had meant it. Now that they were bringing it up, though, Jadis realized she really wouldn¡¯t mind some kind of monetary reward for her time and effort. She was running a business now. A business that had a lot of expenses, never mind the fact that her partners needed to get paid as well.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
¡°Well, I said I didn¡¯t need a part of the bounties,¡± Jay motioned with one hand towards the dead manticore. ¡°But what about some of this thing? It wasn¡¯t even a demon.¡±
¡°We didn¡¯t agree to share a damned thing with your company,¡± the squad leader groused with his brows lowered. It looked like he was doing his very best to come across as intimidating, which just made Jadis mildly amused considering the man¡¯s head barely reached her waist. ¡°This is all our profit.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t get any profit at all if you¡¯re dead,¡± Jay replied flatly. After a moment, she amended her statement. ¡°Dead from a combo of demons and an unexpected manticore, of course.¡±
Messer did not look particularly reassured by Jay¡¯s clarification. She really hadn¡¯t meant it as a threat, but by the way the man¡¯s back had straightened, she could see that he¡¯d taken it that way. Jadis felt like she owed a lot to Bernd¡¯s Blades and she wasn¡¯t about to let her relationship with the mercenary company sour just because this one man didn¡¯t want to give her a cut for the work she and her company had done, yet she didn¡¯t feel like she should just let the matter drop so easily either.
Folding her arms, Jay looked down at the stubborn man and raised one eyebrow.
¡°Am I really being unfair here? Or do you think that fight would have gone just the same for you and your men without me and my girls here?¡±
¡°Hmph,¡± Messer grunted, his expression still glowering. ¡°Fine. You can have the tail on that one,¡± he pointed at the dead manticore at their feet, ¡°but that¡¯s all you get. Next time you want to muscle in on another company¡¯s hunt, you talk to one of the captains.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Jay nodded at the man¡¯s concession.
With that dispute resolved, both Fortune¡¯s Favored and Bernd¡¯s Blades finished up their tasks and got ready to set out. For their cut of the bounty, Dys used her axe to chop off the meaty tail of the male manticore corpse. She hefted the heavy slab over one shoulder with ease, secretly pleased that she didn¡¯t have to deal with trying to carry the large beast¡¯s body back to the city. Bernd¡¯s Blades had to carry that particular weight themselves, along with the possessed manticore¡¯s bisected body as well.
Before they left, they set fire to the pile of bramble fiends they had gathered, leaving the demons to burn in a shallow pit they had hastily dug. Jadis set that practice aside in her head as something she needed to remember to do in her future forays into the forest. Leaving behind corpses for more demons to exploit was a bad practice.
Jadis and her companions followed the squad out of the forest and as far as the gates of the border fort, where they briefly met with Captain Renz, the fort¡¯s commander, as well as a few other mercenaries that Aila knew from her time with the company. Renz, pleased to see the trio of Nephilim once more, seemed far less bothered by Jadis¡¯ claim on the Manticore¡¯s tail compared to Messer, but he did reinforce the point that now that Jadis was in a proper mercenary company, she needed to discuss joint ventures with leadership in the future.
If there was one parallel Jadis could easily make between the people of Earth and the people of Oros, it would be a reliance on bureaucracy.
As much as Jadis wanted to spend some time catching up with Captain Renz as well as Specht and Volker, the sun was already dipping low in the sky. The days had definitely grown shorter as of late and she knew they had to get running or they wouldn¡¯t make it back to the city before the gates were closed. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how easy it would be to get let back in once the gates were shut, though she was certain that even if they did close, she could probably just climb over the walls considering how high her vertical leap was. That would probably get her in some kind of legal trouble though, and she didn¡¯t want the city guard on her back about it.
So, with a promise to meet up the next time they were in town in a few days¡¯ time, Jadis and her group bid farewell to the soldiers in the fort and headed for Far Felsen.
¡°So, wasn¡¯t too bad, was it?¡± Jay asked Sabina as they charged through the valleys towards the south. ¡°Other than the surprise attack, I mean.¡±
¡°No!¡± Sabina shook her head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t bad at all actually considering I almost died in a sort of way I mean it wasn¡¯t like I was injured or anything but that possessed manticore was terrifying because I¡¯ve never seen one up close before that wasn¡¯t dead so it¡¯s a lot scarier when its coming right at you but overall I¡¯d say it wasn¡¯t too bad and I don¡¯t mind going on more of these excursions at all but if I do I¡¯m not sure I should bring a hammer as my weapon or at least not my only weapon because I¡¯m not really sure how well I would have done if I¡¯d had to actually fight in all that mess so I might need to bring a crossbow next time so I can do something useful.¡±
¡°A crossbow does sound like a good idea,¡± Jay nodded along to the half-elf¡¯s rambling review of her first experience out in the field. ¡°But don¡¯t feel like you have to do any fighting. I know your talents are in crafting, not combat.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Sabina smiled brightly, then relaxed back into Jay¡¯s arms. Clearly, the smith was enjoying the prized Princess Carry position. ¡°But I want to be helpful! If I¡¯m not doing something with my hands, I feel like I¡¯m being idle and it makes me nervous and twitchy and I¡¯d rather just do something than not even if it¡¯s badly shooting a crossbow.¡±
¡°Then you¡¯re welcome to give it a shot!¡± Jay laughed in acceptance of Sabina¡¯s plan.
Jadis and her companions did manage to make it back to the city before the gates closed at sunset, but only just barely. In fact, they were the last ones through before the guards shut them at their backs. With the chill sea breeze sapping the warmth from their bones now that the sun was down, Jadis quickly led her group back to their guild hall. Sabina opted to join them for the promise of a warm dinner that was no doubt waiting for them with Hans in charge of meals.
That the half-elf had half expected the manticore tail to be their dinner was vaguely disturbing to Jadis. She wasn¡¯t so sure about the idea of eating something with a human face, though Kerr assured her the meat was, in fact, delicious.
They were still discussing the merits of manticore meat when they entered their company hall. It took a moment for her to process what she was seeing, but in a second Jadis had her weapons raised and ready for combat as she caught sight of the monster occupying what was effectively her dining room. With a shout, one of her bodies moved towards the threat while the other two shifted to protect her unsuspecting companions.
¡°You must be the Nephilim,¡± the monster growled out from where it sat at their table.
It was only in that moment that the beast¡ªor was it a man?¡ªspoke that Jadis realized that the creature was literally sitting in a chair and Hans was standing nearby, a plate of hot meat pies held before him. While Jadis watched in frozen confusion, the beast-man casually swiped a pie off the plate and wolfed the whole thing down in one messy bite.
¡°You¡¯re bigger than I expected,¡± he said around his mouthful of meat pie. ¡°Figured it was all an exaggeration. You know how elves and humans can be.¡±
Syd, her most forward body, looked back at her team, gauging their response to the utterly bizarre situation. Each woman had a different level of confusion on their faces, but none seemed at all frightened. By their lack of reaction to the beast-man¡¯s physical appearance, Jadis realized that she was probably overreacting, at least as far as her assumption that the guy was a monster. He had to be some other sentient race that she just hadn¡¯t ever met before. Clearly, introductions were in order.
¡°Yeah, we¡¯re the Nephilim,¡± Syd answered the beast-man as he took a big bite out of another pie. ¡°And who the ever-loving fuck are you and what are you doing in my house?¡±
¡°My name¡¯s Noll,¡± the beast-man snarled while showing off a set of large, sharp, shining white teeth from his wolf-like muzzle. ¡°And watch how you fucking speak to your elders, whelp.¡±
Chapter 159: Wolf in the Hen House
Noll looked like a werewolf and a chimera had hate-fucked a child into existence. He did, at least superficially, have a lot of werewolf-like qualities. His face was wolf-like with a muzzle and snout the same as a dog. He had thick dark fur all over his body with lighter gray and white highlights across his head and arms. His hands were tipped with razor-sharp claws and his legs had that odd double-knee look to them that was normally seen in canines or other similar animals. He also had a shaggy tail that poked out behind him. But those were just his dog qualities. Noll had a lot more variety going on in his composition than Jadis thought was reasonable for a werewolf.
His yellow eyes were vertically slit like a cat¡¯s eyes while his ears stuck out to the sides and looked far more like they belonged on a cow than a wolf. From his forehead sprouted two large dark horns that swept back like an antelope¡¯s. Starting between the horns and leading to his thick neck and large, hunched back was a mane of hair that looked almost like a natural mohawk. Combined with his man-like stature, Noll had a shockingly strange appearance that while alien to Jadis, also looked somehow familiar.
¡°Okay, Noll,¡± Syd replied to the beast-man¡¯s introduction. ¡°I¡¯m Syd. Nice to meet you. Now how about answering what you¡¯re doing in my fucking house?¡±
Noll calmly put the rest of his half-eaten meat pie into his mouth and chomped down on it, sending little crumbles to fall down onto the table. He gave Syd an assessing, sidelong glance before pushing his seat out from the table and getting to his feet. Once standing, Jadis could see that Noll was no small creature. That was obvious even while sitting since he had a powerful physique and shoulders as broad as a barn door. Standing, though, Jadis judged the man to be as tall as Aila, who was an imposing height for a human. Like Kerr with her horns, Noll¡¯s more curved horns still gave him extra height that made him look even bigger. He also stood with a hunch, she noticed. Or maybe that was just how his body worked? His back and shoulders were so big that it looked like he had a large hump, giving off the impression he was hunched forward even when standing straight.
Another aspect Jadis could see more clearly now that he was standing were the beast-man¡¯s clothes. He wore no shirt, his wide furred chest on full display, but he had on a pair of red pants held up by a wide leather belt with a prominent steel buckle. He also wore something that looked like an approximation of sandals, though his dog-like feet made for an unusual configuration.
¡°This isn¡¯t your house,¡± Noll stated, causing Jadis¡¯ eyebrows to shoot up at the audacious claim. ¡°This is the guild hall of the mercenary company Fortune¡¯s Favored. That you live here is secondary.¡±
¡°Yeah, and it¡¯s still mine,¡± Syd took a few steps closer to the wolf-like man. She loomed over him, forcing Noll to tilt his head back to meet her eyes. ¡°So either way you¡¯re taking up space in my dining hall and eating my meat pies without an invitation. Tell me why I shouldn¡¯t chuck you right out the door?¡±
¡°Dys,¡± Kerr whispered, catching Jadis¡¯ attention. ¡°Don¡¯t fucking antagonize him.¡±
¡°Technically he¡¯s not out of bounds,¡± Aila offered up quietly at the same time as Kerr, addressing Jay. ¡°We¡¯re a registered mercenary company. Our hall is open to clients seeking services and recruits looking for work. It¡¯s in our charter.¡±
Jay, Dys, and all of her companions had fully entered the building by then. They were spread out behind Syd, letting her handle the confrontation with Noll on her own. The information that Kerr and Aila were delivering to her threw a wrench into her aggressive clash with the dark-furred man, though. Aila¡¯s point was something Jadis hadn¡¯t thought of, the details of her company¡¯s charter mostly going over her head from all the legalese. If Aila was right, then she was actually being a giant ass to someone who had a legit reason to be in what was ostensibly a place of business.
Kerr¡¯s reaction was far more concerning to Jadis, though.
¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Dys looked at Kerr, leaning closer to the archer. ¡°Do you know him?¡±
¡°I know of him,¡± Kerr replied back, her eyes not leaving the heavily muscled beast-man. ¡°And he¡¯s way, way over our levels.¡±
¡°Listen to the chiot,¡± Noll spoke up, his eyes not leaving Syd¡¯s. ¡°She¡¯s got some sense under her horns.¡±
Syd continued to stare down Noll, not willing to be the first one to back down. But as the moment stretched on, Jadis felt more and more like she was being the unreasonable one. She really had just accosted a man who¡¯d come to visit and done nothing other than sit at a table and eat food that had clearly been offered to him by Hans. And by the way the silent barman-turned-cook was giving Syd the stink eye, Jadis was fairly certain of his opinion of the whole situation.
Fortunately, Jadis had a way to back down without looking like the weak one.
¡°Alright,¡± Jay said loudly while stepping up behind her other self. ¡°Maybe we got off on the wrong foot here. Chill out, Syd.¡±
Putting a hand on Syd¡¯s shoulder, Jay pretended to settle her ¡°sister¡± down, guiding her away from the burly beast-man and releasing some of the tension in the room.
¡°Sorry for being rude,¡± Jay addressed Noll, though maybe not in her most apologetic voice. ¡°We just weren¡¯t expecting¡ you to be here when we got back home. We were just fighting a manticore, too, so we¡¯re still a little on edge I guess.¡±
¡°I can smell that,¡± Noll said, whuffing in a few deep breaths.
¡°Right¡¡± Jay said awkwardly, not sure how to take the were-chimera standing there sniffing the air so loudly. ¡°Anyway, if you¡¯re here for business, we¡¯re not really in the best position to talk about jobs right now¡ª¡±
¡°Fine,¡± Noll interrupted while stepping back and retaking his seat at the table. ¡°I¡¯ll just finish my dinner then.¡±
¡°¡Fine,¡± Jay echoed, tilting her head and gritting her teeth. ¡°We¡¯ll, ah, just wash up then and be right back and join you, okay?¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Noll waved a clawed hand dismissively before snatching up a flagon of ale Hans put on the table before him and taking a long gulp¡ªan impressive feat considering the shape of his face.
¡°Fine,¡± Jay reiterated before turning to walk up the stairs.
The rest of her bodies followed behind along with her companions, including a confused but interested-looking Sabina. They all retreated up the stairs and out of easy earshot of Noll. Once they were all inside the bedroom, Jay removed her helmet and waved it in the general direction of the dining hall below.
¡°What the hell is that all about?¡± she demanded to know, her face a mix of agitation and uncertainty. ¡°And why the fuck are you acting all timid?¡±
The last was directed at Kerr, who had also taken the opportunity to remove her helmet.
¡°I¡¯m not being maldita timid,¡± Kerr shot back, flashing her fangs at Jay. ¡°But if that¡¯s the Noll I think he is, then we don¡¯t want to fucking piss him off! He could tear your oversized head right the fuck off!¡±
¡°Yeah right. You really think we¡¯d go down that easy to one guy?¡± Jay scoffed, but then was taken aback as Aila took a step forward, shaking her head.
¡°Jay, I know you don¡¯t know about this kind of thing because of your background, so this is where you need to listen to us,¡± she said. ¡°Did you see that buckle on his belt? There was a silver medallion on the front of it. That medallion is only given out by the Empire to people who pass CLR one hundred. He¡¯s double your level, at a minimum.¡±
¡°Triple, if I¡¯m right,¡± Kerr added. ¡°Last I heard, Noll the Savage was level one hundred and fifty-six. He¡¯s not some backwater nobody, he¡¯s a fucking monstrously powerful merc!¡±
That was enough to make Jadis pause. Jadis knew that on Oros, a person had to reach a combined level rating of sixty to unlock their third and final class. At that point, they were generally considered to be an elite, the feat of reaching CLR sixty something not many accomplished. Even with how much more experience people got during demonic invasions, it was still a big deal to make it to such a high level. If the beast-man currently stuffing his face with meat pies was had reached a level that was more than double that vaunted number, than maybe he really was a bit outside of her power range.
¡°Okay,¡± Jay sighed, hands flopping to her sides. ¡°He¡¯s a big fucking deal. What are we supposed to do about him, then?¡±
¡°I would suggest we sit down and have dinner,¡± Eir spoke up. The elf gave Jay a reassuring smile. ¡°I think you all might be overacting, just a tad. He¡¯s not been unreasonable, in all honesty. Perhaps if we just share a meal with him and listen to what he has to say, then we¡¯ll all be able to put a better perspective on the situation and move on from there?¡±
Eir¡¯s suggestion was entirely reasonable. Almost embarrassingly so, Jadis realized. Nodding at the priestess, she agreed to the sensible course of action and started to unbuckle her armor. She didn¡¯t see any reason why she should have to sit at the table while wearing a full set of plate.
¡°Where did you hear about this guy anyway?¡± Dys asked Kerr, giving her a questioning glance.
¡°There aren¡¯t that many therions running around the Empire,¡± Kerr responded while unfastening some of the straps on her own leather armor. ¡°I try to keep track of my kinsmen. The high-level ones, anyway. Don¡¯t really give a fuck about the weaklings.¡±
¡°Hold the fuck on,¡± Jadis¡¯ bodies froze, all three of her selves exclaiming at once.
¡°That beast down there is a therion?¡± Jay asked incredulously.
¡°Of course he¡¯s a fucking therion,¡± Kerr gave Jay a look like she was the biggest idiot on the planet. ¡°What in the gods¡¯ names did you think he was?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know, some kind of werewolf¡ªbeast¡ªthing!¡± Jay waved her hands in messy circles. ¡°Something I¡¯ve never seen before! You¡¯re a therion, aren¡¯t you? You don¡¯t have a damn dog face like him!¡±
¡°You¡¯re not, like, mixed with a human or something, are you?¡± Syd asked, her fists propped on her hips. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s fine if you are, but I thought¡ª¡±
¡°I¡¯m not a fucking half-breed,¡± Kerr rolled her eyes. A second later, she looked towards Sabina and huffed, ¡°No offense. I¡¯m a purebred. So is Noll. That¡¯s just what male therions look like.¡±
Oh.
Jadis processed that new information for a while, not entirely sure what to do with it. Now that she compared, both Kerr and Noll had the cow ears, horns, cat eyes, claws, and dog-like tails. It was just that Noll had far more exaggerated animalistic features, while Kerr looked more human. And Kerr wasn¡¯t covered in fur.
Sexual dimorphism was a thing, wasn¡¯t it? Jadis was no biologist, but she knew some animals displayed big differences between males and females of their species. Still, the idea that Kerr and Noll were essentially the same thing was utterly wild to her. They did not seem like they could be related.
Shaking her heads, Jadis snapped out of her contemplation of therion biology and moved to resume taking off her armor. Before she quite unbuckled her breastplates, she remembered that there was one extra person in the room who might not be comfortable with sudden Nephilim nudity.
¡°Oh, uh, Sabina,¡± Syd turned to the half-elf, giving her an abashed grin. ¡°Sorry, you got all caught up in this. Did you want to use the bathroom first to freshen up? It¡¯s right over here.¡±
Leading the smith towards the bathroom door, Sabina smiled and shook her head good naturedly.
¡°It¡¯s fine! I¡¯m part of your mercenary company now so if you''re having issues I think it¡¯s only right that I should be around to hear them and maybe help but honestly I don¡¯t have much to say about this one because I don¡¯t know anything about Noll or high level mercenaries from any standpoint other than making armor for them and even then I don¡¯t have any practical experience since no one buying my armor is high level since I don¡¯t even have my second class yet and anyone above CLR sixty can afford way better work than mine but I get why you¡¯re so flustered since it¡¯s weird to walk into what you think of as your house and you see some stranger sitting there eating your food so I get it but I think you probably did overreact a little bit but that¡¯s fine cause at least you didn¡¯t start throwing punches.¡±
Sabina¡¯s rambling speech cut off as they reached the door. Jadis opened it for her and the half-elf took a small step in. Then, she turned abruptly and looked up into Syd¡¯s face.
¡°You only have the one bed up here?¡±
¡°Uh, yeah,¡± Syd admitted, nonplused by the sudden change in topic. ¡°Is that a problem?¡±
¡°No, not really,¡± Sabina said with a happy smile, then turned and disappeared into the bathroom, door closing behind her.
¡°Okay then,¡± Syd said to no one in particular.
From there, Jadis moved as quickly as she could to get her armor off and into some normal clothes. Her companions did as well, with all of them taking turns to wash up and get clean with as much speed as they could. Jadis already felt like she had left Noll alone downstairs for far too long and didn¡¯t want to leave him for much longer. Then again, considering how long she had delayed, the therion could very well be gone by the time she did return to the dining hall. When they all eventually got down the stairs, Jadis was somewhat surprised to find that Noll was still in the same seat eating meat pies and drinking ale, seemingly unbothered by how long they had taken.
Following Eir¡¯s suggestion, Jadis took her seats on the floor while the others took their seats around the table. Jadis inwardly cursed that she hadn¡¯t yet gotten around to commissioning some chairs that were appropriate to her size. She didn¡¯t normally mind sitting on the floor, but doing so in front of Noll heated her cheeks a little. At least she had enough seats for Noll and Sabina to sit at the long table without forcing any of the others to give up their chairs.
As Hans brought out more plates piled high with meat pies, Jay turned to look at Noll and gave the gluttonous therion a forced smile.
¡°So, Noll,¡± she started while the others took their plates, ¡°what brings you here to Weigrun, and more specifically to visit Fortune¡¯s Favored?¡±
The grizzled mercenary took another deep draught from his wooden mug, then wiped some of the foam off of his nose before looking her in the eyes and answering.
¡°Prince Kestil sent me here to spy on you lot.¡±
Chapter 160: Strange Espionage
Multiple voices cried out at the same time in response to Noll¡¯s casual announcement.
¡°What in the flying fuck?¡±
¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡±
¡°Oh my¡¡±
¡°Sp¡ªsp¡ªspy on us?¡±
¡°Who?¡±
The last was voiced by the trio of Jadis¡¯ selves. The idea that someone was spying on her had lost its shock value for her after having dealt with Vraekae, though it had lost none of its annoyance. That the spy in question would just come out and tell her that was what he was doing was almost disturbing in a way, and Jadis had every intention of addressing that little matter, but the big detail that struck her about the statement was the reveal of who precisely it was that had sent Noll to spy on her.
Prince Kestil was the name Noll had carelessly tossed out into the air like it held no value. Presumably, that wasn¡¯t some kind of euphemism and the guy was actual royalty. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more Jadis was sure she¡¯d heard the name before in exactly that context.
Running a hand through her hair, Jay leaned down towards a gaping Aila and asked quietly, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the, uh, third prince of the empire or something?¡±
¡°Second Prince,¡± Aila corrected, her knitted brows and intense gaze focused on a beer imbibing Noll. ¡°Second Prince Kestil is the overall ruler of the Weigrun territory, among other places. So it¡¯s a fairly big deal that he apparently sent an exceptionally bold spy to investigate you and, I presume by extension, our mercenary company.¡±
¡°Just the big three there. No slight to you, human. Also, I¡¯m no spy,¡± Noll growled, lowering the flagon from his mouth. ¡°I said he sent me to spy on you. There¡¯s a difference.¡±
¡°Fucking piss¡¡± Syd moaned. Leaning forward, she set her forearm on the table and gave Noll a direct stare, meeting the therion¡¯s yellow eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t give me any shit here, okay? You show up unannounced and uninvited, make me look like the asshole for assuming you were up to no good, and now you just outright state you were sent here on the behest of a prince to get up to no good! Just, talk straight with us, okay?¡±
Jadis found it difficult to read the man¡¯s expression due to him having a completely inhuman face, but if she were any judge of a wolf¡¯s mood, Noll looked both confused and annoyed.
¡°I am talking straight,¡± he motioned with his ale mug towards Syd. ¡°I just said I was sent here to spy on you by Prince Kestil.¡±
That¡ was a fair point. What Jadis had presumed was a fast talker splitting hairs in order to confuse her could very well have been a blunt man¡¯s honest attempt at clarifying a misunderstanding before it got out of hand. Or the furry mutt was attempting one of the strangest ploys at subterfuge she could imagine. Whatever the actual reasoning, she figured the best way to approach the conversation was with the same direct bluntness that Noll seemed to have gone with. If what the high-level mercenary said turned out to be some attempt at misleading her, she¡¯d have to rely on her companions to guide her since they possessed the experience of living on Oros and understanding the culture and history that she did not.
¡°Okay,¡± Jay started, leaning back to look Noll over. ¡°You were sent here to spy on us by Prince Kestil. But you¡¯re not a spy. So what are you doing here?¡±
¡°Making an assessment.¡±
Jay shared a glance with Aila at that response.
¡°Assuming that assessment is about us, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re doing that so you can report back to Kestil?¡±
¡°Prince Kestil,¡± Eir whispered a correction.
Noll snorted, then waved his mostly empty tankard towards Hans, who quickly refilled it.
¡°Fair assumptions,¡± he said, making a deep sound somewhere between a growl and a chuckle. ¡°But don¡¯t get your hackles up, I don¡¯t give two shits about your secrets and I¡¯m not interested in sniffing them out. I owed that fat-necked fuck in the palace a favor so I¡¯m here to check you Nephilim things out and report back what I see.¡±
¡°Prince Kestil has a fat neck?¡± Jadis heard Sabina quietly ask Thea, but Jadis chose to ignore that detail for the moment.
¡°Just checking us out? That¡¯s all?¡±
¡°That¡¯s all.¡±
¡°Alright then. You¡¯ve checked us out. When are you leaving?¡±
¡°Hah!¡± Noll barked out a laugh. ¡°Not exactly the most hospitable bunch, are you? Is that a Nephilim thing, or is it just you three?¡±
¡°Sorry, but we just finally reached an understanding with the local leadership,¡± Jay announced flatly. ¡°We¡¯re not really interested in starting all over with the whole ¡®uninvited assholes sticking their fat noses in our business¡¯ thing again.¡±
Noll shrugged, baring his fangs. Now that she was getting used to his mannerisms, Jadis thought the snarl might actually be a smile. Though it was still hard to tell.
¡°You three are popular,¡± he leaned towards Jay while sending a glance towards the other women at the table. ¡°And not just with the ladies. You¡¯re going to have a lot more attention on you than just an old dog sent by a prince and that frigid bitch over in the city hall. Take a bit of free advice from someone who¡¯s also had unwanted fame thrust upon them: think carefully about who you choose to associate with. You can¡¯t make a friend without making an enemy.¡±
Noll stood up from the table, draining the last of his mug with one large gulp. Clunking the ceramic vessel back on the table, he waved towards the table at large.
¡°I¡¯ll leave you all to your meal. It was a long ship ride to get down here and my bones could use a rest.¡±
He turned to leave, but not before flicking a shining piece of silver towards Hans, who silently caught the coin out of the air.
¡°Well, thanks for dropping by,¡± Dys muttered, scowling at the old wolf as he plodded to the door. ¡°Have a safe trip back to the capital or wherever you¡¯re going.¡±
Noll half-turned back, his muzzle pulled back to reveal shining white teeth.
¡°Who said I was leaving? I told you three, I¡¯m making an assessment. I¡¯ll see you lot in the morning.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
Before Jadis could quite finish an objection, Noll sauntered out the door, letting it shut solidly behind him.
¡°Fuck,¡± Syd cursed while turning towards Kerr. ¡°You know that guy? Cause he¡¯s kind of a fucking dick!¡±
¡°I said I know of him,¡± Kerr shot back. ¡°Cum for brains! I¡¯ve seen him, like, once years ago during a tournament. I¡¯ve never exchanged two words with the old bastard. I just know him by reputation, which is why I don¡¯t want to pick a fight with a non-elf that surpassed CLR one hundred before a demon invasion!¡±
¡°Okay, fine, we¡¯re not trying to start a fight with him,¡± Syd huffed. ¡°But he wasn¡¯t exactly easy to get along with! He¡¯s literally here to spy on us.¡±
¡°What did he mean by seeing you in the morning?¡± Aila asked, breaking up the burgeoning spat between Kerr and Syd. ¡°By that I mean, he said he wanted to make an assessment, but does that mean he¡¯s planning on just following you three around all day, starting in the morning?¡±
¡°Fuck I hope not,¡± Dys groaned. ¡°We just got Vraekae to call off the damn guard detail! No offense, Thea.¡±
¡°N¡ªnone taken.¡±
¡°Perhaps we can avoid much of the anguish of having Mr. Noll snooping on you by simply having a straightforward conversation with him?¡± Eir asked before taking a careful bite of her slowly cooling meat pie. She used one hand to cover her mouth as she spoke, even after chewing and swallowing. ¡°Perhaps offer him a set amount of information. Enough to satisfy the curiosity of the Prince without giving away anything too sensitive?¡±
¡°What, just tell him he can ask twenty questions and then that¡¯s it?¡± Dys asked while picking up her own extra-large pie.
¡°Something like that,¡± Eir said with a smile.
With Noll no longer darkening their doorstep, the rest of their dinner went much smoother, albeit still slightly awkward. Conversation couldn¡¯t help but hover around the topic of the Second Prince and the powerful mercenary he¡¯d sent to keep tabs on them.
It was unfortunate that Sabina¡¯s first dinner with her new mercenary company was spoiled by a contentious visitor and troubling news. Jadis wouldn¡¯t have blamed the half-elf if she had decided it was all too much to handle and backed out of the contract she¡¯d signed. Jadis would have let her, no bad blood between them. But Sabina seemed to take the situation in stride. For being a nervous talker who rambled on end, she had a definite backbone to her.
Wanting to at least try to steer the conversation in other directions, Jadis asked questions that set her companions talking on various tangents, slowly branching off and away from the worries of how to deal with their new self-proclaimed ¡°not a spy¡±. Since there were so many of them at the table, it turned into multiple conversations at once, which didn¡¯t bother Jadis too much since she was uniquely qualified for the task of engaging in several discussions at the same time.
With Kerr and Aila, Jay went over the particulars of the medallion they had pointed out Noll had been wearing on his belt.
As Aila had said, the medallion was given out by the Empire to officially recognize any individual who surpassed CLR one hundred. It was a rare feat for anyone, especially so during peace times when there were little to no demons around that would grant bonus experience when they were slain. There was some variation in that, of course. Elves had longer lifespans compared to most other races and were more likely to reach high levels simply due to their longevity. Some even lived long enough to experience two demonic invasions in their lifetimes, so if they stayed combat capable, they were the most likely to achieve the truly extraordinarily high levels.
¡°There are other long-lived races, too,¡± Aila explained. ¡°Though the only ones I can think of that compare to elves are the ones like, well, your race. Children of the Gods, Avatars, those kinds.¡±
¡°Like Seraphim or Dryads,¡± Kerr added between downing her third mug of ale. ¡°Those stuck up salope can last for a long fucking time.¡±
¡°What¡¯s max level then? Has anyone reached it?¡± Jay asked, curious about how powerful a max-level person would be on Oros.
¡°CLR three hundred,¡± Aila answered before eating a forkful of her meat pie.
¡°One hundred levels in each class,¡± the slightly inebriated archer continued. ¡°Doesn¡¯t happen. Well, maybe it has, but if it has, it¡¯s been ages.¡±
¡°The amount of experience you need in each class to level grows exponentially the higher you go,¡± Aila continued her explanation. ¡°It¡¯s difficult for most people to get a class above level forty, even during demonic invasions. It usually involves either a lifetime of constantly pushing your limits and fighting against dangerous foes, or somehow overcoming the odds against the kinds of threats that shake the foundations of the mountains themselves. The only example I can think of for a CLR three hundred is one of the great heroes from legend, Sigsteinn the Golden. And he lived over three thousand years ago.¡±
¡°Back when Nephilim were running around in bigger numbers, free range,¡± Kerr pointed out around a full mouth.
From what Aila and Kerr told her, it definitely made sense to Jadis that a person getting above CLR one hundred would be recognized and venerated by society at large. There was also a practical aspect to handing out such an award for high-level individuals to display on their person. If you didn¡¯t have a Detect Stone or similar device, there really wasn¡¯t any way to easily identify who was high level. Flashing one of those medallions around was a quick way to let everyone around a person know that the person in question was not one to be fucked with.
While Jay discussed levels with Aila and Kerr, Dys talked with Eir and Thea about another subject that had come up that day that she was curious about.
¡°So, what¡¯s up with Dryads?¡± she asked, tilted her head towards the priestess. ¡°Are they common around here? Or are they from somewhere else?¡±
¡°I would not think of Dryads as common anywhere,¡± Eir shook her head with a mournful smile. ¡°Alas, Villthyrial¡¯s Children are a rarity.¡±
¡°Vill-a-who?¡±
¡°Villthyrial,¡± Eir repeated. ¡°He is the god of the wild places of the world. Beasts, travelers, and horizons are among his domains. The Dryads are his avatars and serve his will, just as the Nephilim do for Lyssandria or the Seraphim do for Valtar. You don¡¯t see them often, unfortunately, as they are often solitary by nature and prefer the communion of the trees to that of mortal men.¡±
¡°I¡ªI¡¯ve seen one,¡± Thea spoke up for the first time in a while. ¡°Once.¡±
¡°Did you?¡± Eir asked, her smiling attention on the brunette. ¡°Where? Please tell us the story, if you don¡¯t mind?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not m¡ªmuch of ah, a story,¡± Thea shrugged. ¡°Where I¡¯m from, Cold Brook, is up near the B¡ªBrenna Wood. There¡¯s a Dryad who l¡ªlives in those woods. I s¡ªsaw her, ah, once. She was r¡ªriding a silver b¡ªbear. She waved to me.¡±
¡°How long ago was that?¡± Eir asked.
¡°I w¡ªwas, um, thirteen, I think. Y¡ªyes, thirteen. So it¡¯s b¡ªbeen a while.¡±
¡°What did she look like?¡± Dys asked, happy to see Thea talking.
¡°B¡ªbeautiful,¡± Thea said with a far-away look in her eyes. ¡°Her hair was filled with flowers. O¡ªor maybe it was flowers? And she had the most amazing glowing eyes. They shone, l¡ªlike the sky. I would go looking for her every d¡ªday after that, to see if I could glimpse her one more time. B¡ªbut I never did.¡±
¡°It was a blessing to have seen one at all,¡± Eir said, putting a hand on Thea¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Most are reclusive, like the wild beasts they protect.¡±
While Thea was no wordsmith, the way her voice changed while she reminisced about her brief encounter with the Dryad made Jadis want to track one down all the more. Not every goal she had needed to revolve around fighting demons and leveling, after all. Meeting a Dryad felt like a good enough long-term secondary objective.
The conversation Syd maintained with Sabina was of a far more practical nature. Primarily they talked about how the armor had performed during the fight out in the forest against the manticores, as well as some discussion about her new weapons. Once Syd confirmed that the heavy weight of the thick armor was entirely manageable, Sabina excitedly began discussing potential enchantments that could be applied to the armor, crossing weight-reduction types off the list as not necessary.
Jadis was happy to find that, when more comfortable and less flustered, Sabina didn¡¯t ramble quite as much. She still spoke fast and had a lot to say, but she at least took more time to breathe between propositions.
Their conversations went long into the evening before they finally called it a night. Bidding Sabina a good night, Jadis and her lovers retired to their large bedchamber with a lot on their minds, but also with a positive outlook on what the next day would bring. Noll had been an unexpected intrusion into their plans, but Jadis could roll with the inconvenience.
Besides, the last group of people a powerful leader had sent to follow Jadis around had turned out to be truly good people who Jadis regretted not getting to know better before their passing. Now that she was calmer and thinking about it with less of an edge, it was entirely possible Noll could follow in the same vein. He didn¡¯t seem as stuffy or married to rules the way the guards had been, and he acted like he didn¡¯t actually care about digging into her privacy. Those were certainly positives in Jadis¡¯ book.
So, how bad could he be?
Chapter 161: Morning Surprise
When Jadis woke the next morning, she found a couple of surprises waiting for her. The first was a pleasant one.
With all of her lovers piled into their bed together, it was hard to tell whose soft and pliant body she was holding close to her. Or rather, it was hard to know which was which when she had multiple bodies pressing up against her own selves mixed in with four other women all squished together in a warm and comfy tangle. However, there was one hard, long, slightly-sticky-at-the-tip piece that was mixed into the jumble that Jadis recognized. More specifically, she recognized it as not one of her own.
Running her fingers from base to tip, Syd drew a muffled moan from Aila. She¡¯d had her freckled face buried in Dys¡¯ shoulder, but as Syd continued to stroke her morning wood, she lifted her head to let out an open-mouthed gasp.
Jadis almost laughed. Aila¡¯s face was awash with surprised shock. Combined with turning her head to look over her shoulder back at Syd plus her messy bed hair, Aila¡¯s expression was one that she wished she could snap a picture of to hold onto forever. Alas, she would just have to content herself with playing with Aila¡¯s cock.
¡°So, you¡¯ve had it for more than a day now,¡± Syd whispered, grinning at Aila¡¯s discomposed visage. ¡°Are you still enjoying your new toy?¡±
¡°The way you¡¯re touching it,¡± Aila murmured back, ¡°you¡¯re acting like it¡¯s your toy.¡±
¡°Mm, well, my mother always taught me it¡¯s important to share your toys with your friends.¡±
¡°Funny, my mother taught me to beat up people who touched my toys without permission.¡±
¡°So you want to beat me up now?¡± Syd grinned, leaning in closer to Aila.
¡°No,¡± Aila whispered back, moving her mouth so close to Syd¡¯s they were practically touching. ¡°You have permission.¡±
¡°Oh my gods will you two just start fucking already!¡±
Aila and Syd both sighed heavily at Kerr¡¯s exclamation, the moment dispelled.
¡°Look, I¡¯ll get you started and then you can take over from there,¡± Kerr told them as she crawled across everyone, drawing some grunts and yelps from the now waking women tangled on the bed. ¡°Here, watch.¡±
With her naked body draped across Dys¡¯ hip, Kerr reached down and grabbed ahold of Aila¡¯s cock, pushing Syd¡¯s hand out of the way. With one smooth motion, she ran her rough tongue along the underside, making Aila visibly shiver. As her mouth opened to engulf the redhead¡¯s hard length, Aila¡¯s left hand grabbed hold of one of Kerr¡¯s horns and held the therion in place.
¡°I never said I gave you permission to play,¡± Aila sternly told Kerr, her face the picture of severity.
Kerr froze, her mouth open and tongue hanging out. Her green cat-like eyes widened and her slit pupils dilated as the two regarded each other. After a tense moment, Kerr¡¯s tongue slipped back into her mouth and she grinned slyly up at Aila.
¡°Then you better punish me, huh?¡±
Just as Aila gripped Kerr¡¯s horn tighter and began to move, another voice called out. This voice was deeper, definitively masculine, and very loud.
¡°Are you lot done fucking up there or are you going to make me wait all morning?¡±
¡°Shit,¡± Jadis cursed, her bodies instinctively scrambling up and out of bed at the unexpected interruption.
Naturally, with her three selves rapidly rising from the bed, all four of her lovers were tossed around as well. Poor Thea in particular, who had still been wrapped up in Jay¡¯s arms, was taken for a ride as she found herself suddenly dangling several feet off the ground, clutching onto Jay¡¯s shoulder.
It took Jadis a moment to realize that there was no strange man standing in her room, and another couple of seconds to place the voice.
¡°Noll?¡± Jay called out while grabbing hold of Thea¡¯s waist and gently setting her down.
¡°Yes,¡± came the reply from the window that faced the back lot of the building.
Taking a look outside, Jay saw that the large therion man was standing in the back yard, a large mug of something steaming clutched in one clawed hand. He wasn¡¯t facing the building and appeared to be walking in a large circle, pacing around the yard.
¡°What the fuck are you doing here?¡± Jay called down, not bothering to cover her chest as she bent over to look out the window.
¡°Waiting impatiently,¡± he growled back, not bothering to look up at her.
¡°Fucking balls,¡± Jay slumped in the window, her head dropping.
¡°He is a, ah, direct sort of person, isn¡¯t he?¡± Eir said while slipping a shirt on. ¡°I suppose we shouldn¡¯t keep him waiting.¡±
¡°Fucking let him wait,¡± Dys grumbled, hands on hips. ¡°We don¡¯t have to anything by his schedule.¡±
But the moment had been utterly ruined. There was no way they were going to be able to get their groove back on, especially not when they knew Noll was just outside and apparently entirely aware of what they were doing. Morning sex would have to wait for another day.
The group cleaned up and got dressed, though Jadis purposefully took longer than necessary just because she knew Noll was waiting. By the time all of her bodies got down the stairs, everyone else was already seated around the table and were helping themselves to a freshly made breakfast that a recently arrived Hans had whipped up. Fortunately, Hans was capable of making more than just meat pies and had provided them with plates of eggs and sausage.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Unfortunately, Noll was also sitting at the table.
¡°You really just show up wherever you want to, don¡¯t you?¡± Dys flatly asked the man as he wolfed down a whole uncut sausage.
¡°Yes.¡±
If nothing else, Jadis couldn¡¯t fault him for his honesty.
¡°What¡¯s the plan for today?¡± Jay asked the table at large, deciding to just move on.
¡°We should probably focus on leveling Sabina up,¡± Aila advised while buttering a slice of bread. ¡°The sooner we get her to level twenty the better.¡±
Noll made a grunt of surprise, but Jadis ignored it.
¡°The quickest way to do that is to let¡ªlet the three of us take her somewhere alone and just crush demons for a while. If everyone comes with us, the rate will be slowed by a fair bit.¡±
Jay had to catch herself halfway through her sentence before unintentionally revealing that her three selves weren¡¯t triplet sisters to Noll. That was one secret she didn¡¯t feel like sharing with the blunt man, much less his princely client.
¡°We can set up a base camp of sorts?¡± Eir suggested. ¡°That way Kerr, Thea, Aila, and I can be nearby but not so close as to siphon off any of the experience you will gain from slaying demons.¡±
¡°And I can hunt some demons for us four to take down out there,¡± Kerr pointed out around a mouthful of eggs. ¡°Cause I don¡¯t want to just sit around doing fuck all.¡±
¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± Jay agreed with a nod of her head.
Pausing, Jay turned to look at Noll.
¡°And you¡¯re just going to follow us out there regardless of what we say, right?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Jay rolled her eyes.
¡°Fine, but if you¡¯re coming, would you please try to keep back as much as you can? We don¡¯t want you draining off any more experience than necessary.¡±
Noll¡¯s lips curled, baring his fangs in what Jadis figured was his version of a grin. ¡°Trust me, whelp. I¡¯ve no need to steal your experience.¡±
Jadis had to assume that was probably very true.
¡°Any other business for the day?¡± Syd asked, making her feel a little like she was wrapping up a board meeting or something.
¡°We should bring those manticore quills to an alchemist,¡± Aila added after a moment. ¡°We can sell them, or we can have them make some potent concoctions for the right price.¡±
¡°And don¡¯t put that tail meat into one of your fucking pies, Hans!¡± Kerr shouted at the kitchen door where the silent man had disappeared. ¡°Manticore needs to be grilled!¡±
With their plans for the day agreed upon, the team quickly finished their meal and got their gear on. It took some minutes to get her plate armor on three bodies and by the time she was back down the stairs, Noll had vanished. Jadis didn¡¯t waste much time wondering where he¡¯d gone, as she was sure she¡¯d be seeing him again soon. Instead, the group split up and went to both sell the manticore quills and gather up Sabina.
Unsurprisingly, Jadis found Sabina in the communal workshop. If she didn¡¯t know better, she would have sworn that the smith lived in the forge. Though, now that she thought about it, she didn¡¯t actually know what the half-elf¡¯s living conditions were. Upon asking, Sabina easily explained that she rented a room in a nearby building that was owned by one of the crafting guilds. It was cramped, or so she said in far, far more words than necessary, but it was cheap and comfortable enough.
With that information, Jadis¡¯ mind started going down the path of where she was supposed to put any new guild members who weren¡¯t going to be joining her in her giant-sized bed. While Jadis was definitely picking up some vibes from Sabina that told her she was interested in her, there was no guarantee that their relationship would develop in that direction. More to the point, it wasn¡¯t likely that every single person she recruited to join her mercenary company would be even remotely inclined towards that kind of set up. Jadis needed two more people to join her guild at a minimum. If they weren¡¯t also Jadis¡¯ lovers, which she felt was likely to be the case, she still needed to provide for them. She was no expert on the matter but based on everything she¡¯d seen and heard so far, it was a guild¡¯s duty to provide at least the option of living space for its members, even if they chose to find their own accommodations.
She¡¯d only just gotten the guild hall put together and it already felt like she needed to add an expansion.
Putting longer term thoughts aside, Jadis reunited with the rest of her companions at the city gates. Aila had elected to outright sell the majority of the manticore quills but had commissioned a couple of salves that used the rare ingredient that would work as both a healing agent and a painkiller. With Eir around, healing was generally well taken care of, but Aila liked to be prepared for the worst, a trait Jadis couldn¡¯t find fault in.
Once they were all outside of the gates, Jadis discovered Noll waiting for them. Only instead of the shirtless ruffled mess that he¡¯d been at breakfast, the therion was wearing a finely crafted set of armor with an inscribed breastplate, along with a heavy cloak made out of some animal¡¯s pelt. The helmet he wore reminded Jadis of Kerr¡¯s, with accommodations for his horns, but left his wolf-like jaws exposed. He also carried a large curved sword strapped to his side, giving him a far more martial appearance. Jadis was just about to comment on it when Sabina rushed towards the looming mercenary and started gushing like a schoolgirl at her favorite band¡¯s concert.
¡°Is that an original Agatha Laurent!?¡± she cried out, causing Noll¡¯s head to jerk back. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful and amazing and I¡¯ve only seen her work in person twice and both times nobility was wearing it because of course nobility could afford armor from one of the best smiths in the whole empire and I can¡¯t believe the detail on those inscriptions they are so perfect! Can I touch?¡±
Noll stared down at the excited half-elf who was, to Jadis¡¯ shock and amusement, actually clasping her hands together under her chin and dancing back and forth on her feet.
¡°¡Fine.¡±
With permission granted, Sabina immediately began running her hands over Noll¡¯s chest plate, carefully examining the craftsmanship. She even forced the bemused therion to raise his arms so she could look at the fittings and buckles on the sides.
¡°She¡¯s passionate about her craft,¡± Jay said after letting Sabina have her fun for a while before eventually dragging her away from Noll.
¡°But it¡¯s time we got a move on,¡± Dys continued. ¡°Did you bring a horse?¡±
¡°No,¡± Noll snorted, giving Dys a look. ¡°Can you even ride one?¡±
¡°No idea, never tried,¡± Dys shook her head. ¡°Seems like it would be some kind of cruelty to the poor thing if I did.¡±
¡°Well, anyway, keep up if you can,¡± Syd said while letting Kerr latch onto her back.
¡°Keep up?¡± Noll repeated her words, yellow eyes running up and down her armored figure.
¡°Yup!¡± Syd nodded. ¡°Because we aren¡¯t giving you a free ride!¡±
With that announcement made clear, Jadis swept up her companions and launched into an aggressive sprint, charging down the northward road that led away from the city and into the Broken Hills. She didn¡¯t resist the shout of excitement that welled up inside her chests as she thundered forward at a pace no human from Earth could hope to match without a motorized vehicle. Happily, Kerr and Sabina both joined her in the joyous exclamation, the thrill of running at such speeds contagious.
¡°How far back is he?¡± Jay asked Aila after a couple of minutes.
From where Aila sat in the crook of Jay¡¯s arm, one of her own arms wrapped around Jay¡¯s shoulder, it was easier for her to look back for her than for Jadis to try and turn one of her heads. As nice as the helmets were, they did put a restriction on her peripheral vision.
¡°About twenty feet,¡± Aila informed her after a moment.
¡°Oh fuck my biscuit,¡± Syd cursed as she did make the effort to look back and confirm Aila¡¯s words.
Noll was running right behind her, easily keeping up with her blistering pace. He didn¡¯t even look like he was trying particularly hard to maintain the speed they were going at. Why would he? Better question, why was she even surprised that the massively higher-level warrior was able to keep up with her?
¡°That¡¯s a new one,¡± Kerr said, patting Syd on the top of her helmet. ¡°I¡¯m adding ¡®fuck my biscuit¡¯ to the collection. You should feel honored.¡±
¡°Thanks¡¡±
Chapter 162: Nerves
Dark light shone from Jadis¡¯ Cold Flame armor, warping the sun¡¯s rays so that her three selves appeared as beacons on a shadowed day. The eyes of every twisted wretch could not help but turn towards her, their attention drawn like moths to a burning fire. And like a fire, Jadis burned through the hapless demons with relentless ferocity.
Syd¡¯s lance skewered a wretch that had once been a horse, lifting the twelve-hundred-pound distorted body several feet into the air before slamming it down into the dirt with bone-jarring force. She pinned it there, holding the wildly flailing demon in place until she heard a twang and saw the crossbow bolt pierce into the corrupted creature¡¯s neck. The shot wasn¡¯t enough to kill the struggling abomination, but that wasn¡¯t the point. So long as Sabina was contributing, Jadis¡¯ goals were achieved.
¡°Keep it up!¡± Syd called back to the reloading half-elf. ¡°You¡¯re doing great!¡±
¡°This is terrifying!¡± Sabina screamed back as she shouldered her weapon and readied another shot.
For their second power-leveling foray, Sabina had come more prepared, at least in terms of equipment. She had put on a breastplate, vambraces, and greaves, giving her a far more martial appearance, though oddly she had still elected to wear her leather smithing apron.
Maybe it was a comfort thing?
She¡¯d also brought a crossbow. She still had her hammer and shield, but those remained strapped to her side and back , respectively. The crossbow had become her primary method of offense, which Jadis thought suited the woman. Even though Sabina was, by dint of her trade, a well-muscled individual with broad shoulders and strong arms, she wasn¡¯t much of a melee combatant. She seemed to panic whenever she got too close to the demons, causing her swings to go wide. But at a moderate distance, using a crossbow, she did much better.
Another twisted wretch, this one a deformed parody of a goat, came charging towards Syd. With no time left to let Sabina try to finish off the first, Syd finished the wounded demon off by putting her boot down on its head, crushing its skull like a grape. In the next moment, she backhanded the charging goat-demon, knocking the much smaller monstrosity to the side. With another lightning-quick move of her lance, she skewered that demon too and, twisting around, she presented the vile thing to the smith.
¡°Try this one,¡± she said, holding the still-living demon up in front of Sabina.
¡°Okay!¡± Sabina shouted back before firing her crossbow. ¡°But I might need to throw up soon!¡±
Despite Sabina¡¯s dire predictions, her bolt still struck true and put an end to the wretch¡¯s stolen life.
Turning back to face the fore where the bulk of the battle raged, Syd tossed the lifeless husk towards the screeching mob of demons, bowling a couple of them over with the force of her throw. An easy opening for her other selves to take advantage of, which they did with coordinated efficiency.
With her charge placed with her back to the cliff-side wall of a broken hill, Jadis was able to mostly focus on attacking the small horde of demons that she¡¯d baited into attacking her. Syd stood in front of the smith, catching anything that made it past Jay and Dys, but there weren¡¯t many that did. Even with twenty-five twisted wretches hurling themselves at her, Jadis was able to handle their attacks easily thanks to the heavy armor she wore. And with her ever-increasing strength, she had no trouble dispatching the numerous horrid creatures with brutal proficiency. The only trouble the wretches gave her were the bile breath and gas bubble spells that a few of the demons were capable of casting. The gas in particular was effective against her defenses, since there was nothing her armor could do to stop the noxious fumes from getting to her lungs, but even with that to contend with Jadis was able to tank the damage due to her prodigious max health value.
If they were able to find this many demons roaming the hills every day, Jadis was certain that she¡¯d be able to get Sabina to level twenty in no time.
The border had proved once again to be the best place for Fortune¡¯s Favored to find demons to battle, though on this day they stayed away from the still-standing forts. A few miles from where the Broken Hills transitioned into the Great Southern Forest, Jadis and her companions had set up a rally point on top of one of the taller hills. From there, Jadis had spotted a clot of shambling forms moving through a valley and had rushed straight for it, carrying only Sabina with her. Everyone else had remained behind, as previously discussed, to keep watch for more demons. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t mean Jadis was alone with Sabina.
Noll squatted like a furry gargoyle on the slope of a nearby hill, watching the battle unfold. He was far back; further far back than Jadis had expected him to be, which gave her hope that his presence was beyond the point wherein he would affect experience point distribution. He was still a constant presence, however. Jadis could practically feel his eyes on her as she attacked the wretches.
It took a few minutes, but the fight ended eventually. With more than two dozen demons dead on the ground, Jadis felt both accomplished and a little weary at the thought of having to butcher the broken bodies for their demonic cores. That particular part of the job was not her favorite.
A shout of excitement from Sabina lightened her mood significantly, however.
¡°Seventeen!¡± she said, dancing around while pumping her fists into the air. ¡°I hit level seventeen!¡±
¡°Nice!¡± Jadis clapped her metal-plated hands in clanging congratulations. ¡°That¡¯s awesome! Did you get a good skill?¡±
¡°I did get a good skill actually it¡¯s a mainstay of any smith because it¡¯ll help me with the purity of metal that I craft with which is important since if you get the purities wrong it can lead to brittle or weak steel which would be awful to spend so much time on a piece and then it ends up flawed because I misjudged the mix but this skill will make that far less likely to happen and it¡¯ll be super useful when if I get to work with rarer alloys like Orichalcum or Faden¡¯s Crux or Moon Silver or anything like that which who knows if I will but if I do it¡¯ll be awesome and I don¡¯t want to make any mistakes with something so valuable and important and gods it¡¯s all thanks to you¡ªow!¡±
The final exclamation was one of pain as Sabina suddenly lunged forward to hug Syd, resulting in a rather loud clunk as she knocked her head against the thick metal of Syd¡¯s armor.
¡°Sorry!¡± Syd apologized, crouching down and lifting her visor to look at Sabina. ¡°Are you okay?¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
¡°Yes! I¡¯m fine,¡± she said while rubbing the side of her head, face all scrunched up. ¡°Not the first time I tried to hug someone in full armor¡¡±
Jadis laughed, easily picturing the perky half-elf pulling that same move with frequency.
¡°We¡¯ll save the hugs for after I¡¯m out of this armor, okay?¡±
Sabina smiled at Syd, her face back to bright and cheery.
¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that!¡±
Spirits high, Jadis and Sabina got to work extracting the cyclopean eyeballs from the true bodies of the demons that had infested the poor specimens of local wildlife to transform them into twisted wretches. As she cut the corrupted flesh open, her eyes checked for Noll to see if he was still watching from a distance or if he was coming to join her. Much to Jadis¡¯ surprise, the therion was gone.
Raising her heads to look in all directions, she found no sign of the older merc. He had left the scene, disappearing with a quiet ease that surprised Jadis.
Well, that was fine by her. She hadn¡¯t expected the man to help with the dirty part of the job. And if he had decided he¡¯d had enough of watching her and left early for the day, even better. If she was really lucky, he¡¯d already be on his way back to town and wouldn¡¯t be darkening her doorstep again.
Returning some time later to the rally point she¡¯d set with the rest of her guild, Jadis realized she¡¯d not been so lucky. Noll was there, picking his teeth with a clawed hand.
¡°Back already?¡± Eir asked, walking up to the quartet with a smile on her beautiful face. ¡°How did the hunt go?¡±
¡°It went well, Sabina reached level seventeen,¡± Syd told her.
Politely waiting for Eir to finish giving her congratulations to the smith, Jay continued.
¡°We could use some healing,¡± she said, her voice unusually raspy. ¡°Breathed in some of that noxious gas stuff.¡±
¡°Oh my,¡± Eir worried, her smile turning to a frown. ¡°I had better check for poisons or diseases, too. Those spells the wretches cast can carry all kinds of maladies.¡±
Eir quickly and easily healed Jadis back up to maximum health and confirmed that she had not contracted any illnesses from breathing in the rancid fumes the wretches expelled just by touching Jay. However, since neither Sabina nor Noll knew about Jadis¡¯ true nature, Eir checked on Dys and Syd as well, ¡°healing¡± them to keep up the act.
With her healing done, Dys let Eir move away to fuss over Sabina and turned to see Aila and Thea walking back up the hill.
¡°Hey!¡± she called out to the two with a wave of one hand. ¡°Where¡¯s Kerr?¡±
Both waved back, though Aila was the one to answer.
¡°She¡¯s scouting,¡± the mage said as soon as she got near enough that she didn¡¯t need to shout. ¡°She saw a few wretches to the east, a small group. She¡¯s going to lead them towards my traps.¡±
One of the reasons why Jadis felt safe leaving her companions alone on the hill were the lines of arcane traps Aila had laid around the base of the slope. Any demons that might stumble across their camp would be in for some deadly surprises when they triggered Aila¡¯s force spells.
¡°There she is now,¡± Aila said after a moment, pointing out the distant figure.
Kerr¡¯s dark form sprinted along the slope of a nearby hill, heading for where the rest of them stood watching. As she neared the base of their slope, she came to stop and turned to face the way she¡¯d come. Her giant longbow in hand, she nocked and drew an arrow, then let it loose a second later. Jadis barely had a chance to register what she was aiming at when a boar-like twisted wretch that had just crested the slope Kerr had come from was shot in the chest, the single arrow enough to fell the demon as its body tumbled forward in a heap.
Another seven wretches followed after, but Kerr was already up the hill, having bypassed the traps Aila had laid and was nearing the top.
¡°Need any help?¡± Dys called out to Kerr as the archer approached. She was given the expected response.
¡°Fuck no! You think I can¡¯t handle a few wretches? I¡¯m just bringing them here so I don¡¯t have go as far to gather the bodies.¡±
At that moment, the half-dozen demons reached Aila¡¯s traps.
Several were killed outright as three-foot-long force spikes thrust up into their legs and bodies from below. Others were crippled by the spikes while a few more were pinned in place by her snare trap variety of spell. Only one wretch managed to make it past the line, and that one made it only a few steps before an arrow from Kerr struck it with enough force to go all the way through its body. A second later the demon collapsed like its strings had been cut.
¡°Like I need help with a handful of demons,¡± Kerr scoffed. ¡°I could have killed all of those fucks in the time it would take you just to get down there. Need help my ass.¡±
Dys just rolled her eyes at Kerr¡¯s exaggerated show of grousing.
¡°Since you¡¯re here, want to finish those ones off?¡± Aila asked Sabina while motioning towards the trapped and crippled wretches.
Sabina readily agreed, even if she did look a little green at the prospect. She, Aila, and Thea went down the hill to finish the job. As they did, Jadis turned her attention back on Noll.
The man was standing off to one side, arms folded as he stared northward. Again, Jadis had some trouble reading his expression, but he honestly looked more bored than anything else. That made sense enough to Jadis. The man was supposedly over a hundred levels higher than her or anyone else in her group except for Kerr, and even then, he was still ninety-eight levels over her. Seeing them fight demons that were probably so below his skill level he could have slain them in his sleep couldn¡¯t have been much fun for the man.
¡°Noll,¡± Dys nodded to the therion as she took up a spot next to him, her own arms crossed in a mirror of his stance.
He grunted, not looking up at her, his gaze still turned northward.
¡°So? Feel like you¡¯ve had enough watching us yet?¡± she asked after a moment of silence. ¡°Or do you need to see more before you report back to your boss?¡±
¡°He¡¯s not my boss,¡± Noll growled back. ¡°And yes, I¡¯ve had enough. I can only watch you three pups flounder for so long before I can¡¯t take anymore.¡±
¡°Excuse me?¡± Dys said, her head turning to look down at Noll. He steadfastly continued to not turn her way.
¡°You heard me,¡± he replied roughly.
¡°We don¡¯t fucking ¡®flounder¡¯,¡± Dys snapped back.
¡°Sure you don¡¯t,¡± Noll let out a huffing laugh.
¡°What¡¯s your fucking problem?¡± Dys demanded, turning fully to face the man. ¡°If you¡¯ve got something to say then just say it.¡±
Her exclamation was loud enough that Eir and Kerr had turned to look at the commotion, but Jadis didn¡¯t care. Noll¡¯s dismissive attitude had gotten under her skin. That he continued to just stare off into the distance, ignoring her demand just made her anger peak even higher.
¡°We just took out over two dozen twisted wretches by ourselves,¡± she said, looming over the shorter warrior. ¡°How the fuck is that ¡®floundering¡¯ to you?¡±
¡°Because you¡¯re a brute,¡± Noll finally growled back at her, his head turning slightly so his yellow eyes met her violet ones. ¡°Those wretches were brutes. You three are brutes. You three were the stronger brutes, so you won. Fight someone with half a brain and you¡¯ll be outclassed. So yes, you three flounder.¡±
¡°Are you calling us stupid?¡± Dys asked, her face a thundercloud.
¡°I¡¯m calling you ignorant.¡±
¡°Fuck you!¡±
¡°Fuck yourself.¡±
Jadis fumed. Something about the way Noll so calmly insulted her was driving her up a wall. She knew she should be wary around the man. He was at a far, far higher level than her. Probably closer to the same level as Vraekae, and that elf scared the crap out of Jadis. For all she knew, Noll was stronger than the Magistrate. Yet he was absolutely getting under her skin in a way that made her forget all caution. His rude criticism just made her want to shove his long nose into the dirt with how wrong he was.
¡°Okay then,¡± Dys said, leaning down towards the calm therion. ¡°If you¡¯re so good, then show me what we¡¯re doing wrong. Spar with me. See what I can really do.¡±
¡°Hmph,¡± Noll made a noise in his throat. ¡°Why should I?¡±
¡°You¡¯re really going to talk shit and then back off like a little bitch?¡± Dys asked, her voice falsely sweet. ¡°I guess ¡®Noll the Savage¡¯ doesn¡¯t have the guts to back up his mouth.¡±
Noll¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked up at Dys, his lips peeling back to reveal his sharp white teeth.
For a brief moment, the thought went through Jadis¡¯ mind that she might have just done the stupidest thing she¡¯d ever done in her life.
¡°Fine,¡± Noll said, his growling voice even harsher than before. ¡°But you better go get your sisters, little whelp. You¡¯ll need them.¡±
Chapter 163: Spar
¡°Are you a fottuto idiota?¡±
¡°That sounds like an insult so I plead the fifth.¡±
¡°You do what to what?¡±
¡°Never mind.¡±
¡°No, not never mind, you¡¯re a fucking moron! He''s going to kick your ass! Call this shit off, now!¡±
Privately, Jadis felt like Kerr was probably right. Challenging possibly the highest-level person she¡¯d ever met to a ¡°spar¡±, which was really just a thinly veiled demand for a brawl, was a dumb move on her part. She figured her chances of winning were fifty-fifty at best. Still, she wasn¡¯t about to back down. She¡¯d thrown down the gauntlet and by her standards, retraction was not an option.
¡°Look, I¡¯m not going to let him talk shit about the way I fight without at least trying to shove his words down his throat,¡± Dys grumbled to the irate archer.
Kerr stared at her for a moment, a look of complete incomprehension on her face.
¡°Why? Your fighting ¡®style¡¯ is literally shit. Who cares if he¡¯s pointing it out?¡±
¡°Excuse you?¡± Dys tilted her head at Kerr.
¡°What? I figured you knew! It¡¯s fucking obvious you¡¯ve never had a minute of training.¡±
All three of Jadis stared at Kerr for a minute before turning their heads to look at where the other four women stood nearby.
¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Aila said with a shrug and a frown. ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t know firsthand you three don¡¯t have any passive weapon skills, I would have guessed it from how you fight. It¡¯s one of many reasons why this spar is a terrible idea.¡±
Feeling a tad betrayed, Jadis¡¯ several gazes turned to Eir, Thea, and even Sabina.
¡°I have noticed a difference between your stance and those of more¡ experienced soldiers,¡± Eir gently told her.
¡°I¡ªI may have some, ah, suggestions I c¡ªcould give you to improve,¡± Thea offered.
¡°You look fine to me!¡± Sabina gave her two thumbs up.
A second later, she qualified the statement.
¡°But I don¡¯t really know anything about how to swing a sword. Or axe. Or anything other than a smith¡¯s hammer. So I¡¯m not the best judge, I guess?¡±
Okay, Jadis wasn¡¯t completely oblivious. She knew she wasn¡¯t trained in any kind of martial combat. In fact, her sportiest extracurriculars had been things like softball and track-and-field. But she¡¯d been kicking major demon ass for months at this point. That had to count for something, right?
¡°I¡¯m that bad?¡± Dys asked, looking between her companions.
¡°No, you¡¯re not bad, you¡¯re just¡ª¡±
¡°Wasting time!¡± Noll shouted from where he stood further up the hill, cutting Aila off. ¡°Get on with it or admit defeat! The result will be the same either way.¡±
Jadis¡¯ crestfallen expression morphed into a scowl as all three of her turned to face the dark-furred man. The thought of bowing out was expunged from her mind instantly. There was no way she¡¯d back down from the furry asshole when he was making those kinds of assumptions. Bad idea or not, she wasn¡¯t backing down from a fight.
Jay, Dys, and Syd stalked forward, dropping the visors on their helmets. With weapons ready in hand, they stopped just outside of range of the unconcerned-looking old wolf. Noll stood with arms crossed and his back to the cliff edge of the hill. Only a scant few feet were between him and a one-hundred-foot drop. The worst possible position to be in, Jadis knew without needing an ounce of training. Clearly, the man was taunting her by standing in such a tenuous spot.
¡°Not going to cry when we hit you with these, are you?¡± Syd asked, indicating her lance and the weapons her other selves were wielding.
¡°No,¡± Noll curled his lip in either a snarl or a sneer. Maybe it was both. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back, either. I don¡¯t want to hear any shit about you lot not trying your hardest after I put you down.¡±
¡°Fine. You ready?¡± Jay asked while lifting her oversized club into an overhead stance.
¡°Yes,¡± Noll nodded, making no move to uncross his arms or unsheathe the curved sword at his hip.
¡°Not going to draw that?¡± Dys motioned to the merc¡¯s weapon with her own.
Noll snorted, shifting slightly and finally uncrossing his arms as he rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck.
¡°If you manage to make me draw my sword,¡± he growled out through sharp teeth, ¡°I¡¯ll consider this your win.¡±
¡°¡Fine,¡± Jay replied curtly, not at all pleased by the handicap he was giving her.
The four fell silent then, holding their tongues as the tension built between them. Jay stood to the left, Dys on the right, and Syd in the middle. Even with the limited room on the top of the half-carved hill, there was plenty of space for Jadis to have her bodies spread out in a semicircle around Noll and she planned to take full advantage of that fact.
There was no word passed to let them know when to start. One second, the three Nephilim stared down the grizzled therion, the next all three moved in unison. Syd¡¯s lance shot forward, aiming to pierce Noll in the center of his chest. Jay¡¯s great club swung down from on high, seeking out his horned skull. Dys¡¯ iron axe aimed low, arcing towards his legs in a low blow. Each attack came at the same time, a flurry of unavoidable motion that Jadis had used countless times in the past to take down demons. To dodge one attack meant getting caught by one of the others. Jadis had no doubt that she would be drawing first blood in this spar.
With a simple fluid motion, Noll stepped forward, avoiding the tip of Syd¡¯s lance and got in close to her. With a pull on her arm and a well-placed foot, he sent her stumbling forward, right into the paths of both Jay and Dys¡¯ attacks.
Jadis reacted as quickly as she could but it was too late to pull the power from her blows. Dys¡¯ axe hit Syd in the right leg and knocked her further off balance while at the same time Jay¡¯s club slammed into her back, sending her smashing into the ground with nearly explosive force.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
She could, it turned out, trigger Mirrored Strikes by hitting her own body.
Before Jay could recover from hammering her own double face first into the dirt, Noll was behind her. A clawed foot struck the back of her left knee followed by a second blow to her back which sent her sprawling on top of Syd.
¡°Fuck!¡± Dys shouted eloquently as she leapt over her mirrored bodies, axe swinging.
Noll nimbly dodged backward, avoiding one, two, then three swings while seeming to barely move. On her fourth swing, he slammed his palm into the side of her hand and sent the axe flying out of her grip, much to Jadis¡¯ shock. The disarming blow left Dys¡¯ right hand numb and without feeling, but she had no time to focus on the fact as Noll stepped in close to grab her arm. With a simple pivot, he pulled her much larger and heavier form over his shoulder and slammed her back into the hillside with enough force to make the ground tremble.
¡°Done already?¡± Noll growled down at Dys, his lips curled back in a wolfish grin.
¡°Eat shit,¡± Dys countered, then grabbed at Noll¡¯s ankles with her hands.
Noll easily stepped out of the way, but Jadis expected as much from the merc. In the same moment, Jay kicked backwards from where she lay on top of Syd, aiming for where she thought Noll was likely to move.
He avoided that attack, too. Slipping around her horse-kick, Noll, turned and grabbed Jay¡¯s ankle and with a strength that Jadis hadn¡¯t yet experienced on anyone else but herself, he lifted Jay into the air and tossed her several feet down the hill in a crash of steel on earth and stone.
¡°Just you three eating shit today,¡± Noll practically cackled in his rough voice. ¡°And it¡¯s all¡ª¡±
Before he could finish whatever taunting words he was going to say, Jay¡¯s club swung through the air in the diagonal arc, forcing him to sidestep out of the way. Only instead of being held by Jay, Syd was swinging the blunt weapon, having switched with Jay before he¡¯d tossed her down the hill.
As Noll dodged a second blow, Dys rolled over and triggered her Knight¡¯s Daring Charge, practically hurling herself up off the ground and towards the therion with a wordless roar. Her shoulder caught Noll in the side of his hip and while he slipped out of her grasp before she could tackle him to the ground, it was the first time in the short-lived spar that she¡¯d actually managed to land a blow of some kind on him. And it wasn¡¯t the last.
Charging back up the hill, Jay aimed Syd¡¯s lance at Noll in a breakneck dash towards the man. As Noll moved to dodge out of the way, Syd swung her oversized club at him and blocked his path, forcing him to step back in the opposite direction.
Jay was not surprised when the tip of her lance missed her target. Noll sidestepped the charge, the palm of his hand pushing the lance out of the way as he moved into her blind spot and kicked at her lower legs to knock her off balance. That was fine by her.
Blindly Jay lashed out with her left fist. Only, it wasn¡¯t really a blind attack. With both Dys and Syd¡¯s perspectives to guide her fist, Jay¡¯s blow landed on the side of Noll¡¯s head and sent him reeling back.
As Jay skidded to a stop at the edge of the cliff, Dys and Syd both charged in at the same time, acting in a synchronized attack against Noll as he briefly stumbled from the solid blow to his head. Dys went for his legs while Syd went for his shoulders, looking to get their arms around the therion and wrestle him to the ground.
With a sudden lurch forward, Noll leapt over Syd and pushed her down, causing her to collide with Dys in a deafening crash of armored giants. The bone jarring impact briefly stunned the two of Jadis¡¯ selves. But for a Refracted Mind, having two bodies stunned didn¡¯t hinder the third at all.
Before Noll had quite landed on the other side, Jay¡¯s lance swung like a whip at the therion. He twisted his body in midair, but there was only so much even Noll could do to get out of the way when he had no footing. The tip of the lance scraped down Noll¡¯s shoulder and arm. A second later, as Noll landed, the scent of copper floated on the wind as Jadis drew first blood.
¡°Well how do you like that?¡± Jay panted out as Noll took a few skipping steps back. ¡°The big bad savage wolf can bleed. That¡¯s a point for me!¡±
Noll wiped the small line of blood off with one hand, the red disappearing into his dark fur as though it had never been there. Looking up at Jay, he cocked his head to one side, sharp teeth exposed in an eerie grin.
¡°Points? This isn¡¯t a competition. This is an ass beating. Can¡¯t you tell the difference, or is that big head all for show?¡±
¡°The only one getting their ass beat is¡ª¡± Jay cut herself off as she lunged forward, extending her reach by switching her lance to one hand.
At the same time, Dys and Syd moved as one. Dys shot forward, low to the ground while Syd still laid on top of her back. One of Syd¡¯s legs kicked out, aiming for Noll¡¯s side in a move that would have been impossible to coordinate on the fly for anyone but Jadis.
The move didn¡¯t work.
Noll lunged under Jay¡¯s attack with even greater speed than she¡¯d seen out of the man up to that point. Completely ignoring Dys and Syd, he shoved his shoulder into Jay¡¯s stomach in a tackling move that knocked the breath out of her despite her heavy armor. With a few quick steps, Noll carried Jay forward until, suddenly, there was nothing under Jay¡¯s feet anymore. Flailing turned to falling as Jay struggled to catch onto anything.
Her abrupt fall was halted as the lance she was still holding caught on to something. Or rather, something caught onto it.
As Dys and Syd scrambled to their feet, Jay dangled a hundred feet in the air, one hand wrapped around the shaft of the lance. At the other end was Noll, holding her whole weight up with his left hand. He stood there on the edge of the cliff, not even straining.
¡°You didn¡¯t finish your sentence. What were you saying?"
¡°A fall from this height isn¡¯t going to kill me,¡± Jay snarled out around a lump in her throat.
Jadis wasn¡¯t actually certain about the veracity of her statement. A straight drop off a cliff wasn¡¯t something she¡¯d ever tested and despite Aila having survived not once, but twice falling from great heights, that had been because Jadis had been able to leap and catch her both times. There was no one to catch Jay if she fell.
Noll heaved a big sigh.
¡°If I wanted to kill you, whelp, I wouldn¡¯t have gone through all this effort.¡±
Jay¡¯s eyes were briefly drawn to where Noll¡¯s sword was still sheathed on his belt.
¡°Then what was the point?¡±
Noll scratched at the side of his face with his clawed right hand, giving Jay a vaguely confused look.
¡°You challenged me. Do I need any other reason to beat down an upstart pup?¡±
With those words, Noll pulled Jay in and tossed her onto solid ground like a sack of potatoes. As she landed, Dys and Syd scrambled forward, only to halt as Noll tossed Syd her now badly bent weapon.
¡°You three have good instincts,¡± Noll announced while taking a few steps closer. ¡°And your coordination is something else, I¡¯ll give you that. But your stances and attacks are all wrong. Your footwork is terrible. You aren¡¯t even holding your weapons right half the time and you leave yourselves exposed and open to counterattacks. No, you¡¯ve got a long way to go before you lot would even approach competent.¡±
¡°Rub it in, why don¡¯t you,¡± Dys muttered as she and Syd helped Jay to her feet.
¡°I¡¯m not rubbing anything in,¡± Noll snapped with an audible click of his teeth. ¡°It¡¯s a sin against Charos¡¯ hairy ass to see potential wasted like that. Get some training under your belts or at least a gods damned weapon proficiency skill before you make even bigger fools of yourselves than you did right here. Or go get yourselves killed. Not my concern.¡±
Jadis felt the hackles on the backs of her necks rise at Noll¡¯s words, but she suppressed the instinctual response. Noll was right. He¡¯d soundly beaten her without ever even drawing his weapon. While his strength and speed had certainly been a match for her own, it hadn¡¯t been either of those that had secured his victory. It had been his skill. And not even the magical kind: Noll had tossed her around like ragdolls just by using plain old regular skill.
And it burned in her stomach to know that he was completely right about her.
Noll stalked past the trio of Nephilim with a shake of his horned head. He pushed through the knot of women that had witnessed the humiliating defeat as they rushed towards the stone still giants, each looking to talk to her in their own way. He got halfway down the hill before a thunder of footsteps caught up to him.
Jadis pulled the helmets from her heads as all three of her came to a stop behind Noll. He halted, head half turned to look back at them over his hunchbacked shoulders.
¡°Noll,¡± Jay started, but her next words were echoed by her other two selves. ¡°Would you please teach us.¡±
His yellow eyes regarded her three selves, their heads bowed in genuine respect.
¡°Why should I?¡± he asked without turning to face them.
¡°Because we asked,¡± Syd answered.
¡°Do you need another reason?¡± Dys tossed his own words back at him.
Noll stood silently for a moment longer, holding their gazes. Abruptly, he resumed his march away from them, but not before tossing a few parting words over his shoulder.
¡°I¡¯ll see you pups in the morning.¡±
Chapter 164: POV Kerr
Jadis was such a fucking lucky idiot.
Kerr had never known anyone in her whole life who had managed to get herself into and then out of trouble so frequently. How in Valtar¡¯s hairy nipples does a person pick a fight with Noll the Savage and then walk away unmaimed. No, not just unmaimed, but with a promise from the old wolf to give her some combat lessons! How!? It had to be fucking divine intervention!
Actually, now that she thought about it, a little bit of intervento divino was actually likely. The Big D was apparently hovering over her shoulder¡ªor rather, shoulders¡ªand doing only the gods knew what to her fate. Every strange encounter, every freakish situation that the ¡°reincarnated soul¡±, whatever that was, had smashed headfirst into could have been influenced by that god of mischief and lies. Of course, the priests always assured everyone that no god could directly influence shit on the mortal world, that was the whole point of The Covenant. But come on, how was she supposed to believe that the gods, with all that power, never meddled, not once? Especially when it came to the god of secrets and trickery. Yes, there was no doubt in Kerr¡¯s mind, Jadis had a divine hand resting on her shoulder.
At least it kept making things interesting.
Regardless, whether a literal god was throwing shit at Jadis or not, that didn¡¯t mean that Jadis had to deal with that ass-pudding in the most fucking idiotic way possible! Challenging someone so much higher level than her just because they¡¯d been a little rude was ridiculous. Kerr was way ruder on a regular basis and Jadis didn¡¯t ever try to throw down with her. They just had rough sex and moved on with their lives, like normal people. What the fuck had she been thinking? Getting into it while out in the field was a stupid idea, but that didn¡¯t mean Kerr wasn¡¯t going to give the giant-sized dope a piece of her mind. In a strange twist, however, Aila seemed to have less reservations than her for once.
¡°You know how lucky you are he didn¡¯t seriously hurt you, right?¡±
Kerr¡¯s ears perked up at Aila¡¯s words as the group charged across the broken fields. After the ill-advised spar, their little team had packed up early and headed back to Far Felsen. There was a lot of tension in the air, most of it coming from a clearly shame-faced Jadis, so Eir had politely suggested they return to the city and regather their composure.
Kerr wasn¡¯t much for temples or priests, but she could appreciate a sensible little slut like Eir. She had a good head on her shoulders and knew when it was best to back off and regroup, a trait that Kerr herself didn¡¯t always share.
Running back to Felsen, Aila had maneuvered to be the one of the five who rode on a Jadis body alone. That had been intentional, so it seemed, as Aila was not waiting until they got back behind city walls to talk about Jadis¡¯ moronic behavior.
¡°He wouldn¡¯t have killed me,¡± Jay replied to Aila¡¯s question, speaking loud enough to be heard over the clank of armor but softly enough that her words were clearly intended only for Aila. Jadis really did not seem to get that other races had way better hearing than her. ¡°It was just a spar.¡±
¡°It was not ¡®just a spar¡¯, Jadis. You got into a fight for no reason! Why? What does it matter that he pointed out something you¡¯ve never cared about before? Why care about his opinion at all?¡±
¡°I just¡ª¡± Jay hesitated, clearly struggling to find her words. ¡°I just felt like I had to, okay?¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because.¡±
¡°Because why?¡±
¡°Because he pissed me off!¡±
That last was said loud enough that everyone twitched in response. While it didn¡¯t bother Kerr overmuch, she could tell that stepping into an argument between Jadis and Aila was definitely not something that the others were comfortable with. That they were all technically being carried along by Jadis while she simultaneously fought with her girlfriend was a whole new level of awkwardness, too. Ah, to be as ignorant as the chatter mouth Sabina.
Aila didn¡¯t respond to the outburst. She went all silent and cold in that way that just made Kerr want to pinch her ass or something to make her react. But the silent treatment could be effective, she supposed. Letting the big brute fester for a few minutes could be the right call. Kerr wasn¡¯t quite ready to jump into the conversation, so she let the two simmer.
Eventually, Jadis was the one to break the silence.
¡°Even if I did get hurt, Eir would have healed me,¡± Jay grumbled petulantly.
¡°What if he¡¯d decided to take an arm, to teach you a lesson? Eir can¡¯t replace lost limbs. Even if there¡¯s a priest with that capability back at the temple, would you really want to have to go through that?¡±
Jadis was silent to that point. Aila continued a second later anyway.
¡°What if he had done more damage to your weapons than he already did?¡± she said in that matter-of-fact tone of hers. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to get a whole new weapon for Syd now, but what if he¡¯d broken Jay and Dys¡¯ weapons, too? Sabina¡¯s going to have to repair that dent you did to yourself on Syd¡¯s back plate, which will cost time and resources. But he could have ruined your armor. All that silver and time would have been wasted.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Jadis¡¯ silence continued.
¡°What about how we feel?¡± Aila continued, her tone almost imperceptibly softer. ¡°We told you last night it was a bad idea to start a fight with the man. We told you to back out after you challenged him. We¡¯re your partners, remember? If we see a danger and tell you to avoid it, then you walk blithely into it anyway, completely disregarding our advice, how are we supposed to take that? How am I supposed to take that?¡±
Shit. Kerr didn¡¯t think Aila was the type to make an emotional appeal but by Svaroga¡¯s pock-marked ass, she had a way of pointing out the truth.
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Jay finally responded, her voice both tight and contrite. ¡°I was a total asshole back there, wasn¡¯t I?¡±
¡°A smidge,¡± Aila confirmed dryly.
¡°Sorry.¡±
¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Aila said. ¡°This time. But if you keep making dumb decisions like that when you¡¯re being given good advice, don¡¯t expect easy forgiveness again.¡±
Kerr smirked to herself at the words shared between the two. She knew there was a reason why she liked the freckled mage and the three-headed giant. Well, other than the good money. And the great experience. Or the amazing sex. Okay, there were a lot of reasons why she liked them. But one of those reasons was because they weren¡¯t stupid. Jadis could make some very stupid decisions, but unlike the many true fools she¡¯d met along her travels, Jadis at least had the sense to recognize when she was wrong and do something about it.
There was a far less tense silence between the two after that, which spread to the group as a whole. There was even some talk between the others as they neared the city about what to do with their afternoon now that it was suddenly free. A trip to a restaurant seemed to be in order, which sounded good to Kerr. She could use a drink after the morning they¡¯d had. Though in her opinion, dropping off the nasty-smelling demon eyes to collect the bounties on them needed to come first. Nothing soured a meal like the smell of demon rot.
Before they quite reached the city, Kerr overheard one more exchange between the two.
¡°Do you want to talk about why Noll upset you so much?¡±
Jay didn¡¯t respond immediately to Aila¡¯s question, but not in an angry way by what Kerr could judge. She seemed to be really thinking about it.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jay eventually told her. ¡°It was just a gut reaction. He got under my skin and I felt like I had to fight him. When I think about it, I¡¯m not even sure why his words revved me up so much. I just¡ I don¡¯t know. The impulse was just there.¡±
In Kerr¡¯s opinion, it was because Jadis had thought her cock was bigger than it was. Which was saying something, because she had a pretty fucking huge cock, but that wasn¡¯t the point. Kerr had seen it plenty of times in the past. Young aspiring warriors who had gotten some success under their belts beating their peers in spars and contests. They always acted like they were the top shit because they let a little success get to their heads. Then, inevitably, they¡¯d challenge someone in the tribe with some actual experience and learn a valuable life lesson. Or they got dead. Depended on how stupid they were and who they challenged.
Jadis had accomplished great things for someone who¡¯d, according to her, just shown up less than half a year ago. Ulya¡¯s tits, just getting to her current level so fast was a feat unto itself. If Kerr had done the same, she¡¯d probably feel like she had balls the size of anvils. Which was, now that she thought about it, a sensation she could kind of say she had experienced thanks to Jadis.
Speaking of, Kerr absolutely wanted to get her dick back. Practically speaking, it just didn¡¯t fit in her pants so she couldn¡¯t walk around with it. Not that she cared if people saw that she was packing, in fact that could be a whole ¡®nother level of fun. But the discomfort of trying to shove her new equipment into leather pants not meant for that kind of load had been too much of a bother to deal with.
So. How was Kerr going to convince Jadis to give her mega meat back to her while also telling the colossal dope that she¡¯d been wrong and Kerr had been right? The opportunity presented itself as they arrived back at the city gates and all were ushered inside.
¡°Hey, uh, sorry I was kind of a dick back there,¡± Dys told Kerr.
Kerr smirked as she heard Jadis quietly repeating her apologies to Thea and Eir a little distance away.
¡°I didn¡¯t mean to ignore your advice,¡± Dys continued. ¡°I let my temper get the better of me, and I¡¯m sorry.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Kerr hummed. ¡°Remind me, would you big stuff? What was it that I told you?¡±
¡°That I needed to call the spar off because Noll was going to kick my ass.¡±
¡°And what did Noll do?¡±
¡°¡Kick my ass.¡±
¡°Others may find the practice beneath them,¡± Kerr grinned at Dys. ¡°But me being me, I do not deny myself the pleasure. I fucking told you so.¡±
¡°Yeah, you did,¡± Dys sighed without resentment. ¡°Again, my bad.¡±
¡°Since we¡¯ve established that you were in the wrong and it was indeed your bad,¡± Kerr continued as the group walked down the street, ¡°I suppose you¡¯ll just have to make it up to me.¡±
Dys gave her a sidelong glance, one pale eyebrow raised. She was clearly treating her with suspicion, which Kerr found to be entirely unfair. When had she ever been unjust?
¡°How would you like me to do that?¡±
¡°Why, I think the only appropriate recompense would be letting me have a go at that lily-white ass of yours,¡± Kerr told her while rapping her knuckles against the metal encasing that gloriously perfect rear end.
¡°Oh really?¡± Dys grinned down at her, her violet eyes dancing with mirth. ¡°First, I get my ass kicked today, now you want to fuck it too?¡±
¡°It¡¯s really the only fair thing for you to do,¡± Kerr commiserated in an understanding tone. ¡°Rough, I know, but it¡¯d be pretty fucking dishonorable of you if you didn¡¯t offer your ass up to me after being such a cunt earlier.¡±
Dys chuckled, then leaned her head back before replying.
¡°And what about the others? Should I offer them the same?¡±
Kerr shrugged.
¡°I don¡¯t fucking care. That¡¯s up to them to ask for their compensation.¡±
Dys laughed, showing off that brilliant smile that Kerr loved to see.
¡°Fine, it¡¯s a deal. We¡¯ll settle up tonight, as long as you convince one of the others to be on the receiving end for the ritual.¡±
¡°Like that¡¯ll be hard,¡± Kerr scoffed. ¡°Your devoted priestess would let you fuck her on the temple altar if you asked.¡±
After that, Kerr continued to banter with Dys until they got back to the guild hall. As a group, sans Sabina, they stripped out of their armor and put away their gear. As they got cleaned up and dressed for an afternoon lunch on the town, the sight of Aila naked from the waist down reminded Kerr of another bit of business she had to attend to.
The precious pervert still had that thick cock swinging between her long legs. They¡¯d been interrupted that morning, but Kerr wasn¡¯t going to just let that sexy little moment go unfinished. Besides, Aila deserved a reward for how she¡¯d handled Jadis after the pointless spar.
Kerr was happy to be the one to give it to her.
Chapter 165: Table Manners
¡°I¡¯m honestly surprised restaurants like this are a thing in Far Felsen,¡± Jadis commented as the last of her bodies ducked in through the door to the fine dining establishment. ¡°Er, well, during times like these, at least.¡±
¡°People need to eat. And what happened a few weeks ago notwithstanding, Far Felsen is the safest place in all of Weigrun. And where there are people willing to pay, there will be people willing to provide the service.¡±
Aila¡¯s explanation was fair enough, but the sight of a restaurant with white tablecloths and silverware in what was ostensibly a warzone still threw Jadis off a fair bit.
The restaurant was located on the nicer side of town, where the larger residences and more expensive shops could be found. The city hall wasn¡¯t that far away, either, so they had been able to stop there and exchange their bounties for coin before heading to the establishment. The thought that this was the kind of place Magistrate Vraekae would likely dine at had crossed Jadis¡¯ mind, but fortunately the cold-blooded elf had not been waiting within when they¡¯d entered. Instead, a pleasantly decorated but mostly empty dining room had greeted them, followed shortly after by an actual greeting from a pleasant human waitress in a black and white dress uniform.
¡°Is there somewhere in particular you would like to sit?¡± the human woman asked, her wide eyes failing to not stare at the towering Nephilim. ¡°Almost all the tables are free, though I¡¯m not sure what we can do to accommodate any, um, size requirements¡¡±
¡°Over in the corner is fine,¡± Jay told the waitress. ¡°And we can make do with the floor. Cushions would be nice though, if you have them.¡±
Some nice plush cushions were quickly pulled from somewhere in the back and in short order the group was seated around a large round table in a corner far from the few other tables with occupants. Jay and Dys ended up with their backs to either corner, while Syd sat on the opposite side. The others took their own seats at various spots around the table, but Aila somehow ended up directly between Jay and Dys, a circumstance that Jadis didn¡¯t mind in the least. Eir sat to Jay¡¯s right, Sabina after her, then Thea. With Syd placed to Thea¡¯s right, Kerr sat between her and Dys.
Considering the influx of coin they¡¯d just gained from their short trip into the hills that morning, none of them were reserved in the meals that they ordered. It was a good thing the table was so large, because they were going to need the room for how many plates were no doubt going to be crowded before them. Going all out on an expensive meal definitely felt like a good way to release some of the unpleasant tension that still lingered a bit from Jadis¡¯ foolhardy encounter with Noll. In fact, she didn¡¯t even want to think about the shameful display anymore, so she was happy to focus on practically any other topic of conversation.
As Sabina talked about divine-based armor enchantments with Eir and Thea, Jadis and Aila discussed plans they had for the near future. Winter was coming soon to Weigrun, and the southern continent was known for its long and bitingly cold end-of-year season. Once the snow started falling, it was going to be much harder to get around the Broken Hills or the forestlands to the north. Jadis had been born in Pennsylvania in her previous life, so working around cold weather was nothing new to her, but according to Aila the snow drifts would become truly colossal during the darkest months, so travel would be a near impossibility. Even many of the demons would be less active, just due to how punishing the cold would be. They would need to find something else to do.
To Jadis¡¯ mind, though, there was an easy answer to the question of how to occupy themselves once the weather got bad. The tunnels stretching for miles and miles under the surface would be clear of snow and no doubt still infested with demons. Even if the demons were less in numbers by then, which Jadis highly doubted, there were all kinds of dangerous magic beasts down there too, like the hydra they had fought. There would be more than enough to keep them busy down there, so long as the team didn¡¯t mind returning to the cramped spaces.
As Syd turned to ask Kerr what she thought about the idea of exploring more of the tunnels, she caught the grinning therion slipping out of her seat and under the table. As she sunk below sight to be hidden by the long tablecloth, she tossed Syd a wink and put one finger to her lips in a shushing motion.
Confused but intrigued, Jadis said nothing and made no mention of Kerr¡¯s stealthy disappearance. None of the others at the table seemed to notice, much less the few diners seated at tables elsewhere in the restaurant. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure what Kerr¡¯s plan was, but she was more than willing to roll with it.
A few seconds later, when Aila suddenly jumped in her seat and made a strangled noise, Jadis caught on to the insane therion¡¯s plan.
¡°What are you doing?¡± Aila asked through tight lips while staring down at her lap.
¡°Shh,¡± Kerr whispered back from under the table. ¡°Just giving you a little present, for all your hard work with this trio of lug heads.¡±
¡°What was that?¡± Eir asked, turning her head to look at a red-faced Aila.
¡°Nothing, just talking about making a second trip to the tunnels,¡± Jay quickly replied to the elf¡¯s question and covering for Kerr and Aila. ¡°It should be a good way to keep up activity during the winter months. What do you think?¡±
Eir frowned but did not look wholly displeased by the idea.
¡°As long as we are careful not to get lost again, it could be a good idea. But maybe this is a situation where we should ask Destarious for guidance? We¡¯re nearing the point where we¡¯ll be able to ask three more questions soon. And maybe,¡± Eir looked hopefully up at Jay, ¡°Lyssandria might be there again, too? I would love to hear more of your interactions with her.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll be there again,¡± Jay shrugged thoughtfully, ¡°but it¡¯s a possibility. We probably should talk more about what questions I should ask though. What else were you thinking?¡±
With Eir properly engaged, the situation unfolding under the table was free to proceed without interruption, which it was despite Aila¡¯s token protests. Jadis was never willing to do something with Aila she wasn¡¯t comfortable with and she was sure Kerr wouldn¡¯t ignore her boundaries either, but pushing that comfort zone could be quite a lot of fun. Certainly, even though she was not the focus of Kerr¡¯s attention at that moment, what they were doing in the very public restaurant was pushing Jadis beyond her typical boundaries. But that was part of why it was giving her such a thrill.
Affecting a casual gesture, Dys leaned back, left hand on the floor, getting into a better position to surreptitiously observe the hidden goings on. The long tablecloth made it so that she couldn¡¯t see much, but with a concentrated effort, she stealthily lifted the edge up enough to see what exactly the lewd archer was doing. The sight that greeted her both was and wasn¡¯t what she had expected to see.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Aila¡¯s skirt had been bunched up around her hips and her undergarments pushed out of the way, revealing her overly large erection. That came as no surprise to Jadis, not since other than her muted outrage, Aila had done nothing to actually stop the illicit activity. Instead, she sat ramrod straight in her seat, face red but otherwise dispassionate, while under the table her fists balled up her clothes and helped hold them out of the way.
Kerr, on the other hand, was not kneeling under the table. Or rather, she wasn¡¯t kneeling in the way Jadis had expected. Kerr was on her knees but was facing away from Aila. Except, she had bent her body backwards, her chest pointing up and her face upside down and nestled between Aila¡¯s knees.
Certainly a creative way of getting around her large horns that would otherwise knock against the table overhead.
Aila¡¯s thick shaft was laid out across Kerr¡¯s face, the tip touching her chin while the main meat of it obscured her cheek and right eye. Kerr¡¯s right hand held the stiffening member down against her while she practically nuzzled her nose against Aila¡¯s cock, her one visible eye, the one Dys could barely make out, shined with a lustful light.
Shifting slightly, Kerr maneuvered Aila¡¯s cockhead so that it was kissing her lips. Sat stiffly between Jay and Dys, Aila held her breath as she pretended to look unbothered by the obscene act that was occurring between her knees. Sending a wink in a watching Dys¡¯ direction, Kerr opened wide and swallowed Aila¡¯s cock.
Jadis was mesmerized by the sight as Aila¡¯s long, thick shaft disappeared down Kerr¡¯s upside-down throat. Except, while half of her foot long member had been enveloped by the therion¡¯s greedy mouth, its presence was still obvious to be seen. Even with only half her length crammed down her gullet, Kerr¡¯s throat bulged from the large invader. The lump where Aila¡¯s cockhead rested was easy to spot and, unable to help herself, Dys surreptitiously slipped her hand under the table and ran a finger across that bulge.
Kerr shivered at the touch, prompting Aila to do the same. The erotic sight was making it extremely difficult for Jadis to focus on the conversations that were going on around the table, as was the tightness in her skirt-pants.
¡°Where did Kerr go?¡± Sabina abruptly asked as she turned to look at Syd.
¡°Not sure,¡± she shrugged as Kerr began slowly bobbing her head forward and back as quietly as she could. ¡°Bathroom, maybe?¡±
¡°Oh, well, I was hoping to talk to her about some ideas I had about ranged weapons and¡ª¡±
Syd nodded along as Sabina went off on another one of her long tangents. She had a few interesting ideas involving mobile ballista, but Jadis had an admittedly hard time focusing on the chipper half-elf¡¯s points. Not as hard a time as Aila, though.
Aila¡¯s mask of calm composure had slipped just a bit. Her blue eyes dilated and her lips parted as she barely constrained herself from panting. Only Jay¡¯s hand resting lightly on the small of her back seemed to ground Aila and prevent her from humping her hips into Kerr¡¯s face right then and there at the table. Because other than being as quiet as possible, Kerr was not holding back.
There was only so far and so fast Kerr could go, the awkward position and furniture getting in the way, but that didn¡¯t stop Kerr from putting in her best effort. She moved her lips up and down Aila¡¯s shaft in a rhythmic bobbing motion, a sloppy mess of spit dripping down her face despite how quiet she remained. It was honestly impressive that she somehow didn¡¯t gag at all with such a huge cock invading her throat. At times, when she needed to catch her breath, she¡¯d stop with just Aila¡¯s cockhead trapped between her lips while her hands worked at her shaft, rubbing and stroking and squeezing everywhere at once.
¡°Did you lose something under the table?¡± Eir asked, almost startling Dys.
She¡¯d spent just a little too long looking downward and caught the cleric¡¯s attention. While Jadis had no doubt that the lewd priestess wouldn¡¯t blow their cover, she still didn¡¯t want Eir to catch on to what was happening just out of her sight. Not only because she was certain Aila would be mortified, but also because the whole scenario was a lot more fun with everyone else at the table being none the wiser.
¡°Sorry, just lost in thought,¡± Dys waved Eir¡¯s concern away.
Though perhaps not quickly enough, as Eir was already leaning to one side and moving to lift the tablecloth. Aila stiffened even further at the sight, her nostrils flaring. Jay¡¯s hand went to grab hold of Eir, but before she could, a familiar voice interrupted them.
¡°Fortune¡¯s Favored. Good afternoon.¡±
Syd half turned where she sat to look at the man who was standing behind her, more for his benefit than hers since Jadis could see the pale blue elf just fine with her other bodies. Standing at a respectful distance away with his hands clasped behind his back was Lothaire, the fire wizard from the Flame Wolves mercenary company. With his long hair swept back and a sharp nose, the man had an almost eagle-like face, which he inclined towards the table at large in greeting.
¡°Lothaire,¡± Syd nodded back at the elf. ¡°How have you been? Burn any interesting demons lately?¡±
¡°A few,¡± he smiled ever so slightly. ¡°We have mostly been focused on clearing the tunnels immediately around Far Felsen which has meant our foes have been generally much of the same as you would find above ground, but there have been a few memorable encounters.¡±
¡°Thanks again for blowing me and that demon up, by the way,¡± Dys said dryly.
¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Lothaire bowed slightly at the waist. ¡°It was quite fortunate that you didn¡¯t die, though part of that fortune is because I have a skill that actively reduces the damage my spells do to allies caught in the radius of my spells.¡±
¡°Oh! That¡¯s a wonderful skill to have,¡± Eir said, smiling at her fellow elf. ¡°Maybe someday Aila will learn something similar for her spells.¡±
Lothaire¡¯s gaze turned to a red-faced Aila, the woman putting on a remarkable show of looking unbothered while Kerr continued to suck her cock under the table.
¡°You may yet, though I must warn you, young mage, that it was not until much later levels and many friendly fire incidents that I gained the skill. However, if you are interested in such a spell modification, I suggest you catch your allies in your spells intentionally in a controlled environment. It¡¯s the safest way to potentially earn that skill.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Aila cleared her throat, ¡°for the advice.¡±
Before Lothaire could continue, a much louder voice shouted from across the dining room.
¡°Hey, you blue-assed wanker! Get back here and order so we can get our food!¡±
Lothaire closed his eyes and slightly shook his head before releasing a small sigh. Opening his eyes, he nodded to Aila and then the table at large.
¡°My companions call for me. I do hope we get another chance to talk at greater length.¡±
¡°Yeah, another time,¡± Syd smiled at the wizard as the others murmured their own good-days.
Jadis watched Lothaire return to his table on the other side of the room where a few other men sat. She recognized the large orc as being the barbaric one with an unusually loud voice, but the bald healer was there too, as well as a strikingly handsome, almost effeminate man. While she couldn¡¯t be sure, Jadis guessed that the girlish-faced man was likely the knight she¡¯d seen in the past who was wielding a lightning blade.
¡°That was nice of him to offer some advice, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Eir turned to Aila. ¡°He didn¡¯t have to¡ªare you okay?¡±
Eir¡¯s concerned question was prompted by Aila¡¯s closed eyes as her whole body shivered involuntarily. She took a shuddering breath, but then opened her eyes and smiled in an almost natural way at the priestess.
¡°Fine, thank you,¡± she said with only the slightest hitch in her voice. ¡°And yes, that was good advice, though nothing that isn¡¯t already written about in most arcane magic instructional tomes.¡±
As Aila talked to Eir, Dys quickly glanced under the table to see Kerr pulling away from Aila¡¯s cock. Her face was a wet mess, but she had the same expression as the cat who¡¯d gotten the cream. Without attracting attention, Dys slipped the sodden therion a cloth napkin, which she used to wipe off her face. She even quickly wiped off Aila¡¯s half-softened member before gently putting it back in place.
A few moments later, Kerr slipped out from under the table while the others were distracted by the waitress returning to the table with the first of their many plates of food.
¡°Oh, Kerr, where have you been?¡± Eir asked when she noticed the archer adjusting her seat. ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for a while.¡±
¡°Just went to get a drink,¡± Kerr said while grinning at a glaring Aila. ¡°But I already finished it. I¡¯ll need to get another one soon.¡±
Chapter 165: Table Manners
Chapter 165: Table Manners
¡°I¡¯m honestly surprised restaurants like this are a thing in Far Felsen,¡± Jadismented as thest of her bodies ducked in through the door to the fine dining establishment. ¡°Er, well, during times like these, at least.¡±
¡°People need to eat. And what happened a few weeks ago notwithstanding, Far Felsen is the safest ce in all of Weigrun. And where there are people willing to pay, there will be people willing to provide the service.¡±
A¡¯s exnation was fair enough, but the sight of a restaurant with white tablecloths and silverware in what was ostensibly a warzone still threw Jadis off a fair bit.
The restaurant was located on the nicer side of town, where therger residences and more expensive shops could be found. The city hall wasn¡¯t that far away, either, so they had been able to stop there and exchange their bounties for coin before heading to the establishment. The thought that this was the kind of ce Magistrate Vraekae would likely dine at had crossed Jadis¡¯ mind, but fortunately the cold-blooded elf had not been waiting within when they¡¯d entered. Instead, a pleasantly decorated but mostly empty dining room had greeted them, followed shortly after by an actual greeting from a pleasant human waitress in a ck and white dress uniform.
¡°Is there somewhere in particr you would like to sit?¡± the human woman asked, her wide eyes failing to not stare at the towering Nephilim. ¡°Almost all the tables are free, though I¡¯m not sure what we can do to amodate any, um, size requirements¡¡±
¡°Over in the corner is fine,¡± Jay told the waitress. ¡°And we can make do with the floor. Cushions would be nice though, if you have them.¡±
Some nice plush cushions were quickly pulled from somewhere in the back and in short order the group was seated around arge round table in a corner far from the few other tables with upants. Jay and Dys ended up with their backs to either corner, while Syd sat on the opposite side. The others took their own seats at various spots around the table, but A somehow ended up directly between Jay and Dys, a circumstance that Jadis didn¡¯t mind in the least. Eir sat to Jay¡¯s right, Sabina after her, then Thea. With Syd ced to Thea¡¯s right, Kerr sat between her and Dys.
Considering the influx of coin they¡¯d just gained from their short trip into the hills that morning, none of them were reserved in the meals that they ordered. It was a good thing the table was sorge, because they were going to need the room for how many tes were no doubt going to be crowded before them. Going all out on an expensive meal definitely felt like a good way to release some of the unpleasant tension that still lingered a bit from Jadis¡¯ foolhardy encounter with Noll. In fact, she didn¡¯t even want to think about the shameful disy anymore, so she was happy to focus on practically any other topic of conversation.
As Sabina talked about divine-based armor enchantments with Eir and Thea, Jadis and A discussed ns they had for the near future. Winter wasing soon to Weigrun, and the southern continent was known for its long and bitingly cold end-of-year season. Once the snow started falling, it was going to be much harder to get around the Broken Hills or the foresnds to the north. Jadis had been born in Pennsylvania in her previous life, so working around cold weather was nothing new to her, but ording to A the snow drifts would be truly colossal during the darkest months, so travel would be a near impossibility. Even many of the demons would be less active, just due to how punishing the cold would be. They would need to find something else to do.
To Jadis¡¯ mind, though, there was an easy answer to the question of how to upy themselves once the weather got bad. The tunnels stretching for miles and miles under the surface would be clear of snow and no doubt still infested with demons. Even if the demons were less in numbers by then, which Jadis highly doubted, there were all kinds of dangerous magic beasts down there too, like the hydra they had fought. There would be more than enough to keep them busy down there, so long as the team didn¡¯t mind returning to the cramped spaces.
As Syd turned to ask Kerr what she thought about the idea of exploring more of the tunnels, she caught the grinning therion slipping out of her seat and under the table. As she sunk below sight to be hidden by the long tablecloth, she tossed Syd a wink and put one finger to her lips in a shushing motion.
Confused but intrigued, Jadis said nothing and made no mention of Kerr¡¯s stealthy disappearance. None of the others at the table seemed to notice, much less the few diners seated at tables elsewhere in the restaurant. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure what Kerr¡¯s n was, but she was more than willing to roll with it.
A few secondster, when A suddenly jumped in her seat and made a strangled noise, Jadis caught on to the insane therion¡¯s n.
¡°What are you
doing?¡± A asked through tight lips while staring down at herp.
¡°Shh,¡± Kerr whispered back from under the table. ¡°Just giving you a little present, for all your hard work with this trio of lug heads.¡±
¡°What was that?¡± Eir asked, turning her head to look at a red-faced A.
¡°Nothing, just talking about making a second trip to the tunnels,¡± Jay quickly replied to the elf¡¯s question and covering for Kerr and A. ¡°It should be a good way to keep up activity during the winter months. What do you think?¡±
Eir frowned but did not look wholly displeased by the idea.
¡°As long as we are careful not to get lost again, it could be a good idea. But maybe this is a situation where we should ask Destarious for guidance? We¡¯re nearing the point where we¡¯ll be able to ask three more questions soon. And maybe,¡± Eir looked hopefully up at Jay, ¡°Lyssandria might be there again, too? I would love to hear more of your interactions with her.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll be there again,¡± Jay shrugged thoughtfully, ¡°but it¡¯s a possibility. We probably should talk more about what questions I should ask though. What else were you thinking?¡±
With Eir properly engaged, the situation unfolding under the table was free to proceed without interruption, which it was despite A¡¯s token protests. Jadis was never willing to do something with A she wasn¡¯tfortable with and she was sure Kerr wouldn¡¯t ignore her boundaries either, but pushing thatfort zone could be quite a lot of fun. Certainly, even though she was not the focus of Kerr¡¯s attention at that moment, what they were doing in the very public restaurant was pushing Jadis beyond her typical boundaries. But that was part of why it was giving her such a thrill.
Affecting a casual gesture, Dys leaned back, left hand on the floor, getting into a better position to surreptitiously observe the hidden goings on. The long tablecloth made it so that she couldn¡¯t see much, but with a concentrated effort, she stealthily lifted the edge up enough to see what exactly the lewd archer was doing. The sight that greeted her both was and wasn¡¯t what she had expected to see.
A¡¯s skirt had been bunched up around her hips and her undergarments pushed out of the way, revealing her overlyrge erection. That came as no surprise to Jadis, not since other than her muted outrage, A had done nothing to actually stop the illicit activity. Instead, she sat ramrod straight in her seat, face red but otherwise dispassionate, while under the table her fists balled up her clothes and helped hold them out of the way.
Kerr, on the other hand, was not kneeling under the table. Or rather, she wasn¡¯t kneeling in the way Jadis had expected. Kerr was on her knees but was facing away from A. Except, she had bent her body backwards, her chest pointing up and her face upside down and nestled between A¡¯s knees.
Certainly a creative way of getting around herrge horns that would otherwise knock against the table overhead.
A¡¯s thick shaft wasid out across Kerr¡¯s face, the tip touching her chin while the main meat of it obscured her cheek and right eye. Kerr¡¯s right hand held the stiffening member down against her while she practically nuzzled her nose against A¡¯s cock, her one visible eye, the one Dys could barely make out, shined with a lustful light.
Shifting slightly, Kerr maneuvered A¡¯s cockhead so that it was kissing her lips. Sat stiffly between Jay and Dys, A held her breath as she pretended to look unbothered by the obscene act that was urring between her knees. Sending a wink in a watching Dys¡¯ direction, Kerr opened wide and swallowed A¡¯s cock.
Jadis was mesmerized by the sight as A¡¯s long, thick shaft disappeared down Kerr¡¯s upside-down throat. Except, while half of her foot long member had been enveloped by the therion¡¯s greedy mouth, its presence was still obvious to be seen. Even with only half her length crammed down her gullet, Kerr¡¯s throat bulged from therge invader. The lump where A¡¯s cockhead rested was easy to spot and, unable to help herself, Dys surreptitiously slipped her hand under the table and ran a finger across that bulge.
Kerr shivered at the touch, prompting A to do the same. The erotic sight was making it extremely difficult for Jadis to focus on the conversations that were going on around the table, as was the tightness in her skirt-pants.
¡°Where did Kerr go?¡± Sabina abruptly asked as she turned to look at Syd.
¡°Not sure,¡± she shrugged as Kerr began slowly bobbing her head forward and back as quietly as she could. ¡°Bathroom, maybe?¡±
¡°Oh, well, I was hoping to talk to her about some ideas I had about ranged weapons and¡ª¡±
Syd nodded along as Sabina went off on another one of her long tangents. She had a few interesting ideas involving mobile ballista, but Jadis had an admittedly hard time focusing on the chipper half-elf¡¯s points. Not as hard a time as A, though.
A¡¯s mask of calmposure had slipped just a bit. Her blue eyes dted and her lips parted as she barely constrained herself from panting. Only Jay¡¯s hand resting lightly on the small of her back seemed to ground A and prevent her from humping her hips into Kerr¡¯s face right then and there at the table. Because other than being as quiet as possible, Kerr was not holding back.
There was only so far and so fast Kerr could go, the awkward position and furniture getting in the way, but that didn¡¯t stop Kerr from putting in her best effort. She moved her lips up and down A¡¯s shaft in a rhythmic bobbing motion, a sloppy mess of spit dripping down her face despite how quiet she remained. It was honestly impressive that she somehow didn¡¯t gag at all with such a huge cock invading her throat. At times, when she needed to catch her breath, she¡¯d stop with just A¡¯s cockhead trapped between her lips while her hands worked at her shaft, rubbing and stroking and squeezing everywhere at once.
¡°Did you lose something under the table?¡± Eir asked, almost startling Dys.
She¡¯d spent just a little too long looking downward and caught the cleric¡¯s attention. While Jadis had no doubt that the lewd priestess wouldn¡¯t blow their cover, she still didn¡¯t want Eir to catch on to what was happening just out of her sight. Not only because she was certain A would be mortified, but also because the whole scenario was a lot more fun with everyone else at the table being none the wiser.
¡°Sorry, just lost in thought,¡± Dys waved Eir¡¯s concern away.
Though perhaps not quickly enough, as Eir was already leaning to one side and moving to lift the tablecloth. A stiffened even further at the sight, her nostrils ring. Jay¡¯s hand went to grab hold of Eir, but before she could, a familiar voice interrupted them.
¡°Fortune¡¯s Favored. Good afternoon.¡±
Syd half turned where she sat to look at the man who was standing behind her, more for his benefit than hers since Jadis could see the pale blue elf just fine with her other bodies. Standing at a respectful distance away with his hands sped behind his back was Lothaire, the fire wizard from the me Wolves mercenarypany. With his long hair swept back and a sharp nose, the man had an almost eagle-like face, which he inclined towards the table atrge in greeting.
¡°Lothaire,¡± Syd nodded back at the elf. ¡°How have you been? Burn any interesting demonstely?¡±
¡°A few,¡± he smiled ever so slightly. ¡°We have mostly been focused on clearing the tunnels immediately around Far Felsen which has meant our foes have been generally much of the same as you would find above ground, but there have been a few memorable encounters.¡±
¡°Thanks again for blowing me and that demon up, by the way,¡± Dys said dryly.
¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Lothaire bowed slightly at the waist. ¡°It was quite fortunate that you didn¡¯t die, though part of that fortune is because I have a skill that actively reduces the damage my spells do to allies caught in the radius of my spells.¡±
¡°Oh! That¡¯s a wonderful skill to have,¡± Eir said, smiling at her fellow elf. ¡°Maybe someday A will learn something simr for her spells.¡±
Lothaire¡¯s gaze turned to a red-faced A, the woman putting on a remarkable show of looking unbothered while Kerr continued to suck her cock under the table.
¡°You may yet, though I must warn you, young mage, that it was not until muchter levels and many friendly fire incidents that I gained the skill. However, if you are interested in such a spell modification, I suggest you catch your allies in your spells intentionally in a controlled environment. It¡¯s the safest way to potentially earn that skill.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± A cleared her throat, ¡°for the advice.¡±
Before Lothaire could continue, a much louder voice shouted from across the dining room.
¡°
Hey, you blue-assed wanker! Get back here and order so we can get our food!¡±
Lothaire closed his eyes and slightly shook his head before releasing a small sigh. Opening his eyes, he nodded to A and then the table atrge.
¡°Mypanions call for me. I do hope we get another chance to talk at greater length.¡±
¡°Yeah, another time,¡± Syd smiled at the wizard as the others murmured their own good-days.
Jadis watched Lothaire return to his table on the other side of the room where a few other men sat. She recognized therge orc as being the barbaric one with an unusually loud voice, but the bald healer was there too, as well as a strikingly handsome, almost effeminate man. While she couldn¡¯t be sure, Jadis guessed that the girlish-faced man was likely the knight she¡¯d seen in the past who was wielding a lightning de.
¡°That was nice of him to offer some advice, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Eir turned to A. ¡°He didn¡¯t have to¡ªare you okay?¡±
Eir¡¯s concerned question was prompted by A¡¯s closed eyes as her whole body shivered involuntarily. She took a shuddering breath, but then opened her eyes and smiled in an almost natural way at the priestess.
¡°Fine, thank you,¡± she said with only the slightest hitch in her voice. ¡°And yes, that was good advice, though nothing that isn¡¯t already written about in most arcane magic instructional tomes.¡±
As A talked to Eir, Dys quickly nced under the table to see Kerr pulling away from A¡¯s cock. Her face was a wet mess, but she had the same expression as the cat who¡¯d gotten the cream. Without attracting attention, Dys slipped the sodden therion a cloth napkin, which she used to wipe off her face. She even quickly wiped off A¡¯s half-softened member before gently putting it back in ce.
A few momentster, Kerr slipped out from under the table while the others were distracted by the waitress returning to the table with the first of their many tes of food.
¡°Oh, Kerr, where have you been?¡± Eir asked when she noticed the archer adjusting her seat. ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for a while.¡±
¡°Just went to get a drink,¡± Kerr said while grinning at a ring A. ¡°But I already finished it. I¡¯ll need to get another one soon.¡±
Chapter 166: Creation
Chapter 166: Creation
Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure where A and Kerr had disappeared to. After their, more thrilling for some than others, lunch the group had headed back to their guild hall. After the erotic disy under the table, Jadis had been more then willing to spend the rest of the afternoon holed up in their bedroom, especially considering the abruptly halted sexy times from that morning. However, both her girlfriend and her therion lover had excused themselves to have a private discussion.
She could only imagine how that talk was going to go.
Sabina had gone back to the forge with Syd¡¯s damaged armor and Thea had gone with her. Part of their talks over food had involved not only Thea¡¯s still cobbled together shield, but also the hydra scales the group had collected from the in beast. The smith hade up with ns to use those scales to enhance the armor Thea wore, as well as improve the shield Jadis had made her. Since Sabina wanted both Thea¡¯s measurements and her input, the quietest of their growing group had followed the most talkative back to her ce of work. At least Thea liked to listen.
That left Jadis alone with Eir. Not a bad prospect by any means in her opinion. However, while the two did end up retiring to their shared bedchamber, their afternoon wasn¡¯t spent in the way Jadis had expected to when alone with the gorgeous and sexy elf.
¡°This is a book of parables,¡± Eir exined as she gently turned the pages of the book Jadis had scavenged from D¡¯s temple when she¡¯d first arrived on Oros. ¡°Tales that a priest would have read to a congregation to illustrate various lessons and morals. These stories are all centered around Destarious and those who follow his teachings, for good and bad.¡±
¡°Exactly what kind of morals does D teach to his followers?¡± Syd asked while looking at the pages from over Eir¡¯s shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s the god of luck and secrets, right?¡±
¡°Luck, secrets, madness, mischief, lies,¡± Eir listed as she ticked off her fingers on one hand. ¡°All are within his domain. Most of his tales involve the misuse of such actions, but they can also show how the clever application of one of his attributes can be of great use in one¡¯s life.¡±
Now there was a thought. Jadis could barely imagine it. A whole temple full of worshippers listening to a priest exin how lying was a good thing under certain circumstances, and that sometimes rolling the dice was the correct and just course of action. It definitely sounded like the kind of sermon D would enjoy, though.
Syd shifted where she sat on the bed, propped up with pillows against the wall. Eir sat with her plush bottom right in herp, which meant Syd couldn¡¯t help but be just a little hard as the elf subtly wiggled her ass against her, but as both were still clothed both remained rtively chaste in the touches.
Jay and Dysy on either side, mirror opposites of each other as they stretched out with their heads propped up on their hands. The only difference between the two was Jay held the ss jar containing their little demon hatchling.
The small demon wiggled around inside the jar, its neon blue eye shifting between staring at Jay and looking at Eir. The priestess had given the demon more than a few dirty looks, but she¡¯de to terms with the fact that Jadis wasn¡¯t getting rid of it and thus refrained fromment.
¡°Anything in that book about demons?¡± Jay asked while giving the jar a gentle shake. ¡°Maybe stories about demons that for mysterious reasons actually help rather than harm a person?¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Eir shook her head and gave the hatchling a frown. ¡°At least not the helping part. There are many stories involving demons, but the Spawn of Samleos are always depicted as the antagonists of such stories. Rightfully so, considering their purpose.¡±
¡°What purpose is that?¡± Dys asked. ¡°I mean, I get that they¡¯re hostile towards everything that isn¡¯t a demon, and that¡¯s because Valtar and Samleos are fighting or something like that, but I don¡¯t really know the details. Why are they fighting? What about the other gods, what¡¯s their stake in all this? What¡¯s the end goal for Samleos and his demons anyway?¡±
Jadis had learned a few things about the religious situation on Oros during her time among the natives, though she¡¯d never sat down and had a real exnation given as to what the cycle of demonic invasions was all about. Not from the local perspective, anyway. She knew what D had told her, that Samleos and Valtar were at odds and thus were fighting it out with Oros as the prize, but that didn¡¯t mean that¡¯s how the people of Oros saw things. Jadis wanted to know more about the how¡¯s and why¡¯s of the war. And what better way to learn than from a priestess who had no doubt been studying such things her whole life?
Eir leaned back against Syd and gave Dys a considering look.
¡°Since you¡¯re from another world, I suppose you don¡¯t have any knowledge about how the world, or rather, how
Oros was created, do you?¡±
¡°Not a clue,¡± Dys shook her head. ¡°Though I¡¯d like to know more.¡±
Those were the magic words. With a breathtaking smile, Eir snuggled into Syd¡¯s arms and began telling Jadis the story of how the world began.
In the beginning, or so Eir told her in a flowery, almost song-like cadence, the world was an empty void. The gods lived separately from one another in their hallowed halls and across the dark sea of nothingness they would sail to visit one another. The vast emptiness held nothing of value and was simply a space to pass through.
It was Valtar who made the trip across the void most frequently due to his love for his wife, Lyssandria, so it was he who suggested to the nine other gods that the emptiness between their halls should be a ce, rather than just a passage. So it was agreed by all ten that a world would be made, one that was filled with life, so that their travels would no longer be through the cold of oblivion but in the warmth of the sun and the grace of growth and change.
Each one of the ten gods contributed to the building of the world, each adding their own touch to its creation.
Svaroga hammered the earth from the void and the world gained the mountains and the valleys and all thend between.
Tamar warmed the dark ocean with her breath and the world gained the winds and the storms and the rains fell across thend to makekes and rivers.
Ulya took a coal from her hearth and set it rolling in the sky and the world gained the light of day and the dark of night.
Villthyrial seeded thend from his own garden and from those seeds the world gained the wild forests and the beasts who dwell within.
Metethys plucked a perfect stone from her fountain and ced it in the sky opposite the sun and the world gained the changing of the months and the passage of time.
Lyssandria yed her lyre and the world gained music and beauty and all life within it knew what it was to love.
Charos brandished his sword and the world gained courage and wrath and all life within it knew what it was to fight.
Destarious spoke his riddles and the world gained secrets and madness of its own and all life within it knew what it was to chance.
Samleos drove his staff into the earth and the world gained corruption and finality and all life within it knew what it was to die.
And Valtar, father of all, made the mortal races of the world and set them into the world to be a part of it, to grow and thrive within it, and to learn all the lessons of the gods who made it.
The world that the ten gods made was beautiful and full of life and change. All the gods were happy with it and loved it and called it their own. And so it was that the world they made flourished.
¡°When did the problems start?¡± Jay asked after Eir finished her long and poetic recounting of the creation of Oros. ¡°I assume Samleos started some shit?¡±
Eir shook her head.
¡°I have read some books written by schrly priests that me the schism that formed between the gods on Samleos, but the oldest scriptures do not bear that out. In truth, all the gods share some of the me because all of them grew jealous of Oros and the mortal lives that dwelled therein.¡±
¡°Let me guess,¡± Dys raised an eyebrow. ¡°They fought over who the world really belonged to?¡±
¡°Precisely,¡± Eir nodded solemnly. ¡°They had all put so much work and effort into the world that all imed sovereignty over it in the same way that they rule over their individual Halls. The worship of the mortals who inhabit Oros was a particr point of contention and led directly to the War of Ages.
¡°The gods fought each other, not only in their Hallowed Halls but also here on Oros. Their many servants rallied to their cause and the war raged for uncounted generations of mortal lives. The destruction was so terrible that Oros was irreparably scarred. Those hills just outside of the city are actual remnants from those long-ago days of divine wrath.¡±
Jadis had wondered about the odd shape of the Broken Hills surrounding Far Felsen. They hardly looked naturally urring, but she hadn¡¯t put too much thought into the formation of the fracturedndscape. In a world of demons and magic, who was to say that there couldn¡¯t be strange features in thend that Jadis wouldn¡¯t think possible back on Earth.
¡°So what happened? What changed things?¡± Dys asked Eir, feeling surprisingly invested in the religious story.
Maybe it was because she knew the gods were real, having met a couple of them, or maybe it was because of the way Eir told the tale, but Jadis was entranced by the story that the priestess told.
¡°ording to the scriptures, Metethys was the first to call for peace with an appeal to reason. The war between the gods had ravaged the world and killed off many of the mortals who had flourished in thend before the destruction began. In the end, all the gods agreed to a truce. None would hold direct sway over Oros and to make sure that remained the case, none would exercise their direct power upon the world again, either. This is called The Covenant, and it is actually the main reason why you exist.¡±
¡°Me?¡± Jadis eximed in unison. ¡°What do I have to do with this Covenant?¡±
¡°Not you specifically,¡± Eir corrected. ¡°But your race, the Nephilim. When the gods agreed to withdraw their direct influence from the world, they also agreed that each god would have a mortal race that was dedicated to them and them alone. These avatars would be the truest, most direct connection between the gods and the peoples of Oros and would be their representation among the other mortal races.
¡°So, when the gods molded their Children and ced them upon the world, Lyssandria made the Nephilim, which is why you are her child. The Nephilim were born to the world to be Lyssandria¡¯s avatars, to spread her teachings and her will among the other mortal races, so that when they die and their souls depart the mortal in, they are weed in her halls.¡±
¡°Why do the gods need representation on Oros?¡± Jay asked with a frown. ¡°Why not just take the souls in after they die, regardless?¡±
As a once lost and stranded soul, that question was of burning importance to Jadis. While she recognized that the rules on Oros could hardly apply to Earth, she figured there had to be some parallels.
¡°It¡¯s part of the covenants,¡± the elven priestess smiled patiently. ¡°It was actually part of why they fought in the first ce. Before the War of Ages, the gods would fight over the souls of the departed since many mortals would live their lives by following any and all of the teachings of the gods. Not a bad thing to do, mind you, but because of this practice, all the gods felt they had rights upon the soul and would turn to fighting over who had the greater im.
¡°Now, per The Covenant, the soul goes to the hall of the god they either worshiped specifically or lived their life following their teachings and values most closely. The Children of the Gods, like the Nephilim, were meant to spread the word of their gods and keep their ways in the minds of mortals always, so that we won¡¯t lose our way.¡±
¡°Okay, I think I get it,¡± Jay nodded, though she still had a few questions about the logistics. ¡°But if the gods came to an agreement and worked everything out so that no one god would have greater influence than the others, what happened with Samleos?¡±
Eir¡¯s smile waned. With a sad look, she motioned to the hatchling inside the jar Jadis held.
¡°Samleos tricked the other gods. While the others made their Children, he crafted his Spawn. The avatar races were never meant to popte the world the way we mortals do, which is why there are so few of each of the gods¡¯ Children. By the Covenants rules, the beings that the gods created after the War of Ages are not meant to rece, only guide. But Samleos still coveted the world and held a grudge against Valtar who had fought against him so fervently during the divine war. He made his Children specifically with the ability to possess mortal flesh. The demons were made with that one purpose in mind, to take every mortal life, either by corruption or destruction.¡±
¡°And if every mortal life in the world is possessed by a demon,¡± Jay said slowly while looking at the hatchling wiggling in her hand, ¡°then Samleos effectively owns the world.¡±
Eir nodded somberly.
¡°Precisely.¡±
Chapter 167: Avatars
Chapter 167: Avatars
¡°So this little guy has a direct link to Samleos, huh?¡±
Jay regarded the demon hatching she¡¯d been carrying around for the majority of her time on Oros. The little tentacled devil hardly seemed like a threat. Sure, it was an alien-looking thing, what with itsrge single eye and many wriggling arms, but it wasn¡¯t exactly intimidating. In fact, the miniature horror had tried to save A¡¯s life during the battle against the Burning Rancor. At least, that was how Jadis interpreted the demonling¡¯s actions, since she couldn¡¯t imagine what else it had been trying to do.
If the demon was in directmunication with Samleos, the god that wanted to destroy all mortal life on Oros, that certainly upped the potential danger of the hatchling. However, if it was the case that the demonling was essentially a being in the same position as her, an avatar that could speak to and hear the guidance of their patron god, then Jadis had to ask: how direct was thatmunication?
Jadis had yet to speak with a god outside of her time before reincarnation and the single oracle ritual she¡¯d performed with Eir so far. Prayer, meditation, and direct appeal had yielded no result. She had no idea if she was doing something wrong or if Lyssandria and D just weren¡¯t talking to her. Or maybe they had been sending her messages in some way but Jadis was just too ignorant to understand how to interpret those messages. Whatever the reason for the failure, the failure was there all the same.
Did the demon have a better idea of how tomunicate with Samleos? Did it have some instinctual knowledge that allowed it to talk with its dark god as easily as Jadis might talk with Eir? Or was it just as clueless as she was, since she¡¯d taken it from its dead mother¡¯s corpse when it was still just an egg. The demonling had never had any direct interaction with another demon in its life. Not once. Did that make a difference?
Would that make a difference for Jadis?
¡°Do you think this one-eye is talking to Samleos right now?¡± Jay asked as she idly observed the strange ways the squidling moved inside its jar. ¡°What do you think it¡¯s saying?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure that it would have much of anything to say at all,¡± Eir replied. ¡°I know you have some strange ideas on the subject, but demons are known for their ferocity, not their intelligence. I would say that it is a river that flows to the demons, not a pathway messages can be sent along freely from either end.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Jay said, setting the demon aside while moving a little closer to Eir. ¡°But demons, like Nephilim, are ¡®children¡¯ of their respective gods, so it¡¯s the same mechanics as far as listening to the guidance of their deity, right? Same for the other, what, eight races? The ones that were made by their respective gods, I mean.¡±
Eir nodded in agreement.
¡°I believe so. I¡¯ve spoken to a few Seraphim in the temples back in Eldingholt, the capital. They always spoke of receiving guidance from Valtar, though I admit they didn¡¯t describe it in the same way as high priests describe asking questions of the gods or your own interactions.¡±
¡°How did they describe it?¡± Syd asked before resting her chin on top of Eir¡¯s head.
¡°Honestly,¡± Eir hummed while she thought. ¡°They didn¡¯t go into the details much. Faustus, he was a Seraphim who frequented the temple I worshiped in when I was a child, he would tell me about the warm feelings he would get whenever he would speak to the All Father. He described speaking with Valtar the same way you would a hug from your father. Strong and warm and solid. But I¡¯m afraid I never pursued more information on exactly how hemunicated with Valtar. I never hoped to do the same.¡±
At Jay and Dys¡¯ dual questioning looks, Eir borated.
¡°We priests and priestesses pray to the gods. But we receive no more direct an answer to our prayers than any other person. We¡¯re all mortals, children born of Valtar when he created the many races of the world, but we aren¡¯t his Seraphim. We can talk to him all we want, but we can¡¯t hear from him directly per the Covenant. Only the Children of the Gods can do so.¡±
¡°And oracles,¡± Dys pointed out. ¡°The system lets you potentially learn sses that let you speak with the gods.¡±
¡°True,¡± Eir nodded with a smile. ¡°Very true. The gods did make allowances in the system they created for those who truly pursuemunication with them.¡±
¡°Well, I can ask D for more info on how to do this whole ¡®guidance¡¯ thing with Lyssandria,¡± Dys sighed. ¡°But I¡¯d rather use the question on something else if possible. Plus, knowing him, he¡¯d probably answer in some purposefully unhelpful way. I think he gets a special joy in messing with me.¡±
¡°He¡¯s the god of mischief,¡± Eir shrugged. ¡°I believe he enjoys ¡®messing¡¯ with everyone. It¡¯s sort of his specialty.¡±
¡°Right¡¡± Dys trailed off.
¡°Are there any Seraphim around Weigrun?¡± Jay asked from Eir¡¯s other side. ¡°Or maybe one of those other avatar races? Like Dryads? Maybe if I talk to one of them, they can exin how they handle talking to their god and it¡¯ll help me figure it out on my end.¡±
The elf tilted her head in thought, her slender ears twitching. Jadis couldn¡¯t help herself at the sight and Syd mped her lips down around one of the delicate tips. Eir gasped and giggled at the touch before yfully pushing Syd¡¯s mouth away.
¡°I know there aren¡¯t any Seraphim in Far Felsen. There might be elsewhere in Weigrun, but if there are they are unknown to me. We can ask High Priest Gerhardt to be sure. He would know.¡±
¡°And the other races?¡± Jay asked.
¡°What are the other races, anyway?¡± Syd tacked the question on.
Jadis had heard different names in passing, such as Seraphim and Dryads, but those weren¡¯t all of them, she was sure. Plus, even though those names conjured specific images in her head based on Earth lore, she didn¡¯t know how directly those ideas tranted to Oros. A bit more information on the other Children of the Gods seemed like both a good idea, and also a point of genuine curiosity.
¡°I don¡¯t know if there are any others in Weigrun,¡± Eir admitted. ¡°Again, High Priest Gerhardt would probably know, so we can ask him. Though there are some races who simply go wherever they please and don¡¯t give much in the way of forewarning.¡±
¡°Tell me about them, please,¡± Jadis requested as she snuggled all three of her selves a little further into the mountain of pillows. ¡°Tell me who the different races are and what they¡¯re like.¡±
The topic was an easy one for Eir to exin, and she did so with the relish of one who was truly devoted to their task.
The Seraphim were, just as Jadis already knew, Valtar¡¯s avatars. She wasn¡¯t surprised when Eir¡¯s description proved them to be angelic figures, with wings on their backs and everything. No halo, but Jadis guessed that was a bit silly to expect. The other distinguishing feature Eir told her about them were their eyes. They didn¡¯t have round pupils like humans or orcs, nor did they have the cat-like eyes of the therions, or solid color eyes like elves. Seraphim eyes were shaped like crosses, a detail Jadis found odd. It would at least make them easy to identify, she supposed, if the giant bird wings on their backs didn¡¯t do the trick.
Destarious had his Fetch, a race of shape changers, which Jadis thought suited the god well when she thought of his strange indescribable nature. ording to Eir, no one knew for certain what a Fetch looked like in its natural state since they never revealed it. When asked, they always lied, either by transforming into something nonsensical and making a joke or by pretending to reveal the truth as a confidence before ultimately taking it back and iming a different form as the truth. Not even death cleared up the mystery, since when in a Fetch would simply melt into a formless puddle.
Charos, the god of war as Jadis understood him, had created a race called the Valbjorn. Bulky and bear-like, they were terrors on the battlefield and reveled in anything that had to do withpetition. Jadis imagined them looking simr to Noll but without the horns, which Eir agreed was close to the truth, though she herself could only go by artistic depictions since she¡¯d never seen one in person.
The Lares were the avatars of Ulya, goddess of hearth and home, and were perhaps the mostmonly seen of the Gods¡¯ Children. Eir had met several of them over the years. They were, in essence,rge cats made of fire. Or their hair was made of fire. Eir wasn¡¯t sure which, but in either case the mes only burned those that had provoked the Lares¡¯ scorn. To anyone else, their fire was no different from the warmth of putting one¡¯s hands in front of a fire on a cold winter¡¯s day.
Villthyrial had his Dryads who were tasked with growing the forests and protecting the beasts within. Apparently, out of all the different avatar races, the Dryads were the least concerned with spreading their god¡¯s message among the mortal races and were the most rarely seen as a consequence. They weren¡¯t exactly the same as the dryads of earth mythology from how Eir described them, since they weren¡¯t human-looking woman who lived in trees and were instead men and women with nt-like features, but either way they sounded interesting to Jadis, especially when she thought of how Thea had been captivated by one in her youth.
Golems were the avatars of Metethys. Since she was the goddess of knowledge and learning, Golems could mostmonly be found in the great schrly institutes of the world, though some could be asionally found wandering thends, imparting wisdom to any who approached them but otherwise remaining inscrutable as to their goals. Other than being made of inorganic materials like crystals and stone, Golems had no set look to their form and could be either extremely human-like, or utterly inhuman.
¡°And that is all of them,¡± Eir said after finishing her description of a Golem she¡¯d seen in the capital once that looked like a giant crystal butterfly. ¡°Other than Nephilim and demons, of course.¡±
¡°But that¡¯s only eight,¡± Syd frowned. ¡°There are ten gods, right? What about thest two?¡±
Eir smiled sadly up at Syd while patting the arm wrapped around her waist.
¡°Thest two are lost, just as the Nephilim once were before you brought them back with your rebirth. Both Tamar¡¯s and Svaroga¡¯s Children were in by the demons long, long ago.¡±
That unfortunately made sense to Jadis. Thinking about it, she remembered being told that the Nephilim weren¡¯t the only race to have been driven to extinction by demonic invasions. If the whole point of Samleos¡¯ never-ending war was to take all the mortal races away from the other gods like Valtar, then it made sense that he¡¯d target the other avatar races whenever possible.
¡°What were those races like? And when did they¡ you know,¡± Jay asked while trying to be respectful about a topic that could be sensitive in nature.
¡°Tamar¡¯s Children were called the Merrow,¡± Eir said after a moment of thought. ¡°They were creatures of the water, apparently, half fish and half elf. They were the first race to be destroyed by Samleos and his spawn. This was thousands of years ago, so I¡¯m not well versed on the subject,¡± Eir said with an apologetic smile, ¡°but as I remember the stories, they were known for being quite beautiful and passionate beings, fickle like the winds but a joy all the same.¡±
¡°Damn,¡± Jay shook her head. ¡°Missed out on meeting mermaids by a few millennia.¡±
¡°Mer¡ maids?¡±
¡°Earth thing,¡± Jay waved Eir¡¯s questioning expression away. ¡°What about Svaroga¡¯s avatars? He¡¯s the god of, what, mountains?¡±
¡°The god of crafting and forges, but mountains too,¡± Eir corrected. ¡°His people were called the Dvergr. Short and stout and with long, braided beards, they¡¯d spend all their time mining the mountains for the gems and ores that Svaroga put there for them to find. Secrets about smithing and enchanting are said to be passed down among families who learned them from Dvergr in ages past¡ª¡±
Eir¡¯s mouth snapped shut and her eyes went wide in surprise as both Jay and Dys abruptly sat straight up with a shouted exmation.
¡°Dwarves!¡±
¡°Pardon?¡± Eir said after a moment, her face twisted in confusion. ¡°Why are you bringing up humans afflicted with dwarfism?¡±
Jay and Dys stared at Eir.
¡°You don¡¯t¡ª¡±
¡°You¡¯ve got that word but you mean you¡ª¡±
¡°You¡¯re messing with me, right?¡± Syd finally asked as Eir leaned back to meet her eyes.
The priestess tilted her head and put one finger to her pursed lips. After a while, her eyes lit up and a look ofprehension washed over her.
¡°Oh! Well, yes, I think historically the word ¡®dwarf¡¯es from the old elvish word ¡®dweorg¡¯ which I believe has the same base phonology as ¡®Dvergr¡¯ though I¡¯m no expert on linguistics. Is that an interest of yours?¡±
Jadis just sighed.
¡°Never mind¡¡±
Chapter 168: Training Day
Chapter 168: Training Day
Hourster, as Eir continued to regale Jadis with stories of Seraphim and Lares she¡¯d met or heard about in the past, A opened the door to their joint bedroom and interrupted them midway through an amusing tale.
¡°¡ªand then the priest pulled the rat from the bowl of soup and¡ªOh! Hello A!¡± Eir eximed with a smile and wave.
¡°Hey Blue,¡± Jadis sent a shining grin at her girlfriend as all three of her selves greeted the freckled mage at once. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±
¡°Dinner¡¯s ready, if you two are hungry?¡± A announced, one eyebrow raised.
Jadis¡¯ trio of rumbling stomachs answered the redhead¡¯s question sinctly and with a good-naturedugh, she and Eir slid out of bed to join the rest of the group waiting for them down the stairs.
¡°So, what were you and Kerr talking about?¡± Jay asked A as they let Eir and her other selves go down the steps first.
¡°Boundaries,¡± A answered dryly. ¡°Mostly. But also about, well, us.¡±
¡°Us?¡± Jay asked with her own brow raised.
¡°What we did in that restaurant was¡ fun. Stupid and risky and I¡¯m not doing that ever again, thank you very much. But it was fun,¡± A said, giving Jay a wry smile. Then her face morphed into a more serious expression. ¡°But it was the first time I did anything sexual with Kerr, or anyone else in our little team, that didn¡¯t rte to a ritual in some way. Or at least my Nephilim ss, I suppose.¡±
Jadis had to think for a moment, but upon review she had to agree. Jadis and her lovers had engaged in plenty of lewd and gratuitous acts of fornication, but she couldn¡¯t think of a situation where A had done anything with one of the others that wasn¡¯t at a minimum during the confines of a sex ritual.
Frowning with worry, Jay leaned in close to A.
¡°Shit, did I fuck up? I didn¡¯t really think about that and I¡ª¡±
¡°Shh, no, it¡¯s fine,¡± A hushed Jay. ¡°Really, I¡¯m not upset. I could have stopped what Kerr was doing at any point, that was my choice to go along with it. I just wanted to, well, make it clear that what Kerr and I did earlier today was something¡ different. It wasn¡¯t sex with a purpose, like your rituals. It was just¡ for the fun, I guess.¡±
Jay let out a soft sigh and gave A a tender kiss. When she pulled back, she was grinning and had a twinkle in her violet eyes.
¡°And boy was it fun, huh? Getting away with getting your cock sucked in a room full of strangers?¡±
¡°Shut up,¡± A huffed with no real anger. ¡°I am being serious though.¡±
¡°I know you are,¡± Jay readily agreed and gave A another kiss. ¡°And thank you for bringing it up. I guess we should all talk about it, but so I¡¯m clear with you, I see sex as something fun that I enjoy doing with friends that I care about. You and Kerr having some fun together without me directly involved doesn¡¯t bother me at all, because I know you and I know Kerr and I trust you both. Implicitly and without reserve.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± A said, maintaining her coolposure in all ways except the blush spreading to her ears. ¡°I feel the same way about you.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Jay said with a smallugh. ¡°Now, we better get down there before the other two of me eat all of this grilled manticore tail we¡¯re having cause holy balls it smells good.¡±
The two quickly joined the rest gathered downstairs and took part in a truly wonderful meal made from the strangest ingredient Jadis had ever heard of, hands down. Kerr hadn¡¯t been joking, grilled manticore tail was absolutely delicious. She still didn¡¯t like to think about what the rest of the monster looked like, but the taste of the char-grilled tail definitely made it worth the hunt.
After the pleasant dinner and Sabina had said her farewells to go back to her own apartment, Jadis and her lovers retired to their bedchamber where they spent the rest of the night telling more stories about the other avatar races. Jadis even told a few stories from Earth about Dryads and Dwarves and Golems, which the rest found to be both strange and entertaining.
Of course, Jadis couldn¡¯t talk about dwarves without bringing up a certain dwarf and elf duo from her favorite movie trilogy of all time, which naturally meant Jadis had to exin the typical Earth concept of elves. Kerr had so much fun teasing Eir with that info that Jadis felt as though she had to exin the idea of cat girls in maid outfits to the group.
It was nice to see Kerr on the receiving end of some teasing.
Indeed, considering how badly the morning had gone, the rest of the day had more than made up for it. A saucy lunch, a good talk with greatpany, wonderful meals, and tons of new information to upy her mind as well as some more defined goals for the near future. Jadis couldn¡¯tin at all about how well the day had ended. It was almost enough to make her forget about Noll. Almost.
But she didn¡¯t forget about the frustrating old therion. Nor did he forget about her, as it turned out.
Early the next morning, just as Jadis¡¯ selves were starting to wake on their own, a deep and growling bellow finished the job for her.
¡°Wake up you pups! I¡¯m not growing any younger out here!¡±
All three of Jadis shot bolt upright, discing a few women who made their own displeasure known.
¡°Fucking crap baskets, he¡¯s going to do this every time, isn¡¯t he,¡± Syd grumbled as she apologetically extracted her arm from the grip of a somehow still sleeping Kerr.
¡°Seems like it,¡± A sighed, then rolled off the bed and onto her bare feet.
¡°You don¡¯t have to get up,¡± Jay told her as she got to her own feet on the cold stone floor. Shivering, she made a mental note to invest in some kind of rug. ¡°We have to get up for this training, but you can rest for a while longer.¡±
¡°I¡¯m awake,¡± A shook her head. ¡°No sense in not getting something useful done now that I am.¡±
Looking at the others, Jadis saw Thea also roll out of bed, looking the most awake out of any of them. Eir stared with sleepy eyes and drooping ears, while Kerr still refused to wake.
¡°I¡ªI¡¯ll join you, for the t¡ªtraining,¡± Thea told her as she pulled a pair of pants on. ¡°It will be easier in a g¡ªgroup, I think.¡±
¡°Alright, thanks,¡± Dys told the shieldsworn before giving her a kiss on the top of her head.
The stammering blush that act of endearment prompted from Thea did more to wake Jadis up than any bellow from Noll. Still, she didn¡¯t particrly want to hear Noll shout any more than necessary, so Jadis quickly got her clothes on and was down the stairs and out the back door in short order.
As she entered the open area of the courtyard behind the building, Jadis saw that Noll was back to wearing nothing but his pants and belt. No shoes, no shirt, but he did have his sword with him. The man had a mug of something that steamed in the cold morning air and with how nippy the sea breeze was, Jadis was tempted to turn back inside and get her own hot mug.
Instead, she approached Noll with as much polite humility as she could muster.
¡°Good morning, Noll,¡± Jay greeted the old therion. ¡°So, uh, thanks foring. I mean, still not super thrilled about you basically spying on us, got to be upfront about that, but uh, yeah. We were jackasses yesterday. That¡¯s on us. Sorry.¡±
¡°And also, you were right,
are right, about our level of training,¡± Dys chimed in from Jay¡¯s left. ¡°We don¡¯t really have it, at all. So any pointers you can give us are truly, truly appreciated.¡±
¡°Also, just going to toss this out there, but can we dispense with the whole waking up before the sun has even fullye up thing?¡± Syd added from Jay¡¯s right side. ¡°We¡¯re all basically self employed here, so we don¡¯t
have to rise at the crack of dawn, yeah?¡±
Noll eyed the trio of Nephilim gravely. He took a long sip from his drink before answering.
¡°Good morning,¡± he finally said with a slight nod before waving his free hand in Jay¡¯s direction. ¡°It¡¯s fine. The world¡¯s filled with jackasses. I¡¯m one of them.¡±
Turning towards Syd, he pointed at her and shook his head.
¡°It¡¯s because we¡¯re self employed that we can¡¯t afford to bezy. And I¡¯m too old to let my daylight waste. If I¡¯m going to be training you pups, we¡¯re doing this at the crack of dawn.¡±
As Syd heaved a sigh, Noll turned his pointing hand upon Dys, then snapped it towards Thea who was just thening out the door. She¡¯d taken longer to get dressed, Jadis realized, because she¡¯d opted to don her full armor as well as her spear and shield.
¡°And here¡¯s your first pointer. If you¡¯re going to be training forbat,e prepared forbat. Won¡¯t do you any good to learn how to move if you aren¡¯t wearing the weight you¡¯ll be bearing when actually out in the field. Follow that one¡¯s example. At least she knows what she¡¯s doing.¡±
Jadis blinked, feeling a little confused.
¡°We aren¡¯t going to be doing some kind of physical training first?¡± Dys asked with a tilt of her head.
¡°Yeah, like, running up and down the streets or push ups or something like that?¡± Syd said while waving her hands expressively.
¡°Why?¡± Noll snorted, amusement evident on his face. ¡°What good would that do you? You¡¯re already too strong for any kind of basic exercise to make a difference. We¡¯re skipping that shit. Get your gear on and let¡¯s get to it.¡±
By Noll¡¯smand, Jadis rushed her selves back inside and up the stairs wherein they donned their armor as quickly as possible. A had only just exited the bathroom and upon seeing Jadis throwing her armor on, she and Eir both helped her with the straps and buckles to speed up the process. With all the nking of metal on metal, even Kerr couldn¡¯t sleep through the noise and she groggily got to her feet.
¡°
Je d¨¦teste les matins,¡± she mumbled nearly incoherently before sticking her head out of the window. ¡°Hey, Noll!¡±
¡°What?¡± came the gravelly response from outside.
¡°Don¡¯t fucking break any of my girls! I didn¡¯t get to fuck any of them yesterday and I n to make up for that tonight!¡±
¡°No promises,¡± Noll answered without a hint of humor in his growling tone.
¡°Okay, I tried,¡± Kerr sighed before copsing across a corner of the bed. ¡°Wake me up when there¡¯s breakfast.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Jay rolled her eyes.
Some minutester, all three of Jadis were back down in the courtyard where Noll and Thea waited for them. Fully equipped in her te armor and carrying her giant club and iron axe, Syd also carried Jadis¡¯ trusty old makeshift maul since hernce had been bent out of usable shape.
Noll gave the cobbled-together construction an odd look, but otherwise made noment.
¡°Alright,¡± he started. ¡°Line up over here. First thing we¡¯re going to work on is your footwork. You lot have any skills like ¡®Solid Footwork¡¯ or ¡®Stable Footing¡¯ or the like?¡±
¡°Uh, yeah,¡± Syd answered in surprise. ¡°We do. How¡¯d you know?¡±
¡°You three don¡¯t move your legs right, but your feet are still stable when nted, more than they¡¯d be if you didn¡¯t have a skill aiding you.¡±
Noll grabbed hold of Thea and led the shy woman out in front of the line of giants.
¡°Ready your stance, soldier,¡± Noll growled.
With military speed and precision, Thea snapped into a guarded position with her shield up and her spear pointed out.
¡°Look at her feet. Her legs and hips, too,¡± Noll pointed as he spoke. ¡°Never mind the rest, thates after. Copy her. Get in that stance.¡±
Jadis did her best to copy Thea, falling into afortable stance of her own. Before Noll could say anything, she noticed that while she¡¯d put her feet in the right spots, the way her knees were bent and the angle of her hips wasn¡¯t quite the same. If she¡¯d been just one body with one perspective, she probably wouldn''t have noticed. But since she could physically see both Thea and herself at the same time, she could tell that she wasn¡¯t quite matching what the guardswoman was doing.
After a few self corrections, Jadis had adopted a stance that looked identical to Thea¡¯s. Much to her chagrin, even with her limited experience, she could feel the difference between the two stances. Copying Thea, she felt perceptibly more stable.
¡°Good,¡± Noll nodded his head as he examined each giant in turn. ¡°Quick studies. Good. That skill you have will work better if you know how to stand, too.¡±
At that he abruptly shoved against Dys¡¯ side. She barely swayed.
¡°Good,¡± he repeated, nodding his head in approval. ¡°Now, we work on the shoulders.¡±
Jadis paid close attention to every word Noll spoke as he went over the fundamentals of how to stand, shifting her through several positions, some with and some without her weapons. She was so absorbed in the lesson that she barely even noticed when A called to them from the back door.
¡°It¡¯s breakfast time!¡± she shouted and waved one hand at them. ¡°It¡¯s been two hours already, take a break!¡±
¡°Two hours?¡± Jay said incredulously. ¡°We haven¡¯t even swung an axe yet!¡±
¡°Get used to it,¡± Noll grunted. ¡°You pups have a lot of bad habits I¡¯ve got to train you out of. This is going to take a while.¡±
Chapter 169: Recess
Chapter 169: Recess
Jay mmed a bone thief down onto the ground before mercilessly beating the skeletal demon into crunchy paste. It wasn¡¯t until the unfortunate fiend had been reduced to an unrecognizable mix of crushed bones and ck ichor spread out over a wide radius on the side of the hill that she stopped her relentless assault.
¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to turn in a bounty for that one,¡± Sabinamented from a few yards away with a wide-eyed expression.
Jay heaved a heavy breath before putting her club onto her shoulder. She looked down at the mess she¡¯d created, then back at Sabina.
¡°Worth it,¡± she said with the finality of the truly satisfied.
For the past several days, Jadis had undergone rigorous dawn-to-dusk training under the tender tutge of Noll. The old wolf wasn¡¯t a bad teacher, as it happened. He gave detailed instructions on what Jadis should do and how to do it, speaking with a verboseness when talking aboutbat that he otherwise eschewed when other topics came up. He wasn¡¯t cruel, either. After Jadis¡¯ initial apology for her behavior, he never brought the issue up again, nor did he seek to dole out reprisals. He just focused on teaching Jadis what she needed to know.
Unfortunately, that happened to be quite a lot in his estimation. Even worse, Noll was an exacting personality. He wouldn¡¯t move on from one stance until Jadis had itpletely right. He would tweak the position of her fingers as she gripped the handle of her weapon and the exact tilt of her wrist to an excruciating exactitude. Fortunately, since the three of Jadis were all just her, she didn¡¯t have to wait for three different students to reach the same level of proficiency. If it had been otherwise, Jadis was fairly certain she would have lost her mind.
So, while Jadis wasn¡¯t precisely annoyed with Noll and his teachings, she did have a lot of pent-up energy and frustration she needed to let out before she started breaking things that were actually important.
Hence her trip out into the Broken Hills.
While Jadis was focused on training, the rest of herpany had not been idle. A, Eir, Kerr, and Thea had elected to take Sabina out into the hills on shortrange hunts for any demons that were still lurking in the area near the city. Not much experience was gained, since there weren¡¯t many dangers left around Far Felsen what with the uptick in mercenary and soldier activity. Plus, experience split five ways wasn¡¯t as good as experience split two ways. But Sabina didn¡¯t know about Jadis¡¯ unique body multi-body skill, so to her it didn¡¯t seem as big a change. Besides, some experience was better than no experience.
But after four days of dealing with Noll¡¯s practically OCD levels of precision, Jadis had told the old wolf she had to get out into the fields because she¡¯d made a promise to Sabina. Noll hadn¡¯t objected, much to Jadis¡¯ surprise.
¡°If you¡¯re going to waste coin like that, you should waste it on food or drink.¡±
He did still follow her, though.
¡°It¡¯s my ¡®coin¡¯ I can waste it however I want.¡±
Noll only grunted at that reply, which Jadis had learned was his default response to just about any conversation that didn¡¯t have to do with battle.
Choosing to ignore him, Jadis gathered Sabina up and headed further to the east. There weren¡¯t many demons close to the city, but there were still plenty of them further out. With her speed, Jadis was able to range further than herpanions and thus had far more targets to take down. Most of the demons she came across were solo or in small groups, never more than a half dozen. Jadis guessed that had something to do with how many mercenary patrols were canvassing the hills, but she couldn¡¯t be sure.
One thing she was sure of were the effects of the few days of training she¡¯d received so far.
Noll had almost exclusively focused on teaching her how to stand, how to hold her weapons, and how to hold her own weight in various positions. She¡¯d barely even swung her weapons at all during those days of training, and yet, as she crushed the minor demons she encountered as she forged her way eastward, she could definitely feel a difference in how she was handling herself. Her feet were more solid on the ground and she felt more bnced during and after every attack she made. She was able to swing her weapons more rapidly as she recovered from her initial attacks faster. There was no arguing with results. Noll¡¯s training had made her a better fighter.
A growling sigh from behind her caused Dys¡¯ head to drop in resignation.
¡°What is it?¡± she heaved a sigh of her own as she pulled her axe from the body of another dead wretch.
¡°You¡¯re swinging too big.¡±
¡°Swinging too big?¡± Dys repeated as she turned to face the older mercenary. ¡°What does that even mean, swinging too big?¡±
Noll crossed the distance between them with long strides before roughly taking the axe from Dys¡¯ hands.
¡°Look. This is you,¡± he said before swinging the axe in a chopping motion.
He cut the air from right to left in a downward arc, smooth and swift and strong. Jadis didn¡¯t see the problem.
¡°This is how you should be,¡± Noll said, then repeated the same motion.
Except, looking at the man from three different perspectives, Jadis saw the difference. The first time, Noll had swung so far that his right shoulder had fully turned forward, exposing his hunched back to the space in front of him. The second time, even though he still looked just as sure and powerful, he stopped before his arms took him that far.
¡°You see?¡± he asked before shoving the axe back into Dys¡¯ hands. ¡°You¡¯re overextending. Stop showing the enemy your back. It¡¯s not doing you any good to swing that big and it could get you killed.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Dys nodded before taking a practice swing of her own.
Noll grimaced but nodded once.
¡°Better.¡±
The next few hours of travel continued on in much the same fashion. Jadis would spot demonic activity and run in to kill it while carrying Sabina along so she could soak in the experience points. Noll would follow behind, asionally giving her abrupt corrections on how she should move or swing the weapon whichever one of her bodies was holding. He didn¡¯t talk much otherwise, and generally stayed far enough back that Jadis didn¡¯t think he was leeching any of the experience. That didn¡¯t mean the trip was silent, though. Sabina kept up a running monologue, talking about ideas she had for armor and weapons or even random tools that had nothing to do withbat at all.
It was while Jadis was nting the idea of an automatic washing machine in the smith¡¯s head that they stumbled across a semicircle of stone buildings overlooking a deep cut in the coastal cliff. It took her a moment, since she¡¯d never seen it from a top-down perspective before, but eventually she put the pieces together.
¡°That¡¯s war, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Hm?¡± Sabina said, trailing off as she looked where Syd was pointing. ¡°Oh, yes! I think it is. Have we really gone forty miles already? It¡¯s such a long way and it¡¯s only been a few hours!¡±
Jadis was struck with a sudden impulse to run away from the cursed location. After all, it was the scene of her biggest defeat, the one time she¡¯d been forced to flee from demons with no other recourse. A lot of people had died in that abandoned vige. People she barely knew, for sure, but still people she¡¯d beenughing and joking with not minutes before they¡¯d been literally blown to pieces by foul demonic magics.
She ruthlessly squashed that cowardly instinct. Retreat had been a necessity at that time but Jadis wasn¡¯t about to let fear rule her actions. Running away wouldn¡¯t do her or anyone else any good anyway.
¡°That where you pups got lost in the tunnels?¡±
All three of Jadis were startled at Noll¡¯s sudden intrusion into her dour thoughts. She hadn¡¯t heard him approach at all. Sabina squeaked as Syd nearly dropped her and clutched onto her neck even tighter.
¡°Uh, yeah,¡± Jay answered the merc. ¡°That¡¯s the ce.¡±
¡°Fucking Twisted Wretch Matriarch drove us under,¡± Dys exined, feeling an urge to justify her choices. ¡°Couldn¡¯t get out because of a bunch of grundwyrms guarding the exit and we couldn¡¯t get close to the matriarch because of all those fumes and shit. Didn¡¯t have a lot of choices.¡±
¡°I¡¯d love to have a second crack at that bitch,¡± Syd growled, tightening her grip on thence Sabina had straightened for her.
Noll only hummed a little to that deration, otherwise refraining fromment. Jadis couldn¡¯t help but think he had a deeper opinion on the matter than he was letting on, one that didn¡¯t view her too favorably, but she might have just been projecting.
¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s still there, do you?¡± Sabina asked worriedly, craning her neck to get a better look at the vige.
¡°Not likely,¡± Noll answered before pointing a wed finger at the cobblestone road leading into the edge of the vige.
A wagon stood there with aurochs hitched to its front. Several armored figures were milling about it. Nearby, she could see a pole with a g bearing the blue eagle on a white field that indicated they were Imperial soldiers.
¡°There¡¯s a tunnel entrance in there,¡± Jay mused. ¡°Makes sense Vraekae would have sent some guards to watch over it.¡±
¡°First name basis with the Magistrate, huh?¡± Noll chuckled.
¡°With as often as she sticks her blue nose in our business? Yes.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s go say hello and check things out,¡± Dys suggested. ¡°Might as well while we¡¯re here.¡±
¡°Okay that¡¯s fine but if a demon matriarch shows up I¡¯d really rather not disappear into the tunnels for a couple of weeks because that sounds awful not because it¡¯d be with you but because that sounds scary and dangerous and I¡¯m not a fighter like you though I trust you to keep me safe but that¡¯s still a frightening prospect and shit I¡¯ll shut up now.¡±
Jadis contained herughter at Sabina¡¯s nervous rambling. She had no intention of being forced under ground again. While she didn¡¯t know about her odds against the Twisted Wretch Matriarch when she didn¡¯t have herpanions with her, she was absolutely certain a trio of grundwyrms wouldn¡¯t pose much of an obstacle to her anymore. Not with her recent increase in strength. Maybe that was a bit of overestimation of her abilities, she had to admit to herself upon a moment¡¯s reflection, but not much of one. The big stone demons just weren¡¯t the threat to her that they once were.
Jadis made her way down the hill with Sabina and Noll in tow. It only took a couple of minutes to get down to the vige¡¯s edge and once she was there, she could see that there were a lot more soldiers stationed at the previously abandoned vige than she¡¯d thought. Dozens of men were present, many of them working on repairing the outer walls of the vige. They¡¯d also partially transformed one of the buildings near the entrance into a tower, several of the men busily working on adding timbers to the construction in order to finish the elevated position.
¡°Who goes?¡± a man wearing the white surcoat of the military demanded as Jadis approached.
He and another guard stood at the fore of the vige gates, clearly acting as sentries. The wagon led by aurochs was just inside the gates, along with a squad of horses and several soldiers, some of whom were unloading the wagon while others among them watched Jadis¡¯ approach.
¡°Who goes?¡± the soldier next to him echoed while turning to the first with an incredulous look. ¡°They¡¯re sodding giants you daft fool, who do you think they are?¡±
¡°Could be a trick,¡± the first man answered defensively. ¡°Maybe even a demonic one. In any case, I said ¡®Who Goes¡¯ and I haven¡¯t heard who it is yet!¡±
¡°Jay, Dys, Syd, and Sabina of Fortune¡¯s Favored,¡± Jay called out after stopping afortable distance away from the two soldiers acting as guards. ¡°And Noll. He¡¯s with us, I guess, but he¡¯s an independent.¡±
¡°Noll? Noll
the Savage? The first man stared at the therion with his mouth gaping. ¡°I saw you at the Golden Leaf Tournament five years ago! You trounced Gallus in the finals! Can I get your autograph?¡±
The second guard loudly cleared his throat and the first seemed to regain his senses.
¡°Right, ahem, well,¡± he took a stiff posture. ¡°I¡¯ll need to check you lot to make sure you¡¯re not possessed.¡±
¡°Bad news for you if I am,¡± Noll said while bearing all of his sharp white teeth. ¡°You¡¯d miss out on your autograph.¡±
With an audible gulp, the man pulled a small round stone with a hole through the middle of it from a pouch at his side. Familiar with the process, Jadis made no objection as the man activated the enchanted item with a word and the runes carved into the stone red to life.
¡°Three Nephilim, all CLR forty-nine,¡± the guard mumbled. ¡°Elf-human hybrid, level seventeen¡ crafter ss? Alright then¡¡±
He turned the stone on Noll and let out an amazed exhtion.
¡°CLR one hundred and fifty-seven! That¡¯s what, twenty levels higher than you were at the tourney? Fucking amazing! Uh, amazing job, sir. Keep up the good work.¡± The soldier finishedmely as he reigned his energetic response back in.
¡°Okay then,¡± Jay broke into the conversation before the fanboy could start gushing again. ¡°Now that you know we¡¯re not demons, mind if we go in and check the ce out? Ourst trip to war didn¡¯t end so great but we kind of want to take another look around if that¡¯s alright.¡±
¡°And if you need help with any demons, we¡¯re happy to assist,¡± Syd added in an attempt to butter the two guards up. ¡°No charge.¡±
¡°Appreciate the offer,¡± the second man said with a courteous nod at Syd. ¡°But we¡¯ve got everything under control here.¡±
¡°Also, no admittance,¡± the first guard said stiffly to Jay. ¡°By general Egilhard¡¯s orders. Now about that autograph¡ª¡±
¡°Who the fuck is general Egilhard?¡± Dys asked, one fist going to her hip. ¡°Isn¡¯t Weigrun run by Magistrate Vraekae?¡±
Before Jadis could quite register the cringing expressions on the two soldiers¡¯ faces, a human man with a salt and pepper beard walked out from a group of soldiers that had been variously working and observing the interaction between her and the guards. A glimmer of recognition went through Jadis¡¯ memory as she felt certain she¡¯d seen the man somewhere before, though she couldn¡¯t quite ce where or when.
¡°I¡¯m general Egilhard,¡± the man said with a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach his grey eyes. ¡°And The Magistrate isn¡¯t the only person of authority charged with the protection of Weigrun from demonic forces.¡±
Chapter 170: The General
Chapter 170: The General
¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you three directly,¡± General Egilhard greeted Jadis¡¯ three selves. ¡°Your exploits are the talk of the town, and not just because of your frankly miraculous origins. The way the three of you were able to take down that Burning Rancor was astounding, especially for a trio of meleebatants that haven¡¯t even reached CLR sixty yet. Truly impressive work.¡±
The general made a point of firmly shaking each of Jadis¡¯ hands as he spoke. He looked each of her selves confidently in the eye, his polite smile stered on his face. He wasn¡¯t the most handsome man Jadis had ever met, but his salt and pepper beard gave him a distinguished look while his self-assured demeanor enhanced his charisma.
¡°Thanks,¡± Jay said, feeling a little awkward with the interaction. Something about the way the man looked and acted gave her the feeling of being a cashier who was being congratted by a regional manager. ¡°Had a lot of help on that one, but yeah. Tough fight.¡±
¡°Take credit where it¡¯s due,¡± Egilhard insisted. ¡°That greater demon would have caused a lot more damage if you three hadn¡¯t shown up when you did.¡±
Looking past Dys after shaking her hand, he made eye contact with Noll.
¡°Noll the Savage. I had no idea you had travelled to Weigrun.¡± He took a few confident steps forward and shook the older mercenary¡¯s hand. ¡°I doubt you¡¯d remember it but I also fought at the Battle of Silverleaf Pass when I was a young captain. Your nking maneuver at the Crowsbill Ridge saved mypany from what could have been a rout.¡±
¡°No problem,¡± Noll grunted but made no further attempt atmunication, instead he simply folded his arms across his chest.
¡°Yes. Well,¡± Egilhard turned back to the three of Jadis. ¡°Just like Noll here, your contribution to the battle at Far Felsen had a major impact. A shame you all weren¡¯t in the city when it started. Fewer soldiers may have been lost.¡±
¡°Yeah, getting lost in those tunnels wasn¡¯t great,¡± Dys muttered. ¡°Would have been nice to not have been ambushed by a matriarch.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but notice that Egilhard made no attempt to greet Sabina. In fact, other than a slight nce in her direction where she stood next to Syd, he made no acknowledgement of her presence at all.
¡°This is Sabina,¡± Syd put a hand on the uncharacteristically silent smith. ¡°She¡¯s the newest member of our mercenarypany.¡±
With a t smile the general took Sabina¡¯s hand and shook it.
¡°A pleasure.¡±
¡°Ah, yes! Nice to meet you, general, sir!¡±
¡°We were hoping to show her the town,¡± Syd continued after Egilhard had withdrawn his hand from Sabina¡¯s nervous grip. ¡°A lot of shit went down here. Kind of wanted to revisit, give the ce one more look over, pay our respects to the ce where some good people lost their lives.¡±
¡°I see. Paying respects to the fallen is certainly an honorable notion. But it is just you five?¡± he swept his hand before him, indicating Jadis and her twopanions. ¡°The rest of your¡ mercenarypany, they did not wish to revisit the town?¡±
¡°Spur of the moment kind of thing,¡± Jay admitted. ¡°Didn¡¯t really mean toe this far east, just sort of ran in the one direction and we came across the town. The rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored might want to visitter, though.¡±
¡°Fortune¡¯s Favored,¡± Egilhard repeated while looking like a man who was trying to hide the fact that he¡¯d bitten into a lemon. ¡°I¡¯d heard Magistrate Vraekae had given provisional approval for a new mercenarypany. Recruitment going well?¡±
¡°Well enough,¡± Jay shrugged nomittally. ¡°Looking more for quality over quantity.¡±
¡°Does that mean¡?¡± he looked towards Noll expectantly.
¡°No,¡± Jay shook her head after a beat. ¡°No, Noll is just¡ªjust tagging along. He¡¯s not a member.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± the general hummed before giving a brief nod. Renewing his smile, he looked up at Jay. ¡°Well, if your mercenarypany doesn¡¯t work out, I just want you and your impressive sisters here with you to know that there is always an open spot in the ranks for promisingbatants like yourselves. The imperial army needs talented recruits to keep up the fight against the demonic invasion. With the skill you three have shown, an officer¡¯s rank would be well within possibility. And remember, you have to n for whates
after the invasion is over.¡±
¡°After?¡± Jay echoed.
¡°Indeed,¡± Egilhard nodded while raising one hand to motion towards the distant northern horizon. ¡°The demonic invasion is the current trouble in the world and so the mercenary life is the attractive option while the bounties are high and the sources are plentiful. But the Hero will y the Demon Lord eventually. Maybe in the next couple of years, maybe sooner. When he does, those bounties will dry up and there won¡¯t be quite sorge a need for mercenaries. On the other hand, the Empire always needs soldiers to secure its borders. Steady pay and room for advancement is a smart path to consider. Even a champion like Noll here will tell you that.¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t exactly experienced with the concept, but she knew a sales pitch when she heard one. General Egilhard was clearly angling to recruit her. Honestly, the offer wasn¡¯t that surprising. She was a valuablemodity, in the sense that she was powerful, and rapidly growing more powerful by the day, if nothing else. No, Egilhard offering her a seat at his table wasn¡¯t odd. What was odd, now that Jadis had been presented with the idea, was that Vraekae had never offered her the same.
Why hadn¡¯t the Magistrate offered her a position in the military? Was it because she knew Jadis would reject such an offer outright? Or was there some other hidden agenda taking that possibility off the table? It was hard to know what the icy elf was thinking behind those bloodred eyes, but she wouldn¡¯t be the least bit surprised if there was some kind of third angle to the reason that Jadis simply wasn¡¯t aware of. Vraekae was definitely a schemer.
Speaking of schemers, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if General Egilhard was one, but she sure as fuck didn¡¯t want to find out. She was absolutely going to reject the smooth-talking military man. However, she did still want to take a walk in war, so she tried her best to keep the rejection polite.
¡°Thanks for the offer,¡± Jay smiled and turned to performatively regard her two false sisters. ¡°If things don¡¯t work out with the mercenary life, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll keep it in mind. But for now, we¡¯re pretty happy with what we¡¯ve got.¡±
Seeing Dys and Syd nod in agreement, Egilhard grimaced but seemed to take the refusal with aplomb.
¡°The offer stands,¡± he straightened his back to military rigidity. ¡°Just bring up my name and I¡¯ll be sure to vouch for you. But if you all will excuse me, I need to get back to sorting out things here in war.¡±
¡°Are we allowed toe in?¡± Jay asked, causing the general to halt halfway as he turned to go. ¡°You know, to pay our respects?¡±
¡°This is an active military zone,¡± Egilhard smiled tightly. ¡°Non-military personnel can¡¯t be allowed to walk around freely. That said, I¡¯ll permit a trip to the docks and back. Under escort.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Jay said while hiding the roll of her eyes by pulling her helmet¡¯s visor back down over her face. ¡°We won¡¯t take long.¡±
On Egilhard¡¯smand, the two soldiers that had first stopped her at the gates joined her as an escort as she entered the town. The general parted ways with her group, returning to the group of men he¡¯d been talking with before. Work around the gate and walls resumed in general as Jadis and her own group made their way through the gate.
Entering the town from above felt odd. Jadis had vivid memories of war, especially with all the chaos and blood that had pervaded the sole visit she¡¯d made to the ce. But seeing it from the top made it feel like apletely different town, even if she could recognize the docks where she¡¯d nearly died down below.
¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Dys suddenly asked the younger of the two soldiers escorting her, the one who¡¯d wanted Noll¡¯s autograph.
¡°Holger, ma¡¯am,¡± he answered.
Turning her head towards the second guard and motioning with her hand, he gave his name as well.
¡°Karl.¡±
¡°Hello Holger, Karl,¡± Dys nodded to them both. ¡°Mind if I ask, does the general back there always try to recruit soldiers personally? Or are we just lucky?¡±
As she spoke, Dys hooked a thumb over her shoulder to indicate the man and his cadre standing off to the side of the wagon. Jadis had already made a good distance from the gates walking down the sloping road that snaked its way through the town so she was fairly sure he couldn¡¯t hear her anymore.
¡°Not that I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Holger shook his head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t usually talk to anyone below sergeant if it¡¯s not to give an order of some kind.¡±
¡°Just lucky then,¡± Dys mused.
¡°He must really want you three,¡± Holger continued with an incredulous tone. ¡°Never seen him make an exception for anyone, much less a merc.¡±
¡°Well he¡¯ll have to get used to disappointment if that¡¯s what he¡¯s after,¡± Dys said with a huff of augh. ¡°Older men aren¡¯t really our idea of attractive.¡±
¡°Oh, no, uh,¡± Holger stumbled over his words. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that! Was thinking of your arms¡ªI mean your strength at arms! I mean, I would never presume to imply that the general would pursue a new recruit for ungentlemanly reasons¡ª¡±
¡°Shut up Holger,¡± Karl finally barked out to save the man from choking on any more of the foot he¡¯d stuffed into his mouth. ¡°Just lock your teeth before you dig yourself a deeper hole.¡±
Jadis appreciated the awkward soldier¡¯smentary. The opinion of the man¡¯s subordinates was good to know, for one. Egilhard was perhaps respected, but not well loved. For another, Jadis weed the distraction. Seeing the streets of war up close had brought a worse reaction out of her than she¡¯d thought it would.
Jay came to a stop at a bend in the road where murky stains on the cobblestones were all that marked the spot where Thurstan, the jovial gnome, had been killed by the Twisted Wretch Matriarch. Visions of that horrid moment shed before her eyes¡ªthe foul toxic fumes pouring out of the abomination¡¯s mouth as Thurstan froze in front of it, too stunned to run before the noxious gas enveloped himpletely.
She¡¯d barely known the man, had just met him that day in fact. But that moment¡ she hadn¡¯t been able to see his face. He¡¯d been facing the other way. Yet she could see his horrified expression in her memory as clear as day, she was so certain of what he would have looked like in his final moments¡
¡°Jay?¡± Sabina asked, catching her attention. ¡°Something wrong?¡±
¡°Huh?¡± She startled, then realized that all three of her selves had stopped in their tracks while the smith had tried to get their attention. ¡°Oh, uh, no. It¡¯s nothing. Sorry.¡±
It did Jadis no good to dwell on the darker moments of the past. With nearly physical effort, she put the thoughts and memories out of her mind and continued down the road.
They made it all the way down to the docks where, thankfully, the only thing there to greet them were more soldiers and a small ship moored to a rebuilt dock. The remains of the bodies from that fateful day had been cleaned up, either by demons or the soldiers who hade looking for her. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to know which was the case, so she didn¡¯t bring it up. Instead, as she looked around, she took in the sight of more activity than she would have guessed.
The other tunnel entrances that had been located around Far Felsen had hastily constructed fortifications around them with dedicated garrisons of soldiers to guard them. Still, with the reduction in manpower after the battle and the focus on rebuilding the forts along the forest line, the number of soldiers at each tunnel entrance were limited. The town here had seen a great deal of rebuilding in a short amount of time. The streets were cleared, the damaged buildings torn down and materials repurposed, and the wharf was whole and functional again. Further, Jadis was seeing three times as many soldiers in war as she¡¯d seen elsewhere.
They were also all Imperial soldiers. Not one mercenary, so far as she could tell. She, Noll, and Sabina were the onlybatants not a part of the imperial military she could see. Though there were, she noted, workers who did not look like military at all. Instead, they were men and women who had the look ofborers, carrying tools like hammers and shovels. She¡¯d seen more than a few go by as she hade down the road, and more still unloading supplies from the ship at the docks.
¡°Any sign of that wretch matriarch?¡± Syd asked Karl and Holger while Jay walked along the wharf with Sabina, talking with the smith about what had happened quietly. ¡°We¡¯d love another shot at that bitch if she hasn¡¯t been taken down already.¡±
¡°No sightings,¡± Karl shook his head. ¡°None reliable, anyway.¡±
¡°Hope you do find the blight,¡± Holger added. ¡°If you three could take down that Burning Rancor, I¡¯d wager you could do the same to that mother wretch. And if you three find it and kill it, then all the better for me.¡±
¡°Very brave of you,¡± Karl muttered.
¡°Does the general think she¡¯s going to show back up here? Is that why there¡¯s so many soldiers?¡± Syd motioned towards the activity around them. ¡°Seems like a lot for one tunnel.¡±
¡°General¡¯s orders are to secure the ce by any means necessary,¡± Holger told her with a shrug. ¡°Some of the other units have been making pushes into the tunnels. Probably trying to clear them out from this end.¡±
¡°A lot of tunnels to clear out,¡± Syd murmured while looking back up the cove walls towards where she knew the tunnel entrance was located.
As she looked back, she saw Noll standing nearby, arms crossed and wolf-like face unreadable. He watched Jay as she walked with Sabina, recounting the events of the battle that had forced them into the tunnels.
¡°Alright,¡± Dys cleared her throat, breaking into the conversation between her other self and the two soldiers. ¡°We told the general we wouldn¡¯t be too long, and we don¡¯t want to take up any more of your time. We¡¯ll get out of your hair now.¡±
¡°No trouble here ma¡¯am,¡± Holger shrugged again. ¡°This was just a nice break from standing at attention while the general¡¯s around.¡±
With that, Jadis made her way back up the road and to the vige edge, putting past misadventures firmly behind her. She wasn¡¯t one to dwell on bad memories to begin with, and she needed to stop thinking about these ones anyways since if she continued to tell Sabina the details about what had happened the poor girl might just be sick.
As they exited the vige gates, Egilhard called out to them from behind.
¡°Remember,¡± he said with that smile that never reached his eyes. ¡°The mercenary life is temporary. To be a true soldier of the Empire is where you¡¯ll find a future.¡±
¡°Thanks for the advice,¡± Jay called back with a wave before scooping a surprised Sabina up in one arm. ¡°We¡¯ll let you know if we¡¯re ever interested in that future.¡±
Not wanting to reengage with the man, Jadis quickly took off at a heavy jog. In seconds she was far and away from General Egilhard and war.
¡°Tell me I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought that guy was skeevy as fuck,¡± Jay said aloud.
¡°I don¡¯t know what that word means,¡± Sabina answered the general question, ¡°but if it means ¡®unpleasant¡¯ then yes, yes he was.¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± Noll growled out as well.
¡°d it wasn¡¯t just me¡¡±
Chapter 171: Politics
Chapter 171: Politics
Politics.
D damn it, Jadis hated politics.
After returning from her jaunt out into the hills, Jadis had of course told herpanions everything about her encounter with General Egilhard. As native residents of Oros, they had far more experience and context when it came to the vaguely unsettling military man, thus Jadis wanted all of their input. She¡¯d also wanted their open and honest opinions, so she¡¯d waited to discuss her full concerns until after both Noll and Sabina had left the guild hall. Some things couldn¡¯t be said in front of the smith, who was as of yet uninitiated to Jadis¡¯ origins, and even more so such things needed to be kept from Noll. Jadis hadn¡¯t forgotten about his deration to be an informant, even if he was doing her the solid favor of giving her some practicalbat training.
Once they were alone to talk openly, Thea had revealed her own encounter with Egilhard. Even if she was light on the details, Jadis could easily discern just how ufortable the general had made her while pressing her for private information. Thea wasn¡¯t exactly hard to read when it came to difort. Everything she did say just cemented Jadis¡¯ opinion of the man as a scummy fuck who was best avoided.
A had pointed out that Jadis had, in fact, seen the man once before. Back when Jadis had stormed into Magistrate Vraekae¡¯s war room after she¡¯d assigned even more guards to follow her around, there had been a few high-ranking military officials in the room as well. General Egilhard had been one of them. Jadis had to admit that she didn¡¯t remember him except in the vaguest sense. He¡¯d not left much of an impression at the time, though she had been rather focused on Vraekae.
A only remembered him because she¡¯d seen him a few times before in the past, if distantly. General Egilhard was the highest-ranking member of the imperial army in Weigrun, second only to the Magistrate in terms of authority. Practically every imperial soldier in the whole sub-continent ultimately reported to him, barring a few exceptions like the Magistrate¡¯s personal forces and the city guards. He was a respected career soldier who had decades of experience under his belt. Even if he wasn¡¯t liked by his troops, he had more than enough victories to his name to warrant loyalty.
Kerr had been more colorful in her description of the general. Most of them were creatively derogatory, but the most saliant of them had regarded his distaste for mercenaries, particrly independent ones. To his mind, mercenarypanies were half-baked armies whose memberscked the conviction of true imperial soldiers. As to independents, they were no better than shiftless brigands.
When Jadis had asked Kerr how she knew so much about the general¡¯s opinions, she¡¯d exined that in most military engagements, it wasmon for the Empire to use mercenarypanies as reinforcements or for nking maneuvers, while independents often acted as skirmishers or scouts. Egilhard never used mercenaries for either purpose and had always been openly vocal in his disdain for irregrs. As she had been an independent mercenary for years, leaders like Egilhard were just as prominent on Kerr¡¯s radar as the ones who actively sought out mercenaries for jobs.
Out of all of them, however, Eir had given Jadis the most information on the man. While she was limited in her knowledge of military affairs and had never met the general personally, Eir was from a noble lineage. It was a branch one in her words, but still a noble family, and Vraekae was legitimately her cousin. Even a dedicated priestess like her had training when it came to politics; it came with being a member of an aristocratic family.
General Egilhard had been sent to Weigrun several years
before the demonic invasion. Weigrun had, at least at the time, had only a small standing army and virtually no issues beyond the local wildlife. An odd assignment for a highly decorated veteran with a history of military sess. Eir didn¡¯t know why he¡¯d been sent, but she¡¯d heard rumors that he¡¯d required time away from the front lines and active duty to convalesce from some serious injury that he didn¡¯t want others to know about.
Of course, Eir had exined, that was a clear and obvious lie. A man in his position would have ess to all the best healers the temples had to offer. If the rumor said his post was for injury recovery, that meant he¡¯d pissed someone off that was higher rank than him but they didn¡¯t want the details to be known and had thus purposefully sowed the seeds of a false rumor for the masses to chew on. And considering he was a general from an old and influential noble family, whoever he¡¯d upset was of
very high rank.
He''d also been at odds with Vraekae the moment she¡¯d been assigned the governance of Weigrun at the start of the demonic invasion. Her assignment hade from Second Prince Kestil directly. If she had not been put into her position of power over the sub-continent, Egilhard would have been the senior ranking officer and all authority would have been his. Resentment was inevitable. Even if not for the reason that Egilhard wanted the power and privilege that Vraekae possessed, then it was the simple fact that the two were onpletely opposite sides of the political spectrum.
Not that the Alfhilderunn Empire had politics in the same fashion as Jadis was used to back on Earth. Instead of political parties, the lines were drawn between who supported which person who was in line for session to the throne. There were two heirs, First Prince Hraustrekr, and Second Prince Kestil. Hraustrekr was the crown heir and was almost certainly going to take the throne when his father, Emperor Somerulf, passed away. However, if enough of the nobility threw their support behind Kestil, he could be crowned instead of his older brother if for no other reason than to prevent a civil war. And considering how many nobles supported the younger prince, Vraekae among them, that oue was not wholly unlikely.
Then of course there was the possibility of assassination, military coup, divine mandates, or even the Emperor simply changing his mind¡
¡°Have I ever told you how much I hate politics?¡± Jay muttered as she squeezed A a little tighter to her chest. ¡°Like, I
really hate politics.¡±
¡°It hasn¡¯te up,¡± A said with a smile in her voice. ¡°But the fact doesn¡¯t surprise me. I can¡¯t imagine you in a ball gown, trying to eat those tiny sandwiches aristocrats favor while talking about affairs of state with the nobility.¡±
¡°Are you saying I wouldn¡¯t look good in a dress? I can assure you that I would look great in a dress, Blue. Just, no fucking corsets.¡±
Aughed at Jadis¡¯ments and snuggled deeper into her embrace. The two were outside in the courtyard behind the guildhall, wrapped up in each other¡¯s arms. Well, Jadis covered a lot more area than A could by default, but it was more the thought that counted. It was a cold night, the air frosty enough that they could see their breath as they spoke, but holding A was plenty of warmth for Jadis.
It was nice to just sit back and be alone with her girlfriend. Yes, her other two selves were doing things inside while in thepany of her otherpanions, but there were many advantages to having a partitioned mind and focusing on alone time with her freckled lover while not ignoring the rest of her friends was one of them. It was just a shame they were talking about something as odious as politics as opposed to something more pleasant. Like waste disposal. Or algebra.
¡°It¡¯s just something I think you¡¯re going to have to get used to,¡± A sighed into the crook of Jay¡¯s neck. ¡°Fame brings all kinds of attention, including the kind you might not want.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Jay hummed as she ran her fingers through A¡¯s long red hair. ¡°What do they want out of me, though? Egilhard and Vraekae, I mean. They both clearly want me on their side, but what¡¯s the point? What do they get out of it other than, you know, me being strong? My ability to trample demons doesn¡¯t really seem like it¡¯s worth the fuss in the grand scheme of things. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s got plenty to do with my race, but again, what do they get out of it? Bragging rights?¡±
¡°That could be part of it,¡± A nodded. ¡°If the sole survivor of a long-lost racees forward publicly as supportive of one heir or another, it could have major sway with the people, particrly those who focus their worship on the deity you represent. You know how much Eir idolized you before she even got to know you. I can guarantee she¡¯s not the only priestess out there who would feel just the same, simple because you are a Nephilim.¡±
¡°So if I get out there and say ¡®hey, Kestil is the prince for me, I¡¯d prefer him to his dumb older brother,¡¯ then a bunch of priests and worshipers of Lyssandria would follow suit? Just because I said so?¡±
¡°Basically, yes,¡± A agreed after a second of contemtion. ¡°None of the Seraphim have spoken in favor of one prince or the other when ites to session. But if one or more of them were to say something, it¡¯d be assumed that they were speaking on behalf of Valtar. Most people would follow their lead unless someone of high religious rank strongly opposed those Seraphim, like an Oracle. I¡¯m fairly certain it would be the same for you, so long as people truly believe that you are a Nephilim, and not a trick.
¡°You don¡¯t have to evene out and say anything, though. Just standing on one side or another would make an impact on the decisions people make. Most of the people around here in Far Felsen are mercenaries and soldiers, so you¡¯re seeing practical-minded people who are more focused on the war than anything else. But I guarantee you that if you were to go to the capital, your existence alone would stir up a furor with themon citizens, much less the priesthood.¡±
Jadis could see how that kind of influence would be attractive to people like Vraekae and Egilhard. In a cold war of session, any little advantage that could be taken would be, she was sure. And if Egilhard could convince her to join up with the military and follow his lead, then she¡¯d be a valuable card to y, one she was sure he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to trade in to garner favor with Prince Hraustrekr.
Not that Vraekae was any different, Jadis was sure. She and the Magistrate had gotten on good terms as ofte, rtively speaking, which did not mean the icy elf wasn¡¯t looking to use Jadis in any way she could for her political advantage. She just hadn¡¯t asked Jadis to actually do anything yet, not really. She¡¯d convinced her to found a mercenarypany, apparently with the intent of giving her a higher chance of staying safe while still allowing her to pursue her adventurous lifestyle. Other than that, she hadn¡¯t asked anything else of her.
Was it a long con? Maybe. Vraekae was an elf, after all. She could afford to cultivate ns that wouldn¡¯t see fruition for decades. In that regard, Egilhard had said something of value. It
was important to think about what would happen after the demonic invasion was done. There would be an end to it, no doubt. That was the whole problem with the continual cycle that D had sent her to disrupt in one way or another. The threat of demons would end, for a time, but it wouldn¡¯t be resolved. In the meantime, life would continue. Jadis¡¯ life would continue. And so would everyone else¡¯s.
That¡¯s what General Egilhard was really getting at, she realized. Jadis didn¡¯t know how much longer the Emperor was going to live for, but neither did anyone else. But what the smart people were doing was preparing for the eventuality. Egilhard had apparently chosen to side with the crown heir, the man he thought would be his winning horse and take him back into a position of favor. Vraekae had done the same by showing her support of Prince Kestil. Jadis didn¡¯t necessarily need to choose either side, but she did need to think about what wasing in the future. If she openly snubbed one prince and that turned out to be the one who ascended to the throne, her actions could have serious repercussions. And not just for herself, but for the lives of the people closest to her.
¡°Ugh,¡± Jay groaned, leaning her head back against the wall she was sitting against. ¡°Can¡¯t I just kill demons and level up and fuck my beautiful girlfriend without politics getting involved?¡±
¡°Apparently not,¡± A snorted in a decidedly udylike way.
¡°Fine¡¡± Jay sighed long and loudly. ¡°But I¡¯m done thinking about this shit for now. It¡¯s getting hard to concentrate anyway. Kerr is getting frisky and Eir is totally enabling her right now.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± A said while wiggling her hips on top of Jay¡¯s growing erection. ¡°It¡¯s gotten pretty cold out here and I could use some warming up.¡±
Seeking to please her lover, Jay gave her a kiss that soon saw her muchrger tongue invading A¡¯s smaller mouth. She loved the way the smaller woman sucked on her¡
Before Jay and A got too carried away, the arcanist pulled back from the kiss to make a breathless announcement.
¡°I almost forgot to tell you, with all this other nonsense,¡± she said as Jay nted kisses along her jaw. ¡°My uncles are going to be in town in a few days. I¡¯m pretty sure Volker and Specht will be there too. We should have dinner with them, like we promised.¡±
¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Jadis agreed as she stood, taking A with her. ¡°But I really don¡¯t want to think about your uncles right now, Blue.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± A repeated herself before locking her heels behind the small of Jadis¡¯ back. ¡°I¡¯ve got other things on my mind right now, too.¡±
Chapter 172: Shindig
Chapter 172: Shindig
¡°Look at our little mage!¡± Ludwas eximed as he affectionately tousled A¡¯s red hair. ¡°Leave our sight for a month and you¡¯re already more twice the level you were when west saw you!¡±
¡°Of course she¡¯s gone up in level that quickly,¡± Gerwas grumped as he pulled Ludwas back down into his chair. ¡°She takes from my side of the family and actually puts in effort.¡±
¡°We¡¯re brothers you bearded boulder, we¡¯re from the same side of the family!¡±
¡°No, I¡¯m from the good side, you¡¯re from thezy side.¡±
¡°Side of my fist you¡ª¡±
¡°Sit down before I¡ª¡±
Jadis grinned in amusement as she watched A¡¯s uncles devolve into a couple of squabbling goats while still somehow managing to heap praises on top of their mortally embarrassed niece. It seemed even during a party, the two brothers simply could not resist fighting with each other. Whatever side of the family that trait came from, Jadis was d A hadn¡¯t inherited it.
A few days had passed since Jadis had encountered General Egilhard in war. During that time, she¡¯d continued her training under the strict tutge of Noll while also getting in a few hours every day to help Sabina level. The exuberant smith had actually managed to up her level to eighteen thanks to the concerted efforts of Jadis and her team, though she wasn¡¯t the only one to gain experience. Eir¡¯s oracle ss had also gone up in level, from two to four.
The skill Eir had gained at level three had been a little weak in Jadis¡¯ opinion, but both A and Eir had assured her that the potential for the skill was great.
|
Oracle¡¯s Protection
Active Spell. Temporarily increase a single target¡¯s Resilience attribute by 0.1 of your Divine attribute. Effect ends when concentration on the target is broken. Spell can only target one individual at a time. Cost ¨C 30 magic. Duration ¨C Channeled.
|
At the moment, the spell would only increase a person¡¯s Resilience stat by eleven points despite Eir¡¯s hugely boosted divine attribute of one hundred and twelve. Eleven points wasn¡¯t exactly small, especially not when taking into ount it was a spelling from a level four ss, butpared to the numbers Jadis was used to throwing around it didn¡¯t feel spectacr. Though Jadis had to admit her viewpoint was pretty skewed in that regard. Looking at it another way, if Eir was to cast the spell on her, she¡¯d be nearly doubling Jadis¡¯ paltry fifteen-point score in the magical defense attribute. So, no, it wasn¡¯t actually a weak spell by any means.
The bigger point that Eir had made was that Oracle¡¯s Protection was a prerequisite skill for more powerful versions of the skill that woulde atter levels. Oracle sses were well documented in the church, after all, so Eir knew that this one was a must for greater spells in the future.
Naturally thanks to the advancements in level, when the day came that A¡¯s family was back in the city, spirits had been high among Fortune¡¯s Favored. Nothing of great excitement had happened, but progress was being made in both training and leveling. They were even pulling in a steady ie from demon bounties, enough that A had suggested they rent out the Archway restaurant¡¯s courtyard for a true feast. No one had objected to that idea in the slightest.
For a hefty but not unreasonable sum, they had reserved the whole courtyard space for their get-together. One long table had been filled with as many tters of food as possible, some of them familiar and some of them utterly alien to Jadis, but all of it smelled like heaven. A bonfire had been lit in the center of the outdoor area, warming the chill night air and even though a few flurries of snow had started to fall, the space wasfortable and pleasing.
Thus Jadis got to witness A¡¯s uncles bicker and dote on her in turns while enjoying a fantastic spread of roasted meats and vegetables as well as literal barrels of ale. Not that Jadis was the only one around to enjoy the dinner and a show.
Aside from Eir, Kerr, and Thea, Sabina had alsoe to join the party. As had, surprisingly, Hans, though the stoic man had yet to say a single word in Jadis¡¯ presence. Ludwas had also brought H along, the healer from Bernd¡¯s des. From the way the man kept grinning stupidly at the sharp-tongued cleric, it seemed things had progressed further than just buying her a drink.
Volker and Specht were there too, fulfilling their promise to visit. Volker had also followed through on his promise to bring his new girlfriend along and Jadis had to admit, she was impressed.
¡°Pass me another mug of ale would you, Addy my love?¡±
¡°Here you go, poppet! Now where¡¯s my reward?¡±
¡°Bring your pretty face a tad closer and you¡¯ll find out, love.¡±
The public disy of sharine sweet affection going on between Volker and his girlfriend, Addy, would have been nauseating to Jadis if it hadn¡¯t also been so strangely amusing. The pet names and sweet talk was one thing. The fact that it was between a fairly normal-looking man and an extremely buff orc woman was a whole other facet to the gem of an interaction.
As Volker had sworn, Addy was a tall woman. A tall, green, muscled, and
strong looking woman. She was maybe an inch or two shorter than A, but she was still more than a head taller than Volker and had biceps as big around as his thighs. Not that the blond man seemed the least bit bothered by the fact. In actuality, he seemed to revel in how muchrger his love was than him. That was made zingly apparent by the fact that he¡¯d taken to sitting in Addy¡¯sp as the night progressed and everyone got deeper into their cups.
¡°What¡¯s it like working for the Gilded Rose?¡± Syd asked Addy while the orc giggled like a schoolgirl after Volker had whispered something into her ear. ¡°The captain I met seemed kind of¡¡±
¡°Stiff as a squirrel with a stick up its ass?¡±
¡°Yeah, that.¡±
¡°As long as you mind your manners while in uniform, it¡¯s a decentpany,¡± Addy replied in what Jadis swore was a cockney ent. ¡°All the officers are sticklers for rules and propriety, but the pay¡¯s good and the benefits are better. I¡¯d drag my poppet here right on over if he weren¡¯t stuck in a contract.¡±
¡°It¡¯s only a couple of more years. By then, we might have the money to retire anyway,¡± Volker added with a suggestive grin aimed at Addy. ¡°The coin is flowing right now, that¡¯s for sure, and I can think of some wonderful ways I¡¯d like to spend my days once this invasion is over.¡±
¡°Oh can you?¡± Addy said as she brought her face close to Volker¡¯s, her nose brushing against his. ¡°I think I might like some of those things you¡¯re thinking of¡¡±
¡°Cute couple,¡± Kerr murmured from Syd¡¯s left side. ¡°Excuse me while I go throw up.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be a bitch,¡± Syd elbowed her therionpanion as she pretended to retch off to one side. ¡°They
are a cute couple. Don¡¯t rain on their parade.¡±
¡°Sure, but I¡¯m going to need about another four or five mugs to counteract the sugar seeping from that side of the table.¡±
Syd shook her head but didn¡¯t argue further with Kerr. Instead, she surprised the inebriated archer with a sudden kiss of her own. If Volker and Addy¡¯s public disy of affection was getting on Kerr¡¯s nerves, then maybe a little of her own directed at the horned woman would be a fun way to tease her.
Of course Jadis should have known that her bid to embarrass Kerr by kissing in front of a bunch of other people wouldn¡¯t work. The woman had literally sucked A off a few days ago under a table in a restaurant. A little public tongue action wasn¡¯t going to make the crazy slut blush.
¡°Now hold on, I thought you and the three of them were together?¡± Jay overheard Ludwas ask A in covert tones. ¡°Did that one decide to go get her own girlfriend?¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s¡ªit¡¯splicated. Don¡¯t ask,¡± A answered as her ears turned red as beets.
¡°What¡¯splicated about¡ª¡±
Ludwas¡¯ words were cut off as H gave him a p on the back of the head.
¡°Did you not just hear your niece?¡± the healer said with all the crossness of a dour schoolmaster. ¡°She said not to ask. Leave their rtionship to them.¡±
¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Ludwas agreed instantly and without argument.
¡°Why¡¯s that never work for me¡¡± Gerwas mumbled into his mug.
As conversation continued on that side of the table and Syd came up for air on her side, she turned to see Addy giving her a look from where she sat across from her. With one elbow on the table and her other beefy arm around Volker¡¯s shoulders, she leaned towards Syd with a sly smile on her lips.
¡°You lot just started a mercenarypany, right? Fame and Fortune or sumthin¡¯ like that?¡±
¡°Fortune¡¯s Favored,¡± Syd corrected while matching Addy¡¯s leaning posture. ¡°And yes. Registered about a month ago.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t seem like the bunch of you are too stuck up on the rules, what with you snogging one of your crew there.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t call us heavy handed, no,¡± Syd answered dryly. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±
¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to be recruiting, would you?¡±
¡°We are, actually,¡± Syd said, surprised at where the conversation was going. ¡°Looking to break with the Gilded Rose?¡±
¡°Nah,¡± Addy shook her head. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s a goodpany. My contract would hit me with a harsh penalty for leaving early, anyway. But I¡¯ve got a younger sister who¡¯s looking to sign up with a guild and I don¡¯t think she¡¯d mind a smallpany that just started up. One that isn¡¯t too strict on the rules would suit her better, I think.¡±
A sister, was it? Jadis did need two more people to join the guild for it to move from provisional status to fully formed. Jadis wasn¡¯t looking to just hire any random person off the streets, but Addy seemed like a good person and she definitely looked like she was a strong fighter. If her sister was the same, then she could be a good candidate.
¡°She didn¡¯t want to join yourpany?¡± Syd asked, one eyebrow raised.
¡°She tried,¡± the orc shrugged with a sad look on her pretty face. ¡°But the captain rejected her. She¡¯s got a particr fighting style and refuses to change it. Can¡¯t me her, it works well enough for her, but it¡¯s not great for shield walls or cavalry. Plus she doesn¡¯t do great with authority figures.¡±
¡°Sounds like my kind ofdy!¡± Kerr interjected with a toothy grin. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a giant cock, does she? Then she¡¯d be hitting all my buttons.¡±
¡°The fuck?¡± Addyughed while Volker choked on his ale.
¡°Kerr, really?¡± Syd gave the horny woman a withering re.
¡°What, afraid of a littlepetition?¡± Kerr winked.
¡°Ignore her,¡± Syd said as she turned back to Addy. ¡°She just likes to provoke reactions out of people. In any case, while we¡¯re fairly rxed on rules, we are all about teamwork here. If your sister is the type of person to ignore orders in a fight and just go off and do her own thing¡ª¡±
¡°Nah, nah,¡± Addy waved off Syd¡¯s concern as she pped Volker vigorously on the back. ¡°She¡¯s not daft. Our family is full of mercenaries, through and through. Lots of training and she knows how to take orders while under fire. She just¡ well, she just doesn¡¯t do well in a barracks setting, you catch me?¡±
Jadis supposed she did. She herself was unlikely to mesh well in a strict military environment, even if she was a natural at the whole fighting and killing side of things. If Addy¡¯s sister was just the type of woman who did better in a less rigid structure, then that was no mark against her in Jadis¡¯ opinion. And it would be more than a tad hypocritical for Jadis to dismiss someone for not liking authority figures.
Seeing the considering look on Syd¡¯s face, Addy scooted a little closer and continued in a sing-song voice.
¡°She¡¯s already level seventeen, has her independent mercenary license too. You wouldn¡¯t even need to pay for her gear, she¡¯s got her own equipment¡¡±
Syd met the orcss¡¯s twinkling eyes and gave her a nod.
¡°No promises. But we¡¯ll talk to her at least.¡±
¡°Bloody bells that¡¯s good of ya,¡± Addy cheered before giving Volker a kiss on the cheek. ¡°You won¡¯t regret it, she¡¯ll fit right in with a bunch like you!¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if that was apliment, but the happy look on the orc¡¯s face cleared most of her doubts.
¡°What¡¯s her name, anyway?¡± Syd asked after letting Addy and Volker celebrate a little longer.
¡°Bridget,¡± she answered with a brilliant smile. ¡°Bridget of n Warsong.¡±
Chapter 173: Interview
Chapter 173: Interview
Jadis had never conducted an interview before. She¡¯d been on the interviewee side of things several times in her life back on Earth, but doing the actual interviewing was a new experience. If she were honest with herself, the thought of being in a position where she¡¯d need to assess potential candidates for hire into apany she owned had never urred to her. The fact that it was a mercenarypany and the people she had to interview were basically trained killers was even further outside the realm of her expectations. Thus, she had no idea what she was supposed to ask in such an oundish situation.
¡°Is that amp?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a il.¡±
¡°It looks like amp.¡±
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s, uh, made to look like antern. But it¡¯s a il.¡±
¡°Huh,¡± Dys ran her fingers through her hair as she leaned back. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen anyone use a¡ il, in battle around here. How¡¯s it been working out for you?¡±
¡°It¡¯s effective. I don¡¯t have much, but I¡¯ve got a little Arcane magic and I can channel it into the il. Adds some re to my attacks. The fire kind, not the shy kind. Well I guess it does sh, particrly at night¡ ah fuck¡ªit adds magic damage to my attacks.¡±
Fortunately, Addy¡¯s sister seemed to be feeling just about as awkward as Jadis was.
Bridget looked like a smaller, less broad version of her sister. However, that didn¡¯t mean she was a small woman. She was still a few inches over six feet and was obviously well-muscled. She just wasn¡¯t quite as tall or thick as her older sister. Still, she was a powerfully built orcdy and since she¡¯d shown up that morning wearing her full set of armor, she cut an impressive figure.
Her equipment consisted of a sallet helmet and rounded steel armor with mitt-like gauntlets. The various pieces looked like they¡¯d been scavenged from other sets of armor, their styles and colors not quite meshing in the way a custom-made full set would, but rather than looking ramshackle the mix just made Bridget look like more of an experienced mercenary. There were also various small metal icons she¡¯d tied to pieces of her armor with bits of rope or twine. Nothing dangled loosely, but the little copper and iron symbols she¡¯d clearly added onto her set gave her a more tribalistic look, despite wearing armor that was closer to full te than anything else.
The strangest part of her equipment though was her weapon. The ¡°il¡± was a more than seven-foot-long wooden polearm with steel reinforcement. At the top was a steel ring to which was attached a swinging head. Except, rather than being a metal ball with spike or something simr like Jadis would have expected based on every movie she¡¯d ever seen featuring someone using a il, this weapon had what looked like antern hanging from it.
No, not just looked like, it absolutely was antern. Made of steel and with four open-faced sides, the device was definitely antern. Except, it didn¡¯t have any ss on the open faces. Plus, the overall construction of thentern was far thicker and heavier than anything normally seen on the typicalmps carried by people or found hanging from posts along the street. Bridget¡¯s weaponizedntern looked sturdy enough to hit a rock without bending or breaking, not easily at least.
¡°That¡¯s pretty cool,¡± Dysplimented. Seeing the confusion on Bridget¡¯s face, she quickly amended, ¡°Pretty impressive. You don¡¯t see many melee fighters who do magic damage too, at least not without enchantments. How¡¯d you end up going down that path?¡±
¡°Um,¡± Bridget leaned her head side to side as she considered her words. ¡°I was offered a strange ss and I took it? Shit, that makes me sound¡ªit wasn¡¯t just because it was strange, alright? But when you¡¯re offered a couple of really basicbat sses and then the gods toss one you¡¯ve never heard of before at your feet, you¡¯ve got to take it, right? I mean, it¡¯s a risk, but we¡¯re fighters, yeah? Everything is a risk.¡±
The look on Bridget¡¯s face as she exined her choice was nervous and almost apologetic. After Jadis had invited the orc woman in to sit down and have a talk she¡¯d removed her helmet, which did make it a lot easier for her to read the woman¡¯s expressions. She was a good-looking woman, with a strong jaw and thick, nted eyebrows that gave her resting face an intense look. Her ck hair was pulled back and tied in a heavy braid that had been pinned up in a few loose coils. A sharp scar ran across her right cheek and onto her nose, adding to her overall look of a warrior. Her eyes were dark, almost ck, but had flecks of orange and red in them that made them stand out. Altogether, Bridget looked like the kind of woman who should be brimming with confidence and swagger, not anxiously biting her lip with a short fang.
¡°Ipletely understand,¡± Dys said after a moment with a wry smile tugging up a corner of her mouth. ¡°My sisters and I have weird sses too, but we make it work for us. What¡¯s yours? You don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to, just curious.¡±
Bridget still looked nervous, but Jadis¡¯ admission that she also had a couple of unusual sses seemed to put the orc a little more at ease. With a little hesitation, she shrugged.
¡°It¡¯s called Lantern Light Landsknecht.¡±
¡°¡for real?¡±
¡°Yes, I¡¯m serious,¡± Bridget sighed as her shoulders drooped. ¡°I thought it sounded interesting at the time, plus the gods clearly offered it to me because of the only noteworthy thing I ever did before unlocking my primary ss slot.¡±
¡°What could you have possibly done to get offered a ss with that kind of name?¡± Dys asked with incredulous interest.
¡°I killed three bandits with antern.¡±
¡°Okay, now you¡¯re messing with me,¡± Dys used with half augh. ¡°Did you really?¡±
¡°Really!¡± Bridget insisted. ¡°Back in the vige I grew up in we grew fields of sun berries. Nightdaws like to eat them, so the farmers would pay the kids to patrol the fields at night with, uh, well,nterns on poles. Kind of like this one. But, you know, more normal. Anyway, I was walking the fields one night when I stumbled across a trio of men eating the berries and stuffing their pockets. I yelled at them to bugger off but they came at me with knives. That¡¯s, uh, where I got this.¡±
Bridget paused her story to tap the scar on her face.
¡°Sort of got into a real scrum of a fight with them. Even set one on fire when I bashed thentern into his head. But, yeah. Sort of my call to fame, back home.¡±
¡°That¡¯s impressive,¡± Dys said, meaning it. ¡°How old were you when it happened?¡±
¡°Fifteen.¡±
¡°Fuck,¡± Dys shook her head slowly. ¡°You must have had some great training to take on three men alone.¡±
¡°I had some, yeah,¡± Bridget smiled bashfully while rubbing the back of her head. ¡°But mostly I got lucky. The bandits were on the run from thew, had been for weeks, so they were weak with hunger. And they were low in level to begin with. And one was a goblin, so, you know,¡± she shrugged. ¡°But yeah. When I unlocked my primary ss and saw that the gods had offered me a ss that called back to my one big moment, I just had to take it.¡±
As Bridget told her story to Dys, Jay ryed the information to the rest of herpanions who were all gathered together in their room upstairs. Jadis wasn¡¯t about to make the decision of who to hire into their close-knit team without consulting the rest of them, even if she was the leader of sorts. Originally, she¡¯d wanted the whole team to be present to interview Bridget, but A had insisted that having eight people questioning the lone orc was too intimidating. Instead, it was just Dys talking to the woman alone while everyone basically eavesdropped via Jadis¡¯ ability to be in two ces at once.
¡°I bet she¡¯s weaker than she should be,¡± Kerrmented from where she was sitting on the edge of the bed.
¡°She doesn¡¯t look weak to me,¡± Syd retorted. ¡°Plus she¡¯s definitely got some kind of training going on if she took out three grown men when she was a kid.¡±
¡°Fifteen is practically full grown with orcs,¡± Kerr shot back. ¡°Those green-assed lunks grow fast as weeds. Besides, I¡¯m talking about her stat distribution.¡±
¡°She¡¯s probably right,¡± A added with a sigh. ¡°Most meleebatants who also use magic are at least level twenty. That¡¯s for a good reason, Jadis. If you want to be effective at melee, that means you need to focus on physical attributes, and quite a lot of them, too. Strength, Agility, Vitality, Fortitude, Endurance; all are important for melee fighters. If you add magic into your kit, like Arcane, that means you also need Focus and Will. That¡¯s eight different attributes you now need to split your attribute points across, rather than just five. Which means¡ª¡±
¡°Which means her stats overall are probably weaker than someone who focused just on physical or just on magic,¡± Syd chimed in. ¡°I get it. I¡¯m guessing dual magic and melee fighters are usually level twenty because the secondary ss focuses on magic while the primary ss concentrates on physical?¡±
At A¡¯s affirmative nod, Syd hummed in consideration.
¡°That doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s necessarily weak,¡± she spected. ¡°She might have started with a good spread of stats. Or she¡¯s gotten the right passive skills to support the build.¡±
¡°Possible,¡± A admitted. "But not likely. Big buffs to multiple attributes aren¡¯t all thatmon. And if she focuses on those then she won¡¯t have many actualbat skills or spells.¡±
That statement brought her up short. A¡¯s analysis of Bridget¡¯s possible build echoed strongly of Jadis¡¯ own ss choices. Concentrating primarily on stats had worked out well for Jadis, mostly because of how huge her stats were for her level, plus the few skills she had were powerful and applicable to most situations. Was the same true for Bridget?
Probably not, Jadis had to admit. Her situation was unique and far outside the norm. It was unlikely that the orcss would have the same incredible boosts and benefits that Jadis had started out with. But speaking of boosts¡
¡°Um, if she j¡ªjoins us, then c¡ªcouldn¡¯t she increase one of her, ah, attributes with Jadis¡¯ help?¡±
Thea made the point a second before Jadis brought it up. Having tossed the idea out there, the other women considered it carefully.
¡°I don¡¯t see the problem,¡± Kerr said before anyone else. ¡°Big Stuff has plenty to go around. Pump thempdy up with your special sauce every few days and she¡¯s good to go. Side bonus for joining thepany. Should probably put a use in the contract about it.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if Jadis having sex with every member who joins the guild is necessarily tenable,¡± Eir said with a small frown. ¡°Especially since it would preclude anyone joining who wasn¡¯t interested in that kind of interaction. Besides which, I¡¯m taken to believe that Jadis has no interest in men. Does that mean we¡¯ll be excluding all male candidates from joining thepany because Jadis would not want to have ritual sex with them?¡±
¡°Yeah, no, that¡¯s a whole different discussion,¡± Syd shook her head. ¡°Right now Dys is still talking to Bridget downstairs, so one problem at a time. Do we have a consensus on how we¡¯ll be proceeding with her?¡±
There were various shrugs and nods and other shared looks among the women, but A was the first to speak.
¡°Attributes and skills and rituals aside, what do you think of her as a person?¡±
A good question.
Thinking about their continued interaction, Jadis had to admit that she liked the woman. Bridget had warmed up as they talked and now that she was morefortable, Jadis could tell that she was a friendly and decent sort of person. Not as unabashedly forward as her sister Addy, but still frank and well-meaning. Regardless of fighting ability, she seemed like she¡¯d be a good addition to the team.
¡°I think she¡¯s worth a shot,¡± Syd told them with a tilt of her head. ¡°How about we take her for a run out into the hills and see how she does?¡±
¡°I agree, we should see how she does in the field before we make a final decision,¡± A said as the others voiced their own agreement.
Down below, as Bridget continued to chat about her experiences being a solo mercenary, Dys interrupted thentern user with a grin.
¡°Well, I¡¯ve heard enough,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell my sisters and the rest of the team that we should give you a test run. Do you have the time to go fight some demons today?¡±
¡°Absolutely!¡± Bridget eximed cheerily. ¡°I was just faffing aroundtely anyway. I mean, not that I didn¡¯t have ns overall, but I was waiting to hear back from some of the other mercenarypanies and so I was just, uh¡ªbloody baskets I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡±
¡°I get what you meant,¡± Dys assured the floundering orc. ¡°Just give me a minute to go let everyone know you¡¯ll be joining us and we can get moving. We¡¯ll need to go pick up our smith since she¡¯s no doubt buried headfirst in her forge, but then we can head out into the Broken Hills.¡±
¡°Great! I¡¯m ready to go! Got my weapon, my kit, my emergency supplies¡ªsmith? Like, a cksmith? We¡¯re bringing a smith with us?¡±
¡°Yup,¡± Dys grinned lopsidedly at Bridget. ¡°Assuming you end up joining us, you two will probably spend a lot of time together. You both have some leveling to do to catch up with the rest of us. You¡¯ll see.¡±
Chapter 174: Test Run
Chapter 174: Test Run
Jadis needed to put some pressure on that carpenter Sabina was working with to finish the wagon she¡¯dmissioned, because her carrying capacity had seriously reached its limit.
A, Eir, Kerr, Thea, Sabina, and finally a surprised Bridget all had to be carried by Jadis¡¯ three bodies in order for their growing group to get anywhere with any kind of speed. Two women to each separate self was definitely pushing things for her, not because of their weight but simply because of the awkwardness of trying to carry them all while still holding onto her weapons. If their group got anyrger, it just wouldn¡¯t be possible to transport them all.
Maybe she could have a backpack made with a built-in tform that a couple of them could ride on?
Jadis discarded that silly idea with a shake of her heads. No, she just needed to get that wagon done. It¡¯d probably slow them down a little, but she was sure wheeling everyone around in the wagon was going to be way better than juggling them in her arms and on her backs. Though there was no way princess carrying was going to be entirely removed from their outings. That was too fun to eliminatepletely.
¡°How far are we going?¡± Bridget shouted her question from where she clung to Dys¡¯ back.
¡°To the border of the forest,¡± Dys answered. ¡°More demons out there.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Eir said with a smile from where she was clutched in Dys¡¯ free arm. ¡°She¡ªand her sisters¡ªcan run so fast, we¡¯ll be there quickly and back again well before nightfall.¡±
¡°Okay, yeah, that I believe,¡± Bridget said over the nk and stomp of charging Nephilim. ¡°This is pretty damn fast. But, uh, why¡¯s that old guy following us?¡±
Jadis didn¡¯t need to look over her shoulders to know exactly who the orc was referring to. Even though she had told the man that she had guild business that day and couldn¡¯t train, Noll had still hung around and, after Jadis and crew had departed the hall to leave the city, he¡¯d been following them step for step.
¡°That gentleman is their trainer, of sorts,¡± Eir told Bridget, framing the situation between them kindly. ¡°He¡¯s following to offer his advice and guidance to them, no doubt.¡±
¡°You need a trainer? Really?¡± Bridget addressed Dys directly. ¡°But you three are so, so¡ strong! Why would you¡?¡±
¡°We¡¯re self-taught,¡± Dys admitted to the curious orc. ¡°So we¡¯re getting some professional lessons onbat. Never toote to learn, right?¡±
¡°Right¡¡± Briget said thoughtfully.
It took a couple of hours to get through the Broken Hills and close to the edge of the Great Southern Forest, but once the gigantic pine trees were well within sight, Jadis slowed her pace and let Kerr guide them to a suitable spot for setting up some ambushes. Jadis nned on putting Bridget through her paces, but she also wanted to make good use of their time out in the field to fight and kill as many demons as possible. Even if the experience was being split many ways, if they killed enough of them then people with lower-level sses would still benefit. Luring the tentacled fuckers to a prepared position was the best way Jadis knew to safely y high numbers of them.
Kerr eventually found them a hill with severalrge rocks sticking out of its slope that was facing the valley between the two cliffsides of opposing hills. The cliffs acted as a perfect funnel for anythinging from the north and the boulders littering the southern slope would make perfect cover for her backlinepanions. With their position chosen, A immediately set to workying down dozens of magical spike and snare traps while Eir helped Sabina set up by one of the boulders.
Sabina had brought a new toy with her, something she¡¯d apparently smashed together in a sleepless fugue the night prior. It was basically an oversized crossbow, onerge enough that she needed a bipod stand to hold the front end up, but not quite at the point where Jadis would call it a ballista. The bolts were thick and the sharp steel heads looked particrly nasty; Jadis couldn¡¯t wait to see the thing in action.
Kerr, Thea, and Bridget joined Jadis off to one side where they discussed how they were going to go about theing fights.
¡°Unlike you, I actually know how to track things,¡± Kerr continued her argument. ¡°You three just sit back here and wait, I¡¯ll drag the
vaches stupides to our little trap.¡±
¡°It¡¯s still safer if we do it,¡± Jay argued back. ¡°We¡¯ve got the speed to outrun practically anything that¡¯s out here.¡±
¡°Might as well run in circles. It¡¯ll take you forever just to find anything.¡±
¡°M¡ªmaybe you can c¡ªcarry her?¡± Thea suggested when it looked like neither woman was going to back down. ¡°B¡ªbest of both that way, ah, right?¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Jay shrugged after a moment.
¡°No fucking ¡®princess carry¡¯ this time though,¡± Kerr shook her finger up at Jay. ¡°It¡¯s business time right now and I can¡¯t shoot a bow being held like that.¡±
¡°What, are you nning on shooting arrows while sitting on my shoulder?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Jay rolled her eyes but took the archer¡¯s assertion in stride.
¡°Fine. What about you?¡± She turned to look at Bridget. ¡°Once the fighting starts, where do you normally like to be?¡±
¡°In the thick of things?¡± The orc shrugged. ¡°I need room to swing this,¡± she indicated herntern il, ¡°but other than that, I¡¯m adaptable.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°Thea, you take our left. Bridget will take up position on our right. We¡¯ll stand our ground there, at the end of the traps A is putting down. Also, don¡¯t step on one of those by ident, Bridget. It¡¯ll fuck you up.¡±
¡°Noted,¡± she answered with a serious nod.
¡°Kerr, set up wherever the fuck you want, just try to stay near A, Eir, and Sabina, please,¡± Jay pointed at the therion. ¡°I doubt anything will get past us, but just in case, you¡¯re their backup defense.¡±
¡°Yes sir!¡± Kerr snapped off a sarcastic salute but didn¡¯t argue.
¡°Noll,¡± Jay finally motioned at the old man who was standing nearby, his arms folded across his armored chest. ¡°You do you, I guess. Try to give us some space?¡±
¡°Hmph,¡± he hmphed before striding away and up the southern hill, no doubt to get a better view of theing battles.
That was a good enough acknowledgement as any as far as Jadis was concerned. With their ns and positions in ce, Jay swept Kerr up to sit on her left shoulder then headed north, her two other selves following closely behind. As they made their way through the now liberally trapped valley, she overheard Bridget ask Thea a question.
¡°What¡¯s that that A is drinking? Some kind of magic replenishment potion? It¡¯s gotta be with all the spells she¡¯s put down, right?¡±
¡°Ah, uh, i¡ªit¡¯s, ah, um,¡± were thest stumbling words Jadis could hearing from the embarrassed shieldsworn before she got too far away to overhear.
Jadis judged it to bete morning, not more than an hour before noon by the time they had set up their ambush. It wasn¡¯t until it was a good hour or two past noon when Kerr finally guided her to a pack of demons that they could lure back. Not that they went withouting across a single demon for several hours. No, they ran into exactly seventeen of them. The problem was, they were always in small numbers of two, maybe three at most. Nowhere near the mob of monsters Jadis was looking for to kite back to the ambush. For such small threats, Jadis and Kerr simply killed the demons on the spot and took their bounties to save time.
Kerr¡¯s tracking skills dide in handy though, as she spotted the signs of many demons moving in a pack towards the west, basically parallel with the forest border. Just as Kerr had predicted based on the footprints, the mini horde was made up almost entirely of bone thieves. There were thirty to forty of them, put together in all shapes and sizes. The pure chaos of so many oddly and asymmetrically formed bodies was unsettling. Just watching their various modes of lotion, from bipedal to quadrupedal to evenrger numbers of limbs, was mesmerizing in a trainwreck kind of way.
¡°Okay, get ready to hoof it,¡± Kerr warned Jay with a rap of her knuckles on the side of her helmet. ¡°I¡¯m going to take out that one twisted wretch mixed in with the bone heads. Once they¡¯re on us, we¡¯ll need to lead them a long way, so don¡¯t go too fucking fast or they¡¯ll string out and we won¡¯t get them all in the ambush.¡±
¡°Fire at will,¡± Jay said as she readied her selves for a long jog.
Getting up to put her knee on Jay¡¯s shoulder, Kerr carefully took aim with her enchanted longbow. The mob of demons had to be more than a thousand feet away, far outside the range of most longbows, but Kerr didn¡¯t ask Jadis to get any closer. As she slowly released her breath, she let the arrow she¡¯d nocked to her bowstring slip free. The missile wasunched at a high angle and flew with the speed of a falcon. Three seconds passed before her arrow found its target, but miraculously, Kerr¡¯s shot hit true.
At that range, the wretch was just a tiny figure on a distant slope, one dark figure mixed in with the many yellow-white figures of the bone thieves. But Jadis could still see when the arrow hit the demon. Its body abruptly mmed to the side, skewered by an oversized arrow that had literally pinned it to the side of the hill.
|
Congrattions!
Twisted Wretch Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
|
¡°Fucking nice shot!¡± Jadis eximed from all three of her selves. ¡°d I didn¡¯t bet against you making that!¡±
Kerr stilled for a moment before cursing loudly.
¡°Shit! Why in Valtar¡¯s balls didn¡¯t I bet on that!? Wait a second, double or nothing I make a second shot like that.¡±
¡°Hup, toote,¡± Jay pointed at the charging crowd of bone thieves. ¡°They spotted us. No time for games. It¡¯s business time, remember?¡±
¡°Fuck you, throwing my own shit back at me,¡± Kerr groused as Jadis started jogging back towards where the others waited.
It took some time to lead the demons along since she couldn¡¯t go too fast or she risked losing them. Following Kerr¡¯s advice, Jadis moved at half her normal speed, just fast enough that the demons couldn¡¯t close the distance but just slow enough that they were never more than a few hundred feet away. She led them around in arge, arcing path towards the north side of the prepared valley, careful to make sure that they were following her from the right direction so that they wouldn¡¯t end up circumventing the trappedne A had set up.
As they neared the valley, Kerr suddenly sat up on Jay¡¯s shoulder, leaning forward with her cow-like ears twisting every which way.
¡°Shit, Jadis, they¡¯ve already gotpany. I hear fighting!¡±
¡°Fuck,¡± was the only curse Jadis spared any breath for before she shifted from her loping jog into a full sprint.
At max speed, it only took moments for Jadis to reach the valley and the sight that greeted her did not make her happy.
A, Eir, and Sabina were in the middle of the valley, surrounded on their left and right by the traps A hadid. At the south end, Thea and Bridget were fighting against eight twisted wretches. The two were holding the demons off and keeping them from getting to the vulnerable backline, but they were clearly being overwhelmed just by the sheer number of assants. Jadis could see many more wretches scattered across the ground beyond them, their crippled or in bodies littering the southern hillside as well more dead or trapped by ethereal magic on either side of the valley walls.
¡°Kerr!¡± Jay shouted. ¡°Off!¡±
Without argument Kerr leapt to the side tond on her feet at the northern entrance of the valley, an arrow already being drawn. Jadis didn¡¯t see any more of Kerr¡¯s actions after that though, as her whole focus was centered on getting to her imperiledpanions as quickly as possible.
Activating her Knight¡¯s Daring Charge skill, all three of Jadis¡¯ bodies rocketed forward at breakneck speeds, closing the gap between her and the rest in a thunderous sprint that echoed loudly against the stone cliffs. She made no attempt to slow or order the others out of her way as she neared; with how many demons were assaulting Thea and Bridget, there was no way they could have safely stepped aside anyway, not without exposing themselves to potential lethal attacks. Instead, right before Jay reached A, Eir, and Sabina, she jumped.
Even before taking into ount her massively boosted Strength and Agility stats, Jadis had quite the vertical leap. Back at the vige she¡¯d been reborn next to, she could easily leap high enough to grab hold of a second story window and could jump far enough to clear several dozen feet without much issue. Now, with over a hundred points in both key attributes, Jadis was able to soar over all herpanions even while wearing several hundred pounds of te armor.
Like giant-sized cannonballs, Jadis¡¯ three bodies mmed down on top of the pack of twisted wretches. The weight and force of herndings sent torn and broken bodies flying in a gory mess. In one devastating attack, the eight demons that had been engaged with Thea and Bridget had been neutralized. Definitively.
Unfortunately, the reckless move had not been without its consequences for Jadis. Crashnding on top of a bunch of demons wasn¡¯t the safest way tond, nor was it easy to recover from. Jadis¡¯ selves tumbled in multiple directions as the uneven surface of many squashed wretches sent her slipping and sliding.
Syd wound up smashing face first into the ground, her helmet the only thing keeping her nose from being ttened as badly as the demon she¡¯d crushed beneath her. Jay ended up falling in the opposite direction, the treacherous ground moving underfoot and sending her sprawling backwards, her massive frame nearly falling on top of Thea who had to scramble to get out of the way. Dys ended up with the worst of the results, though. As she rolled to the side, wretch bodies broken beneath her, she slid partially into one of A¡¯s spike traps. The ghostly spike struck her right arm at the elbow, hitting it with enough force that a loud crunching sound echoed in Jadis¡¯ ears a second before the pain reached her. Dys¡¯ elbow was snapped back in the wrong direction.
¡°Is everyone okay?¡± Jay shouted as she looked at Thea upside down from her prone position. ¡°What happened?¡±
¡°W¡ªwe¡¯re fine,¡± Thea said, moving to help Jay to her feet. ¡°No casualties.¡±
¡°A horde of those fucks came on us from the east,¡± Bridget called out as she too moved to help Jay up. ¡°Had to fall back or we¡¯d have had our asses pounded. Uh, shit, I mean, or we¡¯d have been overwhelmed.¡±
¡°A?¡± Jay shouted, then saw the arcanist approaching with Eir and Sabina. ¡°Eir! How¡¯s the magic power? Do we need to flee? Because there¡¯s another thirty or more bone thieves headed our way.¡±
¡°I still have half my magic power,¡± Eir answered as she rushed to Dys and gently took hold of her broken arm. ¡°This will take a minute to fix.¡±
¡°I¡¯m topped off but out of reserves,¡± A answered, shaking her empty canteen.
¡°Fine,¡± Jay said while helping Syd quickly clear her helmet of the dirt blocking her sight. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back. st away before they get here.¡±
¡°Because here theye,¡± Syd continued as thestrge dirt clot fell from her visor.
Turning to look, Jadis¡¯panions saw Kerr sprinting towards them from the north side of the valley, several dozen demonic bone monsters a hundred feet behind her.
Chapter 175: Flail
Chapter 175: il
Jadis wasted no time. Jay and Syd rushed to cover the northern approach as Kerr dashed towards them with a mob of bone thieves hot on her heels. In a sh she could see that Kerr had taken out several of the bony demons with her powerful arrow shots before turning tail, but there were still dozens of them silently charging towards their group.
The traps A hadid on either side of the valley started about two thirds of the way in, which meant that Jadis¡¯ team wouldn¡¯t have many of the traps to help in the fight since they were about in the middle of the narrow pathway. Many of the traps had been triggered by the twisted wretches anyway, so there was no use relying too heavily on the preparations they had made. Eir had said it would take a full minute to heal Dys¡¯ broken arm and Jadis didn¡¯t doubt it. A lot could happen in a minute¡¯s time, so Jadis didn¡¯t bother wasting time, she just moved to the best position she could while activating her Mirror Shine spell to make sure the demons focused on her as much as possible.
As Syd took up position in the center of thene with hernce held at the ready, Thea rushed in front of her with her shield raised and spear set on the top edge. There was no outward sign, but Jadis knew the woman had activated her Brace for Impact skill in preparation for taking the bone thief charge head on. Jay took up the spot to the left of Syd, while without being asked Bridget covered the right nk with her il.
Jadis had to appreciate the orc¡¯s professionalism at that moment. She didn¡¯t panic orin or question her duty. She simply moved to cover the open side to the best of her ability.
Kerr slipped past Thea and Syd to enter the backline just as a ghostly force bolt from A shot out hit the first bone thief to get into range. The quadrupedal amalgamation of stolen bones that had been mashed together into the shape of a four-headed wolf had its front half sted into bits by A¡¯s spell, causing the squirming mass of dark tentacles within to spill out as the body tumbled forward and was almost immediately trampled to death by the horde charging right behind it.
|
Congrattions!
Bone Thief Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
|
A was able to destroy two more demons with her force bolts in just as many seconds before the wave of bone demons hit them.
The initial crash was chaos. The only way Jadis was able to keep track of everything that happened was because Dys was further back, still being healed by Eir. Even with that distanced perspective and her other two sight lines, it was still a jumble of bones, weapons, and moving bodies that was nigh on impossible to track.
The leading edge of the bone thieves crashed against Thea¡¯s shield like they¡¯d run headlong into a rock. Thea¡¯s skill reinforced her so greatly that she didn¡¯t even budge when a five-armed demon half-again as tall as her mmed into her. For the demon¡¯s part, it barely seemed to notice the obstacle that the shieldsworn presented as it instead focused on the darkly shining target that Syd presented just behind her. Working together with Thea, Syd thrust hernce into the center mass of the bone demon, skewering the abomination. Before she could do anything further with the now dead creature, Thea suddenly knocked the bone thief backwards with a powerful shield bash, the move no doubt empowered by her skill Sheildsworn Shield Bash. Clearing the corpse from her weapon, the demon was immediately reced by a new enemy who was treated to much of the same as the first.
To the left, the demons who spread out to envelop their formation ran into leading edge of the traps A hadid. Translucent spikes and chains that came in multiple different sizes and shapes appeared as the traps were triggered. The bone thieves were slowed and crippled, if not outright killed, as they ran into the traps which greatly helped to thin their numbers. But the fearless and relentless demons were unaffected by paltry concerns like morale. Those that fell to the traps became steppingstones for the onesing from behind to get to their prey.
It was simply unfortunate for the demons that their intended prey was Jay.
With a powerful overhead swing, Jay crushed the first bone thief to reach her into a shower of splintered skeletons and demonic goo. As she raised her club to take on the next demon, another ghostly force bolt sted the iing derangement into pieces, giving Jay time to change her footing and knock the third demon away with enough force to send it crashing against the far stone wall of the cliffside.
On the right, Dys saw Bridget make use of her unusual weapon and, while there were many different life-threatening issues to focus her attention on, she had to admit that what she saw of the orc¡¯s weaponizedntern was impressive.
With the reach of a polearm, Bridget would swing the now glowingntern at her opponents with devastating force. The hinge on which the il head pivoted gave each blow from the weapon greater force and bits of bone and demon went flying each time thentern struck. More interestingly, whenever the litntern hit a demon, it let out a burst of scorching me like a small explosion. It was hard to tell exactly how much extra damage the fire-effect was having on the bone thieves¡¯ skeletal carapaces, but it was at least visually impressive. Bridget wasn¡¯t just relying on brute force and fiery explosions, either. She used the reach of her il to target arms and legs, tripping up opponents with her surprisingly precise attacks. Even so, Jadis would have been concerned that the orc would have been overwhelmed by the numbersing for her on the right nk if it weren¡¯t for the fact that she had support.
The twang of Kerr¡¯s bow was a constantpanion to the stato beat of Bridget¡¯s il. At nearly point-nk range, the archer loosed her arrows into the bone thieves, the shafts burying themselves up to the fletching in each demon she struck. Some bony demons would die from a single shot, the arrow piercing its hidden core, while others would ignore the missiles that had been shot into them as if they weren¡¯t even there. Unfortunately, Kerr could only guess at where the true body of the demony within the bony shell, which hindered her effectiveness against the enemy.
A loud clunk to Dys¡¯ right caught her attention as she noticed what Sabina was doing for the first time since the bone thieves had engaged them. She had apparently managed to carry her double-sized crossbow with her when they¡¯d retreated off of the hill and she had just then racked the arming mechanism back and loaded a bolt. Before firing, she turned to look at Dys and gave her a small wave.
With a loud
chonk sound, Sabina fired the heavy crossbow. The bolt sailed through the air with an audible whistle for the half second it took to hit the bone thief that was climbing over top of one of its fallen brethren to get at Bridget. To Jadis¡¯ shock, the bolt didn¡¯t just pierce into the demon like one of Kerr¡¯s arrows, it crunched into the skeletal shell, leaving arge hole in the main body of the demon as the missile continued through it and out the other side.
¡°That¡¯s some fucking crossbow,¡± Dys said between gritted teeth as Eir knitted her elbow back together.
¡°Thanks!¡± Sabina shouted as she strained to reload the device. ¡°It might be too strong though! Hard to pull back!¡±
Jadis decided she would need to introduce Sabina to the idea of a winch, but that was a task forter.
As well as everyone worked together, the overwhelming numbers of the bone thieves meant taking hits was inevitable. With her heavy te armor, Jay and Syd were able to take those hits with little issue. Even therge, club-like arms of the bigger skeletal demons couldn¡¯t deal direct damage to Jadis¡¯ selves, not with how thick her armor was, but Thea and Bridget were in greater danger. Thea focused almost exclusively on defense, using her shield to block iing attacks and only rarely making use of her spear to trip or shove against demons. She still took some hits, regardless of her impressive defensive capabilities, and her scale armor wasn¡¯t anywhere near as robust as Jadis¡¯ te.
Bridget took several blows as well, her hodgepodge armor weathering the hits well. Still, every attack that mmed or sliced against the orc made Jadis cringe as she was extremely aware of just how low level thentern warrior waspared to everyone else on the front line. One solid hit was all it would take to take the orc out of the fight. Or worse.
Getting to her feet, Dys got into a sprinter¡¯s stance as Eir maneuvered around her to keep healing her arm. Checking her status sheet, she could see she was almost back to full health and the mobility in her right arm had almostpletely returned.
¡°Right nk! Get ready to swing in!¡± Dys shouted for Bridget¡¯s sake while also letting everyone else know what was about to happen.
In the second that Jadis¡¯ health reached max, Dys lunged forward in an arcing charge around the right side of the formation. Holding her axe across her body, she triggered her Knight¡¯s Daring Charge before crashing bodily into mass of demons on the right side. Using her strength and momentum, she carried the demons forward several yards, sweeping them into a tangled pile of iling limbs that crashed together against the demons towards the center.
Several of the bone thieves immediatelytched onto Dys, wrapping their skeletal hands and arms around her as they tried to grapple and strangle her, but the purpose of her charge had been achieved. With the remaining demons piled up together, Jay, Syd, Thea, and Bridget were able to rain down blows on the momentarily disabled enemies. With more careful sts of arcane magic from A and Kerr joining in with her axes, what was left of the bony mob was quickly put down in a brawling melee.
¡°Shit, everyone okay?¡± Dys panted as she pulled herself out of the crushed and oozing mess of fallen demons.
There was a chorus of words affirming that everyone hade through the battle intact, along with a few questions about Dys¡¯ health¨Cand sanity¡ªthat Jadis brushed off since she was none the worse for wear.
¡°Well,¡± Jay heaved a sigh before turning to look at a heavily panting Bridget. ¡°I guess that¡¯s one way of testing out yourbat capabilities. Are you alright?¡±
¡°Fine!¡± Bridget responded a little louder than was necessary. After swallowing and taking a deep breath, she repeated more softly, ¡°Fine, actually. I, uh, took a few hits that bruised me, might need a healer, and I think I pissed myself, but yeah. Doing alright.¡±
After a few more breaths, she quickly looked up at Jay and waved one hand back and forth.
¡°I¡¯m joking about the pissing myself part. I, uh, didn¡¯t do that.¡±
¡°Even if you did, I don¡¯t think we¡¯d hold it against you,¡± Jayughed as her two other selves walked closer along with the rest of her teammates. ¡°You did a fantastic job in that fight. Especially considering the unexpected circumstances. If you still want a spot on the team after all this, I think we¡¯re all in agreement that it¡¯s yours.¡±
As the others nodded their agreement with Jay¡¯s words, Bridget took her helmet off and looked around the group with wide eyes.
¡°Before I answer, I¡¯ve gotta ask. Is every fight like this with you lot?¡±
¡°No,¡± A answered immediately. ¡°Most are far more reasonable.¡±
After a few seconds, she continued.
¡°But unexpectedly intense moments like this one happen often enough that you¡¯ll get used to it.¡±
¡°Or you¡¯ll run screaming for cover,¡± Kerr sniggered off to one side.
¡°Well then,¡± Bridget shrugged. Then, with a small smirk on her lips, she shook herntern il and made the fire on it re up. ¡°I¡¯m here to burn as bright and hard as I can! Count me in!¡±
Jadis had to roll her eyes at the bad pun, but she readily weed the orc into the fold. As the others congratted Bridget with warm words and pats on the back, a bit of movement caught Syd¡¯s eye.
From the angle that she stood at, Syd watched as Noll approached from the southern side of the valley. She had no idea where he¡¯d been during that whole fight; she¡¯d not seen him before that moment. He came to a stop a few yards away, arms folded across his broad chest as she watched their group with what Jadis interpreted as a grumpy look on his wolf-like face.
¡°Alright, now for the unpleasant part,¡± Jay announced. ¡°Let¡¯s see about collecting our bounties.¡±
Jay and Syd and all the rest got to work on the distasteful but necessary task of cutting the cyclopean eyes of the demons from their bodies to turn them in for silver coins back at Far Felsen. Dys, however, approached the older therion. Coming to a stop next to Noll, she crossed her arms in a mimicry of the man and waited. She knew it was only a matter of time. Her teacher absolutely had something to say about the way she¡¯d handled that fight.
Chapter 176: Lies
Chapter 176: Lies
¡°Well?¡±
¡°Well what.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been around you for long enough to know that face, Noll. That¡¯s your ¡®something I just saw made me feel old¡¯ face. So go ahead and say whatever it is you¡¯re going to say. I¡¯m listening.¡±
Noll¡¯s yellow eyes narrowed to slits as he regarded Dys sidelong. Jadis had been avoiding giving the old mercenary too much sass out of respect for the fact that he was teaching her without requiring any repayment. However, the more she hung around the man the more her natural cheekiness was slipping out.
¡°A conversation better had with your sisters present,¡± he finally answered. ¡°I don¡¯t like to repeat myself.¡±
¡°No, go ahead and tell me,¡± Dys insisted. ¡°I can always tell them everything you say. We¡¯re good aboutmunicating like that.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± Noll growled back at her. ¡°First, you tell me. What did you do wrong?¡±
Dys moved to scratch at the back of her head but her gauntleted fingers met only the back of her helmet with a slight ng. Annoyed, she flipped her visor up and blew a puff of air out from between her lips.
¡°The whole jump and m down from above thing was kind of reckless¡¡±
Noll snorted loudly.
¡°Okay, a lot reckless. But it got the job done, so, you know, it¡¯s only a stupid idea until it works.¡±
¡°Hmph,¡± Noll made a noise deep in his throat at that assertion. With one eyebrow raised, he motioned for her to continue with a circr motion of his hand.
¡°And maybe my side tackle wasn¡¯t necessarily the best move either,¡± Dys allowed. ¡°But this armor is made to handle a lot of punishment. I knew we¡¯d kill them all before I got overwhelmed.¡±
Noll continued to be silent, letting Dys feel awkward as she awaited the inevitable criticism. After several long, long seconds of silence, she sighed.
¡°And it¡¯s really fucking fortunate that A, Thea, and all of them were able to defend themselves while me and Kerr and my sisters were out scouting.¡±
¡°That,¡± Noll pointed with one w fingered. ¡°That.¡±
¡°That what?¡± Dys shot back. ¡°Yes, I should have been here to protect them, but Thea and A and Bridget had it handled.¡±
¡°You¡¯re the vanguard,¡± Noll rumbled while tapping a w against Dys¡¯ chest. ¡°You. Jay. Syd. The three of you are
not scouts. You¡¯re frontline fighters. You take the hits, you lock down the enemies. There was no reason for all three of you to run off chasing demons in circles. At most you send
one of you. Not all three.¡±
Jadis had to bite her tongue from replying back on that point for multiple reasons. First and foremost, Noll was right. She¡¯d decided to go scouting with Kerr because she knew she could run faster than the archer, so she could keep her safe. But did Kerr really need that protection? She was a veteran mercenary, higher level and with years more experience than Jadis. If she said she could scout and lead the demons back, why doubt her? She should have let Kerr handle it.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, she couldn¡¯t admit to Noll that she literally could not split her selves up like that. Not at the distances she¡¯d been roaming at today. Based on how far she was able to go around Far Felsen and her experience with the Burning Rancor carrying her high into the sky, Jadis guessed she could separate her bodies maybe half a mile before the pain in her head became too overwhelming. There was no way she could leave two of her selves behind to guard the rest if she was going to travel more than a mile away like she had with Kerr earlier.
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Dys finally said after chewing on her response for a minute. ¡°We definitely messed up there.¡±
¡°Poor nning,¡± Noll reprimanded her as he refolded his arms. ¡°You were doing well with the prepared position. Luring your enemies to ground you have control over is the best option to take if possible. That redheaded girl has some talent when ites to her spell traps. Those are an advantage you should be using whenever you can. Why did all three of you separate from the main group?¡±
¡°I guess we just figured we wouldn¡¯t be gone so long.¡±
¡°Bullshit,¡± Noll growled out. ¡°The mage and the ex-soldier have good heads on their shoulders. They understand basic military strategy. The smith and the priestess and the orc might not know any better, but the archer does. Why were they okay with letting all three of you run off like that?¡±
How could she have expected Noll of all people to be anything less than direct? Of course he¡¯d suspect something so of course he would confront her about it without hesitation. Maybe someone like Vraekae would try to silently appraise and observe to confirm suspicions. Not Noll. He¡¯d juste out and ask and either force her toe clean or tell a lie.
Well she wasn¡¯t going to tell Noll the truth, not when she knew he¡¯d be reporting everything back to the Second Prince which meant that info could end up with who knew how many people and used against her in all kinds of ways she couldn¡¯t foresee. So that meant she had to lie. And since that was the case, she regretted the fact that she¡¯d pulled her visor up. It¡¯d be a lot easier to lie if she didn¡¯t have to look the old man in the eyes.
She decided the only way she was going to navigate lying to Noll would be to stick as close to the truth as possible, while relying on the fact that most people in Oros considered ss information to be deeply personal not something easily given out.
¡°Look, it¡¯s because of our sses, okay?¡± Dys finally said while staring straight ahead. ¡°We all share the same primary ss and one of the benefits of it is our boosted coordination. We¡¯re stronger when we¡¯re near each other, so we stay next to each other, always. It¡¯s just instinct at this point. We do everything together.¡±
When she finished Noll made noment. He just stood there next to her, arms folded, observing her.
¡°You¡¯re not getting more out of me on that one,¡± Dys added after a moment, turning to look at Noll directly. ¡°Our ss details aren¡¯t for ¡®public consumption¡¯ so that¡¯s all I¡¯ll say about it.¡±
That prompted a grunt of acknowledgement from Noll.
¡°If that¡¯s the case, then let¡¯s work around it,¡± he said while scratching the fur on his chin. ¡°You¡¯re right, you shouldn¡¯t tell me your ss details. But if you¡¯ve got skills that make you three stronger when you¡¯re working together, then there¡¯s some things I can teach you that¡¯ll help with yourbat style.¡±
¡°Thanks, I¡¯m sure my sisters would appreciate that,¡± Dys said earnestly. ¡°We really do appreciate your advice. Really.¡±
¡°Hmph,¡± Noll grunted. ¡°Then heed this: don¡¯t leap blindly into a pile of demons again or I¡¯ll beat your lily-white ass purple. Tell your sisters that.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Dys said with a roll of her eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t have a whole lot of choices there, though. Speaking of, where were you during all that? You didn¡¯t step in to protect them when my backline got ambushed?¡±
¡°Is that my responsibility?¡±
¡°No,¡± Dys reluctantly said after a moment. ¡°But were you seriously going to just watch while they got overrun?¡±
¡°I was watching,¡± Noll shook his head. ¡°They were doing fine. That priestess has some huge healing ability for her level. Besides, I dealt with the only threat that would have made that fight unwinnable for them.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Dys asked but Noll said nothing more and only pointed towards the southeast, past the hill that blocked off that side of thendscape.
Since nothing more was forting from the old wolf, Jadis decided to go check out what he meant. Her two other selves were helping the rest of the team gather all the bounties so that was all well in hand. She had the time to go check on what Noll was indicating. Besides, she figured showing him that she could put at least
some distance between her selves would be a good way to reinforce that she was multiple people instead of actually just one person multiplied.
Jogging around the cliff edge in the direction Noll had pointed, Dys saw the various bodies littered across the southern hill. Most came from the southeast and were clearly dead from attacks made by her party. The st damage from A¡¯s force bolt was distinctive, and therge crossbow bolts Sabina was using were easy to spot. Counting the numbers, it looked like there had been nearly as many twisted wretches in the mob that had attacked her backline as had been in the mob of bone thieves she¡¯d kited. Considering how well they¡¯d done against such arge force without her even being there, Jadis had to give her team the credit they were due. They could really do some serious damage.
Jadis was still thinking that when she crested the next hill and saw what Noll had been talking about.
¡°Fuck me¡¡±
There at the base of another hill, were the bodies of tworge grundwyrms. The massive stone demons had been sliced into literal pieces, the charge chunks of stone that made up their bodies cut at sharp angles. Parts of their bus-sized bodies looked like they¡¯d been put through a deli meat slicer.
¡°Okay, I think I might owe that old fart a way more serious thank you,¡± Dys mumbled to herself as she stared at the carnage. ¡°How the fuck did he do this with a freaking sword?¡±
¡°Practice,¡± Noll said from behind her, making Dys nearly jump out of her skin. ¡°And you¡¯re wee.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t fucking sneak up on me like that you bastard!¡± Dys shouted as she spun on the therion. ¡°Fucking asshole!¡±
¡°Get better ears,¡± he snorted before turning to stalk away from her and back towards the rest of the group.
¡°Are you okay?¡± Bridget asked, forcing Jadis to reorient her attention. ¡°You just jumped a foot in the air. Find a mouse or something?¡±
Syd shook her head and waved the orc¡¯s concern off. ¡°No, everything¡¯s fine, all good. Just saw something unexpected when I was looking through my notifications. Surprised me, is all.¡±
Across the valley, Jay waved off Sabina and Eir¡¯s concern at the same time, all three of her bodies having been startled from Noll¡¯s little surprise. She didn¡¯t know if there actually was anything in the notifications that would warrant such a reaction, but it was all she could think of when put on the spot.
¡°Oh, hey, well I should thank you all actually,¡± Bridget said with a bright smile after taking Syd¡¯s reassurances at face value. ¡°That battle was enough to get me level eighteen! This mercenary group is already ¡®fortunately favoring¡¯ me! Eh? Okay, that was bad, sorry, never mind.¡±
Terrible puns aside, Jadis and soon after the rest of the guild offered their newest member a hearty congrattions. With Bridget reaching level eighteen, that put her roughly on par with Sabina who had also just recently reached level eighteen. That meant both of them would be getting their secondary sses soon with level twenty so close.
Jadis was curious to see what the two would be offered, especially since she hadn¡¯t done anything, well, perverted with them that could potentially influence the sses they were given. On the one hand, she kind of wanted to keep it that way, just to see if they¡¯d get a Nephilim-rted option that had nothing to do with sex. On the other hand, she was worried that they¡¯d be missing out on a powerful ss that they wouldn¡¯t otherwise be likely to get. Both A and Eir¡¯s lewd sses were absolutely perverted, but they were absolutely rare and powerful, too. When she thought about it that way, it would kind of suck for both Sabina and Bridget if they didn¡¯t get awesome and overpowered sses just because Jadis didn¡¯t offer them a night of fun between the sheets¡
Well damn, Jadis had to catch herself in the middle of that thought. Was she seriously considering offering to fuck Sabina and Bridget just to make sure they got better sses? That felt all kinds of messed up to her when she reoriented her thinking. She liked Sabina. She was also pretty sure Sabina was into her. That didn¡¯t mean she could or should just walk up to her and say, ¡°have sex with me and you¡¯ll probably get an awesome ss¡±. If someone did that to her, she¡¯d probably have some pretty strong words to say to them after that.
And what about Bridget? She didn¡¯t even know if the orc was into women like that. She barely knew her at all. For all she knew, the woman already had someone she was romantically involved with.
Besides, wasn¡¯t that some kind of, well, workce harassment? Jadis was literally Sabina and Bridget¡¯s boss. How was there any way to approach something like sex for ss benefits withouting across as some kind of disgusting predator.
Thoughts of how exactly she was supposed to handle the weirdness of her sex-based ss and the ways having any kind of sexual contact with her could affect a person¡¯s ss options rolled around in Jadis¡¯ brain for the remainder of their time out in the field. Her distraction was obvious, particrly to those who knew her well like A and Eir, but she refrained from telling them about what was on her mind until they were in a more private setting. Thest thing she wanted was for Noll to overhear details on her situation.
Instead, she and the others finished up gathering the demon cores before gathering up all the bodies into a pile. Cognizant of how leaving bodies around was just like leaving weapons around for enemies to use since the bone thieves could reuse the skeletons, they made a trip into the forest to gather a mass of dead wood and tossed it into the pile of bodies, then lit it all on fire. There was no way it would burn hot enough to destroy the bones, but it would take care of the festering meat of wretches, and the dark smoke would serve as an easy to spot marker for the mercenaries who patrolled along the border. On A¡¯s advice, they would make a detour towards one of the border forts nearby and let them know about therge body pile. There were things they could do to take care of the bonester.
With their test run done, Jadis and her team headed back to Far Felsen. They had a lot of discussions waiting for them once they got home.
Chapter 177: Considerations
Chapter 177: Considerations
¡°Just fucking tell them. Who cares if you¡¯re the head of thepany? You think the heads of other mercenarypanies don¡¯t plough a few subordinates every now and again?¡±
Kerr¡¯s unapologetically crass answer to Jadis¡¯ concerns about whether or not she should reveal the guaranteed plus potential benefits of having sex with her to the newest recruits of Fortune¡¯s Favored came as no surprise. She¡¯d expected the s¨¦ response from the carefree therion since her attitude towards sex was certainly the most open and uninhibited out of all of them. What Jadis hadn¡¯t expected was the general agreement that came from everyone else.
¡°It¡¯s only fair to give them the choice,¡± A advised with a serious look on her face. ¡°Just like you gave me the details of what your rituals could do, and then did the same for Kerr, Eir, and Thea back in the cave. I¡¯m not saying that you have to, or that you should make the offer to every person that may eventually join thepany, but making the offer isn¡¯t a bad thing. It¡¯s good to give people the full information so they can make an informed decision.¡±
¡°They c¡ªcould use the attribute boosts,¡± Thea added in her quiet voice. ¡°It would help them and the cpany overall if they¡¯re, ah, stronger.¡±
¡°Even if they don¡¯t get a Nephilim rted ss,¡± Eir said with one finger on her chin, ¡°Thea is still correct that the attribute bonus alone would be of great practical benefit to them and our team. That said, if you are going to make them a sexual offer, I think it¡¯s important that one or more of us also be present. We could attest to the truth of what your rituals are capable of as well as smooth over any misunderstandings.¡±
After a few seconds of thought, Eir continued while motioning towards Jadis¡¯ three selves with one hand.
¡°I think it might also be best if you admit to your nature as a single individual as well. I understand that the more people who know about the abilities of your Mirror Knight ss the more likely it is that the secret will get out, but I believe that it is better to tell those who will be close to you than it is to hide it from them. Showing your trust in them is important.¡±
Jadis had thought she might be overthinking things a bit, but the advice andmentsing from her lovers genuinely surprised her. She¡¯d figured there would be at least a few reservations about her offering her lewd ritual services to two more women. Maybe a little jealousy? She knew she would have felt at least a little possessive if Eir or Thea decided to go sleep with someone else.
Then again, should she feel possessive of them? They were teammates and friends she trusted implicitly, but they weren¡¯t exactly in a formal rtionship like her and A. Kerr had every right to run off and fuck whoever she wanted if she felt like it. That was her gods¡¯ given freedom. While Jadis had talked things over with A early on when they¡¯d first started sleeping with each other, she¡¯d never really had that talk with the others. The more she thought about it, the more Jadis was certain that they probably should have some kind of talk about boundaries and how they felt about each other in this team-based pseudo-rtionship. In her head, she¡¯d started thinking of Eir and Kerr and Thea as her lovers. But was that how they thought about her? They were certainly far more epting of their frankly polygamous rtionship than Jadis would have expected from most people back on Earth. Maybe it was just a cultural difference? She knew Kerr¡¯s people saw multiple partners asmon, but what about humans and elves? Or rather, what about the people who lived in the Empire?
Jadis shook her heads to clear and reorient her thoughts. She was getting sidetracked again, like she so often did when she got caught up in her own mind. The question for the moment was whether or not she should tell Sabina and Bridget about her sex rituals and the potential effects it could have on their ss options at level twenty. The consensus from her team was that she should. With that kind of input from them, she was leaning in the same direction. But she still needed some rifications, first.
Jay walked out through the open door of the bathroom that adjoined their shared bedroom while drying her white hair with a towel. Her hair had gotten longer over the months she¡¯d been living on Oros and was now brushing an inch or two past her shoulders. Long enough that she thought she might need to get it trimmed. Pulling the damp towel away from her face, she met the gaze of A who just happened to be the closest person to the bathroom door.
¡°If we do tell them, and one or both ept, does that mean we invite them into our bedroom for our, ah, ¡®group sessions¡¯ that we do most nights?¡±
A looked at Jay thoughtfully. She was dressed only in a loose shirt and a set of smallclothes that kept her ritual-created package from dangling loose between her long legs. It had been days since the ritual and yet she was still sporting the cock Jadis had given her. Jadis had to internallyugh at how much fun A seemed to be getting out of having her own junk to y with.
¡°I¡¯d want to be there for any interactions like that,¡± A said adamantly. That assertion came as no surprise to Jadis since that had been their deal from the start. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I have to participate. A one-on-one encounter might be preferable for them. Not everyone is, well, asfortable with all of this as we are.¡±
Thest was said with a wave of an open hand towards Jay¡¯s entirely naked body on full disy, then followed with a wave towards the others in the room who were all in various states of undress.
¡°I didn¡¯t ever consider the possibility of this kind of, um, personal activity would be something that I would participate in, much less look forward to,¡± Eir said while looking away bashfully. She was sitting on the edge of the bed andbing her purple hair. ¡°So if Sabina or Bridget tried it, they might like it. But I can understand if they wouldn¡¯t want to. It¡¯s a bit overwhelming in concept. And reality¡¡±
Well, question not asked, question partially answered. Maybe polygamy wasn¡¯t all
thatmon after all. Just not frowned on, Jadis guessed.
¡°They¡¯re going to have to at least get used to us doing it. If we¡¯re out in the wilderness for more than a day trip we¡¯re going to be fucking by the campfire,¡± Kerr said from where shey naked and sprawled across the bed on her stomach, feet kicking in the air behind her and tail slowly wagging. ¡°You¡¯re way too loud once you get going to pretend you aren¡¯t getting your guts rearranged and I¡¯m just in not going to try to hide my moans of pleasure.¡±
¡°Kerr!¡± Eir cried out indignantly while swatting the therion¡¯s shoulder with herb.
¡°Don¡¯t whip the messenger, elfy. You¡¯ve got a beautiful singing voice. What was thatst one? ¡®Ah! Ah! Oh please fuck me harder! Oh, ah! Give me more!¡¯ It was such a moving rendition of
Priestess Being Defiled by a Giant Cock that I felt my soul quiver inside me.¡±
While Kerr continued to tease Eir, who had by then buried her face in her hands, Jay turned to A and Thea.
¡°So, best to justy it all out there, be honest, and let them decide how they want to handle it, right?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± A agreed.
Thea nodded as well but added a thought.
¡°M¡ªmaybe make it clear that they don¡¯t have to if they don¡¯t want to? No r¡ªreprisals?¡±
¡°Absolutely,¡± Jay said without hesitation. ¡°If one or both of them want nothing to do with the sex rituals, that¡¯s their choice. They won¡¯t be treated any differently either way.¡±
Thea looked far happier hearing Jadis say that aloud, though she noticed that she hadn¡¯t looked directly at Jay since she¡¯de out of the bathroom. That realization made her smirk. Thea was on the shorter side of their group. Not as short as Eir, who was by far the smallest person in the room, but definitely shorter than A and Kerr. That meant the shy brte was basically at eye level with Jay¡¯s crotch.
She would have thought the girl would have gotten used to her nudity by then, but it seemed the casual disy of her body was still enough to make Thea blush like a nun in a dildo factory.
Jadis¡¯ other two bodies were just about finished cleaning themselves off, so Jay moved out of the way of the bathroom door to make room for Dys and Syd who would soon be exiting. As she moved forward, she strode up to Thea who was standing off to one side of the room where they¡¯d piled most of their equipment. She was wearing a shirt and pantsbo she often wore casually when not wearing armor, which also made her the most dressed person in the room. Jadis was in a mind to change that.
Quietlying up behind Thea while she fiddled with the buckles and straps on a piece of her armor, Jay moved close enough that she was practically touching the smaller woman.
¡°You know, thest couple of nights you¡¯ve been doing a lot of watching and not a lot of participating,¡± Jay clicked her tongue. ¡°We¡¯re talking about all these benefits that Sabina and Bridget might get but you¡¯re in danger of losing yours at this rate, Thea.¡±
Leaning down so that she could put her lips close enough to her ear to whisper, Jay continued.
¡°Having fun with your fingers while you watch us fuck is fine, but I¡¯d personally really love it if my little shield maiden let me y with that perfect peach of an ass she¡¯s hiding in those pants tonight.¡±
The shiver that visibly went through Thea made Jay grin widely. Putting one hand on Thea¡¯s left hip, she moved her mouth closer so that her lips actually were touching the side of Thea¡¯s face.
¡°How about it? A needs a refill for her canteen and I¡¯d really love your help.¡±
¡°A¡ªahm, ah, y¡ªyes, I c¡ªcould help with th¡ªthat.¡±
Jay grinned even more brightly at Thea¡¯s stumbling yet heated words. She also grinned because in the next moment she managed to get the better of Kerr.
The sneaky archer had slipped off the bed while Jay was bent at the waist and whispering to Thea, undoubtedly on a mission to do something forward with Jay¡¯s exposed posterior. But Kerr had forgotten to take into ount that Jadis had more than one set of eyes to work with.
Before Kerr¡¯s grasping hands could reach Jay¡¯s pale cheeks, Syd caught her up into the air with a yelp and tossed her through the air tond on the bed with a squawk and a bounce. A secondter, Sydnded on top of her, silencing all protests by sitting her bum directly on top of Kerr¡¯s face.
¡°Don¡¯t mind us,¡± Syd said with a wave of one hand while she grabbed hold of Kerr¡¯s kicking legs in the other. ¡°Just keeping this beast busy. Contin¡ªow! No biting!¡±
The reprimand was punctuated by Syd giving Kerr¡¯s ass a meaty p. With both her ankles grasped in Syd¡¯s left hand and her legs held up straight in the air, Kerr¡¯s rump was an easy target for Syd, so she gave it another smack for good measure.
¡°Fuck, that¡¯s better. Love your tongue, Kerr¡¡±
Jay had momentarily turned her head to look back at what her other self was doing with the lewd archer, but she quickly resumed her attention on Thea. The brte had turned to look at Kerr and Syd too, so when Jay looked back at her, their eyes met.
¡°So? Ready to give me a hand?¡± Jay grinned at her.
Thea nodded, cheeks flushed and breath already picking up.
¡°Good,¡± Jay purred.
Then, abruptly, she squatted down while grasping hold of Thea¡¯s pants and pulled them down to her feet.
¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be needing these anytime soon,¡± she said as she lifted the shy former guardswoman up into the air while leaving her pants on the floor.
She stepped over to the bed, Thea in her arms, and gave A and Eir a grin.
¡°You two don¡¯t mind letting Thea take the spotlight right now, do you?¡±
¡°Of course not,¡± A said primly, the erection straining against her smallclothes betraying her excitement. ¡°I¡¯ll go fetch my canteen.¡±
Eir¡¯s positive response was muffled by the nightshirt she was pulling over her head in her own eagerness, but Jadis got the gist of it.
¡°No need,¡± Dys said as she walked over with the enchanted canteen in one hand, a copper funnel they¡¯d bought for practical considerations in the other. ¡°I¡¯ve got everything we need.¡±
¡°Yes, indeed I do,¡± Jay murmured as she nted a kiss on the top of Thea¡¯s head. ¡°So, how do you want to help me?¡± She asked her, putting the ball in Thea¡¯s court to see what she¡¯d do.
After a few moments of bashful mumbling, Thea looked up at Jay and gave her a hesitant smile.
¡°C¡ªcan I try something?¡±
¡°Anything you want,¡± Jay said, meaning it.
Chapter 178: Good Girl
Chapter 178: Good Girl
¡°This is what you want?¡±
¡°Y¡ªyes, mmhmm.¡±
¡°You sure?¡±
Jadis looked down at her shy lover spectively. Thea knelt on the edge of bed with her legs tucked up underneath her. She¡¯d discarded her shirt and waspletely nude, though her body was partially obscured by the enchanted canteen andrge copper funnel she held in herp. Her face was heated from embarrassment but her warm brown eyes were also dted from excitement. Even as Jadis watched, Thea licked her lips in anticipation.
¡°I w¡ªwant to, this way, yes,¡± she repeated earnestly.
All three of Jadis¡¯ selves stood around Thea in a close semicircle; Dys on the left, Jay in the middle, and Syd on the right. All were as naked as Thea and far more exposed with nothing covering their nudity. Not that much could cover Jadis when her shafts were at full attention, which they most certainly were by that point. Her cocks throbbed, bobbing slightly in the cool open air of the bedroom, little beads of precum already forming on their tips. She idly wondered what the view was like for Thea since she was on eye level with her marble pirs and all three were pointed in her direction.
¡°If this is what you want,¡± Jay drawled while taking her shaft in hand and giving it a short stroke, ¡°then you better get started. All three of me are feeling pretty pent up right now and seeing you like that is only making it harder for us.¡±
¡°Yeah, looking real hard over there,¡± Kerr said with a wicked smile from where she sat further away on the bed.
¡°Shh, noments from the peanut gallery,¡± Syd shushed the incorrigible therion.
¡°The fuck is a peanut?¡±
Jadis ignored the question and instead focused on more important matters. Namely, that Thea had finally started to move.
Tentatively, Thea reached out to Jay with her right hand. Lightly, almost as though she were afraid to touch it, she ran her fingers along Jay¡¯s pale cock, gently following the side from the base all the way to the underside of her cockhead. Her eyes followed her fingers with absolute concentration, like she was trying to memorize the position of every slight shadow of a vein under the porcin surface. Slowly her fingers traced all along the crown of her cock, tickling the underside in a way that made Jay¡¯s stomach clench and her core tighten. Eventually her fingertips found the end of her cockhead and gathered up the clear fluid dripping in ever increasing amounts. Almost absentmindedly Thea rubbed her fingers together, working the slippery precum into her skin before returning them to their meandering exploration of Jay¡¯s member.
¡°Shit Thea, you¡¯re really teasing me here,¡± Jay said between gritted teeth as her fingers again found sensitive spots on the underside of her cock. ¡°You¡¯re making it difficult for me to hold, you know.¡±
¡°S¡ªsorry,¡± Thea apologized, looking up at Jay¡¯s face with sincere worry.
Something about what she saw on Jay¡¯s face changed her reaction though. She bit her lip, looking up at Jay with an almost mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Tilting her head a little, she began running her fingers up and down Jay¡¯s shaft more quickly. Her hand never quite fully grasped her, never gave her that full pressure she needed to sate that need building within her, but doing more than enough to tease her to an ever increasingly heightened lust.
¡°Thea¡¡± Jay groaned low, her violet eyes growing dark.
¡°Mmm,¡± Thea hummed back. ¡°Sorry.¡±
Whether it was a tease or a genuine apology, Thea followed up her word by leaning forward and nting a kiss on the tip of Jay¡¯s cock, making the steel-hard member jump.
¡°Going to need more than that to make up for making me wait,¡± Jaymanded, leaning a little closer to Thea and practically shoving her massive erection into her face.
¡°O¡ªokay,¡± Thea said with a catch in her breath.
Opening her mouth, she epted Jay¡¯s tip as deeply as she could. Not that that was all that much. Even just the tip filled Thea¡¯s mouth to overflowing, but she pressed on like the dutiful soldier she was. With her cheeks ame and her big brown eyes locked with Jay¡¯s, she began to suckle on her cockhead.
The feel of Thea¡¯s soft lips and hot mouth on her cock was heavenly, enough so that Jadis was content to bask in the sensation. But only for a moment.
¡°Hey,¡± Dys said from the left of Jay. ¡°I want some attention over here, too.¡±
¡°Me too,¡± Syd added from the right.
From both sides Jadis¡¯ other selves pressed their cocks in closer to Thea¡¯s face, their dripping cocks throbbing with need. While Jadis was one person and the pleasure of one of her selves was pleasure for all of her, leaving two of her cocks tantalizingly close yet unattended to so close to her third shaft was driving her mad with lust.
Thea, being the earnest woman she was, never pulled her mouth away from Jay¡¯s cock, but she did make an adorable little sound of agreement as her right hand reached for Dys¡¯ dick and her left reached for Syd¡¯s. A secondter she made a muffled cry of distress as the canteen in herp almost fell to the floor without one of her hands to keep it in ce. Fortunately, another hand appeared in time to hold it back up.
¡°Here, let me help,¡± Eir offered innocently as she moved up behind Thea.
Jadis could see Thea¡¯s body stiffen as Eir pressed her plush breasts against her back. Pulling her whole body up tightly against the shy soldier, Eir wrapped her left arm around to the front of Thea to hold onto the canteen while her right hand went to pull Thea¡¯s mussed hair back and away from her face and eyes. Setting her chin on the opposite shoulder, Eir¡¯s solid purple eyes met Jay¡¯s before focusing on the woman she¡¯d wrapped herself around.
¡°You¡¯re doing so well,¡± Eir murmured into Thea¡¯s ear. ¡°Serving our beautiful Nephilim, making her feel such wonderful pleasure.¡±
Eir¡¯s right hand moved to Thea¡¯s and started moving it up and down on Dys¡¯ length.
¡°Keep going, I know you can do it. Make our lovely Jadis moan your name.¡±
Thea¡¯s whole body shivered at the elf¡¯s whispered words. Then, seemingly spurred on by then, she began to more firmly stroke Dys and Syd¡¯s shafts in either of her hands while sucking even more greedily on Jay¡¯s cockhead.
Starting slowly but gradually increasing in speed and fervor, Thea bobbed her head back and forth on the fraction of cock that she could cram into her mouth. asionally she would stop to swirl her tongue around the tip, teasing and stroking at what was within her mouth. The speed of her hands kept up with her oral efforts, jacking Jadis¡¯ other selves in a passionate rhythm as Eir urged her on.
¡°Listen, can you hear that? She¡¯s groaning, Thea. You¡¯re making our Nephilim groan in pleasure. You¡¯re making her feel so good right now.¡±
Eir¡¯s free hand went to the tip of Dys¡¯ cock and swiped at the string of clear fluid hanging from it.
¡°Look, she¡¯s leaking out so much already. Don¡¯t you think you should savor this too?¡± She held the slick fluid up before Thea¡¯s eyes. ¡°It would be a waste to let it drip onto the floor.¡±
With a pop Thea released Jay¡¯s cockhead to the cool open air before just as quickly engulfing Dys¡¯ cockhead.
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Eir spoke to Jay with the most perfectly innocent smile she¡¯d ever seen, ¡°Thea will attend to all of you.¡±
Eir followed up her assurance by leaning over Thea¡¯s shoulder and giving Jay¡¯s cock a kiss.
Fuck but the two of them were driving Jadis wild. Despite Thea¡¯s inability to fully throat Jadis¡¯ cocks, or maybe even because she was unable to, her earnest and eager attention was making the tightness in the pits of her stomachs grow with incredible speed. Eir¡¯s sweet yet sinfully wicked words were only stoking the fire ever higher. And the way both of them kept their eyes on her, always looking up, seemingly just because they enjoyed seeing the pleasure on her face¡
¡°Fuck,¡± Syd moaned as Thea switched over her to her, wrapping her lips around her cock and sucking with all her might.
Eir had moved out of the way so Thea could get to Syd, but instead of resting her chin on the brte¡¯s right, she leaned over and began cing little kisses all over Dys¡¯ cock, wherever she could reach without getting in the way of Thea¡¯s still pumping hand.
¡°I¡¯m getting close,¡± Jay panted as her own hand rapidly stroked the lower half of her cock. ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re so hot.¡±
¡°Did you hear that?¡± Eir practically purred into Thea¡¯s ear. ¡°Jadis just said you¡¯re hot. When she calls someone ¡®hot¡¯, it means she thinks they¡¯re beautiful and sexy. She says you¡¯re beautiful and sexy, Thea. She¡¯s right. You are so beautiful and sexy, especially when you suck on our Nephilim¡¯s cock like that. Keep doing it! You¡¯re making her feel so, so good.¡±
Thea gagged as Syd suddenly bucked forward slightly, her tip rubbing against the back of her throat. Eir¡¯s debauched praises were too much whenbined with Thea¡¯s hot tightness.
Pulling off of Syd, Thea practically shoved herself back onto Jay. Her rhythm increased as Jadis¡¯ moans increased in frequency and pitch. She could tell Jadis was reaching her peak.
¡°You¡¯re doing it,¡± Eir encouraged wholeheartedly. ¡°You¡¯re making her cum. You¡¯re making our beautiful, perfect Nephilim cum. She¡¯s going to pour her sweet seed into your mouth. You want to taste it, don¡¯t you?¡±
Despite the fervency of her licking and sucking, she still found a way to nod her desire.
¡°Of course you do. She tastes so good. And she loves to give her good girls rewards. Are you ready? Look at the way her cocks are twitching. Your reward ising! It¡¯s so close!¡±
¡°Oh fuck,¡± Jay gasped before hand reached out and grabbed hold of the back of Thea¡¯s head.
It was only through herculean effort that she didn¡¯t use her inhuman strength to jam her cock straight down Thea¡¯s throat to unload her full climax directly into her stomach. But she managed to hold back that impulse. Barely. Instead, as her orgasm finally spilled over the edge and the first hot rope of cum jetted out of her shaft, Jay held her sexy little shield maiden¡¯s head in ce, not letting her back away as her mouth was immediately filled to overflowing with that first shot of cum.
¡°Oh! Yes! Wonderful job,¡± Eir crooned as she pressed the side of her face against Thea¡¯s. ¡°There¡¯s your reward! And it tastes so good, doesn¡¯t it?¡±
Naturally, Thea couldn¡¯t answer with her mouth full of cock and cum. But by the way she rapidly swallowed as much of it as she could, Jadis didn¡¯t think she objected to the sweet taste.
Not that Jadis was in any kind of condition to analyze much of anything. As her orgasm pulsed through her, locking up her muscles and making her toes curl, Dys and Syd also reached their peaks. As the first spurts of sticky seed were drawn out of her two other cocks, Eir and Thea¡¯s faces were painted with them. Just that first pulse from the two of her was enough to drench both of them.
The next pulses were aimed down as Thea somehow retained enough presence of mind to remember that Jadis¡¯ cum was meant to be collected in the canteen rather than dripped all over their cheeks and noses. Both Dys and Syd¡¯s cum rapidly filled the copper funnel as Thea and Eir both continued to pump their hands on Jadis¡¯ dicks.
Jay¡¯s cum soon began falling into the funnel as well as Thea¡¯s desperate swallowing couldn¡¯t keep up with how much Jay was able to pump out. Her hot white cum spilled out from Thea¡¯s lips and dripped down her chin to fall onto her heaving breasts and into the mix of cum that was almost overwhelming the capacity of the copper funnel.
Jadis cursed under her breath as she gasped around her spine-tingling climaxes. Almost more than the feel of the hands and mouth on her members she took pleasure in the sight before her. Thea¡¯s lips still wrapped around her cock as she rapidly gulped while still pumping away at her other two shafts. Cum dripping from her forehead and across her brow, far more flowing down her chin. Eir¡¯s sinfully gorgeous face pressed up against hers with more white ropes of seed dripping from her nose and cheeks and even from her pointed ear. Both of them looking up at her with such tant and lustful longing and need.
¡°You did so well,¡± Eir kept up her own litany of encouragements. ¡°You made our Nephilim, our Jadis, feel so wonderfully good. You¡¯re such a good girl, Thea.¡±
Eir punctuated herpliment with a kiss on Thea¡¯s cum-covered cheek, not shying away from the sticky seed in the least.
Eventually Jadis¡¯ orgasm slowed, then stopped as thest of her seed trickled out of her. As much as she loved the feeling of Thea¡¯s warm, tight mouth, she had to gently pull her cock away from her shy lover¡¯s suckling as she was just too sensitive after such a powerful orgasm.
As Jay¡¯s cock popped free of her lips, Thea panted with her tongue practically hanging from her mouth, thest lingering strings of cum dangling off of her tongue and chin down to her chest.
¡°Holy fucking shit,¡± Jay half gasped, halfughed as she looked over the mess she¡¯d made of the two women, particrly Thea. ¡°That was amazing.¡±
Without hesitation Jay knelt down and before Thea¡¯s hazy eyes had time to focus, Jay leaned in and kissed the cum-drunk woman. Sliding her own muchrger tongue against Thea¡¯s, she invaded her open mouth with relish.
¡°You too, Eir,¡± Dys said a second before locking lips with the smiling priestess.
As two of her selves dueled with their tongues against Eir and Thea, her third self copsed onto the bed and crawled up next to where A and Kerr had watched the whole debauched disy. They¡¯d clearly enjoyed the show, if A¡¯s erection and Kerr¡¯s wet pussy were anything to go by. Interestingly, the two had apparently elected to tend to each other as they watched, with Kerr¡¯s hand slowly pumping A¡¯s shaft while A¡¯s fingers yed with Kerr¡¯s lower lips and clit.
Setting against the pillows so that Kerr was between her and A, Syd looked at the two and sighed contentedly.
¡°Is it just me or are the two quietest members of the team getting really fucking good at being lewd?¡±
¡°Yeah, that was something special,¡± Kerr answered Syd¡¯s low tones with a low purr of her own.
¡°We¡¯ll need a second act, though,¡± A advised with her typical practicality. ¡°It looks like Thea drank most of a third of your output. I doubt the canteen is full.¡±
Syd chucked as she ran a finger up Kerr¡¯s stomach and up to her chest, taking a detour to y with a hard nipple.
¡°I¡¯m not too worried about that. I think we¡¯ll have plenty of opportunities tonight to top that thing off.¡±
Chapter 179: POV Troublemaker
Chapter 179: POV Troublemaker
Thea writhed and shuddered in orgasmic bliss as Jay tongue-fucked her. Thanks to the size difference between them and Jadis¡¯ bodies, the giants had some absolutely amazing reach when it came to their tongues. It helped that she knew how to put her mouth to good use, too. Skillbined with a tongue longer than most guy¡¯s dicks and a natural eagerness to see her partners fall apart in ecstasy made Jadis a champion pussy-licker, as Thea was clearly experiencing.
Kerr wouldn¡¯t have minded a little bit of that action herself, but contrary to popr belief she did have some modicum of self-control. Not much, but some.
The shrinking violet deserved the attention she was getting after the show she¡¯d just put on. Kerr hadn¡¯t tackled all three of Jadis by herself yet, a fact that she hoped to change in the near future, but she knew from experience that just having one or two of Jadis focused on her was a lot to handle. Three had to be a overwhelming, and the fact that Thea had managed to please all three simultaneously with only minimal help from the perverted priestess was honestly impressive to her. Kerr hadn¡¯t thought Thea had it in her.
So the former guard had earned her reward. Jay was going at her pussy like it was her first meal after a month of fasting and Kerr wasn¡¯t going to interrupt. That still left two other of Jadis¡¯ bodies to y with though, didn¡¯t it?
Well, no, it didn¡¯t. Eir, that slutty little lust monger hadtched onto Dys like a limpet. The two were entwined like a red vine on a white oak, faces glued together while their hands roamed. Not much chance of anyone getting into that mix while they weretched onto each other like screech minks in heat.
That left one option. The most natural option, too. Syd had, of course, sidled right up next to her and A. But even though that part of Jadis, or version of Jadis, or extension, or however the fuck it worked, was right there next to her, Kerr could tell that Syd had focused her attention on the redhead instead of her.
¡°You know,¡± Syd murmured as she draped her oversized but drop-dead sexy body across Kerr¡¯sp, ¡°Kerr got to take this whole beast down her throat the other day. Besides the fact that was impressive as fuck, I¡¯m also a little jealous. When do
I get to y with your new favorite toy?¡±
One of her perfect pale hands wrapped around the upper half of A¡¯s dick, her thumb rubbing circles around the throbbing head. Kerr had been stroking her cock for her while they¡¯d watched the spectacle, a favor A had kindly returned. But now she withdrew her hand from the redhead¡¯s meaty cock. Clearly Jadis was in a mood to y with it.
That was fine, Kerr didn¡¯t mind. In fact, she was pretty damn eager to see Jadis suck the prim mage¡¯s
special wand. But that didn¡¯t mean she was content to sit on the sidelines while everyone else had their fun. That just wasn¡¯t her style.
¡°You don¡¯t have to do that,¡± A said for some reason. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s fine if we stick to more traditional acts. My, uh, my taste isn¡¯t as sweet as yours.¡±
Why in all the abyss the woman would bother making up excuses for Jadis to
not suck her cock was beyond Kerr. Valtar¡¯s balls, did she really think her sex-crazed girlfriend
didn¡¯t want to suck the seed from her? Were they fucking the same Nephilim?
¡°That really doesn¡¯t bother me,¡± Syd chuckled as she rested the fat shaft of A¡¯s cock against her face, her nose nuzzling against it like an affectionate cat. ¡°There¡¯s no part of you I wouldn¡¯t want, Blue.¡±
¡°Putain, c''¨¦tait d¨¦guesse,¡± Kerr mumbled under her breath, but the two love birds ignored her.
Well, if they wanted to be all sappy and romantic while throat fucking, that was fine. Kerr could respect it. But she wasn¡¯t going to just continue to act as a pillow for Syd, either.
As Syd wrapped her lips around A¡¯s cockhead and elicited an honestly extremely appealing moan from the freckled mage, Kerr slipped out from under her and moved so that she was behind the giant. With her back arched and long legs syed out, it was a mouthwatering view.
Jadis had a great ass. Actually, she had three great asses, but that was beside the point. Her cheeks were nice and round but still taut and firm. Not a single spot or blemish on them. And between them was that perfect pussy with its delicate lips and intoxicatingly sweet smell. Every time she saw it Kerr had to struggle not to dive right in. Of course, in current circumstances, she didn¡¯t have to hold back at all. She knew the big lug of a woman had no objections at all to Kerr making use of her body. But licking Syd¡¯s tasty cunt wasn¡¯t Kerr¡¯s goal at the moment. She wanted to give the giant something to
really moan about.
Ah, fuck it. She could go in for a little taste first.
Kerr put her hands on either side of Syd¡¯s generous globes and spread them apart, revealing her lewdly wet target. She promptly dove in, nose first, and gave her perfect petals a firm stroke with her tongue. The taste was, as she knew it would be, delightfully sweet in an almost fruity way. If nothing else was enough to convince her, the way Jadis tasted definitely tipped the scales when it came to the question of whether or not she was a real Nephilim. Nothing else but the divinely blessed avatars of Lyssandria could taste so good.
Even partially muffled between thick thighs Kerr¡¯s sensitive ears could hear the results of her oral fixation. Syd had, of course, moaned. But those strong vibrations had flowed directly into the cock that was sunk deeply into her mouth, drawing out more gasping groans from the A.
Kerr loved it when her ns worked out. She made so few of them so it was nice to see them be sessful. She didn¡¯t continue her licking for long, though. As much as she enjoyed it, she did have a different method of attack she was going to use on Jadis while she sucked A off.
Pulling back and licking her own lips clean, Kerr grinned toothily at the open and waiting entrance on disy before her. Taking advantage of the easy ess Syd was giving her by raising her ass up and wiggling it slightly in her direction, Kerr tested the waters by gently inserting one of her fingers into Syd¡¯s divine heat.
The surprisingly tight passage was just how Kerr remembered it. The feeling of Syd squeezing around her single digit made her long to have her cock back. She¡¯d had a lot of fun with that thingst time and she wanted another go with it. She kind of regretted dismissing the spell that had grown it on her, but Kerr wasn¡¯t so impractical that she¡¯d sacrifice her ability to fit in her armor for a sexual perversion.
Besides, she¡¯d just do the ritual with Jadis again to get it backter. That ritual was honestly half the fun.
Continuing her exploration of Syd¡¯s soaked core, Kerr added another finger. After a few more moments, she added a third. Soon, she was four fingers deep in Syd¡¯s pussy and despite how tight it was, Kerr was confident she could take more. After all, Jadis¡¯s cocks were way bigger than just four of Kerr¡¯s fingers and she¡¯d seen Jadis fuck her own selves before. No, Kerr could definitely fit a whole lot more into Syd. And she was going to.
Balling her fingers up into a fist to keep her ws in check, Kerr firmly inserted her whole fist into Syd¡¯s heat. She had to apply a fair amount of pressure to work her way in, but she had the strength to spare. Kerr had tough at the idea that Jadis¡¯ stat-boosting gift to her was being used in such a way. Eventually Syd¡¯s pussy epted her fist and she was fully inside.
¡°Fuck, Kerr,¡± Syd moaned out.
Kerr immediately pped Syd¡¯s ass with her free right hand, the meaty thwack echoing over the grunts and moans of the others having their fun elsewhere on the bed.
¡°Hey! If you¡¯re talking that means you aren¡¯t sucking. A¡¯s cock is supposed to be in that pretty mouth of yours right now so fucking get back to it!¡±
A¡¯s sudden gasp and the wet squelching sound told Kerr Syd hadplied without even having to look. That was good. At least Jadis knew when to listen to her elders.
With a happy smirk, Kerr pressed forward into Syd¡¯s dripping depths. Her wrist disappeared inside, followed shortly thereafter by her forearm. She was in all the way up to her elbow before she reached what she recognized as the end of Syd¡¯s tunnel. She rested there for a moment, letting Syd get used to the arm that had intruded into her.
But not too long. Kerr had self-control. But not that much.
Abruptly, Kerr pulled her arm out of Syd¡¯s core all the way to the point where her tight pussy lips were clenching around her wrist. Then, with just as much vigor, Kerr dove back to hilt her arm into Syd as far as she could go.
¡°Fuck!¡±
That exmation had note from Syd, but from A. Apletely understandable response. ncing up from her work, Kerr saw that her forceful fist fucking of Syd had caused the giant to dip forward and fully engulf A¡¯s cock all the way to the base. A¡¯s hands mped around Syd¡¯s head as she gagged on the cock in her throat, making such enticing sounds that Kerr couldn¡¯t resist adding more.
Pulling back out again, Kerr began gleefully pumping her fist into Jadis¡¯ pussy. The gurgled moans that came from Syd¡¯s stuffed mouth with every thrust of her arm were driving Kerr wild with excitement. The red, pleasured face A was making while her cock was gobbled added even more fuel to the fire.
Fuck, Kerr loved fucking these two. They were just too much fun.
She kept up the pace for a good while, keeping to a steady rhythm as she pumped her arm into Syd. She wasn¡¯t sure which one of the two would give out first, but she guessed Jadis would. She was having fun with Eir and Thea at the same time, wasn¡¯t she? That meant she had a lot more stimtion to tip her over the edge, from how Kerr understood it all.
Yet, surprisingly, as Kerr felt sweat drip of her brow and pool in the small of her back as she worked hard to fuck her friend¡¯s brains out, it was A who let out a very un-A-like squeal as she wrapped her arms around Syd¡¯s head and bent double over, bucking her hips all the while.
¡°Oh, oh, that was¡¡± A gasped out after a while as she slumped to one side. ¡°That was¡ª¡±
¡°Canteen,¡± Syd interrupted loudly in an almost pained voice as she wetly pulled A¡¯s cock from her mouth. ¡°Now. I¡¯m about to cum!¡±
¡°Shit,¡± A scrambled, her post-climax state making her limbs as weak as a newbornmb¡¯s.
She struggled to mber over and around Syd, Kerr¡¯s continued thrusting of her fist getting in the way of her grabbing the enchanted canteen and funnel lying on the other side of the bed. Kerr kept thrusting anyway. What was she supposed to do, stop?
While Kerr refused to slow her pace until Syd had popped, she was forced to adjust her position as the giant shifted up so that she was on her hands and knees instead of lying on her stomach. The new position revealed the rock hard and visibly trembling cock that had been hidden between the bed and Syd up until that point.
¡°Better hurry,¡± Kerr panted out, a grin splitting her mouth wide. ¡°Our girl here is about to burst!¡±
¡°Fuuuuck,¡± Syd moaned out, her voice shaking in time with Kerr¡¯s pumping arm.
A secondter her shaft throbbed while her cockhead surged in size just before unleashing a torrent of sticky white seed directly into the funnel that A had just barely managed to get into ce in time.
¡°There we go,¡± Kerr chuckled as Syd groaned around each toe-curling pulse. ¡°Good job getting your bucket in time for the milk, A.¡±
¡°Shut up,¡± the exhausted redhead said with her face buried in the nket, her elongated body syed out in the diving slide she¡¯d made to get under Syd before the seed had started flowing. ¡°You¡¯re an asshole.¡±
¡°Eh, you know you like me.¡±
A few minutester A carefully screwed the cap onto the fully loaded canteen as Sydy on her back, one arm thrown over her eyes. Kerry next to her, her fingers idly tracing patterns on Syd¡¯s muscled stomach.
¡°Ohe on, you can¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t like that,¡± Kerr crooned mischievously at Syd. ¡°Your battering ram here definitely got a kick out of it.¡±
Kerr emphasized her point by tapping a finger on Syd¡¯s half-erect member as ity like an exhausted python over her thigh.
¡°Oh, I did. That was intense,¡± Syd croaked out. ¡°Super fucking intense. I just need a minute after that one.¡±
¡°Fine, I can wait a minute,¡± Kerr pouted. ¡°But I expect to be treated with as much tender and loving care as I just gave you in the next five minutes. Everyone else has had their fun, but my pussy is feeling real lonely right now.¡±
Syd pulled her arm slightly away from her face to give Kerr a look that she couldn¡¯t quite interpret. The giant was hard to read sometimes, especially when her face went as still as a statue. But a secondter she swept Kerr into a tight embrace while her expression morphed into something as mischievous as her own.
¡°If you think I wouldn¡¯t return your little favor back to you, you¡¯re nuts.¡±
Before Kerr could make a response, Jadis silenced her with a sudden and surprisingly tender kiss that, for some reason Kerr didn¡¯t feel like analyzing, made her stomach flutter.
¡°But after I deal with you,¡± Syd said after breaking their lip lock for a moment, ¡°We¡¯ve got some other business to attend to tonight. There¡¯s a ritual we¡¯re due to perform and we better do it before Eir is too exhausted to do it.¡±
Chapter 180: Gaze
Chapter 180: Gaze
Jadis sat on afortable chair. She¡¯d sat on many chairs in the past, some more and some lessfortable, though none of those had ever left a particrly memorable impression in her mind. This one, however, did. Not because it was unique in any particr way. No, the chair had no defining features beyond the fact that it was, indeed,fortable. That was what made it so memorable. It had
no defining features at all. It was simply the ideal embodiment of afortable chair. That meant one simple fact.
She was back in D¡¯s living room.
A month¡¯s time had passed since Eir¡¯sst use of her oracle ritual, a slightly longer time frame on Oros than it was back on Earth, but Jadis was getting used to the unfamiliar timescales. Since they had been engaged in a night of lewd pleasures anyway, Jadis had suggested they perform the ritual so they could ask questions right away and not waste any time. To her mind, any days that went beyond the recast timer of thirty-five days was time wasted and would result in less questions asked overall. However, Eir had a different take on the use of the ritual.
Since there were very few priests that ever gained a skill that let themmunicate with the gods in either an indirect or direct fashion, it had be standard practice in the temples to hold onto those valuable insights from the gods and only use the rituals when a truly important question needed an answer. Such rituals were not performed until after days, sometimes even weeks, of debate between high priests and other temple officials. The gods were not generous with their words due to the restrictions of the Covenant, so a great deal of care always went into theposition of the questions that were asked.
In Eir¡¯s opinion, it was a good idea to keep the ritual in reserve until they truly needed some answers for an important, maybe even life-threatening situation. Unless there was a good reason, she wanted to keep the ritual¡¯s use to a minimum. However, she had to agree that the issue of how Jadis was supposed tomunicate with Lyssandria as one of her avatar¡¯s was an important issue that needed to be resolved. Asking for D¡¯s guidance felt reasonable for such a problem considering theirck of progress so far.
So, with Eir¡¯s help, Jadis¡¯ soul had returned to D¡¯s indescribably normal living room with its conceptual furniture and abstract ideas for decorations. Everything was exactly as she remembered it. As least, as memorable as the incorporeal soul scape of a living room could be. Except, there was one piece missing.
Where was D?
¡°Hel¡ª¡± Jadis started to call out but stopped herself.
What she had been about to do was call out, ¡°Hello?¡± Such a greeting could have possibly been interpreted as a question. Considering herst interaction with D, she didn¡¯t want to give him an excuse to cheat her out of a question. Revising hernguage in her head, she tried again.
¡°D, I am here.¡±
Jadis waited a moment after speaking. After what she counted out to be thirty seconds she tried again.
Nothing.
Well now what was she supposed to do? The idea of D not being home, or whatever this all was, had not been covered in any of the discussions she¡¯d had with Eir on the subject of oracles and talking with gods. Was she supposed to just sit and wait until the capricious god showed up? How long was that going to take? She was fairly certain that due to the nature of the ritual and how it had yed outst time that no time was passing back on Oros while she had her out of body experience. Or at least time was passing at an imperceptibly slow rate. So she wasn¡¯t too worried about something bad happening to her body while her soul was visiting her patron deity.
What was worrying her was the idea that D might just leave her there waiting for hours, days, maybe even longer while he did whatever it was he did as a god. Her body might not be affected, but she was entirely conscious as a disembodied soul and spending days trapped in the idea of a living room with nothing to do did not seem like a fun prospect to her.
Then again, was she trapped here? There was a door on the other side of the room. No one had said she couldn¡¯t get up and do a little exploring while she waited for D to show up. If he¡¯d wanted her to just sit tight and wait, he could have left her a note of some kind. She couldn¡¯t imagine that not being within the power of a literal god to do. Since he hadn¡¯t, that probably meant he didn¡¯t care what she did while waiting for him to arrive.
The logic there was, admittedly, wed. D could very much care about what she did while she waited. But this was D¡¯s living room she was in, and he¡¯d left her alone to her own devices. How often was she going to get the opportunity to explore a god¡¯s home?
Getting up from her non-descriptfortable chair, Jadis circled around the definitely-a-coffee-table and the yes-that-is-a-couch to stand in front of the only door that led in and out of the room. There was nothing on or around the door to indicate what was on the other side. Nothing about its pseudo-existence told her if it was a hallway door, bedroom door, kitchen door, foyer door, or any other kind of specific door. It was just a door.
¡°Fortune favors the bold,¡± Jadis muttered to herself before reaching out with the soul equivalent of her hand to grasp the doorknob.
Turning the knob, Jadis fully pulled open the door.
Death.
There was no other word Jadis could think of to describe what she saw. What existed before her was the essence of death. No, not just death, it was Death. The Death. The end of everything and everyone. Pure and total annihtion stared into her soul with its single, unblinking, all-seeing eye. An eye sorge it epassed the entirety of the universe because it
was the universe because it was what the universe woulde to be, eventually, in the end. She was gazing into the void and the void was so beyond anything she could have ever possibly imagined it to be that she could not even begin toprehend it. She simply stared into the unblinking eye, too numb with mind bending terror to even feel the fear that she knew she was experiencing.
¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind him, he¡¯s just being a snoop.¡±
The door abruptly shut in Jadis¡¯ face and she was left standing there, shaken to her soul¡¯s core. If she had lungs to hyperventte, she was certain she would have by then. Instead, she just had to exist, with no bodily functions to distract her, dealing with the fact that she¡¯d just met Death himself.
Except there was at least one distraction in the room now. D, faceless and indescribable and utterly nonthreatening and absolutely not a mind-destroying nightmare, was standing just off to the side of her, tapping away on the pad he held in one hand.
¡°Wha¡ªwhat, what was that?¡± Jadis finally forced out as she reeled from the horrifying experience.
¡°Dear old cousin Sam,¡± D answered without taking his non-existent eyes off of his device¡¯s screen. ¡°Free advice, gal. Don¡¯t poke around in a god¡¯s house unless you¡¯re prepared to experience cosmic horrors beyond your capability to reckon. You never know who else might be hanging around
like a fucking freeloading creep!¡±
Thest was shouted while D mmed his fist a couple of times against the door.
¡°R¡ªright,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Sorry about that¡¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± D shrugged before finally looking at her with what was most certainly a smile of some kind. ¡°It¡¯s not like you did any harm to
me.¡±
With that, D casually flopped over the back of his couch and propped what were certainly his feet up on the armrest.
¡°Anyway, you¡¯ve got two questions left and I¡¯m actually kind of busy dealing with some things right now, so you¡¯d better get to asking before I have to scoot. Always so busy. Busy busy busy.¡±
D buzzed like the primordial concept of a bee while motioning for Jadis to take her seat. Considering she still needed a minute to gather her thoughts after apparentlying face to face with Samleos, the god of all demons on Oros, she gratefully took the opportunity to sit and process for a few moments.
That
thing had been Samleos? That¡ void of existence was the god whose ns she was supposed to subvert? For real?
The true gravity of the task D had set for her was finally sinking in. That was a God. A God of Death and Destruction and Endings. It had a goal that it was trying to aplish and she was supposed to get in the way of them.
Holy Fuck.
¡°Hey, little pale pervert,¡± D waved his hand in her direction. ¡°Tick tock, tick tock. I don¡¯t have all day. Question n¨´mero dos and make it snappy.¡±
¡°Oh, ah, right. Okay,¡± Jadis replied shakily. ¡°Right. Shit. I only have two questions. That wasn¡¯t a question, it was a statement of acknowledgement that I fucked up.¡±
¡°At least you recognize it,¡± D murmured in his neither high nor low nor soft nor loud voice.
She had to admit, she had fucked up. Certainly in exposing herself to what was behind door number one, but also in that she¡¯d asked an unintentional question. Again. But really, how was she supposed to keep her thoughts straight after witnessing¡
that.
Actually, was that the point? Had D purposefully left her to wander unattended because he knew she¡¯d stumble into ¡°Cousin Sam¡± and that the encounter would fuck with her hard enough to make her lose one of her questions? Considering the kind of god that he was, Jadis couldn¡¯t honestly deny the possibility. In fact, the probability that he was purposefully messing with her for his own amusement seemed like a near certainty.
Strangely, the knowledge that D was likely fucking with her helped calm Jadis¡¯ mind. It gave her something totch onto. D was an asshole who liked to y pranks on everyone. Just because she was his, well, minion, that didn¡¯t mean she was immune to his trickery.
Jadis took a mental breath. D had pranked her. So what? She could be angry about it, or she could ept that he¡¯d gotten the best of her
this time and move on. She did still have two questions to ask.
¡°Where, in rtion to me, is the closest friendly member of an avatar race located?¡±
Jadis carefully asked the question she¡¯d crafted with the help of herpanions. Eir and A had both agreed that D was unlikely to give her detailed instructions on how tomune with Lyssandria. The gods avoided answering questions that were tooplex. Most oracles of the past described their answers as one or two words at most. D was far more verbose with her than Eir had ever heard of gods being with other mortals, but that didn¡¯t mean that D would just tell her everything she wanted to know without restraint. The Covenant the gods had made was intended to keep them from unduly influencing the affairs of mortals. D could literally not be able to give her precise instructions.
Which was why they¡¯d decided it was better to ask for the location of a fellow Child of the Gods who could offer some guidance. Jadis was hoping for a Dryad, but really any of the options out there would be interesting to meet. Except, of course, more demons. She¡¯d already met plenty of those and could find more any time she wanted, which was why she¡¯d specified ¡°Friendly¡± in her question. She didn¡¯t need D telling her where to find the nearest twisted wretch.
D snorted lightly out of his perfectly ordinary nose.
¡°Sitting on top of a crate in a ss jar in your room.¡±
What?
Jadis thankfully didn¡¯t voice her confusion. She¡¯d already wasted one question so far; she wasn¡¯t going to make that mistake again.
Based on D¡¯s answer, Jadis had to assume he meant the squiggly little demon hatchling she¡¯d been holding on to. That honestly surprised her. She, like everyone else, hadn¡¯t thought the demonling would count as a friendly entity. She wasn¡¯t sure that it even understood the greater concepts of ally and enemy, nor had she been sure that it wasn¡¯t obeying hermands out of some kind of fear of her. But D saw it as friendly. Friendly enough to satisfy the criteria of her question, at least.
Well, it wasn¡¯t the answer she¡¯d been looking for, but it was interesting information at least. Honestly, she didn¡¯t even see it as a loss. She was intensely curious about the demon hatchling, so the knowledge that it was definitively ¡°friendly¡± towards her was something she was going to explore.
¡°Okay,¡± Jadis said after a minute or two of being lost in her thoughts. ¡°Last question. Where, in rtion to me, is the
second closest friendly member of an avatar race located?¡±
Eir and everyone else would be disappointed that Jadis hadn¡¯t gotten to ask any of her other questions, but so long as she got a real lead on someone she could actually talk to about her godlymunication questions, then she¡¯d rate the session a sess.
D rolled his eyes but he didn¡¯t seem upset with the only slightly altered repeat of a question. Even though all she could see of his face was the fact that it was a face, she could tell that he was smirking in an appreciative way.
¡°At the base of a mountain with a split peak, where two streams meet right before spilling over into five waterfalls.¡±
As Jadis processed that answer, D sat up on his couch and leaned towards her, somehow putting his nk and featureless face mere inches away from hers despite not leaving his seat. As the room around her faded into nothing and all she could see was D¡¯s presence before her, he offered up a final few words with a sly wink.
¡°Good luck with the hunt, little gal. You¡¯ll need it.¡±
Chapter 181: Not Alone
Chapter 181: Not Alone
The problem with Eir¡¯s Speak to the D ritual was also what made it so enjoyable. It required a specific intimate act that under most circumstances Jadis enjoyed. She had still enjoyed it this time, of course. However, after her experience bumbling into Samleos, she felt more than a bit awkward when she came back to consciousness midway through climax with Eir wrapped around her.
Once she was finished, Jadis gently disentangled herself from the elven priestess and took a moment to sit back and contemte. The mental whish of going from sex to staring Death in the face to talking with D toing back to sex was rough to deal with. Around her, herpanions patiently waited for her to gather her thoughts. A lot of that patience probably stemmed from the fact that they¡¯d been going at it hot and heavy for a while and it waste in the night. They were all exhausted and sleep was ready to im them. Sleep sounded so attractive at that moment that Jadis actually considered waiting until morning to tell them about what she¡¯d experienced.
The look on Eir¡¯s face convinced Jadis not to wait. The hopeful expression she carried told her that she expected Lyssandria to have been there with D, not the nightmare that had actually been lurking behind the living room door.
¡°Lyssandria wasn¡¯t there,¡± Jay announced with a heavy sigh. ¡°Sorry, Eir.¡±
Hope crumpled into disappointment, followed by resolute eptance.
¡°Well, I suppose that¡¯s to be expected. The ritual is to speak with Destarious, after all,¡± Eir said with false cheer. ¡°How did it go? Were you able to learn much?¡±
¡°Not as well as I hoped it would,¡± Dys answered dryly as shey down on her side. ¡°Lyssandria wasn¡¯t there, but another god was. Samleos was hanging around.¡±
¡°What!?¡±
The reaction from everyone was instant. All sat up from their previously prone positions, all signs of exhaustion wiped away as they focused intently on which Jadis was closest to them.
¡°Are you alright?¡±
¡°Did he speak to you?¡±
¡°D¡ªDid he c¡ªcurse you?¡±
¡°Why the fuck was
he there?¡±
The questions came all at once, too rapidly for even Jadis to answer all at the same time. She held up her hands for quiet, eventually getting some as they calmed enough to let her speak.
¡°I¡¯ll start from the beginning,¡± Jay said slowly. ¡°Let me get through it and then I¡¯ll answer all of your questions, okay?¡±
With nods of confirmation, Jadis took a few minutes to recount her encounter with Samleos and D. She spared no details, doing her best to give them as much urate information as possible. No one interrupted her as she talked, letting her fully exin her story, though Jadis could tell by the expressions on their faces that each of them had a lot to say about what she was telling them. Once she¡¯d told them everything she could remember, the questions started.
¡°Are you an idiot?¡±
She supposed she deserved that one.
¡°How could you possibly think that wandering through a God¡¯s domain without permission is a good idea?¡± A continued, her face a thundercloud. ¡°Don¡¯t you have
any sense of self-preservation?¡±
¡°In my defense, he never said I couldn¡¯t snoop,¡± Jay answered quietly.
¡°That¡¯s not the kind of thing one usually needs to be explicit about, Jadis.¡±
¡°Actually,¡± Eir hummed with a thoughtful look on her face, ¡°in this case, you might be right. Destarious is the god of secrets, both hiding them and revealing them. If he never specificallymanded you to not ¡®snoop¡¯ then he might have been expecting you to.¡±
¡°See?¡± Syd pointed at the priestess. ¡°If our resident religious authority says I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, then I am absolved of sin. That¡¯s how that works, right?¡±
A did not look impressed.
¡°Just because he expected you to go poking around doesn¡¯t mean you should have. Destarious is the god of mischief, madness, and
forbidden knowledge. What you did was dangerous. Very, very dangerous! Samleos is destruction incarnate. What if he had used that opportunity to destroy your soul? Or he could have cursed you, corrupting your very being with his foul touch. If D hadn¡¯t closed that door, you could have been lost in Samleos¡¯ voidpletely!¡±
¡°Maybe he wanted you to see Samleos?¡±
Everyone turned to look at Kerr. The woman was leaning back on a mound of pillows, chewing on one of her sharp w-like nails while her eyes stared into nothing. When she eventually noticed the whole group had turned to stare at her, she took her finger from her mouth and furrowed her brow.
¡°What? It¡¯s possible. D¡¯s a troublemaker. He likes to fuck with people. He could have tempted her on purpose so she¡¯d run into Samleos.¡±
¡°I had considered that,¡± Jadis added. ¡°He could have orchestrated that just so I would use up one of my questions. He¡¯s definitely the kind of asshole that would do that.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not talking about that,¡± Kerr waved her hand dismissively. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t take a visit from the God of Death to trick you out of a question, big stuff. What if he did it for another reason? Maybe he wanted Samleos to see you?¡±
¡°W¡ªwhy would he want that?¡± Thea squeaked out. ¡°Why g¡ªgive away information on Jadis to
him like that?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kerr shrugged with a sigh. ¡°To mess with him? Rub it in the fucker¡¯s face that he has a champion of his own in y that can totally throw off his ns? Maybe he was making some kind of point?
Non lo so.¡±
¡°Parsing the intentions of the gods is no small task,¡± Eir said quietly. ¡°And predicting what Destarious ns to do is even more of an impossibility. But I agree with Kerr. Even if I am uncertain of the why, I don¡¯t think that encounter was chance.¡±
Would D throw her in Samleos¡¯ face just to show off? Jadis felt like that was a distinct possibility. But would that be his only reason? That she felt less certain of. From her interactions with the insane entity, Jadis got the impression that D was a schemer. He no doubt had ns within ns and then backups for those ns. Having her run into Samleos could absolutely be a part of multiple different schemes that the tricky god had going on at the same time. But just like Eir, she was at a loss as to what those schemes were. She really had no idea why D would want her to meet Samleos face to giant eyeball, but the more she thought about it the more she agreed with Kerr. It wasn¡¯t an ident.
¡°I don¡¯t think Samleos would have been able to do anything to you, in any case,¡± Eir continued after a brief moment of thought. ¡°The ritual was for you to talk with Destarious. Samleos might have been there to observe uninvited, or he might have been there because Destarious allowed it, but either way he was not meant to interact with you per the nature of the ritual. Cultists who worship Samleos have to do so actively to have him corrupt their souls. I don¡¯t think he can do so otherwise per the tenants of the Covenant.¡±
¡°Fine then,¡± A sighed. With an almost petnt expression, a look that was practically alien on the redhead¡¯s face, shey down against Jay¡¯s side and purposefully wrapped Jay¡¯s arm around her body. ¡°I don¡¯t like you putting yourself at risk like that. But what¡¯s done is done. Now, what are we going to do about the answers to your other two questions?¡±
There was silence in the room to that question until Syd slipped off of the bed and walked over to the crates piled in one corner. From the top of one of the crates she picked up the ss jar containing the demon hatchling with the neon blue eye. She held the jar to her face. As her eyes connected with the single lidless eye of the demonling, an involuntary shiver ran through her body as a sh of the void appeared in her mind. With effort and a steadying breath, she shook that memory out of her head.
¡°ording to D, this little guy is friendly to me,¡± she said. ¡°What do we do with that?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure if we should do anything with it,¡± A answered. ¡°Even if it is ¡®friendly¡¯ to you, that doesn¡¯t mean that couldn¡¯t easily change. Nor does it mean it¡¯s safe. A wolf might be friendly to the farmer that feeds him, but that doesn¡¯t mean the wolf won¡¯t eat his sheep if he gets the chance.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t really argue against that point. Even if the demonling was more akin to a wild animal than an inherently evil spiritual entity, that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t dangerous. But she wasn¡¯t content to leave it at that. She¡¯d proven that the little demon had enough intelligence to understand simplemands like stop and go and fetch. She also now had direct confirmation from D that it wasn¡¯t hostile to her, a fact supported by how it acted towards her. She also had evidence that it might not even be hostile towards herpanions since it had actively tried to help A when she was injured. That action indicated the hatchling was capable of altruism.
So where did she go from there?
¡°Can you find me a book for teaching letters?¡± Jay asked aloud to the room in general.
¡°Why? Still struggling to read?¡± Kerr asked with a smirk.
She was, but Jadis wasn¡¯t about to admit that to the teasing therion.
¡°No, but I want to use it. I want to see if I can find some way ofmunicating with this little thing on a higher level.¡±
¡°You¡¯re going to try and teach a demon
letters?¡± A asked incredulously.
¡°Yes,¡± Syd answered sinctly.
¡°I¡¯m not sure why I¡¯m surprised. Of course you¡¯d try to do something like that¡¡±
Syd sat back down on the bed, scooting in close next to where Thea was sitting. The guardswoman looked at the little squiggling tentacle monster with apprehension, but not fear. Looking at the others, their faces told of misgivings, but not outright rejection. That was good. Jadis didn¡¯t know where this little experiment of hers was going to go, but she wanted to find out and an open mind was important for continuing down the path of the unknown. She¡¯d do it alone if she had to, but she¡¯d much rather have herpanions with her for the ride.
¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything that puts any of you or anyone else at risk,¡± Dys assured them all as Syd contemted the jarred demonling. ¡°But I do want to see what¡¯s possible. If things start to look like any of you are in danger because of this experiment, you can be certain that I¡¯ll put an end to this demon myself.¡±
At those words, everyone looked much more reassured. However, since Syd was looking directly at the demonling, she saw the way its tentacle curled inwards at Dys¡¯ statement. Had it understood the implicit threat? How much of what they were saying was it truly capable of understanding?
She didn¡¯t point out the reaction to the others. There would be time to investigate and discusster. Instead, Syd just held the jar close to her chest, like she would have with a cat, and watched as the demonling slowly unfurled itself from its stiffened posture.
¡°I think the next step for us overall,¡± Jay spoke with her voice slightly raised to get everyone¡¯s attention, ¡°is to go see this ¡®second closest¡¯ friendly avatar. Any ideas on where D meant with that description?¡±
¡°I would suspect a mountain in Kalters Wall,¡± A said after a second of thought. ¡°But I don¡¯t know this ¡®split peak¡¯ he told you of.¡±
¡°I think I do?¡± Kerr said with uncertainty. ¡°There¡¯s a mountain to the northwest that has sort of a two-peak thing going on. That might be it?¡±
Thea settled in close to Syd¡¯s side and tapped a finger on the demonling¡¯s jar as A and Kerr talked over their thoughts on where the mountain D had referenced might be.
¡°We c¡ªcould look at a map,¡± she murmured as she stared at the now more actively squirming hatchling. ¡°There might be a m¡ªmountain with that, ah, name.¡±
¡°A good idea,¡± Eir smiled at Thea from Syd¡¯s other side as she snuggled close under her arm. ¡°I know the High Priest has a map, and my cousin has a very detailed one as well. I could ask one or both if they¡¯d let us take a look.¡±
As they discussed their next steps and the details of how they were going to move forward, Jadis pulled herpanions in tighter around her. Her look into the void had shaken her, maybe more than she wanted to admit, but having her lovers gathered around her soothed her soul like a warm bath. She sighed in contentment to have the people she cared about tucked in around her. No matter where she was going next, she was d she wasn¡¯t going alone.
Chapter 182: Logistics
Chapter 182: Logistics
Logistics. There was no getting around logistics.
With a goal in mind, Jadis was motivated to immediately follow the path straight to it. D had told her that a member of an avatar race who would be friendly to her was located at the base of a split-peaked mountain, near where two streams converge and spill over into five waterfalls. Jadis felt reasonably confident that the divinely indicated location had to be somewhere in Kaltars Wall, the mountain range to the north of the Great Southern Forest, which was to the north of where they were in Far Felsen. She wasn¡¯t sure exactly where those waterfalls were, but with the speed she was capable of moving at, Jadis was more than willing to just grab a trio of packs and jog north to see what she could find.
Everyone else, however, felt that was an incredibly stupid idea and she needed to slow down before she got herself killed.
Jadis¡¯panions had be a stone wall. United in their insistence that the trip be done ¡°properly¡± and not as a reckless charge into the unknown, she was forced to hammer out a concrete n. All of her lovers had different points to make about the dangers and challenges of the quest they were about to embark on and, even though Jadis still wanted to set off as quickly as possible since she didn¡¯t know how long the supposed friendly avatar D had told her about would remain in that one spot, after they discussed it for the better part of a morning, she had to admit their reasoning was logical.
The biggest concern was the fact that they didn¡¯t know for sure which peak D was referring to. There were three mountains in Kaltars Wall that fit the description of a ¡°Split Peak¡±. The closest was to the northeast and was only a valley over from where Jadis had reincarnated on Oros. The second was far to the northwest, practically along the coast and was days away, even at the speed at which Jadis was capable of moving. The third was further to the north, nestled deep near the center of the massive mountain range and would be a serious struggle just to get to it due to theck of any roads or even reliable maps of the mountain passes. All in all, depending on which one of the mountains that D meant, the trip could take a few days, a few weeks, or even longer. After all, there was no guarantee that the five waterfalls would be easy to find, much less the person who
might live near it or might just have been camping there at the time when D told Jadis about the location.
Since the trip could take upwards of a month and the season was well on its way to turning to winter, they needed to have as many provisions and other survival supplies with them as possible. Never mind that each one of herpanions would need enough food to sustain them for weeks, each one of Jadis¡¯ giant-sized bodies ate three times as much as any one of the others. She¡¯d need a way of transporting a massive amount of supplies just for her alone. As Kerr emphatically pointed out, there was no guarantee that they would find enough prey animals to hunt once they got closer to the mountains. Even ignoring the scarcity that woulde with the cold weather, the demons had no doubt ravaged the native poptions. Thus, they needed to be prepared to be entirely dependent on their packed supplies.
The answer to this problem was, of course, the long-awaited wagon. Jadis hadmissioned a custom-made wagon that could act as a mobile home away from home for her and herpanions some time ago. The problem was the wagon still wasn¡¯t finished. The carpenter who Sabina had found to do the work had been inundated with rush jobs and government-ordered work after the Battle of Far Felsen. When the magistrate of the entire province wasmanding all craftsmen to focus on repairing the damaged buildings and walls of the city, Jadis couldn¡¯t me the man for putting hermission to the side. That meant that, ording to both Sabine and the carpenter, it would be at least a few weeks more before the wagon would be done, considering all the custom features that were being put into it.
She couldn¡¯t run off to the north without the wagon, not if she wanted herpanions toe with her, which she absolutely did. So she had to wait. Waiting was not Jadis¡¯ strong suit. Fortunately, finding things to focus on rather than sulk was something Jadis did have some skill in.
One thing that Jadis made sure to do was give Sabina a few of her Earth-inspired ideas for the wagon. Jadis was careful not to take credit for any of the ideas. She knew she wasn¡¯t some inventor genius and she didn¡¯t want to be perceived as such just because she was using some basic knowledge from her home to her advantage. Considering herck of knowledge in a lot of different areas, she knew she couldn¡¯t back a im like that up if she were ever put under any kind of scrutiny. So instead of iming credit, she exined her ideas as being technology that hade from the lost race of the Nephilim. That way, if Sabina was inclined to tell anyone about where her new creations wereing from, they¡¯d at least have a small degree of separation from Jadis. Not much of one, since she was the only Nephilim around and therefore the only source of this ¡®lost technology¡¯, but at least people wouldn¡¯t assume Jadis was some kind of divinely inspired inventor.
Among other things, the biggest yet simplest invention Jadis was able to give Sabina was the idea of the coil spring. Oros hadn¡¯t yet invented that technology, from what Jadis had gathered, and instead their wagons and other equipment used leaf springs. While an old-fashioned leaf spring was certainly usable, Jadis knew enough about cars from her father to know that a coil spring would provide far better performance for purposes of suspension. And considering the kind of load the oversized wagon was going to need to be capable of handling, Jadis wanted to make sure it had the best parts possible to help ensure it wouldn¡¯t break down while they were out on their search.
Sabina took to the concept of the coil spring with as much enthusiasm as she did with everything and before Jadis had even finished exining the device to her, she was already thinking up ways to use it beyond a wagon¡¯s suspension system.
¡°¡ªor I could use it to improve stability in a mounted ballista so that the recoil doesn¡¯t cause it to shift and move as much! Of course there are non-military applications like seats and chairs and doors and beds and ships and tools and¡ªoh! I could also use it to improve certain kinds of traps which isn¡¯t strictly a military use since traps are also for hunting and self defense but I guess they could be used for defense against demons as much as for catching rabbits if they are scaled up though I wasn¡¯t really thinking that way but now I kind of am.¡±
¡°I look forward to seeing what you cane up with,¡± Jay told the excited half-elf as a grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. ¡°But hold off on those experiments until after the wagon is done, okay?¡±
¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± Sabina answered with a silly salute.
¡°So, why are we heading off into the north?¡± Bridget asked with a skeptical look. ¡°Seems like a lot of walking when there are plenty of demons to kill closer to the city.¡±
Jadis and her team were all gathered in the dining room of their guild hall. Therge table she had made to fit them all was already feeling kind of snug with just two more members added so Jadis made a mental note to work on getting something bigger. More importantly, she was using the meeting to exin what they would be doing to her new recruits. Sabina didn¡¯t necessarily have toe on the trip since she wasn¡¯t strictly abatant, but Jadis was going to at least offer her the opportunity to since a lot of experience was likely to be gained on such a far-ranging expedition. There was also something to be said for bringing along someone who could fix the wagon, their gear, and even craft arrows for Kerr.
Then there was Bridget. She absolutely had toe, since she was not only their newest member but she also was an actual fighter and should be joining them out in the field. Thus she needed to know what was going on and why they were going, at least for logistical purposes if nothing else.
¡°Partly we¡¯re going because we have a lead on someone who could help Jay, Dys, and Syd with their ability to connect with Lyssandria. As Nephilim, they should be able to receive guidance from her, but due to the circumstances that led them to be here in Far Felsen, they never got the chance to learn how.¡±
A¡¯s calm exnation was, to Jadis at least, shockingly convincing. She wasn¡¯t sure why it was shocking to her, nothing she was saying was a lie. In fact, A was being as truthful as possible. Yet somehow her exnation managed to leave out all the important bits that Jadis didn¡¯t want to share with her two new recruits, which Jadis wasn¡¯t sure she would have been able to do so smoothly.
¡°We¡¯re also hoping to find evidence of other Nephilim survivors,¡± A continued. ¡°It¡¯s doubtful that we will find any, especially since we don¡¯t necessarily n to search too deeply into Kaltars Wall, but it is a secondary objective.¡±
That part of the n hade from Eir. She had gotten permission from High Priest Gerhardt to use his map for their nning, though that had naturally prompted the question from him as to why they needed it. That had led to a discussion about their ns to head north, which led to Gerhardt asking if Jadis was looking for the remnants of her vige while she was out there. Eir, not being one to lie easily, had said that they would be keeping an eye out, at least.
Jadis didn¡¯t mind that part at all. It made sense for her cover story that she would be using an opportunity like this to seek out her non-existent friends and family. Apparently, Gerhardt had been nning on spearheading a search of his own, but the n hadn¡¯t gotten far since the demonic attack on the city and the recovery afterwards had taken precedence. Since Jadis and her crew were going, Gerhardt had offered to send a few priests along as well, which Jadis had declined, and had also offered to help cover the cost of supplies, which Jadis had epted. There was nothing wrong with taking advantage of the temple¡¯s generosity, at least not as far as Jadis or her advisors could tell. Gerhardt wasn¡¯t a part of one particr political movement or another, so it
probably wouldn¡¯t be seen as some kind of favor.
Jadis scowled at just the thought of political favors.
¡°So, sort of a search and rescue? Sort of?¡± Bridget looked for confirmation.
¡°Basically,¡± Dys nodded while quickly wiping the frown from her features. ¡°Though probably not any actual rescuing. Mostly just the searching. The person we¡¯re looking for in the north probably doesn¡¯t need any kind of rescue, but we won¡¯t know what their situation is until we get out there.¡±
¡°And where did the information on this, uh, whoever it is,e from?¡± Bridget questioned.
Jadis had to give the orc credit. She didn¡¯t just roll with a n without asking pertinent questions. Which might also exin why she had trouble fitting into more regr mercenarypanies. Jadis got the impression that mostpanies didn¡¯t encourage their troops to question orders. If Captain Renz of Bernd¡¯s des said to pack up and move out, she doubted A¡¯s uncles would demand to know why or expect to get an answer.
¡°Divine guidance,¡± Eir answered Bridget¡¯s question with a sweet smile but nothing further.
While Eir encouraged openness, she herself was tight-lipped about her Oracle ss. Other than Jadis, A, Kerr, and Thea, she hadn¡¯t told anyone else about being a Lustful Oracle of D. Not that she was embarrassed about the ss. Well, maybe she was a tiny bit embarrassed to talk about the nature of the ss with others, but mostly she was proud of what her secondary ss could do. No, she didn¡¯t tell others, not even the High Priest, because oracles were such a rare and valuablemodity. Eir didn¡¯t want to risk the chance that the temple would try to order her away from Jadis¡¯ side to be somewhere safer, so that her ability tomune with the gods for guidance and direction was protected. She wasn¡¯t sure that Gerhardt would be inclined to do something drastic and against her own wishes, but she still felt it was safer to keep her ss under wraps for the time being.
Who was Jadis to judge that decision, considering her own situation?
¡°We¡¯ll discuss the smaller details of the tripter,¡± Dys spoke up before Bridget could ask another question. ¡°We won¡¯t be leaving until the wagon is finished anyway, so we have plenty of time to talk it all out and refine any rough spots. There was something else we wanted to talk to you and Sabina about today.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a¡ sensitive topic,¡± Jay prefaced as she inteced her fingers in front of her. ¡°Sensitive and personal. I¡¯ll be frank with you both: what we have to talk about involves revealing a lot of details about both our primary and secondary sses. For me and my sisters.¡±
¡°Before we tell either of you anything,¡± Syd continued, ¡°we want to ask for an oath. You have to swear on your honor and whatever else you hold dear that you
will not reveal our ss information without our permission. Not to anyone. Ever.¡±
¡°If you can¡¯t agree to that, we understand, but we¡¯ll have to ask you to leave the room while we discuss details involving our sses in the future. They rte to the function of the mercenarypany, so we,¡± Jay motioned around her at herpanions, ¡°will discuss such information at times, but those who can¡¯t agree to our terms cannot be a part of the discussion. You can still be in thepany, and we won¡¯t think any less of you for not taking the oath nor will we treat you differently otherwise, but you will have to give us that space and privacy. If you can¡¯t agree to do that either, then we will ask you to leave thepany.¡±
Both Sabina and Bridget were silent as they digested Jadis¡¯ words. She gave them time to take it all in and kept her peace, as did herpanions. Eventually, one of them broke the silence. Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely surprised to see that it was Bridget with another question.
¡°All of you know this ss info stuff?¡± the orc asked, looking around at A and Kerr and the others. ¡°It¡¯s that big of a deal?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Thea said immediately, her response simple but firm and without her characteristic stutter. ¡°It is.¡±
¡°Without giving away any details, it is in no way harmful to any of you,¡± A added.
She didn¡¯t tell them about the potential benefits, not yet. Jadis had wanted to ask for the oath before hinting at the rewards, so A kept quiet on that front. They had all agreed that asking for discretion on something that was supposed to be personal anyway without the promise of a reward was a better judge of character.
¡°Well fuck,¡± Bridget scratched at the scar on her face. ¡°How am I supposed to walk away from a mystery like this? I mean, I guess I could just say no, but shit! I¡¯m really curious now!¡±
¡°Does this have anything to do with why all of you sleep in the same bed?¡±
Jadis and the others turned their attention to Sabina, the half elf looking back with unabashed curiosity. ¡°Because I figured you were all having sex with each other because you¡¯re all just so attractive, but if it¡¯s ss rted then that makes a lot of sense.¡±
¡°The fuck!?¡± Bridget stared goggle-eyed at Sabina, then at the Nephilim, then the others, then back at Sabina. ¡°Uh, I mean¡ the fuck!?¡±
All three of Jadis sighed, but Jay was the only one to answer.
¡°Yeah, it has to do with that. But we¡¯re not getting into the details unless we get an answer. So what¡¯s it going to be?¡±
Sabine wasted no time.
¡°I swear by my honor and by Svaroga¡¯s Forge that I will keep the details of your sses a secret and I¡¯ll carry that secret to my grave.¡±
Bridget just stared at the unusually serious smith for a few seconds before frowning and turning to look at the rest of the group.
¡°Okay, well, I¡¯m sure not going to be the odd one out. I swear on my life and on my honor as a daughter of n Warsong that I won¡¯t reveal the details of your sses to anyone without your permission. Now fucking spill, what is this all about? Uh, if you would, ma¡¯am. Please.¡±
Jadis smirked at the two simr yet different responses. She was d that both had agreed since the prospect of keeping either woman in the dark had not been a pleasant one for her. But now that she had their promises and the time hade to drop the veil, Jadis hesitated. Where exactly was she supposed to start?
¡°Okay, first thing you gotta know before anything else,¡± Kerr suddenly blurted out, ¡°is that sex with them is great but intimidating as fuck, because they¡¯ve got these massive fucking cocks, like, arm sized. But also, they have a skill that makes it actually possible to fit those meat pirs in you cause there is no way it¡¯d work without a skill for it. Also, they can help you grow your own dick if you want to try one out yourself, so that¡¯s a great bonus. But yeah. Horse cocks. This big. For real.¡±
¡°¡thank you, Kerr.¡±
Chapter 183: Experiment
Chapter 183: Experiment
It took a while for Jadis to get through the exnation on how her ritual ss worked. Sabina and Bridget had a lot of questions, and skepticism, regarding both the nature of the rituals as well as the benefits they imparted. It helped to have everyone else with her to back up her ims, though. A was particrly convincing since she was willing to not only share the name and general nature of her arcanist ss, but she also revealed the details of her lewder skills. All of them together were enough to convince the two that Jadis¡¯ rituals were genuine and not some kind of weird sex cult thing.
Well, maybe the mercenarypany kind of
was some kind of weird sex cult, if she looked at it from a certain point of view¡
Cults aside, Jadis got through the ritualist exnations and then promptly moved on to the Mirror Knight exnation, a hurdle she knew would be hard to jump. To her surprise, Sabina had no issue at all epting the fact that Jadis was actually just one person. She had apparently suspected some kind of ss that offered synchronized benefits, but duplicate bodies made sense to her too, so she took the info in stride. Bridget had more trouble with the concept, not that Jadis could me her. It was a weird im to make and it took a lot of different tests and examples to prove to the orc that her multi-body skill wasn¡¯t some kind of trick or illusion.
The true sticking point of the whole discussion though was the idea that she could affect their potential ss options. While the possibility of getting a rare and powerful ss was intriguing, the idea that it could potentially bind them to be near Jadis in order to gain the greatest benefits of the ss certainly caused some hesitation. There was also the fact that since only three sses were offered at unlocking, having at least one reced by a Jadis ss could mean that they weren¡¯t getting an option for a different ss that they might have been working towards their whole lives.
¡°How sure are you about this whole Nephilim ss thing are you?¡± Bridget asked again, her brows furrowed and her arms crossed in a stance of serious contemtion.
¡°We¡¯re not sure at all,¡± Jay answered with a shrug. ¡°But the two of our group who have leveled since getting involved with me, A and Eir, both received Nephilim-rted ss options. Powerful ones, but definitely on the, uh, sexual side of things.¡±
¡°Yours is powerful too?¡± Bridget turned to look at Eir.
¡°It is,¡± the elf affirmed. ¡°It has a great deal of potential, even at low levels, though I¡¯d rather keep the details private.¡±
Jadis could see the curiosity burning in Bridget¡¯s dark eyes, but she didn¡¯t press Eir further. The cultural taboo against prying into ss details was strong enough to keep her from demanding more information, even though she clearly wanted to. Instead, the orc stewed silently for a while, chewing on her lip with one fang.
¡°What do you think would happen if we didn¡¯t perform a sex ritual before reaching level twenty and unlocking our secondary sses?¡±
Jadis turned her attention to Sabina. The smith was tapping her chin thoughtfully with one finger, a far away look in her gold-zed eyes.
¡°Would simply being in constant contact with you be enough to tip the scales in favor of a Nephilim-centric ss or would that not be a strong enough influence? I know performing rare and unusual feats can lead to unique ss options since that¡¯s how Bridget got her ss and how many others have gotten strange sses like my father who has the ss called ¡®Fashion Smith¡¯ but I don¡¯t know if just being around you three¡ªor just you? Just you. Would being around just you be enough to grant a unique ss?¡±
¡°I have no idea if that would work,¡± Jay admitted. ¡°It hasn¡¯t reallye up yet. I mean, we¡¯re really only basing this whole Nephilim ss thing on A and Eir. It
could be a coincidence. I fucking doubt it, but it could.¡±
Sabina rocked forward on her chair, putting her elbows on the table and her chin on her fists. She stared intensely at Jay, her eyes aze with a curiosity that put Bridget¡¯s ember to shame.
¡°I want to test it. Can we wait to have sex? I want to have sex because thatrge of a stat boost would be amazingly beneficial and also you¡¯re very attractive and I¡¯ve been interested in getting to know at least one of you a little closer since I met you but I kind of thought maybe not since you were clearly dating A and you two make a cute couple and I don¡¯t want toe between that but since I saw the bed situation I¡¯ve been thinking that maybe there was room for me too so this is really a good turn of events for me.¡±
Sabina took a breath.
¡°I¡¯m still kind of nervous about the giant penis thing though. I mean, if you all are okay with it maybe it¡¯s not so bad? I just don¡¯t know how I¡¯d react in the moment since I¡¯ve never had sex with anything like what Kerr described before and I¡¯m rambling about things that maybe I shouldn¡¯t so I¡¯ll shut up now.¡±
Per usual, Jadis had to take a moment to process what Sabina had rattled out at lightning speed to understand it all, which gave the others at the table enough time to start giggling. Once she felt caught up, Jadis chose to focus on what she felt was probably the most important part of Sabina¡¯s ramble.
¡°Yes, we can wait,¡± Jay assured the half elf. ¡°I¡¯ll admit I¡¯m kind of curious myself about what¡¯ll happen. If you want to test it, I can support that.¡±
¡°Also,¡± Dys added, ¡°just to be clear, you don¡¯t
have to have sex with me if you don¡¯t want to. I mean, you seem pretty on board with the idea, based on what you just said, but I really want to make it clear that its not a requirement or anything.¡±
¡°I understand!¡± Sabina chirped. ¡°But I do! I mean, I am interested. In you. In that way.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but smirk, barely containing her grin as Sabina¡¯s face flushed further and further the more she said. Eventually, the smith let her arms fall to the table and looked away from Jadis before mumbling out a final few words.
¡°Oh, I really need to stop talking¡¡±
¡°No, keep going,¡± Syd told her as she leaned forward, eyes sparkling. ¡°I could stand to hear a little more.¡±
While Syd teased a now mortified Sabina, Kerr pulled her chair a little closer to Bridget, who was still frowning at the table.
¡°So? What¡¯re you thinking, green bean? Going to give riding giants a shot or is that too scary for you to handle?¡±
Bridget scowled at Kerr, annoyance clear on her face.
¡°I¡¯m not scared,¡± she answered defensively. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about it, alright? I just bloody met you lot and now you¡¯re talking about, well, all this sex stuff. It¡¯s a lot to take in, right?¡±
¡°Damn right it¡¯s a lot to take in,¡± the saucy archer smirked. ¡°That¡¯s why she has a skill to make it all work. I swear I can feel her cockhead in my chest when we¡ª¡±
¡°Not like that!¡± Bridget cut Kerr off. ¡°Fucking gods, you¡¯re worse than some of the boys I knew back home.¡±
Bridget turned her attention to the closest of Jadis¡¯ selves, Dys. Leveling a hand at her in a chopping motion, she emphasized her words with her hand motions.
¡°Look, can I think about this for a while? I¡¯m not a prude or anything but I don¡¯t think I can jump into something like this so quickly. I mean, it¡¯s extreme, yeah? I¡¯m not alone in thinking that, right?¡±
She looked around the table, almost desperate for some kind of agreement from someone else that she wasn¡¯t the only one to find the proposition overwhelming.
¡°No, you¡¯re right, it is extreme,¡± Dys said, pulling the orc¡¯s attention back to her. ¡°And you¡¯re right, we did just meet a few days ago. I¡¯m perfectly fine with you wanting to take your time and figure out your feelings about it. Again, I don¡¯t want you to feel forced. In fact, I wanted you and Sabina to know about all this even if you don¡¯t ¡®join¡¯ us since we¡¯ll be working together as a team out in the wilderness for a while. Better we be upfront with you now then let you stumble across what we¡¯re doingter.¡±
¡°Do you want to hold off on the fast leveling until you decide?¡± Syd asked from further away. ¡°I mean, since you don¡¯t know if you want to risk the Nephilim ss or not. It really won¡¯t take us long to get you a few levels. We got A to level twenty in like a week, so we have plenty of time for you to decide before we head out on our expedition.¡±
¡°Maybe you want to see what happens with Sabina, first?¡± Jay put forward the idea to see how it wouldnd. ¡°Let her be the guinea pig, so to speak?¡±
Bridget¡¯s contemtive face screwed up in confusion as she looked up at Jay.
¡°What¡¯s a guinea? And what do pigs have to do with anything?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± A smoothly interjected. ¡°Sometimes she uses phrases that have to do with Nephilim culture. Just ignore them.¡±
¡°It means ¡®test subject¡¯ or something like that,¡± Jay exined a secondter. ¡°No offense.¡±
Sabina evinced no issues with theparison, though her face still glowed with embarrassment.
¡°Alright, yeah,¡± Bridget finally said with a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯d like to wait on making a decision then, for now. I wouldn¡¯t mind seeing what happens with the chirpy here, first, either. Uh, I mean that respectfully, yeah?¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Sabina waved Bridget off. ¡°If you were more forward and wanted to test what¡¯ll happen I would let you go first since its kind of a gamble on what the effect this will have on my ss options if any but since you aren¡¯t and I know I¡¯ll die from curiosity if I don¡¯t try it I¡¯m trying it and hopefully it¡¯ll prove to have an interesting result but even if nothinges of it I know I n on sticking with thispany for a long time and if the level speed stays consistent I might hit CLR sixty in a matter of months rather than years and that means a chance to get a Nephilim tertiary ss presuming we have sex before then which I think is more than likely since I do kind of want to jump her and also the attribute benefits and also¡ª¡±
¡°Sabina,¡± Eir politely cut the smith off, putting a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Slow down. You need to breathe.¡±
¡°Right, okay,¡± Sabina said, taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling. Nodding at Eir, she turned to meet Bridget¡¯s gaze directly. ¡°Right. In summary, you should wait. See what happens with me, since it could make a difference in what you decide.¡±
¡°Yeah, okay,¡± Bridget said quietly, looking slightly taken aback by Sabina¡¯s confidently presented advice. ¡°I think I will. That, uh, okay with you all? Can I let Sabby here test the waters first?¡±
¡°If you two are good with that, then it doesn¡¯t bother me,¡± Jay answered firmly.
The rest of the team gathered at the table nodded and spoke their agreement with the decision as well, some even offering advice and support of their own. Kerr¡¯s advice was soundly ignored for reasons of licentiousness, but Jadis could see that the two neers were appreciative of the encouragement.
All in all, Jadis felt like the discussion had gone well. Neither Sabina nor Bridget had been upset or offended by Jadis¡¯ ss skills and subsequent offer, just reasonably cautious. In all honesty, Jadis had expected at least one of them to object to the proposal. Considering how many women she¡¯d now met who were at a minimum bisexual, Jadis was starting to wonder about the sexual dynamics of Oros. Or maybe she was thinking about it too hard? Her patron deity was the god of fortune, after all, so it made some sense that he was helping her ¡®get lucky¡¯.
Jadis winced internally at her awful pun. But hey, at least it was only in her head where no one else would ever know about it. And if D happened to be listening in on her internal monologue with his godly powers, then he deserved the psychic damage that woulde from that terrible y on words.
Chapter 184: Even Exchange
Chapter 184: Even Exchange
Since the wagon was going to take weeks toplete, Jadis used the time to prepare as much as possible for the potentially long trip as well as get as much training in with Noll as she could. Since she and the old therion were on better terms than how they¡¯d started, she told him about their nned trip to the north during one of their regr training sessions. While he was more than willing to offer advice, he also made it clear that he wasn¡¯t going to join her on the expedition. He¡¯d been sent to spy on her by the second prince and he¡¯d decided to give her some instruction on his own initiative, but he wasn¡¯t being paid to babysit Jadis and her team. He was content to wait in the city and enjoy theforts of civilization while she and her cohorts froze their tits off out in the woods, as he put it.
Jadis couldn¡¯t really fault him for wanting to stay where it was warm. Every day that passed the nights grew longer and the weather grew colder. No real snow hade down so far, but light dustings and flurries of snowkes were bing more frequent. Keeping that in mind, she made sure her supplies were stocked with cold weather gear.
Aside frommissioning several sets of warm clothes from Ka, the seamstress who made all of her clothing, Jadis visited an enchantment shop and purchased arge round stone that functioned as the Oros equivalent of a portable heater. The item was a smooth globe of some kind of granite stone and weighed about ten pounds. It reminded Jadis of a bowling ball, except without the finger holes and covered in indecipherable runes. The model she¡¯d bought was a cheap, single use item that couldn¡¯t be recharged. She couldn¡¯t afford the more expensive rechargeable enchanted items with how much silver she was spending on the wagon and other items, but the heat stone would functionally act as arge bonfire without any me for a full twenty-four hours before drainingpletely. That kind of backup could prove invaluable while out in the wilderness depending on conditions.
Other than her personal preparations and the heat stone, Jadis didn¡¯t have to concern herself with much of the grittier logistics. A handled ordering the necessary food supplies and other necessities since she had experience dealing with supply trains and the like. Jadis didn¡¯t ignore the process, she was actually quite interested in seeing how such tasks were done, but she was more than happy to let A take control in an area she had background and training in.
Aside from her training with Noll and her prep work for the expedition, Jadis still found time to head out into the Broken Hills and hunt down demons with her team. It was on one such foray into the field that Sabina approached her about her ss details.
It had been about a week since the day Jadis had told Sabina and Bridget about her sses and they were all currently somewhere to the northwest of the city hunting down demons. Even though Jadis was fairly certain she could get both of her newest teammates up to level twenty much faster, she hadn¡¯t been pushing as hard as she had when she¡¯d helped A level up. Partly that was because Bridget still hadn¡¯t decided on whether or not she wanted to partake in Jadis¡¯ powerfully beneficial but lewd rituals, but also Sabina spent most of her time in the public smithing workshop, working on Thea¡¯s new armor as well as variousponents for the wagon, plus whatever other crafting ideas caught her fancy as she toiled away. Thus, she didn¡¯t have as much spare time tomit to being out in the field for most of the day. However, on the day that she did travel with the team out into the hills, Jadis made sure to take her off separately from the rest of the group so she could focus on power leveling the exuberant smith. It was in the quiet moment between battles with demonic forces that she brought up her primary ss.
¡°Jay? Er, Jay-Dys-Syd? Is that okay?¡±
¡°Just Jadis is fine when we¡¯re alone,¡± Jay corrected Sabina. ¡°But you can call me any of my three nicknames you want if that¡¯s easier for you. I¡¯ll answer you either way.¡±
¡°Okay, right, Jay-Dys. Oh! I get it now, you split your name Jadis into two parts and then you reversed Dys into Syd to make a third name which is clever but if you ever make a forth copy of yourself I¡¯m not sure you should reverse Jay because Yaj is a ng term for Yajina and she was a famous cultist that murdered a past Hero¡¯spanion so it¡¯s kind of a slur now for traitors in some parts of the world.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Jay murmured as she jogged along. She was carrying the talkative half elf while her other two selves were spread out, looking for demons. ¡°Was there something you wanted to ask me, though?¡±
¡°Oh! Yes, there was,¡± Sabina shook her head to reorient herself. ¡°Well, sort of. Actually, I wanted to tell you something. See, it kind of bothers me that you were so open with your ss and skills but you don¡¯t know anything about me. So¡ um¡ would you like to know about my ss?¡±
Jay slowed down and shifted Sabina so she was supported by just one of her arms while she lifted the visor from her face. Meeting Sabina¡¯s gold-tinged eyes, she could tell that the smith was nervous.
¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me anything about your ss if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Jay told her gently. ¡°I told you what you needed to know. That doesn¡¯t obligate you to tell me your personal information. If you¡¯d rather keep those details private¡ª"
¡°No, it¡¯s fine, really!¡± Sabina cut her off with some emphatic waves of her hands. ¡°It¡¯s not like I have anything super special skill-wise that I¡¯m trying to hide. Plus, I guess I just, well, I guess, I want you to know.¡±
Sabina¡¯s face flushed as she muttered thest few words, turning her eyes away from Jadis. Then she suddenly rounded on her, speaking a mile a minute.
¡°Besides it would only be fair for you to know about me since I know a lot of personal details about you and since I could blurt out your secrets that you don¡¯t want told to anyone which of course I won¡¯t do but I could and you¡¯re putting your trust in me that I won¡¯t I think it would be the right thing to do if I gave you my details as a sign of my own trust and also because it¡¯d be a more even exchange and it¡¯d also make it so that if I went back on my word you could tell people about my ss as punishment which wouldn¡¯t really beparable since my skills are nowhere near as rare but it¡¯s the principle of the thing that matters and¡ª¡±
Jay put a gauntleted finger against Sabina¡¯s lips, silencing her nervous ramble.
¡°If you feel you need to share your ss details with me, I would be honored to hear about them.¡±
Pulling her finger away, Sabina blushed even more furiously, but nodded once.
¡°Okay. Um. Starting with my name¡¡±
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Sabina Sarto
Race: Human / Elf Hybrid
Primary ss: Passionate Smith (18)
Secondary ss: None
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 18
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Health: 130/130
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Magic: 100/100
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Attributes
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Strength: 20
Dexterity: 15
Agility: 14
Vitality: 13
Fortitude: 10
Endurance: 27
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 10
Resilience: 5
Will: 20
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¡°You have Focus and Will but you don¡¯t have any points in Arcane or one of the other magic attributes?¡± Jay asked after Sabina finished exining her base stats. ¡°That¡¯s surprising.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Sabina nodded. ¡°When my primary ss unlocked, that¡¯s just how it was for me. I never put any points into the stats because I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of enchanter ss I wanted, just that it lets me enchant. So I kind of just let it be open. That might not have been the right call, honestly, but I¡¯m hoping it wasn¡¯t a mistake.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure what difference it¡¯d make,¡± Jay admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t know all that much about enchanting.¡±
¡°Enchanters cane from any of the three magic type attributes. Some even have multiple, though I don¡¯t think many do. Then there are some who don¡¯t have any magic attributes at all and instead have skills that let them copy existing spells that other people cast into their enchantments rather than knowing the spell themselves.¡±
¡°Oh, is that how it works?¡± Jay tilted her head in curiosity. ¡°Enchanters normally have to know a spell enchant it into an item?¡±
¡°Usually,¡± Sabina confirmed. ¡°Or they can copy from others, or they have a specific skill that lets them make just the one specific enchantment that does the one thing. Those are the mostmon. Skills like that aren¡¯t very versatile, but they usually make crafting the enchantment cheaper and faster in exchange, so a lot of enchanters like those kinds of skills.¡±
Jadis could understand that position. If a person was trying to make as many as one item as possible, a skill that made it quicker and cheaper to make would be pretty damn useful. If she had to craft a hundred copies of the heat stone she¡¯d bought earlier, she¡¯d want a skill to make it go faster. On the other hand, if she was a crafter making custom items, she probably wouldn¡¯t want to waste her skill slots on a skill that could only make one specific enchantment, not unless it was something that could be easily used inbination with other more custom enchantments.
¡°Ah, but those are just my attributes. Let me tell you about my skills¡¡±
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Fervent Smithing
Passive Skill. Your passion for metalworking allows you to perform smithing-rted tasks for longer periods of time without tiring. Endurance spent while smithing is decreased significantly, however, if you go for long periods of time without exercising your craft your endurance will drain faster while performing other, non-smithing tasks.
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Smith¡¯s Perseverance
Passive Skill. Increases the Vitality and Endurance attributes by 3 points.
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Forging I
Passive Skill. Provides a minor boost to the quality of your smithing work.
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Crafter¡¯s Delicacy
Passive Skill. Your hands are steadier while using tools meant for crafting, particrly when using ones meant for precision work.
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Armorer I
Passive Skill. Provides a minor boost to the quality of the armor you craft.
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Hammer Expertise I
Passive Skill. Provides a minor boost to the effectiveness of your hammer technique when smithing or crafting.
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Creative Crafting
Passive Skill. Your crafting experiments are less likely to result in failure, and when they do, they are less likely to be critical failures that are unsalvageable.
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Weaponsmith I
Passive Skill. Provides a minor boost to the quality of the weapons you craft.
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Alloy Mixing
Passive Skill. Your alloy creation is more likely to result in a stablepound and less likely to contain unwanted impurities. This bonus is void when attempting to create an alloy you have no prior knowledge of.
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¡°Huh,¡± Jay processed all the info Sabina hadid out for her. ¡°They¡¯re all passive skills¡¡±
¡°Hmm? Oh, yes, they are. Active skills are useful but the first few that were offered to me weren¡¯t that great and my father rmended that I stick with passive skills unless the active skill would be super useful since if I use up my Endurance on a few uses of an active skill I won¡¯t be able to resume crafting until I rest.¡±
¡°That makes sense I guess,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°I guess that Fervent Smithing one exins why you¡¯re always up all night in the forge, huh?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t sleep much anyway¡¡± Sabina shrugged with a nervous smile.
¡°But you didn¡¯t take any attribute improvement passive skills? Like, the regr one that everyone has ess to. Your stats seem kind of high for your level, I figured you must have taken one or two of those at least.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t really need to,¡± Sabina shrugged again. ¡°I have naturally above average attributes. Not amazingly high or anything, but more than normal, which is more than enough that I felt safe to focus on a range of passive skills instead.¡±
¡°Some of them seem kind of redundant though,¡± Jay pointed out. ¡°I mean, do you really need Forging I
and Armorer I? Aren¡¯t they basically doing the same thing for you?¡±
¡°Not at all!¡± Sabina shook her head fervently. ¡°I mean, they all help with my crafting, but in different ways. Forging I improves any of my smithing work, regardless of what the project is. Even if I was working on an iron kettle, it would still apply. Armorer I and Weaponsmith I only apply to armor and weapons respectively. But Forging I stacks with Armor I, so if I¡¯m working on crafting a helmet, I¡¯m actually getting the benefit of two different bonuses. And if I¡¯m using a hammer, it¡¯s three bonuses thanks to Hammer Expertise I. You see?¡±
Jadis did see. She hadn¡¯t known that passive skills that affected a person¡¯s ability to perform a task worked that way. She had known her attribute boosting skills stacked with each other, but the interaction between equipment rted types of passive skills were unknown to her since she didn¡¯t have any herself. When she looked at it from abatant¡¯s perspective though, she could imagine a fighter taking a skill that improved their ability with a polearm, then a skill that improved their skill with pikes specifically, so they could get stacking bonuses. Getting a boost from both skills would be a major benefit.
¡°So, you basically have some general skills that you can use for anything and some specialized skills that are for specific things, and the general skills are always active even when you¡¯re doing the more specific things,¡± Jay summarized what she¡¯d learned.
¡°Exactly!¡± Sabina beamed at her.
¡°Cool,¡± Jay grinned back at the happy half elf. ¡°Thank you for sharing all that with me. You taught me something new there, plus it¡¯s all just interesting anyway. I really respect what you do, being able to just make amazing things like this armor I¡¯m wearing with your hands so easily. It¡¯s really impressive.¡±
¡°Oh! Um, thanks,¡± Sabina smiled shyly back at Jay. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it
easy exactly, but, um, yeah. I¡¯m d you like what I do.¡±
¡°You certainly make it look easy, at leastpared to how I know I¡¯d fare trying to make anything moreplicated than a stick with a rock on the end. But hold that thought. I spotted a few demons.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Sabina sat up straighter on Jay¡¯s left arm, looking around wildly. ¡°Where? I don¡¯t see anything!¡±
¡°East of us,¡± Jay chuckled. ¡°My other self, Syd, sees them, on the other side of that hill. Come on, let¡¯s go get you some more experience points so you can get that awesome enchanter ss as fast as possible.¡±
¡°That¡¯s so bizarre,¡± Sabina mumbled as Jay took off into a fast jog towards her mirrored body. ¡°You can see on the other side of that hill because you¡¯re actually on the other side of that hill except you¡¯re right here carrying me. Magic is so strange sometimes.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but agree.
Chapter 185: Size Considerations
Chapter 185: Size Considerations
¡°Wow.¡±
¡°I know, right?¡±
¡°It¡¯s so¡ big.¡±
¡°Big? It¡¯s a fucking monster!¡±
¡°Well it has to be big, to be proportional. We¡¯re giants.¡±
¡°But how the fuck, I mean, it¡¯s just¡ªHow?¡± Bridget waved her arms in disbelieving consternation. ¡°It¡¯s too big! Uh, I mean, no offense? I just, I guess I don¡¯t know how that¡¯s even supposed to fit?¡±
¡°Fit?¡± Eir tilted her head curiously.
¡°Through the gates!¡± Bridget eximed. ¡°That wagon is as big as building!¡±
After almost three weeks of prep work and training, Jadis and her team had gathered around to look at the almostpleted newpany wagon. They weren¡¯t the only ones around to gawk at the construction, though. A few dozen craftsmen, dock workers, and off-duty soldiers were also loitering nearby, talking in low voices to each other as they took in the sight of the massive vehicle. What Jadis could overhear of theirmentary mirrored Bridget¡¯s shocked exmations.
The wagon was unreasonablyrge. It was closer in size to a train car from back on earth than it was to any of the standard wagons Jadis hade across on Oros up to that point. It was twenty feet tall including the wheels, ten feet in width, and forty feet in length. Rather than just two, it had four axles spread out across its length, with four wheels on each axle giving it a total of sixteen wheels. Each wheel on its own was an iron-studded monstrositypared to the standard wagon wheels normally used, so all sixteen together made for an intimidating visage. The wheels were necessary though, since the solid, fully covered wooden structure of the wagon was no small weight. Bridget wasn¡¯t wrong in questioning the feasibility of getting the colossal mobile structure through the city gates. The thing really was a building on wheels.
¡°Honestly? It¡¯s a lot more than I was expecting when we were discussing the ns for it,¡± Jay said as she stepped up close to the behemoth. ¡°I feel like it might have gotten a little out of hand.¡±
¡°Maybe a little,¡± Norbert admitted as he pped his hand down on one of the wheel spokes. ¡°But I promise you it¡¯ll serve you well. It¡¯s sturdy as a rock. A mountain, even! And the enchantments you paid for will make sure it endures for just as long!¡±
The craftsman beamed as he boasted about his creation. Norbert was an older gnome, short in stature even for his vertically challenged kin, and wizened like a raisin. His gnarled face sported an odd collection of blue markings that disappeared into the folds of his many wrinkles. Jadis still wasn¡¯t sure if those were natural colorations for gnomes or if they all just got tattoos like that. Considering his advanced age, when Sabina had first insisted on using the old man¡¯s services, Jadis had been hesitant to agree. Now, though, she could see why Sabina had insisted. Not only was the man incredibly skilled, but he was also probably just as crazy about making bizarre and unique creations as Sabina was.
¡°Mind if we take a look inside?¡± Jay asked the tiny man as she checked out the driver¡¯s seat.
¡°Go ahead, it''s your wagon,¡± Norbert creaked out with augh. ¡°We still need to paint it and seal all the seams. And we¡¯re not done with the custom harnesses you asked for, not yet. But it should be ready for the road in two days¡¯ time, I think. In the meanwhile, everything else is done, so go ahead and y.¡±
Before Norbert had quite finished, Jay had already bounded up onto the front section of the wagon where the seat for a driver was. It was a giant-sized seat, which meant Jadis couldfortably seat two of her selves side by side on the bench. However, she had no ns of driving the vehicle herself.
¡°Up you go,¡± Syd said as she took A by the waist and lifted her up to Jay. ¡°I think we might need to get adder for the side. Should have thought of that.¡±
¡°Adder is quick work, I can add that on in no time,¡± Norbert chuckled in the background. ¡°No extra charge!¡±
Not that Jadis needed thedder, or anyone else who had decent strength stats. She was sure that even Eir, the least athletic of them all, could easily do a pull up and wouldn¡¯t have that much trouble getting up on the wagon. Still, there was something to be said for ease of ess.
¡°I told you I didn¡¯t n on driving wagons anymore,¡± A said with her typical reserved expression once she was up with Jay. However, as A took a seat on the bench and kicked out the built-in footrest that made the seat morefortable for her height, her eyes twinkled with mirth. ¡°But get me a few seat cushions and I can see myself driving this one.¡±
Behind A was a small door that allowed quick ess to the interior of the wagon. Small, of course, being rtive. Jadis had to duck down to get inside, but no one else but Kerr with her horns would have to.
Checking inside, Jadis saw that Norbert had once again gone above and beyond her expectations. The interior was tall enough that Jadis could stand at her full height without bumping her head, but more than that, there were rows of shelves and cubbies along the right side and back wall, designed to make storage easy and efficient. The shelves were nicely finished, too, with no rough surfaces and even a few embellishments to make it look nice. There were also a couple ofntern hooks on the front and back ends of the ceiling so that the interior could get some light, though thenterns were something Jadis had to add herselfter.
The left wall looked bare at first nce, but that was for good reason. As Jay and A looked around inside, Jadis¡¯ other selves demonstrated why.
Pulling on a few cleverly hiddentches, the left wall detached along the base and opened upwards on strong hinges. Dys and Syd pulled open a couple of folded struts on the corners, allowing them to fully push open the wall so that it became an extension of the roof while also turning the struts into support pirs. In no time at all, the inside of the wagon was open for view and the side of the wagon had gained a canopy.
While she didn¡¯t pull it all out since they were still on the streets of Far Felsen and already taking up a lot of space, Jadis checked to see that Norbert had indeed included the stack of wooden barricades she ordered as part of the wagon, too. Detached from the rest of the wagon, the barricades were based off of the absurdly impractical shield Sabina had once made for her. In fact, Jadis was fairly certain that the same shield was mixed in with the new barricades. There weren¡¯t enough to enclose the whole canopy, but they could be stacked and attached along the front and back ends to create walls on either side or set out as free-standing units with the struts that had been attached to them.
¡°This is something else,¡± Kerr whistled low as she leaned against the edge of the opened side of the wagon. ¡°I¡¯ve been on a fucking
lot of caravan details as a guard and I can promise you I¡¯ve never seen anything like this.¡±
¡°Me either,¡± A said as she walked the length of the wagon interior. ¡°This beast is more of a mobile fortress than a transport wagon. The only question is, how are we going to actually move it?¡±
¡°We¡¯ve got it handled,¡± Jay said as she rapped her knuckles against one of the thick wooden walls. ¡°We won¡¯t be speed dem¡ªer, we won¡¯t be going as fast anymore when we¡¯re travelling, but we¡¯ll get where we¡¯re going in style.¡±
¡°There are still a lot of improvements we could make to it especially as far as enchantments go but I think this work is amazing and it should work great as a base camp wherever we go on our expedition even if it isn¡¯t going to be able to handle the more treacherous mountain paths since its so wide but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find a way!¡±
Sabina continued to praise the wagon, half directing her words to Jadis¡¯ selves and half towards Norbert who seemed to take the onught of quickly spokenments in stride.
Most people wouldn¡¯t bother with enchantments on a simple wagon, Jadis knew from talking over such things with herpanions, but most people didn¡¯t spend as much time and money making a giant-sized custom vehicle, either. Jadis had paid to have two enchantments put on the wagon, ones that were typically only used on ships, but considering the investment she figured they were worth the extra cost. One of the enchantments made it so that the overall structure of the wagon was stronger and more resistant to wear and tear. The wood would be less likely to rot or crack, the metal parts less likely to bend or rust, and the vehicle would just generally hold up better against the rigors of regr use. The other enchantment was specifically for fire resistance. The wagon was a giant wooden structure, after all, and Jadis had already run into at least one demon that breathed fire. The enchantment couldn¡¯t necessarily stop the wagon from burning down if attacked, but it would definitely make it harder to do so. She was only able to afford those two enchantments, though, since the cost of the twobined was almost as much as the cost of the wagon itself.
¡°Okay Norbert,¡± Jay said as she leapt down off the wagon. ¡°You did a great job, truly. We¡¯ll be back to pick her up in two days, and I¡¯ll bring the final payment for your work.¡±
¡°A pleasure doing business with you,¡± the old gnome said in his crinkled but still sing-song voice. ¡°I hope it serves you well! Especially if it means other mercenarypanies start ordering more like this one after they see it in action!¡±
¡°I guess we¡¯ll see,¡± Jayughed around a grin as her other selves put the wagon wall back in ce.
With their inspection of the nearlypleted wagon done, Jadis and her team headed back to their small guild hall. It was only midday, their daily training with Noll taking ce in the morning, so there were still plenty of hours left to get out into the hills and grind out more experience.
Despite her best efforts, Sabina had not yet reached level twenty. Partly due to how much time Sabina devoted to her crafting instead of helping kill demons, and also partly due to the overall reduction of demon activity in the area. Despite the many losses the army and mercenary forces in Far Felsen had suffered, it seemed the demons hade out worse overall. As the weeks passed, there were fewer and fewer demons to be found wandering the Broken Hills. From what A and Thea had gathered by speaking with their sources in their respective fields, mercenary and military, the demonic presence was still high in the tunnels, but above ground sightings across the region were decreasing. There was a lot of spection as to what that meant, with rumors ranging from a secondrge force of demons building up tounch another assault on the city, to the decrease being attributed to a reduction in ¡°materials¡± for the demons to work with. With less animals in the wild to corrupt, the demons were running out of easy bodies to use. That didn¡¯t mean there would be less grundwyrms or bramble fiends, but for demons that depended on flesh, blood, and bone, the reduction in wildlife meant a reduction in their forces as well.
Since Sabina hadn¡¯t reached level twenty yet, Bridget hadn¡¯t yetmitted one way or another on whether she wanted to risk a lewd ss from performing a ritual with Jadis. Instead, the orc had been mostly sticking with the rest of the team while Jadis had helped Sabina level and hadn¡¯t taken advantage of any of the many opportunities to level alone with the Nephilim. Jadis didn¡¯t mind too much, since there was still some awkwardness between her and Bridget, but the more they spent time together the morefortable the orc seemed to get with her. She would still asionally say things that were brash and bold, then bail on them in the next sentence, but Jadis got the feeling that was just how the woman was. In any case, she wasn¡¯t going to push Bridget. If she wanted to hold off on getting more involved, that was her choice and Jadis couldn¡¯t fault it. At least she was proving to work well with the team as apetent fighter, whether she ended up getting a ritual boost or not.
Jadis wrapped up her thoughts on Bridget and Sabina as they gathered their equipment from their base, getting everything on and ready to go. With any luck, Jadis was hoping to get Sabina to level neen that day, and maybe even a few more levels for the rest of herpanions who had stagnated a bit with theck of challengetely. Even she had gone a long time without gaining a level despite all the fighting she¡¯d done. It seemed once a ss passed level twenty, the speed at which that ss progressed dropped dramatically as the experience requirements increased. The only person in her core group to gain any levels at alltely had been Eir with her low-level secondary ss. Thinking about it, Jadis had some newfound respect for how high a level Noll had.
¡°Oh, that strap''s rivet is loose, let me fix it.¡±
Jadis was jogged out of her thoughts by Sabina¡¯s words. Looking over, she could see that the half elf was fiddling with one of Thea¡¯s new gauntlets.
One of the reasons Sabina had not spent as much time out in the field was the crafting of Thea¡¯s new armor. Partially made from the hydra scales they¡¯d collected down in the tunnels, the new scale armor the smith had made for the former guard made her look less like a soldier and more like a true adventurer. The gray-silver scales definitely gave Thea a lot more style, at least, and the helmet that Sabina had crafted for her had a snarling monster motif that was halfway between Jadis¡¯ helmets and what Kerr wore. She¡¯d even improved the shield that Jadis had cobbled together for her, reusing the giant pill bug carapace to make a more solid creation.
¡°D¡ªdo you need to go b¡ªback to the forge?¡± Thea asked Sabina as the smith fiddled with a piece of her right gauntlet.
¡°No, I can do this with a few tools,¡± Sabina chirped as she pulled out a few of the said tools from her apron pockets. ¡°Just needs to be tightened and crimped and there we go! Oh!¡±
Sabina stopped midway through handing the gauntlet back to Thea.
¡°What?¡± Syd asked, looking over at the frozen woman. ¡°Everything okay?¡±
¡°Oh, ah, yes! Better than okay!¡± Sabina looked over at Syd with a wide and happy grin. ¡°That little repair was the final push! Level neen! Huzzah!¡±
Chapter 186: New Toys
Chapter 186: New Toys
Sabina¡¯s neenth level had resulted in yet another passive for her collection of smithing-oriented skills.
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Mending I
Passive Skill. Provides a minor boost to the quality of your repairs on items you previously crafted.
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Jadis found it odd that the skill specified items that Sabina had crafted rather than just anything she was capable of fixing overall, but ording to the smith most repair skills for most sses were specific to the items that person had themselves made. Skills that gave general boosts to repairs done to any item at all were usually only found in sses that specialized in repairs themselves rather than crafting new items. Not an unpopr ss, as it turned out, since repairs were always needed, but also a niche ss since the skills gained from it wouldn¡¯t help with anything but repairs.
Crafting skills interested Jadis. Not that she was in any way unsatisfied with thebat and ritual skills that she had, but the idea of skills that would somehow supernaturally make a person better at tasks like smithing or tailoring or cooking were amazing in a lot of ways. Jadis could well see why so many people didn¡¯t go straight for warrior or mage sses and instead took more mundane sounding ones. Other than the fact that a painter was less likely to get killed by a pack of demons while on the job, it had to be extremely satisfying for such crafters to see the results of their work be better by leaps and bounds as they leveled. Not just from practical experience, but also from the more surreal, ss-based experience.
She also understood that most people who crafted for a living didn¡¯t generally reach very high levels, even during times of demonic invasion. Since they weren¡¯t getting any bonus experience from fighting demons, they could only level the hard way, by performing tasks rted to their ss job description. Most of them never reached CLR sixty to unlock their tertiary ss, or if they did, they were already of advanced age, at least for humans. Longer-lived races like elves had the advantage there since they had a couple of centuries more to growpared to many of the other races on Oros.
Thinking about it, the fact that Eir was only CLR twenty-six now really showed that she was a young elf. Jadis had never asked her how old she was, since it didn¡¯t really seem like it mattered, but with her being so low leveled, rtively speaking, Jadis suspected that Eir was actually not much older than her or any of the others. Considering that meant the elf was likely to outlive her by a few centuries, Jadis felt somewhat conflicted. It was, on the one hand, a good thought to know that someone she deeply cared for would have a long and fruitful life, but on the other hand it made her somewhat sad to know she would only be around to share a small fraction of it with her.
Or would she? Jadis had halfway forgotten about it, but she wasn¡¯t actually human anymore. Did Nephilim have human lifespans? Did they live long lives like elves, or were they even shorter lived? That was certainly a possibility, one she hoped wasn¡¯t the case. Definitely something she needed to look into.
Thoughts on mortality aside, Jadis was d that Eir was at least catching up on her levels. Especially since it seemed her Lustful Oracle of D ss was going to be giving her some major benefits. When she¡¯d hit level five in the ss during their several weeks of training and prep work, she¡¯d gained a passive skill that was a variation of one she¡¯d gained from her cleric ss, but better.
|
Oracle¡¯s Grace
Passive Skill. Increases the Divine and Focus attributes by 10 points.
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Eir had gotten a skill early on in her Beloved Cleric of Lyssandria ss that had almost the same name, Cleric¡¯s Grace, which had given her five-point boosts to the same attributes. A five-point boost to two different stats from one skill was seen as a rare and highly sought-after skill, at least at low levels. A had gotten something simr for her Cart Driver ss and had been thrilled to get it. The fact that Eir was getting a ten-point boost to two attributes at level five meant her oracle ss was going to be a powerhouse.
For her sixth level, Eir had of course just received a single attribute point, the same as any low-level ss, which she had put into her Endurance stat on Jadis¡¯ strong rmendation. Focusing her stats to be extremely good in one area was all fine and good, but Jadis didn¡¯t want Eir to neglect her physical statspletely. The priestess was never supposed to be in any kind of directbat since she was a healer support, but that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t get caught up in emergency situations. Jadis wanted her to have all her physical stats at tens at a minimum, just in case. Eir had agreed that it made sense to have some preparation for such eventualities, especially since she was already getting a massive boost in her divine stat from the lewd ritual with Jadis. She could afford to spread her natural stats out a little without sacrificing her niche effectiveness.
When asked how she was looking after her most recent level, Eir had told Jadis her status sheet which was looking exceptionally impressive.
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Eir Aedraheill
Race: Elf
Primary ss: Beloved Cleric of Lyssandria (20)
Secondary ss: Lustful Oracle of D (6)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 26
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Health: 100/100
|
Magic: 350/350
|
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Attributes
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Strength: 8
Dexterity: 12
Agility: 10
Vitality: 10
Fortitude: 8
Endurance: 9
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 122
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 35
Resilience: 10
Will: 20
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Eir was thirteen levels lower than A and she already had more points in her Divine attribute than the arcanist had in her Arcane attribute. The difference between having two sses dedicated to being a mage versus only one was really starting to show.
All such considerations went to the back burner in Jadis¡¯ mind once they were out in the field. Sabina may have finally reached level neen, but that didn¡¯t mean they were going to cancel the nned hunting trip. They might not be finding any demons in significant numbers around town anymore, but as long as there were demons to be found that meant there was experience to be gained and bounties to be earned. As such, Fortune¡¯s Favored set out to track down their demonic prey. They didn¡¯t go alone, though.
¡°Keep your elbow in!¡± Noll barked at Dys. ¡°If you throw it out wide again, I¡¯ll break it for you and give this elf something to do!¡±
Jadis cursed, not at Noll or his possibly serious threat, but at the fact that she¡¯d messed up her form again. The weeks of training Noll had been giving to her had made a big difference in Jadis¡¯bat ability. Novice that she was, she could tell that her attacks and movements were improved significantly by the elder mercenary¡¯s instruction. Unfortunately, it also meant she was now educated enough to know just how ignorant she still was.
She didn¡¯t have muscle memory yet, that was the biggest issue. Not for the techniques that went beyond the most basic of basics. Compared to Kerr or Thea who had been practicing their respective martial arts for literally years, Jadis just didn¡¯t have that ingrained training. She could use some of the forms that Noll had taught her, but when caught in the heat of the moment, she tended to fall back on instinctive reactions. Some of those reactions were fine, especially against demons that were no better trained than her, but as Noll was determined to make clear, those reactions wouldn¡¯t fare as well against someone with anything close to standard training.
¡°The haft is a weapon too! Use it!¡±
Dys lurched forward in reaction to Noll¡¯s shout. Holding her axe across her chest, she shoved it into the ox-like twisted wretch, shoving the beast down onto the ground to give herself enough room to swing her axe fully down on the body of the corrupted beast.
¡°The pommel,¡± Noll growled loudly. ¡°Use it!¡±
Dys paused mid-swing, then pulled back. The demonic ox monster was already getting to its feet but Dys followed her teacher¡¯s directions. With a sharp, decisive jab, she brought the pommel base of the axe handle down onto the wretch¡¯s head as it halfway rose up. The force of the attack was enough to crack the skull of the twisted abomination, spilling out brains and blood as the demon floundered back onto the ground.
¡°Don¡¯t forget you can use any part of the weapon as a weapon!¡± Noll barked again, reminding Jadis of another lesson he was constantly reinforcing.
With a quick follow up chop, Dys finished off the wretch before it could try to rise up again. Pulling the axe head free, she gave it a shake and a flick to remove the worst of the foul gore from its shining steel. Looking around, Jadis could see that the fight was all but over, the remaining few demons well in hand by either her other bodies or other members of the team. With a surreptitious nce to make sure Noll wasn¡¯t still focused on her, Dys pulled a cloth from her belt pouch and wiped the remaining blood from the axe. She really could not stop smiling at its shining finish.
Thea hadn¡¯t been the only one to get new equipment made by Sabina. The two new weapons that Jadis had asked the smith to make had been finished before their expedition as well. And even though she¡¯d only had them for a few days, Jadis was loving the new armaments.
Dys¡¯ new axe was a thing of beauty. The axe head was arge, squarish de on one side with a long, thick spike on the reverse. The de was bearded, giving it extra length, and had a wicked sharpness to it. The middle expanse of the axe head held a series of nk circles iid within each other, with only one filled with archaic runes. The single enchantment that had been built into the weapon was for durability, something that was very much needed for the massive implement of war. Tall enough that the top of the axe head was about even with her cor bone, the axe was bigger and heavier than anything a human-sized person would use, at least from an Earth perspective. It was a magnificent piece of craftsmanship, no matter how Sabina tried to brush off the praise. Jadis loved the new weapon and couldn¡¯t help but feel giddy every time she hefted it in her hands. She¡¯de a long, long way from her days of using a stone club.
But not that far, Jadis mused as her Jay self smashed the final demon to pulp with her new war hammer.
The massive blunt instrument Jay was wielding had two enchantments built into it, one for durability like her new axe, and the other specifically to keep the weight of the huge head from bending or outright breaking the metal shaft of the hammer. The steel head was cylindrical, with in t ends. Nothing extravagant, except for the fact that the ends each measured eighteen inches in diameter. With that much steel, the head weighed more than Jadis did.
Was it necessary to make the colossal war hammer¡¯s head that big? No, certainly not. Even something half the size and weight would have been overkill. But Jadis had specifically asked Sabina to make the hammer head that big for one major reason.
¡°Here, let me recast,¡± A said as she walked up next to Jay. With a simple wave of her hand, two more glowing instances of her spike trap spell were imprinted on either end of her hammer¡¯s head.
¡°Thanks, Blue,¡± Jay said, blowing her mage girlfriend a kiss.
The fact that she was in full te armor and hadn¡¯t lifted her visor to do so made the motion particrly silly, which Jadis was banking on. Her nefarious n worked, too, as A¡¯s face wrinkled up in suppressedughter.
Jadis¡¯ old wooden mallet had been big enough to hold A¡¯s traps on the ends, so the new war hammer could have been the same. But if Jadis was going to have a big hammer to amodate the foot wide diameter spell circles, she was going to have a giant fuck-off hammer that could crush boulders with a single swing.
¡°We didn¡¯t do that bad, did we?¡± Syd asked as she leaned on hernce.
She was the only one of Jadis¡¯ selves that hadn¡¯t gotten a new weapon made since what Syd had was perfectly functional. And she was running low on money.
¡°Could be worse,¡± Noll grunted as he closed the distance between them. ¡°But all three of you need to watch your elbows.¡±
¡°Can do,¡± Syd agreed. After a moment of silence, she continued. ¡°Kind of wish you wereing with us. Sort of. For the training, if not thepany.¡±
¡°Hmph,¡± Noll folded his arms as he stood next to Syd, watching as some of the others extracted the demon eye cores from the wretches they¡¯d in. ¡°I don¡¯t go on expeditions like that for free. And you can¡¯t afford me.¡±
¡°Yeah, well, don¡¯t get lonely while we¡¯re gone.¡±
Noll snorted, his lips pulled back in an amused grin.
¡°Trust me, I won¡¯t be.¡± After another short silence, he added a few more words of advice. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to practice the forms I taught you every morning. Make it a part of your routine, even on the road. And make sure to bring warm clothes. You don¡¯t have fur, so bring something for that.¡±
¡°Yes, grandpa,¡± Syd answered with sharine sweetness.
¡°Fucking whelp,¡± Noll grumbled under his breath as he wandered away from Syd. ¡°That¡¯s going in my report, you know.¡±
¡°Add this, too!¡± Sydughed as she made rude gesture to the old therion, who shot it right back at her without malice.
Chapter 187: Early Morning Visitor
Chapter 187: Early Morning Visitor
The morning following her inspection of the nearlypleted wagon, Jadis was interrupted from her morning routine by a knock on the front door of the guild hall. She¡¯d been in the middle of washing her face, putting on her pants, and pouring cups of water from the kitchen, all at the same time but from three different bodies. It was early, the sun hadn¡¯t even fully peeked above the horizon, which made the idea of a visitor odd. Jadis knew it had to be a visitor since Hans had a key and woulde through the back door, while Noll just didn¡¯t knock at all and would generally wait out in the courtyard for her. Jadis supposed it could have been Sabina or Bridget knocking, since neither were living in the guild hall yet, but breakfast wouldn¡¯t be ready for another hour at least so she wasn¡¯t sure why either would show up so early.
Since Syd was in the kitchen and thus closest, she went to go check the door and see who it was. Halfway walking across the open hall, she remembered that all she was wearing was a chest wrap that left most of her upper body exposed and a pair of shorts that didn¡¯t do much to hide the bulge between her legs.
After a short pause, Syd shrugged and kept walking. The person at the door was probably one of her new guild members, and if they were going to be joining in any rituals anytime soon, then they were going to see a lot more than just a thinly clothed bulge. And even if it was a stranger at the door, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure she cared much anymore if they knew she was packing extra equipment. The more time she spent as a Nephilim, the morefortable she was with her body, and the more she realized that no one really cared that much anyway. Her lovers hade from widely different walks of life and while they¡¯d all been shocked by her dimensions, the fact that she had both male and female parts hadn¡¯t really phased any of them. She was honestly starting to think she cared more about her dual sex nature than anyone else. So, if a stranger saw that she had something extra down there, what difference did it really make? They were all adults here, so why make a big deal of it?
Besides, at least her cock wasn¡¯t hanging out of her shorts.
¡°Hello?¡± Syd greeted as she pulled open the door. ¡°Can I help you?¡±
Putting her right forearm against the lintel, she leaned down to get a better look at the cloaked and hooded figure standing in the low light outside. The person definitely wasn¡¯t either of her new guildmembers. She was much too short to be Bridget and Sabina would never go anywhere without her leather smith¡¯s apron. She was a woman though, that much Jadis was sure of just based on her figure that the cloak only lightly obscured.
¡°Perhaps,¡± the woman spoke in familiar, clipped tones. ¡°Usually you only give me trouble, but it would be a nice change of pace.¡±
Syd straightened in astonishment, then lowered her head down again since she couldn¡¯t see out the door otherwise.
¡°Vraekae?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± the Magistrate of all of Weigrun answered, her blood red eyes glowing from inside the hood. ¡°Invite me in, Jadis. I don¡¯t have all morning.¡±
Even as she spoke, Vraekae confidently strode forward, pushing in past Syd who only just barely got out of the way, her movements slowed by her surprise. It wasn¡¯t until after she was several paces inside the hall and Syd had closed the door that she pulled down her hood, revealing her dark red hair and pale blue skin. She was wearing her usual military style uniform under the cloak, which she took off as she turned to look up at Syd.
¡°What, uh, are you doing here?¡± Syd asked, nonplussed by the unexpected visit.
¡°I have business to discuss with you in an unofficial capacity and considering your
size, it is easier for me to be discreet than you.¡±
¡°Oh. Okay¡¡± Syd murmured as her eyes narrowed at the primly cool elf. She couldn¡¯t be sure, but she was half certain that the way Vraekae¡¯s sentence had been phrased had been a purposeful jab at her state of undress. ¡°Is this something we need privacy for or can I tell the rest of my team toe downstairs?¡±
¡°The rest of your guild can hear this since it pertains to them, in part,¡± Vraekae allowed.
¡°Alright, then they¡¯reing down.¡±
Jadis hadn¡¯t nned on hiding the details of whatever Vraekae nned on telling her from herpanions, but she¡¯d asked Vraekae if they coulde down to gauge how delicate the subject she was about to discuss with her was going to be. Plus, she¡¯d rather have everyone interacting directly than acting as some kind of glorified telephone, rying everything the Magistrate said through one of her other selves.
In a few moments, everyone was downstairs and gathered at the table where Vraekae had taken a seat unbidden. Most of them were better dressed than Syd, even Jadis¡¯ other selves were better dressed than Syd, except for Kerr who seemed to delight in ignoring social conventions. She was wearing nothing but one of Jadis¡¯ shirts, which was more thanrge enough to cover her nakedness. A bit too much, even, since it was baggy enough on the therion that it was liable to slide off her shoulders with every movement.
If Kerr¡¯sck of proper attire was meant to get a rise out of the Magistrate, she didn¡¯t take the bait. The elf remained icily calm and collected while she waited for everyone to take a seat, her fingersced together and one leg crossed over the other.
¡°Good morning cousin,¡± Eir greeted Vraekae with a smile. ¡°Is everything well?¡±
¡°Good morning,¡± Vraekae replied with no more familiar inflection than she did when speaking to Jadis. ¡°There is nothing of dire importance taking ce. Simply a circumstance that needs to be exined.¡±
¡°Yeah, we¡¯d love to hear all about what has you at our door before dawn,¡± Dys said with minimal snark. ¡°Before that, quick question: Where¡¯s your ball of death?¡±
The cloak Vraekae hade wearing had been removed, revealing her normal attire, but not her ever-present red sphere of doom. Jadis had never seen the Magistrate without it, which was part of why she hadn''t immediately recognized her.
Vraekae raised a delicate eyebrow at Jadis¡¯ question. With a wave of one hand and a string of utterances that Jadis couldn¡¯t understand, the arcane orb appeared in front of her. A secondter, it floated to its habitual spot just over the elf¡¯s shoulder.
¡°I can summon and dispel it when needed,¡± Vraekae exined patiently. ¡°Its cost to maintain is negligible, so I ordinarily keep it summoned at all times. I dismissed it this morning for obvious reasons.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°Obvious reasons. About those. What exactly is the reason for all this cloak and dagger shi¡ªstuff?¡±
At that question, Vraekae tilted her head in acknowledgement and motioned with one hand towards the collected group.
¡°Fortune¡¯s Favored is leaving on an expedition to the north in order to search for any sign of possible Nephilim survivors from your vige.¡±
Not a question. Vraekae made her statement as fact, which didn¡¯t surprise Jadis.
¡°True,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°We¡¯re probably leaving as soon as our wagon is done in the next day, maybe two. Also, not that I¡¯m doubting your ability to figure out what we¡¯re doing, but how
did you figure that out?¡±
¡°You told High Priest Gerhardt about your expedition,¡± Vraekae answered. ¡°Since he knows, all the priests in the temple know. Since all the priests in the temple know, anyone who has the least bit of interest also knows.¡±
Eir looked slightly embarrassed by the statement, but Syd put aforting hand on her back to reassure her. It wasn¡¯t as though Jadis had been trying to hide where they were going. It was, practically speaking, impossible for her to sneak off unnoticed, doubly so with the giant wagon they were leaving in. What did surprise Jadis though was that Vraekae hadn¡¯t gotten the information from Noll. Vraekae had never explicitly said it, but Jadis was fairly certain that she was on the Second Prince¡¯s side of the political spectrum. She figured since Noll was spying on her for the prince, that meant he and Vraekae were in cahoots somehow. Maybe she was wrong in that assumption?
That, or she just wasn¡¯t telling Jadis the whole truth.
¡°You aren¡¯t about to object to our nned expedition, are you?¡± Jay asked directly.
¡°No,¡± Vraekae shook her head slightly. ¡°No objection. Continue on as nned, so long as you present me with an itinerary and a nned date of return.¡±
¡°Uh, do we have anything like that prepared?¡± Dys whispered to A, leaning in close to the redhead.
¡°We do,¡± she answered while raising up a rolled-up piece of parchment. ¡°I was going to drop this off at the City Hall today, but I guess this saves me a trip.¡±
A passed the document over to Vraekae who took it, opened it up and nced at the contents, before rolling it back up and putting it away in her cloak.
¡°Good. Though I did note here to get your itinerary. I came to inform you that I will be sending a guard escort with you¡ª¡±
All three of Jadis as well as several of the others immediately started to object, but all were silenced as Vraekae held up a hand.
¡°Allow me to finish. I will be sending a guard escort with you until you reach Kaltars Wall. At which point the escort will break off from you to go about their mission. They will meet back up with you at an appointed ce and time so that they return to the city with you.¡±
¡°Their mission?¡± Jay asked, brow furrowed. ¡°What mission? We¡¯re not their mission?¡±
¡°No,¡± Vraekae said with cool precision. ¡°You are their cover. A means for them to head north without rousing too many suspicions from certain parties.¡±
What the icy elf was proposing, no, telling her would happen was sounding a whole lot like some kind of politics-rted subterfuge. Jadis was pretty damn well certain that she didn¡¯t want to get involved, but at the same time, she was curious about why Vraekae needed cover at all. Wasn¡¯t she the one in charge of Weigrun? Who was she trying to hide the movements of her people from?
¡°Why do you need us for this?¡± A asked, putting voice to Jadis¡¯ thoughts before she had a chance to. ¡°What¡¯s this all about?"
Vreakae¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but the room grew just a tiny bit colder.
¡°You do not need to know. Just follow my instructions. You do not need to be any further involved than what I have exined.¡±
Jay, Dys, and Syd all leaned forward, elbows on the table as they spoke in unison.
¡°Is that really how you want to y this? Know me and how things can happen around me?¡±
¡°Cousin¡¡± Eir said a momentter, her face imploring. ¡°I don¡¯t pretend to have your level of skill and acumen when ites to politics and matters of state, but some level of transparency may be advisable in this case.¡±
There was a silence between them as Vraekae sat still as stone. Jadis waited, not pushing any harder, but not backing down, either. Whatever the Magistrate was nning, Jadis wanted to have some kind of forewarning. There was a better than average chance that something could go wrong and if Vraekae¡¯s people were off on their own mission that Jadis had no visibility to, then the chances of them working things out sessfully were low at best.
¡°Fine,¡± Vraekae said with a slight, almost imperceptible huff. ¡°I have received reports from reliable sources that recently there have been significant amounts of illicit mining of eleria in Kaltars Wall. The guards I am sending are loyal to me and can be trusted to search out the culprits discreetly.¡±
¡°And discretion is important because¡?¡± Jay asked, pushing for a little more.
¡°Because the list of people in Weigrun capable of pulling off the kind of mining operation suspected is small and sensitive. usations would be imprudent without concrete evidence of wrongdoing.¡±
That¡ made sense. Jadis didn¡¯t know all that much about the power structure in Weigrun, but anyone who was wealthy enough and connected enough to illegally minerge amounts of the one resource that kept the Empire in Weigrun during a demonic invasion had to be the kind of person who could dodge criminal charges easily enough if there wasn¡¯t strong evidence against them. There were probably other motivations going on, but helping Vraekae deal with some, what would they be called, thieves? Smugglers? Whatever the name, Jadis was fine with acting as a cover for her investigators if that was all it was. No guarantee that there wasn¡¯t more, but she could work with what the elf was giving her.
¡°Fine,¡± Jay finally said, leaning back in her chair. ¡°We¡¯ll be your cover. Just don¡¯t ask me to be some kind of witness in a court ofw or some shit like that. I¡¯ve got no interest in getting involved in legal matters.¡±
¡°I have no intention of you bing involved,¡± Vraekae said calmly. ¡°Simply travel with them to the mountains and return with them to the city. You need not y any further part than that.¡±
¡°And I¡¯m guessing we¡¯re supposed to keep our mouths shut about all this too, huh?¡± Kerr chimed in as she picked some grit from underneath her ws.
¡°Indeed,¡± Vraekae said dryly.
¡°What about our two new kittens?¡± Kerr asked, bringing up a good point. ¡°You¡¯re not asking us to
lie to our teammates, are you?¡±
Vraekae shook her head.
¡°As long as they tell no one of the nature of the escort and their mission before you depart, then it does not matter if they know. If you believe they have loose lips, then refrain from telling them until after you have reached the Great Southern Forest, at the least. That said, if you thought them to be indiscreet, I doubt they would have been invited to join yourpany.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t argue with the woman¡¯s logic. As always, Vraekae had a scarily good grasp of the situation. She had to have some kind of skill helping her suss out details and motivations, Jadis was all but certain. Or maybe it was just long years of experience. Who knew with an elf?
¡°Speaking of new recruits,¡± Vraekae said as she rose from her chair, preparing to leave. ¡°At current count, yourpany roster is nine official members. While I did give your mercenarypany provisional approval to operate in an official capacity, you still need to have ten full members for your status to be permanent. General Egilhard has petitioned for Fortune¡¯s Favored to be disbanded as it has not yet reached minimum numbers for ratification. I can dy his petition for a time, but not indefinitely. I suggest you find a tenth member sooner rather thanter.¡±
The sound of wood splintering was the first response to Vraekae¡¯s information as Jadis¡¯ hands clenched tight enough to shatter the edges of the table. The second response that came a moment after was a single sentence said with all the seething fury Jadis held within her.
¡°He did
what?¡±
Chapter 188: On the Road Again
Chapter 188: On the Road Again
¡°Is everything packed?¡±
¡°At this point, if something isn¡¯t packed it deserves to be left behind.¡±
¡°Jadis¡¡±
¡°Yes, yes, everything that was marked to be loaded onto the wagon has been packed on.¡±
¡°Alright, good,¡± A said with her fists on her hips. Tapping her foot for a few seconds, she abruptly turned and stalked back into the guild hall.
¡°Where are you¡ª¡±
¡°I¡¯m just checking I didn¡¯t forget to mark anything; it¡¯ll be just a moment.¡±
Jadis sighed through all three of her bodies. A was being something of a worrywart, though she couldn''t really me her. They were finally departing on their first ever expedition as a mercenarypany and it was clear that the arcanist wanted everything to go as smoothly as possible. There was only so much she could control, but making sure they had packed everything they could possibly need was something she could act on, so Jadis didn¡¯tin. If it made A feel better to double and triple check, then she¡¯d let her.
But if they didn¡¯t get rolling down the road in the next five minutes Jadis was fairly certain she was going to start pulling out her own hair.
¡°D¡ªdon¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go help her check,¡± Thea told Dys with a hesitant smile.
The shieldsworn hurried into the building after A. Jadis appreciated her intervention. Thea¡¯s extensive history and training in the military meant she was more thanpetent when it came to making preparations for an expedition. She¡¯d been just as active in helping the group make sure they had everything they needed as A, though in a more matter of fact way rather than a mother hen way. Jadis hoped she¡¯d be able to wrangle the arcanist back outside so they could get moving.
Everyone else was packed, ready, and waiting. Kerr and Eir had helped with much of the packing and everything they needed had been loaded up first thing that morning. Bridget had shown up with a modest pack of what she¡¯d referred to as essentials which she¡¯d promptly and efficiently stowed in one of the wagon cubbies. Sabina had brought the most extra equipment, as she¡¯d used her pay to buy a small anvil and a few extra crafting tools. It wasn¡¯t exactly a mobile forge, but they would be enough to help her perform any spot repairs that might be needed for armor, weapons, or the wagon itself.
Even the tiny demonling was ready to get moving. The little tentacle monster was curled up inside a new version of the ss and metal container that Sabina had once crafted for it. This time it was a round, disc-like container that was about a foot in diameter and six inches deep. Jadis nned on hanging it onto the front of the wagon so the demonling could see while they were travelling, though she had refrained from doing so until they were outside the city walls. She didn¡¯t want to have to exin her reasons to any strangers or city guards who might question the oddity.
¡°Still not gone?¡±
Jay turned to see Noll standing near the front of the wagon, a mug of something steaming hot in one wed hand. Hans was with him, the silent guild employee. He, too, had a steaming mug and was sipping it gingerly.
¡°Just¡ making sure we¡¯ve got everything we need,¡± Jay exined with a helpless shrug.
¡°You¡¯ll never have everything you need,¡± Noll grunted sagely. ¡°You just won¡¯t know it until you need something you don¡¯t have. Better to know how to make do with what you have on you.¡±
¡°Thank you, O Wise One,¡± Jay said as she and her other two selves turned towards Noll and bowed mockingly. ¡°Your words grace our humble ears. We shall carve them into our memory, andter into stone so that future generations can also bask in your glorious wisdom.¡±
¡°Fucking brats,¡± Noll growled. ¡°Hurry up and get out of here before I start preaching more wise words.¡±
¡°Now that¡¯s a threat,¡± Syd mumbled.
With Noll providing that extra bit of motivation, Jadis called out to A from outside, asking her to hurry up for the sake of her own sanity. A full minute and the start of another piece of Noll wisdomter and Thea exited the building with A in tow. The two quickly got on board the wagon as Jadis started pulling her harnesses on.
¡°Take care while we¡¯re gone, Hans,¡± Jay called out to the stoic cook. ¡°We left you some extra coin for emergencies.¡±
Jadis had made sure to pay the man for a full two months ahead of time already, since she wasn¡¯t sure how long they would be gone. She trusted that he wouldn¡¯t spend the emergency funds she¡¯d left him unless he truly needed to. Besides, Jadis didn¡¯t n on their trip taking anywhere near that long. She just wanted to be sure her bases were covered just in case.
Hans raised his mug in acknowledgement and gave her and the rest of thepany a wave goodbye as the wagon started moving. Noll also raised his hand in a single wave, his wolf-like face sporting a look of obvious amusement.
¡°Don¡¯t tire yourselves out,¡± he said as the wagon rumbled past him down the road.
¡°Don¡¯t die of old age while we¡¯re gone,¡± Dys called back. ¡°Or go senile. Or get sudden onset arthritis that makes it so you can¡¯t move right anymore¡ª¡±
¡°Enough with the old jokes!¡± Noll roared, which only made Jadisugh as she picked up the pace and moved the wagon down the road.
A was, predictably, sitting in the wagon¡¯s driver seat. She didn¡¯t have any reins, but she had a cheaply produced copy of the High Priest¡¯s map she¡¯d drawn herself and so would be acting as navigator. Eir and Thea sat next to her on either side, the bench seat more than wide enough to fit all three of them. Sabina sat inside the open door that led inside the wagon, just behind the three. Kerr had chosen to ride on top of the wagon and, at her encouragement, Bridget had joined her. All were wearing their full gear and, while they didn¡¯t have the uniform matching quality that therger mercenarypanies had, Jadis felt like they still cut impressively martial figures.
Jadis herself was decked out in her te armor and while she was normally the most impressive of the bunch, she had the feeling the impression she was giving off today as she made her way through the city streets was slightly less dignified than normal, if not still impressive for other reasons.
All three of her bodies were hooked up to the wagon byrge leather and steel chain harnesses. They had quick-releases hooks on them that meant she could get out of the harnesses at a moment¡¯s notice, but while they were on Jadis was literally chained to the wagon. Using all of herbined strength, her three selves pulled the wagon along, acting as the beasts of burden necessary to drag the huge vehicle along.
It wasn¡¯t easy. The wagon by itself was a considerable weight. Loaded up with all their gear and supplies, it was heavy mass that strained her muscles to get rolling. Still, it was manageable. Far more manageable than what would be needed to feed and care for the dozen aurochs it would have taken to pull the wagon.
As they made their way to the main gates of the city, the people who were out and about that morning stopped to stare at them. And also to get out of the way. The mobile fortress of a wagon took up most of the road, forcing anyone else driving a cart or riding a horse to wait on the side, whether they liked it or not. Jadis couldn¡¯t hear what any of the people who gaped at them were saying to each other due to the sound of both their nking armor and the rumble of the wagon wheels, but she hoped that they were talking about how strong the three of them had to be to pull the huge weight, rather than how silly the three heavily armored knights looked while doing so.
Eh. Probably both.
When Fortune¡¯s Favored finally reached the gates, Jadis saw that the expected crew of guards Vraekae had warned her about was waiting for them. There were a dozen of them, six riding on horseback while the other six rode on a wagon of their own, one that was a more traditional size and pulled by a couple of work horses. Their captain, a human woman dressed in the same kind of armor that Thea used to wear, rode up to meet them.
¡°Good morning,¡± she greeted them politely. ¡°I¡¯m captain Wi, assigned to be your escort by Magistrate Vraekae. We¡¯ll follow along behind. Set whatever pace you need, we¡¯ll match it.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± Jay grunted. ¡°Holler if you need something.¡±
Jadis tried not to be short with the captain but seeing her and the guard escort had dropped her mood low. Not because of them in particr, she was fine with them tagging along since they were just soldiers on a mission of their own and wouldn¡¯t be interfering with hers. No, the reason why her thoughts had turned dark was how they reminded her of the discussion she¡¯d had with Vraekae two nights ago. More specifically, what the Magistrate had told them about General Egilhard petitioning for theirpany to disband.
She had known that the general was interested in recruiting her into the military, specifically under hismand, for political purposes but she hadn¡¯t thought he¡¯d be such a sleazy bastard about it. From what details Vraekae had been able to divulge, the general had submitted a multitude ofints against nearly every single mercenarypany present in the city, calling them out on various infractions via legal petitions. They were all legitimate vitions, documented and above the board, but also entirely unnecessary and frankly not his business to enforce. He had, of course, imed that he was just doing his duty as a military officer in making sure that the paramilitary elements of the region conformed to the operational standards of the empire. Not an unreasonable argument for a man in his position to make.
Jadis didn¡¯t buy that excuse for a second, nor did the Magistrate. Vraekae suspected the general had written up the dozens of petitions as a smokescreen to make it seem as though he wasn¡¯t specifically picking on Fortune¡¯s Favored, just catching them in a general clean-up. How he could think that she¡¯d ever be inclined to join him for anything after pulling such a scummy stunt she had no idea, unless he thought she wouldn¡¯t find out, which was usible. Dumb, since one of her known guildmates happened to be Magistrate Vraekae¡¯s cousin, but still usible.
Whatever the man¡¯s reasoning and regardless of his political machinations, he¡¯d still brought to light a valid point. Jadis had to get one more member to join herpany for it to be an official guild. Leaving it in a provisional status wasn¡¯t going to work, especially if assholes like Egilhard were going to poke their noses into her business and screw around with legal loopholes to try and control and influence her. She already had one maniptive blue elf bitch she¡¯de to be reasonablyfortable with. She didn¡¯t have room for more politicians in her life.
Jadis wasn¡¯t sure where she was going to find her tenth member, but once she got back from the expedition, she was going to go on a concerted recruitment campaign to find the right person. They didn¡¯t have to take part in her lewd rituals, nor did they have to be a woman for that matter. She just wanted to make sure that the tenth person was someone she could trust.
Jadis¡¯ thoughts about her mercenarypany problems faded to the back of her mind as she crossed the threshold of the city gates. Fortunately, with the portcullis up and both doors wide open, the wagon did squeeze through, though Kerr and Bridget had to hop off of the roof to do so. Outside, the cobblestone road that led to the northy before them, winding its way through the strange split hills of the region. The sky was blue and cloudless and the air was cold and crisp. It was a fine day for travel and that sight alone was enough to brighten Jadis¡¯ outlook on the world.
¡°Oh, shit,¡± Kerr called out as the wagon reached the first valley the road led them through.
¡°What is it?¡± A called up to the archer who was sitting with her legs dangling over the front edge of the wagon roof.
¡°I think I left my extra pair of boots back at the hall. Can we turn around?¡±
¡°No!¡± All three of Jadis, A, Thea, and Eir called out at the same time.
¡°Can¡¯t me a girl for asking¡¡±
Chapter 189: Not Exactly Roughing It
Chapter 189: Not Exactly Roughing It
As it turned out, pulling a wagon the size of a small house was a hard thing to do.
By the end of the first long day of travel, Jadis¡¯ muscles ached worse than they ever had before, except maybe for when she¡¯d been near death after fighting the bone thief matriarch. But that victory hade at the cost of broken bones, so she didn¡¯t see it as a fairparison. Still, acting as a beast of burden for the team was definitely a full body workout and when it came time for them to stop for the day and set up camp, Jadis was happy that they didn¡¯t have much to do thanks to some old friends.
As predicted, Jadis had not been able to pull the wagon at the speeds she normally ran at while carrying herpanions in her arms or on her back. There was simply too much weight and thendscape too rough, even with the road they were following, to cover the kind of distance she was used to. However, she still kept up a steady pace that, while not breaking any speed records, was fast enough that the guards on their horses and with their own wagon had to press themselves to keep up. They didn¡¯t exactly struggle, but Jadis was fairly sure that the guards had to have some kind of enchanted equipment of their own for them to keep up with her.
They encountered few demons as they rumbled along, mostly due to the fact that they were sticking to the cobblestone road that led north which was also one of the most used and patrolled roads in the whole of the Broken Hills. The few scattered run-ins they had with demons were so trivial that Jadis didn¡¯t even slow her wagon to address them. Kerr, or in a few cases A, would shoot the demons as they approached, taking the time to hop off the wagon and cut the eye core from the bodies and then rush to catch back up with the wagon as Jadis kept going. Though on one asion, as a quartet of twisted wretches leapt out from hiding to ambush them, Jadis simply kept charging forward and dealt with the problem that way.
No one bothered to check the crushed bodies for their eye cores. Poking around in roadkill would have been just a bit beneath them.
All in all, they made good time. Faster than a standard wagon with a mercenary team, A told her, though not by much. Which meant that they made it all the way to the fort on the edge of the Great Southern Forest that was run by Bernd¡¯s des an hour or two before sunset. They could have pushed on and made a few more miles before dark, but considering the time everyone agreed that taking advantage of the allied mercenarypany¡¯s hospitality was a smart thing to do.
Jadis was happy to see that Captain Renz was still in charge of the fort. A¡¯s uncles were there too, along with Volker and Specht and other faces familiar to A. Thus they spent that night in goodpany, relying on the supplies and shelter of the fort rather than their own. Since she was no longer a lost andpletely clueless wanderer from the woods, Jadis offered to pay Captain Renz for the cost of the meals they ate.
Renz tly refused to ept her coin. He, like many other mercenaries in Weigrun, saw Jadis¡¯ victory over the Burning Rancor as a pivotal moment in the battle that had likely saved hundreds of lives, if not more. Providing her and herpanions with a meal and a night¡¯s rest was the least he could do.
Though, after being reminded of exactly how much three Nephilim could eat, he tempered that stance to one a little more conservative.
¡°We¡¯ve seen a few more manticores in the forest,¡± Renz told Jayter that night. The man stroked his short beard as he talked, brow creased with worry. ¡°And some other magic beasts we don¡¯t often see this far south. Could be they¡¯re ranging further because there¡¯s less prey in the woods, or there could be openings in the territory for them. There could also be other dangers from the mountains pushing them south, anything from demons to greater magic beasts. The forest surrounding the mountains is not a friendly ce these days. Take great care as you go that way.¡±
¡°Thank you for the warning,¡± Jay said with genuine appreciation. ¡°I can¡¯t promise we won¡¯t do something reckless. It¡¯s kind of our thing. But we¡¯ll at least go into the danger with our eyes open.¡±
The next morning Jadis and her crew ate an early breakfast and got back on the road. Doing so filled her with an odd sense of nostalgia. Circumstances were wildly differentpared to when she¡¯d first arrived in the civilized parts of Weigrun, but to leave the fort with A and a wagon once more definitely triggered some d¨¦j¨¤ vu. This time, though, as Jadis entered the Great Southern Forest travelling on the same road she¡¯d once followed to leave it, she had a literal wagonload ofpanions to go with her.
Travel through the forest with its towering pine trees was made easier by following the road, though Jadis still wouldn¡¯t have rated it as actually easy, per se. The terrain was hilly and the road rough from years of disuse. Large branches and sometimes whole trees had fallen and blocked the road, necessitating they stop to clear them. And the Behemoth, as Jadis was starting to call the wagon, was just a bit toorge for the road which made navigating turns and bends difficult at times. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how far they had gotten by the time it waste enough in the day to stop for the night, but at the rate they were going she was sure it was going to take twice as long to get back to the starting vige she¡¯d briefly lived in months ago. Maybe longer.
Since Jadis was fairly well worn out after a long day of pulling the Behemoth, herpanionsrgely handled the work of putting together the camp. They¡¯d chosen to stop in a small clearing, one made by the fall of a massive pine some years ago. Jadis was d the several hundred-foot-tall tree had fallen away from the road and not on it. Trying to clear something like that from the path would have taken a lot of time, to say the least. As it was, the tree¡¯s huge root system had torn up a section of the forest floor that had not yet been grown in, so there was space for them to make a decent sized camp.
Jadis¡¯s three selves sat back and enjoyed the warmth of a newly made fire while her friends and lovers took care of everything. Kerr and Sabina worked together to convert the wagon¡¯s one wall into an awning while Eir and Thea pulled out their bedrolls to set things up for their sleeping arrangements. Bridget gathered firewood while A set up the cauldron that Jadis had salvaged long ago to use it to cook their evening meal.
Across the fire, Jadis watched as Guard Captain Wi and her soldiers set up their own camp. Their own process was different from what herpanions were doing, mostly due to the fact that they had to take into ount their horses, not just themselves. The soldiers also set up tents, six small ones in total, that were justrge enough for two people to squeeze into. Definitely a far cry from what Fortune¡¯s Favored had for sleeping arrangements.
Once Kerr and Sabina had set up the awning, they¡¯d taken out the barricades and turned one of the short ends of the wagon into a solid wall, the construction not taking much time at all thanks to the clever design of Norbert. The other walls, including the underside of the wagon, were covered byrge tarps that hung from the awning on hooks. In less than half an hour they¡¯d transformed the wagon into a rtivelyfortable room that could easily hold all of them.
¡°The level of demonic activity hasn¡¯t been too bad,¡± Wimented, interrupting Jadis¡¯ thoughts. ¡°If it stays like this the whole way to the mountains, we should be there in less than a week¡¯s time.
¡°Hopefully,¡± Dys replied. ¡°But nothing ever goes that easy.¡±
¡°Have a seat,¡± Jay motioned towards the logs she¡¯d shifted to circle around therge fire.
Wi nodded in thanks before taking a seat. The human woman wasn¡¯t old, but definitely older than Jadis, she could tell. Maybe in her thirties, with light brown hair and bright blue eyes. With her helmet off, Jadis could see that she had thin lips and a small nose. She had her hair up in a bun, though wisps of it hade undone and fluttered around her face.
¡°Do you want to share meals?¡± A asked as she dumped vegetables into therge iron cauldron. ¡°We definitely have a good stock of provisions.¡±
¡°No,¡± Wi held up a hand. ¡°No, we were given more than enough of our own. But if we can use your fire, that would save some time.¡±
¡°So long as you help gather the wood, then I see no issue,¡± A said as she took out a wooden spoon to start stirring the pot.
Wi did just that, assigning two of her soldiers to help Bridget gather arge stockpile of fuel for the fire. Another two soldiers also reported a stream nearby, which they used to water the horses and also filled any canteens with, including Jadis¡¯ and herpanions¡¯. In short order, the two groups had finished all the setup that was needed and all were gathered around the fire to eat and rest.
It was arge gathering, slightly more than twenty people counting her own, which led to a fair amount of good-natured talking and interaction between them all. Jadis did her best to learn the names of the various soldiers under Wi¡¯smand, her thoughts briefly going back to how poorly she¡¯d treated the guards who¡¯d been with her back before the disastrous trip to war.
She noted that most of the soldiers were human. Including Wi, eight of them were humans; Otto, Ada, Friedkin, Achim, Sofie, Gerd, and Lutz. Most of them looked simr to Wi and Thea, with generally lighter hair andplexions, though Sofie stood out since she looked more like Sabina with dark hair and dark eyes. It turned out her family was also from Volto, like Sabina¡¯s father, which prompted the two to start a fast-paced discussion in anguage that Jadis couldn¡¯t follow but sounded Italian to her. Kerr easily slipped into their talk, her nature as a polyglot making it easy, though whatever she said made Sabina blush furiously and Sofie titter like a bird.
The other four non-human soldiers were Gunnar, Jaxton, Landry, and Nora. Since they weren¡¯t human, Jadis found it a little easier to remember their names and faces, just per dint of them being so unusual to her sensibilities that were still firmly rooted in her Earth upbringing.
Gunnar was a shockingly muscr elf with bluish-green skin, bright green eyes, and almost white hair. He had the physique of a body builder, his arms literally straining the fabric of his shirt sleeves. Jadis was mildly amused to see how both Ada and Sofie kept eyeing him like he was thest slice of cake on the table, though the elf was either oblivious to their interest or purposefully obtuse. She couldn¡¯t readily tell.
Jaxton and Landry were both orcs and, while not rted, looked like they could be brothers with their matching haircuts, simr faces, and identical height. The two were big, brawny men who looked like they¡¯d gotten their muscles from working for a living, rather than exercising in a gym like how Gunnar appeared. That was to say, while theycked Gunnar¡¯s definition, the two orcs were broad and thick. They were also both obviously interested in Bridget, both spending their time talking to her.
Bridget¡¯s flustered responses to their attempts at getting to know her only seemed to encourage the two. Jadis couldn¡¯t me them, Bridget was cute when she was flustered.
Nora was a gnome with bright orange hair and more of those strange blue designs on her face and arms. She was also the only full mage of the guard contingent. She still wore the same scale armor as the rest of soldiers, but instead of carrying a spear and shield, she wielded a wooden staff with strangely shaped metal ornament on the end. It looked almost like a gyroscope to Jadis, except with more points bits sticking out at different angles.
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but ask about the staff, which prompted a long conversation about arcane magic between the gnome and A that Jadis had some trouble following the longer it went on.
¡°I¡¯m a sorcerer,¡± Nora said in her sing-song ent. ¡°I don¡¯t mind telling you that my spells are all about lightning. I use this staff as a focus to empower my spells. If I pour some of my magic power into it and let it circte through the enchantment pathways I can increase the power of my first casting by twofold. It also has an enchantment built in that improves my range significantly. Very useful against the creepy crawlies I don¡¯t want to get too close to. Or the flying ones.¡±
¡°But if you¡¯re channeling lightning magic directly through the staff, doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re regrly burning out the enchantments on it?¡± A asked.
¡°Oh, absolutely,¡± Nora chuckled. ¡°I have to turn this staff in for repairs once a month! It¡¯s not cheap to use, but it¡¯s not my coin going to fix it either, so I can tell you I don¡¯t hold back! The captain doesn¡¯tin either, since my first shot usually cripples if not outright kills the strongest demon that charges the group. I don¡¯t have the magic to fire off many bolts, but I make life a lot easier for the boys.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± A agreed. ¡°First strike spells can make all the difference in a challenging fight. However, how do you handle the magic power usage to magic recovery ratio on longer expeditions?¡±
¡°Well¡¡±
Jadis kept one set of ears on the discussion between the two mages, but since shecked any meaningful input, she ended up focusing on other conversations around the campfire. There was a lot of talking, with topics varying from demons and magic beasts to life back in the Empire¡¯s big citiespared to Weigrun, to talk of friends and family. One topic in particr though grabbed Jadis¡¯ attention.
¡°What, uh, what¡¯s up with the demon in a jar hanging from the front of your wagon?¡± Gerd asked Thea as he motioned with his spoon towards the indicated demonling. ¡°It looks alive¡¡±
¡°It, um, it is,¡± Thea said, clearly ufortable.
¡°Why? Seems like an unnecessary risk.¡±
¡°It¡¯s something of a trophy,¡± Syd inserted herself into the conversation, leaning in closer to Thea¡¯s side. ¡°We picked it up when we killed a bone matriarch.¡±
¡°Took the egg right from its body,¡± Dys continued, grabbing the man¡¯s attention along with the interest of some of the other soldiers. ¡°Really big fight, just the tw¡ªthree of us. Had to drop a literal avnche of trees on it to kill it.¡±
Dys told the story of how the ¡°trio¡± of Nephilim had managed to kill the demon matriarch, sessfully distracting the soldiers away from awkward questions that Thea wasn¡¯t prepared to answer. The brte gave Syd a grateful smile, which Syd returned with a wink.
As she winked at her meek little lover, Syd noticed a conversation going on a little further away between the guard captain and another soldier.
¡°Two soldiers per watch,¡± Wi said to Otto, the man apparently acting as her second inmand. ¡°The nights are getting longer this time of year, so we¡¯ll go on standard rotation, two-hour rounds for each pair. And don¡¯t let Jaxton and Landry on watch together again or they¡¯ll wake up the whole camp with one of their silly arguments.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll take on some of those watches,¡± Syd said, butting into the conversation between the two. ¡°No need for two of your people to stay awake while two of us are doing the same.¡±
¡°We can handle the watch,¡± Wi insisted. ¡°We are your guard escort.¡±
¡°Fake guard escort,¡± Syd shot back. ¡°I think we all know that you aren¡¯t here for our protection, and we don¡¯t really need it, either. I¡¯m not saying we do all the night watch ourselves or anything, just that you let us handle some of it at least.¡±
Wi sighed, her shoulders rolling back for a moment.
¡°Fair enough. Which watch do you want?¡±
¡°We¡¯ll take the second watch,¡± Syd told her. ¡°And the next after that. Your people can handle the first andst, right?¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± Wi said with a nod, clearly pleased with the arrangement.
As Syd settled back on her seat to let Wi and Otto resume their conversation, Thea leaned in closer to Syd and whispered in her ear.
¡°W¡ªwhy those two watches? Second and, ah, third are the w¡ªworst.¡±
¡°Because we¡¯re going to need some privacy to recharge our rituals,¡± Syd whispered back. ¡°And I don¡¯t want any interruptions from guards who might still be awake.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Thea replied, a blush spreading across her cheeks. ¡°B¡ªbut, ah, some of us can be so, um, vocal.¡±
¡°Yup,¡± Syd nodded before giving the former guard a wicked grin. ¡°Exciting, isn¡¯t it?¡±
Chapter 190: Night Watch
Chapter 190: Night Watch
¡°Are you sure about this?¡±
¡°About as sure as I am about anything.¡±
¡°That does not inspire confidence, Jay.¡±
¡°I¡¯m open to suggestions if you have any,¡± Jay told A, head cocked to one side. After waiting for a few seconds with no response, she leaned down and gave her girlfriend a tender kiss. ¡°Don¡¯t stress about it. The worst that could happen is some guards figure out that we¡¯re a bunch of degenerates that like to have group sex. That isn¡¯t the end of the world. Besides, you did an amazing job keeping quiet in that restaurant that one time¡ª¡±
¡°Shush!¡± A said, putting her hand over Jay¡¯s mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t even bring that up right now.¡±
When A pulled her hand away, Jay was grinning at her. With an exaggerated re, she pinched her fingers together and pulled them around her lips, miming a zipper.
¡°Not a word. Anyways, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be fine. Besides, we don¡¯t want to be caught out here without your boosts. You never know when we might run into something more dangerous than a few dozen demons.¡±
¡°Only you could have brought me to the point where a ¡®few dozen demons¡¯ isn¡¯t considered a major threat,¡± A said as she stroked the side of Jay¡¯s face.
¡°I¡¯m good for at least one thing, at least.¡±
¡°I can think of a few more things you¡¯re good for.¡±
A smiled, shaking her head. Her blue eyes twinkled in the light of the campfire as she looked up at Jay. Something about the way she was looking at her made Jadis¡¯ insides twist in knots. Acting on impulse, she gave her another kiss, this time one that was longer and deeper. When they broke away, they were both a little breathless.
¡°Alright then, go do your job while the rest of you does your job,¡± Amanded, pushing Jay away.
¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Jay agreed with silly grin.
It felt a little weird to be turning away from A while at the same time not leaving her at all, but that was just one of the oddities of having multiple bodies. Sometimes it meant she experienced the same situation from various different angles, sometimes it meant she did several different unrted things at once. In this case, it meant that one of her was going to be standing guard while two of her other selves were fucking her lovers in order to keep their magically granted stat boosts going.
What a weird life she lived.
Jay had not bothered to put her armor on. Getting into her full te suit was both time consuming and fairly noisy so she¡¯d elected to leave it off, especially since one of her goals that night was to make sure all the guards that were settled for sleep in their tents stayed unconscious and unaware of what was going on over on herpany¡¯s side of the camp. So instead of armor, she was just wearing some warm travel clothes and a fur cloak she¡¯d bought in town, though she still had her massive war hammer at her side. It was a good thing she had the cloak, too, since the night was freezing. There still wasn¡¯t much in the way of snow yet, but the cold air was so chilled that a cup of water that had been left on a log by the campfire was already starting to ice over. At least she had the campfire to help stay warm and somepany to distract her. Even if thatpany didn¡¯t have the full details on why Jay needed a distraction.
¡°You and A. You two seem, uh, close,¡± Brigetmented.
¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend, so I hope so,¡± Jay said, giving the orc a small smile.
Bridget shifted where she sat on the same log as Jay was, moving a little closer to her. She hadn¡¯t put on her full armor for the night watch either, though she was wearing her breastte and had her helmet sitting next to her. Not a bad precaution, Jadis noted, and filed that practice away forter use.
¡°Oh,¡± she said, eyebrows raised. ¡°Like, official? Dating and all that?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Jay chuckled, ¡°Of course. You sound surprised.¡±
¡°Maybe a little,¡± Briget shrugged. ¡°I mean, not shocked or anything, just sort of, well, I don¡¯t know. Fuck, forget I said anything.¡±
¡°What?¡± Jay said, putting her hand on the log and leaning in closer towards the fidgeting orc woman. ¡°You¡¯ve clearly got something on your mind. Go ahead and say it.¡±
Bridget looked up at her, the orange flecks in her dark eyes reflecting the firelight.
¡°I just, I guess I don¡¯t get it,¡± she finally spoke. ¡°I mean, I get the whole sex thing. Sex is fun and all and maybe a little bit of, um, ¡®togetherness¡¯ and all that can be fun too. Not that I¡¯ve done that. The togetherness bit. I¡¯ve done the sex part, though. I mean, I¡¯ve had sex before, just not with extra partners¡ªyou know what, let me start over.¡±
Jay waited patiently while Bridget took a deep breath and collected herself. She did her best notugh even though the orc¡¯s flustered attempts atmunication were charmingly amusing. The topic was clearly not one that she talked about often.
¡°What I am trying to say is,¡± Bridget began again. ¡°I don¡¯t get how you can have a normal rtionship, the kind where you date and love each other and maybe even head towards¡ more, but you also have sex with a group of other women. And not just those three you already had with you. You also want to invite more. Like me.¡±
Thest Bridget couldn¡¯t say without her face twisting up in embarrassment as she looked away from Jay¡¯s steady gaze. Instead, the warrior picked up a stick from the ground and started jabbing it into the fire, poking up the embers into bigger mes.
Jadis understood where Bridget wasing from. Beforeing to Oros, Jadis had never been in any kind of polygamous rtionship. She¡¯d never even considered one. And yet, here she was, definitely in
some kind of multi-partner rtionship. She certainly had her own hangups about it, but it was kind of refreshing to see that someone else in her life also had some difficulty with the idea. Not because Jadis wanted there to be any problems, but because sometimes when things went too smoothly, she felt like something bad was just around the corner waiting to surprise her. A, Eir, Kerr, and Thea all seemed content with their dynamic, whatever it was, and also had no issues with a multi-partner rtionship that she could perceive. Based on past conversations, she was fairly certain that polygamy just wasn¡¯t stigmatized on Oros like it was back on Earth.
Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that all the locals were okay with it.
¡°Well,¡± Jay drawled out, ¡°I¡¯d say the important thing is A and I were upfront with each other about the whole multiple sex partners thing from the start. We discussed it and made it clear how we felt about it. We set our ground rules, what we are and aren¡¯tfortable with, and we respect each other¡¯s boundaries in those respects.¡±
Jay thought about it for a moment while staring into the fire.
¡°It also helps that we¡¯re both big perverts. I¡¯m the bigger perv, obviously, but I don¡¯t think we would have worked out at all if A wasn¡¯t at least somewhat of a lewd girl like me. I got my obscene sex ritual ss for a reason. I¡¯m kind of proving that fact even as we speak. I guess ultimately, I¡¯m just lucky that I¡¯ve managed to find a group of friends who are also big fucking perverts.¡±
¡°You¡¯re crazy, you know that?¡± Bridgetughed, then stifled herself to avoid making too much noise.
¡°If the shoe fits,¡± Jay shrugged. ¡°My patron deity is the god of luck and madness, after all.¡±
¡°Shoes¡?¡± Bridget frowned, then shook her head. ¡°Nephilim thing, got it. Anyway, it looks like Sabina is on board with the whole sex thing. No surprise. Every elf I¡¯ve ever met has been some kind of pervert freak in private. She¡¯s got to have some of that in her. Uh, no offense.¡±
¡°None taken,¡± Jay murmured as she thought about Eir.
¡°So, uh, what do you think the odds are of me being into that whole thing you all are about, too?¡±
Jay¡¯s eyes drifted away from the fire to look at the orc. She wasn¡¯t looking at Jay anymore, her eyes locked onto the stick she was still stabbing sporadically into the fire. She was also obviously flushed, her green skin turned darker. She could probably me the blush on the freezing cold, but Jadis wouldn¡¯t have bought that for a second.
¡°Better than even,¡± Jay answered. Leaning closer, she whispered into Bridget¡¯s ear. ¡°I¡¯d say chances are looking pretty good that you¡¯ll be down to at least give a night with me a chance before the end of this little expedition.¡±
Bridget nced up at Jay, clearly trying to put on a confident face that wasn¡¯tpletely sessful. The fidgety nerves couldn¡¯t help but show through.
¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out eventually, won¡¯t we?¡±
¡°I guess we will,¡± Jay said, grinning.
Their stare down was interrupted by a soft but clearly audible moan. Jay made no reaction to it, but Bridget was startled and nearly leapt to her feet. Putting one hand on Bridget¡¯s shoulder, she firmly settled the warrior back down.
¡°Sorry about that,¡± she apologized softly. ¡°Eir¡¯s having trouble with the whole ¡®keeping quiet¡¯ thing we¡¯re doing right now.¡±
¡°Huh? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Bridget said, looking confused. Then her expression turned suspicious. ¡°Wait. What did you mean by you ¡®proving that fact even as we speak¡¯ment from earlier? What are you doing right now?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sitting by the campfire while keeping watch and talking to you,¡± Jay answered coyly. Then, leaning in close again so she could whisper quietly enough that only Bridget could hear in case there were any eavesdroppers, she added, ¡°I¡¯m also back inside the wagon tent eating Eir¡¯s pussy. Advantages of having multiple bodies.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± was Bridget¡¯s eloquent, wide eyes response.
¡°It¡¯s for legitimate reasons, of course,¡± Jay continued. ¡°The ritual I told you about before that would boost your stats requires we have some form of sex at least once every three days or the effects are lost and we¡¯d have to do the full ritual again. Something to keep in mind for the likely future chance you decide to join the club. It¡¯s not just a one-time thing, the whole sex thing. Not only do you get a sixty-six-point boost to a stat of your choice, that boost is only going to get bigger by the way, but you also get the benefit of regrly receiving mind-blowing orgasms. I¡¯m very good at what I do. Ask around.¡±
¡°I believe you,¡± Bridget said, a shiver running through her body.
Jay tilted her head innocently at Bridget¡¯s quivering form. Putting on her best impression of someone who didn¡¯t have ulterior motives, she sat upright and spread her cloak out around her, arms open wide.
¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry Bridget, we¡¯ve been so engrossed in talking that I didn¡¯t even notice you don¡¯t have cloak of your own on. You¡¯ve got to be freezing. If you want, you can share mine.¡±
Bridget bit her lip, one of herrge fangs poking out. After a moment, she got up from her seat and moved closer to Jay.
¡°I guess it would be silly to sit in the cold, huh?¡±
¡°It would,¡± Jay said with a barely contained smile.
Sweeping the slightly hesitant orc closer with one arm, she sat the woman down so she was nestled in herp. Wrapping the fur cloak around them both, she resisted the urge to put her hands anywherepromising and instead just let them rest lightly around Bridget in a loose hug. The orc¡¯s steel breastte was cold against her, but the rest of Bridget was warm and Jadis was quite certain only going to get warmer the longer they spent together.
¡°Do you, uh, have a battering ram in your pants or is that what I think it is?¡± Bridget murmured as she wiggled her butt back and forth a little where she sat on Jay¡¯sp.
¡°Kerr did warn you,¡± Jay replied. ¡°I¡¯m giant-sized in all aspects.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Bridget said nervously, though she made no move to leave Jay¡¯s embrace. In fact, she continued to slowly shift and wiggle her ass in a way that was proving to be all the wrong kinds of distracting for Jay in that moment. Not that she could, or would,in. She¡¯d weed the attention with open arms.
Another sudden squeal of pleasure that could be heard over the crackling campfire made Bridget jump.
¡°She¡¯s really having trouble, huh?¡± sheughed while looking over towards the wagon-tent with its fabric-thin walls.
¡°I might have made that one happen on purpose,¡± Jay admitted.
¡°You¡¯re a nutter, you know that?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Chapter 191: Keeping Quiet
Chapter 191: Keeping Quiet
¡°Oh gods,¡± Eir moaned into her hand, desperately trying to keep her lewd exmations quiet and not finding much sess. ¡°Oh, please!¡±
¡°Shush,¡± Kerr murmured from where shey at an angle next to the priestess. She almost tenderly stroked her hair as she whispered in her pointed ears. ¡°You¡¯ve got to keep quiet or all those guards sleeping just a few yards away are going to hear and wake up. Then they¡¯ll all know what a depraved slut you are, and we don¡¯t want that, do we? Well, I guess an obscene little cock worshipper like you might actually enjoy letting everyone know exactly how much you love being tongue-fucked by a Nephilim.¡±
¡°Kerr,¡± Syd said, looking up from where she was nestled between Eir¡¯s plush thighs. ¡°Do you have to talk dirty right now?¡±
¡°What?¡± Kerr looked down at Syd as though she were the picture of innocence. ¡°She likes it when you talk dirty to her. I¡¯m just helping get her off faster.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think I need the help,¡± Syd rolled her eyes, but then dove back in as Eir¡¯s other hand began insistently tugging her back down towards her soaked core.
¡°Everyone needs help from their friends from time to time,¡± Kerr continued her false innocent act. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, my little perverted priestess?¡±
¡°Yes, oh, yes!¡± Eir let out a muffled cry, one that was barely stifled by her hand at all. Whether the exmation was in response to Kerr¡¯s words or Syd¡¯s actions at just that moment was hard to say.
¡°Good girl,¡± Kerr apuded Eir in a mock imitation of Jadis¡¯ favorite pet name for the priestess.
Then, prying Eir¡¯s hand away from her mouth, Kerr captured the elf¡¯s lips in a sideways kiss so that her lewd moans were muffled in different way.
¡°Such a troublemaker¡¡± Dys mumbled as she leaned back against one of the wagon wheels where she had put her nket. ¡°Even when she¡¯s helpful she¡¯s stirring things up.¡±
¡°Hush,¡± A said from where set sat in Dys¡¯p. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be keeping quiet and you keep talking. Find something more productive to do with your mouth.¡±
¡°Like that¡¯ll be hard,¡± Dys grinned capturing A¡¯s lips for her own satisfying kiss.
Their shelter inside the wagon¡¯s awning was proving to be surprisinglyfortable. Not as nice as their room back at the guild, but leagues better than any of their previous nights in the wilderness. With one wooden wall and another three made from thick tarps, the body heat from seven people was enough to keep the contained area warm. They¡¯d brought enough rough spun nkets toy out across the ground so that the floor wasn¡¯t too cold either. All in all, Jadis was pleased with how her idea had been transformed into reality. Not as happy as she was to be making out with A while licking Eir¡¯s sweet core, but still. Pleased.
When her Jay self had left the warmfort of the wagon tent to stand watch with Bridget, her other selves had also woken up so that they could perform their part in the rejuvenation of the persistent ritual effects. Thea had been right, waking up after only a couple of hours of sleep did suck, especially with how tired she¡¯d been from the long day of pulling a huge wagon through the woods. But the reason she was awake more than made up for the inconvenience.
She was pretty sure herpanions felt the same way.
¡°Oh, right there! Yes! Right th¡ªmmph!¡±
Eir briefly broke away to make her impassioned plea to Syd before Kerr recaptured her mouth.
Taking the cue for the sign it was, Syd focused on Eir¡¯s clit. ttening out her tongue, she firmly pressed against the little nub, never breaking contact as she rubbed and stroked the little bud of pleasure. Eir¡¯s hips jerked in time with Syd¡¯s motions, grinding her pussy against her mouth and face as she neared her peak.
Looking to guide her over that edge, Syd slid a single long finger inside of her elven lover and hooked it against that one overly sensitive spot. Over the course of their many explorations of each other¡¯s bodies, Jadis had discovered the delightful fact that humans and elves shared amon feature of their biology beyond what was external. She was happy to put that knowledge to use.
As Syd pressed and stroked with her finger while switching to a firm licking of her clit, Eir¡¯s body tensed suddenly, turning into a rigid nk as her hips and ass rose off the ground. Eir¡¯s familiar, not quite human taste flooded Syd¡¯s tongue and down her chin as the elf climaxed. Muffled squeals of pleasure disappeared into Kerr¡¯s mouth as she held onto Eir¡¯s face with both hands, keeping her from pulling away.
Syd drew the orgasm out as long as possible, milking Eir¡¯s ecstasy for a full minute before her body abruptly went limp. Pulling away from Eir¡¯s quivering heat, Syd looked up to check on her. At the same time, Kerr pulled away from the elf to reveal her dazed, breathless expression.
¡°We¡¯re going to have to work on your discretion,¡± Kerr tutted down at the nearly insensate priestess. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been here to give you a tongue to suck on, you would have woken the whole camp.¡±
¡°Thank you¡ Kerr¡¡± Eir gasped out, still recovering from her exhausting climax.
¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± she replied before sitting up and shimmying out of her pants. ¡°But now it¡¯s my turn.¡±
Quickly divesting herself of the clothing she still had left on, Kerr slid on top of Eir and presented Syd with her wet slit, her excited tail wagging above it.
¡°Really?¡± Syd stifled augh as she leaned back and out of the way as Kerr¡¯s tail almost smacked her in the face.
¡°I¡¯ve been patient enough,¡± Kerr growled. ¡°Now get to licking, big stuff. And don¡¯t hold back. I¡¯ve got just the perfect thing to muffle myself with right here.¡±
With her desires made known, Kerr turned away from Syd and pressed her face into one of Eir¡¯srge breasts. Wrapping her lips around a nipple, she started licking and sucking, drawing a different kind of gasp out of Eir whose hands immediately grabbed onto Kerr¡¯s horns.
¡°Well, not like I¡¯mining,¡± Syd grinned as she leaned close and gave Kerr¡¯s slick core a long, slow lick.
As Syd attended to her demanding therion friend-with-benefits, Dys was busy feeling up her girlfriend.
With ever increasing need, her hands roamed across A¡¯s body. Each indecent touch elicited quiet moans from the redhead as she squirmed in herp. Their impassioned sounds were muffled as their tongues continued to duel, but every second that passed Jadis could tell they were drawing closer and closer to the point where their vocalizations would be too loud to go unnoticed. Not that she was in the mood to stop herself from crossing that line. So what if she woke the whole camp by making A scream her name while caught up in the throes of ecstasy? The soldiers would just have to deal with the envy of not having an amazing, sexy, drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend to fuck all night long.
Jadis¡¯ lust addled thoughts were interrupted by a whispered conversation happening just to the right of where she sat.
¡°Are you, uh, going to join them? Because it looks like they¡¯re having a lot of fun right now and even if it¡¯s just two of her bodies it seems like Jadis can handle more than one person with each body at a time pretty well. Maybe that¡¯s because she¡¯s got a skill for multitasking? Or just some kind of natural ability with it? Either way, aren¡¯t you going to get involved?¡±
¡°I¡ªI, uh, I like to watch¡¡±
¡°Oh. Oh! You¡¯re a voyeur? That¡¯s fine, I get it. Sorry if I¡¯m interrupting you then, I¡¯m sure you probably want to focus on what they¡¯re doing to each other because, wow, having a tongue that long is super useful isn¡¯t it? And it probably feels amazing, I really want to try itter, but I¡¯m holding back for now since we¡¯re testing the whole lewd ss possibility thing. But do you think it would count if I started masturbating right now? It¡¯s getting kind of hard just watching, you know? Or maybe you don¡¯t, since you¡¯re a voyeur, though maybe you do since I think voyeurs typically masturbate while they watch. Do you masturbate while you watch?¡±
¡°Ah, uh, I¡ªI, auh¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay if you do, I¡¯m not judging, I¡¯m just not sure if you do or you don¡¯t because I¡¯ve never been in a situation like this before where I¡¯m just sort of watching while other people have sex, like, right next to me, which is kind of making me nervous but also excited at the same time and I¡¯m not really sure what to do with this energy and¡ª"
¡°Sabina,¡± Dys spoke up as she interrupted her kiss with A. ¡°Sabina? Look at me.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°You¡¯re going to make Thea have a nervous breakdown if you keep asking her questions like that while we do this. Try not to talk right now, okay? We
are trying to be quiet.¡±
¡°Ah. Okay, got it,¡± Sabina nodded while looking chagrined. ¡°Sorry, Thea.¡±
Thea nodded her eptance of Sabina¡¯s apology but still shrunk down and away, almost tucking into Dys¡¯ side. Her body was almostpletely covered by a nket wrapped around her shoulders, turning her into an almost featureless lump on the ground. A sharp contrast to Sabina, who sat to the right of her on the edge of the wagon, her legs dangling over the side.
Sabina, despite hermitment to not having sex with Jadis before reaching level twenty, wasn¡¯t shy about her interest in their lewd goings-on. Nor was she doing much to separate herself from them. The half elf smith was wearing a pair of what Jadis would call boy shorts, simr to the kind A liked to wear, and a tight-fitting undershirt that did little to conceal the shape of her chest. Just as Jadis had suspected, Sabina¡¯s body was well toned, muscr even. She had a sixpack that rivaled Jadis¡¯ own as well as the kind of back muscles that called out to be touched.
But Sabina wasn¡¯t there to be touched. She was just an observer, for the moment. An avid, interested observer, but definitely not a participant. Thus, Jadis would have to hold back. A little, at least.
¡°Thank you, Sabina,¡± Jadis whispered before turning back to A. ¡°Now, where were we?¡±
¡°We were about to start doing things that aren¡¯t so quiet,¡± A murmured her reply with a gleam in her blue eyes. ¡°So, as our leader, I think you should set a good example for everyone and follow your own rules for this little nighttime operation. We need to make sure we¡¯re staying as silent as possible.¡±
¡°As silent as possible,¡± Dys repeated with a serious look on her face. ¡°You make a good point. Stand up, would you?¡±
With one eyebrow raised, A got up from Dys¡¯p and turned to face her, standing with her feet nted on either side Dys¡¯ legs. She was still wearing most of her clothing, a loose shirt that was made for warmth and a long skirt, the same kind she¡¯d been wearing for weeks now to hide her newest addition.
With one swift motion, Dys yanked A¡¯s skirt off of her hips and down her legs to reveal her underclothes bulging out obscenely with the foot long cock she had stuffed in them.
¡°I miss your leather pants,¡± Dys said as she quickly got rid of A¡¯s undergarments as well. ¡°Though I¡¯m notining about this big girl at all.¡±
A gasped as Dys took her member in hand pressed her face against it, letting the meaty shaft rest across her cheek and eye as she enjoyed feeling the warmth and lewd heft on her skin. Another gasp from the right echoed inside their enclosure.
¡°You have a penis too?¡± Sabina cried out, barely restraining her voice. ¡°Are you a Nephilim? I mean, you are way taller than most humans and elves but you aren¡¯t as tall as Jadis and¡ª¡±
¡°No,¡± A interrupted Sabina with a stern re, a feat made all the more impressive since her cock was still lying across Dys¡¯ face. ¡°I¡¯m human. This is the result of a ritual spell. Now please let me enjoy this, Sabina?¡±
¡°Oh, um, of course,¡± Sabina said. Pulling her legs up, Sabina shifted so that she was lying on the edge of the wagon, her feet kicking in the air behind her as her chin rested on her folded arms almost directly above Dys¡¯ head, affording her an intimate view of the two of them. ¡°Please, go on. I¡¯ll be quiet.¡±
¡°¡Thank you,¡± A murmured, her face turning redder.
As frequently as their little team engaged in lewd group activities, it seemed A still wasn¡¯t immune to the embarrassment of having someone closely watch her while she did so.
Two someones, Jadis reminded herself as her not-cock-covered-eye looked to see Thea staring intently at the two of them. Giving Thea a wink, Dys took hold of A¡¯s cock and gave it a long, slow lick from base to tip.
A¡¯s whole body shivered at the touch and Jadis could see her clench her teeth to keep from letting out a moan.
¡°Now, I¡¯m pretty sure my mouth is going to be too full to make much noise,¡± Dys said between nting a few kisses on the side of A¡¯s shaft. ¡°So it¡¯s going to fall to you, Blue. Remember to set a good example.¡±
Whatever A was going to say in response was cut off as Dys briefly sucked A¡¯s cockhead into her mouth and swirled her tongue around it. When her lips pulled away with a light pop, she grinned up at her frowning girlfriend who finally managed to get a few words out.
¡°Kerr¡¯s not the only troublemaker around here¡¡±
Chapter 192: Setting an Example
Chapter 192: Setting an Example
A¡¯s cock sunk deep into Dys¡¯ mouth, filling it with her sweet yet musky taste. As big as her thick shaft was, the difference in size between them was such that Dys could take more than half of A¡¯s cock into her mouth without reaching her throat. As such, Dys could happily lick and suck on the majority of A¡¯s magically conjured meat without ever having to worry about gagging. Unless, of course, she wanted the full length inside her.
Jadis wanted the full length inside her.
Pressing forward, Dys carefully controlled her gag reflex as A¡¯s tip slipped past the entrance to her throat. With deliberate intent, Dys kept going until her pale nose was buried in the soft red tuft of hair on A¡¯s pubic mound. Raising her gaze higher, her violet eyes met A¡¯s blue ones.
For once, Jadis wished she had more eyes. She would have loved to have seen how she looked in that moment, A standing over her with her cock shoved down her throat, their lust-darkened gazes locked onto each other. But Syd was busy with her own very important task of licking Kerr to her peak and Jay was talking with Bridget while trying very hard to not carry the sexy orc woman into the tent-wagon and fuck her senseless.
Jadis would just have to settle for experiencing the situation directly, rather than also seeing it from multiple angles at the same time as she usually did.
Pulling back only far enough that she could give A room to move, Dys took hold of A¡¯s hands with her own and set them firmly onto her head. Once A¡¯s fingers had firmly intertwined with Dys¡¯ hair, she withdrew her hands and folded them neatly in herp. Looking up at her lover with expectant eyes, she waited for her to take control.
She didn¡¯t have to wait long. A¡¯s grip tightened imperceptibly before her hips started to move, sliding her hot cock in and out of Dys¡¯ mouth, her tip diving deep enough to prate her throat with each forward thrust. She started slow, her almost hesitant thrusts carefully testing the waters for what she could get away with. However, as each thrust proved that Dys was capable of taking more without letting out even a muffled gag, A¡¯s movements drew faster.
Soon, A¡¯s hips were humping insistently against Dys¡¯ face as she drove her cock as deep as she could. Dys bore it all, breathing heavily through her nose as best she could while saliva began to seep out around her lips and dribble off of her chin. In short order her A¡¯s cock had made a mess of Dys¡¯ face. It must have been quite the sight, Jadis was sure, since A just bit her lip and stared down at her with an ever more lustful expression.
A did her best to stay quiet, but little groans couldn¡¯t help but escape her as she used Dys¡¯ throat for her own pleasure. The sound of her shaft wetly thrusting between Dys¡¯ lips was a far louder sound though, and with no other sounds to distract from it the wet sounds of a cock being humped into an open and eager mouth were all the more thrillingly obscene.
Dys could feel A¡¯s thick shaft get bigger as the minutes passed, her excitement only growing stronger as her pleasure circled its peak. Leaning forward, A abruptly shoved her hips into Dys, smooshing her nose with her crotch as she held her cock as deep down Dys¡¯ gullet as she could. With her left hand holding onto her hair and her right hand holding onto one of the wagon wheel spokes behind Dys, A held her in ce with all her strength.
If she could have grinned with a foot of cock in her mouth, Dys would have. Butcking that ability, she kept her violet gaze locked onto A¡¯s azure one, delighting in the way her stoic expression had turned to abject lust.
They continued to stare at each other as A¡¯s turgid length throbbed inside of Dys¡¯ distended throat. The only movement came from A grinding her hips further into Dys¡¯ face as her balls rested heavily on her chin. It took almost a minute of breathlessness before Jadis understood what A was after. The realization made her desire to grin even stronger, but not as strong as her need to keep her lover¡¯s cock in her mouth. Besides, she couldn¡¯t let A get what she wanted so easily. The girl would have to work for her pleasure.
But not for that much longer, in all honesty. Dys could only hold her breath for so long. She had never taken that Breath Control skill she¡¯d been offered what felt like ages ago, so she was limited by what she could do just by her own natural physical ability. As time ticked onward, Dys¡¯ eyes began to lose focus as tears started running from their corners. Her vision started to swim at the edges as she stubbornly refused to pull away from A or make a sound. She just kept her sights locked onto her girlfriend¡¯s intense gaze, straining to hold back her instinctive reactions.
Eventually, her body betrayed her and Dys let out a muffled cough. The moment she did, she couldn¡¯t help but gag around A¡¯s cock, the lewd sound filling the air around them.
With a triumphant grin, A pulled back. Withdrawing her dick from Dyspletely, A let her cock p wetly onto Dys¡¯ face as she coughed a few more times, gasping for some much-needed air.
¡°Tsk, tsk,¡± A reprimanded Dys as she tapped her throbbing shaft against her cheek. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be making any noise.¡±
¡°Shut up and fuck my mouth,¡± Dys shot back before opening her mouth wide and rolling her tongue out in an open invitation.
¡°Mm, I certainly will,¡± A hummed as she shoved her cock down Dys¡¯ throat again.
This time there was no slow start. A immediately set to a fast pace, hammering her shaft into Dys with as much force as she could muster. Sloppy wet noises spilled out from where her cock crudely forced its way between Dys¡¯ tightly sucking lips, creating sounds that were probably a little too loud than they should be. A was clearly past the point of caring, though, her body taking over as pleasure and lust flooded her brain.
¡°Nnhh,¡± A groaned, desperately trying to keep her voice quiet. ¡°C¡ªcumming!¡±
Dys¡¯ hands whipped up and grabbed hold of A¡¯s waist. Just as A¡¯s cock began to pulse in that familiar way, she forcibly pulled A away. In less than a moment A¡¯s member was pulled free from Dys¡¯ mouth, her climaxing causing her to tremble. Dys wrapped one hand around her throbbing dick and milked it, letting each powerful spurt of hot cum stter across her already messy face.
She wanted A to shoot her load all over her. To make it clear that she was hers as much as the other way around. She relished the feeling of having her face coated in her pearlescent seed, reveled in the knowledge that A was marking her. She only wished A had as big a load as hers so that her face could truly be soaked.
¡°Oh wow,¡± Sabina gasped. ¡°That¡¯s, um, wow. I guess I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be that much?
Dys tilted her head back to look up at Sabina, seeing that the half elf was staring wide-eyed at her. She couldn¡¯t help but give the smith a grin.
¡°If you think this is a lot,¡± she said as she wiped a string of cum away from her eye, ¡°you¡¯re in for a shockter.¡±
¡°Later?¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t cum yet.¡±
¡°Oh¡¡±
Dys tore her eyes away from Sabina as A suddenly copsed, her legs giving out under her. She sat heavily down onto Dys¡¯p, still catching her breath. Seeing A¡¯s satisfied but exhausted face sent an impulse to kiss her through Jadis¡¯ mind, which she did not resist.
Not too far away, while A and Dys shared a messy kiss, Syd was treated to the taste of Kerr¡¯s climax on her tongue. Jadis had to admit, she was impressed. Throughout the whole encounter, Kerr didn¡¯t make a single peep. No moans, no groans, no noise at all. Her body had writhed and twisted in pleasure and by the yelps and moans that Eir had made, she had clearly been putting her teeth and tongue to use, but Kerr herself had not uttered a single lewd sound.
As her orgasm passed through her, Kerr flopped down t on top of Eir, settling her cheek against Eir¡¯s now well-suckled breasts. She was still careful to make sure her horns didn¡¯t hit Eir in the face, too, which Syd noted as unexpectedly considerate of Kerr.
¡°Shit, I needed that,¡± Kerr murmured with a contended sigh. ¡°I¡¯m ready for a nap now. Wake me up in, like, twelve hours.¡±
¡°Hey,¡± Syd said as she sat back on her heels. ¡°What about me?¡±
¡°What about you?¡±
¡°Are you seriously not going to return the favor?¡±
¡°I would happily¡ª¡± Eir started to say before Kerr shushed her with a finger to her lips.
¡°No,¡± Kerr chided, ¡°We¡¯re
supposed to be quiet, remember? If Jadis starts fucking you, you¡¯re going to be louder than a whorehouse on payday. No cock for your pussy tonight.¡±
Eir frowned, then gently pushed Kerr¡¯s finger away from her face.
¡°We have other means of providing relief to Syd. It would be cruel to leave her wanting when she¡¯s been so attentive to us.¡±
¡°Alright then,¡± Kerr said, hiding a grin from the priestess that only Syd could see. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±
Eir thought for a moment, then sat up, forcing Kerr to do the same.
¡°I will be on top for this,¡± Eirmanded, pushing Kerr onto her back and settling her naked body on top of her.
Kerr happily leaned back, putting her hands behind her head as she let the scarlet-skinned elf take control. It was pretty clear to Jadis that this had been what Kerr had been angling for all along, though whether Eir could tell the therion had been manipting her was up for debate. Either way, Jadis watched and waited, more than willing to see where the elf was going with her repositioning.
With only a bit of hesitation, Eir pressed her body against Kerr¡¯s. With careful movements, she positioned herself so that her hips were even with Kerr¡¯s, though that meant her own face was now on level with Kerr¡¯s breasts. There was quite a height difference between them, after all.
Clearly understanding what Eir was attempting to do, Kerr shifted her pelvis and wrapped her legs around Eir¡¯s ass, pulling her in close so that their slick pussies were pressed up against each other. Eir shuddered at the touch, but she looked back over her shoulder at Syd expectantly.
¡°I thought this might be something you¡¯d enjoy,¡± Eir said, her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°Unless you think this position won¡¯t work¡¡±
Syd barely managed to stop herself from tearing her pants off as she removed them, her cock rearing up like a wild beast as soon as it was free.
¡°Fuck, Eir,¡± Syd whispered back as she shuffled up behind the two intertwined women. ¡°
Please speak up if you have any more ideas like this.¡±
She had to spread her legs wide to lower herself far enough, and she had to grab a pillow and shove it under Kerr¡¯s ass to lift them higher, but in short order Syd¡¯s cock was pressed up between the two women. Their hot cores soaked Syd¡¯s already dripping cockhead as she rubbed it against them, drawing shivers of delight from them all. Just as Syd moved to press her pulsing member between them, an exmation from behind Dys caused Jadis to draw up short.
¡°Oh holy gods! Is
that how big you are!? I thought Kerr was just trying to make us panic or something when she said you were like a horse in size or maybe it was a joke and then I saw A with a penis, which I was
not expecting, and it¡¯s a huge penis, I mean I thought it was a huge penis and I guess it still is but now I¡¯m seeing your penis and gods it is gigantic! How is that supposed to fit in
anything? Even with a skill I don¡¯t think¡ª¡±
¡°Sabina,¡± A hissed, grabbing hold of the back of the smith¡¯s head and dragging her face close to hers. ¡°Remember what we said about being
quiet? Shouting out like that is
not quiet.¡±
Sabina stared into A¡¯s face, her expression embarrassed and her mouth tight with worry. After a tense couple of seconds, she slowly moved her hand up to her face. Cautiously, she tapped her finger against the side of her chin.
¡°You, uh, have some of your cum on your face. Right here.¡±
A¡¯s face burned bright as she stiffly let go of Sabina and sat back onto Dys¡¯p.
¡°Sorry,¡± Sabina said to A, then looked over at where Syd was still hovering in ce with her cockhead pressed against Eir and Kerr¡¯s pussies. ¡°Sorry for, uh, interrupting. I¡¯ll shut up now. Sorry.¡±
Outside the tent, Bridget looked up at Jay with mild confusion.
¡°What was that sound just now? Also, why are you shaking like that? Are youughing?¡±
Jay couldn¡¯t respond to Bridget¡¯s questions, not withoutpletely cracking up. Sabina¡¯s awkward interruption and even more awkward interaction with A was just too ridiculous to notugh at. If the smith was going to be like that every night, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how they were going to survive.
Just as Bridget started to look more concerned, which was just making Jay struggle harder to contain herughter, another voice called out from the dark.
¡°Jay? Bridget? Is everything alright?¡±
That sobered the hrity right out of Jadis. Turning to look, she saw a groggy-looking Captain Wie out from her tent.
¡°Well, shit,¡± all three of Jadis mumbled under her breath.
Chapter 193: Silent Night
Chapter 193: Silent Night
¡°Is everything alright?¡± Captain Wi asked as she approached Jay and Bridget. Jadis noticed that despite still looking half asleep, the captain had her sword at her waist. ¡°Are there demons?¡±
¡°Everything¡¯s fine,¡± Jay replied, keeping her voice down. ¡°No sign of demons, just got a little too loud talking about something funny. Sorry we woke you.¡±
¡°Yes, sorry about that,¡± Bridget echoed her.
¡°Oh,¡± Wi nodded,ing to a stop a few feet away. ¡°Alright then.¡±
The captain stood there near the fire, hands rubbing her arms in the cold as she blinked the sleep from her eyes. After a moment or two, she looked at Jay and Bridget more closely, her face taking on a puzzled expression.
¡°What are you two doing?¡±
¡°Oh, ah, um,¡± Bridget stumbled over her tongue. ¡°We, ah, we just¡ª¡±
¡°We¡¯re just staying warm,¡± Jay stepped in smoothly. ¡°It¡¯s a cold night and my cloak is big.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Bridget agreed. ¡°Just, um, staying warm. Nothing else.¡±
Bridget started to move then, like she was trying to slip off of Jay¡¯sp. Before she could, Jay¡¯s grip under the cloak tightened, holding her in ce. The orc stiffened for a moment, then rxed back into the embrace.
¡°Ah,¡± Wi nodded, looking somewhat awkward. ¡°I understand. It is a cold night.¡± Perhaps looking for something to do with her hands, she took a few steps away and picked up some of the logs they¡¯d gathered and threw them into the fire. As she did so, she continued to talk. ¡°Whenever I set up who will be on watch with my troops, I always have to take a lot of different things into consideration.¡±
¡°Uh huh,¡± Jay murmured as she watched Wi move. She could hear the lecture mode in her voice, even if the captain was trying not to be pushy.
¡°I always try to avoid putting two people who don¡¯t get along on watch if I can. It can turn to arguments and waking up the rest of the camp. Plus they¡¯ll be less likely to pay attention to their surroundings if they¡¯re too focused on bickering about some nonsense or other.¡±
Bridget shifted again on top of Jay¡¯sp and let out an almost imperceptible squeak as Jay¡¯s erection literally bounced her upward as it pulsed.
Wi looked up from where she was picking up wood, but whatever she saw on Jay and Bridget¡¯s faces must not have roused any further suspicions as after a second, she continued to talk.
¡°I also have to be careful not to put together soldiers who get along a little too well. Even if they¡¯re quiet and don¡¯t disturb the others who are sleeping, if they¡¯re spending the whole watch
talking to each other, then they aren¡¯t paying as much attention to their surroundings as they should. That kind of behavior can end up being a real security threat to the camp.¡±
¡°I see what you mean,¡± Jay said politely. ¡°You¡¯re just trying to think of the welfare of everyone. No need to take unnecessary risks with night watches.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Wi nodded, then stood by the fire for another few moments looking awkward as Jay and Bridget didn¡¯t move.
¡°Well, just, uh, some advice to a fellow captain, of sorts,¡± she finishedmely.
¡°Appreciate it,¡± Jay answered with a nod. ¡°But you should probably get back to your tent. It¡¯ste and you should get all the sleep you can.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Wi nodded, then turned to go. ¡°Goodnight.¡±
Just as Wi took a couple of steps back towards her tent, a feminine squeak came from the wagon tent, loud enough for them all to hear.
¡°What was that?¡± Wi asked, turning back around, her eyes narrowed.
¡°Not sure,¡± Jay lied. ¡°I doubt it was anything important.¡±
¡°We can¡¯t know that,¡± Wi said back, all business with her one hand on the pommel of her sword. ¡°You always need to check on unusual sounds when on watch. It might be nothing, but it could be some stealth variant of a demon trying to corrupt a member of the group.¡±
The captain moved as she spoke, heading towards the wagon with the clear intent of checking inside to make sure everything was alright.
Jadis was not about to let that happen.
Standing so swiftly that she had to catch Bridget from falling forward into the fire, Jay took a few steps forward and overtook Wi.
¡°Here, let me,¡± she swept ahead of the captain with her best attempt at remaining calm and unbothered. ¡°Don¡¯t want to startle anyone with a stranger¡¯s voice in the dark.¡±
Coming to a stop at the edge of the tarp that separated the covered awning from the outside and with Captain Wi right at her side, Jay elevated her voice slightly above a whisper and called out to herpanions and other selves inside the wagon tent.
¡°Dys? Syd? I heard a noise, everything alright?¡±
Some shuffling noises could be heard from inside before the seam between two of the tarps separated slightly. Dys¡¯ face poked out, barely visible in the shadows due to how far they were from the firelight.
¡°Yeah, everything¡¯s fine,¡± Dys said, looking first at her other self then down at the captain with a slight nod. ¡°Sorry, did that wake you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m a light sleeper,¡± the captain answered. ¡°Did something happen? It sounded like a cry of pain or panic.¡±
Dys shook her head slightly.
¡°My fault,¡± she whispered with a chagrined look. ¡°I rolled over and almost squashed Thea. Sorry we woke you.¡±
Wi raised an eyebrow at that exnation but seemed to ept it after a second of thought.
¡°I guess that is one of the inconveniences of being of such great size,¡± Wimented.
¡°There are ups and downs,¡± Dys agreed. ¡°Never noticed them until we started living around people so much smaller than us, but yeah.¡±
¡°I can imagine,¡± Wi said. ¡°I once lived in a vige popted almost exclusively with goblins for nearly a year. Their buildings and furniture were not designed with humans in mind. It was an awkward experience.¡±
Jadis could sympathize with Wi. That was pretty much her daily life living in Far Felsen. However, as awkward as it was navigating doorways and bathrooms that were meant for people nearly half her height, none of thatpared to having a conversation with the guard captain while Thea was sitting on top of her dick.
Of course Jadis hadn¡¯t stopped her licentious activities when Wi had woken up. When she had made her exmation across all three of her selves herpanions had naturally shown some concern. She had quickly reassured them that it was nothing, just a temporary interruption, nothing to worry about and no reason not to continue. After all, with how hard Syd was in that moment, there was no way she was going to hold back from enjoying her Eir and Kerr sandwich for any longer.
Without further preamble, Syd had slid her thick, throbbing member between where Eir and Kerr¡¯s pussies were mashed together. Their slick lower lips had felt heavenly against her sensitive flesh and she¡¯d had to hold back her own moan of pleasure, which she managed well enough. With single minded purpose, she¡¯d pressed forward, pushing her shaft all the way as far as she could go so that the head of her cock was nestled between Eir¡¯s breasts.
The insane amount of cockmeat that Jadis was regrly mming into her sexypanions always amazed her, but feeling the tip of her cock rubbing between the elf¡¯s tits while her pelvis rested against her ass was a shockingparison.
Carefully, trying not to make any noise, Syd had pulled back and then pushed forward again. Not with the usual intensity of her typical lovemaking, but with the caution of a thief trying not to be caught. She wasn¡¯t about to m her hips against Eir¡¯s backside to make that magical lewd sound of wet flesh pping together, even though she very much wanted to. It was particrly difficult to hold back as Kerr grinned up at her, eyes taunting as she silently encouraged her to go faster and harder. She had even started rocking her hips up against Syd to add to the experience. Kerr was never one to sit by passively.
Of course, as Syd had resumed her lewd activity, that only brought further attention to the fact that Dys hadn¡¯t achieved release yet either.
Dys had gotten her face thoroughly fucked by her girlfriend, and that was great, but she had her own steel hard shaft that needed relief. And while she had been sure A was more than willing to help, she¡¯d also not forgotten about the fourth person in their little group who had still needed her own sexual encounter to fulfill the requirements of their ritual replenishment.
As Wi had tossed firewood onto the bonfire and told Jay and Bridget about the ways in which she assigned night watch duty, Dys had pulled Thea from her side and onto herp.
Jadis had not been surprised at all to find Thea naked under her nket coverings. Even less surprised to find herher lips utterly soaked. As the brte had silently balked at her sudden change in position, Dys had taken her right hand and sucked the fingers into her mouth, savoring the taste she found on them. That had only made Thea stutter and blush even harder, which Jadis found adorable. How or why Thea still got embarrassed about being caught masturbating while watching her and the others fuck was a mystery to her. She had to know by then that Jadis and the others didn¡¯t mind and even encouraged her voyeuristic tendencies.
But getting a taste of Thea and making her blush hadn¡¯t been Dys¡¯ goal. Just a side benefit. Taking hold of the woman¡¯s hips, Dys had lifted her up and set the entrance of her pussy against her massive cockhead. Holding her there, suspended in the air as though she were as light as a ball of fluff, Dys had waited, watching for Thea¡¯s reaction.
It had taken a moment and her face had glowed as red as a Christmas ornament, but Thea had eventually nodded.
With a grin, Dys had pulled Thea down onto her, eyes going half closed and her grin turning into a grimace as her cockhead was enveloped by Thea¡¯s heat. She was so incredibly tight that it was almost too difficult to move. Not impossible, though. Definitely not impossible. Slowly but firmly Dys had eased Thea down her shaft, watching as the obscene bulge in her belly that marked the progress of her cock travelled higher and higher.
¡°Is that the outline of your penis!?¡± Sabina had then let out a surprised gasp.
Sabina had kept her shocked exmation quiet, A¡¯s earlier admonishment taking at least somewhat. Jadis hadn¡¯t been able to hear her words from outside of the tent. However, what Sabina did do was lean forward, putting her hand on Dys¡¯ shoulder as she nearly fell off the edge of the wagon getting a closer look.
A was at Dys¡¯ side, so she¡¯d helped catch the half-elf before she¡¯d fallen heels over head. But the unexpected surprise of Sabina almost falling to herp while she waspromised with Thea had shocked Dys enough that she¡¯d twitched. Just a small twitch, but enough of one that Thea had been dragged several inches down Dys¡¯ shaft with far greater speed than she¡¯d intended.
Understandably, Thea had let out a yelp.
Jadis wasn¡¯t crazy. She was certain of that. But was she a risk taker? Yes, she was. Was she a pervert, too? Absolutely. And did those two traits sometimesbine together into actions that could be interpreted as insanity? She had to admit, from and outsider¡¯s perspective, that was probable.
When Wi had gone to check on the wagon and Jay had rushed to run interference, Jadis had had three choices. She could have let one of herpanions answer the p. They didn¡¯t know what had been going on, though, and that meant they were more likely to let something slip, especially since they couldn¡¯t coordinate with herself the way she could. That meant her other two choices were to have Syd or Dys answer Jay¡¯s calls. Either way she¡¯d be risking exposure. So, if she was going to risk getting caught, she might as well have fun with it.
And so that was how Dys found herself standing on one side of a tarp with Thea wrapped around her torso, her cock buried deep inside the panicked woman, while Guard Captain Wi stood on just the other side,pletely oblivious to the debauchery happening right in front of her.
¡°Yeah, it can be awkward,¡± Dys said to Wi as she internally thanked D that she¡¯d wiped most of A¡¯s cum off of her face. ¡°But we manage to make it work.¡±
¡°You certainly seem to,¡± Wi said as she motioned her hands at the giant wagon. ¡°You Nephilim have some interesting ideas, that¡¯s certain. I admit this wagon has inspired a bit of envy amongst my troops. And me, for that matter.¡±
Wi punctuated her statement by tapping the back of her hand against the tarp, causing the fabric to brush against Thea¡¯s bare backside. Dys had to resist doubling over as Thea¡¯s arms and legs as well as her slick tunnel tightened tremendously around her.
¡°When we get back to town you can tell the Magistrate about how the wagon held up in the field,¡± Jay said while being careful to keep her cloak closed around her. ¡°But in the meantime, we should let Dys get back to sleep. She¡¯s supposed to be up for the next shift in an hour and a half or so.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Wi said, nodding at Jay and then Dys. ¡°Sorry to have disturbed you. Try not to crush any of yourpanions in your sleep.¡±
¡°Haven¡¯t so far,¡± Dys said with a strained smile. ¡°Sleep well.¡±
Closing the open p in the tarp, Dys stepped away from the fabric wall with a shudder. Looking down between her breasts, she met eyes with Thea who looked equal parts horny and terrified.
¡°Sorry,¡± she whispered down at the shy woman, feeling suddenly as though maybe she had gone a step too far there.
¡°P¡ªplease just f¡ªfuck me,¡± Thea whispered back, her whole body practically vibrating. ¡°I c¡ªcan¡¯t stand it anymore.¡±
Well, with that kind of response, what was Jadis supposed to do?
Carrying her shieldsworn lover back over to the wagon, Dys carefully set Thea¡¯s butt down on the edge. A and Sabina were both there as well, Sabina back to sitting on the wagon while A stood with her arms crossed.
¡°I know,¡± Dys held up a hand at A¡¯s look. ¡°I know.¡±
A simply rolled her eyes.
¡°Later, then. Is the captain still up?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Dys said after a second, her teeth clenching in a hiss as Thea¡¯s core suddenly tightened again around her. ¡°She is. We still need to be quiet.¡±
¡°Then you can¡¯t do this the normal way,¡± A whispered. Sending Thea an apologetic look, she asked, ¡°Do you mind if I help?¡±
¡°P¡ªplease!¡± Thea let out in a strangled gasp.
With one hand on Dys¡¯ stomach, A pushed her back, forcing her to withdraw more than halfway out of Thea. Once there was enough room, A lowered her head to Thea¡¯s crotch and began to gently lick and kiss at her clit.
The effect was immediate. Thea¡¯s tunnel gripped her even more tightly as A pleasured her. Dys¡¯ body reacted instinctively, pushing forward but stopping after only an inch as A pushed her back.
Jadis wanted to m her dick forward. She wanted to fuck Thea¡¯s brains out. But she also wanted to keep their activities quiet, part of her thrilled that she¡¯d managed to avoid Wi finding out about what they were doing and wanting to continue their subterfuge. That part was helped by A¡¯s hand holding her back and her blue eyes looking up at her as her tongue ran across the ce where Dys and Thea joined together.
Dys began moving in short, slow, but steady thrusts. Moving only a few inches forward and back, she nevertheless found a rhythm that kept her movements quiet while also causing the familiar pressure to build in the pit of her stomach. She¡¯d been pent up for too long now and she could feel that tightness inside her growing with each passing moment.
Thea had put both her hand over her face and mouth and was clearly struggling to stay silent, her whole body twitched and jerking as A continued to suckle at her sensitive nub. The sight just made Jadis want to thrust forward even more, but nevertheless she maintained her control. Possibly because she had another outlet to expend her instincts on.
Throughout the whole ordeal with Dys talking to Wi, Syd had not left Eir and Kerr. More specifically, her cock had not left the space between the two as they¡¯d remained wrapped up together. With Wi having gone back to the fireside with Jay and Bridget, apparently intent on staying up for the rest of the watch, Syd couldn¡¯t thrust with the same force she wanted to either. But she could move a lot more than Dys.
Moving her hips with long, slow, powerful thrusts, Syd shoved her length between her two lovers, using their bodies like a sleeve for her cock. Their skin was rapidly turning slick with her precum and their juices, making the movements even easier. Lewd sounds filled the air around them, soft but still barely contained. Syd could feel herself reaching her peak as well, her stomach having been tight with need for what felt like forever. She needed more, though. Just a little more¡
¡°Almosting again, aren¡¯t you?¡± Kerr whispered. She was looking up at Syd, but her hands were brushing through Eir¡¯s purple hair. ¡°I can feel it. The way you quiver in that one way, your breathing hard, those little gasps you¡¯re trying to hide. But you¡¯re holding back because Jadis is the one who is supposed to be getting off right now, aren¡¯t you?¡±
Eir nodded, her face pressed firmly between Kerr¡¯s breasts. Syd could hear the little grunts and moans she was holding back, feel the way her body was shivering and the way her hips were jerking against her cock. Kerr was right. Eir was close.
¡°That¡¯s nice of you to try and think of Jadis first,¡± Kerr continued in her low whisper. ¡°But you know what? Jadis already knows you¡¯re a wanton slut. And she loves that about you. I bet if her slutty elf priestess came all over her throbbing cock
right now, she¡¯d cum too. So, why don¡¯t you be her good girl and cum for her?¡±
Eir¡¯s body shuddered again, then she lifted her head slightly to look back over her shoulder at Syd, as though she were seeking confirmation.
¡°Please,¡± Syd said quietly into her pointed ear. ¡°Be my good girl and cum for me.¡±
That was all it took. Eir let out a low, muffled moan as she came, her body shaking with the orgasm as her wet juices flowed over the base of Syd¡¯s cock.
Like a chain reaction, Syd came as well, her throbbing member pulsing with each rope of cum that she shot between the elf and therion. With how they were pressed together, arms and legs wrapped tightly against each other, there was no ce for all of her seed to go. Cum began sshing out around their sides and from under Eir¡¯s chin. Hot ropes of pearlescent nectar sprayed up between them, coating the elf and then Therion, some of the powerful jets reaching all the way up to Kerr¡¯s grinning face.
The chain reaction didn¡¯t stop there, either. With her other self cumming, Dys couldn¡¯t hold back anymore either. Grabbing hold of her cock in one hand, she began pumping it desperately, the tension built up inside too great to stop. With only her cockhead left inside of Thea, she jerked herself off to a sudden, body quaking orgasm. She fell forward, catching herself with her free hand on the wagon as she continued to stroke her exposed length. With each electric pulse, she filled Thea¡¯s core with what felt like cups of Nephilim seed. Enough that within the first few seconds her belly was visibly distended, making her look a few months pregnant.
In that moment, lost in the pleasures of her dual climax, Jadis very much wished that the illusion of pregnancy was more than that. The idea of Thea actually impregnated, carrying her child, having been bred by her¡
Syd and Dys both shuddered violently as their orgasm rocked through them even more powerfully. More of her cum than ever before was drawn from her as her mind went momentarily nk. She was so utterly caught up in the moment that even her third self, untouched and out in the open with Bridget and Wi, had to shudder and go quiet lest her voice expose her lewd doings.
As she came down from her peak, breathless and spent, Dys was finally able to focus her eyes enough to see that Thea had alsoe, her body wracked with the orgasm as A had continued to push her along with her fingers on her clit.
Ovee with a need to, Dys curled forward and pried Thea¡¯s hands away from her face to reveal her gasping expression. Without reservation she gave the woman a deep, tender kiss, drawing the moment out as Thea slowly came down from her own climax.
As her shudders receded, Dys broke her kiss with Thea and immediately turned to A who was still standing next to them with one hand on Thea¡¯s twitching pussy. Taking hold of her, Dys pulled A close and kissed her deeply too, running her tongue against A¡¯s, savoring her taste and the taste of Thea still on her. When they eventually parted, Jadis felt wholly satisfied, if a little confused about why the idea of breeding Thea had made her cum so hard.
Even then, looking down at how Thea¡¯s belly had grown swollen, Dys shivered involuntarily.
¡°I¡¯m going to need to pull out now,¡± Dys whispered as she moved to extract her cockhead from Thea. ¡°Way too sensitive.¡±
¡°Hold on,¡± A said before ducking down and getting into position beneath her and Thea. ¡°Okay, go ahead.¡±
As soon as Dys pulled free, a torrent of Nephilim seed began to pour out of Thea¡¯s overstuffed pussy, the flow going straight into A¡¯s open and waiting mouth. Without hesitation she closed the distance and set her lips against Thea, her head between the brte¡¯s legs, who began to let out a loud moan, no doubt not in a state of mind to remember to quiet herself.
Before she could quite let out that telltale sound, Sabina¡¯s hands went firmly over Thea¡¯s mouth, suppressing the sound and preventing her from making any noise that could be heard outside of the tent.
¡°Wow,¡± Sabina whispered, her eyes flitting between where A was suctioned onto Thea¡¯s pussy, Dys¡¯ cum-covered and mostly still erect cock, and the utter mess that was Syd, Eir, and Kerr. ¡°I mean, uh, I mean¡ªwow. Wow!¡±
Dys smiled tiredly at the smith who for once trailed off, her mouth moving but no more wordsing out.
¡°So it¡¯s true,¡± Dys responded quietly as she leaned her hip against the wagon edge, looking at Sabina with a twinkle in her eye.
¡°What?¡± Sabina replied, finding her voice.
¡°You can, in fact, be rendered speechless. Didn¡¯t think it was possible, but now we know it can be done.¡±
Sabina gaped at Dys, her eyes again travelling across the different scenes of debauchery surrounding her. Finally, theynded back on Dys¡¯ face. Then down to her cock, then back up to her face.
¡°Oh, be quiet.¡±
Chapter 194: POV Professional
Chapter 194: POV Professional
In the name of Charos¡¯ giant hairy balls, Kerr could not figure how they¡¯d not gotten caught during their midnight sex-capades. Sure, she¡¯d been good about keeping her noise level under control, but she was experienced in that sort of thing. She couldn¡¯t count the number of times she¡¯d engaged in some stealth fucking with a fellow mercenary while in a group camp situation over the years. Doing it that often meant you had to learn to keep it quiet or get used to having a bunch of mercenaries ribbing you about your vocals the next morning. Kerr would know, she¡¯d often been the one doing the teasing when less experienced mercs failed to keep their nighttime fun activities under wraps. That being said, she had been confident that at least one of her bedfellows in Fortune¡¯s Favored would have done
something to wake up the camp.
Well, she supposed someone had in fact woken up. The tight ass Captain Wi had been roused from her sleep and she¡¯d even investigated their tent. Which was why it was even more impressive that they hadn¡¯t gotten caught. Jadis had literally had a conversation with the woman while Thea had been hanging off of her dick like some kind of obscene puppet on a stick. Absolutely insane that she¡¯d managed to keep up an act of nonchnce while getting her cock squeezed like that. For being such a blunt instrument of war, Jadis could be shockingly good at keeping a secret.
Not that Kerr cared all that much about Jadis¡¯ tendency to keep secrets. Everyone had some and she¡¯d never been one to bother with trying to search them out. What she
was bothered with was a need to see if Jadis could do that cock-sleeve trick again. Preferably with her impaled on her fat stick, rather than Thea.
Actually, how fun would it be if
she was the one with her head poking out to talk with some unknowing soldier while Jadis took her from behind, just out of sight? She¡¯d definitely have to arrange that.
That n would have to wait forter, though. Once they¡¯d concluded their little quiet-time orgy and everyone¡¯s rituals had been refreshed, Jadis had insisted that everyone get some actual sleep. When Jay and Bridget hade back inside the tent, she¡¯d just gone straight to bed while Dys and Syd had gone out to stand guard for the third watch. Honestly, Kerr could have gone another round, and she could tell that Jay was liable to bust a seam in her pants with how tense she was. But no, Jadis was being a responsible leader.
Ugh.
Really though, Kerr couldn¡¯t find fault in Jadis for being sensible. They were in a dangerous situation, travelling through unsafe, demon infestednds. Sure, everything they¡¯d seen so far had been the kind of weak fodder that didn¡¯t pose much of a threat to any of them anymore, except for the nonbatants like Eir and Sabina, but still. Possessed magic beasts,rge numbers of lesser demons, greater demons, and even demon matriarchs were all still well within the realm of possible encounters so far from Far Felsen. Especially considering Jadis¡¯ track record. In fact, if they
didn¡¯t run into some kind of crazy strong and deadly demon while they were on this expedition, Kerr would give up alcohol for a month.
Well, maybe a week.
In any case, there just wasn¡¯t a chance they¡¯d go through this trip without incident. Though so far, as evidenced by theck of response from Wi and the rest of the soldiers Vraekae had saddled them with, things were going smoothly.
In the morning they had broken camp quickly and efficiently, with all the speed of a militarypany. Mostly. Taking apart the wagon after it had been set up was still new to them, so there had been some small stumbles. As impressive as the rolling fortress was, it was wholly impractical for anyone who didn¡¯t have a couple of Nephilim around the reach the high ces. Or a big fuckingdder.
Once they were all packed and back on the road, Kerr settled herself into her usual routine for travel in caravans: scout and report.
Thest couple of days she¡¯d been taking it easy. Lounging on the roof of the wagon, chatting with that spunky orc, taking easy shots at demons as they rode along; she¡¯d not been putting in much effort. But there hadn¡¯t been much need to. As bad as the demonic activity had been before, things had grown more stable around the region. The chances of running into something that would challenge a group of their size and raw power just wasn¡¯t likely to happen anymore, not in areas that the other mercenarypanies were regrly patrolling at least. Now that they were in the true depths of the overrun forests, though, it was time for her to take things seriously.
She was a professional, after all.
The speed that Jadis kept the wagons moving at was faster than typical caravans, but not that much faster. The massive wagon with its giant wheels and armored pullers was also far fucking louder than any five wagons put together, so it was easy for Kerr to keep track of its progress as she ranged out around and ahead of them. At first Jadis hadn¡¯t wanted her to leave sight of the group, but Kerr had knocked it into her thick heads that she knew what she was doing. If scouts stayed that close to the caravan, there wouldn¡¯t be much point to them, would there?
Wi had assigned her own scouts, of course, but those were a different sort from her. Two soldiers on horseback riding ahead of the wagons to make sure the trail was safe and free of ambushes was¡ fine. eptable, she supposed. Horses, however, couldn¡¯t move as quickly and quietly through the underbrush of the forest as Kerr could.
Stalking through the dimly lit brush of the woods surrounding the road was where the real work was done, so far as Kerr was concerned. Those advance soldiers might spot the signs of demons or other threats that marked the road ahead of them, but they had no chance of seeing the smaller details the way Kerr could with her feet on the ground and her nose to the trail.
For example, the tracks she found in the bank of a stream half a mile away from the road told her that golden bears were still active in the forest, and the pile of shit she¡¯d found near those tracks told her that they weren¡¯t eating as much as they¡¯d probably like to, despite being sote in the year. Hungry packs of golden bears actively stalking the woods when they should be finding caves to hibernate in meant it had been a lean year, probably because the prey animals they relied on had been killed off by demons. So not only would they need to be on the lookout for demons, but also half-starved bears looking for a meal.
There were other interesting tracks to be found out in the forest, too. Bizarrely asymmetrical patterns meant bone thieves. Oddly distanced familiar tracks meant twisted wretches. The weird scraping ones meant briar fiends. Nothing unexpected, except that they were all generally heading west. The inner machinations of what motivated slimy fucks like demons were beyond Kerr¡¯s ken, but it was still interesting to note what they were possibly doing.
So, for most of the day Kerr ranged out around the wagon, asionally returning to report what she¡¯d found to Jadis and A. Jadis
might know what to do with the info, but the brainy mage definitely did. Not that there was much to do at the moment, but forewarned was forearmed and all that crap.
It waster in the day, when the sun was getting low enough in the sky that the wagon had to be thinking of finding a ce to stop for the night that Kerr came across tracks she hadn¡¯t expected at all.
People.
¡°Well that¡¯s something different,¡± Kerr murmured to herself as she ran her fingertips across the imprints in the mud.
Boots. Five pairs, based on the different sizes. They didn¡¯t look military issue, either, with a variety of different sole patterns. At least one person was wearing a pair of mismatched boots, by the looks of it. The tracks weren¡¯t fresh, but they weren¡¯t old, either. A day at most with how they¡¯d held their shape.
Looking around, Kerr checked the sightlines from her position. She was on a hill, maybe an arrow¡¯s flight away from the road, probably half a mile ahead of the wagons. There was a gap in the trees that gave her a perfect view of the road, too. Good brush cover, lots ofrge trees directly behind to break the horizon up. And, judging by the stenching from bush further down the hill, the group had hung around the spot long enough for more than one of them to need a piss break.
Bandits?
No, Kerr shook her head, rejecting that thought. Bandits weren¡¯t likely to survive out in these forests, not unless they were particrly high level and high in numbers. Besides, what profit would there be in banditry along a road that had nothing more than demons prowling if for the past couple of years? Not much of one, that was for sure.
Kerr made one more pass over the hilltop, checking for any more clues as to who had been there and why. There wasn¡¯t much else to see, though. The tracks had headed off to the north, staying off the road but doing a passable job of covering their traces. Not hard for her to follow, but not easy, either. The fact that they were bothering to cover their tracks, though¡
A low, rumbling hiss forced Kerr to freeze in ce. Not in a figurative sense. Literally. Where before there was none, ayer of frost formed across the ground, spreading with supernatural speed as it raced up the sides of her boots and leg armor. A terrible chill unrted to the intense cold that had abruptly swept over her filled Kerr¡¯s chest. The hair on her tail stood on end, puffing out in unconscious reaction to the danger she knew she was in.
Slowly, carefully, making sure not to move her feet in the slightest, Kerr lowered herself from her half crouch to a full one, praying to any god that cared to listen that she hadn¡¯t yet been spotted. She was surrounded on three sides by pine saplings choked with thistle vines, so she had a decent chance of remaining hidden if she just kept silent.
Another low hiss issued from somewhere to her left, the creature¡¯s throaty noises popping like the surface of a frozen river. Cautiously, Kerr turned her head, catching sight of a shape moving in the corner of her left eye. There it was, stalking low and slow through the underbrush, keeping its nose to the same trail Kerr had been following.
A fucking frost drake.
Seven feet tall at the shoulder. At least thirty feet long counting the tail. Pale blue scales edged with white like snow. Four sets of eyes on its blocky head, one set on top of the other, each eye ck as obsidian. Its form was wire thin, sharp as icicles and lean with armored muscle. A row of holes ran down either side of its back, from which a constant stream of frozen mist poured like steam from a kettle, except this steam flowed down, covering the forest floor and freezing everything it touched.
The beast was a prime example of why everyone in their right mind stayed far as fuck away from Kalters Wall. But they weren¡¯t in Kalters Wall. They were still in Far as Fuck territory, and thus shouldn¡¯t be dealing with shit like frost drakes.
What in Valtar¡¯s ugly tits was the drake doing here?
A fucking pointless question. Regardless of the reason, the drake was still standing right there, thirty feet from her and only getting closer. She needed to deal with it.
Running wasn¡¯t an option. The frost the drake was putting down around it was a spell meant to slow down prey. No way Kerr could ovee that ice. For the same reason she couldn¡¯t sneak away, either, since the frost would crackle and give away her position. She could wait and hope it didn¡¯t sense her, but she didn¡¯t have any skills that masked her scent. The scaly piece of
scheisse would sniff her out given time. That only left one option.
As though her life depended on it, Kerr twisted her torso, pointing her longbow so that it was aimed to her left. She had to angle it slightly, since she was crouched and the damn thing was far toorge to be properly stealthy with, but she managed to find a position that was workable. She already had an arrow nocked, so that much was in her favor. As slowly as she could manage, Kerr pulled the bowstring back, aiming her arrow at the drake as it stalked towards her. The position was so damn awkward she couldn¡¯t get a full draw. She had to shift slightly or she wouldn¡¯t be able to give the arrow the power it needed to pierce the drake¡¯s scales.
Arching her back just a little, Kerr tilted herself just enough to get a few more inches of draw on the bow. As she did so, the bottom edge of the bow scraped against a few iced-over leaves, causing them to crack, the sound as loud as thunder in the frozen air.
Kerr released the arrow in the same moment as the drake¡¯s head whipped up and in her direction. A draconian shriek echoed in the forest as her arrow sank deep into the meat of its chest. Half a secondter, the frost drake¡¯s icy breath roared out across the ground. Giant ice spikes as long as daggers pierced upwards, shredding the brush and saplings as easily as they would flesh and bone.
But Kerr¡¯s flesh and bone wasn¡¯t there to be pierced.
In the same moment as her fingers had let the arrow loose, Kerr had rolled forward, using her enhanced strength to hurtle herself a couple of body lengths away before the ice magic could get to her. Pulling an arrow from her quiver as she rolled to her feet, Kerr nocked it to her bow and fired another shot as the drake¡¯s hateful jaws opened again in her direction. As the rime flowed forth, Kerr shot her arrow into its wide-open mouth.
Deadly ice brushed against Kerr¡¯s left side as she spun away from the monster¡¯s attack, her light armor doing little to stop the magical damage from getting to her. But she wasn¡¯t dead yet. Putting a tree between her and the drake, Kerr gritted her teeth and pulled another arrow, her left arm numb and unable to feel the bow in her hand. With a shout, she spun out from the other side and released her third arrow at the attacking beast.
The arrow
thunked into the unmoving side of the frost drake, provoking no reaction. Kerr drew another, nocking it to her bowstring and pulling it back before her brain caught up with what she was seeing. The drake wasn¡¯t moving. Ity on its stomach, legs syed out. Three arrows stuck out from it, one in its nk, another in its chest, and a third one with the arrowhead sticking a foot outside the back of the drake¡¯s head.
¡°Fuck me,¡± Kerr gasped, letting her bow rx from full draw. ¡°Fuck
me, did I kill a frost drake in two shots?¡±
There was, of course, no answer but the corpse in front of her.
¡°Holy shit, I¡¯m awesome!¡± Kerr shouted to the skies in her shaky voice, never happier than in that moment to have a fuck buddy who could give her huge stat boosts. ¡°Wait until I show this frozen turd to Jadis!¡±
Before she could even begin to contemte her next steps, Kerr¡¯s ears twitched as she heard a sound reminiscent of the shout she¡¯d just let out. Except, the shout she now heard wasing from multiple voices, both male and female. And they wereing from the direction she knew the wagon should be in.
Looking down at the dead drake, Kerr let out a curse and gave the monster a swift kick before bursting into a sprint.
¡°Motherfucker. Why do so many things in this shitty forest have to hunt in gods be damned packs?¡±
Chapter 195: Frost Drakes
Chapter 195: Frost Drakes
¡°D damn it all,¡± Jay grumbled from her lead position at the head of the wagon. ¡°They¡¯re pooping again.¡±
¡°Horses defecate,¡± A called back to her. ¡°Stopining.¡±
¡°I
know horses shit,¡± Jay shouted back over her shoulder. ¡°I just don¡¯t like
watching them do it! And I like stepping in their mess even less.¡±
The pair of soldiers on horseback Captain Wi had sent ahead on the trail, Gerd and Lutz, were far enough ahead that they couldn¡¯t be talked to, but close enough that when the road was rtively straight Jadis could see them. Unfortunately for her, that meant that from her position as beast of burden pulling the Behemoth, she had a front row view to every bowel movement the two horses passed. Jadis did not consider herself to be of a delicate constitution; after all, she mashed demons to paste for a living. But the animal poop thing was really starting to bother her.
¡°None of my old aurochs everined this much,¡± A admonished Jadis mildly.
¡°None of your aurochs could talk,¡± Jay shot back.
¡°She sure talks like a city sprog,¡± Jadis heard Bridget chuckle from where she walked next to the wagon. ¡°No farm folk are going to grouse about animals doing as they need do.¡±
¡°Noblesin about those sorts of things. Oh! Ja¡ªer, Jay! Are you and your sisters secretly Nephilim nobles? Are you Princesses!?¡± Sabina called out from the open door of the wagon behind A, getting progressively louder and more excited as she went on.
¡°No, we¡¯re not,¡± Dysughed. Turning partly to look back at the half-elf sticking her head out through the door, she continued. ¡°No nobles or princesses where I grew up. We just didn¡¯t have horses, either.¡±
A was giving Jadis a knowing look at Dys¡¯ response. She had learned enough fromte night talks to know that Jadis¡¯ upbringing had been decidedly more sheltered than hers. In terms of creatureforts, she was closer to Eir than A in how their childhoods had gone, at least when it came to distance from farm work and manualbor. Jadis hadn¡¯t grown up in a city, but being a suburbanite wasn¡¯t that far off, so Bridget¡¯s teasing usation held some weight.
Not that Jadis was going to admit that to the orc.
¡°I¡¯ll have you know,¡± Dys started as she turned to face forward again, ¡°that I¡ª¡±
Her yful words died on her lips as Dys caught sight of arge, pale figure on all fours racing through the shadows towards the left side of the wagon. Without pausing for a moment¡¯s consideration, Dys ripped the harness from her shoulders and threw herself at the creature as it leapt forward. Their two bodies collided a scant few feet away from where A sat, causing shrieks of surprise and shouts of rm.
¡°Weapons!¡± Syd ordered as she and Jay also tore the harnesses from their bodies.
All three of Jadis¡¯ selves were wearing their full te armor. As much as the weight added to the difficulty of pulling the wagon, it took too long to put the suits of te armor on for her to not wear it during the day when they could be ambushed at any moment. However, she had forgone carrying her weapons, especially her insanely heavy war hammer, since that would have been too unwieldy to manage while acting as transportation.
Now, she was d she¡¯d kept the armor on as one of her bodies wrestled with the huge, reptilian creature, though she cursed herself for not having easier ess to her stored primary weapons. There was no time for regrets, though. Many things were happening at the same time and Jadis had to focus all her attention on the actions of her allies and enemies around her.
The creature Dys had tackled was big, scaly, and
cold. She barely had the time to process what it looked like beyond it having four legs and a tail, but the trait she couldn¡¯t help but focus on was how utterly freezing the creature was. Her te armor had a fullyer of cloth and leather padding underneath it, plus her regr clothes underneath those, and she still felt like she¡¯d just plunged headfirst into the arctic ocean at midwinter. Gritting her teeth, she wrapped her arms around the struggling creature and squeezed as hard as she could, just focusing on holding it down while her other selves moved.
As Dys grappled the beast, Syd lunged for the wagon. Sabina, seeing her rushing at her, quickly fell backwards through the door to the interior where she and Eir had been doing the gods knew what earlier. In the next moment Syd¡¯snce appeared for her to grab hold of, the shaft being passed forward by both Sabina and Eir. As Syd took hold of her weapon and pulled it free, A leaned back in her seat and held out her hand, pointing it in the direction of Dys and the beast she was intertwined with.
Neither Dys nor Syd could see what A was aiming at, but Jay could. As she rounded on her other self and the¡ªwas that a fucking dragon!?¡ªshe saw a second icy monster charging out of the brush. A¡¯s force bolt struck the second creature square in the face, causing it to stumble as its head was thrown off bnce. Jay, seizing the opportunity, lunged at the monster and caught it in a headlock. Much to her surprise, the freezing dragon thing actually had the strength to push her forward, her boots digging furrows in the dirt of the forest floor, then the cobblestones of the road.
¡°Frost drakes!¡± a voice Jadis didn¡¯t immediately recognize shouted.
More shouts of rm rang out, as well as the sound ofbat, though Jadis couldn¡¯t focus on anyone else¡¯s battles. She had her hands full with the two drakes already.
Making a tactical choice, Syd stepped up to Dys first. Jay had her drake in better control with her headlock. Dys, however, had her arms locked around the beast¡¯s waist, squeezing the breath out of it but leaving its ws free to rake against her armor. As the two rolled around on the ground, Syd thrust hernce into the monster¡¯s side, piercing through its body and out the other side.
Despite running the drake through, Syd¡¯s attack wasn¡¯t a killing blow. The struggling beast continued to rip and w at Dys, trying to either free itself or kill her. Dagger-like ws savaged her helmet, the sharp tips digging into her visor nearly reaching her eyes, while lower down the drake¡¯s hind paws dug at her legs and stomach like a cat. Syd was forced to twist and rip thence out of the icy monster to try for a second strike at a better angle. As she did so, a terrible freezing cold swept across her legs and feet.
Not just her feet, actually, but Jay¡¯s as well. The drake Jay had in a headlock was exhaling a literal wave of ice from its jaws. It didn¡¯t take a genius to realize the monster was casting some kind of magical breath attack, especially since giant icicles started spearing up out of the ground wherever its breath touched.
¡°No the fuck you
don¡¯t!¡± Jay shouted.
Shoving the drake back, Jay mmed her knee into the wingless dragon¡¯s spiky chin, violently shutting its icy maw and cutting off its breath attack. As she did so, she felt a wash of soothing warmth touch her body.
Sparing a second to check her status, Jadis saw that her health had dropped from its maximum of nine hundred and ten to seven hundred and twenty-three. However, her health had leveled out, no longer dropping as Eir¡¯s healing power regenerated her wounds.
A nce told Jadis her priestess had stayed on the wagon and was healing her at a distance with her ranged healing spell. Even though the spell cost five times as much magic power to use, it was the right choice since Eir absolutely needed to stay as far away from the drakes as possible. With a max health of only one hundred points, the ice breath the hoary creatures could use would kill her almost instantly.
With hernce withdrawn, Syd spun around and switched targets. With a well-timed thrust, she speared through the body of the drake right under the shoulder de, where she imagined its heart had to be, presuming a magic beast like it had one. In the same instant, Jay mmed her knee into the drake¡¯s face a second time, triggering Mirrored Strikes.
The drake¡¯s jaw crumpled like ice as Jay¡¯s armored knee crushed it. Syd¡¯snce had no spectacr effect, but Jadis was certain that if the knee hadn¡¯t been enough, thence had done the trick as the monster went limp. As relieving as it was to cut down one of the drakes, Jadis wasted no time celebrating her victory over the vicious beast. Spinning back around, Syd attacked the drake on top of Dys while Jay dropped the dead frost drake and dashed towards the wagon.
Eir was with A, the two casting spells from the elevation of the wagon seat. Sabina was nowhere to be seen, though sincest Jadis had saw her she¡¯d been inside the wagon, Jadis assumed she was still there. Thea and Bridget¡
A frost drake hissed out its pain and rage as Thea mmed her shield into its face while Bridget struck it from the side with her ming il. The mes from thentern seemed to have a particrly strong effect as the monster¡¯s icy scales seemed to literally melt away from the magic fire. As the drake reacted to the orc¡¯s fiery blow with swipe of its ws, Thea blocked its feral attack with her shield, keeping it from getting close to Bridget. As the beast suddenly strafed to the right, a force bolt from A struck its nk, sending it reeling and giving Thea and Bridget a chance to both attack it again.
Good. The two were handling the drake well enough, aided by A¡¯s magic. They could at least hold it off long enough for Jadis to grab the rest of her weapons.
Just as the thought went through her mind, a fourth frost drake appeared, leaping on top of the wagon and heading straight for where A and Eir were positioned at the front.
¡°Get down¡ª!¡± Jay started to cry out but was cut off by a blinding sh of light and a boom of thunder that deafened her ears.
Blinking the spots out of her vision, Jay caught the tail end of the drake falling off the wagon, smoke trailing from its sh-fried body.
¡°Thank you, Nora,¡± Jay said under her breath as she resumed her mission to rearm herself.
Leaping up onto the front of the wagon, avoiding A and Eir as she leaned halfway through the door, Jay shouted into the dimly lit interior.
¡°Sabina! My axe!¡±
Her call was answered by another sudden, less intense, sh of light as the side of the wagon abruptly shot open.
¡°Grab what you need!¡± Sabina shouted back as she aimed her giant crossbow at the drake Thea and Bridget were fighting.
With a loud thwack, the smith¡¯s crossbow shot the drake in the back haunch. Not a killing blow, but a crippling one as its back leg went out from under it. Unable to move as easily as before, the beast couldn¡¯t avoid Bridget¡¯s next hammering blow as she brought herntern down on its head, crushing its skull in a ze of steam and me.
¡°Good work,¡± Jay said as she grabbed her axe and hammer from the back of the wagon. ¡°But we still need to work on your aim.¡±
¡°You keep giving me practice like this and maybe I¡¯ll get better!¡± Sabina replied in an almost manic voice as she reloaded her weapon. ¡°But please don¡¯t give me any more practice against drakes! I want to live to see level twenty!¡±
Chapter 196: Cold as the Grave
Chapter 196: Cold as the Grave
¡°Protect the horses, don¡¯t let them break away!¡± Captain Wi shouted out hermands somewhere behind Jadis¡¯ wagon. ¡°West side, keep close, don¡¯t drift! Nora, fire at will!¡±
Jay nced back at the soldiers to see them fighting back against two or three more drakes. The ten of them were keeping together in a close formation, protecting their pack horses from being attacked directly, but the icy breath of the frost drakes was proving to be difficult to defend against. Even in just the brief moment she spared to check on them, one of the riders, Ada, went down as her horse was caught by a stream of razor-sharp icicles.
Jadis couldn¡¯t focus on the soldiers, however. She had her own problems to deal with.
Syd pulled Dys to her feet as the recently skewered drake flopped off of her. Ayer of ice coated her armor and she was having trouble feeling her extremities as the cold sapped the strength from her arms and legs. Even though it had only been for seconds, her hands had gone almost entirely numb from tackling the monster and holding onto it.
Needing to get back into the fight, Dys took Syd¡¯snce in her sensationless hand and staggered closer to Eir so the cleric could heal her more efficiently by touching her directly. Syd, in the meanwhile, took Dys¡¯ axe from Jay as she moved to the fore of the wagon.
To both the left and right of the road Jadis spotted movement in the brush. More ice drakes were circling, looking for opportunities to pounce. She couldn¡¯t get a read on how many there were left, but there had to be more than three. In fact, definitely more than three, since ahead of her, further down the road, she saw the two forward scouts riding their horses at a full sprint back towards the wagons, two frost drakes hot on their tails.
¡°A!¡± Dys shouted as her other two selves moved slightly forward. ¡°Ahead!¡±
¡°On it!¡± the arcanist shouted as she leaned forward.
The two scouts, Gerd and Lutz, rode hard towards them, aiming to pass by on the right side of the wagon, where Jay, Thea, and Bridget were. The drakes were keeping up with their horses, only a couple of paces behind, so the timing was going to be close.
¡°Thea! Bridget!¡± Jaymanded, ¡°Out of the way!¡±
Like the trained soldier she was, Thea immediately fell back from the side of the road, pressing herself up against the wagon with her shield facing outward. Bridget, however, did not move as Jadis had expected. Leaping forward, she dove off the road and into the underbrush. Right into the sights of a circling drake.
¡°No!¡± Jay shouted, but it was toote to dash towards Bridget. The horses had reached the wagon.
In the moment the horses passed by, A cast her Dart Spray spell, altering it with her Snare Trap modification. Arge rune circle, twenty feet in diameter, appeared on the road milliseconds after the horses passed, appearing at just the right moment for the pursuing frost drakes to trigger it. As the runes shed with their activation, hundreds of small, spectral vines shot out of the ground to ensnare the drakes who¡¯d entered the circle. Individually, the vines were weak and the first few dozen snapped as they failed to stop the forward momentum of the two drakes they¡¯dtched onto. But dozens more were there to snake around the next foot to touch down, hindering and tripping the monsters as they tried to pass through.
The right-most drake was slightly ahead of the other and, as its wed feet caught on the snares, it tripped and crashed headfirst into the cobblestones. As its head slid forward, it suddenly ceased to exist as Jay¡¯s hammer smashed down on top if it, crushing it into a cold red paste.
The second drake Syd swung at, aiming to chop its head off at the neck as it stumbled in the snare. However, in a surprising disy of agility, the drake twisted out of the way of her attack by dropping low and sliding on its back across the ground. The move was so unexpected that Syd missedpletely and stumbled slightly herself, having put too much force into the swing and overreaching as a result.
The drake spun out of its slide and turned on Jay and Syd. With a hiss and crackle, it exhaled a st of ice breath at them both, enveloping them in the freezing magic.
Jadis could feel her bodies locking up as her flesh literally froze under the icy assault. Her feet slid on the suddenly unstable terrain as the ice daggers pierced upwards out of the ground. Even if they weren¡¯t able to puncture her te armor boots, they still worked against her as they proved to be almost impossible to stand on. As Jay and Syd struggled to stay on their feet and withstand the frost drake¡¯s breath attack, the stream of frost was abruptly cut off as Thea charged the monster from the side.
Thea¡¯s shield struck the drake in its temple, causing its head to snap to the side from the force. Following up her shield bash with her spear, Thea tried to skewer the drake but found no purchase, her spearpoint skittering against the hard and icy scales. She didn¡¯t need to spear the drake, though. She¡¯d done enough just being Jadis¡¯ shield.
Leaping the distance to the distracted frost drake, Jay mmed her hammer down on top of it, missing its head but delivering a ncing blow to its shoulder. However, even a ncing blow was damaging from her war hammer. Scales and bone alike cracked under the force of the attack, the drake¡¯s armored hide practically pulverized by the force of Jay¡¯s impossibly heavy weapon. The drake let out a screeching hiss as it backed away from Jay, but its cries were short lived as Thea¡¯s spear jammed into its open mouth while another crossbow bolt from Sabina struck it in the neck.
As Jay killed the drake before her with the help of Thea and Sabina, Syd charged towards Bridget. It had been no more than seconds, but seconds were all it took for a person to be killed on the battlefield and the orc had been separated from the rest of them.
There, half obscured by the dense foliage, was Bridget. Unfortunately, a frost drake was with her. She was keeping the beast at bay with her ming il, but even as Syd closed the distance, the creature reared back and let loose a torrent of frost magic at the orc warrior, coating her in ayer of ice as she copsed backwards.
¡°
No!¡± Syd cried out in panic as she caught up with the twobatants.
With an overhead chop of her axe, she caught the drake in the rear haunch, cleaving its back right leg off at the hip. The monster screeched and whirled around, spraying its deadly breath around it in a wide arc, sh-freezing the bushes and trees. Some of the magic struck Syd but she shrugged it off, rearing back and chopping at the beast again. This time, though, despite her panic over Bridget, she didn¡¯t forget her lessons from Noll. Her swing was one she¡¯d had drilled into hundreds of times by the elder mercenary, simple but quick and clean. And better yet, effective.
The drake¡¯s scales split, followed by its flesh as Syd¡¯s axe sliced through its neck. It wasn¡¯t a beheading blow, but having its neck sliced halfway open wasn¡¯t any more survivable than getting it lopped offpletely. As the drake fell away, Syd rushed to where Bridgety unmoving on the frozen forest floor.
¡°Bridget! Hey! Come on now, talk to me,¡± Syd called out through gritted teeth as she checked on her copsedpanion.
Her body was as stiff as stone, every exposed inch of her covered in ice. Her il, still clutched in one hand, had lost its me and was as cold as the orc was. With shaking hands, Syd snapped the rigid leather strap that held the warrior¡¯s helmet on and pulled it from her head.
Bridget¡¯s eyes were closed, her face still.
¡°Shit, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s breathing,¡± Dys cursed from where she stood with Eir and A, the priestess still pumping her with healing magic. ¡°I¡¯m bringing Bridget over now!¡±
¡°Gods,¡± A let out her own curse as Eir began to say a prayer to Lyssandria.
¡°A, I need you to¡ª¡± Dys started to say but cut herself off as she saw through Jay¡¯s eyes the drake charging at her from the other side of the wagon.
Spinning around with hernce extended, Dys caught the leaping creature with the t of her spear de and sent it skittering to the side. The beast twisted like a cat in midair,nding on its feet facing her. With its mouth already open and icy mist pouring out, Dys charged towards the monster, prepared to eat the full attack head on to make sure none of the deadly magic made it to A and Eir.
Just as the breath attack began, arge arrow pierced into the frost drake¡¯s neck, going all the way through and actually pinning the monster to the side of the wagon.
¡°Do I have to do
all the work around here?¡± Kerr growled as she nocked another arrow to her massive bow before loosing it at another drake that was attacking the soldiers.
Dys continued her charge forward towards the drake. It had almost instantly broken Kerr¡¯s arrow as it pulled free from being pinned, but almost instantly wasn¡¯t the same as instantly. With Knight¡¯s Daring Charge quickening her movement, Dys hit the Drake before it could even try to let out another breath attack. Hernce caught the beast under the chin, skewering it in one moment¡¯s time. In the next second the drake was trampled underfoot as Dys charged over it, crushing it with her weight as she came to a stop a few feet further on.
At the same time, Syd had reached the wagon carrying Bridget¡¯s unmoving form. Despite picking her up and carrying her, she remainedpletely stiff, her body as rigid and cold as stone. A terrible fear was wing at the back of Jadis¡¯ mind as she brought her new friend to Eir¡¯s side, but she kept that rising dread out of her mind. They were still all in danger and she needed to focus on keeping everyone safe. Besides, Eir was an amazing healer, maybe the best healer on the whole damn continent. She¡¯d cast her magic and Bridget would be fine.
She had to be.
¡°Let me take her,¡± Eir said with a calm but urgent tone.
Following Eir¡¯s instruction, Sydid Bridget down on the open portion of the wagon floor. Eir knelt beside her, immediately putting her hands to the orc¡¯s cold face, a warm and suffusing glow permeating her as she concentrated on her healing magic. The battle continued on around them, but Eir paid none of it any mind as she focused her whole will upon Bridget.
Jadis knew she should turn Syd away to go help her other selves and the rest of herpanions, but she found herself unable to do so. She watched the two intently, waiting for some sign of life, holding her breath as she looked to see Bridget take her own. Seconds passed as she stared at Eir¡¯s hands on Bridget¡¯s face. As the moment lengthened, the dark fear that Jadis was struggling to hold back crept over closer to the fore.
Syd nearly jumped out of her skin as Bridget abruptly took a deep breath, then began coughing and gasping like she¡¯d been half drowned.
¡°Oh fuck,¡± Syd let out her own breathless gasp as she fell forward slightly. ¡°Oh thank D, thank Lyssandria. Fucking thank you.¡±
Relief flooded through Jadis, mixing with her adrenaline high to make her bodies shake. Letting out twin shouts of righteous fury, both Jay and Dys charged at the remaining frost drakes she could see still present. Both caught up to and killed another drake each as the beasts were entangled with the soldiers, but as those two drakes were ughtered, the other few drakes still surrounding the wagons retreated, disappearing into the darkening forest as they fled from prey that had proven too tough for them to take.
As the battlefield quieted, the sound of panting men and frightened horses echoed in the cold air. Looking around, Jadis could see several of the soldiers lying on the ground, some looking grievously injured but all of them still alive, from what she could tell. She herself felt like she¡¯d been turned into a frozen meat patty and wanted nothing more in that moment than to sit down by a fire, close her eyes, and sleep for about a year.
¡°Hey,¡± Kerr broke through Jadis¡¯ thoughts as she approached Dys. ¡°You okay?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Dys said with a nod, leaning on hernce. ¡°Are you?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Kerr said back with a shaky breath of her own. ¡°Killed a frost drake with two shots. All on my own.¡±
¡°Nice,¡± Dysmented, still keeping her eyes on the forest to make sure the fled drakes weren¡¯t doubling back for another round.
There was a short pause of silence between the two of them.
¡°My boots arepletely fucked though,¡± Kerr said, raising one foot up to reveal it had been shredded by the frost drake¡¯s ice breath attack.
¡°¡Good thing you brought an extra pair, huh.¡±
¡°¡Fuck.¡±
Chapter 197: Results
Chapter 197: Results
In the aftermath of the frost drake attack, there was an important decision to be made. Stop and make camp immediately, or push on to find a more defensible location? There was always the possibility that the remaining drakes coulde back, or other predators or even demons could be drawn to the scene of battle, and the section of road they were on offered little in the way of protection. On the other hand, the sun had hit the horizon, it would be difficult to travel in the dark, and the whole group was variously injured and exhausted from the fight.
In the end, after conferring with Captain Wi, they decided to camp where they were. What was the point of having a giant fuck-off fortress wagon if you couldn¡¯t nt it where you wanted to and tell the local hostiles to fuck off? In short order, with the help of everyone who was in a condition to, Jadis set up the wagon and the mobile barricades around their roadside camp. Arge bonfire was built, smaller trees and underbrush surrounding the camp was quickly cut down to help improve visibility and hinder anything trying to sneak up on them, and A drained her magic reserves putting down traps all around perimeter.
It took a couple of hours to finish up and by the end Jadis was exhausted. Her bodies had been through the wringer with a long day of pulling followed by an intense fight against literal frost bites. She couldn¡¯t even takefort in Eir¡¯s healing since she had needed to use a lot of it to heal the injured soldiers and had very little magic power of her own left. Since her healing could be needed for an emergency, Jadis had told Eir to hold on to what she had left and simply dealt with having about two hundred health points less than her max.
Not that Jadis shouldin. She could afford to lose two hundred health points and still be rtively fit and functional. Two hundred was all that Bridget had.
¡°I¡¯m not ming you,¡± Jay said as shey on her back while holding a warm wet cloth to her face. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t specify, and that¡¯s my fault. But in the future, it¡¯s probably best that you don¡¯t leap
towards the enemy and away from your team.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t think¡ª¡± Bridget gasped out as she tried to sit up before being firmly pushed back down by Eir. ¡°I just thought, I dunno, I guess I just¡ªfuck. I didn¡¯t think. I just moved, you know? I was facing forward so I moved forward.¡±
¡°It¡¯s understandable,¡± Jay sighed. ¡°I get it. I really do. Just, we¡¯ve got to work on that, I guess. Team cohesion or something like that.¡±
¡°We can work on thatter,¡± A said as she passed bowls of something hot to Dys and then Syd. ¡°Right now we all need to rest.¡±
There was a general murmur of consensus from the group as they variously sat ory on the padded ground within the wagon tent.
They¡¯d set up camp much closer together than previously. Wi¡¯s wagon was practically right up against theirs and both were closer to the fire. Jadis had opted to leave one section of tarp open, letting the bonfire light shine in and heat their tent. From out of the open section, she could see some of the soldiers still up, at least four of them on guard while a couple of others cleaned up the remains of the drakes they had butchered.
There had been eleven total frost drakes in between Fortune¡¯s Favored and Wi¡¯s troops. Considering the size of the beasts, that was a lot of meat that could be used to feed them. Not great meat, as it turned out, but meat. The drakes were big, but thin and hard with very little fat on their bones. The meat had a stringy texture to it and tasted gamey, though not unbearably so. Overall, it was edible, and when cut up into small chunks and mixed with vegetables and salt, it made for a decent stew.
There were also the extra parts that could be used for crafting they¡¯d taken from the drakes. Drakes were a rare beast and many of their organs could be used in the production of alchemical potions and enchantments. It was something of a question as to whether the parts they¡¯d taken wouldst for the entire journey and not be spoiled by the time they got back to Far Felsen, but that didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t try.
The ws, teeth, and scales were of particr interest to Sabina. Armor and weapons could be crafted from those tough and durableponents so she was focused on collecting as many of those pieces as she could. Even as Jadis stared out into the camp, she could see the smith bustling around in the firelight amongst the soldiers, gathering up drake parts and scraping them clean of any gore or gristle.
¡°Not a bad oue,¡± A released her own sigh as she sat down cross-legged next to Jay. ¡°We received a lot of valuable drake materials, all for the cost of one horse.¡±
Jay shifted slightly from where shey and ced her head in A¡¯sp. Feeling immediately morefortable, she rxed the tension in her shoulders.
¡°Yup, definitely could have been worse,¡± Jay agreed. ¡°It¡¯s a shame for Ada and worse for the horse, but at least no one else died.¡±
¡°Technically there were two deaths,¡± Eir murmured from where she knelt between Syd and Bridget. ¡°But you got her to me in time.¡±
¡°Huh?¡± Jay, Dys, and Syd all said as they looked towards the priestess. Even Bridget tried to sit up again, looking at Eir with wide eyes.
Eir opened hers, blinking at their reaction.
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Bridget asked. ¡°I mean, two deaths. I didn¡¯t die, no one but that horse did.¡±
¡°No,¡± Eir shook her head. ¡°You did die. Your health reached zero and you stopped breathing. You were dead.¡±
Bridget continued to stare at Eir with wide, shocked eyes for a few moments before the priestess put her hand on the woman¡¯s head and gently guided her to lie back down again.
¡°Consider yourself very lucky and offer your thanks to the gods that Syd was able to bring you to me in time. Your body had expired but your soul had not yet left for the Hallowed Halls. Since the damage to your flesh was mendable, I was able to restore your form and your soul entered back in where it still yet belongs. That is not often possible, I assure you.¡±
¡°Oh fuck me,¡± Bridget cursed with a shudder.
Reaching over one hand, Syd patted the orc woman on the shoulder reassuringly while Eir beganbing out her hair to soothe her.
¡°Hey, at least it¡¯s a good story to tell,¡± Syd said. ¡°Not everyone can say they died and came back from it.¡±
Jadis ignored the disbelieving snort that came from Kerr somewhere nearby.
Thinking about it, Jadis supposed it was a good thing that most of the damage Bridget had suffered from the frost drake had been from its icy breath attack. The cold damage had sapped her health down to nothing, but the actual physical damage to her body had been minimal. Jadis was sure that if her head had been bitten off or something else equally morbid, there wouldn¡¯t have been anything Eir could have done to save her. Death by freezing, though? Jadis knew stories of people back on Earth who had died from exposure to the cold and had then been brought back to life thanks to quick medical intervention. Even some not so quick instances. If magic hadn¡¯t been able to do something that Earth medicine could, Jadis would have been hugely disappointed.
That said, she didn¡¯t ever want to be in a position where she had to rely on that kind of intervention ever again.
As she thought over Bridget¡¯s miraculous resuscitation and then let her mind wander a bit due to sheer weariness, a niggling little sense that she was forgetting something prevented Jadis from truly resting. With everything that had happened, she was sure she¡¯d overlooked something important; she just couldn''t figure out what. As her three selves all furrowed their brows in consternation at her inability to remember what she was missing, Sabina walked back into the tent carrying a load of frost drake scales in her arms.
¡°I am so d that we were able to get these drake scales,¡± she said as she stepped around then over the woman lying on the ground to get to the wagon. ¡°These are going to make for some great scale mail with cold resistance built into them, plus I think I can make Kerr some new boots for the ones she lost too! I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m going to do with the fangs and ws and everything else but now that I¡¯m an enchanter I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll figure something out but first I¡¯ll have to gather some more ingredients and¡ªoh! I should take some measurements to see what I can make right now and maybe make a list of avableponents. I¡¯m also limited in what I can make since I don¡¯t have a proper forge out here but I do have lots of tools and¡ª¡±
¡°Wait, hold on,¡± Dys said, holding out a hand to stop Sabina¡¯s torrent of words. ¡°Go back a second. Did you just say you¡¯re an enchanter?¡±
¡°Hmm? Oh, yes! I reached level twenty! Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± Sabina announced with a confused tilt of her head.
¡°No! You didn¡¯t!¡± Dys shot back with an excited grin. ¡°Congrattions!¡±
¡°Yeah, congrattions!¡± Kerr said as she stepped out of the shadows of the wagon interior carrying a bottle of something no doubt strong. ¡°You¡¯ve got to tell us about shit like that you
oca stupida. Here, have a drink!¡±
Blushing, Sabina took the bottle from Kerr and took a gulp as the others offered up their sincere congrattions as well. Letting out a little cough, she passed the bottle back to Kerr and smiled.
¡°Thank you! I was going to say something but everyone was so busy after we killed the drakes and all that. So, um, yeah! I took the best ss of the three I was offered and now I¡¯m an enchanter smith! Yay!¡±
Jadis grinned andughed as Sabina did an excited little dance where she stood.
¡°So, tell us, what ss did you get?¡± Dys asked.
¡°And what were the other two options?¡± A added. ¡°I¡¯d like to know the results of our, ah, ¡®experiment¡¯ please.¡±
Indeed, Jadis was curious about that, too. What had Sabina had been offered. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t have to wait long to find out.
With a deep breath to steady and calm herself, Sabina began listing what she¡¯d been given by the system when she¡¯d reached level twenty.
¡°The first ss I was offered was honestly ttering,¡± she exined. ¡°It was called ¡®Inventive Mastersmith¡¯ and its description said it was for ¡®crafting new creations the world had never seen before¡¯ and would help me with new creations. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m any kind of master smith or anything yet, but it was nice to know the gods think I¡¯m deserving!
¡°The second ss was called ¡®Armorsmith Enchanter¡¯ was everything I have been hoping for! A ss specifically made for enchanting armor with both quickly repeatable and custom enchantments! With it I could craft an enchanted breastte and then mass produce lots more of them for as many customers who could want them and the magic cost would be low so long as I¡¯m making armor plus it would synergize super well with my Passionate Smith ss and I¡¯ve already read so many books on how enchanting works and the materials needed and I was so ready for this ss!¡±
¡°But¡?¡± Dys asked with one eyebrow raised.
¡°But I didn¡¯t take it,¡± Sabina admitted with a half-smile and a shrug. ¡°The third option was better.¡±
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Enchanter Smith of the Reborn
You have crafted both weapons and armor for an ancient race reborn. Continue to grow your skill and power by crafting even more for what was once lost and has been found. Skills from this ss will allow you to empower anything you craft with mighty enchantments that are limited only by your creativity.
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¡°Wow,¡± Jadis said through all three of her selves.
¡°That does sound like an amazing ss¡¡± Bridget said in an awed tone.
¡°That also answers the question as to whether or not you have to be¡ physically entangled with our little Nephilim here before you can get a special ss offered,¡± Amented with a raised eyebrow. ¡°No lewdness required, just proximity and direct involvement of some kind.¡±
¡°Not regretting anything with us, are you?¡± Jay whispered from where her head was still in A¡¯sp.
A took the damp cloth from Jay¡¯s hand, whipped it open and then set it down on Jay¡¯s face with a wet p.
¡°No, I¡¯m happy with what I have,¡± A said primly. ¡°It¡¯s just good to know that not
everything surrounding you is mired in the obscene.¡±
¡°I¡ªit sounds like a really g¡ªgood ss,¡± Thea was telling Sabina as Jay and A talked. ¡°Very, ah, versatile, I¡¯m sure.¡±
¡°Yes, it should be!¡± Sabina said excitedly as she grasped Thea¡¯s hands. ¡°The first skill is perfect! I know I focus on armor because I just love armor and my dad was an armor smith so armor smithing is a huge part of my life but I¡¯ve been having a lot of fun with making weapons and other things for Jadistely so I¡¯m so d that this ss will let me enchant anything, not just armor! Listen to what my level one skill can do!¡±
|
Freeform Lesser Enchantment Creation
Passive Skill. Design and craft enchantments of a Lesser value or below. The effects of your enchantments are dependent on the type of spell you try to replicate. The power of your enchantments are directly linked to whichever magic attribute you use to copy the intended effect. There is no magic power or material penalty applied to crafting your enchantments for items that you did not craft yourself or are a type of product you are not capable of making.
|
¡°That¡¯s a long description,¡± Dysughed as she watched the exuberant smith practically vibrate. ¡°For us non-enchanters, what does all that mean?¡±
¡°It means I can craft any kind of enchantment for any type of weapon or armor or whatever with no penalties!¡± Sabina cried out in a barely contained voice. Still holding onto an intimidated-looking Thea¡¯s hands, Sabina continued. ¡°I should be able to craft an enchantment into a pair of boots for Kerr just as easily as I can craft one for a spoon! Theoretically, at least. I still need to test it out of course and see what the limits are because I¡¯m sure there¡¯s more to it than the description says, there always is, but I should be far more capable than if I had gone with the more traditional enchanter ss. I might not be able to mass produce my enchantments, this skill doesn¡¯t seem to allow for that, but what I produce is definitely going to be way more powerful. I mean, it skipped the Minor stage and went straight to Lesser! That alone is amazing!¡±
¡°It is,¡± A said with a thoughtful nod. ¡°But the description mentions your enchantment effects are going to be dependent on the magic attribute your chose to craft it with. As I recall, you don¡¯t have any points in any of the magic stats, right? Are you nning on putting your five level twenty points into one of them so you can start crafting?¡±
¡°No,¡± Sabina shook her head and faced A, finally releasing poor Thea¡¯s hands. ¡°I already put three of the points into Endurance so I can craft for longer and two points into Focus, so I have a bigger magic pool to work with since I¡¯ll need it now. Actually, these are my stats now, so you know.¡±
With no hesitation, Sabina proceeded to tell them all about her status sheet, seeming to forget any worries about keeping them private in her excitement.
|
Sabina Sarto
Race: Human / Elf Hybrid
Primary ss: Passionate Smith (20)
Secondary ss: Enchanter Smith of the Reborn (1)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 21
|
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Health: 130/130
|
Magic: 120/120
|
|
Attributes
|
|
Strength: 20
Dexterity: 15
Agility: 14
Vitality: 13
Fortitude: 10
Endurance: 30
|
Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 12
Resilience: 5
Will: 20
|
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¡°For the actual magic stats, I was kind of hoping I¡¯d be getting some help with boosting them when needed, depending on what I¡¯m crafting.¡±
Thest was said with a bashful look that travelled between the three Nephilim in the tent. Jadis grinned at the smith, her thoughts turning toscivious ones despite the ache in her muscles.
¡°I¡¯m positive I can assist you with that,¡± Dys said from her spot next to the half-elf.
¡°Of course you can,¡± Kerr rolled her eyes before sitting down heavily on the edge of the wagon. ¡°But if you¡¯re going to try anything tonight, keep in mind that our neighbors are way, way closer thanst night and our ¡®walls¡¯ are thin.¡±
¡°Maybe not tonight then,¡± Dysughed. ¡°My energy is a little low right now, anyway.¡±
¡°The spirit is willing, but the flesh is bruised,¡± Syd added.
As Sabina blushed even brighter and there were a few moments of quiet talk between them all about her new ss and skills as well as what it would mean for the future, Thea spoke up once more, a confused expression on her face.
¡°Honestly,¡± she said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m s¡ªsurprised you got the level from thatbat. Those were p¡ªpowerful enemies, b¡ªbut you¡¯re not abat ss. I, um, don¡¯t think there were any d¡ªdemons in their midst to offer b¡ªbonus experience.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Sabina answered Thea with a shrug, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think there were any. Anyways, I got my twentieth level before the drakes showed up.¡±
Everyone went quiet at that statement.
¡°Come again?¡± Jay said, lifting her head from A¡¯sp.
¡°Didn¡¯t I say?¡± Sabina said while looking somewhat consternated. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t. Damn. Uh, I made a new type of hinge. I call it a Spring-Loaded Hinge. Crafted most of the parts back in Far Felsen and finished putting it all together earlier in the wagon. I installed them on the wagon door. It¡¯s what let it fly up and open earlier. You didn¡¯t think I did that with my muscles, did you?¡±
Jadis nced up, noting for the first time the sets of new, heavy-duty hinges that had been attached to the upward-swinging wall-door of the wagon that was currently serving as their roof. They definitely hadn¡¯t been there before. They also looked far moreplex than any hinge Jadis was familiar with, not that she was an expert on hinges or had ever paid them any attention before.
¡°When I installed thest one with Eir¡¯s help earlier, I got the notification,¡± Sabina exinedmely. ¡°But it happened while we were talking about princesses and horse poo and then the drakes attacked a few secondster and yeah. It kind of happened fast.¡±
¡°Right¡¡± Jay said after a long pause. ¡°Well. Still! Congrattions on the awesome new ss.¡±
¡°And before we go any further,¡± Syd said, looking around at everyone. ¡°Did anyone
else level without notifying us or realizing it?¡±
As Jadis¡¯ gaze swept across herpanions, she saw one, then two, then everyone but Sabina raise their hands. Blinking, Jadis checked her own notifications.
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Level Up!
Mirror Knight has Reached Level 29.
1 New Skill Avable for Selection.
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Jadis raised her own set of hands to join the crowd.
¡°Okay,¡± Jay said with a bemused shake of her head, ¡°Who wants to go next?¡±
Chapter 198: So Many Levels
Chapter 198: So Many Levels
With everyone having gone up at least one level and no particr order for them to go in, they ended up ying a quick game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Except, as Jadis found out, the local version was called Sword, Shield, Arrow and had slightly different hand signs. When she told the group about her Earth variety of the game, she was met with no small amount of confusion.
¡°Why would paper beat a rock?¡± Kerrined. ¡°It¡¯s a fucking rock. What¡¯s paper going to do to it?¡±
¡°I have no idea Kerr,¡± Syd shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s just a kid¡¯s game, I don¡¯t think about it that hard.¡±
¡°Not very well thought out,¡± Bridget mumbled. ¡°That rock is fine. Not affected at all, really.¡±
¡°Moving on,¡± Dys cleared her throat. ¡°Let¡¯s just do this.¡±
Swiftly getting through the games of Sword, Shield, Arrow, Eir ended up being the overall winner and went over her new levels first.
¡°I gained two levels in Beloved Cleric of Lyssandria, but no levels in my secondary ss. I don¡¯t think it benefited much from ying those frost drakes since it isn¡¯t abat ss and those weren¡¯t demons. Still, two levels in my cleric ss puts it at level twenty-two and my overall CLR at twenty-eight.¡±
¡°What skill did you get for twenty-one?¡± A asked. She had retrieved one of her books from her pack and was writing notes down, documenting everyone¡¯s increased attributes and skills for further analysis and review. ¡°And where did you put your two attribute points from level twenty-two?¡±
¡°Other than the Lesser Attribute Improvement skill we are all offered,¡± Eir exined, ¡°I was offered a passive skill that would increase my Focus and Will both by five points each. However, I declined to take it since the other option was a rarer, and potentially more vital, skill.¡±
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Back from the Brink
Passive Skill. Increases the odds of your healing spells being able to bring a recently deceased target back from death. Has no effect if the target is missing more than half of their total body mass.
|
¡°I sense that recent events may have influenced your skill offerings,¡± Jay said dryly from where she sat next to A, watching her write.
¡°Undoubtedly,¡± Eir nodded. ¡°And while I hope that this skill is never needed, I would be a fool to not prepare for the eventuality.¡±
¡°It is a rare skill, too,¡± A added as she finished jotting down her notes. ¡°From what I¡¯ve read, most clerics don¡¯t get that skill as an option since the criteria for obtaining it is difficult toe by.¡±
¡°Happy to help¡¡± Bridget mumbled from where shey, looking somewhat sour.
¡°In any case,¡± Eir smiled gracefully as she changed the subject. ¡°I split my two attribute points and put one into Endurance so that it is an even ten and the other into Focus, since I expended so much magic today healing all of you and the soldiers. My status sheet looks like this now.¡±
|
Eir Aedraheill
Race: Elf
Primary ss: Beloved Cleric of Lyssandria (22)
Secondary ss: Lustful Oracle of D (6)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 28
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Health: 100/100
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Magic: 360/360
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Attributes
|
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Strength: 8
Dexterity: 12
Agility: 10
Vitality: 10
Fortitude: 8
Endurance: 10
|
Arcane: 0
Divine: 122
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 36
Resilience: 10
Will: 20
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¡°Though my current magic reserve is actually near empty, currently,¡± Eir admitted as she finished updating everyone on her progress.
¡°Thank you,¡± Jay said, a sentiment echoed by the others as Eir settled back to pray and regain some of her magic power. ¡°Who wants to go next?¡±
¡°I will,¡± Kerr volunteered.
Kerr had gained one level for her secondary ss, Far Wilds Traveler. Exciting news, since that meant Kerr had reached CLR fifty-nine and was only one level away from unlocking her tertiary ss. Since the level she¡¯d gained was also an odd number, she¡¯d received a new skill as well.
|
Ambush Tactics II
Passive Skill. Deal lesser extra damage with any attack made against a target that does not detect you.
|
It was an improvement to her previously gained skill, Ambush tactics I, and took the extra damage it dealt up by a tier. A solid boost to her initial damage output and a natural progression of her skills. The skill itself wasn¡¯t mind-blowing but that didn¡¯t matter. Kerr¡¯s progress towards CLR sixty was the big news.
¡°Can¡¯t wait to see what I¡¯m offered,¡± Kerr purred as she leaned heavily into Dys¡¯ side. ¡°Something lewd, I¡¯m sure, since we¡¯ve been fucking like teenagers in their first heat. At this point, the ss being powerful is just icing on the cake.¡±
Thest statement was punctuated by Kerr reaching down and giving Dys¡¯ ass a firm squeeze.
¡°What does your status sheet look like now?¡± A prompted, interrupting Kerr before she tried to do anything more forward.
¡°Let me see¡¡±
|
Kerr of n Nox
Race: Therion
Primary ss: Nox Archer (32)
Secondary ss: Far Wilds Traveler (27)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 59
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Health: 150/150
|
Magic: 0/0
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Attributes
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Strength: 81
Dexterity: 67
Agility: 20
Vitality: 15
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 20
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 0
Resilience: 13
Will: 0
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¡°Thank you,¡± A said as she made small updates in her notebook. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if one of the sses you received was affected by the fact that you have both your Strength and Dexterity so high. You don¡¯t see two different attributes at such high levels often, presentpany excluded, of course.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Jay murmured.
After Kerr, Thea bravely stepped forward and went over her new levels. Both her primary and secondary ss had leveled, giving her a new skill for each ss. For her Imperial Soldier ss, she received an upgrade, much like Kerr had.
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Shield Mastery II
Passive Skill. Provides a lesser boost to the defensive value of physical shields while equipped. Does not affect shields created by spells.
|
A tier increase to her shield mastery was an expected choice for the shield specialist of the team. Again, not an amazing skill, but solid and dependable. For her secondary ss, though, Thea received a far more interesting skill.
|
Wall of One
Passive skill. While your shield is raised in defense, you count as a shield wall for any dependent skills. You and allies that line up with you receive the benefits of a shield wall formation even if they are not holding a shield. Effect is limited to no more than six total individuals standing to your immediate left and right.
|
¡°Woah,¡± Syd let out a low whistle. ¡°You¡¯re bing a one-woman army there, Thea.¡±
¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t think that¡¯s t¡ªtrue,¡± Thea said as her fingers fiddled with the edge of her shield. ¡°But it¡¯s a weird skill. I mean, how d¡ªdo you gain the b¡ªbenefits of a shield wall with no shield?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve never heard of any skill like that, actually,¡± A shook her head. ¡°Anyone else?¡±
The others all shook their heads in the negative as well.
¡°Definitely odd,¡± A mused. ¡°I can see it being useful for synergy with any more shield wall skills you get from your primary ss, at least.¡±
¡°My guess would be it allows you to increase the defensive value of your shield by the people standing next to you without them having to use a shield. But maybe it could also increase the defenses of the people you¡¯re with despite not having shields? Like, maybe it makes their armor stronger or something like that?¡±
Jay¡¯s spection as to what Thea¡¯s odd new skill could be used for was met with interest but no confirmation. The skill was simply too unknown for any of them to say for certain what it was capable of. They¡¯d have to do some testingter to see what the ability could do. How they were even going to test it, that was a problem for another day.
With a little prompting from A, Thea also told them her current status sheet.
|
Thea of Cold Brook
Race: Human
Primary ss: Imperial Soldier (27)
Secondary ss: Shieldsworn Guard (21)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 48
|
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Health: 250/250
|
Magic: 0/0
|
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Attributes
|
|
Strength: 25
Dexterity: 10
Agility: 12
Vitality: 25
Fortitude: 92
Endurance: 27
|
Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 0
Resilience: 39
Will: 0
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Once she was finished writing down Thea¡¯s information, A looked up from her book and announced that she would go next.
¡°I actually gained three levels today. Two in my arcanist ss and one in my cart driver ss. I¡¯m at CLR forty-two now.¡±
Her Cart Driver ss had reached level twenty-four, which meant two more attribute points which A had promptly put into her Arcane stat. Thest extra point she got from level eighteen in her arcanist ss she put into Focus, bringing it to an even thirty. However, when it came to her level seventeen skill, A admitted to having disappointing news.
¡°The skills I was offered are not particrly wee,¡± she said with a slight frown. ¡°The first was a boost to my Arcane and Will. Not a bad option, but I¡¯m already getting arge boost for my Arcane and I don¡¯t need more Will so long as I have Jadis around.¡±
¡°Happy to be your fuel,¡± Jay interrupted with a grin.
¡°I know you are,¡± A acknowledged with a straight face. ¡°But don¡¯t distract me with your innuendos right now. The point is, it¡¯s a decent enough passive skill but of limited use considering current circumstances.¡±
¡°What about the second skill?¡± Eir asked curiously.
A¡¯s expression stayed cid and controlled, however her ears burned a telling red.
¡°It¡¯s a lewd one, isn¡¯t it,¡± Kerr said with an excited,scivious grin. ¡°Spill, what is it?¡±
¡°Yes, it¡¯s one of those¡¡± A admitted. ¡°It¡¯s a skill called Size is Everything and it would allow me to ept insertions into certain parts of my body that would otherwise be¡ anatomically dubious, at best.¡±
¡°Ha!¡± Kerr crowed in barely containedughter. ¡°You got a skill that makes it easier to stick big dicks in you!?¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t taken the skill,¡± A hurriedly continued. ¡°It doesn''t feel like I need a skill like that since the only person here I¡¯m having sex with that has an impossibly sized, um,
member is Jadis and she already has a skill that makes it possible. I have no idea why I would ever need this skill.¡±
¡°Maybe one day we have someone that joins us that packs as much meat as me?¡± Jay teased as she leaned into and over A, half-whispering to her from above. ¡°It coulde in useful. You know, Eir hasn¡¯t done the ritual to get a dick yet. What if hers turns out to be a massive dong? How¡¯s she going to fuck you if you don¡¯t have that skill?¡±
¡°I presume you¡¯ll have that covered,¡± A replied, pushing Jay¡¯s smiling face away from her. ¡°I don¡¯t need to have sex with Eir in that way.¡±
¡°True, seems like you prefer being on the long end nowadays anyway,¡± Kerr said with a sly look before taking another drink from her bottle.
Once the teasing and giggles had settled down, A resumed exining her thoughts.
¡°Instead of wasting the skill slot on something wholly unnecessary, I was thinking of taking a skill I previously skipped.¡±
|
Arcanist¡¯s Explosion Modification
Passive Skill. Adds possible variation to any Arcanist spells. Create a powerful explosion at the point of impact of a spell. If the spell has no point of impact, the explosion will remain inert until the spell expires, at which point the spell will explode. Base cost of spell increased by 2 times. Duration unaffected.
|
¡°That is a good modification to your current spells,¡± Dys said with an understanding nod. ¡°Especially now that you have the magic reserves to spare.¡±
¡°If I used it on Force Bolt, I¡¯d be able to cast it nine times before being drained,¡± A said, thinking out loud. ¡°Four times with Dart Spray. I have no idea what would happen if I used it with my shield spell. In any case, I wouldn¡¯t be able to use it often, but I¡¯m positive it would have been helpful to have against those frost drakes, and in the future against any more powerful opponents we might run into.¡±
A¡¯s reasoning was logical and with no one able to put forward a non-lewd reason for her to not take the modification spell over the risqu¨¦ one, she chose the Explosion Modification. Jadis was looking forward to seeing what effect the explosion would have inbat, especially when paired with her three different spells. However, she couldn¡¯t say she wasn¡¯t at least a tiny bit disappointed that A hadn¡¯t taken the Size is Everything skill.
¡°Maybe hold onto that skill forter,¡± Jay whispered to A. ¡°It could be a lot of fun in the future. You never know.¡±
A blushed even redder at Jay¡¯s whispered words but didn¡¯t object to the suggestion. After clearing her throat, she went over her own status sheet so that the others would hear it, since she¡¯d heard all of theirs.
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A of Red Tree
Race: Human
Primary ss: Cart Driver (24)
Secondary ss: Nephilim Powered Arcanist (18)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 42
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Health: 120/120
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Magic: 450/450
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Attributes
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Strength: 10
Dexterity: 15
Agility: 20
Vitality: 12
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 15
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Arcane: 116
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 30
Resilience: 5
Will: 10
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With A¡¯s advancement reviewed, that left only Jadis and Bridget who had not yet discussed their new levels. Eyeing the orc, Jadis decided she would be the next to go, since Bridget still looked somewhat tentative. She could understand the hesitation, sinceing out and telling a group of people you¡¯d only known for a few weeks all your personal stat information was not something generally done, culturally speaking. But Jadis hoped that if they were all being open with their stats, then Bridget would feel morefortable.
¡°Well, my Mirror Knight ss went up one level, putting it at twenty-nine,¡± Jay said as she ran her fingers through her hair. ¡°I haven¡¯t picked my skill yet, but just looking at the two on offer, I¡¯m pretty sure I know which one I¡¯m going to take.¡±
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Mirror Knight¡¯s Tenacity
Passive Skill. Increases the Fortitude and Resilience attributes by 15 points.
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¡°Fifteen points
each!?¡± was Bridget¡¯s startled reaction.
¡°That¡¯s so much!¡± Sabina said at the same time, barely containing the volume of her voice.
The rest of Jadis¡¯ team who had known her longer didn¡¯t react as strongly. Eir, Kerr, and Thea only looked slightly interested. A barely raised an eyebrow as she jotted the info down.
¡°It¡¯s a better version of the Knight¡¯s Tenacity passive I already have,¡± Jay exined. ¡°And yeah, adding on fifteen skill points to those two defensive skills would be good, but not
as good as the other skill I¡¯ve been offered.¡±
¡°Figured,¡± Kerr rolled her eyes. ¡°Of
course you¡¯d get offered a skill that¡¯ll give you thirty attribute points and say ¡®yeah, it¡¯s okay, but I¡¯ve got better options.¡¯ It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re gorgeous and fuckable otherwise you might be insufferable.¡±
¡°Pot calling the kettle ck there, but whatever,¡± Dys shot back before taking the bottle from Kerr¡¯s hands and finishing the half that was left in it with one gulp.
¡°The other skill I was offered is also an upgrade on an existing skill, but it¡¯s a better skill so I¡¯m definitely taking it,¡± Jay told them as Dys coughed violently from the strength of whatever in D¡¯s name Kerr was drinking.
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Improved Mirror Knight¡¯s Might
Passive Skill. Multiplies a chosen physical attribute by 2. Attribute chosen when skill is first selected and cannot be changed.
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¡°That is the better skill,¡± A said as the others murmured their own thoughts. ¡°How much will your Strength go up when you take it?¡±
¡°A little more than thirty points,¡± Jay answered. ¡°So, yeah. More stats than I¡¯d get from the Tenacity skill, and the bonus will only get bigger with time.¡±
With that said, Jadis officially epted the skill and watched her Strength attribute jump up by thirty-four points in an instant. With one choice, her Strength stat had be her highest attribute, exceeding even her over the top Eldritch stat.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary ss: Mirror Knight (29)
Secondary ss: Perverted Ritualist of D (21)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 50
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Health: 705/910
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Magic: 310/310
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Attributes
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Strength: 136
Dexterity: 36
Agility: 132
Vitality: 61
Fortitude: 46
Endurance: 48
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 132
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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¡°Your attributes are just as fucking huge as you are,¡± Kerr shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m d I don¡¯t have to fight you in a bar. Lyssandria¡¯s tits you¡¯re strong.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not too bad yourself,¡± Dys said while wrapping her arm around Kerr and pulling her a little closer. ¡°You¡¯re two shotting frost drakes after all.¡±
With everyone havingid out their new levels and stats, the only person left was the still hesitant-looking orc lying next to Eir with her head propped up on a pillow. With all eyes turning to look at her, she shrank just a little, a frown tugging at the corners of her lips.
¡°So, Bridget,¡± Jay said, leaning towards her with a kind smile. ¡°Do you want to tell us about your ss and level? You don¡¯t have to go into details if you don¡¯t want to. I promise, we aren¡¯t going to ever force you to reveal info you aren¡¯tfortable with giving out.¡±
Bridget stared into Jay¡¯s eyes for a moment before she took in a deep breath and let it out in a big huff.
¡°Ah fuck it. Here goes. Where do I start?¡±
Chapter 199: Frustration
Chapter 199: Frustration
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Bridget of n Warsong
Race: Orc
Primary ss: Lantern Light Landsknecht (19)
Secondary ss: None
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 19
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Health: 200/200
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Magic: 50/50
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Attributes
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Strength: 20
Dexterity: 7
Agility: 10
Vitality: 20
Fortitude: 10
Endurance: 13
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Arcane: 14
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 5
Resilience: 10
Will: 6
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A¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change much as she wrote down Bridget¡¯s status sheet but Jadis knew her well enough to recognize when she was hiding her disapproval. Clearly the orc¡¯s stats weren¡¯t impressive, but were they really all that bad? Thinking them over andparing herpanions¡¯ sses in her head, Jadis could see an obvious difference between Bridget and Sabina even though they were only one level apart. The smith¡¯s stats, when added up all together, equaled one hundred and thirty-nine total points. Bridget¡¯s stats added up came out to be one hundred and fifteen. That was a twenty-four-point difference. Even taking into ount that Sabina had gotten a five-point boost at level twenty, Bridget stillgged behind, and she had abat ss, one that ostensibly relied more on stats to seed. Her attributes were also spread out more, with fourteen of them being put into Arcane.
Remembering their earlier conversation during Bridget¡¯s interview, Jadis now had to agree with what A had said. A joint mage and melee ss had some obvious downsides, primarily where stat spread was concerned, but they were made especially apparent looking at Bridget¡¯s status sheet. Jadis had lucked out with her massive stats being able to support having both a melee and a ritual ss, and even then, she hadn¡¯t gotten her first activebat spell until a much higher level. It didn¡¯t look like Bridget had been anywhere near as lucky as her.
¡°Yourntern spell relies on Arcane magic?¡± A asked, keeping her tone neutral and nonjudgemental.
¡°Yeah, it does,¡± Bridget answered gruffly. She had rolled over onto her side, one hand supporting her head while the other yed with a bit of string she¡¯d pulled off a nket. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. It¡¯s been rough trying to get the points I need for it. I¡¯ve had to ignore skills that would have been helpful for the warrior side of my ss just to increase my Arcane, Focus, and Will. I¡¯ve been really banking on the hope that my secondary ss will make up the difference.¡±
¡°What skills do you have?¡± Jay asked, leaning forward and putting her chin on her fist. ¡°I mean, you don¡¯t need a lot of skills if the few skills you do have are good ones.¡±
Bridget sighed heavily, her expression growing dourer by the second.
¡°I mean, my primary skill isn¡¯t
bad. It¡¯s just, not as useful as I¡¯d like. Not yet, anyway.¡±
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Light the Lantern
Active Spell. Create a magical me on the end of your weapon that deals fire damage when used to strike your target. The me can only be summoned onntern-shaped weapons. me bonus damage is increased equal to 0.25 of the Arcane attribute. Cost ¨C 5 magic per minute. Duration ¨C Channeled.
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¡°That sounds like a cool skill to me,¡± Syd said with one eyebrow raised. ¡°Magical fire that burns your enemies when you hit them
and it does bonus magic damage? What¡¯s not to like?¡±
¡°The fact that the bonus damage is currently only three points,¡± A pointed out bluntly. ¡°Bridget has fourteen points in the Arcane attribute, which means the bonus damage is minimal. A fire-based attackbined with melee is going to do extra damage just by the nature of it¡ª¡±
¡°But I could basically have the same effect by beating someone over the head with a torch,¡± Bridget finished A¡¯s sentence. ¡°Yeah, I know. It¡¯s not great.¡±
¡°It has potential,¡± Eir said reassuringly. ¡°Once your Arcane attribute reaches forty points, you¡¯ll be doing an extra ten points of fire damage to the enemy with each strike, not just the blunt damage of a strictly physical weapon. It diversifies the damage you do in a good way.¡±
¡°Yeah, when I get it to forty,¡± Bridget sighed again. ¡°
If I get it to forty. How many levels away is that? How many levels where I¡¯m ignoring my other stats and potential skills just to try and get my Arcane up to snuff so I can power this one skill? Which, by the way, I can only use for ten minutes a day because of how low my Focus is. Let¡¯s speak truth here. I fucked up when I chose this ss.¡±
Bridget¡¯s self-recrimination for choosing a potentially dead-end ss, while harsh, made a great deal of sense to Jadis. Sure, she wasn¡¯t native to Oros, but she¡¯d been living in the magic-based world and had experienced enough of its strange ss and leveling system to know it well enough to recognize why what Bridget had done was upsetting her. Bridget couldn¡¯t change her ss. She¡¯d picked a unique sounding but unknown ss over other more stable and predictable options solely on the hope that it would be an amazing, super powerful ss that would take her to the heights of battle prowess. Instead, she was struggling to tread water whenpared to people with more mundane sses. She hadn¡¯t even been able to gain membership into a mercenarypany her sister was in because her ss wasn¡¯t deemed suitable.
How often had Bridget been rejected from mercenarypanies? Jadis had never asked, but she had a feeling that the Gilded Rose wasn¡¯t the onlypany she¡¯d applied to and been refused.
Howmon was that scenario on Oros, Jadis had to wonder. Strange and unusual sses could be offered for unique deeds, but how often did they turn out to actually be good choices? How many people were out there who had been offered something like A¡¯s ¡°Battle-Ready Cliff Diver¡± ss and had simply not taken the option because the risk of being stuck with something disappointing for the rest of their life was too strong? Was that part of why the Imperial Academy was willing to pay a high price to individuals who had gained unique sses and skills so they could be documented? So that future citizens could check and see if the ss or skill was worth taking or not? It would make sense, so that people would know which sses to avoid as not worth the risk.
Bridget hadn¡¯t had that opportunity, though, clearly. She¡¯d rolled the dice and now felt like she¡¯d gotten a losing number because her ss hadn¡¯t panned out the way she¡¯d hoped it would. No doubt spending the past hour talking about all of their much better sses must have felt like rubbing salt in the orc¡¯s wounds. In all honesty, Jadis couldn¡¯t even fault the assessment. Bridget¡¯s ss, at least as it currently was, did not seem like it was as good as either of her sses, or anyone else¡¯s sses for that matter. The only one among them with a worse start for their primary ss was A with Cart Driver, and her secondary ss had more than made up for the rough beginning.
Well, maybe she was letting Bridget¡¯s mood affect her too much and she was being too harsh. Rethinking her position, thentern light ss did truly have potential, it just seemed to be a slow burn that would need time to grow into something better. With the right increase to her stats, Bridget¡¯s odd ss could be something truly special. She just needed time and a little boost to get there.
¡°Alright, don¡¯t get all fucking dreary on us,¡± Kerr interrupted the moment of tense silence with a waggle of the now empty alcohol bottle in the orc¡¯s direction. ¡°Do I need to remind you that
this big thundercock here can literally fuck you into some higher stats?
And you¡¯re practically guaranteed to get some kind of awesome secondary ss just for being one of her buddies? Seriously, cheer the fuck up! You¡¯re acting like someone died.¡±
Bridget stared at Kerr, her open-mouthed expression morphing from anger, to amusement, to confusion, then finally settling on embarrassment.
¡°Was I being a downer right there?¡± she asked, looking around at the gathered women. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to, really. I just sort of vented a bit there, I guess. I mean, my ss really isn¡¯t as a strong as I¡¯d like and we were literally fighting ice-based monsters and my fire didn¡¯t do that much and¡ªFuck, I¡¯m doing it again. Shit. Sorry.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re saying it didn¡¯t do that much,¡± Syd said seriously. ¡°Aren¡¯t frost drakes rare and powerful magic beasts? You crushed the skull of one of them, and you¡¯re only level neen. Eighteen at the time, actually. Isn¡¯t that a hugely impressive feat?¡±
¡°It most certainly is,¡± Eir agreed with a warm smile. ¡°I can guarantee you that most people at your level would not have survived a fight against such powerful beasts for as long as you did. Five of the soldiers with us nearly died in that encounter and all of them are more than twice your level.¡±
At those words of encouragement, Bridget¡¯s cheeks darkened and she looked away, not quite willing to meet anyone¡¯s gaze.
¡°Thanks¡¡± she mumbled quietly, her genuinely bashful response making Jadis smile.
¡°So, want to tell us what awesome skill you got at level neen?¡± Jay asked yfully. ¡°Or do you want to leave us all hanging? I know there¡¯s no way you didn¡¯t get something great after everything you¡¯ve been through to get that level.¡±
Bridget gave her a sidelong nce, the corner of her mouth rising a bit.
¡°Well¡¡±
¡°Come on, you
did get something sweet, didn¡¯t you?¡± Syd said, poking at Bridget from her other side. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you didn¡¯t.¡±
¡°It¡¯s actually a pretty good skill,¡± Bridget admitted, her expression turning happier. ¡°Pretty damn good, really.¡±
¡°What¡¯s it all about?¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s¡ª¡± Bridget started to say as she sat up but was cut off as Eir once again forced her to stay lying down. ¡°Ahem, okay, right. It¡¯s called Warmth of the Undying Light.¡±
|
Warmth of the Undying Light
Passive Skill. Decreases the amount of cold damage taken by a quarter. While yourntern is lit, decreases the amount of cold damage you take by half.
|
¡°Hey, that is good!¡± Jay said with a nod of approval.
¡°It¡¯s a damage resistance skill that only applies to a single type of damage, but automatically cancelling out half the damage done by that one type is
very good,¡± A agreed as she wrote the skill description down. ¡°Even if it¡¯s dependent upon yourntern being lit to get the full effect, that¡¯s still an exceptionally good defense skill, especially in areas where beasts that use cold-based magic are rtivelymon.¡±
¡°I w¡ªwonder if environmental damage counts?¡± Thea asked quietly.
¡°Hmm,¡± Sabina hummed with a finger on her chin. ¡°My guess would be that it does counteract the damage you¡¯d take from extreme cold temperatures since it doesn¡¯t specify ice-based attacks or anything more specific and just says cold damage in general. That means if we get caught in a blizzard, you¡¯re the least likely to die due to exposure!¡±
¡°Comforting,¡± Bridget said with an amused huff.
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a good skill,¡± Kerr echoed. ¡°So now that you¡¯re all cheered up and not such a sad lump, tell us about your other ss skills. I want to hear about what else you¡¯ve got packing.¡±
Kerr had a point. While Bridget had told them her status sheet and her newest skill, she hadn¡¯t really gotten into any details about the other skills her ss had. She certainly didn¡¯t have to, since she hadn¡¯t heard anything detailed from the rest of them, but Jadis was also curious. What else had the orc gained from her ss?
¡°Most of my skills are attribute boosting,¡± Bridget said as her mouth ttened out into a line. ¡°Seriously, I really did take them almost exclusively. I¡¯ll list them out, if you want.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have to do that,¡± Syd told her, but stopped as Bridget shook her head.
¡°No, it¡¯s fine, really. I¡¯m better off just telling you all at this point. I think I¡¯ve officially thrown my lot in with you all. I mean, shit. I owe at least two of you my life. If I can¡¯t trust you lot at this point, then I guess I¡¯m super bloody fucked.¡±
¡°Then you deserve to know our skills as well,¡± Jay said, making a sincere promise. ¡°At least I¡¯ll share mine. What everyone else does is their choice, but you¡¯re right. You¡¯re with us now. A full member of the team. And you¡¯ll be treated as such. All it took was one measly little death.¡±
With augh at Jadis¡¯ment, Bridget listed out all of her stat enhancement skills first.
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Landsknecht¡¯s Resolve
Passive Skill. Increases the Endurance and Vitality attributes by 3 points.
|
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Landsknecht¡¯s Furor
Passive Skill. Increases the Strength and Arcane attributes by 3 points.
|
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Minor Arcane Improvement II
Passive Skill. Increases Arcane by 6 points.
|
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Minor Focus Improvement I
Passive Skill. Increases Focus by 3 points.
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Landsknecht¡¯s Spellwork
Passive Skill. Increases the Arcane and Will attributes by 3 points.
|
¡°That¡¯s a lot of them,¡± Dys grunted out as Bridget finished listing them all.
¡°Like I said, I had some trouble getting enough attributes to make this ss work,¡± Bridget said, but this time with less self-loathing in her voice. ¡°Other than my first skill and myst skill that you already know about, I have two other skills that don¡¯t have anything to do with attributes.¡±
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il Mastery I
Passive Skill. Provides a minor boost to the offensive value of il-type weapons.
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Burn Bright
Active Skill. Physical melee attacks made with a burning weapon deal increased damage. Damage increase applies to fire-based spells so long as they are also melee. Cost ¨C 10 stamina per second.
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The il skill Jadis half expected and showed no surprise at being there. She really was the only person who hadn¡¯t taken a weapon mastery skill, wasn¡¯t she? She was starting to think she needed to get one of those. Weapon skills aside, Bridget¡¯s other skill, Burn Bright, looked like a great skill. When she pointed that out, the orc warrior shrugged.
¡°It definitely helps,¡± Bridget said, ¡°but it has a high stamina cost, at least for me, so I can¡¯t use it all the time or I¡¯ll exhaust myself mid-fight. I see it as more of an emergency use kind of skill. I used it on that drake¡¯s head, actually.¡±
¡°Like I told you earlier,¡± Jay grinned knowingly. ¡°It¡¯s not the quantity of the skills, it¡¯s the quality of them. If we can work on getting your Arcane and Endurance attributes higher, you¡¯ll be crushing enemies with thatntern of yours.¡±
¡°I can think of one way to work on getting at least one higher stat right now,¡± Kerr said innocently as she snuggled in more tightly against Dys¡¯ side.
Kerr¡¯s quip got some blushing out of the orc and someughter from everyone else. With Bridget¡¯s ss and skills revealed and all other recent level ups discussed, the conversation rxed and quieted as the group settled down for sleep after what had been a long and strenuous day. They¡¯d already stayed upter than they should have and Jadis was starting to regret agreeing to take the undesirable second and third shifts standing watch. But at least she could have one of her selves sleep while the other two kept vignt. No one else in the whole camp could im that convenience but her.
As voices quieted and bodies stilled, Jadis released a sigh of contentment as her friends and lovers around her drew in close to her selves, warming her with their presence. It had been a rough fight earlier, but they¡¯d made it through together. Hopefully, the frost drakes had been the worst encounter of the expedition and not a sign of things toe. But whatever the case would be, Jadis was d to have all her friends here with her.
¡°Fuck! Ipletely forget to tell you all about those bandit tracks I saw in the woods!¡±
Even if some of them could be a bit frustrating on asion.
Chapter 200: Cabin in the Woods
Chapter 200: Cabin in the Woods
An air of unease permeated the air as the expedition continued its trek northward towards Kalters Wall. The frost drake attack from the evening before had been a potent reminder that there were still significant dangers prowling the forest, even if one discounted the threat of roaming demons. However, that wasn¡¯t the only reason everyone was showing more caution than before. The evidence of people of unknown origin and intent was the foremost topic of discussion that morning, and not in a good way.
¡°They could be the people Vraekae sent the soldiers to search for,¡± Eir said with some hope. ¡°Since the tracks were rtively fresh, that would mean they are nearby. Perhaps they will be able to aplish their mission quickly, then?¡±
¡°Perhaps,¡± A replied distractedly. ¡°Perhaps not. They could be bandits, scavengers, mercenaries who chose to roam further than is wise to hunt down demons, or maybe even civilians who never followed the evacuation orders and have somehow survived without aid or backup. Those tracks could mean just about anything.¡±
¡°W¡ªwhat if they¡¯re c¡ªcultists?¡± Thea asked quietly, a question Jadis could barely hear over the sound of the wagon wheels.
That question was answered by a tense silence. While Jadis couldn¡¯t see the looks on everyone¡¯s faces as she pulled the wagon along, she could tell that suggestion had hit a nerve. She¡¯d heard a lot of possibilities tossed around the camp that morning after Kerr had reported her findings to captain Wi, but none of the soldiers had brought up cultists as a potential exnation. Had there been a reason for that? Was the suggestion somehow taboo? The question felt like one of those situations where she, as a soul foreign to Oros, wascking some context.
The idea that the tracks could belong to cultists had certainly never crossed Jadis¡¯ mind, but now that Thea had said it, her thoughts couldn¡¯t help but circle the concept curiously.
¡°You mean cultists who worship Samleos, right?¡± Dys made a likely guess.
¡°Yeah, no shit,¡± Bridget said with a sarcastic huff. ¡°Er, I mean, of course,¡± she quickly amended her tone, bailing on her sass. ¡°What other cultists are there?¡±
¡°Well, it is
technically possible to obtain a cultist ss without worshipping Samleos,¡± Eir said, her tone decidedly unhappy. ¡°It¡¯s just not likely.¡±
¡°And even if they were cultists worshipping some false god, that wouldn¡¯t be that much better than actual Samleos followers,¡± A added dryly.
While Jadis didn¡¯t know all that much about organized religion on Oros, she had gained enough knowledge from recent discussions with Eir to know that Samleos wasn¡¯t worshipped by the temple or people atrge. Since Samleos was actively working to destroy the world via his demons, no one was particrly interested in paying him any homage. Rightfully so, in Jadis¡¯ opinion, having briefly met the terrifying entity. She¡¯d only been in his presence for a few seconds and it had been the scariest moment of her lives, former and current. She couldn¡¯t imagine why anyone would want to go to an afterlife dominated by such a figure.
Then again, there had been a lot of crazy, self-destructive people back on Earth. Jadis didn¡¯t have any trouble at all making the assumption that those kinds of people probably existed on Oros, too. So, while themon person loathed and reviled the God of Death, Destruction, and Corruption, and the temple used the deity almost exclusively as an antithetical figure in their teachings, the idea that there were some people around who wanted to worship Samleos wasn¡¯t surprising.
¡°Would the demons leave the cultists alone?¡± Syd asked as she briefly looked over her shoulder at herpanions riding the wagon. ¡°Or would they be in just as much danger?¡±
¡°Samleos offers protections to those who willingly follow his ways,¡± Eir answered with a dark look on her normally smiling face. ¡°His demons would be dissuaded from directly harming his cultists, but they would never be safe. Just as any demon would trample and crush its lesser kin in its haste to destroy life, they would not hesitate to do the same to a cultist.¡±
¡°Sell your soul to the Corruptor for safety,¡± Bridget sang as though she were quoting a nursey rhyme, ¡°Demons find your flesh still tasty.¡±
So the prevailing wisdom was that being a cultist of Samleos would get you some small measure of protection from demonic attack, but ultimately not much. Of course, that could just be the perspective of a people who hated Samleos and his demons, and for good reason, but still a biased opinion. Not that Jadis doubted their assessment. She¡¯d seen how demons acted around each other,pletely heedless of each other¡¯s safety and with zero concern for even their own wellbeing.
Even as she had the thoughts, Jadis¡¯ thoughts drifted to the demonling hanging in its cage on the front of her wagon, its neon blue eye watching them even at that moment.
Her hatchling demon definitely showed that it had both a sense of self preservation
and some form of altruism, since it had actively tried to help A when she was injured despite having no reason to. The discrepancy in behavior between the demons she killed and the demon she carried with her was an irritating mystery, one she was determined to get to the bottom of. Maybe once she had resolved her avatar sense or whatever it was called, she¡¯d get some guidance on the issue that way.
Putting aside her thoughts on demons, hatchlings, and cultists, Jadis reoriented her thoughts onto what the tracks meant. The nature and demeanor of the people who¡¯d made them was, ultimately,pletely unknown to them. The only thing that could be reliably assumed was that whoever they were, they had to be strong.
It wasn¡¯t everyone who could travel into the demon infested Great Southern Forest. Any group who did so would have to be of a level capable of handling attacks from demons, andrge numbers of them, too. And if they were people who¡¯d been in the area for a long while, that meant they¡¯d have to be of a high enough level to sustain themselves in hostile territory without aid from civilization.
Jadis had been able to do so, but she was also far, far stronger than the average person of aparable level. She¡¯d also gotten damned lucky on more than a few asions. Most people wouldn¡¯t have either her strength or her good fortune. So it was safe to assume that whoever had made those tracks was of a rtively high level. Maybe not Noll numbers, but high level.
Then again, why not Noll levels? How would they know? A demonic invasion was prime time to gain lots of levels, after all. The bonus experience demons offered would make faster leveling possible in a way Jadis was already well familiar with. Most people yed it safe and didn¡¯t take crazy risks like she did, but that didn¡¯t mean there weren¡¯t other people out there who were willing to throw caution to the wind and power level like her.
And that, Jadis realized, was the real reason why everyone was tense. If a group of high-level people were out in these woods and they were unfriendly, they could be looking at a battle far worse than just a bunch of frost drakes. Even with the backup herpanions offered, Jadis didn¡¯t think she could beat Noll in a fight. What if he were hostile?
What if he was hostile and there was more than one of him?
Those ominous thoughts kept Jadispany throughout the rest of the long day. Despite the dour mood and the troubles they¡¯d had the night before, they made decent time and travelled a good distance closer to the mountains. The expedition only stopped a few times to deal with demon attacks, but none of them were anything beyond small groups of demonic aberrations drawn to the noise of their wagon, quickly and easily dispatched.
Kerr kept up her scouting, though she reported back to the wagon more frequently than before. She didn¡¯t find any more humanoid tracks, though she did see signs of more drakes. Whether they were the same drakes they¡¯d just killed or a different pack, she couldn¡¯t¡¯ say.
For thest hour of travel, Jadis pushed them to go faster than she had before, forcing the guard wagon to pick up the pace a great deal. The reason for her haste had nothing to do with fear of drakes or unknown stalkers in the woods. No, instead her pace had picked up in a mirror to her mood. She recognized where she was.
¡°There it is,¡± Jay announced as the wagon slowed to a stop. ¡°I knew it was close.¡±
There, cutting a line through the tall trees and bisecting the cobblestone road, was a wide river with an arched stone bridge.
Jadis had been to the bridge before. In fact during her original egress from the mountainside vige, she¡¯d stayed the night in a log cabin on the other side of the same river. And there, in the dying light of the winter afternoon, she could see that the familiar log cabin was still standing.
¡°The Silverbank River,¡± Wi said as she rode her horse up next to Jadis¡¯ selves. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing the bridge is still standing. It would not have been easy to ford this river otherwise. It runs deep.¡±
¡°Definitely,¡± Jay murmured her agreement.
She honestly wasn¡¯t sure if her wagon could ford a river considering how heavy it was. She wasn¡¯t even sure The Behemoth wouldn¡¯t cause the arched bridge to copse when she tried to pull it across. But hopefully she could rely on the solid stone construction and stable architecture of the Empire.
As they watched, maybe a hundred feet back or so, the two horseback scouts Will had kept riding ahead of them all crossed the bridge. Jadis noticed they did so cautiously and with their weapons drawn. Not a bad idea, she realized, since the narrow crossing would make for an ideal ambush site. Once the two had crossed over, a figure popped out of the cabin, causing both men and Jadis, to jump slightly before reigning the reactions in.
¡°All clear,¡± Kerr shouted from the cabin door. ¡°Come on over!¡±
¡°Need to put a freaking bell on her,¡± Dys grumbled as they began the process of crossing the river.
Fortunately, even though it was almost too wide for the bridge, the giant wagon made it across without causing the stone to crumble. As the soldier¡¯s cross behind them, Kerr sidled up next to Jay and pointed at the cabin and the road beyond.
¡°More tracks,¡± the archer said as she leaned on her bow. ¡°Some of them recent, made in the past day, some of them much older. Can¡¯t tell how many for sure because they¡¯re partially obscured, but I¡¯d say more people than the ones I counted on the hill. A dozen, maybe.¡±
¡°Where do they go?¡± Jay asked as she nced inside the open door of the cabin.
¡°All around,¡± she said, motioning to the surrounding forest. ¡°But the most recent ones are headed north. They were in a hurry, too. Moving fast. Something spooked them.¡±
¡°No prize for guessing what,¡± Syd said dryly.
¡°Anything else?¡± A asked as she hopped down from the wagon seat.
¡°Yup,¡± Kerr nodded before pointing at the side of the cabin. ¡°Traps.¡±
Before A could approach the location Kerr had indicated, Dys stepped in front of her. Keeping her and the others back, she cautiously stepped up to the side of the wagon to check out what Kerr had found.
A thickyer of dead pine needlesy on the ground beside the cabin, right under the window that faced the river. Picking at an edge that Kerr had left revealed, Dys pulled back a woven nket of sticks and vines to reveal a pit had been dug and covered up. The pit was as wide as the cabin and more than ten feet deep, with wooden stakes lining the bottom. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure a fall into the pit would be immediately lethal to most demons, but they sure wouldn¡¯t be happy if they did. She knew she wouldn¡¯t be.
¡°This definitely wasn¡¯t here when we stayed in this cabin before,¡± Jay said as Captain Wi rode over to check the trap as well. ¡°If it had been, one of us would have fallen in.¡±
¡°When did you stay here?¡± she asked after getting off her horse to examine the trap more closely.
¡°Late spring, early summer,¡± Syd said after thinking about it for a moment. ¡°So it¡¯s been a few months.¡±
¡°Then we can assume whoever dug this did so in recent history,¡± Wi concluded. ¡°Presumably the same people who left the tracks.¡±
¡°Definitely,¡± Kerr confirmed. ¡°Some of the tracks I¡¯m seeing here match the tracks I saw on the hill back there. And they knew where to step to avoid this and other traps without disturbing them.¡±
¡°Something to keep in mind as we travel the road tomorrow,¡± Wi said with a frown. We¡¯ll have to do a thorough check for more before we set up camp.¡±
With a n in ce, the expedition set about searching the area and setting up for the night. Several more traps were found, mostly pit traps, but some snares and deadfalls as well. None were magical in nature, but by the sturdy and well-designed construction, Kerr pronounced that whoever had made them likely had a skill helping them. Fortunately, most of the traps were ced further out around the cabin and not directly next to it, so they were able to set up camp after disabling only a couple of them.
Once camp had been made and the evening meal of frost drake stew had been served, the group talked about what was likely toe the next day. At the speed they moved at, they were likely to arrive at the next prominentndmark by evening, which was a worry all its own.
As Jadis knew from her own experience, north of the river stood an abandoned fort. Five roads met at that fort, giving the ce the rather unimaginative name The Crossroads. When Jadis hadst been there, the ce had been a wreck. Bone thieves had haunted its empty buildings and the stone tower had been partially destroyed. But the walls had still stood tall and if the ce was unchanged, it would still make for a good defensive position. Considering the direction the tracks had gone, there was little doubt in everyone¡¯s minds that whoever these mysterious people were, they were using the fort.
¡°Alright, I¡¯ve had enough of talking about what-ifs,¡± Jay finally said as she excused herself from the fireside.
They¡¯d spent the whole dinner discussing possibilities on what could be waiting for them at The Crossroads and how they should handle it. As important as preparing for the future was, Jadis could only spend so much time nning for dozens of different eventualities before her eyes started to cross.
As her three selves retreated into the wagon tent they¡¯d set up across the road from the cabin, Syd leapt up onto the front of the wagon and took the demon hatchling down from where it had been hung in its round cage.
¡°What are you going to do with that?¡± Sabina asked as she followed Syd into the tent, a few of the others only a couple of paces behind her.
¡°Interspeciesmunication,¡± Syd informed the perplexed smith with a smile.
Opening the lid of the container, Syd allowed the demon hatchling to wriggle out and onto the palm of her hand. Grinning down at the squiggly creature, Syd addressed the demonling with a silly tone she normally reserved for small animals.
¡°Who¡¯s ready for their reading lessons?¡±
Chapter 201: D Stands For…
Chapter 201: D Stands For¡
¡°This is the letter ¡®D¡¯, it makes a ¡®Duh¡¯ sound. D like Dog or Door.¡±
¡°Uh, Jadis? That¡¯s a ¡®T¡¯ that¡¯s upside down.¡±
Reaching over from her right, A brushed Jay¡¯s hand away and flipped the little wooden square over so that it was facing the correct waypared to the other letters she had arranged in front of the demonling.
¡°D like ¡®Dumb¡¯ or ¡®Dim¡¯ or ¡®Dense¡¯ or ¡®Dull.¡± Kerr listed off on her fingers as sheid back on a pile of nkets she¡¯d somehow amassed in one spot. ¡°Or maybe ¡®Deranged¡¯ or ¡®Deviant¡¯ or¡ª"
¡°Dick,¡± Syd said as she smooshed Kerr¡¯s face with a pillow, muffling her unhelpful words.
¡°Thank you,¡± Jay told A as she shook her head. ¡°I just don¡¯t get why so many of these letters are basically just other letters flipped around or facing another direction. It¡¯s very confusing.¡±
A shrugged helplessly.
¡°Who knows? Could be worse, though. I¡¯ve seen old elvish script before and it¡¯s almost impossible to read. There are so many squiggles and curves and little dots that have to be in precisely the correct location or you change the meaning of the wordpletely.¡±
¡°I could teach you how to read old elvish if you like, Jadis,¡± Eir piped up from where she sat on the far, far side of the wagon. ¡°It¡¯s really quite simple once you memorize the twenty-eight different phoneme modifiers.¡±
¡°No thanks,¡± Jay shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m still working on Imperial letters. I¡¯ll save elvish forter.¡±
Despite being able to understand themon tongue, something that Jadis wasn¡¯t sure wasn¡¯t in some way a trick on D¡¯s part, the Imperial writtennguage was foreign to her. While the locals sounded like they were speaking English or other Earthnguages, the letters they used weren¡¯t even close to anything Jadis was used to. Some of the imperial alphabet looked vaguely simr, but only enough to confuse Jadis since the letters that resembled what she was familiar with didn¡¯t make the sounds she expected. She¡¯d grown better at reading with time and could now sound out most words without issue, though sometimes she still had mix-ups.
The letter blocks, embarrassingly enough, were helping her. Small t squares of wood, each one of the thirty blocks had the upper and lower case letters printed on opposite sides. Ostensibly, Jadis had asked Sabina to make them for her so she could use them to teach the little demon hatchling letters. In the process of exining the alphabet to the demon, she was learning a fair bit herself. Though not without the asional flub.
The question was, though, were the letter blocks helping the demonling?
The little demon sat in the middle of the nketed ground between Jay and Dys¡¯ legs. Practically speaking, there was nothing the hatchling could do to escape Jadis, it simply wasn¡¯t capable of moving that fast. A determined turtle could outrun it. Still, for the sake of herpanions who were ufortable with the idea of the demon being loose, she made sure that the hatchling was clearly cordoned off. Not that the demonling was trying to escape. Like an obedient pet, it stayed put in the one spot, dutifully keeping its onerge eye focused on the letter blocks. asionally, when someone else would speak or move, the demon¡¯s big blue eye would flick to follow them for a moment, but otherwise the blocks held its attention.
Jadis had been teaching the little demon for a few weeks now, showing it the blocks when she had free time. So far, there hadn¡¯t been much in the way of results. asionally, the demon would pick one of the blocks up with a tentacle, but otherwise it just silently stared. But what could Jadis really expect? It wasn¡¯t as though the demon could speak; it didn¡¯t have a mouth. Still, this seemed like the best way for any potentialmunication.
It took a few minutes to get through the full alphabet, but once Jadis had reviewed all the letters andid out the full set before the demon, she started the real test. One she hadn¡¯t had much sess in as of yet, despite repeated attempts.
¡°Okay little guy,¡± Jay held up a finger. ¡°Which one is the letter T?¡±
The demonling sat in a ball, unmoving except for the asional wavy motion in its undting tentacles.
¡°Find me T. Teeee. Which one is T?¡±
¡°This is never going to work,¡± A shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that it being able to understandmands like ¡®sit¡¯ and ¡®fetch¡¯ is impressive, but there¡¯s no chance it¡¯s going to have the mental capacity to remember letters.¡±
¡°Shush,¡± Dys frowned at the redhead. ¡°It¡¯ll get it eventually, it¡¯s just taking some time.¡±
A shook her head but didn¡¯t interrupt further. With a sigh, she sat down next to Kerr and leaned into the pile of nkets. Dismissing Jadis¡¯ attempts, she opened up one of her books and began to read.
¡°Okay, this one is the T,¡± Jay said after a few more fruitless tries. She picked up the block with an imperial ¡®T¡¯ on it and showed it to the demonling before putting it back down. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try a different one. How about, A. Can you point to the letter A?¡±
¡°This is so weird,¡± Jadis heard Bridget whisper from where she sat on the edge of the wagon with Sabina and Thea. ¡°I mean, there¡¯s a lot of weirdness with you all that I¡¯ve seen. No offense! Just, you know, there¡¯s just, uh, a whole lot of weirdness going on with this group. But yeah, this thing with the demon? This is top level weirdness.¡±
¡°Is it really weirder than Jadis being one person with three bodies?¡± Sabina asked from where she sat next to the orc. ¡°Because that¡¯s the strangest skill I¡¯ve ever heard of and I once saw a smith that could eat pieces of ore and spit out pure metal ingots and that was absolutely the most bizarre thing I¡¯ve ever seen. But Jadis being three people? That breaks the wall for me, I can¡¯t think of anything stranger than that, including the whole sex for stats thing which is
also really strange though I guess not as strange as the demon things since I know there are prostitutes and, um, other types of people with sses and skills that revolve around sex so I guess that means it isn¡¯tpletely out there? I¡¯ve never seen anyone y with a demon hatchling though and¡ª¡±
¡°Oh!¡± Thea suddenly eximed from her spot on Sabina¡¯s left. She grabbed hold of the smith¡¯s hand, silencing her ramble. ¡°L¡ªlook!¡±
While Sabina and Bridget might have needed the prompting to look, Jadis certainly didn¡¯t. Her focus was very much on the one tiny tentacle that the demonling had extended out and had hovering over the A block. With an almost tentative motion, the demonling picked up the block and brought it close to itself before holding it back out and wiggling it in Jay¡¯s direction.
¡°What the ever-loving fuck¡?¡± Jadis heard Kerr quietly curse but she was too excited to care.
¡°Yes! Good job! That¡¯s the A!¡± Jay and Dys both pped. ¡°Well done!¡±
Since the demon¡¯s eye took up the majority of its body, Jadis didn¡¯t have an easy way of petting the squiggly little thing. So, she settled for wiggling her fingers into its mass of tentacles, giving it a kind of tickling pet that way.
¡°Do it again,¡± A said, all of her attention now on the demonling. ¡°It could have been a fluke. Make sure.¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t a fluke,¡± Jay said, more to the little demon than to A. ¡°You¡¯re a smart little demon spawn, aren¡¯t you? Okay, let me have that.¡±
Jay took the A block away and sat it back down with the rest of the alphabet.
¡°Alright, now find me the letter ¡®L¡¯. Can you do that? Ehhllll.¡±
Moving a little faster this time, the hatchling picked up the L block and held it up for Jadis to see.
¡°Yes!¡± Jay pped happily again. ¡°You did it!¡±
As A and the others watched in various states of confusion and shock, the little demonling proceeded to get the next five letters correct.
¡°Aw, who¡¯s a good little demonic tentacle monster!¡± Jay cooed as she scooped the hatchling up in her hands. ¡°You are! Yes, you are!¡±
¡°Okay, you were right,¡± Sabina told Bridget quietly as they all watched Jay rub her nose against the demon¡¯s undting tentacles. ¡°This is the weirdest thing I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±
As Jay continued to give exaggerated praise to her demonling pet, A moved to stand back to stand by Syd. Worry creased her face and furrowed her brows as she watched the interaction.
¡°You okay?¡± Syd asked quietly.
¡°I¡¯m concerned,¡± A said after a second of silent thought. After another moment, she borated. ¡°I have no idea what this means. Or what could happen if this continues.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯d say it means that demons have more intelligence than most people think,¡± Syd replied with a shrug. ¡°Though clearly whatever is going through the minds of most demons isn¡¯t conducive to reasonablemunication.¡±
¡°But why this one?¡± A said with a frustrated wave of her hand. ¡°Why is
this one demon not behaving the same way every other demon in existence behaves? What¡¯s the difference? What¡¯s the end game? Because regardless of how this demon hase to be more patient and observant than other demons, that doesn''t mean it¡¯s less dangerous.¡±
¡°I gotta agree with freckles on this one,¡± Kerr said with her own concerned look. ¡°Demons are a pain to fight because they¡¯re strong and show no fear, but we can generally handle them since they¡¯re dumb. Can you imagine having to fight a Burning Rancor that was intelligent?¡±
¡°Which is why I question the wisdom of teaching this one how to read and write and the gods know what else,¡± A finished with her arms folded. ¡°It¡¯s hard to imagine this not ending in disaster.¡±
Jadis sighed through all of her selves. She had to admit, A had a point. Yes, the demonling hadn¡¯t shown any sign of hostility so far. But that didn¡¯t mean it couldn¡¯t in the future. Thinking about their experience back in caves, Jana the crossbow-wielding mercenary had acted without any hostility right up until the point where the demon possessing her thought it had an opportunity to get a kill. Clearly some demons had the ability to understand that patience could them better results than just rushing in blindly.
Based on everything Jadis had experienced so far, she was convinced that demons were intelligent. An alien, animalistic intelligence, maybe, but they weren¡¯t just stupid animals. The real question now for her was, did they have the capacity for self-determination? Weren¡¯t demons an avatar race, just like her? That meant they were on Oros to act as the hands of their parental deity, but despite Jadis being a Nephilim, Lyssandria had never influenced her in the slightest. D had, in the roundabout way of the ss options he helped her gain and the asional directmunication they had, but she always had a choice. She could choose to do whatever she wanted. She could get up, leave everyone, and be a cultist helping the demons destroy the world. She could even stop fighting all together and renege on her deal with her patron, just settle down and do nothing to change anything in the world. That was a viable option. There was nothingpelling her, telling her she couldn¡¯t do that. Was it the same for demons?
¡°I don¡¯t know if this will end badly,¡± Jay finally said as she gently put the demonling back on the ground. ¡°But until I¡¯m given a concrete reason not to, I¡¯m going to keep trying tomunicate with this little guy. It hasn¡¯t ever done any harm to me or any of you, so as long as that continues, I¡¯m going to give it a chance. Besides, how can we know where this will take us if we don¡¯t explore it? Even if it turns out demons can¡¯t be reasoned with or changed or anything as nice a dream as that would be, we might learn something else that¡¯ll help us in our fight against them. In my opinion, it¡¯s worth the risk.¡±
Jadis¡¯ speech was met with silence, most of the others not quite meeting her eyes. All except for A, who gave her a stern, searching gaze.
¡°Fine then,¡± A nodded once. ¡°Whatever happens, it¡¯s on your head then. However, if I ever see it make any kind of hostile move, I want you to know I will not hesitate to kill it. I won¡¯t let it possess you or anyone else.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Syd said, leaning over to give A a kiss on the cheek. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect any less from you. And if ites to that, I¡¯ll kill it myself.¡±
After that, the mood in the tent was somewhat grim. Deciding that the lessons had gone on long enough and it was time to turn in for the night, Dys took the ss cage and put the demonling back in. As she carried the little demon over to the wagon and moved to put it inside, Bridget leaned over and gave the ss a tap with her finger, causing the demonling¡¯s tentacles to squirm tightly.
¡°You going to give it a name?¡±
¡°Huh?¡± Dys said, pausing mid motion.
¡°A name,¡± Bridget repeated with an ufortable shrug. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s a demon and all that, but it¡¯s also kind of awkward just calling it demon or ¡®it¡¯ or whatever. I mean, you don¡¯t have to or anything, just feels kind of like it¡¯d be easier that way¡¡±
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Dys said as she looked at the demonling in her hand. ¡°I never did give it a name. I guess I wasn¡¯t ever sure how long it¡¯d be around, so didn¡¯t see a point in naming it.¡±
¡°Naming a demon,¡± Eir said as she approached, looking at the caged creature with apprehension. ¡°That seems almost as though it should be sacrilege. Though to the best of my knowledge it isn¡¯t.¡±
¡°You aren¡¯t going to make a stupid pun, are you?¡± Kerr whined. ¡°I swear, if you name it Igor or something like that¡ª¡±
¡°Alex,¡± Dys said abruptly. ¡°Its name is Alex.¡±
¡°Alex?¡± Sabina said with a tilt of her head. ¡°That¡¯s a Voltonian name, like mine. Why Alex?¡±
¡°It feels right,¡± Dys said with a shrug, not willing to broach the subject of famous African Grey parrots. ¡°So, it¡¯s called Alex. Hello Alex,¡± Dys said as she raised the cage up to her face and gave the demonling a wave with her fingers.
Whether it understood the reason why or not, Alex waved a few of its tentacles back.
Chapter 202: Crossroads
Chapter 202: Crossroads
Thest time Jadis had walked this road, she¡¯d been heading in the opposite direction and had travelled the distance between the bridge and the old abandoned fort in just a couple of hours. Things had changed a lot for her in the few intervening months, gifting her with manypanions and far more personal possessions than she had started with. Heavy, bulky, necessary to survival possessions. Pulling a giant wagon loaded with people and things behind her three selves meant the return trip took significantly longer. It wasn¡¯t untilte in the day that the expedition force drew up to the outer ring of cleared trees and put eyes on The Crossroads.
The structure wasn¡¯t much different from how Jadis remembered it. Arge, stone wall with crentions along the top encircled an inner courtyard. A stone tower with a pointed roof stood in the middle of the courtyard, tall enough to give anyone who might be watching from the upper windows a clear view of the surrounding forest. There were four gates in the cardinal directions, with one road leading from each of them except the southern gate that they were facing, which had two roads leading to it. The gates stood open, just as they had been when Jadis had found the fort all those months ago. But that didn¡¯t mean the fort had remained as empty as she¡¯d left it.
The two forward scouts on horseback, this time Achim and Sofie, hade to a stop at the edge of the clearing. Kerr was standing with them, slightly apart and within an easy sidestep of being behind the cover of arge pine tree. They were waiting for the main wagon group and, while Jadis couldn¡¯t yet overhear what they were saying, Jadis could sense the unease by their posture alone.
Looking at the abandoned fort, Jadis couldn¡¯t help but feel apprehensive herself. The ce had been a ghost town thest time she¡¯d been there, nothing but bone thieves inhabiting the dpidated structures. But as she looked at the lichen covered walls and dark tower windows, memories of the ambush back at war flickered through Jadis¡¯ mind.
Bringing the wagon to a stop, Syd strode forward with hernce in hand while Jay and Dys retrieved their weapons from the wagon. Captain Wi rode her horse forward, matching pace with Syd, and the two joined the scouts at the edge of the clearing.
¡°What¡¯s the assessment?¡± Wi asked without preamble.
¡°Clear signs of recent activity,¡± Achim replied, pointing to the road ahead of them. ¡°Boot prints and wagon wheels, though no sign of animal prints, auroch or otherwise.¡±
¡°There are tracks going north on the other side of the fort,¡± Kerr added, her tone indicating she was in business mode. ¡°Fresh, likely from this morning at the most. And I can smell old embers on the wind. There was a fire herest night, put out before we got here but not long enough ago to erase the scent.¡±
¡°Long enough that we never spotted the smoke,¡± Wi said without taking her eyes off the fort.
¡°What about traps?¡± Syd asked. She couldn¡¯t see any obvious signs, but she wasn¡¯t the expert on such matters and the ones that had been back at the riverside cabin had been hard to spot even with them pointed out to her. ¡°Anything around the wall or on the road?¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t gone close enough to the wall to know for sure,¡± Kerr said with a slight shake of her head. ¡°But nothing on the roads or around the outer ring of the clearing. It¡¯s a lot of area to cover, though.¡±
Indeed, it was. The Crossroads fort was muchrger than the temporary wooden ones that Bernd¡¯s des and other mercenaries had set up along the border of the forest. This fort was probably twice again asrge and the clearing around it had been cut to give hundreds of feet of clear view for the defenders. There was no sneaking up on the fort, not unless you were small enough to hide amongst the brush and pine saplings that had started to slowly take over the clearing. Anyone taller than a gnome would have a lot of trouble with that proposition.
¡°Based on the tracks you saw going north, how many were there?¡± Syd asked Kerr.
¡°More than the number I saw at the cabin. Two dozen, at least.¡±
That information hung in the air for a solid moment before anyone spoke.
¡°So the question is, did anyone stay behind?¡± Wi stated with a tap of her gauntlet against her saddle bow. ¡°And if they didn¡¯t, are there any other surprises waiting for us inside?¡±
¡°Only one way to find out,¡± Syd said with a determined set to her shoulders.
Jay and Dys came up behind her at the same time, their heavy weapons in hand as their steel shod boots nked against the cobblestone road.
¡°You three aren¡¯t much for subtlety, are you?¡± Wi asked dryly.
¡°No,¡± the three Nephilim answered in unison.
¡°Give me a moment,¡± Wi said as she turned her horse around. ¡°Let me give my men some orders before we start this. I¡¯ll ride with you. If this is a situation that calls for Imperial authority, I have the right to speak on Vraekae¡¯s behalf, on legal matters, at least.¡±
Conceding to the request, Jadis waited while captain Wi gave orders to her troops. While the soldiers readied themselves, Jadis¡¯panions came up to join her and Kerr.
¡°Keep your distance,¡± Jaymanded, her tone making no room for argument. ¡°Stay at range until we signal the all clear, thene ahead and join us at the gate. Once we¡¯re inside, no one goes anywhere alone until every building has been searched.¡±
¡°Kerr, stick with A. Thea, protect Eir. Bridget, cover Sabina,¡± Dys pointed at each woman in turn. ¡°Don¡¯t separate from your partner no matter what until the fort is cleared.¡±
There was a general murmur of agreement, though Bridget motioned in Jay¡¯s direction.
¡°What about you? Er, you three? What are you three going to be doing?¡±
¡°We¡¯ll be moving as one,¡± Jadis said through all her selves at once. ¡°Let us take point, just keep an eye on our backs.¡±
With a n in ce Jadis¡¯ three selves strode out into the clearing, apanied by Wi and the two orc soldiers, Jaxton and Landry, on horseback. Jadis noted that both Wi and her two subordinates had their shields on their arms but hadn¡¯t drawn their swords, instead keeping their main hands free. Since it was entirely possible that anyone that might be hiding in the fort could be friendly, Jadis kept her own weapons on her shoulders in an attempt to seem, if not friendly, at least not actively hostile.
The six of them made it all the way to the southern gate of the fort without challenge. No sign of movement on the walls, no shout or whisper from inside. Looking into the fort from up close, Jadis noted a few changes from thest time she¡¯d been in the ce.
The open courtyard area around the central tower looked like it had seen a lot of recent activity. The mud was churned up, as though dozens of feet had moved through the ce regrly. The buildings ced along the inner ring of the wall didn¡¯t stand open anymore, either. The doors and window shutters that had once hung open or had been torn off the hingespletely had been fixed and closed, offering no view to the interiors behind them. The tower, too, had seen some work done. Large timbers had been used to shore up the giant hole that had been made in one side of the wall, giving the structure some stability. The repair looked rough, nothing like the orderly scaffolding she¡¯d seen back in Far Felsen when the city had needed repairs, but the tower no longer looked like it was going to fall over with the next stiff breeze.
¡°This is Captain Wi of Copper Ridge, a duly authorized representative of Magistrate Vraekae Aedraheill, thewfully appointed ruler of Weigrun,¡± Wi shouted abruptly, nearly making Jadis jump in her boots. ¡°If there is anyone currently inhabiting this fort, pleasee forward and present yourself! So long as you remain peaceful, no harm wille to you!¡±
As Wi¡¯s shouted words echoed, Jadis readied herself for whatever response mighte. Hostile people might or might not attack, but if they had read the situation wrong and there were demons in the fort, that amount of noise was sure to draw them out. Which might have been the point, Jadis realized.
A few seconds passed without response. With no sign of activity, Jay looked towards Wi and gave her a shrug.
¡°Maybe no one¡¯s home?¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Wi frowned, her expression half hidden under her helmet. ¡°But we¡¯d better make sure.¡±
Half turning in her saddle, Wi waved a hand back towards the rest of her soldiers, signaling them toe forward. All but two, Ada and Lutz, followed their captain. The remaining two soldiers stayed back to guard the wagons. Taking her cue from Wi, Jay also signaled for herpanions to start moving forward.
With the main body of their forces moving in, Jadis started forward into the fort. The churned mud squelched under her boots as she scanned the surroundings. Making sure to keep an eye in every direction, she checked above and behind, seeing no one hiding on the walls behind and above her. As she marched further in, Wi, Jaxton, and Landry dismounted and moved their horses off to one side so the gate wasn¡¯t blocked.
¡°We¡¯ll leave that to you,¡± Dys said, motioning at the tower with her axe. ¡°We won¡¯t fit in there.¡±
¡°Understood,¡± Wi nodded before motioning the two orcs toward the building located to the right of the gate. ¡°It¡¯s best we clear the immediate area first, though.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the inn,¡± Syd replied while pointing towards a two-story building on their left. ¡°If I remember correctly. We¡¯ll clear that one.¡±
Therge inn was right next to the southern gate, the only structure between the gate and the inn a half-destroyed building that had probably been a stable once before catching fire sometime long ago. Since the insides of that ruined stable were visible, Jadis skipped it in favor of the inn. If anyone were to have set up camp in the fort, she was sure that was the ce they¡¯d choose to do so.
¡°If anyone¡¯s in there, say something now,¡± Dys called out as she came to a stop before therge wooden door.
Well,rge for a regr person. For Jadis, the top of the door didn¡¯t reach her shoulders. Dys waited a few seconds for a response, but after getting none, Dys grabbed hold of the door handle. Giving it a push, she found that the door had been locked and wouldn¡¯t open easily.
¡°Good thing I don¡¯t give a shit about property damage,¡± Dys murmured.
With Jay and Syd standing to either side of her, Dys took a step back, then kicked the door with all of her considerable strength.
The door crashed open, flying off of its hinges from the force of the kick. In the same moment, even before Dys¡¯ foot hade back down on the ground, the shuttered window on the second floor directly over the front door burst open. From the dark interior rocketed arge sack on a stick of some kind. Acting instinctively and with all the speed her high agility stat allowed, Syd grabbed hold of Dys and pulled her to the side, just barely getting her out of the way of the swinging trap. However, as Jadis quickly discovered, the sack hadn¡¯t been designed to strike the person who triggered it.
Acting as some kind of smoke bomb, the sack exploded in a grayish powder that rapidly filled the air around Jadis¡¯ three selves. Whatever the powder was, it was a noxious irritant, making Jadis¡¯ eyes water and her throat itch. She couldn¡¯t help but sneeze as her three selves blindly backed away from the inn.
¡°Ambush!¡± Jadis heard Wi shout out from somewhere nearby, along with another shout, this one from someone she didn¡¯t recognize.
¡°Pull it down, boys!¡±
A loud cracking and snapping sound alerted Jadis to the danger. Turning towards the noise, Jadis¡¯ three selves struggled to see through the obscuring cloud. What she did see sent a chill through her bones.
The looming central tower was leaning. No, not just leaning, falling. And it was falling directly towards her.
Chapter 203: POV Sorcha
Chapter 203: POV Sorcha
¡°Pull it down, Boys!¡±
Sorcha leapt into action, yanking hard on the rope she held in her hands at Jockel¡¯s shoutedmand. She and Ricket and a half dozen of the others who Stavros had ordered behind pulled as hard as they could, ripping the crossbeam timbers out from the tower brace. With a frankly terrifying crack and pop, the whole makeshift structure buckled like a fat man¡¯s worn-out walking cane as the stone tower over their heads began to lean and crumble.
¡°Out, out, out!¡± Ricket shouted at them all, his voice colored manic with his strangeughter.
Not that he needed to say anything, everyone had already turned tail and rushed out the north-facing tower door to get the fuck out of the doomed tower. No one in their right mind would willingly choose to stay put while several hundred tons of rock copsed overhead. Choose to stay in demon infested territory to mine for eleria while the imperials were too busy to notice they were being robbed? Sure. That was a calcted risk, one that they had all agreed was worth it.
Tower copsing? No. No, that wasn¡¯t a risk, that was suicide.
And yet Ricket had somehow convinced Stavros that it was worth setting up the insanely over-the-top trap that required people to tear out the support struts from inside the tower. And even
more insanely, Ricket had convinced Jockel to actually use the trap against the poor, stupid soldiers that hade hiking north for whatever reason.
Were the soldiers there to survey thend for demon activity? Maybe. Were they there because they¡¯d figured out Stavros¡¯ crew were mining eleria? Possibly. Were they an advance scout for arger imperial force that nned to push back against the demon invasion and clear the area all the way to the mountains? Gods, hopefully not. Whatever the reason they were there, the soldiers¡¯ presence meant it was time to pack up and move. Discretion was the better part of valor, as the goblins liked to say.
Unfortunately, Jockel and Ricket could be called just about anything but discreet.
An opportunity, Ricket had called it. A chance to wipe out a good portion of the imperials and force a dy to give the rest of the gang more time, Legs had added. Maybe, if they were lucky, they¡¯d kill off enough of the soldiers that they¡¯d be forced to turn back. Wouldn¡¯t that just fix everything? Then they could get back to mining without worrying about more interruptions from authority figures, the two barley heads had proimed with the conviction of the righteous.
Except, as Sorcha had herself pointed out, unless they killed off everyone, the ones who lived would know for facts that their gang was operating in the area. And more to the meat of the matter, they¡¯d have a serious bone to pick with them since they¡¯d just
murdered imperial soldiers.
Oh, but they know we¡¯re here anyway, Legs had argued. He saw their scouts following their tracks. He saw them find Ricket¡¯s traps at that shitty cabin by the river. He saw theming straight their way. So there was no point in trying to hide their activity in the area when they were hot on their heels.
Sure there was, Sorcha had said. It was just a small group of maybe, what, twenty people, ording to Legs? They couldn¡¯t do a big search forever. The Great Southern Forest is a damn big forest. It wouldn¡¯t be that hard to disappear into it. The mountains were even bigger, so the gang could hide out there if they needed to. Winter wasing, anyway. No one would be able to do a serious search once the snows hit.
But what about the giants? Legs had ranted on and on about the three giant women in ominous dark armor that were so strong they crushed frost drakes under their boots like ice skippers. He¡¯d seen them do it! If they had a chance to get the jump on those deadly menaces before they could catch up to their main group, all the better, he¡¯d said. They¡¯d built the trap, Ricket had insisted. Why not use it to take out a threat while they could?
Hog shit.
Ricket had just seen an opportunity to use one of his traps and was taking it as he could. And Legs? If the giants he saw were real, and that was a big ¡°If¡± when it came to the hyperbolic man, then they were, at best, a trio of orcs who stood a little taller than average. Probably a bunch of paid mercenaries, like half of the soldiers were that came out of Far Felsen.
Ominous dark armor her green ass. Who cared what color the armor was? Who cared about tall women? They could be as tall as Legs standing on Rickets¡¯ head and it wouldn¡¯t make a lick of difference when it came to levels. And, as Jockel had pulled from between Legs¡¯ lying teeth, he¡¯d pegged the group of soldiers as all around CLR forty to fifty. There were even some in the twenty range. The Giants? CLR fifty. A threat, to be sure, but not worth the freakout Legs had gone on, especially when they were all at the same level or higher.
And yet, despite knowing that the CLR of the soldiers that wereing their way made them a threat to their small group, they were ambushing them and trying to kill them off. Because Legs saw giants and Rickets wanted to use his sted traps. And Jockel was a drunk who wouldn¡¯t listen to good sense if it bit him in his bby ass.
The in truth of the matter was that the whole thing was a bad idea. Stavros had ordered them to stay back and watch the soldiers to get a gauge on where they were going and what their levels and resources were. Not to attack or try to dy, just
observe. Don¡¯t get in trouble, catch up when you can. Was that such a hard order to follow?
Apparently, yes. Which was why Sorcha found herself running as fast as her legs could carry her out of the copsing tower, listening to Rickets cackle like a madman.
She was, of course, thest one out of the building. Still fast enough to avoid introducing her head to any new stones, but only just barely. She wasn¡¯t exactly built for speed. As she exited, the tower copsed behind her with a tremendous crash and tter, tossing up a cloud of dust and debris that obscured half of the fort¡¯s courtyard. Turning with the rest of her crew to check out the damage, Sorcha¡¯s jaw dropped. The tower had fallen exactly as Rickets had said it would, smashing down on top of the old inn and ttening itpletely, along with the whole fucking wall right behind it.
¡°Strike and shadow!¡± Jockel shouted from his lookout spot on the fort wall somewhere to Sorcha¡¯s right. ¡°Double time!¡±
That was the signal to move in and cut the throats of anyone who hadn¡¯t been killed outright, then withdraw to the fallback point. Sorcha had hoped Jockel would have told them to just fall back, damage done and job over, but no. He wanted to make sure the unfortunate sods were dead.
Fine then. Sorcha would do her part. She couldin about the stupidity of the whole event once they caught back up with Stavros.
Pulling the blue-tinted bone wand from her belt, Sorcha cast her stealth spell onto the men and women near her. It wasn¡¯t true invisibility, but the transparency that the spell gave to the group was more than enough to hide their approach considering the thick cloud of dust obscuring the area. As the nearly undetectable crew of thugs stalked into the debris cloud, Sorcha fell back to hide in the shadows near the northern gate. Switching her blue wand for her amber-yellow one, she huddled low and out of sight, but with a good view of the south side of the fort. If any of the imperial soldiers somehow came running out of the cloud in her direction, she had a spell in store for them. Not that she thought that anyone but her fellow thieves would being back her way.
As the cloud expanded and the wind carried it her way, Sorcha was careful to make sure her cloth mask was pulled up over her mouth and nose. The noxious tressleberry powder Ricket had set up in the inn had no doubt been stirred into the mix considering where the tower had fallen. Maybe someone had triggered the trap first and that had been the reason Jockel had given themand? Whatever the case, she still didn¡¯t want to breathe in any more of that junk than necessary.
After a few seconds, noises began to emanate from the still obscured area. Ahead and to the left of the tower, she heard the sounds of her fellows getting to work, a familiar shout of pain and gasp of steel on flesh. At least a couple of them had found targets. Maybe someone had found one of the ¡°giants¡± Legs had gone on about? If they had, Sorcha hoped that there was time to rub it in the stupid git''s face how absolutely not giant the person was, whoever the soon-to-be-dead person was.
Further south, past where she could see, Sorcha could hear the sounds of more people running up. Probably more soldiers, she had to guess. She¡¯d been in the tower and hadn¡¯t seen a thing when the imperials had arrived, but she wouldn¡¯t have been surprised to find that they¡¯d split their forces into two, a forward scouting party and a rear guard. Which meant Jockel had signaled them to drop the tower on top of a couple of scouts. What a waste! At that realization, she revised her assessment on how many people had likely been taken out by the copsing tower. Really, probably only a handful.
Except, why were there still sounds of fightinging from the cloud? The sodding idiots really should have been back out by then. Didn¡¯t they know the meaning of a strike and flee? If they expected her to go in and get them¡ª
Sorcha¡¯s dour thoughts were cut off abruptly as a body came flying out of the cloud. She nearly let out a shriek of fright as the man rolled across the ground,ing to a limp-limbed stop only a couple of feet away from where she hid.
¡°What the fuck¡?¡± Sorcha whispered as she stared at an unconscious, possibly dead Fritzi.
The man¡¯s arms were both broken, twisted up in odd angles, almost like all their bones had been removed. Or crushed to pulp. The sight was almost enough to make Sorcha gag. She¡¯d seen a lot of terrible gore on the battlefield, but arms were not meant to be crumpled up like old socks.
¡°What the fuck!?¡± Sorcha squeaked out more loudly as a second body tumbled through the air.
This time it was Gitta. The woman¡¯s stout form was tossed what had to be a dozen yards as though she weighed nothing. Shended in a heap ten or so feet away from Sorcha. She, at least, was alive, since she immediately began groaning and crawling away, as though she was going to pull herself through the north gate with her fingers alone.
As Sorcha stared speechless at Gitta¡¯s battered form, her ears twitched at the sound of heavy, metal-shod feet approaching. Whipping her gaze back to the south, Sorcha¡¯s eyes widened to saucers at the shadow that stalked out of the haze.
¡°What the
FUCK.¡±
The looming figure was massive. Colossal. Gargantuan! She¡¯d never seen anything like it! The huge, armored
thing marched determinedly forward, a gigantic war hammer carried in front of it in two hands. As the details became clearer the closer it came, Sorcha realized that the weapon the figure carried was made of metal. Metal? That immense weapon was made of
metal? How heavy was it? How heavy was the person, no,
monster that was carrying it? The fuck was this ck armored beast!?
The giant, the actual, literal,pletely urate
giant, stomped ever closer. Sorcha couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the horrifying sight as the massive monster approached. Its armored head tilted slightly, clearly ncing at the unmoving form of Fritzi, before turning to focus on the desperately crawling Gitta.
Coming to a stop just behind the prone human, the giant leaned forward, one huge hand reaching down to grab hold of poor Gitta. The moment stretched as time seemed to slow. What was it going to do once it had hold of Gitta? What was it going to do once it had hold of
any of them?
¡°Shit me sideways!¡± Sorcha screeched out an unintimidating war cry as she leapt out from the shadows.
With a wave of her amber-studded bone wand, Sorcha cast her most powerful spell, hoping it would be strong enough to kill the giant before it turned on her and squashed her under its boot.
Chapter 204: Bloody Mess
Chapter 204: Bloody Mess
Tears and snot ran down Jay¡¯s face as she made her way out of the dust cloud that had enveloped her when the tower had copsed. There was no way for her to wipe the nastiness off of her face so long as her helmet visor was down, but at least her vision was clearing as she exited the haze.
Blinking rapidly, Jay scanned the north side of the fort for a few seconds before spotting the two figures lying prone in the mud. They were hard to spot, even disregarding the shit in her eyes, since they were partially translucent. Some kind of half-assed invisibility spell? It reminded her of the hydra back in the caves, though clearly not as powerful since they were still at least partially visible. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how the effect was achieved, but whatever the means, the attempt at a stealth attack had probably cost the fuckers their lives.
Jadis¡¯ adrenaline was surging through her as high as it had when she¡¯d been almost killed by either of the matriarchs, or the Burning Rancor. Someone had tried to kill her by dropping a building on her head. A fucking
building. Who the fuck would do that? And it had almost worked, too. If Jadis didn¡¯t have an insanely high Agility stat, she probably would have been ttened by the falling tower. As it was, she¡¯d been able to dodge and roll out of the way just in time, though not without taking a few hard knocks from flying rubble. She was going to kiss Sabina once the ambush was dealt with. The te armor had probably saved her life, what with several hundred pounds of stone bs banging against Syd.
As Jadis had reeled from the surprise attack for a moment, the irritation in her eyes and hacking in her lungs made only worse by the dust cloud, she heard the sounds of people around her. Not just the screams of herpanions, who she could hear rushing forward from a distance outside of the fort, but the sounds of people moving right next to her three selves. Not that she could see who they were. At first, she¡¯d thought that they were Wi, Jaxton, and Landry. The three had been nearby, though not close enough to be squashed by the tower like her.
Then Jadis heard the sounds of fighting. A shout from Wi. A grunt of pain and a curse from one of the orcs. Something that sounded a lot like steel on flesh.
If those sounds hadn¡¯t been enough, the feeling of something, or someone, trying to slip a sharp point through a gap in Syd¡¯s armor as she knelt on the ground made the truth clear. They were still under attack.
Moving as quickly as her considerable speed and strength allowed her, Jadis began blindly attacking the air. Swinging her hammer wildly in a circle, she felt it connect with something and send it flying. As Dys did the same, her axe meeting a brief resistance followed by the sound of something wet hitting the ground nearby, Syd grabbed at the thing that was trying to stick her.
It turned out to be a person, a woman at that, if the yelp of pain was anything to go by. As she held onto the unknown assant, the sound of bones breaking under her tight grip, someone else suddenly crashed into her side, a red-hot knife of pain emanating from some sort of attack that somehow got through her armor.
With an angry growl, Syd forced herself to her feet while swinging the assant she¡¯d held onto like Jay¡¯s hammer. The woman¡¯s body struck someone else with a crunching sound before Syd tossed her away in the direction of the other person Jay had whacked.
With Syd back on her feet and Dys at her back, Jay stalked forward and out of the cloud to see who she¡¯d tossed around. There were still people somewhere in the haze attacking Wi, Jaxton, and Landry, so her two selves moved in their direction, cautious of any invisible attackers. However, Jadis wanted to see who it was she was fighting. She still had no idea what she was dealing with, and if a couple dozen more ambushers were about to charge them from the north side of the fort, she wanted to know before herpanions got bogged down in the dust cloud.
Jadis had never killed a person before. She¡¯d killed many, many demons. She¡¯d seen a lot of people die, too, some in particrly grisly ways. Still, the act of taking a person¡¯s life, an actual human person, was foreign to her. As Jay stomped closer to the two bodies she¡¯d broken, she wasn¡¯t sure she could still im that distinction.
The man on her right wasn¡¯t moving. His arms had been practically liquified, no doubt by her hammer blow. The one attack might have killed him outright, but at the minimum he¡¯d been knocked out cold. That would be a kindness, she supposed, since if he had been conscious, he would have been in absolutely unreal amounts of pain.
The woman straight ahead was in slightly better shape and was trying to crawl out of the gate. The sight made Jadis¡¯ stomach do a little turn. She didn¡¯t know the woman. In fact, the bitch had just tried to kill her, at least twice. Still, this was a person that was desperately crawling away from her for her life. As Jay came to a stop just behind her, the woman looked at her over her shoulder, pure terror in her eyes.
Fuck.
This wasn¡¯t anything like fighting demons. The hate-filled, mindless, fearless monsters were one thing. A person, even an asshole that had almost murdered her, was a lot harder to kill out of hand. ncing around, Jay didn¡¯t see any sign of a further ambush. With a sigh, she reached down to pick the woman up and carry her back towards Eir. They probably wanted these people alive, anyway, to interrogate them about why they were out here and why they were trying to kill them without warning. Mercy was a virtue, right?
As Jay bent down, reaching for the clearly terrified woman, a shout came from her right, surprising her.
¡°Shit me sideways!¡± the high-pitched voice screeched, catching Jadis entirely off guard.
Looking to her left, Jadis saw a nearly invisible figure leap out of the shadows and point something yellow and glowing at her. She barely had time to register that the tiny person had big ears and green skin before an overwhelming pain crashed through her body.
All of her muscles cramped up at the same time, causing her to freeze in ce. Her teeth clenched and her bones creaked as she was paralyzed, unable to move. As Jadis struggled against the painful petrification, she realized that it wasn¡¯t just Jay affected, but her other bodies had been locked up as well. The tiny caster¡¯s spell didn¡¯t just affect the body in front of her, it affected Jadis
as a whole.
If a scream could have left her clenching throat, Syd would have let one loose as another red-hot stabbing pain struck her, this time in the back of her left thigh. Again, she was armored there, so no de should have been able to cut through to her, but this one did. Worse, there was nothing she could do about it as she struggled against her paralysis.
¡°The bloody fuck are you?¡± she heard a male voice mumble behind her before another stab pierced into her, this time catching her lower back.
With bulging, watering, unblinking eyes, Jay watched the small, shadowy figure rush up and wrap an arm under the injured woman, partially lifting her up and helping her stagger away. As she did so, Jay could see the translucent mage gazing up at her with a horrified expression on her face. Her huge eyes looked positively gigantic, the fear more than obvious even though the spell she¡¯d cast on herself made her details difficult to distinguish. As the two put distance between themselves and her, another voice shouted out, loud and strong and full of confidence.
¡°Good sodding job, Sorcha! Time to fell this freak!¡±
Suddenly there was a heavy weight on Jay¡¯s back as someonended there. She couldn¡¯t turn her head to see, but she felt it as someone clung onto her from behind. Hands fumbled at her helmet¡¯s sps before undoing them and tossing it off of her. A momentter, Jay felt hard steel wrap around her neck as someone hooked a spiked chain around her from behind, pulling it hard and cutting off her air supply as the sharp points dug into her skin.
¡°Tough freak, aren¡¯t ya?¡± the man grunted as he pulled tighter, strangling her with his considerable strength. ¡°Rotten luck for you. Never should havee he¡ª¡±
The man¡¯s words were cut off abruptly as he let out a cry of pained surprise. He fell forward and to the side,nding hard and revealing his fat, balding visage to Jay. The spiked chain around her neck pulled free, allowing Jay to breathe again but not without tearing at her flesh as it dragged against her.
¡°
Fils de pute!¡± Kerr shouted from somewhere behind Jay. ¡°Get the fuck off my girlfriend!¡±
The fat man rolled forward, breaking the arrow that was lodged in his shoulder but avoiding the second shot Kerr sent his way. As he tumbled to his feet, Jadis felt the spastic clenching in her muscles rx as whatever spell she¡¯d been put under finally expire. With a roar of pure, unadulterated rage, Jay swung her giant war hammer up in a wide arc at the fat bald man that had been choking her to death.
In a surprisingly adept move for a man of his size and girth, the man spun and dodged out of the way, the hammer missing him by mere inches. As Jay recovered from the missed swing, her bnce thrown off by the awkward position she¡¯d attacked from, the fat manshed out at her with the chain in his hand.
The long, spiked chain swung out like a whip and wrapped around Jay¡¯s left ankle. The man yanked hard and the spikes screeched against the te armor. Jay¡¯s left leg was pulled out from under her and she toppled backwards as the man readied another strike.
Except, before either Jay could hit the ground or the fat man could swing his chain whip again, Dys came charging out from the murk andunched herself at the assant.
¡°Bloody abyss!¡± the man shouted in a gravelly voice as Dys¡¯ axe grazed the skin on his bare head. ¡°Two on one ain¡¯t fucking fair!¡±
¡°Fuck you!¡± Jay and Dys both shouted back, spittle flying from their mouths as they both went after the man at the same time.
Surprising Jadis, the man threw himself backwards in a double backflip, a feat of agility that again caught her off guard considering the guy looked like he spent all day eating cake and drinking beer. As hended, rather than counterattacking either Jay or Dys, he turned around and ran away without another word.
¡°No you fucking don¡¯t!¡± Jay shouted as she and her other self charged after him.
At the same time, another arrow shot by Kerr arced through the air towards the runner, but instead of hitting the mark, the fat fuck took a spinning step forward. Jadis nearlyughed at the sight as the arrow was deflected off of the man¡¯s huge, rippling belly.
The spectacle was so bizarre that Jadis nearly missed it when the man made a quick change in direction the moment hended, suddenly diving through an open window in the front of one of the buildings along the wall.
Jay and Dys both skidded to a stop as they followed him. Dys, slightly ahead of Jay, passed the window just slightly. As she slid to just before the door of the building, the ground under her feet disappeared as the thinyer of cloth and dirt hiding a pit trap copsed. With a yelp, Dys fell down into the trap.
The drop was more damaging to her ego than her body. Ten feet deep and filled with wooden spikes, Dys¡¯ heavily armored form crushed the timbers that simply weren¡¯t sturdy enough to pierce her. Her footing was still thrown out from under her, though, and it took her a moment to pull herself out of the mess she¡¯d fallen into.
Jay wasn¡¯t about to wait, though. Swinging her hammer like a wrecking ball, she didn¡¯t bother with knocking down the door. She knocked down the whole damned wall of the building.
Stones and mortar flew everywhere as Jay made a new entrance into the abandoned shop the fat man had dove into. Forcing her way in, she looked around, squinting in the dark to find the piece of shit.
¡°Where is he?¡± Jay heard Kerr call out from behind her as the archer jogged up, her bow ready to fire.
¡°He¡¯s fucking gone,¡± Jay growled as she mmed her hammer into the back wall of the building.
There, set low to the ground, was a hole in the wall that was wide enough for the average person to fit through, and apparently just enough for therdass too. She could see that the escape tunnel led outside the wall. The bald strangler had escaped.
¡°Shit,¡± Kerr said as she knelt down, looking through the hole. ¡°Want to get outside and track the meatball down?¡±
¡°Not yet,¡± Jay said, turning and stomping out of the destroyed building. Dys leapt up and out of the pit as she did so, her axe at the ready. ¡°There¡¯s still someone in that fucking dust cloud stabbing Syd. And I am going to shove my fist down their fucking throat.¡±
Chapter 205: Catch Me If You Can
Chapter 205: Catch Me If You Can
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary ss: Mirror Knight (29)
Secondary ss: Perverted Ritualist of D (21)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 50
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Health: 355/910
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Magic: 310/310
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Attributes
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Strength: 136
Dexterity: 36
Agility: 132
Vitality: 61
Fortitude: 46
Endurance: 48
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 132
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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Jadis¡¯ health had dropped by close to six hundred health points and she was still standing, a testament to the power of being a walking b of beef in terms of vitality. A fighter like Bridget or even a higher-level mercenary like Kerr would have died three times over by then. Not Jadis. She could take the hits like few others could. That didn¡¯t mean she felt any less pain, though.
¡°Mother fucker!¡± Syd cursed as she whipped around and stabbed at the hazy air.
Hernce hit nothing but dust and shadows. However, as she watched through teary, irritated eyes, a movement on her right caught her attention and she thrust at the source with as much speed as she could muster.
¡°Gods be damned you¡¯re a fast one,¡± the voice of a man responded as she once again missed her mark. ¡°If I weren¡¯t trying to kill you, I¡¯d be making marriage proposals. I love a woman who can keep up with me, and I can¡¯t say the height scares me off neither!¡±
¡°Why
are you trying to kill me?¡± Syd growled out as she searched the dust cloud for signs of her assant. Despite being a talker, the man was hard to pin down, the source of his voice constantly changing direction. ¡°I don¡¯t even know who you people are!¡±
¡°It ain¡¯t nothing personal, sweetheart,¡± the man replied, his ent unlike most other humans she¡¯d met on Oros. He sounded more Irish than German, reminding her of the gnomes like Nora. ¡°It¡¯s just business.¡±
At the tail end of his sentence a shadow moved nearby on Syd¡¯s left side. Another burning stab wound blossomed from her ribs as the man once again bypassed her armor in a location it had no right to. This time, though, Jadis was ready.
Ignoring the pain in her ribs, Syd released her grip on hernce andshed out blindly with her left hand. Her fingers met resistance as they closed around the wrist that held the dagger that was withdrawing from her ribcage. Pulling the man around, she grabbed hold of him with one hand firmly on his left arm and the other wrapped around his neck.
¡°Got you,¡± Syd snarled as she effortlessly lifted the struggling man even with her helmeted head.
It was hard to make out the man¡¯s features with the tears still screwing with her vision, plus the dust and the partial invisibility spell that was still affecting him, but from what she could see the guy was definitely human. Brown hair, hazel eyes, and a serious case of bad skin. He was pock marked to a degree that Jadis could see the splotchy marks despite his features being obscured. He also had a terrible set of jagged teeth that needed serious dental work. As she brought his face close to hers, he attempted to smile with those awful teeth in an almost embarrassed, conciliatory expression.
¡°Oh, well, so you have,¡± he squeaked out around her right fist squeezing his neck. ¡°With positions changed, as they are, how about we not get too hasty here, alrightss?¡±
¡°Shut it, shark face,¡± Syd growled menacingly. The irritation in her throat from all the coughing helped make her sound rougher than normal. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to twist your balls off in the next three seconds, drop the knife and surrender.¡±
The knife, still held firmly in the man¡¯s left hand, was obviously enchanted. A long, wicked-looking de with serrated edges, the metal glowed with an ominous orange light despite being translucent. Jadis honestly wasn¡¯t sure how she could have missed the glow, even with the poor visibilitybined with the partial invisibility spell. Maybe the man had some way of masking the dagger?
¡°Oi, it¡¯s my prized possession,¡± the man pleaded in a surprisingly pitiful tone. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t make me part with it, would you?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Syd growled, this time giving the man¡¯s neck a shake that made his eyes bounce in his head. ¡°I¡¯m not asking again. Drop it.¡±
As she made her ultimatum, Syd saw that herpanions were approaching through the dust cloud. Thea and Bridget were leading the way, the orc¡¯sntern glowing brightly and catching attention as they marched cautiously forward. The dust was starting to clear, and the sight of her figure standing there while holding the man had clearly caught their attention.
Jay and Dys were also approaching by that point. She wasn¡¯t sure if there were any more of the invisible assassins stalking the shadows, but since she wasn¡¯t hearing any more sounds ofbat, she was feeling fairly safe in assuming that the battle was over. Taking her eyes off of the man for a half second, Syd called out towards her approaching teammates.
¡°Over here, I¡¯ve caught one!¡±
As she shouted, the man in her grasp mumbled under his breath, his words not registering with her before he acted.
¡°Always do what thedies ask, me mum used to say.¡±
Almost casually the jagged-toothed man let go of his knife. The de tumbled out of his left hand and, with a speed that Jadis could barely keep up with, his free right hand swept up and caught the de before it had even dropped a foot. With a deft slice, the de passed through Syd¡¯s right-hand wrist, sending a painful shock through her.
Instinctively Syd¡¯s right hand released the man¡¯s neck as a burning jolt went through her. It was like the de was made of nothing as it went through her armor and wrist like they were made of air, doing no visible damage and yet causing a tremendous amount of pain.
¡°Fuck!¡± Syd cried out as she swung the man outward, letting his body whip around harshly.
¡°Bloody fuck!¡± the man echoed her shout as he let out one of his own. However, his cry of pain was followed up by one of triumph as his wrist somehow slipped out of Syd¡¯s tight grasp with an odd, crackling pop.
¡°How did you¡ª¡± Syd shouted as she whirled on the man, reaching out to grab hold of him again, but her words were cut off as he rolled away with lightning speed.
¡°Sorry, an artist never reveals the secrets to his trade!¡± the man shouted out as he rolled to his feet some twenty feet away from Syd. ¡°Maybe if we meet again¡ª¡±
This time it was the man¡¯s turn to be cut off abruptly as both Jay and Dys appeared behind him, each one swinging their weapons in a joint attack that Jadis wasn¡¯t sure was survivable. Not that she was in a mood to care at that point.
¡°Oop!¡± the man made a surprised noise as he leapt forward and away from Jadis¡¯ attacks, Dys¡¯ axe scraping against the heels of his mismatched boots.
Now rolling forward, the snaggle-toothed assassin ran straight into a dozen more people that had by then caught up. The fullpany of Fortune¡¯s Favored had arrived, along with the soldiers under Captain Wi.
¡°Surrender!¡± Wi shouted at the man as he stumbled to a halt in front of the closing circle of angry faces. ¡°Or face destruction!¡±
¡°No thanks!¡± the man shouted back before turning to his left and sprinting away like a madman.
A ghostly rune circle appeared before his feet as he ran, but his steps were so wide he bounced over A¡¯s trap without triggering it. An arrow fired from Kerr¡¯s bow passed by his shoulder, just barely missing him as he bent forward in his dash. A bolt of thunderous lightning brightened the area as a spell from Nora nearly blinded everyone, yet as Jadis blinked the stars from her eyes she saw the man had avoided that attack too and was already running out the east gate of the fort.
¡°Not another one,¡± Jadis grunted as all three of her bodies gave chase.
Activating Knight¡¯s Daring Charge, the three of her selves closed the distance between her and the fleeing assassin. In seconds they were all out of the gate and racing across the darkening outer clearing. Tossing a frightened look over his shoulder, the man shouted at her as he sprinted for the cover of the tree line.
¡°I was just joking about the marriage thing,dy! I¡¯m not actually that interested in you or your giant friends!¡±
¡°Drop dead!¡± all three of Jadis shouted back as they drew closer.
The man reached the trees and, with an unexpected pivot, dove into the underbrush. Somehow, the man was able to keep up his insane speed despite going off the road. Putting everything she had into it, Jadis charged after him, not willing to let the piece of shit get away.
As he dodged and weaved around trees both small and gigantic, Jadis¡¯ three selves chased after in different ways. Syd stayed directly on his heels, following the same track as he did. While that part of her mirrored the man¡¯s path, Jay took different turns, making sure he couldn¡¯t double back or dodge too much without risking running into her. Dys, for her part, ran wide, anticipating the direction the man was going as they all veered generally north. She had no need to see him since Jay and Syd were on his heels, so Dys swung out in the direction she thought he was headed in an attempt to cut him off.
¡°Don¡¯t you ever run out of stamina!?¡± The man shouted without turning to look back at her, the panting effort evident in his voice.
¡°No!¡± Syd shouted back, her own voice growing rough with the strain of keeping up with the speedy jackass.
Jay¡¯s hammer was slowing her down. The thing was too heavy to run with for so long at top speed and she was starting to g. As she slowed down, the gap between her and the fleeing assassin increasing, Syd lunged forward in an attempt to grab hold of the man. As she did so, hand outstretched, the man¡¯s knife sliced outward to his left, cutting a vine that Jadis had paid no mind to before that moment. Moving too fast to do anything but brace herself, arge log with wooden spikes tied across it swung directly into her path.
Syd and the spiked log crashed into each other like a train hitting a bus. Wood splinters flew everywhere as Syd ploughed through the trap, her armored bulk destroying the contraption but not without sending her tumbling across the forest floor in massive tter of steel on wood, dirt, and stone.
¡°Learn to watch where you¡¯re going if you¡¯re going to try and run like me!¡± the manughed breathlessly, right up until he saw Dys¡¯ axe swinging for his neck.
With an echoing
thwack, Dys¡¯ axe split a moderately sized young pine tree in two, the trunk cut through in one clean motion. While the devastating attack didn¡¯t hit the running man, it did force him to skid and roll across the ground in his efforts to avoid getting chopped in half like the pine tree.
As the man rolled awkwardly to a stop, disoriented and stunned by the stumbling dodge he¡¯d made, Dys drew up above him, axe held overhead threateningly.
¡°No more running,¡± Dys said as she moved to chop one of the man¡¯s legs off. She wasn¡¯t sure if Eir could reattach a severed limb, but it looked like this man was going to test that possibility.
An immense clenching pain froze Dys in ce before she could bring the axe down on the man. Her whole body froze up and, as Jadis panicked in her muted, unmoving state, she realized that her other selves had frozen as well.
¡°Gods save us, why¡¯d you bring the colossal brutes towards us!?¡± a scared voice cried out.
Dys¡¯ eyes followed a shadowy figure that popped out of the underbrush. The tiny green woman withrge eyes was standing there, her glowing yellow wand in hand. Behind her was the injured woman she¡¯d saved from Jay¡¯s grasp earlier, along with a blond man with strange orange eyes and a manic grin.
¡°Where the fuck else am I going to go!?¡± the jackass shouted, his voice cracking as he stumbled to his feet and put as much distance between himself and Dys as possible.
¡°Not towards us!¡± the tiny woman answered shrilly. ¡°You¡¯re the fast one, Legs! You run away! Away from us, you great big stupid bone sack!¡±
¡°Enough,¡± the blond man cut in before Legs could respond. ¡°Legs, kill that one while we have the chance and let¡¯s go. We need to catch up with Jockel and then Stavros.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± Legs grumbled, then stalked back up towards apletely frozen Dys, that glowing knife drawn once again. ¡°Sorry,ss, but like I said, this isn¡¯t personal. You¡¯re just too big a threat to have running around while we¡¯re out here.¡±
As he drew near, Jadis struggled wildly against the spell that was binding her muscles. She flexed and twisted and willed herself to move with all of her might. But there was no use. She simply couldn''t get her body to respond. All she could do was watch as Legs stood before her, knife poised to stab into her undefended chest.
A searing pain nearly blinded Jadis as Legs stabbed his enchanted dagger into her, passing through her chest armor to slice directly into her flesh. The burning de was dragged down as the grimacing man pulled the dagger from as high as he could reach on her chest down to her stomach, amplifying the pain Jadis was feeling to the point where if she wasn¡¯t paralyzed, she would have been either screaming or throwing up. Possibly both.
¡°How is she still not dead?¡± the unnamed blond man said with a wondering, almost gleeful tone.
Jadis herself could hardly believe it and she could see her health dropping directly.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary ss: Mirror Knight (29)
Secondary ss: Perverted Ritualist of D (21)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 50
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Health: 168/910
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Magic: 310/310
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Attributes
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Strength: 136
Dexterity: 36
Agility: 132
Vitality: 61
Fortitude: 46
Endurance: 48
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 132
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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As she watched, her health lowered even further, dipping down to the low one hundreds, then double digits as Legs twisted the knife into her, the crossguard on the de scraping against her armor.
¡°Fuck, she¡¯s still standing,¡± Legs said as sweat dropped down his brow. ¡°Where are the other two? If this goes on any longer, they¡¯re going to catch up.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t see them,¡± the injured woman said as she leaned against the small spellcaster. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s that?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t¡ªshit, time¡¯s up,¡± the blond said as his manic smile turned to a frown. ¡°Let¡¯s go, the cavalry just arrived.¡±
The cavalry had, in fact, arrived. Jadis would have sagged in relief if she could have as she watched her health slowly start to tick up. The numbers increased massively as Legs pulled the de from Dys¡¯ torso, his attack no longer countering Eir¡¯s healing spell.
Eir and the others had caught up to Jay¡¯s paralyzed body. She and several of the others were gathered around her as more charged forward, heading in Syd and Dys¡¯ direction. As every second passed, Dys could hear them growing closer.
¡°Next time,¡± the blond man said with a scowl that morphed into another unsettling grin. ¡°I¡¯ll have some more traps built for people of your size! Exciting! Make sure youe and test them for me!¡±
¡°No!¡± the tiny green woman shouted as she jogged after group of fleeing assants. Her words carried as they disappeared into the brush. ¡°We do NOT want those monsters to follow us! Do you have
any survival sense in your empty skull? How much damage did that one just eat from Legs¡¯ attack alone? Why are you such an insane bastard¡ª¡±
Her voice trailed off a few moments after Dys lost sight of them. A few seconds after that, the paralysis that was holding onto Jadis released its grasp as she fell forward.
¡°Are you alright?¡± Eir asked, her voice full of concern as Jay slumped down before her.
¡°Syd, are you okay?¡± A asked as she put an arm around her shoulders while she knelt amongst the wreckage of her fall.
¡°Hey, big stuff, you alive?¡± Kerr asked as she drew up next to Dys, her bow drawn and at the ready. ¡°Which way did they go? I¡¯ll see if I can catch up.¡±
Before Kerr could chase after the escaped ambushers, Dys reached out and grabbed hold of her wrist, preventing her from leaving.
¡°No, I¡¯m not really feeling well,¡± Jadis said from her three selves, answering the questions she¡¯d been asked all at once.
¡°Let¡¯s call this one a draw, okay?¡± Dys said with a croak.
Chapter 206: Self-Recrimination
Chapter 206: Self-Recrimination
¡°I¡¯m such a fucking idiot.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Why did I do that?¡±
¡°Because you¡¯re an idiot,¡± A reminded her gently.
¡°But
why?¡± Jay said in exasperation, flinging one hand towards the ceiling. ¡°I know what I did was stupid. I knew as I was doing it that I was making a mistake. Why in the name of D¡¯s delicious cookies did I chase after that asshole anyway?¡±
A¡¯s response wasn¡¯t immediate as she met Eir¡¯s curious gaze. She mouthed the words ¡°delicious cookies¡± at the priestess who could only shrug in response. Shaking her head, A turned her face back down towards Jay and resumed running her fingers through her hair.
¡°Well, that¡¯s a good question. Some self-reflection could help. Stand apart from yourself. Why do you think you, as you see yourself, would dash off after a dangerous enemy into unknown territory when you know they have traps in the area, possible backup, and without any support of your own since you left all of us behind?¡±
The answer to that question did not take much soul searching. Jadis had enough self-awareness to recognize her ws, even if she didn¡¯t always have the will to ovee them.
¡°Because I¡¯m reckless,¡± Syd said from where shey on her stomach nearby, voice muffled by her face being buried in a pillow.
¡°Because I act before I think,¡± Dys sighed from the opposite side of the room where she sat cross-legged, her chin on her fists.
¡°Because I¡¯m an idiot,¡± Jay reiterated before rubbing her face vigorously with her hands.
¡°So, with those facts established,¡± A said as shebed Jay¡¯s hair with her fingers, ¡°we can work on doing better next time. Please. No one, least of all me, wants to see you hurt like that again.¡±
As bad as Jadis felt about how she¡¯d fared against her first truly human opponents, the disappointment in A¡¯s eyes felt worse. Running off alone like that had been a major fuck up on her part and she was lucky to have lived. If it wasn¡¯t for her insanely high Vitality for her level, she wouldn¡¯t have. If anything positive could have been said concerning the days events, it was that at least no one on her side of the battle had died. The same could not be said for the ambushers.
When Jadis had returned to the fort, aching all over and in a terrible mood since the party of bastards she¡¯d been chasing had gotten away, her attitude had sobered up immediately upon seeing the results of the skirmish she¡¯d left behind. The man she¡¯d whacked with her hammer hadn¡¯t survived. It wasn¡¯t only his arms she¡¯d broken, but his chest, back, and neck as well. He also wasn¡¯t the only person she¡¯d killed.
Early on, when the ambushers had first attacked and Jadis had swung wildly, Dys had felt her axe connect with something. As it turned out, she¡¯d cleaved some poor fool in half, cutting straight through his chest. The mess of gore had not been pretty and if Jadis hadn¡¯t gotten used to such sights by then from previous battles, she probably would have lost her lunch on seeing it without the dust cloud to obscure the bloody scene. Even then, thinking about it made her stomach twist. Killing a person was definitely not the same feeling as killing a demon¡
No one else had seemed to have as much of a problem with it as her, though. Captain Wi and her two orc soldiers had also killed one of the assants that had attacked them. A man with a pair of curved swords. Wi had lopped his head off while he¡¯d tried to do the same to Jaxton, saving the orc¡¯s life. Neither seemed too broken up about the fact that they¡¯d had to defend themselves against the attacker, killing him in the process. Why should she?
Did she really feel that upset about it? Forcing herself to examine her reaction to the knowledge in more detail, Jadis found the answer was no. Not upset. Ufortable was a better word. A little regretful, maybe? Not that she¡¯d defended herself, no regrets there. The idiots had attacked first and she¡¯d done the right thing by fighting back, she was firm in her convictions as far as that went. She just felt somewhat morose at the necessity. She wished things had gone differently and the bastards hadn¡¯t ambushed them or tried to kill them. She wished the fat fuck and his skinny aplice and that weird mage bitch with the wand had tried talking to them first. Maybe they could havee to a peaceful solution?
Fuck. That was probably wishful thinking. Na?ve, really. Clearly the kind of people who would try to drop a building on her unprovoked weren¡¯t the kind to talk things out. Still, she couldn¡¯t help wishing the day had gone differently. At the very least, she wished she¡¯d taken the opportunity when she¡¯d had it to break that toothy asshole¡¯s arms. Maybe his knees, too, for good measure. Legs, was it? She wouldn¡¯t be forgetting him any time soon.
Legs, Jockel, and Stavros. Those were the names she¡¯d gleaned from her horrendously painful interaction with the ambushers. Other than Legs, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure who was who, or if those names even belonged to any of the people she¡¯d seen and fought, like the fat man with the chain whip. When she¡¯d ryed the info to herpanions and Captain Wi, the only name that had sparked a response was Stavros.
¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the same person,¡± Kerr had said, ¡°but there was a mercenary named Stavros back in Tennfjord, the port town, with that name. He was trying to start a mercenarypany to head to Weigrun, as I recall. No idea what ever came of him, never saw him after I left for Weigrun myself.¡±
Since Kerr had been in Weigrun for almost two years, that info was dated, to say the least. Still, it was something that Wi said she could use when they got back to Far Felsen in their investigation, presuming there were no further encounters with the ambushers. Whether they would see them again or not was up in the air, in her estimation, since it was just as likely that the criminals would do everything in their power to avoid their group now that they¡¯d made a disastrous first contact. Or they¡¯d be out for revenge, looking to take them out at the next opportunity. Either way, they¡¯d need to be on high alert going forward.
That heightened level of alertness had of course extended to their sleeping arrangements for the night. Wi had ordered the fort thoroughly searched for any more traps or secret entrances. Every building had been checked twice over to be certain no nasty surprises waited for them. Quite a few more traps had been discovered and disabled, along with a second escape tunnel that had been filled in.
Jadis and her team had taken thergest remaining building in the fort, now that the inn and tower had been destroyed, as their amodations. The building had been a barracks before the fort was abandoned so there was plenty of room for them once they tossed the old and broken bunk beds out of the way. With a firece going strong and a real roof overhead, Jadis had to say that the quarters were decent enough. Better than camping, as nice as the wagon was, though still not as good as their room back in the city. Not that she was longing to return. A life of adventure was what she¡¯d signed up for when she¡¯d reincarnated on Oros and travelling to distant ces and sleeping in less thanfortable locales was part of that package. As were fights with assholes and near-death experiences with snaggle-toothed assassins, apparently.
¡°Did you see anything on the de that looked like this?¡± Sabina asked, holding up a nk of wood in front of Dys¡¯ face, drawing her attention away from her bitter thoughts. ¡°It might have been along the tang or on just one side.¡±
The smith had drawn on the wood with a piece of charcoal, outlining a strange runic symbol with many sharp points surrounding a central symbol that looked a lot like an eye.
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Dys shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t be sure. The partial invisibility spell cast on the de made it difficult to make out details.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Sabina hummed as she withdrew the nk and stared at it herself. ¡°I bet it had this on it. Probably. Maybe. The orange glow you described could mean a few different things but what you said about the de passing through your armor without damaging itbined with the orange-ness and what Eir said about your health means it¡¯s probably this enchantment or something very close to it.¡±
¡°W¡ªwhat kind of enchantment is it?¡± Thea asked curiously from where she was cleaning her armor in a corner of the room.
¡°Soul Reaver,¡± Sabina told her, holding up the drawing towards Thea so she could see. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it in action but it¡¯s one of the extremely rare ones that my father taught me about. It¡¯s based off of a malediction spell that attacks the soul directly so it damages your health without actually cutting your flesh. It bypasses armor since its not a physical attack anymore and is purely divine in nature.¡±
¡°That¡¯s abhorrent,¡± Eir gasped, looking up from where she was rubbing and kneading Syd¡¯s back to soothe her aches and pains. ¡°Who would make something so terrible?¡±
¡°Uh,¡± the smith shrugged helplessly. ¡°I don¡¯t know where this one came from, but the one my father told me about was made by Sestolino the Gold Hand. He was a world-renowned smith who died six hundred and twenty-nine years ago who would make just about any weapon with any enchantment you can imagine so I guess a cultistmissioned this malediction? He wasn¡¯t the type of smith to care who used the weapon or why, he just liked the challenge of making things.¡±
¡°And that Legs guy got one of his daggers somehow?¡± Dys asked incredulously.
¡°Oh, no!¡± Sabina shook her head vehemently. ¡°His work is far too sought after for some random bandit in Weigrun to have one, hister weapons sell for hundreds of gold pieces, some are even treasured by the imperial family! It¡¯s probably a replica, since his enchantments are rather famous and a good enchanter who has studied Sestolino¡¯s work could potentially replicate the enchantment, if they were themselves high enough in level and had the right materials.¡±
Whether the knife had been some grand artifact crafted by a long dead master enchanter or a cheap knockoff changed nothing about how much it had hurt to be stabbed by the incorporeal de. The knife hadn¡¯t left any physical scars, but even after being healed by Eir, Jadis still felt phantom pains itching at the different spots where she¡¯d been stabbed. Eir¡¯s gentle ministrations were helping, but Jadis felt like she needed a distraction to get her mind off of dwelling on the horrible blunder she¡¯d made and the ordeal she¡¯d gone through earlier in the day. Such a distraction presented itself as Sabina continued to talk about the master enchanter animatedly, though it wasn¡¯t necessarily a wee one.
¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Kerr mumbled, stepping around the edge of the room. ¡°Forgot something in the wagon.¡±
Jadis watched Kerr go, a different kind of worry tugging at her. Kerr had been quiet ever since they¡¯d gotten back to the fort. Far from her usual casual attitude, she¡¯d been withdrawn and pensive. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure what had prompted the change in demeanor, but she couldn¡¯t help but worry that it had something to do with the unexpected shout Kerr had issued earlier in the day.
¡°Get the fuck off my girlfriend!¡±
Those had been Kerr¡¯s exact words after she¡¯d shot the murderous bastard off of Jay¡¯s back. At the time, Jadis hadn¡¯t had the wherewithal to focus on those rather significant half-dozen set of words. Now, though, she had the time and space to think about the moment. And while a lot of different things came to mind when she thought of Kerr, girlfriend wasn¡¯t on the list.
¡°Give me a second,¡± Jay said as she sat up from where shey with her head in A¡¯sp. ¡°I need to go get something from the wagon, too.¡±
¡°Okay, hurry back,¡± A said with a nod and a half smile.
Before she quite got up, Jay quickly turned back and gave A a loving kiss.
¡°I will,¡± Jay assured her.
A few secondster Jay was outside in the cold of the winter night. The wagon had been parked across from their building, forming a kind of barrier with the soldier¡¯s wagon. The soldiers hadmandeered one of the other nearby buildings that was still in good condition for their own sleeping quarters, but four of them were out on guard duty, two on the wall and two in the courtyard. Jadis didn¡¯t pay any mind to them, though. Her sights were set on one woman.
Kerr had already reached the wagon and was rummaging around inside. Jay could see her through the open front door. Striding up to join her, Jay leapt up on the front seat and leaned in, looking at the therion who had her head buried in a wooden crate.
¡°Hey,¡± Jay called out, not entirely certain where to start. ¡°Want to talk?¡±
A curse drifted out of the wagon interior, followed a momentter by Kerr herself carrying a corked ss bottle.
¡°Not really,¡± Kerr said, wiggling the bottle in one hand. ¡°Kind of just wanted to see how fast I could down this shit.¡±
¡°Well I do want to talk,¡± Jay insisted, swiping the alcohol out of Kerr¡¯s hand. ¡°You can drinkter.¡±
¡°Fuck,¡± Kerr moaned while looking down. She leaned her head against where her hand rested on the wagon¡¯s doorframe. ¡°You heard me, didn¡¯t you.¡±
¡°I heard you,¡± Jay nodded somberly.
¡°Yeah, okay,¡± Kerr sighed. "Let¡¯s talk.¡±
Chapter 207: Heart to Heart
Chapter 207: Heart to Heart
¡°We¡¯re friends, right?¡± Kerr asked with a quick nce towards Jay before dropping her gaze down again.
¡°Yes,¡± Jay answered without hesitation. ¡°Absolutely.¡±
To Jadis¡¯ surprise, Kerr actually blushed, a faint pink coloring her cheeks. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d ever seen Kerr blush about anything. Ever.
¡°Yes, well,¡± Kerr cleared her throat. ¡°I also see you as my friend. I also see you as a ridiculously hot stud who I get to ride regrly. I mean, we work well together, we hang out and have fun together, and we have so much great sex all the time it¡¯s just amazing. It¡¯s an amazing dynamic we have here. I know eight differentnguages and can curse in fourteen more and I can¡¯t really think of a word to describe the kind of rtionship we have.¡±
¡°Fuck buddies?¡± Jay said with a raised eyebrow.
¡°Uh,¡± Kerr paused, looking up at Jay with furrowed brows. ¡°Yeah, I guess so? I mean, that¡¯s what I thought we were. I mean, that¡¯s what we
are. Definitely. We¡¯re friends and we fuck. So, yes. Fuck buddies.¡±
¡°Except¡?¡± Jay prompted, sensing the uncertainty in Kerr¡¯s tone.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the woman looked down again, unable to maintain her gaze with Jay. ¡°That¡¯s it. There¡¯s nothing more.¡±
Jadis frowned, her focus almost entirely on the nervous, downcast archer standing before her. Kerr still wasn¡¯t meeting her eyes. She was leaning against the door frame in an apparently rxed posture but she was fiddling with her fingers, her ws picking at each other. Her tail was also tucked up close to her legs, still and unmoving.
There was more.
¡°Kerr,¡± Jay started gently, ¡°I am in a rtionship. A pretty open rtionship, admittedly, but one I take seriously. I care a lot about A, more than I think even she realizes. Anyway, one of the ground rules that we set down when we started our rtionship was that we would be open and honest with each other. We both knew that I¡¯d be having sex with more people than just her due to the nature of my ss, never mind my personality. But she¡¯s fine with it, so long as I agreed that she¡¯d always be present for these interactions and I never tried to hide anything from her.¡±
¡°Yeah, that makes sense,¡± Kerr said with a shrug. ¡°That¡¯s a reasonable way of going about it. Sometimes I forget that we¡¯re not all therions and other races can be kind of weird about the whole sex thing. So yeah, it¡¯s fine¡ª¡±
As Kerr spoke, she shifted and moved to step out of the wagon. Her words and her movement were both stopped as Jay put a hand on her shoulder, holding her in ce.
¡°We promised each other we¡¯d always be open with each other when it came to our rtionship,¡± Jay insisted firmly. ¡°Especially when it came to sex stuff, but I¡¯d say what¡¯s going on here is arguably more important.¡±
¡°What do you¡ª?¡± Kerr started, then stopped as her eyes went wide.
¡°We have something important to discuss?¡± A asked, looking between Kerr and Jay expectantly.
Advantages of having multiple bodies. While Jay had been speaking with Kerr, Dys had let A know that she was needed, giving her girlfriend time to get bundled up in a warm cloak beforeing out to the wagon to join them in their talks.
¡°Oh shit,¡± Kerr cursed as she tried to find a way out, slowly backing away into the dark wagon interior behind her.
¡°No,¡± Jay stopped her, pulling her back forward with the hand still on her shoulder. ¡°We are, if nothing else, a team. We are in the same mercenary group, we¡¯re friends, and we all have sex together. This isn¡¯t something we¡¯re going to just leave unsaid and let fester. That¡¯ll just poison us. So, we¡¯re talking.¡±
¡°I see,¡± A said as she pulled herself up into the wagon to join Jay and Kerr. ¡°That kind of important.¡±
¡°Look, Freckles,¡± Kerr started, then visibly stopped herself and started over. ¡°A. I don¡¯t know how much this fucking
asino ryed to you while I thought we were having a
private conversation but I promise I¡¯m not trying to horn in on what¡¯s yours. I¡¯m always up for some fun times and I don¡¯t pay attention too much to rtionship lines I admit so sometimes maybe I do things that go a little too far¡ªlike that time in the restaurant¡ªbut that was just meant to be fun and also I did that to you not her so you see what I mean about not trying to get in between you two or you four or however it works with all this and fuck I sound like Sabina right now.¡±
As Kerr¡¯s panicked rant carried on, her voice had grown progressively higher until the end where her tone lowered to a confused whisper. Shaking her head, Kerr looked back up to continue but was stopped by A, who had by thene to stand directly in front of the agitated therion.
¡°She didn¡¯t tell me anything,¡± A said, her demeanor cool and her voice level.
¡°Yeah,¡± Jay added a little defensively. ¡°I¡¯m not a dick, I just told her toe out here so we can all talk.¡±
¡°However,¡± A continued, ¡°I¡¯m not blind or a fool. And your own words just now served as ample confirmation.¡±
¡°Uh,¡± Kerr fumbled, looking less and less like her usual carefree self.
¡°I suspected something of this nature might happen. Though I admit,¡± A mused, ¡°I expected Eir to be the first to broach the subject of a multi-partner rtionship, not you.¡±
¡°You did?¡± Kerr asked, confusion evident on her face.
¡°You did?¡± Jay echoed, her own confusion showing. ¡°I mean, what?¡±
¡°Look,¡± A sighed, ¡°Casual sex is one thing. Living with the same small group of people, working with them constantly, fighting together with them, getting into life and death situations, sharing deep and personal secrets¡ and having a great deal of sex, too¡ªthat¡¯s not a recipe for a tonic rtionship.¡±
¡°Good point,¡± Jay tilted her head in acknowledgement. ¡°Though that doesn¡¯t necessarily guarantee romantic feelings.¡±
¡°No, it doesn¡¯t,¡± A nodded. ¡°But you¡¯d be stupid to not consider the likelihood. And as I have previously established, I am not a fool. I presume something was said between the two of you that has escted your feelings towards each other?¡±
Thest was said with a look between the two of them. A¡¯s blue eyes showed no anger or judgement. Instead, she looked mostly curious, though she was still maintaining her cid expression.
¡°I might have called her my girlfriend in the heat of battle,¡± Kerr admitted with a little prompting. ¡°I just¡ªIt was just, you know. It just came out. When I saw that fat piece of shit trying to choke her with that chain, I felt so, so¡¡±
¡°I understand,¡± A said quietly. ¡°I love Jadis, too.¡±
A shiver ran up Jadis¡¯ collective spines at her girlfriend¡¯s words. She wasn¡¯t sure that A had ever said so, directly. To hear her admit her love blossomed a special warmth inside of her that erased every negative thought and emotion she¡¯d had that day from her mind.
¡°Yeah,¡± Kerr said after a pregnant pause, one w scratching at her cheek. ¡°I think that¡¯s what this is. Love.¡±
Now Jadis really didn¡¯t know what to do. Hearing that two of the women that she loved and respected more than anyone else in the world both loved her made her soul soar. She wanted to shout for joy. She wanted to wrap both of them up in her arms and squeeze them tight. She wanted to dance through the courtyard and show off her amazing two lovers to everyone. She wanted to make love to them both right then and there, fucking them silly all night long.
She settled for a more restrained reaction.
¡°I love you, A,¡± Jay said before giving her a tender kiss. Once she pulled away, she looked at Kerr who was watching with her lower lip caught between her fangs. ¡°I love you, too, Kerr.¡±
Jay leaned forward and gently kissed the nervous woman. With a needy moan, Kerr leaned into the kiss, turning it into something less than chaste for the few seconds itsted. When Jay finally pulled away, Kerr¡¯s eyes were half-lidded and her mouth hung open, breathing heavily.
¡°So, what now?¡± Jay said, swallowing loudly. ¡°We¡¯re, what, girlfriends? All three of us, together?¡±
¡°At the very least, you are my girlfriend,¡± A said as she leaned in a little closer to Jay. ¡°And I would say Kerr is your girlfriend, if she epts.¡±
¡°Fucking yeah I do,¡± Kerr said as she pressed her body up against Jay.
¡°I don¡¯t know that Kerr and I have that kind of rtionship, though,¡± A continued with one raised eyebrow.
¡°Yet,¡± Kerr said. ¡°I mean, if we¡¯re all being honest and baring our souls and shit like that, I do kind of like you, Blue. When you don¡¯t have a stick shoved up your ass, that is. In fact, you can be pretty fun when you¡¯ve got other things shoved other ces.¡±
¡°I can assure you, Kerr,¡± A said as she moved to loom over the other woman, using her height to her advantage, ¡°That in any rtionship we may or may not have in the future, any shoving of things inside ces will involve me doing the shoving, and you being the ces.¡±
¡°Aw, that¡¯s the sweetest thing you¡¯ve ever said to me,¡± the archer mewed in a sharine voice. ¡°Any time you want to fuck my face like you did to Jadis the other night, my mouth is always open for you.¡±
That sounded a lot more like the Kerr that Jadis knew and loved. It was also just the rightbination of words to make A blush red as an ember, though she still maintained her domineering poise.
¡°Maybe if you beg nicely,¡± A responded in a haughty tone that did things for Jadis.
Kerr must have felt a simr way, as her expression morphed into a wide and toothy grin.
¡°Oh, I can do more than beg,¡± Kerr purred. ¡°In fact, why don¡¯t I show you right¡ª¡±
¡°A? Kerr? I¡¯m sorry, which of the three sisters are you?¡±
The three of them looked up, startled by the sudden intrusion into their private moment. Looking up, Jay saw that Captain Wi was approaching them from across the courtyard. She looked like she¡¯d just exited one of the empty buildings and was still fully armored. She walked towards the wagon with a brisk step, holding antern overhead.
A quickly pulled away, making herself look presentable as she faced the military woman. Kerr, on the other hand, made no move to pull away from Jay and, in fact, draped against her side even more heavily.
¡°It¡¯s Jay,¡± Jay called back, straightening up and forcing her new girlfriend to stand on her own feet at least. ¡°Anything wrong, captain?¡±
¡°No,¡± Wi said as she came closer, her breath steaming in the cold air. ¡°Nothing wrong that I¡¯ve seen. Is naught amiss here? Why are you three standing out here in the chill of the night?¡±
¡°We were just discussing future ns,¡± A replied with such calm dignity that even Jadis never would have guessed that she¡¯d actually just been telling Kerr to beg her for the privilege of letting her choke on her cock. ¡°Today¡¯s events have been¡ illuminating.¡±
¡°Mm, true,¡± Wi hummed, oblivious to A¡¯s hidden meaning. ¡°Those bandits aren¡¯t exactly what we expected to run into on this trip, though maybe not too far off, either. I¡¯m mostly concerned about why they were holding this fort.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Jay asked, her interest piqued.
¡°If these are the thieves who have been illegally mining eleria, why were they this far south?¡± Wi asked. ¡°The mountains are still days away by wagon. The only reason I can see would be to use this as some kind of stopping point for a smuggling route for getting the eleria out of Weigrun, but I¡¯m not sure how. The reports we received indicate that the smugglers were using a coastal route. This is too far ind to be rted, unless they were going by an unnecessarily long route.¡±
¡°That is quite odd,¡± Amented. ¡°However, this may have just been a scouting position. They could have just been on watch for any authoritiesing to investigate.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Wi nodded, though she didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°This whole encounter just felt off to me, though. Is there anything else you remember from your encounter with them?¡± Captain Wi looked up at Jay. ¡°Or maybe one of your sisters? If there are any more details, even seemingly insignificant ones, that could prove useful in my investigation.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t remember anything I haven¡¯t already told you,¡± Jay announced, her body stiffening up. With a forced smile on her face, she stepped down from the wagon and helped A and Kerr down as well, the two women looking confused by Jay¡¯s sudden retreat. ¡°I¡¯ll ask my sisters though and if any of us think of anything, we¡¯ll let you know in the morning.¡±
¡°Alright then,¡± Wi said with her own look of confusion as Jay swept A and Kerr into walking away. ¡°Have a good rest.¡±
¡°You too! Sleep well!¡± Jay called back as she hurried towards the barracks building, A and Kerr in tow.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± A whispered as she walked quickly on Jay¡¯s right side. ¡°That was more than a little abrupt. Did something happen?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Jay said as they approached the barracks door. ¡°Sabina just asked me to have sex. I couldn¡¯t really have that conversation with Wi while Sabina is trying to seduce me. Too distracting.¡±
Kerr let out augh from Jay¡¯s left side. ¡°Of course she is! Have I told you yet how much fun it is being your girlfriend?¡±
¡°Not yet,¡± Jay said, throwing open the door. ¡°But I¡¯m sure you will.¡±
Chapter 208: Taste
Chapter 208: Taste
¡°So when are we going to have sex?¡±
Dys blinked. Had she heard that right? She had to admit, she hadn¡¯t been paying much attention to what Sabina had been saying. The smith had been going on for a while now, talking about Sestolino and the masterwork weapons and armor he had enchanted centuries ago. It wasn¡¯t as though Jadis didn¡¯t find the topic interesting, it was just that what was going on between her, A, and Kerr was of much greater importance. Most of her focus was on the discussion outside, so even with her split mind to help her she wasn¡¯t giving Sabina¡¯s monologue all the attention she deserved.
Dropping the sex question on her like a hammer on an anvil brought her focus back around.
¡°Sex?¡± Dys asked intelligently. ¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m level twenty now,¡± Sabina stated matter-of-factly. ¡°I have my secondary ss. I¡¯d like to empower it with your sex ritual since it could affect any future skills I get for it. Also, even though I can¡¯t do much crafting out here without the proper tools and facility, I might still be able to make a few enchanted items with what I did bring¡ªwhich I really am d that the wagon is so big because I was able to bring quite a bit¡ªbut I can¡¯t really make much of anything right now without any stats in Arcane, Divine, or Eldritch.¡±
As she spoke, Sabina walked over from where she had been pacing near a bemused Thea. Coming to a stop directly in front of where Dys sat on the floor, she put her fists on her hips in an endearingly firm way.
¡°Also, I want to have sex with you. I¡¯ve been hoping I might get to be with one of you since I first met the ¡®three¡¯ of you and I¡¯ve been soaking my panties ever since I saw you and the others go at it a few nights ago. I know you need to have sex with the others tonight to recharge their rituals anyway so I want to join this time.¡±
With that shockingly direct statement, Sabina stepped forward and sat down in Dys¡¯p, facing her. Of course, with the height difference between them, that meant Sabina¡¯s face was on the same level as Dys¡¯ chest and her nose was briefly buried in her cleavage. Wrapping her legs around Dys¡¯ waist, Sabina leaned back and looked up into Dys¡¯ wide violet eyes.
¡°So, how do we start? Do we need to be in a certain position?¡±
¡°Woah, woah, woah,¡± Bridget cried out from her corner of the room where she¡¯d set up a sleeping mat. ¡°Right here? Right now!?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Sabina looked back at Bridget briefly with mild confusion. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Well, because,¡± Bridget stammered as she quickly got to her feet. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s your first time! You¡¯re going to just
do it right here? In front of everyone?¡±
¡°Why not?¡± Sabina looked even more confused before turning back to face Dys, her gaze morphing into something more heated. ¡°It¡¯s sex, not a marriage proposal. You can watch if you want, or you can ignore us, or leave the building for however long this takes. If you want to watch, though, you should sit with Thea. She¡¯s a voyeur so she would know best how to watch for best effect.¡±
¡°Okay, we¡¯re back!¡± Jay announced as she threw open the door to the barracks, interrupting Sabina before she could say anything else that would melt Thea into a puddle of embarrassment.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Kerr asked as she and A followed Jay inside. ¡°My inner slut sense is telling me some sex is about to go down.¡±
As Sabina advised Kerr of her intentions in her confusingly unbothered and direct manner, Eir separated herself from Syd and moved up next to A. The priestess gave Jay a look before leaning in close to A, her face questioning.
¡°Is everything alright?¡± Eir asked quietly.
¡°Yes,¡± A nodded with a slight smile. ¡°Everything is well. We can talk about itter.¡±
They would have to talk moreter, wouldn¡¯t they? The discussion with A and Kerr had opened up their rtionship to a whole new world. If Kerr was officially dating her, that meant there was potential for more additions to the polygamous bond between them. Eir had been with them for even longer than Kerr, technically, and definitely had strong feelings for Jadis. A¡¯s assessment that the elf would have been the first to approach them about joining them in a more serious capacity hadn¡¯t been unfounded.
Such talks could wait forter, though. Jadis had already been worked up by A and Kerr¡¯s admissions of love followed by their subsequent sexy teasing. The situation with Sabina was only fanning the mes of her lust.
¡°Later, then,¡± Eir agreed easily. ¡°I think Bridget needs some support, though. Excuse me.¡±
Eir slipped away to talk to the agitated and clearly embarrassed orc. Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to do about that, since it seemed that while Bridget was interested in her, the actual reality of casual sex among her new teammates was daunting to her. She was willing to leave that problem in Eir¡¯s capable hands, though. She had other things to focus on at the moment.
¡°If you want to do this now, I¡¯m fine with it,¡± Dys said, briefly catching A¡¯s eye for confirmation before refocusing her gaze on the half-elf. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to show you my appreciation for the amazing armor you made for me. Saved my life at least a couple of times today and I¡¯d say that deserves some kind of reward.¡±
¡°Oh, it did? That¡¯s great!¡± Sabina said excitedly. ¡°What did the armor do to safeguard you specifically? Were there any aspects to the armor that could be adjusted to make it better at protecting you if you were to be put in the same situation? Did anything you encounter bypass the armor¡¯s defenses? Besides the malediction dagger, of course, since that¡¯s clearly an exceptional circumstance that¡ª¡±
Dys silenced Sabina with a finger on her lips.
¡°Focus, Sabina. We¡¯re talking about sex right now, not armor.¡±
Sabina nodded, finally showing a bit of the bashfulness that Jadis expected from the smith.
¡°Sorry,¡± Sabina said with an embarrassed expression. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to go on a tangent like that and maybe I¡¯m starting to think about what¡¯s about to happen a little too much now because I¡¯m starting to get a little nervous and I¡¯m rambling again and¡ª¡±
For a second time, Dys silenced Sabina. The second time, however, she used her lips rather than her finger.
Sabina¡¯s lips were chapped from the cold, leaving them rough to the touch, but as Dys pressed forward and pried Sabina¡¯s lips apart with her tongue, she found that the half-elf¡¯s mouth tasted sweet like wine. She delved deeper, pressing her tongue against Sabina¡¯s, filling her mouth and teasing out a few intive moans out of the smith. Wrapping her arms around the smaller woman, Dys pressed her closer to her body and used her left hand to forcefully grind Sabina into her, mashing their lower halves together in brief act of lewdness that made the smith moan even more.
¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to do that,¡± Dys said after she broke the kiss a minuteter.
¡°Uh huh,¡± Sabina let out a little grunt, her eyes dazed and unfocused.
¡°I suppose we¡¯ll let Sabina have her turn with you first,¡± A announced from where she stood with Jay. ¡°We can wait to have our turns.¡±
¡°Do we have to wait?¡± Kerr asked with a frown. ¡°Can¡¯t we just¡?¡±
¡°Sit down,¡± A ordered as she took her own seat on the nketed ground. ¡°Jadis is going to need to focus on the ritual.¡±
Jadis would, in fact, have to do just that. For the Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond ritual spell to work, she was going to need to have an hour-long uninterrupted session of fucking with Sabina. The others could certainly enjoy themselves on the sideline, but Jadis couldn¡¯t perform any other actual rituals while she was doing the one with Sabina.
And, despite Sabina¡¯s sinct and almost business-like attitude towards theing event, Jadis had no intention of treating the smith with any less care and attention than she deserved as one of her lovers. She would make their first time together a memorable one, of that she was certain.
¡°Stand up,¡± Dysmanded Sabina. When the dazed half-elf didn¡¯t immediately respond, Dys gave her ass a firm squeeze. ¡°Up, Sabina. Now.¡±
With a jolt, Sabina unwrapped her legs from around Dys¡¯ waist and rose to her feet.
¡°What do I¡ª¡± she started to say but didn¡¯t finish as Syd appeared behind her.
With a deft move, Syd pulled Sabina¡¯s shirt over her head while Dys stripped her of her pants, disrobing the woman in a matter of seconds. Surprised, Sabina blushed but made no move to cover up her naked form.
¡°Is, um, this alright?¡± she asked with a nervous smile.
¡°More than alright,¡± Dys murmured as she took in the sight.
Sabina was not a small woman. Compared to herself and the other taller women in her group, it was easy for Jadis to forget that Sabina was actually rather tall and powerfully built. The half-elf was a couple of inches over six feet and had a muscr physique. Her arms were powerful from years spent hammering anvils and her back and shoulders were chiseled like an Olympian. Her dark tan skin shone in the firelight, almost making her look like a body builder. Her breasts weren¡¯trge, closer to A¡¯s in size than anyone else, and her small brown nipples stood out sharply. Looking lower, Sabina¡¯s pussy showed no trace of hair, not even the slight tuft that Eir had. She was the only other person Jadis had seen so far to gopletely hairless down there besides herself, and her ownck of hair was an apparent feature of her biology, not a grooming choice. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure which the case was with Sabina, but the sight of her wetly glistening lower lips took precedence.
¡°Just lean back and enjoy this,¡± Syd said as she tilted Sabina¡¯s head to one side so that she was looking at her. ¡°I told you I want to reward you for all the work you¡¯ve done so far. Consider this a taste of that reward.¡±
Syd captured Sabina¡¯s lips in another deep kiss as her hands roamed across the half-elf¡¯s chest. Cupping her firm breasts in her hands, she gave them a gentle squeeze, drawing out a moan from the smith. A secondter, more moans hummed from Sabina¡¯s upied mouth as Dys ced a kiss on her left thigh, followed by another on her right. Dys continued to kiss Sabina¡¯s muscled thighs as well as her lower stomach, drawing closer and closer to her eventual goal but not quite touching there, not yet. She teased Sabina for a while longer, nibbling on her sensitive flesh while Syd kneaded her breasts.
Sabina moaned pitifully, her legs writhing and squirming together as she sought to satisfy her needy pussy. Dys didn¡¯t let her, though, holding her hips firmly in both hands to keep her still. Sabina¡¯s hands grasped at Dys¡¯s hair, trying to pull her closer to her dripping core, but she easily resisted the insistent tugging and lowered herself further down instead. A single drip left a long, wet trail down Sabina¡¯s inner thigh, all the way down to her knee. With an almost worshipful solemnity, Dys scooped up the drop of sweetness with her tongue.
Sweet and almost spicy, like sugar mixed with cinnamon. Sabina¡¯s vor was definitely inhuman, reminding Jadis of Eir, but intoxicating in its exotess.
With the t of her tongue, Dys swept her tongue upwards from her knee along Sabina¡¯s inner thigh, stopped until she was a mere inch away from her soaked core. She really was dripping, her swollen lips practically gushing.
¡°Please!¡± Sabina begged, breaking away from Syd¡¯s kiss to look down at Dys. ¡°Please! Please!¡±
¡°With pleasure,¡± Dys replied huskily.
Closing the small gap between them, Dys let her tongue loll out of her mouth fully, letting Sabina get a good look at the long pink muscle that was about to prate her. A shiver went through the smith, doubled in intensity as Syd nibbled on her neck. With agonizing slowness, Dys slipped between Sabina¡¯s thighs and brought her tongue firmly across the smith¡¯s pussy.
Sabina¡¯s knees buckled as she let out a whimper.
¡°Yes, please! Right there!¡± she panted out. ¡°Please! Please!¡±
Sabina¡¯s repetitious begging continued to increase in speed and volume as Dys dove deeper and deeper, sliding her tongue into the half-elf¡¯s hot and wet depths. She licked and stroked at Sabina¡¯s core, tonguing her with increasing firmness as she brought the woman closer to her looming peak. With how she was responding, Jadis could tell that Sabina had a fast trigger and was going to being soon.
As her left hand yed with Sabina¡¯s perky nipple, Syd slid her right hand down to circle the smith¡¯s clit. Stroking her finger around it once, twice, then three times, Syd finally touched the aching nub.
A flood of sticky juices filled Dys¡¯ mouth and dribbled down her chin as Sabina abruptly climaxed. Her stomach clenched and her legs stiffened in spasms as she squirted her pleasure onto Dys¡¯ eagerly receiving tongue. The cinnamon sweetness was almost overwhelming, though Jadis would be damned if she would willingly waste a single drop.
¡°Yesohyesohyesohyesohyesohyes!¡± Sabina cried out in a high-pitched chatter, her wordsing so fast that they blended together into something barely intelligible.
Eventually Sabina¡¯s body rxed, going limp like a puppet with its strings cut as her climax finished. Giving her onest lick, Dys pulled away to reveal her chin and neck were soaked with Sabina¡¯s fluids and arge wet spot across the front of her shirt.
¡°Oh, ah, mmm,¡± Sabina hummed as she was held up by Dys and Syd¡¯s strong hands. ¡°Thank you, that was amazing¡¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Dys let out augh. ¡°You taste wonderful,¡± she added while taking another quick lick of Sabina¡¯s tan thigh.
¡°Was that the ritual?¡± Sabina asked breathlessly. ¡°Because that was great, honestly, but I thought there would be more to it plus I don¡¯t see any difference with my status sheet and does that mean I did it wrong and we have to try again? Because I would love to try that again as many times as it takes.¡±
Augh from behind her caught Sabina¡¯s attention. Looking behind her, she saw what Jadis could already see. Jay was sitting amongst a pile of nkets, A and Kerr both curled up under an arm each, both very naked. Thea was on Kerr¡¯s side, watching the show with her big brown eyes and a hand between her legs while Eir was sitting on A¡¯s side, still robed but clearly not intending to be for much longer. Bridget was further back, sitting on a chair at a table and pretending not to stare while watching with intense interest.
¡°That only took, what, five minutes?¡± Kerr said while looking at A.
¡°I¡¯d say closer to ten,¡± A corrected.
¡°Ten. Whatever,¡± Kerr waved dismissively. ¡°That lewd ritual Jadis is doing with you takes an hour to perform. You¡¯ve got another fifty minutes to go, at least.¡±
Sabina¡¯s gold-tinted eyes whipped down to meet Dys¡¯ heated gaze.
¡°I told you this was just a taste,¡± Dys reminded her before licking her lips.
Chapter 209: Too Much
Chapter 209: Too Much
¡°Nononononono¡ª¡± Sabina¡¯s litany of repeated words was cut off by a sudden, lewd wail.
¡°Just breathe,¡± Dys whispered into her ear while gently petting her head. ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡±
¡°Oh, please,¡± Sabina moaned in a shaky voice. ¡°I can¡¯t take anymore¡¡±
¡°Should we stop?¡± Dys asked as it was bing a real concern that maybe they should.
¡°No!¡± Sabina cried out, a shiver running through her. ¡°I can make it! I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine, I just¡ªgods!¡±
A deeper shudder rolled through the smith as her vocalizations turned to inarticte grunts and moans. Wetness flooded Syd¡¯s cock and crotch as Sabina climaxed while riding on top of her. Again.
Sabina was shockingly sensitive. Sensitive to a point that Jadis had never dealt with before, not even close. The woman was on a hair trigger, easy to bring to her peak with a minimum of touch, sometimes getting there in just a matter of minutes. And once she reached her climax, Sabina was the kind to experience multiple orgasms, her body writhing and shuddering through two or three more if the stimtion continued.
¡°How many is that now?¡± Kerr asked, her eyebrows raised high as she blinked wonderingly.
¡°Twenty,¡± Thea whispered from next to her, her own eyes just as big.
Sabina¡¯s capacity for quick and strung along orgasms was equal parts sexy and kind of disturbing. Seeing the hot half-elf sumb to pleasure as she shuddered and moaned while her eyes rolled back into her head was a breathtaking sight that made Jadis want to ravage her even more. Then again, the fact that Sabina was literally dripping with sweat and gushing out fluids with every orgasm had her worried that she was going to actually cause herself harm from dehydration. A real enough concern that halfway through the ritual she¡¯d poured water down the panting smith¡¯s throat and had Eir cast some of her healing on her, just in case.
There was a further concern when it came to Sabina¡¯s hair trigger, beyond just health considerations. How was she ever supposed to coordinate her climaxes with everyone else when they attempted Lascivious Empowerment? There wasn¡¯t a chance Jadis could get everyone in the whole group to cum at the same time that Sabina did, much less as frequently. And that ritual normally took two hours. Sabina was barely hanging on through the one hour of Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond. It had been something like forty-five minutes so far and she was legitimately worried for the smith¡¯s safety.
At least Jadis had Ritual Time Reduction. She could use that skill to decrease the length of time of a ritual by half, which would certainly help. But as to Sabina¡¯s hair trigger¡ That problem would have to be addressed another time. Jadis had enough mental separation between her refracted minds that she could think about multiple different topics at the same time, but having one of her cocks squeezed by Sabina¡¯s tight pussy as she experienced
another orgasm was arge distraction, one that she¡¯d rather focus on than not.
¡°Fuck fuck fuck!¡± Sabina cursed and shook before falling forwards towards Syd.
Dys let her go, allowing Sabina to flop into Syd¡¯s waiting arms as the half-elf buried her face between her tits and muffled her moans. Leaning back, Dys admired the messy connection of Syd and Sabina¡¯s bodies.
The sight was beyond just lewd. Debauched was a better word. Depraved, even. Syd¡¯s giant cock was halfway thrust into half-elf¡¯s tunnel, her pussy lips stretched around her thick length to an obscene degree. More than that, though, was the sheer volume of wetness. Pearlescent Nephilim cum dripped between them, sticky strings of the sweet seed stretching between their flesh. Sabina¡¯s own cinnamon-vored fluids were mixed in, dripping all over Syd¡¯s crotch and onto the nket beneath them which now sported a massive wet spot.
Sabina had ridden Dys first after Jadis had given her a taste. The smith hadn¡¯t hesitated upon seeing the giant cock at full mast waiting for her and had eagerly thrown herself at the challenge. She¡¯d only gotten a third of Dys¡¯ dick into her hot wet core before she¡¯d shuddered in another climax. A true sign of the events toe.
Dys hadsted as long as she could, but with a sexy smith constantlying on top of her, pussy gripping her tightly as she shook like a leaf in a hurricane, she¡¯d filled Sabina with a load of her spunk before she¡¯d ever worked her full length inside the half-elf. After that, Jadis had switched her bodies around and had Sabina get on top of Syd with the intent of taking things slower and going for a slow burn. Not that it seemed to have made too much of a difference. Once the half-elf got going, she didn¡¯t slow down easily.
¡°Are we done?¡± Sabina asked with a pitiful groan as she raised her head up. Her short and curly ck hair had flopped across her eyes, soaked in sweat. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re glowing. That¡¯s good, right?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Syd said with a smile as she wiped the hair out of Sabina¡¯s eyes. ¡°But we¡¯re not quite done yet. Ten, maybe fifteen minutes to go.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Sabina nodded in defeat, like she¡¯d just been told she was marching into battle. ¡°I can do it, we can keep going, I¡¯m fine.¡±
Like the trooper she was, Sabina started gyrating her hips, grinding herself against Syd and forcing more of her cock into her no-doubt aching pussy. Hot cum squelched messily out of her as she did so, soaking Syd¡¯s cock further as the thick seed dripped down to Syd¡¯s own pussy.
¡°Hold on,¡± Syd grunted, stilling Sabina¡¯s hips with her firm hands. ¡°There¡¯s more than one way to skin a cat.¡±
¡°What?¡± Sabina asked, her tired expression morphing into a more concerned one. ¡°Why would we skin a cat?¡±
¡°Strike that,¡± Syd murmured as she craned her neck down to give Sabina a kiss on her forehead. ¡°New phrasing. There¡¯s more than one way to lick a pussy.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡±
Whatever Sabina was about to say was cut off by a lewd moan as Dys licked where she and Syd were joined,pping up the cinnamon sweet fluids with a hum of delight. Holding Sabina firmly in ce with her hands on her ass, Syd kept the smith from squirming while Dys pleasured them both. There was no need to thrust or grind or hump: the ritual required sex, but it didn¡¯t say it couldn¡¯t be handled in a more passive way.
Dysy between Syd¡¯s legs, face buried between them as she ran her tongue up and down the exposed length of Syd¡¯s cock. She would sometimes dip lower, thrusting her tongue deeply into Syd¡¯s hot core before dragging her tongue upwards across Syd¡¯s cock and then tickling the tip along Sabina¡¯s pussy lips.
She had to be careful. Sabina was so, so sensitive and Jadis didn¡¯t want to trigger another round of back-to-back orgasms. As fun as they were, she needed to learn how to pleasure Sabina without bringing her over the edge so quickly. The smith would potentially need to switch out which of her magic stats was being boosted regrly depending on the enchantments she nned on making. Turning her into a quivering puddle of sex was fun, but not something Jadis thought practical. Besides, if she was going to involve Sabina in her Lascivious Empowerment ritual, she¡¯d need to learn how to work with the half-elf¡¯s short fuse.
¡°Oh, oh there!¡± Sabina started to cry out as Syd slowly pumped her cock into her hot core.
¡°No, hold it off,¡± Dys admonished as Syd stopped her movement mere moments after starting. ¡°I want you to hold back, Sabina. Hold off for as long as you can, alright?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t!¡± Sabina shuddered as her pussy tightened to a ridiculous degree around Syd¡¯s shaft, making her grunt.
¡°Yes, you can,¡± Syd insisted. ¡°You¡¯re going to hold off because I asked you to, understand? I want you to hold off. Do it for me.¡±
¡°Yes, yes,¡± Sabina whined as her hips struggled to move against Syd¡¯s iron grip. ¡°I¡¯ll hold back. I¡¯ll do it, just a moment, give me a moment.¡±
It was torture. Sabina writhed on top of Syd, panting like she¡¯d run a marathon, her sweet scent filling Jadis¡¯ nose and her slick flesh rubbing all across her. Her incredibly wet pussy gripped and tightened and shuddered around her cock in all the right ways to make Jadis want to fill the sexy smith¡¯s belly with more cum than she could stand. But if she was going to make Sabina hold off, she¡¯d hold off as well. They couldst until the end, together.
They couldn¡¯t just lie there, though. There was some leeway with the ritual, but after a couple of minutes of rtive inactivity, Jadis could feel the glow of the eldritch magic start to leave her as the conditions of the spell¡¯s limits were tested. They had to keep going.
Dys dove back in, licking and sucking at Sabina and her other self¡¯s union, drawing out fresh gasps and shuddering moans from the woman. Somehow, she didn¡¯t immediately set off and held back from her climax.
¡°Good job,¡± Syd whispered as she groped and squeezed Sabina¡¯s firm ass. ¡°You¡¯re doing great. We¡¯re almost there.¡±
Sabina¡¯s response was nonverbal, just a series of lewd noises as she ground back against Dys¡¯ ministrations. Abruptly she turned her head andtched onto Syd¡¯s breast, sucking on her nipple with abandon. Perhaps she was just seeking some way of distracting herself, but Jadis wasn¡¯t going to object.
As a few more minutes passed, Jadis could feel the ritual¡¯s end growing closer, just as she could feel her own climax bing harder to hold back. Sabina kept holding off, restraining herself despite her obvious need. Syd kept whispering words of encouragement to her, telling her what a good job she was doing and how proud she was of the smith that she was standing strong. It was the longest she¡¯dsted all night. Eventually, Jadis counted down the time for the ritual to be over in a minute or two, based on the level of inner glowing from her selves.
¡°Sabina?¡± Syd called to the distracted half-elf, forcing her to look up and meet her eyes. ¡°Sabina, focus.¡±
The smith¡¯s mouth popped open, releasing Syd¡¯s wet breast as she let out a low moan.
¡°Uh huuuh?¡±
¡°We¡¯re almost done,¡± Syd informed her, lust coloring her voice. ¡°Just a minute more. I¡¯d like to cum now. Do you want to cum?¡±
¡°Uh huh,¡± Sabina answered her with a nod, looking and sounding almost as though she were in a drunken stupor.
¡°Okay,¡± Syd told her as Dys pulled back. ¡°I¡¯m going to fuck you real hard right now, alright? I want you toe with me when I do. Cum as hard as you can.¡±
¡°A¡ªalright,¡± Sabina said around a gulping breath.
Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure if the smith was ready for the next couple of moments since she¡¯d been keeping things gentle for the past hour. But for thesest minutes, Jadis was done holding back. She needed release as much as Sabina did.
With one smooth motion, Syd rolled over so that Sabina was t on her back with Syd on top of her. With a firm thrust of her hips, she hilted herself fully inside the smith. A loud, wet smack of flesh on flesh echoed off of the stone walls as the cum already filling Sabina sshed out around Syd¡¯s cock.
¡°Gods!¡± Sabina cried out, followed by a string of words spoken so fast that Jadis couldn¡¯t distinguish one from the next.
Pulling back only a short way, Syd mmed back into Sabina¡¯s tight heat, drawing out more exmations and moans of pleasure as she began to rapidly rut into the woman. Sabina¡¯s legs wrapped around Syd¡¯s waist as best they could while her strong arms held on for dear life. Syd did not hold back, fucking the smith with all of her pent-up lust from the past forty minutes of careful control. She pressed her body down, enveloping Sabina with her body, practically squashing the smaller woman under her as she thrust into her with as much speed as she could manage.
Sabina wailed as she came apart, her pussy convulsing as she uncontrobly climaxed, her cries muffled as Syd wrapped one of her arms around her head and holding her close to her chest. Feeling that delicious shiver against her over-stimted cock was more than enough for Syd to lose thest bit of her control as she came as well. The dam was released as the hot pool that had been building in the pit of her stomach came gushing out to fill Sabina¡¯s womb.
Syd¡¯s cock pulsed with wave after wave of cum. After only the first two pulses, Sabina¡¯s overstuffed pussy couldn¡¯t handle anymore. Thick Nephilim seed squirted out around the tight seal of Sabina¡¯s pussy lips around Syd¡¯s shaft, sshing lewdly out onto the floor as Syd continued to piston her cock into Sabina throughout their orgasm.
The almost savage fucking went on for several minutes as both Syd and Sabina rode out their orgasms. As Syd¡¯s spine-tingling pulses eventually slowed and faded, she realized that Sabina was still going, her body still convulsing as she let out unintelligible curses and cries into Syd¡¯s chest. Bringing her thrusts to a halt, Syd let the woman beneath her finish her shivering orgasm, just holding her and waiting for her to calm.
When Sabina finally stopped shuddering, Syd leaned back to reveal the smith in all of her thoroughly fucked splendor.
¡°You okay?¡± Syd panted out her question, thest sprint having taken her breath away.
For once, Sabina didn¡¯t have anything to say. Shey there, a sweaty, gasping mess. Jadis wasn¡¯t even sure the woman was still conscious until she lifted a shaky hand into the air and gave her a thumbs up.
¡°Good,¡± Syd said before Dys took a mouthful of the obscene liquid that was dripping from Syd and Sabina¡¯s soakedhers. ¡°Now give me a kiss to seal the pact.¡±
Sabina barely got her eyes open before Dys was there, working her tongue into the smith¡¯s mouth to share her lewd load with her. Sabina¡¯s tonguezily, almost listlessly moved against Dys¡¯, all energy sapped from her. But the kiss was still a kiss.
The glow left Jadis¡¯ bodies as Sabina¡¯s eyes shone bright with a white light. She gazed unseeing up at Dys and Syd for a few moments before the glow faded, her choice having been made.
There was silence in the room for a good minute after that before someone eventually spoke up.
¡°So? What did you choose?¡± A asked, calling out to the smith.
Syd leaned further back as Dys pulled away, revealing Sabina¡¯s unmoving form.
¡°Going to have to wait for an answer,¡± Syd mused. ¡°I think she fainted.¡±
Chapter 210: Enchantment
Chapter 210: Enchantment
The next morning came with a slow start. Not because of any lingering injuries or trouble in the night. Jadis was back to full health thanks to Eir and a restful sleep, and the doubled night watch Wi had put in ce encountered no issues from demons, drakes, or mysterious assants. No, the dy came from a higher source. With the first light of dawn came a flurry of snow that quickly turned into a heavy storm. By the time Jadis and her crew had finished breakfast, the skies had dumped several inches of snow on the ground and didn¡¯t look like it was going to let up any time soon.
It was Captain Wi who rmended they wait before moving on. Visibility would be low so long as the snowstorm continued. Even if the bandits that had attacked them weren¡¯t preparing another ambush further up the road, they still could have left more traps for their expedition to run into. With the heavy snow, it would be too difficult to check carefully for pitfalls or other traps. Better to wait for the weather to clear than to push forward recklessly.
ording to A, Weigrun was known for its heavy winters, but it was still a month early for the truly intense snow conditions to ur. The early morning storm was likely to pass, so she agreed it was best to wait. Kerr and Thea, who had lived in Weigrun through thest winter, agreed with the rmendation as well, so Jadis bowed to their expertise. Privately, she wanted to push hard and catch up to the bastards that had wounded both her bodies and her pride. However, as much as that impulse burned inside her, she also knew that carelessly chasing after intelligent opponents into prepared positions had nearly been her death. She wasn¡¯t going to make that mistake again.
Without much else to do thanks to their weather dy, Jadis focused on cleaning and maintaining her armor while also practicing letters with Alex. As she upied herself, herpanions did the same, finding their own chores to keep themselves busy as they waited for the snowfall to lighten. One pair locked in conversation kept Jadis¡¯ attention in particr.
¡°Are you sure it didn¡¯t hurt?¡± Bridget asked again, a worried look on her face as she leaned forward in her seat. ¡°I mean, from an outsider¡¯s perspective, that looked intense. Not just intense, super-intense. I mean, I can¡¯t think of a bigger word for intense, but fuck, you lived it. It really didn¡¯t hurt?¡±
¡°No, it didn¡¯t,¡± Sabina reiterated for the umpteenth time. ¡°Sex with Jadis felt amazing, actually. Really, super, incredibly, powerfully intense, but still good! I still feel like my bones are made out of pudding and I feel weirdly empty inside after all that, but nothing bad!¡±
¡°Empty?¡± The orc gave Sabina a disbelieving look. ¡°What, like, emotionally¡?¡±
¡°No, physically,¡± Sabina shook her head vigorously as she tapped away with her tools. ¡°Like, there was so much of Jadis¡¯ cock and cum stuffed inside my pussy that I felt stretched beyond anything I¡¯ve ever felt before, so it was kind of ufortable while feeling really good at the same time. Now that she isn¡¯t inside me anymore, I kind of miss it and want to have her inside me again.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Bridget responded with a nonplused expression, clearly not expecting the direct and unvarnished candor with which the smith had replied to her question. ¡°That¡¯s, um, interesting.¡±
¡°You should have sex with Jadis too,¡± Sabina continued, blithely unaware of Bridget¡¯s unease. ¡°She really is incredibly skilled at providing pleasure. I hired a prostitute once because I was curious to see what it was like and she had two sses rted to sex and she didn¡¯t get me to cum as much as Jadis didst night. I mean, I¡¯m kind of a pushover when ites to reaching climax plus I was really pent up because I haven¡¯t been with anyone in a couple of years, at least beforest night, so maybe that was part of why Ipletely lost myposure with Jadis but really she has such an amazing tongue and her cock feels unbelievably good once it¡¯s inside you.¡±
¡°Okay¡¡± Bridget mumbled as Sabina continued to pour out reasons for why the orc should let Jadis fuck her.
With how distressed the woman was starting to look, Jadis considered stepping in to distract the well-meaning but oblivious half-elf. However, Bridget affected her own rescue before Jadis was forced to intervene.
¡°What is that you¡¯re working on, anyway?¡± Bridget asked with forced interest. ¡°Looksplicated!¡±
¡°Oh, this is a rune circle!¡± Sabina said, holding up a square cut of leather. ¡°It¡¯s just the base, but this should work for any future Eldritch-based enchantments I work on.¡±
The piece of leather was about a square foot in size and had been treated to remain soft and supple. The material was a uniform color on the one side Sabina was working on and Jadis wondered if the smith had brought it with the explicit purpose of using it as some kind of temte. She probably had, Jadis realized a momentter. Sabina had known she was leveling soon and was absolutely the type toe prepared.
When Sabina had woken that morning, she had answered the question A had asked the night before. The Eldritch attribute had been Sabina¡¯s choice for her first boost to her magic stats. Apparently, she wanted to work on ns for enchantments that might be useful for boosting Jadis¡¯ ritual capabilities. With the boost to her Eldritch stat came a better understanding of how rted enchantments worked, or so Sabina exined. Just as A had once taught Jadis, gaining certain skills would boost a person''s instinctive understanding of the rted subject. For an enchanter, growing their rted attribute made it so they had a better, intrinsic understanding of the type of enchantment they were working on.
¡°This circle is what all my enchantments will be based on in the future,¡± Sabina continued her exnation. ¡°Well, the Eldritch ones, anyway. When I switch to Arcane or Divine, I¡¯ll have to make new circles just for them that rely on different rune forms, but this is the one for Eldritch. Usually I¡¯d have to work my way up to a base circle that¡¯s thisplex but since Jadis gave me a huge boost I¡¯m starting at a higher level than most other enchanters would be able to, which means the enchantments I¡¯ll be making are going to be extremely effective!¡±
Bridget nodded along as Sabina spoke, but by the way her eyes were zing over, Jadis could tell that the subject of enchantment crafting wasn¡¯t the most thrilling for the warrior. Even if Bridget wasn¡¯t all that interested, Jadis was. The possibilities that enchantments held were fascinating, and the mechanics behind how they worked were just as captivating for her.
Each crafter had to design their own unique base rune circle for the purpose of making enchantments. The runic symbols thaty between the outer and inner lines of the circle served as a kind of signature that was unique to the individual enchanter. Certain simrities could be seen,rgely based on which of the three types of magic the rune circle was intended to work with, but no two enchanters'' circles were alike.
The rune circle would serve as the starting temte for the actual enchantment that would lie within it. The rune configuration that was set within would control the effects of the enchantment while the ring itself dictated the power of the effect. As the enchanter grew in skill and level, the ring of runes would be progressively more and moreplicated as it became capable of handling more powerful spells. The enchanter would have to update the rune circle as their career progressed, usually starting with something simple that left room to evolve into a more intricate design.
While Sabina was only at level one in her enchanter ss, the boost to her Eldritch stat Jadis had provided her with meant the circle she was crafting would need to be able to handle arge amount of raw power. It wouldn¡¯t have the finesse of someone with the passive skills to supplement her, but it would be of far greater capacity than anything most crafters of her level range would be able to manage.
¡°The uracy with which I transpose this rune circle, once I¡¯m done with it, will make a big difference on how efficient and effective the enchantment I make is,¡± Sabina prattled on as she continued to stencil the design into the leather. ¡°If I don¡¯t draw one of these symbols the right way, like this little squiggle here, then the enchantment will still work, it just won¡¯t be as good as it could be, like an impurity in a steel ingot that makes it more brittle than it should be. That¡¯s actually why a lot of enchanted items that are mass produced don¡¯tst as long as the custom-made ones. They¡¯re quick to churn out but the enchanters making them aren¡¯t being super careful with the fine details since they¡¯re trying to make as many as they can. It¡¯s part of why the military has so many enchanters constantly crafting items for them. They just don¡¯t hold up under duress as well as they could if they were made with more care.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure any enchantment you make will be made with lots of love and attention,¡± Syd interjected as she joined Sabina and Bridget at their table.
Sabina smiled brightly up at Syd, eager to show her half-sketched temte to her. Bridget smiled for an entirely different reason, grateful for the rescue and opportunity to politely slip away without being rude to the talkative smith.
¡°Everything I enchant will be made with my maximum level of effort!¡± Sabina announced proudly. ¡°I¡¯m positive that you and everyone else who uses my items will find them to be just as high-quality as my armor and weapons!¡±
¡°Without doubt,¡± Syd said as she rested her hand onto the table. Alex slid off her arm, wriggling across the table to stare at the leather square in front of Sabina. ¡°Speaking of, what are you nning on making for your first enchantment? You should have a lot of possibilities considering the nature of your enchantment skill.¡±
Sabina gave the little demonling poking its tentacles at the edge of her leather a wary nce, but mostly ignored its presence as she spoke with Syd.
¡°Well, I¡¯m honestly not sure. I don¡¯t really know any Eldritch spells other than the ones that I¡¯ve seen you use like your rituals and Mirror Shine. I could try to make something up, but that doesn¡¯t usually work out so well. It¡¯d be better if I had a simple Eldritch spell I can base my enchantment off of and work from there. It might not turn out exactly the same, but it¡¯d be a more cohesive result than if I just winged it.¡±
¡°What if I told you about some of the spells I¡¯ve been offered and never took?¡± Syd asked, her head tilted to one side. ¡°Would that help?¡±
¡°It might!¡± Sabina chirped. ¡°They¡¯d be something to work off of at least. What spells do you have in mind?¡±
Jadis pulled up the list of skills and spells from her status sheet that she¡¯d never chosen. Some of them were options she was still interested in potentially taking in the future, provided there weren¡¯t stronger skills or spells for her to take. If Sabina could replicate their effects instead of Jadis having to use a skill slot on them, then that would be a major boon, even if the overall power of the spell wouldn¡¯t be as strong as if she herself were casting it.
From her Mirror Knight ss, she had Light Illusion, Minor Damage Reflection, Looking ss, Moonlit Mirrors, Tilted Mirrond, and Nightmare Reflection. From Perverted Ritualist of D, she had Ritual of Dyed Empowerment, Ritual Privacy Barrier, and D Enhancement Ritual. They were all good spells that had the potential to be useful in the right situations, some more than others. In particr, Jadis wished she¡¯d had Minor Damage Reflection during her fight with Legs. She doubted the sniveling little shit would have been quite so eager to stab her if a portion of the damage he had done to her was reflected back onto him.
Syd read the list of spells out for Sabina, making sure she understood what each spell was meant to do as best as she could exin. She also read out her current spells, going into further details with them since she had intrinsic knowledge about them magically imprinted into her mind. Once Sabina had all the information Jadis could tell her, she nodded and went back to sketching out her rune circle.
¡°I¡¯ll probably try something small but useful,¡± Sabina said as she added another symbol to her drawing. ¡°I can¡¯t do as much as I¡¯d like with the limited equipment I have out here, but I might be able to make something out of the frost drake materials. Maybe an armlet or a gorget¡¡±
Syd smiled as Sabina continued to list all the various small armor pieces she could improvise with the resources avable to her. She was more talking to herself than anything else by that point, but that was fine. She was just d to see how happy and excited the smith was to be working on her life¡¯s dream. As much fun as Jadis had fighting and destroying things, it was nice to be around someone who was absorbed in creating things.
¡°Oh! Maybe I can make a saw-tooth sword from the drake teeth with an enchantment that creates nightmares in the vision of the person it hits!¡±
¡even if the things that someone was creating were kind of deranged.
Chapter 211: An Attempt Was Made
Chapter 211: An Attempt Was Made
The snow eventually cleared some time around noon. While that didn¡¯t leave a lot of time left in the day for travel, the decision was made to set out from the fort anyway. Any progress made towards their destination was a good thing since it would mean a quicker return before the main bulk of winter arrived to nket the continent. With scouts on high alert and ranging to the fore and rear of the wagons, the expedition resumed its trek northward.
Jadis admired the snow-coveredndscape as she pulled the Behemoth wagon along the road. Winter had always been a favorite season for her, the beauty of freshly fallen and unblemished snow something she could spend hours staring at. Of course, that was an activity usually done with a warm mug of hot chocte in hand while curled up in a fuzzy nket. The experience was a bit different with hundreds of pounds of cold metal armor strapped to her bodies while dragging a giant wagon through said snow. Still, the view was pretty, and it had the added benefit of making it easy to spot the tracks of anyone or anything that might be around them in the forest. Not that they encountered any hostiles. The road was mostly clear. Mostly. There were other issues to slow them down.
¡°Another trap in the road,¡± Otto announced as he let the wagon catch up to his slowed horse. ¡°Sofie is standing in front of it.¡±
¡°Pit trap?¡± Jay asked as she slowed her pace. ¡°Do we need to go around?¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s a snare of some kind,¡± he replied as Captain Wi rode up to join them from where she¡¯d been talking with the rear scouts. ¡°It should be easy enough to disable it.¡±
¡°Gunnar!¡± Wi shouted out amand after she¡¯d heard Otto¡¯s report. ¡°Go take care of it with Sofie.¡±
As the buff elf leapt off of the wagon and jogged ahead, Wi addressed Jadis and herpanions on the wagon.
¡°My scouts report seeing probable demon tracks behind us, but no sign of the ones who made them. The tracks didn¡¯t follow the trail, they headed west.¡±
¡°That¡¯s troubling,¡± A said as she leaned forward in her seat. ¡°One of the locations we were nning to search is in the west. Haven¡¯t there been other signs of demons heading in that direction?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Wi replied, with Thea and Bridget echoing their agreement.
¡°Do you think it¡¯ll be a problem?¡± A asked, her question directed towards Jadis.
¡°Knowing our luck?¡± Dys called over her shoulder. ¡°Absolutely. It¡¯s just a question of how big the problem will be.¡±
¡°Hopefully nothing too big for us to handle,¡± Syd said. "But we¡¯re going to check the eastern destination first, so maybe this¡¯ll work in our favor.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Wi nodded. ¡°Depending on what we find in Sweet Pine Valley, we¡¯ll spread our search out to the east and west as well. For now, though, I rmend continued caution.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Jay agreed. ¡°Until those fuckers we fought are caught or dead, we won¡¯t be letting our guards down out here.¡±
Around that point Gunnar and Sofie signaled all clear and Jadis resumed her forward momentum. She would have liked to have pushed the pace, but Wi insisted on giving the forward scouts time to check for traps. Jadis couldn¡¯tin about that since they ran across several more traps throughout the remainder of the day. Later on, in between one trap disarming and another, Kerr jogged up next to Jay from where she¡¯d been ranging around in the forest with a few tidbits of interesting information.
¡°I found tracks that definitely belong to that Legs guy. Mismatched boots.¡±
¡°Where?¡± Jay asked, her attention sharpened to a knife¡¯s edge.
¡°Ahead, off the trail by a few yards. Obviously fresh since they were on top of the snow. I think he might have been scouting for us. No trace of anyone else though, and by the spacing of the prints, he was moving at a high speed.¡±
¡°Keeping tabs on us?¡±
¡°Probably,¡± Kerr nodded seriously. ¡°With how fast that shitface can run, makes sense. If I catch sight of him, I¡¯ll take a shot, but I doubt he¡¯ll give me the opportunity. It¡¯s tough to hit a moving target that runs as fast as you do.¡±
¡°If you do see him, call for us,¡± Jay told Kerr in no uncertain terms. ¡°I won¡¯t be falling for any more of their ambushes and I expect my girlfriend to be smarter than me and do the same.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Kerr said with a wicked grin. ¡°But if that¡¯s the only requirement I¡¯m pretty sure there are donkeys out there that would qualify to be your girlfriend.¡±
¡°Maybe I¡¯ll check them out,¡± Jay shot back. ¡°At least the donkey won¡¯t poke my boobs with her horns in the morning.¡±
¡°A small price to pay for all of this,¡± Kerr scoffed as she motioned towards herself with exaggerated confidence.
¡°Eh,¡± Jay tapped at her breastte with one gauntleted hand. ¡°You keep waking me up that way and I might start to experience some buyer¡¯s remorse.¡±
¡°Tsk,¡± Kerr shook her head. ¡°What a baby. Do I need to have Sabina make me some blunted horn caps? Ones covered in fuzz to please your oh-so sensitive skin?¡±
¡°That does sound nice,¡± Jay mused.
¡°Fuck off,¡± Kerrughed for a moment. Once she¡¯d had her fill of banter and teasing, Kerr¡¯s expression turned momentarily serious. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing you should know.¡±
¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me your horns fall off in winter.¡±
Kerr shook her head, not engaging with the joke.
¡°I think someone else might be following us.¡±
¡°What makes you say that?¡± Jay asked, all signs of mirth gone. ¡°Have you seen tracks? Is it the bandits?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think so, no,¡± Kerr replied with a frown. ¡°And I haven¡¯t seen any tracks. Not
definite ones, anyway. Thing is, there are ways of covering tracks in the snow that are difficult to spot, but still leave signs that something passed through. It might be nothing, but I¡¯m seeing snow movement in some spots that could be from someone covering their tracks. Or they could be nothing and I¡¯m just seeing things because I¡¯m paranoid about those bandit fucks.¡±
¡°Better to be paranoid and wrong than oblivious and dead,¡± Jay growled. A secondter she let out a heavy huff. ¡°Let me know if anythinges of it. Even if it¡¯s just a suspicion, I want to know.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll keep my nose to the wind,¡± Kerr agreed before stalking back into the shadows of the snow-covered trees.
After another hour of travel, the sun had dipped low enough to the horizon that it was deemed too dangerous to continue forward and the expedition stopped to camp for the night. Setting up their tent-wagon was more difficult in the snow, but Jadis¡¯ team was definitely in a better position than the soldiers. Not that Wi and her men weren¡¯t equipped for harsh weather, it was just that their tents couldn¡¯t reallypare to the wagon¡¯s warmth and instion.
The night passed quickly, with the only event of any significance being a small number of bone thieves stumbling upon the camp in the early hours of the morning before the sun had yet risen. The demons had the unfortunate timing to arrive while one of Jadis¡¯ bodies was on watch, namely Dys, so they were dispatched with little disturbance to the others who were still sleeping. Once everyone was up, they wasted no time in getting moving again to make up for the time lost the previous day.
The closer the expedition came to the towering mountain range looming ahead of them, the more tension could be felt in the air. The bandits had fled north, after all, and the whole reason for Wi¡¯s investigation was to locate those who were illegally mining eleria. It was a fair assumption that the bulk of the poachers, or whatever illegal miners were called, would have their main operation set up somewhere in the mountains themselves. It hadn¡¯t been that long since Jadis had left the abandoned mining vige she¡¯d stayed at when she¡¯d first arrived on Oros. Plus, Captain Renz of Bernd¡¯s des had sent troops to verify her kill of the bone thief matriarch, too. With such recent activity, Jadis doubted Sweet Pine Valley was the primary location of the bandit operation. But that didn¡¯t mean that the bandits couldn¡¯t be there currently. And since the enemy had unknown numbers and levels of power, everyone was on edge.
Everyone except for one person.
¡°Here, try this!¡± Sabina said as she jogged up next to Syd.
¡°What is it?¡± Syd asked as she took the small blue object from Sabina¡¯s outstretched hand.
Sabina had been cooped up inside the wagon throughout most of the day, only exiting it a couple of times to heed the call of nature before immediately immersing herself in whatever project was upying her. It wasn¡¯t until the day had mostly passed and the hour was growingte that she had popped out of the wagon to show Jadis what she¡¯d been working on.
¡°It¡¯s an enchanted bracelet!¡± Sabina exined proudly. ¡°My first one! It¡¯s not very good since it¡¯s pretty hard to make urate rune circles in a moving wagon, especially small ones, plus it¡¯s not the best materials for what I was trying to do so I don¡¯t think it¡¯llst very long, but it actually works! Proof of concept! Put it on and give it a try!¡±
The bracelet was made out of leather andrge blue scales, no doubt sourced from the frost drakes. Milk white ws were set in a circle around onerge central piece of bone that had Sabina¡¯s rune circle carved in the middle. An unfamiliar symbol had been carved into the middle of her circle and as Jadis examined it, the lines glowed ever so slightly. It wasn¡¯t the most stylish looking essory, but Jadis thought it had a sort of tribal charm to it. The size of it was such that it could just barely fit around one of her armored wrists, which meant it¡¯d have to be used as an armlet for most anyone else, and even then, it¡¯d be loose without adjustments.
¡°What¡¯s it do?¡± Syd asked as she snapped the bracelet into ce on her left wrist. ¡°Some kind of¡ª¡±
Jadis¡¯ question was interrupted as her world began to spin around in an uncontrolled frenzy. The ground under her feet slid to one side and she found herself reeling as she tried to keep herself from falling off of the edge of the world and into the vast reaches of the darkening sky. A horrible, dizzying sensation made her stomach do flips and she had to exert all of her willpower to not retch.
¡°Are you alright!? What did you do!?¡±
Jadis heard shouts from behind her as she ttered and crashed against the upside-down world, hands desperately trying to grab hold of snow-covered ground that had somehow turned into both a wall and a ceiling at the same time.
Suddenly, everything went back to normal. Just like that, Jadis was lying in a heap on ground, her three bodies tangled up in the chains of their harnesses. The Behemoth had rolled up so that it was practically on top of her, though it had fortunately stopped before crushing any of her parts under the massive wheels. Syd tilted her helmeted head back to look up at A who was standing over her, a blue bracelet in one hand and a furious expression on her face. That fury was directed squarely at a rather sheepish-looking Sabina.
¡°Oops?¡±
The tongueshing that Sabina received once they¡¯d set up camp for the night was severe. Jadis didn¡¯t interfere with the admonishment, though she didn¡¯t add to it, either. The bracelet Sabina had made had turned out to be not a boost or enhancement of some kind but was instead the equivalent of a cursed object. Whoever wore the bracelet was immediately inflicted with a version of one of the debilitating spells Jadis had not taken, Tilted Mirrond. Worse, the duration of the effect wasn¡¯t a simple thirty seconds like the version Jadis had been offered but would instead continue for as long as the bracelet was worn.
¡°How you could possibly think that having Jadis put something like that on while she was pulling the wagon was an eptable idea isplete mystery,¡± A repeated angrily, standing with her fists on her hips as she looked down on the ashamed smith. ¡°What if the wagon had rolled over one of Jadis while she was caught in that spell?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª¡±
¡°What if I hadn¡¯t been able to get the bracelet off of her before Captain Wi and the other soldiers had gotten close enough to see what was happening?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡±
¡°What if we¡¯d been attacked at the moment? There are dangerous criminals in this forest that could have been waiting for the right time to ambush us! Jadis would have beenpletely unable to fight back in that condition. That¡¯s not even considering the any number of other dangers out here like
demons that could have attacked us.¡±
¡°¡sorry,¡± Sabina apologized meekly, head bowed to A¡¯s wrath.
As the mage glowered at the smith, Kerr got up from where she¡¯d been eating her dinner to snatch the bracelet out of A¡¯s hand.
¡°What¡¯s the point of this, anyway?¡± she asked as she examined the offending trinket. ¡°Why make a bracelet that makes the wearer get dizzy?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sabina replied miserably. ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to do that, originally. I wanted it to be a protection against illusion effects and it just sort of ended up being that. When I tried it on myself, I didn¡¯t think the effect was that bad. I guess I was wrong.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Kerr hummed as she slipped the bracelet on, wrapping it twice around her wrist to make it fit.
¡°What are you doing?¡± A grumbled as she watched Kerr snap the sp on the essory.
A half-secondter, the archer stumbled forward, catching herself on A¡¯s shoulder. She wobbled in ce, acting as though the ground beneath her feet had suddenly turned to slippery ice rather than furs and nkets. Her eyes blinkedically as her head spun around to look at everyone else.
¡°Woah, this is kind of fun, actually,¡± Kerr said with augh. ¡°I mean, this would be awful in a fight, but it¡¯s not
that bad.¡±
¡°Let me try,¡± Eir said as she got to her feet. ¡°My Resilience is lower than Jadis¡¯ by five points. Any magic effects should affect me more.¡±
Kerr quickly pulled the bracelet off and, in a moment, Eir had it equipped. The priestess also seemed to lose her bnce as she had to grab hold of A and Kerr, but as Jadis watched Eir was able to take a few steps forward, even letting go of the others and keeping her bnce as she carefully walked in a shaky circle.
¡°Debilitating, but not insurmountable,¡± Eirmented before removing the cursed item. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised it had such a strong effect on you, Jadis. Your Resilience is low, but not non-existent.¡±
¡°Let me try it again,¡± Jay said as she reached for the bracelet. ¡°Maybe it just caught me off guard since I wasn¡¯t expecting it to be a negative effect.¡±
Snapping it onto Jay¡¯s arm, Jadis immediately began iling as she lost all sense of bnce. The floor, walls, and ceiling of the tent shifted and flowed before her, no one surface staying in one ce for long. She couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of what she was seeing as the concerned faces of her friends and lovers spun around her. After a few seconds, the spinning seemed to lessen, if only slightly. Everything was still moving around her, but not so wildly. Jadis managed to catch sigh of Eir amidst the confusing swirl of her vision and saw a glow emanating from her hand.
¡°I¡¯m bolstering your Resilience with my protection spell. Is it any better?¡±
¡°A little,¡± Jadis called back. ¡°But not much.¡±
As she spoke, Jadis realized she wasn¡¯t entirely sure which of her selves had spoken. She was pretty sure it had been Jay, but when she tried to focus on which of her selves had the bracelet on, she found that her vision kept swimming and she couldn¡¯t keep track. Frustrated and getting nauseous, Jadis closed all of her eyes.
Without sight, the spell¡¯s effects were significantly lessened. She still felt some vertigo, but with no more distorted sight to confuse her, she managed to sort out which of her selves was which and pulled the bracelet off of Jay¡¯s arm.
¡°I think it¡¯s effecting me worse because I have three bodies,¡± Jay announced as she passed the blue bracelet back to Eir. ¡°I¡¯m not just seeing the world distorted, I¡¯m seeing three different versions of the world distorted at the same time. Plus three times the dizzy effect, too. It¡¯s too much for me to handle.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± A said, her anger abating. ¡°That makes some sense, actually.¡±
¡°Good to know you weren¡¯t actively trying to kill Jadis,¡± Kerr told Sabina with a pat on her shoulder. ¡°Just almost identally.¡±
¡°I would never!¡± Sabina said hotly, the closest Jadis had ever seen to the smith showing a temper. ¡°Jadis is my friend and benefactor! Plus she¡¯s great at sex! I really thought it was just kind of a weird effect, I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be so serious.¡± Her eyes turned to Jadis, her expression pleading. ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean to hurt you! I¡¯m so sorry I put you in danger, I¡¯ll do anything you ask to make up for it, really! I¡¯m so, so, so, so sorry!¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Jay said as she rolled up from her awkward position on the ground. Putting a hand on Sabina¡¯s shoulder, she smiled warmly at her. ¡°I know you¡¯d never do anything like that intentionally. There¡¯s no way you could have known it¡¯d have that strong of an effect on me.¡±
¡°All is forgiven,¡± Syd said as she finished untangling her limbs from Dys and one particrly stubborn nket. ¡°And I mean that. No more reprimands, alright A?¡±
While she still didn¡¯t look happy, A took a deep breath and visibly calmed as her normalposure returned.
¡°Lesson learned, I hope,¡± A said as she moved away from the smith. ¡°It¡¯s your choice to forgive, in any case.¡±
¡°Which I do,¡± Dys said. But as she got to her feet, she gave a relieved-looking Sabina a wry smile. ¡°Just hold off on giving me enchanted items to test until we¡¯re camped next time, okay?¡±
Chapter 212: Familiar Places
Chapter 212: Familiar ces
¡°This is where you¡ arrived?¡± A quietly asked, her voice only audible to the few standing near her. ¡°Back in the spring?¡±
¡°This is it,¡± Jay replied, her own voice somewhat muted. ¡°Well, technically I arrived somewhere up there, along that ridgeline to the northeast. But yeah, this is the ce.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t imagine spending so long in such a lonely ce,¡± Eir murmured as her eyes traveled over the frozen scene. ¡°Even more so when demons prowl thend.¡±
¡°I had ways of keeping myself entertained,¡± Syd assured the priestess dryly as she thought of her time spent in the temple under the watchful gaze of D¡¯s smirking statue.
The day after Sabina had gifted Jadis with her cursed bracelet, the expedition had finally made it to the Sweet Pine Valley where Jadis had spent her first month on Oros. The first split-peaked mountain that Fortune¡¯s Favored hade north to investigatey to the east of the abandoned vige. It wasn¡¯t one of the mountains that made up the Sweet Pine Valley, but it was adjacent to them so it was rtively close by. Originally, Jadis hadn¡¯t nned on stopping at the old mining vige, but after the events of the fort ambush, she decided it was worth a visit.
From her view standing at the edge of the forest clearing, the vige didn¡¯t look much different from how Jadis remembered it. Certainly, the roofs were all covered in snow now, but otherwise the ce was the same. Small stone buildings, abandoned to the elements. Several with caved-in roofs and at least one building had a whole wall missing on one side due to a suspicious tumble of logs that was piled up next to it. A temple with a tall tower stood at the far end of the vige, practically abutting the cliff face that hemmed in the valley to the north. On the northwest side of the vige rose a hill, at the top of which was an artificially created pond with a few buildings next to it, along with the wide entrance to a natural cave. While she couldn¡¯t see them, Jadis also knew there were more buildings hiding in the woods surrounding the main vige clearing.
The question was, what else was hiding in those woods?
¡°Lots of tracks,¡± Otto reported as he and Gerd came back from doing a quick scout around the vige perimeter. ¡°They look to be a day old, nothing as recent as this morning. No sign of movement, but the tracks go all throughout the buildings, including the hill.¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t go close,¡± Gerd added in his hoarse voice. ¡°But we could see tracks going into that cave.¡±
¡°Not much reason to go into a cave like that unless you¡¯re mining ore,¡± Captain Wi muttered as she stared intently up at the hill.
¡°Or you¡¯re running from something,¡± Dysmented. At Wi¡¯s raised eyebrow, she shrugged. ¡°We have some experience with thetter.¡±
Jadis and her team stood slightly off from the soldiers, but all had gathered at the south side of the vige to observe and wait for word from the scouts. Otto and Gerd had been sent to scout the closer perimeter, but Ada and Friedkin had been sent to scout therger area surrounding the vige. Kerr had also stalked off into the woods to investigate, her direction fueled by Jadis¡¯ description of a few buildings that she knew had cers where people might choose to hide.
As they waited for the return of the other scouts, Wi stepped closer to the gathered Fortune¡¯s Favored to review their n of attack.
¡°Are you sure you three want to take the lead?¡± Wi asked as she eyed the three Nephilim. ¡°Trap spotting isn¡¯t in your skill sets.¡±
A statement of fact, not a question. Jadis couldn¡¯t argue.
¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± Jay said as she took a step closer to speak with Wi directly. ¡°But surviving huge amounts of damage is. We can take the hit if another ambush is sprung on us. Plus we¡¯re faster than any of you, too. We can get out of the way if they try to drop that temple tower down on us.¡±
¡°I would hope they wouldn¡¯t perform such a sacrilegious act,¡± Eir said with fervor. ¡°A holy ce dedicated to the worship of the gods should never be defiled in such a manner.¡±
Jadis would have to discuss temple defilement with Eirter. Or maybe never. Any embarrassing evidence Jadis might have left behind would surely be gone by that point.
¡°I doubt they would,¡± Wi said with a nod to the priestess. ¡°Nevertheless, I would consider all possibilities. And in any case, it would be best if no traps are triggered at all.¡±
¡°We can agree with that,¡± Jay said easily. ¡°Just remember what I told you about the buildings. If there are any surprises waiting in hiding, we¡¯ll find them.¡±
Jadis had, of course, told Wi and everyone else everything she knew about the vige. She¡¯d spent a month in the deste ce exploring every nook and cranny. Unless the bandits had made modifications to the existing structures, there was no room in the vige she hadn¡¯t been inside at least twice. Forearming the soldiers with her knowledge of the buildings would hopefully give them an edge against any traps or enemybatants that they might encounter.
They only had to wait a few more minutes before Kerr and the remaining two scouts returned. All three reported no sign of activity in the surrounding forest, bandit or otherwise. Everything the assants had been doing had been restricted to the vige proper, or so it seemed.
¡°No sense wasting the light,¡± Wi said after hearing the report. ¡°Time to move in.¡±
¡°Ready or not, here wee,¡± Jay said darkly as she hefted her massive war hammer.
Splitting their forces into two groups, Fortune¡¯s Favored moved to the west side of the main vige road with the intent of searching and clearing all the buildings on that side. Captain Wi and her soldiers took the east side to do the same. Two of her men, Ada and Lutz, were left behind to guard the wagons from any surprises that mighte from the south.
Taking the lead, Jay marched forward with Dys on her left and Syd on her right. Kerr walked directly behind Jay; a spot chosen so that she could more easily spot any traps that the Nephilim might not notice. Behind her, A, Eir, and Sabina followed, the vulnerable mages protected by Jadis and her nking bodies. Thea and Bridget brought up the rear, serving as a rear guard against the possibility of an ambush from behind.
¡°This is the tannery,¡± Syd said as the group approached the first building on their side of the road. ¡°No cer. But there¡¯s a shed.¡±
¡°Is this where you got the material for that, uh, armor you were wearing when we first met?¡± Sabina asked while trying not to sound rude and failing miserably.
¡°Yup,¡± Jay said before kicking the door of the building hard enough to send it flying off its hinges. ¡°Better than going around naked.¡±
¡°Barely,¡± A teased in a whisper. ¡°Now keep focused. No distractions.¡±
Searching the decrepit tannery resulted in nothing. No traps, no hiding bandits. Once they¡¯d cleared the structure, they moved on to the next, keeping up a pace so that they stayed about even with Wi¡¯s force. Neither wanted to get too far ahead nor behind the other, in the case that there was an ambush.
Building after building was carefully searched. All were devoid of life. Strangely, they were devoid of traps as well. Considering the encounter at the fort as well as all the traps they¡¯d discovered along the road, they¡¯d all expected there to be traps in the vige. But as they continued to clear the vige, they found aplete absence of any traps.
¡°The bones are gone,¡± Syd said as she poked hernce into the pile of logs and stones that had been the final rest ce of the bone thief matriarch. ¡°Do you think they were reused by more bone thieves or were they destroyed by the men Renz sent?¡±
¡°A bit of both, probably,¡± A said as she pointed to a wide pit that Jadis didn¡¯t remember a little further west. ¡°Something was burned, though.¡±
The pit was covered in snow, but the remains of charred wood stuck up in a few spots, the ck soot evident. It was likely that Bernd¡¯s des had at least burned the huge body of the matriarch after taking one of its eyes for proof that it was dead. Any bones would have been burnt as well to prevent them from falling into the clutches of more demons, something that in hindsight Jadis wished she¡¯d done rather than foolishly tossing them into the pond.
¡°Should we check up there?¡± Bridget asked as she pointed her il towards the hill.
¡°Not until the rest of the vige is cleared,¡± Jay answered.
It took some time, but eventually they managed to check all of the buildings on the west side of the road, leaving just the temple to the north untouched. Wi and her troops finished their own search a minute or twoter, reporting that they too had found no traps and no hidden enemies.
¡°What are the chances we won¡¯t find anything in there?¡± Jay asked the captain as she motioned to the closed temple doors with her hammer.
¡°I don¡¯t make bets,¡± Wi replied as she motioned for her men to take up positions along the side of the temple.
Jadis wasted no time and did the same. One thing she immediately noticed was that therge windows running along the sides of the temple had all been boarded up. When Jadis had left, they¡¯d stood open, their ss shattered and presenting no barrier at all. One of the temple doors had been off a hinge, too, though that was no longer the case. Clearly someone had taken the time to secure the building.
Motioning for the others to stand back, Jadis¡¯ three selves moved to the temple doors. Cautiously testing them, she found that they were barred from the inside. Readying herself for a trap, Jay took a step back before mming her metal mallet into the doors, breaking them open in one powerful blow.
Nothing happened. No irritating powder. No spears or spikes. No giant boulder. Just the echo of a dark and empty ruin.
Taking careful steps inside, Jadis let her eyes adjust to the dim light, taking in what she could see. The interior of the temple was certainly different from how she¡¯d left it. The old wooden pews had been removed, leaving the stone hall almostpletely barren. One of the windows in the back of the temple had been fitted with stacks of stones, turning it into a makeshift firece. There were a few bits of trash and refuse left in the corners, things that Jadis knew she hadn¡¯t tossed in those spots and looked like the remains of old meals or unwanted bits of cloth. There was one change in particr that took Jadis a moment to ce. She almost didn¡¯t realize, though once she did, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a cry of confusion.
¡°What the fuck?¡± Jay cursed, taking a few more steps into the temple.
¡°What is it?¡± Wi called after her. ¡°Any sign of the bandits?¡±
¡°No,¡± Jay shook her head. ¡°Well, I guess, looks like they might have been living in here. But that¡¯s not what I mean.¡±
The others cautiously made their way inside as Jay spoke, taking in what little there was to see. As Kerr peered around the dim hall, she shook her head.
¡°What¡¯s the problem? Looks all clear to me.¡±
Barely after the archer had finished speaking her words, Eir let out a gasp of surprise.
¡°Where¡¯s the statue?¡±
¡°What statue?¡± Wi asked as she drew up next to Jay.
¡°Exactly,¡± Jay said, pointing at the dais at the end of the hall where an empty pedestal stood. ¡°Where the fuck is D¡¯s statue?¡±
Chapter 213: Recharging
Chapter 213: Recharging
In the end, there was no sign of D¡¯s statue in or around the temple, just as there was no sign of any traps or ambushid for them in the vige. Whatever the bandits had done with the statue, it wasn¡¯t readily apparent. While D was Jadis¡¯ patron deity, she couldn¡¯t say that she felt anything more than confusion over why anyone would purposefully remove a religious statue from a temple. It was just a statue, after all. But there were stronger reactions from certain members of her guild.
¡°Such disrespect!¡± Eir fumed. ¡°To seek refuge inside a temple when in need is one thing, but to remove, or perhaps even
destroy an icon venerating one of the gods is inexcusable! These bandits act more like cultists than simple thieves with such behavior and if that is how they chose to act, then they should be treated as such!¡±
Jadis had never seen the elf so angry. In fact, she couldn¡¯t recall Eir ever being angry at all. Worried, anxious, or agitated, sure. Never angry. The removal of D¡¯s statue from his temple, though, that had put a righteous fury in the priestess. If she wasn¡¯t such an utterly harmless person, Jadis might have felt some pity for what she¡¯d do to the bandits.
As it was, though, Jadis would just have to enact Eir¡¯s judgement for her.
They couldn¡¯t spend too much time worrying over the missing statue, though. They still needed to secure the vige and seek out the bandits. With the temple cleared, the whole of their forces headed up the hill where the mining structures sat in front of the entrance to the cave. It seemed ever more likely that the bandits had chosen to flee underground rather than fight them directly. There was no way of knowing how many men total the bandits had, but maybe with the loss of three of their number during their ultimately failed ambush they had been convinced fighting was a futile effort.
The top of the hill on the western side of the vige held an artificially created pond. A stream ran out of the mouth of the cave and the miners who had once worked in the vige had dammed the stream to make a pond that now extended back into the cave, disappearing into the dark. The surface of the water was covered in ayer of ice, thick enough that unmarred snow rested on top of it, though Jadis couldn¡¯t tell if it was solid enough to support a man¡¯s weight, much less hers.
Around the eastern edge of the smallke, at the immediate end of the dirt road that led up the hill from the vige proper, were five buildings. One was made of wood and was an old barracks. The other four were made of stone, like the rest of the vige. Three of the buildings had been workshops, though one was a half-crumbled mess of stone. Thergest structure was a warehouse that was still mostly intact, except for arge hole in one wall.
¡°We lived in this one for a while,¡± Dys said as she took a look inside the destroyed remains of the smithy. ¡°There was an anvil in here, I think. Sabina, you might want to take it.¡±
¡°No, we threw that anvil,¡± Jay corrected after a moment of thought. ¡°Should be over there along the shore somewhere, though.¡±
¡°Why would you throw an anvil?¡± Bridget asked incredulously as she poked her own head into the ruined building. ¡°And what happened to this ce?¡±
¡°Bone thief matriarch,¡± Dys replied simply.
Searching the five buildings revealed no more traps than there were down in the vige proper, though there were many signs of boot prints going into the cave mouth with noneing out.
¡°We never explored this cave,¡± Syd advised as she stared into the fading light of the cavern, looking for any sign of activity. ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like a good idea to go poking around in the dark when we weren¡¯t sure how deep it went. Plus, most underground ces are a tight fit for us.¡±
¡°ording to my notes,¡± Wi said from where she stood next to Syd, ¡°This should be the entrance to a fairly extensive natural cave system. It hadn¡¯t been fully explored yet before the demonic invasion struck, but the miners here had already been pulling eleria out of this mine for months before evacuation was necessary. We have a map of the tunnels that were explored, however, I¡¯m not inclined to rush inside after the bandits just yet.¡±
¡°I have no doubt that they would haveid traps behind them as they fled into the cave,¡± A added her own assessment. ¡°It¡¯s what I would do. It¡¯s a narrow passage, just the one way in or out. I would fill it with traps to hinder or kill anyone that might pursue.¡±
¡°So what¡¯s the n?¡± Syd asked, turning slightly to address the captain. ¡°We¡¯re willing to help you however we can since we¡¯d love to beat the ever-loving shit out of those bastards, but we do have our own goals here.¡±
Catching the eleria thieves wasn¡¯t actually Jadis¡¯ purpose for returning north, after all. The promised ally D had told her of had to be near one of three split-peaked mountains, the first of whichy to the east of Sweet Pine Valley. As much as she would like to see the people who¡¯d tried to kill her crushed under her boot, catching them wasn¡¯t a priority. They were on something of a time crunch, what with the winter stormsing soon. They needed to find the avatar who could help her understand how to connect with Lyssandria and then get back to Far Felsen before the snow made travel impossible.
¡°For now, we should secure the entrance to this cave to make sure the bandits don¡¯t sneak out,¡± Wi said firmly. ¡°We¡¯ll set up a blockade in case they try to push us. We¡¯ll need to consult the maps, see if there are other documented cave exits connected to this tunnel system. Our ns will change going from there.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Syd nodded before turning away from the cave. ¡°We¡¯ll go get the wagons. It¡¯ste enough in the day that we probably shouldn¡¯t try to leave for the east, so we¡¯ll help you set up the barriers.¡±
In no time, both wagons were brought up the hill and set up in a defensive formation with the old buildings. Fortune¡¯s Favoredid im to the warehouse while the soldiers took the two undamaged stone buildings, with different members of both groups working to make the structures suitable for a night¡¯s rest. To expedite the process of setting up a barricade across the cave entrance, Jadis used her strength to quickly dismantle the old wooden barracks. Ripping the logs apart from one another, she carried them to the cave where under Wi¡¯s direction a series of walls were constructed that would make it easier for the soldiers to guard and block off the cave from anyone that might try to exit it. To be doubly sure no counterattack woulde in the night, A spent practically all of her magic reservesying spike and snare traps inside the cave entrance as well as around the perimeter of the encampment.
By the time everyone was done, the night had set in and darkness shrouded the valley. A stew was made using the frost drake meat which helped to warm everyone who had been chilled by the long day spent working in the winter weather. Sitting around arge bonfire with friends and lovers, bowls of hot food in hands and real clothes on her backs, Jadis couldn¡¯t help but see how different her life waspared to how it had been thest time she¡¯d spent a night in the abandoned vige.
¡°This cave should connect here,¡± Wi was saying as her finger traced along the line of a map. ¡°Which means they could exit the tunnels on the other side of that mountain there.¡±
Wi had set up a crate next to her andid out a collection of maps on top of it. Most were of the cave systems that had been documented throughout Kalters Wall by miners exploring the mountain range in search of eleria. From the looks of the maps on disy, there had to be dozens, maybe hundreds of miles of different unconnected tunnels and mines that had been surveyed all along the southern side of the mountains. Still, whenpared to the overall size of the mountain range, it was clear that were was far more unexplored than there was documented, by arge margin.
¡°That would be, what, a few hours travel ovend?¡± Jay asked as she leaned over A to look at the collection of maps. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s that mountain up there to the northwest, right?¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s the next one after it,¡± A said with an exasperated look on her face. With Jay leaning over her, she was getting squashed by Jay¡¯s breast against her head. ¡°Considering the mountain terrain, it¡¯d take a day to cross that distance, at a minimum. Much longer with wagons or carts.¡±
¡°Is that the only exit?¡± Jay asked, content to squish up against A despite her girlfriend¡¯s obvious frustration.
¡°Possibly,¡± Wi answered, her whole attention on the maps. ¡°But these maps are iplete. The tunnels shown here and here, and also here, they all are marked as un-surveyed. They could lead anywhere, or nowhere. It¡¯s possible these bandits might have found an alternate route out.¡±
¡°Or they haven¡¯t even discovered this route,¡± A pointed out. ¡°There¡¯s no way to know. But I don¡¯t think they¡¯d flee into these caves without some idea of how they¡¯d be getting out again.¡±
¡°Yeah, who¡¯d run blindly into caves without knowing if they¡¯d find a way out again,¡± Jay said dryly.
¡°They might be nning on waiting us out,¡± Wi mused as she rubbed her chin with one hand. ¡°They might expect us to leave to avoid the winter storms, which is a fair assumption. We can¡¯t weather the long winter here, not with the supplies we have with us. All they have to do is wait until we retreat and then they can flee to a new location.¡±
¡°They won¡¯t get far in the winter,¡± A countered. ¡°The snow that¡¯ll drive you back to the city is the same snow that would keep them from traveling.¡±
¡°If they¡¯ve been out here mining for more than a year, which is possible, then they likely have the supplies and the experience to travel across the snow. They could also have other safe houses set up in other mines.¡±
¡°We haven¡¯t seen any sign of vehicles or horses,¡± A frowned. ¡°They could have sleds for transportation. In fact, they have to have some kind of method of transporting their eleria, right? I doubt many of them have the kind of strength and stamina that they can drag heavily loaded carts or sleds across miles of territory in the winter. Most people aren¡¯t Nephilim, after all.¡±
¡°Maybe they have snowshoes.¡±
Jay¡¯s offhandment brought on a silence from the two debating women that Jadis hadn¡¯t expected. As Jay lowered the bowl of stew from her mouth, she saw that both A and Wi were staring at her with a frown.
¡°What?¡±
¡°What are snowshoes?¡± A asked.
¡°Are they some kind of enchantment?¡± Wi followed with her own question.
That was a bit of a surprise. Jadis had used snowshoes a few times before in her youth back on Earth. They were amon enough concept that she didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be a foreign idea to A or Wi. Then again, some technologies that weremonce to her weren¡¯t present on Oros. It seemed snowshoes were one of them.
¡°Snowshoes,¡± Jay said slowly. ¡°They¡¯re, um, wide, long, t shoes that you can wear on top of your regr ones. They disce your weight across arger surface so you don¡¯t sink into the snow when you walk on it. You stay on top. Makes it way easier to travel across snow on foot.¡±
¡°Nephilim thing?¡± A asked, one eyebrow raised.
¡°Nephilim thing,¡± Jay confirmed.
It didn¡¯t seem likely that the bandits had snowshoes since none of herpanions or the soldiers had heard of them before. That didn¡¯t mean the bandits didn¡¯t have some other method of easy travel across snow-covered terrain, but the mundane answer was crossed off the list. However, with the idea now out there, A and Wi were both interested in learning more about the Nephilim technology. With Sabina¡¯s eager assistance, it only took a short time for a very basic set of snowshoes to be fabricated for a quick demonstration.
The snowshoes made from wood and leather straps entertained the soldiers for the remainder of the evening as they took turns putting them on and walking across the snow. They definitely helped, even though there were only a few inches of snow covering the ground. Wi seemed particrly interested in sharing the snowshoe design with the military once they got back to Far Felsen. The equipment could definitely make it easier for troops to patrol during the long winter.
As the activity died down and the different groups retired to their respective buildings, Wi stopped Jay from leaving to have a brief word.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about standing guard tonight,¡± Wi told her. ¡°We¡¯re going to be without your backup soon enough anyway. We¡¯ll handle the night watch from now on.¡±
¡°Are you sure?¡± Jay asked. ¡°We really don¡¯t mind¡ª¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Wi assured her. ¡°The Magistrate sent us out here with the expectation that we¡¯d be operating alone. We¡¯re more than capable of handling this situation. I can assure you, it¡¯s not the first time my men and I have been sent after bandits. Though I suppose it¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve done it during the demonic invasion. Either way, we¡¯ll be fine.¡±
¡°Alright then,¡± Jay conceded the point. Wi and her troops were professional soldiers, after all. ¡°You know your people.¡±
With the knowledge that she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about standing watch that night, Jay parted ways with the captain and followed the rest of her group into the warehouse to give them the happy news. As soon as she¡¯d made her announcement, A approached Jay and took her by the hand. Letting the redhead lead her, Jay soon found herself pushed down onto a seat that someone had made out of old crates covered in a nket or two. With deft hands, A undid the buckle on Jay¡¯s belt.
¡°What?¡± A asked innocently at Jay¡¯s questioning look. ¡°I used up all my magic reserves today. It¡¯s time to recharge.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Jay said with a wicked grin. ¡°We¡¯re just recharging, huh?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± A answered primly, but with a twinkle in her blue eyes.
¡°And I¡¯m helping,¡± Kerr abruptly said, appearing next to A and aiding her in removing Jay¡¯s pants. ¡°You just lean back, Big Stuff, while Blue and I have some fun.¡±
Chapter 214: Double Attack
Chapter 214: Double Attack
The old warehouse Fortune¡¯s Favored had set up camp in for the night still had arge number of old crates filling it. Just as Jadis remembered, the wooden boxes were all empty and many were broken, the ce having been ransacked long ago, her own looting included. Still, while the crates no longer served their original purpose, they now served a new one. The boxes had been set up throughout the warehouse to make a distinct series of different areas inside the building, offering a small modicum of privacy to the upants of the makeshift rooms.
Jay, A, and Kerr upied one of these closed-off spaces. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure why her two girlfriends had felt the need to separate one of her selves from everyone else, but she wasn¡¯t going toin. If they wanted one of her all to themselves tonight, she was happy to go along with whatever they had nned. Considering the night was starting out with the two beautiful women between her legs, Jadis felt her decisions were well and truly affirmed.
¡°You¡¯re always ready to go, aren¡¯t you?¡± Amented with a wry smile as Jay¡¯s cock sprung free of her pants already at full attention.
¡°Who wouldn¡¯t be if they had girlfriends like you?¡± Jay countered with a grin.
¡°Exactly what I¡¯m saying,¡± Kerr purred as she grasped hold of Jay¡¯s cock and gave the shaft a long lick up the side. ¡°We should always be ready for a surprise fuck. You never know when the mood will take you.¡±
¡°You¡¯re always in the mood,¡± A shook her head at Kerr.
¡°And you aren¡¯t when you¡¯ve got this
riesenschwanz ready and willing to plough you any time you want it?¡±
Kerr¡¯s statement was punctuated by her wielding Jay¡¯s cock in hand and lightly pping it against the side of A¡¯s face. The redhead¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t exactly amusement as she gave the grinning therion a cold stare. With a huff of breath out of her nose, A took hold of Jay¡¯s shaft and pressed it back against Kerr, putting the head right under her nose.
¡°Just shut up and suck.¡±
To Kerr¡¯s credit, she followed orders and immediately wrapped her lips around Jay¡¯s tip and began suckling on it with passion. Her rough tongue swirled around the amount of heated flesh she¡¯d gotten into her mouth, eagerlypping up the stream of precum that was already drooling out of Jay¡¯s cock. A shiver went up Jay¡¯s spine at the texture of Kerr¡¯s inhuman tongue. As many times as she experienced it, the almost but not quite sandpaper-like feel was something she couldn¡¯t quite get used to.
Another shiver followed the first a momentter as A showed that she was not content to be a passive observer. She ducked her head under Kerr¡¯s, running her tongue along the underside of Jay¡¯s cockhead. She licked and sucked at the edge of the crown, finding the most sensitive spots and paying them extra attention. Her hands were not idle, either, as they gripped and stroked her shaft, moving up and down the top half of her cock. The bottom half she didn¡¯t need to traverse as Kerr¡¯s wed hands covered that length, moving in a twisting motion that was wholly different from A¡¯s technique.
Both women kept their eyes open as they worked, staring up at Jay with half-lidded expressions. That sight alone was enough to increase the ever-growing pressure that Jay felt in the pit of her stomach. The feeling of both of them working together to pleasure her was something she wanted to experience for as long as possible, though, so while Jadis reveled in the sensations, she kept careful control of her reactions. She wanted the fun tost.
Due to the size difference between her and the two women, A and Kerr weren¡¯t actually kneeling on the floor. They wouldn¡¯t have been able to reach the top of Jay¡¯s upright cock that way. Instead, after pulling the giant¡¯s pants off, they¡¯d both sat on one of Jay¡¯s knees, Kerr on the left and A on the right. While A was still wearing plenty of clothes in the form of her heavy winter skirt and a long sleeve shirt, Kerr was already naked from the waist down. The therion showed not the least bit of shame as she wantonly rubbed her bare pussy against Jay¡¯s leg, a hot slickness rapidly coating her thigh.
While content to let her girlfriends do what they pleased in this part of the encounter, Jay wasn¡¯t the type to let her hands lie idle. Since both were in easy reach, she slid her hands low to cup and squeeze both women¡¯s asses, prompting a duet of little moans from the two. Going a step further, she pulled A¡¯s skirt out of the way and slipped a finger into her hot and wet pussy from behind.
For Kerr, though, Jay took a different approach. While the therion¡¯s wagging tail got in the way a bit, she let her fingers wander as she circled and prodded at Kerr¡¯s tight back door. When the archer gave her a narrow-eyed look, Jay winked at her and popped the tip of a finger into her ass. The low moan that rumbled in Kerr¡¯s throat sent more delightful shivers through Jay, added to by the way her slitted pupils darkened in desire.
As Jay finger fucked her girlfriends, both increased the fervor of their attack on her cock. Rather than simply sucking on the tip, Kerr had started licking and kissing all along her side of Jay¡¯s cockhead while A did the same. Their oral attention became sloppier as time passed and tension grew. A and Kerr¡¯s tongues danced across Jay¡¯s flesh, asionally brushing against each other. The errant touches became more frequent, and soon the two women were practically kissing each other with the tip of Jay¡¯s cock between their plush lips.
Despite Jadis¡¯ best intentions, she found that the double assault was breaking down her resistances faster than she wanted. How was she supposed to hold back when the two gorgeous women were licking and sucking her so lewdly? The wanton disy had Jay practically panting with need as her stomach clenched and her dick throbbed. Suddenly, events in the other areas of the warehouse made Jadis¡¯ multi-faceted attention split away from Jay for a moment and her whole body shuddered with the loss of focused control. Arge amount of precum spurted out of the tip of her cock, coating the sides of A and Kerr¡¯s faces.
Kerr pulled back, licking the lewd liquid that was dripping off of her nose as she gave Jay a wicked look.
¡°I can hear what you and the others are doing over there,¡± she said huskily. ¡°But this you needs to focus on us.¡±
¡°I most certainly am,¡± Jay replied, her own voice dark with lust.
To punctuate the statement, she made the next thrust of her finger a little deeper inside of Kerr¡¯s tightness, making the therion let out an obscene noise. Jadis loved the sounds that Kerr made, but she loved it even more as Kerr immediately went back to sloppily attacking Jay¡¯s cock alongside A.
In too short an amount of time, Jay could tell that she was approaching the point of no return. Her cock quivered and throbbed with need as her breath came fast and heavy, her own lewd moans escaping her lips. A must have recognized the signs as she abruptly wrapped her lips around the tip of her cockhead and sucked on it with an almost mad fervor.
¡°Fuck¡ª¡±
Jay stuttered out as her climax came over here unexpectedly. Her whole body shuddered as a massive rope of hot cum erupted from her cock and poured directly into A¡¯s hungry mouth. She watched A greedily gulp her seed down like it was divine ambrosia, the first three heavy bursts going to fill the redhead¡¯s stomach. However, as quickly as she swallowed, she wasn¡¯t able to keep up with the sheer volume of cum Jay was capable of putting out. Sticky white seed escaped out the seal of her lips and dripped down the sides of Jay¡¯s cock in an obscene tableau.
¡°Tsk. You¡¯re such a messy drinker.¡±
Kerr¡¯s admonishment was followed up by her tonguepping up the escaped seed. Her actions tickled and teased as Jay continued to climax, extending her orgasm a little longer as the sights and sensations made her head swim.
Eventually there was no more to be had from her as Jay came down from her peak. She rxed back against her makeshift seat, all tension having left her body as A finally released her cock. Audibly gulping onest time, she threw her hair back as her freckled face looked upward. She let out a gasping breath, mouth open wide as though she¡¯d just chugged down a gallon of liquid.
¡°You¡¯re so fucking sexy,¡± Jay murmured, staring at A with pure lust.
A gave her a cool and collected look back, though as per usual her attempt at a dominant disy was somewhat ruined by her ears turning red from embarrassment. And the string of cum dripping off of her chin. She looked like she was struggling for some words to say in response, her mouth open just slightly as her lust-addled brain reoriented itself from her recent activity. She didn¡¯t get the chance to speak as a wed finger tilted her chin to the side.
Making the redhead¡¯s eyes open wide in surprise, Kerr initiated a passionate kiss, her lips pressed desperately against A¡¯s. As she opened her mouth in eptance of Kerr¡¯s prodding tongue, Jay could see the pearlescent load the therion had been holding in her mouth pour into A¡¯s. For an obscene moment the two shared a messy kiss, Jay¡¯s cum sliding across their tongues. Eventually, Kerr pulled away, leaving A panting for breath.
¡°You missed some,¡± Kerr told her cheekily, giving Jay a knowing smirk. ¡°And you need all the cum you can get, don¡¯t you? For your magic reserves.¡±
¡°For my magic reserves,¡± A echoed, her thoughts still a little addled.
After a second to shake the cum out of her brain, A¡¯s expression turned business-like as she abruptly stood. A shiver ran through her as the motion caused Jay¡¯s finger to pull free of her pussy, but she made no acknowledgement of that. Instead, with one swift motion, she pulled Kerr¡¯s shirt over her head and tossed it aside, leaving the horned womanpletely nude.
¡°I believe I¡¯ve made it clear that between the two of us, I¡¯m in the one in charge.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Kerr agreed easily, not bothered in the least by A so abruptly divesting her of her remaining clothing.
¡°So instead of trying to tease me,¡± A said as she lifted Kerr up off of Jay¡¯s knee. ¡°Do as I say and sit on this.¡±
With thatmand, A adroitly maneuvered Kerr around so that she was fully on top of Jay¡¯sp, her wet pussy pressed against Jay¡¯s still hard member. Without a hint of resistance, Kerr let A grasp her hips and press her down onto the turgid shaft, sending a shudder through Jay as her still post-climax overly sensitive cock was enveloped by Kerr¡¯s hot core.
¡°Whatever you say, Blue,¡± Kerr moaned as she wiggled her hips from side to side, helping work Jay¡¯s cock into her depths.
Jay¡¯s hands reced A¡¯s at Kerr¡¯s waist as she helped her ease her way down the long shaft. Her tight tunnel was stretched as an obscene bulge appeared in the therion¡¯s belly, growing upwards the further she sunk onto the massive cock. With a firm tug, Jay pulled Kerr down so that her hips pped against hers, forcing a breathless cry of pained pleasure out of the wicked woman.
As Jay let Kerr get used to the giant cock filling her insides beyond any reasonable capacity, she was distracted by a beautiful set of long legs taking up the whole of her vision. A had used the brief moment to get rid of her own clothing, revealing a surprise Jadis hadn¡¯t expected.
¡°No cock tonight?¡± Jay asked as she took in the sight of A¡¯s delicate pussy.
¡°Not tonight,¡± A shook her head. ¡°I¡¯d like it backter, sometime. But for now, remember what you did to Sabina the other night? Do that to me.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Jay said with a grin. Then, with a silly smile, she nted a lewd kiss on the flesh just slightly above A¡¯s glistening lower lips. ¡°I missed you girl.¡±
¡°Oh, shut up,¡± A said crossly, though her lips twitched in a smile that was quickly hidden from Jay¡¯s sight as she shoved Jay¡¯s head between her legs. ¡°Just get to work¡ªoh!¡±
Jay wasted no time in putting her long tongue to use. It was going to be a long night and she was going to enjoy every second of it.
Chapter 215: A Different Kind of Training
Chapter 215: A Different Kind of Training
¡°You¡¯re doing so well, just bear it for a little while longer.¡±
¡°Mmm¡ªAh! I¡¯m trying, I¡¯m trying, ah, I promise I¡¯m trying to!¡±
¡°Y¡ªyou can d¡ªdo it. Just b¡ªbreathe.¡±
¡°Oh fuck!¡±
Dys paused in her motions, momentarily taken aback by the absurdity of the situation she was in. Was this really the ce where her life had led her to? She had to admit, neither in her old life back on Earth or at any point in her new life on Oros did she ever think she¡¯d be in the position she was in now.
How does one stumble into the situation where one has to train a half-elf to not cum so quickly when fucking them?
Sabinay supine on her back on top of a tform of crates with nketsid over it that had been set up to act as a makeshift bed, albeit an overly tall one. Even with the crates double-stacked, a pillow had to be put under the smith¡¯s hips to angle her lower-half upward since Dys was still too tall to line up perfectly. Sabina had been stripped down, her enticingly fit body on full disy. She wasn¡¯t the only one, though.
Eiry to Sabina¡¯s left, the elf alsopletely nude. Her dark red skin shone in thentern light, soft curves and plush breasts practically begging to be touched. She was on her side, one elbow propping up her head as she faced Sabina. Her other hand grasped hold of the half-elf¡¯s hand, holding it as she whispered encouragements into her ear with a gentle smile.
Theay on the opposite side of Sabina, also on her side though she wasn¡¯t fully naked. The brte had left her underclothes on, her natural shyness no doubt the reason. Still, the small amount of cloth hiding her lovely assets did little to detract from the unassuming woman¡¯s sexiness. If anything, they only stoked the desire to see more. Thea, too, held one of Sabina¡¯s hands, also offering her support to the struggling smith, though her wide brown eyes spent far more time wandering south to see the lewd show than focused on the half-elf¡¯s face.
The scene was, without doubt, bizarre. Not that Jadis wasining. How could she? Not only were the three women beautiful and sexy beyond anything Jadis had seen outside of movies, but her thick cock was also still half-buried inside Sabina¡¯s tight core, after all. She just had to exercise some restraint, was all. A different kind from what she was experiencing elsewhere in the warehouse with two other figurative subi.
¡°I¡¯m going to start moving again,¡± Dys told Sabina as she felt her pussy rx slightly around her. ¡°Just a little, okay?¡±
¡°Okay, go ahead,¡± Sabina nodded, bracing herself.
With a slow and deliberate motion, Dys resumed thrusting her hips. Her cock was halfway inside Sabina, having not yet bottomed out. She held both of the half-elf¡¯s legs upright against her chest, holding both of her ankles in one hand. The position increased the tightness, but also made it easier for her to control the pace of the encounter since Sabina couldn¡¯t easily push back against her or wrap her legs around her waist to pull her in. This was a training exercise, of sorts. Sabina needed to learn to control herself otherwise there was no way she¡¯d be able to participate in Lascivious Empowerment. So far, including the brief forey they¡¯d engaged in after the three women had imed Dys for themselves, Sabina had managed tost about five minutes without climaxing.
¡°Uhn, fuck, no! Fuck me! I mean¡ªfuck! Don¡¯t fuck me! Shit!¡±
Dys had resumed her frankly tame thrusting for all of fifteen seconds before Sabina shuddered again, her body squirming uncontrobly as she sumbed to the pleasure she was feeling. Her core quivered as hot liquid gushed around Dys¡¯ cock, making a wet spot on the pillow under Sabina¡¯s ass.
¡°That¡¯s okay, you¡¯re doing well,¡± Eir murmured as she ced little kisses on the side of Sabina¡¯s face and head, reassuring the smith. ¡°It¡¯s a daunting challenge, I know. Jadis has such a wonderful cock and she¡¯s so good at putting it to use. You cannot be med for not being able to control your desire when faced with a Nephilim. Yet, for her sake, you must keep trying. You will do better next time.¡±
Boost to her ego aside, Jadis at least agreed with Eir¡¯s point that Sabina did need to do better. Having one more person added to the Lascivious Empowerment ritual would equal arge boost to not only Jadis¡¯ power, but everyone else¡¯s power as well, including Sabina¡¯s. Practically speaking, Sabina¡¯s inability to keep froming too quickly was a roadblock that could hinder all of their progression, potentially even endanger their lives.
Not that those were the kinds of thoughts Jadis wanted to focus on while she was fucking her beautiful half-elf friend. Sabina¡¯s hair trigger wasn¡¯t her fault, nor had Jadis ever put any kind of condition on her that she
had to participate in the empowerment ritual. If Sabina couldn¡¯t do it, then she couldn¡¯t do it and that was fine. Jadis certainly wouldn¡¯t think any less of her, nor would she let anyone else treat her differently.
But by D, they were going to try and make this ritual work.
¡°Let¡¯s try something different, okay?¡± Eir told Sabina as she came down from her shuddering climax. Wiping a bit of sweat from the smith¡¯s forehead, Eir sat up so she was sitting with her legs under her. ¡°Maybe what you need is something to focus on rather than yourself. A distraction, to keep your mind off of your own sensations. Would you be willing to try that?¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Sabina heaved breathlessly. ¡°Sure. I mean, it¡¯s not like anything bad will happen if it doesn¡¯t work, since all that¡¯s really happening when I mess up here is I get to cum which is really not a very good way to dissuade me froming since I¡¯m really enjoying this. Kind of counterproductive, I guess? Does that make sense?¡±
¡°I understand what you mean,¡± Eir said as she hid augh behind a smile. Turning her gaze to Thea, she addressed the distracted shieldsworn. ¡°Dear Thea, would you be willing aid Sabina in her trial?¡±
¡°Um,¡± Thea looked up from where Dys¡¯ dick met Sabina¡¯s pussy. ¡°Yes? How c¡ªcan I help?¡±
Jadis already had a strong suspicion as to where Eir was going with all this and wasn¡¯t surprised by the lewd priestess¡¯ next few words. Despite her innocence and inexperience, Eir had a creative re for the obscene that matched her devilish outer appearance. At least when it came to anything sexual.
¡°Would you please sit right here?¡±
¡°Uh,¡± Thea¡¯s face nked out for a moment, looking at Eir¡¯s finger. ¡°Where?¡±
¡°Right here,¡± Eir said with an innocent smile that didn¡¯t quite match the smoldering heat in her purple eyes. ¡°Facing this way, please.
Eir¡¯s finger tapped lightly against Sabina¡¯s lips for emphasis, making the surprised smith¡¯s eyebrow¡¯s shoot up and her face darken with a blush. Despite the obvious shock on her face, Sabina spoke no word and made no move to object.
Thea¡¯s eyes went up to meet Dys¡¯, almost like she was seeking either help or approval. With one side of her lips raised in a half-smile, Dys nodded towards Sabina, giving Thea a silentmand.
Like the good soldier she was, Thea sat up and shuffled over, settling herself down so that she was hovering over Sabina¡¯s face. Before she sat down, however, Eir reached over and put a hand on her waist.
¡°This will be easier if you disrobepletely,¡± she advised seriously.
¡°Oh, um, r¡ªright, of c¡ªcourse,¡± Thea stuttered, before shimmying out of her underpants.
Once she was fully disrobed, Thea eased herself down on top of Sabina. Dys couldn¡¯t see her expression nor could she see what was going on between the shy woman¡¯s legs, but she could see the bright red flush running down her neck and across her shoulders. She still held Sabina¡¯s hand in hers, albeit much more tightly now. Another thing she could see was Eir¡¯s grin as shey back down, positioning herself so that her chin was on Thea¡¯s thigh.
¡°You¡¯ve done this before, haven¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± came Sabina¡¯s slightly muffled reply.
¡°Good. Then, from now on, I want you to focus on making Thea feel as good as possible. Make her feel just as good as you do when Jadis pleasures you. Nothing else matters in this moment more than Thea and how good she feels.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
Dys could tell when Sabina started as Thea¡¯s back arched slightly, a slight shiver running through her. Her free hand went to her mouth as she bit down on a finger in an attempt to stifle her quiet moans and hupping sighs. Her hips twisted slightly, unconsciously grinding down as the soft sound of a tonguepping at wet flesh became just barely audible.
¡°Good girl,¡± Eir encouraged. ¡°Just like that. You¡¯re making her feel so very good.¡±
As she spoke, Eir took Sabina¡¯s other hand and ced it on Thea¡¯s plump backside, guiding her into squeezing her lovely ass. Thea¡¯s moans went up a notch as Sabina began firmly kneading her rear. Soon Sabina¡¯s right hand let go of Thea¡¯s and joined her left in its quest to fondle Thea¡¯s perfect peach of an ass.
¡°I can see how wet you are making her,¡± Eir continued her whispered words that somehow straddled the line between encouraging and lewd. ¡°You¡¯re doing so well. She must taste wonderful, so sweet and delicate. See how her hips grind her core into your lips and tongue. Her hand is in your hair now, pulling you closer. You¡¯re going to make her cum soon, I can tell. Keep going, Sabina! She¡¯s almost there.¡±
As she spoke, Eir tilted her head and looked up at Dys, their eyes meeting. The priestess gave her a little nod as she continued her strange version of dirty talk.
With a start, Dys realized she¡¯d just been standing there for the past few minutes, entranced by the tititing sight of what she couldn¡¯t fully seebined with Eir¡¯s lilting and lewd whispers. Sabina¡¯s pussy still gripped tightly around the length of her cock, though she wasn¡¯t trembling with need the way she had before she started to focus on Thea. Cautiously, Dys began to move again, gently thrusting a few inches deeper before pulling back.
A muffled groan of pleasure came from between Thea¡¯s thighs, but the second it did Eir was there with further encouragements.
¡°Look up, Sabina, look at how far you¡¯ve brought our dear Thea. Look at the way she trembles, the way her breath hitches and her stomach clenches with need. See the passion in her eyes that burns brightly because of you. Listen to the sounds of pleasure thate forth unbidden from her lips because of what you are doing to her right now. She¡¯s almost there, Sabina. Won¡¯t you please take her all the way?¡±
There was no verbal response, but from the way Sabina¡¯s grip on Thea¡¯s ass tightened and the increased groans from Thea, Dys could tell that the smith had doubled down on her efforts.
Keeping her pace slow and gentle, Dys thrust her cock into Sabina. The distraction seemed to work as the seconds passed. While Sabina¡¯s hips would normally twist and writhe in barely suppressed lust, her reaction was now far more subdued. She still responded, but with her attention divided, Jadis could tell that Sabina wasn¡¯t building up to her peak quite so quickly.
The odd foursome continued for some time as Dys fucked Sabina and Sabina in turn focused on Thea while Eir cheered the smith on in her efforts. As strange as the situation came across, it seemed to work. Even as Thea began to cry out her stuttering climax, her whole body twisting in the smith¡¯s grasp, Sabina didn¡¯t find her own release. Her wet heat tightened and fluttered around Dys¡¯ cock, but she didn¡¯te. Her whole focus was on Thea, with no attention spared for herself.
¡°Oh, oh! It¡¯s t¡ªtoo much!¡± Thea finally cried out, her orgasm having ended and her body too sensitive to continue.
She pulled away from Sabina, copsing off to the left as she struggled to find her breath. Doing so she revealed Sabina¡¯s wet lips and unfocused, lust-addled eyes. Coming back to her senses, she seemed to only then realize that Dys was actively fucking her, a giant cock bowing out her stomach as she thrust gently but firmly into her depths.
¡°Hnn! Oh Gods!¡± Sabina abruptly shuddered, her whole body clenching up as she was wracked with a nearly instant climax.
¡°Fuck,¡± Dys shuddered as well, the sudden, nearly painful tightness of Sabina¡¯s pussy gripping onto her cock sent her over her own peak as well. With everything going on with her other selves, there was no way she could hold back against the unexpected assault.
Dys¡¯ cum filled Sabina in moments, seed spilling out around her cock as she pumped her load into her. Panting through her nose, Dys pulled out of her writhing smith to wetly p her sodden cock onto Sabina¡¯s stomach. She rapidly stroked her length, coating Sabina¡¯s breasts, neck, and face with ropes of sticky cum as she finished her orgasm, delighting in the sight almost as much as the feeling.
As Sabinay there, panting and gasping around thest moments of her own orgasm, Eir leaned in close and delicately licked up a string of cum from her flushed cheek.
¡°What a good girl you are, Sabina. Yousted so long that time! Let¡¯s try that again. Only this time, I want you to focus on both Thea and me while our Jadis fucks you. Do you think you can do that for us?¡±
¡°Mmm¡ªhnn, ya?¡± was Sabina¡¯s unintelligible but eager response.
Chapter 216: Privacy
Chapter 216: Privacy
There was a point, after Jay had been swept away by A and Kerr but before Eir had shown her deceptively deviously lewd side, that Syd had nned on joining the foursome. While Dys had been specifically roped into helping with Sabina¡¯s ¡°training¡± that didn¡¯t mean Syd couldn¡¯t help too, in her own way. However, as things got hot and heavy between the four and Syd was still removing her shoes, she found that someone had sidled up next to her and had let out a nervous little cough to get her attention.
¡°Ahem. So. Just, uh, you and me, huh?¡±
Syd looked up, raising one slender eyebrow at Bridget.
¡°I guess so,¡± Syd said after a moment before casually leaning back on the crate she¡¯d sat on. ¡°Anything you wanted to talk about or do while it¡¯s just us?¡±
¡°Nothing specific, I guess,¡± Bridget said nervously, her eyes not quite meeting Syd¡¯s. ¡°There¡¯s, um, a little section over there we can go, though. For privacy. To give them some privacy, I mean. Not that we need privacy or anything, just so they can do what they¡¯re, um, doing and we can give them some space.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but notice Bridget¡¯s hand as it ran through her ck hair as she spoke. She normally kept it braided and piled up to make it easier to wear her helmet, but now it was loose andy syed out across her shoulders, her locks surprisingly long. It wasn¡¯t just her helmet missing and hair down, either. In fact, she wasn¡¯t wearing any of her armor. The loose white long sleeve shirt she wore was the kindmonly worn by many men and women under their armor, practically identical to the one Kerr was wearing. Except Bridget had undone a few of the buttons, revealing a fair amount of cleavage as well as the fact that she wasn¡¯t wearing any kind of bra or undergarments.
¡°You know, that¡¯s me over there, right?¡± Syd said, indicating the foursome with a nce. ¡°Technically there¡¯s no way for me to have privacy unless all of me are in one ce. I¡¯m aware of what all my bodies are doing at the same time since they¡¯re all me.¡±
¡°I know that,¡± Bridget said quickly, her green skin darkening. ¡°But maybe other people want privacy tonight. Like Sabina.¡±
At that point said half-elf let out a particrly lusty moan that made Bridget¡¯s face flush an even darker shade of green.
¡°Or Thea. She¡¯s very delicate in that way.¡±
Syd grinned slyly, which only seemed to make Bridget even more nervous. Getting to her feet, Syd took a step towards Bridget who took a step back, bumping into a warehouse wall at her back. Putting her right forearm against the wall and her left hand on her hip, Syd loomed over the fidgeting orc warrior whose eyes were barely on level with the middle of the Nephilim¡¯s stomach.
¡°You know, it¡¯s good that you don¡¯t have anything nned for us to do while we¡¯re all alone together,¡± Syd said in a low purr. ¡°Because right now, I¡¯m getting all kinds of ideas of my own. Would you want to hear about any of them?¡±
¡°Maybe I do,¡± Bridget said, finally looking up to meet Syd¡¯s gaze. ¡°Though, um, maybe I want to hear them somewhere else. In private.¡±
¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Syd said. ¡°Just one question before we do. You didn¡¯t happen to have a talk with A about tonight¡¯s possibilities, did you?¡±
Bridget audibly gulped, her expression taking on a daunted look.
¡°A and Kerr. Together. They were, uh, encouraging? Sort of.¡±
As much as Jadis was willing to trust Bridget at her word, she still had to ask her girlfriends herself. While she¡¯d neverid down those kind of ground rules with Kerr, she had discussed these kinds of potential eventualities with A and she¡¯d been clear that she¡¯d prefer to be present during such interactions.
¡°Hey, did you two give the go ahead to Bridget? Because she¡¯s seducing me right now in the most adorably awkward way.¡±
¡°Yes, we did,¡± A said as she ran her fingers through Jay¡¯s hair.
¡°Why do you think we moved all these gods damned crates?¡± Kerr grunted out without stopping her pumping hips.
¡°She needs her first time with you to be as private as we can make it,¡± A rified. ¡°Now stop talking and get back to licking.¡±
Since A had rather firmly given her permission, thest of Jadis¡¯ reservations fell away. With a crooked smile and a tilt of her head, Syd leaned down closer to whisper directly into Bridget¡¯s ear.
¡°Go ahead and lead the way. So we can give the others some privacy.¡±
Despite her words, Syd made no move to get out of Bridget¡¯s way, staying firmly in her personal space. The blushing orc maiden was forced to squeeze past Syd, brushing against her body. Syd grinned, enjoying Bridget¡¯s flustered responses to even casual touches. Something about her nervousness made her want to tease the orc even more.
Syd followed behind Bridget as she led her to a different section of the warehouse. The corner she¡¯d brought her to was as far away from the others as possible, a snug little section with just them in it. Just them and the bed of nkets on the ground that left no doubts as to Bridget¡¯s intentions.
¡°So what were those ideas you had?¡± Bridget asked with an air of false bravado. She even tried puffing her rather sizeable chest out towards Syd as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. ¡°I mean, now that it¡¯s just us and all. We need something to do.¡±
¡°There¡¯s a bed here,¡± Syd noted. ¡°Nice. That means we can get to sleep early. We¡¯ll need all the energy we can get for tomorrow."
Syd casually sat down on the bed, stretching her arms in a wide yawn. Bridget stared at her for a moment, utterly aghast. Then her expression darkened in obvious anger as her thick eyebrows furrowed.
¡°Bloody arse, stop fucking with me!¡± Bridget told her as she stormed up to where Syd sat and tried to give her a kick to her leg.
The moment Bridget tried, Syd swept her supporting leg out from under her, making the orc fall over, though not very far. In the same move Syd caught Bridget mid-air and pulled her in close, setting her down on herp in something of a mirror of when Bridget had sat with Jay at the campfire during their watch many nights ago.
¡°Sorry, sorry!¡± Sydughed as hugged the struggling orc to her chest. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help myself.¡±
¡°Nutty blighter,¡± Bridget cursed, her squirming struggles lessening as she leaned back into Syd¡¯s embrace. ¡°You¡¯re a cunt, you know that? I¡¯m trying to be sexy and alluring and you fucking around is making that even harder for me to do.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but notice that Bridget¡¯s ent became far more pronounced the angrier she got. It was kind of fun, though considering her reaction, she figured she¡¯d pushed it as far as was reasonable.
¡°Nonsense,¡± Syd said as she pressed her nose into the top of Bridget¡¯s head, breathing in her scent. ¡°You¡¯re already sexy and alluring without trying. You don¡¯t need to put on an act to get my attention.¡±
¡°Yeah?¡± Bridget said, her tone skeptical. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to just take a nap or something?¡±
¡°Mm, as attractive as that prospect may be, I¡¯ve got other impulses I¡¯d like to act on now that I¡¯ve got you in my arms.¡±
¡°And what are those impulses?¡± Bridget asked, the indignation havingpletely left her tone as she leaned a little further back against Syd.
¡°Some things are better done than said,¡± Syd told her as she slipped a hand under the hem of her shirt.
Bridget let in a sharp intake of air but made no protest to Syd¡¯s wandering hand. Slowly Syd traced her way across Bridget¡¯s stomach, enjoying the feel of her defined muscles. Much like Sabina, Bridget had a strong build, one no doubt earned from years of exercise andbat training. Tracing the lines of her pectorals, Jadis could tell that the orc warrior was even more muscled than the smith was. Whether that was due to her efforts or her different biology, she wasn¡¯t sure and honestly didn¡¯t much care. Either way, Syd enjoyed running her fingers across Bridget¡¯s hard muscles sheathed in soft skin.
There was one ce where Sabina and Bridget were different, though. As Syd¡¯s hand drifted further up the orc¡¯s body, she brushed against the underside of her breasts. Eir had thergest chest of anyone in their little group, however, from the slight touches that Syd was getting now, she could tell that Bridget would give the elf some stiffpetition if they were to bepared.
¡°I thought you said you were done teasing me,¡± Bridget murmured as Syd continued to brush her fingers just barely along the underside of her chest.
¡°I am,¡± Syd agreed readily.
With that signal, Syd swept her left hand higher and fully palmed Bridget¡¯s breast. Even with herrge hand, the warrior¡¯s breast overflowed, more than a handful. Her hard nipple poked against Syd¡¯s palm as she gently kneaded and squeezed the soft flesh, using her long and strong fingers to her advantage. The groan of excited pleasure that came from Bridget¡¯s throat brought a smile to Syd¡¯s lips, encouraging her to go further.
Finally deciding to put her right hand to use, Syd¡¯s fingers teased along the waistband of Bridget¡¯s pants. Before she had a chance to draw the moment out, the woman in herp brushed her hand aside and popped her own pants buttons open. Shimmying her hips, Bridget wiggled her pants and underclothes down her legs and kicked them off, leaving herpletely bare from the waist down.
¡°There,¡± Bridget announced before firmly taking Syd¡¯s hand and putting it back right where it had been before. ¡°Continue.¡±
¡°Okay then,¡± Syd chuckled. ¡°Maybe I should take my pants off too? Wouldn¡¯t want to stain them.¡±
The way Bridget¡¯s skin turned a darker shade of green when she was embarrassed really did fascinate Jadis.
¡°Well maybe you should,¡± Bridget said with a slight quaver in her voice.
¡°Eh,¡± Syd shook her head before giving Bridget a kiss on the side of her temple. ¡°I don¡¯t really mind.¡±
Syd¡¯s hand moved lower, dipping down to the valley between Bridget¡¯s thighs to trace lightly against the soft slick flesh she found there. Bridget¡¯s breathing picked up as Syd continued to y with her chest while her other hand explored the entrance to her core. As Bridget¡¯s hips began to twist and push back against Syd¡¯s fingers, Jadis took the hint and stopped ying with the increasingly frustrated orc. Using her middle finger, Syd slid down between Bridget¡¯s lower lips to press against the orc¡¯s wet core. Slipping her finger inside her, she began a firm stroking motion, paying close attention to the spots that provoked the strongest reactions from the orc.
However, Syd¡¯s own reaction was one of slight confusion as she explored Bridget¡¯s wet core with her fingers. There were some differences in biology she hadn¡¯t anticipated that were throwing her off.
From what Jadis could tell, Bridget didn¡¯t have a clit. There was just, nothing there where she expected the little nub to be. As bizarre as that was, Bridget¡¯s tunnel was even more so. The orc¡¯s pussy was far bumpier than any Jadis had experienced before. It was almost like she had dozens of hard, little round bumps inside of her tunnel that increased in number the deeper Syd went. Focusing on one of these little bumps, Syd stroked it firmly, curious about the odd protrusion.
Bridget reacted strongly, her whole body shuddering as she let out a gasping moan.
¡°Fuck!¡± she panted as Syd continued to give the little bumps attention. ¡°Fuck, that feels good!¡±
¡°How about this?¡± Syd asked, adding a second finger to her assault.
¡°Fuck, yes!¡± Bridget cried out, her reaching up and behind her to grab hold of Syd. ¡°That! Keep doing that!¡±
While the biology was a little alien, the reaction was all too familiar. Enjoying the response she was getting out of Bridget, Syd began to stroke harder and faster, pumping her fingers as deep as they could go. The harder she pressed against Bridget¡¯s inner buds, the more the orc squirmed and panted. Chest heaving, the orc cried out for more, all her previous reserve gone as she writhed in pleasure.
¡°Fuck me, Jadis! Oh, fuck! Harder, harder!¡±
Obliging her, Syd inserted a third finger, stretching Bridget¡¯s pussy around her long digits as she pumped them even faster. As Bridget¡¯s cries and moans of pleasure increased in both volume and pitch, the orc reached up with one hand and brought Syd¡¯s head down towards her. With intense fervor, Bridget pressed her lips against Syd¡¯s as she let out a primal groan, muffling the loud noise with Syd¡¯s mouth.
Bridget¡¯s body shook as her thighs squeezed tightly around Syd¡¯s hand. Continuing her pumping motions, Syd carried Bridget along as her climax stretched out over the course of a minute, her rapture gloriously intense. Eventually, though, Bridget¡¯s muscles ckened as she came down from her peak. Her body rxed into a boneless state as Syd slowed, then stopped the movement of her fingers, just leaving them where they were inside of Bridget¡¯s fluttering pussy.
The kiss Bridget had initiated continued as Syd let the orc explore her mouth with her tongue. With an almostnguid, unhurried pace Bridget traced Syd¡¯s teeth and yed with her muchrger tongue, seeming to just enjoy the simple sensation. When she finally broke the kiss some timeter, Bridget¡¯s dark eyes were unfocused and dark with passion, thentern light causing the orange flecks in her eyes to shine brightly.
¡°Mm,¡± Bridget hummed, clearly still recovering.
¡°Mm-Hmm,¡± Syd hummed back with a smile.
¡°What, uh,es next after all that?¡± Bridget asked, her voice low and mellow.
¡°Hopefully me,¡± Syd grinned at the orc, flexing her muscles to make her cock jump against Bridget¡¯s bare behind.
¡°Oh,¡± she said, eyes widening a little. ¡°Well, I guess I can help with that.¡±
Chapter 217: Done Teasing
Chapter 217: Done Teasing
¡°You¡¯re really beautiful,¡± Sydmented, tilting her head as she watched Bridget appreciatively.
¡°Shut your gob,¡± Bridget shot back, her face flushed in embarrassment. ¡°You don¡¯t need to, to butter me up or anything. I¡¯m pretty well on board for this right now.¡±
Bridget had gotten off of Syd¡¯sp and taken up a spot on the makeshift bed. She sat there, in all her naked green glory, all her enticing assets on disy, which is what had prompted Jadis¡¯ remark.
¡°I¡¯m just saying what¡¯s true,¡± Syd said with a small shrug. ¡°You
are beautiful. Sexy, too.¡±
Bridget¡¯s skin flushed a darker shade of green at thepliments, then flushed even darker as Syd finished disrobing. As her pants fell to the floor, Syd¡¯s cock sprang up, already dripping at the tip from both the constant tease of what her other bodies were experiencing at that moment as well as what was shortly toe.
¡°That really is¡ªyou¡¯re such a¡ªgods!¡± Bridget struggled for words before flipping away from Syd, lying down on her front with her face in her hands. Her wordless cry of frustration and embarrassment was muffled by both her flesh and the nkets.
¡°Hey,¡± Syd said, a small note of concern creeping into her voice. ¡°You are still good with all this, right? I mean, I know you let me use my fingers on you but if you want to call it quits for now¡¡±
¡°Just shut up and fuck me!¡± Bridget shouted, her words still muffled as she didn¡¯t turn over to face Syd.
¡°Alright, just making sure,¡± Syd said with augh.
Bridget had made it pretty clear so far that she wasn¡¯t exactly skilled at the whole ¡°lovemaking¡± thing, especially since she so easily lost her nerve when it came to any kind of direct attention orpliments. She obviously wanted to have sex and had made her intentions in, but the culminating act seemed to be a daunting prospect for the orc.
ncing down at her rigid shaft, Jadis couldn¡¯t me her. So far, almost every woman she¡¯d been with had been fairly well intimidated by the prospect of being with someone asrge as her, Kerr being the only exception. It was only natural that Bridget would have some nerves messing with her.
Then again, Bridget wasn¡¯t some wilting flower, either. As Syd moved to sit down next to the blushing orc, Bridget rolled over onto her back to give Syd a cross look. Holding out her hands, she motioned for Syd to move closer.
¡°Get over here,¡± shemanded with only a small shiver behind her words. ¡°Let me get acquainted with that fucking battering ram first.¡±
Obliging Bridget¡¯s request, Syd sat down so she was on Bridget¡¯s lower stomach, knees to either side. Holding her cock up at first with one hand, Syd let her shaft lower down so that it rested in the warrior¡¯s warm hands.
¡°Bloody abyss,¡± Bridget murmured as her hands wrapped around Syd¡¯s length. ¡°This thing is madness.¡±
She gazed at Syd¡¯s cock in wonder as her hands ran up and down it, going slowly at first but bing more adventurous as the seconds passed. Precum dripping down from Syd¡¯s tip and Bridget gathered it up with a thumb, using it as lubrication to make stroking her easier. Soon Syd¡¯s dick was slick and shinning from Bridget¡¯s efforts.
¡°If you keep ying with me like that, I won¡¯t be held liable for what I end up doing.¡±
Syd¡¯s heated words seemed to catch Bridget off guard, her hands freezing in ce as she looked up at Syd in surprise. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure what the orc saw on her face, but whatever it was prompted her eyes to narrow as a sly grin spread across her lips.
¡°Feeling a little anxious?¡± Bridget teased as she brought Syd¡¯s cockhead a few inches away from her mouth. Her warm breath puffed enticingly against Syd as she continued. ¡°Maybe a little pent up? Maybe you need a little something more?¡±
As she spoke, Bridget brought her mouth even closer to Syd¡¯s cock, her lips practically brushing against her skin.
¡°Maybe you¡¯re thinking you shouldn¡¯t have teased me so much earlier right about now?¡±
Bridget¡¯s smile disappeared and her eyes went wide as saucers as Syd¡¯s hands mmed down onto the bed to either side of her head. She stared up in silent awe as Syd loomed over her. A deep growl issued forth from Syd as she met Bridget¡¯s gaze.
¡°I told you, I¡¯m done teasing.¡±
Bridget¡¯s eyes stayed wide, however the smile tugged at the corners of her lips, so dangerously close to Syd¡¯s cock. Her voice still held a quiver, though it was hard to tell if it was from fear or excitement.
¡°Then you better find something else to do, huh?¡±
Bridget let out a little shriek as Syd moved quickly, practically leaping to one side so she could flip the orc over and toss her onto her belly. Before the warrior could react, Syd was back on top of her, this time positioned much lower as her cockhead pressed firmly against the entrance to her core. As Bridget pulled her long hair away from her face to look back at Syd over her shoulder, she let out a little gasp as Syd shifted forward slightly, her tip spreading her petals.
¡°I already found what I¡¯m going to do for the next hour, at least,¡± Syd informed Bridget matter-of-factly as she put her hands t on the ground, taking up a position almost like she was about to do push-ups.
¡°Uh¡ an hour?¡± Bridget asked nervously, some of the bravado having left her tone. ¡°Is that really¡ª¡±
¡°At least,¡± Syd cut her off before thrusting her hips forward.
Syd let out a grunt of pleasure at the same time as Bridget let out a surprised gasp. Syd¡¯s thrust was only enough to move a quarter of her length into the warrior, however that was still a significant amount of Nephilim cock. More than enough to knock the wind out of the orc, while also plenty enough for Jadis to experience what before only her fingers had felt.
Bridget¡¯s tunnel was hot, slick, and more significantly,
bumpy. There was just no other word she could think of to describe the alien sensation. Though her failing vocabry might have had more to do with her lust clouding her mind than ack of appropriate words. The strange bumps lining the walls of Bridget¡¯s core rubbed and pressed against her shaft, moving against her flesh in unexpected ways as the orc¡¯s pussy twitched and flexed. Every time she shifted slightly, she could feel the bulbous protrusions rubbing against the crown of her cock, slipping back and forth across the edge in a lewdly intoxicating fashion.
¡°Unhf,¡± was all Syd could think to say as she pressed forward, seeking to envelope her full length in the intoxicating warmth.
¡°Holy gods above!¡± Bridget squeaked out between gasps as she was prated by Syd¡¯s cock. ¡°I can feel it in my fucking chest!¡±
Not that Bridget was asking Syd to stop. As the orc let out little gasps and whimpers with each inch that disappeared inside her, she wiggled her hips back up at Syd, greedily epting everything the Nephilim had to offer. Soon, Bridget¡¯s feet were kicking in the air between Syd¡¯s legs as her ass was met by Syd¡¯s pelvis. With a soft but meaty p, Syd sheathed her full length inside her.
¡°Fuck¡ª¡± Bridget cursed, her next words cut off as her head dropped down onto the nket.
¡°Fuck what?¡± Syd asked as she slowly moved her hips from side to side, stirring her cock around inside Bridget¡¯s pussy.
¡°Fuumph mmph.¡±
¡°What was that?¡± Syd asked, bringing her ear down a little closer to where Bridget¡¯s face was buried in the nkets.
¡°Fuck me!¡± Bridget cried out a second after she spit the nket out of her mouth.
¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡±
With relish, Syd started pumping her hips. She didn¡¯t ease into the act, either. Both she and Bridget had had enough of teasing and taking it slow. It was time to put some weight behind their words. Which was exactly what Syd did. With each flex of her powerful abs and legs, she thrust her cock into the orc prone beneath her with a loud p of hips against ass. The wet and meaty sounds of their bodies mashing together soon filled the small alcove, creating a lewd beat to underpin the duet of their moans.
Bridget kept her head raised, but her teeth tore into the nket as she grunted in a mix of pained pleasure. Her fingers dug into the material, her nails leaving holes in the cloth as she thrust her ass back at Syd, doing her best to meet Syd¡¯s thrusts with her own. Half-understood words spilled out from between her teeth as she let out muffled cries for more.
Bearing down on her, Syd lowered down onto her elbows so her body was fully pressing down on top of Bridget. Her size meant Sydpletely enveloped her, only her legs sticking out from between Syd¡¯s thighs as they continued to alternately kick the air and rub against each other. Syd¡¯s thrusts grew shallower as her speed increased, practically hammering her cock into the strange but wonderful depths of her orc lover.
¡°Fuck! I can¡¯t¡ªfuck!¡± Bridget cried out, her body convulsing as her pussy shivered in a familiar way.
As Bridget came, the tightness of her quivering core sent Syd over the edge. The orgasm she¡¯d been holding off all night could no longer be contained as her adorable orc writhed in pleasure beneath her. Syd came, her thick seed spilling into Bridget¡¯s depths.
However, Syd did not stop thrusting. It simply felt too good, too wonderful to be moving inside of Bridget. She kept going, pping her pelvis into Bridget¡¯s ass as she came, her cock pulsing over and over again. Her hot cum filled her warrior¡¯s core, spilling out in a messy pool between their legs as Syd kept fucking. She panted like a dog in heat, her mouth open and breath steaming. In her lustful haze, she looked down to see that Bridget was in the same condition, her tongue lolling out of her open mouth.
The sight just made Jadis want to fuck her more.
As Syd¡¯s climax eventually began to diminish, Syd rolled over onto her back, pulling a cum-drunk Bridget along with her. With the orc now syed out on top of her, Syd put the balls of her feet on the floor to give herself some leverage as she grabbed hold of Bridget to keep her from sliding off of her body or her cock. Both arms wrapped around her in a bear hug, trapping the orc¡¯s arms against her sides.
With all the speed and strength at her disposal, the repositioning only took a few seconds. With barely an interruption, Syd resumed pounding her length into Bridget¡¯s pussy, this time pping up into her.
¡°Oh gods!¡± Bridget cried out, shuddering in what might have been some kind of mini orgasm.
Soon, Bridget¡¯s feet were on top of Syd¡¯s thighs, giving her bnce and leverage to bounce on top of Syd even more. The fact that Bridget was so eagerly reciprocating, even keeping up with her crazy sex maneuvers just fanned Syd¡¯s mes even higher. She fucked her warrior orc even harder, reveling in the sensations of simply going all out.
¡°Fuck me, fuck me!¡± Bridget cried out as she gasped for breath.
Her whole body shuddered again, this time for sure climaxing as she convulsed on top of Syd. Syd, however, just kept going. She fucked Bridget all the way through her third orgasm of the evening, carrying her along shortly after to a fourth. It wasn¡¯t until Bridget came for a fifth time that Syd at least changed positions.
Moving onto her side, she took hold of Bridget¡¯s left leg, holding it up high in the air as she continued to thrust into her. Cum still squelched out around her cock as she fucked Bridget¡¯s overstuffed pussy. It didn¡¯t matter how much was spilling out, Syd knew she was about to give her orc lover even more cum to stretch her insides and fill her with warmth.
With a final few thrusts, Syd buried her cock as deep as it would go inside of Bridget, holding it deep within her as she unloaded a massive amount of Nephilim seed inside her. Rope after sticky rope filled Bridget¡¯s womb as her already bulging stomach swelled, practically erasing her solid abs as she was stuffed full of hot cum.
¡°Oh fuck, oh dear gods¡¡± Bridget panted as one hand went to her swollen belly, the other wiping her sweat-soaked hair out of her eyes. ¡°Gods! I feel so fucking¡ fucked!¡±
Sydughed, letting go of Bridget¡¯s leg so she could wipe the sweat from her own eyes.
¡°Eloquently put.¡±
¡°I never imed to be a poet,¡± Bridget panted back as she shivered slightly from the aftershocks. ¡°Holy gods, how in the abyss is all this fitting in me?¡±
¡°Magic,¡± Syd said, not bothering to seek a more detailed exnation when one wasn¡¯t needed. ¡°Anyway, what position do you want to try next?¡±
¡°Next?¡± Bridget said incredulously, gulping down air. ¡°What next?¡±
¡°I said I was fucking you for an hour, at least,¡± Syd said as she started moving her hips again. ¡°By my count, we¡¯ve got another thirty minutes to go, at a minimum.¡±
¡°Gods!¡± Bridget shuddered again, as she felt Syd¡¯s cock moving inside her sodden depths.
A momentter, Bridget pulled away from Syd, just enough so she could twist around before pushing her over and climbing on top of the Nephilim, her thick cock still locked inside her core.
¡°I¡¯m on top this time.¡±
Chapter 218: Second Departure
Chapter 218: Second Departure
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Bridget of n Warsong
Race: Orc
Primary ss: Lantern Light Landsknecht (19)
Secondary ss: None
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 19
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Health: 200/200
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Magic: 50/50
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Attributes
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Strength: 20
Dexterity: 7
Agility: 10
Vitality: 20
Fortitude: 10
Endurance: 13
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Arcane: 80
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 5
Resilience: 10
Will: 6
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¡°I can¡¯t believe how much my Arcane has gone up,¡± Bridget said, a faraway look in her eyes as she stared at the status sheet only she could see.
¡°I know, right?¡± Sabina said from where she sat next to the orc with a pile of materials and crafting tools in front of her. ¡°The ritual makes such a huge difference to our stats and it¡¯s fun, too! At least I had a lot of fun, even the training was fun, though I guess maybe some people wouldn¡¯t like it but I don¡¯t know who wouldn¡¯t. But it sounded like you were enjoying yourself to me!¡±
¡°It sure did,¡± Kerr snickered as she pulled her new pair of drake scale boots on. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the bandits hiding a mile underground could hear how much ourntern lighter here enjoyed that pounding.¡±
¡°They did not!¡± Bridget whirled on Kerr, her sharp eyebrows drawn down over fierce eyes. ¡°I wasn¡¯t that loud!¡±
¡°Sure, sure,¡± Kerr waved the orc off as she stamped her boots against the stone floor. ¡°It is weird though, isn¡¯t it? ¡®Holy gods, how in the abyss is all this fitting in me¡¯ is a legitimately good question. I mean, clearly Big Stuff¡¯s Eldritch magic is rearranging our guts to make room for all that cock, but still. I¡¯m pretty sure her cock should be tickling Eir¡¯s heart when they fuck and yet¡ª¡±
Kerr¡¯s outspoken pondering was interrupted by two different hands smacking her in the back of the head. Bridget sat back down in her chair, flushed and embarrassed, while A remained next to Kerr, a cool look of admonishment on her face. As Kerr rubbed the back of her head, she gave A an unrepentant wink before she turned to address the blushing orc.
¡°We¡¯ll talk about it moreter then.¡±
¡°Looks like there weren¡¯t any issues to report in the night,¡± Dys informed everyone in an attempt to move the conversation away from teasing poor Bridget. ¡°Jay¡¯s talking with Wi right now and apparently there were a few bone thieves that wandered into the vige, but that¡¯s about it. No sign of the bandits, though Gunnar reported hearing some sort of strange wailing sound during his watch early in the night¡¡±
Realizing what she was saying, Dys froze. Kerr stared at her, a wide grin on her face while Bridget looked utterly mortified.
¡°Anyway!¡± Dys said loudly before Kerr could start. ¡°It looks like the skies are clear today and it even feels a little warmer! The snow might melt a little, but at least it shouldn¡¯t snow or rain or anything so we should be able to get to the neighboring valley pretty quickly!¡±
¡°Then we should finish getting ready so we can be on the road within the next hour,¡± A said while giving Dys a look.
¡°Yes, yes we should.¡±
After the events of the previous evening, Fortune¡¯s Favored had woken up a littleter than they should have, though not by much. It did mean they only had time for a simple breakfast of mushed up hardtack and honey, but at least it was warm. Despite the long night, there was one among their number who hadn¡¯t slept in. When Jadis had woken up that morning, she found Sabina already up and hard at work crafting Kerr her new boots.
The sight of the half-elf sitting at the makeshift table naked while sewing together pieces of leather and scales stirred certain impulses in Jadis, though she sessfully repressed those instincts. For the moment.
The boots Sabina had crafted were simple but sturdy. They also had a minor enchantment crafted into them that made them more resistant to cold and ice than they otherwise would be. When Jadis asked how Sabina had managed that enchantment, she¡¯d exined that certain materials were more apt to produce particr kinds of effects. Since frost drakes were magical creatures of ice, the materials that came from them had a predisposition towards making enchantments or alchemical effects that would either enhance or counter frost elements.
Technically, Sabina had exined, since her attributes were currently geared towards Eldritch, she couldn¡¯t do much with the more Arcane based elemental enchantments. Still, making the materials do what they already wanted to do wasn¡¯t all that hard, though the end result was far from impressive.
Jadis had just been d Sabina hadn¡¯t made boots that turned Kerr¡¯s feet into frost drake feet when she wore them. Though the look Sabina got on her face when she voiced that relief had triggered a warning in Jadis¡¯ heart. She¡¯d have to make sure to keep a close eye on Sabina¡¯s creations.
Aside from Sabina¡¯s early morning crafting, the new day had also brought two more events of note. Bridget had, of course,pleted her Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond ritual, which meant she¡¯d gotten her Jadis-based boost. She¡¯d somehow, despite the long hour of rough sex Syd had put her through, had the wherewithal to put the boost into her Arcane stat. Though she¡¯d had no time to appreciate therge increase to her magical offense since Syd had kept true to her word and kept going for a good while after the ritual was over.
Everyone had congratted Bridget on joining the club, so to speak, and A had spent some time discussing Arcane magic with Bridget over breakfast. Bridget¡¯s stat increase wasn¡¯t the only one, however.
With thepletion of another bonding ritual, Jadis¡¯ Perverted Ritualist of D ss had gone up another level, bringing it to level twenty-two. With the even-numbered level came two more attribute points to put where she liked, which naturally went into the Eldritch attribute.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary ss: Mirror Knight (29)
Secondary ss: Perverted Ritualist of D (22)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 51
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Health: 705/920
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Magic: 310/310
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Attributes
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Strength: 138
Dexterity: 37
Agility: 135
Vitality: 62
Fortitude: 47
Endurance: 49
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 135
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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With that two-point jump also came a small boost to everyone else¡¯s stats, increasing their lewd lover¡¯s boosted attribute by a single point. While only a single point, it was a reminder that for each point Jadis gained in her Eldritch stat, the more powerful the whole group became. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how they were going to handle the logistics, but for certain they were going to have to at least try to redo the Lascivious Empowerment ritual with all seven people. The increase would be well worth the effort.
Though, as Sabina had so candidly put it, the effort was a great deal of fun, too.
Once everyone was fully equipped and ready to go, Jadis and her team loaded up onto the Behemoth and got moving after sparing a moment for a brief farewell to Captain Wi and the soldiers. As they had already discussed the day before, Fortune¡¯s Favored would head to the east to search the neighboring valley as part of the search mission. The soldiers had decided to stay in Sweet Pine Valley. While there was no guarantee that the bandits woulde back, in fact Wi thought it likely that they were already long gone, they wanted to at least investigate the mine for any signs of illegal eleria mining. Despite the attack the bandits had made on them, there hadn¡¯t been any actual evidence of eleria mining or smuggling found so far. Since that was ostensibly the whole point of her squading out to the mountains, Wi was going to do what she could to find as much evidence as possible, both for future legal prosecutions as well as potential interruption and prevention of the illegal trade.
There was a definite sense of nostalgia tugging at Jadis as she pulled the wagon down the road, leaving the ¡°dwarven vige¡± for the second time. This departure was a lot chattier than thest, though, and far warmer despite the winter cold.
Jadis¡¯ trek southward out of the valley was interrupted after only a few minutes, however. As was her inclination, Kerr had set to scouting around the wagon as they went, moving through the snowy underbrush surrounding the road. Maybe three minutes after they had pulled out of sight of the outermost vige building, the archer came running up to Jadis.
¡°I found signs of a camp.¡±
¡°What camp? Where?¡± Jay asked, immediately on alert.
¡°How many people?¡± A chimed in from her seat on the wagon.
¡°Couldn¡¯t tell how many but couldn¡¯t have been more than a few based on the size of the fire,¡± Kerr exined as she pointed to the west. ¡°It¡¯s over there.¡±
In a sh Jadis had removed the harnesses from her bodies and had her weapons in hand. All three of her, along with A, followed Kerr to the site she had found. Eir, Thea, Sabina, and Bridget stayed behind with the wagon in case of ambush. Kerr didn¡¯t have to lead them far, the camp she had found only a few hundred yards away from the road.
The campfire wasn¡¯t much. In fact, if Kerr hadn¡¯t pointed it out to her, Jadis never would have noticed it. A natural cluster of old rocks with a couple of small fir trees growing out from between them had created a small shelter. The snow in the little nook was lighter, but still present. However, as Kerr showed her, the snow was actually disturbed, having been taken from elsewhere to cover up the ash and soot of a recent fire.
¡°Whoever it was had to have been herest night,¡± Kerr said as swept some of the snow away to reveal a couple of shallow holes in the ground that might have been peg holes from a tent. ¡°This wasn¡¯t here yesterday, I found this hollow before and none of this was here. It¡¯s a perfect spot to build a fire without exposing the light to anyone watching from the vige.¡±
¡°You think it was a bandit scout?¡± Syd asked, keeping her eyes to the forest around them.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kerr shook her head.
¡°Who else could it be?¡± A asked, frowning at the remnants of the fire. ¡°There can¡¯t be many other people out in these woods. It had to be the bandits.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kerr repeated as she rose from her crouch. She scanned the forest and trees as she spoke quietly, her tone as serious as it had ever been. ¡°I found this fire, but no tracks. None at all. Those
pute were decent at covering their tracks, but I still found plenty of signs. This camp? Nothing. Not one boot print for a hundred feet around it.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°Might be an unknown third party, but it could also just as easily be one of the bandits that we haven¡¯t run into yet that¡¯s better at hiding their movements than the others. Can you run back and inform Captain Wi of what you found? She should get the warning before we leave the valley.¡±
Kerr nodded and immediately jogged off, heading back north as quickly as she could go. As Jadis headed back to the wagon, she asked A a question while it was just the two of them.
¡°What are the chances of this being a demon camp?¡± At A¡¯s raised eyebrow, Jay hurried to exin. ¡°Not a bone thief or twisted wretch or anything like that. I mean a person possessed by a demon, like Jana was.¡±
A nodded slowly at Jadis¡¯ reminder of the mercenary who had gotten separated from the group during their disastrous retreat from the vige of war into the demon tunnels. She had shown upter, apparently injured, but in fact possessed by a demon that had tried to kill them. While they had killed Jana, or disabled her corpse, depending on how one looked at it, the demon possessing her had slipped away unharmed.
¡°It¡¯s possible, I suppose,¡± A allowed, though her face showed her doubt. ¡°However, most people who are possessed are quick to try and infiltrate amunity and then do as much damage as possible since their mimicry is imperfect and usually easy to identify by those who knew the original person.¡±
¡°But taking Alex into consideration,¡± Jay prompted. ¡°Do you think maybe some of the possessed are a little better at it than others? Maybe enough to trick people who don¡¯t know the person from before they were possessed?¡±
¡°Maybe.¡±
A¡¯s pensive answer left them both with a lot to think about. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure why she suspected the watcher to be of demonic origin, but the possibility was something she didn¡¯t want to discount. Still, a bandit scout seemed more likely. Or, as she herself had suggested, an unknown third party. It wasn¡¯t as though there weren¡¯t quite a few different parties out there that had a strong interest in the things that she, the only ¡°three¡± living Nephilim were up to. Jadis wouldn¡¯t have been surprised at all if someone like General Egilhard had sent a spy to follow her on her expedition.
Somehow, the idea of Egilhard sending a spy to track her made Jadis¡¯ thoughts turn far darker than they had when she¡¯d been thinking of demons and possession.
Soon enough, Kerr returned to them after having reported her findings to Wi. With her back, Jadis resumed their march southward out of the Sweet Pine Valley so they could hopefully find her potential ally hiding somewhere out in the frozen forest. Whatever came next in her search, be it bandits, demons, or worse yet, politicians, Jadis would just have to make sure she and her team were strong enough to handle them.
Chapter 219: Trailblazing
Chapter 219: Trailzing
¡°Those are the split peaks?¡± Jay asked as she stared at the mountains looming ahead of her.
¡°ording to the map, yes,¡± A replied from behind her. ¡°So our ally may be in this valley somewhere.¡±
¡°I do hope so,¡± Eir said from where she sat next to A. ¡°The second possible location is several days to the west, and the third is deep in the mountain ranges. It would be much, much more convenient to find our hidden friend here.¡±
¡°When is life ever that convenient?¡± Kerr grumbled as she searched the forest before them for likely passage forward.
¡°It n¡ªnever is,¡± Thea sighed as she hefted a well-used axe to her shoulder.
Jadis felt Thea¡¯s sigh in her soul. Their progress had slowed significantly since that morning and she honestly couldn¡¯t wait for the day to be over, yet they were still barely inside the area that could be called the valley below their supposedndmark. She had expected it to be a challenge to pull the giant wagon ovend once they left the road, but she had severely underestimated just how much of a challenge it would be.
The road leading out of Sweet Pine Valley did not branch eastward, at least not until it got all the way back to the abandoned Crossroads Fort. That eastern road didn¡¯t go to the mountain they were trying to get to, either, as it instead bypassed it and many more valleys to reach another,rger mining vige several days travel away. That meant the only way Fortune¡¯s Favored was going to get to the valley was by going off road and zing a trail through the forest.
Their massive wagon was more than capable of handling the bumps and dips of rocky terrain. Its robust suspension system and powerful enchantments meant a few rough spots wouldn¡¯t cause it the least bit of damage. What the wagon couldn¡¯t do, unfortunately, was easily fit between the trees. And even in the areas where the forest was dominated by giant redwood-like pines with dozens of feet between the trunks, thendscape there was so difficult to walk because of the huge roots that getting the wagon¡¯s wheels over them was practically impossible, even for Jadis¡¯bined strength.
Kerr¡¯s scouting duties had be less about keeping watch for dangers and more about finding clear paths for Jadis to pull the Behemoth along. Even then, the only real way to make progress was to break out axes and forcibly cut their way through. Jadis could split smaller trees in half with a single swing, but she still had to stop to do so, letting the wagon lose all momentum as she cut down the tree low enough for the wagon to pass over the stump as well as move the fallen log out of the way.
Kerr, Thea, Sabina, and Bridget had all been forced to take up axes of their own to help with the effort. They would stay ahead of the wagon, cutting down the smaller brush and trees and moving them out of the way so that Jadis could keep at least some forward momentum going. She still had to stop pulling asionally to cut down therger trees that got in the way, though.
Jadis really did hope this was the right split peak mountain. D had answered her question with the rtively vague direction that she¡¯d find an allied member of an avatar race ¡°at the base of a mountain with a split peak, where two streams meet right before spilling over into five waterfalls.¡± While that had to be a fairly unique location, now that Jadis was standing in the shadow of one of three possible mountains with a split peak, she was starting to understand just how daunting a task this search was going to be. D had said the waterfalls would be at the base of the mountain. But what constituted the base of the mountain? How far around it should they search? Additionally, they couldn¡¯t even necessarily guarantee that it would be the base of
this side of the mountain, in the southern facing valley. For all they knew, the spot could be on the northern side, meaning they¡¯d have to go over the mountain to get to it.
She had to wonder if all oracles got just as vague and problematic answers to their questions as this one had proven to be.
Eventually, around nightfall, Jadis and her exhausted crew made it to a decent enough site to camp in along the bank of arge stream that was still running despite the cold. They were still a good ways away from the mountain, but they were within the valley below split peak, with two other mountains to their east and west. Overall, the valley wasn¡¯t all that different from Sweet Pine Valley in the way it looked, just without the ruins of an abandoned vige to popte it.
¡°I don¡¯t think we should bother pulling the wagon any further in,¡± Dys said as she helped set the wagon-tent up. ¡°It¡¯ll take way too long to move the whole camp further into the valley.¡±
¡°We should leave the wagon here,¡± Syd continued from her side of putting up the wagon¡¯s walls. ¡°We can use it as a base of operations. We can just run on foot to search the mountain ande back here at night when we¡¯re done for the day.¡±
¡°There are six of us, though,¡± A pointed out. ¡°You can¡¯t easily carry all of us plus your weapons while running. And we¡¯d be leaving the wagon undefended, too.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Jay chewed on her lip as she set down a load of firewood, having juste back from chopping down a dead tree. ¡°You could put your traps all around it, though. That would deter most things that mighte across it.¡±
¡°Most things,¡± A agreed. ¡°But not all.¡±
¡°Honestly,¡± Dys said as she turned to face A, putting one hand on her hip, ¡°I think it should probably just be me scouting out there while the rest of you stay back at the camp.¡±
As soon as she said it, A and many of the others immediately voiced their objections to the idea. How were they supposed to work together as a team if she left them behind? What if she ran into an actual threat while they were separated? What if something happened to Jadis and they had no idea where she went and couldn¡¯t find her?
¡°Look,¡± Jay said, holding up her hands to quiet her friends and lovers. ¡°Out of all of us, I¡¯m the most qualified to run ahead.¡±
¡°Yes, you¡¯re better at tracking than me,¡± Syd quickly said, cutting Kerr off.
¡°But I¡¯m faster than any of you. I can run as fast as a horse over rough terrain while wearing this really fucking heavy armor. No one else is better equipped to run around this valley making a quick search of it than I am. I¡¯m more concerned about what could possibly happen to you all while I¡¯m gone than what might happen to me.¡±
¡°We aren¡¯t helpless,¡± A said crossing her arms. ¡°The six of us can handle ourselves, especially working together.¡±
¡°Yes, you can,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°That¡¯s another reason why I think you should all stay right here. With all six of you staying here to defend the wagon, I¡¯d feel much better about leaving you all behind. I know you could handle any bandits or demons that might find you.¡±
¡°Still feels like a shit idea to separate,¡± Kerr growled. ¡°You might not even know what to look for out there even if you do find these stupid waterfalls. If the person we¡¯re looking for left, you won¡¯t be able to follow their tracks.¡±
¡°If I find a ce that looks like the right waterfalls,¡± Syd said, ¡°I am immediately running back here to get all of you. I want all of your help with this. I¡¯m only suggesting this split so we can cover more ground faster.¡±
The team talked over the idea more, discussing it as they finished setting up camp and made dinner. It was decided that Jadis should only search specific areas in a sequence, as outlined by A, so that if for some reason she didn¡¯t return for the night they had an idea of where to look for her. They also all adamantly insisted that if Jadis ran into anything that might be even a remote threat to her, she was to run away and return to camp as hastily as possible. Even if it meant leading a demon matriarch back to the camp, they wanted to be able to support her in that fight rather than her trying to take it on herself.
Jadis had a few conditions of her own, of course. She didn¡¯t want any of them to go wandering off while she was gone. No need to split the party further than they already were. She didn¡¯t want to return from a day¡¯s search to find that one or more of them had disappeared into the forest with no sign of returning. She also wanted to work out a way for them to signal her. If a dangerous enemy that they couldn¡¯t handle attacked the camp, she wanted them to call for her aid so she could return to defend them as quickly as possible.
Sabina was the one toe up with an idea to solve that problem.
¡°I need you to fuck me again,¡± the smith said between bites of stew. ¡°So I can change my boosted attribute to Arcane. I think I can maybe craft a one-time use enchantment that¡¯ll make a really, really loud noise, like an explosion or a thunderp, that way we can signal you or you can signal us with one of your own! But I need Arcane magic to do something elemental instead of Eldritch since this will be kind ofplicated, so we need to have sex.¡±
¡°While Ipletely get where you¡¯reing from, that is just such a weird thing to hear said out loud,¡± Bridget mumbled as she shook her head.
¡°Alright then,¡± A said as she got up, putting her mostly empty bowl aside. ¡°I better startying down more trap circles.¡±
¡°Hmm? Why?¡± Thea looked up at the redhead in confusion.
¡°Because if Jadis is going to be having sex with Sabina, that means there¡¯s going to be a lot of cum to spare shortly. I might as well use up my magic reserves so I can get a refill.¡±
¡°O¡ªoh.¡±
Jadis had to agree with Thea and Bridget. The matter-of-fact nature of theirbined sex life was certainly odd.
The next morning, Jadis spent the first couple of hours using her strength to reinforce their camp. Going back along the trail they had made, she brought many of the logs to the camp and used them to make fortified walls. She set up as many as she could while waiting for Sabina to finish her Arcane powered enchantments. The need for protections and a way of signaling each other had been made clear by the multiple instances of demonsing across their camp in the night. A baker''s dozen worth of bramble fiends had stumbled into their traps during the night, and a trio of bone thieves had assaulted them in the early hours of the morning. Most of them were taken out by A¡¯s traps, so the threat was minimal, but the demons still impressed the dangers of the area on their minds.
Sabina¡¯s hastily crafted creations turned out to be inspired by something the imperial military sometimes used for long-distancemunications. The t, round piece of wood had been etched with an arcane enchantment circle, though it was slightly moreplex than just a carved piece of wood. The ashes of several different types of herbs had been mixed into a paste, then painstakingly painted into the rune marks without spilling over. Several pieces of flint had also been inserted into specific notches carved into the wood, and a rather foul-smelling goo had been made from certain parts of the frost drakes that Sabina had harvested had been used to seal the flint stones in ce.
¡°This is just a very basic version of what the military has,¡± Sabina exined as she handed the te-sized wooden disc to Jay. ¡°It¡¯ll only work once, but it¡¯ll be loud when you use it, so as long as you¡¯re in the valley we should be able to hear you and you should be able to hear us if we use ours. Just put a little of your magic into it and it should work!¡±
¡°Put a little magic into it?¡± Jay wondered out loud.
She knew that was how A kept her enchanted canteen working, and how longersting enchantments generally worked as well. They generally needed magic from a person to refresh them, like charging a battery. She¡¯d never actually tried it before, though.
¡°Do I just¡ think about it? Or do I¡ª¡±
As she held the disc, Jadis focused on the enchantments, seeing if she could feel any kind of magical connection between herself and the device. Surprisingly, she found that there actually was something there that she could vaguely feel, almost like a string or wireing out of her body that touched the enchantment, giving her a tingling sensation that reminded her of when her leg fell asleep after sitting on it for a while. As she touched that odd-feeling part of her to the enchantment, the ck soot inside the arcane enchantment ring started to sizzle.
¡°No wait!¡±
Half a secondter there was a deafening bang as the wooden disc burst apart in Jay¡¯s hands. While the wood breaking apart was no more explosive than a balloon popping, the sound it made was like a thunder p the made Jadis¡¯ ears ring. All three of her, even Dys who had been standing several yards away, was left pulling her helmet off and rubbing at her ears. Looking around, Jadis could see that her bodies hadn¡¯t been the only casualties. Everyone was rubbing their ears, faces twisted up in pain. Eir and Kerr in particr looked miserable, their sensitive hearing no doubt impacted the most by the explosive noise. She even saw Eir¡¯s hands glow as she started using healing magic.
¡°Yup! That¡¯s how you do it!¡± Sabina shouted as she wiggled a finger in her pointed ear. ¡°Just make sure you throw it up in the air after you activate it, or it¡¯ll deafen you!¡±
¡°¡Right.¡±
¡°What!?¡±
Chapter 220: Camp Life
Chapter 220: Camp Life
The search began with the most obvious option. They had made their camp next to arge stream, or small river, whichever was the right term, so therefore it could possibly be the same body of water that D¡¯s directions were referred to. With that in mind, Jadis ran alongside the stream, following it deeper into the valley.
The nameless stream had a few different waterfalls along its course, but nothing Jadis would call a series of five waterfalls. There were also other streams that merged into it, which Jadis made sure to note down as best she could, usingndmarks to keep track of the general cement. She followed the stream as far as she could, heading halfway up the mountain over the course of a few hours before she reached a point that climbing became impractical. D had said ¡°at the base of the mountain¡± as well, and she couldn¡¯t see that meaning more than halfway up the mountain, even by the mad god¡¯s twisted standards.
Once Jadis had gone as far as she considered feasible, she turned back and searched a couple of the tributary streams. Not finding what she was looking for, she made her way back to the camp an hour or so before nightfall. Safely back at camp, she shared the notes she¡¯d made on the positioning of the various streams she¡¯d seen, helping A draw a more detailed map. Using her girlfriend¡¯s map and nning, Jadis set up for the next day.
So it went for the next three days. Jadis left early in the morning, searched the streams that flowed down from the mountain all day, then returned before nightfall. With her speed, she was able to cover a vast amount of territory in a short amount of time, though the further she went, the longer it took going back and forth. By the end of the second day, it was clear that the immediate valley wasn¡¯t their destination. With that in mind, Jadis ranged further, going as far as to cross over the mountain pass and search the other side of the mountain.
The search wasn¡¯t easy, and not just for the difficulty of running up and down mountains while carrying immensely heavy armor and weapons. Frequently Jadis ran into reasons why she needed to keep that equipment with her, even though her intention was to avoid fighting and just run away. There were many creatures roaming the mountain and valley, many of them unfriendly.
On three different asions Jadis ran into more frost drakes. With the speed of the beasts, she was forced to fight them, though after killing a few, the remainder would generally run and leave her be. There were also, of course, the omnipresent demons that infested the forest. Bone thieves were just as prevalent in this valley as elsewhere, as were bramble fiends. There weren¡¯t many twisted wretches, but Jadis dide across a grundwyrm. Every time she saw a demon, Jadis put in the effort to kill it. Stopping for every stray bone thief was a drain on her time, but she figured that every one that she hunted down while she was out then was one less that might turn into a bigger problemter.
Besides, Fortune¡¯s Favored still needed to be paid, and demon bounties were their primary source of ie.
The rest of the guild were not idle while Jadis was gone. While she searched the mountainside, her team hunted for more demons and magic beasts. They didn¡¯t stray far from the camp, but they didn¡¯t need to, either. The demons were drawn to their activity, as were the more aggressive beasts in the area. When Jadis would return at night, what greeted her wasn¡¯t just the smiling faces of her friends and lovers, but also piles of demon corpses as well as magic beast carcasses hung from trees to be processedter. Her team had be quite the proficient group of monster yers, even without her presence.
On the evening of the third day, the sight waiting for her when she got back to camp was particrly impressive.
¡°So this is or isn¡¯t a magic beast?¡± Syd asked, poking the body that had beenid out in one corner of the camp. ¡°Or was it possessed?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not a magic beast,¡± Kerr told her as she deftly cut through the hide with a knife. ¡°It¡¯s a golden bear. They¡¯re just, you know. Beasts. The regr kind. Big and scary and they¡¯ll fuck you up if you¡¯re low level, but no magic.¡±
The bear wasrge, veryrge. Jadis had seen a pr bear at a zoo once and this monster looked to be even bigger. The beast had to weigh two thousand pounds at least and had a massive head with jaws that looked like they could crush rocks. The bear¡¯s fur was a luxurious golden color that caught the light, which was why she had assumed it had to be some kind of magical beast. The golden bear just looked like it was going to have some kind of magic to it. Apparently not.
¡°And how many of these were there?¡± Syd crossed her arms, scowling at the dead animal.
¡°Twelve,¡± Kerr answered as she peeled the hide away from the flesh beneath. ¡°Killed four of them, the rest fucked off. They probably won¡¯t be back. Golden bears aren¡¯t the smartest, but they aren¡¯t stupid either. They¡¯ll look for an easier meal.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m just d you all weren¡¯t an easy meal,¡± Syd murmured. ¡°Twelve of these things running straight at you sounds terrifying.¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t great,¡± Kerrughed, ¡°but it wasn¡¯t that bad, either. Having been around you for so long, we¡¯ve all seen worse. Well, maybe not the two newbies. But a pack of golden bears isn¡¯t anywhere near as bad as a fucking hydra.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Sydughed. ¡°Speaking of, where¡¯s Sabina? I don¡¯t see her. Is she working on another one of her creations?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Kerr shook her head. ¡°And I¡¯m not going to be the tester on the next one. That shit fromst night was
not fun.¡±
Sabina, being the leastbat-oriented of the group, spent her time working on her enchantments. Despite not having the proper facilities to do any metalworking, she still managed to churn out a variety of enchanted items. Most were single-use, or at least limited in durability, and more than a few leaned towards the cursed side of enchantments, much like the bracelet of ¡°Make Jadis Puke¡± she¡¯d first crafted. Still, she had a goal in mind and was doing everything she could to achieve it.
Nights in the camp were spent in the predictable way, considering their lewd situation. A always needed recharging for her magic reserves, everyone needed to keep their ritual bond refreshed, and Kerr just liked to have sex whenever possible. Sabina also underwent ¡°training¡± every night, working on keeping herself together so that she could join the group in the Lascivious Empowerment ritual. So far, she wasn¡¯t quite there yet. While distracting her with giving her someone else to focus on helped greatly, as soon as she lost focus for whatever reason, she would almost always cum right away. Holding off was definitely going to be a big challenge for her, especially over the course of an hour, which was the shortest amount of time Jadis could make the ritual.
Even ignoring Sabina¡¯s hair trigger, coordinating concurrent climaxes across
seven people was proving to be a hard wall to get past. Hard enough that Jadis was seriously considering taking a spell she¡¯d skipped over on previous levels.
|
Erogenous Cunctation
Active Spell. Temporarily dy the climax of single target. Target will be unable to orgasm until the spell is released or expires. Cost ¨C 10 magic. Duration ¨C 1 hour.
|
The spell had seemed superfluous the first time she¡¯d read it, but now faced with the prospect of trying to handle so many people at once, Jadis felt like there probably wasn¡¯t going to be any other way to handle it. Then again, there was another potential solution. One that Sabina was working on.
¡°There you are,¡± Dys said as she poked her head through a couple of tarps that blocked off the wagon¡¯s interior. ¡°How are thingsing along¡ªwoah!¡±
¡°Oh, hello!¡± Sabina called out a greeting, turning to look over her shoulder at Dys. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice you had gotten back! I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve quite got the right thing yet, but we¡¯re getting there, almost, I think. Maybe. Needs more testing but Eir¡¯s helping me with that and I¡¯m making adjustments to the form as we go so hopefully, we¡¯ll have something soon!¡±
Jadis supposed she shouldn¡¯t have been surprised, considering what Sabina was working on. Still, seeing her and Eir in the middle of their tests did throw her off bnce. Who wouldn¡¯t be at least a little nonplussed to see Sabina three fingers deep in Eir¡¯s dripping pussy?
¡°I¡¯m not sure this is, ah, work¡ªah! Working!¡± Eir moaned out.
The elf was sitting on a crate next to Sabina, robe hiked up high to give the entric smith easy ess. Eir was clearly struggling to keep herposure, Sabina¡¯s efforts no doubt bringing her along to her peak, though Jadis could guess that getting caught by her in the act was pushing things further. The sight was made more surreal by the fact that Sabina wasn¡¯t even fully focused on the beautiful elf, but had a notebookid out on another crate and was somehow writing in it while she was finger fucking her fellow teammate with her left hand.
Maybe all that training was improving Sabina¡¯s ability to multi-task?
¡°Oh, oh!¡± Eir cried out, biting onto her knuckle as she squirmed in a familiar way.
¡°Did you just climax?¡± Sabina asked innocently, finally turning her eyes on the priestess.
¡°Mmm!¡± Eir moaned as she nodded in the affirmative.
¡°Damn,¡± Sabina shook her head. ¡°Not quite there. This would be so much easier if I had an example to go off of.¡±
Without further ado, Sabina ceased her almost automatic fingering of the shaking priestess, allowing Eir to sag in relief. She quickly pulled a leather armlet off of Eir that Jadis hadn¡¯t noticed before, something she¡¯d have to excuse considering the distraction of a climaxing elf. The armlet was simr to the one Sabina had made that replicated Jadis¡¯ unselected Tilted Mirrond spell, though this piece was smaller and thinner, with fewer scales and fangs on it.
¡°I just can¡¯t quite get it to work,¡± Sabina said absentmindedly as she licked the fingers of her left hand clean. ¡°Maybe if I¡¡±
As the smith continued to mumble to herself, lost in her diagrams, Dys held out a silent hand towards Eir.
¡°How about a break?¡± she mouthed to the tired-looking elf.
Eir nodded, taking Dys¡¯ hand before quickly vacating the wagon interior.
¡°Nice of you to, uh, ¡®help¡¯ Sabina like that,¡± Dys said once they were a few yards away from the wagon.
¡°Oh, stop,¡± Eir pleaded, embarrassment in her voice. ¡°Please don¡¯t tease. She needs someone to test her enchantment on. I¡¯m not as useful around the camp, so I¡¯m the best candidate to help.¡±
¡°You are far, far from useless,¡± Dys said seriously, putting a hand one Eir¡¯s shoulder and pulling her in close to lean against her side. ¡°You¡¯ve literally saved my life on multiple asions.¡±
¡°Yes, well,¡± Eir said, clearly feeling a different kind of embarrassment from Jadis¡¯ genuine praise and appreciation. ¡°I do have my uses, in the right situations. I¡¯m just not very useful in a
camp setting. I don¡¯t have quite the same life experiences as the others.¡±
¡°Eh, I never knew how to skin an animal until Kerr showed me how either. It¡¯s no big deal.¡±
¡°Thank you for saying so,¡± Eir smiled up at Dys. ¡°But still, I want to be useful in any way that I can. In this particr case, it means taking on the burden of being Sabina¡¯s, ah, helper, so that the others are free to focus on their own important tasks. At least this enchanted item didn¡¯t cause me any pain.¡±
Dys winced at the reminder. Sabina¡¯sst attempt from the previous night had certainly worked to prevent an orgasm, though it had done so bypletely killing off all pleasure entirely, turning it into pain. At least the pain had onlysted a few seconds before the enchanted device had literally exploded.
¡°Well, I guess you really are the most qualified,¡± Dys said with a small smirk. ¡°If any of her crazy creations causes damage, you can heal it up right away.¡±
¡°By Lyssandria¡¯s favor, I pray that doesn¡¯t be a necessity¡¡±
As Dys chuckled at the worried look on Eir¡¯s face, a shout came from inside the wagon. A secondter, Sabina came scrambling out from behind the curtains, practically falling onto her face in her obvious excitement.
¡°I¡¯ve got it! This is it! This¡¯ll do it!¡±
The others around the camp turned to watch Sabina as she ran up to Eir and Dys, waving the piece of leather over her head as she shouted her excitement.
¡°Woah, calm down,¡± Dys put a hand on Sabina¡¯s shoulder as she ran up to her. ¡°Are you sure? This enchantment is going to hold off a climax?¡±
¡°Yes!¡± Sabina said excitedly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t figure it out at first because trying to make something stop without making it hurt the body is just so delicate and fiddly and besides it kind of goes against instinct to want to
stop an orgasm rather than start it and it was just such a weird enchantment too but this time I really got it because I remembered some things that I heard people do when I overheard these two smiths talking about their love lives way too loudly in the forge some time ago and even though I was kind of grossed out at the time I¡¯m really d I overheard them now because I remembered what they were talking about and now I¡¯ve got it! This will work!¡±
¡°Okay then,¡± Dys nodded, struggling to keep up with the excited smith¡¯s stream of words. ¡°Well, Eir? Going to help her test it?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Eir said sweetly while giving Dys a slight grimace. ¡°Shall we go somewhere private, Sabina?¡±
¡°Oh, no, thank you!¡± Sabina said, grinning at Eir before grabbing hold of Dys¡¯ pants and pulling them down in one smooth motion. ¡°But I need a cock to test this one!¡±
¡°What the¡ªhey!¡± Dys cried out in rm as the half-elf jerked her pants down before grabbing hold of her dick.
With quick and nimble fingers, Sabina wrapped the strap of leather around the base of her cock, pulling it tight and holding it in ce with a simple catch.
¡°There!¡± Sabina crowed. ¡°That should do it! I¡¯m not sure exactly how long it¡¯llst, but as long as you¡¯re wearing that, you shouldn¡¯t cum at all!¡±
As Dys stared down at the proudly smiling smith in disbelief, Syd sighed heavily as the therion next to her cackled wildly in unfettered amusement.
¡°She made you a cock ring!¡± Kerrughed, elbowing Syd in the side. ¡°A fucking cock ring! Ha!¡±
Chapter 221: Working as Intended
Chapter 221: Working as Intended
¡°Is this actually working?¡±
¡°Yeah, it really is,¡± Dys grunted.
¡°C¡¯mon, you aren¡¯t messing with us, right? Just to get us all in on this?¡±
¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I wouldn¡¯t have to trick any of you to get my cock sucked.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Kerr shrugged before giving Dys¡¯ shaft another lick. ¡°Still. You really aren¡¯t going to cum?¡±
¡°I¡¯d really fucking like to!¡± Dys groaned as her head flopped back, one arm tossed over her eyes.
It was torture. Heavenly, lewd, unbearable torture. Dys¡¯ shaft pulsed with the need for release, the tightness in the pit of her stomach squeezed to an almost painful degree, yet her peak was denied to her. No matter how much she wanted to, or her body needed to, she just couldn¡¯t cum. Sabina¡¯s enchanted leather cock ring worked.
¡°The enchantment seems to be holding up well!¡± Sabina called out from somewhere between Dys¡¯ legs. ¡°I¡¯m seeing some signs of degradation, though, so I think this version might be a one and done item. I¡¯d like to continue for another half hour to be sure of its stability.¡±
¡°Another half an hour!?¡± Dys cried out, her body twitching at sudden stimtion. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do that, Sabby, I¡¯m about to lose my fucking mind!¡±
Sabina poked her head out from underneath Eir to look at Dys, tilting to one side in curiosity.
¡°Is that my nickname now? I think Bridget called me that once. I¡¯ve never had a nickname before, I guess Sabby works. I kind of like it! Oh, does that mean I get to give Bridget a nickname? Should we call her Bridgy maybe?¡±
¡°No,¡± Bridget immediately said, giving the smith a smack to the back of the head. ¡°No one¡¯s calling me fucking Bridgy.¡±
¡°Also not the point right now!¡± Dys groaned, a legitimate whine entering her tone. ¡°It¡¯s already been forty-five minutes and I can¡¯t keep this up. Take this thing off me!¡±
¡°Is this actually starting to hurt?¡± Eir asked, pausing her ministrations.
¡°It doesn¡¯t really hurt,¡± Dys fidgeted, ¡°But it¡¯s so D be damned ufortable. If this doesn¡¯t end soon, I¡¯m going to rip the stupid enchantment off myself and then fuck the brains out of one of you. Maybe all of you.¡±
Kerr also paused, giving Eir a look from across Dys¡¯ cock.
¡°Maybe we should keep going, huh?¡±
Eir shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips.
¡°I don¡¯t think we should torture her any longer. I¡¯m sure we have enough proof now that it works. Sabina, dear, would you please finish up your notes so we can relieve poor Jadis?¡±
¡°Will do,¡± Sabina nodded. ¡°Just another minute and I¡¯m done with this part.¡±
As Sabina finished doing whatever it was she was doing, Eir and Kerr returned to stroking and licking Dys¡¯ raging erection. The duo had been working on Dys¡¯ cock for the past ten minutes, keeping Dys in a constant state of near-climax by attending to her shaft with fervent passion. They hadn¡¯t been the only ones to put their hands on her, though. A, Thea, and Bridget had all switched out over the course of the test, taking turns at pleasuring Dys so that each could take a break as needed.
No break for Dys, though. Ever since she¡¯d sat down on a log and let her lovers begin, she¡¯d been kept in a constant state of almost-climax. At first, it hadn¡¯t been too bad. The increased sensitivity that came from hanging on the edge had made her head swim in a good way. After so long teetering on the peak, though, she wanted the experience to be done. So did her cock, by the look of her. While Jadis¡¯ member usually had a smoothness to it that gave it an almost inhuman, idealized beauty to it, after forty-five minutes of denial it had be an angry, veiny monster. As big as her cock was, it had grown thicker and heavier, pulsing with a furious desire despite still remaining as pale as marble. Dys¡¯ cock had gained an intimidating aura, born not from pure size but appearance as well.
The excruciating experience wasn¡¯t ufortable for Dys alone. The rest of Jadis was affected sympathetically. Even with herpartmentalized mind, Jadis was still one person at her soul. Jay and Syd stood nearby, their own engorged members twitching with ignored lust inside of their pants. It wasn¡¯t as bad for them, since they weren¡¯t being actively teased by the hands and mouths of her lovers, but the nearly hour-long erections still weren¡¯t much fun for her other two bodies.
¡°Okay, ready to take it off,¡± Sabina announced as Dys felt her hands around the base of her cock.
¡°One moment,¡± A said as she gently brushed Eir and Kerr¡¯s mouths away from Dys¡¯ cockhead. ¡°Lean forward please, Dys. We can¡¯t bend you, at the moment.¡±
Indeed, with how hard her cock had be, there wasn¡¯t much give to the straining muscle. Jadis was fairly certain A could perch on her shaft like a bird and the beastly thing would support her. She wasn¡¯t about to test that theory, though. She wanted to end the test as quickly as possible.
Sitting up and leaning forward, Dys angled her cock somewhat down so that the tip was pointed at arge bowl that A used when she wanted to catch Jadis¡¯ seed so she could refill her canteen. The metal bowl was more thanrge enough to hold the output of all three of her bodies, although it would be filled to capacity. Once she was in position, A gave Sabina permission to remove the cock ring while Kerr and Eir moved in to finish Dys off.
They needn¡¯t have bothered. As soon as Sabina unsped the leather ring, Dys¡¯ whole body convulsed in the most powerful orgasm she¡¯d ever experienced. Her whole body shook as her mind went nearly nk with the overwhelming sensation. Her toes curled so hard they dug into the earth beneath the nketed ground while her fingernails cut into the palms of her hands from clenching so hard. It was like every orgasm she¡¯d been denied for the past forty-five minutes hit her all at once, sending her over the edge and into a raging storm she had not been prepared for.
Jay and Syd both copsed onto the ground, their knees having buckled out from under them. Neither climaxed, but Jadis was so ovee with Dys¡¯ sensations that she was almost tricked into thinking that her other two bodies hade as well.
¡°Gods!¡± A cried out, a sentiment echoed by the other women near her.
Dys¡¯ eyes were squeezed shut in her ecstasy, but Jay and Syd could see what had caused themotion. The bowl A held had been sttered with seed, the first forceful emission spraying back as Dys¡¯ cum sshed onto Eir, Kerr, and Sabina. In moments the bowl had been half filled, and still Dys kepting. Eir and Kerr were barely able to keep her cock steady as it jerked and jumped in their hands, ropes of white cum continuing to fill the bowl. Before Dys finally began to slow, her climax fading, her seed had spilled over the edge of the bowl, dripping down A¡¯s fingers and onto the ground.
¡°Holy shit,¡± all three of Jadis panted out, though with how shaky Dys¡¯ voice was, itcked the usual conformity that came when all of her spoke at once. ¡°That was¡ that was fucking intense.¡±
¡°Sure looked like it,¡± Kerr whistled as she used a finger to swipe up thest dribble of cum from Dys¡¯ tip. ¡°I mean,
¨¨ stato pazzesco, I didn¡¯t even know that much could cum out of you.¡±
Even with her head swimming from nearly passing out, Dys was still able to give Kerr a look for the horrible pun.
As Thea rushed over to help A, bringing her canteen and a funnel, Sabina popped up from between Dys¡¯ legs holding the leather strap.
¡°It didn¡¯t survive,¡± she chirped happily, ¡°just like I thought! The material is too weak to hold up to the magic so it burned out as soon as the connection was cut. But it wasn¡¯t that hard to make and I should be able to make more of them pretty easily!¡±
Jay walked up behind Sabina as she spoke and took the strip of leather from her hand. Looking at it, she could see that the enchantment circle she¡¯d etched into the material had quite literally burned out, the markings charred almost like an electrical circuit had been fried. The other materials that had been a part of the item had also been destroyed, the scales she¡¯d used along one side had cracked like brittle leaves and the one slice of bone te she¡¯d used for the sp had crumbled apart. It seemed when an enchantment was used up, the materials were used up with it.
¡°Well, I¡¯m d that you¡¯ve got your proof of concept,¡± Jay said as she passed the broken item back to Sabina. ¡°Now, how are you going to get it to work for you? I mean, I can grow a cock on you with a ritual, so I guess we can do it that way if you can make one of these in whatever size would fit you.¡±
¡°But we might have to do that for everyone,¡± Syd mused with a finger on her chin. ¡°If you make one of these magical cock rings for each of us, the whole group can coordinate our climax together with a lot more certainty.¡±
¡°Ah!¡± Sabina said with wide eyes, ¡°I forgot you can do that! Give us penises, I mean. A had a penis! But now she doesn¡¯t which was really weird and then I remembered your ritual and it was less weird but still weird. I don¡¯t know what my own penis would look like, though I do kind of want to find out. But I don¡¯t think we¡¯d have to do that for all of us! I think I can make a version of this enchantment that¡¯ll work for women as well now that I¡¯ve got a feel for the basics. They¡¯ll still probably be single use, but I should be able to get them done with the materials we have.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Jay smiled and nodded before picking Sabina up by her waist and carrying her over to the wagon. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯ve got it figured out now, can¡¯t wait to try it.¡±
¡°Uh, wha¡ªwhat are you doing?¡± Sabina asked as Jay ripped her pants from her with one motion. Her further words were silenced as Jay roughly kissed her, her tongue filling her mouth for several seconds.
¡°You would not believe how pent up I am right now,¡± Jay said as she broke the kiss. ¡°And our little mad inventor here is going to have to take responsibility for the consequences of her actions.¡±
¡°Oh!¡± Sabina said, then let out a different sounding exmation as Jay¡¯s hard cock popped free of her pants and immediately found Sabina¡¯s already slick core.
¡°Don¡¯t think any of you are getting out of this either,¡± Syd said as she picked up Thea from behind and threw her over her shoulder, the quiet woman letting out a little gasp of surprise. ¡°You all are a team, so you all can work together to ovee this challenge.¡±
¡°Ovee!¡± Kerrughed as Dys picked her up with one hand while sweeping up Eir in the other. ¡°Pretty sure you¡¯re the only one to ¡®ovee¡¯ tonight!¡±
¡°Not for long,¡± Dys growled.
All in all, Jadis would rate Sabina¡¯s experiment a sess, though the aftereffects were more than a little messy. The cleanup in the morning took a while, especially since everyone was slow to get up after such an exhausting night. Their ns weren¡¯t too disrupted, though, since Jadis had searched practically everywhere that she could around this particr split peaked mountain.
For the sake of making sure she¡¯d checked everyst possibility, Jadis headed out to search the far side of the mountain onest time. She wanted to be sure that she hadn¡¯t missed any streams or waterfalls, but part of the reason she left was to give Sabina some time to work on her creations. Jadis hoped that if Sabina had enough time to make her improved versions of the climax-denial enchantment, they could perform the Lascivious Empowerment ritual that night. The boost to all of their power would be significant and could certainly make travel through the forest much easier.
Having made her way through the mountain pass the day before, Jadis made good time getting over to the north side of the mountain with little difficulty or interruption. The nice thing about the far side, she found, was theck of demonic activity. It seemed that since there wasn¡¯t any human, or elf, or whatever, activity, the demons weren¡¯t as interested in the area. There were still strange magical beasts, but those were more easily avoided.
After a few hours of fruitless searching, Jadis decided it was time to call it quits. This first mountain wasn¡¯t the right one. None of the streams she¡¯de across had even remotely matched D¡¯s description, and there had been no sign of any intelligent life. With the winter sky already starting to darken, Jadis headed back to camp with the hope that Sabina had made enough progress that they could perform the ritual.
As Jadis¡¯ selves jogged along the path she¡¯d made through the mountain pass, a brief sh of an unexpected sight caught Syd¡¯s eye.
¡°The fuck was that?¡± Syd murmured as she and her other selves immediately turned to look to the west.
A shadow of a figure could be seen along the ridgeline, practically obscured by the trees. The only way Jadis had noticed it at all was because the setting sun¡¯s light had illuminated the figure from behind.
¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Jay called out, calling out to the distant figure.
There was no answer, nor movement from the shadowed person. Squinting against the light, Jadis could see that the person stood with their arms outstretched to either side of them, but not much else. They were standing along the edge of a ridgeline that overlooked the pass, practically along the diving point between her valley and the Sweet Pine Valley to the west. Since her call had gotten no response, Jadis decided to approach.
As she drew closer, moving through the trees to get to a point where she was practically under the ridgeline, the figure¡¯s details became much clearer. It was a man, wearing robes, arms outstretched. But despite the wind, neither his long hair nor robes moved even an inch. In fact¡
¡°Is that D¡¯s statue?¡± Dys asked aloud, a strange chill running up her back.
It sure as fuck looked like it. How had it gotten out here, up the side of a literal mountain? Had the bandits moved it for some reason? Was it a trap?
As much as the unexpected sight confused her, Jadis knew that standing there stupidly staring wasn¡¯t going to get her any answers. Clenching her weapons in determination, Jadis turned and made her way up the ridge, finding a path up so she could investigate the statue up close. As she did, Syd pulled the wooden signal device that Sabina had made for her out of her pack, ready to use it just in case the statue turned out to be a part of some bizarre ambush.
It took a few minutes to find a way up, the ridgeline was steep and the terrain treacherous, but when Jadis did make it to the top, she looked around her in even further confusion.
¡°What the fuck?¡± Jay cursed as she and her other selves slowly scanned the area. ¡°Where is it?¡±
The statue was gone. There was simply no sign of it. At first Jadis thought she¡¯d gone to the wrong spot since she¡¯d had to go far around to get up the ridge, but no. There were the two pine trees growing out of the split boulder, and there was the old fir tree that had broken in half at some point. The statue should have been right between them, standing on the top of the ridge on the bare rock. But there was nothing.
Jadis put her backs to each other, staring in every direction. The only sound was the wind through the trees. She could see far, the light of the setting sun illuminating the ridge, though her valley was shrouded in shadows. From where she stood, she could see down into the Sweet Pine Valley as well, though it too was slowly being nketed in darkness. There was no sign of movement, ambush or otherwise.
Suddenly there was a cracking boom that echoed through the evening sky. Jadis nearly jumped out of her skin, all of her bodies reacting as though she were under attack. But no, there was no attack. Just the booming sound. Checking to make sure she hadn¡¯t mistakenly set it off, Syd checked and found that her wooden signal device was still intact.
¡°Fuck,¡± Dys cursed, turning her eyes to look down into the shadowed valley. ¡°They¡¯re under attack!¡±
A second boom echoed, making Jadis¡¯ hearts clench, though just as she started to run, a third boom echoed and Jay stopped in her tracks, looking down into the valley.
The other valley. Sweet Pine Valley. There, near the north-western part of valley, was the vige clearing, barely visible in the low light. A sh of light brightened the spot briefly, then another distant boom reached her ears.
¡°Shit, I think that¡¯s Nora,¡± Jay murmured, thinking of the lightning mage.
¡°It¡¯s not us,¡± Dys said as another sh and boom of thunder echoed in the distance.
¡°The soldiers are under attack,¡± Syd finished.
Chapter 222: Needed
Chapter 222: Needed
¡°How long did the lightning continue for?¡± A asked, her lips pursed and brow furrowed.
¡°A few more times,¡± Jay answered between gulps of water. ¡°A total of seven or eight booms. I waited a few minutes after thest, but nothing else happened. I could see the smoke from a fire, but it could have just been their normal campfire. Couldn¡¯t tell.¡±
All three of Jadis were exhausted, hair dripping with sweat. She¡¯d run full tilt down the mountain ridge once it became clear nothing more was going to be gained from waiting and watching. She sprinted as fast as she could through the forest, crashing through the underbrush and saplings on a direct course for her camp. More than a few no-doubt surprised demons had been run over during her mad dash. When she¡¯d arrived back at camp, herpanions had immediately been rmed and had assumed an attack of some kind was imminent considering Jadis¡¯ state, but she¡¯d quickly exined the situation while recovering her breath.
¡°I don¡¯t think Nora could have cast many more of her lightning spells than that,¡± A shook her head. ¡°Her ss is meant for high damage bursts. If you heard that many lightning sts, then she used everything she had.¡±
¡°Which means the fight was pretty fucking serious,¡± Kerr cursed, her expression dark. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t waste her whole magic reserve for something the rest of her squad could handle.¡±
¡°So they could be in real trouble right now,¡± Syd said, frowning. ¡°We should pack up, get over there to help.¡±
¡°Start packing up,¡± Dys grunted as she moved towards the wagon-tent. ¡°I¡¯m not that tired, we can pull the wagon while you all get some sleep inside after we get moving.¡±
¡°No, Jadis, stop,¡± A held up a hand. ¡°You¡¯ve been scouting, running up and down the mountain side all day. Your stamina reserves are going to be drained. Your Endurance is high, but it isn¡¯t
that high. You need to rest.¡±
¡°Yeah, maybe,¡± Jay heaved a heavy sigh. ¡°But what else can we do? They might be in serious trouble!¡±
¡°P¡ªprobably not,¡± Thea said quietly, catching Jadis¡¯ attention.
¡°Why do you say that?¡± Syd asked, turning to look at the shy woman.
Thea shrank under the attention, both from Jadis and the others who looked at her, but with visible effort she squared her shoulders and looked up at Syd, meeting her gaze.
¡°They w¡ªwere sent for a reason. C¡ªcaptain Wi and her t¡ªteam aren¡¯t, ah, w¡ªweak. They c¡ªcan handle themselves. If Nora used that much l¡ªlightning, w¡ªwhatever she hit is p¡ªprobably dead.¡±
¡°Vraekae did choose them personally,¡± Eir added after a brief pause. ¡°I do not believe my cousin would have sent a team to this area if she didn¡¯t think they were capable of oveing any of the foes they might find in these mountains.¡±
Those were valid points. Thea had been in the same guardpany as Wi, she no doubt knew the woman and her capabilities, and the capabilities of her team. And Eir was right about her cousin. There was no way Vraekae would send personnel unsuited to the job she wanted done. Besides, Jadis had seen the soldiers in action. They¡¯d been hit hard by the unexpected frost drake attack, but they hadn¡¯t lost anyone, either. They¡¯d also handled themselves well against the bandit ambush, not taking any injuries at all even though Wi and the two guards with her had been blinded and separated. They¡¯d still managed to kill one of the assants even in those disadvantageous circumstances. Fortune¡¯s Favored had left them in a prepared position. Someone aspetent as Wi would have no doubt improved their defenses even further in the days since Jadis and crew had left.
¡°Then there¡¯s the fact that, even if we did leave now, we wouldn¡¯t get there for hours,¡± Kerr pointed out. ¡°Even if we left the wagon behind, it¡¯d still probably take a couple of hours. Whatever fight you saw up on that ridge is probably already over by now.¡±
Also true. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how long it had taken her to run down the mountain, but the sun had set and the forest waspletely nketed by nightfall. More than enough time for a fight to be over.
¡°Alright then,¡± Dys sighed, crossing her arms. ¡°Then, what do we do? Just fucking ignore the likely life and death battle going on next door?¡±
¡°Not ignore,¡± A said, raising one finger for emphasis. ¡°We investigate.
Cautiously. We¡¯re done with the mountain, aren¡¯t we?¡±
Jadis nodded, all three of her heads bobbing in agreement.
¡°Then that means we were going to head out in the morning anyway. If we head for the western mountain next, we¡¯d be passing Sweet Pine Valley. We should head there tomorrow and check on the soldiers. We¡¯ll just be careful about it and not run headlong into an unknown situation.¡±
That was a clear jab at Jadis¡¯ past actions. And, as much as it pained her to admit it, the veiled admonishment was deserved. Jadis had sworn she wasn¡¯t going to just run off into dangerous situations without thinking about it first and here she was, ready to do just that. Well, at least she had her more thanpetent girlfriend around to keep her from doing something stupid. Jadis would listen and learn. She would do better.
¡°Okay, fair enough,¡± Jay nodded, taking the time to look each of herpanions in the eye. ¡°Thank you for the advice and information. Really.¡±
¡°But if we¡¯re leaving, let¡¯s make it an early departure,¡± Dys ordered. ¡°Pack up everything we can now so we¡¯re ready to go at dawn tomorrow. We should make some rations now that¡¯ll be ready to eat in the morning, too. No dys. We¡¯re going to be hauling ass and we won¡¯t be turning back for any lost boots.¡±
¡°Fuck you,¡± Kerrughed, making a rude gesture at Dys¡¯ pointed look.
¡°I mean it though. We¡¯re heading out at first light. Even if Wi and her crew are capable of handling themselves, that doesn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t be backed into a corner and waiting for some reinforcements. Out here, that means us.¡±
With her orders met with general agreement, Jadis nodded her head with finality. Maybe Captain Wi and her squad were foisted on her by the Magistrate, but so what? They were good people who were just trying to do their job. If they needed help, Jadis would make the effort to assist them. She was sure they would do the same.
¡°Also, one other thing,¡± Syd said before everyone could start moving away to attend to their tasks. ¡°I didn¡¯t, uh, tell you all the whole reason why I went up on the ridge. It wasn¡¯t because I heard something first and then went up. I saw something.¡±
¡°Saw something?¡± Bridget asked, head tilted and eyebrow raised. ¡°What, like the sh of Nora¡¯s lightning?¡±
¡°No,¡± Syd shook her head. ¡°It was a lot stranger than that¡¡±
Having held off on telling herpanions about the reason why she¡¯d climbed the ridge in favor of focusing on the more important details, Jadis took a couple of minutes to exin what she saw. The statue of D, looming on the edge of the ridge, and how it had somehow disappeared without a trace while she¡¯d broken line of sight. Once she¡¯d told her story, her team was silent, with a variety of expressions on their faces.
¡°So, what, you¡¯re starting to see things now?¡± Kerr said. ¡°I mean, I know you¡¯re kind of nuts and all, but I didn¡¯t think you were
that far gone.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not fucking crazy,¡± Jay rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m being serious right now.¡±
¡°Are you sure you saw it? Maybe it was a shadow, or a rock or a tree or something that kind of looked like a statue and your eyes were just ying a trick on you or something like that?¡±
Sabina peppered Jadis with a litany of questions, all centered on the idea that she¡¯d somehow not seen what she¡¯d seen, at least not correctly. All Jadis could do was shake her head. She was positive it was the same statue from the temple. Three different pairs of eyes looking from three different angles couldn¡¯t be tricked by a shadow like that.
¡°Eir,¡± A started slowly, turning to look at the priestess. ¡°Could Destarious have sent Jadis a vision of some kind? Was what she saw maybe the effect of her being an avatar race? Would the gods¡¯ guidance present itself in such a way?¡±
Eir frowned, her beautiful face marred by worry lines.
¡°I¡¯m not certain,¡± she finally said after a few moments of thought. ¡°Visions from the gods are certainly possible, but I think that¡¯s something usually in the realm of high priests or oracles. I don¡¯t know that the avatar races are capable of receiving such direct guidance without a ss. Then again, I¡¯ve never asked any of the Seraphim or Lares that I¡¯ve met during my time in the temple the exact details of their guidance. I suppose their guidance could present as brief shes or visions?¡±
Thest Eir said with great uncertainty, the question clearly out of her scope of knowledge. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure herself, but it did feel like the statue had guided her to be on the top of that ridge at just the right time to be able to hear and see Nora¡¯s spells. That kind of pre-knowledge of something that was yet toe felt like godly guidance. Was she perhaps growing closer to her patron with time? Her Ritualist ss had just recently leveled. Since it was dedicated to D, maybe the stronger the ss grew the greater her connection became? It certainly sounded usible, though from what the others were telling her she couldn¡¯t say it was so for certain.
Then there was one other possibility.
¡°Kerr, what if the firepit you spotted when we left the vige wasn¡¯t from someone keeping tabs on the soldiers. What if they were following us? What if what I saw up there was some kind of illusion spell that was cast by someone who¡¯s been sticking close to us this whole time?¡±
¡°I mean, it¡¯s possible,¡± Kerr shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping both my eyes open and my ears tuned, though. I haven¡¯t seen any signs of anyone near our camp these past few days.¡±
¡°But if someone was skilled in illusion magic, they could hide from you, couldn¡¯t they?¡± Jay pressed. ¡°They could be a hundred feet away and we wouldn¡¯t know it, right?¡±
There was a brief silence among the women, broken only by A.
¡°Yes, they could. They¡¯d have to be very powerful to avoid detection from so many for so long. But yes, it¡¯s possible.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Jay nodded. She then heaved a big sigh, shaking her head. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s just a guess. We can¡¯t know for sure. I¡¯m not saying we should be paranoid or anything, but let¡¯s keep our guard up from now on. There¡¯s a lot of fuckery going on out here, more than we expected. So let¡¯s make sure we¡¯re prepared for things to get worse.¡±
¡°That means we get packed up now,¡± Dys said as she started moving. ¡°Eir, can you help me make some ready to go meals for tomorrow?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Eir agreed and joined Dys.
¡°Okay, then let¡¯s do that. Everyone! Let¡¯s get our shit done!¡±
As everyone else started moving, Syd took hold of Sabina¡¯s elbow, stopping her from rushing off.
¡°How are the enchanted itemsing along?¡± she asked, one eyebrow raised. ¡°Have you figured out anything that¡¯ll work for you?¡±
¡°I think so,¡± Sabina nodded. ¡°I experimented with a few different variations today and there¡¯s one form that should probably do the trick. Maybe. Needs testing. It definitely won¡¯t be a permanent item though, and I¡¯m not sure what it¡¯ll do once the inhibitor is turned off, since, you know, you kind of came buckets and I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯ll happen with this new version, or with women. Women don¡¯t really do that, normally, you know?¡±
¡°I know,¡± Syd chuckled. ¡°Do what you can to put as many of those items together now. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to get a chance to once we start moving tomorrow morning.¡±
¡°Understood!¡± Sabina said, giving Syd an eager yet silly salute. ¡°Nine climax denial enchantmentsing up!¡±
While Sabina set about crafting her bizarre magical items, Jadis and the rest of the crew cleaned up the camp and packed everything they could, preparing for the next day as much as possible. That night, everyone went to sleep early, with Bridget and Kerr taking the first watch and Thea and A the second, just to make sure Jadis¡¯ bodies got at least a few hours of solid rest. As busy as her mind was with thoughts of what could be happening in the vige as well as what the statue sighting could mean, Jadis was still able to fall asleep within seconds. Running up and down the mountainside really had worn her out more than she wanted to admit.
In the morning, Fortune¡¯s Favored was ready to go. It took only minutes to pack up what they hadn¡¯t the night before, their camp routine having grown more ordered and efficient with practice. As soon as everyone was on the wagon, Jadis¡¯ three bodies hooked the harnesses onto their armor and started pulling, the massive wagon rumbling loudly as they thundered back down the trail they had cut themselves days before. As she picked up speed, the way back much easierpared to the way forward, Jadis grumbled under her breath, all her focus on what might be waiting for them in the valley where her adventure had begun.
¡°Needed or not, here wee.¡±
Chapter 223: POV Ambusher
Chapter 223: POV Ambusher
A freezing fog had rolled down the mountain that morning, the cold vapors persisting long after the sun had risen. The morning light was so diffused that it was hard to tell what time of day it was, the sky no more than a featureless gray. The mist covered the forest, turning the trees into shadowy giants that loomed in the distance. Even sounds were damped by the thick shroud, making it difficult to hear anything that was more than a dozen yards away. The terrible weather was the perfect cover for an ambush.
All the more reason Sorcha wanted to get the fuck out of the damned cursed vige.
¡°This is a terrible idea,¡± sheined, fully aware that her words were falling on deaf ears. ¡°There are so many ways this could go wrong! What if there are more soldiers than you expect? What if they don¡¯t want to negotiate? What if they call our bluff?¡±
¡°Bluff?¡± Eike snapped, her sharp eyes turning on Sorcha. ¡°What bluff?¡±
Sorcha stared at the mad human, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. Surely, she wasn¡¯t serious? Yes, she was a coldhearted bitch and she wasn¡¯t above slitting a few throats to get what she wanted, but even Eike had to have her limits. There was a big fat fucking difference between killing a few people in a fight versus outright
ughter of captives! What in all of Samleos¡¯ stinking abyss was going on between the woman¡¯s ears?
¡°Stavros,¡± Sorcha turned back to their leader. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s be at least somewhat reasonable here. We can¡¯t actually kill them, they''re prisoners! Imperial soldier prisoners! If we kill them, then we¡¯re so fucking fucked! We¡¯ll never be able to set foot in an imperial city again! We¡¯ll be hunted down like demons!¡±
Stavros¡¯ silent back was all the response she got. The lean man continued to stare into the mouth of the cave, arms crossed, his vigil unwavering. Try as she might, she couldn¡¯t get him to see reason.
¡°Grow a backbone, runt,¡± Eike hissed as she polished the de of her scythe. ¡°There are more ces in the world than the Empire. With all the eleria we¡¯ve mined, we¡¯ll be rich anywhere we go.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t be rich if you¡¯re dead!¡± Sorcha shot back, waving her hand at the infuriating human. ¡°How are we getting out of this gods forsakennd, eh? Did you think of that, you great big arse wipe? You think smugglers are going to be keen to put their necks on the line when we¡¯re wanted for the killing of prisoners under ransom? We won¡¯t be able to leave!¡±
As Sorcha shouted, her rant was cut off by a quick move from the copper-haired killer. Suddenly, a wickedly sharp curved de was sliding against Sorcha¡¯s skin, the point just barely teasing the tip of her chin.
¡°Maybe we just kill them all, then?¡± Eike murmured, her voice thick with bloodlust. ¡°No crime to report if we leave no witnesses. Might as well get rid of the weeds that are getting in the way while we¡¯re at it.¡±
Sorcha didn¡¯t move as Eike held the de under her chin. Sweat beaded on her brow, her breathing quick and fast through her nose. She resisted the urge to step away, knowing that any movement at all was apt to set the insane woman off. There wasn¡¯t a chance in all the world that she would survive Eike¡¯s attack if the madwoman decided to act on her depraved impulses.
¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±
Eike¡¯s deranged smile fell away just as her scythe moved back from Sorcha¡¯s neck. Her lips curled into a snarl as she looked at Stavros¡¯ back.
¡°Just a thought,¡± she said as she leaned back against the stone wall.
¡°I don¡¯t need you thinking,¡± Stavros snapped, his low voice as cold as the mist. ¡°Just keep your weapon ready and do as I say. We¡¯ll get what we want and then we¡¯ll be out of thesends before the winter fully sets in. These mountains have grown too crowded.¡±
¡°Okay, yeah, fine,¡± Sorcha said, resisting the urge to rub at her throat. ¡°But I still think we should cut our losses
now and leave before¡ª¡±
¡°You¡¯d leave them so easily?¡± Stavros spoke over her, his deep voice never raised in anger and yet all the moremanding for its softness. ¡°What if it were you among those that had been caught? Would you argue so strongly then that the rest of us leave?¡±
¡°¡No. No I suppose I wouldn¡¯t,¡± Sorcha admitted after a short silence. ¡°That still doesn¡¯t change the fact that this is a bad idea.¡±
¡°We have the advantage,¡± Stavros said as he walked over to the table in the small room. His rough finger traced the lines of the improvised map he¡¯d drawn of the vige and valley. ¡°We can seek terms. And if they won¡¯t negotiate¡¡±
Eike¡¯s wide grin and Stavros¡¯ silence said more than enough.
Fucking whale balls. What in all the stars had possessed her to sign up with this man and his madpany? Sorcha wished she¡¯d never left home. She should have stayed in Thimblethule and stuck to glorified pest control. Fuck, she should have quit mercenary work all together and gotten a real profession, something legitimate. She could have been the town witch, maybe an apothecary, or a fucking farmhand, anything else but this! Why did she have to be so easily swayed by the promise of obscene amounts of coin?
Fucking abyss¡
¡°They¡¯reing!¡±
Sorcha was jolted out of her thoughts by the half-shouted words of Legs. The ugly human had run up the little building, leaning in through one of the un-shuttered windows. He was out of breath, a rarity for the stupidly fast man.
¡°So, not from the cave,¡± Stavros murmured as his head turned to look at Legs. ¡°How many soldiers, and how far out are they? Has Jockel left yet to intercept them?¡±
¡°No, no!¡± Legs shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not soldiers, it¡¯s the giants! Well, maybe they¡¯re soldiers, but it¡¯s not
the soldiers, I¡¯d say they¡¯re mercenaries. Shit, not the point, they¡¯re
fucking here!¡±
¡°What?¡± Stavros frowned, taking a step towards Legs.
¡°They¡¯re already practically at the edge of the vige, they might even be in it by now!¡± Legs said as he threw his hands up before him to fend off Stavros¡¯ growing anger. ¡°They move so fucking fast, even with that oversized wagon! No one saw theming until they were already on top of us!¡±
A chill went through Sorcha at the memory of those gigantic monsters. It had been days and she still couldn¡¯t get the sight of that massive ck figure stomping from out of the dust cloud out of her mind. By Valtar¡¯s girthy balls, seeing that giant crashing through the trees while it chased Legs had been the scariest shit she¡¯d ever seen, and she¡¯d seen a bone thief matriarch kill half a dozen men their first month in Weigrun. Even the memory of that same giant somehow surviving Legs¡¯ cursed knife plunged into its chest was enough to make her blood run cold.
¡°Go,¡± Stavrosmanded, his expression turned from thunderous to thoughtful. ¡°Second position. Tell the rest. Capture or kill. Let Rickets¡¯ traps do the work.¡±
With a vicious grin, Eike bolted out of the building, heading for imminent battle. Legs, left a moment after, making sure to keep some distance between himself and the mad woman. Sorcha lingered for a moment, her brow furrowed in frustration. She freely admitted that Stavros¡¯ leadership had kept theirpany generally alive, even against terrible odds, but this whole situation felt wrong to her. If only he would just¡ª
¡°Sorcha,¡± Stavros spoke, making her jump slightly. ¡°Do as I say. Go.¡±
¡°¡Fine.¡±
Sorcha headed out, diving into the mist to find her way to her second position spot. For her assignment, she snuck inside a small hole fit for someone of her
perfectly average height, other races be damned. The hole had been dug into the side of the hill that overlooked the vige, just below the hilltop the miningpound sat on. With the expertly crafted cover Rickets had made for the hole, Sorcha was practically invisible once inside it.
¡Though she still used her wand of translucence for good measure.
Ten men had been stationed inside the vige proper, about a third of their current numbers. Per Stavros¡¯ n for second position, the ten would put up a brief fight, then retreat up the hill where the rest of the gang waited. Rickets had set traps in the town, on the hill, and around the miningpound. Once the attackers took the bait, the rest of the gang would swoop in and either force them to surrender or take them down.
From her position, she could see the whole vige and would have a perfect view of any attackers chasing the bait. Or she would if it weren¡¯t for the gods sted fog.
Sorcha waited in her hidden hole, paralyzing wand in hand. She wouldn¡¯t be the first to attack, no, she¡¯d act once the signal was given. She just had to remind herself that her spell had been effective on the giant she¡¯d cast it on. As huge and terrifying as they were, they were still just mortals, which meant they could be taken down just like anyone else.
¡°Probably humans with some messed up ss abilities,¡± she mumbled to herself. ¡°Humans are all fucking crazy anyway. Of course they¡¯d do something insane to alter their bodies. They all have their brains dribbling out of their noses. Feh.¡±
Sorcha didn¡¯t have long to wait, though. Sounds floated up from the bottom of the hill, silencing her grumbles. She couldn¡¯t see much, just the shadowed outlines of the back of the buildings. There was some kind of activity, by the sounds of things. They were muffled, but she could hear voices, one of them probably Jockel, the fat fuck. Maybe he¡¯d encountered the giants and was offering them terms.
Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if they decided to just surrender and then the whole fight would be called off?
That dream was shattered a few secondster when Sorcha heard the sound of something breaking. There were a few loud crashes, then, followed by shouts. Metal on metal. Metal on stone, metal on wood. Metal on something softer, no challenge to guess what. Another crash, louder and longersting, followed by another, then another.
Sorcha jumped as a figure came running up the hill. It was Legs, sprinting as fast as he could while avoiding the traps Rickets had left. More crashes echoed dully in the vige as a few more figures dashed up the hill, the fear on their faces bing clear once they reached the top and came close enough for Sorcha to see the stark, wide-eyed panic.
¡°Four,¡± Sorcha counted as another figure ran through the mist. ¡°No, five, that has to be Jockel.¡±
She watched the fat drunk stumble up the hill, the man nearly stepping right into one of the many pitfalls. He made it up, though, running like Samleos himself was on his heels. He disappeared into one of the buildings, joining some of the others that were waiting. That was five, but where were the others? All ten should have ran once the fighting started, to lead the enemy into the traps.
¡°Oh, there¡¯s¡ª¡± Sorcha started to mumble, spotting another figure.
Before she said more than two words, the shadow of a man copsed onto the ground, having barely made it a third of the way up the hill. She couldn¡¯t see what was wrong, but theck of movement left little doubt as to the man¡¯s fate. She didn¡¯t know which poor sod it was, but she swore to say a prayer to Charos for the dead man once the fight was over.
As she watched the still figure, her eyes were drawn to a bit of light that was bobbing in the mist. She quickly realized that it was antern of some kind, held high by an armored figure that was only just starting to move into view along the base of the hill. A moment or twoter she could see a couple more shadowy figures surrounding the one holding thentern. And then¡
¡°Fuck, that¡¯s one of them,¡± she cursed as she saw one gigantic figuree into view.
They all stood around thentern, the giant¡¯s massive size made apparent even at a distance due to the smaller people gathered around with it. It was carrying a huge hammer, the ridiculous weapon impractical for anyone except the most ridiculously strong. She watched, wide eyed, waiting to see what they¡¯d do. Surely, the giant would charge forward, run up the hill after the men who¡¯d fled from it, just like they¡¯d done at the abandoned fort. So long as the giant came up the hill, it would hit at least one of the traps. Then the group could charge, take it down while the giant was vulnerable.
Except, there was no charge. For a long while, there was no movement at all. The giant and the smaller figures following it simply stood there, doing nothing. A few minutes past, the wait making Sorcha antsy. What was the hold up? Was the giant expecting them to charge down the hill at them? Maybe Eike was stupid enough to do something like that, but Stavros would never let her, and scant few of their band were likely to join her.
And where were the other two, anyway?
Just as Sorcha was considering trying to sneak out and check with Stavros on what they should do, there was some movement. The hulking figure faded away as it walked back into the vige, the buildings and mist obscuring all sight. The figure holding thentern stayed, though, marking the spot. Maybe some of the others could start shooting some arrows at the idiot? Snipe them and provoke the giants into charging?
A loud thump echoed from somewhere to the south. Sorcha craned her neck, trying to see through her cover, but couldn¡¯t spot where the noise hade from. Another thump echoed, this one even louder than before. The sounds quickened, turning from distant muffled thumps to loud cracks and tters. It sounded for all the world like an avnche in slow motion.
After a short span, as the tter grew louder, or closer, shouting started. Voices she recognized, the other men in her group. She heard surprise, shock, and then panic. And then she heard Stavros call out, his deep voice booming.
¡°Third position! Defend!¡±
Third position. That meant the enemy had gotten past their outer perimeter and were inside their camp. They were under direct attack, the enemy on top of them.
¡°What the fuck,¡± Sorcha cursed as she slipped out of her hiding spot to run into the miningpound. ¡°How the fuck did they get past all the fucking traps?¡±
Chapter 224: Slow and Steady
Chapter 224: Slow and Steady
The sounds of panicked shouting came from ahead, echoing in the misty valley. It was hard to tell exactly what they were saying, especially with all the noise she herself was making, but Jadis got the distinct impression that the bandits weren¡¯t happy with the path she¡¯d chosen for climbing the hill. Good. The less happy the bastards were, the better. It meant things weren¡¯t going how they nned, which suited Jadis just fine.
It did, however, sound like there were a lot more people than any of them had expected waiting on the top. That was less good, but she¡¯d handle the situation as it came. They were almost at the top, anyway, which meant the real fighting was about to start. It was toote to back out, not without risking concentrated counterattack. She¡¯d just have to hit the bastards hard enough to either make them surrender or run.
¡°Signal the others,¡± Jay ordered Kerr as she hefted up another log. ¡°We¡¯re going in.¡±
¡°On it,¡± Kerr snapped back as she switched one arrow out from another.
A momentter Kerr shot, arching the arrow high over the vige. The projectile let out a high-pitched whistle thanks to a notched piece of wood tied to the shaft, letting the rest of the team know toe around the way they¡¯de. In the next moment, Kerr had nocked a in arrow onto her bow and shot it as well, this time aiming it off to the right. The pained cry of man a secondter proved the therion¡¯s aim was true even with low visibility.
¡°Here we go,¡± Syd growled as she marched forward. ¡°Stay right behind me.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± A answered shortly, followed by Kerr¡¯s barked acknowledgement. ¡°We¡¯re ready.¡±
Jay hurled the several hundred-pound log ahead of her, letting it crash and tter across the stones of the stream that flowed down the southern side of the hill. As expected, another trap was triggered, this time a spiked wooden grid that swung up from the ground. It would have smashed against the legs and lower torso of anyone who had stepped there, crippling them at a minimum. But the log Jay had thrown had set off whatever mechanism was designed to trigger it, causing the trap to be wasted, same as thest handful.
Syd carried the massive barricade-like shield forward, knocking the trap over and crushing it underfoot. The wood splintered and broke, making the way safe for A and Kerr to follow behind. As she trampled the vicious construction, she crested the top of the hill, reaching the t top of the dam that kept the water in the pond. Jadis¡¯ mind shed back to the day months ago that she had seen the bone thief matriarch crest over the hill in the exact same ce that she was now. From the sound of things, the bandits were experiencing simr feelings to those she had back then.
Dys pushed forward then, her own giant barricade-shield to the fore. She took up position next to Syd, creating a wall of thick, reinforced wood that couldn¡¯t easily be breached by anyone who didn¡¯t have strengthparable to her own. As she and Syd came abreast of each other, Jay gathered up arge rock that likely weighed more than A and Kerr put together, ripping the stone straight out of the dirt. Using it like a bowling ball, she hurled it forward, Dys and Syd opening up a gap between their barricades for just the perfect moment to let the stone pass before snapping shut.
The huge rock bounced across the ground in a loud tter before suddenly disappearing, the earth beneath it falling away in to reveal a pit trap.
¡°You were right,¡± Jay told Kerr as she repositioned her war hammer to rest on the ground behind her. ¡°No pit traps on this side of the hill, way too steep. But as soon as the ground leveled out¡ª¡±
¡°Pit traps in open spaces,¡± A nodded. ¡°Push forward so you can put the pit on one side or another of the shield wall. It¡¯ll help funnel them once they attack.¡±
¡°Got it,¡± Jay said as she hurled another boulder, making sure the new path ahead was clear of traps.
Kerr let loose another arrow, a cry of pain marking another bandit shot. She ducked back behind Dys¡¯ right side, the sound of arrows impacting the shield following a secondter. The points didn¡¯t even fully prate the thick wood.
¡°There!¡± A shouted, pointing at the frozen pond.
A figure had been trying to sneak around them, using the thick mist for cover. Jay scooped up another huge rock and hurled it at the bow-wielding shadow. The bandit dove out of the way of the rock, but the thrown projectile still hit the ice nearby, cracking it with a spectacr crash and ssh. The man on the ice let out a terrified yelp before plunging into the frozen water.
With the threat neutralized, Jadis put the struggling bandit out of her mind. Until they took out the wand-wielding goblin, they were going to keep pushing forward, slow and steady. No one had any doubt that she would be the target of the witch¡¯s spell, so rushing forward in a charge was a doubly bad idea, especially when taking into ount all the traps that had beenid. So, instead of being fucking dipshits and running in blindly, they¡¯de up with a quick n once they¡¯d realized they were dealing with the same bandits as before.
Push forward, slow and steady, with a shield wall, tripping all the traps they could along the steep southern side of the hill where the potential for traps was least. Jadis would be their wall while the others would handle any offense. Even if the fucking goblin got her with the spell, she¡¯d still be doing her job acting as a defensive shield for herpanions while she was frozen. Once the goblin showed herself to cast the spell, A or Kerr would take them out at range. Then Jadis would be free to go on the attack.
Not that Jadis had toy back entirely while acting as a mobile fortification.
As Dys and Syd positioned themselves a little further into the hilltop, getting closer to buildings while keeping the pit trap on Syd¡¯s left, Jay gathered up more rocks of varying sizes. Sure, her hammer or axe ornce were all powerful weapons that she¡¯d rather be using, but a big rock could still do a lot of damage. Jay started hurling the rocks over the top of the barrier, aiming to hit the stone buildings.
The stones crashed against the old stone workshops, bouncing and breaking against the walls. Some wererge enough, though, that they broke through the walls, prompting shouts of rm and even a few screams of pain. One stone that had to weigh three hundred pounds if it weighed anything crashed through the roof of one of the buildings, causing the whole roof to copse down onto whoever was inside.
¡°They¡¯re here,¡± Kerr said as she shot more arrows.
Jay looked back, seeing that the rest of herpanions hade the long way around up the hill, rushing to catch up along the path they¡¯d made safe. Seeing that they had made it up the hill, Dys and Syd briefly locked the barricades in ce. With the improvements Sabina had made to them, the barricades were able to stand on their own with the leg struts pulled out. Dys¡¯ axe and Syd¡¯snce had been strapped to their respective shields, again thanks to the clever design Sabina had incorporated. Pulling their weapons free, Dys and Syd got ready for the bandits to push back.
Arrows were shot at her team as they crested the hill, several bouncing off of Thea¡¯s shield as she led the way. One arrow struck Bridget, sticking in her armor though she kept moving, paying the projectile sticking out of her shoulder no mind. She and Thea made sure to keep their bodies between the shooters and Eir and Sabina, those two being the most vulnerable. Though not entirely without defense. Sabina had quickly knocked together two makeshift wooden shields from the tops of crates, which she and Eir were using to help block any ranged attacks.
As Jadis had expected, as soon as they saw more peopleing up the hill, the bandits tried to push back. A dozen men wielding a variety of weapons, from swords to spears to clubs, charged out from cover. They rushed to attack the group led by Thea, trying to keep them from getting to the cover that Jadis¡¯ barricade provided.
Unfortunately for them, to get to Thea and the others, that meant they had to pass close to Jadis first.
With a roar, Jay swung out from behind the barrier, her hammer swinging in a wide horizontal arch. The bandits had tried to spread out, but their own traps now worked against them, forcing where they could safely step without being caught in them. Her hammer struck one man full on while a second was caught by the shaft. The first man was obliterated, the spike trap A had put on the hammerhead activating and shredding the man¡¯s upper body while the force of the hammer blow turned what was left of him into a sttered paste. The second man was marginally luckier since being hit by the hammer shaft meant he wasn¡¯t killed outright and instead knocked down onto his back. Only marginally, luckier, though, since a secondter Syd put hernce through his head.
Dys¡¯ axe swung from the right side, catching a man in the chest. Her axe cut through his steel chest te, then his chest, passing clean through to the other side. He copsed in a heap, halfway bisected as his lungs and other organs spilled out onto the ground. Dys kicked the body away, sending it tumbling down the hill so it didn¡¯t be a tripping hazard underfoot, then moved back behind cover.
Jadis wasn¡¯t the only one to attack, either. Kerr¡¯s bow sang as she shot arrows at the exposed men, killing two with as many arrows. A took out three with her Arcane Dart Spray, the cone of arcane darts piercing the men who had gotten within range, shredding the exposed parts of their bodies like paper. Another man dropped as well from a well-aimed bolt, Sabina having carried her huge crossbow up with her.
Before Jay could fully pull back behind cover, it happened. All the muscles in her body clenched up in pain as she was paralyzed. The witch had gotten her with the damned paralyzing spell. Jadis was helpless to do anything as all three of her selves froze, unmoving and unable to do anything about the three remaining bandits that had managed to reach the barrier.
A man wielding arge, spiked club swung on Jay, her body halfway behind cover and frozen in an awkward stance. His weapon mmed into Jay¡¯s side with a loud ng. Fortunately, Jay¡¯s armor was so thick that the spikes barely scratched the surface, doing her no damage at all. However, the blow was still strong enough to knock her unbnced body over, sending Jay crashing to the ground, unable to catch herself due to the paralyzing spell.
A secondter the man screamed in agony as Bridget¡¯sntern il smashed against his shoulder, the arcane mes burning him as they red brightly. The bandit swung back at her, but Bridget easily countered, the reach on her polearm greater than his club. She struck him again, the il head swinging over his attempt to block with his club to strike against his helmeted head. He fell back, screaming as the mes burned his face, only for his screams to be cut short as A sted him away with an arcane bolt.
Thea¡¯s spear struck one man as another bashed against her shield with an axe, the de deflecting against the curved surface. With a powerful shove, Thea sent the axe man stumbling back, far enough that she was able to turn on the first man and pierce his leg with her spear. An arrow suddenly appeared in the man¡¯s side, Kerr getting another shot off.
The bandit Thea had shoved snarled and hurled his axe, this time aiming it at the most vulnerable target he had avable to him. The axe spun through the air, Jadis watching it through the corner of Syd¡¯s eye since she still could not move, unable to do anything to stop the deadly weapon from reaching its target. The axe came within inches of A¡¯s head before it abruptly stopped, bouncing away as something nearly invisible blocked it.
A held up one hand, having cast her Force Shield just in time to stop the axe from reaching her. She calmly pointed her other hand at the man who¡¯d thrown the axe and without so much as a blink cast another force bolt, knocking the man backwards and sending him crashing down the pitfall behind him. Jadis could hear a crunch as his body hit the bottom. She briefly wondered if there were spikes down there or not. She hadn¡¯t had the chance to check.
Pain burned through Dys¡¯ side, a terrible and familiar burning sensation that she could do nothing about.
¡°Why the fuck are all three of you freaks frozen, eh?¡± Legs said as he dragged his glowing de through Dys¡¯ armor.
¡°Who cares, just kill them!¡± the fat bastard with the spiked chain said as he came from around Legs¡¯ side, swinging his weapon at Kerr¡¯s exposed back.
As the two bandits attacked from the right side, a voice Jadis didn¡¯t recognize spoke from just above Jay. She couldn¡¯t see the woman, having fallen over and her helmet limiting her peripheral vision. What she heard, though, made her skin crawl.
¡°So these are the giants, huh? I can¡¯t wait to see how their blood looks on my skin¡¡±
Chapter 225: Elites
Chapter 225: Elites
¡°Fuck off!¡± Bridget roared as she swung her il at the unknown woman.
There was a ng and a shout, followed by cacklingughter. Jadis couldn¡¯t see the fight, but she could hear and feel Bridget and the crazy blood bitch dueling above her. Boots kicked and struck Jay¡¯s unmoving armored body and she both heard and felt the scrape of steel against her shoulders, back, and helmet. After a few seconds, she heard something else, too. The patter of droplets against metal.
What Jadis could see, though, was the fat man with the chain and the skinny little shit Legs attacking Dys and Kerr.
The fat bandit swung his long chain, the spikes catching against Kerr¡¯s back and tearing at her armor in a bloody mess of shredded leather and flesh. Kerr let out a scream of pain as she whirled and let off another shot from her bow, the arrow only half drawn back. The fat man twisted impossibly, throwing himself out of the way of the arrow. As he twisted, he spun, swinging his chain wide out around him and forcing A and Sabina to scramble and duck back to avoid being caught in the arc.
At the same time, Legs sliced into Dys with his magical dagger, the malicious enchantment on it attacking her soul and her health points directly. As he pulled the de across her waist, he grimaced as though he found the task almost as unpleasant as Jadis felt about it. Before a full two seconds had passed, Thea was on him, her spear and shield aiming to knock the broken-toothed man away. Legs fell back, not letting Thea hit him as he dodged.
¡°That ugly ass shield won¡¯t stop my de, girly. Throw yourself down and beg and maybe we¡¯ll let you live through this!¡±
Legs lunged forward at Thea, swiping his de through her shield as easily as Dys¡¯ armor. Instead of falling back, however, Thea pushed forward, tanking the damage as she mmed her shield into the ugly man, sending him tumbling backwards as he lost his footing and went down the side of the hill.
¡°Got you,¡± the fat man snarled as he whipped his chain around again, the spiked links wrapping around Kerr¡¯s bow. With a mighty heave, he tried to yank the bow out of Kerr¡¯s hands.
The key word, of course, was tried. Kerr¡¯s arms barely budged as the big man tried to pull the bow from her grasp. Sheughed, snarling a quick retort at him.
¡°
Putain de cochon,e here and give me a kiss.¡±
With her Jadis empowered strength, Kerr yanked on the chain as hard as she could, causing the fat man to fly off of his feet and rocket towards her with a surprised yelp. Kerr¡¯s knee mmed into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. In the next moment, her horned head smashed against his bald dome with a sickening crack. He fell to the ground in an unconscious heap while Kerr tore the chain from her bow so she could use it again.
More shouts and sounds of battle happened around her as Jadis struggled against the paralyzing spell. How much time had passed? Twenty seconds? More? Every moment counted in a battle, each attack a potentially lethal one. So far, though, their n to bring the fortification with them had worked. The bandits hadn¡¯t been able to fully rush them with the barricades in the way and her team was fending off the bandits that had tried to go around the sides. But Jadis could hear and see more bandits charging in, trying to get around their cover while also using it for themselves, keeping out of A, Kerr, and Sabina¡¯s line of sight for their ranged attacks. The biggest issue now, though, was whoever Bridget was fighting. She could hear the fight still going, but Bridget was their lowest level fighter. A was aiding her, but she had to react to the iing rush of bandits too and her magic reserves would end eventually.
Even as she thought about it, she heard a cry of pain and saw Bridget stumble back, copious amounts of blood dripping down the front of her armor. She¡¯d been struck badly, blood welling up from a slice in her right pauldron that looked bad. As she backed away, the woman she¡¯d heard beforeughed madly, the weight of her boot resting on the side of Jay¡¯s head.
¡°Orc blood is usually so meaty, but yours has an arcane re to it! I like it, bleed some more for me, before you die, won¡¯t you? It¡¯s such a nice feeling!¡±
¡°Eat shit you crazy fuck!¡± Bridget bellowed as she swung at the woman, her il briefly tangling with a polearm of some kind that Jay could barely see.
¡°Aw, is that healing magic?¡± the bandit continued as she parried and struck back at Bridget. ¡°I
hate clerics. They always ruin all the fun. Go meet your god, cleric, and let the blood flow!¡±
Something red suddenly shed past Bridget, a magic attack of some kind that spun wide around the warrior. A momentter Jadis heard Eir cry out in pain.
Rage blurred Jadis¡¯ vision as she struggled vainly against the spell. Eir had been hit. Her elf, her healer, her friend and lover and the sweetest person she knew had just been
attacked by this fucking cackling bitch. Seething hatred burned inside her as her teeth clenched so hard, she could hear her jawbone creak.
And then the spell ended. Just like that, the magic that had locked her muscles was gone, and quicker than thest time, too. Eir had been right. Her Oracle¡¯s Protection had helped, boosting Jadis¡¯ weak Resilience attribute and thus shortening the time the paralyzing spell was able to hold her. She really did need to boost that stat. But first things first.
The moment the effect wore off, Jay rolled over with all the speed she could, bringing the hammer she still held with her. The huge steel head arched through the air as the bitch that had been on top of her stumbled back and away, trying to get out of the way but not moving fast enough. Jay¡¯s war hammer caught her with a ncing blow, sending her spinning away with the same force as though she¡¯d been struck by a car.
¡°Fuck, fuck!¡± the woman screeched as Jay rolled up and swung again at her.
Now that she could move, Jadis could see that the blood bitch was a human woman wearing some kind of leather and steel mix of armor that had pieces of cloth wrapped and pinned across it. Blood red stains covered the once white cloth, including the hood that was draped over the steel helm she wore. She held a polearm in one hand, the head a wickedly curved scythe. The woman¡¯s face turned on Jay, a look of crazed bloodlust in her green eyes as she grinned so wide all her teeth were visible.
Jadis almost charged at the bitch. Almost. Even though her temper red and every instinct told her to run the woman down, she held back. The witch wasn¡¯t yet ounted for. If she ran out of formation, she stood a good chance of not only getting herself killed, but everyone else, too. With a snarl, Jay whirled and fell back behind the barricade, putting it between herself and the blood bitch bandit.
¡°Running away!?¡± she shouted. ¡°Not what I¡¯d expect from a big, strong, giant!¡±
Jadis¡¯ response was to hurl the body of a dead bandit from behind cover with the intent of bowling the woman over. Instead of dodging out of the way, however, the woman shed her scythe vertically, cutting the body in half in an explosion of blood that was far too exaggerated to be natural. Blood flowed around the bandit in a swirl, creating a red whirlwind that spun about her like a whirlpool.
¡°Thanks for the recharge,¡± sheughed before swinging her scythe in a series of fast shes.
Each pass of the scythe sent a red arc of magic-infused blood spinning through the air towards Jay and herpanions. The blood scythes cut through the wood of the barricade, gouged Jay¡¯s armor, and sent Bridget rolling out of the way before she was struck again. A¡¯s force shield materialized, blocking several of the magic attacks before it cracked under the assault. It shattered after only a few seconds, but those seconds were more than enough for Jadis.
With perfect coordination, Dys and Syd split the barricade, opening up a gap between the tworge shields. From between, Jay hurled the fat man¡¯s spiked chain, sending it spinning through the air at the blood bitch. The instant the chain was through the gap Jadis closed up the barrier, blocking several arrows that tried to take advantage.
The chain caught the woman by surprise, wrapping around one arm and the scythe, pinning them to her torso as the force of the throw knocked her back off of her feet. She cursed loudly but wasn¡¯t taken out of the fightpletely. Rolling with the momentum, she was back on her feet in an instant, skipping away to hide behind the cover of the nearby stone buildings. As she retreated, A shot another force bolt at her, the spell barely missing as it cracked against the stone wall of a workshop.
Jadis tsked, frustrated to have not killed the fucking bitch, but in all honesty the scythe-wielding bandit wasn¡¯t a priority. Taking out the witch was. Checking on her backline, she could see that Eir was fine, the makeshift shield that Sabina had made for her sliced in two, but otherwise unharmed. Though maybe that was her own magic healing her. The priestess was healing up Bridget who had taken a lot of damage, though the warrior was still on her feet. Sabina was busy reloading her crossbow while A and Thea were keeping several bandits trying to harass them at an angle from the hillside at bay.
¡°The witch?¡± Dys asked Kerr, the archer crouched low by her knees and peeking around the corner of the barricade. ¡°You got her?¡±
¡°No,¡± Kerr shook her head. ¡°Haven¡¯t spotted her yet. This mist is making it hard to see and I¡¯d bet my horns she¡¯s got that shitty invisibility spell going.¡±
Bad news. Until the witch was neutralized, Jadis couldn¡¯t risk going all out and leaving the protection of herpanions. Her vulnerability to magic attacks, especially a debuffing spell that could affect all of her bodies at once, was simply too big a weakness. Jadis vowed it was a w she would rectify as soon as possible. That was if they lived through the day, of course.
¡°We¡¯ll draw her out,¡± Dys growled, then lifted her barricade up.
At the same time, Syd lifted her barricade and the two slowly pushed forward, closing the distance between them and the mining workshops. Jay and the rest followed behind, keeping low and behind cover as they approached the enemy. There would be more traps, Jadis was certain, but the open area directly across had to be clear since none of the bandits had set anything off. Almost as an afterthought, Jadis grabbed the body of the fat man who Kerr had knocked out, dragging him along. He wasn¡¯t dead, just out cold, which made him potentially useful.
As she moved, Jay kept an eye on way ahead, looking for counterattacks, but more importantly looking for the goblin woman. She was careful to keep her bnce and not overextend any of her bodies, keeping her feet firmly nted on the ground as much as possible. She expected another paralyzing spell at any moment. She just hoped that when it did happen, one of herpanions would be able to spot the witch and take her out.
¡°There!¡± Thea shouted, pointing her spear to the right, along the edge of the wooden barracks building that was barely within sight due to the fog.
If Thea hadn¡¯t told her where to look, Jadis would never have seen the witch. The small figure was translucent, practically invisibly with the mist, and crouched low to make an even smaller profile. Jadis saw the movement, expected it would happen, and braced her bodies, freezing in ce.
Kerr¡¯s bow twanged as the arrow left it, aiming for the distant figure. From her position on the right, Dys was able to see the arrow thunk into the wooden wall of the barracks building with a brief sh of yellow light, the shadowy witch falling back and away in a scramble.
As Dys stood in her frozen position, unmoving as the rest of her selves, several more of the bandits leapt out from their cover in and behind the now much closer buildings. They rounded the edge of the barricade, attacking Kerr and Thea as the two fought back to protect themselves and Dys. On the left side, the scythe-wielding psycho appeared, swinging her weapon at Syd as Bridget and A countered and tried to block her. Charging from up the hill, Legs came into view, his glowing orange dagger in one hand. He dashed in from the side, using his fellow bandits as cover as he lunged for Sabina and Eir.
¡°Can¡¯t have you healing them anymore, love!¡± he shouted as he easily ducked under a wild swing from Sabina. ¡°It isn¡¯t fair to us, is it? We don¡¯t have no healer of our own! So you¡¯re going to¡ª¡±
Legs¡¯ words were cut off with a horrified scream as Jay¡¯s hammer mmed down on him from behind, crushing one of his legs into paste on the ground.
¡°Nobody touches the white mage,¡± Jay snarled at the screaming man before reaching down and picking him up by his neck, herrge hand squeezing it tight.
In the same instant, Dys moved, swinging her axe around and beheading one of the man that had attacked Thea and cutting the arm of another man beside him. Meanwhile, Syd whirled and stabbed with hernce, catching the bitch¡¯s leg and slicing it open, though she once again managed to dodge back and away before Syd could follow through. That was okay, though. Jadis didn¡¯t need to hide behind the barricade anymore. She could move.
¡°I thought¡ªI thought you were paralyzed,¡± Legs choked out as his hands scrambled at Jay¡¯s squeezing fist around his neck. ¡°How?¡±
¡°My girlfriend has good aim,¡± Jay said shortly before tightening her grip.
There was a muted popping sound and the man¡¯s body went ck, his wide eyes staring but seeing nothing. With a disgusted grunt, Jay tossed the corpse away, letting it roll down the hill and out of sight into the mist.
¡°You did mean to shoot the witch¡¯s wand, right?¡± Dys asked Kerr as she stepped around the barricade, preparing to charge after the now fleeing bandits.
¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Kerr said shakily. ¡°Let¡¯s go with that.¡±
Chapter 226: Hostages
Chapter 226: Hostages
Stone walls made for good cover. But as Jadis well knew from personal experience, they could only do so much against overwhelming strength. It was nice to be on the side of the overwhelming strength this time around, she had to admit. From the reactions of the bandits, being on the wrong side of that force was just as terrifying as Jadis remembered.
With the witch¡¯s paralyzing spell neutralized, Jadis wasted no time capitalizing on the opportunity. Surging forward, all three of her bodies left the cover of the barricade and went straight for the closest building. The workshop was one that had been used by Captain Wi as she remembered from a few days ago, a building that had been cleared so it could be used for sleeping quarters. The bandits had no doubt set traps in preparation of an attack, covering the doors and windows. So, Jadis made herself a new door.
Jay¡¯s giant hammer smashed through the wall, sending stone blocks flying everywhere. She couldn¡¯t quite copse the whole side of the building with one swing like the matriarch had, but three swings to bust open a hole in a stone wall big enough for her wasn¡¯t too bad.
Dys forced her way in once Jay¡¯s hammer was clear, keen to get a hold of any bandits that might be inside. As she had expected, she could see the mechanisms for traps covering the doors and windows, but none set up to cover the wall. As she entered, she caught the tail end of three bandits scrambling out of the front door, the trio not even trying to face her. Dys didn¡¯t give chase immediately, recognizing the fact that they could be trying to lead her into another trap. She didn¡¯t need to, anyway.
Syd came around the corner of the building in the same instant, swinging hernce horizontally like a baseball bat. She caught all three bandits in the swing, knocking them down or against the wall. As they struggled to recover from the attack, Syd and Jay both fell upon them, striking their arms and legs to break and cripple them. She¡¯d kill the fuckers if she had to but capturing the bandits alive also made sense to her. Wi might want them for questioning.
Not pausing, Jadis moved on past the first building, all three of her selves converging on the next as she left the battered bandits disabled on the ground. She trusted herpanions would take care of them as she pressed the attack. At the next building, as Jay stepped forward to knock a hole into the wall, the ground under her left foot fell in as she triggered a pitfall trap. Before she¡¯d even fallen a few inches, both of her other selves snapped their hands out and grabbed hold of her, pulling Jay back and away from the pit. ncing down into the trap, Jadis saw that the bottom of the ten-foot-deep hole was in fact lined with wooden spikes.
In the moment of her recovery, the scythe-wielding bitch from before leapt from around the corner of the third building. She swung her de, sending bloody scythe des spinning through the air, her attacks aimed high and at Jadis¡¯ heads. Behind her four more men appeared, each wielding either a bow or a crossbow, which they promptly fired as well.
Dys raised her axe, using it to block the iing blood des. Each magical attack that struck against her hit with force, the sensation no different from blocking a real de. As Dys blocked, Syd moved to step forward and skewer the blood freak with hernce. Before she could, another man appeared, dashing into view with surprising speed. He blocked Syd¡¯snce with a shield, knocking it aside while stepping in further, his curved sword shing. As the bandit closed the gap, getting inside the range of Syd¡¯snce, Jay stepped around and shoved her war hammer forward, using it to try and knock the man back.
The warrior dodged, rolling across the ground on his knees in an unexpected acrobatic move. Like a spinning dervish, he whipped up around and inside Jay and Syd¡¯s guard, flourishing his de and slicing at Jay and Syd. In two quick moves, his sword cut against Jay¡¯s knee and Syd¡¯s thigh, looking for weak spots in the armor.
Without looking back, Dys dropped her axe low and stuck the handle into the man¡¯s path, using her multiple viewpoints to her advantage. The haft of her axe knocked into the man¡¯s back, throwing him off bnce. Jay took advantage, dropping her hammer low and sweeping at his legs. In response, the bandit fell back, rolling backwards and out of the way. Before Jadis could try to follow up, the scythe psycho and several more bandits with ranged weaponry renewed their attack, covering for the man¡¯s retreat.
With a shout, the man fell back and so did the rest of the bandits, disengaging like an organized unit. To be fair, Jadis supposed that was exactly what they were. Bandits yes, but not stupid thugs, so it seemed. Jadis was ready to give chase, but stopped. It had taken her a moment to recognize the pain, but as Jay tried to step forward, she winced as she felt her knee almost give out. The man¡¯s sword had found the back of her knee where her armor was weakest, cutting through to her flesh.
Recognizing the potential trap and her own injury, Jadis reassessed and reorganized. Slipping back, Jay linked up with her team and quickly let herself be healed by Eir while Dys and Syd ripped stones from the broken walls of the building and began throwing and rolling them forward, hitting the ground and the outer walls of the remaining buildings. In the few moments she took to probe, three more traps were revealed, two of them pitfalls and a third some kind of tension trap thatunched an arm with a sharp steel spike up from the ground at a height that would have been deadly for most people and very personal for someone of her height.
Once Jay had recovered, she rejoined her other selves and resumed moving forward, clearing the second building, then the third. By then the bandits had already abandoned their cover, she could hear and see them retreating towards thergest building, the warehouse. Jadis still made sure to check all the other buildings, though. She wasn¡¯t going to chance there being a pocket of assants waiting for her to pass so they could try and attack her from behind or try to get to her backline fighters. Only once she was sure that the other buildings were empty did Jadis finally turn on the warehouse.
The crates that had partially filled the old warehouse had been moved outside, piled up as a defensive barricade around the front entrance. The soldier¡¯s cart had also been moved to cover one side of the barricade, its use in the defense a bad omen in Jadis¡¯ opinion. But from what she¡¯d found in the vige so far, she half expected the worst for Wi and her men. At the least, they¡¯d been forced to retreat and hold up somewhere. At worst¡
Dys turned and signaled with a wave of her hand, letting the rest of her team know to stay back. She was going to have to crack their defenses open, which wouldn¡¯t be easy. She could see a good number of bandits still, peeking from around their makeshift barricades. She wasn¡¯t sure how many there were or how many more traps were around. Even with the witch out of the picture, that didn¡¯t mean the force that was left wasn¡¯t a threat.
¡°Jay!¡± a deep voice called out from behind the bandit lines. ¡°Dys! Syd! I call for a parley!¡±
Jadis paused, her bodies partially covered behind the walls of one of the ruined buildings. She didn¡¯t recognize the voice. The man had to be one of the bandits, yet he knew her names. The only way he¡¯d know them would be if someone who knew her had told him, likely Wi or one of the soldiers. That could mean that they were still alive.
Cautiously, fully cognizant that the request for negotiations could be a trick, Syd stepped out a little further, exposing herself slightly more before calling back.
¡°Who are you?¡± she shouted. ¡°And unless you¡¯re about to throw down your weapons and surrender, I don¡¯t think we have much to talk about!¡±
¡°Call me Stavros,¡± the deep voice rumbled back. ¡°And we do have something to discuss. No surrender. A mutual withdrawal. You¡¯ve cost me too much this day. Let me and mine walk, and I¡¯ll give you back yours.¡±
¡°Ours what?¡± Syd shouted back, though she had an idea of what the man was about to offer.
¡°Your soldiers. Mostly intact. Will you parley?¡±
So they did have hostages. How many and in what condition was another matter, but by his words she could assume he had at least a few of the soldiers alive. Jadis didn¡¯t like the idea of making any deals with the bastards that had twice tried to kill her and herpanions, but she liked the thought of the bandits executing Wi or any of the other soldiers because she wouldn¡¯t negotiate even less.
¡°Proof of life,¡± Syd called out. ¡°Show me you have them alive and we¡¯ll talk.¡±
¡°Come forward,¡± Stavros called back. ¡°And I¡¯ll open the door for you to see.¡±
¡°Fuck you,¡± Syd shouted back. ¡°I¡¯m not going to walk right into another one of your shitty traps!¡±
¡°No traps,¡± Stavros called back. ¡°I know you have some of my men alive. We will trade, I swear it.¡±
¡°Hold on,¡± Syd said after a brief pause for thought.
Dys headed back, linking up with the rest of the team. While she¡¯d been pushing forward, they¡¯d secured the fat man and the three other bandits she¡¯d crippled, two men and a woman. They¡¯d been tied up, wrists and ankles, though the three she¡¯d injured looked like they were in no condition to fight even if they weren¡¯t restrained. Clearly Eir hadn¡¯t wasted much magic on healing them.
¡°Come forward with me,¡± Dys said as she hefted the fat man under one arm. ¡°Kerr, Sabina, help me bring those three.¡±
Gathering up her own hostages, Dys quickly exined what was happening, though not much needed to be said, the shouting between her and Stavros audible enough without a battle raging. The whole group moved up, using the buildings for cover. Once they were back, Syd took the slowly waking fat man in one arm, carrying him with her as she moved out into the open, approaching the warehouse.
¡°Close enough,¡± Stavros told her once she was maybe twenty feet away from the barricade around the entrance to the warehouse. ¡°Jockel, are you alive?¡±
¡°Might be,¡± the man croaked back, clearly suffering a killer headache.
¡°Show me,¡± Syd said, easily lifting Jockel in one hand as her other pointed with hernce.
Up to that point, Stavros¡¯ voice had been faceless. She could see there were people moving behind the barricade, catching glimpses of bows and armored figures, but she couldn¡¯t tell which was the deep-voiced man. After hermand, she saw one figuree into view, the same warrior who had charged in to cut at her weak spots and dodged away unharmed.
Tall and lean, he wore chainmail and a breastte, his armor designed in a different way from any other she¡¯d seen in Far Felsen or elsewhere. It gave him a foreign look, even to her non-native eyes. He held a buckler shield with his left hand and some kind of short, thick scimitar in his right. His helmet looked like some kind of barbute and covered most of his face, but what she could see was dark and intense. She thought he might be a human, but his skin had the slightest tinge of green to it, which made her rethink. A half-orc maybe?
¡°Wait,¡± the man said, his deep voice confirming he was Stavros.
Slowly and deliberately, he opened up the doors to the warehouse, revealing the interior. It was hard to see, the inside of the building was dark and the fog didn¡¯t help. Apparently aware of this, Stavros motioned with his sword and someone from inside moved into view, carrying a litntern. With its light, Syd could clearly see the interior and what was revealed made her grimace.
Nine people were lined up in a single row, kneeling on the ground and hands tied behind their backs. They¡¯d had all their armor removed and were wearing nothing but their in clothes, and even from a distance Jadis could tell several were badly injured, dried blood caking their faces and staining their shirts. The far more worrying part, though, was the contraption they were all tied into. Wood and rope and stone had been strung together in aplex mechanism that loomed behind and above them. While she didn¡¯t know exactly how the device worked, it was easy enough to tell that it was meant to kill. Sharp stone axe heads were held overhead, poised toe down on top of the bound and gagged soldiers.
Jadis spotted Wi among the nine, along with Nora and the two orcs, Jaxton and Landry. She did a quick count and realized that three of the soldiers were missing, Achim, Sofie, and Gerd.
¡°Where are the other three?¡± Syd asked, already knowing the answer.
¡°Dead. Where are the rest of my men?¡±
¡°I have three more held back,¡± Syd answered, doing her best to keep her voice calm and steady. ¡°There might be a few others that lived in the fight, but we haven¡¯t had the time to check the bodies.¡±
¡°What about from the cave?¡± Stavros asked. ¡°You took five from me there.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Syd shook her head. ¡°We haven¡¯t been in the cave.¡±
¡°Your soldiers have. Call for them, bring the rest of my men out.¡±
What soldiers? Wi and eight of her soldiers were tied up in the warehouse. He¡¯d just confirmed that the other three were dead. That ounted for all twelve. There were no other soldiers.
¡°I don¡¯t know about any other soldiers, and I don¡¯t have any more of your men,¡± Syd growled. ¡°If you want to make a deal, this is it. We¡¯ll give you these four men and you can walk. We¡¯ll even give you a full day¡¯s head start before we hunt you down. In exchange, you let the soldiers go. Do we have an agreement?¡±
¡°You don¡¯t offer much incentive,¡± Stavros said, a slight note of amusement coloring his dark tone. ¡°You admit you will chase us?¡±
¡°Of course we will,¡± Syd snarled. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend like you wouldn¡¯t use the opportunity to try and ambush us back. If you¡¯re smart, though, you¡¯ll take this chance and run. You
might be able to outrun us long enough that we lose interest.¡±
Stavros snorted and shook his head. Taking a couple of steps backwards, he raised his sword and held it against Otto¡¯s neck.
¡°Or I could kill this man, and the rest one at a time, unless you agree to turn over my men. You aren¡¯t the type to kill in cold blood, I can tell. Do you want their lives weighing on your soul?¡±
Syd was still for a moment as Jadis listened to the words of herpanions speaking to her other selves. They had ideas and suggestions on how to negotiate, ns on how to talk the situation through. Their advice was always wee and there was so much she learned from them all, especially when it came to battle. For the moment, however, she ignored them. Fortune favored the bold. Sometimes, that meant being brave, other times it meant being reckless. This time, it meant being cruel.
With a violent jerk, Syd threw Jockel down on the ground and mmed her foot down on his right ankle, crushing it under her boot. As the man screamed in pain, she held hernce up against his throat, her eyes never leaving Stavros¡¯ face.
¡°The moment you kill one of them, I charge and kill you all. They aren¡¯t your leverage. They¡¯re a wafer-thin shield keeping me from tearing your heart out through your ass. So go on, kill one. See what happens. Try me.¡±
It was Stavros¡¯ turn to be silent as he contemted Syd¡¯s words. His curved sword pressed against Otto¡¯s skin, making the guardsman flinch back. The rest of the bandits that Jadis could see shifted ufortably, but Stavros stood still, his dark eyes focused on Syd¡¯s through the gaps in her helm.
¡°Very well,¡± he spoke with no inflection to his deep voice. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the exchange.¡±
Chapter 227: Exchange
Chapter 227: Exchange
Stavros and the remainder of his gang stood across from Jadis and the rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored. There were thirteen of them, including Stavros, the blood bitch, and the three injured bandits that Jadis¡¯ team had tied up. As part of the exchange, she¡¯d passed those three over to Stavros. She also recognized the man with the wild eyes and mad grin from back at the fort, the presumed trap maker based on his previousments. He didn¡¯t seem the least bit concerned about the fact that most of his team around him were injured and in bad condition, much less that they were being forced to vacate the vige. Just as before, Jadis had to question the blond man¡¯s sanity.
There was also the tiny green witch. Jadis almost overlooked her, the partial invisibility spell doing a lot to hide her. The woman was keeping well behind the others, practically out of sight except for herrge, translucent eyes peeking around to asionally stare up at Jadis and the others. It was hard to make out her expression, but from what Jadis saw, she looked scared shitless.
Good.
Jadis stood with her backs to the warehouse. Stavros had ceded control of the building to her and herpany, though he¡¯d warned them not to try and untie any of the soldiers while they were still doing the exchange. The man did, after all, still have one hostage with him.
Captain Wi stood next to Stavros, her hands tied behind her back and her mouth gagged. She had a terrible ck eye and purple bruising all down the left side of her face, and what looked like a bloodstained bandage around her side and another around her right thigh. Despite how rough she looked, the captain still carried herself with dignity, standing tall and fearless despite the scythe the blood bitch held near her neck.
Jadis had her own hostage. Jockel, the fat bastard, hung under Syd¡¯s arm. Hands tied behind his back and ankle still very much broken, he looked utterly miserable. Not that she could me him. Jadis knew how badly broken bones felt, but she wasn¡¯t willing to let Eir heal him, not when he was clearly a tricky, slippery piece of shit. Better he stayed crippled for the time being. As the once and former Legs had inadvertently revealed, Stavros¡¯ team didn¡¯t have a healer, at least not a cleric like Eir. Leaving him injured was another addedyer of insurance to make sure the man and the rest of the bandits couldn¡¯t easily break their word and try to turn on her and her team.
¡°Ready for the final exchange?¡± Jay asked, her naturally deep voice sounding ominous to even her own ears as it echoed inside her helmet.
¡°Not here,¡± Stavros slightly shook his head. ¡°The edge of the vige. So we can leave right away.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± Jay agreed.
¡°Only one of you¡ª¡±
¡°No,¡± Jay immediately cut him off. ¡°Three of us wille. You try to jump us, you¡¯ll regret it.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t break my word,¡± Stavros said, his intense dark eyes staring unblinkingly.
¡°You expect us to believe you?¡±
¡°No,¡± he answered easily. ¡°Three of you, then. Let¡¯s go.¡±
With that, the bandits moved, heading for the trail that would lead down to the vige. Jay turned to herpanions, motioning for Kerr to follow her.
¡°I¡¯ll stay here,¡± Dys said, moving to stand with the rest of the team. ¡°Just in case.¡±
Having one of her bodies stay behind was a necessary precaution. While Jadis was fairly confident that the witch didn¡¯t have any more tricks up her sleeves, otherwise she surely would have used them during the battle, that didn¡¯t mean it was a guarantee that she waspletely harmless. If Stavros and his bandits tried anything, Jadis¡¯panions would know instantly. And if Jadis was hit with something that could affect all of her bodies at once, she trusted Kerr to be able to either help her fight or retreat if necessary. There was also the possibility that Stavros was trying to split her away from the rest of her team to attack them while all three of her giant selves were with him. If any surprise attacks came from somewhere hidden, like the cave, Jadis would know it through Dys.
As Jay and Syd walked behind the group of bandits with Kerr, she noticed many of the criminals looking back over their shoulders at her. Most had nervous expressions, even downright fearful. A few looked angry, still spoiling for a fight or at least resentful of being forced to make a truce. The goblin stayed as far away as possible, hiding near the front of the pack, though Jadis noted she kept her distance from the blood bitch too, like she was nervous of getting to close to the psycho.
Stavros, on the other hand, walked calmly at the back of the back, actually walking backwards as casually as if he were going on a stroll through a park. He kept his eyes on Jay and Syd, his stony expression revealing nothing.
¡°What happened in the caves?¡± Jay asked as they marched down the hill. ¡°You said your men were taken.¡±
¡°They were,¡± Stavros answered after a short pause, though he offered nothing more.
¡°By who?¡± Jay pressed. ¡°You said they were soldiers. That¡¯s all of them tied up back in that warehouse.¡±
¡°Apparently not,¡± Stavros said, his tone somewhat more thoughtful, yet still guarded. ¡°I would say your captain here hasn¡¯t told you the full truth of imperial operations out here.¡±
¡°Not her business to,¡± Jay shot back. ¡°And I don¡¯t really care all that much what the Empire does, anyway. Just your bad luck you were stupid enough to try and kill me, my sisters, and our friends.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± he said as he casually shifted out of the way of rock lying on the path without even looking.
¡°Trap,¡± Kerr snapped, indicating Jay and Syd should go wide around the area where the rock was ced.
As she passed, Jay tapped the area with the head of her hammer, causing another pit trap to copse. Stavros made noment, the little Jadis could see of his face impassive, though the weird blond man tsked while looking disappointed.
¡°Thanks for the warning,¡± Jay and Syd said dryly together.
¡°No trouble,¡± Stavros nodded slightly, not a hint of irony in his tone.
There didn¡¯t seem to be much more to say at that point. Stavros remained silent and Jadis didn¡¯t have much interest in talking to any of the other bandits. Kerr was strung as tightly as her bow, ready to fire an arrow at the first twitch of something wrong, so there was no point in trying to talk to her when she didn¡¯t wee the distraction.
Whatever had gone on in the caves, Stavros seemed convinced imperial soldiers were involved, ones other than Wi and her troops. How that was possible, Jadis didn¡¯t know. Her understanding was that Vraekae had sent Wi and her men with her as a cover for her investigation. What would be the point of sending more troops north at the same time, separate from her expedition? A separate investigation force would just invalidate the cover story Jadis¡¯pany provided.
Unless the investigation was the cover story, and the real goal was tail Jadis and provide her with another guard. That was¡ possible. Vraekae was the kind of sneaky, maniptive bitch that would absolutely use lies and tricks to get what she wanted. But what would be the point of going through the motions of convincing Jadis and her crew to bring Wi along like that? As Magistrate, she could have just ordered Wi to follow and there wouldn¡¯t have been a whole lot Jadis could have done, practically speaking. Besides, Vraekae had even set the expectation that the squad of soldiers would be separating from Fortune¡¯s Favored once they hit the mountains; there had been no insistence that they stay nearby. No, Wi wasn¡¯t on this trip for Jadis, or at least not exclusively.
The bandit gang proved that there was, in fact, an illegal mining operation going on and that there was cause for the Magistrate to send Wi to investigate. The reason for the investigation was legit, so why the subterfuge? Thinking back, Jadis remembered Vraekae saying that the list of possible parties behind the mining was both small and sensitive. The implication had been that she didn¡¯t want the people she suspected were responsible for the mining to know that she knew and was investigating the issue. That¡¯s why Wi needed the cover when leaving the city anding back, but it didn¡¯t matter while they were all out in the mountains checking out the reports.
Coming back. Jadis¡¯s mental gears ground to a halt. Vraekae had cared about Wi¡¯s cover both going out
anding back. If the responsible parties were caught while they were out in the field, it wouldn¡¯t matter if Wi¡¯s cover held on the return to the city. Wi was never meant to capture the smugglers at all. She was sent to investigate and then report back while avoiding suspicion from people back in Far Felsen.
Looking at how Stavros and his men had acted, Jadis could tell they didn¡¯t know shit about her. Jockel and Legs and the rest back at the fort had no idea who she was, that had been obvious, and it was equally clear that the only reason Stavros knew her names was because he¡¯d beaten some information out of Wi or her troops. He didn¡¯t know her reputation, nor did he or his bandits know about her exploits like killing the Burning Rancor. If they had known, they probably would have been keener to negotiate or flee, rather than fight. If Stavros didn¡¯t know about her, that meant he hadn¡¯t had any contact with Far Felsen or the territory around it for at least a month and a half, maybe longer. Vraekae had said she¡¯d had ¡°recent reports¡± of the illegal mining. But if Stavros didn¡¯t know what had been going on in Far Felsen for the past couple of months, there was no way he or his men had been smuggling or selling eleria in the popted areas of Weigrun. They would have heard
something about the battle. So where had Vraekae¡¯s reports on ¡°recent activity¡±e from?
Why would Vraekae want to hide her movements from while sending a small group of guards she trusted to discreetly investigate a matter that was well within her legal purview to handle without question? Stavros and his crew weren¡¯t shit from a political standpoint, that was in as the nose on her face. Vraekae wouldn¡¯t need to hide anything from them. That begged the question: were Stavros and his bandits even the real target of Wi¡¯s investigation?
Jadis¡¯ eyes burned in the back of Wi¡¯s head. There were so many questions she wanted to ask the soldier, but that exact moment wasn¡¯t time. Their little procession had made its way to the bottom of the hill and through the vige and they were approaching thest building, the tannery. Jadis needed to be on her highest alert. If Stavros and his gang were going to try anything, it was going to be during thisst exchange.
¡°Hey, Stavros,¡± Jay called out as the group slowed and the rest of the bandits turned to face her. ¡°Have you and your people seen an increase in frost drake activitytely?¡±
For once, the man¡¯s stoic face expression changed. Puzzlement shed in his eyes before the steel wall came up again.
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Just curious,¡± Jay said with a shrug. ¡°We¡¯ve run into a few packs of them in just a handful of days. I was under the impression they don¡¯t normallye down out of the mountains.¡±
¡°No, they don¡¯t,¡± Stavros replied. ¡°They stick to the mountain caves and cold ces. We¡¯ve seen a number of packs in the past couple of weeks as well, more than I¡¯ve seen in the past.¡±
¡°Interesting,¡± Jay mused. ¡°Thanks for the courtesy of an honest answer.¡±
¡°If circumstances were different,¡± he said, ¡°We may have worked well together. Powerful fighters like yourselves would have been wee on my team. A shame we must be enemies.¡±
¡°A shame,¡± Jay echoed, though she wasn¡¯t wholly sure she agreed. Most of the bandits she¡¯d met so far had been assholes and she doubted her opinion of them would have changed much under different circumstances. ¡°So, we doing this?¡±
¡°One question of my own,¡± Stavros said, though he took Wi by the elbow and moved her forward so that she stood to his left. ¡°What is the reason for your size, you and your sisters? Is it a skill? Something about your ss?¡±
¡°No. This is just our race. We¡¯re Nephilim.¡±
¡°Hm,¡± Stavros rumbled low in his chest. ¡°I don¡¯t know that race. It is good to know who my enemy is. Should we meet again, I doubt there will be much time for conversation.¡±
¡°There won¡¯t be,¡± Jay agreed.
With that, Syd set Jockel down, keeping her free hand around the cor of his armor. He wobbled in ce, keeping off of his broken foot, but kept his bnce.
¡°We send them both at the same time?¡± Syd asked, motioning with hernce towards Wi.
¡°Or we just cut to the chase and fight right here and now,¡± the blood bitch hissed, the de of her scythe teasing the skin of Wi¡¯s neck. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve been so amodating to make it three on thirteen¡¡±
¡°Silence,¡± Stavros said, his voicemanding without raising in volume. ¡°We¡¯ve lost the advantage.¡± Jadis could practically hear the ¡°For Now¡± in his words, though the man didn¡¯t say as much. ¡°Besides, look up the hill.¡±
Jadis herself didn¡¯t need to look back, since she was herself up on that hill as well. Dys stood there, along with A, Eir, Thea, Sabina, Bridget, and the eight soldiers who were now untied. They didn¡¯t have any armor on, but there had been more than enough weapons left by the dead to arm the eight.
¡°Think you can kill the three of us before the rest of my crew and those soldiers get down here to finish you off?¡± Jay asked, hooking a thumb over her shoulder at the assembled force.
¡°You think you won¡¯t be the first to die, bitch?¡± Kerr added, her arrow pointing directly at the psycho.
¡°Enough,¡± Stavros said, turning his head slightly to stare down the mad woman. ¡°Back away.¡±
For a moment, Jadis was sure the bitch was going to ignore her boss and cut Wi¡¯s head off just to spite him. However, after a murderous re directed at Kerr and then Jay and Syd, the bandit moved her scythe away from Wi and took a step back.
With a nod to Stavros, Syd let Jockel go so the fat man could hobble his way across the twenty or so feet that separated her group from the bandits. At the same time, Stavros let Wi go and the captain calmly walked forward. The woman didn¡¯t even look at the bandit as they passed each other, her head held high and her back straight despite a limp.
¡°Until next time,¡± Stavros said once Jockel had made it to the bandits.
Without further ado, he and his crew turned and left, carrying arger number of packs on their backs. No wagon or horses, though, which prompted more questions regarding how the bandits were transporting the eleria, but that wasn¡¯t Jadis¡¯ problem to worry about. As they left, she heaved an internal sigh of relief, a load of tension leaving her shoulders as they disappeared into the forest. The final moments when she and Kerr had been alone with the bandits really had been the most dangerous. While she¡¯d only seen him in battle briefly, she was sure the man would have been more than a challenge to take on, especially with backup from the blood bitch and others on his crew. The fucker would have died, but maybe not without inflicting grievous injury or worse on Jadis and her girlfriend.
¡°So,¡± Jay said as she gently removed the gag from Wi¡¯s mouth while Syd cut the ropes around her wrists. ¡°Rough week?¡±
¡°Somewhat,¡± Wi answered as she spit some blood from her mouth.
Chapter 228: Illumination
Chapter 228: Illumination
Snow started to fall a few hours before dusk, thick and wet kes that stuck to everything theynded on. With bad weather rolling in, the focus was on getting the soldiers some proper winter clothing and somewhere warm to sleep for the night. The bandits had taken all of their weapons and armor, as well as a good portion of their supplies, leaving Wi and her troop with little to get them through the storm. Considering the amount of supplies the soldiers had brought with them on the expedition, Jadis was surprised the bandits had made off with so much. It certainly didn¡¯t look like they¡¯d carried that much with them when they left.
Kerr suspected the bandits had squirreled away the supplies somewhere either elsewhere in the valley or in the mining cave. If their goal was to travel light and keep moving, it would make sense to leave supplies in hidden caches in locations they nned on returning to. The idea made sense to Jadis, which was why she nned on searching the area for the possible hidden stock of supplies. Not right away, though, not when the bandits could possibly be nearby and waiting to ambush anyone who separated from the main group.
On the bright side, the soldiers still had their wagon and their horses, as well as a few supplies that hadn¡¯t been stolen. Fortune¡¯s Favored also had an excess of food in the form of drake and bear meat from all the fights and hunting they¡¯d done for the past few days, so there was plenty to go around. The pelts of the golden bears also served as warm, if smelly, coats for the divested troops.
There was no letting any guard down and no separate sleeping arrangements either. Jadis made sure to clear out the warehouse of the disturbing death machine the bandit called ¡°Rickets¡± had made, giving both herpanions and the soldiers a safe and secure ce to spend the night.
Eir was able to heal everyone back to full health, though the effort left her magic reserves almostpletely drained. With a maximum magic value of three hundred and sixty and a Divine attribute sitting at one hundred and twenty-three, her skill allowed her to heal eight thousand six hundred and forty health points, a true blessing for the battered soldiers. Between all the healing she did during the fight and all the healing afterwards, she actually went up a level by the time she¡¯d gotten to everyone.
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Eir Aedraheill
Race: Elf
Primary ss: Beloved Cleric of Lyssandria (23)
Secondary ss: Lustful Oracle of D (6)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 29
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Health: 100/100
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Magic: 12/360
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Attributes
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Strength: 8
Dexterity: 12
Agility: 10
Vitality: 10
Fortitude: 8
Endurance: 10
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 123
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 36
Resilience: 10
Will: 20
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A new level in Beloved Cleric of Lyssandria brought with it a new spell, one that made some sense considering all the healing the priestess was doing.
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Beloved¡¯s Dual Channeled Healing
Active Spell. Restore physical damage and Health Points to two targets via touch. This spell cannot regenerate lost limbs orpletely missing organs. Health restoration per 3 Magic Points spent is equivalent to 0.2 of the Divine attribute. Cost ¨C 3 magic. Duration ¨C Channeled.
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It was essentially a less efficient version of Eir¡¯s main healing spell, since the cost was three times the amount, however Jadis couldn¡¯t argue with the elf¡¯s reasoning. She could only heal one person at a time with her channeled healing which meant she had to choose who to focus on first. With this spell she could heal two people at once, a feat that could save lives in emergencies where more than one person was mortally wounded. Further, as A pointed out, taking a spell that allowed for multiple targets, even if it was less efficient than a single target spell, opened the pathway to better multiple target spells that could end up being far more effective in the future.
Eir wasn¡¯t the only one to level up, either. Bridget had finally gained thest bit of experience she needed to push her over the edge and reach level twenty. The excitement over her achievement was slightly muted by the events of the day, but the orc warrior could urately be described as walking on sunshine from the moment she read her notifications. The first person she told had been Jadis during a brief minute when Syd was alone with her.
"Fucking awesome!¡± Syd grinned as she gave the beaming orc a giant-sized hug, their armor nking together noisily. ¡°Finally got your second ss! What did you get offered? Anything interesting? Something Nephilim rted, or maybe a bit on the naughty side?¡±
¡°Ah, yeah, I did,¡± Bridget blushed, her green cheeks darkening. ¡°Not really a surprise, was kind of forewarned and all that. Still feels weird, though, to take such a, uh, explicit ss. Usually only see lewd stuff like this with whores and all that. Not that there¡¯s anything wrong with people doing that kind of work! Just, never thought I¡¯d have a ss that could bepared to those sorts of sses.¡±
¡°You mean you took the lewd ss?¡± Syd asked, one eyebrow raised. ¡°It was really the best option?¡±
¡°Yeah, it really was,¡± the orc nodded. ¡°One ss I was offered was boring as fuck. ¡®il Brute.'' Just a bog-standard melee ss that specializes in ils. Then there was a kind of okay one called ¡®Arcane me Warrior¡¯. Would have helped with my arcane magic damage and fire attacks. Actually, I probably would have taken that ss if nothing better was offered.¡±
¡°So what¡¯s the sexy one?¡±
¡°I¡¯m getting to it,¡± Bridget rolled her eyes while giving Syd a shove that moved her more than Syd. ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®Ardent Light of the Reborn¡¯ which almost sounds, you know, not lewd? But it is. It abso-fucking-lutely is.¡±
¡°Well?¡± Syd wiggled her eyebrows as she grinned mischievously at Bridget. ¡°C¡¯mon, I can¡¯t stand the suspense. What¡¯s the description?¡±
Bridget¡¯s face flushed dramatically, her blush practically making her skin glow a dark green. She barely managed to keep eye contact with Syd, her expression twisting with embarrassment. Jadis could only guess at what details in the description were prompting such a strong reaction from Bridget.
¡°I, uh, well¡ It¡¯s a ss that focuses on boosting my stats rather than providingbat skills. It gives me those boosts by, um, doing things. With Nephilim.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Syd tilted her head curiously, putting on an air of mystified innocence. ¡°What sorts of things? Maybe training of some kind, or prayer? Surely you couldn¡¯t mean anything¡ª¡±
¡°Shut it you nutter,¡± Bridget cut Syd off with a scowl and a jab of her elbow against Syd¡¯s armored stomach. ¡°You know exactly what kinds of things this ss wants me to do with you.¡±
¡°I¡¯d love to hear an example,¡± Syd purred.
Bridget cleared her throat, still having trouble meeting Syd¡¯s eyes.
¡°So, my first skill. It¡¯s, um, interesting.¡±
|
Stoke the Ardent me
Passive Skill. Temporarily increase four attributes of your choice by 5 points per Nephilim you have sexual intercourse with at the same time. The attributes affected are chosen upon the selection of this skill and cannot be changed. Effect stacks but cannot be received from the same Nephilim more than once during the active duration of the effect. Effectsts for up to ten days for each individual boost to your attributes you receive.
|
¡°Oh, wow,¡± Syd quietly eximed after she took a moment to digest the description Bridget had read aloud. ¡°That¡¯s quite a skill. That said, ¡®at the same time¡¯ right?¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah it did,¡± Bridget said with a wild-eyed look.
¡°Nice.¡±
¡°Nice? Really?¡± Bridget gave Syd an exasperated sigh. ¡°That would be your reaction, wouldn¡¯t it.¡±
¡°Sure is,¡± Syd agreed. ¡°You know, the skill is kind of worded simr to A¡¯s Nephilim Saturation skill. I bet if you have sex with all three of me, it¡¯ll count as three separate instances just like for her. That means you¡¯ll be getting, what, sixty total attribute points from one skill? Sure, it¡¯s spread out across four stats, but that¡¯s still a huge boost. Nice fucking skill, Bridget!¡±
¡°Yeah, it is, I think my stat issues are going to be pretty well solved by this one ss. But I¡¯m still just a tad hung up on the whole ¡®three of you at once¡¯ thing that has to happen. You don¡¯t think that¡¯s crazy? How in the abyss are you and me going to, you know, do all that? Together? At once!?¡±
Syd grinned, leaning down close to whisper into the nervous orc¡¯s ear.
¡°Trust me, I can be very creative when ites to fucking. We¡¯ll find a way. And even if we don¡¯t get it right on the first try, we¡¯re going to have a lot of fun experimenting.¡±
The possibilities were many when it came to Bridget¡¯s new lewd skill, and not just from a sexual perspective. As great as the skill was for the orc warrior and her stat-starved primary ss, it could also be of great use to Jadis directly. With her Wanton Replication ritual, she could copy the skill and gain a nice little boost to her own attributes. She wasn¡¯t sure if the skill would count her as three Nephilim or just one when she had sex with herself, but either way the skill would be useful, especially since she could put the points into four attributes of her choice. Bridget had chosen Strength, Arcane, Focus, and Will, all attributes she needed boosts in for her primary ss to function more effectively. If Jadis copied the skill, she could put the points into Eldritch, which would help all of her lovers as well as herself, and her Resilience attribute, which as she well knew was in dire need of a boost. Putting points into two other stats would just be a nice bonus.
Skill replication aside, the new ss and great skill were exciting news, the kind that needed to be shared. Syd happily dragged Bridget away from their private corner so the warrior could tell the rest of theirpanions all about her secondary ss. Everyone was spread out, attending to different duties around the camp, but there was time to talk and everyone could use some good news to lighten the mood anyway.
There was one corner of the warehouse where the mood was darkest, however, and was likely to stay that way for a while.
Jay, A, and Thea had gathered together with captain Wi to go over the events that had led to the soldiers being captured by the bandits. Jadis made sure that A was with her since her sharp mind would likely catch any important details that Jadis might miss. She also asked Thea to attend the meeting since she was a former soldier of the Empire. It wasn¡¯t that Jadis didn¡¯t trust Wi, but she wanted Thea¡¯s direct opinion on the story since there could be context, orders, or motivations that Thea might catch that Jadis would be ignorant of.
¡°They ambushed us yesterday, inside of the cave,¡± Wi recounted. ¡°Achim was killed in the initial crossfire while Otto, Lutz, and Gunnar were captured. Then they pushed out of the cave and attacked the rest of us. They were on us so fast that we barely had time to mount a defense. Sofie and Gerd were killed during the fight outside. By that point, I was forced to surrender, else we would have all been killed.¡±
Wi didn¡¯t look good. Eir¡¯s magic had healed the wounds of her flesh, but there wasn¡¯t much the magic could do for her mind. The normally stern and self-assured woman looked shaken, her confidence brittle, if not broken. She probably needed a therapist, or at least a couple of weeks of rest toe to terms with her recent terrible experiences. But that wasn¡¯t an option out in the field. As much as Jadis felt for the woman, she needed answers to her questions. Wi¡¯s rest would have to wait.
¡°How¡¯d they catch you off guard?" Jay asked. ¡°I know you¡¯re careful about keeping watch. Was it the witch and her translucency spell?¡±
¡°No,¡± Wi shook her head, then thought better and shrugged. ¡°Well, the witch contributed. They set up a screen over a tunnel in the mine. We never found it, not until it was toote. It let them get behind Achim and the others. That trap master of theirs has some powerful skills to be able to make such convincing screens without the use of illusion magic.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t think you were going to explore the caves,¡± A interjected. ¡°Wasn¡¯t your n to investigate the vige and then search other cave exits?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Wi nodded, ¡°that¡¯s true. We didn¡¯t go deep. Perhaps a hundred yards into that tunnel and the cave splits into mortal-made mining tunnels. We were investigating the entrances to those tunnels. We didn¡¯t go far at all. They just¡ that man got the better of me.¡±
¡°You w¡ªwere outnumbered,¡± Thea pointed out.
¡°True,¡± Jay nodded in agreement. ¡°There were a lot of those bandits. I think we killed a dozen or so of them, and I¡¯m sure there must have been more when you fought them. No way you and Nora didn¡¯t take down at least a few.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Wi said, one corner of her mouth lifting up slightly. ¡°I believe Nora fried five or six of them with her lightning. We killed perhaps eight total. If they hadn¡¯t split our forces, we likely would have been able to repel their attack. Most of them were not trained or skilled fighters. Their leader, however¡¡±
Wi¡¯s face morphed into a deep scowl as her thoughts turned to Stavros.
¡°That man is an elite. Three sses, level eighty to ny would be my guess. He took on Jaxton, Landry, and me at the same time. I don¡¯t think any of us evernded a clean blow on him.¡±
¡°If he¡¯s so strong, I¡¯m surprised he gave up so easily,¡± Jay mused, running a hand through her hair. ¡°We barely got a hit on him before he pulled back and started negotiating.¡±
¡°He¡¯s cautious,¡± A said, her stoic expression as cool as the snow falling outside. ¡°I would say he attacked you directly so he could assess yourbat ability, then fell back when fighting the three of you proved to be too risky.¡±
¡°He¡¯s a snake,¡± Wi spat. ¡°He¡¯s the type to put a knife in your side. I¡¯ve no doubt he¡¯s still somewhere in the forest nearby, plotting another ambush. A viper like him doesn¡¯t run. He plots.¡±
Jadis agreed with Wi¡¯s assessment. She was sure Stavros and his bandits were nning revenge for their defeat. But there was a more important question on her mind, one she wanted to steer the conversation towards. What better way to direct the flow than by brute force?
Well, probably lots of better ways. But a direct question could do wonders, in Jadis¡¯ opinion.
¡°He¡¯s a snake alright,¡± Jay said as she leaned forward, meeting Wi¡¯s eyes. ¡°But he¡¯s not the reason you and your troops are out here. ording to Stavros, imperial soldiers captured five of his men. Clearly, that wasn¡¯t done by you. That means there are imperial soldiers already out here, in the tunnels that are supposedly being illegally mined. So what the fuck¡¯s going on, Wi?¡±
There was a tense silence as Wi stared at Jay with an indignant expression, perhaps not expecting such a direct confrontation. A¡¯s poker face was immacte, though Thea looked nervously between Jay and the captain. Jay kept quiet, waiting for Wi to respond before she said any more. Eventually, the captain sighed, shaking her head.
¡°You¡¯re right. We weren¡¯t sent to investigate bandits. Didn¡¯t have a clue they were out here.¡±
¡°Then who did you have a clue about?¡±
¡°Someone you don¡¯t use unless you have concrete evidence,¡± Wi said with a dark look. ¡°Not unless you¡¯re prepared for a major conflict.¡±
¡°Someone high up in the military chain ofmand,¡± A said slowly. ¡°Someone who ranks high enough or has enough political backing that the Magistrate can¡¯t simply arrest or investigate them openly per her authority but also isn¡¯t high enough that they can challenge her directly.¡±
¡°S¡ªsomeone that can cmand the loyalty of a good number of imperial t¡ªtroops,¡± Thea join in. ¡°Or at least k¡ªkeep them silent.¡±
As ignorant to local politics as Jadis was, even she could narrow down the list of suspects to just one person.
¡°Egilhard,¡± Jay grunted, her expression turning sour.
¡°General Egilhard,¡± Wi agreed.
Chapter 229: Nothing is Simple
Chapter 229: Nothing is Simple
¡°Who is General Egilhard?¡±
Dys stared at Sabina, slightly confused by the half-elf¡¯s question. Wasn¡¯t she with Jadis when she¡¯d met the officious old man a few weeks ago? Noll had been with them. Jadis remembered it clearly since the general had basically snubbed the smith while trying to convince the three Nephilim to join the military and work for him.
¡°You know, the human with the beard back in war?¡± Dys prompted, giving the smith a good poke in the side.
¡°Oh, oh!¡± Sabina nodded after a moment. ¡°Right! The one that wasing on to you!¡±
¡°He wasn¡¯t¡ªhe wasn¡¯ting
on to me,¡± Dys shook her head in disbelief. ¡°He was trying to recruit me.¡±
¡°Oh, that makes more sense,¡± Sabina nodded sagely.
¡°How in Villthyrial¡¯s wooden dick are you so smart and so clueless at the same time?¡± Kerr shook her head.
¡°I¡¯m not clueless,¡± Sabina protested, ¡°I¡¯m just not really interested in politics or military stuff.¡±
¡°Moving on,¡± A cut in before Kerr could retort. ¡°The question now is, how much do we really want to get involved in all of this?¡±
There was some silence as everyone around the fire thought about A¡¯s question. Dys, along with the rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored, had gathered outside of the warehouse to discuss the information Wi had revealed. Apparently, most of Wi¡¯s troops had limited knowledge of the investigation, with most of the details under close wraps. The captain had been open with Jadis once she¡¯d been confronted directly, but she was still under orders to keep the investigation details known to as few people as possible to avoid the spread of inconvenient rumors. Of course, Jadis wasn¡¯t under any such orders and would have ignored them if she¡¯d been given them anyway. She wanted her whole team¡¯s opinion on what was going on.
Jay and Syd were on patrol, keeping guard around the miningpound, along with a couple of the soldiers. Wi and the remainder of her troops were inside the warehouse, resting. With a bonfire set up outside the front of the building, Fortune¡¯s Favored was able to hold an impromptu meeting in rtive privacy.
¡°That depends,¡± Dys said slowly in answer to A¡¯s question. ¡°Are we willing to piss off one faction or another and make enemies?¡±
¡°Enemies?¡± Bridget asked, her arms crossed as looked up at Dys. ¡°Sounds like this Egilhard is already an enemy. Who cares if we piss him off?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Dys heaved a sigh that sent a plume of frozen breath into the night air. ¡°It¡¯s not just about Egilhard. Magistrate Vraekae is marginally on our side. No offense to you, Eir, but your cousin is absolutely a maniptive bitch and I don¡¯t trust her further than you can throw her. Still, we¡¯re on fairly good terms right now. But if we choose to not help her with this investigation into one of her main political rivals in the region when her agents are in frankly dire need, she might take offense to that. Maybe she won¡¯t, she didn¡¯t actually ask us to get involved and we aren¡¯t on her payroll, but then again maybe she nned for us to get involved from the start since she sent her investigators out here with us. Either way, if we don¡¯t help Wi and just go about our business, thus causing Vraekae to miss an opportunity to catch Egilhard in the act of doing something Vraekae can use against him, then she might take out her ire on us.
¡°Then there¡¯s the other side of things. If we help with this investigation into Egilhard¡¯s activities, we¡¯re almost certainly making an enemy of him. Right now, he wants me to join up with him so he¡¯s trying to woo me with promises and manipte me with petty bureaucracy. However, if I show that I am definitively against him and his interests and in full support of the Magistrate, he might decide I¡¯m not worth the trouble and try to eliminate me. After all, just because we help with this investigation, that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯ll actually seed in getting him arrested or court martialed or whatever. Who knows how long actual legal action could take. Plus, I doubt the guy is working alone. He¡¯s part of arger faction, likely has allies that share his interests, and even if we seed in getting rid of him, those allies of his will probably see us as a threat to be removed since we chose to side with a rival faction. I think that about sums everything up, right?¡±
There was a long pause as all of herpanions stared as Dys with mixed expressions of confusion and shock.
¡°What?¡±
¡°Uh, nothing!¡± A said after a moment, resetting her face into a more neutral expression. ¡°That was quite a detailed analysis, thank you.¡±
¡°I genuinely didn¡¯t think you had that kind of thinking in you,¡± Kerr mumbled.
Dys rolled her eyes and tossed a rude gesture in the therion¡¯s direction.
¡°Fucking kidding me? I¡¯m not dense, I just don¡¯t always have context or information. I¡¯ve been paying attention.¡±
Kerr shrugged, giving Dys a knowing smirk.
¡°I think one thing we should consider is how likely is it that General Egilhard is actually responsible for the crime he is suspected ofmitting.¡±
Dys turned to look at Eir and motioned for the elf to exin.
¡°After all, from what you¡¯ve told us, it doesn¡¯t seem that there is truly any concrete evidence that the general is involved,¡± Eir continued. ¡°Vraekae believes that he is responsible, but she has an admittedly strong bias against the man. It is possible that this is a rogue element in the local military, something that the general may not have any knowledge of or involvement in. That doesn¡¯t mean we wouldn¡¯t necessarily suffer some bacsh from him if we aid Vraekae in publicly revealing that the general had subordinates thatmitted fairly extensive crimes under hismand that he knew nothing about. Such a reveal would be embarrassing, to say the least. However, it would be helpful to the empire as a whole since it would be exposing and removing a criminal element that was taking advantage of a strategic resource during a time of crisis. Our involvement in apprehending such criminals would bolster our standing with imperial leadership, and it would further improve the reputation of Fortune¡¯s Favored with the public.¡±
Jadis sometimes forgot that kind, gentle, and oh-so-sexy Eir was not just a priestess, but a daughter of a noble house. She was rted to Vraekae and had been trained in a great deal of political discourse, at least before joining the temple. Or maybe that training had continued after bing a priestess? Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how involved the temple was with politics in the Empire, but she doubted they werepletely hands-off.
Eir also had a good point about Egilhard. As Wi had exined, the evidence found so far had been limited. Eleria crystals were being smuggled out of Far Felsen on imperial naval vessels. A shipment had been uncovered during an inspection, though the parties who had smuggled the shipment on board hadn¡¯t been caught. Only two things could be said for certain, one being that the shipment wasrge, not a minor find that was being secreted out by private parties but a legitimatelyrge amount of cargo that could be used in the manufacturing of hundreds of high-grade enchantments. The other certainty was that the ship where the smuggled cargo had been found was a transport vessel being used by troops that all reported to Egilhard¡¯smand. Even the captain of the vessel was a loyal follower of the general. Those two facts certainly nted plenty of suspicion on the general but didn¡¯t guarantee his involvement.
¡°Good point,¡± Dys nodded to Eir. ¡°I guess we can¡¯t assume Egilhard is responsible. I still think he is, but I have to admit that¡¯s probably because I just don¡¯t like the prick. Anyone else have anything to add? Sabina? Bridget?¡±
Sabina shrugged helplessly while Bridget scowled.
¡°This is all above my head,¡± Bridget admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about politics, I just want to fight demons and go on adventures.¡±
¡°Tell me about it¡¡± Dys grumbled.
¡°I¡¯m just a smith,¡± Sabina said. ¡°I¡¯ll defer to whatever you say is best since I don¡¯t really know what to do with this sort of situation because I¡¯m not in the military and I don¡¯t get involved in politics and¡ªwell. What Bridget said, except about smithing.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t me either woman for their responses. Neither had signed up for any of the political bullshit that Vraekae and Egilhard were forcing onto Fortune¡¯s Favored. She¡¯d rather ignore all the politicking too, honestly, she just knew that she couldn¡¯t simply by the nature of who she now was.
¡°Alright, well, what about you, Thea?¡± Dys turned to look at the quiet guardswoman.
Thea looked troubled, her face aplex mix of worry and agitation. She rarely had much to say, but Jadis knew that didn¡¯t mean she was stupid or without worthwhile opinions. Thea was both intelligent and observant, so anything she took the effort to say was generally well worth paying attention to.
¡°We c¡ªcan¡¯t abandon captain Wi,¡± Thea said slowly. ¡°Even if we d¡ªdon¡¯t want to help her with her, ah, mission, she still needs our p¡ªprotection. They¡¯ll all d¡ªdie out here without us.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Dys acknowledged, ¡°But if Wi insists on investigating those caves further when we don¡¯t want to and if she leaves ourpany in pursuit of her own mission, that¡¯s really on her, not us. We¡¯re here for our own reasons, not to help her.¡±
¡°T¡ªtrue,¡± Thea nodded. She was quiet for a long pause before looking up at Dys with an expectant expression. ¡°D¡ªdon¡¯t you want to know who c¡ªcaused all of this, though?¡±
Well fuck. Of course Thea had to bring up one of the biggest motivating factors Jadis had trouble arguing against. Curiosity. Was it really Egilhard or someone else? What actually went down in those caves? Shit, she did want to know. How was she supposed to resist investigating? Not having the answers was going to nag at her like a burning itch.
¡°Okay, yeah, I do want to know who caused all this shit, regardless of the political consequences,¡± Dys admitted. ¡°And honestly, I think we should risk the consequences anyway. I don¡¯t know why Egilhard or anyone else in a prominent government position would be illegally mining eleria during a fucking demonic invasion, but whatever the reason is, I feel like it''s probably a shitty one. It might bring us trouble, but I don¡¯t think I really care about being on the good side of a bunch of criminal assholes that are sapping vital military resources away from an important warfront for their own selfish gains. What about all of you?¡±
Looking around at herpanions, no one voiced any disagreement. Eir, Sabina, and Bridget still looked worried, but A gave her a small nod of support while Kerr shrugged helplessly.
¡°Yeah, makes sense,¡± Kerr said. ¡°Fuck those bitches. Who cares if we piss off a fucking general or whatever. Worstes to worst, we flee the country and set up new lives as farmers on the other side of the continent.¡±
¡°Always good to have a backup n,¡± Dys snorted.
¡°There¡¯s one issue I¡¯d like to point out, though,¡± A spoke up after everyone had had a good chuckle. ¡°Stavros and those bandits are still out there. They might have fled, or they could be setting up a counterattack. If we go into those tunnels, they could try to follow in after us, or at the very least steal or destroy our wagon and supplies while we leave it unguarded.¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been thinking about that,¡± Dys said as she ran her fingers through her hair. ¡°It¡¯s not perfect, but I think I¡¯ve got a n to deal with that. Let me know what you think about this¡¡±
Chapter 230: Back to the Depths
Chapter 230: Back to the Depths
¡°I don¡¯t like that I¡¯m not going with you,¡± A muttered as she held Jay¡¯s hand. ¡°Maybe we should change this n.¡±
¡°I¡¯d rather you always be next to me, too,¡± Jay said as she brought A¡¯s hand up to her lips and kissed her fingers. ¡°But we need a strong defense to protect our rear and no one does that better than you.¡±
¡°True,¡± A¡¯s lips flickered in a smile. ¡°But still. I don¡¯t like it.¡±
¡°Me either.¡±
The unspoken words between them, though, were that they still had to do what they didn¡¯t like, at least if they wanted to achieve the results that they wanted. Seeing the worry lingering on A¡¯s face, Jay pulled her close and kissed her lovingly, taking her time to savor her beautiful girlfriend¡¯s lips and tongue. She wouldn¡¯t be gone that long. It was just a temporary parting.
¡°Okay, the others are getting anxious,¡± Jay said as she grudgingly pulled away from A. ¡°The sooner we go, the sooner we get back.¡±
¡°Then you better get going,¡± A said,posing herself into her typical cool exterior. ¡°We¡¯ll hold down the fort here. I expect Kerr to bring you back safe and whole.¡±
¡°I¡¯m certain she will.¡±
Jay pulled her helm on and headed further into the cave entrance where her other selves and the rest of the investigation party waited. Kerr and Bridget were ready to go, along with Wi, Jaxton, and Landry. Everyone else would be staying behind to guard the entrance to the tunnel against a surprise attack from Stavros¡¯ bandits.
¡°We ready?¡± Kerr asked as Jay approached.
¡°Everything¡¯s set,¡± Jay answered.
¡°Thank you for helping with this,¡± Wi said to Jay as the group started moving into the tunnel. ¡°I owe you and yourpany twice over now.¡±
¡°Who¡¯s counting?¡± Jay shrugged. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s just hope we can get what you need fast and get back faster. My sisters and I aren¡¯t fans of caves¡¡±
The n that Jadis had proposed and Wi had agreed to was to split up their forces, leaving a rearguard behind to defend against any attacks from bandits or other hostiles. The defense wasn¡¯t a simple watch, though. Jadis had made sure she was leaving A, Eir, Thea, and Sabina behind prepared for a siege. The wooden fortifications that had been hastily constructed before to protect against the bandits trying to push out of the cave had been repurposed to defend against anyone trying to push in. They¡¯d also been added to, with even more logs andrge stones set up as a barrier. The wagons and horses had all been moved inside the cave first, though, with everyone set up within it as a defensible position. A had, of course,id down arge number of arcane trap circles around the entrance to the cave, creating a virtually invisible minefield of spikes and snares thanks to the snow. Kerr had even reset a few of the pitfall traps that the bandits had themselves made, hoping to use their traps against them should they try to attack.
Then there were the traps set up inside of the cave. After Wi¡¯s experience, no one was keen to get ambushed from an unexpected direction again. More traps and barricades had been put up inside of the cave so that if the bandits somehow managed to get inside of the tunnel system and try to attack them from within, the camp guard wouldn¡¯t be defenseless from that direction. Of course, there was also the possibility of different assantsing at them from the cave, depending on how things went for the investigation crew. Hopefully though, if all went well, the only peopleing back up to the cave entrance would be Jadis and the rest of the team.
The n for the investigation team was to search the tunnel that the bandits hade out of when they had ambushed Wi and her squad. Since Stavros had said his own men had been captured somewhere in the tunnels, it made sense to try and backtrack along his trail and see if they could find where that fight had taken ce. There could be clues there that could tell them who the other party was, or the supposed imperial soldiers could even still be in the area. Either way, they hoped to find some evidence of who was in the mines, whether they were Egilhard¡¯s men or another unknown third party.
The goal wasn¡¯t to confront but instead simply to examine and observe. If they found some evidence that pointed one way or another, they¡¯d take it and withdraw. If they ran into imperial soldiers, they¡¯d do their best to take note of who they were and pull back immediately. If hostile forces confronted them, they¡¯d only defend themselves as necessary and otherwise retreat, hence the reason for their small numbers. There wasn¡¯t much chance of them being stealthy, not with three heavily armed and armored giants going through stone tunnels, but Jadis wasn¡¯t going to let Kerr go scouting alone, not in the caves. If things went wrong, her muscle was going to be needed.
Kerr led the way as the investigation team approached the hidden bandit tunnel. Looking at it from the outside, it was clear that the bandits hadn¡¯t made the tunnel themselves and had just covered the entrance to a normal mining tunnel up with a clever use of woven sticks, dirt, rocks, and mud. The remains of the covery on the ground, mixed with dried-up pools of blood. The tunnel entrance itself was no different from any of the others that Jadis could see up and down the length of the natural tunnel. Thick wooden timbers supported the entrance, with more timbers visible within. Old, rustednterns hung from the supports every few dozen feet or so.
¡°That¡¯s where Achim died,¡± Wi pointed to a particr spot on the cavern floor that was stained brown with old blood. ¡°During the ambush.¡±
Jadis hadn¡¯t seen the bodies. The bandits had buried the dead quickly, not wanting to attract bone thieves or wretches. Stopping at the spot that Wi had indicated, Jadis took a moment of silence to pay her respects to the man. She had barely known him, but he¡¯d died in the defense of his country and his brothers in arms, so he deserved that at the very least.
¡°Lead on,¡± Jay motioned towards Kerr after she¡¯d said a silent prayer to D that the man¡¯s soul might find his way to a good afterlife.
¡°Keep thosenterns shuttered,¡± Kerr told Dys, Wi, and Bridget. ¡°And spread out behind me, don¡¯t stay close. My ears are going to be our earliest warning if something bad is ahead and I don¡¯t need loud as fuck armor messing up my hearing.¡±
Kerr entered the tunnel first, followed by Wi. The rest spread out, with Jadis making sure that the others were sandwiched between her selves with Syd in the front and Dys bringing up the rear. For Jadis, the going was rough. The mining tunnels had clearly not been meant for people of Nephilim proportions. Jaxton and Landry, both of them tall orcs, had to duck their heads constantly to keep from hitting them on the support beams running across the tunnel ceiling. Since she was several feet taller, Jadis had to crouch walk. It wasn¡¯t hard, her physical abilities making the exercise trivial, but it still wasn¡¯t fun. The only silver lining was that the tunnel wasn¡¯t narrow. It was nowhere near wide enough for Jadis to properly swing her weapons, even the more normally proportioned couldn¡¯t do that, but the walls were spaced far enough apart that Jadis didn¡¯t feel too ustrophobic.
That changed about half an hour into their trek under the mountain.
¡°Hold,¡± Wi called back to Syd. ¡°Kerr has stopped.¡±
Jadis passed the word back to everyone behind hernce-wielding self as she waited to hear what the news was. The tunnel system had proved to be surprisingly extensive. Wi had shown Jadis maps several days ago, those maps now stolen by Stavros, so Jadis had had some idea of what to expect. Still, seeing some sketched drawings was a far cry from walking the caves herself.
The miners had dug deep into the earth under the mountain, following veins of eleria and other precious stones and metals. Several times Jadis saw ore shining in the walls that she thought might be copper or some other metal, though clearly it hadn¡¯t been a priority since the miners hadn¡¯t taken the time to extract the material. The tunnel curved and twisted, with several other tunnels branching off, though those branches all proved to be dead ends. Though the tunnel went far, it never deviated in depth much, with the ground barely nting. ording to Kerr, the tunnel was constantly bearing east, though how she knew that Jadis couldn¡¯t say.
¡°We¡¯ve got a split,¡± Kerr announced as she appeared from out of the dark of the tunnel ahead. ¡°There¡¯s arge fissure in the wall, something natural, not dug out by shovels or magic. The bandits definitely passed through there.¡±
¡°How do you know?¡± Wi asked, beating Jadis to the question.
¡°I asked the centipedes. Also, I found this.¡±
Kerr held up a dirty strip of cloth. Looking at it closer in the faint light cast by Wi¡¯sntern, Syd could see that it was a used bandage, stained with dried blood. It didn¡¯t look too old, maybe a few days. If Stavros had told the truth, he¡¯d encountered imperial soldiers somewhere in the tunnels and they¡¯d taken five of his men alive. That meant there had been a fight, with wounds and injuries.
¡°I can smell the blood leading deeper,¡± Kerr tossed the bandage to the ground. ¡°It¡¯s old and faint, but it¡¯s there. No wind or water to wash it away down here.¡±
¡°Alright, so we go down this side passage,¡± Syd said. ¡°Let¡¯s get to it.¡±
¡°Not that easy¡¡± Kerr murmured as she looked Syd up and down. ¡°Sorry Big Stuff, but there isn¡¯t any way you¡¯re fitting in that crevice.¡±
¡°Shit,¡± Syd cursed a momentter after Kerr had led the group forward.
Indeed, the chances of Jadis¡¯ selves fitting into the fissure were slim. The crack in the wall was maybe two feet wide and four feet tall, tapering so that it was smaller at the top and wider a the bottom. It wasn¡¯t a clean cut, either. With the meager light Jadis could see that the crevice had a sharp turn a few feet in.
¡°It goes down,¡± Kerr told them. ¡°I checked inside a ways. Curves like a spiral staircase. Not sure how far it goes, but it¡¯s more than a dozen feet. Probably a lot more.¡±
¡°Double shit,¡± Bridget cursed as well as she stooped to look into the opening. ¡°Even I¡¯m going to have trouble with this. I mean, I¡¯m not sure how my il is going to get down there.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Wi huffed out a weary sigh. ¡°You three wait here,¡± she pointed to the Nephilim. ¡°The rest of us keep going and check what we¡ª¡±
¡°No fucking way,¡± Syd cut the captain off. ¡°There¡¯s no way we¡¯re waiting here while the rest of you go forward into who knows what kind of dangers.¡±
¡°Then what do you suggest?¡± Wi asked, brows furrowed. ¡°You and your sisters can¡¯t fit in there.¡±
¡°Not with armor on we can¡¯t,¡± Syd said as she pulled her helmet off. ¡°But without it, we can make it work.¡±
It had been a while since Jadis had been in a dangerous situation without the armor Sabina had made for her. The defenses it afforded her were well with the extra weight and noise, but for this situation, she was going to have to part with the cold me steel armor. It was just too cumbersome to fit in the crevice. Even getting it down the path while it was bundled up would be difficult. Jadis was sure that the tunnel had to widen out eventually since there was no way the bandits would be squeezing themselves down the crack in the stone for too long, but still she decided to leave the armor behind. Without it, she¡¯d be far less noisy in the echoing tunnels and the armor would be waiting for her when she came back. She¡¯d have to make do with her shirts, pants, and leather boots.
Jadis left her weapons behind as well; they were simply too big to fit. Fortunately, ever since the siege at Far Felsen, she¡¯d taken to carrying hand axes with her as backup weapons and useful tools. She hadn¡¯t had much of a reason to use themtely, but she was d to have them for the squeeze. Bridget also left her polearm while Kerr grudgingly left her bow. Neither were suited to the twisting tunnel either. Jadis had to wonder how the blood bitch had gotten her scythe through the crevice, though as she remembered most of the other bandits had wielded shorter weapons, the tunnel possibly exining why.
¡°Okay, let¡¯s go,¡± Kerr told them as she ducked into the crack, her horns scraping against the stone. ¡°This is going to fucking suck.¡±
When it came to her turn to squeeze in, Jadis found that she had to agree with the sentiment. Jadis was forced to crawl on all fours, practically dragging herself along with her arms as she pulled around corners too sharp to befortable. The tunnel went down, down, and further down. At times the slope was so sharp that Jadis felt like she was practically standing on her head since she had no room to maneuver around. After a dozen yards, the tunnel did get better, getting a little wider and taller, though not by much. The others were able to crouch walk along, though the space was still too small for Jadis to do anything but crawl.
Just before Jadis felt like she was going to have to scream from the ustrophobia that was starting to get to her, Kerr¡¯s voice echoed quietly from up ahead.
¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡¡±
¡°What?¡± Wi said, concern evident in her voice. ¡°Is there a problem?¡±
¡°Not exactly,¡± Kerr replied. ¡°Just didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever see this shit again. Jay, you¡¯re going to lose it when you get out here.¡±
¡°That doesn¡¯t sound great,¡± Jay mumbled as she and her other selves continued to crawl forward.
The others pushed on in front of her, the three of Jadis not wanting to potentially block the tunnel for anyone smaller than her. As she followed, she saw them slip through a decently sized crack that opened up into a wider area. This exit was only marginallyrger than the one that they had started at, but Jadis still sighed with relief as she crawled out of it into a much, muchrger cavern.
¡°Thank D,¡± Syd sighed as she stood and stretched her arms high over her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could havested in that tunnel for much longer. Why the fuck did the banditse this¡ way¡ anyways¡¡±
Syd¡¯s words trailed off as she looked around her, Jadis¡¯ other selves squeezing out of the tunnel behind her. They weren¡¯t in a cavern, not really, but a tunnel. A long, slightly curving tunnel that was wide enough for two of Jadis¡¯ bodies to easily walk side by side and with a ceiling more than twice her height. Therge tunnel stretched onward beyond sight, curving ever so slightly. There were some small rock formations, but the cave otherwise looked unnatural, like it had been carved by some godlike hand ages ago.
¡°The fucking underground monster railroad? Again!?¡± Syd squawked, utterly bbergasted.
¡°Rail what?¡± Wi asked, turning to look up at Syd.
¡°Nephilim thing,¡± Kerr and Bridget both said at the same time.
Chapter 231: Tunnel Vision
Chapter 231: Tunnel Vision
¡°You think this is the same tunnel?¡± Jay asked Kerr, disbelief coloring her voice.
¡°No way to know for sure,¡± Kerr grumbled from where she crouched low to the stone floor. ¡°But what are the fucking chances of there being two tunnels on this gods forsaken, demon infested corner of the world that look like this? Or if it
is the same tunnel, what are the odds of us finding it again?¡±
¡°My kind of odds,¡± Jay said under her breath.
¡°I find it hard to believe these could be the same tunnels you and yourpanions were lost in,¡± Wi told Dys where they stood a little further away from Jay and Kerr. ¡°Besides, you said you came out of the tunnel further to the east.¡±
Jadis had spared a few moments to fill Wi, Jaxton, and Landry in on her team¡¯s experience in the tunnels. Bridget had already gotten the story some time ago. Wi, as it turned out, was already well aware of Jadis¡¯ underground exploits, at least the version of the story that had made its way around the city. The particrs of this long tunnel had been mentioned, though not in great detail.
¡°We never reached the end of the tunnel,¡± Dys said, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°We left the caves once we found one offshoot that took us out. The tunnel kept heading north, though, through the Great Southern Forest. It also curved to the left. The west, I mean. Not a big curve, but it did. It¡¯s possible it could reach all the way out here¡¡±
¡°Why not?¡± Jaxton proimed in his deep, cockney-esque ent. ¡°The gods made the broken hills. They could have made this rubbish as well.¡±
¡°Come off it,¡± Landry scoffed. ¡°The gods don¡¯t do everything. Probably the work of some great beast dragging its scaly arse through the ground.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t say the gods do everything, I said they could have done this.¡±
¡°They could have made my shoes, too, but you don¡¯t see me specting on it since I knows they didn¡¯t cause that¡¯d be stupid.¡±
¡°We know who made your shoes, Camden did. Point is, we don¡¯t know who made these tunnels here and it could have been the gods.¡±
¡°Toss the shoes out, you¡¯re missing what I¡¯m saying. You don¡¯t always have to¡ª¡±
Jadis tuned the rest of the conversation between the two quarrelsome orcs out. As much as she liked them, especially since they reminded her of A¡¯s two uncles Gerwas and Ludwas, she had more important things to focus on. Primarily, the things that Kerr was pointing out about the ground.
¡°Scuff marks,¡± Kerr said as she traced the stone. ¡°Hard to see tracks in stone like this, but there are marks here that didn¡¯te from any beast.¡±
¡°Bandit tracks?¡± Jay asked, bending to look over Kerr¡¯s shoulder.
¡°No, wheel tracks. These lines here were made by wheels.¡±
¡°Wheels?¡± Jay eximed, her surprise drawing the attention of the rest of the group. ¡°What kind of wheels?¡±
¡°How the fuck should I know?¡± Kerr huffed. ¡°They¡¯re wheels. Probably wooden.¡±
¡°Let me see,¡± Wi said as she crouched down next to Kerr.
The two examined the tracks, seeing things in the stone that Jadis didn¡¯t know how to interpret. Once it was pointed out to her, she could see that there were some faint tracks and scuff marks of some kind, she just didn¡¯t have a clue what they meant. They meant something to Kerr and Wi, though. Even Jaxton and Landry stopped their bickering to take a look. Bridget kept next to Syd, though, not bothering to examine the floor.
¡°I¡¯m a shit tracker,¡± she whispered to Syd in response to her questioning look. ¡°Like, I¡¯ve had the training, I¡¯m just not that good at it. I won¡¯t have anything to add that they won¡¯t see.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Syd shrugged. ¡°But don¡¯t sell yourself short. You never know what an extra pair of eyes might see that the experts miss.¡±
Eventually, the consensus between Kerr and Wi was that the tracks were from a cart of some kind. Likely more than one, in fact. The more they looked, the more scuff marks they found, indicating either multiple carts, or the same cart passing through the area many times. There were also the signs of boot prints, most of them either too disturbed or too faint to be easily identified, but there were a few that were clear enough to tell that there was a decent amount of traffic moving through the tunnel going in both directions.
¡°Alright, it hasn¡¯t been that long yet and we still need some evidence,¡± Jay said as she stared into the dark that stretched to the north. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going.¡±
¡°Keep quiet,¡± Kerr told them all as she moved ahead again. ¡°And put thosenterns to their lowest. We don¡¯t want them hearing or seeing using. Not a lot of ces to hide in this tunnel.¡±
Withnterns shuttered so that the light was barely more than a glimmer, the group carefully made their way forward down the tunnel. They went slowly, not wanting to rm any potential criminals that could be further along, but also to make sure they didn¡¯t stumble headfirst into any dangerous monsters like the cave spiders or giant smanders. Or worse things that existed in the dark depths.
No magic beasts attacked them, though. In fact, for the longest time, nothing happened at all. Their slow progress continued for long enough that Jadis considered calling the search off. She didn¡¯t want to be away from the rest of herpanions for too long, especially since there were still dangers lurking above ground. There was a change to the monotonous dark eventually, however, it didn¡¯te from the direction Jadis or any of the group with her expected.
¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡± Bridget whispered, looking back over her shoulder. ¡°What is that?¡±
At first, Jadis didn¡¯t hear it. All three of her selves looked back, as did the two soldiers. Then Wi did, too. Even Kerr, far ahead and practically unseen in the dark paused, turning back to look the way they hade. After a few seconds, Jadis could hear it. A rumbling, scraping sound that echoed off the stone walls. There was something else, too. A sound that Jadis couldn¡¯t quite ce at first, yet it was all too familiar.
Then the light began to shine around the curve of the tunnel and Jadis realized what it was.
¡°People!¡± Jay, Dys, and Syd hissed all at once, the same time as several other hissed foul curses.
¡°Quick,e ahead!¡± Kerr snapped, whisper-shouting at them all. ¡°Hurry!¡±
Moving as quickly as they could while staying quiet, they all followed after Kerr who led them a few hundred more feet along the tunnel. Stopping at another crevice in the wall, Kerr waved them all inside, one after another. The crack in the wall was only a couple of feet wide, but it was plenty tall enough for even Jadis¡¯ selves to stand upright. It also stretched far back, opening up into a wider cave after a dozen feet or so. As they slipped inside, those carryingnterns shuttered them fully, making sure topletely cut off all sources of light.
Jay and Kerr stayed closest to the entrance of the crevice, waiting to see what woulde. Jadis had to carefully calm her breathing, holdingpletely still in the nearly pitch-ck darkness of the cave. With thenterns put out, the only source of light were patches of glowing cave moss, the naturally iridescent nt life omnipresent yet scattered and irregr. The sound of the unknown peopleing from the southern direction of the tunnel grew louder with each passing second, the echoes bing overwhelming. After a minute, the light from what sounded like dozens of people came into few, forcing Jadis to squint against even the dim illumination.
Pressing back against her, Kerr forced Jay as hard up against one side of the cave wall as possible, blocking most of the bodies from view thanks to the uneven nature of the stone. Momentster, the first of the mysterious cave goers came into view.
He was a young man, human, and of average height. He held antern high in one hand, a halberd in the other. The armor he wore was instantly recognizable. Standard imperial gear, down to the white surcoat and blue eagle. He didn¡¯t pause as he walked by the crevice, barely even ncing in its direction. His face, mostly visible thanks to the style of helm he wore, sported an almost bored expression. He looked as though he¡¯d travelled the monster infested tunnel a dozen times before.
Maybe he had.
¡°¡ªand then he told me, ¡®You can¡¯t raise smatterlings if you don¡¯t have the right cages for them, they¡¯ll crawl out of the boxes.¡¯ Which is absolute horse shit. Where does he get off telling me about raising smatterlings when he¡¯s never even been on a farm in his life?¡±
¡°But he¡¯s right, though. They¡¯ve got all those legs, they¡¯ll crawl out.¡±
¡°Now don¡¯t you start too. When have you ever even held a smatterling in your¡ª¡±
Two more men passed by the crevice, deep in a loud discussion about raising livestock of a kind Jadis thoughtid blue eggs. Their conversation was practically shouted as they had to raise their voices to be heard over the wooden cart the two of them were pulling behind them. After they passed, several more soldiers passed by, followed by another cart, then another. Six carts passed by before the procession was done, most of them empty except for thest, which was loaded with sealed crates and barrels.
Every single one of the men and women, nearly two dozen of them, were imperial soldiers. Their armor couldn¡¯t have made that clearer. Even the crates that Jadis could see were stamped with the imperial crest, marking them as official military supplies.
¡°You saw all that too, right?¡± Jay whispered as the loud echoes started to fade into the distance.
¡°Yes, I did,¡± Wi answered from right behind her.
¡°That enough proof for you?¡± Kerr whispered. ¡°I feel like we can pretty confidently say that the military is the ones breaking thew here. No one brings empty carts underground unless they¡¯re nning on bringing something back out.¡±
¡°It¡¯s good evidence,¡± Wi said, nodding her head, ¡°but it would be better if we could see their operation, know for certain that they¡¯re mining eleria. This also doesn¡¯t prove who they work for. We need to know whether this is an isted group or arger conspiracy.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s see where the yellow brick road ends,¡± Jay murmured as she pushed her way out of the cramped cave entrance.
¡°The what?¡± Wi whispered.
¡°Just¡ªnever mind,¡± Kerr shook her head. ¡°So fucking weird sometimes.¡±
Now certain they were on the right track, Jadis and the others followed behind the train of soldiers. They made sure to stay far enough back that they couldn¡¯t see direct light, relying on the cave moss as they didn¡¯t want to give off any light of their own. The soldiers were, fortunately, obnoxiously loud, which made it easy to follow them without worrying about the asional noise they themselves made.
After what felt like maybe half an hour of walking, Kerr called for them all to halt.
¡°It sounds like they¡¯ve stopped,¡± she told them, herrge ears perked up. ¡°I can hear new voices, different from the assholes we¡¯ve been shadowing.¡±
¡°Can we get closer, see what they¡¯re doing?¡± Wi asked.
¡°Hold on,¡± Kerr held up hand for silence. ¡°Just wait.¡±
They all waited in silence for another ten minutes before Kerr lowered her hand.
¡°Okay, they¡¯ve settled,¡± she said, looking back at Jay and Wi and the rest. ¡°There¡¯s definitely activity up ahead, but it¡¯s calmed down. But I can absolutely hear the sound of hammers and picks on rocks.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Wi nodded. ¡°Let me sneak up there. If I can witness them in the act, I can testify what I saw to the Magistrate and in court ofw.¡±
¡°Go slow,¡± Kerr warned her. ¡°Slow and low. The rest of you stay back. The more thate, the riskier this
merde is.¡±
¡°I¡¯ming,¡± Jay told her in no uncertain terms.
Kerr sighed, shaking her head.
¡°Fine, whatever. Just be
quiet.¡±
The three of them crept forward, taking their time as they approached the source of the noise. It took some time, but Jadis had no trouble taking it slow. She did not want to alert the soldiers to their presence, especially since she didn¡¯t have her armor or weapons with her. She was certain that she could handle a bunch of soldiers at her level, especially with her greatly increased stats. But all it would take was one soldier like Nora to take her down in a sh.
When Kerr abruptly dropped low, belly on the ground, Jay followed suit, as did Wi. It took a brief moment, but after a second, she spotted what the archer had seen. A distant light hade into view around the gentle curve of the tunnel. Within that light were two soldiers, clearly standing guard.
¡°Now what?¡± Kerr whispered, barely audible even in the stillness of the cave.
¡°We can¡¯t get close,¡± Wi said, ¡°not without them seeing us.¡±
¡°Then they see us,¡± Jay said with a determined set to her jaw. ¡°They just won¡¯t be telling anyone else.¡±
Jay pulled herself along the floor of the cave, pushing past Kerr and Wi. The two tried to stop her, but neither could do much without making a noise, even if they had the strength to hold her back. Both followed behind as Jay crept closer to the guard, keeping as low to the ground as she could, yet also making sure she was constantly on the balls of her feet.
Having shortened the distance by a few dozen yards, she could hear the men talking. Neither were paying much attention to their surroundings, their boredom evident. They were both in full armor and had shields and spears. The light wasing from amp hung from a spike overhead, meaning neither man had a light in hand, just their shields and spears. They were standing to either side of another side tunnel entrance, this one decently wide. Wide enough to fit a cart through, Jadis realized. All the noise they were still hearing, the sounds of tools being used to break rock and dig, wereing from inside that tunnel entrance.
¡°Do you hear anyone else close?¡± Jay whispered back to Kerr.
¡°No,¡± she shook her head, ¡°but I can¡¯t be sure!¡±
¡°We¡¯ll have to risk it,¡± Jay said, then turned her attention back to the two cking off guards.
Activating Knight¡¯s Daring Charge, Jayunched herself forward with all the speed she could, entering the full glow of themplight.
The man further away saw her first, the human¡¯s eyes going wide as he saw Jay close the distance at an impossible, inhuman speed. He managed to let out a choked yelp for half of a second before Jay was on him and the guard with his back to her. Sheunched herself through the air and grabbed the closer man from behind, an elf she guessed by the reddish ears sticking out from his helmet. With her left arm wrapped around his neck, she carried him forward, grabbing hold of the human with her right. She took hold of him as well, her forearm tightening around his neck and cutting off all sound as her leap carried her past the cave entrance. Twisting in midair, Jay brought both men with her as she squeezed them tightly against her body before mming hard into the ground.
There was some ng of armor, but Jay¡¯s body muffled the majority of the crash, enough that it was barely distinguishable from the noiseing from the tunnel.
Jayy there, the human man struggling against her right arm as she held him in her grip. He made gasping noises as she pressed her forearm against his neck, cutting off his air to keep him from screaming. Strangely, the elf wasn¡¯t fighting back at all. Looking down at him, she quickly realized why.
The elf¡¯s head was twisted the wrong way around, her leap and grab at the unsuspecting man apparently so fast and powerful that she¡¯d snapped his neck. The whole attack had taken less than two seconds.
Sitting up, she let the dead man¡¯s body flop to the ground as she held onto the weakly struggling second guard. The man was clearly losing consciousness thanks to the tight grip she had on his throat. With her free hand, she waved Kerr and Wi over, though to their credit both women were already scurrying up to meet her.
¡°Valtar¡¯s hairy tits, Jay! What are we supposed to do with these two?¡± Kerr asked as soon as she caught up with her. ¡°Shit, is that one dead?¡±
¡°We¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Jay replied in a hurry as she motioned towards the cave opening. ¡°What¡¯s down the tunnel?¡±
¡°Very, very clear evidence,¡± Wi said as she stared into the now unguarded entryway, ¡°of illegal mining.¡±
Chapter 232: Hot on Their Heels
Chapter 232: Hot on Their Heels
The cavern beyond the opening in the stone wall wasrge and round, with easily enough space to fit the Sweet Pine Valley temple building inside of it with room to spare. Lamps had been set up all around the area, lighting up every shadowy corner of the cave, though rather than the pure yellow glow of candles the room was suffused with bluish green reflections as the light bounced off of huge formations of eleria crystals. The valuable mineral so vital to long-term enchantments was all over the walls and ceilings of the cavern, giving the space the appearance of a giant geode.
Forty to fifty men were scattered across therge cavern. Most were soldiers, though not all were in full gear. Ten or fifteen were stripped down to their in clothes, sweating as they wielded sledgehammers, chisels, and pickaxes. They were busy mining out huge chunks of the eleria, packing them into wooden crates. There were a few people that stood out, though, as obviously not soldiers.
Five workers, four men and a woman were toiling away with sledges and picks, though they were in far rougher condition. Their clothes were torn and stained, their exposed skin was bruised and cut, and at least one of the men had a bandage wrapped around their head, covering up an eye and likely a bad head wound. All five had manacles around their ankles attached to chains. At least three guards stood nearby, watching them with disdainful disinterest.
¡°Tell me this is enough,¡± Jay whispered to Wi.
¡°Absolutely,¡± Wi breathed out. ¡°See that man there?¡±
Jadis followed Wi¡¯s pointing finger to a man standing maybe a dozen feet away from the five prisoners. He was an elf with long deep red hair and bright yellow eyes. His skin was light blue, lighter even than Vraekae¡¯s. He had his helmet under his arm and was talking to a couple of soldiers, ones that Jadis was fairly certain hade with the procession of carts they¡¯d followed.
¡°That¡¯s captain Hakon. He¡¯s one of the officers that works directly under General Egilhard.¡±
¡°Caught in the act,¡± Kerr smirked. ¡°You¡¯ve named him, so let¡¯s get going before someonees over here for a shift change or some shit like that.¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± Wi said.
The three quietly backed away from the opening, making sure not to draw any attention from the soldiers within. Jay still had the now unconscious guard hanging under her arm, though, and there was the dead guard to deal with as well.
¡°What about them?¡± Kerr waved a hand at the two. ¡°They¡¯re going to know we were here. They might assume the bandits came back, though, for those five in there. You¡¯ll have to kill him to make that work. He¡¯s a witness that¡¯ll spill the soup as soon as he wakes up.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true, he is a witness,¡± Jay murmured. ¡°Wi, how do you feel about taking a criminal into custody?¡±
¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± she said, ¡°but if we take him, they¡¯ll definitely know people were here. Whether they think we were the bandits or not, either way they¡¯ll start a search and they may track their way back to us.¡±
¡°Definitely don¡¯t want that,¡± Jay grumbled.
¡°Just kill him then,¡± Kerr hissed. ¡°Actually, if we gut them right, we can make it look like cave beasts got them, like the giant spiders.¡±
¡°Right¡¡± Jay whispered as she nced down at the elf¡¯s corpse. ¡°Cave spiders¡ Hey, Kerr? Did you see any openings on the way here that could be for cave spiders? Or any openings at all that are high up on the wall?¡±
¡°Yeah, a few openings,¡± Kerr nodded. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Here, hold onto him,¡± Jay said as she passed the unconscious man to her. ¡°We¡¯re taking him. We¡¯re just going to make it look like something a lot nastier than us are responsible.¡±
Grimacing, Jay took hold of the dead man¡¯s arm while keeping her boot on his chest. Shuddering internally at what she was about to do, Jay took a breath, then yanked. Hard.
With a snap and a pop, the solder¡¯s arm ripped free from his shoulder socket. The arm was still attached to him, but only by the cloth and armor of his gear. With another strong tug, Jadis tore the leather straps and cloth, making a bloody, gory mess on the stone floor. Lips curled back in disgust, Jay let the arm flop onto the ground in the middle of a growing pool of blood.
¡°Go on,¡± she growled at the two women with her. ¡°Get going. Kerr, make sure to point out a good cave entrance high up.¡±
¡°¡right.¡± Kerr whispered back after she visibly shook herself.
Kerr headed back down the tunnel, leading a visibly green Wi. Jadis couldn¡¯t me her for feeling a bit nauseous. She wasn¡¯t entirelyfortable with what she¡¯d just done herself, if her protesting stomach was any indication. Still, they needed cover, and the man was already dead. She¡¯d tear a hundred corpses limb from limb if it would help her get back to her lovers safely.
As she followed behind, Jay made sure to leave a trail of blood using the corpse as a sort of grotesque blood bag. She wanted the soldiers to find the trail and focus on it, ignoring any and all other signs that might tell them something other than a horrible monster had attacked their guards and absconded with their bodies.
When they reunited with Bridget, Jaxton, Landry, and her other selves, there was some consternation at the sight of the corpse Jay was carrying.
¡°We¡¯ll exinter,¡± Jay told them, waving for them to continue back the way they had alle.
Bridget gave Jay a concerned look, but after a moment she nodded firmly in understanding. She and the others retreated down the passage, making their way back to the crevice they¡¯d crawled through.
About a third of the way back, Kerr pointed up at the wall to the left, near the ceiling.
¡°Up there. It¡¯s not a spider hole, but it¡¯s high up and big enough for something nasty to hide in.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Jay nodded before leaping up to the entrance and grabbing hold of the ledge.
As Jay pulled herself up with one arm, she moved to toss the corpse inside but froze halfway through the movement. As her head crested the lip of the rough tunnel, Jay¡¯s eyes locked with a pair ofrge, ck eyes set into a wide, yellow, inhuman face.
¡°Hi there,¡± Jay quietly greeted the perturbed-looking giant smander. ¡°Fancy meeting you here. Good boy. I, uh, brought you a snack, okay?¡±
Wincing, Jay hauled the body up and gently pushed it into the opening, towards the now slightly glowing reptile.
¡°That¡¯s a good fire monster. No need to breathe fire in my face. It¡¯s a nice, tasty criminal, all for you.¡±
Theyer of mes that had started to swirl around the smander were increasing by the second. However, right before Jay was about to risk the sudden movement and bolt, the huge amphibian-like monster opened its wide mouth and grabbed onto the elf¡¯s body with a loud clomp. The beast immediately began backing away from Jay as it retreated into its tunnel, bringing its prize with it.
Once Jay dropped down from the overhead cave entrance, she slowly turned to look at Kerr, herrge violet eyes boring holes into the therion.
¡°How would I know it was there?¡± Kerr protested, holding her hands up. ¡°Seriously, how would I know?¡±
¡°Never mind that!¡± Bridget said urgently as she pointed over Kerr¡¯s shoulder and towards the north. ¡°Look!¡±
Light wasing from the distance, bouncing off of the walls of the curving stone passage as though manymps and torches were being carried along by many more running figures.
¡°Go, go, go!¡±
At Jadis¡¯ urging, the group turned and ran, trying to make as little noise as possible while putting as much distance between themselves and the chasing soldiers as possible. The mostly straight and clear nature of the tunnel worked against them, itsck of curves and obstacles offering them no cover from the hostiles behind them. Their only real protection was the omnipresent dark.
Not long after they started running, there were several loud shouts in the distance. Angry cries and yelling mixed with steel on stone echoed from the tunnel behind them. For a moment, Jadis was convinced they¡¯d been spotted and the wholepany of soldiers was on their heels.
¡°Smander,¡± Kerr panted as she ran next to Dys. ¡°Didn¡¯t want to give up its meal.¡±
ncing behind her, Jadis saw the sh of bright yellow mes in the distance. She didn¡¯t know how much time she¡¯d bought them by tossing the guard¡¯s corpse to the magic beast, but she hoped it would be enough. If they were really lucky, the soldiers wouldn¡¯t look any further than the smander and then they could escape without incident.
¡°Help! Help me
! Sie haben mich!¡±
Jadis cursed, nearly dropping the now struggling live guard. Syd had taken the man once Kerr had reached her and with all the excitement and distraction of the smander, she¡¯d almost forgotten she was carrying him along. She hadn¡¯t thought to tie him up or anything, focusing solely on getting out as quickly as possible.
¡°Shut up!¡± Syd hissed as she hoisted him up to her chest and put a hand over his mouth.
¡°Shit,¡± Kerr cursed, looking back. ¡°They heard that.¡±
Even to Jadis¡¯ weaker perception, it was obvious the following soldiers had indeed heard the screams of their kidnappedrade. More light and noise wasing from the tunnel, and it was getting closer.
¡°Just keep going, we¡¯re almost there,¡± Wi snapped as she dashed forward.
¡°There!¡± Jaxton called out a few secondster. ¡°That¡¯s the exit!¡±
Having reached the crevice that led back to the mining tunnels, everyone started crawling inside to escape the rapidly approaching soldiers. Jadis waved the others in first, practically forcing Kerr to go in ahead of her. She used the few moments it took for them to pile in to pull out some rope and tied the struggling prisoner up. They hade down into the caves prepared at least with some rope and other supplies, even if she¡¯d been too rushed to use them.
Syd went in first, carrying the bound and gagged man with her, followed by Dys and then Jay. Dragging the captive while crawling through the tunnel was extremely difficult, but by that point she had abandoned all attempts at stealth. She could hear the boots of the pursuing soldiers practically on her heels. Now that they were inside the fissure, they needed to get through it as fast as possible. There was no way she could do any real fighting while stuffed into a crevice barely wider than her shoulders.
As Jadis pushed forward, she thought that the soldiers might have missed their crevice. The sounds of pursuit quieted somewhat, and it didn¡¯t sound like anyone was crawling into the fissure after them. Then she heard a shout, followed a secondter by an intense heat. That heat rapidly increased behind her until Jadis realized what was happening. But there was nothing she could do about it. She could only move so fast in the tight confines of the cramped tunnel as she crawled on her stomach and magic induced mes could move much faster than that.
Fire swept up behind Jay, engulfing her in an instant. Some of the mes went past her, licking across Dys as well, but Jay¡¯s bulk blocked most of the scorching heat. For an eternity, Jay was forced to suffer in the heat of the magic mes as they literally burned the clothes off of her back. Her pure white skin was ckened and charred as she held her breath, all the air eaten up by the fire surrounding her.
Jadis had her other bodies, Dys was only burned a little and Syd was unaffected entirely, but theirck of pain was no refuge from the agony Jay experienced as the mes washed over her. Her mind was refracted, but not separated. She couldn¡¯t withdraw from what Jay felt. All she could do was grit her teeth and focus on not passing out.
Twenty seconds. That was how long the messted, Jadis reflected as soon as they ended. She had the wherewithal to count the time out thanks to her other selves. For Jay, though, all thought was consumed by the pain.
There was no follow up st of fire magic. Either they assumed the job had been done by the one attack, or the mage who had cast it had used up everything they had. Either way, the attack was over. At least Jadis could breathe a sigh of relief that despite the tunnel being turned into an oven, everyone ahead of her had been protected thanks to her impression of a living cork.
Far faster than they had gone in, the group reached the end of the fissure. Once the others were clear of the exit, Syd tossed the no-longer struggling prisoner onto the ground and helped Dys out of the crevice. Her legs were scorched, the leather of her pants crisped and her boots charred. But her damage paled inparison to Jay.
All of Jay¡¯s clothes were gone, turned to ashes by the me. No part of her was untouched. Her body looked like it had been dropped into a pile of coal dust and rolled around. Then set on fire. Her hair was mostly gone, having been burnt by the mes as well.
As Jayy on the stone floor, panting, she shuddered and let out a intive groan.
¡°Still not as bad as the Burning Rancor¡¡±
Chapter 233: Conspiracy
Chapter 233: Conspiracy
As bad as Jay looked, the overall damage to her health wasn¡¯t too terrible.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary ss: Mirror Knight (29)
Secondary ss: Perverted Ritualist of D (22)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 51
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Health: 598/920
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Magic: 310/310
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Attributes
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Strength: 138
Dexterity: 37
Agility: 135
Vitality: 62
Fortitude: 47
Endurance: 49
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 135
Focus: 1
Resilience: 15
Will: 5
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The damage Jadis had taken was a little over three hundred health points, only a third of her total. More than enough to kill Kerr twice over, but still not anywhere near as damaging as when she¡¯d beentched onto the Burning Rancor. It still felt terrible.
Jay got to her feet, breathing hard through her teeth. Every step felt like she was walking on hot coals and the coolness of the cave wasn¡¯t doing much to help.
¡°Valtar on high, you look like shit,¡± Landry said, awestruck.
¡°Thanks,¡± Jay gritted out.
All of the equipment they had left behind was still there waiting for them. Collectively shaking off the shock of what Jay had just tanked, everyone started grabbing up their gear so they could get moving. Kerr made sure to hold onto the captive, the man looking far more subdued after the burning tunnel experience.
¡°Do you think they¡¯re going to follow?¡± Syd asked as she motioned towards the crevice entrance.
¡°I doubt it,¡± Wi shook her head. ¡°They¡¯d have to realize that any attack through such a narrow passage would be doomed. We could pick them off one by one, or even just block them in. Maybe if they had a wizard that could widen it with magic, but that¡¯s not an easy task even for powerful mages.¡±
¡°Well I¡¯m not sticking around to find out if they do have a super powerful earth mage on the backline,¡± Dys said as she gathered up both her gear and Jay¡¯s. ¡°Let¡¯s get going now before something worse happens.¡±
No one protested the n, so Jadis started moving out. Since Jay was so injured, Syd picked her up in her arms, carrying her injured other self who in turn carried more of their gear in hers. Kerr passed the captive over to Jaxton and let the three soldiers take the lead while she hung back with Jadis¡¯ three selves.
¡°Hey, uh, don¡¯t worry,¡± Kerr said in a low voice. ¡°I checked when you crawled out. Everything¡¯s still intact down there, if a little crispy.¡±
¡°¡Appreciate it,¡± Jay moaned, wincing as her burns rubbed against Syd¡¯s arms. ¡°Thank Lyssandria Eir has magic to fix this.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Kerr nodded. ¡°Thank D your big D didn¡¯t get burned off. Eir can fix most things, but she can¡¯t regrow missing pieces.¡±
All of Jadis¡¯ selves shivered at the thought.
¡°Yeah, thank D.¡±
The rest of the trip back was quick and uneventful. They rushed through the mines with as much speed as was prudent, making sure to periodically check behind them for any sign of pursuit. There was none, at least no indication they could detect. There were always possibilities, especially with magic involved, but when the light of the cave entrance became visible ahead, Jadis breathed a sigh of relief. She never, ever wanted to go underground again. Nothing good ever came of it.
The one orgy had been nice, but still.
When their group reunited with the main bulk of their force, there was a great deal of excitement and more than a bit of concern, particrly regarding Jay¡¯s condition. The camp was enveloped in a whirlwind of activity as many started talking and acting at once. Before she knew it, Jadis found her Jay self surrounded by her lovers inside of the Behemoth. A, Eir, Thea, and Sabina were all asking questions, more than she could answering from so many directions at once.
¡°Stop!¡± Eir finally said, raising her voice high enough to be heard over the din. ¡°All of you, out! I need to heal her. Talk to Dys and Syd!¡±
The other three seemed to collectively realize that they didn¡¯t actually need to talk to Jay to get the story of what had happened down in the tunnels. Leaving Jay to Eir¡¯s gentle ministrations, everyone else gathered around Syd who quickly brought them all up to speed. Kerr and Bridget added their own details as well, painting a clear picture of all that had gone on during their investigative delve.
While Syd and the others talked, Dys stayed with Wi and the soldiers. Not that they were far apart due to the closeness of the camp they¡¯d made inside the tunnel. Jadis simply wanted to keep tabs on the prisoner, interested in seeing what mighte of any interrogation. To Jadis¡¯ surprise, Wi didn¡¯t begin any immediate interrogations. Instead she focused on informing her troops of what had happened down below as well as gathering their reports on what had urred in the base camp. Not much it seemed, besides a few demons that had wandered close.
The captive soldier was left tied up and gagged on the ground, with Lutz assigned as guard over him. At some point his helmet had been removed and Jadis could see he was a young man, likely no older than she was, rtively speaking. He had a wild-eyed look as he stared around at the soldiers. When his gaze met Dys¡¯, his expression became even more terrified and he quickly looked away.
¡°So,¡± a voice spoke up next to Dys¡¯ knee. ¡°Rough trip, huh?¡±
Dys looked down to see Nora standing next to her, arms folded in a simr stance to her own. She wasn¡¯t looking at Dys, instead she faced ahead towards the prisoner.
¡°If it isn¡¯t buildings falling on your head it¡¯s arcane casters roasting you like a chicken.¡±
¡°Yeah, so it seems to go for us¡¡± Dys replied in a drawl.
¡°You three Nephilim have to have simultaneously both the worst and best luck of anyone I¡¯ve ever met,¡± Nora told her matter-of-factly.
¡°It sure feels like it.¡±
There was a brief pause between them as they both watched the activity going on around them.
¡°Speaking of getting lucky, that¡¯s one hell of a big dick Jay has there.¡±
¡°For real?¡± Dys eximed incredulously as she looked down at the gnome.
¡°I mean, kind of charred and all that, but still. Wow.¡±
¡°Nora, I don¡¯t want to talk about Jay¡¯s charred dick right now.¡±
¡°Fair enough. But you all are triplets, right? Identical in every way?¡±
¡°Seriously?¡± Dysughed, turning to face the woman who was quite literally a third of her size.
¡°Hey, just curious!¡± Nora held up her hands with an innocent expression. ¡°Not every day you see a cock as big as your leg and it¡¯s not even erect. Unless you¡¯re a horse breeder I guess.¡±
Dys couldn¡¯t help butugh harder as Nora¡¯s antics. Jadis was certain the gnome wasn¡¯t actuallying on to her, she wasn¡¯t interested in woman from what she¡¯d gathered talking to her over the past couple of weeks and she doubted the revtion of Jadis¡¯ packages would change that. Still, it was a good distraction from a stressful situation and she appreciated the thought.
Around that same time Syd and the rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored had finished going over the details of the trip underground. There had been a few questions, but mostly everyone had just listened to what Syd had to say. Once they¡¯d all had a moment to process, the analysis and spection began.
¡°It has to be the same tunnel,¡± A announced with certainty. ¡°It makes too much sense for it not to be.¡±
¡°It doesn''t
have to be,¡± Kerr said. ¡°Just because it fits whatever scenario you¡¯ve got going on in you head doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s true.¡±
¡°Just listen,¡± A held up her hand to silence Kerr¡¯s negativity. ¡°Think it through with me. Imperials soldiers are making it all the way to Kalters Wall without anyone noticing, withrge shipments of eleria in tow as well. There¡¯s no easy way to hide that kind of movement, not from the Magistrate. In fact, Vraekae¡¯s first sign that any smuggling was happening wasn¡¯t until just recently,
after our incident in war and our return to the city. What did we find in war?¡±
¡°A shit load of demons,¡± Kerr grumbled.
¡°A t¡ªtunnel entrance,¡± Thea said a moment after.
¡°Exactly. A tunnel entrance that leads into a vastplex of caves, at least one of which connects to that underground pathway that shoots north in arge curve. And who is currently in control of war right now?¡±
¡°¡General Egilhard,¡± Syd answered darkly.
¡°Did the tunnel you entered connect to the pathway? Because from what I remember of what you told me about that awful journey in the caves it wasn¡¯t easy to get to that underground pathway from where you entered the caves in war,¡± Sabina asked with a pensive expression. ¡°I mean, I think it¡¯s a good theory but I can¡¯t picture it myself since I wasn¡¯t down there but if you think it¡¯s possible, I guess it could be¡¡±
¡°There¡¯s no way they could have followed the same path as us,¡± Syd shook her head. ¡°At one point we had to literally dive underwater to swim through an underground stream. There¡¯s no way they could be transporting eleria or anything else via that route.¡±
¡°But they could have found other connecting passages,¡± A insisted. ¡°That ce was a maze of tunnels. There could absolutely be other tunnels that we never explored that connect to that pathway. Both soldiers and mercenaries have been exploring those tunnels for the past couple of months, rooting out demons. It isn¡¯t impossible for them to have found a different connection in that time. It¡¯s not even all that unlikely if you have the right people with the right skills and spells.¡±
A¡¯s suppositions made more sense to Jadis the longer she thought about it. Egilhard had been at war and it was a good ce for him to set up a smuggling racket. If he¡¯d found a way to connect the mines in and around Kalters Wall with war, he¡¯d have the perfect cover. Not that the caves didn¡¯t have their own dangers, but he could afford to send a well-armed caravan on regr expeditions to the north if he didn¡¯t have to worry about any of Vraekae¡¯s loyal subordinates seeing the movement.
She still wasn¡¯t sure it all fit into ce, though, with the biggest question being how he had managed to find the eleria mines so fast. It felt like an awful big coincidence that his men had happened to stumble upon caves full of the precious crystal and had also set up an effective mining operation in less than two months.
¡°I still feel like we¡¯re missing something here,¡± Syd said with a shake of her head. ¡°I agree with you A, I think what you¡¯re saying makes the most sense. But there are pieces to this puzzle that we¡¯re missing.¡±
¡°Well, does it matter?¡±
Syd turned to look at Bridget. The woman was standing slightly off to the side, a worried expression on her face. She blinked, realizing everyone had turned to look at her. Shrinking back just a bit before straightening her shoulders, she made a show of shrugging and holding up her hands.
¡°I mean, it isn¡¯t our job, right? We aren¡¯t here to investigate this whole eleria theft thing, we¡¯re here to find Jadi¡ªer Jay, Dys, and Syd¡¯s friend that they¡¯re looking for, right? Do we really need to get any more involved than what we¡¯ve already done?¡±
¡°No, I suppose not,¡± A answered after a moment. ¡°We¡¯ve helped Wi more than enough in her investigation already.¡±
¡°True,¡± Syd nodded. ¡°More than true. By rights we shouldn¡¯t be involved in any of this shit at all. But now that we¡¯ve been dragged into it, I¡¯m curious. Maybe too curious for my own good, but now I feel like I need to know.¡±
As Syd spoke, her eyes turned towards the captive lying on the ground, guarded but otherwise ignored. With a huff of breath, she started moving towards the man. A momentter, Jay slipped out from the wagon, having received a decent amount of healing and a spare set of clothes. Eir hurried behind her, not having yet used her spell to fix the cosmetic damage done. In a few steps, Dys joined up with her and the three approached the prisoner together.
¡°What are you doing?¡± Wi called out in rm as the three Nephilim came to a stop around the man.
Everyone in the camp was now focused on the three of her, both herpanions and the soldiers, and most certainly the captive who was looking up at the towering figures with sheer terror in his eyes.
Ignoring Wi and any protests Lutz tried to make, Jay reached down and picked the man up by the scruff of his neck. Holding his face level with her own still slightly scorched one, she started with one calm simple statement.
¡°You and I are going to have a talk.¡±
Chapter 234: Interrogation
Chapter 234: Interrogation
¡°If you scream, I¡¯m going to break your arms. If you spit on me, I¡¯ll knock out all of your teeth. If you lie to me, I¡¯m going fold you in half and leave you out in the cold to choke on your own shit for a few hours. We clear?¡±
¡°Jay!¡± Wi shouted from off to the side. ¡°You are interfering in an official imperial investigation! You cannot do anything you just threat¡ª¡±
¡°Shut up!¡± Dys snapped as her temper red. ¡°Vraekae never seems to have any problem interfering in our business! The only reason we¡¯re even in this situation is because she keeps fucking interfering. She¡¯s just going to have to deal with a little interference on our end.¡±
¡°If you don¡¯t stop right now¡ª¡±
¡°You¡¯ll what?¡± Dys growled, turning to look down on Wi. ¡°You¡¯ll do
what?¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t have made the threat clearer. Wi and her diminished squad had no equipment except that which they had scavenged from the dead bandits Jadis and her team had killed. Dys and Syd stood tall, their ck armor shining in the firelight and their weapons gleaming. Even without her armor, Jay loomed over everyone, the signs of the wounds that would have killed practically anyone else in the gathering still obvious on her.
¡°Jay, Dys, please,¡± A spoke up softly from behind her. ¡°Your anger is justified, but Wi doesn¡¯t deserve your ire.¡±
¡°No, no she doesn¡¯t,¡± Dys agreed after a moment, though her eyes stayed locked onto the captain. ¡°We have no intention of hurting anyone. Except for
this piece of shit,¡± she reached back and pped the dangling man¡¯s side with the back of her hand. ¡°But we won¡¯t kill him. Eir will see to that.¡±
¡°Just think of this as us helping with your investigation,¡± Syd added with a tilt of her head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell Vraekae or anyone else about how you got this information.¡±
¡°Are you asking me to lie?¡± Wi spoke quietly.
¡°I¡¯m telling you we¡¯re going to get the information we want out of this pissant and if there¡¯s anything we do you think will look bad on your report, you can omit it. Or don¡¯t. We don¡¯t care.¡±
Wi, give the woman credit, maintained a strict attitude of professionalism. She didn¡¯t shout, she didn¡¯t curse. She simply stared as the trio of Nephilim, her disapproval ring yet ultimately, impotent. Out in the wilds, there wasn¡¯t a whole lot she could do to stop Jadis, and they both knew it.
With no sign of further obstruction from the onlookers, Jay resumed her so far one-sided conversations with the captive man. She¡¯d never stopped staring at him, her violet eyes locked on with fervent intensity.
¡°Are you paying attention? Better be. My girl Eir there will heal you if you¡¯re hurt. I promise you, you won¡¯t die. You might
wish you were dead if you lie to us, but that¡¯s a different story. First things first. What¡¯s your name, scum stain?¡±
With those words, Jay none too gently ripped the gag from the man¡¯s mouth.
¡°Jonas,¡± the word tumbled from the captive¡¯s lips as soon as they were free, with more to quickly follow. ¡°Jonas of Lautenberg, from Eighth Squad in Redhawk¡¯s Company! I¡¯ll tell you anything you want! Anything! Just ask, I swear it!¡±
Jay tilted her head to one side, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
¡°Just like that?¡±
¡°Yes! Anything!¡± Jonas hurried to assure her as he tried to nod his head but found the movement difficult with Jay¡¯s fingers around his neck. ¡°Nothing they¡¯ve paid me is worth losing my arms or teeth! Besides, Carnell sted his fire in that tunnel after us knowing it would have cooked me, too. So fuck that lot, I¡¯ll tell you anything you want to know!¡±
Jadis considered herself to be good at reading people, better than most were. Jonas¡¯ desperation was obvious, but there was a tant, frantic honesty to his words as well. How truthful the man was going to be was still unknown, but she suspected he was going to be too concerned with keeping his bones intact to put much thought into lying.
¡°Who do you work for?¡± Jay asked bluntly.
¡°Captain Hakon,¡± Jonas answered immediately.
¡°That¡¯s not what I asked and you know it,¡± Jay pressed as her grip squeezed Jonas¡¯ neck a little tighter. ¡°Who¡¯s in charge of this operation? Who¡¯s running it overall?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure!¡± the soldier rushed, his voice cracking from the stress. ¡°Captain Hakon is the highest-ranking officer I¡¯ve seen directly involved! I-I¡¯ve heard Major Kreszentia oversees above Hakon but I¡¯ve never seen her in the caves or around the shipments! Hakon¡¯s the highest I personally know of!¡±
¡°What about Egilhard?¡± Jay focused on the person she most wanted to know about. ¡°What¡¯s his involvement?¡±
¡°None so far as I know,¡± Jonas replied, fearfully looking between Jadis¡¯ three faces crowded around him. ¡°I mean, if he is involved, I¡¯ve never seen it. I swear!¡±
As frustrating as Jonas¡¯ answer was, Jadis could easily believe it. The man clearly wasn¡¯t high in the chain ofmand. His knowledge of the operation would naturally be limited and if Egilhard had half a brain, he¡¯d be delegating as much responsibility to subordinates as possible to put lots of distance and usible deniability between him and the criminal activity.
¡°And for the record,¡± Syd interjected, ¡°what exactly are you all doing down there?¡±
Jonas blinked clearly thrown off by the question. After a couple of seconds, his brain seemed to catch up and he quickly answered.
¡°Mining! We¡¯re mining eleria, down in those tunnels. We¡¯re taking it back to war and shipping it back to the maind.¡±
So A had been right. Dys nced back at her redheaded girlfriend, briefly meeting her eyes. She didn¡¯t exactly look happy to have her theory proven true, but that was at least partially due to her having her cool fa?ade in ce.
¡°How long have you been at it? And how did you figure out the tunnels?¡± Jay questioned Jonas, keeping the momentum going.
¡°More than a month, closer to two,¡± the soldier replied. ¡°I¡¯m not sure exactly. All I know is that captain Hakon said he had maps from before the demonic invasion, maps from the miners that showed several long, straight tunnels that run from north to south deep under the mountains. He said they hadn¡¯t been explored much before the invasion happened, but when he heard about the unnatural straight tunnel from, er, well, when you three were down there, he thought it was more than coincidence. He said he found a connection point during the initial survey and covered it up in the reports. He, uh, recruited men he said he could trust. Got us to clear a way through to the parts he had maps for, then had us start mining as much as we could.¡±
¡°And how much are you getting paid for doing this?¡± Jay demanded. ¡°Don¡¯t try to tell me you volunteered out of some sense of selfless generosity towards captain Hakon.¡±
Jonas hesitated, his expression turned momentarily shamefaced. He swallowed loudly, his eyes no longer meeting Jay¡¯s.
¡°A cut of the profits once the eleria sold back on the maind. Fifty eagles upfront. For our discretion.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡±
¡°Cut the bullshit,¡± Syd hissed, one hand moving to the man¡¯s shoulder and squeezing tight enough to make his armor creak. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re holding back.¡±
¡°Promotion!¡± Jonas winced. ¡°Promotions for all of us! We¡¯d all go up a rank at least, maybe more! I was told I¡¯d be made a lieutenant!¡±
¡°You?¡± Wi scoffed, speaking up for the first time since Jadis started her interrogation. ¡°What rank are you, soldier? Are you even a sergeant?¡±
¡°Corporal,¡± he replied miserably. ¡°Second ss.¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t too familiar with military ranks, but she knew enough to know that the leap from corporal to lieutenant was a big one, with several ranks between skipped.
¡°Promotions like that for everyone?¡± Jay asked. At Jonas¡¯ nod, she continued. ¡°How many of you are involved? That you know for sure.¡±
¡°Seventy, I think,¡± Jonas answered after he thought for a moment. ¡°I would say seventy. Or maybe a little less? I don¡¯t know how many of the men back at the docks really know what¡¯s going on or are just being paid to look the other way when the boxes are delivered.¡±
That was a lot of people. A lot of promotions, too. More than Jadis would think feasible considering the rigidness of most military structures. From Wi¡¯s expression, Jadis could tell her assumption was spot on. That many big promotions wouldn¡¯t make any sense. Not unless there were vacancies to fill, of course¡
¡°Here,¡± Jaymanded as she sat Jonas down on the ground in front of captain Wi. ¡°Tell her every name you know from your merry band of smugglers along with anything else she wants to know. Don¡¯t leave a single detail out, and don¡¯t make mee back over here. If I have toy another hand on you, I promise you won¡¯t enjoy it.¡±
Jonas nodded vigorously as he copsed onto the cave floor in front of Wi. Relief flooded his face as his whole body sagged once Jadis released him. Then Wi took a step closer to him and started barking her ownmands.
¡°Stand up maggot!¡± she ordered harshly. ¡°At attention! You¡¯ll be lucky if you aren¡¯t hanged after your court martial once we get back to Far Felsen. Keep talking and maybe you¡¯ll save your miserable neck from being stretched.¡±
Jadis left the prisoner and any further interrogation to Wi. She¡¯d gotten everything she wanted to know from the man and didn¡¯t care to be around him or the soldiers any longer. She strode away from the gathering, putting some distance between her selves and the activity. What she really wanted to do was crawl into a warm bed far, far away from anyone who¡¯d ever muttered the names Egilhard or Vraekae even in passing and sleep for a month or two. That dream didn¡¯t seem likely to be real, though.
Jadis¡¯panions moved in to be near to her, though not too close. They all gave Jadis¡¯ selves some space and it was easy to guess why. She hadn¡¯t exactly been subtle with her anger. For D¡¯s sake, she¡¯d threatened violence against Wi, or at least heavily implied it. Even after walking away, her expression was still thunderous, something she could see thanks to her multiple expressions.
Gods, her burned face really was awful.
As Jadis stood there for a few moments in silence, breathing slow and hard through her nose, she caught sight of movement in the corner of one of her eyes. Hanging from its spot on the front of the wagon, she saw Alex inside its ss cage, wiggling and moving around in an excited manner. When she met eyes with the little demonling, it started moving even more, practically tossing itself at the ss in an attempt to move towards her.
With a sigh, Jay took the cage down from the wagon and opened it up, letting the little hatchling out. It immediately wriggled its way up her arm and to her shoulder, then to Jadis¡¯ surprise, it climbed onto her hairless head and began moving its many tentacles across her skin, almost like it was¡ petting her?
¡°Well that¡¯s not creepy as fuck or anything,¡± Kerr muttered as she watched the demon stroke Jay¡¯s head.
Thement,bined with the visual which her other bodies were well able to see, made Jadis chuckle. The brief guffaw quickly escted into an all-out bellyugh as both the absurdity of the situation and the stress of the past couple of days got to her. The others just stared as Jadis got her almost manicughter under control, wiping away a few tears that managed to leak out of her eyes.
At some point, as she got her emotions under control, she realized that someone had moved closer to her. Eir hade up to Jay¡¯s side and was holding onto her hand in aforting gesture. Once she realized, Jay squeezed the elf¡¯s hand back.
¡°Sorry,¡± Syd muttered. ¡°I¡¯m¡ªwe¡¯re all a little stressed out. We¡¯re better now. Thanks.¡±
¡°You need a drink,¡± Kerr told her, no tease in her voice. "And maybe a good hot meal.¡±
¡°You need sleep,¡± A said as well. ¡°
All of you. You¡¯ve been running yourself ragged trying to do everything. You¡¯ve got to rest.¡±
They were, of course, right. She needed to rest. She just wasn¡¯t sure how she was going to be able to get any proper rest out in the field when there were so many dangers everywhere. She was the strongest, she was the one that had been sent by a god to Oros on a mission. She had to make sure everyone was safe. She¡ª
She was being a fucking twat. Even as she thought it out, she knew she was. Sure, she was physically the strongest, but herpanions were all powerful in their own right. In fact, she wasn¡¯t certain she could beat A or Kerr in a straight fight. A¡¯s magic damage was huge and more than capable of both locking her down and hitting multiple targets at once, plus it was a damage type she had virtually no defense against. Kerr¡¯s single-target damage was massive now, especially with her upgraded enchanted bow. She didn¡¯t know for sure how much damage she could do with one shot, but she knew it would fucking hurt if it hit her. The archer was literally capable of ying drakes solo.
All of that was to say that Jadis needed to let go and trust herpanions. She did, implicitly, of course. But her protective instincts were getting in the way. She needed to take a break. She just wasn¡¯t certain this was the time to do it.
¡°Yes, you¡¯re right,¡± Dys said.
¡°You¡¯re both right,¡± Syd continued the thought. ¡°We really need to sleep, and Jay needs some care, too.¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± Jay added with a sigh. ¡°I lost my cool there for a bit.¡±
¡°Hey, if that¡¯s losing your cool, it¡¯s not all bad then,¡± Bridget chimed in after a brief pause. ¡°I mean, you didn¡¯t actually hurt anyone yeah?¡±
¡°Well, no, but¡ª¡±
¡°That asshole deserved to have the piss scared out of him,¡± Kerr asserted with a sharp gesture. ¡°And Wi¡¯s an idiot for getting mad about it. You just saved her a night¡¯s messy work, at a minimum. She¡¯ll get over it.¡±
¡°She¡¯s n¡ªnot that upset,¡± Thea spoke up in her quiet way. ¡°If she w¡ªwas, she¡¯d have, ah, stopped you. She w¡ªwanted him to t¡ªtalk.¡±
Jadis privately wasn¡¯t so sure, especially since she didn¡¯t know how the captain would have been able to, but she trusted Thea¡¯s judgement. She knew Wi better than her, that was for sure.
¡°My cousin is¡ difficult to handle at times,¡± Eir murmured as she squeezed Jay¡¯s hand, sending a pulse of healing magic through her. ¡°And her actions cane across as rather¡ unteral. However, I don¡¯t believe her intentions are malicious, not regarding you or us. And, if I may say, I am at least thankful for some parts of her interference, since it was because of her interference we were brought together. The same can be said for more than just me, I think.¡±
¡°Yeah, there is that,¡± Jay smiled down at Eir. ¡°I hate to admit it, but she
did match us up, didn¡¯t she?¡±
Unexpectedly, Eir started giggling, a response Jadis hadn¡¯t expected to her admission. She quickly realized why, though, as the others around her let out a few giggles andughs as well. Alex had positioned itself directly on top of Jay¡¯s head, its tentacles acting as a sort of wig. It was even curling up the tips into an odd but definitely purposeful stylized pose.
¡°Okay, thank you Alex,¡± Sydughed as she took the little demon off of Jay¡¯s head to hold in her hands.
¡°Okay, all the mushy stuff aside,¡± Dys announced as she got everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°And yes, I n on getting some kind real rest, but considering everything we just learned: what¡¯s the n?¡±
Chapter 235: Burnt Out
Chapter 235: Burnt Out
Fortune¡¯s Favored spent a good hour discussing the pros and cons of the various actions they could next take. Now that they¡¯d uncovered an obviously serious level of corruption in the military, the question hade down to whether they should immediately return to Far Felsen or continue the search for the allied avatar located somewhere in the mountains. Their debate went on for so long that halfway through, Wi approached them to join in on the conversation, having finished getting all the details she could out of Jonas.
Wi hadn¡¯t been happy with Jadis. In fact, if her expression was anything to go by, she had a lot to say that wouldn¡¯t be all that friendly. However, the captain was clearly both a pragmatist and a professional. She didn¡¯t bother chiding someone who she had no authority over to begin with. Instead, she focused on giving her own input for the situation, at least for the moment.
On the one hand, Wi wanted to get back to the city and report her findings as quickly as possible. Jonas¡¯ testimony and her ount of what they¡¯d seen were vital evidence that Vraekae needed to pursue action against an illegal smuggling operation that could potentially have some high-ranking backers. Capturing Jonas alive was a major boon to the investigation since whether his testimony was true or false, his mere presence in the mountains served as evidence of wrong-doing and supported Wi¡¯s eyewitness testimony of who she had seen in the mines. The main reason for the rush, in Wi¡¯s argument, was the fact that the soldiers down in the tunnels would likely report that Jonas had been taken and the leadership in charge of the operation could try to cover up their actions once they knew a witness to their crimes was unounted for and was potentially in the hands of people who could use that information against them.
On the other hand, Jadis didn¡¯t want to throw away her chance at finding an ally who could help her with her connection to the gods. Not that she could exin the details to Wi, but her expedition was ostensibly out in the mountains searching for Nephilim ¡°survivors¡± from her falsified backstory. There was a built-in time crunch to her cover story thanks to theing winter. If they ended the expedition now, she wouldn¡¯t get another chance for many months, not until winter was over. By then, the person Jadis was looking for could have left the area, or worse, be dead. They were in a hostile, demon-infested forest, after all.
Ultimately, the decision came down to two points. The first being, Jadis wasn¡¯t willing to let Vraekae¡¯s wishes tantly override her goals anymore. The Magistrate was powerful and very much thewful authority of thend, but Jadis wasn¡¯t going to just bend over and take it because of a few threats and implications. She had her own ns, and a D given mission to boot. Vraekae¡¯s objectives just weren¡¯t a priority. She was willing to help Wi and the other soldiers because they were good people but not to the point ofpletely throwing away her own ambitions.
The second point, which A made in support of Jadis, was that there was no indication that the corrupt soldiers knew about Wi and her investigation. No one had seen Jadis or the rest of the group that had been sent down into the tunnels. In fact, they had a decently good cover for their actions thanks to the bandits. The soldiers were no doubt far more likely to assume that the attack hade from the bandits trying to get their capturedpanions back versus an investigation group sent by Vraekae. After all, Wi had been sent north as a protection detail for Jadis and Fortune¡¯s Favored.
By the end of the hour-long debate, they¡¯de to an agreement, though not one that everyone was happy with. Like most things in life, it came down to apromise.
¡°It¡¯s settled then. We¡¯re going to set out for the second location tomorrow,¡± Dys announced with a firm nod of her head. ¡°We¡¯ll search that area for no more than three days. After that, whether we find anyone or not, we¡¯ll skip the third location and head back to Far Felsen.¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± Wi said with a frown. ¡°If it will help move things along quicker, my troops and I will aid you in the search once we get to this second mountain.¡±
¡°Just a shame you can¡¯t help us get to the mountain faster,¡± Syd sighed. ¡°This wagon is a bitch to pull.¡±
Syd emphasized her statement with a couple of knocks on the wooden beast. Her action caused Alex to squirm inside of its ss cage where Syd had set the little demonling aside during their discussion.
¡°If it were in my power,¡± Wi let out her own weary sigh. ¡°In truth, I¡¯d rather we immediately ride out on our horses with that fool Jonas in tow. If we had our equipment still, I¡¯d take the risk.¡±
¡°Too many demons around for that,¡± A interjected, repeating a point she¡¯d already made. ¡°Besides, those bandits could still be in the area. It¡¯d be pretty embarrassing for you to be caught by them again, not to mention far more deadly.¡±
¡°True,¡± Wi said mildly. ¡°In any case, I have arrangements to make with my men. Goodnight, all.¡±
After turning to go, Wi stopped after taking just a couple of steps. She turned to look up at Jay, Dys, and Syd, a serious expression on her face.
¡°Just so you three know, if any of you had actually tried to torture that man, I would have stopped you. Weapons or not.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Jay answered after a tense pause. ¡°I think¡ I think we went too far in the heat of the moment.¡±
¡°You did. But it was just a threat, and one not seen through. A threat to a fool who deserves the gallows is something I can let pass. There are others of more import than me who would not have taken your words so well. Bear that in mind for the future.¡±
With that final word, Wi turned and left Fortune¡¯s Favored to their business.
Now that she¡¯d had an hour to cool her head with some calm, rational discussion, Jadis was starting to feel more and more like aplete and total bitch. Had she really threatened to torture that man? Really? She didn¡¯t consider herself to be some paragon of virtue or anything, but torture? What the fuck had she been thinking?
Not much, she had to admit to herself. She was just¡ angry. Angry, frustrated, and in a lot of pain. She still hurt, even though her health had been restored to its maximum. Jay¡¯s body was still a mass of burn scars since Eir hadn¡¯t used her restoration spell on her yet and the feel of her too tight, disfigured flesh wasn¡¯t just ufortable; it legitimately hurt her to move.
¡°I, uh, I think I¡¯m going to go rest now,¡± Jay saidmely, suddenly feeling awkward. ¡°Let me know if I¡¯m needed.¡±
¡°If it¡¯s an emergency,¡± A said. ¡°But go get some sleep. All of you.¡±
¡°We need to keep a watch on¡ª¡± Syd started to say but was abruptly cut off by a stern word from the redhead.
¡°No. Go to sleep. All three. We can handle the watch without you.¡±
Jadis didn¡¯t argue further. One look at A¡¯s expression told her that to do so would be a monumental error. Almost sheepishly, yet still trying to maintain some air of dignity, Jadis let herself be sent to bed like an unruly child in need of a nap.
The camp that had been set up inside of the cave was much more cramped than any they¡¯d done outside. There was no room for their tent-wagon setup. ces on the cave floor had still been made for them all to rest though, with Fortune¡¯s Favored separated from the soldiers. That wasn¡¯t where Jadis was directed, though. Instead, A and Eir both made sure that Jadis¡¯ three selves all went inside of the wagon, sequestering her from the rest of the camp.
It was a tight fit, but in short order Jadis¡¯ selves were wrapped up in nkets on the floor of the wagon interior, their limbs tangled together in a still-life version of a mosh pit. As overcharged as Jadis¡¯ mind was with the worry of everything that needed to be done, the moment she closed all three sets of her eyes, she was lost in the darkness of a dreamless sleep.
At some point, Jadis half-woke to the sound of a whispered discussion. She could hear A and Eir talking, and Kerr as well. She smiled, reaching out towards her lovers and found warm hands that held her own as she drifted back into a deep sleep.
In that timeless way of unconsciousness, Jadis woke from her sleep to the sound of a gentle humming. Someone was running their fingers through her hair while singing a wordless tune, quiet enough to not wake her. It took Jadis a few moments to orient herself, but as her awareness slowly came back to her, she realized that Jay¡¯s head was lying in Eir¡¯sp, the priestess the one responsible for the song. Her other two selves were both wrapped up tightly around Jay, turning her into a solid mass of Nephilim.
¡°What¡¯s that song called?¡± Jay asked, her eyes half-open and unfocused.
¡°
The Peace of Forgotten ces,¡± Eir paused her humming, though she keptbing her fingers through Jay¡¯s white hair. ¡°A favorite of mine, one that my mother would sing to me often when I was a child.¡±
¡°It¡¯s lovely,¡± Jay murmured.
Eir resumed the song, flowing through several more wordless verses as the tune repeated itself. Jadis simply listened, not thinking about anything as her mind drifted in a calm mist of peace. Eventually, when the song came to an end, the gears in Jadis¡¯ brain began to turn again and Jay quietly blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
¡°I really fucked up earlier, didn¡¯t I?¡±
Eir paused, one hand still holding Jay¡¯s hair while the other moved to her brow. The priestess ran her fingers across Jay¡¯s eyebrows, smoothing them out gently as she quietly contemted Jay.
¡°Yes, you did.¡±
¡°I shouldn¡¯t have threatened that man like that.¡±
¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t have,¡± Eir said as she began stroking the top of Jay¡¯s head. ¡°Do you understand why?¡±
Jay opened her mouth to answer, then froze. Her first instinct was to say it was wrong to torture someone, even if they were an enemy. But she didn¡¯t think that was the answer Eir was looking for. Not the only one, at least. Staring up into the face of her beautiful, lovely, elvenpanion, Jadis thought back to what she¡¯d said in the heat of the moment. Her face fell as she came face to face with the memory of just how monstrously she¡¯d acted.
¡°¡for a lot of reasons,¡± Jay admitted as her throat tightened up. ¡°Not the least of which, I was going to force you to heal him so I could hurt him even more.¡±
Eir simply nodded, her expression cid as she continued to run her fingers soothingly through Jay¡¯s white tresses.
¡°That was a cruelty I never expected to hear from you,¡± Eir told her. ¡°That would have been a terrible position for you to force me into.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Jay said quietly. ¡°Sorry.¡±
¡°Anger and violence aren¡¯t always the way forward,¡± Eir said as one finger traced the line of Jay¡¯s chin. ¡°You are a powerful warrior. Potent and full of strength, you can take what you want with brute force. But you are also full of kindness. You are gentle and loving to those who are close to you. Your grace and mercy even extends to the lowliest of creatures, treating that demon hatchling with morepassion than any demon deserves. That part of you should be just as known to the rest of the world as it is known to me.¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t all that sure about Eir¡¯s assessment of her personal traits, but the loving way the priestess spoke soothed her while at the same time reminded her that she did need to do better. She¡¯d been far too frustrated with the situation and had taken it out on both the hapless idiot soldier and Wi, neither of whom deserved her wrath.
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Jay repeated. She gently disentangled her hand from her other selves and took a hold of Eir¡¯s hand, bringing it close to her lips so she could kiss the palm. ¡°Really. I¡¯m sorry I said those things. I won¡¯t do it again.¡±
¡°You were lost,¡± Eir said as she brought Jay¡¯s hand up to her own lips. ¡°Now you havee back to us. Should you stray again, I¡¯ll simply have to knock some sense into you.¡±
¡°Please do,¡± Jay smiled.
¡°Also,¡± Eir frowned slightly as she shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t let yourself grow so worn again. If you are tired and hurt, don¡¯t hide the truth from us. You are not an ind, nor are you expected to be our perfect protector. Depend on us as we depend on you.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll try to remember that,¡± Jay said solemnly.
¡°Also,¡± Eir continued with a wry smile, ¡°would you please try to make amends with my cousin? I truly think the strife between you two needs toe to an end.¡±
¡°That turbo-bitch is the one who needs to make amends with me,¡± Jay growled as her brow furrowed. ¡°She¡¯s the one that¡ª¡±
¡°Jadis,¡± Eir warned as she forcefully smoothed the frown out of Jay¡¯s brow with her hand.
¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll think about it.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Eir smiled. ¡°Now, I believe it is well past time for you to eat something. Breakfast should be ready by now.¡±
¡°That sounds good,¡± Jadis agreed as three stomachs rumbled as one at the mention of food. ¡°But first, I think I have a few people to apologize to.¡±
Chapter 236: Awkward
Chapter 236: Awkward
Apologies were awkward. Triply so when there were three of you to do the apologizing. Still, Jadis dutifully sought out captain Wi, Lutz, and the rest of the soldiers to offer her apologies for her outburst the day before. Even the ones who hadn¡¯t been directly involved, Jadis made sure to talk to. She didn¡¯t want there to be any misunderstandings, not with how poorly she¡¯d acted.
Most waved her off with simple eptance. Wi was particrly formal, though her rigid response actually helped to settle Jadis¡¯ nerves rather than worsen the tension between them. The captain made it clear that no personal insult had been taken, even if she had been unhappy with her on a professional level. The one conversation that had surprised her, though, had been when she¡¯d spoken to Gunnar, the extremely muscr blue elf.
¡°How old are you?¡± Gunnar had asked.
¡°I, uh, we¡¯re twenty-two years old,¡± Jay answered, surprised by the question. Gunnar was a quiet man and she¡¯d barely spoken to him during their trip so far.
¡°You have a great deal of power and responsibility for one so young,¡± Gunnar said with a solemn nod. ¡°How old would you take me to be?¡±
¡°Well, you look like you¡¯re in your twenties, but I¡¯d guess older since you¡¯re an elf.¡±
¡°I am seventy-three years old,¡± Gunnar informed her with a small lift of one eyebrow. ¡°As one much older than you, I can promise you that you are not alone. We all have our breaking point, and it rarelyes at convenient times. It is good you have so many loyalpanions to support you and keep you centered.¡±
¡°We¡¯re really lucky, yeah,¡± Jay smiled. ¡°It¡¯s been a rough trip. A rough few months, too. Lots of good and bad all at once, you know?¡±
¡°So it would seem,¡± Gunnar agreed. ¡°Just remember to take the time you need to breathe, Jadis.¡±
¡°Yeah, we will,¡± Jay said with a brighter smile before nodding and starting to move away.
Jadis froze a momentter as she realized the name Gunnar had called her. It hadn¡¯t been Jay, the self he¡¯d been talking to, he¡¯d called her Jadis. No one used that name but herpanions, and only in private. The elf shouldn¡¯t have known her real name. Jay slowly turned back to look at the man, her eyes wide.
¡°Did you just call me¡?¡±
Gunnar looked up at her, his expression as calm as ever. He looked around to make sure no one else was near before moving closer to Jay and whispering to her so quietly that she almost couldn¡¯t hear him.
¡°It would also do you well to remember that there are races in the world with excellent hearing. I do not believe anyone else knows of your true nature, but due to the volume of some of your conversations, I could not help but overhear at times.¡±
¡°Shit. Okay, yeah, uh, I¡¯d appreciate your discretion, Gunnar,¡± Jay said, her mind reeling as she was caught off guard by the realization that the man knew her secret. ¡°I don¡¯t really want many people to know¡¡±
¡°It is your personal business,¡± Gunnar readily agreed. ¡°I of course respect your desire for privacy. I would ask, though, that you and yourpanions work on restricting the volume of your night-time activities. Some of you are¡ overly exuberant. The noise can make it difficult to sleep.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll¡ªI¡¯ll make sure to keep that in mind,¡± Jay nodded dumbly, embarrassment welling up in her chest as it became obvious what activities the elf was referring to. ¡°Does anyone else¡?¡±
¡°Not that I know of on that ount,¡± Gunnar shook his head. ¡°But considering the open nature of the rtionship between you and the others in your guild, the possibility is a frequent topic of discussion among the other soldiers.¡±
¡°¡Of course it is.¡±
After that, Jadis left Gunnar¡¯s side as quickly as she could, heat burning her face in an entirely non-magical way. Breakfast among her team became an especially awkward ordeal as she exined to everyone else what Gunnar had told her. Out of everyone, Eir and Kerr were the least affected by the information.
¡°There are times when we have been less than circumspect in our activities,¡± Eir mused as she daintily sipped pottage from a wooden spoon. ¡°At least Gunnar has the tact to inform you in a discreet way before it became a bigger issue.¡±
¡°Yes, the sex thing is whatever,¡± Kerr rolled her hand in a dismissive gesture. ¡°But now that guy knows about you and your, uh, you-ness. You okay with him knowing that big of a secret?¡±
¡°What am I supposed to do about it?¡± Syd shrugged helplessly. ¡°I¡¯d rather he didn¡¯t know, but it¡¯s not like I can do anything now that he does.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Kerr grinned sharply, ¡°as you showed us all yesterday, you can have a mean streak in you. Maybe you take Gunnar there behind a few trees and tell him exactly how much damage you can do if he¡ª¡±
Kerr¡¯s words were cut off as A¡¯s hand struck the side of her head with a meaty whap.
¡°Stop being a negative influence,¡± the mage told her in no uncertain terms. ¡°Good gods you are a nuisance sometimes.¡±
¡°What?¡± Kerr squawked, ¡°It was just a joke! Sort of.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not going to threaten Gunnar,¡± Dys told Kerr firmly. ¡°He¡¯s a good man. I¡¯ll just have to trust that he won¡¯t share my secret. But if he does, I¡¯ll deal with the consequences when theye up.¡±
There really wasn¡¯t much more to say on the matter. Jadis knew her multi-bodied nature was something she wouldn¡¯t be able to hide forever. The more people who knew about it, the more likely the secret would get out. She didn¡¯t think Gunnar would purposefully spread the information, but it also wasn¡¯t his responsibility to cover for her either. Besides, she was a lot morefortable with the idea of people knowing now than she used to be. So far, everyone she had told had reacted with surprise but no revulsion or condemnation. It was an unusual and unique skill, but not a taboo one. The only real danger she could see was the possibility of her enemies finding out the weaknesses of her multiplied bodies and using those ws against her. She would just have to make sure to keep those details as close to her vest as possible.
With food in her stomachs, her bodies fully healed to their normal state, and a lot less weight on her mind, Jadis felt leagues better than she had before. She hadn¡¯t even realized just how tired and strained she was until after she¡¯d gotten some rest. Jadis made a promise to herself to keep better track of how she was feeling so that she could avoid getting to such an extreme point again.
Not that she was going to have the time to take it easy in the near future. With breakfast over and camp packed up, Jadis donned her armor and harnesses, ready to pull the Behemoth once again. She was leaving Sweet Pine Valley for a third and, she fervently hoped, final time. Most of the memories surrounding the ce were far from good ones.
It took time to make their way out of the vige, especially with the traps that had beenid in the pathways, but once they got out onto the proper road, the group was able to pick up a lot of speed. Not too much speed, though. There were still too many threats in the area for them to carelessly rush forward.
Kerr resumed her duty of ranging out and around the wagon as they made their way south again, while soldiers on horseback rode ahead and behind to guard against ambushes and sneak attacks. The weather had taken a turn for the better, the sky clear and sun bright, which both helped and hindered. The good light made it easy to see and harder for things to sneak up on them, but the warm weather melted the snow and turned the road into a muddy ordeal.
The n was to head south to the Crossroads Fort so they could take the road that headed west from there. The route was far from the straightest path to their destination, but the road would be by far the faster option whenpared to trying to pull the giant wagon through the untamed forest. By A¡¯s estimation, it should take them no more than a week to get to the second split peak mountain, so long as there were no furtherplications.
Furtherplications were definitely a big worry on everyone¡¯s minds, but by the end of the long day of southward travel, they proved to be unfounded. There had been little to get in their way. No dangerous magic beasts attacked them and hardly any demons blocked their path. There were no human enemies, either, be they bandits or criminal soldiers. The biggest excitement of the day came from when one of the soldiers, Ada, announced that she had gained a level after she had helped kill a couple of bramble fiends in the early afternoon.
The trip from Sweet Pine Valley back to the Crossroads was going to take them two days no matter how hard they pushed, so once they reached the same clearing on the side of the road they¡¯d used before, they stopped to set up camp for the night. It took them no time at all to set up, though extra care was spent making sure there were no surprises waiting for them in the form of traps left by the bandits.
¡°I don¡¯t think they came through here,¡± Kerr announced as she returned from a sweep around the perimeter. ¡°No tracks, no fires, no shit or piss. Haven¡¯t seen any sign of them since their trail veered east off the road a mile away from the vige.¡±
¡°That doesn¡¯t mean they kept to that direction,¡± Amented with her arms crossed. ¡°They could have doubled back at some point.¡±
¡°Of course they could have,¡± Kerr snorted. ¡°They could have double and triple backed. No way to know with all this melted snow. But they haven¡¯t been around here recently, at least.¡±
¡°What do you think the odds are of them being at the fort again?¡± Jay asked with a frown. ¡°They¡¯ve certainly had enough time to set up more traps and another ambush.¡±
¡°Possible,¡± Kerr shrugged. ¡°But we won¡¯t know until we get there.¡±
¡°If I were them, I¡¯d cut my losses and flee,¡± Bridget spoke up from where she stood next to Jay¡¯s left elbow. ¡°I mean, revenge is nice and all, but there weren¡¯t that many of those assholes left. We outnumber them now, and they weren¡¯t able to beat us even when they had the numbers advantage and a defensible position. If I was in their position, I¡¯d grab whatever eleria I¡¯d mined and make a dash for the coast. Catch a ship to somewhere warmer to the north.¡±
¡°I would, too,¡± A agreed. ¡°I just won¡¯t bet our lives on the possibility they made a reasonable choice.¡±
As Jay, A, Kerr, and Bridget discussed the bandits, Dys and Syd worked to set up a nice barrier between their side of the camp and the soldiers¡¯ side of the camp. She wasn¡¯t about to bring it up directly with Wi or any of the others, but now that Jadis knew at least Gunnar was aware of their sex-scapades, she was going to try and take as many precautions against unintentional exhibitionism as she could. After all, they¡¯d gone about as long as they could before their rituals needed recharging. A was out of her reserves as well, so there was a double reason for them to engage in some private time.
Triple the reason, when Jadis took into consideration that she just felt like she needed some good old fashioned sexual healing to help rx her after the stress of the past few days.
As Dys worked to set up a second bonfire on the far side of the wagon, as she nned on using the wagon as a divider between Fortune¡¯s Favored and the soldiers, Sabina approached her with a tap on her side.
¡°Yes?¡± Dys nced over at the smith, noting the glowing orange dagger she was holding in one hand.
¡°I thought you might want to hold onto this,¡± Sabina told her as she held out the weapon. ¡°I noticed that it was too small for someone with hands as big as yours, not that you have weirdly big hands or anything, just that you are overall proportionally much bigger than everyone else so a dagger that fits in my hand won¡¯t fitfortably in yours. Anyway, I added some wood to it that makes the handle longer so you can hold it more easily. It¡¯s not pretty, but it¡¯s the best I can do out here without better equipment, though I doubt I
could do better with better equipment because I don¡¯t think I can alter the dagger without damaging the enchantment, but this isn¡¯t really an alteration since it¡¯s more of an addition.¡±
¡°Thank you, Sabina,¡± Dys grinned at the over-eager half-elf. ¡°This is really nice.¡±
The malediction dagger that had once caused Jadis so much pain at the hands of Legs was now resting firmly in her grasp. The weapon really was too small for her, the de about ten inches long and the handle little more than half that. A perfectly reasonable size for most any human or elf, but far too small for a Nephilim. To ovee the size difference, Sabina had carved a two-piece cover out of wood that went over the dagger¡¯s actual handle, securing it in ce with rope and the cross guard on the de. It was a much better fit in her hands with the cover, though not exactly an elegant look.
¡°I¡¯m not sure how often I¡¯ll use this,¡± Dys mused as she tested the feel of the dagger in her hand, ¡°but it¡¯s definitely better to have it as an option than not.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true!¡± Sabina chirped brightly. ¡°I was thinking I might try to take it apart and learn from the enchantment once we get back to Far Felsen so I can possibly replicate the effect, but even a casual look at the runes tells me the craftsmanship is way, way above my level. Whoever made this weapon had some really, really high stats and was probably an expert enchanter with three sses fully dedicated to that field. Are you nning on having sex tonight?¡±
Dys had been nodding her head as Sabina talked, half-listening to her talk about enchantments as she continued to set up the bonfire. She blinked a few times as her brain caught up with Sabina¡¯s unexpected question.
¡°Yeah, I was,¡± Dys raised one eyebrow at the smith. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure everyone wants to keep their attribute buffs.¡±
¡°Okay, I thought so,¡± Sabina bounced on her feet happily. ¡°That¡¯s perfect timing then! While you and Kerr and Bridget and Wi and Jaxton and Landry and¡ªokay, that was all of you, yeah. While you were all down in the tunnel, I made some progress with those enchantments I was working on! I didn¡¯t bring it upst night because, um, the mood was kind of not good and I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d want to talk about it, but since everyone seems to be a lot less prickly now, I thought you¡¯d want to give this a try!¡±
With a somewhat silly flourish, Sabina pulled a strip of leather from behind her back and presented it to Dys.
The thin piece of brown leather had several pieces of scales and bones arranged in three roundish disys, each one of the imperfect discs covered in a variety of etched runes. There was a simple sp on the end of the strap, making it clear that it was meant to be secured in ce.
¡°For me?¡± Dys asked, taking the strap between two fingers. ¡°I mean, it looks nicer than thest one, but I¡¯m not sure howfortable those discs are going to be around my you-know-where.¡±
¡°You mean your cock?¡±
¡°¡Yeah, that.¡±
¡°No need to worry about that!¡± Sabina grinned. ¡°This one isn¡¯t for you to wear, it¡¯s to put on someone else! It¡¯ll only work once, but if I did it right, it should make it so that whoever puts this on around their neck, they¡¯ll keep from orgasming for one full hour, or until the cores off.¡±
¡°Huh,¡± Dys grinned back at Sabina, looking at the leather cor with a newfound appreciation. ¡°Pretty damn cool, Sabina. Excellent work! Guess we¡¯ll have to take the opportunity to test it tonight, huh?¡±
¡°Yes!¡± Sabina said happily. ¡°I wonder who wants to try it out first?¡±
Chapter 237: Collar
Chapter 237: Cor
¡°Oh¡ªoh! Nonononono¡ªMmph!¡±
¡°Hush,¡± Syd purred as she put a hand over Sabina¡¯s mouth from behind. ¡°We¡¯re trying to be quiet, remember?¡±
¡°Hmmmph!¡±
¡°It¡¯s not that bad, is it?¡±
¡°Hmm-mm-mmph!¡±
¡°Perhaps you should give her something to focus on?¡± Eir suggested from the side, amusement evident in her voice. ¡°It seemed to help during our training.¡±
¡°Good idea,¡± Syd grinned at Eir.
Syd slowed her already measured strokes as Dys slid into ce in front of Sabina. Jadis felt a strong temptation to shove Dys¡¯ cock into the smith¡¯s mouth and find out just how much Anatomical Adaptation would help her with getting her thick shaft down Sabina¡¯s throat. None of her girls had ever done more than get the tip of her cock into their mouths, an understandable restraint considering the size of member. Still, Jadis had a feeling that the skill she had for enabling unusuallyrge insertions should allow for deeper oral pration than she¡¯d been experiencing so far with her lovers.
Maybeter, Jadis decided. One experiment at a time.
Dys leaned back on one arm, giving Sabina full ess to her pussy nestled below her cock. Like a starving woman, the prone half-elf pulled herself forward and began licking and sucking at Dys¡¯ core, muffling her own moans with the fervency of her oral attack.
¡°Holy shit, you
are good at that,¡± Dys mumbled as she let out a grunt of approval. Her right hand began to stroke her turgid cock as she leaned a little further back, eyes half-closed as she enjoyed Sabina¡¯s mouth. ¡°All that talking gave you a quick tongue, huh?¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t sure Sabina heard herment. With Dys¡¯ thighs around her ears, she probably couldn¡¯t. That was fine, she didn¡¯t really expect an answer, she just wanted the smith to keep doing what she was doing with her tongue. The way she rapidly moved it across her pussy lips, then swirled around her clit in unpredictable patterns before diving into her tunnel as deeply as she could was definitely doing things for her. Jadis didn¡¯t know if Sabina was doing it on purpose or not, but the rapid changes in where and how she licked and sucked were sending shivers up and down Dys¡¯ spine.
¡°Fuck, you¡¯re so tight,¡± Syd couldn¡¯t help but add her ownment as she continued to thrust inside of Sabina¡¯s wet core.
The half-elf¡¯s tunnel was gripping onto her as tight as a fist, little shuddering movements going up and down her shaft as Sabina
almost came, but never quite reached that point. Her pussy dripped with need and her walls quaked with a near-constant peak, yet she never quite went over the edge.
The cor worked.
Syd smiled down at the little strap of leather around Sabina¡¯s neck. They¡¯d only been going at it for ten or so minutes so far, but considering Sabina normally would have climaxed three or four times by then, clearly the enchantment was working. The cor wasn¡¯t perfect, though. Jadis could see that one of the bone circles with runes etched into it was already starting to crack, meaning it would likely break after one use just as Sabina predicted. She could probably craft more permanent versions of the cor once they were back in the city, but for now just having a one-time use enchantment would be extremely helpful.
¡°Mmm, mmph!¡±
Now if only Sabina could create some kind of sound dampening device as well¡
Syd slowed down again, barely moving at all as she held her cock as deep within Sabina as it could go. Her hips ground against the smith¡¯s ass as she waited for her to back a little further away from the edge. Jadis had gotten ahead of herself, pounding the half-elf¡¯s prone form with more speed than she¡¯d intended, thus putting poor Sabina in a constant state of ¡®almost there¡¯ which was, frankly, too much for anyone to handle for long. Jadis knew exactly what being on the edge for too long felt like herself and didn¡¯t want to inflict it on Sabina.
¡°Maybe, maybe I should go check and see if anyone heard that?¡± Bridget whispered nervously. ¡°I mean, what if¡ª¡±
¡°Shh,¡± Jay hushed the orc. ¡°The others are on watch. If we¡¯re too loud, they¡¯ll let us know.¡±
Jay sat a little further back from Sabina and her other two selves. She was half naked, nothing on but her pants, leaning against a cushioned wagon wheel. Eir had chosen to curl up under Jay¡¯s right arm, her own clothes discarded as she pressed her hot body up against Jay¡¯s side. Bridget, on the other hand, sat with a fair amount of distance between her and Jay. She had taken off her armor but was still wearing all of her clothes. She was also sitting in a rather ridged pose, her eyes constantly drifting towards the threesome in front of her while also trying not to stare.
¡°Maybe we should check to make sure just in case?¡±
¡°Bridget,¡± Jay rolled her eyes before putting a hand on the orc¡¯s shoulder and drawing her in a little closer. ¡°Calm down. We don¡¯t have to do it tonight if you don¡¯t want to. We can wait until we find a more private location.¡±
¡°No! No,¡± Bridget quickly shook her head before firmly pressing herself up against Jay¡¯s side in a mirror of Eir¡¯s position. ¡°We don¡¯t know when the next big fight will be. I¡¯d rather do
it now, when we have a chance, than regret itter.¡±
¡°If you¡¯re sure,¡± Jay said softly as shefortingly stroked Bridget¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Yes,¡± she confirmed resolutely. ¡°Absolutely.¡±
A, Kerr, and Thea had all agreed to take first watch that night together for the explicit purpose of giving them all a chance to take Sabina¡¯s orgasm denial cor for a test run. Since those three were on watch, the soldiers were asleep and there was less chance of there being any interruption or anyone overhearing the lewd activities being performed on their side of the camp. There was another reason for those three being the ones to go on watch, though. Bridget had yet to activate the first skill of her new secondary ss, Stoke the Ardent me. Once Sabina¡¯s test run waspleted, it would be Bridget¡¯s turn.
¡°Oh, fuck,¡± Dys shuddered as she cursed a little more loudly than she meant to.
¡°I¡¯d say
you¡¯re the one that needs to hush!¡± Bridget whisper-shouted at Jay, giving her a cross look.
¡°Sorry,¡± Jay chuckled. ¡°Sabina is
really good with her tongue. It¡¯s getting really hard to hold back.¡±
Indeed, both of her other bodies were nearing their limit. Syd was knelt behind Sabina, her knees spread wide to get her closer to the ground as she thrust into the prone smith from behind. Sabina¡¯s legs were closed tightly together, stretched out behind Syd where they stuck out between her spread legs. The position made Sabina¡¯s already tight core even tighter, her constantly quivering walls squeezing her to the point where it was almost hard to move. Combined with the half-elf¡¯s almost frantic licking, both Syd and Dys were struggling to stave off their climaxes.
¡°Let me help,¡± Eir said as she got up from where she was cuddling against Jay. ¡°We should collect your potent seed for A.¡±
As the gorgeous red elf took a few steps towards the threesome, she stopped and turned to look at Bridget, her full beauty on open disy.
¡°Would you mind helping me as well, dear Bridget? I¡¯ll handle Dys if you would be so kind as to gather what you can from Syd.¡±
¡°Uh, sure,¡± Bridget nodded after a second, her expression a mix of temptation and nerves. Temptation clearly won, though, as she got to her feet. ¡°What should I do?¡±
Jadis decided that Eir had be quite good at eliciting temptation.
Syd practically growled in her chest as the tightness in her lower belly increased. Her cock twitched and throbbed deep within Sabina¡¯s pussy, her hot and wet depths begging her to release her seed inside. She was close, growing closer by the second as her hips pped against Sabina¡¯s tan ass.
Dys pulled away from Sabina, her own twitching cock ready to burst. Eir guided her to stand before her, taking her steel shaft in hand as she aimed to collect her cum. The sight of the achingly beautiful elf kneeling before her, her perfect tits on disy as the sly priestess held the bowl she was going to use to collect her seed just
below her breasts. Almost like she was giving her a target.
Sabina¡¯s face pressed down into the nket, a constant litany of muffled wordsing from her now that she didn¡¯t have anything to distract her. Syd leaned forward and put her hand around Sabina¡¯s mouth again, helping to keep her quiet as she continued to fuck the daylights out of her.
¡°Hey, um, how am I supposed to do this?¡±
Syd nced over at Bridget who was awkwardly kneeling next to her, another metal bowl in hand, this one smaller than the one that Eir held.
¡°I can¡¯t, um, really do anything like this, I don¡¯t think. I mean, it¡¯s kind of¡ª¡±
Bridget cut herself off as Syd abruptly moved. Jadis was a problem solver, after all, and this one was easy enough to address.
Syd rose to her full height, standing up with her cock still buried to the hilt inside of Sabina. She held the smith tightly against her, right hand still holding onto her mouth to keep her muffled while her left hand held onto her hip. Sabina squealed loudly into Syd¡¯s right palm with the abrupt move, her legs iling wildly for a second at the unexpected change in position. To help hold her up better, Syd¡¯s left hand moved to cup both of the Smith¡¯s legs under her knees, holding them tightly together to keep that wonderful yet extreme tightness going.
¡°There,¡± Syd huffed. ¡°I¡¯m almost fucking there.¡±
¡°Uh¡ªah! Right,¡± Bridget moved to get under Sabina, positioning her bowl close to where Syd¡¯s cock stretched her pussy lips. ¡°What the fuck am I even doing right now¡?¡±
¡°Coming,¡± Syd grunted as she began thrusting hard and fast into Sabina, her strokes short but powerful.
After just a few seconds, Syd felt the tightness in her belly release as her massive cock pulsed inside of Sabina, instantly filling the half-elf with hot cum. Syd swayed in ce, barely able to keep on her feet as her whole body tingled with each burst of thick seed she delivered directly into Sabina¡¯s womb. In moments the smith¡¯s belly was full and cum that had nowhere else to go began pouring out from around Syd¡¯s shaft.
Bridget did her best to catch it all, using the bowl to gather the thick ropes of cum that dripped down. She was breathing hard as she did so, her mouth hanging open slightly as the intensity of the sight and smells seemed to get to her. At one point, it almost looked like Bridget was going to bring the bowl to her lips, however she seemed to catch herself, blinking the haze of lust out of her dark eyes.
¡°Hold on, there¡¯s more,¡± Jay quietly told Bridget, surprising the orc and making her jump. ¡°Just stay there.¡±
Jay had walked up to join them, thest of her clothes discarded as her cock bobbed in the air before her. She leaned up against her other self and took hold of Sabina¡¯s legs in one hand and taking her shoulder in the other. Syd then took a step back, pulling her member free from Sabina as Jay lifted.
Syd¡¯s cock slipped out of Sabina¡¯s wet core, allowing a torrent of cum to pour out. Most of it made it into the bowl held in Bridget¡¯s hands, though when Syd¡¯s cock popped free it had bounced and sttered the orc¡¯s face with a few more spurts of sticky seed, making the woman flinch.
¡°Sorry,¡± Syd sighed contentedly as she knelt down. ¡°Here, let me get that for you.¡±
Bridget didn¡¯t seem to know what to do, her hands full with the sloppy bowl. There was a long strand of cum sttered across her face, inconveniently covering one eye. Leaning in close, Syd licked her own cum off of Bridget¡¯s face with one long, slow stroke of herrge tongue, leaving a shiny trail in her wake. Once she had it all, she leaned back and asked Bridget a question, holding the seed within her mouth.
¡°Sorry, did you want some?¡± Syd questioned innocently, the cum in her mouth barely getting in the way of her words.
¡°Oh, you are bloody mad, aren¡¯t you,¡± Bridget answered as her face flushed a darker shade of green. ¡°An absolute sex maniac.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Syd agreed after swallowing the sweet load in her mouth. ¡°Maybe not as much as her, though.¡±
Bridget looked behind her to where Syd indicated and saw the lewd tableau Dys and Eir had created. The priestess¡¯ chest was covered in cum, more of it on her breasts than in the bowl. Some had gotten into her purple hair and onto her smiling face, too, though most of the thick white seed was stered across her bare tits. The sight was intoxicating,pelling Jadis to want suck Eir¡¯s beautiful breasts clean right then and there. Probably Eir¡¯s intention, now that Jadis thought about it.
¡°Maybe,¡± Bridget mumbled after a moment, obviously taken in by the sight as well.
Jay stood still with Sabina cradled in her arms. The smith was panting hard, her head lolling back as her eyes stared up into nothing. Her whole body twitched asionally, never quite moving in a coordinated manner, but seemingly like she was trying to.
Having given Sabina a few moments to recover, Jay whispered into her slightly pointed ear.
¡°Hey, you didn¡¯t cum, did you?¡±
¡°No,¡± Sabina moaned in response, her head shaking tiredly. ¡°I was so, so, so close. But I just couldn¡¯t get there.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Jay nodded before firmly pressing her cockhead against Sabina¡¯s hot slit. ¡°We¡¯ve still got a lot more testing to do.¡±
¡°Oh! Oh my¡ªohhh, yes, yes, yes¡ªMmph!¡±
Chapter 238: Working Out the Kinks
Chapter 238: Working Out the Kinks
By the end of the hour, Sabina was a quivering mess. Shey in a sodden heap, cum dripping off of her tan skin and out of her well-used pussy. She was conscious, barely, but her eyes remained closed as she mumbled a continual stream of nonsense. Jadis almost felt bad for the woman, except for the wide yet tired smile that was stered across her face.
The cor hadn¡¯t made it out of the intense fuck session so well as Sabina. The bone and scale amulets decorating the leather strap had all shattered to pieces, turning the used-up enchantment into a worthless pile of junk. The device had aplished the goal, though. Once a full hour had passed, the enchantment had ended and Sabina had been wracked with the most powerful orgasm of her life. Maybe it was unintentional, or maybe it was just the nature of the spell it was based off of, but all the pent-up sexual frustration that came from being on edge for so long had released all at once, leading to a bone-quaking climax that had genuinely worried Jadis for a few moments.
Sabina had actually gone fully silent for a solid minute as she¡¯d rode out the storm.
Eir was, as usual, an absolute angel. As soon as Sabina¡¯s body had ceased shaking in climax, she¡¯d taken the smith from Dys¡¯ arms and held her gently, helping her toe down from the incredible peak she¡¯d just tumbled off of in spectacr fashion. Eir sat with Sabina¡¯s head in herp, tenderly caressing the stunned smith as she murmured her own sweet nothings in response to Sabina¡¯s half-cognizant ramblings.
The angelic effect was somewhat spoiled by the fact that both were naked and covered in cum, but the premise still stood. Eir was an angel. A very, very lewd angel.
Jay, Dys, and Syd all sat nearby, chests heaving as sweat shone across their marble-pale skin. Fucking Sabina for so long had not only been fun, but it had also been a workout. Especially since Jadis had managed to work in a few rounds with Eir at the same time. Certainly not the longest or the hardest she¡¯d ever done the deed, which was a weird sentiment all on its own, but she definitely needed a moment to catch her breath and drink some water.
¡°Want some?¡± Jay asked as she held a jug of water to her left.
¡°No, I¡¯m good.¡±
¡°Are you sure?¡± Dys asked as she took the jug from Jay. ¡°It¡¯s important to stay hydrated, you know.¡±
¡°You¡¯re the one¡ªer, three that need to stay hydrated. How much cum did you actually, uh, cum? Where in the abyss does it alle from?¡±
Syd raised one eyebrow as she looked at Bridget. The orc woman was sandwiched between Jay and Dys, their naked bodies pressed up against hers, while Syd was sitting across from them, her legs drawn up under her as she leaned heavily on one arm.
¡°You know, I have no idea,¡± Syd shrugged. ¡°I half-expect magic is involved. I mean, with the volume I put out, there has to be some magic to it, right? I feel like I¡¯d be a dried-up husk after one night if there wasn¡¯t.¡±
¡°But I also think we have internal testes,¡± Jay mused. ¡°I can feel a kind of clenching tightness in my lower stomach whenever I¡¯m getting close, and when I do cum I can feel a sort of pulsing, throbbing sensation in that same spot. I think that¡¯s where it¡¯s alling from.¡±
Bridget blinked, ncing down at Jay¡¯s stomach.
¡°You mean you¡¯ve got
balls in your belly?¡±
¡°Maybe?¡± Dys answered as she took the jug away from her lips. ¡°I know some animals work like that. Like elephants. We might be the same.¡±
¡°What¡¯s an elephant?¡±
¡°Uh,¡± Jay paused, unsure if she¡¯d just broached an Earth-only topic. ¡°Kind of like a huge, fat horse with a really long nose? Big tusks, all gray? They¡¯re not magical beasts, either, just big animals.¡±
¡°Do you know about elephants?¡± Syd asked Eir, now curious if this was an animal that didn¡¯t crossover from her old world to her new one.
¡°I have heard of such beasts,¡± Eir nodded. ¡°I believe they hail from the western continent. They are quite rare, or so I have heard.¡±
¡°Huh,¡± both Syd and Bridget made their own nonmittal noises.
There was a brief, awkward silence between the four as they seemingly ran out of things to say. Well, Sabina was still mumbling, but her input was somewhat inconsequential for the time being.
¡°So, how do you want to do this?¡± Jay finally ventured to ask, not wanting to drag things out any longer. ¡°I think the ball is in your court, Bridget.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not the one with balls,¡± Bridget looked confused, then her face shifted as she caught onto the metaphor. ¡°Oh, you mean¡ªI get it. I thought we were still talking about, you know,
those kinds of¡ªnever mind.¡±
¡°Hey, we still could be,¡± Dys pointed out. ¡°And you could have some, if you¡¯re interested. We have a ritual for that. You could get the whole package, if you want.¡±
¡°Might make aplishing your skill prerequisites a little easier on you,¡± Syd continued. ¡°It says the effect increases depending on how many Nephilim you have sex with at the same time, but it doesn¡¯t say you can¡¯t, you know, be the ¡®man¡¯ of the situation, right?¡±
¡°I guess so?¡± Bridget looked torn as she nervously bit her lower lip. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it, a lot. Er, not just the sex part. The effects part.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve been thinking about sex with us a lot, have you?¡± Syd teased as she gave the flustered orc ascivious grin.
¡°Shut up, nutter,¡± Bridget scowled cutely. ¡°You know what I meant. The skill is supposed to be for different Nephilim. There¡¯s three of you, but you¡¯re all still, you know, you. Is it even going to make a difference if we do it one on one versus all three? Shouldn¡¯t you just count for the one time?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Jay let out a big breath. ¡°We won¡¯t know for sure until we try it, but I personally think we¡¯ll count as three for the skill. A has a skill called Nephilim Saturation. It increases her magic value by fifty points per Nephilim she has sex with and she currently has a one-hundred-and-fifty-point boost. Clearly, we count as three for that skill.¡±
¡°On the other hand, for the purpose of our Lascivious Empowerment ritual, we only count as one participant,¡± Dys pointed out. ¡°So it¡¯s not consistent. Or at least, whatever the guiding principle is, we haven¡¯t figured it out yet.¡±
¡°Now that I think about it out loud, though,¡± Syd pondered with a tilt of her head, ¡°the difference there is that one is a skill while the other is a ritual. Maybe that¡¯s what defines the rules, so to speak?¡±
¡°Either way, I think it¡¯ll be best if we test out all three of me with you at the same time, just to confirm if it goes one way or the other,¡± Jay finished as she smiled down at Bridget. ¡°But if you¡¯re getting cold feet and don¡¯t want to go through with it, that¡¯s fine too. I don¡¯t want to do anything you aren¡¯tfortable with.¡±
Bridget was still biting her lower lip, brow furrowed in concentration, but at thest few words from Jay, she looked up with a determined expression.
¡°I¡¯m not doing anything I don¡¯t want to,¡± she said firmly. ¡°I like you. I mean, I like having sex with you. I mean, I like you, as a person, too, but I also like the fucking, which is what we¡¯re talking about here, and I mean¡ Fuck!¡±
Bridget leapt to her feet with a frustrated huff and, with a growl, pulled her shirt over her head, exposing her bountiful chest. She tossed the article of clothing aside as she stared around at the three Nephilim sitting in a circle around her.
¡°Look, just fuck me already, okay? It¡¯s not that idea that¡¯s making me nervous, it¡¯s the waiting. I¡¯m getting all bothered and it wouldn¡¯t be so bad if you just, you know, did it already.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Syd let out augh as she grinned up at the frustrated warrior. She couldn¡¯t help but let her eyes linger on her breasts, though. Bridget really was stacked. ¡°But the question still stands: how do you want to do this?¡±
¡°Well, you know,¡± Bridget waved her hand in a circle. ¡°Just stick it in, right? We didn¡¯t have much trouble doing it thest couple of times. Pretty fun, actually.¡±
¡°True,¡± Dys said as she got onto her knees and crawled up right behind Bridget. ¡°But those have all just been one of me at a time. This time it¡¯s all three of us. I can think of a few creative ways we can do this, but ultimately what we do is up to your level offort.¡±
¡°I¡¯m open to suggestions,¡± Bridget said as she looked over her shoulder at Dys.
¡°Mm,¡± Jay hummed as she got up close to Bridget. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind finding out what it feels like fuck these.¡±
Teasingly Jay ran her fingers over the sides of Bridget¡¯s breasts, eliciting a sharp intake of breath and a shiver from the orc. She avoided touching her dark green nipples, but both rapidly perked up with just the slight touches. Only Eir rivaled Bridget in size, both probably equal though it was hard to say considering the two women¡¯s overall height and body-type differences. They were more than a handful, even for Jadis¡¯ Nephilim-sized hands, and the thought of sliding her cock between Bridget¡¯s heavy tits sent a delightful thrill through Jadis.
¡°That¡¯s, um, not that weird, I guess,¡± Bridget murmured as her breathing quickened. ¡°What else?¡±
¡°Other than the usual way?¡± Syd said with a grin as she sidled up close to Bridget¡¯s left. ¡°I could fuck your armpit?¡±
¡°What!?¡±
¡°Shush!¡± Syd hushed Bridget with augh. ¡°It¡¯s not really my thing, but I¡¯ve heard of some people who are into that sort of thing.¡±
¡°Could use your knees, too,¡± Dys pointed out as her hands rested on Bridget¡¯s hips. ¡°One on each side. Might be kind of fun.¡±
¡°Or I could fuck your feet,¡± Syd suggested with a wink. ¡°Just press them together and go to town. Again, not really my thing, but I¡¯d be willing to give it a try, if just to see what the fuss is all about.¡±
¡°Those really are bloody weird ideas,¡± Bridget chuckled nervously as the three Nephilim pressed even closer to her, their hands roaming more and more across her barely clothed body. ¡°I, uh, I¡¯m not sure about those.¡±
¡°Then there¡¯s always the traditional way for these kinds of things,¡± Dys whispered into Bridget¡¯s ear. ¡°Nothing wrong with choosing the ssic.¡±
¡°What do you¡ªoh!¡±
Bridget¡¯s question was cut off as Dys¡¯ hands dipped below the waistband of her pants to cup her full ass. Dys eagerly kneaded the pliant flesh, enjoying both the feel and the way Bridget shivered and leaned into the touch. Just to make sure her point was clear, Dys let one of her pinky fingers wander, lightly stroking against Bridget¡¯s rear entrance.
¡°I, uh, I¡¯ve never done anything like that,¡± Bridget responded with an audible gulp. ¡°Not that I¡¯m exactly saying no, ¡®cause I¡¯ve always been kind of curious, but yeah. Would that really work out, what with how big you are?¡±
¡°I was able to fuck my own ass with no problem,¡± Jay said, grinning at the startled look on Bridget¡¯s face. ¡°Pretty sure my adaptation skill will cover it.¡±
¡°We can take it slow at first,¡± Syd suggested. ¡°See how you like it. We¡¯ve always got your feet as a backup n if it turns out you¡¯re not into it.¡±
Bridget looked skeptical at first, but with Jay¡¯s hands kneading her breasts, Dys¡¯ hands massaging her ass, and Syd¡¯s hands teasing her lower stomach, Bridget¡¯s eyes unfocused in a familiar lustful gaze. Her breath was starting toe out in more of a pant as her dark eyes grew even darker, while her skin twitched and shivered with tension. After a long moment, Bridget shook her head, dark hair spilling left and right.
¡°To the abyss with it, let¡¯s give it a go. Fuck my ass, Jadis.¡±
Chapter 239: Quartet
Chapter 239: Quartet
As eager as Jadis was to begin, she wasn¡¯t going to put Bridget¡¯s safety or enjoyment at risk by skipping any steps. First things first, she needed to make sure her orc lover¡¯s lovely rear was properly prepared for the pration that was toe. Fortunately, Jadis¡¯ seemingly inexhaustible supply of slippery seed was more than suitable for the task.
As Jay and Syd continued to distract Bridget with the loving attention of their hands and mouths, Dys lowered herself further to get on level with her ass. There was plenty of cum to go around, both in a few bowls and on her bodies, so it was easy enough for Dys to swipe a some up with her fingers. Keeping Bridget¡¯s cheeks spread with her left hand, she used her right to gently rub her fingers around her twitched hole.
¡°Ah!¡± Bridget let out a little cry as her back shivered. ¡°That¡¯s¡¡±
¡°Just rx,¡± Jay whispered in her ear. ¡°I promise, it feels way better than you think it will.¡±
¡°Not the same as being pussy fucked, mind you,¡± Syd rified as she nibbled on Bridget¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s a super different feeling. But it¡¯s nice fullness that makes you feel hot and bothered. Before you know it, you¡¯re already moaning in delight.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Bridget said shakily, then let out a low moan of her own. ¡°R¡ªright, that is¡ that is, uh¡¡±
Jadis supposed Bridget could be forgiven for her inability to finish a sentence. While Syd had been talking, Dys had slipped the tip of her middle finger into the orc¡¯s ass. With slow and careful motions, Dys wiggled her finger in and out of Bridget¡¯s bum, never quite leaving fully. Over the course of a couple of minutes, she deepened her strokes, delving up to her first knuckle, then her second, then all the way in.
As Dys probed her, Bridget moaned and groaned, her lewd noises tickling Jadis¡¯ ears. The smell of her sex filled the air, making Jadis¡¯ cocks throb with each deep breath she took. The scent was frankly too much of a temptation and Syd slipped two of her fingers into Bridget¡¯s sopping pussy, gathering the sweet juices before bringing them to her lips. The warrior orc watched with lust-hazed eyes as Syd licked her fingers clean. Once she was done, Syd¡¯s fingers returned to Bridget¡¯s core for more.
¡°Want a taste?¡± Jay crooned into her ear as Syd offered her rewetted fingers to Bridget. ¡°You¡¯re delicious, I promise.¡±
After a slight hesitation, Bridget wordlessly opened her mouth, epting Syd¡¯s fingers. With a lewd moan, she sucked Syd clean, seeming to enjoy her vor almost as much as Jadis. Her sexy noises turned suddenly higher pitched as Dys slipped a second finger into her rear.
¡°How¡¯s that feel?¡± Syd asked, her teeth shining in the dim light. ¡°Better than you thought, right?¡±
Bridget nodded, still sucking on Syd¡¯s fingers.
¡°How about this?¡± Jay asked as Dys inserted a third finger, stretching Bridget¡¯s hole.
Jadis could see the momentary difort on Bridget¡¯s face, though it quickly melted away as Dys continued to pump her fingers into her, twisting her hand with each stroke. Soon Bridget¡¯s hips were rocking as she pushed her ass back against Dys, eagerly weing her intrusion into her depths.
¡°I knew you¡¯d like this,¡± Syd teased as she went back to nibbling on Bridget¡¯s green flesh. ¡°I could tell you¡¯d be into the kinky stuff.¡±
¡°Mmmph,¡± Bridget protested around Syd¡¯s fingers, though with no real effort. Even as she made her muffled moan, she kept licking the fingers that teased her tongue.
By that point Bridget¡¯s knees were starting to wobble, the pleasure making her unsteady. As Dys pushed three fingers in as deeply as she could, Jadis judged Bridget was as ready as she could be for the next step. Pulling back, she withdrew her fingers to leave Bridget¡¯s hole stretched and quivering.
Unable to help herself, Dys leaned in and gave Bridget¡¯s ass a yful bite, making the orc jump.
¡°Up you go,¡± Jay said as Bridget jumped from Dys¡¯ teasing nibble.
With her great strength, Jay easily lifted Bridget up, one hand under her knees and the other under her right arm to support her back. As she moved, so did her other selves. Dys sat down, legs spread out, her steel-hard cock standing tall. As Jay lowered Bridget down, Dys guided her cockhead to rest against the warrior¡¯s stretched rear. In the moment that Dys¡¯ tip touched her, Syd once more pressed two of her fingers into Bridget¡¯s pussy.
¡°Just rx,¡± Syd repeated. ¡°If it starts to feel like too much, just tell me.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Bridget nodded, one hand clenching Jay¡¯s shoulder while the other held onto Syd¡¯s free hand. ¡°I¡¯m ready, just sodding do it.¡±
Jadis smirked at the choice of words, but otherwise said nothing as she focused on her actions.
Syd¡¯s fingers continued to stroke Bridget¡¯s core, trying to give her lots of distracting pleasure as Dys¡¯ cockhead pressed hard against her opening. It didn¡¯t feel like it was going to fit, but Jadis had only to remind herself that the same could be said whenever she fucked any of her girls. Her cocks were absurdly proportioned, after all. So, Dys held firm as Jay pressed Bridget down.
Slowly, very slowly, Dys felt the tip of her cock enter into an enticing warmth. It was just the tip, but the heat and tightness were intoxicating, making her want more. With a little more carefully measured strength, Jay pressed down harder. Then harder again.
Suddenly, with no warning at all, Bridget seemed to open up and Dys was inside her. Bridget let out a loud groan, one that was probably too loud considering they were trying to be quiet, but Jadis couldn¡¯t bring herself to care about that. Not with Bridget¡¯s ass wrapped around one of her cocks.
¡°Fuck,¡± Dys hissed, ¡°You¡¯re so fucking tight.¡±
Bridget was indeed tight. Tight and hot in an entirely different way from normal, her ass clenched around Dys¡¯ cock, almost to the point of being painful, though not quite. Jadis held her there, desperately wanting to plunge Bridget down her pole so she could feel her intense tightness around her whole length yet resisting the urge for herpanion¡¯s sake. She wanted to give Bridget time to adjust to the massive intruder that had entered her back door.
¡°Well?¡± Bridget moaned after a few moments, her head rolling back as her chest heaved.
¡°Well what?¡± Jay asked, slightly distracted.
¡°Aren¡¯t you going to put the rest in?¡± Bridget panted, an almost feral look in her eyes. ¡°Or are you going to make me wait all fucking night?¡±
¡°At yourmand,¡± Jay grunted.
In one long, smooth motion Jay sheathed Dys¡¯ cock with Bridget¡¯s ass. Both let out their own low moans that twirled together like a duet, only finishing when Bridget¡¯s butt rested firmly against Dys¡¯ pelvis. The two sat there, bound, for several long moments as they breathed heavily, adjusting to the intensity of the sensation.
¡°Oh fuck,¡± Bridget groaned as she leaned back against Dys. ¡°Ah¡ just¡ fuck!¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Dys echoed as she wrapped her arms around Bridget¡¯s waist, feeling her shaft through the orc¡¯s stomach. ¡°You feel so fucking good.¡±
¡°Ah, yeah,¡± she replied as she slowly squirmed in Dys¡¯ grasp, her body shifting and moving as she adjusted to the feeling. ¡°You were right, this is very different. Very bloody different. It, ah, it¡¯s just, I feel so full, it¡¯s making my head spin. Ah, uh, I think I like this. I think I like this a lot.¡±
¡°I¡¯m d you do,¡± Dys sighed as she felt Bridget¡¯s intense heat squeeze her cock like a vice. ¡°You good with part two, though?¡±
¡°Part, ah, two?¡± Bridget echoed as she slightly raised her hips before sliding back down Dys¡¯ cock.
¡°Didn¡¯t forget about the rest of me, did you?¡± Syd asked with a wide grin.
Syd was waiting patiently, positioned between Dys and Bridget¡¯s spread legs. Her cock throbbed with anticipation, waiting for the moment where she would get to take the warrior from the other side. Bridget¡¯s belly was already bulging from Dys¡¯ dick in her ass. How much more could she handle?
¡°Oh, right,¡± Bridget blinked, seeming to recall the practical reason for their debauchery. ¡°I, uh, I guess I¡¯m ready. Shit, this is going to be nuts.¡±
Despite her less-than-confident words, Bridget pressed back against Dys, opening her legs wider to give Syd willing ess to her core. It was a beautiful sight from Syd¡¯s position, seeing her orc lover¡¯s pussy wet and waiting for her, while her other self¡¯s cock was shoved up her rear. The erotic moment made Jadis wish for a camera, though she figured she¡¯d just have to settle for a good memory, and the strong potential that this was not a one-time urrence.
Eagerly Syd pressed her tip against Bridget¡¯s warm slit, obscenely rubbing her cockhead against her. Bridget was already dripping wet and Syd¡¯s cock was still slick from all the previous fucking. It took little effort for her cock to slide into Bridget¡¯s warmth, her tight folds practically pulling her in.
¡°Oh, oh fuck, oh fuck!¡± Bridget groaned, then cried out in a mix of pain and pleasure as Syd stretched her further and further.
She was tight. She¡¯d always been a tight fit, just like all of her lovers, but now with one of her selves already deep inside her, Bridget was proving to be tighter than Jadis would have thought possible. She could feel Syd¡¯s cockhead rub against the underside of Dys¡¯ cock as she pressed in, their lengths pressed up tightly against one another with only a thinyer of sensitive flesh between them. Bridget¡¯s core pulsed and fluttered and stretched around her, letting her in deeper and deeper. The gloriously lewd sensations made Jadis blind with lust as she focused on nothing but the feeling.
All of a sudden, Syd found that she couldn¡¯t go any further. Realizing she¡¯d closed her eyes at some point, she opened them to see that her groin was pressed tightly up against Bridget¡¯s, their bodies intertwined. There was an even greater sight, though, just a little further up. Bridget¡¯s beautiful stomach, normally rock solid and well defined, was bulging outward with the shape of not one, but two giant cocks.
¡°Oh gods!¡± Bridget moaned lewdly. ¡°Gods above, how can I feel both so deep inside me?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Syd panted as she ran her hands over Bridget¡¯s thighs, ¡°but I fucking love magic. I really want to start moving now.¡±
¡°Do it,¡± Bridget told her, her lust-crazed eyes pleading for more. ¡°Fucking pound me, I want it!¡±
¡°What about me?¡± Jay asked from the side. ¡°Still have one more cock to go, you know. Where do you want me?¡±
¡°Bloody abyss,¡± Bridget panted, then squirmed in Dys¡¯sp in just the right way to make them all shudder. ¡°Fucking wherever, I don¡¯t care. Shove it down my throat, just fucking fuck me already!¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t argue with a request like that. Not that she could see herself ever wanting to.
Dys leaned back, putting her back to the ground as she took Bridget with her. Syd made herselffortable on her knees between her other self¡¯s legs and Bridget¡¯s, ready and waiting to fulfil the warrior¡¯s request. Jay, however, had a decision to make. Bridget had just given her permission to plunder her throat, something she was happy to do, but how to go about it? After all, she had a lot of cock to fit down Bridget¡¯s gullet.
After only a brief moment of thought, Jadis decided on the most obvious solution. It had worked the first time Jadis had decided to suck herself off, so it should do just as well for the new situation.
Jay got into position with her pussy over Dys¡¯ face. Thanks to their height difference, this meant Bridget¡¯s mouth was in perfect position for Jay¡¯s cock. pping her heavy meat against the side of her face, she grinned down at her orc lover.
She didn¡¯t even need to ask to be let in. Bridget¡¯s lips opened wide as her tongue slid out, readily weing Jay¡¯s cock. Without pause, especially since her other selves were barely containing their need to start moving, Jay crammed her cock into Bridget¡¯s eager mouth.
The sight was¡ strange. Bridget¡¯s mouth didn¡¯t stretch wider to make room for Jay, but instead her cock seemed topress just enough to make what shouldn¡¯t have been possible, possible. In a second, her whole cockhead was inside, filling Bridget¡¯s mouth. In another moment, her tip was breeching Bridget¡¯s throat, making her gag in a spine-tinglingly erotic way. A second after that, Jadis could see her shaft bulging out Bridget¡¯s throat in an absolutely obscene disy.
¡°Mother of D¡¡± Jay hissed as she went further than she intended, unable to resist the pleasure.
Jay went a little more than half-way down before finding the will to stop and pull back. It was almost painful to do so, her over-sensitive cock was just begging her to stay buried inside of Bridget¡¯s throat, but Jadis had to make sure. Jay pulled all the way out, her cockhead popping free with a stter of saliva and precum.
Bridget coughed loudly, her chest heaving as she looked up at Jay past her spit-shined cock.
¡°Why the fuck did you stop?¡±
¡°Girl, I haven¡¯t even started yet,¡± Jay smirked before shoving her cock back in.
Acting as one, Jadis¡¯ bodies fucked Bridget. There was no slow buildup. That time had passed. With almost savage intensity Syd began pounding her cock into Bridget¡¯s pussy while Dys thrust into her ass from below. They moved in perfect rhythm with one another, as one entered as deep as she could go, the other pulled out as far as was possible. Lewd pping sounds of wet flesh on flesh echoed around them as they fucked, a licentious melody that was enhanced by the song of Bridget choking on Jay¡¯s cock.
The feeling was amazing, almost indescribable. Jadis had fucked with all three of her bodies at once many, many times before by that point, but sensations that came from all three of her fucking the same lover at once was vastly different. Maybe it was thebined way she moved together, maybe it was the lewd sight, or maybe it was just the very idea of it, but having all three bodies pounding Bridget at the same time was bringing Jadis to her peak faster than it had evere before.
¡°Shit, fucking shit,¡± Jadis grunted as she fucked Bridget harder, unable to hold back her desires for much longer. ¡°So gods damned good¡¡±
She wanted Bridget to enjoy the experience as much as she was, but Jadis just wasn¡¯t going to be able to hold out for as long as she normally did. The tightness of Bridget¡¯s body was matched by the tightness in her own bellies as she neared climax. All she could do was hope that Bridget was close, too.
¡°Coming!¡± Jay grunted abruptly before pouring the first pulse of a massive load straight into Bridget¡¯s stomach.
In the same moment, Dys and Syd came, their cock¡¯s twitching as they fired their seed into Bridget from both sides, filling her stretched tunnels with her hot cum.
¡°Fuck,¡± Jay panted as she pulled out of Bridget¡¯s mouth, her second pulse overflowing out of Bridget¡¯s nose.
As soon as she she¡¯d pulled out, Bridget let out a choking cough, spraying cum as she cleared her abused airway. A secondter, she voiced a high-pitched, keening wail as she came, her whole body shuddering with the power of the orgasm.
Syd pressed down on top of her as she continued to pump her pulsing cock into her pussy while Dys did the same to her ass. As the two enveloped Bridetpletely between them, Jay shoved her still climaxing member into the mix, letting her sticky cum spill across them all.
It took time, but eventually their orgasms abated, leaving the quartet in a panting, heaving mess of sloppy, cum-drenched bodies. Jadis was in no rush to move, happy to let her cocks swim inside Bridget¡¯s over-stuffed holes, but she had to at least ask the question.
¡°So?¡± Dys asked, ¡°did it work?¡±
¡°Did¡ what¡ work¡¡± came the tired, slightly muffled reply.
¡°Do I count as three or one for your skill?¡± Syd puffed as she leaned back, revealing Bridget¡¯s cum and spit smeared face.
¡°I dunno,¡± Bridget slurred. ¡°My brain fell out of my ear at some point. Give me a minute to check.¡±
Jadis waited patiently, enjoying the feel of Bridget clenching and releasing around two of her shafts. After a longer wait than Jadis thought was probably necessary, Bridgetboriously raised her right hand, then extended three fingers.
¡°Nice,¡± Jay smiled as she leaned back on her heels. ¡°That¡¯s perfect. Now we know how it works.¡±
¡°So, since we¡¯re here anyway,¡± Dys said, making her cock jump inside of her lover¡¯s ass. ¡°Might as well do Wanton Replication, too. You up for that, Bridget?¡±
¡°I can do this¡ all night¡¡± Bridget gasped as she wiped a strand of cum from her eye.
¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Syd purred happily before pulling her cock halfway out and mming it back in, much to the delight of all involved.
Chapter 240: Seeing Results
Chapter 240: Seeing Results
¡°Hey, Jadis, wake up.¡±
¡°Huh?¡± Jadis blinked groggily, all three of her selvesing to consciousness at the same time.
¡°I know you had a long night,¡± Kerr said, her face hovering just above Syd¡¯s. ¡°But it¡¯s morning and you¡¯re going to want to get up and, you know, eat something other than your own cum. Maybe wash up a bit, too.¡±
¡°Right, okay,¡± Syd sighed before putting a hand on one of Kerr¡¯s horns and bringing her close for a kiss.
¡°I¡¯m getting up,¡± Jay grunted as she stretched, making her shoulders pop. ¡°What a night.¡±
¡°No kidding,¡± Kerr grinned as she pulled away from Syd. ¡°Can¡¯t believe you had the energy to fuck the rest of us after what you did to poor Bridget.¡±
¡°She okay?¡± Dys asked as she sat up, looking around.
The tent was empty other than her selves and Kerr, though she could hear the sound of talking and movement just outside.
¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Kerr brushed off the concern as she got to her feet. ¡°Worn out, though. Probably going to need a nap in the wagon while we¡¯re on the move. She¡¯ll be sleeping on her stomach for a while, too.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind napping in the wagon while you pull,¡± Syd murmured as she got to her feet and started stretching.
¡°
Dur coup, ma belle,¡± Kerr chuckled. ¡°Can¡¯tin about the wagon now, you asked for it.¡±
¡°True, true,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°At least it feels like it¡¯ll be a little easier to pull today than yesterday.¡±
¡°I noticed that,¡± Kerr grinned as she flexed the muscles on her right arm. ¡°Got to thank you and green bean for your tireless efforts. Who knew fucking could be so beneficial to your health?¡±
Jadis had to smile at Kerr¡¯s words. Fucking had indeed proved beneficial to not only her health, but the health of all of herpanions. Though for her, it was quite literal.
|
Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary ss: Mirror Knight (29)
Secondary ss: Perverted Ritualist of D (22)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 51
|
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Health: 1110/1110
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Magic: 310/310
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Attributes
|
|
Strength: 176
Dexterity: 41
Agility: 157
Vitality: 81
Fortitude: 51
Endurance: 53
|
Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 157
Focus: 1
Resilience: 30
Will: 5
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Jadis¡¯ stats had gone up massively thanks to replicating Bridget¡¯s Stoke the Ardent me skill. What held true for the orc held true for her, so having sex with herself had counted as three Nephilim, giving her fifteen attribute points in four skills of her choice. Naturally, Jadis had chosen Eldritch and Resilience, the former since it was her key stat and thetter since it was her greatest weakness. For the other two attributes, she¡¯d chosen Strength and Vitality. Both were her most important stats next to Eldritch, so a fifteen-point boost to each was amazing. Of course, they got more than just fifteen points total from the deal.
With her Eldritch stat going up to one hundred and fifty-seven points, Jadis¡¯ currently duplicated Minor Fractional Spread had given her an extra four points for each of her physical attributes. Thanks to her frankly overpowered stat-boosting skills, Jadis¡¯ lowest physical attribute, Dexterity, was up to forty-one points, a number that rivaled the primary stat point allocation of the average person at a simr level to her own. Her biggest attribute, Strength, had reached one hundred and seventy-six. That was more than a hundred points higher than Kerr¡¯s unaltered Dexterity stat, the main stat of a career mercenary who was eight levels higher than her.
With the application of a single skill and one night of fucking, Jadis¡¯ Strength had gone up by forty points.
¡°How high is your health right now, anyway?¡± Kerr asked as she watched Jadis¡¯ selves pull on some clothes after wiping themselves clean with some damp cloths. ¡°You¡¯ve got a skill that boosts it, right?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°An extra three hundred thanks to having three bodies. It puts me at eleven hundred and ten health points.¡±
¡°Holy tits,¡± Kerr let out a low whistle. ¡°You actually broke a thousand health points. I only know maybe two other people who¡¯ve done that, personally, and I¡¯m pretty sure Noll is one of them.¡±
¡°Never hurts to have more health,¡± Syd shrugged after pulling her shirt on. ¡°Who¡¯s the other person?¡±
¡°My dad,¡± Kerr said. ¡°And he had a ss specifically for it. Anyway, let¡¯s get some grub.¡±
With her stomachs growling, Jadis happily followed her girlfriend out into the open air of the camp.
It was a cold day, a chill breeze blowing through the trees, but the sun was shining brightly and it didn¡¯t look like there would be any clouds riding the wind. The camp was busy, the soldiers all actively taking down their camp and packing their gear. A few waved in her direction when they saw her, with no sign of anything wrong.
¡°I guess we weren¡¯t overheardst night?¡± Jay quietly asked Kerr as they walked over to their bonfire where the rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored was gathered.
¡°Nope,¡± Kerr smirked. ¡°Well, Gunnar heard something. But he¡¯s got sharp ears. Hard to hide all those ¡®ah, yes, fuck me¡¯ noises from him.¡±
Kerr made sure to enunciate her crudenguage in exactly the same way as it would sound during the act.
¡°Keep it up and we¡¯ll help you give the camp a live demonstration,¡± Dys growled into Kerr¡¯s ear.
¡°Promise?¡± Kerr winked back.
¡°Jay!¡± Bridget shouted, catching her attention before leaping into her arms to give her a powerful bear hug. ¡°Thank you so, so much!¡±
¡°Morning,¡± Jayughed as she hugged Bridget back. ¡°I guess you¡¯re liking your new stats?¡±
¡°Bloody right I am!¡± Bridget grinned at her before seeming to remember that she was very publicly hugging Jay in front of both the not-too distant soldiers and her two girlfriends. ¡°Ah, but, yeah. Thanks again, this really worked out great.¡±
Bridget awkwardly dropped down from Jay¡¯s arms, biting her lip as she gave A and Kerr a few nervous nces. Kerr just grinned back at her, a knowing look on her face, while A seemed utterly unfazed.
Carrying two big bowls of stew, A walked up to Dys and passed her one before motioning for her to join her. The two sat down together on a log by the fire as everyone else did the same, talking and eating their breakfast.
¡°I could tell Bridget¡¯s skill had worked out well once I checked my own status sheet,¡± A said after she had sipped a bit of her broth. ¡°But I wanted to go over the details with her. I would have asked herst night, but she was¡ out of it by the time our watch was over.¡±
¡°Yeah, she was,¡± Dys held back a grin as she ate her meal. ¡°We were at it for a while.¡±
¡°I¡¯m just d you still had enough in you for me, Kerr, and Thea. It would have been inconvenient to have to do the whole ritual again rather than a recharge.¡±
¡°What, are you trying to say you don¡¯t want me to scramble your eggs for an hour straight?¡±
¡°Tch,¡± A tsked, ¡°so crude. And I didn¡¯t say that. In fact, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve made it clear exactly how I feel about you and me.¡±
A¡¯s words were reinforced by her pressing up against Dys¡¯ side, close enough that she was forced to put her arm around A to let her snuggle in close.
¡°I just said it would be inconvenient to do the ritual. You do need some actual sleep at night.¡±
¡°True,¡± Dys nodded, ¡°that¡¯s true. Maybe I¡¯ll get a skill some day that¡¯ll let me trade out sleep for more time fucking. That¡¯d be pretty useful.¡±
A let out a delicate snort.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised, considering it¡¯s you. But until that timees, we¡¯ll just have to manage your sleep schedule. Anyway, tell me about your new stats. What are the final results?¡±
Jadis took the time to detail out all of her stat changes to A who nodded along approvingly. Everything was in line with how she¡¯d calcted, since Jadis had already told her which attributes she¡¯d nned on boosting should Bridget¡¯s skill work out. Once they were done talking about Jadis¡¯ stats, they went over everyone else¡¯s stats as well. Everyone had seen an increase thanks to Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond, though Bridget¡¯s attributes had seen the biggest changes.
|
A of Red Tree
Race: Human
Primary ss: Cart Driver (24)
Secondary ss: Nephilim Powered Arcanist (18)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 42
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Health: 120/120
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Magic: 450/450
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Attributes
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Strength: 10
Dexterity: 15
Agility: 20
Vitality: 12
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 15
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Arcane: 128
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 30
Resilience: 5
Will: 10
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Eir Aedraheill
Race: Elf
Primary ss: Beloved Cleric of Lyssandria (23)
Secondary ss: Lustful Oracle of D (6)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 29
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Health: 100/100
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Magic: 360/360
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Attributes
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Strength: 8
Dexterity: 12
Agility: 10
Vitality: 10
Fortitude: 8
Endurance: 10
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 134
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 36
Resilience: 10
Will: 20
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Kerr of n Nox
Race: Therion
Primary ss: Nox Archer (32)
Secondary ss: Far Wilds Traveler (27)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 59
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Health: 150/150
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Magic: 0/0
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Attributes
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Strength: 93
Dexterity: 67
Agility: 20
Vitality: 15
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 20
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 0
Resilience: 13
Will: 0
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Thea of Cold Brook
Race: Human
Primary ss: Imperial Soldier (27)
Secondary ss: Shieldsworn Guard (21)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 48
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Health: 250/250
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Magic: 0/0
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Attributes
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Strength: 25
Dexterity: 10
Agility: 12
Vitality: 25
Fortitude: 104
Endurance: 27
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 0
Resilience: 39
Will: 0
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Sabina Sarto
Race: Human / Elf Hybrid
Primary ss: Passionate Smith (20)
Secondary ss: Enchanter Smith of the Reborn (2)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 22
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Health: 130/130
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Magic: 120/120
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Attributes
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Strength: 20
Dexterity: 15
Agility: 15
Vitality: 13
Fortitude: 10
Endurance: 30
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 78
Focus: 12
Resilience: 5
Will: 20
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Bridget of n Warsong
Race: Orc
Primary ss: Lantern Light Landsknecht (20)
Secondary ss: Ardent Light of the Reborn (2)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 22
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Health: 200/200
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Magic: 200/200
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Attributes
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Strength: 37
Dexterity: 7
Agility: 13
Vitality: 20
Fortitude: 10
Endurance: 14
|
Arcane: 107
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 20
Resilience: 10
Will: 21
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Interestingly, both Sabina and Bridget had both gained a second level in their new secondary sses. Sabina was no real surprise to Jadis. The smith had managed to craft multiple enchantments in a short period of time with less-than-optimal tools and conditions. She absolutely deserved to gain a level thanks to all of her hard work. The sess with the anti-orgasm cor had been the tipping point, apparently.
Bridget¡¯s level was less expected. After all, Ardent Light of the Reborn was abat ss. Surely, she should get the majority of her experience from fighting. Yet, a night of hard fucking had apparently been enough to bump her up to level two. Jadis supposed it made some sense, since the ss was a lewd one, with its main skill dependent upon having sex with Nephilim.
That thought made Jadis pause internally. She now had threepanions with sses that were extremely dependent upon her existence. Eir¡¯s ss, as lewd as it was, would still have uses if Jadis wasn¡¯t around. But A, Sabina, and Bridget all needed her regr participation to operate at full optimization. It made her d that her health was now at more than a thousand points. She had to make sure she lived as long as possible, for their sake as much as her own.
¡°Will you be ready to move out soon?¡± Jadis heard Wi call out from her side of the camp.
¡°Yes, we¡¯re finishing up,¡± Jay called back to the captain with a wave of one hand. ¡°Just a few more minutes.¡±
¡°Understood,¡± Wi nodded. ¡°We will be ready when you all are.¡±
Jadis went back to eating, hurrying to finish up so they could get a move on with the day. As the three of her selves took big mouthfuls of meaty stew, she heard Wi call out again.
¡°Oh, and I would suggest the three of you spend more time actually sleeping at night, rather than whatever it was you were all doing with yourpanions.¡±
Jadis nearly choked on her food as the sound of the soldiersughing filled her ears.
Chapter 241: Malice
Chapter 241: Malice
Mortification. That was a good word. A descriptive word. It was the right word for the job. Embarrassment wasn¡¯t strong enough and humiliation would have been overdramatic. Mortification. A perfect fit for how Jadis felt as she pulled the wagon down the road that morning.
Not all the soldiers had heard them during their carnal activities the previous night, but a few was enough. Now they all knew and the teasing was
relentless. Just as Kerr had once told her, if and when the camp overheard you fucking, they were going to use that as ammunition to haze you for as long as they could. Be it mercenaries or soldiers, the result was the same. Lots and lots and lots of teasing.
A, Eir, and Sabina were handling the attention fairly well. Her ears might burn bright red, but A was skilled with stern expressions and she was getting better at them every day. Eir had a kind of immunity to the jokes and innuendos, her status as a priest and healer meaning no one wanted to offend her. Plus, Eir didn¡¯t actually seem all that bothered by the reveal, her sweet and calming smile tainted by a twinkle of amusement. Sabina was absolutely embarrassed, but she was also keeping busy working on enchantment prep while riding in the wagon, so the distraction helped her cope.
Thea and Bridget had a little more trouble handling the constant jokes. Thea was shy by nature and having her private business on disy definitely bothered her. Still, she was also a veteran soldier. While she¡¯d never been on the receiving end before, she¡¯d certainly been around the kinds of teasing that were being levied in her direction, so she knew how to brush thementary off. Bridget, though, was a rtive neophyte to mercenary work. She spent the morning inside the wagon, hiding from the ribbing.
Kerr, naturally, waspletely unbothered. That was to say, by the sexual innuendoes and jokes, at least. She was perturbed by the fact that she somehow missed Nora waking Wi, Lutz, Jaxton, and Landry so they could eavesdrop from their tents. The sex jokes, though, those she actively participated in, both at her own expense and to tease everyone else in Fortune¡¯s Favored. She really was a shameless mercenary.
Like a true vanguard, Jadis took the brunt of the attention. When Jay had been cooked in the tunnel, all of her clothes had burnt off, so once they¡¯d made it back to the camp most everyone had gotten a look at what she was normally hiding with her skirt-pants and armor. It didn¡¯t take much of a leap in thought toe to the conclusion as to why there were some rather vocal sexy times going on at night in her tent. Jadis had never heard so many different innuendos for a big dick in her life.
The jokes were good natured and ultimately harmless, though. Jadis let theme, suffering the mortification of having multiple people she barely knew tease and jibe her about her sex life. Considering what an asshole she¡¯d been when she¡¯d lost her cool a couple of days prior, she felt like she owed it to the soldiers to let them get their fun in. Besides, some of the jokes were actually pretty funny.
One thing that Jadis noticed was that Wi never joined in. Other than the frankly gentle poke in the morning that had released the dam, the captain hadn¡¯t said a further word about it. Maybe she wasn¡¯t the type to make those kinds of jokes, or more likely, Jadis figured it was rank kind of thing. She was a captain, after all, which meant she probably had to maintain some level of dignity. Jadis could appreciate that.
It wasn¡¯t untilte afternoon when the majority of the teasing stopped. By then, the expedition had made it back to the abandoned Crossroads Fort.
¡°Looks empty,¡± Jay noted as she stared at the stone walls from the edge of the surrounding clearing. ¡°But it looked emptyst time, too.¡±
¡°What are the odds that they try the same ambush twice,¡± A asked from where she stood next to Jay.
¡°Fifty-fifty,¡± Jay shrugged. ¡°Either they¡¯re in there, or they aren¡¯t.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how odds work,¡± A mumbled under her breath.
They were waiting for Kerr and some of the soldiers to finish a full sweep of the surrounding clearing before entering. In all honesty, Jadis didn¡¯t think it was likely that the bandits would try to attack them again at the fort. When they¡¯dst parted, their forces were severely depleted, their remaining members were mostly injured, and it had only been a few days. It was likely that Stavros and his crew would need more time to heal up and recover before trying anything.
If they tried anything. Jadis still hoped that they¡¯d seen thest of them.
It took time, but they thoroughly searched the outside of the fort, then the inside. Everything was as they had left it, with no sign of bandits havinge through. There weren¡¯t even any stray demons to be found.
Theck of resistance was actually starting to worry Jadis and she wasn¡¯t the only one. As they spent one more night at the Crossroads, there was a lot of discussion about how few demons they hade across that day. A handful of bone thieves and bramble fiends and that was about it. Considering how the area was basically undefended and uncontested, the demons should have been far more prevalent. There were a lot of theories as to why, but with no hard evidence, theories they remained.
That night Jadis stood watch, all three of her selves serving the first watch rather than splitting up the night. A and the others insisted that Jadis get more rest while she could, though after several days of not taking a turn on watch, Jadis felt as though she had to. Everyone else needed breaks from the duty, too. Besides, after the boost to her stats, she was feeling far less drained from pulling the wagon all day. Her Strength had gone up so much that the massive bulk of the wagon wasn¡¯t as difficult to pull along, plus her Endurance had gone up as well, giving her more stamina to keep going. All in all, she felt more than capable of taking the first watch and insisted that she do so. The others agreed, though she did not stand the watch alone.
¡°You doing alright with all the teasing?¡± Jay asked Thea as they stood near each other on the top of the fort wall.
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Thea said quietly. ¡°It¡¯s not that b¡ªbad.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Jay nced down at the former soldier. ¡°They were at it all day. I felt like my ears were going to burn off.¡±
¡°Mm,¡± Thea hummed, not taking her eyes off of the open area surrounding the fort. ¡°I¡ªI think they already g¡ªguessed what we were doing and were just waiting for the c¡ªconfirmation.¡±
That was a fair assumption. Jadis and her lovers hadn¡¯t been particrly subtle about their unusual dynamic. With the need to have sex at least once every three days, there had been lots of opportunities for them to be caught in the act. Considering how vocal some of her girls could get, Jadis was surprised they hadn¡¯t been found out sooner.
¡°P¡ªplus, what else is there to t¡ªtalk about out here?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°Long patrols are b¡ªboring,¡± Thea shrugged. ¡°You have to find something to talk ab¡ªabout. Right now, it¡¯s, ah, us.¡±
Jay nodded. Thea probably knew what it was like better than anyone else in Fortune¡¯s Favored exactly what it was like to stand watch for long hours on mind-numbingly boring guard posts. She¡¯d made a career out of it before switching to the private sector, so to speak. If she felt the soldiers weren¡¯t going too far or doing anything out of the ordinary, Jadis trusted her assessment. Thea would let her know if there was something to be worried about.
¡°Ah,¡± Thea perked up a few momentster. ¡°There, see that?¡±
While Jadis had been mulling over Thea¡¯s words and not paying too close attention to their surroundings, the dependable guardswoman had kept her eyes ever on the watch. She pointed with her spear out across the wall towards the forest edge, indicating where Jay should look.
The night wasn¡¯t too dark, with a half full moon out and no clouds in the sky, but it still took Jay a few seconds of searching to spot what Thea had seen. There, along the tree line and partially hidden in the shadows, she could see movement. At first, she thought it was just the wind moving the underbrush, but after a moment she realized that the brush was moving further than it should. In fact, it was moving beyond the reaches of what any stationary nt should be capable of.
¡°Bramble fiends?¡± Jay whispered a question.
¡°Yes,¡± Thea answered simply.
Jay and Thea were on the northeastern side of the fort walls. Her two other bodies were watching on the southeast side and the west side of the fort. Neither Dys nor Syd saw any signs of movement, meaning the only point of contact was to the north. At first Jadis thought that the small, vine-bundle demons were making their way towards the fort, but a few moments of observation proved that assumption false. The demons were skirting the edge of the fort clearing, pulling themselves along with their thorny vine tentacles in strange hopping motions. As Jadis watched, more and more of them emerged from the trees to the north-east. What started as maybe six to ten of the minor threats turned into a dozen. Then two dozen. Then more.
There had to be forty, maybe fifty of the fiends making their way from the east side of the clearing to the west. As she watched, Jadis realized that there might have been even more, their numbers obscured by the forest that the horde was still halfway staying within. Just as Jadis was about to give up counting, another shadow moved into view, demanding all of Jadis¡¯ attention. The creature was huge, even by Jadis¡¯ standards. It towered twenty feet in the air at least, probably more, and yet Jadis almost didn¡¯t see it among the trees. She felt she could be forgiven for that, since the damn thing was
one of the trees.
It was like the broken stump of one of the giant pine trees had pulled itself up out of the ground and decided to go for a nighttime stroll. Huge roots spread out around the bulky trunk, crawling across the ground like spider legs drawn by a demented person with no concept of biology or restraint. The bark of the thing moved and shifted in the dim light, asionally revealing thorny vines peeking out from cracks and holes in the wooden body. The much, much smaller bramble fiends were riding on, or rather, riding
within therger demon.
¡°Is that a bramble fiend matriarch?¡± Jay asked as she watched the monstrosity traverse the edge of the woods.
¡°No,¡± Thea shook her head. ¡°Th¡ªthat¡¯s a nithetre.¡±
¡°Nithetre?¡±
Thea nced up at Jay, giving her a slight nod.
¡°Nithetre. It¡¯s an old, old t¡ªtype of demon, like grundwyrms. It means ¡®Tree of Malice¡¯ in the old elvishnguage.¡±
¡°Sounds pleasant,¡± Jay murmured. ¡°So what the fuck is that ¡®Tree of Malice¡¯ doing? Why isn¡¯t it attacking the fort?¡±
Thea shrugged helplessly, just as much at a loss as Jadis.
¡°I d¡ªdon¡¯t know. Maybe it, ah, doesn¡¯t know that we are here?¡±
That was certainly possible. Jadis couldn¡¯t imagine a situation where demons would ignore mortals. Whenever demons saw living people or even animals, they always attacked ruthlessly. Otherwise, from what Jadis had observed, they usually wandered aimlessly while looking for prey. Aimless was not what Jadis would call the horde crawling across the northern expanse. No, they were moving with a purpose, heading for a destination.
¡°West,¡± Jay huffed as she watched the demons disappear into the trees. ¡°Why are all these demons heading west?¡±
¡°Why d¡ªdoes it have to be the same direction we¡¯re going, too?¡±
Chapter 242: Screams
Chapter 242: Screams
Travel the next day contained far fewer jokes and quite a lot more caution. The nithetre and the many bramble fiends that traveled with it weren¡¯t the only sighting from the night previous. Every watch had reports of demonic activity passing through the area, though none had seen as many as Jadis and Thea. While a wide variety of demons had been spotted, from bone thieves to possessed magic beasts, the one bit of consistency was that all of them had been heading in the same direction. West.
The expedition continued forward on high alert, everyone on watch for the horde of demons that had passed by in the night. There had been some discussion as to whether or not they should even head west considering the number of demons they¡¯d seen heading in the same direction, but Jadis still wanted to pursue her leads. Returning to Far Felsen was beginning to look like the smarter option, but if there were allies in the west, somewhere in the same vicinity as the demons, then the chances of this truly being her only chance at finding them were high. At the very least, Jadis wanted to check out the mountain area that was their destination to see if the influx of demonic activity was rted or just a coincidence.
Surprisingly, Wi agreed with Jadis, though she had her own reasoning. Even though her mission was to gather evidence of illegal eleria mining and bring it back to The Magistrate, the war against the demons took precedence. The mass movement of so many demons could be a prelude to anotherrge-scale attack against the city, or possibly another target somewhere in Weigrun. Even though Wi wanted to get their prisoner and her report back to town as quickly as possible, she couldn¡¯t overlook the danger of attack. Scouting out where the demons were heading was the prudent course of action, so long as they acted within reason.
They had all agreed that they needed to make sure that they weren¡¯t identally walking into a horde of demons that might turn on and overwhelm them, so the n had been made to scout carefully and move with caution. Wi sent four of her troops ahead on horseback, acting as forward scouts. They were far enough ahead to be out of sight: a risk, but a necessary one. They had been given one of Sabina¡¯s boom-discs to set off in case they were attacked by arge demonic force. If the scouts alerted them with the boom, the rest of the expedition knew it was a danger too great for them to face and thus would turn and flee immediately.
¡°There are tracks everywhere,¡± Kerr informed them when she checked in from roaming around the caravan. ¡°Too many tracks to count. All of them head west, though they aren¡¯t moving together, I can tell you that much. There¡¯s no cohesion, just a bunch of random shit rolling in the same direction.¡±
Kerr¡¯s reports stayed much the same throughout the morning as she checked in every half hour or so. The forward scouts left signs on the road, letting them know that the way was clear as they went along, showing that there was no sign of any immediate danger. Things stayed so quiet that by the time noon hade and gone, Jadis was starting to wonder if they¡¯d all suffered from some mass delusion. If it weren¡¯t for the demon tracks, she would have thought the woods were empty.
Then the screaming started.
¡°Do you hear that?¡± Eir was the first to call out. She sat perched on the seat next to A, her hood pulled back to expose her long ears. ¡°I think I can hear someone screaming in the distance.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t hear anything,¡± A replied, though she kept her head on a swivel, looking in every direction. ¡°What direction are you hearing it from?¡±
¡°That way,¡± Eir pointed towards the woods to the right of them. ¡°It¡¯s faint, but I think it¡¯sing from that way.¡±
Jadis slowed, bringing the wagon to a stop as she pulled her weapons out from their racks inside. She wasn¡¯t going to take any chances. If Eir said she could hear screaming, she was going to be prepared to meet whatever the cause of the screaming was.
¡°What¡¯s the hold up?¡± Wi asked as she rode up next to the wagon, her remaining troops either on horseback or riding on their own smaller wagon.
¡°Possible issues ahead,¡± Jay informed her, quickly filling her in on what little details she had.
In a sh Wi ordered her troops into fighting formation, all of them ready for imminent attack. Of course, they had no way of knowing if an attack wasing for sure, but Wi was even more on alert than Jadis.
Unfortunately, Gunnar was riding ahead with the forward scouts and Kerr was still roaming. Eir was the only member of the group with exceptional hearing, so they all waited for her word. On the bright side, the forward scouts hadn¡¯t used the disc to warn them of an iing attack. Though, after a second of thought, Jadis recognized that theck of warning could just mean that the scouts hadn¡¯t received any warning themselves and had already been overwhelmed.
¡°That way,¡± Eir suddenly spoke up, standing and pointing to the northeast.
Jadis still couldn¡¯t hear anything wrong, but she trusted Eir¡¯s ears. All three of her turned to face that direction, weapons at the ready. A momentter and Thea and Bridget were both next to her selves, one on the right and the other on the left. A, Eir, and Sabina stayed on the wagon, though even their smith had her oversized crossbow out and ready. The soldiers were all prepared as well, still mounted on their horses but lined up in formation, ready to either attack or to flee.
They all waited in tense silence, the seconds stretching out longer and longer. As the strain of not knowing what wasing continued to build, Jadis found herself falling into a calm state of awareness. The danger was real, she grew increasingly certain, feeling the threat like a burning in her gut. She was also certain that it was something she could fight. She was stronger now than she had ever been before, and herpanions had grown powerful too. They could handle whatever was heading their way.
A whisper of leaves behind her caught Jadis¡¯ attention, but she didn¡¯t turn to look. She recognized the sound of her lover stalking up next to her.
¡°What in Tamar¡¯s cavernous cunt is making that noise?¡± Kerr hissed as she slid up next to Jay, her bow peaking out from between the wall of armored Nephilim. ¡°I thought it was you all screaming at first.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jay murmured, ¡°but I think I can hear it now, too. What the fuck is that?¡±
She could in fact hear it. Screaming. Faintly on the wind at first, as moments passed the sound grew louder and what could have first been mistaken for the sound of trees creaking in a strong breeze turned into the undeniable sound of screaming. Not just one person, but many people shouting and shrieking, crying out in fear and pain. Men crying out for help, women pleading for mercy, a multitude of voices begging for someone, anyone, toe and save them from the horrors that had taken hold of them.
¡°Those¡ those are people, aren¡¯t they?¡± Bridget whispered, a disbelieving tremor in her voice. ¡°Those are fucking people, right?¡±
¡°They sound like they need our help,¡± Eir said with worry. ¡°They sound like they¡¯re under attack!¡±
¡°Should we go help them?¡± Sabina asked. ¡°I mean, that sounds like a lot of people in trouble, so maybe we should help them or something?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Jay snapped, her focus not turning her head away from the direction of the noise. ¡°Stay on the wagon.¡±
¡°We¡¯re in the middle of demon-infested woods,¡± Dys pointed out. ¡°The only people for miles around are bandits and maybe corrupt soldiers. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s them screaming like that.¡±
¡°Besides,¡± Syd said, ¡°those screams sound like they¡¯re moving from east to west.¡±
Once she could hear the noise clearly, there was no denying it. The screams were moving from east to west, having started somewhere to the northeast of them and continuing in a direction that would take them on a path parallel to the road they were on. It was hard to tell how far away the origin of the sounds were with how the trees bounced echoes, but she could pinpoint that much at least. Kerr nodded her heard, agreeing with Jadis¡¯ assessment and a momentter, Eir voiced her agreement as well. The source was heading west and Jadis knew that other than their caravan, there was one group for sure heading in that direction.
¡°We should still check it out,¡± Jay whispered, barely audible over the shrieking. ¡°Whatever is making those sounds, we can better prepare against it if we know what it is.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Kerr volunteered. ¡°I can stealth north and see what the deal is.¡±
¡°No, I don¡¯t like it,¡± A shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think any of us should split away from the main group right now. We don¡¯t want to get caught out, especially if that¡¯s a horde of demons over there. I say we let it pass for now.¡±
¡°I think you¡¯re right,¡± Syd said after a moment. ¡°It does sound like it''s starting to get further away.¡±
¡°It is,¡± Kerr agreed a secondter. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s moving too fast, but it¡¯s moving.¡±
The whole group waited, listening to the wretched screams as they slowly started to fade away into the distance. The awful echoes carried on the wind, but they grew further away to the point that Jadis could barely hear them. As the sounds waned, Wi moved her nervous horse closer to Jadis and the rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored.
¡°I don¡¯t know what that was, but I do not think it bodes well for our future ns in heading west. Perhaps we should reconsider?¡±
¡°Yeah, maybe,¡± Dys nodded slowly, her voice muffled slightly by her helmet. After a second, she spoke up louder. ¡°You probably have a point, but it¡¯s already well after noon. I don¡¯t think we can make it back to the fort before nightfall.¡±
¡°Then we should¡ª¡±
Wi¡¯s next words were cut off as Kerr let out a sharp curse, her bow whipping around to the front of the expedition.
¡°Horses, riding hard,ing this way!¡±
All turned to look down the road, anticipation of danger high. A secondter they all seemed to remember that the horses Kerr heard had to be the scouts riding back to meet them. Jadis¡¯ first thoughts were that the forward scouts had heard the screaming and were riding back to check on them, which was a fair thing for them to do. Still, Jadis couldn¡¯t ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
The road curved slightly, bending in long waves as it followed the contours of thend. Trees blocked their vision, but soon they heard the horses the same as Kerr, the sound of hooves beating on stoneing their way. In moments the riders emerged from around the bend, revealing all four scouts with Gunnar in the lead.
Jadis breathed a sigh of relief to see that they were all alive, though as they rushed closer, it became clear that they weren¡¯t riding hard thinking they wereing to the expedition¡¯s rescue. They didn¡¯t slow in the least upon seeing they were all okay. If anything, they sped up.
¡°Demons!¡± Gunnar shouted as he drew near. ¡°The nithetre!¡±
The elf didn¡¯t need to say anymore. Jadis¡¯ three selves were already moving to the fore, Bridget and Thea moving to her left and right nks once more while her backline stayed with the wagon. Jadis couldn¡¯t see what Wi and her soldiers were doing, but she could hear them shifting positions behind her. As Gunnar and the three other scouts passed by, Jadis saw that they all had vines bearing sharp thorns wrapped around their arms, shoulders, and torsos, the spikes cutting deep into their flesh.
Jadis trusted Eir to handle the wounded men. She had to focus on the demons chasing behind them.
Chapter 243: Knock on Wood
Chapter 243: Knock on Wood
¡°Iing!¡±
Someone shouted from behind Jadis. She wasn¡¯t sure who, probably one of the soldiers. She couldn¡¯t spare the attention to focus on them, not when she was staring down a veritable tsunami of bramble fiends.
There had to be hundreds of the things, a crawling, leaping mass of briar bundles that swarmed across the forest. They were pure chaos, a horde of creatures un-trackable as unique individuals, instead functioning like a hive. The only outlier among the mass being the singr tower that moved in the middle of them, a beacon to which the fiends flocked. The nithetre.
Tree of Malice.
¡°Keep them off our backs!¡± Jay shouted as she took a step forward, already starting to swing her hammer.
Jadis wasted no time. Without hesitation she cast her Mirror Shine spell, creating an effect that would draw the focus of the demons. Her bodies lit up with an inner white light, casting an ethereal glow that made her armor shine in strange ways. Everyone else around her within the radius of the spell seemed to dim, the sun¡¯s light fading before it touched them.
The reaction from the fiends was instant. The leading edge of the horde, only a few hundred feet away, began to hurl themselves directly at Jadis¡¯ selves. The balls of thorny aggression sailed through the air, spiky tendrils outstretched as they sought to wrap around their Nephilim targets.
Jay¡¯s hammer swiped through the air and took out a dozen in a single attack. Dys¡¯ axe bisected just as many as she swung in the opposite direction. Syd¡¯snce was less suited to hitting multiple targets, but she still skewered three of the demons in a single thrust. As many as Jadis managed to kill in one swift move, twice as many made it past her weapons totch onto her.
Rope-like vines covered in thorns wrapped around Jadis¡¯ arms, legs, and torsos. The fiends wrapped her bodies up; seeking to strangle and crush, their tendrils constricted with enough force to crush the neck of an ox. There was one problem for the demons, though.
Jadis wasn¡¯t an ox.
Without pause Jadis continued to swing her weapons. As she moved, the vines wrapping up her arms and legs tore apart, snapping like twine under the force of a train. The thorns couldn¡¯t bite into her thick armor, scraping against the dark steel fruitlessly as the fiends tried to staytched on. Jadis didn¡¯t even bother to try and pull the hapless monsters off. She just kept attacking the demons she could see. Cutting, crushing, and piercing the horde with as much speed as she could muster.
As the demons that tried to constrict Jadis were torn by the force of her movements, Thea and Bridget attacked them, putting the bramble fiends down with practiced efficiency. Syd could feel the heat of Bridget¡¯s ming attacks behind and on her left as the warrior¡¯s il burned the nt-based demons. Thea was less extravagant, though Dys could easily hear the sound of her shield knocking back the fiends to keep them at bay.
While the demons were focused on Jadis thanks to her spell, that didn¡¯t mean there wasn¡¯t spillover. With so many bramble fiends trying to get to Jadis, many were starting to spread out to her sides. The demons began attacking her nks, and by extension they were attacking the rest of the expedition. ncing back, Jadis could see that the soldiers were doing what they could, but they were hampered by theirck of armor and proper shields. The makeshift gear and looted weapons they¡¯d taken from the dead bandits wasn¡¯t ideal for their style of fighting and the bramble fiends were designed to overwhelm and restrict movement. Jadis couldn¡¯t rely on them being able to take care of themselves.
Dys and Syd shifted their positions slightly, spreading a few feet further out and away from Jay who stood firm in the middle. By spreading out, Jadis hoped to cover arger area with her Mirror Shine spell, thus keeping more demonic attention on her and her alone. It seemed to work as the demons that were spilling over to the left and right of the wagons refocused their attention on Jadis¡¯ selves.
Everything had happened in only a few seconds, barely any time at all, yet a lifetime in the middle of a battle. It was at that point, the enemy having only just been engaged and the bramble fiends having been sessfully drawn onto her, that Jadis was reminded of the one enemy on the battlefield that she hadn¡¯t yet faced before.
Something mmed hard into Jay¡¯s chest, hitting her with enough force to stagger her. As she stumbled back, her heavy boots crushing the bodies of dead and dying bramble fiends, a second something crashed against, this time hitting her in the left arm. The impact was bone-jarring, though with a concentrated effort Jay shrugged the attack off, squaring her shoulders to face the next blow. What came at her was not what she had expected.
The nithetre had note much closer. It was still more than a hundred feet back, a towering, ragged tree-stump that stood tall on its many roots. The massive demon wasn¡¯t still, though. The creature was slowly rotating, its trunk spinning in ce as its root-tendrils moved in an undting pattern. Large holes gaped in the side of the trunk, like something had bored its way into the wood. As Jadis watched, one of those holes lined up with Jay and from within something wasunched out with incredible speed.
With a resounding
thunk a bramble fiend crashed into Jay¡¯s chest, rocking her back with astounding force. The demon was killed instantly, the impact sttering it like a watermelon against Jadis¡¯ armor, but the attack was strong enough that Jadis had no doubt that anyone else hit by the demonic projectile would be crushed by the high-speed collision.
¡°What the fuck kind of ranged attack is that!?¡± Syd cursed loudly as she speared and stomped on the mob of demons.
Another fiend was shot out from the demonic tree a secondter, the living missile whizzing past Jay¡¯s head. The demon struck the wagon behind her, thorny vines sttering in a shower of shrapnel that forced Sabina and Eir onto their stomachs to avoid being struck.
¡°A fucking dangerous one!¡± Kerr shouted back as she released an arrow aimed at the nithetre.
The arrow struck the tree, the shaft burying more than halfway into the wood. However, the demon made no notice of the attack as it continued to slowly rotate, firing off more bramble fiends.
¡°I can¡¯t damage it!¡± Kerr spat, firing off more arrows at the monstrosity. ¡°I don¡¯t know where its weak spot is!¡±
¡°Let me give it a go.¡±
Jadis barely heard A¡¯s words over the sounds of so many bramble fiends, but her statement was enough warning that she didn¡¯t flinch when a round ball of ghostly magic shot past her selves and into the horde. The spherended about a hundred feet away, maybe a few yards shy of the nithetre. In the moment the spell made contact with a single unfortunate bramble fiend, there was a ripple that seemed to warp the air for the briefest of moments. Then came the boom.
A¡¯s spell exploded like a grenade, except there was no fire or smoke. The terrible destruction wrought by a sudden powerful explosion waspletely visible thanks to the ghostly translucence of A¡¯s pure arcane magic. Jadis was able to see more than a dozen bramble fiends that were caught in the deadly expanding sphere get shredded to pieces as the unnatural forces of the magical explosion blinked into existence before disappearing just as quickly. Hundreds of tiny chunks of vines and demon goo were tossed outward in the aftermath of the spell.
¡°Damn,¡± A scowled. ¡°I¡¯m out of range.¡±
¡°Holy shit!¡± Jay shouted as she briefly turned her head to look back at A. ¡°Was that your explosion modification? That was fucking awesome!¡±
¡°How many more of those do you have in you?¡± Dys added as Jay was forced to put her attention back on the demons swarming her.
¡°Eight more!¡± A shouted over the noise. ¡°But I need to get closer!¡±
¡°Thedy wants to get closer to the giant tree demon that spews out smaller bush demons with enough force to kill a hippo,¡± Syd mumbled under her breath. ¡°This is definitely part of why I think I¡¯m in love.¡±
With the methodical, unstoppable might of three determined juggernauts, Jadis pushed forward. There were so many bramble fiends around her, both living and dead, that it was like she was wading through deep snow. Each step she took crushed fiends beneath her boots, popping them like grapes as her massive weight came down on them. Slowly, she drew closer to the nithetre, carrying the center of the battle forward with her.
Checking on the progress behind her, she saw that Wi had moved her troops up to nk her sides along with Thea, Kerr, and Bridget. They all worked together to kill any stragglers that fell away from her bodies, executing the injured fiends with ruthless efficiency. Vines whipped out at them, striking and tearing at the mercenaries and soldiers alike, but Eir¡¯s healing magic closed wounds almost as quickly as they formed as she rapidly switched back and forth between targets, keeping everyone standing.
As soon as they had moved ten feet closer, A shot out another bolt of magical arcane energy. The spell struck the demonic tree stump in one of itsrger leg-like roots. The attack sted the root to bits. Chunks of rotted wood and foul demon blood were sent spraying across the battlefield as the nithetre rocked backwards, listing to one side.
In the next moment, a bolt of lightning ripped through a line of bramble fiends, killing off a few dozen in an instant. The lightning strike reached all the way to the nithetre, hot electricity burning up the trunk in a sizzling disy that made Jadis¡¯ eyes water. As soon as the sh faded, Jadis could see fire burning up the side of the tree, the spell having burned the wooden shell.
¡°Thanks for getting me in range, too!¡± Nora called out. ¡°I hate not having my staff!¡±
Now that both mages were in spell range of the nithetre, A and Nora unleashed a torrent of spells on the oversized angry log. Jadis and the others continued to act as a shield for the two as they dealt with the thing, blocking the increasingly depleted swarm of bramble fiends as well as protecting them from the wild reaction of the nithetre. And wild indeed was the tree demon¡¯s response to being exploded and burned.
As the spells struck, the nithetre iled wildly, its many roots thrashing the ground and anything unfortunate enough to be nearby. Its slow rotation was turned into a mad spiral as it spun in an ever-increasingly erratic fashion, the taller part of its broken trunk tilting at greater and greater angles. From within the knotholes in the trunk more bramble fiends wereunched, the lesser demons flying off in random directions. Soon, the force of those fiendish missiles was diminished, their firing from the holes looking more like an escape than an attempt at an attack.
Finally, one well-aimed exploding force bolt sted apart three of the nithetre¡¯s legs on an already weakened side. The demon lost its bnce and, with a resounding crash, copsed onto the ground in a smoldering heap.
There was no cheer of triumph from Jadis, Fortune¡¯s Favored, or the soldiers. While their numbers were greatly diminished, there were still many, many bramble fiends swarming all over the three Nephilim. For several more minutes, the group worked tirelessly to cut down the remaining demons. The ground grew wet with the blood of so many demons in and the air became choked with ck smoke as the toppled nithetre continued to burn.
Eventually the horde was depletedpletely and Jadis found herself standing in the middle of a rancid-smelling scene of absolute ughter. Hundreds of dead bramble fiends surrounded her three selves, their thorny bodies turning the ground into practically impassible terrain for anyone other than extremely well-armored giants.
¡°That thing is still alive!¡± Kerr called out as everyone else was staring around at the carnage, looks of disbelief visible on their faces.
Checking where Kerr was pointing, Jadis saw that the burning nithetre still had roots squirming around, trying to find purchase in the ground. Stepping forward, Jadis approached the disabled demon to get a closer look.
Nora¡¯s lightning and A¡¯s explosions had badly damaged the outer bark and wood of the tree demon,rge swathes of the shell having crumbled apart. In some of the now exposed sections of the trunk Jadis could seerge dark tentacles squirming around inside like grubs that had burrowed into wood. From out of one of the knotholes poured a stream of smoke, an internal fire burning inside the tree. It did not look like the demon was going to survive much longer.
With a massive overhead chop Dys mmed her axe down onto the nithetre. Hacking away at it like it was no more than a simple log, she split apart the trunk until the squirming insides spilled out like rotten guts. As the vile tendrils poured out into the open, a single enormous eyeball, yellow green in color, emerged. It shifted through the mass of tentacles, staring up at the three giants looming above it. Slowly, it started to worm away from them, the ungainly mass barely able to move outside of its wooden shell.
Syd¡¯snce skewered the eyeball in a single thrust.
|
Congrattions!
Nithetre Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
|
¡°What a nasty piece of work,¡± Syd grumbled as she flicked demon blood off of her weapon.
¡°Everyone okay?¡± Jay turned to look back at everyone else.
¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± A called back. ¡°I think that was all of¡ª¡±
¡°Hey, no, shut up!¡± Kerr abruptly cut A off. ¡°Don¡¯t you hear that?¡±
¡°Hear what?¡± Jadis asked.
Even as she said it, Jadis realized she could hear the same thing that Kerr had. Recognition shot through her, as it did with everyone else. She could see their expressions change as they, too, became aware. Over the sound of the burning Nithetree and the wind in the trees, there was a high-pitched noise. A terrible, keening noise that sent a chill up Jadis¡¯ spine. It was the sound of many people screaming.
And it was getting closer.
Chapter 244: Terrible Fate
Chapter 244: Terrible Fate
¡°Get back, back back!¡± Jay shouted as her three selves retreated from the burning nithetre.
Herpanions and the soldiersplied as quickly as they could, backing out of the carnage-covered roadway to regroup at the wagon. Movement was hampered, however, by the massive amount of dead bramble fiends covering the ground. Jadis found it hard to pull out herself, the many dead demons causing her to slip and stumble. She desperately wanted to get clear of the rough terrain before whatever the source of the screaming was reached them since her footwork would be hindered. Unfortunately, by the way the screams were rapidly increasing in volume, it didn¡¯t look like she was going to have the time.
Sabina was one of the first to see it. She couldn¡¯t be sure if she was the very first, since she wasn¡¯t looking back at her, but the scream that came from the smith was unmistakable. In almost the same moment more screams and curses resounded behind Jadis, but by that point she had spotted what the others had and she had no attention to spare for anyone else¡¯s shouts.
From the right side of the road, its approach having been obscured by the dense ck smoke of the burning tree, charged a giant four-legged abomination. It was huge, at least asrge as a grundwyrm, yet it moved low to the ground and with surprising speed. Long, widespread legsunched it forward as it swept out of the trees and smoke to attack Dys. A worm-like head on a long, thick neck snapped at Dys with a powerful set of wide jaws. Thick, sharp teeth dug into Dys¡¯ right arm before whipping her back and to the side, tossing her more than twenty feet to the side before her flight was halted by smashing against the wide trunk of a towering pine tree.
Reactions were instantaneous. Jay and Syd both moved to strike the demon even as it tossed Dys. Jay¡¯s gigantic maul struck the creature in the side as Syd¡¯snce pierced one of its arms. The thing was rocked back by the blow, huge body stumbling away as an arrow from Kerr and a bolt of force magic hit it a momentter. The next second after the demon let out an ear-splitting wailing, like dozens of people were screaming in pain before it suddenly leapt backwards and away through the smoke, gone as quickly as it hade.
¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Kerr shouted.
Jadis echoed the sentiment internally, having only gotten a brief glimpse of the demon from the brief encounter. She¡¯d barely begun to process what she¡¯d seen when more movement came from the northwest.
Twisted wretches, between fifteen and twenty of them, came charging towards them. The screaming beast hadn¡¯te alone, clearly, just as the nithetre hadn¡¯t. The group of lesser demons leapt into the fray, forcing everyone to defend themselves as they attacked wildly and rabidly.
Jay¡¯s hammer killed two of the wretches with a single swing as she sent the demons flying, their bodies crushed by the powerful blow. The rest of the demons slipped by her, aiming for the rest of the expedition.
Confused as to why she was being ignored, Jadis briefly wondered if her Mirror Shine had worn off. The spell did have a five-minute duration. Attempting to reorient the demons onto her, Jadis recast the spell, making sure that the strange inner light was shining brightly from her bodies.
To her surprise and horror, the wretches continued to ignore her. In the following moments, she saw them leap atop the soldiers and herpanions, mangled jaws and crooked ws tearing at armor and at flesh. Several of the demons started glowing sickly green as their foul magics were cast, acidic bile and choking miasmas pouring out of the mouths as they tried to melt and burn their targets.
Syd¡¯snce went through the back of one demon¡¯s head, skewering it before it could vomit acid at Bridget who was doing her best to protect A. By the same token, A had cast her force shield and was blocking another demon from attacking her and Eir at another angle. Kerr¡¯s bow sang as she shot arrow after arrow in rapid session at the demons around them, while Thea¡¯s shield first blocked an attack from vering wretch, then sent the monstrosity stumbling back with enough force that it fell backwards into a pile of dead bramble fiends, the thorny vines tangling up the wretch¡¯s limbs.
A lot was happening all at once, not the least of which Jadis saw were the efforts of the soldiers who were handling the attack with their usual professionalpetency. She briefly noticed Wi slice the head of a twisted wretch off of its shoulders while Gunnar blocked another wretch from attacking the captain¡¯s nk with the use of makeshift wooden shield. Herpanions and the soldiers could handle themselves, which was a good thing, since Jadis had a bigger problem on her hands.
As Dys rose up from where she¡¯d been tossed, a shadowy movement came at her from the corner of her eye, barely visible thanks to the limited vision her helm offered. However, she ducked at just the right time to avoid the worm-like head of the screaming demon from grabbing her thanks to Jay seeing the attacking.
Counterattacking, Dys spun and shed with her axe, bringing the de up to cut at the demon¡¯s neck. To her shock, the gray flesh of the monstrosity resisted her attack, her de barely cutting through the thick skin. In the next instant the demon¡¯s huge left hand caught hold of Dys and mmed her onto the ground.
With a flying leap, Jay hurled herself out of the bramble fiend death pile and towards the demon attacking her other self. With her hammer raised high overhead, she nned on bringing it down hard on top of the back of the monstrous beast. Except, as she cleared the smoke and saw her target in the full light, she found that there were dozens of terrified human faces looking up at her.
¡°Save us!¡±
¡°Help me!¡±
¡°Please, for the love of the gods save me!¡±
¡°I don¡¯t want to die!¡±
¡°Valtar help me!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t hurt me!¡±
So many voices cried out at once that Jadis could only make out half of what they were saying, yet what she heard and saw made her stomach turn. As the arc of her leap brought her to the demon, she reflexively pulled back, horrified, turning what would have been a powerful m into the demon¡¯s back into a ncing blow that barely grazed the creature¡¯s side.
The demon¡¯s right front leg swung out pped at Jay, knocking her back several feet though she quickly recovered. As Jay righted herself and raised her hammer up to fight, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a curse at what she was seeing.
¡°Samleos, you sick fuck, how could you?¡±
The demon¡¯s gray body wasrge and round, almost like a turtle except without the shell. Itsrge ribs were clearly visible under its flesh, its round, t torso making up the bulk of the creature. The long legs that stretched out to the front and back of the demon were thickly muscled and looked more like human arms than an animal¡¯s legs. Each one ended in a hand that had at least twenty long, almost rectangr fingers that were capped with yellow nails. The long neck ended in a worm-like head with no sign of eyes or nose, just a mouth that opened up wide to reveal a single row of sharp, triangr teeth. No part of the thing was pleasant to look at, but the truly horrifying aspect of the demon was its back.
There were people on the demon¡¯s back. At least thirty men and women, many humans, some elves and orcs, and at least one that Jadis hoped was a gnome. They were all of them sprouting from holes in the demon¡¯s flesh, ck tendrils worming up into their visible torsos and holding them in ce. Each person stared at Jadis, eyes wide with fright as they screamed and begged for help, pleading to be saved. They reached out towards her, their bare arms pushing against each other as their grasping hands begged her to take them.
In the brief second that Jay stared at the horrendous sight, the demon attacked. It dashed towards her, closing the distance in a single move. As it lunged, it tossed Dys out from under its foot as she was sent tumbling across the ground for several yards.
Jay¡¯s hammer came up in time to block the demon¡¯s bite. A mouthrge enough to swallow Eir whole bit down on the steel hammer head. Pulling back, Jay struggled for a moment with the demon as it tried to rip the hammer from her hands. She pulled back, stretching its neck out for a moment before the abomination abruptly twisted about in a circle. It lifted her weight easily, taking her for a spin before releasing its hold on the hammer and sending Jay flying.
With a crunch Jay banged into the side of the Behemoth, wood cracking under the force of her impact before she fell to the ground with a loud tter.
Syd was already moving to intercept the huge demon, but in the second before she could get there it turned again and rushed at Dys.
Dys had only just barely gotten back onto her feet, the dizzying toss having sent both her and her head spinning. Somewhere along the way she¡¯d lost track of her axe, the weapon slipping out of her grasp. Just as she spotted it lying amidst the pine needles a few feet away, the demon was upon her. It knocked her down again, her armor protecting her from the full force of the impact it leapt on her. A huge, toothy maw snapped down at her head, but Dys grabbed hold of both the upper and lower jaws of the demon and held it back, keeping it from getting its teeth around her. She didn¡¯t know if it had the strength to chew through her neck armor and she wasn¡¯t willing to find out.
As Dys stared into the open mouth of the demon mere inches over her face, she noticed that the thing didn¡¯t have a tongue, just a wide-open throat. Its gray inner mouth was also covered with thick pustules of varying sizes that seemed to pulse in time with each other. Except, were they pustules? They had long slits across the middle of them and¡ª
One of therger bumps abruptly opened up, the flesh splitting apart in two equal halves. Within was revealed a single eye, a light bluish-purple in color. It stared down at Dys, pupil dted, her reflection mirrored in the dark surface. Then all the pustules split open and the demon¡¯s mouth was filled with dozens of eyes, all of them focused on her.
¡°You are one disgusting piece of shit,¡± Dys hissed up at the leering demon.
The demon made no verbal response. Instead, its front arms grabbed hold of Dys¡¯ legs, one in each hand, and started yanking on them. Hard.
Dys¡¯ body strained under the sudden pull, her joints popping as she resisted the tremendous force being exerted on her. The demon¡¯s head reared back, pulling Dys up off the ground as it held onto her legs, stretching her out wide as it tried to either force her to let go or tear her limb from limb. Probably both.
Syd reached the back of the demon,nce in hand, but once again hesitated. As the demon stood on its back legs, the dozens of screaming people were forced directly into Syd¡¯s face. Their pleading cries and grasping hands reached out towards, begging for salvation. Jadis¡¯ gut reaction was to hold back. She didn¡¯t want to hurt the captured people any more than they already were.
But were they simply captured? Or were they something worse? Jadis had seen firsthand that demons could mimic a person well enough to pass a casual inspection. Jana, the mercenary who had been possessed back in war had been her prime example. Jadis had no time to think about it, she was in the middle of a life and death struggle. However, in the scant moment that she took to analyze what she was facing, she realized that odds were strong that these people weren¡¯t hostages, but were instead possessed bodies, no better than living corpses.
Fuck she hoped that¡¯s what they were.
Syd lunged, hernce striking deep into the demon¡¯s flesh, though not without first passing through the chest of an emaciated older-looking human woman.
¡°Save me, please, save me!¡± the woman continued to scream despite the fact that she had ten-foot-long polearm sticking through her breastbone.
¡°You aren¡¯t fooling anyone anymore, bitch,¡± Syd growled as she twisted her weapon hard and pulled it back out.
¡°No! No, no, no, no!¡± The old woman wailed, the tone of her voice changing from terror and panic to rage and frustration.
Syd recoiled as the multitude of moving corpses sticking out of the demon¡¯s back began to scream curses and obscenities, their pleas for help transformed into insults and usations. Their begging hands continued to try and grab at her, only this time their intention was no longer to pull themselves away from the demon, but to pull Syd in closer.
¡°Eat dick, you cunt!¡±
¡°Suck my shit!¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to eat your tongue!¡±
¡°Bloody piece of trash, just die!¡±
¡°Samleos take your soul!¡±
¡°Fuck you!¡±
With a snarl of her own, Syd rammed hernce back into the screaming demon again, the de slicing the head off of a shrieking corpse.
¡°Fuck you too!¡±
Chapter 245: Wailing
Chapter 245: Wailing
Dys could feel her armor creak as the screaming demon pulled her legs apart like a wishbone. Or was that the sound of her ligaments snapping? It was hard to tell over the constant enraged shrieking. Dys wasn¡¯t willing to be the only one with bones popping, though. With herculean effort she wrenched the demon¡¯s jaws further apart, forcing its maw open wide. Too wide. With a loud crack the demon¡¯s lower jaw went loose, the joint breaking.
A low, almost sub-sonic gurgling noise rumbled up out of the depths of the demon¡¯s throat, the first sound the vile thing had made that wasn¡¯t a scream from the riders on its back. Like a child throwing a tantrum, the demon mmed Dys back down onto the ground, the jarring force of the move enough to make her lose her grip on its broken maw. Dys was once again sent tumbling away, her body crashing through the underbrush yards from the fight.
The demon spun around, its lower jaw dangling loose. Its multitude of eyes stared wildly around, their wide pupils twitching spastically. They focused on Syd, standing mere feet away.
Stabbing the back of the demon with hernce had proved ineffective. The wretched monster barely took notice of her attacks. She was still trying to figure out what to try next when the demon rounded on her. It swiped with its left arm at her, forcing a quick duck and a dodge backwards as it followed up the swipe with a vertical m of its other arm. Backstepping, Syd jabbed hernce at the head of the screaming demon, cutting and slicing at the gray flesh. One eye was popped like a zit, a disgusting ichor leaking out as Syd tried to do some damage to the abomination.
Unexpectedly, the demon spun again, whirling about in a full circle. The screaming demon¡¯s back left leg caught hold of Syd in the movement, dragging her off of her feet as she was pulled along in the rotation. As it continued to drag her, Syd mmed hernce down into the ground, sinking it several feet in an instant and held on tight. Her short spin was abruptly stopped as the demon was unable to pull her further and its grip on her leg was lost. It stumbled to the side, her quick reaction causing it to lose stability.
As the demon fumbled, regaining its bnce from the spin and slip, Jay¡¯s war hammer mmed into its face, sending its head snapping backwards from the massive blow.
¡°Eat shit!¡± was Jay¡¯s eloquent war cry as she continued her forward momentum and hit the demon again with her hammer, this time with a hard blow to its thick neck.
From behind Syd grabbed hold of the demon¡¯s back left leg, yanking on it as hard as she could. The horror stumbled again, pulled by Syd stretching its limb out to full extension. Jay¡¯s hammer mmed into the side of the demon¡¯s worm-like head again, hitting it from the side with enough force that it bounced off of the demon¡¯s own body. In the next instant, Dys leapt at the demon from above, her axeing down in an overhead swing, triggering Mirrored Strikes.
The demon¡¯s leg was cleaved in two.
Gouts of ck blood poured from the gaping wound, soaking the ground around Syd¡¯s feet as she tossed away the massive, severed hand. The foul, rotting stench of the demon¡¯s blood filled the air, its corruption eating away at her nostrils. Terrible screams echoed in the trees as the subsumed victims on the demon¡¯s back wailed and screeched in pain and rage, the horrible noise underpinned by the deep, gurgling base of the demon¡¯s open throat.
Jadis was ready to continue her assault, her three bodies already in motion, when the huge demon did something unexpected again. Thrusting its bleeding stump of a leg towards Syd, it doused her head and body in its dark ichor, blinding her with its stinking blood. The ck ooze easily sshed through the slits in her helm, covering her face and stinging her eyes. She began to retch uncontrobly, the awful smell and taste making her gag. Syd stumbled back, fumbling to pull her visor open so she could clear the filth away.
In the same instant, the wretched demon fell back and away from Jay, mming its body into Dys and bowling her over. The greater mass of the demon¡¯s torso settled over top of Dys, attempting to crush her with its weight as it pinned her to the ground under its bulk.
¡°Get off!¡± Jay shouted, swinging her hammer in a wide arc, the heavy head thudding against the base of the demon¡¯s neck.
The blow caused the demon¡¯s flesh to ripple and deform like mud in a wet sack, but it did nothing to stop the monster from counterattacking. Its two huge hands mmed into Jay from either side, catching her between them. Wrapping her up in its grip, it lifted her high into the air before swinging her down into the ground, her helmeted head and upper body bouncing against the dirt. The demon lifted her again, then bashed her against the ground once more. It moved to do the same a third time, Jay¡¯s head ringing from the impacts, but the demon didn¡¯t get the chance.
A sudden boom of ghostly energy exploded on the right side of the demon, causing it to rock to the side. An oversized bolt pierced its shoulder while arge arrow went through its neck at the same time.
¡°Drop her you bitch!¡± Bridget shouted as she and Thea stepped up to meet the massive horror, il and shield at the ready.
They were not alone, with Wi and her soldiers nking on either side. They¡¯d finished off thest of the twisted wretches, though not without taking damage of their own. Still, Jadis could see Eir in the back with A and Nora, pouring healing magic into them to keep them all fighting.
Using her like a club, the screaming demonshed out at the wall of soldiers by swinging Jay into them. Her head and shoulders cracked against the shields and bodies of several men, though which she hit Jay had no idea. At the end of the demon¡¯s arcing swing it raised her high overhead in one hand, likely with the intent of throwing her directly at the assembled fighters. Before it got the chance to, the demon was struck by a bolt of lightning that ripped through its outstretched arm.
The demon¡¯s body spasmed from the electric shock and Jay was sent flying into the air as it released her right at the peak of its movement. Jay¡¯s stomach did flips as she tumbled through the air more than fifty feet off the ground. It was almost impossible to orient herself, her wild spinning throwing her perspective off. Her other two selves were no help, as Dys was squashed under the bulk of the beast while Syd was still blinded from its foul blood. It was only in thest moment before impact that Jay was able to see where she was going tond and then only because her face turned directly into it.
Jay crashed heavily into the back of the screaming demon, crushing several of the possessed humans that were sprouting from its back. The front of her helm was pressed hard against the broken body of a young man, his arms and ribs crushed by her heavy armored weight falling onto him. And yet, the man still let out a gurgling, outraged scream as his ruined limbs tried to w at her.
Many hands grabbed and tore at Jay¡¯s arms and legs, trying to hold her down as she struggled to orient herself. The screams were beyond intense, the horrible shrieks echoing loudly in her ears, amplified by the metal helmet she wore. It was hard to even see where she was with their hands all grabbing at her helmet and face, blocking her vision.
¡°Fuck! Get the fuck off of me!¡± Jay shouted as she iled wildly.
Her struggles were hampered by the fact that she couldn¡¯t get her feet under her, the demon¡¯s body constantly shifting and moving. She could just barely hear the sounds ofbat going on around her over the screams of the damned, though she couldn¡¯t tell for sure which direction they wereing from. Desperate to get herself free from the wing hands, Jay started wing back at them. With a growling yell, Jay grabbed hold of an arm, one of many trying to grapple and strangle her, and pulled as hard as she could.
The arm came free of the body it was attached to with a wet pop, ck blood spilling out in great spurts. From the shoulder Jay could see dark tendrils worming around, wriggling wildly now that they were exposed to the light of day. Disgusted, she tossed the arm away, then grabbed another and pulled again.
For the next several seconds Jay tore at the bed of bodies, tossing parts away as she ripped them away with her bare hands. At some point her gauntleted fingers nked against something solid and metallic and she realized that she¡¯d found her war hammer that she¡¯d lost track of when she¡¯d been tossed into the air. Pulling it free from the mass of blood and gore, she started to blindly m the hammer down repeatedly into the back of the demon, pulping the wet flesh before her into a ck paste.
Jay suddenly tilted wildly to her left, rolling across the squirming bodies as she fell off of the wailing demon¡¯s back. Jadis found both her Jay self free and clear of the grasping hands as she hit the ground as well as her Dys self uncovered from the demon¡¯s body as it lifted off of her. Wasting no time, Dys immediately struggled to her feet, converging with Jay who was also rolling onto her knees.
The demon was retreating. At a nce Jadis could see that several of the soldiers had been badly injured, their forms lying in crumpled heaps scattered across the ground. Thea was among them, lying dazed on her back several yards away from where Jadis hadst seen her, but she was moving so she had to assume the shieldsworn was in no immediate danger. The demon, however, was in terrible condition. Rear left hand severed, jaw hanging loose, multiple arrows and bolts sticking out of its neck and body, plus the signs of explosion and lightning damage on its front right arm and side. Then there was its back. The abomination¡¯s possessed riders were torn to shreds, most of them crushed and broken. Arge patch of ck gore oozed a continuous stream of tar-like ichor from a point just off-center of its back, the bodies surrounding it looking the worst hit. Those that could were still screeching obscenities as loudly as they could, but the sounds were greatly reduced since so many had been destroyed.
The demon stumbled away, its huge body still faster than something sorge should be but moving at a slower pace than before. Its missing hand hindered it as the demon tried to dodge away, avoiding more attacks from Kerr, Bridget, A, and Wi. Jadis was surprised to see the captain in the fore, her scavenged de slick with ck blood as she sliced at the demon¡¯s neck, cutting deep into the thick flesh.
With a gurgling rumble, the demon threw a backhand at Wi that she managed to turn into a ncing blow. She was still sent spinning away, the force of the attack knocking her back several feet, but her quick dodge saved her from what Jadis knew was the demon¡¯s immense strength. The screaming monster didn¡¯t follow up on its attack, though. Instead, the demon scrambled back and away, trying to put distance between it and the others, perhaps even trying to flee.
¡°Not a fucking chance!¡±
All three of Jadis shouted as they converged on the retreating demon. Jay ran directly at the awful creature, her speed amplified by Knight¡¯s Daring Charge. She mmed her massive hammer into the demon¡¯s side with enough force to crush a boulder. The screeching demon¡¯s body rocked off bnce to one side, the sound of breaking bones distinctly audible over the cries of its stolen bodies. Dys moved to follow up the attack with her axe, but before she couldnd her blow, the demon once more did something unexpected.
It rolled over.
Using the force of Jay¡¯s blow to its advantage, the demon rolled like a barrel, flipping over and away from Jay and Dys with surprising speed. The bodies on its back were utterly crushed by the maneuver, almost all screams silenced in an instant, but the demon kept moving. Even before its roll was finished it was moving, itsrge hands digging into the dirt as it wed its way forward in a rapid lunge. Except, the demon didn¡¯t try to run away. Instead, it ran up.
Its many wed fingers dug into the bark of one of the massive pine trees as the demon rapidly scaled the wide trunk. In a matter of seconds it was forty or fifty feet up in the air, showing no signs of stopping.
Jadis didn¡¯t know if this was an attempt to flee or the setup to some other form of attack. She frankly didn¡¯t care. Either way, the demon couldn¡¯t be allowed to live any longer. The foul thing was too dangerous and too vile for its existence to continue.
Syd ripped hernce from the ground where she had stuck it earlier in the fight and turned to face up at the demon climbing the tree. Her eyes still stung and she could barely see, but the vision from her other bodies helped guide her. Using it like a javelin, Syd hurled hernce with all the force she had within her, trusting on her boosted Dexterity stat to guide her where her otherwise terrible aim left hercking.
The demon¡¯s movement upward was abruptly halted as Syd¡¯snce pierced the oozing ck hole in its back, burying itself into the flesh past the point where it could even be seen. The demon still moved, but it struggled as though something had caught hold of it. It took Jadis only a moment to realize that hernce had pinned the demon to the trunk, holding it in ce for at least a brief moment.
¡°A!¡± Jay shouted as she stepped closer to the tree.
¡°On it,¡± A gasped as she tossed away the empty metal canteen she¡¯d had pressed to her lips.
In rapid session A fired three more force bolts at the gurgling demon, each one exploding with powerful effect against its body. A slurry of ripped flesh sted away from its gory back as the explosions impacted against the demon, sending blood and worse raining down. The third bolt exploded on the demon¡¯s left shoulder, shredding the connection. The arm flopped uselessly to the side for a moment before the demon lost its grip with its remaining limbs. With only a deep, gurgling rumbling, the massive wretch fell from the tree and crashed heavily onto the ground almost directly in front of Jay and Dys.
Without a second¡¯s pause Jay¡¯s hammer mmed down onto the demon¡¯s flopping head, crushing it against the ground. Half a secondter Dys¡¯ axe cleaved through the demon¡¯s neck, empowered by Mirror Strikes. The monstrous creature¡¯s bisected neck flopped around for several moments as dark ichor spurted out from it, before slumping into quiet stillness.
|
Congrattions!
Wailing Grudge Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Greater Demon Spawn of Samleos.
|
The only sound that could be heard for the next minute was the gasping breath of the living as they stared at the horrid creature that they had just worked together to y. Hardly anyone even moved aside from a slight shuffle of feet. Finally, Syd reached up and pulled her helmet off, squinting around as her eyes were still irritated by the demon¡¯s blood. Blinking, she turned to look at the bedraggled gathering.
¡°Everyone okay?¡±
Chapter 246: Committed
Chapter 246: Committed
¡°So, uh, I leveled up.¡±
Dys blinked, hands going still as her tired brain caught up with what Kerr had just said. She was sitting off to one side, away from most everyone else in the camp. While not structurally damaged, her armor, along with Jay and Syd¡¯s, had been doused in foul-smelling blood and gore from the fight earlier in the day. She had picked a somewhat secluded spot to focus on cleaning the gunk out of the three sets of armor since no one wanted to be around the rancid stench. After the day¡¯s events, she also just wanted to do something that would let at least a piece of her mind lose itself in the nkness of repetitive action. She was making progress, though she had a feeling the smell was going to linger for days, or at least until they could find a better source of water than the barely trickling creek they¡¯d decided to set up camp by a few miles away from the scene of the battle.
Her mind had gone somewhat unfocused while shebored at the repetitive and distasteful task, so Kerr¡¯s quiet announcement took time to register. Once it did, though, a bright grin spread across Dys¡¯ face.
¡°You did? Really?¡± Dys asked, the excitement welling up in her chest overriding her exhaustion. ¡°You mean you¡¯re level sixty now?¡±
¡°Sixty-two, actually,¡± Kerr replied, her lips twitching in a lopsided smile. ¡°Both my primary and my secondary sses went up a level, plus with the tertiary ss starting at level one¡ª¡±
¡°Tertiary ss!¡± Dys practically squealed in a tone she rarely took. ¡°You did it! Congrattions Kerr!¡±
As she spoke, Dys pushed the armor off of herp and pulled Kerr in for a powerful hug. She embraced her lover eagerly, thrilled that she¡¯d managed to finally reach such andmark achievement. Not many people on Oros reached level sixty and unlocked their tertiary ss. It was a feat made more possible during demonic invasions since there were bonus experience points to be gained from ying the demons, but themensurate level of danger that came with fighting such monstrosities meant reaching level sixty was still a harrowing prospect for most.
But Kerr had done it. She had crested level sixty and unlocked her third ss. Jadis couldn¡¯t wait to hear what it was.
¡°So? Spill the beans already! What did you get?¡± Dys asked enthusiastically, pulling back from her hug just enough so that she could meet Kerr¡¯s green eyes. ¡°It¡¯s got to be influenced by me, right?¡±
¡°Yeah, it is,¡± Kerr tilted her head, though her smile faltered a bit. ¡°It¡¯s really, really good, too.¡±
¡°¡Then why don¡¯t you seem all that happy about it?¡±
In that moment, Kerr looked ufortable to Jadis. She was fidgeting, nervous. Not at all her usual confident andid-back self. Her unusual attitude was making Jadis nervous as well. Seeing the obvious anxiety that her girlfriend was experiencing, Jadis acted immediately to reassure andfort her. Without even thinking she leaned in and gave Kerr a soft kiss on her lips before putting her forehead against hers. Looking deep into her eyes, she hugged Kerr tighter, her hands rubbing her back.
¡°Hey, what is it? What¡¯s wrong?¡±
¡°Nothing,¡± Kerr said unconvincingly. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s just that¡ªfuck. I feel like this is all about to get pretty damned tangled.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Dys asked, a small frown tugging on her lips. ¡°Go ahead and take your time and exin. Whatever¡¯s got you in knots, we¡¯ll work it out together.¡±
Kerr smiled, a genuine, loving smile. One of her hands came up to stroke Dys¡¯ cheek, a heartfelt tenderness evident in the touch.
¡°Yeah, I know. Once youmit to something, you¡¯re all in, including rtionships. It¡¯s one of the reasons I love you.¡±
The L word made Jadis¡¯ hearts flutter a bit. They¡¯d only recently solidified their rtionship, so hearing Kerr say she loved her still made Jadis¡¯ spine tingle in a mix of excitement, pleasure, and nerves. She felt like she wasn¡¯t hearing it from either Kerr or A often enough, though she wasn¡¯t sure there was any amount that would be ¡°enough¡± when it came to her lovers.
¡°I love you too,¡± Dys said before giving Kerr another kiss, this one lingering for a longer moment. ¡°Now, tell me.¡±
Kerr smiled, her cow-like ears twitching. She leaned back, pulling her face away from Dys to look around them. While their spot was separated from the rest of the camp, there were several people within what Jadis would consider potential hearing range, at least for normal conversation levels. Most of the solders were either setting up their tents or resting by the bonfire. Bridget was handling the cooking duties while Eir was meditating nearby to regenerate her magic reserves. The priestess had used up almost her entire magic pool keeping everyone alive during the attack, most of the healing going towards the soldiers and Thea.
Thea¡¯s armor had been badly damaged by taking a head-on strike from the Wailing Grudge, so Sabina was working on repairing it. Thea herself was taking a well-deserved rest, curled up under Syd¡¯s arm where she too rested in the tent after a long and trying day. Jay, A, and Wi were patrolling together around the campsite, acting as early evening guards while they discussed the pros and cons of continuing further west after such an intense encounter. So far, they were leaning towards continuing, though they all had much stronger reservations than before.
Kerr must have decided that their conversation would be private enough as she leaned back in close, pressing her head against Dys¡¯ before speaking in a soft whisper.
¡°I was offered an upgraded version of my Nox Archer ss, a variant archer ss that specializes in ying demons, and one that was absolutely influenced by you. That fucker D probably had something to do with it, I¡¯m sure, but yeah. Very much a Jadis-touched ss. Before I say more, I¡¯ll be upfront with you. Already took it. I just¡ªI want you to know that I¡¯mmitted. Fullymitted. Okay?¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Dys answered quietly, easily sensing the seriousness with which Kerr was intending her words.
¡°Alright,¡± Kerr let out a puff of air. ¡°So. It¡¯s called Bonded Slut Sniper.¡±
¡°What?¡± Dys squinted one eye, giving Kerr a suspicious look. ¡°Are you messing with me right now?¡±
¡°No, I¡¯m not. When do I ever mess around when things are serious?¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t going to touch that with a ten-footnce.
¡°Bonded Slut Sniper sounds like you go around, I don¡¯t know, sniping sluts.¡±
¡°I know, right?¡± Kerr scoffed. ¡°I think the meaning is actually supposed to be that
I¡¯m the slut. Which is, of course, ridiculous.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Jadis kept apletely straight face.
¡°Anyway,¡± Kerr shook her head, gently rubbing against Dys¡¯ forehead. ¡°It¡¯s not the slut part that has me wound up. I¡¯m into sex and I know it, I don¡¯t really care that I have a ss announcing it. I do the same thing myself, frequently, for Valtar¡¯s sake. The thing is, the bonded part. Bonded.
Vincta. Do you get me?¡±
¡°I think I¡¯m starting to,¡± Dys said slowly.
¡°Okay, so, here¡¯s the ss description.¡±
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Bonded Slut Sniper
You have forged a powerful bond, one that will either take you to exalted heights or to abyssal failure. Commit to the love and lust you feel and gain even greater power in reward. This ss will grant you abilities that greatly increase the damage you do to single targets.
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¡°That, uh, that¡¯s¡¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Kerr nodded, her voice quiet and pensive. ¡°Committed. Are you, you know, okay with that, still?¡±
Dys looked at Kerr, seeing the worry on her face, the anxiousness in her movements, the tenseness of her muscles. At first, she¡¯d thought that Kerr was nervous about Jadis¡¯ reaction to her ss being less than optimal or something silly like that. Instead she realized that Kerr¡¯s true worry came from how utterly dependent the ss was on her. Bonded was no light description. Kerr had made the choice to fullymit to her rtionship with Jadis by picking the ss. There was a real possibility that if they ever separated, the skills and abilities she gained from the ss would be severely hampered. Yet Kerr had chosen the ss anyway.
¡°Kerr,¡± Dys spoke slowly, her voice low and intense. ¡°I love you. I love you just as much as I love A. You are my girlfriend and my lover and my partner. I swear on my soul, I am just asmitted to you as you are to me.¡±
Kerr let out a small, hupping breath, a grin spreading across her lips. Her arms squeezed tightly around Dys as she rubbed her nose against Dys¡¯.
¡°Thanks. I guess I just¡ I needed to hear it. I took the ss right away because I want to be with you, but then I kind of second-guessed myself and¡ªfuck it. I¡¯m starting to ramble like Sabina. You get what I mean.¡±
¡°Yeah, I do,¡± Dys assured her, hugging her therion lover a little closer.
¡°Yeah, I know you do,¡± Kerr let out a brief chuckle. ¡°But, uh, that does bring up another issue. I mean, I don¡¯t know how big of a problem it actually is, but I still feel like we should talk about it. Gods, that makes me sound like such a responsible, boring mud butt. For real though, we need a group meeting.¡±
¡°About?¡± Dys asked, one eyebrow raised.
¡°Well, you know, this is a bonded ss. Actually, now that I think about it, you probably don¡¯t know, do you? Shit. Okay, so, bonded sses aren¡¯t something that happen a lot.¡±
¡°I can imagine,¡± Dys murmured.
¡°It¡¯s a major sign ofmitment from one person to another. Huge. Most married people don¡¯t get bonded sses, you know. I just got one for you, which is great! I¡¯m notining. Not even a little! But, uh, I got a bonded ss. Me. Before A.¡±
Oh. There Jadis could see where Kerr¡¯s worries stemmed from.
¡°Well, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s your fault,¡± Dys said after a short pause. ¡°I mean, you were on the cusp of reaching level sixty when we met, anyway. You naturally got the opportunity before A. She¡¯s still got a long way to go before she gets to her tertiary ss. A will understand that. Besides, at the rate we¡¯re leveling, she won¡¯t have that long to wait for her own.¡±
¡°So you think she¡¯ll get offered a bonded ss, too?¡± Kerr asked, one of her own eyebrows raised. ¡°That confident, huh?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Dys said with absolute conviction. ¡°I know A loves me as much as I love her. And since I love you both equally as much, I¡¯d say the transitive property applies. If you got a bonded ss, there¡¯s no doubt A would be offered one once she gets the opportunity.¡±
¡°That¡¯s some kind of logic,¡± Kerr smirked. ¡°I can¡¯t really argue with it. Or really, I don¡¯t want to. I just hope she¡¯s not angry with me over this. She¡¯s the boss in this rtionship, you know. Definitely First Wife material. I don¡¯t want her to think I¡¯m trying to horn in on her position.¡±
Jadis¡¯ heart skipped a beat at the mention of First Wife, but she chose to dance around that particr prospect for the time being. There was a time and ce for everything, and this wasn¡¯t the ce for marriage discussions.
¡°Hey, I¡¯m pretty sure I wear the pants in this rtionship,¡± Dys said instead, a bit of mock outrage in her voice.
¡°Sure you do,¡± Kerr nodded sagely. ¡°That¡¯s why A is in charge.¡±
¡°Whatever,¡± Dys rolled her eyes. ¡°Anyway, I think you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll let A know that the three of us need to have a talk about your new ss sooner rather thanter. Maybe tonight once everyone has settled down.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Kerr nodded. ¡°Now, with that settled, I¡¯d appreciate it if you let go of me. You stink like demon ass and it¡¯s getting really hard to not gag right now.¡±
Dysughed, holding Kerr tightly as she ran her fingers over her sides in a tickling attack.
¡°Bullshit! We both know you don¡¯t have a gag reflex.¡±
¡°We can double check thatter,¡± Kerr said between sporadicughter. ¡°Seriously, though, you need a bath!¡±
Dys released Kerr from her grip, a glowing warmth filling her chest. The day had been dreadful, worse than many others in a lot of ways, yet the news Kerr had brought her made her forget all about the terrible greater demon and the horrific fight against it. The love she felt for Kerr, coupled with the sure knowledge of her reciprocation was better than any hot bath for soothing her soul. Though she had to agree with her archer. She needed at least a cold bath for the sake of all their noses. Syd smelled even worse than Dys and the fact that Thea was somehow managing to sleep right next to her was a sign of just how tired the woman was.
¡°Some good news, then.¡± Dys announced as she picked up the armor piece she¡¯d set down earlier. "Jay, A, and Wi just traced the creek to a small pond further downstream. We can get cleaned up there.¡±
¡°Great,¡± Kerr grinned. ¡°I better get over there first before any of you do and contaminate the water.¡±
¡°Wait, hold on,¡± Dys held up a hand to forestall Kerr¡¯s escape. ¡°You told me the ss, but you never told me the main skill you got for it. Also, what about what you got from your other sses?¡±
Kerr¡¯s grin turned wicked as her green eyes shone in the evening light.
¡°Eh, I¡¯ll tell you when we all discuss our levels. I know for a fact I wasn¡¯t the only one to level up today.¡±
Chapter 247: Big Skills
Chapter 247: Big Skills
The discovery of the small pond was of interest to everyone in the camp, not just Jadis. It had been a few days since anyone had been able to bathe properly and the day¡¯s fighting had been particrly nasty. Freezing cold water wasn¡¯t ideal, but it was a huge step up from demon guts.
The soldiers ended up getting use of the pond first. Sent in two groups, one group would stand watch while the other cleaned themselves up. There hadn¡¯t been any sign of further demonic activity so far, but everyone was on alert, fully expecting more hostiles to be in the area. Fortune¡¯s Favored had opted to go after the soldiers. The full group sans Jadis would bathe once the soldiers got back, then Jadis would gost since she was likely to pollute the water the most.
In the meantime, while they waited, Jadis and herpanions sat around the bonfire eating the meal that Bridget had prepared and discussed the levels that they had gained from the battle against the nithetre group and the Wailing Grudge.
¡°I¡¯m CLR sixty-two now,¡± Kerr was saying as she chewed some meat off of a rib bone. ¡°One level in Nox Archer, one level in Far Wilds Traveler, and one level in my brand-new ss, Slut Sniper. Girls, I am officially an elite!¡±
¡°I¡¯m so happy for you!¡± Eir said, pping her hands as the others also offered their congrattions. ¡°That is an odd ss name, but I can only imagine it offers great benefits.¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± the archer winked at the priestess. ¡°I know you were the one hoping to get a slut ss, but you¡¯ll just have to share the title with me.¡±
¡°So crass,¡± Eir shook her finger at Kerr, though there was no anger in the motion. ¡°You could stand to show at least a modicum of decorum when we¡¯re having serious discussions.¡±
¡°Sure, I could,¡± Kerr shrugged, ¡°but I won¡¯t.¡±
¡°Putting aside your inability to not turn a conversation into something crude,¡± A spoke up, ¡°what skills and attributes did you get?¡±
Jadis and Kerr hadn¡¯t yet had the opportunity to have a conversation with A about the particr details of Kerr¡¯s new ss. It was something they felt would need a moment of privacy, so they were going to talk it overter in the night. For the moment, Kerr was leaving off the Bonded part of her tertiary ss title. That didn¡¯t stop her from discussing her new skills though.
¡°For Far Wilds Traveler, I reached an even number level, twenty-eight, and got two free attribute points. I put them both into Dexterity, so now it¡¯s sitting at sixty-nine.¡±
¡°Nice,¡± all three of Jadis said at the same time with a knowing smile. When everyone else just stared at her with mild confusion, she let out a little cough. ¡°Uh, never mind. Please, continue.¡±
¡°¡Right. Anyway,¡± Kerr shook her head. ¡°Nox Archer hit level thirty-three, so I got a choice of skills. One was kind of a duplicate of my Silent Step skill that I have from my secondary ss. It wasn¡¯t one for one, but too much ovep for my taste. I took a stat-boosting passive skill instead called Archer¡¯s Fleetness.¡±
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Archer¡¯s Fleetness
Passive Skill. Increases the Agility and Endurance attributes by 4 points.
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¡°It isn¡¯t anything amazing, but being able to move faster is nice and the Endurance buff is going to be super important for me. I¡¯m going to need a lot of stamina to make use of my new tertiary ss skill.¡±
¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Jay asked between big bites of fire-roasted drake meat.
Bridget really was a surprisingly good cook. She definitely knew how to roast meat, at least.
¡°My first skill in Slut Sniper costs a
lot of stamina to use.¡±
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Sniper¡¯s Colossus yer
Active Skill. Increase the damage of your next bow shot by 0.1 of the target¡¯s maximum health. Cost ¨C 100 stamina.
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¡°Wow,¡± Sabina chirped when Kerr had finished her description. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of stamina for a single skill. But ten percent of your target¡¯s maximum health? That¡¯s huge!¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but agree with the smith¡¯s assessment. Stamina was undefined resource, controlled by the Endurance stat but also heavily modified and dependent on a wide variety of factors, ranging from what a person had eaten that day to how long they had slept and thefort level of their sleeping arrangements, as well as their general health and well-being, among many other influences. It made it hard to know how much stamina a person had in reserve other than going off of the somewhat nebulous feeling of how tired or drained they felt at any given moment. All of that said, to use up a hundred points of stamina with a single ability seemed like it would deplete arge amount of the resource in one go. In fact, Jadis was pretty sure it was ten times the amount of other active skills that Kerr had at her disposal.
Then again, a full ten percent of a target¡¯s maximum health? Not even current health, but maximum? That was potentially a massive amount of extra damage to put on a single bow shot. There was no upper limit to the damage mentioned, either. That meant that if Kerr¡¯s target had ten thousand health, one arrow would do a thousand damage on top of whatever the other damage inherent to the attack. Those were truly colossal numbers, yet not outside the realm of possibility with demons and magic beasts considering how much damage such creatures were capable of absorbing during fights.
¡°That sounds like an amazing skill to me,¡± Bridget said, the sentiment echoed by the others around the bonfire. ¡°I guess you¡¯d want to reserve it for big bastards since it costs so much, but against things like that Wailing Grudge or even that stupid Nithetre, that would be a damn fine skill to have!¡±
As the others nodded in agreement, discussing the benefits of the skill, Kerr leaned in close to Jay and mouthed a few words so that only she could see. What Jadis interpreted was that the actual name of the new skill was ¡°Bonded Sniper¡¯s Colossus yer¡± and that she had left out the Bonded word to avoid confusion for the moment.
The group spent a few more minutes lightly discussing Kerr¡¯s tertiary ss and new skills before moving on to talk about everyone else¡¯s level ups. While the gained experience points had been spread out across sixteen individuals, the massive number of demons they¡¯d in more than made up for the sharing. Every member of Fortune¡¯s Favored had leveled up, some of them gaining rather interesting new skills.
A had gained three levels, no surprise considering how many of the demons she had personally killed with her explosion spells. Cart Driver had hit level twenty-five, giving her a couple of new skills to choose from. Jadis had expected her to pick another copy of Lesser Arcane Improvement to boost her Arcane attribute by another five points since her Cart Driver ss didn¡¯t offer many useful skills, but she¡¯d been proven wrong when A talked about her newest ability.
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Oversized Vehicle Maneuvering
Passive Skill. So long as you are driving, piloting, or guiding an unusuallyrgend vehicle your ride will go smoother and faster. Your vehicle will be less likely to break down or be hindered by obstacles and you will be more likely to spot issues that would cause harm to or obstruct your vehicle.
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It wasn¡¯t abat skill. In fact, it was a skill only useful for driving carts, something that A had explicitly stated she wasn¡¯t interested in doing any more now that she had a mage ss. However, before Jadis could even point out the inconsistency, A exined her reasoning.
The gigantic wagon had been their mobile home for several weeks at this point and its uses had been abundantly disyed. In A¡¯s opinion, theirpany was likely to make frequent use of the wagon in the future, perhaps riding it out every time they went on an excursion that would take them more than a day away from town. A skill that would not only help keep the Behemoth intact as well as improve the speed at which it moved was a sound investment. The skill would also help her spot issues, which meant they were less likely to fall into any pitfalls or other traps on the road. Besides all that, A saw the speed boost to their travel time as worth it just to help them finish their current mission faster.
¡°I can afford to use this skill slot for something other than battle utility,¡± A said with a loving smile directed at Dys. ¡°You make that possible. I¡¯m already seeing the benefits of your levels today, anyway.¡±
The single level in Cart Driver wasn¡¯t the whole of her level ups, anyway. A had gained two levels in Nephilim Powered Arcanist, neen and twenty. Level neen had gifted her a passive skill that would greatly help with herbat ability.
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Lesser Spell Range Expansion
Passive Skill. Increases the range of your single target spells by 3 times their base value. Does not apply to multiple target spells or spells with no target. Effect stacks with spell modifications.
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It was a straightforward upgrade to her force bolt that wouldn¡¯t interfere with her arcanist spell modifications. A wasn¡¯t able to apply more than one modification to a spell; whenever she tried the new modification simply overrode the older one. This new skill wasn¡¯t a modification, though, and the description explicitly stated it waspatible with her other modifications. Sure, it was only useful for her force bolt, but the text certainly left the possibility open for future single target spells. Besides, no one could dispute the usefulness of A being able to cast an exploding force bolt at a target three hundred feet away.
Reaching level twenty in the ss meant that A had gotten five free attribute points to put where she liked. Since her Arcane stat was looking more than good, she¡¯d chosen to put all the points into Focus, bringing the attribute up to thirty-five. Thanks to Nephilim Saturation, A had a total of five hundred magic points to spend, a huge number for a mage of her level to have without having had to sacrifice any power for it. As easy, and fun, as it was for A to regain her magic reserves with Jadis around, having a bigger pool to draw from was still extremely valuable.
Eir hadn¡¯t gained as many levels as A. She¡¯d still gained two, but both were in her much lower-level secondary ss, Lustful Oracle of D. Her primary cleric ss hadn¡¯t leveled at all. Eir attributed theck of a level to the fact that she didn¡¯t actually participate much in thebat and hadn¡¯t actually used her healing that much, notpared to other battles. Jadis had taken the bulk of the attacks and her heavy armor had mitigated most of the damage done. Several people had been severely injured, but overall the toll had been rtively light, especially considering what they¡¯d fought against.
In any case, Eir had reached level eight in her secondary ss. The single free point she¡¯d put into Will to help her recover her magic reserves faster since she didn¡¯t have a quick way of regaining the resource like A or Jadis. That wasn¡¯t the interesting part, though. The level seven skill she¡¯d gained was where the funy.
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Protection of the D
Ritual Spell. Create a shielding effect around your body that will prevent you from taking lethal damage once. If you are struck with an attack that would do enough damage to put your health below 0, your health is instead dropped to 1. Any physical effects will be mitigated to a survivable state. Once the effect has been triggered, the spell ends. Spell does not protect against continuous damage. Effect persists until triggered or the ritual is repeated.
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¡°That¡ªthat¡¯s amazing!¡± Jay blurted out as Eir finished reciting the description of her new ritual.
¡°S¡ªso much protection¡¡± Thea whispered, awestruck. ¡°That w¡ªwould be a wonderful spell to have as, ah, a fallback. I w¡ªwish you could c¡ªcast it on others.¡±
¡°Sadly I cannot,¡± Eir shook her head with genuine remorse. ¡°It is meant only as a protection for myself, unfortunately. I, too, wish I could do more to protect you and everyone else here. s, that is not yet possible. Though, who knows? Maybe I will gain such a spell in the future. I will pray to Destarious and Lyssandria in thanks for this blessing, and in the hope of more that I can use to aid you all.¡±
¡°Hey, I¡¯m just happy to know you¡¯ll have a spell that¡¯ll protect you from getting hurt,¡± Jay said as she smiled warmly at her priestess. ¡°I¡¯m always worried about you and everyone else that has low health points. It¡¯s good to know you¡¯ll have such a strong spell protecting you.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a ritual, though, right?¡± Kerr asked, her ears perking up. ¡°And your other ritual is
lusty, isn¡¯t it? What¡¯s the deal with this one? Anything lewd?¡±
No one was ever able to tell if Eir was blushing thanks to the deep red color of her skin. However, Jadis now knew the elf well enough to know the difference between her being demure and her being embarrassed. At Kerr¡¯s question, Eir was definitely thetter.
¡°Well, um, yes,¡± Eir murmured, her eyes looking anywhere but at thepanions surrounding her. ¡°It, ah, is most certainly on the lewd side, just as the other rituals we take part in.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t be all
that bad,¡± Syd said, half a grin on her face. ¡°I mean,e on. We already do some pretty raunchy stuff. You aren¡¯t trying to tell us that this ritual is worse than what we get up to regrly anyway, are you?¡±
¡°Ahem,¡± Eir cleared her throat. ¡°Perhaps it is not
too different from our regr activities. But I will need the help of others. Rather, I will need the participation of everyone present, actually. Multiple partners will need to assist with giving me, ah, full coverage¡ across my entire body.¡±
There was a brief silence as everyone digested what Eir had just delicately described. Eventually, Kerr and Bridget both started tough while Sabina turned to Thea and began to ask the embarrassed human a barrage of rifying questions. Jadis¡¯ feelings were put to words most urately by A¡¯s muted response.
¡°¡My life has be so very strange.¡±
Chapter 248: Bigger Growth
Chapter 248: Bigger Growth
After Eir¡¯s fascinating revtion concerning her newest ritual spell, Thea¡¯s report on her level progress was refreshingly simple. She had gained one level in both her primary and secondary sses, though since they were both even number levels she hadn¡¯t gained any new skills. Having reached twenty-eight in Imperial Soldier and twenty-two in Shieldsworn Guard, Thea had been given four free attribute points to ce where she liked. She¡¯d chosen to use all of them on her Resilience stat, boosting it up to forty-three.
¡°Good choice,¡± A nodded appreciatively. ¡°Your defensive attributes are turning you into a one-woman wall.¡±
¡°I want to be, ah, able to p¡ªprotect everyone,¡± Thea said quietly as she shyly nced between Jay and A. ¡°Even from magic.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve always got our backs,¡± Jay smiled lovingly at the quiet woman.
¡°Hey, that puts you at CLR fifty, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Syd perked up, catching Thea¡¯s attention. ¡°You¡¯re only ten levels away from being an elite like Kerr!¡±
¡°Only you would say ¡®only ten levels¡¯ like that,¡± Kerr shook her head. ¡°For most people, even during a demonic invasion, it would probably take a year or two to get thosest ten levels. It¡¯s absolutely nuts that she might get to sixty in the next few months.¡±
¡°You¡¯re notining, are you?¡± Dys tilted her head to one side as she looked at the archer.
¡°Not even a little,¡± Kerr said immediately. ¡°Just pointing out the tree the bird sits on.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but wonder what kind of ss Thea would be offered. The trend seemed clear, she would more than likely be offered a powerful, if lewd, ss influenced by Jadis¡¯ own sexual ss. The question for Jadis was, would it be something simr to Kerr¡¯s? Thea had been with Jadis just as long as Kerr. She was a stalwartpanion, had been with her through thick and thin, and was loyal to a fault. Thea was a passionate lover, too, happily joining Jadis in bed for the pleasure, not just the stats. But did all of that mean that she would be offered a bonded ss, the same as Kerr had? The same as Jadis fully expected A would be?
Did Jadis want to be bonded with Thea?
When the thought crossed her mind, Jadis couldn¡¯t imagine a life without Thea in it. As quiet as the woman was, she was just as integral a part of Jadis¡¯ rtionship as A was, or Kerr, or Eir for that matter. She¡¯d never discussed anything like it with Thea, but Jadis knew the cute brte felt strongly for her, too. A had apparently expected Jadis¡¯panions to cross over from the realm of sexualpanions to emotionally invested partners, which was why she had been so epting of Kerr. In fact, she had told her that she¡¯d expected Eir to make a move first. So far, the priestess hadn¡¯t, but that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯ting. In any case, had A also considered the possibility that Thea would want to be a part of their expanding rtionship?
Bing the head of a literal harem was bing a lot more emotionally taxing than Jadis had ever thought it would, not that she¡¯d spent all that much time contemting the logistics.
¡°I reached level twenty-one in Passionate Smith and level four in Enchanter Smith of the Reborn, which is really good considering I¡¯m not abat ss, so me shooting bolts at that big beast wasn¡¯t really doing anything for me, but there was just so much bonus experience flying around that I guess I couldn¡¯t help but level up even with how many people we were sharing it with.¡±
Jadis had been so lost in thought that she¡¯d almost missed what Sabina was saying. Getting her head together, she focused back onto the topic at hand and paid attention to Sabina¡¯s report.
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Innovative Smith
Passive Skill. You are more likely to make intuitive leaps of logic while smithing that will result in a sessful end product when crafting something new and unique. This skill will not generate new ideas for you, but it will help support the foundations of your experiments. This skill only applies to craftsmanship done by the smithing profession.
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Sabina was thrilled with the new skill Passionate Smith had given her. It wasn¡¯t a guarantee of sess for every crazy idea that happened to pop into her head, but it was a definitive boost to the likelihood an invention she came up with would work out. Jadis likened it to abat prowess skill, simr to the ones she¡¯d been offered. Take a skill like Improvised Weapon Mastery and it would help you do more damage when trying to hit a man over the head with a bottle. That didn¡¯t mean it couldn¡¯t go wrong: you could still miss the attack entirely or the bottle might break in your hand and cut your fingers up, but the extra damage was still there to help you along. Innovative smith seemed to be doing much the same, in a more theoretical way.
The skill made Jadis wonder if maybe she should suggest a few more ¡°Nephilim Technology¡± ideas to the smith. Jadis didn¡¯t really have much practical knowledge when it came to things like car engines or fixed-wing flight, but if she gave Sabina a few pointers in the right direction, would her natural smarts and her system-enhanced skill make up for the deficiency in knowledge?
The possibilities were definitely tempting.
Since her enchanter ss had gone up two levels, that means Sabina had gotten one extra free point from level four. She¡¯d chosen to put that point into Vitality to bring her health up by another ten points. As a smith and craftswoman, Sabina was never meant to be anywhere near the front lines, but considering where she was and everything theirpany had been through so far, Jadis couldn¡¯t me the woman for wanting to give herself a little extra protection against catastrophic injury. She wasn¡¯t the one with a failsafe ritual to keep her alive, after all.
The level three skill Sabina had gained was good as well, though nothing that stood out.
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Materials Miser I
Passive Skill. Provides a minor boost to the likelihood your materials won¡¯t be damaged or destroyed when you fail to craft a working enchantment.
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The skill was practical and certainly useful in Sabina¡¯s day-to-day activities, but it sure wasn¡¯tparable to Eir¡¯s Protection of the D or Kerr¡¯s Colossus yer. Not at face value, anyway. Jadis knew that the real value came from the enchantments Sabina was going to be able to craft because of the skill. Less material loss meant more experiments, which meant greater odds that Sabina woulde up with new and useful enchantments. Jadis was definitely looking forward to seeing what the smith woulde up with next.
After she finished making the orgasm denial cors, of course.
Bridget had received the most levels out of them all. One level in her primary ss and three levels in secondary for a total of four levels. Only one of those levels had been an even number, giving her a single free attribute point that she had ced into Endurance to bring the stat up to a pleasing fifteen points. The rest of her levels had granted her skills, ranging from useful to utterly amazing.
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Ardent Light¡¯s Resolve
Passive Skill. Increases the Endurance and Vitality attributes by 5 points.
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¡°I have a skill that¡¯s pretty much identical to that,¡± Jaymented after Bridget had recited the description. ¡°Only mine says ¡®Knight¡¯ instead of ¡®Ardent Light¡¯. Otherwise, the effects are the same.¡±
¡°Not unusual,¡± A nodded as she wrote down a few notes. ¡°It¡¯smon for different sses to share temtes for skills, both passive and active. With direct attribute boosting skills like that one, you¡¯ll find that many sses share the same name and effect.¡±
¡°Well, maybe not many of that one,¡± Kerr pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s a really good boost for a low-level passive. Was that your level three skill?¡±
¡°Ah, no,¡± Bridget shook her head. ¡°That was my level five skill for Ardent Light. My level three skill was a lot better. I mean, bloody bells, it¡¯s way, way better than I thought I¡¯d ever get.¡±
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Light the Target Up
Active Spell. Strike a target with your weapon, causing them to burn with a bright arcane light. For the duration of the spell the target will take increased damage from all attacks equal to 0.5 of the base damage of the attack. Cost ¨C 50 magic. Duration ¨C 5 seconds.
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¡°Now
that¡¯s a fucking skill,¡± Kerr nodded in approval.
¡°E¡ªextremely useful,¡± Thea agreed, smiling at Bridget.
¡°Doesn¡¯t give much time to act on it, does it?¡± Dys mused, fingers running through her hair. ¡°Though five seconds is a long time when you¡¯re in a fight.¡±
¡°More than enough time for me to cast a force bolt,¡± A said with confidence. ¡°Or for Kerr to put an arrow or two in a demon. If you were standing near to her, I¡¯m sure all three of your bodies could hit Bridget¡¯s target multiple times in a few seconds.¡±
A¡¯s assessment was absolutely true in Jadis¡¯ opinion. So long as she was near enough to take advantage of Bridget¡¯s spell, she could dish out a huge amount of damage in five seconds. Multiplying that damage by fifty percent would have a devastating impact on the unfortunate soul that had attracted Jadis¡¯ ire.
¡°Definitely an awesome skill,¡± Jay said, giving Bridget a thumbs-up. ¡°Wished we¡¯d had it while we were fighting that greater demon earlier. Probably would have killed it in half the time.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Bridget looked down, biting her lip. ¡°Thank you, though. I never would have gotten a skill like this before joining Fortune¡¯s Favored. So, yeah. Thank you.¡±
¡°You are very, very wee,¡± Jay grinned, meaning the words with utmost sincerity. ¡°Now don¡¯t leave us hanging. What¡¯s thest skill? The one you got for yourndsknecht ss?¡±
¡°Oh, right,¡± Bridget looked startled. ¡°Almost forgot! And it¡¯s also something I have to thank you for. I mean,
maybe could have gotten a skill like this eventually, but I¡¯m pretty sure the only reason I got it so early is because you boosted my Arcane score so high.¡±
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Landsknecht¡¯s Arcane me
Passive Skill. Your fire-based spells now burn with an arcane light. Fire damage dealt is increased by 0.2 of the Arcane attribute. Your fire-based spells now deal additional non-elemental force magic damage equal to 0.2 of the Arcane attribute.
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¡°Now that is just a straight improvement to yourbat ability overall,¡± Syd said, her smile wide as she gave Bridget a bump with her knuckles. ¡°And it¡¯s a passive skill? You don¡¯t even have to spend extra magic for the effect to work!¡±
Everyone around the bonfire agreed, voicing their admiration for Bridget¡¯s upgrades. She¡¯de a long way in a short amount of time, her somewhat hamstrung ss having transformed into something that could dole out some real damage. Jadis grinned to see the pride shining in her orc friend.
¡°I believe the description said your spells will burn with an arcane light,¡± Eirmented as the praise died down. ¡°Have you tested a spell yet? I¡¯m curious to see if there will be a visual difference.¡±
Bridget had not yet tested any spells. Since they were all now curious, Bridget retrieved her il and set it in the ground before her. With a faint look of concentration, she channeled her Light the Lantern spell through the weapon.
A dark blue me burst into being from the metalntern head. The light it gave off was unearthly, casting strange shadows as it mixed with the light of the fading sun and the bonfire. The effect was beautiful, mesmerizing even, though it also gave off a sense of danger. Jadis could feel the heat radiating from the me, though it was mixed with something else, a prickling sensation that seemed to stroke a nerve in Jadis¡¯ body that she barely knew existed.
¡°Arcane me,¡± Eir murmured appreciatively. ¡°Truly stunning. You have turned fire into a work of art.¡±
¡°Okay,e on now,¡± Bridget blushed before snuffing out the me and taking a seat. ¡°Don¡¯t get all poetic on me.¡±
Eir giggled as Bridget looked away bashfully. The othersughed as well, a good feeling suffusing their small gathering. With her eyes twinkling, A turned to Jay and gave her a knowing look.
¡°Now wee to you. We all know you leveled. The fact is obvious, the proof is evident on our own status sheets. Time to reveal your newest marvels.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Jay said lightly with a crooked smile. ¡°I gained two levels, one for each ss. I¡¯m officially level thirty in Mirror Knight. I don¡¯t think I need to tell you all that I immediately put the two points I got from that level in my Eldritch stat.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± A nodded.
¡°Ritualist, though, that hit level twenty-three. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s quite as shy as some of your new skills and, sorry girls, it¡¯s not a sexy ritual. I know you¡¯re all disappointed to hear that. But it is a pretty nice boost, I think.¡±
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D''s Madness
Passive Skill. Increases the Eldritch attribute by 20 points.
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Bridget let out a low whistle while Kerr pped her knees in excitement.
¡°I knew there had to be a big boost since my own Eldritch went up so much,¡± Sabina chirped happily, ¡°but it¡¯s still startling to hear such arge boost from a skill like that.¡±
¡°It¡¯s much like Eir¡¯s Lyssandria¡¯s Fervor,¡± Amented as she scribbled in her notes. ¡°Double the number of points, though. The name is suitable. That is absolute madness for a simple level twenty-three attribute skill.¡±
It was. Jadis couldn¡¯t deny it. There were no conditions that needed to be met, no rituals that had to be performed. Just a straight twenty-point boost to her most important attribute. The only simr skill that Jadis could think of that was better was her Mirror Knight¡¯s Might. Maybe it wasn¡¯t as cool as some new special attack like Kerr and Bridget, nor was it a new perverted ritual to give her an excuse to do lewd things with her lovers, but it was a solid upgrade to not only her stats but the stats of all of herpanions. Jadis would neverin about that.
¡°May I ask what the other option was?¡± Eir looked up at Jay with a gentle smile. ¡°Something simr, perhaps?¡±
¡°Yes, of course,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°It was a skill called D¡¯s Gamble. It would have had a chance of boosting a stat of my choice by fifty points.¡±
¡°Fifty points!?¡± Kerr yelped.
¡°You¡¯re joking!¡± A stared at Jay, eyes wide with shock.
¡°No, that¡¯s what it said,¡± Jay shook her head. ¡°Key word: Chance. At the start of every day, I¡¯d have a nine out of ten chance of boosting a chosen attribute by fifty. However! There was a one out of ten possibility it would
decrease my chosen attribute by fifty points.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± A sat back, blinking. After a moment, her freckled nose wrinkled in distaste. ¡°That¡¯s¡ far less appealing.¡±
¡°Extremely, ah risky,¡± Thea frowned. ¡°I w¡ªwould not like to take that gamble.¡±
¡°Me either,¡± Syd agreed. ¡°I¡¯m not averse to risks, I think you all know that about me. That skill, though, could utterly cripple me for a whole day depending on which stat was drained. And if I tried to use it on my Eldritch stat and it went wrong, it would hurt all of you, too. So, no thank you.¡±
No one argued against Jadis¡¯ reasoning. Some risks were necessary, but others just weren¡¯t worth it.
¡°What do your total stats look like now?¡± Bridget asked, curiosity written on her face.
¡°I think I can answer that,¡± A said before Jadis could answer. ¡°Along with all of our status changes, I think.¡±
With that, A shared her notes with the group, going over the attribute changes she had calcted for everyone.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary ss: Mirror Knight (30)
Secondary ss: Perverted Ritualist of D (23)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 53
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Health: 1180/1180
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Magic: 310/310
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Attributes
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Strength: 190
Dexterity: 48
Agility: 190
Vitality: 88
Fortitude: 58
Endurance: 60
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 190
Focus: 1
Resilience: 30
Will: 5
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A of Red Tree
Race: Human
Primary ss: Cart Driver (25)
Secondary ss: Nephilim Powered Arcanist (20)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 45
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Health: 120/120
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Magic: 500/500
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Attributes
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Strength: 10
Dexterity: 15
Agility: 20
Vitality: 12
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 15
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Arcane: 145
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 35
Resilience: 5
Will: 10
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Eir Aedraheill
Race: Elf
Primary ss: Beloved Cleric of Lyssandria (23)
Secondary ss: Lustful Oracle of D (8)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 31
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Health: 100/100
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Magic: 360/360
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Attributes
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Strength: 8
Dexterity: 12
Agility: 10
Vitality: 10
Fortitude: 8
Endurance: 10
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 151
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 36
Resilience: 10
Will: 21
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Kerr of n Nox
Race: Therion
Primary ss: Nox Archer (33)
Secondary ss: Far Wilds Traveler (28)
Tertiary ss: Slut Sniper (1)
Combined Level Rating: 62
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Health: 150/150
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Magic: 0/0
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Attributes
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Strength: 110
Dexterity: 69
Agility: 24
Vitality: 15
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 24
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 0
Resilience: 13
Will: 0
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Thea of Cold Brook
Race: Human
Primary ss: Imperial Soldier (28)
Secondary ss: Shieldsworn Guard (22)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 50
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Health: 250/250
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Magic: 0/0
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Attributes
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Strength: 25
Dexterity: 10
Agility: 12
Vitality: 25
Fortitude: 121
Endurance: 27
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 0
Resilience: 43
Will: 0
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Sabina Sarto
Race: Human / Elf Hybrid
Primary ss: Passionate Smith (21)
Secondary ss: Enchanter Smith of the Reborn (4)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 25
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Health: 140/140
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Magic: 120/120
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Attributes
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Strength: 20
Dexterity: 15
Agility: 15
Vitality: 14
Fortitude: 10
Endurance: 30
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 95
Focus: 12
Resilience: 5
Will: 20
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Bridget of n Warsong
Race: Orc
Primary ss: Lantern Light Landsknecht (21)
Secondary ss: Ardent Light of the Reborn (5)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 26
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Health: 250/250
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Magic: 200/200
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Attributes
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Strength: 37
Dexterity: 7
Agility: 13
Vitality: 25
Fortitude: 10
Endurance: 20
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Arcane: 124
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 20
Resilience: 10
Will: 21
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¡°You¡¯re all looking so strong!¡± Sabina praised everyone as she read over the notes. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder those awful demons didn¡¯t stand a chance earlier, not with how powerful you all are now! I mean, you weren¡¯t this strong a few hours ago, but you were still amazing back then and you¡¯re even more amazing now so any demons we run into next are going to regret it!¡±
¡°Alright, alright,¡± Kerr chuckled as she took the book away from the excited half-elf. ¡°Enough self-congrattions. It¡¯s just masturbation after a certain point. I can hear the soldiersing back, anyway. We should get ready to take our turn in the pond.¡±
¡°True,¡± A said as Kerr passed her the notebook. ¡°The sun is going to set very soon. We should clean up as quickly as we can.¡±
¡°Trust me, I won¡¯t be lingering,¡± Bridget said as she stood and stretched. ¡°That water is going to be frigid as a grave digger¡¯s left buttock.¡±
Jadis sighed heavily at the thought. Her lovers might be able to rush through washing up, but the smell stilling from her armor and skin told her she was going to have a protracted stay in the cold waters.
D damn it all, she missed hot baths.
Chapter 249: POV Witch
Chapter 249: POV Witch
Sorcha wanted to go home.
She was tired. She was hungry. She was bloody well colder than a dead fish. She¡¯d spent months with brainless thugs and murderous nutters. She¡¯d lived in constant danger of being squashed, stabbed, cut, eaten, melted, and frozen solid since practically day one of arrival in the gods forsakennd of Weigrun. And for all the work and effort she¡¯d put into the expedition, had she actually made any profit? Had she received even one little tittle of coin that she could use to buy herself a fucking goldenberry tart?
No.
She¡¯d gotten nothing. Less than nothing. She¡¯d
lost money. Her paralysis wand, her prized possession, her most valuable single piece of equipment, was destroyed. Gone. Never mind all the other precious materials she had used up for the sake of the ingrates around her¡ªactually, no, don¡¯t never mind those. Those were worth a lot of fucking coin. But! Her paralysis wand had been worth more than all the rest put together and then doubled. She could have bought a gods damned house with all the coin those materials had cost her! Now it was gone, destroyed by the arrow of some horned bitch with perfect green eyes. Damnit. Who knew if she would ever make enough to buy those materials again?
Because it sure as sin didn¡¯t look like she was going to be getting a damn acorn out of this doomed expedition!
¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡± Jockel asked before letting out a wet belch.
Sorcha ignored the fat piece ofrd. She didn¡¯t want to talk to him. She didn¡¯t want to talk to any of them. She regretted the day she¡¯d met Stavros and the rest of his reprobates. She would be perfectly happy to never utter another word to any of them ever again. Maybe a few choice curses and insults, at the right time. Otherwise, though, silence was good.
¡°I asked what your problem was,¡± Jockel rumbled, his boot poking her in the side.
¡°Sod off,¡± Sorcha snapped. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t say I care about your moods,¡± the bald bastard shrugged. ¡°Stavros wants another patrol. Get your wand.¡±
¡°Fucking abyss,¡± Sorcha growled before sliding off the log she¡¯d been resting on. ¡°Again? I don¡¯t have the magic to power that many spells so often.¡±
Jockel shrugged, uncaring like the lout that he was. He limped away without another word, drinking from his seemingly endless supply of cheap liquor. How the man had managed to bring so many bottles of the stuff with him to all of their bolt holes was beyond her.
As little interest as Sorcha had in helping Stavros anymore, she wasn¡¯t going to argue or keep him waiting. As requested, she dutifully tromped over to where Stavros waited in the camp. Eike was with him, as was Ricket. The three were quietly discussing ns, one of his ragged maps draped over a t rock.
¡°¡ªhitting them now is too risky. They didn¡¯t lose anyone in that fight against the Screamer. We keep heading west.¡±
¡°They have to be low on resources,¡± Eike hissed back at Stavros. ¡°There¡¯s no chance they killed that thing without expending the bulk of their magic reserves. We should strike them now, while they¡¯re weakened!¡±
¡°I don¡¯t have any traps set up,¡± Rickets mumbled, his lips bowed in a pout. ¡°How are we supposed to be beat them without traps?¡±
¡°We don¡¯t need your fucking traps!¡± Eike snapped, teeth glinting as she sneered maliciously at the half-elf. ¡°We can slit throats just fine without traps!¡±
¡°Sorcha,¡± Stavros¡¯ deep voice cut Eike¡¯s sharp words off.
¡°Yeah,¡± she folded her arms, staring at the tall man and ignoring the two shit socks. ¡°Jockel said you needed something?¡±
¡°Yes. Go cast your translucence spell on Mert and f. I need them to scout the way ahead and make sure we don¡¯t walk into a nest of demons.¡±
¡°We won¡¯t need them to scout ahead if we¡ª¡±
¡°Enough,¡± Stavros cut Eike off again. ¡°We know where they are likely headed. We¡¯ll settle with them there. Sorcha. Go.¡±
¡°I barely have any magic reserves left,¡± Sorcha sighed, her shoulders slumped. ¡°If I cast on those two, I¡¯ll be pretty much out. I
need to sleep and recover my magic.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± Stavros waved his hand. ¡°The sun will set in the next hour and we will not depart until the moon is high. That should give you four hours of rest.¡±
¡°Four hours¡¡± Sorcha moaned. Seeing the look on Stavros¡¯ face, however, she straightened up and nodded her head. ¡°Fine. Just, don¡¯t anyone bother me. I¡¯ve got to make the most of that time.¡±
At Stavros¡¯ nod, Sorcha left the trio and went to find Mert and f. She walked quickly, moving as fast as she could without making it seem like she was in overmuch of a rush. After all, she needed to make the most of the time she¡¯d been given.
As soon as she had found the two mutton heads, Sorcha unceremoniously cast her stealth spell on them before slipping away to crawl inside the small tent she had tucked between therger tents of the rest of Stavros¡¯ crew. Once inside, Sorcha rolled up her nket and stuffed it inside her bedroll to make it look like she was huddled inside in case anyone came to check on her. The rest of her things she stuffed inside her pack before slinging it over her shoulder and casting another stealth spell, this time on herself.
Sorcha had plenty of magic reserves left. She hadn¡¯t wasted as much in the fight a few days ago as she¡¯d led Stavros to believe and she¡¯d recovered the rest from what little sleep they¡¯d managed to get over the past few days while on the road. Counting Mert and f, that meant six of the crew were away from the camp. The rest were either eating, sleeping, or talking with Stavros. With no eyes on her and her magic mostly full, this was the best chance Sorcha was likely to get to escape.
As quietly as she could, Sorcha slipped out of her tent and headed for the exit. It sucked that she had to leave her tent behind, along with her bedroll and nket, but she could make do without. It sucked even worse that she wasn¡¯t getting her promised share of the profit, but she damn well wouldn¡¯t be getting any coin if she was dead, either. A goblin had to know when to cut their losses.
No more fighting soldiers or mercenaries or giant bloody giant armored giant¡ giants! Stavros and the others were mad to even
think about attacking those people again. It wasn¡¯t worth it! If they were sensible, they¡¯d just go collect their eleria and get the abyss out of the country. But no, Stavros wasn¡¯t being sensible. None of them were. Thick headed morons.
So Sorcha was out, out like a candle in the wind. She was going back to Far Felsen where she would apply for refuge and get a boat back to civilization. Or maybe she¡¯d just sneak on board a ship, get the fuck out of the demon-infestednds without saying a word to the local government. Didn¡¯t matter. She just wasn¡¯t going to risk dying for Stavros one minute longer.
The sun was close to setting as Sorcha snuck out of the camp. She wasn¡¯t exactly the stealthiest person in the world, but the shadows were long and Ralf wasn¡¯t exactly the best watchman in the world either. She kept to the trail they¡¯d cut through the woods north of the main road, taking care to step in the tracks of the others to hide her smaller boot prints. Once she¡¯d gone far enough to be outside of sight and hearing, Sorcha picked up her pace. She wanted to put as much distance between her and Stavros¡¯ crew as possible before they realized that she was gone.
There was always the possibility that they might chase after her. She wasn¡¯t exactly the most important member of the team, but her stealth spell was definitely crucial to their ability to avoid demons. Stavros would want to drag her back for that reason. Fuck, even if Stavros was willing to let her go, Eike mighte after her just to kill her. The freaky bitch was certainly the type to gut someone for lesser reasons than desertion.
To be on the safe side, Sorcha doubled back a few times. She stuck to rocks wherever she could, avoided the main path, and changed directions at least twice. She had to make sure she wasn¡¯t caught. If she was, she would be dead, either at the hands of her so-called allies or by the giants when the fighting started.
She was so focused on making sure that she wasn¡¯t being followed that, after a while, Sorcha wasn¡¯t entirely sure where she was. The sun had set and the cloudy night sky wasn¡¯t making it easy to navigate. The mountains were north of her, that was easy enough to see, though. So long as she headed south, she was sure she would be able to get back to civilization. All Sorcha had to do was keep her stealth spell up and stay out of sight. Goblins weren¡¯t the biggest or strongest people around, but they could see in near total dark, had great hearing, and most importantly, weren¡¯t fucking idiots like humans and elves.
How many hours had it been? Two? Three? It was possible they might have noticed she was gone. That was fine, though. Sorcha had made sure her tracks were covered and she wasn¡¯t going to stop any time soon. She would keep going through the whole night. She was tough. She could go for days without food or sleep if she needed to.
She was getting kind of thirsty, though.
Everything was quiet in the forest around her. There was barely any wind so the tall trees were silent. The bright moon asionally peeked out from around the clouds moving in the night sky to bring dark shadows to life, but otherwise there was no movement. Resting for a few moments, Sorcha drank from her waterskin. As she put the cork back in, a faint trickling sound caught her attention. The sound of running water.
Fresh water was something she couldn¡¯t live without, not for long, so Sorcha made the quick decision to head for the source of the sound. She¡¯d have to take every chance she could to refill her waterskin while she could. Odds were strong that there would be times that she¡¯d have to go without water for long periods, at least until she got back to civilization.
It took some time to find, but eventually Sorcha managed to track down the water source. Quietly pushing through a bunch of snow-covered bushes, she found a small creek feeding an idyllic-looking pond. It would have been a nice sight, if she had the time or inclination to admire such things, but Sorcha was on a tight schedule. She took a few steps forward, uncorking her waterskin, intent on refilling it. Just as she reached the water¡¯s edge, she heard a quiet ssh echo in the stillness of the night.
Sorcha froze. The clouds were overhead and it was dark, so if Eike or someone else had tracked her down, chances were good they hadn¡¯t spotted her yet. Or maybe it was a demon? Did demons drink water? Sorcha was fairly confident they didn¡¯t, but that didn¡¯t mean there couldn¡¯t be a demon
in the water. Very, very carefully, she started to back away, heading for the concealment of the bushes.
Another ssh. Then another.
They wereing from a little further away, just out of sight. There was a bend in the pond, a few trees blocking the view. She could hear the soundsing from over there, now. She wasn¡¯t sure what the sshing was, but it didn¡¯t sound like an animal drinking. No voices, though.
Had to be a demon. What else could it be? Best to just slip away and keep moving.
Damnit.
Ever so slowly, Sorcha quietly crept around the edge of the pond. She had to see what was making the noise. Maybe Jockel had been sent to find her and was drowning in the pond? She wouldn¡¯t want to miss out on that sight. Or if it was in fact a demon, she wanted to know what kind. If it was some weak little thing, she might kill it just to make sure it didn¡¯t follow her. One less demon in the world and all that.
Just as Sorcha snuck around the edge of the pond, reaching the point where she could see the other section, the moon came out from behind the clouds again, lighting up the water and the three figures within it. The three goddesses¡
Goddesses. They had to be. Sorcha had never seen anyone or anything so beautiful before in her life. The three stood half submerged in the water, their naked bodies revealed from the waist up. Oh, and what bodies they had. Slim, toned bodies with almost unnaturally perfect proportions. Their skin, as white as the untouched snow still nketing the trees, glowed in the moonlight. The shine was surreal, mesmerizing. Their faces, their lips, their noses, they were perfect. It was as though someone had carved the idealized vision of a woman from marble in tribute to Lyssandria herself. In all her life, no one couldpare. Not even close.
Sorcha felt her heart beat fast as one of the goddesses lifted her cupped hands over her head, water pouring down over her snow-white hair. She couldn¡¯t help but lick her lips as she watched the water flow down the side of her neck, pass over her cor bone, then drip down across the most gorgeous breasts she¡¯d ever witnessed. Her mouth went dry as she watched a single bead of water linger, then teasingly slide off the very tip of perfect stiff nipple. In that moment, Sorcha would have traded every wand she owned to be that drop of water.
As the water finished pouring out of her hands, the goddess wiped her face clean. Her eyes opened, the light of the moon catching in their violet depths. They were stunning. They were otherworldly. They were captivating. They were¡ looking right at her, weren¡¯t they?
Sorcha stared into those eyes, her body as still as stone while her thoughts raced. Had she been seen? What would happen if she had been? Would it be so bad to be spotted by one of these goddesses? Were they getting closer to her?
Yes, yes they were definitely getting closer. All three moved as one, a synchronized walk that made them seem even more otherworldly. They pushed through the water on a direct course for Sorcha, three sets of eyes absolutely locked onto her. They were moving a lot faster than she would have thought, too. Their gorgeous forms were somehow so close yet still many feet away. They loomed over Sorcha, far taller than she had first realized. Taller than any human or elf or orc. They towered above her. Almost like they were¡
¡°Giants¡¡± Sorcha squeaked, the realization causing her brain to briefly snap like a twig that had been bent too far.
In the next moment Sorcha tried to run. She turned and ran as fast as her legs could carry her, sprinting with all the speed that came from years of training and more than forty levels of experience. She ran like the bloody wind.
Or, at least, she tried to. Before she¡¯d gotten maybe four steps, one very, veryrge hand pped around the back of her neck and jerked her backwards and into the air. In the next moment two more hands were on her, holding onto her arms with such strength that it felt like stone statues had materialized around her flesh. There wasn¡¯t even a mote of a possibility that she could pull free to get at one of her wands.
Sorcha stared around wild-eyed, her heart beating so fast in her chest she felt like it was going to pop out. Three beautiful, stunning, perfect faces, each one three times the size of her own, looked at her with cold expressions that made her feel smaller than a flea. In that moment, Sorcha damn near pissed her pants.
But if she was about to be torn limb from limb by three of the most beautiful creatures she¡¯d ever seen, she¡¯d like to die with at least a smidge of dignity.
¡°So.¡±
Sorcha jumped, her body twitching in the steel grasp of the giants, when the face on the left spoke in an all too familiar voice. A voice that was deep and smooth and sexy and bloody terrifying.
¡°You¡¯re a goblin, huh?¡±
Sorcha¡¯s eyes darted to the one on the right. Her mouth opened, but nothing but a silent squeak came out in response.
¡°Well, let¡¯s save the introductions for now,¡± the one in the middle said, drawing Sorcha¡¯s eyes back to her. ¡°We¡¯re going to have a long chat, I think. But first, we¡¯re going to get some pants on.¡±
Sorcha¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help it. They were standing on the shore, now. Out of water. Exposed.
She looked down.
She damn well almost did pee herself at the sight.
Chapter 250: Sanctuary
Chapter 250: Sanctuary
¡°How close are the rest of your gang,¡± Dys growled as she stripped the goblin woman of her equipment. ¡°How many are there?¡±
¡°Uh¡ª¡± was the inarticte reply.
¡°Don¡¯t fuck around,¡± Dys glowered down at the tiny, translucent green bandit. ¡°Where are they?¡±
¡°I¡ªI, uh, ah¡ª¡±
Considering Jadis hadn¡¯t been attacked yet, she assumed that the goblin wasn¡¯t a part of an ambush. All three of her bodies had been without weapons or armor while she had been bathing. It would have been the perfect time to strike. Since it was just the goblin so far, Jadis figured that this was a chance encounter. She knew she sure as hell wouldn¡¯t use one of her mages as bait, or if she had she wouldn¡¯t have waited until after Jadis had grabbed the goblin to do something.
Jadis was alone at the moment. It had taken so long to get her selves and her armor clean that she had sent herpanions back to the camp while she finished up. Out of anyone, she was the least in danger of being overwhelmed if she were to be attacked. A convincing enough argument that the others had agreed to return to the camp and warm up by the fire. Almost all the others, at least. Kerr was nearby, somewhere, having insisted that someone stay close to keep watch. Where the sniper was, though, Jadis couldn¡¯t be sure. And she wasn¡¯t about to start shouting for her, not when there could be more bandits within earshot.
Jay quickly got her clothes on while Syd watched the trees, waiting for more attackers to show up. Dys focused on their prisoner, removing all weapons or magical items from the goblin. It didn¡¯t look like she had much, but Jadis wasn¡¯t going to risk being paralyzed again. She stripped all the gear off of the woman, tossing them in a pile.
It was mildly interesting to see the items shift from being see-through back to normal as soon as they were separated from the goblin. It seemed that her spell effect only extended to what was on her person.
¡°Fine, if you don¡¯t want speak up now, we¡¯ll talk more back at camp,¡± Dys half-whispered as she finished removing the prisoner¡¯s equipment. The goblin was left with nothing on but a shirt, pants, and a pair of boots. ¡°Also, don¡¯t start screaming for help or any bullshit like that. I don¡¯t want to hurt you but if it¡¯s between your life or ours, I think you know which I¡¯ll be picking.¡±
As Jay shifted over to watch the goblin so that Dys could get her clothes on, the bandit abruptly threw up her hands in a gesture of surrender. Considering how on edge Jadis was, she almost mmed her fist down on the little woman at the sudden movement out of concern that she was trying to cast a spell. Instead, the woman seemed to find her voice as she squeaked out a single word.
¡°Sanctuary!¡±
Jay paused, looking down at the shivering goblin with one raised eyebrow. Syd continued to keep watch while Dys got her clothes on. She wasn¡¯t going to lose focus just because the bandit was being weird. Sanctuary? What the fuck was that supposed to¡ª
Ah. Jadis remembered. Back when she had first encountered civilization on Oros, Captain Renz had offered her refuge, or sanctuary, from the demons under the official auspices of the Second Prince. She¡¯d had to dere that she wanted it, but once she had, the mercenarypany Bernd¡¯s des had been duty bound to deliver her to safety back at Far Felsen.
Was this little shit really trying to im some kind of protection from her?
Well. Jadis was the head of an official mercenarypany. She supposed that meant she was technically required to follow the Empire¡¯s rules the same other mercenarypanies. But did that mean she had to provide sanctuary to this bandit who she was certain had helped others try to kill her on at least two asions? Jadis¡¯ guts said no. But she still wanted to rify the point with A.
In any case, Jadis didn¡¯t think it realistically made a difference in what she was going to do now. She had nned on taking the goblin back to the camp with her no matter what. The goblin had to know that was her intent, too. So, did that mean her request for sanctuary implied something else?
Did the goblin
want to go back to her camp?
¡°Really?¡± Jay quietly asked, all her thoughts shing through her mind in a couple of seconds. ¡°You¡¯re asking us for sanctuary?¡±
¡°Yes!¡± the goblin nodded vigorously. ¡°S¡ªsanctuary! Please, I¡¯m bloody well all alone and I don¡¯t want to die! I won¡¯t put up a fight! Please, just don¡¯t crush me like a wee bug!¡±
There was something about the earnest way the goblin pleaded with her to not be crushed that almost made Jadisugh. It was such a real yet silly concern. Plus, the woman had an incredibly thick Scottish ent. She sounded like she was going to break out the bagpipes at any moment. Combined together, the words and the ent tickled Jadis in an inexplicable way and she found herself struggling to keep a straight face.
¡°Okay, fine,¡± Jay nodded, somehow maintaining her serious expression. ¡°You want sanctuary, you¡¯ve got it. Keep quiet and don¡¯t cause problems and I promise I won¡¯t squash you.¡±
By then both Dys and Syd had finished getting their clothes on and gathering up their armor. Jay lifted the goblin up and tucked her under her arm like a sack. A tiny sack. Damn, but the woman was small. Jadis guessed she was three feet tall at the max and weighed next to nothing. It was actually kind of difficult to carry her under her arm since she was so tiny. Jay had to switch to holding her tucked against her chest.
Within the first few moments of making her way back towards the camp, Kerr appeared out of the brush before her. A teasing smile was on her lips until she saw the goblin held against Jay¡¯s chest. Then Kerr was all business, her ears on the swivel as she readied her bow.
¡°How many?¡± Kerr whispered in a steely tone.
¡°Just this one,¡± Jay answered as she and her other selves kept moving forward.
¡°I¡¯ll make sure,¡± Kerr said before disappearing back into the brush.
¡°Don¡¯t be long,¡± Syd called out quietly, relying on Kerr¡¯s excellent hearing.
In a few minutes Jadis was back at the camp where everyone was waiting for her. Some of the soldiers had already gone to bed, as had Eir and Bridget. As soon as Jay came into the light and everyone saw the goblin woman she had clutched to her chest, the camp erupted in a whirlwind of activity. In less than two minutes everyone was up and at the ready for an attack. Jadis joined in the preparations as Dys and Syd donned their armor. Jay, however, moved to sit by the Behemoth, joined by A and Wi.
Setting the translucent goblin down, Jay let go of the woman for the first time since she¡¯d taken hold of her. The goblin just stood there, unmoving, a shadow in the firelight. She made no attempt to flee, either because she saw no potential for escape or she truly did want the sanctuary she had asked for.
A and Wi stood to the left and right of Jay, nking the bandit. Wi red down at the small woman, arms crossed in a foreboding stance while A observed the goblin almost clinically, her eyes as cold as ice.
¡°Drop the spell,¡± Wi demanded, breaking the silence between the four, her tone brokering no argument.
¡°I¡ªI need my wand to do that,¡± the woman said quietly, her hands balled up into fists in front of her stomach. ¡°I can¡¯t do magic otherwise.¡±
Jay had all of the goblin¡¯s belongings bundled up in her cloak. Slowly she spread the cloak open between her feet, disying the three wands that she had taken from the bandit. Looking between the three, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure which one was the correct wand. One was made of dark wood and had a lot of leather straps with small stone beads hanging from it. Another looked like it was made from bone and had a strange blue tint to it. The third looked like reeds that had been bundled together, severalrge snail shells peaking out from between the bound pieces.
¡°Which one is it?¡± Jay asked, motioning at the three magic items.
¡°The blue one,¡± the goblin answered immediately.
As Jay picked up the wand and held it before her, Wi stepped forward and put her hand on the goblin¡¯s shoulder, squeezing it tightly.
¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± she said, giving Jay a look.
¡°She¡¯s a witch,¡± A spoke up. ¡°Witches can¡¯t use magic without their self-enchanted items. If you want her to drop the spell, she¡¯ll need the appropriate wand.¡±
¡°I¡¯m well aware,¡± Wi said seriously. ¡°But I am not about to trust that she hasn¡¯t picked out a wand that will cast a harmful spell.¡±
¡°You wouldn¡¯t do that, would you?¡± Jay asked the goblin directly, her eyes never leaving the woman¡¯s face. ¡°You asked for sanctuary, and I¡¯ve given it to you. That means you¡¯ve surrendered willingly, right? No tricks.¡±
¡°No tricks,¡± the goblin said a heartbeatter. ¡°None. I don¡¯t have any directly harmful spells, anyway.¡±
Wi kept her hand on the goblin¡¯s shoulder, but after a moment she gave Jay a small nod. With the go-ahead given, she passed the wand to the goblin. With a quick little flick, the goblin pointed the wand at herself and the effect was dispelled. Without a hint ofint or resistance, she passed the wand back into Jay¡¯s waiting hand.
For the first time Jadis got to see the woman up close and in full, unobstructed view. It was also the first time she¡¯d ever seen a goblin. She¡¯d heard of them, both on Oros and back on Earth of course, but she¡¯d never met one sinceing to the magic-filled world. Based on what she knew of the malign creatures from stories back on Earth, she expected the woman to be a small, green, ugly creature with a pointy nose, sharp teeth, and maybe a face full of warts. Certainly, that description would have fit well with her idea of witches, too. Hideous was certainly the expected adjective.
The goblin was, instead, cute. Attractive, even. Her skin was a bright lime green, and aside from a few spots of dirt, without blemish. Her face was round and her nose petite. Her eyebrows were a bit thick, in a charming sort of way, while her dark blue hair was bounced in an untidy mane behind her. Her features were mostly human, though there were some rather ring differences. The goblin¡¯s ears wererge and pointed, sticking out to the sides of her head. Her teeth were sharp, all of them ending in fierce points, while her eyes looked a little toorge for her head. They were big and wide and were a sort of dark emerald green.
The oddest part about the goblin¡¯s looks wasn¡¯t all the differences, though. It was how simr she was to everyone else in terms of bodily proportions. She was tiny, maybe three feet tall, but she wasn¡¯t squat. Her head, body, and limbs were all proportional to each other. If Jadis didn¡¯t have anything topare her to for scale, she wouldn¡¯t have had any idea the goblin was so small. She would have simply assumed her to be a modestly curvy woman of maybe below average height.
Jadis had gotten used to being a giant among shorter people, but the goblin was reawakening that feeling of being a true colossus all over again.
¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Jay asked after she¡¯d taken a moment to look over the goblin who¡¯d nearly gotten her killed twice.
¡°Sorcha,¡± the woman said, hesitating a moment before continuing. ¡°Daughter of Tyree. And I really am asking for sanctuary. Full surrender, I want nothing more to do with any fighting. I don¡¯t mean anyone any harm.¡±
¡°And you expect us to just believe that?¡± Wi said, her brow raised.
Sorcha winced, her small face quite expressive.
¡°No, I don¡¯t suppose you would,¡± she answered in her thick brogue. ¡°But I swear on my mother¡¯s nose that I mean it, I just want sanctuary. Ask me anything you want, I¡¯ll answer! No need for, ah, any broken bones or hot pokers or anything. I¡¯ll talk freely! Just keep your torturer¡¯s tools to your belts, alright?¡±
Jay let out an amused huff of air at Sorcha¡¯s words. The woman reeked of desperation, yet she still had an oddly defiant sense of humor. If she hadn¡¯t beenplicit in trying to murder her, Jadis thought she probably would have liked the little green woman. As it was, she had only a very limited amount of consideration for Sorcha.
¡°Alright then,¡± Jay started as she leaned back, hands spread wide. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the most important thing first and go from there. Where are the rest of your bandit friends?¡±
Sorcha shifted from one foot to the other, her eyes darting between Jay, A, and Wi.
¡°Well, about that¡¡±
Chapter 251: Smugglers
Chapter 251: Smugglers
¡°Do you believe her?¡±
¡°I think so,¡± Syd mumbled into A¡¯s hair. ¡°I¡¯m not a mind reader, but I got the feeling Sorcha was pretty fed up with Stavros and his gang.¡±
¡°That doesn¡¯t mean she was telling the truth,¡± A sighed as she snuggled in tight against Syd¡¯s chest. ¡°Sometimes people say things that they think other people want to hear, especially when they think their life is on the line.¡±
¡°Her life isn¡¯t on the line,¡± Syd shook her head. ¡°She asked for sanctuary and I gave it to her. Unless she turns hostile, I won¡¯t hurt her.¡±
¡°That¡¯s kind of you,¡± A said, a smile in her voice. ¡°Na?ve and foolhardy, but kind.¡±
It waste in the night, probably past midnight. Syd had just finished her turn being at watch and had crawled into bed with the rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored. Jay had gotten up to take a turn, but she stood watch with three of the soldiers. Everyone else was getting their rest as best they could. When Syd had switched ces with Jay, A had woken and the two took the quiet moment to talk.
Sorcha had told them her story, how she¡¯d abandoned the bandits and had tried to flee southward. ording to the little witch, Stavros had been following them ever since they¡¯d left the mining vige, shadowing their movements. Rather than cut their losses and run, the bandits had made ns to ambush their expedition once again, this time further to the west.
¡°We kicked their assesst time,¡± Syd mused as she traced one hand up and down A¡¯s back. ¡°Now they have half the people. Why try to fight us again? It¡¯s suicide.¡±
¡°Desperation can be a powerful motivator,¡± A whispered, her breath tickling Syd¡¯s neck. ¡°Stavros is a registered mercenary. Once we get back to Far Felsen and give his description, he won¡¯t be able to show his face in any port in Weigrun. They¡¯ll know him by his badge and he¡¯ll be arrested, same as the rest of hispany.¡±
The badge. Jadis had almost forgotten about the three that she carried. Any mercenary, independent or with apany, would have a registered badge. It was an enchanted item, designed so that any guard at any checkpoint could scan it and confirm if she, the person holding it, was really who she said she was. It even tracked things like sses and level progression, allowing an outside person to essentially see the status sheet of the badge holder. One had to have a special device to see more detailed information, but if a person was suspected of being a dangerous criminal? Something told Jadis the guards would absolutely break out that special device to check.
It made sense that Stavros was a mercenary, too. How else could he and the rest of his crew have gotten to Weigrun during a demonic invasion? They were all mercenaries, an officialpany, albeit a smaller one. They¡¯de over around six months ago and had been acting as scouts and hunters due to the rtively small size of their outfit. At the first opportunity around two months ago, they¡¯d disappeared into the forest, leaving behind just enough evidence to make it seem like they¡¯d been ambushed by demons. From the very start, even beforeing to Weigrun, it had been their intention to search out eleria mines in the mountains and take as much of the precious resource as they could to sell it for a tidy, untaxed profit. It had been a big gamble, but one with a payout too big to pass up.
ording to Sorcha, all the eleria they had mined had been hidden in a secret cache near the western edge of the forest. The n had been to show back up in the spring, exin to the authorities that they had been driven deep into the woods by a demon attack and had then holed up in one of the abandoned viges while waiting for rescue due to the infamous Weigrun winter. An opportunity would have presented itself; they would have pushed out and made a desperate run back to the safety of imperial-controllednds. It wasn¡¯t a perfect cover, but it wasn¡¯t an unheard-of scenario, either. Plus, all of their ill-gotten goods wouldn¡¯t actually be on their person, the eleria would still be in that hidden cache. Once they¡¯d reconnected with the empire, they would have continued to be mercenaries for a few weeks, slowly transferring the magic crystals out of their hiding spot and into the hands of a merchant contact that Stavros had. Once they¡¯d smuggled all of the eleria out, they would have quit the job, left Weigrun and headed back to the maind, and then collected their coin.
All that was out the window now, though. Attacking Jadis¡¯ expedition the first time had been stupid, but recoverable. Having five of his men captured by the soldiers down in the tunnels, though? That was a bigger issue, one that had absolutely wrecked their ns. That had been why Stavros had captured Wi and her soldiers. He had assumed that their expedition was in league with the soldiers down in the tunnels and wanted to trade them to get his men back. The n to reintegrate without suspicion was already out the window, but he could at least flee the country with his men and a smaller amount of the eleria. His contact could get them out fast. They¡¯d be marked and would have to leave the country, and they wouldn¡¯t have as much profit, but they¡¯d at least be out and free.
That, per Sorcha¡¯s exnation, was why Stavros was willing to make one more try at taking Jadis and the soldiers with her out. If Fortune¡¯s Favored and the soldiers with them were gone, there would be far less witnesses and more time to get out. Their deaths would give him and his men a lot more breathing room. It would also, more practically speaking, get them a wagon.
Stavros¡¯ gang hadn¡¯t disappeared into the forest with any horses or a wagon. They hadn¡¯t been able to, due to the nature of their cover story. They were limited in the amount of eleria they could carry by what they could stuff into their packs. Not a problem with their old n when they had twice the numbers and were going to smuggle the eleria out over the course of weeks. Now, since that had fallen apart, they needed to get a big amount of eleria out all at once.
¡°Seems like everyone is heading west,¡± Syd contemted. ¡°We are. The demons. Now Stavros and his ¡®Roiling Reevers¡¯ are, too. It¡¯s a popr direction.¡±
¡°It is,¡± A murmured softly.
¡°Also, that¡¯s a pun, right? To me, thatpany name is a really shitty pun.¡±
¡°Definitely,¡± A nodded her head against Syd. ¡°It¡¯s actually kind of painful.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Syd heaved a sigh. ¡°At least now we know where he ns on ambushing us and the general n.
If he doesn¡¯t change it now that Sorcha has left him and his crew, that is. I doubt he¡¯ll think she was caught by us, but he could still change ns anyway. What he definitely doesn¡¯t know is just how much stronger we all are. Even if my level hasn¡¯t gone up significantly, my stats have, which means all of our stats have. He¡¯s in for a rude surprise the next time we meet.¡±
¡°You still want to move forward?¡± A asked, tilting her head back to look up at Syd. ¡°All things considered, are you sure you want to take the risk?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Syd affirmed, quiet conviction in her voice. ¡°I do.¡±
¡°Then we better get some sleep,¡± A whispered before putting her head back into the crook of Syd¡¯s neck.
No attacks came in the night. Nor had there been any sign of the bandits scouting them out. There were tracks and indications of more small groups of demons passing through, though none had attacked their camp. That the Roiling Reevers hadn¡¯t struck lent some credence to Sorcha¡¯s story in Jadis¡¯ opinion. Of course, there was still the possibility that Stavros was using her as some kind of bait or distraction, or a means of conveying false information. Jadis didn¡¯t think that was likely, but she wasn¡¯t going to discount the possibility either.
With their ns already discussed the night before, the camp was quickly dismantled and the expedition got moving. Then the expedition almost immediately stopped moving once they realized howrge a difference in speed had developed between the Jadis-drawn Behemoth and the horse-drawn wagon.
With all of her recent attribute improvements, coupled with A¡¯s new skill, Jadis was able to pull the giant-sized wagon with incredible speed, far faster than the regr wagon was able to go. A quick adjustment had to be made in consequence. When they got moving again, the smaller wagon had been hitched to the back of therge wagon while all of the soldiers rode on horseback.
Originally, Jonas had been riding inside the soldier¡¯s wagon, restrained with steel manacles that Wi had of course brought with her, just in case. Since the number of their prisoners had doubled, they¡¯d moved Jonas into therge wagon with Sorcha, who had been simrly restrained.
Jadis had been mildly amused by Sorcha¡¯s reaction to Jonas, as well as his reaction to the goblin. Neither had expected to see the other, that seemed certain. She doubted either had much to say to the other, but Jadis made sure that someone was always with the two, usually Sabina or Eir, just in case. Those two did have better hearing, after all.
The expedition made good progress over the course of the day, only stopping asionally to deal with a few stray demons or to give the horses time to rest. Jadis herself wasn¡¯t nearly as worn out by the pulling and felt like she could keep going for hours more. The wonders of higher stats were really starting to show.
When they did finally stop for the day to set up camp in a clearing that had been used by travelers in years past, everyone was on high alert. If Sorcha was to be believed, they would be reaching the nned location of Stavros¡¯ trap the next day. If everything went to n, it would be Stavros getting ambushed, not them, but there were a lot of unknown variables floating around. They all hoped it would work out, but backup ns were still being made, with countermeasures and contingency ns set up in case things went sideways.
After dinner had been eaten, potential tactics discussed, and the ns once more solidified, Jay approached captain Wi to have a private word.
¡°Hey, thanks for going along with the n,¡± Jay started, giving the woman a small smile. ¡°I appreciate that you¡¯re cooperating with us on this.¡±
¡°Cooperation in times of danger is generally the best way to survive,¡± Wi replied with a shrug. ¡°Even countries at war with one another cease their fighting during a demonic invasion to join forces against the external threat. It¡¯s only sensible. Besides, it¡¯s a good n. I think we have a decently high chance of sess, especially considering how strong you and your sisters are, as well as the unusual strength of your team.¡±
¡°Right, thanks,¡± Jay grinned sheepishly. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s actually another reason I wanted to talk. Look, I think it¡¯s be pretty obvious by now that we of Fortune¡¯s Favored have a, uh, unusual rtionship going on.¡±
¡°So it would seem,¡± Wi nodded, her lips quirking up in a suppressed smile. ¡°Though what you young women get up to in your off-hours is no business of mine.¡±
¡°Thanks for that,¡± Jay said genuinely before taking a deep breath and continuing. ¡°Your discretion is appreciated. And, while I wouldn¡¯t ordinarily bring this sort of thing up, considering our circumstances, all of us decided we at least need to let you know so we can do this more efficiently.¡±
¡°Do what?¡± Wi asked, one eyebrow quirked up.
¡°Without going too deeply into the details, my sisters and I share a ritualist ss. The rituals we do are of a, ah, sexual nature. So when we and the rest of our team are¡¡±
¡°Fornicating?¡±
¡°I was going to say having a private moment, but yeah,¡± Jay nodded. Then, with a big sigh, she shook her head andid out her words bluntly. ¡°Look, we gain and give powerups to our team by fucking. We need some alone time to recharge our rituals tonight just to make sure everyone¡¯s power boosts stay active, as well as perform a new ritual that was just unlocked. Can you watch the prisoners tonight, as well as keep first watch? Dancing around this shit, especially since everyone already knows that we¡¯re boinking, is getting ridiculous.¡±
Wi was quiet for a moment, her expression both surprised and curious. After a few seconds, she finally nodded once and motioned with one hand towards Jay.
¡°Fair enough. I can make sure you and your team are undisturbed for the remainder of the evening. In fact, considering the n tomorrow, I¡¯ll have my soldiers take the first and middle watches so you and yours can get as much uninterrupted sleep as possible.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Jay nodded, her grin bright. ¡°That helps a lot. We¡¯ll, uh, try to keep it down.¡±
¡°Good, that would be considerate.¡±
There was an awkward moment then, as the two women looked at each other, a question clearly on the tip of Wi¡¯s tongue. Eventually, she turned to go, took a few steps, then turned back to look up at Jay.
¡°Would it be overstepping boundaries if I were to ask what exactly is involved in these sex rituals?¡±
¡°You¡¯ve seen me naked. I¡¯m sure your imagination can fill in the nks.¡±
Wi held up a finger, thoughts clearly swirling behind her eyes. After a moment, she closed her mouth and turned away. As she walked back towards her soldiers, Jadis could just barely overhear the captain mumble.
¡°I¡¯m not sure my imagination, or any other part of me, stretches that far¡¡±
Chapter 252: Coating
Chapter 252: Coating
Jadis had mostly told the truth to captain Wi. She and herpanions did indeed need to recharge their Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond ritual to keep the effect active. A quick round of sex of any kind between her and her lover would do the trick, though, so nothing extravagant needed to be done to refresh the spell. Where Jadis had stretched the truth a bit was the new ritual. Technically it wasn¡¯t her new ritual but was instead Eir¡¯s recent acquisition. Jadis wasn¡¯t about to out the nature of Eir¡¯s ss, that wasn¡¯t her ce. She was fine with being seen as the source of lewdness. She technically was, after all, since none of herpanions would likely ever have had the option for a perverted, lustful ss if it weren¡¯t for her influence.
That new ritual though was the real reason Jadis had felt the need to be upfront with Wi. Considering the amount of danger that was just around the corner, there was no way Jadis wasn¡¯t going to insist Eir take advantage of her new protection ritual. However, when Eir had described what the ritual would involve, it was entirely obvious to Jadis and everyone else that there wasn¡¯t going to be any way to hide their activity. Not when pretty much all of them were going to have to participate.
As Eir described, her role was rtively passive. All she had to do was kneel and pray. Well, she had to be naked, too, but that was no great hardship. No, the ¡°hard¡± part came from how the rest of the participants in the ritual were involved.
Toplete the ritual, Eir would need a fresh coating of cum across the majority of her body, and it had toe from five different individuals.
Based on previous experience with such lewd rituals and the innate feeling that Eir got on how to perform the spell, they knew that the three of Jadis would only count as one person. That didn¡¯t mean only one of Jadis was going to be involved, though. The ritual heavily implied that Eir would need a heavy coating and five was the
minimum number of participants. From what Eir understood, any number of people could be involved, adding to the overall amount of seed spread across her, so long as enough was applied to her before she finished her prayer.
That was a thought. Jadis could just imagine a decadent, licentious ritual in a temple with rows of futanari priestesses lined up to ssh their cum across Eir¡¯s bare skin¡
Sometimes Jadis had to stop and recognize that she really was a massive pervert.
In any case, Jadis¡¯ inordinatelyrge output meant Eir wouldn¡¯t need a couple dozen lewd priestesses to get the job done. However, the rules of the ritual did mean that at least four otherpanions needed to be involved, and they needed to have cocks, too, considering the intended effect. It was a good thing Jadis had her own ritual to help with that.
¡°Holy gods above, this is¡ this is not what I thought it would be like!¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know, I feel like that¡¯s exactly what I thought your cock would look like.¡±
¡°I¡ªI meant the feel of it,¡± Bridget shuddered as her hands hovered over her newly summoned twitching cock, just barely not touching the dark green skin. ¡°Is this what you feel all the time?¡±
¡°Only when I¡¯m horny,¡± Syd replied as she brought her face closer to Bridget¡¯s package, her warm breath making the orc shiver even more. ¡°So most of the time, yeah.¡±
¡°Shit,¡± Bridget cursed, then repeated her curse as she finally wrapped her fingers around her thick shaft. ¡°Shit! No wonder you are the way you are.¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to choose to take that as apliment,¡± Syd said dryly as the ran one finger along the crown of Bridget¡¯s new cock.
A small spurt of precum squirted from Bridget¡¯s tip at the touch, making Jadis giggle at the reaction. It seemed most of her girls weren¡¯t able to fully control themselves once they had a cock of their own. The experience was just too different from what they were used to. Jadis could understand, but she was having too much fun teasing to be too sympathetic.
A was handling getting her cock back well, though. It made sense, since she¡¯d spent the most time with one, not counting Jadis. Her twelve-inch monster stood proudly away from her body, erect and ready to go despite being the first toplete the ritual. Jadis had made liberal use of her Ritual Time Reduction ability to make sure the rituals went fast, but still. A had held off for more than an hour, disying a great deal of patience.
Kerr was pretty well experienced having her own cock too, but the moment she¡¯d regrown her inhuman member, she¡¯d insisted on using it. Jadis couldn¡¯t reallyin, not with how the many ridges along the underside of her shaft and the fleshy spikes on the ridge of her cockhead felt rubbing inside of her pussy. Kerr was just as big as A and her unusual anatomy made for an oddly thrilling fuck. At least after the initial go she¡¯d been satisfied enough to wait on the sidelines for everyone else to finish.
Thea¡¯s cock was just as pretty as Jadis remembered. Unlike the other two, Thea¡¯s shaft didn¡¯t have the same masculine look to it. She was smooth, sleek, and without prominent veins. Despite being huge at ten inches, Thea¡¯s cock just had a girliness to it that Jadis couldn¡¯t rightly exin. Thea had also had to cum shortly after regaining her member, though that was more a product of oversensitivity than bratty, lustful stubbornness.
Sabina had, to no one¡¯s surprise, volunteered to grow a dick. She¡¯d shown interest in what having one would be like ever since she¡¯d seen A with one. Once the ritual had beenpleted, the half-elf was left with a surprisingly normal-looking package. She was still a big girl at ten inches, the same length as Thea, but other than a strong upward curve there was nothing unusual about Sabina¡¯s cock. Jadis had expected there to be something unique or inhuman about the half-elf¡¯s shaft considering Kerr, but apparently not. No one evinced any kind of shock about the look of her cock either, so Jadis let it be withoutment.
At that point they had been ready to begin the ritual. It seemed prudent to start right away, especially since Sabina had climaxed literally seconds after growing her new cock. The woman was just as quick a shot on the male side as the female. She was also just as messy, too, putting out quite arge load for one woman. In any case, they had all been ready to get started until Bridget had spoken up. Considering the ritual they were about to partake in, the orc had decided she didn¡¯t want to sit idly by and just watch.
Jadis got the feeling Bridget just didn¡¯t want to be left out, which was both adorable and kind of kinky. If her arcane orc warrior wanted a cock too, Jadis was happy to provide.
And so, it was Bridget¡¯s desire to be included that led to her having an exceptionally thick and veiny cock sprouting from her crotch. She wasn¡¯t the longest, A still held that title followed closely by Kerr, but she was certainly the girthiest. She was bigger than Thea and Sabina, probably around eleven inches, but she was also far wider. Bridget¡¯s cock was so thick that she had to use both hands to wrap her fingers fully around it. Her green beast was also veiny and meaty in all the ways that Thea¡¯s shaft wasn¡¯t. It gave Bridget¡¯s member an almost angry look.
¡°Everyone ready to begin?¡± Jay asked.
¡°I guess so,¡± Bridget replied shakily as she got to her feet with Syd¡¯s help.
¡°Fucking finally,¡± Kerr moaned as she rushed towards Eir. ¡°Once with this baby is
not enough. Tell me where you want it, hot buns, it¡¯s not going to take me long.¡±
¡°A moment, please,¡± Eir demurred as she held up a hand to forestall Kerr¡¯s overeagerness. ¡°I must assume the correct position.¡±
Gracefully, Eir knelt down on a bare patch of earth inside of the shared wagon-tent. Jadis couldn¡¯t help but admire how the priestess managed to make even that act beautiful. Her slow and precise movements made her look as though she truly was about to do nothing more than chastely pray to her goddess rather than engage in an act of pure debauchery. Even her nudity did nothing to dispel the notion of her innocent devotion, though the wetness between her thighs did much to reveal her lewd excitement.
It seemed she was in goodpany though, as everyone else was just as excited as Eir was. Soon, like Kerr, A, Thea, Sabina, and Bridget had gathered in a semicircle around the kneeling priestess. Kerr had imed the middle spot, A and Thea to her left with Bridget and Sabina to her right. To make room for herself, Jay and Dys approached from the left and right forced the girls to squeeze in closer together. Soon, their bare hips and shoulders were rubbing up against each other as Jadis used two of her selves as endcaps.
¡°What are you doing?¡± A asked with some amusement as she watched Syd kneel down behind Eir.
¡°What?¡± Syd shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m not getting a good view of this.¡±
And by D¡¯s pervy will, what a view it was.
The sight of her beautifulpanions all lined up, their sexy bodies on disy and still dripping with sweat and other fluids from recent lewd activities was breathtaking. Seeing them all with big, throbbing cocks was an extra delight that made Jadis grin like a fool. She loved being the ¡°man¡± as it were, but that didn¡¯t mean Jadis didn¡¯t love getting her own medicine delivered back to her. They were all just so gorgeous and erotic that it was hard for her to resist pouncing on them then and there.
Of course, seeing everyone with their own cock made Jadis regret not seeing Eir with her own. There was no reason for the elf to grow one for this ritual, so she hadn¡¯t, but that just made Jadis realize that Eir had yet to experience the pleasure of having a cock yet at all. She made a silent promise to herself to change that as soon as the next opportunity came along.
¡°You just need to keep praying while we cover you in cum, right?¡± Syd whispered in Eir¡¯s long ear as she swept the elf¡¯s purple hair back and away from her face. ¡°Nothing else we need to know?¡±
¡°It shouldn¡¯t take long,¡± Eir answered, a slight tremble in her tone. ¡°I just have to repeat the same prayer until enough, um, seed has been applied to my skin to satisfy the ritual. Do as you will, just try to¡ cover me evenly.¡±
¡°Hear that?¡± Syd grinned up at the others as she ran a hand up along Eir¡¯s trim waist, over the swell of her breast, and ending at the nape of her neck. ¡°Make sure you leave no spot unmarked.¡±
As though that were a signal to start the ritual, Eir closed her eyes and began to pray, a soft droning litany in anguage Jadis recognized as elvish. With her hands sped before her, she became still as stone, her lips the only part of her to move.
Since there was no point in wasting time, Jadis began to stroke her own cocks. All were slick with the mixture of her cum and the juices of her lovers. She¡¯d lost count how many times she¡¯d climaxed already that night for the sake of her Duality of Flesh ritual, but she still felt just as ready to go as she had at the start. It helped that she was able to see her selves from both angles, as well. Syd, kneeling just behind Eir, her cock in hand as she grinned up at the others, framing the smaller, shapely elf before her. Jay and Dys, towering above as they surrounded her other lovers, stroking their members in perfect sync. Both sights were as erotic as fuck and it made Jadis feel hotter by the moment.
¡°Ah, um, I think I¡¯m¡ª¡± Sabina stuttered out, drawing Syd¡¯s attention.
In the next few seconds, arge rope of cum sttered across Eir¡¯s face as Sabina came after only a couple of minutes of stroking. Several more long strands of pearly-white seed were quickly draped across the priestess¡¯s left cheek and brow, with one string managing to dangle lewdly off of her ear.
¡°Aw,¡± Kerr huffed, ¡°You beat me to it¡¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± Sabina gulped, out of breath. ¡°It¡¯s just this feels so different and good and amazing and Eir¡¯s so beautiful and I couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and¡ªah!¡±
Sabina¡¯s rushed words were cut off as Dys reached down and put her hand around the smith¡¯s cock, giving it a firm squeeze while pulling her a little closer to the kneeling priestess. The half-elf shuddered as climax aftershocks rocked through her, several more smaller strings of cum dripping down from her tip and onto Eir¡¯s bare thigh.
¡°No need to apologize,¡± Dys grinned as she shook Sabina¡¯s cock for her before pulling her in close to her side. ¡°Just remember to get every bit onto Eir.¡±
¡°Okay¡¡± Sabina mumbled, her expression dizzy as she leaned her face against Dys¡¯ abs.
It wasn¡¯t long before others followed Sabina¡¯s example. Before another minute had passed, Kerr groaned loudly in pleasure as she let loose a torrent of thick seed. Her cum sshed against Eir¡¯s face, making the woman flinch slightly as the musky cream coated her forehead, nose, and lips.
Before the therion was even done, Bridget came as well, unable to hold back any longer as she rapidly stroked her thick member in a desperate double-handed movement. Her seed mixed with Kerr and Sabina¡¯s transforming Eir¡¯s face into a lewd mess as cum dripped from her cheeks and chin to stter across her chest.
A and Thea both came at roughly the same time a few momentster, the two adding to the coating of cum. As A¡¯s cock jerked and throbbed, pulse after pulse of seednding heavily across Eir¡¯s arms and chest, Thea¡¯s shaft trembled as she climaxed, her cum sttering against Eir¡¯s right shoulder and neck. Their additions turned Eir¡¯s skin into a crisscrossed striping of white seed, a debauched disy that was both stunningly sexy and overtly raunchy.
¡°Fuck,¡± Jay murmured as she continued to stroke her own throbbing shaft. ¡°That¡¯s so fucking hot.¡±
¡°We¡¯ve got a word for this,¡± Dys said as she admired the shiny cum glistening in the dim light across Eir¡¯s perfect red skin. ¡°Back where we¡¯re from. Bukkake.¡±
¡°Strange word,¡± Kerrmented, her lust-filled eyes never leaving Eir. ¡°I like it.¡±
¡°The ¡®bukkake¡¯ ritual isn¡¯t done yet, though,¡± A said as she sighed in obvious contentment, having finally cum after a long wait. ¡°We¡¯re going to need more to cover herpletely.¡±
¡°No worries,¡± Jay said with a slight moan. ¡°I think I can handle it.¡±
There was, now that the others had decorated Eir with their seed, no more need for Jadis to hold back. She had wanted to see what her sexy little priestess would look like covered in the cum of her lovers. Now that she¡¯d gotten a perfect, multi-angle view of her angelic elf dripping with seed, Jadis fully sumbed to her lust. All three of her began rapidly running their hands along her turgid shafts, an urgent need welling up from within the pit of her stomachs. Even Syd, knelt behind Eir, desperately stroked her cock, her tip pressing up against Eir¡¯s warm back.
Moaning in unity, all three of Jadis came at once. In that instant, Eir was bathed in cum. From either side Jay and Dys coated the priestess in literal cups of sweet Nephilim seed. Their thick ropes sttered across her face, her arms, her chest, and her torso as more and more of it flowed out over her bare skin. From behind, Syd¡¯s cock sprayed cum over her back, the pearly-white goo dripping across her ass and onto the backs of her legs. In a matter of moments Eir looked as though she¡¯d been coated by dozens of futanari¡¯s cum, not just eight.
¡°Oh, wow¡¡± Thea whispered, the quiet voyeur clearly enamored with the utterly depraved vision Eir had be.
¡°Shit,¡± Kerr said in awed tones. ¡°Is it weird that I kind of wish that were me right now?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± A answered with a slight chuckle as she wrapped an arm around the archer¡¯s waist. ¡°Not the least bit surprising, though.¡±
¡°Oh, look!¡± Sabina let out a cry. ¡°I think it¡¯s working!¡±
There was little need for the smith¡¯s announcement. As Jadis¡¯ trio of climaxes waned, Eir¡¯s skin began to glow with a purple light. Almost as though she were a candle being lit, the elf¡¯s body went up in a torrent of heatless mes, the dark purple fire burning bright and lighting up the whole tent. All the cum that was lewdly sttered across Eir¡¯s skin evaporated into the mes, like fuel being burnt. In half a minute, the purple fire reached its peak and abruptly went out, leaving Eir glowing slightly as her red skin slowly lost its supernatural illumination.
In another few moments, Eir was back to how she was at the start, clean of all cum, breathing heavily but otherwise unharmed. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at the women gathered around her, her mouth slightly open in an expression of wonder.
¡°That¡ that was an incredible sensation¡¡± Eir spoke softly. ¡°I felt so, so warm. So¡ whole.¡±
¡°Sweet,¡± Kerr grinned down at the lovely priestess. ¡°Want to do it again?¡±
¡°Kerr,¡± all three of Jadis said in exasperation, plus A who looked startled to have said the same in the exact same moment and tone.
¡°Shut up and get that cock over here,¡± Sydmanded as she stood and motioned for Kerr toe to her. ¡°It¡¯s not every day my girls get to have cocks and I¡¯d like to take advantage of that at least one more time before we¡¯re forced to get some rest.¡±
¡°Uh,¡± Bridget said as Kerr practically tripped over aughing Eir to get to Syd. ¡°Does that mean¡?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Dys answered her unfinished question as she swept both her and Sabina up in her arms and carried them both off to their own section of the nketed ground. ¡°We¡¯ve just
got to get better acquainted while we have this chance.¡±
¡°I have to say, this surprises me even less than Kerr,¡± A murmured as Jay knelt down before her and Thea, keeping both women¡¯s hips pressed together as she admired their rigid cocks. ¡°You are a fiend, you know that?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Jay grinned as she leaned down and gave A¡¯s tip a lick before giving Thea¡¯s cockhead a kiss. ¡°And you know you love it.¡±
Chapter 253: First
Chapter 253: First
¡°Hey, Blue,¡± Jay called out to A as the soldiers and mercenaries broke camp in the morning light. ¡°Do you have a minute?¡±
¡°Yes, of course,¡± A replied after her eyes settled on Jay¡¯s face. ¡°Just a moment.¡±
A quietly finished rolling up arge nket before packing it into the wagon. Once she was done, she stepped away from the others and followed Jay into the trees just outside the clearing. The two walked together silently, though Jay reached down and took A¡¯s hand in hers. The redhead made noment, yet she squeezed her hand tightly.
Once the two had walked a couple of minutes away, they stopped next to a couple ofrge pines, putting the trunks between themselves and the camp.
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± A asked, looking up at Jay with concern in her eyes.
¡°Nothing,¡± Jay assured her, ¡°just one more second. Kerr and I are almost here, too.¡±
A few secondster, Syd and Dys came around the trees with a confused therion in tow. The confusion on Kerr¡¯s face quickly morphed into apprehension as soon as she saw Jay and A waiting for them.
¡°Oh, shit, we¡¯re having the talk now, aren¡¯t we,¡± Kerr cursed as her tail tucked between her legs.
¡°What talk?¡± A asked, this time with more force in her tone. ¡°Jadis, what¡¯s going on?¡±
Jay heaved a sigh as her other two selves took up positions on either side of her. Jadis didn¡¯t need all three of her to be present for this, but she absolutely felt they
had to be there, to show that all of her attention was on her girlfriends at that moment. Dys and Syd became silent shadows as Jay became the mouthpiece for the important conversation.
¡°Kerr, do you want to say something first or should I just lead?¡±
¡°Well, I¡ª¡± Kerr started, then nced at A¡¯s nklyposed face and nched. ¡°
Merde. You know what, you go ahead and take this one.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t me Kerr for balking at the idea of exining the details of her ss to A. As much as she treasured and appreciated the redhead, the girl could be intimidating when angry. She really knew how to lean into the stern lecturer persona which made a person feel small, even when they were a literal giant. For the sake of peace between them, Jadis would broach the issue. Better to rip the bandage off, too.
¡°A,¡± Jay said as she looked down at her redheaded lover, ¡°Kerr¡¯s third ss isn¡¯t Slut Sniper. It¡¯s Bonded Slut Sniper.¡±
There was a tense moment of silence as A processed Jadis¡¯ abrupt statement. As the seconds ticked by, her body almost imperceptibly stiffened. A¡¯s emotionless expression barely changed, however Jadis couldn¡¯t help but notice the way her Jaw tightened.
¡°Oh.¡±
Jadis waited for a moment to see if A had more she wanted to say, however no more words came from her mouth other than the single syble. Sighing out of her nose, Jay slowly crouched down so that she was looking slightly up at the mage. Gently, but firmly, she took A¡¯s hands in hers. Jay¡¯s eyes never left A¡¯s.
¡°I love you,¡± Jay spoke clearly, her words ringing in the crisp morning air. ¡°I love you. And for a third time, I love you. You are closer to me than anyone else in the whole world. A, you are the first love of my life, and I include the life I lived in my past life, too.¡±
¡°But not the only love of your life,¡± A whispered quietly.
¡°No,¡± Jay slowly shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re not. I¡¯m not sure if that makes me a bad person, but as much as I love you, I love Kerr, too. She¡¯s just as important to me as you and I can¡¯t imagine a life without either of you in it. I¡¯ll also take this moment to say that I think I feel that same way about Eir and Thea. I would never, ever want to lose either of them. I care about all four of you tremendously, more than I ever knew was possible before I met any of you. When we talked about our rtionship before, you seemed epting of the idea of sharing me with Kerr and others. Do you still feel that way?¡±
Jadis¡¯ throats tightened as she waited for A¡¯s response. She could feel her hearts beating faster than they had ever beaten before in any battle. So much was dependent on A¡¯s feelings. If, in that moment, A rejected her, Jadis wouldn¡¯t know what to do. She couldn¡¯t even think of the possibility, it hurt too much. But she waited. Ultimately, the decision was up to A. She couldn¡¯t make it for her.
¡°I do,¡± A whispered, her words practically drowned out by the blood pounding in Jadis¡¯ ears. ¡°I do still feel that way.¡±
Jay gulped, her whole body sagging with a relief so sudden that she felt dizzy for a moment. She had to take a few seconds to just breathe and blink away a stinging in her eyes.
¡°Good,¡± Jay said as her thumbs rubbed A¡¯s hands. ¡°Good. I¡¯m so, so d to hear that.¡±
¡°But you¡¯re still pissed, aren¡¯t you,¡± Kerr stated.
The therion stood awkwardly off to the side, one arm wrapped around herself as she watched A and Jay. Her tail was still between her legs and her cow-like ears drooped low. She looked vulnerable, almost fragile, in a way the brash woman rarely did.
¡°Yes,¡± A said, her voice cracking slightly. She cleared it before continuing. ¡°Yes, I am. I¡¯m jealous. Jealous and envious. It¡¯s stupid and pointless to be, but I am. I can¡¯t help it.¡±
If A was going to say anything more, she didn¡¯t get the chance to as Jay pulled her in close and wrapped her up in a powerful hug. Since she was crouched down, it was Jay¡¯s head pressed into A¡¯s chest for once. Her girlfriend made no attempt to resist the hug and, after a couple of heartbeats, melted into it. Her thin arms wrapped around Jay¡¯s head as her face buried into her hair.
¡°You¡¯re mine,¡± A murmured as she held Jay tightly. ¡°I found you first.¡±
Jadis¡¯s heart trembled at the pure, intive need in A¡¯s voice. It made her want to hold her even tighter, keep her bundled up in her arms for the rest of eternity. Given half the chance, she would have remained in that same hug until the sun faded to nothing.
It was A who pulled away, gently forcing Jay to lean her head back. She let out a soft sigh, a bemused expression on her face as she turned to look at Kerr.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. That was immensely childish of me. It¡¯s just¡¡±
¡°Yeah, I get it,¡± Kerr said with a slight shrug. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re the top dog here and I just kind of cut the line in front of you. Seriously, though, it was never my intention. You¡¯re the head wife. Ipletely bow to you, no contest. I just happened to have gotten this whole bonded thing before you. I won¡¯t tell any other girls about it either, I swear. I wouldn¡¯t try to subvert you like that.¡±
A stared nkly at Kerr for a long minute before letting out a puff ofughter.
¡°Therions¡¡±
¡°What?¡± Kerr responded with a frown. ¡°Look, I said I swear¡ª¡±
¡°Shut up ande here,¡± A motioned as she opened up one arm to let Kerr join in the hug between her and Jay.
¡°Oh, uh, alright¡¡±
In the next moment A had an arm wrapped around Kerr as she leaned her head against the woman. Jay shifted to epass them both in the tight hug. A second after that, all three were enveloped by Dys and Syd, turning them into a ball of warmth.
¡°You know we aren¡¯t married,¡± A murmured with her eyes closed as she epted theforting embrace.
¡°Yeah, but, the principle is the same,¡± Kerr replied in a kind of petnt tone.
The trio was silent for a while longer, just basking in the glow before eventually A spoke up again. The redhead let out a sigh, her shoulders heaving as she opened her eyes and red at Kerr.
¡°You haven¡¯t gotten rid of your dick yet, have you?¡±
¡°Nope,¡± Kerr quipped. ¡°Sorry. Sort of has a mind of its own, doesn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Perhaps,¡± A snorted. ¡°Though if it does, it¡¯s hardly much of a change from its source.¡±
The group pulled out of the hug then. As Kerr adjusted her pants, Jay rose back up to her normal height and smiled down at A.
¡°So, we¡¯re good?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± A said with a half-smile. ¡°I would hope you¡¯d know me well enough by now to know that I wouldn¡¯t throw a fit over something so petty.¡±
¡°So you aren¡¯t mad at me?¡± Kerr asked with a hopeful lilt to her voice.
¡°No,¡± A said, though her eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Again, I¡¯m not petty. I have Jadis¡¯ love and I don¡¯t need a ss to prove it. However, once I do reach level sixty, I¡¯m going to have a bonded ss anyway so it makes no difference.¡±
¡°See,¡± Sydughed, holding up a hand. ¡°That¡¯s what I said! The system would be broken beyond all repair if it didn¡¯t.¡±
¡°That¡¯s enough nonsense for now,¡± Amanded as she straightened her shirt. ¡°We still need to finish packing up camp. Plus, we have to prepare for the ambush that should be happeningter today. We can¡¯t spend all morning fretting over our feelings.¡±
¡°True enough,¡± Dys chuckled as she and Kerr followed behind a lightly blushing A. ¡°We do have a lot to do today.¡±
As they walked back together, Kerr¡¯s words about A being the first wife drifted through her head. The thought brought images of A in a wedding dress, followed shortly after by a vision of Kerr in once as well, though it was a significantly more revealing dress than A¡¯s, as would suit the shameless therion. After that, she couldn¡¯t help but imagine Eir and Thea in white dresses as well, bouquets of flowers in hand. Jadis had no idea if marriage on Oros even involved white dresses or bouquets or anything else she was familiar with from back on Earth, but the image was tremendously pleasing to her.
Then, as they neared the camp, Jadis¡¯ imagination led her to thoughts of her lovers together with her in a quiet little home, their smiling faces filled with joy as their hands rested on bellies swollen with child. She could practically see A standing there with a newborn held in her arms as Kerr cooed adoringly over the beautiful little baby.
¡°Holy shit,¡± Jadis murmured as her stomachs clenched with need and longing as the vision of her pregnant lovers flitted through her mind.
¡°What is it?¡± A asked, turning to look up at Jay as Kerr did the same with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Something wrong?¡±
¡°No, ah, no. It¡¯s nothing,¡± Jay mumbled with a shake of her head. ¡°Just, um, had a weird thought. Nothing important.¡±
Whether they believed Jadis or not, neither woman pressed the issue. Soon they were all back at camp and joined the rest of the group with finishing up the packing. As Jadis threw herself into the work, she couldn¡¯t quite shake the image of her girls with children from the back of her mind. The distraction wasn¡¯t helped when she remembered that she had a skill in her arsenal that could specifically ensure that her daydream came to pass. She¡¯d been using Potency Alteration to make sure they could all engage in lewd ritual sex without worry of an unwanted pregnancy, but there was another possible use for the skill. Should the desire arise, Jadis could essentially guarantee that anyone she slept with would get with child.
Children had never been a strong desire in Jadis¡¯ life, but the more she thought about her lovers having children, the more she liked the idea. Would they look more like her, with marble-like skin, or would the children have color more like their mothers? Or would they be some kind of mix between the two? What about their eyes and hair? Would they be giants? Half giants? Would they be hermaphrodites? Or was there a chance they could be any sex since Nephilim had four different versions?
¡°¡ªay. Jay!¡±
¡°Huh?¡± Jay was startled as she looked down at whoever was calling out to her.
Eir stood next to her, her dark purple eyes almost glowing as she smiled serenely up at her. For a brief moment, the image Jay had of a heavily pregnant Eir superimposed itself over the elf standing before her. The vision made Jay¡¯s heart leap before it was dispelled with a blink.
¡°Captain Wi says that she and her soldiers are ready to set out. Are you ready as well?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Jay nodded, smiling at her priestess of love as she put aside all thoughts that didn¡¯t pertain to the mission at hand. ¡°I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s go finish this vendetta so we can get on with our lives.¡±
Chapter 254: Ambushed
Chapter 254: Ambushed
The sun shone brightly overhead, though it offered little warmth. A strong and persistent wind was blowing from the north, sweeping all the cold down from the snow-covered mountains and into the forest. An ever-present creaking and groaning filled the air as the pine trees swayed under the chilly gusts, with asional pops and cracks of branches snapping or whole trees breaking under the pressure and toppling to the ground.
All in all, it was a good day for an ambush.
Jay, Dys, and Syd were once more pulling the Behemoth as the expedition made its way westward. Jadis pulled the wagon at a sedate pace, making sure not to move faster than the horse-drawn wagon behind her was capable of going. She didn¡¯t want to outpace the horses and leave Gunnar alone and exposed, especially not with all the extra horses tied in a train to the wagon behind him. It took a lot of willpower to not look back to check on the wagon and make sure it was keeping up. It took even more willpower to not look up at the stone ridge looming ahead and to her right.
As the road wended its way west, it passed by a rocky outcropping that was several hundred yards long and maybe twenty feet high on average. The face of the ridge was mostly t stone, though thend on the top was a long slope and had many pine trees growing across it. The road was butted right up against the ridge, a no-doubt reasonable choice for the builders to make at the time since the ground was t and the way forward straight. In hindsight, however, it proved to be a strategically inadvisable choice since it turned the ridge into a bandit¡¯s paradise. Anyone on top of the ridge would have perfect cover against anyone on the road. Jadis had no doubt that was why Stavros had chosen the spot for his ambush.
Jadis had no weapons at hand other than the small axes she carried in her belts. It was a necessity to maintain the illusion of the unsuspecting traveler. As was the need for her to simply plod on down the road, passing under the shadow of the ridge as though not a thing was wrong. As she strode forward, cold prickles went up and down her neck at the thought of unseen eyes watching her. She knew Stavros and his men were there, hiding, waiting for the moment to spring their trap. She had no doubt that once she had pulled the wagon next to the ridge far enough, the attack would begin just as Sorcha had outlined for them.
The little goblin woman hadid out the details of Stavros¡¯ n in full. Stavros and his crew knew the area as they had passed along this road multiple times, both as scouts and more recently as smugglers. Ricket, their trapmaster, was supposed to set up a deadfall along the path, one of a size that could disable arge demon like a grundwyrm. Or a few Nephilim. There would no doubt be more traps set up as well, as many as they could manage in the time they had, but the deadfall was the real danger. The focus of the attack would be on the three giants since they had been recognized as the true threat. All of their efforts would be centered on killing the Nephilim in one big burst. Once they were out of the picture, the Roiling Reavers would retreat. No need for an extended fight, not when the numbers would still be to their disadvantage. However, once the giants were gone, the rest of the mercenaries and soldiers could be picked off with hit-and-run tactics. Of course, if the opportunity presented itself, they¡¯d take the entire expedition out at the same time if they could.
Sorcha had the decency to look ashamed as she described Stavros¡¯ ns. Multiple times throughout the story she insisted that attacking and killing other people, soldiers or otherwise, had never been what she¡¯d signed up for. She admitted to the theft and smuggling, but murder was a step further than she¡¯d ever thought to go. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how innocent Sorcha really was when it came to ns of violence, especially since she didn¡¯t seem too reluctant to watch her die when Legs had been trying to stab her to death. In any case, she at least trusted the goblin to act in her own best interest, which in this case was to tell them the whole truth so they could foil Stavros¡¯ ns.
Jadis didn¡¯t need much imagination to guess what Stavros was likely to do to a deserter.
As Jadis drew closer to the ridge, she did spare a moment to look back over Syd¡¯s shoulder at ¡°A¡± sitting in the driver¡¯s seat. Seeing her head turn, the woman in the seat gave Syd a slight nod of acknowledgement.
Instead of A, one of the soldiers, Ada, was sitting in the mage¡¯s usual spot. She wasn¡¯t anywhere near as tall as A, but she had a thin build simr to her and also had reddish brown hair. With a spare robe on and a hood up, she looked enough like A at a distance that most people would be fooled at a nce. Jadis didn¡¯t like putting the woman in harm¡¯s way, but Ada was a physical fighter and had a much faster reaction speed as well as a higher health pool than A. When the ambush started, she would be far more likely to survive getting hit and could get out of the way and into the safety of the Behemoth interior much faster.
Jadis truly hoped that they would be able to pull off their counterattack without losing anyone.
They had just about reached the edge of the ridgeline where Stavros¡¯ ambush was supposed to take ce when Jadis heard the screaming. It was a sudden noise, the abruptness startling Jadis as she came to a full stop. Her muscles tensed as she prepared to dart out of the way of a trap, yet there was nothing to dodge. No trap had been triggered, not that she could see. Instead the shouting continued, growing louder every second. It was a man¡¯s voice, just one, but he was letting out a panicked screech that sounded like gibberish at first until Jadis was able to prate his thick ent.
¡°To arms! To arms! Fight for your fucking lives!¡±
Had their counterattack been found out? All of the remaining soldiers as well as Kerr, Thea, and Bridget had gone the long way around through the forest toe at the ambush site from the north. While Jadis used her immense strength and speed to attack the smugglers head-on and keep their attention, everyone else would strike from behind. It was a simple pincer move, but it had a high chance of sess, especially since Stavros shouldn¡¯t have had any idea that they knew about the ambush and certainly wouldn¡¯t expect the three Nephilim to turn and charge in at them just before they could trigger their traps.
For a brief moment, Jadis¡¯ stomach plummeted. Had she misjudged the goblin¡¯s intentions? Had Sorcha let herself be captured as part of somerger plot to feed them false information? Jadis had dismissed such a notion, as had the others, based on the idea that such a tactic would be utterly reckless, especially since Sorcha was the smuggler¡¯s only true mage. It would have been utterly idiotic to use one of their most valuable members as bait, especially when there was no guarantee that she wouldn¡¯t have just been killed outright when she¡¯d run into Jadis or anyone else from her expedition.
Or had Stavros ounted for their tendency towards mercy and purposefully sent the goblin witch as a means to ay suspicion?
That temporary moment of panic passed as Jadis tore free of her harnesses in reaction to the growing shouts of rm and sounds ofbat. She could hear people screaming, but none of them were the voices of herpanions or the soldiers. No, voices she heard were only passingly familiar, at least one recognizable as that weird blood bitch. The other sounds she heard were familiar for a different reason. Hissing, clicking, rattling, and stomping. A wordless anger, action without shouts.
Demons.
As Dys dashed like lightning to the wagon, Ada was already falling back inside the open door. With a
click and a
thunk, the left side wall of the Behemoth sprang open just as Sabina had modified it to do. Inside, Ada was already equipping her spear and shield. Dys only gave her a passing nce as she grabbed her weapons from the bed of the wagon. She quickly tossed Syd hernce, then heaved the giant hammer to Jay before taking up her axe.
The three of her moved as one off of the road into the forest, heading up the slope of the ridge. Two heads on a swivel, she checked behind her to see that Ada and Gunnar were already pairing up, following their orders to protect the wagons unless called for. From the soldiers'' wagon, Jadis saw more figures emerge. A leapt out, followed by Eir and Sabina. The three had been hiding inside the wagon, along with their two prisoners since it was the safest ce to be. The smugglers wanted to use the wagon for transport, after all. They would naturally avoid doing any damage to it.
Jadis¡¯ primary focus switched to what was happening ahead of her. She trusted A to make the right call when it came to how closely she and the others would follow behind her.
Once she crested the high point of the ridge, Jadis caught sight of where all themotion wasing from. Approximately halfway down the length of the ridge, nestled in a copse of trees, she saw the Roiling Reavers. And there, surrounding them, were dozens upon dozens of bone thieves, twisted wretches, bramble fiends, and at least two frost drakes, no doubt possessed. Worse, from Jadis¡¯ vantage point, she could see more demonic forms surging up the far side of the ridge. It was no small band of roaming demons that had happened to stumble across the ouws at an inopportune time. No, it was a full blown horde of demons, maybe a hundred including all the bramble fiends.
Jadis paused at the sight. Her first instinct had been to rush straight into the fray to aid the embattled Reavers. The demons had more than enough numbers to overwhelm the twelve smugglers. Even if Stavros and a few others were stronger than average and had decently high levels, they weren¡¯t anywhere near as strong as Jadis and her team. Without a prepared position, they¡¯d be overwhelmed by the sheer number of demons.
But was that a bad thing?
Stavros and his crew were bad people. They had tried to kill Jadis and those she loved multiple times. They were literally at this spot in the woods specifically for the purpose of trying to ambush and kill Jadis. Again. Wasn¡¯t it only poetic justice that these despicable murderers face their end via an unexpected ambush to demons they could have avoided entirely if they¡¯d only taken the opportunity to run rather than stay behind forpletely greedy reasons? Couldn¡¯t Jadis just sit back and let these two factions that she absolutely loathed fight and kill each other? It would certainly make it easier for her and herpanions to finish off whoever won the fight afterwards.
Jadis¡¯ weapons lowered slightly as she paused, watching the fight progress. She could see the fat man, Jockel, dodging and weaving around the attacks of two wretches, his movements hampered by the leg she had broken. Next to him was the blood bitch, swinging her scythe in a manic frenzy as she sliced through the core of a bone thief only for another to take its ce a momentter. To their left she saw two men with swords and shields that had been pilfered from the soldiers work together to knock a bear-like wretch to the ground, hacking at its chest and head before one of them fell back, a bramble fiend wrapping around his chest and arms.
It wouldn¡¯t take long. If she waited for a minute, maybe two, and the battle would be over. Even in the space of the two seconds it took her to have the thought, another Reaver was knocked to the ground by the oversized club arm of a bone thief. They couldn¡¯tst, they were going to die. All of them.
As the downed smuggler raised his shield to block the killing blow of the bone thief, a figure spun in from the side. With a swift sweep of his sword, he dismembered the bone thief, cutting through its club arm with ease before slicing its legs off in the next move. In the next instant he turned, blocking the attack of a wretch with his small buckler shield before cutting the demon from shoulder to hip in a diagonal sh. He moved again, blocking another attack, giving his downedpanion the time he needed to get back to his feet. Once the smuggler was up again, Stavros moved on to the next weak spot, his de slicing at every opening the demons gave him, constantly trying to buy his murderous mercenaries more time.
At one moment, as Stavros spun and kicked a bone thief back and away, a clear view opened between him and the three of Jadis. She saw him pause for just the briefest of moments, his spinning frenzy stilled. She could not see his face; he was too far and his helmet covered too much. But she saw his shoulders square as his back straightened for just an instant. Then, he nodded once before tapping the tip of his curved scimitar to the brow of his helm in a salute. In the next instant, Stavros was back in the fight, struggling desperately against the overwhelming horde of demons.
¡°Oh, fuck you if you think I¡¯m going to give you some kind of noble death,¡± Jadis spat in unison. ¡°We are not fucking done with you!¡±
With a tremendous roar, all three of Jadis activated Knight¡¯s Daring Charge and rushed forward to kill the demons attacking the Roiling Reavers.
Chapter 255: Forced Reinforcement
Chapter 255: Forced Reinforcement
Jay mmed into the side of an unsuspecting twisted wretch with all the force of a runaway freight train. Leading with her massive hammer, she pummeled the demon-warped horse abomination with one swing,unching the thousand-pound creature through the air like a child¡¯s ragdoll. The wretch spun helplessly as it careened over the heads of its demonic brethren before mming abruptly into a clump of bone thieves with enough momentum to send bony limbs scattering like shrapnel.
Continuing the arc of her swing, Jay¡¯s hammer took out several more lesser demons before she reset her stance and stomped her booted foot down onto a bramble fiend, squashing it into paste.
¡°Move to my fucking right!¡± Jay roared at Stavros and the struggling smugglers, causing many of them to flinch at her bellowedmand.
Stavros, for his part, did not flinch. Like a practiced soldier, he shifted and spun in his strangebat style, maneuvering so that Jay was on his left. His mercenaries soon followed suit, falling back so that they were to Jay¡¯s right. The change in position put arge cluster of thick-trunked trees on their right, turning the Reavers into a line.
In the same moments that Stavros and his crew moved, so too did the rest of Jadis. Dys joined Jay on the left of the line, stretching it so that her nk was protected by the twenty-foot drop of the ridgeline. Syd, however, did not stick with her other selves, but instead rushed up behind the line of smugglers to use the extra reach of hernce to skewer demons that were attacking the Reavers at their weak spots.
¡°You¡¯ve got to be shitting me with this codswallop,¡± Jockel cursed as his spiked chain tore through a demon wretch¡¯s malformed neck. ¡°You¡¯re fucking protecting us?¡±
¡°Shut up,¡± Syd snapped as hernce pierced a bone thief¡¯s core before the demon could use its sharp ws to sh open the fat man¡¯s belly. ¡°Just thank D that I hate Samleos and his demons more than I hate you.¡±
¡°Who in the abyss is¡ª¡±
Jockel¡¯s words were cut off as a bramble fiendunched itself at his head, narrowly missing as he dodged out of the way. The bastard didn¡¯t try to resume his question, no doubt finding his energy better spent on keeping himself alive rather than questioning the providence of Jadis¡¯ mercy.
As Dys hacked her way through another wretch, kicking the bisected corpse away, she spotted her backup making their entrance. Considering the second half of their party had been moving into position to ambush Stavros and his men, it didn¡¯t take them long to adapt to the new situation and step into the fray. Sweeping in from the northeast, her morebat-orientedpanions and the soldiers with them fell upon the demons.
The cluster of trees on the Reavers¡¯ right served as a kind of pivot point as a line of soldiers led by Wi and Thea formed up to the right of the trees. Some of the demons had already started to go around the natural barrier only to be quickly cut down and pushed back by the professional soldiers. Shifting in a coordinated maneuver, the soldiers wheeled so that their far right end closed like a door onto the mob of demons, nking the horde.
The rocky ridgeline was quickly turned into a killing field as scores of demons were hacked and chopped into foul-smelling bits by the experienced professional fighters. Just as every encounter in the past had proven, the demons had no sense of self-preservation, nor did they have any morale to break. However, even if there was no psychological effect against the demons by nking them, there was the practical effect of cutting into them at two different angles.
A loud boom echoed through the trees, apanied by the sight of severalrge bone thieves and wretches being blown to bits. A¡¯s exploding spell wasn¡¯t instantly lethal to all that many of the demons it hit, but with so many packed close together in their rush to attack Jadis and the Reavers, dozens were injured by the explosion, thus weakening them and making them easier for the melee fighters to deal with. It was a good thing, too, that so many demons were being struck by each spell that A threw at them, since Stavros¡¯ men were in dire straits. All of them were injured, including Stavros from what Jadis could see, and there was still a steady stream of demons flowing towards them from the woods to the west. Not enough to be called a true horde, but more than enough to overwhelm the lines if their numbers weren¡¯t being thinned by Jadis and A.
For a brief moment, Jadis considered activating her Mirror Shine spell. It would draw more demonic attention to her and give some relief to the wounded smugglers. The demons were also turning more and more against the soldiers and her teammates on the nk. Drawing the demons away from them was definitely something Jadis would prefer to do.
Jadis nixed the idea a momentter. Thest thing she wanted was to have all the demons focus their attacks onto her, thus giving Stavros and his criminal gang of cutthroats the opportunity to slip away while she dealt with the mob. She had made the split-second decision to save the Roiling Reavers because she would be damned if she were to be as heartless and cruel as Stavros seemed to think she was. Plus, there was the saying that the enemy of an enemy was a friend. The demons were the bigger threat overall, so working together to face amon foe made some sense.
She still didn¡¯t trust the nasty little shits.
Jadis¡¯ caution was proven correct perhaps a minute or two further into the battle. As another one of A¡¯s exploding force bolts blew away a cluster of demons near the right side of the smuggler¡¯s line, one of the men on that side stumbled back. Rather than push back into the gap to hold the line, the man cursed and turned tail. He ran, trying to flee the battle to save his own hide. The key word, of course, was try.
Syd¡¯snce swept the man¡¯s legs out from under him and he copsed into a heap. Before he could recover, she grabbed him under one arm and hefted him high into the air like a fish she had plucked from ake.
¡°A!¡± Syd shouted, ¡°Chains!¡±
Jadis barely needed to look before dropping the floundering man back onto the ground. As soon as his feet hit, ghostly chains erupted from the magical trap that A had cast onmand, binding the cowardly idiot in a rune circle that he had no hope of escaping.
Stavros saw what Syd had done. Jadis knew he had, seeing his head briefly turn to nce at themotion. Good. It was important that he knew where they stood. She certainly had no illusions that he wouldn¡¯t try something as soon as he could. That just meant she had to make sure to beat him to the punch.
As time wore on, fewer and fewer demons came charging out of the woods to the west. No greater demon came to join the battle, nor anyrger abominations like nithetre or grundwyrm, and certainly no matriarchs. There were a few more possessed frost drakes that Jadis saw in the mix, yet those dangerous beasts were rapidly dealt with at range by well-aimed oversized arrows that pierced them from a high angle,ing from somewhere high in the trees. It was as the crush of demons had been cut down to a nearly manageable number that the next smuggler made their move.
Jay struck a blow against another wretch, swinging her hammer in a controlled arc, when the blood bitch wielding her magic scythe abruptly turned and swept her de at the back of Jay¡¯s neck. It was a sneak attack, a magically constructed de of demon blood aimed at hitting a weak point in Jay¡¯s armor. Jadis had no doubt the blow would have cut through to her flesh if it had hit, especially considering how clean the woman¡¯s cuts were against other hard targets.
The treacherous de, however, did not strike Jay. Without looking back, Jay ducked out of the way, letting the spinning blood de pass by. Being able to see from three different perspectives made it very difficult for attacks against her person to sneak by undetected. Too bad for the bitch that she didn¡¯t know that about Jadis.
The butt of Jay¡¯s hammer shaft mmed into the woman¡¯s stomach, knocking all the air out of her. In the same moment, Syd grabbed her neck from behind and hauled her up. This time, however, rather than calling for one of A¡¯s arcane snaring traps, Syd tossed the bloody asshole forward, into the dwindling crowd of demons.
¡°That probably won¡¯t kill her,¡± Syd growled as the womannded in between a couple of hulking bone thieves twice her size. ¡°Who¡¯s next? Or are you fuckwits going to have some sense and surrender?¡±
It wasn¡¯t as though any of the Reavers were in a position to just turn and promise to be good, but with that disy of ruthless strength, Jadis saw that the majority of the smugglers were looking less defiant and more cowed. Jockel looked pissed, his face red as he issued a constant stream of curses under his breath. Stavros was unreadable, what little she could see of his face under his helmpletely expressionless. But the others? The others looked like the fight was out of them.
¡°Not yet!¡±
Jadis¡¯ attention was attracted by the almost manic shout of one of Stavros¡¯ men. It took her a second, but she recognized him as the trap maker, the crazed-looking blond man with orange eyes. He clearly wasn¡¯t much of a fighter, notpared to the others, but he had been on the line with the rest, swinging a pair of daggers with wild desperation the whole time. Abruptly, he looked up at Syd,pletely ignoring the wolf-like wretch behind him as he turned his back on the dangerous demon. Syd was forced to abort the attack on her intended target and strike the wretch before it could rip the maniac¡¯s head off.
¡°I haven¡¯t set my trap off yet! It has to go off!¡±
¡°What the fuck are you talking about!?¡± Syd shouted down at the trap maker, just barely keeping the wretch¡¯s ws away from him.
¡°I have to set off my trap!¡± he shouted up at her. ¡°It¡¯s notplete until it goes off!¡±
With those mad words, he turned back to the swarm of demons and rushed forward before Syd could stop him.
Jadis watched with growing amazement and incredulity as the maniac slipped through the demons, though not without taking damage. ws and bones cut and shed as he rushed by, but he ignored every wound in his crazed dash towards arge, towering pine maybe twenty meters away. Even as a bone thief¡¯s spear-like arm punctured his shoulder, the man let out a triumphant cry as his dagger sliced through a thick rope around the base of the tree that Jadis hadn¡¯t noticed.
With a loud creak and a sudden crash, several of therge branches overhead broke as hundreds of pounds of stone fell from above. Of course, where they fell waspletely useless to the situation, since the heavy rocks were all set to fall on top of the road. Not a single demon was crushed by the falling stones. However, in the next second, more creaks and popping of broken wood could be heard over the sounds of battle. To Jadis¡¯ shock, the whole damn giant tree suddenly tilted, a hidden cut in the trunk appearing as the massive pine fell over.
The treended right where the rocks had fallen, it¡¯s huge bulk crushing multiple smaller trees and causing part of the ridge under it to copse from its sheer weight, almost like a miniaturendslide. This second part of the trap did catch quite a few demons in it, the destruction wreaking havoc indiscriminately.
¡°Yes, yes!¡± the maniac shouted, barely audible over the noise. ¡°Haha! Yes!¡±
¡°Yourpany is fucking insane,¡± Jay shouted as she smashed another demon to paste while pushing forward towards the wreckage.
¡°I know,¡± Stavros growled next to her in his deep baritone. ¡°I fucking know.¡±
After that, the battle turned into a cleanup. There weren¡¯t many demons left, and those that were had either been injured by A¡¯s bombardment or the madman¡¯s giant-yer trap. None of the other smugglers tried anything else, either. Not with Syd hovering behind them,nce at the ready, as well as A further back and able to cast devastating spells. As thest of the demons were in, Dys handling the major push into the remainders of the pack, the blood bitch she¡¯d tossed into the middle was found.
Not dead. Apletely bloody mess, her body battered to a bruised pulp and one arm dangling at a wrong angle, but not dead. She red venomously at Dys, leaning heavily on her scythe. Not even breathing hard, Dys held up her giant axe, the head wider across than the woman¡¯s torso, and waggled it in front of the woman¡¯s face.
¡°So? Still want to try some shit?¡±
The woman spat a mouthful of blood onto the axe head.
¡°Fuck you.¡±
¡°Okay then,¡± Dys shrugged, then snapped forward and wrapped her free hand around the woman¡¯s neck like a vise.
Without looking, she tossed the bitch several yards into the clearing behind her, where shended in another one of A¡¯s quickly cast snare traps.
Jadis hadn¡¯t actually known if A would cast the trap in time to catch the woman. In fact, she¡¯d kind of hoped she wouldn¡¯t as it would have given her a good excuse to pick her up and toss her again. Well, the day was still young.
As she dealt with the blood bitch, Jadis noticed Thea and Bridget dragging the broken and bedraggled form of the mad trapmaker out from under a couple of dead demons. It looked like he was still alive, somehow, but by the amount of blood leaking out of his wounds she doubted he would be for long. The two were carrying him over to where A, Sabina, and Eir were, though, so if he was able to be saved, Eir would do so. Otherwise, at least he¡¯d gone out happy.
The rest of the Reavers stood in a loose group next to their leader. Stavros was breathing heavily, severalrge gouges in his armor showing bleeding wounds across his arms, chest, and sides. He still held his scimitar and buckler at the ready, the fight still shining in his dark eyes. His men stood ready, too, though not nearly so confident as Stavros. A handful looked like they were ready to throw down their arms then and there, but more of them stood defiantly next to their leader, ready to follow his nextmand.
Jay loomed over Stavros, casting a shadow over the man and his remaining followers. She held her giant hammer over one shoulder, its immense weight more than enough to smash Stavros into pudding, and her arm certainly fast enough to do it. Jadis had seen the man fight twice now, and while he hadn¡¯t changed, she had. It had only been days, but her attributes had increased drastically. Even if he was more skilled than her, the sheer numbers were more than making up for the disparity in experience between them. She was more than fast enough to catch him now, spinning dervish or not. What¡¯s more, she knew he knew it, too.
¡°What now?¡± Stavros asked, his voice soft but clear despite the still howling wind.
¡°You can surrender,¡± Jay answered directly. ¡°Or you can fight and lose. Your choice.¡±
Stavros let out a brief, barkingugh. In the next moment, his shoulders sagged as his weapons lowered. The men behind him soon followed suit.
¡°Nephilim, huh?¡± he rumbled. ¡°I really wish I had known about the three of you earlier.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Jay asked, her tense stance rxing slightly as she saw the Reavers drop their weapons. ¡°Would knowing about us have stopped you from being smugglers?¡±
¡°No,¡± Stavros shook his head. ¡°Would have tried to recruit you. Would have made a lot of coin with a trio like you in my group.¡±
Thinking about the timeline of when she had reincarnated on Oros, when she had left the abandoned vige, and when the Roiling Reavers had supposedly started their smuggling operation, Jadis supposed that it was possible that the first people she ran into could have been Stavros and his men, rather than A¡¯s two uncles. If she had dyed longer, or he had moved quicker, it was certainly possible.
¡°Well, that makes one of us,¡± Jay snarked back as she thanked D for her good fortune to have not been found by Stavros and his Reavers before finding Bernd¡¯s des and A. ¡°Now put your hands behind your heads and head over next to those snared morons. We¡¯ve got a lot of shit to do here, starting with securing all of you.¡±
Chapter 256: Prisoners
Chapter 256: Prisoners
Rounding up the Roiling Reavers proved to be a far easier task than Jadis had anticipated. Roughly half of the exhausted criminals put up no resistance at all, their demeanor showing resignation to their fate. Many looked too tired or too injured to even attempt to flee or fight and just sat down on the ground, weapons discarded, and waited for the soldiers to tie bind their hands.
The smaller half of the captured smugglers were less stoic. Some cursed, some shouted, a couple even tried to make a break for it. Those two didn¡¯t get far. Jadis didn¡¯t even have to chase after them. The second they tried to run, arge arrow shot out from the trees above and pierced one man¡¯s foot, pinning him to the ground. Seeing him screaming in pain, the other runner rethought their n and quickly gave up.
Stavros was one of the stoic ones. He didn¡¯t curse or wail, nor did he resist when Wi took hold of him and efficiently divested him of all of his weapons, pouches, and his helmet. Jadis was interested to see the man¡¯s face for the first time. She was surprised to find that he didn¡¯t look anywhere near as viinous as she had expected.
The leader of the Roiling Reavers was, in Jadis¡¯ opinion, a fairly handsome man. Almond-shaped eyes, a prominent nose, and a thick brow, he looked somewhat brutish, yet nothing about his face was crude or bulbous like Jockel nor sickly and crooked like Legs had been. Stavros looked like the kind of man who probably turned a few heads in bars, especially with how piercingly intense his eyes were. Considering the rest of thepany he kept, Jadis had anticipated the half-orc to be covered in scars or inked with evil tattoos. At the very least he should have had a tasteless gold tooth that glinted greedily when he spoke. But no, there was none of that. Just a man with a decently good-looking face who apparently had nopunctions against killing innocent people for money.
In other words, a mercenary.
Putting her thoughts on Stavros¡¯ appearance aside, Jadis made sure to check on all of herpanions to make sure all were well and uninjured. To her great delight, wounds had been minimal. Eir had little to do, at least so far as Fortune¡¯s Favored and the soldiers went. Despite therge number of demons, they had been handled rtively easilypared to other recent fights. The results of all their levels and attribute growth were definitely showing, since it seemed even literal mobs of demons were no longer the threat that they used to be. Despite the small size of theirpany, Jadis judged that herpanions were already on the same level as elite mercenary groups, meaning that fielding even a few of them could drastically alter the course of a battle.
¡°Hey, hey!¡± A man¡¯s voice caught Jadis¡¯ attention. ¡°I¡¯m still hurting here! Finish up the damn healing you red cunt!¡±
Dys whirled on the voice immediately to see Jockel, tied up and lying t on his stomach, yelling at a nk-faced Eir. Even before she moved towards them, the butt of a spear smacked hard against the side of the fat man¡¯s bald head.
¡°Quiet, you,¡± Lutz ordered the cursing smuggler. ¡°Be grateful she gave you any healing at all. It¡¯s more than scum like you deserves.¡±
¡°My leg¡¯s still half-broken,¡± Jockel growled up at the soldier. ¡°Do you have any idea how much broken bones hurt? I haven¡¯t been sleeping well for days!¡±
¡°I could fix that problem for you,¡± Dys said quietly, her tone conversational as her steel boot came down a few inches away from the man¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve got enough control of my strength that a good kick will just knock you out instead of killing you. Want to test it?¡±
¡°¡I¡¯m good,¡± Jockel replied meekly, the color draining from his round face. ¡°Don¡¯t need sleep that much.¡±
Dys crouched, the giant axe in her handing down with her, its sharp head hovering near Jockel¡¯s neck. She pulled a rag from one of her belt pouches and wiped a small amount of demon blood from the sharp spike on the reverse side of the head.
¡°Alright then, you know your needs best,¡± Dys said amiably. ¡°Now, about you calling my girl there a cunt.¡±
¡°A thousand apologies,¡± Jockel quickly rushed out a heartbeatter. ¡°A slip of the tongue, really. Stressful day, you see.¡±
Dys epted the apology with a t hum of acknowledgement, only standing back up after she was sure that the bastard was two seconds away from shitting his pants. As angry as she was with Jockel, she didn¡¯t actually want him to crap himself. That would have just made him stink worse.
After that, Dys hovered nearby, making sure none of the other captured Reavers gave Eir any trouble, verbally or otherwise. Most of them kept their mouths shut and their eyes downcast, though there were two other notable exceptions. Despite her wounds as well as being secured with ropes and steel manacles, the blood bitch still snarled and thrashed like a bobcat caught in a snare. For Eir¡¯s safety, Dys didn¡¯t let her touch the fuming psycho and instead had the priestess pump only a small amount of healing into the woman at a distance, just enough to make sure she wasn¡¯t going to die from some internal injury.
The only other smuggler to speak up was the insane trap maker. The man had been grievously injured, far worse than anyone else, even the blood bitch. In all honesty, Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure how the man had survived. When Eir had checked him, she¡¯d said he had been down to single digits, only a hair away from whatever afterlife awaited him. The priestess¡¯ powerful healing was still able to save him, though, and once the worst of his wounds stopped bleeding and he looked less like one giant purple bruise and more like an actual person, his weird orange eyes fluttered open and he nced around in a daze. His gaze locked with Jockelying on the ground nearby, and he grinned widely at the fat man.
¡°Did we win?¡±
¡°No, we didn¡¯t win, you motherless goat fucker!¡± Jockel hissed. ¡°What about us lying on the ground while chained up makes you think we won!?¡±
¡°We¡¯re alive,¡± the blond half-elf shrugged, a smile still on his face. ¡°And my trap went off beautifully. That¡¯s a win in my book.¡±
¡°Alive, sure,¡± Jockel said sarcastically. ¡°Healthy as freshly molted smatterlings. That is, up until we¡¯re dragged back to the capital and fucking hanged.¡±
Jadis supposed Jockel was right, a hangman¡¯s noose seemed likely to be their fate. Not that she was super familiar with Imperialw but considering Stavros and his crew had been stealing a valuable resource during wartime and had, far more importantly, killed several soldiers in the process, the death penalty was the probable oue of any trial. Or was it? Would they all be sentenced to death, or would there be some form of clemency given for those who had turned themselves over willingly, like Sorcha? There was also the fact that they could serve as decent witnesses to the crimesmitted by the renegade soldiers in the tunnels. Wouldn¡¯t theirwyer be able to negotiate a deal for a lesser sentence in exchange for providing key testimony against those soldiers?
Did the Empire even havewyers?
Jadis shook off the thought of elves in business suits gaining levels in their barrister ss via verbally dueling with each other over legal minutia. Both the status of attorneys on Oros and the potential future of the captured smugglers were questions best left for another time. Before anything else, she needed to reconvene with her allies and figure out next steps. Also, they needed to put some distance between themselves and the massive amount of demon corpses they¡¯d just made before more demons were attracted by the smell.
Fortunately, they had already worked out a solid n for what to do after they had ambushed the ambush. As it turned out, they had ambushed the ambushers while they were being ambushed by another party of ambushers, but the after-action n still remained the same. Gathering their prisoners and tying them in a line to the back of the wagon, the expedition turned back the way they hade. There was more than enough time left in the day to return to the camp that they had made the day previous, which was an already scouted and more secure area than anywhere they might head further west down the road. As much as Jadis wanted to keep pushing forward, she had yielded to the concerns of herpanions. Plowing ahead into an unknown situation with what was likely arge gathering of demons was not a good idea when they had a dozen captured criminals to tow around. In A¡¯s words, that was a recipe for disaster, which Jadis had to agree with, even more so considering the ever-increasing demonic activity in the forest.
Before they could get moving back to the camp, there was one small snag they had to ovee.
¡°You!¡± screeched the blood bitch. ¡°You rotten piece of discarded afterbirth! You fucking betrayed us! I¡¯m going to rip your spleen out through your eye!¡±
Eike, as Jadis had learned was the woman¡¯s name, was not happy to see Sorcha. Since the psycho had to be tied up far more heavily than the rest to prevent her from attacking anyone, she¡¯d been tossed into the back of the soldier¡¯s wagon, where Jonas and Sorcha were. That had been a mistake. Jadis and a couple of the others had had to intervene to stop the crazed madwoman from crawling across the wagon floor and chewing on the frightened, panicking goblin. They managed to shut up her incessant howling with a gag, but even then, she was still a thrashing menace.
To be on the safe side, Jadis took Sorcha out of the soldier¡¯s wagon and put her in the back of the Behemoth where Sabina and Eir were riding. She¡¯d proven to be both a well-behaved and honest prisoner, so Jadis felt she deserved at least that much consideration.
It took a few hours to get back to the clearing, especially going slow enough for the captured Reavers to trot behind, so the sun was low in the sky by the time they were able to once again set up their encampment. The process was made extra challenging since a constant watch had to be put over the prisoners and extra care had to be given to their treatment. Considering how strong Stavros, Eike, and Jockel were, Jadis made sure to dedicate at least one of her bodies to being near them at all times, at least until a routine had been established and all the prisoners had been secured as best they could be.
It was interesting to see Wi at work with the prisoners. To Jadis¡¯ surprise, she treated them with a decent level of respect and dignity, at least so long as they respected her. No posturing or threats, she just told them what to do and expected them to do it. If they resisted, she used force, but not with any undue violence. It seemed there was a code at work, a policy or rule concerning how prisoners were supposed to be treated.
Wi also took the time to question each prisoner, getting their statements and recording them all down in a logbook. She even interviewed Eike, though that conversation was brief. She even had her soldiers catalogue and bundle each individual¡¯s possessions, tucking them away as confiscated property, but with a tag on the bundle so that it could be returned to the owner at ater date if necessary. Or to next of kin, Jadis supposed.
It was just as Wi finished questioning Stavros that Jay approached the manacled man with a question of her own.
¡°Do you know what¡¯s in the valley at the base of the mountain with a split peak?¡±
Stavros looked up at Jay, his face expressionless. For a long minute, he made no move to answer. Jay waited patiently, content to give him as cold a stare back as he was giving her. Or maybe he was just staring at her because she¡¯d taken her helmet off? She hadn¡¯t ever shown her face to him before, so she supposed he was getting his first good look at the woman who had ruined all his big ns.
¡°There¡¯s nothing there,¡± he eventually replied. ¡°The maps show no mines.¡±
¡°But did you go in there?¡± Jay pressed. ¡°Into the valley and see what was there for yourself?¡±
¡°No,¡± Stavros shook his head. ¡°We did not. There was no reason to.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s lying,¡± A called out from a few paces away. ¡°There¡¯s nothing there ording to his own maps. It wouldn¡¯t make sense for his ilk to waste time in a location with no potential for profit.¡±
A was holding up said map, poring over the smuggler¡¯s notes. While most of them had been securing and transporting the prisoners, Kerr and a couple of the soldiers had backtracked their way to the Reavers¡¯ camp and piged it of all useful materials. They hadn¡¯t been able to take all the tents and other supplies, but things like Stavros¡¯ rolled-up maps had definitely been taken back to be analyzed.
¡°Why?¡±
Jay turned, looking down at the stoic man. She raised one eyebrow at his nk face.
¡°Why what?¡±
¡°Why are you interested in that valley?¡± Stavros asked inly. ¡°It¡¯s just trees and stone.¡±
¡°And also a few waterfalls, maybe,¡± Jay murmured. ¡°Too bad you never went in there. I¡¯d really like to know if there¡¯s a ce there where two streams meet before spilling over into five waterfalls.¡±
¡°And what would you do for me if I could confirm that such a ce does exist in that valley?¡±
Jay stared at the man. Was he being serious, or was he just baiting her? It was impossible to tell. Stavros¡¯ face was like a solid wall of stone. Inscrutable and impossible to see whaty beyond.
¡°Probably not much,¡± Jay finally said after a long moment of consideration. ¡°It¡¯s not like I can just take your word for it, one way or the other. Besides, I¡¯ll be taking a brief look tomorrow, anyway.¡±
¡°You mean to take us further west?¡± the dark man said, the barest hint of inflection in his tone. ¡°I would think you would be dragging us back to Far Felsen with as much haste as you can muster.¡±
¡°Not just yet,¡± Jay denied with a shake of her head. ¡°We¡¯ll head back soon enough. Also, I said that I¡¯ll be taking a brief look. That doesn''t mean I¡¯m taking any of you with me.¡±
¡°You three still mean to scout west tomorrow then?¡± Wi asked, breaking off from questioning the blond trap maker.
¡°Absolutely,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t be gone long. Just a quick look and we¡¯ll return before the sun sets. We¡¯ll move much faster alone. Oh, and Stavros?¡±
Jay knelt down next to the half-orc. She didn¡¯t try to threaten or scare him, not the way she had done to Jockel for insulting Eir. She simply looked the man in the eye and stated a few truths, making sure there was no confusion or misunderstandings between them.
¡°I¡¯m not worried about any of you while I¡¯m gone, because as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen, any one of my girls here could shred you to pieces before you¡¯ve gotten even one hand free from those manacles. However, if you or any one of your crew do anything to cause harm to any of my friends or allies, remember that you will then have three Nephilim hunting you down to the ends of the world. Are we clear?¡±
¡°As ss,¡± Stavros intoned.
Chapter 257: Snow Fall
Chapter 257: Snow Fall
Despite the front she had put forward the night before, Jadis had mixed feelings about running off alone and leaving herpanions and lovers to guard Stavros and his Reavers by themselves. Not that there was really all that much to worry about. With the capture of the smugglers, the soldiers had recovered most of their belongings, including their weapons and armor. Nora even had her staff back. The prisoners were also tightly secured with steel manacles and ropes that left no room for even slippery sorts like Jockel to wiggle free. Then there was the fact that A had put down an abundance of magic traps all around them, plus more around the camp itself. Kerr, Thea, and Bridget were all on watch and more than capable of handling themselves.
Jadis still worried. She was travelling far, far further afield than she had before, crossing a distance that would have taken the wagons another day and a half. If anything went wrong, not only would she not be nearby to help, but she also wouldn¡¯t even be close enough to hear Sabina¡¯s boom enchantment or see Nora¡¯s lightning. Jadis would be utterly in the dark until she got back.
On the other side of things, she had seen the worry in A¡¯s eyes when she left shortly after dawn. That worry had been mirrored in the eyes of Kerr, Eir, Thea, Sabina, and Bridget. Even Wi had looked worried about leaving. Still, Jadis had survived in this same forest for well more than a month when she was all on her own. She¡¯d been a lot weaker than she was now, too. She knew she could handle most threats she might encounter, and she could definitely run away from anything too much for her to handle. Hopefully. Considering how sses, levels, and skills worked, there was just no knowing how powerful a seemingly weak entity actually was. Jadis had to make sure to keep that in mind if she ran into anything unknown in the woods while she traveled alone and without knowledgeablepanions to fill her in.
Putting aside her concerns, Jadis focused on the road ahead of her. Running as fast as she was, she had to put a fair amount of concentration into maintaining her bnce and avoiding obstructions. Big obstructions, anyway. The small obstructions weren¡¯t much of a hinderance at all for armored bulk and steel-shod feet. She didn¡¯t know how fast she was going, but she had the feeling there wasn¡¯t a horse alive that could catch up to her.
The day was cloudy, the wind from yesterday having brought dark gray clouds to cover the sky. As she ran along the westward road, snowkes began to fall. It started as a slight flurry, but before she¡¯d run for a full hour the snow wasing down steadily, turning thend and trees around her white. It didn¡¯t look like the snow was going to stop anytime soon, either. Jadis was d the running was helping to keep her warm, too, since the temperature seemed to drop as the day progressed. Or was it getting colder the further west she went?
The wind had indeed mostly died down, but as she thundered down the road Jadis felt as though she were running further and further into a gigantic icebox. It was as though an aura of cold was radiating outward, pushing against her. It wasn¡¯t yet cold enough to cause her harm, but she could literally feel the difference in temperature between her front and her back.
There were more demons, too. Jadis made no attempt to stop and fight any, but she still saw more and more groups of demons making their way west as the morning continued. There were mostly small groups, but asionally she sawrger mobs, ones closer in size to what they¡¯d fought the day before, and bigger demons with increasing frequency. She spotted grundwyrms, nithetre, and even a giant cave spider at one point, the huge ck ten-legged beast skittering through the woods amidst a pack of twisted wretches that looked like they¡¯d stolen their corpse-bodies from things that live underground.
And then Jadis saw the mountain.
The split peaked mountain was barely visible, the dense snow clouds obscuring the view. Still, Jadis was able to make out enough to see that it was a match for what she had been looking for. The road turned more southward, passing around the high hills that extended outward from the base of the mountain. The valley that was created between the two smaller mountains nking the taller split peak was tucked far back and away from the view of the road, stretching miles northward.
Jadis left the road, striking out into the untamed forest. Her speed was decreased as she had to move more carefully through the wilderness, but not as badly as it might have been. She still had Kerr¡¯s Path Less Travelled skill duplicated and it aided her in her fast progress towards the mountain. She kept to the east side of the valley, following along one of the hills with the intention of climbing a high ridge once she got closer to the split peak so she could get a good view of the valley, or as good as possible considering the weather.
She had gone maybe a third of the way into the valley when she heard the most terrifying sound she¡¯d ever experienced in her life.
A tremendous shrieking roar echoed in the frozen air, instantly forcing Jadis to freeze in her tracks. It felt as though a jet had just passed directly over her heads, the ear-splitting sound causing the breath to vibrate inside of her chest. The roar was far louder than any living thing had any right to be, which was the truly horrifying part Jadis realized. The sound wasn¡¯t artificial, created by man¡¯s machinery. A living being had made that sound. A creature was actually out there that was big enough to
make that sound.
¡°Fuck me this is a stupid idea,¡± Jadis mumbled to her selves as she ran up the hill to get as high as she could.
Her every instinct was telling her to run as far and as fast as she could away from whatever had just roared like that. However, she also felt an overwhelming curiosity to actually see the originator of that sound. There was no way she could just leave now without getting a look at whatever that thing was. Maybe curiosity killed the cat, but the cat hadn¡¯t been wearing heavy te armor nor had it been able to sprint faster than a cheetah. She had to take a chance.
Taking the slope in great leaps and bounds, Jadis scaled the foothills, thend transitioning to the side of one of the surrounding mountains. As she ran, thoughts of when she had crested the mountain ridge a week or so ago flitted through her mind. At that time, she had been met with the sight of Nora¡¯s lightning bolts, signaling that Wi¡¯s troops were under attack. Jadis could feel the tension building inside her as the anticipation of what she might see this time.
Eventually Jadis found her selves at the top of a tall cliff face, the nearly vertical wall of stone stretching hundreds of feet into the air. Theck of trees before the cliff gave an open view of the valley, though as she came to a stop among the wind-twisted trees that survived along the windswept mountain ridge, she found that her view of the valley was obscured by the thickly falling snow. She stood there, watching the white treetops for any sign of movement, anyndmark that looked out of ce, yet the snowfall had be so strong that she couldn¡¯t make out the far side of the valley anymore.
¡°Now what?¡± Dys huffed out as she caught her breath.
¡°This fucking snow is ridiculous,¡± Syd cursed.
¡°Maybe we should turn back,¡± Jay sighed as she shivered in the cold wind. ¡°It sucks to go back empty handed, though. Can¡¯t even say we saw¡ªoh fuck!¡±
Jadis¡¯ musings were cut off as another piercing, inhuman cry echoed across the mountains, this time even louder than before. The wind, already freezing, grew even colder as it whipped past her with gale force. All three of her stumbled slightly at the sudden overwhelming gust, then fell back further as the snow became a wall of white. Squinting against the sudden storm, Jadis braced her selves against the hurricane before the wind abruptly cut off and she was left stumbling again against nothing, no force to push her back.
Jadis caught her selves, blinking to clear her eyes from the snow that hade through her visors. As she cleared her vision, she saw that the snowstorm had abated, the sky before her having opened up. Except, it hadn¡¯t. There were still dark storm clouds overhead, the skies around the mountains were still shrouded in walls of white. The valley alone was clear. Clear except for one single colossal creature flying overhead.
Its scaled body was ice blue along its back and dark gray along its chest and stomach. Huge spikes like icicles lined its back, running down the ridge all the way to the tip of a long, sinewy tail that whipped in the air behind it. A pair of massive bat-like wings stretched wide to either side of the beast, each one bigger than the creature¡¯s body was long. Four powerful legs were tucked up against its body, giant ws tipping its curled fists. As it glided high through the air, it turned in an arc, revealing its long thick neck and viper-like head. Its mouth opened and another earsplitting screech echoed, a st of frozen wind issuing from its mouth as it swept over the forest, the power of the freezing breath toppling trees even as it flew hundreds of feet over the treetops.
A dragon. A motherfucking
dragon. Jadis gawped at the sight, her mouths hanging open as she watched the
actual fucking dragon circle the valley. Intellectually, she had known dragons were real. She¡¯d heard references to them more than a few times sinceing to Oros. She¡¯d been hoping that maybe one day she might actually see one, if she were lucky.
Well, now she was seeing one. Words could not describe how she felt in the presence of such a creature, though she struggled to find them. It wasn¡¯t just the size, which she could tell was massive even at a great distance. It was the
power the dragon radiated. This one creature was the apex predator, the ruler of its domain, the king of all it surveyed. There was nothing in this world it couldn¡¯t dominate if it so chose to. Those were the feelings that ran through Jadis¡¯ mind as she watched the dragon sweep across the far side of the valley.
Jadis continued to stare, mesmerized by the awe-inspiring sight. As she gawked, her weapons practically forgotten in her hands, the dragon circled the southern side of the valley, the direction she hade from, and swept up the east ridgeline. In moments she got a close look at the monstrously massive draconic beast as it flew practically level with the ridgeline she was standing on. The dragon¡¯s head passed by, close enough to her overlook that she could see the individual scales pattered across its ice-blue face. She could see its red eyes, slit like a snake¡¯s, all six of them. She could see the scars of old battles where great ws had torn its flesh, now healed, running down its neck.
She could see the dark wriggling tentacles of a demon protruding from a festering wound in the side of the dragon¡¯s shoulder.
All four of her bodies were driven back as the air pressure of one p of its wings sent the ice dragon rocketing by her. She caught her selves, steadying against each other as her mind whirled with what she had seen. The dragon had a demon burrowing into its flesh. Was it being possessed? Had it been already? Was it even possible for such a huge, powerful creature to be possessed? Shit, if it was, what would that mean for Far Felsen? She could already imagine the gigantic dragon strafing the city from the skies, sting its defenders with its icy breath. It would be a ughter. How would an army even begin to fight¡ª
Wait. Four bodies?
Jadis paused, her distracted mind catching up to her surroundings, taking into ount things other than the dragon. Jay stood in the middle, carrying her oversized war hammer. Dys was to the left of Jay, her huge battle axe in one hand. Syd was to the right of Jay, leaning on hernce. All three of her selves turned their heads, looking at the fourth Jadis standing to the right of Syd. She was identical to the others, wearing full cold me steel armor, in the exact same style as Jadis, except instead of a hammer, axe, ornce, she carried a huge twohanded sword that was as tall as she was.
The fourth turned her head to look back at the other three, her face obscured under her dark helm.
¡°What the fuck¡?¡± all four said at the same time.
Chapter 258: Fourth
Chapter 258: Fourth
Jadis was going to have to chalk up her slow reaction to the sudden appearance of a fourth body to overstimtion. Seeing a gigantic fucking ice dragon soar by had definitely stunned her, slowing her normally quick reactions to a crawl. Seeing another version of herself that she could see back out of wasn¡¯t helping. In fact, she was still feeling a bit befuddled, since she was focusing on why she was stunned rather than reacting to the situation that had caused her to be stunned.
Shaking off the effects of her confusion, Jadis whirled on the fourth Jadis, all three of her bodies leaping into a line, weapons raised threateningly towards the¡ whatever it was. Except, in the same moment that she moved, the fourth also moved. She whirled as well, facing off against some unseen threat, falling into line with Jadis¡¯ selves with perfect synchrony. Greatsword raised high overhead, the fourth looked exactly as though Jadis herself was standing there next to Jadis, ready for battle.
¡°Fuck off!¡± Syd shouted, sweeping hernce around at the fourth.
Her weapon struck the side of the imposter, steel scraping against steel. The identical woman fell back, pointing her sword at Syd in a confused gesture.
¡°What the hell am I doing!?¡± she shouted, her voice a mirror of Jadis¡¯ own, down to the inflection that woulde with anger and confusion.
¡°Who the fuck are you!?¡± Syd shouted back as Jay and Dys moved to surround the fourth. ¡°You are
not me!¡±
¡°What the fuck am I on about?¡± the fourth shouted back with confused indignation. ¡°Of course I¡¯m fucking me, we¡¯re all me! What in D¡¯s name made me turn my own fuckingnce on me?¡±
¡°Wha¡ªno! You are not me!¡± Jay shook her head, the strange response throwing her off. ¡°There are only three of me, and I¡¯ve never owned a giant sword, and¡ªfuck! Who are you!¡±
¡°I¡¯m Jadis!¡± the fourth shouted, panicked now as Jadis¡¯ three selves closed in from three different angles. ¡°I¡¯m me! You! I mean, we¡¯re all Jadis! Fuck! Calm down!¡±
Jadis halted mid-step. This¡ whatever it was knew her real name. It knew she was three people. It was identical to her in every way so far as she could tell, even down to her speech patterns. This was her, a mirror image, standing right before. A fourth self that she had either manifested in thest minute or apparently forgotten that she had.
Like that was fucking possible.
¡°Cut the shit,¡± Dys growled. ¡°If you¡¯re me, tell me the name of my father.¡±
Jadis had never spoken about her parents, not to anyone, not sinceing to Oros. As much as she loved her parents, she¡¯d put most of her thoughts about them out of her mind, only asionally thinking of them when she was feeling particrly homesick. She loved being who she was now and had no desire to go back to her old lost life, so dwelling on her family from Earth was not something she did much of.
The fourth paused, head swinging rapidly between Jadis¡¯ three selves. Then, abruptly, the woman¡¯s shoulders sagged as she heaved a heavy sigh. Straightening up, she put the tip of her sword into the ground, one hand resting on therge crossguard while her other hand went to her hip.
¡°Damn. I thought I could keep you going for a few minutes longer than that.¡±
She still sounded like Jadis; even her attitude was a mirror of how Jadis acted. But the ruse had been abandoned. She, whoever she was, no longer tried to pretend that she was a fourth body. No, she was a doppelganger, a fake, pretending to be something she wasn¡¯t. She was¡
¡°You¡¯re a Fetch, aren¡¯t you?¡± Jay murmured, the realizationing to her. ¡°One of D¡¯s avatars.¡±
¡°Guilty as charged,¡± the Not-Jadis shrugged one shoulder. ¡°I guess that makes us siblings, doesn¡¯t it? Or would it be half-siblings? Not sure how that would work with you being a Nephilim and all that.¡±
¡°I, uh, I don¡¯t know,¡± Jay stumbled out, the whole conversation far, far different from what she was prepared for at the moment. ¡°Wait, are you the one D sent us to look for?¡±
¡°Am I?¡± Not-Jadis tilted her head. ¡°Did he tell you toe looking for me, specifically?¡±
¡°Well, not you specifically, I guess¡¡± Dys shook her head. ¡°But, I mean, this is the split peak mountain and¡ª¡±
Another tremendous roar shook the ground and skies as the dragon screeched behind her. Jadis whirled, looking at the beast that she had almostpletely forgotten with her mind focused on the imposter Jadis. It was flying near the western side of the valley, wings pping hard as it slowed to a hover. Ponderously it sank down,nding amidst the trees as it let out another bellowing screech, more icy breath sting the hill before it. As the dragon settled, the snow and wind picked back up, the skies filling with a white curtain once again that made it near-impossible to see.
¡°Shame, isn¡¯t it.¡±
Jadis startled, not used to hearing her voiceing from someone else. She looked back at the Fetch, surprised to see that the helmet the woman wore was gone. She saw her face looking back at her, a surreal experience made more so since she was used to seeing her own face through multiple perspectives. To see her face wearing a rueful expression that she herself wasn¡¯t making was¡ bizarre.
¡°It¡¯ll probably die soon,¡± the Fetch continued, shaking her head in a way that affected pity, yetcked sincerity. ¡°It can¡¯tst more than another couple of days, tops. Then those Dryads down there will be frozen solid and chewed into little leafy ice bits. A tragedy, really.¡±
¡°What?¡± Jay said, a tremendous flood of questions overwhelming her.
There were so many things she wanted to ask based on what the doppelganger had said, yet she caught herself. Confusion and misdirection seemed to be the Fetch¡¯s intention. It wasn¡¯t hard to figure that much out based on the shapeshifting being¡¯s words and actions so far. Jadis needed to focus, start from a solid base and work her way from there. Letting this strange woman lead the conversation wasn¡¯t going to get her any answers, not useful ones, anyway.
¡°Hold on,¡± Dys said, holding up a hand. ¡°First thing¡¯s first. Who are you? You never answered me.¡±
¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± Not-Jadis grinned at her in a familiar way.
¡°And?¡±
¡°And what?¡±
¡°Fucking¡ªwho are you?¡± Dys demanded, raising her voice as she lost a thread of patience.
¡°I¡¯m me,¡± the Fetch replied, the grin still stered across her face. ¡°Afraid that¡¯s all I¡¯ve ever been.¡±
Seeing that she was going nowhere fast with that line of question, Jadis shook her heads in exasperation. Waving one hand at the Fetch, Jay came up with a name on the spot.
¡°Fine, I get it. You¡¯re a jackass. I¡¯m calling you Jack, then.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Jack shrugged again. ¡°I¡¯ve gone by worse names than that.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Jay nodded, her mind centering as she regained her equilibrium. ¡°Okay, Jack. Now, how do you know who we are? How do you know my real name?¡±
Jack smiled, this time in a way that was decidedly nothing like how Jadis smiled. Her lips stretched in a peculiar, almost inhuman way as she gave Jadis a knowing look. In the next instant, Jack¡¯s body rippled. Before Jadis¡¯ eyes, Jack¡¯s sword and armor melted away like snow in a heavy rain. Her body shifted, growing taller, turning gray. Her shoulders turned broad as her face shifted, stretching in some ces while shrinking in others. Despite every aspect of Jack¡¯s appearance changing, the whole transformation took no more than a second.
¡°Well,¡± Jack replied in a deep, smooth, masculine voice. ¡°We¡¯ve met before. You could even say that we¡¯re old friends, since I met you on your very first day here on Oros, after all.¡±
¡°The statue!?¡± All three of Jadis shouted at once.
The statue of Destarious from the temple stood before her, arms stretched wide in a parody of a weing gesture. With his head tilted to one side and a shit-eating grin on his face, Jack nodded at the stunned Nephilim.
¡°Mypliments, by the way,¡± Jack said. ¡°Fornicating with one¡¯s own double in a ruined temple dedicated to one¡¯s patron god is something that I¡¯ve never heard of anyone doing before. I¡¯ve seen and heard a lot over the years, but that was a new one, even for me.¡± Jack¡¯s stone hands came together as he loudly pped. ¡°Great show, by the way. I¡¯m sure dad enjoyed every second of it.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t help the flush of embarrassment that went through her. She hadmitted many lewd, debauched acts over the months, so she probably should have been past the point of feeling much shame for her licentious actions since she had known D was probably watching the whole time anyway. However, being confronted by a stranger who had, apparently, been watching her without her knowledge or consent for who knew how long¡ That was a step beyond herfort.
¡°You¡ªyou were watching me that whole time?¡± Jay demanded, taking a half step closer to the Fetch. ¡°You were spying on me while I¡ªshit. Forget about the sex stuff. I was fighting for my life there, on the first day. On most of the days after, too. I could have
died multiple times! Why didn¡¯t you help me? What were you
doing? D sent you to help and guide me and all you did was¡ªwas get your rocks off watching me fuck?¡±
Jack tilted his head curiously to one side. His expression shifted to bemused wonder. One hand rubbed his chin while the other rested on his hip. It was odd to see the stone robes he wore conform to his body the same way cloth ones would, flowing around him in a way stone had no right to.
¡°Was I sent by D to aid you?¡± he mused. ¡°I don¡¯t recall ever being told anything of the sort. I was just minding my own business when you showed up in my little vige, making a big ruckus. I don¡¯t see why your wellbeing is
my responsibility. If I want to pretend to be a statue in an abandoned temple, that¡¯s my prerogative. If you choose to diddle your own clone in a public space where I just happen to be, that¡¯s your prerogative. Hardly my fault you have strange tastes.¡±
¡°That doesn¡¯t make any fucking sense and you know it,¡± Syd shouted angrily at the Fetch. ¡°I was level one, alone, without any help whatsoever! You had to know I was there because D sent me there! You were supposed to¡ª¡±
¡°Why must I have had to have known?¡± Jack cut Syd off, taking a step towards her. ¡°I¡¯m no oracle. Dear old dad doesn¡¯t speak to me in any more direct a way than you. I only know what I know about you because I watched and observed over time and you talk to yourself out loud. Besides,¡± Jack tilted his head again, a smile on his stony lips that did not reach his eyes. ¡°Why should I have to do anything D tells me to? So what if he wants me to help you? Does his desire obligate me to follow his whims? Do you follow every instinct he sends you? Or do you make no decisions for yourself?¡±
¡°Are you trying to say you didn¡¯t help me because¡ because D wanted you to help me?¡± Syd asked incredulously. ¡°You watched me almost die as some sort of¡ªof rebellion against D?¡±
¡°No, not at all,¡± Jack straightened, his tone and expression turning yful. ¡°I didn¡¯t help you because I thought it would be funny to watch you flounder. I think I was right.¡±
Rage surged inside of Jadis at the insane Fetch¡¯s cavalier attitude toward her life. Her jaws clenched as her teeth ground together, her fists tightening so hard that the metal of her gauntlets creaked. With blinding speed, all three of Jadisshed out at Jack, her fists mming into his head, chest, and stomach from three different directions at once with a sharp crack that echoed like thunder.
Jack spun like a corkscrew, his body trying to fly in opposite directions at the same time. He ended up mming into a nearby tree, the trunk shattering under his weight and the force of her multi-pronged attack. Jadis¡¯ selves stalked up to the prone Fetch, all three seething with outrage. Over the sound of the wind howling across the mountain face and her hearts pounding in her ears, Jadis heard a distinct maleughter, high pitched and manic in way that threw her mind back to the indescribable living room where she had first met her patron deity.
¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you that one,¡± Jack said around his disturbing mirth. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re owed at least one.¡±
Suddenly, the prone man was gone, his body morphed into a copy of an armored Jadis once more. She surged to her feet, greatsword swinging upwards. Dys moved to catch the de with her axe, but instead of an impact the de passed right through, nothing more than an illusion. In the next instant Jay was knocked down by an invisible force, her feet going out from under her as something swept against them. A moment after that, Syd was tossed back, her body mming against another tree. Before she could recover, dozens of Jadis appeared, all of them wielding different weapons, from spears to axes to swords to clubs. One was even carrying antern il just like the one Bridget used, only bigger.
¡°Just the one, though,¡± the dozens of Not-Jadis said at once, their many voices echoing in the frozen air. ¡°Do that again and I¡¯ll show you what some real Eldritch power can do.¡±
Chapter 259: Guidance
Chapter 259: Guidance
Jadis snarled, her temper ring to even greater heights. Her three bodies dropped intobat stances, ready to attack the taunting Fetch. There were dozens of fake Jadis¡¯ on the clifftop now, but only one was the real Jack. She could sweep her weapons through the illusions in a coordinated pattern, eliminate the possibilities while cornering the infuriating asshole¡ª
She halted her thoughts before she could finish her battlen. What in D¡¯s name was she doing? Why was she trying to fight Jack? Yes, she¡ªor was it he? ¡ª was a mocking jackass, but why did that matter? Jack was clearly trying to provoke her. But what was the point? Weren¡¯t they on the same side? Wasn¡¯t she a member of an avatar race, just like she had been searching for? Why was she trying to throw down with the jackass when what she should be doing was talking to her?
¡°Fine, one hit, for now.¡± Jay finally said, her chest heaving as her anger simmered. In an attempt at making a truce, she tried asking her a simple question. ¡°So what the fuck are you doing here? What do you want?¡±
¡°Ah, now you ask,¡± the dozens of false Nephilim replied, all speaking in a sing-song chorus. ¡°So far, all I¡¯ve heard from you are ¡®me this¡¯ and ¡®my that¡¯. So self-centered, really. But what more can be expected from someone who earned the Mirror Knight ss, hm? Who could have guessed that a Nephilim would be narcissistic.¡±
Jadis¡¯ anger red again, but she ruthlessly squashed it, keeping her temper in check. She wasn¡¯t going to let Jack goad her into any more stupid distractions. Instead of answering, she waited silently for a proper response. She even made a show of deliberately putting the butts of her weapons onto the ground, holding them in a nonbative way.
After a couple of drawn-out seconds, the many illusions all clicked their tongues before abruptly disappearing. Only one remained, a version of Jadis holding arge ive that was standing only a few paces away from Jay. She set the butt of her ive down in a mirror of Jadis¡¯ stance, then raised her visor to expose her mildly disappointed expression.
¡°C¡¯mon now, don¡¯t be boring. Throw another tantrum! We can have an epic duel, you and me, right here on the top of this dangerous and scenic cliff. Sister against sister in a struggle for honor and survival! Doesn¡¯t that sound fun in an overly melodramatic way?¡±
¡°No,¡± Jadis said tly, answering with all three of her selves. ¡°If that¡¯s the reason why you¡¯re here, then you¡¯re out of luck. I don¡¯t have time to y around with a jackass right now.¡±
¡°Tsk. So serious,¡± Jack replied in a mocking tone. ¡°Where¡¯s that childlike wonder I remember you having not too long ago?¡±
¡°I¡¯m saving it for situations that don¡¯t involve you.¡±
¡°Meanie.¡±
¡°Prick.¡±
Jack rolled her eyes, her bodynguage rxing as she stretched her shoulders. She looked away from Jadis, almost like she wasn¡¯t as interested in her anymore, her violet eyes drifting across the snow-shroudedndscape below them.
¡°Okay, well, I guess it¡¯s been fun catching up,¡± she said. ¡°Nice seeing you and all that. But it¡¯s getting kind of cold up here, so¡ª¡±
¡°Hold on,¡± Jadis interrupted, huffing a big breath as she rethought her next words. Talking to Jack really made her feel like she was talking to D, only less terrifying and more annoying. ¡°That was you, back on top of that other ridge, right? I saw D¡¯s statue on top of that ridge and it led me to be at the right ce and time to see that Wi and her troops were under attack.¡±
¡°Yeah, that was me,¡± Jack replied nonchntly. ¡°What of it?¡±
¡°Why¡¯d you do that?¡± Jadis asked, some of the desperate confusion she felt bleeding into her voice. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s pretty obvious you don¡¯t want anything to do with me. So why were you there? Why grab my attention like that and help me when you clearly don¡¯t want to be helpful?¡±
Jack frowned, her brow furrowing in a way that Jadis was intimately familiar with. She¡¯d seen that look on her own faces many times when she was frustrated with something, often times herself. Was the perfect imitation of her facial patterns a purposeful mockery, or was there something about how the Fetch copied people that meant she acted the same way as her targets did instinctually?
¡°He got me that time,¡± Jack murmured quietly, barely audible over the wind. She heaved a sigh before staring at Jay crossly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I was heading there for you. Not until I was already there. Then, since I
was already there, I figured I might as well go along with it and see what would happen. Could have been interesting. It actually kind of was, so I guess I don¡¯t regret it. Sort of.¡±
¡°What do you mean, got you?¡± Jadis asked. ¡°Who got you?¡±
¡°D, of course,¡± Jack answered as though Jadis were being aplete idiot. ¡°Dear old daddy Destarious. He led me there, gave me the motivation. Same as he drew you to that ce, too, I suppose.¡±
¡°You said you aren¡¯t an oracle, though,¡± Jadis shook her heads slowly in confusion. ¡°How¡¯d he tell you to be at the split-peaked mountain?¡±
¡°He didn¡¯t¡ª¡± Jack started, then paused. A look of dawning recognition flitted across her face, followed by a wide, amused grin. ¡°Oh, I get it now. You still don¡¯t know how it works, do you? It¡¯s been months, Jady-Poo, and you still haven¡¯t figured out what it means to be an avatar of the gods, have you?¡±
That brought Jadis up short. Whether by ident or intention, the conversation had shifted to where she most needed it to go. Jadis¡¯ whole reason for this damned expedition had been to find a friendly member of an avatar race that could tell her how tomunicate with Lyssandria and Destarious. She was supposed to be able to call on them for guidance, she¡¯d been promised as much by the deities themselves. Or rather, Lyssandria had said so. Jadis assumed that would probably be true for D as well, though she didn¡¯t know for sure.
This windswept cliff face wasn¡¯t the ce where two streams met before spilling over into five waterfalls like she had been told to look for during her meeting with Destarious, but Jack
was in fact a member of an avatar race. If she knew something about how she should be able to call on either deity, then Jadis would take the information, even if the source was irritating.
¡°No, I don¡¯t know how to receive guidance from D,¡± Jadis admitted candidly, biting back her annoyance with the frustrating Jack. ¡°Not without the help of an oracle. I¡¯ve been trying to figure this shit out for a while now and I could actually really use some help from someone who knows what they¡¯re doing. Look, you can make fun of me all you want if it¡¯ll make you happy, but can you please tell me what I should be doing to receive D¡¯s or Lyssandria¡¯s guidance?¡±
Jack snorted, stifling a fit of giggles with the back of one gauntleted hand. As herughter died away, though not her wide grin, she reached down and tapped three times against her stomach with a metallic nk.
¡°It¡¯s all right here, my silly little gosling. Everything you need to talk with dear old dad or that big-breasted bimbo has been inside you all along.¡±
¡°Will you please stop¡ª¡± Jadis began, her frustration with Jack¡¯s half-answers reaching her limit.
¡°Gods above!¡± Jack threw up both her hands. ¡°I forgot how vexingly dense you can be! Your guts, you rot brain! I¡¯m talking about your guts!¡±
¡°My¡ guts?¡± Jadis responded slowly, a certain suspicion growing inside her.
¡°Yes! Haven¡¯t you ever had a gut instinct?¡± Jack asked, taking a few steps closer to Jay while giving her a hard, piercing look. ¡°A hunch? A thought or a feeling that just seemed toe out of nowhere?
That¡¯s what you¡¯ve been looking for. That¡¯s what the gods do. They give you that nagging little nudge in one direction or another, tickling your brain into thinking that maybe you should do something, or maybe you shouldn¡¯t do something, or maybe whatever the fuck it is they want. That¡¯s it! No messages written in the sky, no words whispered in your ears, no visions exining everything in ck and white while you sleep. Just. Gut. Instinct.¡±
¡°But¡ that¡¯s nothing,¡± Jadis murmured. ¡°People get hunches all the time.
I get hunches all the time! How would I even tell the difference between my own instinct and¡?¡±
¡°Exactly!¡± Jack hissed, havinge to a stop only a foot away from Jay. With deliberate casualness, she reached up with one hand and raised Jay¡¯s visor, revealing her confused, troubled expression. ¡°How does one tell the difference between an idea that came from their own gut instincts versus a notion that a God like D has nted in your subconscious for his own personal agenda?¡±
Hovering her face mere inches away from Jay¡¯s, Jack¡¯s grin split wide open, revealing all of her teeth as her violet eyes bore unblinkingly into her own.
¡°The thought is enough to drive a person
mad.¡±
Jay stumbled back from Jack, her mind whirling as her heart beat so loudly in her ears she couldn¡¯t even hear the wind anymore. How many times had she relied on her gut to guide her in the past few months? How often did she rely on her instincts to make a decision?
Were they her instincts, or were they D¡¯s? Or was Lyssandria sending her intrusive instinctual hunches in order to control what she did? Fuck, she could have two different deities with different motivations sending her subtle mental directions at any time, maybe all of the time, and she had no way of knowing which one they wereing from or if they were just her normal human instincts.
Had any motivation she¡¯d had sinceing to Oros been her own?
A sharp, cold pain pulled Jadis from her spinning thoughts. Blinking and shaking her heads, she came to the sudden realization that Jack had removed one of her gauntlets and had¡ shoved a finger up Jay¡¯s nose?
¡°What the fuck are you doing!?¡± All three of Jadis shouted as Jay pped Jack¡¯s hand away.
¡°Sorry,¡± Jack replied without a hint of remorse. ¡°You were getting kind of lost in your head there, so, you know.¡±
¡°No, no I do not know!¡±
Jack examined her finger, made a face, then reached out and wiped the offending digit against Jay¡¯s armored shoulder. Jay promptly pped the hand away again.
¡°Look, I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about it,¡± Jack rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re an avatar, not a construct. You have free will, just the same as all the little worshipers scurrying around. Not every thought you have is influenced by D or the Lady or anyone else. Just some asional nudges in certain directions.¡±
¡°How the fuck am I supposed to tell the difference, though?¡± Jadis asked, her voice more scared than angry. ¡°How am I supposed to know which thought is mine and which one isn¡¯t?¡±
Jack shrugged.
¡°I dunno.¡±
The Fetch paused a momentter, seeing the look on Jadis¡¯ faces. She sighed, her chest heaving in a dramatic disy of self-sacrifice.
¡°Look, kid, I get it. I really do. Four months ago, I got a sudden desire to visit an old, abandoned vige that held one of D¡¯s temples. I liked that ce, lots of followers who knew how to have a good time used to live there. Hard workers, those people, but they could throw a party. I knew it was a dead vige though, had been ever since the demonic invasion had started again. Still, I felt like it would be a good idea to go visit the ce. Was that D telling me to go there because he wanted me to be around to help you out? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe I¡¯m just an old fart and I get nostalgic sometimes and like to visit ces where I made good memories, and maybe D took advantage of that and plopped you down somewhere he knew I was going to be because it was convenient. Hard to say. Point is, don¡¯t think too hard about it or you really will drive yourself insane.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ but I¡ª¡± Jadis started, then stopped. She really didn¡¯t know what to say to Jack¡¯s revtion and subsequent advice. ¡°I¡¯m just supposed to not think about it? Just like that?¡±
How was she supposed to ignore what Jack had told her now that she knew that at least
some of her gut instincts were not her own. The answer was, she couldn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t put that thought out of her mind, not easily. Which might have been the whole point of why Jack had said it in the first ce. The Fetch was, without any doubt, a troublemaker. She had openly admitted to not helping Jadis when she was low level and all alone because she thought it would be funny to watch her struggle. Jack had been messing with her from the very start, both from Jadis¡¯ literal day one on Oros, and from the start of their very first true interaction. How could she trust what Jack was saying? The Fetch could be lying to her about there not being a way to tell the difference.
She could be lying to her about the whole thing.
Jadis focused, her mind gaining resolve. She wasn¡¯t going to let this Jackass screw with her head. She wasn¡¯t going to let anyone manipte her like that. She
did have free will, her own wants and desires, and she wasn¡¯t going to let them be secondary to anyone else¡¯s. Maybe Jack was being honest, or considering she was an avatar of a literal god of madness, secrets, and lies, maybe she was continuing the trend.
¡°How do I know you¡¯re telling me the truth?¡± Jadis finally said, her backs straightening as she started to regain her equilibrium. ¡°How do I know you aren¡¯t making all this shit up just to fuck with me?¡±
¡°Hm,¡± Jack mused, one finger going to her chin. ¡°I guess you don¡¯t know, do you? I suppose you could ask someone else, though. If you knew any other avatars¡ Oh! Like a Dryad, perhaps?¡±
¡°Dryad,¡± Jadis murmured, then remembered what Jack had said earlier.
There were Dryads in the valley, or so Jack had imed. Dryads that were in danger of being destroyed by the dragon, once it was possessed. Jadis didn¡¯t know much about Dryads, no more than any other avatar race, but surely the Dryads had to be a more reliable resource for information than a Fetch. The jury was still out on Jack, but Jadis had been promised a friendly member of an avatar race if she came all the way out here. Dryads sounded friendly to her.
Jay turned to look back out across the snow-covered valley. She still couldn¡¯t see much due to the heavy snow fall, but she remembered where the massive ice dragon hadnded on the far side of the valley. Dys and Syd didn¡¯t take their eyes off of Jack, but Jay searched the snowyndscape, looking for the clearing where she¡¯dst seen the gigantic beast.
¡°Yup, Dryad,¡± Jack nodded, stepping up to stand next to Jay. ¡°There¡¯s a whole bunch of them down there, actually. Or there were,st time I checked. All those demons attacking their grove might have changed that by now, but there¡¯s always a chance.¡±
Dys and Syd moved up to nk Jay and Jack as Jay turned her head to re at the Fetch. Jack gave her an innocent look back, blinking slowly.
¡°Let me take a wild guess,¡± Jay said, her voice sharp as steel. ¡°You¡¯ve seen a ce with five waterfalls down in that grove.¡±
Jack smiled.
¡°I might remember something like that.¡±
Chapter 260: POV Sabina
Chapter 260: POV Sabina
¡°Just that little bit there and¡ done!¡±
Sabina held up the leather cor proudly. It was her fifth one and she was getting faster every time. Carving the intricate patterns for the enchantments into the bones and scales was the hardest part, but since it was the same pattern every time she was starting to know it from muscle memory. If her production time continued to improve at the same rate as it hadpared to thest four cors, then Sabina calcted that she should be done with thest two cors that were needed in a few hours, just before nightfall. Definitely in time for Jadis¡¯ return to camp.
Would they use the cors that night? A little shiver went down Sabina¡¯s spine at the thought. Sex with Jadis and, by extension, the other beautiful women in Fortune¡¯s Favored, was a great bonus. She thanked Svaroga every day for giving her the opportunity to meet the gorgeous Nephilim. Or should she be thanking Lyssandria? Or was she supposed to thank Destarious?
That was the odd thing, wasn¡¯t it? Sabina was no schr but she knew enough from talking with Eir that the Nephilim were supposed to be Lyssandria¡¯s Children, yet Jadis had a ss given to her by Destarious. For that matter, Eir had an oracle ss given to her by Destarious, too, which was odd for a priest dedicated to Lyssandria to have. Sabina would have asked about it, but she was fairly certain she wasn¡¯t supposed to know about Eir¡¯s oracle ss, so she kept her lips tight on that one. Though, maybe she should just ask since their group talked about everything else pretty openly all the time anyway? They all had sex all the time, which was a very intimate act by most people¡¯s standards, and they also talked about all of their skills and level-ups too, which was even more intimate to some people, so didn¡¯t that mean that Eir and Jadis and the others probably wouldn¡¯t mind if she brought up the pretty priestess¡¯ weird ss? Or should she let Eir be the first to bring it up, same as her apparent love for Jadis? Jadis, A, and Kerr were now in a three-way rtionship, Sabina knew, so that meant Eir was probably going to be a fourth in that equation once she asked to be. At least, she thought she would since it was so obvious that the elf was head-over-heels in love with the Nephilim. Or would a fourth be too much? Sabina wasn¡¯t sure if there were limits to those kinds of multi-partner rtionships and she wasn¡¯t sure if she should be the one to ask. Those kinds of personal questions never had easy answers in Sabina¡¯s experience.
¡°So, uh, what are you making?¡±
Sabina shook her head to clear it of the tangent she¡¯d gone off on and nced over at the little goblin woman, Sorcha.
¡°It¡¯s an enchanted cor,¡± she answered with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s pretty basic, needs a magic boost from the user or someone else to get going, and it won¡¯tst more than a single use, which is a shame since I¡¯ve worked so hard to make it and the others. But I guess that just means I¡¯ll have fun making a redesign once we get back to Far Felsen! I could make it way morefortable with better materials, plus with some eleria I could make it a permanent enchantment¡ªoh! Can¡¯t forget about style! I¡¯m not very stylish or anything, but I know some of the others care about that so I can do some research into what colors and designs are popr right now and make something that¡¯ll look good as well as work good!"
Sorcha blinked at Sabina, her eyes having that zed-over look that so many people gained when they talked to her. Oh dear. She¡¯d done it again. Sabina knew she tended to ramble, especially when she was excited or nervous. She didn¡¯t mean to and tried her best to avoid the bad habit, but sometimes she didn¡¯t even know she was doing it.
¡°So, uh, that all sounds good,¡± Sorcha finally said. ¡°But, what does it do? What¡¯s the point?¡±
Sabina considered, then scooted across the wagon floor to get a bit closer to the goblin woman. They were both sitting inside the Behemoth, as Jadis liked to call it. The left wall was open since it had been set up for their sleeping arrangements, though only half of the tarps were in ce. It had started to snow earlier, so the soldiers had set up a huge bonfire to keep everyone warm, its heat easily reaching into the wagon where Sabina was working with her tools.
Sorcha had been put in the wagon earlier, along with that human man, Jonas, since Jadis and Wi wanted to keep them safe from the captured Reavers. Well, Jonas wasn¡¯t there anymore, since Wi had moved him back to her wagon, though Sorcha had stayed with their wagon on Jadis¡¯ insistence. Sabina wasn¡¯t sure, but she thought that maybe Jadis felt like the goblin deserved some special treatment since she¡¯d surrendered and offered up information willingly that helped them avoid another bad ambush. That made sense to Sabina, at least. The priests of Valtar were always saying that one¡¯s honor could be redeemed through honorable actions. Jadis probably felt the same way. Maybe.
Wait, was turning on your own mercenarypany honorable, or would that be considered dishonorable? Or would it actually be honorable since the mercenarypany had turned against the empire and so by turning against the mercenarypany, Sorcha had done the honorable thing?
Sabina shook her head. She¡¯d have to ask Eir what she thought about the situationter.
¡°Here, take a look,¡± Sabina said as she offered the cor to Sorcha. ¡°You¡¯re a witch, right? That¡¯s sort of like enchantment, so what do you think it¡¯s meant to do?¡±
Sorcha took the cor in her small hands, the manacles around her wrists clinking together. Sabina frowned at those chains, not happy to see someone she was talking to chained up. She understood the reason since Sorcha
was a criminal after all. But that didn¡¯t mean Sabina had to like it.
¡°It¡¯s not really the same,¡± Sorcha replied with her strong Dunnottaric ent. She pointed at the enchantment circles that Sabina had carved on the cor. ¡°Witches don¡¯t use these rune symbol things you enchanters do when we make our items. We¡¯re closer to alchemists, honestly. Actually, I was offered an alchemist ss when I reached level twenty. Sometimes I feel like I should have taken that ss instead of bing a witch¡¡±
¡°Why? Being a witch seems like a good choice to me,¡± Sabina rattled off before pausing. ¡°Oh, you mean because you probably wouldn¡¯t have be a mercenary and joined up with Stavros if you were an alchemist instead, right?¡±
¡°¡Yeah.¡±
¡°Okay, that makes sense,¡± Sabina nodded in understanding. ¡°Personally, I would have chosen to be a witch too between being a witch or an alchemist since I¡¯ve always wanted to make enchantments and I don¡¯t think potions or poultices are much like enchanted items. But then again, you said that being a witch isn¡¯t much like being an enchanter, so maybe I wouldn¡¯t have liked being one. Hard to know, I guess.¡±
¡°¡You could probably get a ss as an auctioneer with how fast you talk sometimes, you know that?¡± Sorcha asked, one of her fluffy eyebrows raised high.
¡°True!¡± Sabina nodded in agreement. ¡°Though I feel like a ss based around auctioneering would be a total waste, even for a professional auctioneer.¡±
Sorcha let out a bark ofughter, grinning with her sharp teeth exposed.
¡°You¡¯re a weird one, aren¡¯t you? Alright then, stop holding me in suspense, what¡¯s this cor supposed to do?¡±
Sabina took the cor back from the goblin, holding it up high to see it better in the light. Looking at it, she could already think of a dozen ways she could improve the design, from using softer leather, to working with alloyed metals and gemstones, to adding eleria. She couldn¡¯t wait until she got back to Far Felsen and a workshop.
¡°It stops the person wearing it from having an orgasm for up to one hour.¡±
After a brief pause, there was a light shuffling noise next to Sabina. ncing to her side, she saw that Sorcha had scooted a few inches further away from her, a look of disturbance on her face.
¡°It does
what?¡±
¡°Prevents orgasms,¡± Sabina repeated, clearly enunciating the words in case she has spoken too quickly for the goblin witch. ¡°For up to one hour, the wearer won¡¯t be able to climax while having sex. Of course, they¡¯ll still be able to feel all the pleasure, which can actually get kind of too intense if you overdo it, but no climax. Not until it¡¯s either removed or the time limit is reached, at which point the enchantment will break. That¡¯s why I really need to get to a workshop so I can use materials better suited to the enchantment, as well as eleria to make it longersting. It¡¯s way, way too expensive to make these fresh every time you want to use them. I¡¯ve probably gone through hundreds of oaks worth of coin making these so far.¡±
Sorcha just stared at Sabina for a while, long enough to make her think that the goblin hadn¡¯t understood what she¡¯d said since she tended to talk too fast and had probably started to ramble again. Just as Sabina was thinking that maybe she needed to repeat herself, Sorcha opened her mouth, closed it, held up one finger, then opened her mouth again.
¡°Why would you want to make a cor that does¡ that? I mean, I guess some people have a taste for things like that¡ But why make that right now? Is a, er, sex cor really a priority when you¡¯re out in these woods?¡±
Oh.
It was the sex thing again, wasn¡¯t it? It wasn¡¯t as though Sabina didn¡¯t understand why people got nervous or antsy or whatever when talking about sex, she felt that way sometimes too. But the context of when and why some people got squeamish about sex was genuinely confusing. Well, in retrospect, Sabina supposed the sex cor hadn¡¯te with much of a preface. She¡¯d have to remember to warn people that the enchantment was sex rted in the future to avoid awkward moments like this one.
¡°It wouldn¡¯t normally be, no,¡± Sabina admitted after a couple of seconds. ¡°I don¡¯t normally make sex-rted items and the couple of times that I have I was in a normal workshop. But in this case, these cors actually are kind of a priority because I climax way, way faster than everyone else.¡±
Sorcha visibly nched.
¡°¡And that matters because of the sex rituals. Not because it¡¯s a pleasure thing. I mean, it¡¯s very pleasurable, but that¡¯s more of a side benefit and not the explicit point. If it was, I don¡¯t think it would matter that I have a quick trigger.¡±
Looking at Sorcha¡¯s reaction, Sabina wasn¡¯t sure that her exnation had helped. The goblin woman looked confused, disturbed, and maybe a bit ufortable. Though the difort could have been from the manacles. Sabina knew she would be ufortable wearing those. And Sorcha was only wearing the ones on her wrists; some of the other Reavers were tied up with a lot more, especially that woman who had wielded a scythe. Sabina shuddered a bit as she looked in the direction of that upsetting woman. She couldn¡¯t see her from the wagon, with the position of the bonfire and the tents and tarps that had been put up for the prisoners. Still, Sabina didn¡¯t like to think about her. That was a person she didn¡¯t think even Valtar¡¯s priests would try to redeem.
¡°Did you say sex rituals?¡±
Sabina jumped a little, Sorcha¡¯s question startling her out of her unhappy thoughts.
¡°Did I say sex rituals?¡±
¡°Pretty sure you did, yeah.¡±
¡°Oh, well, I guess I did,¡± Sabina blinked. Jadis had told the soldiers about the sex rituals, which meant they weren¡¯t really a secret anymore right? That made the most sense to Sabina. ¡°Yeah, we use sex rituals in our mercenary group to empower ourselves. We need the cors to do a big one that¡¯ll empower us even more.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Sorcha nodded, her big ears flopping up and down. ¡°I get the feeling your mercenarypany has a, uh, very different dynamic from the one I¡¯m in.¡±
¡°Hm, probably,¡± Sabina agreed. ¡°I doubt many mercenarypanies have big orgies on a regr basis. Though maybe some do? I¡¯ve been told it can get pretty lonely when you¡¯re out in the field for a long time.¡±
¡°Eh, trust me,¡± Sorcha said with a curled lip as she looked in the direction of her fellow prisoners. ¡°Not that lonely.¡±
After that, Sabina got back to crafting the remaining two cors while Sorcha sat nearby. It was nice to have someone to talk to while she worked, especially since Sorcha was the kind of person who didn¡¯t seem to get bored or upset when Sabina started to ramble. The goblin turned out to actually be a pretty nice person, which just upset Sabina more when she thought about how Sorcha was going to have to stand trial and receive punishment once they all got back to Far Felsen. Sabina didn¡¯t like to think about that, so she didn¡¯t, instead focusing on more pleasant or interesting topics, like materialponents for enchantments or the kinds of spells Sorcha was able to craft with her witch magic.
Sabina got so caught up in crafting and talking with Sorcha that she almost didn¡¯t notice when Kerr shouted out a signal letting them know that she¡¯d spotted Jadis returning from her scouting trip.
Looking down at the half-finished cor in her hands, Sabina frowned. She¡¯d been certain that she would have finished all the cors before Jadis got back to camp, yet thest one wasn¡¯t done yet. Looking up at the sky, she saw that it was still an hour before nightfall, at least. That meant Jadis hade back early for some reason. Sabina hoped that meant she had good news and had found the people she was looking for.
Putting aside the unfinished cor, Sabina grabbed her coat and told Sorcha that she would be back in just a minute. She wanted to see Jadis return, and while she was at it grab some of the food that she could smell cooking. She was sure Sorcha was hungry by then, too, so she would grab the goblin a bowl as well.
Coming out from the wagon, Sabina looked up just in time to see Kerre scrambling down from one of the giant pine trees. She didn¡¯t have her helmet on and her expression was¡ confused? Sabina knew the archer well enough by then that the woman tended to roll with the waves, not much throwing her off her bnce. She looked more than a little off kilter at that moment, though. Enough so that Sabina noticed, which meant the others in their group did as well.
¡°Is something wrong?¡± A asked, the tall mage giving Kerr a once-over. ¡°You gave the signal for Jadis, yet you look disturbed.¡±
¡°Well, I did, yeah,¡± Kerr said, scratching at her cheek with a wed nail. ¡°But, uh, I¡¯m not sure¡ª¡±
Before Kerr could finish, the familiar rumble of Jadis¡¯ three giant bodies in full te armor broke across the camp. A few seconds after that, the Nephilim came rushing through trees and into the open area directly off of the road. The three Jadis bodies came to a skidding stop, just barely avoiding running into the bonfire in their haste. Looking around at the soldiers and the rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored who were all gathering at themotion, one of the three spotted A and quickly approached her.
¡°A!¡± Jay said. At least, Sabina thought it was Jay, since she was the Jadis carrying the giant war hammer. ¡°Listen, don¡¯t believe a damn word she says! Promise me, okay? You can¡¯t listen to that asshole, she¡¯s pure fucking chaos!¡±
¡°What?¡± A looked up at Jay, her confusion in. ¡°Who are you talking about?¡±
¡°Just promise me, okay? She¡¯s so damn fast that we barely¡ª¡±
¡°JACK!¡±
Sabina leapt an inch off the ground in surprise, as did several of the others around her. Jadis had shouted that one name, except, none of the Jadis bodies in front of her had said anything. A loud rumble of three Jadis¡¯ running full tilt in te armor could be hearding from the road, which was extremely vexing to Sabina since she could see all three of Jadis¡¯ bodies standing right there in front of her. A momentter, three Nephilim, identical to the ones that had just run into the camp, ran into the camp. Again.
¡°Jack, you bitch!¡± One of the Jadis¡¯ roared. It was Jay, Sabina thought, since she was carrying the giant war hammer. ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking dare start talking shit and confusing everyone!¡±
¡°Excuse me!?¡± The three Jadis¡¯ who had arrived first whirled on the three Jadis¡¯ that had arrived second. ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking confuse everyone!
You¡¯re the fucking Fetch, not me!¡±
¡°Shut the fuck up you piece of shit!¡± Jadis yelled at Jadis. ¡°We¡¯re the real Nephilim, not you!¡±
¡°No, we are!¡±
¡°No you aren¡¯t, we are!¡±
¡°Quit lying you colossal cunt!¡±
¡°Eat my ass you gigantic prick!¡±
Sabina¡¯s head snapped back and forth between the two sets of Jadis¡¯ as they rapidly devolved into some very crude name-calling. It was growing harder and harder to follow what they were saying as all six started shouting different insults at once, turning the scene into a confusing mess of identical giants bickering over who was real and who wasn¡¯t.
¡°Alright, I think I see why you were confused,¡± Sabina heard A whisper to Kerr.
¡°Yup,¡± Kerr nodded. ¡°So¡ now what?¡±
¡°I have no idea,¡± A replied with a helpless shrug. She turned to look at the others, ncing at Eir, Thea, Bridget, and Sabina as well. ¡°Any ideas?¡±
Sabina could only shrug back, same as the others. For once, the smith was well and truly speechless.
Chapter 261: Champion of Chaos
Chapter 261: Champion of Chaos
Chaos. That was what Jadis encountered as she charged back into the expedition camp near nightfall. Pure and utter chaos. Not that she was surprised, in all honesty. Jack was without a doubt a dedicated purveyor of pandemonium. Of course the Fetch would take any opportunity to sow confusion and screw with people¡¯s perceptions.
As Jadis¡¯ three bodies jogged to a stop, the sentries on the camp perimeter looked at her with shocked rm. Why wouldn¡¯t they? There were already six Jadis¡¯ standing in the middle of camp, loudly arguing and cursing at each other. When the people who were gathered around staring at the bizarre sight caught a glimpse of her three selves slowly approaching, she could see the various looks of amusement, worry, fear, and on one face, excitement.
¡°Jack, can you please just cut it out?¡± Jay called out to the group of six fakes. ¡°This isn¡¯t as funny as you think it is.¡±
Several of the arguing illusions turned towards Jadis and started gesturing wildly, calling out curses or shocked statements of disbelief.
¡°Jack, you¡¯re fucking insane if you think anyone is going to believe that I would act this calm in a situation like this,¡± one of the Jack clones yelled at her while pointing an angry finger at Jay.
All three of Jadis tilted their heads to one side as her frustration with the audacious Fetch grew. Wasn¡¯t she the one that wanted her help? Did she always have to act like such a bizarre fool? For a moment, Jadis almost stepped in closer to join in on the loud argument. Maybe in a more physical way. But, no, there was no point in doing that for several good reasons. After all, there was no guarantee that any of the six fakes were actually Jack. She could be somewhere else nearby and had just sent illusions into the camp. Also, if she started swinging and the fake Jadis¡¯ did too, how would herpanions and the soldiers react? Most likely with their own force against the sudden violence, and Jadis didn¡¯t want to start a fight in the middle of their camp against her own allies. Finally, she could already see the cooler heads in the group were taking appropriate steps to sort out the truth from the lies.
Ghostly rune circles appeared on the ground around the feet of the clones that Jack had created. A¡¯s modified trap spells appeared not just near the fakes, but also under their feet so that the spells were created with the Jadis¡¯ fakes standing either partially or wholly inside of them. Several more also appeared around Jadis¡¯ own feet, but none where she was actually standing, just extremely close so that her boots were just barely not touching the edge of the circles.
¡°Those are illusions,¡± A called out. ¡°My traps cannot be cast directly onto or underneath where a creature is standing. There has to be space between their body and the ground. ¡°Those three that just joined and that one there on the back left that looks like Dys are solid and not illusions.¡±
Jadis smiled, lifting her visors to show her brilliant girlfriend an appreciative grin. Of course she would presume some if not all were illusions ande up with a quick way to check which were and which weren¡¯t.
¡°That¡¯s one of the many things we love about you, A! That big, sexy brain of yours!¡±
¡°Shut the fuck up, Jack,¡± all three of Jadis growled at the absurdly cheeky Fetch who had also raised her visor to smile at the unimpressed mage.
¡°Confirmed. Those three there are all CLR fifty-three Nephilim,¡± Wi called out a secondter. ¡°That one there is a¡ CLR two hundred and forty-nine Fetch.¡±
The whole camp seemed to recoil at the same time upon hearing Wi¡¯s announcement. The woman herself stood with a round detection stone held between two fingers slowly lowering from her eye, a look of apprehensive awe on her face. Even Jadis had to pause at that new information. She hadn¡¯t asked her level and Jack hadn¡¯t said anything, though through context clues she had assumed the Fetch was on the higher side of levels. To hear that the troublemaking shapeshifter was not only basically five times her level, but also only fifty-one levels away from the theoretical maximum level a person could reach was¡ unsettling.
The fake Dys clicked her tongue and in the next instant, the five fake Jadis¡¯ disappeared. She turned to look at Wi with a venomous re, causing the stalwart captain to actually flinch back.
¡°Those Detect Stones are so fucking annoying, you know that?¡± she red at the tiny, enchanted stone ring. ¡°Those damn things used to be nearly as rare as people with the actual proper detection skill. Feels like they¡¯re everywhere nowadays, ruining all the fun.¡±
¡°Okay grandma,¡± Syd called out, one hand going to her hip. ¡°You can tell us all about how things were back in your dayter. Can you stop pretending to be me now that the jig is up?¡±
¡°Ugh, call me that again and I might puke in your shoes,¡± Jack wrinkled her nose in distaste.
Then Jack¡¯s whole body melted like cotton candy in water, the image of Jadis reced in an instant with a handsome dark-haired man withrge, ck-feathered wings. This new form was maybe a little more than six feet tall and had lean, well-defined muscles under his tanned skin. He wore a strange vest-tunic that let his wings out the back while also leaving his chest and abs exposed in the front, and also a kilt and sandals that showed off his sculpted calves.
¡°Anyone have any alcohol?¡± Jack asked in a smooth, almost indolent voice. ¡°It¡¯s been a while and I could really go for a drink right about now.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Kerr responded after a moment.
Everyone turned to look at the therion, who boldly looked back.
¡°What? Who is really going to say ¡®no, fuck off¡¯ to the insane and insanely powerful Fetch when he asks for a drink?¡±
¡°I knew there was a reason I liked you,¡± Jack smiled as Kerr tossed him a small metal sk she pulled from a pouch at her waist. ¡°Beautiful, practical, and funny, three things I look for in any woman. Having two of those three definitely puts you in the positive in my books.¡±
¡°
Two of those three?¡± Kerr snarled at the Fetch as he took a drink from her sk. ¡°
Kakogo cherta?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t read into it,¡± Dys called out to Kerr. ¡°He¡¯s just saying shit to get a rise out of you.¡±
¡°Seriously,¡± Jay added, ¡°you have no idea. It¡¯s best to just ignore anything insulting he says.¡±
Jack turned and gave Jadis a pointed look, one thatmunicated extremely well just how displeased he was with her for trying to ruin his fun. Jadis shot three middle fingers his way in response. She wasn¡¯t going to let the jackass mess with her girls freely and he damn well knew it. It felt kind of weird acting like a wet nket every time Jack said or did anything, but the guy was seriously troublesome and would stir up discord if left unattended, which wasn¡¯t something any of them could afford at the moment. Besides, she was still pretty pissed at the Fetch for letting her almost die multiple times because he thought it would be funny.
¡°Alright,¡± A spoke up, her voice ringing clear and strong in the clearing. ¡°We¡¯ll all keep that in mind, thank you Jay and Dys. Now, more to the point, would you mind exining what¡¯s going on? Is this¡ Jack rted to the Nephilim that you¡¯ve been searching for?¡±
The cover story that most people knew, including the soldiers as well as Sabina and Bridget, for why Jadis¡¯ group were searching the mountains was because they were ostensibly looking for more Nephilim survivors from Jadis¡¯ vige. A¡¯s question was phrased to keep that cover story in ce, a necessity considering how many people were listening in, including Stavros and the other captured Reavers that Jadis could just see around the other side of the camp¡¯s bonfire.
¡°Not exactly,¡± Jay replied, giving Jack a warning look as he started to open his mouth. ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot to discuss, actually. Would you mind getting rid of your traps so we can all sit down and talk? Also, Kerr? Can you please go get some more of your stash out of the wagon? I could actually use a drink right now, too.¡±
Some minutester Jadis¡¯ three selves were sitting on logs by the fire,rge bowls of stew in hand along with some strong spirits that Kerr had retrieved from¡ somewhere. The sniper was unsurprisingly extremely good at hiding her booze. Jadis¡¯panions and lovers were all seated with her, as was Wi and the remaining soldiers who weren¡¯t standing watch for demons or standing guard over the prisoners, though Jadis was sure the sentries had their ears tuned to catch any interesting tidbits that they could.
Jack was also seated by the fire. Annoyingly, he had also changed shape again and now looked like A. She¡¯d also pressed herself right up against Syd¡¯s side, practically hanging off of her while constantly looking up at Syd with adoring, lovestruck eyes. asionally Jack would send a taunting wink and a smile at the real A, making her intent clear.
A was not amused.
¡°¡ªand that was thest ce we saw the dragon. It might have moved since then, but we have no way of knowing for sure,¡± Jay finished saying before taking another bite of her meal.
Jadis had given the whole group a quick rundown of what she¡¯d seen in the valley, including a brief description of how she¡¯d run into Jack. She left out almost all the details of what they¡¯d talked about since that wasn¡¯t a conversation she wanted to share with people who weren¡¯t close to her. Fortunately, as annoying as Jack was, she didn¡¯t try to insert anyments that would reveal her origins or other personal information. There was some teasing, but nothing malicious.
¡°So, there¡¯s a Dryad grove in that valley,¡± Wi said slowly, looking between the three Nephilim and the Fetch.
¡°And a dragon,¡± Dys corrected.
¡°¡Right. A Dryad grove and a dragon,¡± Wi took a shaky breath. ¡°And you want to save those Dryads and the dragon from a horde of demons that are attacking them?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± all three of Jadis confirmed with confident nods. ¡°We do.¡±
¡°And that¡¯s why you¡¯re here?¡± Wi asked, turning to look at Jack.
¡°No, I don¡¯t really care about the Dryads,¡± she replied in a perfect imitation of A¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯m only interested in saving the dragon. I like that dragon.¡±
Wi looked decidedly pale, her stiff expression giving Jadis the distinct impression that the stoic military woman was feeling a little out of her depths. She could well empathize with the feeling. If she were in Wi¡¯s shoes, she¡¯d probably wash her hands of the whole situation and head back to Far Felsen. Rescuing Dryads from a demonic horde and saving a dragon from being possessed certainly seemed like duties that were above the captain¡¯s paygrade.
¡°How many demons are there?¡± A asked while ring daggers at Jack. ¡°How many Dryads? What¡¯s the state of their defenses? Are there any greater demons or demon matriarchs? How long until the dragon has been fully possessed?¡±
Jadis nodded along to A¡¯s questions, appreciating how she focused on the task-oriented details. She wasn¡¯t one to make a decision on something so important until she had all the information she could get. Jadis had asked many of those same questions already, though rather than answer them she let Jack tell her what she knew.
¡°Gods, so serious,¡± Jack cooed, snuggling closer to Syd¡¯s side in a suggestive way. ¡°Can¡¯t we focus on what¡¯s really important here? I mean, you¡¯ve got
three of these gorgeous Nephilim to ravage you whenever you want. How do you get anything done? If I were you, I¡¯d be lying back and¡ª¡±
¡°Jack,¡± Syd ground out between her teeth. ¡°Would you
please not do that right now?¡±
¡°Ugh, fine.¡±
Abruptly Jack transformed again, this time into the form of an older, bearded human man with gray hair and a bald spot. He wore a uniform that looked extremely simr to the one that Vraekae wore, though Jadis had no idea what rank was supposed to be implied by the badges and ribbons. Despite the change in appearance, Jack continued to snuggle up against Syd in a suggestive manner that made Jadis struggle to keep a straight face.
Both Kerr and Sabina failed in that attempt as the former snorted alcohol out of her nose and started coughing loudly while thetter hid a fit of nervous giggles behind her hand.
¡°I would say there are anywhere between two and three thousand demons,¡± Jack spoke in a formal, elderly man¡¯s voice as he made direct eye contact with A. ¡°Most are bramble fiends, so getting an urate count is difficult. No greater demons have been spotted, but a bramble fiend matriarch is present. There was also a nithetre matriarch, but that one was in by the dryads and the dragon earlier in the siege.¡±
Many around the campfire frowned at Jack¡¯s words, the details not painting a pretty picture of the situation. Bridget whispered quickly into a frowning Thea¡¯s ear while Eir sat with her hands tightly sped together, a look of great worry on her elven face. A had pulled a notebook out from somewhere and was taking notes while Kerr took long gulps of whisky. Sabina looked lost more than anything else.
¡°There are ten nithetre atst count,¡± Jack continued his report. ¡°And six or possibly seven grundwyrms. There are also various possessed creatures, including manticores, frost drakes, two ck-spined wyverns, and an elf wizard. The wizard was level eighty-five before possession and casts wind magic. This report should not be viewed asprehensive since the horde is constantly shifting as more demons are heeding the call of the matriarch anding to fight the Dryads every day, while many demons are also being killed by the Dryads and the dragon, so the numbers are in a constant state of flux.¡±
¡°That is¡ surprisingly detailed information, thank you,¡± A said after a moment¡¯s pause. ¡°You¡¯ve done a lot of reconnaissance on the Dryads and Dragon?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve done my research,¡± Jack responded snootily, turning his nose up into the air. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one with a big brain who likes to take notes.¡±
At A¡¯s nk stare, Jack sighed and finally shifted away from Syd to sit with his elbows on his knees. He took a deep breath, his eyes gazing into the fire, and suddenly he looked far, far older than he had a moment before without changing a single detail of his form. There was just an air around the Fetch, something that exuded age and experience, as well as a tremendous weariness.
¡°There were sixteen Dryads thest time I had contact with them, before the demon horde surrounded their grove. I have no doubt that their numbers are less now, butst I checked the protective tree dome around their grove is still holding strong. They could probably hold out indefinitely against the horde if that was all they had to contend with. The issue is the dragon. Since the dragon was wounded and a powerful demon has wormed its way into the wound, it¡¯s only a matter of time before it is possessed, a few days at most at this point. Once that dragon sumbs, the demon will control it and will absolutely tip the scales. The Dryad¡¯s protections cannot withstand both the demons and the dragon.¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t the Dryads remove the demon?¡± Bridget spoke up, breaking into Jack¡¯s somber recounting.
Jack looked at the young orc woman, the deep frown on his face causing her to visibly wilt.
¡°Arge and powerful creature such as a dragon as old as that one can resist demonic possession, but even when not fully possessed they are driven mad by the pain. The dragon isshing out against everything, even the hands that would help it. Furthermore, if the Dryads opened their trees to let the dragon in, they would also have to open them wide enough that the demons surrounding their grove would slip inside as well.¡±
¡°And the partially possessed dragon would probably unintentionally destroy their defenses from the inside,¡± Syd added, having heard this information from Jack already. ¡°So the Dryads can¡¯t do a thing about what¡¯s happening to the dragon, not by themselves, anyway.¡±
¡°So, what are we supposed to do?¡± Kerr asked, her tone more than a little incredulous. ¡°Fight a half-crazed dragon to remove the demon from its body while also fighting off a horde of several
thousand demons led by a demon matriarch?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± all three of Jadis said at the same time. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what we need to do.¡±
Chapter 262: Battle Plans
Chapter 262: Battle ns
The practicality of neenbatants taking on a force of demons that could be counted in the thousands was discussed at length. There were quite a number of cons to go against the idea, with only a few pros that went in its favor. However, among those pros they could count Jack.
At level two hundred and forty-nine, the Fetch was an absolute monster. The number of people in the Empire, or even Oros atrge, who managed to exceed level one hundred were rare. In the empire, the few who did reach that lofty level were awarded a medallion of honor to recognize the achievement, as well as warn any others that the high-level person was not one to be trifled with. Noll was one such warrior that Jadis knew had surpassed that benchmark, and she suspected that Magistrate Vraekae was in the same category. Both were insanely powerful, as Jadis had experienced firsthand, and could be thought of as armies unto themselves. Jack¡¯s level put both of them to shame.
It was no surprise, then, that Jadis¡¯ triple-pronged Mirrored Strikes attack on the Fetch hadn¡¯t done much more than make himugh.
The issue for Jack, however, was that his sses focused on illusions. He was physically powerful and had strong magic, but he wasn¡¯t an offensive fighter. Even though he had a hundred levels on a powerhouse like Noll, he wasn¡¯t as capable of killing mass numbers of demons, simply because of the nature of his skills. He couldn¡¯t fight an army of demons directly and win. Not alone, anyway.
¡°Let¡¯s say, just for the moment,¡± Wi said as she gestured towards Jack. ¡°Let¡¯s say that we agree to help with this frankly suicidal mission. How would we even begin to approach it? I freely admit that Jadis and Fortune¡¯s Favored have shown themselves capable of ying demonic hordes that I would have said were insurmountable for other mercenary groups of simr size and CLR. However, the numbers that we are talking about here, even discounting the matriarch, are such that we would be overwhelmed in an avnche of hostile bodies.¡±
¡°As much confidence as I have in my own strength and the abilities of my team,¡± Jay spoke as she nodded her head along with captain Wi¡¯s words, ¡°I agree with you. There are limits to how far we can push the boundaries of what¡¯s possible. We can¡¯t fight that many, not head on.¡±
¡°Then what¡¯s the alternative n?¡± Kerr asked. ¡°Or have we been wasting our time here?¡±
¡°Distraction,¡± Jack answered, his grin half-hid by his thick gray beard and mustache. ¡°When faced with a superior force, distract, divide, and conquer.¡±
As he spoke, Jack motioned towards the bonfire in the middle of their clearing that they were all sitting and standing around. The fire seemed to shrink, its glow fading as new shapes and colors reced it. In seconds the fire had transformed into a detailed illusion representing the forest and valley where the Dryad¡¯s grove was located. The image shifted, zooming in towards a point on the western side of the valley, tucked up into a pocket that had formed against the side of the mountain that helped form the walls of the valley. As the image erged, a strange construction came into view. It was a wholly irregr shape, wide and tall, but with jutting and twisting sections that followed the logic of many nts growing together rather than an architect¡¯s design. The whole of its surface wasposed of thick wood branches and vines, creating a strongttice that left no gaps between them. From the top of the structure grew the tops of trees with many leaves, branching out and over the whole creation. Based on the giant pines surrounding the tree sphere, Jadis guessed it had to be two hundred feet tall at least.
Jadis let out a small, amused huff of breath as she spotted two small streams connecting right before tumbling over the edge of a ridge to make a waterfall, followed by a second waterfall. If there were more, she couldn¡¯t see them since the water at that point disappeared into the wooden mass. However, she had a pretty good feeling there were a few more waterfalls to be found inside the enclosed grove.
¡°The Dryads have fortified their position with the use of this tree wall. Their spells keep it growing magically, so all the damage that the demons do to it is constantly being repaired. They are also able to fight back against the demons that get within a certain distance of the wall, but their attacks are limited since they have to keep much of their magic in reserve for regrowing their defenses.¡±
With another wave of his hand, the scene changed. Thousands of little ck dots appeared all over the map, representing the horde of demons that were attacking the Dryads. They surrounded the dome, though most were located on the three open sides, with only a few on the upper slopes to the west of the dome. One dot, positioned to the east of the dome, was muchrger than the rest and was surrounded by ten morerge dots.
¡°The bramble fiend matriarch is located here. It can¡¯t move with any speed due to the nature of its body, but the nithetre are surrounding it and acting as its guards. So long as that matriarch is alive, the other demons will heed its call and follow its lead. She will keep them focused, and thus far more deadly.¡±
¡°So you want to assassinate her or something to break the horde?¡± Bridget asked skeptically.
¡°No, of course not,¡± Jack looked at Bridget with undisguised disdain. ¡°What are you, an idiot? It¡¯s a massive tree demon with defenses equivalent to a walking castle. How are you going to assassinate that? Stab it in the back?¡±
¡°Well shit, I don¡¯t know,¡± Bridget grumbled. ¡°You¡¯re the super high-level Fetch, I thought you might know a way or something¡¡±
¡°Then what is your n?¡± A asked, steering the discussion back on track.
¡°Like I said from the start, the real issue is the dragon,¡± Jack said, turning back to his illusion. The scene changed again, this time a massive, scaled beast appearing in the air above the Dryad grove. ¡°If the demon festering inside that dragon¡¯s wound sessfully finishes its possession, the dryads are finished. What we need to do is kill that demon. So long as we can do that, the demons can be dealt with at our leisure. Or we can all just leave and let the Dryads deal with the remaining demons, thosezy mushroom heads. Stopping the possession, though. That¡¯s the goal.¡±
¡°And yet, Sir Jack, I believe you said that the dragon isshing out in pain against all those who draw near to it,¡± Eir pointed out, her tone formal and respectful as she addressed the Fetch. ¡°How could we possibly hope to subdue the beast long enough to aid it?¡±
¡°Especially when, you know, there are
thousands of demons running around, too?¡± Kerr added.
¡°Distraction, of course,¡± Stavros said directly into Kerr¡¯s ear from behind her.
Kerr whirled, her ws raking against the dark man¡¯s neck, only to pass through like thin air. Caught by surprise, she stumbled off bnce and crashed to the ground before quickly scrabbling to her feet, whirling on the grinning Fetch.
¡°Not fucking funny,¡± she red, pointing angrily at Jack.
¡°My point, as Kerr has so delightfully helped me demonstrate,¡± Jack continued sweetly, ¡°is that I can keep the matriarch distracted, at least for a time. It¡¯s keeping the horde focused, that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s a brilliant strategist. I can also goad the dragon intonding near you all so that you have a chance to attack the demon infesting the wound in its shoulder.¡±
The image of the dragon grewrger and more detailed, highlighting the festering wound where the demon¡¯s tentacles could be seen wriggling inside of it.
¡°So long as you act fast, you should be able to kill the demon.¡±
¡°Or if that¡¯s not possible, we could kill the dragon,¡± Dys interjected. ¡°Our goal is to save the Dryads. That means we need that dragon out of the picture and killing it would do that.¡±
Jack frowned, glowering at Dys. Getting to his feet, he took a couple of steps towards the illusion as the image of the dragon flew closer to him,nding on his outstretched arm.
¡°You see this? This is peak dragon right here. They don¡¯t get much bigger, stronger, or more ¡®bad ass¡¯ as you
Nephilim would put it. It took centuries for this ice beast to get to this point. Killing it would be like burning down the temple to Valtar in Eldingholt, or melting the Sapphire Seraphim¡¯s holy armor, or sticking your dick into a really nice cake so no one wants to eat it.¡±
Jack paused, looking at Eir, Kerr, and the rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored.
¡°You all might not get the problem with thatst one, but my point should be obvious. Do
not kill this dragon. It¡¯s the most interesting thing out in these mountains and I don¡¯t want to see it dead.¡±
¡°Look, we won¡¯t kill it if we don¡¯t have to,¡± Jay said, ignoring Jack¡¯s insult against her girls and filing it away forter. ¡°But if that demon can¡¯t be removed or it¡¯s a choice between any of our lives and the life of that dragon, we¡¯re picking us.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not eptable.¡±
¡°Not¡ªwe aren¡¯t throwing our lives away for the damn dragon, Jack.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t let it die,¡± Jack reiterated, not a hint of humor in his voice or on his face. ¡°Do. Not. Let. It. Die.¡±
Jadis stared down the obstinate Fetch, not willing to give in to his demand. She wanted to help the Dryads, both for personal reasons and because she felt like it was the right thing to do. She¡¯d like the dragon to live, too, since it was quite literally one of the coolest damned things she¡¯d ever seen. But she wasn¡¯t going to sacrifice her life or the lives of her friends and lovers because Jack valued the dragon¡¯s life more. Taking a risk for the sake of a big gain was one thing. Suicide missions were something else entirely.
¡°W¡ªwhy d¡ªdo you care so m¡ªmuch about the d¡ªdragon?¡±
Dys nced at Thea. The shy woman was staring at Jack with, well, what Jadis knew was a look of concern. Not fear for herself, but worry for the Fetch. It was an honestly good question. Jack hadpared the dragon to some great work of art, but such values were subjective. Was that all there was to it?
Jack looked away from Jay, cocking his head to one side while giving Thea a considering look. After a brief silence, he waved his hand at the image of the valley and the illusion disappeared, revealing the bonfire once more. Jack then sat back down next to Syd, albeit with more separation between the two.
¡°It¡¯s important to me. That¡¯s all.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± A broke the following silence with her cool, professional tone. ¡°Presuming that Jack is able to both distract the demon matriarch and her brood, as well as lure the dragon to a ce where we can get to it, what are the odds we are actually able to fight the dragon? This whole discussion on whether to kill or not kill the dragones across as rather academic to me, considering the objective power of such a magic beast.¡±
A stood, motioning to the Fetch with one hand though her words were addressed to everyone gathered.
¡°Jack seems confident that we would be able to remove the demon from the dragon. However, my understanding of demonic possession is that a demon would have to be of suitable power and strength to be able to subsume the creature that it is attempting to possess. To survive the dragon¡¯s attacks and burrow into its flesh implies a simr if not equal level of power to the dragon. Thus, even if we don¡¯t have to fight any of the demonic horde, which I doubt greatly, fighting the demon and the dragon together would be somewhat akin to fighting two dragons at the same time. Are we, as the group that we are now, actually capable of handling such a daunting task?¡±
In the silence that followed, Jadis observed the faces of herpanions and colleagues. There was a lot of doubt, and no small amount of fear. Though, to Jadis¡¯ great pride, she also saw a fire burning behind the worry on her friends¡¯ faces. As a team, they had ovee insane odds, taking on demons and threats that would have ended other groups. They were far, far stronger than their apparent CLR and were set to grow even stronger soon enough. Jay made sure to catch Sabina¡¯s eyes, giving her a questioning tilt of the head. Recognition dawned in the smith¡¯s eyes and she nodded in response.
¡°Well I think your odds are good!¡± a man¡¯s voice shouted from the other side of the bonfire. ¡°Just make sure you untie us before you leave to fight¡ªow!¡±
Jadis¡¯ three selves sighed at hearing Jockel¡¯s vote of confidence. Of course the man would want them to go fight. He was probably hoping they would all get themselves killed. In all honesty, the fate of the Reavers was something to consider. Wi would want to bring them back to face justice for the crimes they hadmitted. But from Jadis¡¯ perspective, saving the Dryads and the Dragon was of far greater importance. Even discounting the fate of the Dryads, there was no way Vraekae or anyone else back in Far Felsen would want a demon to possess that ice dragon. The damage it could do to the city would be catastrophic.
¡°You might not trust my word any more than his,¡± Jack said with a wry grin. ¡°But I can tell you that with my illusions on the battlefield, our odds of sess are actually decently good. I¡¯m not a fan of suicide missions either. However, if you want to tilt the scales more to our favor, why not just ask your stalker toe join us in this great endeavor?¡±
Syd sent Jack a curious, surprised look. The others did as well.
¡°Stalker?¡± Syd asked, one eyebrow raised. ¡°What, are you talking about yourself in the third person now?¡±
¡°I¡¯m no stalker,¡± Jack scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m just observant. Your friend in the trees over there, though. That one¡¯s been stalking the lot of you for a long while now.¡±
Jay stood, looking in the direction of the trees that Jack indicated, as did A, Kerr, and Wi. A general sense of unease went through them as Jadis¡¯ mind went back to things that Kerr had pointed out in the past. The archer had said that she¡¯d seen signs of someone covering their tracks in the snow, as well as a hidden campsite. Small things that Jadis had attributed to the Reavers at first, and more recently assumed Jack had been responsible for.
¡°What, you don¡¯t see him?¡± Jack continued, leaning back on his log. ¡°He¡¯s in that tree right there, about fifty feet up. Come now, how can you miss him? He stands out to me with the way he looks.¡±
Out of the corner of Syd¡¯s eye she saw Jack change again. His body melted and reformed, shifting into arger, broader shape. One that looked far less human and far more wolf-like. And hadrge, curving horns.
¡°Noll?¡± Syd asked, staring at the familiar form that Jack had assumed.
From the dark trees where Jack had indicated came a muffled, barely audible curse. A secondter, Jadis heard a thump as something heavy dropped to the ground. From out of the shadows stalked therge, imposing form of Noll, shocking everyone present, especially the soldiers who had been standing watch and had not noticed a hint of his presence.
¡°Gods damned Fetch,¡± Noll grumbled as he stalked into the bonfire light.
He continued to let out a discontented, rumbling growl as the powerful therion mercenary made his way to the fire in the middle of camp. Without a word he took a bowl from the onesid out there and filled it with stew. Everyone watched in utter silence as Noll carried his meal over to an open spot and sat down next to a very wide-eyed Bridget.
¡°Fine, start over from the top,¡± Nollmanded as he wolfed down arge chunk of stewed meat. ¡°This scheme of yours needs a lot more details before it can be called a n.¡±
Chapter 263: Of Course
Chapter 263: Of Course
¡°You¡¯ve been following us this whole fucking time!?¡± Dys hissed down at a cid-looking Noll. ¡°You said you were staying back in the city!¡±
After Noll¡¯s unexpected reveal, both Jadis, herpanions, and captain Wi had had a lot of questions to ask the grizzled old veteran. Most of which were along the lines of ¡°What the fuck?¡± or closely rted sentiments. He had declined to answer them. Instead, he bluntly redirected the conversation back to the important topic of their uing battle ns. With Jack surprisingly taking the side of the therion, the disruption that Noll¡¯s arrival had caused had been put aside so that they could all focus on hashing out the details of their uing mission.
However, as soon as the battle ns had been solidified and everyone had started to awkwardly separate to talk in smaller groups, Jadis had made sure to grab hold of Noll and drag him away to have a private conversation.
Not literally, of course. No way was Jadis going to put her hands on Noll and force him anywhere. She¡¯d learned her lesson the first time.
¡°Yes,¡± Noll nodded nonchntly, meeting Dys¡¯ re without a hint of shame.
¡°But¡ but you said you weren¡¯t going to follow us!¡± Dys repeated herself, her thought process floundering thanks to Noll¡¯s direct answer. ¡°What the fuck are you doing out here?¡±
Noll slightly shook his wolf-like head. His expression was as difficult to read as ever, but Jadis felt like he was either amused, or exasperated. Possibly both.
¡°I told you the first day we met. I was sent here to spy on you.¡±
Dys¡¯ eyebrows shot up, the gall of the statement both heating her anger, but also paradoxically cooling it.
¡°You¡¯re our teacher, though,¡± Dys pointed out. ¡°I mean, fuck. That¡¯s stupid even as I say it. Of course you¡¯re still spying on us while you teach us.¡±
¡°I can multitask, yes,¡± Noll agreed dryly.
¡°But why follow us out here in secret?¡± Dys pressed, looming over the bulky mercenary. ¡°You¡¯ve always been up front about shit before now. You could have just said you wanted toe.¡±
Noll was silent, his yellow eyes piercing. He turned away from Dys, stepping away from her and looking between the tall, dark trees towards the distant campfire. All three of Jadis¡¯ selves had taken Noll far out into the surrounding forest and they were a good hundred yards away from everyone else. Still, his eyes lingered on the camp for a long while, his ears flicking one way and another before he finally seemed satisfied. Turning back, he addressed all three Nephilim standing with their arms crossed.
¡°First,¡± he held up one wed finger. ¡°I take my duties seriously. I was contracted by Prince Kestil to get as much information on you as possible while
also keeping tabs on your location as well as who you interacted with. What kind of informant would I be if I let you wander off into the Great Southern Forest for a month while I sat on my haunches back in the city?¡±
As per usual, Noll¡¯s direct exnation made obvious sense. Of course he would want to follow her, considering his explicit reason foring to Weigrun in the first ce. However, with even a quick examination of Noll¡¯s statement, Jadis noticed a worrying change in his pattern of speech, in so far as it regarded her.
¡°Second,¡± he continued as he raised another finger. ¡°I do consider myself to be your instructor just as much as an informant. And as your instructor, it¡¯s important to observe how you do in the field when you don¡¯t know that I¡¯m looking over your shoulder. If you knew I was there, you might act differently than you would otherwise. I wanted to see how you perform when you don¡¯t have someone like me to fall back on.
¡°Third, and most importantly, you are absolutely terrible at hiding information about yourself when you think you¡¯re alone or with trusted individuals. If you and yourpanions are going to have deep conversations listing out your ss information and other important personal details, then you need to learn better ways of keeping that information private. I¡¯m not even using any magic and I overheard a lot that you probably don¡¯t want others to know.¡±
Jadis¡¯ faces fell, the implications of thest statement clear. All three of her spoke at once, not bothering to hide her unity anymore.
¡°So, you know about my multiplicative nature?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Noll nodded once.
¡°¡There isn¡¯t any chance I could convince you to forget about that, is there? Or maybe not share it?¡±
Noll tilted his head to one side, crossing his arms across his thick chest. His dark fur blended with the nighttime shadows, making his golden eyes stand out even more.
¡°I see no reason to tell anyone other than Spymaster Eadgar and Prince Kestil about the nature of your ss. They hired me for this, so I¡¯ll have to tell them. But otherwise, it¡¯s no one else¡¯s business.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not superforting,¡± Jadis mumbled quietly. ¡°Knowing that someone called a
spymaster is going to have that kind of personal information.¡±
¡°So it goes,¡± Noll shrugged. ¡°You aren¡¯t the only one who he has personal info on. Deal with it. Information like that is only worth as much value as you put on it, anyway.¡±
Jadis regarded the elder mercenary. His blunt, honest words helped cool herbined anger and panic. Maybe it was time she came clean about the mirrored body aspect of her ss. Everyone who¡¯d she told about it had reacted with curiosity and amazement. No one had thought her ss heretical or otherwise a problem. So long as she didn¡¯t discuss the weaknesses that came with having three bodies, it didn¡¯t seem like it was really that big of a deal for other people to know, rtively speaking. She still wasn¡¯t happy about this Eadgar or Prince Kestil knowing all kinds of information about her. But as Noll put it, their knowing wasn¡¯t the end of the world. At least since she had an in with the spy they were using, she was forewarned of exactly what information they would have. That was an advantage, in a way. She could work with that.
¡°We¡¯re going to have to have a talk about exactly what you¡¯ve overheard and are going to be reporting to your bosses,¡± Jadis dered, her posture growing surer of herself. ¡°No more blindsides.¡±
¡°Fair,¡± Noll nodded. ¡°I also want to talk to you about your ss. Now that I know more about it, we need to revisit your training.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll do thatter, though. After everything else today, I¡¯m kind of talked out and don¡¯t have the mental stamina to have that kind of conversation right now.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± the old wolf nodded again, making no objections.
Jadis¡¯ three selves started to move, ready to get back to the warmth of camp and herpanions. She paused halfway through her first step, all three giving Noll a stern look.
¡°You know about the sex stuff?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Noll answered. ¡°Sex rituals that empower you and your women.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Jadis¡¯ selves slowly nodded in tandem. ¡°We need to do some of those tonight. Are you¡ªare you going to be¡ listening?¡±
Noll snorted, his grave expression turning amused.
¡°I¡¯m too old to bother with eavesdropping on a bunch of young pups at y. Do what you¡¯re going to do. I¡¯ll upy myself with that Fetch. I think he and I have much we can discuss.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not going to ask him about me, are you?¡±
Noll snorted again, letting out a deep chuckle.
¡°Not everything I do revolves around you.¡±
That seemed to be about the best reassurance she was going to get out of the old dog. It would have to do. Jadis made her way back to camp with Noll, quickly splitting off from him to go join the rest of herpanions. They weren¡¯t all gathered in their wagon-tent yet, but she found Eir, Thea, and Sabina already there. She also found someone she¡¯d forgotten about in all the ruckus.
¡°Look, you need to slow down on what you¡¯re carving there or you¡¯ll mess it up,¡± Sorcha was saying as Jay, Dys, and Syd ducked under the tarp-covered awning. ¡°If it¡¯s as important as you said it is, though I don¡¯t see how it is, then you want to get it right on the first try. Remember, slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Don¡¯t rush the crafting.¡±
¡°Thanks!¡± Sabina chirped back at the manacled goblin as she etched arcane symbols into arge blue scale. ¡°You¡¯re right, I do need to slow down and get it right. I¡¯m just worried about getting all this done before Jadis¡ªI mean, Jay, Dys, and Syd get back from talking with that scary Noll and¡ªoh!¡±
Sabina noticed Jadis¡¯ entrance, looking up at her and smiling broadly. She waved, then pointed at the scale in her one hand.
¡°Almost done with thest cor! Then we can have sex!¡±
Next to her, Sorcha gave the smith a weird look, shaking her head in amused disbelief.
Rather than bother getting flustered over Sabina¡¯splete and utterck of a filter ormon sense, Jadis instead focused on what to do about their little green guest. She¡¯d been keeping Sorcha in their tent for several good reasons, not the least of which being that any time Sorcha was put even remotely near the crazed blood bitch called Eike, the mad woman did everything she could to try and kill the goblin. Failing murder, Eike would just make a lot of noise and annoy everyone. So, for both Sorcha''s and everyone else¡¯s sake, Jadis kept Sorcha separate from the rest of the Reavers.
Now, though, she needed to move Sorcha somewhere else. She and herpanions were about to perform their long-awaited Lascivious Empowerment ritual and it was already going to be a less than romantic experience considering both a group of soldiers and a group of prisoners, not to mention a troublemaking Fetch and her martial artsbat instructor, were all going to be within easy earshot of their activities. While Jadis had grownfortable with her own nudity and anything sex rted was bing less and less of a sensitive subject with each passing day, she didn¡¯t see herself as an exhibitionist either. Having an orgy in front of Sorcha felt¡ weird.
As Jay went to go talk with Sabina and Sorcha, both to check on the cors as well as figure out what to do with the goblin, Eir and Thea approached Dys and Syd.
¡°Dys, Syd,¡± Eir started, looking up at the two giants. ¡°We haven¡¯t had a chance to speak, which is understandable considering the circumstances, but I feel I must ask. Were you able to speak with Sir Jack about any of your¡ connection concerns? I know that he isn¡¯t the avatar you were hoping to find, but he is still an avatar.¡±
¡°I, uh, yeah. I did,¡± Syd nodded, tripping over her words a little as her mind was wrenched away from lewd logistics to a more serious concern. ¡°His answer wasn¡¯t great, though. And honestly, considering the source, I¡¯d call it suspect at least.¡±
Syd then recounted Jack¡¯s words, telling both Eir and Thea what the Fetch had told her about the gut instinct exnation. She left out the insulting bits that Jack had said, but she couldn''t help but inject some of her own worries. If the gods influenced the avatars through nothing more than gut instincts, Jadis¡¯ biggest concern was how she was supposed to tell what was and wasn¡¯t a thought influenced by an entity other than herself. The idea of either D or Lyssandria nting a notion in her brain to influence her actions in their favor was¡ well, it was a little frightening.
¡°I¡¯m pretty sure every idea I¡¯ve ever had has been my own,¡± Dys summed up. ¡°But now, after what Jack said, how do I know for sure? I mean, right now I think saving the Dryads is a good idea. But what if the only reason I think that is because D wants me to save the Dryads and if it wasn¡¯t for his influence, I wouldn¡¯t be bothering.¡±
Both of her lovers were quiet for a long pause after Dys finished talking. To Jadis¡¯ surprise, though, it was Thea who spoke first instead of Eir.
¡°I think you¡¯re, ah, overthinking it,¡± she said slowly, her words pronounced with great care. ¡°If what Jack said is t¡ªtrue, then it¡¯s a gut instinct. Not p¡ªpossession, like a demon. Not control, like a p¡ªpuppet. Just a nudge. It sounds like it¡¯s still your choice to, ah, do what you will.¡±
¡°I agree,¡± Eir said after waiting a moment to make sure Thea was done speaking. ¡°Every scripture I have ever read have confirmed that the Covenant limits the influence that the gods have upon this world. They can point the way, but they cannot force the hand to do as they please, not even an Avatar such as yourselves. To use your example, even if it is D who wants you to save the Dryads and has thus prompted the instinctual desire to do so, that does not mean you have been robbed of your greater sense of logic and reason. When you think about this uing battle to save the Dryads, do you want to continue with the n? Does the desire dwell within you? Does it make
sense to you? Does it align with your own moralpass and the actions you have taken in the past?¡±
Jadis thought about what Eir was saying. She had just used the Dryads as an example, but thinking about her desire to save them did serve as a kind of practice. She ran her thoughts on the whole situation through the same questions that Eir had asked. Did the desire make sense? Did it align with her moralpass? Did it fit with her past actions?
For all three, the answer was yes. Jadis supposed she couldn¡¯t be absolutely sure that the thought hadn¡¯te from an outside influence, but at least the idea was in line with what she herself would want. Jadis didn¡¯t think she could scrutinize every thought she had with the same level of effort, but for now she could do so for the important choices. Besides, a little extra thought when it came to potentially life-altering decisions wasn¡¯t a bad habit to get into.
¡°Thanks,¡± Dys and Syd both said. ¡°That helps, really. Thank you both.¡±
Dys leaned down and gave Eir a kiss on the cheek while Syd did the same for Thea. Both women reacted with warmth, though Eir basked in the attention while Thea grew bashful. Jadis loved seeing both reactions, though another part of her mind was growing more and more interested in seeing other kinds of reactions. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be as hard as she thought to perform tonight, all things considered.
¡°Okay, who¡¯s ready for a nice, hard, group fucking?¡± Kerr loudly announced as she slipped into the tent.
¡°The fuck?¡± Sorcha yelped, staring wide-eyed at the therion.
Even without enhanced hearing, Jadis could hear a few guffaws and other assorted exmations of amusement or disbeliefing from outside of the tent.
¡°This might be harder than I thought,¡± Jay said as she and her two doubles pped their hands to their faces.
Chapter 264: Ritual Time
Chapter 264: Ritual Time
¡°I don¡¯t mind if you just want to tuck me away in a corner. It¡¯s not like, an all-night thing, right? I can just sit somewhere inside the wagon out of sight and, you know, twiddle my thumbs, I guess? Maybe read something, if you¡¯ve got something you can let me read and you, ah, let me read it.¡±
Jay stared at the nervous goblin woman. She¡¯d been interrupted by Kerr¡¯s mboyant entrance, who was shortly thereafter followed by A and Bridget, but before their arrival she had been in the middle of deciding where to relocate Sorcha for the hour or so it would take toplete the lewd ritual. While her other selves talked with her lovers, discussing how they were going to proceed, Sorcha had piped up with her odd suggestion.
¡°I¡¯m not sure it would be a good idea to just stuff you in a box while we are busy,¡± Jay said slowly, eying the goblin woman. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t exactly befortable.¡±
¡°Oh, yeah, getting crammed into a breadbox sounds like a great idea if you¡¯ve mistaken me for a moldy loaf,¡± Sorcha replied sassily, before she seemed to remember herself. ¡°Ah, I mean¡ Just put me in the back of the wagon or something. I¡¯d, ah, really rather stay around here than be put anywhere near the other prisoners. Thepany is a lot better, you know.¡±
Jadis could understand the goblin¡¯s sentiment. She wouldn¡¯t want to be near a bunch of angry criminals who saw her as having betrayed them either. Still, Jadis hadn¡¯t nned on just tossing Sorcha into the pile with the rest of the Reavers. She¡¯d figured she¡¯d ask Wi to set a private watch on the goblin or something simr.
¡°Are you a voyeur?¡±
Both Jay and Sorcha startled at the question, their eyes going to Sabina. The smith was focused on finishing thest orgasm denial cor and she looked like she was nearly done. Her query hade right the fuck out of nowhere, the woman not having taken her eyes off of the glyph she was carving.
¡°Am I a what?¡± Sorcha asked after a pause, the disbelief in her voice almost enough to make Jadisugh.
¡°A voyeur,¡± Sabina repeated without looking up. ¡°You know, a person who likes to watch other people, usually while those people are doing sexual things, because it gives them their own sexual gratification. Thea is a voyeur, so she likes to watch when we¡¯re having sex. I guess I kind of like to watch, too, but I don¡¯t think it excites me as much as it excites Thea. Does watching excite you?¡±
Sorcha just stared at the smith, her mouth hanging open in bbergasted shock. Eventually Sabina noticed theck of a response and looked up to see Sorcha¡¯s expression. She nced up at Jay with a concerned look.
¡°What? Did I say something wrong?¡±
¡°Not wrong, just maybe a little too forward,¡± Jay shook her head at the confused half-elf. ¡°Go ahead and finish that cor while I take Sorcha here somewhere she can be watched while we¡¯re busy.¡±
As Jay reached for the stunned goblin, Sorcha abruptly jerked into motion, her big dark green eyes looking up at Jay.
¡°Wait!¡± she held up her hands, the chains connecting them rattling with the quick motion. ¡°You know what, I¡¯ll take a page from the loony crafter¡¯s book. Let me stay! I¡¯d like to watch.¡±
It was Jadis¡¯ turn to stare, bbergasted.
¡°You want to stay and watch us have sex?¡± Jay said slowly, her eyebrows raised high. ¡°Really? You¡¯re just going to ask that? Like it¡¯s not weird as fuck?¡±
¡°Right, yeah, I know,¡± Sorcha said, her green skin flushing in a simr way to how Bridget would blush. ¡°It¡¯s a freak thing to ask and I¡¯m not exactly in a great position to make requests either. But, uh, it¡¯s a ritual, right? An Eldritch ritual? I¡¯m a witch, you know, and Eldritch stuff is kind of my thing. I¡¯m actually really curious from a, what do you call it¡ªan academic sense. I¡¯m not a ritualist or anything, but it¡¯s rted to what I do as a witch so I¡¯d like so see how it goes.¡±
Jay continued to stare at the goblin, her violet eyes piercing as she did not blink.
¡°Okay, and also it sounds really hot and I feel like I¡¯d be a giant fucking fool to miss out on witnessing what¡¯s about to go down here. Uh, no offense on the giant thing, I guess.¡±
That statement did actually make Jadisugh.
Once again, Jadis was confronted with the idea of being an exhibitionist. She really did not consider herself to be one. The thought of Sorcha watching her perform didn¡¯t send any kind of thrill through her. However, turning the idea over in her head, she found it didn¡¯t bother her either. She¡¯d kind of already gotten over the idea of Wi and the other soldiers overhearing her and her lovers when they were busy being intimate. The embarrassment of others knowing what she was up to had faded quite a bit after the initial shock. The idea of Noll listening in was a little weird because she thought of him as a teacher, but really, what did it matter? She knew he already knew anyway. She didn¡¯t even really care that much about Stavros and his band of merry idiots overhearing either. So what if they all knew they were having sex? Why should she care? In fact, based on her own uniquely personal experience as well as the testimony of those who had also had the experience, she was pretty damn good at the whole sex thing. Why should she be ashamed of others knowing just how good she was at something she loved to do?
Maybe that thought was just a little messed up, Jadis reflected moments after she had had it.
Whatever. She¡¯d long agoe to terms with her own weird narcissism and bizarre lewdness. She wasn¡¯t going to get all self-conscious now.
¡°Alright,¡± Jay finally shrugged, causing Sorcha to visibly soften with relief. ¡°I¡¯ll check with the others to see if they care, though. I don¡¯t mind, but one or more of them might and I won¡¯t force any of my girls to do something they aren¡¯tfortable with.¡±
As it turned out, no one minded too much. Maybe it was all the lewd group sex rituals but none of the others were all that fazed by the request. Bridget balked the most out of anyone, though after a brief talk, she too shrugged it off as something that didn¡¯t merit getting worked up over.
¡°The damn demon in a jar you keep is always staring at us anyway,¡± Bridget said, motioning at Alex who was, indeed watching them all from its position hanging on the front of the wagon. ¡°What¡¯s one more witness to the fuckery?¡±
¡°I¡¯m more surprised that Jack isn¡¯t spying on us,¡± Amented as she started removingyers of clothing. ¡°He seems the type to do so, just for the sake of stirring up trouble if nothing else.¡±
¡°What makes you think he isn¡¯t,¡± Kerr shot back as she pulled her boots off. ¡°He¡¯s level two
fucking hundred and forty-nine. He could be in this tent with us right now and we probably wouldn¡¯t know it with the kind of magics someone that high level can cast.¡±
¡°Good point,¡± A nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of anyone getting to that high of a level in generations. If the opportunity arises, I¡¯d love to ask him some questions on what his higher tier skills and spells are like.¡±
As interesting as A and Kerr¡¯s conversation was, Jadis was starting to have trouble following it. Both women were removing more and more of their clothing, revealing their beautiful, enticing bodies that actually made Jadis¡¯ mouths salivate with desire. It seemed no matter how often she was treated to the vision of their stunning beauty, she never grew tired of the sight.
Furtherpounding the distraction were Eir, Thea, and Bridget. All three were helping each other get their clothes off, revealing three very different yet all incredibly attractive forms. How was Jadis supposed to hold a non-lewd thought in her head when she was treated to the show of those three stripping each other bare? They weren¡¯t even doing anything to make it exciting and it was the gods damned sexiest thing she¡¯d seen since¡ well, since thest time she¡¯d seen any of her girls stripping. But still. Damn.
¡°Finally finished!¡±
Sabina¡¯s announcement drew Jadis¡¯ attention. Jay looked back to see that not only had the half-elfpleted the final cor necessary for their ritual, but she had also somehow strippedpletely naked in the process. How she¡¯d managed to do that while working was a mystery to Jadis, and considering how Sorcha was giving the smith a disbelieving stare again, it had probably involved some unusual maneuvers.
Hopping down from the wagon, Sabina walked unabashed up to Jay with her tanned body on full disy. She held a collection of crude leather cors in a fist, happily holding them up for Jadis¡¯ inspection.
¡°One for each of us!¡± Sabina excitedly told her. ¡°I made an extrarge one for you, but only one, since¡ª¡± the smith abruptly cut herself off, shooting a look over her shoulder at Sorcha. ¡°Well, you know. Anyway! We just need to put them on and we can start!¡±
Sabina began to do just that, taking one of the cors to strap around her upper arm, but Jay gently stopped her. Taking the enchanted device from the slightly confused half-elf, she turned and approached A, bringing the smith along with her.
¡°Not so fast, Sabby,¡± Jay said with a mischievous grin. ¡°This is a cor, isn¡¯t it? The proper way to put a cor on is, you don¡¯t. Not on yourself, anyway.¡±
Jay knelt down in front of A, holding up one of the cors with one hand.
¡°A? May I?¡±
A gave Jay a stern re that was heavily softened by the intense blush that was covering her face and chest. After a moment, she nodded before holding her long red hair up and out of the way.
¡°Yes, go ahead,¡± she said. ¡°No need to make such a production out of it.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t agree with her girlfriend. Putting a cor on A was absolutely worth the production. With great care, Jay made sure the little strap of leather was tightly secure around A¡¯s neck before leaning back to take in the sight. And what a glorious sight it was.
A had stripped down to nothing, every part of her exposed to the cool night air of the dark tent interior. The enclosed space was much warmer than outside, but it was still cool¡ªcool enough to harden A¡¯s pert little nipples. Or was that the excitement? By the wetness Jadis could see already growing on A¡¯s thighs, Jadis guessed it was thetter. In any case, A was already so attractive that it was hard for Jadis to hold back and not ravish her on the spot. Adding that one small, seemingly insignificant little strip of leather around A¡¯s shapely neck did the impossible: it made A even sexier.
¡°
Merde,¡± Kerr said under her breath. ¡°Great work, Sabby. Now I¡¯m fucking drooling.¡±
With the first cor on a blushing A, Jadis proceeded to put one on each one of her lovers. With each cor added, her excitement grew as the lewd sexiness of the leather straps were by no means diminished upon repetition. Eir, Kerr, Thea, Sabina, and Bridget each received their own cor and each time Jadis had to physically restrain herself from jumping each of them, a feat that grew harder with each cor. By thest one, she felt as though her cocks were about to literally rip through her pants.
Only, as she admired the cor conforming to Bridget¡¯s dark green neck, that wasn¡¯t thest one. There was one more cor that needed to be put on; her own.
¡°Well?¡± Jay said, holding up the giant-sized cor that was clearly meant for her. ¡°Is someone going to help me out here or am I going to have to do this myself?¡±
Rolling her eyes, A took the cor from Jay¡¯s hand while Eir held her long white hair out of the way. In no time at all, Jay felt the cool leather pressed up against her skin, tight enough to be obvious but not ufortable.
From Jadis¡¯ other two perspectives, she took in the new look. She had to admit, the cor looked good around her neck. It was definitely sexy, and judging by the way her girls were looking at her, they must have agreed. Though, thinking about it, there was one obvious difference between her disy and everyone else¡¯s that was making a difference.
¡°Not bad,¡± Dys and Syd both said in unison. ¡°But I think Jay might be a bit overdressed. What do you all think?¡±
Jadis got her answer as six pairs of hands immediately got to work stripping Jay of all her clothing. Not long after, Dys and Syd found themselves being disrobed as well. After that, well, Jadis didn¡¯t have much time avable to visually check out her cor further. Instead, its magical properties were quickly put to the test.
There was no need to rush. The ritual required a marathon, not a sprint. Even with her Ritual Time Reduction, an hour was a long time to go. But the dam had been released and Jadis was in no mood to hold back. Each of her bodies took hold of two of her lovers each, taking them to the nketed ground and quickly showing them just how much desire she felt for them. To Jadis¡¯ great delight, all six responded in kind.
The Lascivious Empowerment ritual wasn¡¯tplicated. All that was required was that they all orgasm together at the same time, as well as maintain unbroken skin-to-skin contact for the duration of the ritual. Other than that, they had full freedom to express their lust in any way they saw fit, a fact that all took advantage of. Lips, tongues, and fingers found sensitive ces as the women explored each other¡¯s bodies. The smell of arousal quickly filled the air of the tent, apanied by the lewd moans of pleasure that were drawn unbidden from nine different throats.
As the kissing, licking, sucking, petting, and grouping turned into more and more licentious and debauched actions, Jadis lost herself in the moment. Time didn¡¯t matter. Witnesses didn¡¯t matter. All that mattered were her lovers and that ever-growing yet unfulfilled tension she could feel inside the pit of her bellies.
At one point, as Syd thrust herself into Eir, causing the priestess to let out little gasps and cries of pleasure while she held Bridget tightly against her side, three fingers buried deep into her pussy, she caught a glimpse of wide eyes out of the corner of her vision. ncing to the side, she saw Sorcha sitting on the edge of the wagon, her knees drawn up to her chest and her overlyrge, wide eyes staring unblinkingly at the wanton scene.
Syd grinned wickedly at the goblin and gave her a wink. She hoped she was enjoying the show, because Jadis was absolutely enjoying putting it on.
That was all the thought Jadis could spare for the goblin, though. She had six beautiful lovers to ravish. For the rest of however long they had to go until the ritual wasplete, nothing else mattered.
Maybe even longer than that.
Chapter 265: It Worked
Chapter 265: It Worked
¡°Did it work?¡±
¡°Did it work?¡± Kerr echoed tiredly, one hand resting on her swollen belly. ¡°I¡¯d say it fucking worked. The whole ¡®build up¡¯ thing these cors do is insane¡¡±
Jadis had to agree. She knew from previous experience with the cor that not only would her inevitable climax be dyed, but when it was finally unleashed after being pent up for so long, it would be an explosive finish. Jadis had no idea how much cum she had poured into Kerr, Eir, and Sabina when she¡¯d climaxed, the three who she had happened to have been deep inside when the cors¡¯ effects had finally expired, but all three women looked overstuffed.
¡°I think Sorcha is asking about the end result of our ritual,¡± Amented from where shey on top of Dys, panting and sweating like she¡¯d just run ten miles. ¡°Which, just looking at my status sheet, does indicate that it was¡ sessful¡¡±
A¡¯s voice trailed off, her tone shifting from tired to confused. Jadis stirred, all three of her selves sitting up from where she had variously copsed amongst her exhausted lovers to look at her redhaired girlfriend.
¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jay asked as the others slowly came out of their post-orgasm stupors around her. ¡°Did you not gain the effects?¡±
¡°No, I did,¡± A answered, a frown creasing her brow. ¡°But¡ the numbers don¡¯t add up. I¡¯ve gained too much.¡±
¡°Too much?¡± Bridget repeated. ¡°What do you¡ wait. You¡¯re right, my attribute looks higher than I thought it would be?¡±
¡°Mine d¡ªdoes too,¡± Thea said as well. ¡°This increase is, ah, more than A had c¡ªcalcted. A lot more.¡±
¡°Gods,¡± Eir breathed out, her eyes wide. ¡°That is, I believe, a thirty-two-point increase!¡±
Jadis¡¯ own eyes widened as she looked over the changes to her status sheet. The already huge numbers she¡¯d grown used to seeing had exploded. Where on Earth or Oros had theye from?
|
Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary ss: Mirror Knight (30)
Secondary ss: Perverted Ritualist of D (23)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 53
|
|
Health: 1300/1300
|
Magic: 310/310
|
|
Attributes
|
|
Strength: 214
Dexterity: 60
Agility: 254
Vitality: 100
Fortitude: 70
Endurance: 72
|
Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 254
Focus: 1
Resilience: 30
Will: 5
|
|
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|
¡°Two hundred and fifty-four!?¡± Jay, Dys, and Syd all cried out in unison. ¡°How? That¡¯s forty more points than it should be!¡±
¡°Two hundred and fifty-four what?¡± Sorcha asked from her seat on the wagon, a look of utter disbelief on her expressive face. ¡°You¡¯re not talking about attributes, are you?¡±
¡°Thirty-nine points more, actually,¡± A murmured distractedly, clearly thinking hard.
¡°You did all that fucking and your stats went up by thirty-nine points!?¡± Sorcha eximed. ¡°Spread out over what? Or, you mean on one single attribute?¡±
¡°That¡¯s just one stat increase,¡± Jay answered Sorcha¡¯s panicked question, though her focus wasn¡¯t on the little goblin witch. She got to her feet, hands on hips as she stared into nothing, thinking about the math. ¡°Taking Stoke the Ardent me into ount, that means my Eldritch stat fully doubled from this ritual. That¡¯s a multiplication of two.¡±
¡°And the increase should have gone from one point five to one point seven,¡± A cut in, clearly havinge to the same conclusions as Jadis. ¡°The ritual is acting as though three more people were involved than actually were.¡±
Sorcha continued to call out her shock and confusion at the numbers Jadis and A were throwing around, but Jadis wasn¡¯t paying the witch any attention anymore. Something had caused her ritual to act differently from how it had in the past and how it was expected to this time around. What had changed? The spell wasn¡¯t any different so far as she could see, and she hadn¡¯t taken any new skills that would alter the ritual in her past few level ups. None of herpanions could have affected how the ritual worked, either. So far as she knew, it was impossible to change the oue of a ritual, anyway.
Or was it? Jadis¡¯ thoughts paused. She already had one skill that let her reduce the time it took for a ritual to be cast. Also, A¡¯s whole arcanist ss was based around altering and modifying her base spells. Those weren¡¯t rituals, but they were still spells. However, in both cases, she and A were altering their own spells, which made some sense. It wasn¡¯t possible to make changes to someone else¡¯s spells, was it?
At the thought, Jadis nced at Sorcha. The confused, blushing goblin kept having to tear her big eyes away from Jay¡¯s body and was clearly struggling between her surprise at the situation and her fascination with Jadis¡¯ form. Jadis didn¡¯t think the goblin was faking the confusion. Plus, she hadn¡¯t disyed any strong ability so far, not without her wands. Definitely not someone who would have the ability to change her ritual. Jadis doubted altering someone else¡¯s spells would have been easy, or low level for that¡ª
Jadis briefly froze, then her two other bodies quickly rose to their feet to join Jay as she started searching the tent.
¡°Jack,¡± she hissed. ¡°I know you¡¯re fucking in here! Where are you? What did you fucking do!?¡±
There was a small, chimingugh, then a slight shimmer in the corner of the wagon to Sorcha¡¯s right. From nothing appeared an elven woman wearing a simple white nightgown. She was light purple in color, with ck hair and bright silver eyes. She sat leaning on one hip, her frankly voluptuous body barely concealed by the sheer material of her white gown.
Sorcha nearly fell off the wagon at the woman¡¯s sudden appearance.
¡°Just giving you a present,¡± Jack whispered sweetly in a voice that oozed sex. ¡°You were so angry with me earlier, so I thought I¡¯d do something to make up for my earlier perceived mistreatment of the
three of you.¡±
Around her, Jadis¡¯ girls scrambled to cover themselves with nkets or their discarded clothes, but she didn¡¯t bother. Taking a few big steps, all three of her selves stood glowering down at the shapeshifting troublemaker. Jack didn¡¯t seem the least bit bothered by her frowns, only looking up at the three Nephilim while batting her long eyshes innocently.
¡°You¡¯re supposed to be talking with Noll,¡± Dys growled, keeping her voice low so the sounds of their argument didn¡¯t carry beyond the tent.
¡°I am talking with Noll,¡± Jack replied adjusting how her gown rested on her hip. ¡°I can do multiple things at once, you know. Some people can be very good at multitasking, especially if they have skills for it.¡±
Of course Jack had a skill like Jadis¡¯ Refracted Mind. The Fetch was able to create a multitude of lifelike illusions and have them move and act independently of each other at the same time. It made sense that she would need a lot of control to do something like that. But more to the point¡
¡°What do you mean ¡®present¡¯? What did you do?¡± Jay demanded. ¡°Did you modify my ritual somehow?¡±
¡°Guilty,¡± Jack answered with a smile. ¡°Just a small change, a little addition to help boost you along. I mean, you
are doing me a favor by helping me save the dragon after all. I wouldn¡¯t want you to think I wasn¡¯t grateful. And, considering the nature of my gift, it made sense to give it to you now, rather than after.¡±
¡°What did you do?¡± A asked as she walked up next to Jadis, having pulled her shirt and some underclothes on. ¡°And how? The ritual still seemed to work the way it was supposed to. Did you change the values somehow, to how much our participation was worth?¡±
¡°No, not the values,¡± Jack shook her head, long ck hair spilling over her shoulders in a no-doubt purposefully alluring disy. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about those numbers, not like that, anyway. But I can make other kinds of changes.¡±
Jack¡¯s smile faded as she took in the expressions on Jadis¡¯ faces, as well as A and the rest of the women who were starting to gather around. She sighed, her lips drawn thin as she waggled her fingers in their direction.
¡°Why such long faces? I boosted your ritual quite a bit. Shouldn¡¯t I be getting a ¡®thank you¡¯ of some sort?¡±
¡°You spied on us having sex without our permission,¡± Dys intoned. ¡°And somehow made a change to my ritual without consulting me or anyone else. How can you not see that as a major invasion of privacy that would have just about anyone upset?¡±
¡°Ugh, whatever,¡± Jack¡¯s shoulders lowered. In the next instant, her clothes swirled and melted, changing into a in, dowdy dress that covered up her body from neck to ankle. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter how long I¡¯m around your kind. Your reactions never make any sense.¡±
With that, Jack slipped off of the wagon and weaved her way between the gathered women, brushing past them without touching or being touched. Jadis was tempted to take hold of her, but she rejected the impulse. Even with her new boost in stats, Jack was still two hundred levels higher than her and no doubt more than capable of shrugging off any attempt to stop her.
Wait. Was that impulse from her? Or had ite from D or Lyssandria? Jadis¡¯ frown deepened at the thought, but she mentally shook the question away. It wasn¡¯t something to focus on at the moment.
¡°I made an addition,¡± Jack quietly called out as she reached the edge of the tent. ¡°Nothing to your detriment. The ritual worked for participants as well as interested witnesses. Don¡¯t ask for a do-over, though. I already did as much as I could for you with the power I have. I¡¯ll let you all figure out who the interested witnesses were.¡±
With those parting words, Jack slipped out of the tent, her head held up high.
¡°Interested witnesses? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Bridget asked as she nced between the other women. ¡°Does that mean Jack wanted to¡ you know? Uh, join in?¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t think too hard about that,¡± Syd shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m certain that the only reason Jack would want to join us would be for the purpose of messing with us. Interested can mean a lot of different things.¡±
¡°So. Jack has some kind of ability to fuck with other people¡¯s spells. That¡¯sforting,¡± Kerr said with a high amount of sarcasm. ¡°Not at all terrifying to think about what he or she or it might do if they were around while we were doing a ritual and they were pissed off at us.¡±
¡°There have to be limitations,¡± A pointed out. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a skill thates from a ss reaching the one hundred level mark. It still wouldn¡¯t be able topletely alter the whole purpose of a spell.¡±
¡°I suppose,¡± Jay shrugged. ¡°I just wonder if she did anything else to mess with the ritual. Let¡¯s check over our stats, make sure there aren¡¯t any other unexpected changes.¡±
As they all started to quietly discuss their status sheets, going over their attributes as well as their skills to be certain that nothing else had been altered, Jadis thought about what Jack had said about witnesses. By the math, that meant there were three individuals who had ¡°witnessed¡± the ritual and had been ¡°interested¡± in it. The wording was vague, likely intentional on Jack¡¯s part, but Jadis couldn¡¯t imagine that interest being anything other than sexual. Her rituals were inherently lewd by the nature of her ss. She doubted that Jack could make them not lewd. Clearly, she could add conditions or tack on other ways ofpleting the ritual, but from what had been done and how Jack had talked, it didn¡¯t seem like she was able to change thempletely.
Well, presuming that Jack was witness number one, Jadis had no trouble guessing who witness number two was. Sorcha was still having trouble not staring at Jadis¡¯ naked bodies, something that Jadis couldpletely understand. She was fucking sexy. Maybe it was narcissistic to say, but it was true, too. The goblin had said she wanted to watch the ritual because it would be hot, anyway. So then, who was the third?
Naturally, Jadis¡¯ thoughts went to Noll. He had admitted to spying on them and by this point, she was certain he could have snuck into the tent somehow and watched the whole time without them noticing. The old dog was a lot stealthier than he looked. A momentter, Jadis dismissed the thought. Noll had made it clear he had little to no interest in the sexual escapades of her and herpanions. That was something Jadis had no trouble believing.
Other possibilities flitted through Jadis¡¯ mind. Wi, Nora, and the other soldiers were all contemted and discarded. She even briefly considered the idea that one of the Reavers had somehow managed to spy on them. Besides the fact that she was fairly certain that none of them could aplish such a feat with the guard that had been ced on them, she was also sure that none would have been all that interested in her and the others sexually, not after the beating they¡¯d gotten and animosity between them. At least, she hoped not.
That left only one possibility. Syd quietly took a few steps to the side while her other selves and herpanions continued to talk and go over their status sheets. Taking the ss container down from where it hung, she held the little blue-eyed demon up to her face, staring at the squirming tentacle monster.
¡°Okay Alex,¡± she whispered. ¡°As soon as you can start writing sentences with your blocks, we are going to have to have a talk about your ¡®interest¡¯ in me.¡±
Chapter 266: Mad Plan
Chapter 266: Mad n
While Syd contemted what to do about Alex, the rest of Jadis quietly went over everyone¡¯s status sheets, taking great care to make sure they weren¡¯t broadcasting their numbers for other ears to overhear. A used her notes to help silentlypare everyone¡¯s attributes, which now that they knew the Lascivious Empowerment ritual had been bumped up to a full double multiplier, was easy to confirm.
|
A of Red Tree
Race: Human
Primary ss: Cart Driver (25)
Secondary ss: Nephilim Powered Arcanist (20)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 45
|
|
Health: 120/120
|
Magic: 500/500
|
|
Attributes
|
|
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 15
Agility: 20
Vitality: 12
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 15
|
Arcane: 177
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 35
Resilience: 5
Will: 10
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|
Eir Aedraheill
Race: Elf
Primary ss: Beloved Cleric of Lyssandria (23)
Secondary ss: Lustful Oracle of D (8)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 31
|
|
Health: 100/100
|
Magic: 360/360
|
|
Attributes
|
|
Strength: 8
Dexterity: 12
Agility: 10
Vitality: 10
Fortitude: 8
Endurance: 10
|
Arcane: 0
Divine: 183
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 36
Resilience: 10
Will: 21
|
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Kerr of n Nox
Race: Therion
Primary ss: Nox Archer (33)
Secondary ss: Far Wilds Traveler (28)
Tertiary ss: Bonded Slut Sniper (1)
Combined Level Rating: 62
|
|
Health: 150/150
|
Magic: 0/0
|
|
Attributes
|
|
Strength: 142
Dexterity: 69
Agility: 24
Vitality: 15
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 24
|
Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 0
Resilience: 13
Will: 0
|
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|
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|
Thea of Cold Brook
Race: Human
Primary ss: Imperial Soldier (28)
Secondary ss: Shieldsworn Guard (22)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 50
|
|
Health: 250/250
|
Magic: 0/0
|
|
Attributes
|
|
Strength: 25
Dexterity: 10
Agility: 12
Vitality: 25
Fortitude: 153
Endurance: 27
|
Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 0
Resilience: 43
Will: 0
|
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|
|
|
Sabina Sarto
Race: Human / Elf Hybrid
Primary ss: Passionate Smith (21)
Secondary ss: Enchanter Smith of the Reborn (4)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 25
|
|
Health: 140/140
|
Magic: 120/120
|
|
Attributes
|
|
Strength: 20
Dexterity: 15
Agility: 15
Vitality: 14
Fortitude: 10
Endurance: 30
|
Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 127
Focus: 12
Resilience: 5
Will: 20
|
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|
Bridget of n Warsong
Race: Orc
Primary ss: Lantern Light Landsknecht (21)
Secondary ss: Ardent Light of the Reborn (5)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 26
|
|
Health: 250/250
|
Magic: 200/200
|
|
Attributes
|
|
Strength: 37
Dexterity: 7
Agility: 13
Vitality: 25
Fortitude: 10
Endurance: 20
|
Arcane: 156
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 20
Resilience: 10
Will: 21
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The stat boosts were, in all honesty, incredible. Even if Jadis was upset with Jack for messing with their ritual without permission as well as invading their privacy, she had to admit that the literal hundreds of attribute points that had been spread out across the seven of them sort of made up for the dickery. Jack was a jackass, but not a
malicious jackass.
Really, Jadis wondered what exactly Jack had done to make the change. If there were other ways of changing the spell, maybe they could gain even more attribute points¡?
No, Jadis discarded that notion. Jack had said she¡¯d already done the most that she could for them. Whether that was in a mechanical sense or a personal willingness sense, either way meant she wasn¡¯t going to get more out of Jack. Though maybe now that she knew of the possibility, she could direct her own skills in the direction of altering her rituals? She had one such skill already, and from what she had seen of how leveling and skill opportunities worked, the more one did certain things, the more likely they were to gain skills that would enhance,pliment, or progress those things. She would absolutely love to be able to alter her rituals to make certain aspects more convenient or, even better, maybe alter the rituals or skills of herpanions. She was sure that as much as Bridget enjoyed their time together, there would probably be times when the orc didn¡¯t want to be stuffed three ways to Sunday in order to replenish her Stoke the Ardent me.
Or perhaps Bridget didn¡¯t really mind all that much. She certainly hadn¡¯tined so far.
In any case, as interested as Jadis was in the power that Jack had shown, she wasn¡¯t keen on letting the Fetch use it on her again, even with the obvious benefits. Jack seriously needed to work on respecting boundaries. Jadis decided she¡¯d much prefer to gain that power for herself, or for one of her lovers. Considering how fast they were leveling, that hardly seemed like a pipe dream, either.
¡°I think he might have done something like some wizards are capable of,¡± A was saying as she and Eir discussed the oue of the Jack-altered ritual. ¡°One of the key ts of wizard sses is their versatility with their spells. Slower to cast than a sorcerer, but greater variety in effect. Some of the skills I¡¯ve heard some wizards gain allow them to create multiple effects with a single spell. For example, a wizard might cast a powerful lightning bolt that strikes one target, but because of her spellcraft andplementary skills, she can add on multiple smaller instances of ball lightning that spread out and strike the area around the target. It¡¯s an alteration, not dissimr to the kind my ss allows, though far more fluid in nature. Jack must have some skill that allowed her to tack on additional qualifiers for the ritual. Though, I¡¯ve never heard of a ss that can change someone else¡¯s spells.¡±
¡°I have, of a kind,¡± Eir mused, one finger held against her cheek in thought. ¡°Though the example I am thinking of is more of a sympathetic spell casting. I have heard that some priests are able to enhance the ritual spells of their kindred priests, allowing them to perform more powerful rituals than they would alone.¡±
¡°I get the feeling that those priests probably would have needed some kind of permission to alter those rituals though, right?¡± Jay asked Eir, her expression still somewhat sour though her mood was improving.
¡°Yes, I believe so,¡± Eir confirmed her suspicion. ¡°Though I am not personally familiar with any priests of such a high level as Sir Jack. At such a high level, I have no idea what would be possible.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Jay shrugged. ¡°Well, I guess this means Jack is a ritualist. Or a priest, I suppose. That would make some kind of twisted sense, actually. I did first meet her, or him, in a temple to D.¡±
As Jay, A, and Eir discussed the what and how of Jack¡¯s interference, Syd found her own musings over Alex interrupted.
¡°So, uh, I know none of this is my business and I¡¯m kind of intruding here, but from what I gather your sex ritual thing did seed, right?¡±
Syd¡¯s eyes shifted away from the wriggling demonling to look at the goblin woman still sitting on the wagon. Sorcha still had her legs drawn up to her chest and she looked like she was trying to make herself even smaller than she already was. Still, she¡¯d reached out to Syd, her eyes holding a mix of nerves and hope.
¡°Yes, it did go well,¡± Jadis agreed with a slight hum. ¡°Better than we were hoping for, even if the final results were unexpected.¡±
¡°And, stop me if I¡¯m wrong here, but me being here actually helped you and yours get a lot stronger, yeah?¡±
¡°True,¡± Syd agreed again, this time one slender eyebrow raised as she regarded the witch.
¡°Good! That¡¯s certainly good. So, ah, maybe that means you¡¯d be putting in a good word for me? I mean, with the whole cooperation I¡¯ve been giving you, plus with me helping you all get much stronger and such, that¡¯s worth a good word with thew, isn¡¯t it? For whatever it might be worthing from you, which I think probably is worth a fair deal. You and yours seem like you¡¯ve got the ears of important people.¡±
¡°Are you trying to bargain with me for a reduced sentence when we get back to Far Felsen?¡± Syd asked, the side of her mouth quirking up in a smirk as she leaned in a little closer to the goblin.
Sorcha¡¯s big eyes were drawn to Syd¡¯s unclothed chest like mas. With visible effort, she pulled her attention back up to her face.
¡°Not with you,¡± Sorcha rified. ¡°You aren¡¯t the Magistrate. But I bet my left tit she¡¯d listen to what you have to say about everything that went on out here. I mean, let¡¯s be blunt here, I could use the sodding break, so if you¡¯ve the grace to put a good word in for me, it would be very, very appreciated.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Syd nodded, ncing around the dark tent. Everyone was starting to calm down from the earlier excitement, and she could see that a couple of her girls were starting to pay attention to the conversation she was having with Sorcha. ¡°Well, I was actually already inclined to talk to Vraekae about you anyway, so if it puts your mind at ease, you can expect some consideration from me.¡±
¡°Thank the gods,¡± the little witch let out a big sigh of relief. ¡°You don¡¯t know how much that means to me.¡±
¡°Of course, that all depends on us getting back to Far Felsen in one piece,¡± Syd mused while rubbing her chin. ¡°You did overhear what we¡¯re nning on doing tomorrow, right?¡±
¡°Uh, well, maybe not every detail,¡± Sorcha wobbled her head from side to side. ¡°But I heard a fair bit about Dryads and dragons and demon hordes. Sounds like a real, uh, big battleing up.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t seem that worried about us seeding,¡± Syd pointed out, motioning with one hand towards the goblin.
¡°Well, in truth I was a whole lot worried earlier,¡± Sorcha admitted. ¡°Then Noll the Savage showed up right out of the bloody ether, whichbined with that monster Fetch makes for a scary strong duo. And then, you know, you all talking about this ritual giving you huge stats and you¡¯re, you know, not even freaking out over how big they are makes me think that the lot of you are just that used to having stupidly massive stats. So anyway, that means you¡¯re even stronger than you already were, which trantes to you all being even more powerful and dangerous than I thought. So, yeah, not as concerned as I was earlier.¡±
¡°You know what? I can¡¯t fault that logic,¡± Syd nodded in appreciation. ¡°We¡¯ve definitely got some heavy hitters on our side right now.¡±
To illustrate her point, Syd raised her arm and flexed her bicep. Her inhumanly smooth and pale skin stretched as the muscle bulged, turning her already firm and powerful looking arm into a body builder¡¯s wet dream.
¡°Uh, yeah, that¡¯s¡ yeah. Heavy,¡± Sorcha stared, her gaze stuck to Syd¡¯s flexing arm.
¡°However, I¡¯ve seen that dragon. Anything that can be done to increase the odds of everyone getting out of this shit alive is something I¡¯m willing to at least entertain.¡±
One reason she was feeling a lot more forgiving of Jack than she might otherwise normally be, Jadis silently mused.
¡°I get that you aren¡¯t much of a fighter,¡± Syd continued. ¡°But you do have some pretty powerful spells. How would you feel about putting those to use for us, rather than against us, in this uing battle? If you do, I know I¡¯ll have more positive things to say and I bet others in the group will as well. Maybe even captain Wi will want to offer some considerations if you can prove yourself useful.¡±
¡°I, uh, actually, yeah,¡± Sorcha stumbled over her words for a second before nodding her head vigorously. ¡°Absolutely! If it means getting some leniency, I¡¯d be damned well happy to!¡±
Upon hearing Sorcha¡¯s eager agreement, Jadis brought herpanions in on the conversation. She didn¡¯t trust Sorcha, though she did trust that the witch would do whatever she could that would be in her best interest. Including the others in the nning, she made sure there were no strong objections. There were, of course, some concerns raised, which were all fair. Still, the argument came down to the fact that Sorcha was unlikely to try and betray them simply because if she did, it would mean her own death via dragon, demon, or some other equally horrible foe. Sure, she might try to run away in all the confusion, but even if she did, it was unlikely that she would get far, not with trackers like Kerr or Noll around. And if either of those two were no longer able to track the little witch, there were much bigger problems to concern themselves with than bringing one goblin back to Far Felsen for justice.
Though, as they wrapped up the discussion on the practicality of using Sorcha¡¯s aid, another thought crossed Jadis¡¯ mind. There were other resources in the camp that could be used. Maybe. It was something to explore in the morning, at least worth the conversation.
The reactions she got in the early hours of the next day were about what she¡¯d expected them to be.
¡°Are you serious?¡± Wi gave Jay a withering look as she stood sternly before her with arms crossed.
¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Stavros said at the same time, looking up from where he sat chained to his fellow Reavers.
¡°You what now?¡± Jockel asked, a spoonful of cooling porridge halfway to his mouth.
¡°That¡¯s mad!¡± Ricket crowed, his bruised and swollen face alight with delighted humor.
¡°Mmrph!¡± Eike angrily grunted around the gag stuffed into her mouth.
¡°You heard me,¡± Jay answered calmly. ¡°Why not use every resource avable to us?¡±
¡°We¡¯ve got to drag them with us anyway,¡± Dys pointed out as she motioned towards the prisoners. ¡°And if we don¡¯t use them, that¡¯s more resources we have to devote to guarding them, taking away from what we would otherwise be able to put on the field.¡±
¡°So, how about it?¡± Syd raised her hands in an appealing gesture. ¡°They fight for us and, so long as they don¡¯t pull any stupid shit, we put in a good word with the Magistrate and get them a more lenient punishment. Fuck, even if it¡¯s years of imprisonment, that¡¯s got to be better than the executioner¡¯s block.¡±
¡°You are absolutely out of your mind,¡± Wi shook her head, staring up at the three Nephilim with disbelief.
¡°I believe I agree,¡± Stavros rumbled in his deep voice.
¡°I like it,¡± Ricket added, scooting across the ground with a pained grunt to get closer. ¡°You¡¯ll need someone to help set a trap for that dragon, right? I¡¯d love to help with that! I¡¯ve never tried to catch something that big in a trap. Sounds like a mad enough challenge to be fun!¡±
¡°Ricket, shut the fuck up,¡± Jockel said as he yanked on the chain connecting them to drag the man back.
¡°No, no, do go on,¡± a voice purred from the shadows, causing everyone present to jump.
Jack, still in the guise of a purple elf, only now she was wearing a set of wizardly robes that glimmered with power, stepped out from the early morning shadows.
¡°The world needs more mad ns,¡± she said, a broad grin on her face. ¡°I¡¯d like to hear more about this one.¡±
Chapter 267: Demons and Dragons
Chapter 267: Demons and Dragons
Snow fell lightly among the towering trees as the sun¡¯s edge reached the tip of the western ridge surrounding the Dryad¡¯s valley. Shadows stretched across thend, covering the forest in a gray gloom. asional bursts of strong winds would shake the giant pines, sendingrge sheets of snow tumbling down to the ground from the branches above. Aside from the wind-driven trees, there was little movement in the forest.
But there was life.
A snow-covered army rested around the living walls of the Dryad¡¯s grove. Thousands of demons were gathered, their legions arrayed against the barrier, positioned perhaps a hundred yards from the edges of the tree wall. Most of them were bramble fiends, little more than twisted clumps of vines that would not rise higher than a grown man¡¯s knee. But there were other demons as well. Bone thieves with their asymmetrical construction and twisted wretches with their malformed bodies could be seen, as well asrger specimens. Grundwyrms and Nithetre, both gigantic demonic creatures, were scattered among their smaller kin. Therger demons were spread out haphazardly yet close enough to each other that there were norge gaps between them.
Towering above them all was a creature of immense bulk. It hardly looked to be a living thing, more like a gardener¡¯s worst nightmare given form. A colossal bulbous body made of dirt and rotting wood sat heavily on the frozen ground. Three legs radiated out from the central spherical form, their jointless shapes made out of thick, twisting vines wrapped together like corded muscles. A multitude of tall, thin, fleshy structures grew from the top of the lumpy body, each colored like bruised flesh, all of them gently writhing in a slow, purposeless dance. On the lower curved slopes of the creature¡¯s body grew round, pustule-like tumors. asionally, one of these growths would split open and a newly born bramble fiend would slide out to fall to the ground dozens of feet below.
Other than the never-ending birth of its foul children, the bramble fiend matriarch did not stir. It did not need to. Like the rest of its gathered brood, it waited. There was no reason to throw itself upon the dangerous, well-defended tree wall the Dryads had grown to protect their grove. Time was on its side.
An ear-splitting roar shook the air as a massive, winged form flew by overhead. The dragon¡¯s cry wasced with agony, the torment of festering flesh made many times worse by the wretched demon ripping its wound open. Pain had overwhelmed its senses, just as the signs of consuming tentacles had appeared bulging under its scales, spreading out from the rotting hole in its shoulder. It wouldn¡¯t be long before the dragon sumbed to the demon eating its way through its meat and blood. Once the dragon¡¯s mind broke, the body would be a puppet for the possessing demon to inhabit. Then the demonic dragon would fall upon the Dryad¡¯s grove and rip its defenses apart.
The matriarch waited. Time was on their side.
Just as the dragon circled the far side of the mountain, a sound echoed among the trees of the valley. It was not a dragon¡¯s earsplitting roar, nor was it the ragged cry of a demon. It was a long, clear, piercing note, both musical and martial in nature. A trumpet sounded amidst the gloom. A momentter, another trumpet answered its call, followed shortly after by another, then another. Soon, dozens of horns could be heard, as could the resounding cry of scores of soldiers calling out orders, alling from the northern reaches of the valley.
Through the thick tree cover gs waved, the brightly colored banners of variouspanies visible despite the dimming light. Hundreds of fiercely armed and armored soldiers took position on top of a hill, standing ready to face the amassed horde of demons. Amander riding a ck horse, hisrge sword shining, waved and gestured as though he were prepared to give the order to charge, waiting only for his troops to finish their maneuvering.
The demons did not attack straight away. They turned,
en masse, snow falling from their bodies as all eyes gazed at the intruders, but they did not charge. The demons simply watched, their unnatural silence the only answer to the war cries of theing army.
Then, the matriarch moved.
One huge, misshapen limb lifted, shifted to the north, then came crashing to the ground with a tremor-inducing thump. The titanic demon lurched, its bulbous form dragging across the ground and leaving a huge groove behind it as the lesser demons surrounding it scrambled to make way. The fleshy feelers on the crown of the beast twisted and turned towards the army that had appeared suddenly before it. There was a brief moment, very brief, that it seemed as though the demon matriarch was contemting the scene before it. There was no face to show a hint of emotion, yet the air around the creature was questioning.
Then, a jagged crescent moon of yellowish green light appeared in the air before the matriarch¡¯s feelers. The fell runes that shaped the arc twisted into being, shimmering in the cold air for an instant before the whole arcane construction spun in ce, rotating around an invisible point. From the sickly light formed dozens upon dozens of stones, each one weighing a hundred pounds or more. The stones rocketed forward as though shot from canons, arcing through the air to strike at the mortal soldiers arrayed against it.
Some of the soldiers dodged away, shields raised against the far-reaching attack. In some ces, huge magical shields of light appeared, blocking the iing rain of rock and death. Some were unlucky and unable to protect themselves against the barrage and fell under the heavy stones, their armor and bodies breaking as they cried out in fear and pain.
Those screams of pain seemed to be the signal. The horde of demons stirred, their bodies shaking off snow as they dashed to the north, charging the soldiers. As the demons rushed towards them, the soldiers seemed to break, their morale gone in the face of an overwhelming threat. They fled back into the trees in a barely organized retreat, letting out more cries of fear and rm. Of the several thousand demons that had surrounded the Dryads'' grove, well more than half took the bait.
¡°There they go,¡± Syd murmured from her spot in the tall pine tree overlooking the horde and valley. ¡°About as many as we could really hope for. Sucks that the matriarch isn¡¯t following, though.¡±
¡°It¡¯s too slow to chase,¡± Noll quietly growled from where he crouched on a branch nearby.
¡°Hopefully that means it¡¯ll be too slow toe this way, too,¡± Syd murmured, eyeing the walkingndmass.
¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± was Noll¡¯s only response.
It was truly amazing that Jack had been able to create such a massive, realistic illusion. She wasn¡¯t sure if each conjured image of a soldier was an individually controlled construct or if the scene of a retreating army was more like one single magical mirage, but either way it was convincing. Even the fact that the matriarch¡¯s spell-conjured stones had just passed through the ethereal soldiers had been ounted for as Jack had made the soldiers react appropriately.
Jack really was a monstrously powerful being.
Turning her eyes away from the demons and the fleeing illusions, Syd searched the skies for their priority target. It took a moment despite the size of the beast, but she eventually spotted the huge dragon circling the split peaks of the northern mountain. It would soon be turning their way, which meant part two of their n was about tomence.
¡°Get ready,¡± Jay quietly passed the word to herpanions around her. ¡°This shit is about to hit the¡ªwindmill.¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure if herst-second modification to the Earth-based phrase made much sense, but she was fairly certain a windmill would draw less questions than a fan.
Abruptly, a dragon roared in the sky overhead. Except, it wasn¡¯t the ice dragon they were prepared for. Instead, it was a smaller dragon, its body covered in shimmering red scales as well as bright yellow spikes. It bellowed a challenge, its bat-like wings pping as it hovered in the air over the clearing that they had chosen for their trap.
¡°And herees the wyrm,¡± Noll said, pointing with his mostly translucent hand. ¡°Brace yourself, pup. A breeze ising.¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine, old wolf. Brace
yourself,¡± Syd shot back as her gauntleted hand bit deeply into the tree trunk. ¡°My other two selves aren¡¯t in a position to catch you if you fall off.¡±
Noll snorted, but the sound of his amusement was overpowered by the distant roar of the ice dragon. It had seen the illusionary red rival hovering overhead. Even at such a great distance, Syd could see the dragon was speeding towards them, its great wings beating the air as it charged towards the red rival. The dragon wasn¡¯t the only thinging, though.
Jack¡¯s false dragon had caught the attention of the demonic horde as well. Briefly focusing her gaze on the ones that had stayed behind near the grove and matriarch, she saw that a good number of the demons were heading in the direction of their trap. Not all, many were staying behind with their bulbous leader, but a couple of hundred at least were loping their way through the trees towards the slope of the hill she and herpanions waited on.
¡°Well, looks like Stavros and his Reavers aren¡¯t going to be bored,¡± Sydmented before turning her eyes back towards the skies. ¡°Hopefully we can get this dragon dealt with before¡ªholy fuck!¡±
Syd¡¯s eyes went wide as the massive form of the ice dragon closed in, the beast practically on top of her and Noll. It had soared across the several miles that stretched between their spot in the south-east of the valley and the northern peaks far faster than she had expected. As the dragon neared, she felt both the cold and the wind pressure increase, as though a literal living blizzard had decided to swoop down from on high. Maybe one truly had.
The ice dragon sailed through the air, its wings held back against its body and its mighty fore-ws held out in front of it as it fell upon the red-scaled interloper that had appeared in its territory. The red dragon screeched in defiance; its wings spread wide to cover the view below it as it hovered impossibly in mid-air. If the dragon noticed that its foe was floating in a way that shouldn¡¯t have been possible, it made no sign. Instead, it simply dived at its enemy, eagerly prepared to tear the red dragon to pieces as it raged in anger and pain.
The two creatures met midair, except, there was nothing there to meet the ice dragon. The beast¡¯s body dove right though Jack¡¯s illusion, encountering no resistance whatsoever. Jadis could actually see the surprise in the dragon¡¯s reptilian eyes as it passed through the mirage only to see that it was far, far too close to the ground now to pull out of its dive.
A st of freezing air hit the trees around the clearing as the dragon¡¯s massive wings opened wide in an attempt to slow its breakneck descent. Syd nearly let out a scream as the force of a hurricane hit her and she was almost thrown out of the tree she was stationed in. It was only her iron grip that had dug her fingers into the wood that saved her from being sted away into the forest.
No more than two secondster the dragon¡¯s body hit the ground, the impact causing the ground to quake with enough force that Syd damn near fell out of the tree a second time.
Syd resisted the urge to look at Noll. She just knew he was giving her an ¡°I told you so" look and she wasn¡¯t going to give him that satisfaction at the moment.
Chapter 268: Possession
Chapter 268: Possession
¡°Holy fuck!¡± Jay cursed as the dragon hit the clearing.
The ground shook in a miniature earthquake that that made her teeth tter. A few of herpanions and soldiers nearby actually lost their footing, though they all quickly got back to their feet. The trees around them creaked ominously, though none fell to Jadis¡¯ relief. A cloud of snow and dust washed over them, obscuring the sight of the dragon for a moment, though only a short one. From her multiple perspectives, Jadis could still see how well the dragon had fared upon makingndfall.
She was d that they hadn¡¯t bothered covering the clearing in A¡¯s traps as had first been suggested. Her spells needed a t, solid surface to rest on for them to work, and after the dragon had hit the ground, there were few t surfaces left. The huge creature had wrecked the clearing, churning the frozen dirt into a mess of rubble and debris. The dragon itself, even bigger now that she was seeing it so close, had its forebody half buried from the impact. Even still, its massive bulk filled the open space. Its snake-like neck coiled back over its body, head twisting and turning as the stunned creature tried to make sense of what had happened.
¡°Now!¡± Ricket shouted, his hands pounding hard against Jay¡¯s armored thigh. ¡°Do it now! Now!¡±
Shaking off her own moment of stunned awe, Jay hefted her hammer from the ground and in one smooth motion, turned and swung it at the block of wood holding half of their trap in ce. A hundred and fifty feet away on the other side of the clearing, Dys did the same, cutting the wooden block clear of the tree they had prepared for the dragon¡¯s arrival.
Jadis and her allies, some of which were decidedly temporary, had chosen this clearing for a good reason. It wasrge enough that the dragon fit within it, but only just. The many tall trees ringing the open area would hem the dragon¡¯s movements. More to the point, there were several exceptionallyrge specimens of towering pine trees ringing the clearing.
Ricket couldn¡¯t do much in the time given. Most of his traps could do even less against a target that made the average blue whale look small. However, as the crazed half-elf was quick to say, when in doubt, stick with the basics.
Two colossal trees on either side of the clearing let out horrendous creaking sounds as thest supports holding their bulk upright were torn away. Jadis hadn¡¯t been so sure about the aim or positioning, but as her two selves backed away from the falling trees, she saw that Ricket had been spot on. The man really did have a skill for making traps. Several, in fact, many of which were geared towards increasing the odds of his traps going off correctly. Just as he had promised and they had all hoped, the two trees, each one close to three hundred feet tall, copsed on top of the dragon struggling to regain its senses in the middle of the clearing.
There was a crunching sound as the trees toppled over and on top of the back of the ice dragon. The trunk of each tree had to weigh hundreds of tons, more than enough to crush most anything in the world, Jadis imagined.
Except, the dragon was not crushed. The trees fell heavily on top of the stunned beast, pinning its wings and knocking its head to one side, but the dragon was not crushed. It didn¡¯t even look like any bones had been broken.
¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± Ricket cried out, a mad grin on his face as he clenched a fist in triumph. ¡°Almost perfect! If only I had time to make someting¡!¡±
¡°Yes, fine, congrattions,¡± Jay shouted as she picked the crowing trapmaker up. ¡°Now get to your post!¡±
She then tossed the man towards the rearguard group, wasting no time as she surged forward towards the dragon. They had a limited amount of time to act and they could not waste a second. They had to kill the demon as quickly as possible before the dragon could recover its senses and st them all with its wintery frost breath.
Or before the horde of demons figured out the ruse and overwhelmed them.
As Jay rushed out of the cover of the trees, Syd and Noll were already on the move. The tree they had been waiting in had been in a good position to see the distant Dryad grove, but it was also in the right spot to put them near the dragon¡¯s head. With the two giant pines pinning the dragon down, at least for the moment, both therion and Nephilim leapt from their tree, aiming tond on top of their temporarily motionless prey.
As Syd sailed through the air, a couple of hundred feet off the ground, the thought that what she was doing was absolutely crazier than Ricket¡¯s obsession with traps flickered through her mind.
Like a graceful cat leaping from one bookshelf to another, Nollnded on top of the dragon¡¯s neck. Syd¡¯snding was more akin to a dog being catapulted into a pool. But what shecked in style she more than made up for in aim. Syd¡¯s free arm wrapped around the snout of the dragon as shended squarely on the frosty beast¡¯s head.
¡°Well hello there,¡± Syd called out as she stared into the creature¡¯s massive left eye.
The dragon let out a deafening roar, loud enough to make Syd¡¯s ears ring and her teeth shake in her head.
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s about the response I expected,¡± Syd winced, barely able to hear her own voice.
From below, Jay saw that Noll had already made his way down the dragon¡¯s neck towards the festering wound in its shoulder. Seeing it with Noll next to the wound for scale gave Jadis the context she hadcked before. The demon was a lot bigger than it had appeared from a distance. The huge tentacles that squirmed out from the bloody wound were long and thick, each one at least twenty feet in length, if not longer. From what Jay could see, there was no sign of the demon¡¯s core. The only parts exposed were the mass of writhing tentacles. They had expected as much, figuring the demon wouldn¡¯t leave its weak point exposed. That meant they would have to cut away the excess and get to the core within.
In the same moment that Noll reached the infested wound, an overlyrge arrow fired from Kerr¡¯s bow rocketed through the air to strike the writhing tentacle mass. As much as everyone had agreed Noll would be able to kill the demon quickly, everyone had also agreed that killing it as quickly as possible meant that more than just Noll should be attacking it. Even if the arrow didn¡¯t hit the core, Jadis was sure that Kerr¡¯s insanely powerful arrows would do a great deal of damage to the demon¡¯s health pool¡ª
A sh of blue light appeared in the air around the festering demon. Kerr¡¯s arrow bounced off of a glowing blue shield that had encapsted the exposed tentacles. In the next moment, Noll¡¯srge, curved sword bit into the magically conjured shield, but to Jadis¡¯ shock, his blow was also deflected.
¡°Okay, I guess that exins why the dragon hasn¡¯t pried the demon off on its own,¡± Jay said under her breath.
Jadis¡¯ view of Noll and the demon was lost in the next instant as the dragon¡¯s foreleg ripped its way out of the ground. It had only been a scant few seconds and the dragon was already starting to rise despite the titanic trees pinning it. Noll and Kerr were going to need time to break their way through the demon¡¯s shield. Jadis was going to make sure they got that time.
With a small exertion of her will, Jadis spent the magic to activate her Mirror Shine spell. She wasn¡¯t sure how useful it was going to be against a creature that had to have a high Resilience stat, but considering her own Eldritch attribute had reachedical levels of power, she had a strong suspicion that it would have some effect.
As all three of Jadis¡¯ bodies shone with an inner light, Jadis¡¯ suspicions were confirmed. With Syd grappling the dragon¡¯s face, it had an up-close, unavoidable view of Jadis¡¯ spell. Again the dragon let out a deafening roar as it began shaking its head back and forth, trying to get the Nephilim hugging its face off. As its freed left foreleg started to reach up to swipe at Syd, Jay swung her hammer.
The goal was, per Jack¡¯s insistence, to not kill the dragon, only free it from the demon trying to possess it. Jadis had every intention of following that request. However, that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t break a few of its bones.
Just before Jay¡¯s hammer struck, Syd used hernce to smack the side of the dragon¡¯s temple. It was a nothing blow, not even enough force behind it to scratch a scale. More than enough to trigger Mirrored Strikes, though.
Jay¡¯s war hammer struck the side of the dragon¡¯s icy foreleg with a crack that reverberated through the trees like a cannon. Jay was actually thrown back, rebounding off of the dragon by several yards. Where her hammer hit, the dragon¡¯s scales were shattered, its ice blue natural armor breaking like eggshells. The dragon¡¯s arm, a body part big enough that it could crush houses by its weight alone, was knocked to the side.
¡°Holy shit,¡± all three of Jadis said at the same time, surprised by her own power.
¡°Yes, that is a lot of demons,¡± Stavros rumbled next to Dys,pletely misunderstanding the reason for her exmation. ¡°I pray your n works.¡±
¡°It will,¡± Dys spared a nce for the armed and armored leader of the Roiling Reavers. ¡°Just stick to it and we¡¯ll all make it out of this shit alive.¡±
¡°We will,¡± Stavros said as he brandished his scimitar. ¡°Just remember your promise for leniency.¡±
Dys didn¡¯t reply, already moving to intercept the rapidly approaching demons. There were several hundred, more than enough to overwhelm their much smaller numbers under most circumstances. The bone thieves and twisted wretches were in the front of the pack, their numbers led by several possessed frost drakes and at least one manticore that she could see. A muchrger number of bramble fiends were bouncing through the forest behind them, their legless bodies unable to keep up with the other, faster demons.
With her Mirror Shine already activated, Dys charged towards the oing horde, activating her Knight¡¯s Daring Charge skill. With superhuman speed she met the horde, rushing the lead demons.
A frost drake that had gotten to the fore of the pack opened its mouth to bellow its freezing breath. It never got the chance. Dys¡¯ axe cleaved into its open jaws and through its skull, killing the possessed beast in a single blow. Dys¡¯ pace never slowed as the drake fell to the ground.
Dys crashed headlong into the demons, her armored bulk tossing some to the side and outright crushing others. With her axe held out before her, she pushed through the front of the horde and turned, heading west as she trailed damaged and dead demons behind her. As she charged, Dys found that she had to purposefully slow her pace. She wanted the demons to follow her, after all, and if she moved too fast, they might give up the chase.
Looking back over her shoulder, it didn¡¯t seem like there was much chance of the demons giving up.
The whole raging mob was on her heels, their attention caught either by the Mirror Shine spell or the damage she had done to them. Likely abination of the two. As Dys¡¯ path wheeled to the left and the demons followed, she made sure to slow and strike at some of the more dangerous-looking demons that were following her, such as the other frost drake and the manticore.
It was an absolute marvel to Jadis that she had the luxury to pick and choose her targets as she led a literal host of bloodthirsty demons on a merry chase through the woods. It was a testament to just how fast someone with over two hundred and fifty points in Agility could move. It wasn¡¯t just movement, though. Jadis found that her reactions were faster, too. Even her thoughts were moving faster, allowing her to observe the chasing demons with an almost detached air. They were just so fucking
slow now.
Was this what Noll felt like all the time?
Jadis had to admit, she liked the feeling of power and control that being so much faster and stronger than the demons gave her. Abruptly, she slowed, spun, and shed her axe across the neck of the manticore bounding after her. The beast¡¯s head popped off like a cork from a wine bottle, a spoiled vintage pouring from its open neck. Jadis grinned fiercely at the ugly sight.
¡°Yeah, this is why I¡¯m here,¡± she growled before picking up her pace to continue leading the demons along.
Swinging wide around the western side of the clearing where her other selves and Noll struggled with the ice dragon, Dys led the small army of demons towards the base of a small hill. Large boulders littered the slope, creating a natural barrier that would be difficult for anynd-based creature to cross. Dys brought the horde straight to the rocky slope, leaping over arge section of the forest floor that had been marked with a wood branch sticking up from it.
Dys watched and waited as the demons charged her, their myriad terrible forms growing close. As the first of the demons crossed over the demarcation point, she smiled and waved one hand in salute.
¡°Surprise, motherfuckers!¡±
As soon as the demons set foot past the point marking the danger zone, powerful force traps were triggered. Some were spikes several feet in height, others wererger zones of phantom chains, and others were wider circles of many smaller, sharp and cruel spikes more akin to caltrops. No matter the case, as more and more demons passed over the line, more and more of A¡¯s force traps were triggered. The power of her traps were such that many demons died outright to the lethal traps while the ones who were caught in the chains were crushed by the demons following behind,pletely unable to get out of the way.
As the demons surged towards Dys, heedless of the danger or the deaths of their kin, the darkening forest was lit up by the crack of a lightning bolt. As Nora¡¯s staff-enhanced spell tore through dozens of demons in a single go, dozens more were blown to pieces as A tossed one of her explosion-modified force bolts into the mob.
By then, some of the demons had turned towards where the spells wereing from amidst the rocky terrain of the hill. However, as those demons rushed towards the rocks, many found themselves suddenly impaled or dismembered by nearly invisible swords and spears.
Wi and her soldiers, along with Stavros and his Reavers,shed out from their secure hiding spots amidst the boulders. With Sorcha¡¯s translucency spell masking their presence, the demons barely noticed that the martial forces were there. With brutal efficiency, the two groups put down the demons that approached the hill, protecting their backline while the mages rained down arcane death and destruction.
After a few heartbeats watching the gory show, Jadis noticed that a growing number of the demons were turning their attention away from her shining form and starting to head for the hill. Too many, in fact. Seeing that it was time to refresh the demon¡¯s interest in her, Dys flexed her powerful legs, then leapt into the air.
¡°Keep your fucking eyes on me!¡± Dys shouted at the demons as shended hard amidst the horde. ¡°I¡¯m the one you want!¡±
Dys moved like a wrecking ball, bowling over demons or crushing them underfoot as her Mirror Shine blinded them to all other enemies. Most turned away from the translucent, barely visible soldiers and mercenaries to focus on her. Acting as a distraction, she ran back the way she came, rushing through the slower bramble fiends, grabbing all of their attention as well. Once she was sure she had enough following her, she ran back to the same killing field, dragging the demons behind her. Once again, the mages struck at the demons, killing dozens with each st of magical energy.
¡°I love it when a nes togeth¡ª¡±
Dys¡¯ words were cut off mid-sentence as a st of powerful wind tore into her. Blinded by the whirling snow and dust, she struggled to breathe as the very air in her lungs was sucked out of her. Reacting quickly, Dys hurled herself to one side, rolling head over heels across the ground toe up on one knee. Looking around, she quickly spotted the source of the miniature tornado that had been conjured around her.
An elf with light blue skin hovered fifty feet in the air over the killing field. His long silver hair twisted wildly in the wind, as did his tattered robes. He carried a staff in one hand, a strange silvery light shining from the crystalline head. His chest was exposed, revealing a gaping wound where the right side of his torso should have been. ck tentacles filled the space, creating a false body made from demonic flesh. For a brief moment, Dys saw an emerald green eye sh brightly under the tentacles before disappearing from sight.
¡°So d I found you,¡± the elf called out, an almost beatific smile on his drawn face. ¡°So d.¡±
Chapter 269: POV Smith
Chapter 269: POV Smith
Jadis¡¯ n looked like it was going to work.
Sabina wasn¡¯t a strategist. She didn¡¯t know a whole lot about fighting in general, actually. She knew how to make armor and weapons meant to protect and aid those who fought, but the actual fighting? That just wasn¡¯t something she had ever been good at or even interested in being good at. She¡¯d learned how to shoot a crossbow more as a means of self defense than anything, and even that she considered herself to only be fair or middling at. Still, even though she was no expert inbat and she certainly wasn¡¯t some warfare genius, she spent enough time around people who know the craft that she understood how to read a battlefield. To her eye, Jadis¡¯ n looked like it was going to work. At least, judging by how many demons were dying in such a short amount of time, Sabina felt like the battle was going well.
As her mind contemted the mass amount of demonic death and destruction going on below her, Sabina fired her crossbow into the mob of demons. She didn¡¯t really have to aim, not with so many of the terrible monsters packed close together. Every shot hit something, so she just kept loading and firing as fast as she could. Not that she was entirely sure her efforts were needed. A and Nora were absolutely devastating the demons with their magic attacks. A¡¯s explosions were particrly powerful since the boost they¡¯d gained from Jadis¡¯ ritual that Jack had enhanced had brought her Arcane attribute up by thirty-two points. Sabina had seen high level mages from the capital cast their spells in the past and to her, A looked like she was close to matching their power, if she hadn¡¯t done so already.
Of course, A¡¯s power paled inparison to what Dys was doing down in that horde of demons.
It looked to Sabina as though Jadis didn¡¯t even need to swing her weapons at the lesser demons anymore. She just ran through the amassed enemy, knocking them to the side or crushing them under foot as she charged like an auroch through a tea shop. It didn¡¯t even look like the demons were capable of doing any damage to her, their ws and clubs and other appendages scraping uselessly against her cold me steel armor.
Sabina was so happy to see the armor she hadbored over for weeks was being put to good use. Even happier to see it was protecting Jadis so well. Super happy to see Jadis wearing it. Maybe she was just content to see Jadis geared in the armor she had crafted. Though, she was also quite happy to see Jadis when she wasn¡¯t wearing her armor. Or anything at all. Was that a contradiction?
Sabina shook her head, tossing the errant thoughts aside as she fired another bolt down into the horde from her position on top of the hill. So far, none of the demons had managed to make it past all the defenders at the bottom of the hill, but Sabina was still a little nervous that something could manage to get by and attack them. She absolutely didn¡¯t want to get caught off guard by a bramble fiend or something worse leaping out from the underbrush. Having Gunnar guarding the wagon nearby helped ay some of her concerns. The cover she¡¯d been given in the form of being partially invisible also helped settle her nerves, too. Sorcha¡¯s translucency spell really made the whole business of being near a battlefield much easier for Sabina.
Speaking of, Sabina looked back over her shoulder at the nice little witch. Sorcha was a little further back than her, closer to the wagon. Per Jadis¡¯ n, the Behemoth had been parked on the top of the hill protected from view by a stand of trees. At the bottom of the hill were all the melee fighters, like Wi and Thea, as well as that nasty Stavros and his smuggler mercenaries. Not all of them, though. That horrible woman who had wielded the scythe was still tied up in the soldier¡¯s wagon, as was the soldier who Jadis had captured down in the tunnels, Jonas. Those two were being watched by Gunnar since neither could be trusted. A and Nora were about halfway up the hill, protected from attacks but still well within range for their spells to hit the demons. Eir was with A and Nora too, using her healing on anyone who needed it. Kerr and Bridget weren¡¯t on the hill at all, though. They were¡
A bone-shaking roar echoed from the clearing to their east. Sabina tried not to think too hard about the terrifying ice dragon Jadis and the others were fighting over there. She didn¡¯t want to have to change her pants.
Checking on Sorcha, Sabina saw that the witch didn¡¯t have the samepunctions that she did. Sorcha¡¯s big green eyes werepletely focused in the direction of the dragon, her partially invisible head poking out from behind the front of the wagon. The goblin was sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, right under where Alex hung in its ss cage. Sabina supposed she could understand Sorcha¡¯s interest, it wasn¡¯t often one would get the chance to see a dragon up close, much less a truly colossal specimen like that one. Also, it wasn¡¯t as though Sorcha had much to do anymore but watch, anyway. The goblin had used almost all of her magic reserves up casting the translucency spell on most of the fighters. Plus, her remaining wands weren¡¯t really all that useful for the kind of fight that they were in. If she still had that paralyzing wand, then maybe she¡¯d be of some help. But since Kerr had broken that wand, and Sorcha was low on magic anyway, she had been ordered to just stay back with the wagon and out of the way. That also made sense to Sabina. It wasn¡¯t as though Sorcha could just drink some of Jadis¡¯ cum and refill her magic reserves.
That was a weird ability, now that Sabina thought about it. Why would drinking Jadis¡¯ seed restore magic power? Sure, it tasted good with how sweet it was, so Sabina herself had no trouble consuming it at all, but how would a ss evene about that encouraged drinking someone¡¯s seminal fluids? Or did she actually have to drink it? Sabina had seen that A¡¯s body seemed to just absorb Jadis¡¯ seed whenever the Nephilim orgasmed inside of her vagina, refilling her reserves that way. Did that mean A couldn¡¯t get pregnant if Jadis tried to inseminate her since all of her seed would be absorbed by A¡¯s odd skill? Or did that absorption only happen when A was low on magic? Did that mean A would have to make sure her reserves were topped off first if she were ever to try and be pregnant by Jadis? Was A interested in having Jadis¡¯ child? Sabina wasn¡¯t sure if she was, but she knew Eir was. Maybe she should ask after the battle was over, since if the mage was interested, the mechanics of her skill should probably be figured out first since it could react weirdly with any attempts. Or did none of that matter since Jadis had a skill that could increase the certainty of a sessful insemination?
Sabina¡¯s admittedly distracted thoughts were interrupted by sudden screams. Since she wasn¡¯t paying attention, she wasn¡¯t entirely sure what had been shouted, but quickly looking around she spotted the problem.
There, hovering about the horde of demons, was an elf that Sabina didn¡¯t recognize. The man carried an enchanted staff which meant that he was probably a wizard or a sorcerer and¡ª
A sudden st of wind threw Sabina off of her feet. Shended with a grunt on her back, her head spinning. Squinting against the torrent of powerful wind, she saw that the elf was pointing his staff down at the hill, pouring an incredible amount of power into a gust spell of some kind that was blowing them around as badly as the dragon¡¯s wings had. As Sabina tried to struggle to her feet, she saw one of A¡¯s force bolts shoot up towards the mage.
Before the arcanist¡¯s spell hit, the wind mage shot to the side, dodging the spellpletely. The way he moved was disturbing, almost like a marite being pulled along by its strings. His whole body jerked and twisted with no regard for the pain it would have felt from such a maneuver, but the elf didn¡¯t seem to care. He just continued to smile as he pointed his staff towards them, pouring out his powerful magic at them.
Dropping her crossbow, the weapon would be useless against a wind mage, Sabina braced herself against the gale and looked for Dys. She was sure that Jadis would be able to handle the possessed elf. With how much she weighed in all of her armor, even a hurricane couldn¡¯t knock her over.
Sabina¡¯s heart fell when she spotted her Nephilim friend. Dys was still down amidst the demons and she was struggling. A miniature tornado was following her around, enveloping her within its wind walls. Every time she dashed out of it, the tornado would follow her, obscuring her from sight. Sabina didn¡¯t know if the magic was hurting Dys, but she was certain that it wasn¡¯t good for her. At the least, it was preventing her from seeing and moving how she wanted to. The demons were also starting to turn away from Dys, the distraction she had provided being lost. More and more were starting to attack the defenders at the bottom of the hill. Their numbers had been greatly reduced, but with so many still left and the elf¡¯s magic wind pushing against all of the fighters, Sabina could tell that the tide was turning against them.
A thunderbolt arced from the hill to the floating elf, a peal of thunder echoing with the st. The elf wasn¡¯t able to dodge the much faster spell, but it didn¡¯t hit it either. The bolt mmed into a shield that had formed around the mage, sickly green light emanating from the magic. It didn¡¯t look like the bolt had done any damage, but what it did do was interrupt the possessed elf¡¯s gale force winds. Sabina stumbled forward, the wind she had been bracing herself against disappearing in an instant. It was the unexpected stumble forward that saved her neck from being sliced in two.
A blood red crescent spun just over Sabina¡¯s head, the scything magic clipping a bit of her curly ck hair off.
¡°Wha¡ªwhat!?¡± Sabina stuttered as she spun around to look back towards the wagon.
The crazy Reaver woman stood by the wagon, her wicked scythe clutched in her right hand. Blood dripped from both the de of the weapon and her other empty hand. Sabina could see that her limp left hand was torn, ragged, and broken, while her right hand still had the steel manacle hanging from her wrist. She had none of her armor, just the simple clothes she had been wearing since she¡¯d been captured, but the ropes that had tied her arms and legs were gone, as was the gag that had been put in her mouth.
¡°Hold still you fucking cunt!¡± She screeched as she brandished her scythe again, blood swirling around it.
Sabina backed away, tripping over her own feet as she scrambled to put distance between her and the mad woman. She desperately searched for Gunnar and Sorcha, confused about where they were and how the dangerous criminal could have gotten loose. Had she broken her own hand to pull it free of the manacle?
Falling to the ground, Sabina¡¯s eyes caught sight of a formying at the woman¡¯s feet. Gunnar. Hey face down, unmoving. His arm¡ªhis arm was gone, blood pooling beneath the gaping wound of his severed shoulder.
Sabina tore her eyes away from the gruesome sight, looking for Sorcha. Where was she? She had just been at the wagon. Surely¡ surely, she hadn¡¯t¡ª
Her horrid suspicions were interrupted as the crazed smuggler waved her scythe at Sabina again. Another spinning de of blood surged forth from it, heading straight for her. Frantic, she rolled across the ground, trying to dodge the attack. As she rolled, she felt the bite of something sharp and hot cut against her right arm. Sabina stifled a cry of pain as she felt fresh blood well up from a wound. As she clutched at her arm, she felt that she could still move it, but the pain was awful and the blood¡ªthere was so much blood¡
¡°That¡¯s right, bleed for me,¡± the mad womanughed as she stumbled towards Sabina on unsteady legs. ¡°Bleed ¡®til you¡¯re dry. Then I¡¯ll make the rest of you bitches bleed, especially those fucking giants!¡±
Sabina looked around, screaming for help, but she knew even as the cries left her lips that it was pointless. She could already hear the shouts of people fighting for their lives further down the hill. Even worse, the wind mage¡¯s magic had started up again, the howling winds overpowering most other sounds.
¡°H¡ªhelp!¡± Sabina still shouted, her mind racing, trying to think of something, anything she could do.
But she wasn¡¯t a fighter. She was a smith. What
could she do?
Abruptly, as the mad woman raised her scythe, having closed the short distance between her and Sabina, she slowed. Not in hesitation or fear or by any other natural means. No, her body slowed as though she were fighting to move through a morass of mud. It was almost as though she were fighting against her own muscles, straining to step forward.
Wide eyed, Sabina nced to the side and caught a glimpse of a translucent green form hiding behind one of the giant wagon wheels.
¡°Run!¡± Sorcha screamed at her as she brandished one of her wands at the bloody woman, the one that was made of reeds and snail shells. ¡°Get away!¡±
The mad mercenary¡¯s bloodshot eyes bulged as she turned her head towards the witch. She snarled, her teeth bared in a fierce visage of promised violence. She turned, her body moving at half the speed it should have been, but still fast and growing faster as she fought back against the magic slowing her. Sabina could see Sorcha¡¯s hand shaking as she backed away, trying to maintain a direct line of sight while still keeping as much distance between her and the frenzied killer as possible.
She had to do something. For her own sake, for Sorcha¡¯s sake, for everyone¡¯s sake. The scythe wielding Reaver had to be stopped before her de could draw anyone else¡¯s blood.
Scrambling forward with desperate resolve, Sabina grabbed the oversized crossbow she had crafted herself so many weeks ago. Heedless of her own blood slicking her hands, she hefted the weapon to her chest, aimed, and fired at the woman who was trying to kill her and all her friends.
The bolt struck the woman in her right forearm, the one holding the scythe upraised to strike at Sorcha. The force of the bolt carried through, prating straight through her arm and into her shoulder, pinning the limb in ce as a terrible scream was ripped from the reaver¡¯s mouth. Sabina could actually see the steel bolt head sticking up out of the woman¡¯s shoulder, dripping red.
In the next moment, the crazed woman suddenly sped up, as though she had broken through a barrier. Sorcha stumbled back, the wand dropping from her hand as though it were made of hot iron.
¡°
Fucking bitches!¡± the reaver screeched in pain and rage.
Sabina watched, horrified, as the mad woman tore her pinned arm away from her body, seeming not to care in the slightest that she was doing terrible damage to her flesh. She shed forward, swiping her scythe at Sorcha as the goblin tried to escape by quickly rolling back behind the wagon wheels for cover. Sabina heard a screame from under the wagon, signaling that Sorcha hadn¡¯t moved fast enough.
The reaver whirled, her face pale but alight with wild fury and mad satisfaction. Blood dripped from her arms, from her scythe, and from her clenched teeth. Her eyes shone with unholy pleasure as she raised her weapon towards Sabina.
¡°Now it¡¯s your¡ª¡±
Her words were cut off as a dark form suddenly wrapped itself around her head from behind.
¡°
Ah!
Wha¡ª
no!
Get off¡ª¡±
The mad reaver¡¯s panicked screams were muffled, thenpletely choked off as ck tentacles invaded her mouth, silencing her. More tentacles wrapped around her neck and shoulders, squeezing and constricting. As she tried to bring her scythe to bear against her own head, more tentacles wrapped around her arms, holding them tight against her body in an impossibly strong and deadly embrace. The woman stumbled as her bloodshot eyes bulged, struggling to free herself from the tentacles that were wrapping around more and more of her body. She mmed against the side of the wagon, bouncing off and spinning around. A bright, azure blue eye shed on the back of her head, its gaze meeting Sabina¡¯s.
¡°
Alex?¡± Sabina gasped, staring at the sight in horror.
In what was possibly one of the most confusingly terrifying sights Sabina had ever witnessed in her entire life, one of Alex¡¯s tentacles, now much, much longer than they had been thest time she¡¯d seen the demon resting in its small ss cage, raised up towards her. The tentacle flexed and wiggled in a small but undeniable wave.
The constricted reaver stumbled away, her upper body almostpletely wrapped up by Alex¡¯s tentacles that had, through means Sabina didn¡¯t want to think about, had grown to much, muchrger proportions. With her scythe constricted against her, the bloody mad woman jerked away from the wagon, her legs carrying her off into the snow-covered woods. In the space of a few heartbeats, she and Alex were gone, disappearing into the gloom of the trees in twilight.
¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think A¡¯s going to like that,¡± Sabina breathed out.
Before her mind could wander too far in the direction of how she was going to tell everyone about what she¡¯d seen, the pain of her bleeding arm reminded Sabina of more pressing concerns. Struggling up to her feet as she clutched at her wounded arm, Sabina rushed to the wagon. Passing by Gunnar¡¯s unmoving form, she ducked under the wagon, looking for her small green savior.
Sorcha was there, lying in a pool of blood. Her arms were clutching at a stump that had once been her left leg, the lower half below the knee lying a short distance away.
¡°Hey,¡± Sorcha managed to cough out around clenched teeth as she fought to keep from bleeding to death. ¡°Did I just see Eike get eaten by a demon?¡±
Sabina fell to her knees next to Sorcha and pulled her coat off. She used it to quickly make a tourniquet, wrapping it around the goblin¡¯s leg.
¡°Who¡¯s Eike?¡± Sabina asked as she worked.
¡°¡You¡¯re so fucking weird.¡±
Chapter 270: Dragon’s Blight
Chapter 270: Dragon¡¯s Blight
Jadis fought to take back control of the battlefield. It was crazy how much the situation had shifted from the appearance of just one spell caster. The damned possessed wind mage was making a bigger impact than she¡¯d expected, even ounting for the demon empowering him via possession. Jadis hadn¡¯t made the stupid assumption that just because the caster¡¯s magic was wind based that meant that he would be weak. There was no way a wizard got to level eighty-five by being
weak. Besides, Jadis could think of a lot of examples of just how destructive wind could be. She just hadn¡¯t expected to have a literal fucking
tornado following her around the battlefield.
Every time Dys rolled or sprinted out of the twister¡¯s grasp, it moved to wrap her back up in its blinding winds. Dys was alone, separated from her other selves. She couldn¡¯t rely on other eyes to see and the mage¡¯s spell was making it near impossible to tell what was going on around her. The snow and dust obscured all vision and bit at her watering eyes while the howling winds made it so she couldn¡¯t hear anything but the loudest booms of A and Nora¡¯s spells.
There was one small boon to the cyclone, however. The wizard¡¯s magics were indiscriminate in who they struck. As Dys darted around the battlefield, dragging the tornado along with her, the winds tore at the demons with far more devastating effect than they did against Dys. Determined to do what she could to thin the horde, Dys purposefully crashed through anywhere and everywhere she could figure the biggest clumps of demons were. She¡¯d have to rely on A and the others to take out the wind mage, though.
The battle by the hill wasn¡¯t Jadis¡¯ only concern at the moment.
¡°Fuck my fucking fuck!¡± Syd screamed as she was whipped around through the air while riding on the face of supremely pissed off ice dragon. ¡°I¡¯m going to fucking throw up!¡±
The dragon roared in response. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if the roar was in protest at the idea of her puking all over its face or just her existence in general, but either way it didn¡¯t sound happy.
¡°Noll!¡± Jay shouted from the ground below the dragon. ¡°Noll! Is it dead yet!?¡±
¡°You¡¯ll know when it¡¯s dead!¡± the old wolf shouted back, barely audible over the sound of the dragon¡¯s roar and crashing limbs. ¡°Focus on the fight!¡±
Jay dodged, flying yards to the right as one of dragon¡¯s massive paws swiped at her. Noll was right, she really didn¡¯t have the time to be asking stupid questions. She needed to focus on just staying alive.
The dragon was truly monstrous in power. Despite being big enough to swallow all three of her bodies whole with room to spare, the beast moved with incredible speed. There was nothing slow or ponderous about this kaiju. Worse, the ice part of the ice dragon wasn¡¯t just for show. Like its much smaller draconic kin, the ice dragon was exuding a constant aura of extreme cold. The freezing temperature sapped away at her strength while also frosting over her armor, making it more difficult to move the longer she remained in close proximity.
Thanks to her tenuous position, she was really wishing Syd had worn some fuzzy underwear.
ncing inward to check her status sheet, Jadis saw that her health had dropped by a little more than two hundred points. She¡¯d taken enough damage to kill Eir nearly twice over just by being near the damned dragon. She hadn¡¯t even been hit by the beast yet. Jadis had to remember to thank Jack once the fight was over for warning them about the power of the dragon¡¯s frozen aura. If any of her less-beefypanions hade close to the dragon to fight, they would have been killed before Jadis had time to do anything about it.
Speaking of herpanions, Jadis figured the time hade to get at least one more involved.
Rapidly dashing backwards and away from the dragon, Jay rushed towards the tree line with every ounce of speed she had in her. In heartbeats she was back to the point where one of the massive trees had been cut down to trap the dragon. ncing westward, she could see the fight where her other self was bogged down with the demons and the swirling winds of the possessed mage. For a moment she was tempted to run over there and quickly deal with the wizard and some of the demons, but she resisted the urge. Her Jay and Syd selves needed to get rid of the demon trying to possess the dragon first or everything they were doing would be for nothing.
¡°We need your extra damage,¡± Jay said as she slid to a stop next to Bridget. ¡°You ready?¡±
Blue arcane mes burst to life in Bridget¡¯sntern as she clutched the weapon in both hands.
¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± she nodded once.
Without another word Jay swept the orc warrior up in one arm and sped back towards the dragon. She could see that it was already starting to shake off the trees pinning it, their bark and wood frosting over and breaking apart into brittle pieces. Jadis hadn¡¯t wanted to risk Bridget¡¯s life in the initial assault since she hadn¡¯t been sure how well it would go or if she would have even been needed, but now she wished she¡¯d carried the woman on her back. They clearly didn¡¯t have long before the dragon would be free, less than a minute by her best guess.
¡°Noll!¡± Jay yelled as she neared the side of the dragon. ¡°Catch!¡±
With a grunt of exertion, Jay leapt twenty feet into the air and hurled Bridget up towards the dragon¡¯s neck.
Bridget streaked through the winter sky like aet, her blue me zing. The dragon, distracted by the Nephilimtched onto its face, failed to notice the burning orcish projectile. Jay watched just long enough to see Noll catch the brave warrior before she turned and sprinted to the right, hammer swinging.
Steel met scales as Jay¡¯s weapon impacted the wed paw of the frenzied dragon. She heard a crack like a boulder being split and saw that her attack had broken at least one bone in the dragon¡¯s hand, maybe more.
With a screech the dragon¡¯s head snapped down towards its injured paw, jaws filled with spear-long teeth glinting in the dying light. Jay barely managed to dodge out of the way before that colossal maw snapped shut where her upper body had been half a second before.
¡°Shut up you stupid lizard!¡± Syd shouted as she punched the side of the dragon¡¯s snout. ¡°We¡¯re trying to help you, D damn it!¡±
Jay followed up the punch with an upward swing of her war hammer that connected with the dragon¡¯s lower jaw. The beast¡¯s head snapped back, reeling from the blow like a punch-drunk boxer.
Out of the corner of her eyes, Jay noticed a bright sh of zing light. Taking her eyes off of the dragon¡¯s head for a moment, she saw that Bridget had struck the demon¡¯s shield with her il, its arcane light causing the demon¡¯s shield to glow. Next to her, Noll began shing at the shield again, his sword cutting through the magic protection now that the damage had been enhanced by Bridget¡¯s bespelled blow.
A quavering shriek roiled up out of the dragon¡¯s throat as the ck blood of the demon began to flow, pouring out from the wounds that Noll was inflicting.
In the same moment, an arcing arrow sped through the air and struck the exposed demon. Kerr¡¯s powerful shot buried the arrow deep into the dark flesh of the demon, so deep that even the fletching disappeared.
¡°Nice!¡± Jay shouted in triumph. ¡°It can¡¯t take much¡ª¡±
Her exhtions were cut short by a bellowing wail that erupted from the dragon. Like a bucking horse, it lifted itself high, tossing the huge trees from its back as it reared up on its hind legs. Its long, sinewy tail whipped out behind it, cracking like a whip as it tore trees to shreds. Its wings spread wide, knocking against the trees hemming it in as it stretched its neck to the skies. All Syd could do was hold on for dear life as the dragon roared in agonizing pain.
Head ringing, she searched for Noll and Bridget. She spotted them hanging off of the dragon¡¯s shoulder, Bridget clutching onto Noll¡¯s leg as he hung with his ws dug into icy scales.
Quickly checking her most recent status sheet notifications, Jadis saw nothing to tell her that the demon trying to possess the dragon was dead. Looking at the still wriggling tentacles confirmed it. Whatever the damage they¡¯d done, it hadn¡¯t been enough. Now it seemed the demon was trying to incite the dragon to some greater action. Or it was trying to take the beast with it.
Icy breath spewed forth from the dragon¡¯s mouth, a torrent of freezing wind and snow that easily overshadowed what the heavens were producing in the moment. The cold rained down around them, the temperature noticeably dropping even though the dragon¡¯s head was pointing away from Jay. Even Dys, a couple of hundred yards away could feel the change.
Then, the dragon fell forward,nding on its front legs. It continued to exhale its deadly ice breath, freezing trees before it as its head lowered.
Jadis couldn¡¯t let that ice breath turn towards the battle to the west. The dragon would freeze everyone and everything, demon and man alike. Her friends were over there. Her lovers. Her loves.
¡°
God fucking damn it!¡± Syd cried out as Jay did the same, both parts of Jadis acting in tandem.
Rushing forward, Jay mmed her war hammer down on the dragon¡¯s wed paw, crushing a finger. However, that was only the triggering attack. In the next instant, Syd reared back and mmed hernce down into the top of the dragon¡¯s long muzzle. Hernce pierced the stony scales and crunched through the bone, prating all the way through the dragon¡¯s flesh toe out of the top of the beast¡¯s mouth. The raging cold of the dragon¡¯s icy breath flowed back up thence in an instant, turning it so cold Syd lost all feeling in her hands.
The torrent of dragon breath ceased as the dragon¡¯s head recoiled in pain. In that same moment, two things happened. First, Syd¡¯snce, frozen to a supernatural degree, shattered like ss. Her numb hands iling at the sudden and unexpected loss of stability, Syd lost her bnce on the dragon¡¯s head. It whipped its neck to the side and she went flying, tumbling through the air with no sense of where she was even going.
The second thing was the dragon¡¯s injured pawshed out, backhanding Jay before she could dodge out of the way. With a force Jadis had no experience topare to, Jay hurtled backwards across the clearing. She ricocheted off of several trees, bark and wood flying as her armored body tore through the forest before mming into a boulder sticking up out of the ground. The boulder was crushed by the impact, stone splinters flying everywhere, but it did stop her momentum.
Jadis barely even had the time to contemte what had happened to her Jay self before her Syd self crashed into severalrge tree branches. She was still alive, at least, so Syd clutched at those branches in an effort to stop her fall. One branch was thick and strong enough to support her weight and she found herself dangling upside-down with her legs wrapped around a bough seventy or so feet in the air. Still reeling, Syd twisted around, trying to catch sight of where she had ended up.
As Syd half turned around, her vision was filled with the sight of an immense, scaly head only twenty or so feet away from her. Blood poured out from its open jaws as it focused on her, pure malice filling its red eyes as it regarded the creature that had inflicted so much pain upon it.
¡°You¡¯re not going to ept that I did that for your own good, are you?¡± Syd called out weakly.
A hiss like a thousand angry snakes had fused into one filled the air.
¡°Didn¡¯t think so.¡±
As the dragon¡¯s head reared back in preparation to strike her, a small sh of movement flitted out of the trees to the left of the colossal beast. As the world seemed to slow down, Syd saw that the small, almost insignificant thing was an arrow. An arrow exactly like the kind that Kerr used. Her eyes tracked the projectile in its flight, following it as is streaked through the open air towards the base of the dragon¡¯s long neck.
There was a brief moment where Syd lost all sight of the arrow, her vision blocked by the dragon¡¯s gaping maw as it closed towards her.
|
Congrattions!
Divine Dragon¡¯s Blight Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Greater Demon Spawn of Samleos.
|
Syd flinched as the dragon¡¯s eyes went nk, nictitating eyelids covering the red orbs. The dragon faltered, its huge toothy snout brushing past her, knocking against the tree she was precariously dangling in. The dragon copsed, falling to the ground in a rumbling heap that shook the clearing.
The thick branch that Syd had wrapped her legs around bobbed, creaked, then cracked.
¡°Oh shi¡ª¡±
Syd¡¯s exmation was cut off as the bough snapped and she plummeted through the air once more.
Chapter 271: Rescuing the Princess
Chapter 271: Rescuing the Princess
As Syd fell from the boughs of the tree with all the grace of a dead goose, Jadis contemted the likelihood of her survival. Looking at her status sheet wasn¡¯t a great deal offort.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary ss: Mirror Knight (30)
Secondary ss: Perverted Ritualist of D (23)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 53
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Health: 226/1300
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Magic: 310/310
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Attributes
|
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Strength: 214
Dexterity: 60
Agility: 254
Vitality: 100
Fortitude: 70
Endurance: 72
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 254
Focus: 1
Resilience: 30
Will: 5
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She had lost more than a thousand health points since the battle against the dragon had started. A
thousand health points. The average person would have died ten times over from the amount of damage she¡¯d taken from the dragon, yet she was still kicking. Well, she was also fighting demons and a possessed wind mage, lying in a crumpled heap somewhere in the forest, and falling from a very tall tree. She wasn¡¯t just healthier than the average person, she was a lot more diversified.
The seventy or so feet she was falling was going to hurt. A lot. She could jump to incredible heights with her increased Strength and Agility, but that didn¡¯t mean thending would be any gentler for her. Still, with her armor and Fortitude, Jadis was fairly certain that she could survive the fall. Probably. But how much health would she have left after thending? Not much, by her estimate. In the best-case scenario, if she had a hundred health left after hitting the ground, she would stillnd directly next to the ice dragon.
The ice dragon that exuded a constant aura of freezing cold that had already proven more than enough to sap her health in a very short amount of time.
Jadis rapidly went over possibilities, her mind working overtime as she plummeted in slow motion. She needed to find a way to lessen the impact of her fall. Dys was too far away to get to Syd in time to catch her. Jay¡ Jay was in a sorry state. Jadis wasn¡¯t even sure if that self could stand, much less run. The pine branches rushing by her were either just out of reach, or too small to hold her armored weight.
Well, fuck. She was just going to have to stick thending and hope she could sprint away from the knocked-out dragon in time to not die from its radiating cold.
As Jadis girded her resolve for what was likely going to be the most dangerous five seconds of her life to date, she felt a presence nearing Syd. It wasn¡¯t the dragon. She was still trying to right her descent and was staring at the quickly approaching beast lying on the forest floor. She didn¡¯t sense the malicious blood thirst of a demon, either. No, the thing nearing her felt¡ familiar. Familiar and decidedly grumpy.
Noll¡¯s thick arms wrapped around Syd¡¯s waist and under the back of her legs, catching her as she was about thirty feet from the ground. The force of their collision made both of them grunt as his trajectory brought her away from the dragon. In a moment of mental dissonance, Jadis found herself, for the first time in her life, being princess carried by someone who wasn¡¯t her own self.
With an audible crunch, Nollnded on the ground some twenty or so feet away from the dragon¡¯s copsed form with Syd held in his arms.
¡°Uh¡ª¡± Syd breathed out, still taken off guard.
Noll let out a tired huff, his breath misting in the frozen air.
¡°I¡¯m too old for this shit,¡± he grumbled before abruptly dropping Syd onto the ground.
Syd scrambled up to her feet with a lot of mixed feelings. She settled on the most important one. Gratitude.
¡°Thanks, Noll,¡± she said sincerely, turning to face the grizzled veteran. ¡°You really saved me there. Truly, thank you.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he grunted, visibly taking some effort to pull his feet out of the ground where they had sunk six inches deep into the frozen dirt. ¡°You¡¯re my student.¡±
¡°¡Yeah. I wasn¡¯t expecting my first princess carry toe from you, but I guess I shouldn¡¯tin, huh.¡±
Noll stared at Syd, his yellow eyes narrowing slightly.
¡°¡Aren¡¯t there more important things to think about right now, like how your team and the rest of your bodies are doing?¡±
¡°Right!¡± Syd said, awkwardness raising the octave of her voice. ¡°My Jay self is kind of fucked up at the moment, but as long as one of me gets to Eir, she should be able to heal me up. Also, that wind elf wizard over there is really screwing things up for us. Need to deal with that little shit.¡±
Syd paused for a moment, looking around.
¡°Also, where¡¯s Bridget?¡±
¡°Other side of the dragon,¡± Noll hooked a thumb over his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll go get her and meet you by the fighting.¡±
¡°Okay, sounds good,¡± Syd nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s clean this mess up before the rest of those demons Jack is distracting right now figure out we¡¯re here.¡±
With no more to say between them, Syd and Noll rushed off, each heading for their own respective targets.
Jay really was messed up. She definitely had some broken bones and probably a concussion, Jadis realized. She was also a fair distance away from the rest of her bodies, which was putting a small but noticeable strain on her mental connection. Ideally, she¡¯d get her injured self up and running closer to the other two, but Jay was too wounded to move. Instead, Syd ran for Dys and herpanions so she could make sure everyone was safe as well as get some healing from Eir. Since she wasn¡¯t going anywhere anytime soon anyway, Jadis transferred all the various injuries that Dys and Syd had sustained to Jay, giving both bodies some relief.
Approaching the horde at a dead sprint, Syd remembered she had no weapon, hernce having been shattered by the downed dragon. The loss stung; she¡¯d really liked thatnce. But ultimately Syd didn¡¯t need the steel weapon. She was a weapon unto herself.
Barreling down on the demons with her Knight¡¯s Daring Charge, Syd crashed through the unsuspecting abominations with the full force of her many-time-multiplied stats.
There was a blur of crushed bones, trampled vines, and devastated flesh. For a brief instant, a whirling cyclone passed by on Syd¡¯s left. In the next moment, Syd was through to the other side of the mob of monsters, sliding to a halt in front of surprised Jockel. The fat man had his spiked chain wrapped around the neck of a boar-like wretch and was in the process of choking the iling creature. At her sudden appearance, his grip loosened and the demon slipped free, whirling around to sh at the Reaver with its protruding bone ws.
Syd pped her hands together, making sure the wretch¡¯s head was positioned squarely between them. The hapless demon¡¯s head popped like an overripened tomato before copsing to the ground in a twitching heap.
¡°The dragon is demon free,¡± Syd announced. ¡°Get ready to pull back.¡±
Jockel wiped the demon blood from his eyes, grimacing at the stinking liquid that had just been sttered all over his face.
¡°Yeah, sure, I¡¯ll get right on that.¡±
Syd batted away another couple of demons that had charged up behind her, crushing them with powerful blows from her gauntleted fists before dashing away from the man. She didn¡¯t feel the need to spend more time talking to the repugnant smuggler than necessary. At least he hadn¡¯t tried to run, though, which she supposed was at least one point in the guy¡¯s favor. Sweeping a nce over the line of soldiers and Reavers mixed among the boulders, it didn¡¯t look like any of the Reavers had tried to flee. Not yet, anyway. A good decision on their part. She¡¯d hate to have to waste time chasing any of them down once the fight was over.
Thea looked to be doing well, as did Wi and the rest of her soldiers. All were fighting as a team, putting down any demons that strayed from the chaos of Dys and the cyclone following her. They were doing a good job of keeping the demons away from the slopes of the hill, using the craggy boulders as a kind of wall defense as well as cover. Still, Jadis hoped to end the fight soon. They couldn¡¯t keep fighting so many demons forever.
Dashing up the hill, Syd found where A and Nora were. It was easy enough to spot them, especially when they were casting their spells. She expected to find Eir with them, but the priestess wasn¡¯t there.
¡°Is the dragon dead?¡± A asked without preamble beforeunching another force bolt into the horde. ¡°I saw it copse.¡±
¡°Just knocked out cold, I think,¡± Syd answered. ¡°The demon is definitely dead though. Where¡¯s Eir?¡±
¡°Up the hill,¡± A motioned with one hand before going for her enchanted canteen. ¡°Something happened.¡±
Syd frowned, but didn¡¯t bother peppering A with questions, not when she was focused on clearing the battlefield of demons. Instead, Syd made her way to the wagon with all the speed she had to find out the answer for herself. What she found did not please her.
¡°What the fuck!?¡± Syd cried out, seeing Eir kneeling on the ground next to a motionless Gunnar.
The elf had her eyes closed and was muttering a prayer, her hand on the blue elf¡¯s chest. Healing power glowed between them, but the soldier¡¯s condition remained unchanging. His arm had been cut off; the limb was pressed up against his shoulder but the cut was obvious. Next to the two of them sat Sabina, cradling a pale Sorcha. The goblin was clearly in a lot of pain, but more than that, Syd could see that where her left foot should have been was nothing but a freshly healed but still raw-looking stump.
¡°I¡¯m sorry Jadis,¡± Sabina said quietly, looking up at Syd with sad eyes as she hugged the goblin to her chest. ¡°Alex is gone.¡±
¡°
What!?¡± Syd cried out again, Sabina¡¯s sentence making no sense to her whatsoever. ¡°Did¡ªdid Alex do this!?¡±
¡°No, no!¡± Sabina said, twitching like she was going to stand. The movement made Sorcha groan pitifully, though, so she immediately settled back down. ¡°Alex saved us! That prisoner, the one with the scythe¡ª¡±
¡°Eike,¡± Sorcha rified weakly.
¡°Right! Eike,¡± Sabina nodded. ¡°She broke free of her restraints. She killed Gunnar. Or, I think she killed Gunnar, maybe not? Eir would know better. She cut off Sorcha¡¯s leg though and she would have killed me too, but Alex stopped her and¡ª¡±
¡°Wait, wait,¡± Syd cut her babbling friend off. ¡°Alex stopped Eike? How? Where are they?¡±
¡°Oh, ah, I don¡¯t know,¡± Sabina said, looking around the wagon. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how, but Alex got out of the cage and got, uh, bigger, I guess. Last I saw it was wrapped around Eike¡¯s head while she stumbled off into the woods over that way. I¡¯m not sure where either are now.¡±
That¡ that was a lot to process. Jadis didn¡¯t even know where to start. Well, looking at Eir and Gunnar, she did know where to start. As much as she wanted to ask Sabina for more information about exactly what had gone down, she couldn¡¯t waste time on that. She needed to get healing from Eir as quickly as possible and then get back into the fight. But first, she needed to let her elf lover do what she had to do for Gunnar.
¡°Is he going to make it?¡± Syd asked, kneeling down next to Eir and the unmoving soldier.
The priestess made no response, only continuing to chant under her breath as she channeled healing energy into Gunnar. Syd watched and waited, not pressing her lover further while she worked, but the sounds of battle made her tense, never mind the issues she was dealing with from her other bodies.
A loud roar made Syd turn her head to look back down the hill. She saw Noll was there now, as was Bridget. She could see the orc¡¯s blue me shining brightly in the growing gloom of the twilight shadows. Noll had leapt into the air to cut at the annoying wind mage, but a strange beast had appeared in the sky and attacked him before he could get to the possessed elf.
The creature wasrge, maybe half-again asrge as a frost drake, but with long, thin, batlike wings instead of front legs. Its neck was long and its head was shaped oddly. Its long jaws looked oddly too wide for its body, but when it opened its mouth to snap at Noll, she saw that a second pair of inner jawsshed out from within, trying to grasp at the mercenary with hooked teeth. The beast¡¯s scales were a shade of olive green and a row of long ck spikes jutted out from its spine, going all the way down the length of its sinewy tail.
That had to be one of the possessed ck-spined wyverns Jack had warned them about. The Fetch had said there were two of them, though where the second was Jadis couldn¡¯t see.
¡°Ah, praise Lyssandria,¡± Eir said with a relieved tone, drawing Syd¡¯s attention back to the elf.
Looking back down, Syd saw that Gunnar was breathing again, albeit shallowly. He was still very pale and his eyes were closed. Worse, it didn¡¯t look like his arm had reattached. Jadis wasn¡¯t even sure how that worked with magical healing, but she¡¯d have to ask Eir about itter.
¡°He¡¯ll live?¡± Syd asked, drawing Eir¡¯s eyes up to hers.
¡°Yes, he should,¡± the elf nodded, her voice strained. ¡°A miracle, truly.¡±
¡°That¡¯s my Eir, the miracle worker,¡± Syd said, a lot of feeling burning behind those words. She raised the visor on her helmet and gave her lover a quick kiss on the cheek. ¡°Can you work more wonders for me, please? I¡¯m nearly out of health right now.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Eir said, already putting her hands on Syd, their healing magic washing through her. ¡°How goes the fight?¡±
¡°The demon possessing the dragon is dead. A lot of the demons down the hill are dead, too. Maybe a fourth of them are left, but I¡¯m worried more might being. We need to start pulling back to our fallback position soon.¡±
Eir nodded, her face a mask of concentration as she pumped healing magic into Syd. Without even looking at her status sheet, Jadis could feel the difference the priestess¡¯ healing was making on her other two bodies, especially Jay. Soon, she¡¯d be back to full health and then all three of her selves would work with the others to clear thest of the demons attacking them off the face of Oros. Then they could all fall back to the prearranged defensive spot and¡ª
A terrible yet familiar sensation ran up Dys¡¯ spine as she dodged around the battlefield, still grappling with the tornado effect blinding her. Juking out from one way to another, she left the cyclone behind for a moment. Long enough to see a sickly yellow-green glow emanating from the body of dead demons lying at her feet. In fact, that horribly familiar glow was emanating from all the demon corpses scattered across the forest floor around her in arge radius.
¡°Everyone,
DOWN!¡± Dys screamed as she dashed out of the killing field.
Two secondster and the world exploded, the bodies of the hundreds of dead demons rupturing in a noxious cloud of blood, meat, and bone shrapnel. Dys stumbled from the st, most of it hitting her back as she leapt clear of the bloody explosion,nding somewhere to the north of the battlefield. As she caught herself, armored boots skidding in the snow, she raised her head to see an old enemy emerging from the forest shadows, its awful face greeting her with a wide rictus that had haunted her nightmares for months.
¡°
You¡¡± Dys snarled, her eyes meeting the dead orbs of the Twisted Wretch Matriarch. ¡°I¡¯ve been hoping I¡¯d run into you onest time.¡±
The matriarch only grinned in response.
Chapter 272: Change of Plans
Chapter 272: Change of ns
This wasn¡¯t part of the n.
Jack had not told her that there was a third demon matriarch in the area when he had described the forces surrounding the Dryads. So far as his intel had indicated, there should have only been the bramble fiend matriarch left alive since the nithetre matriarch was dead and no others had been seen. And yet, here the bitch was. A twisted wretch matriarch. No, not just any random one, this was
the twisted wretch matriarch. The same one from war. Jadis would have recognized the demonic abomination anywhere.
With the lower body of an elk and a man¡¯s skinless torso where the elk¡¯s neck should have been, the wretched matriarch looked like a parody of a dead centaur that had been left to rot in a pile of filth for a month or three. While the rancid creature looked almost identical to how it had in war when Jadis hadst seen it, there was one key difference that she noticed right away. The number of antlers on the demon¡¯s head had increased, creating a wider, branching tangle of bone that now held not only dripping entrails, but also three severed heads. The hair of the shriveled skulls had been used to tie them to the matriarch¡¯s antlers. While the facial features of the heads had been mostly erased due to putrefaction, at least one head was smaller than the others. What was left of its skin showed the lines of blue tattoo-like marks running across it.
A dawning recognition passed over Jadis, fanning the mes of her burning rage.
¡°Oh, you sick fucking freak,¡± Dys growled. ¡°I¡¯m going to¡ª¡±
Her words were cut off by the tornado enveloping her once again, but her anger was not. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure where the wretch matriarch hade from, and frankly she didn¡¯t care. She¡¯d been given a second chance to right a wrong that had been done when either fate or D had put her up against the demon when she wasn¡¯t yet ready to y it. Things had changed and she had grown a lot since theirst encounter. Now, Jadis was ready. She was going to kill that wretch.
¡°Change of ns. We can¡¯t leave yet. The twisted wretch matriarch just showed up on the field,¡± Syd announced, her voice hard as steel. ¡°I need to get down there and kill that thing.¡±
¡°Oh, gods,¡± Eir gasped, her face showing both fear and loathing at the mention of the detestable demon. ¡°Just another moment and I will have restored your health to full. I¡¯ve expended almost half of my magic reserves healing you and others so far, though. Please, be safe.¡±
¡°As safe as I can be,¡± Syd nodded, waiting a few extra seconds for Eir to top off her health.
Jay¡¯s wounds had mostly recovered, her broken and dislocated bones snapping back into ce. Her armor was a bit fucked, but she was already getting back on her feet, hefting her heavy war hammer over one shoulder. She¡¯d be back in the fight in mere moments. Syd still didn¡¯t have a weapon, but that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t fight. In fact, she could see arge log lying a little further down the hill. She¡¯d made do with less. Looking at the front line at the base of the hill, it seemed like most everyone was still on their feet and fighting. The corpse explosion had been devastating, but the soldiers and mercenaries had been fighting amongst the boulders for cover and they had had enough warning to get back. Most of them, anyway. Syd would need to take Eir back down the hill to heal the injured as soon as¡ª
A shadow, barely noticeable in the growing dark, passed over Syd¡¯s head, shook her out of her analysis of the battle. Looking up, Syd¡¯s heart leapt into her throat as she saw the second ck-spined wyvern descending upon her and the others with her.
With no time to warn the others, Syd roughly grabbled hold of Eir, Sabina, and Sorcha and threw them on top of Gunnar as she put her body over theirs. A half-secondter the possessed beast mmed into her armored back, nearly making her arms buckle from the impact. The others were screaming, but with the monster¡¯s scythe-like ws raking against her, Syd didn¡¯t have the time to spare to check on them.
Pushing back, Sydunched off of the ground, carrying the wyvern with her as it screeched in fury. The two of themnded awkwardly some feet away from herpanions in a tangle of legs, wings, and a spiked tail. Reaching blindly, Syd grabbed hold of any part or piece of the wyvern that she could and started squeezing and pulling. Chunks of scaled flesh came away in her hands as she literally ripped the beast into pieces while it let out a squealing shriek.
The strange, boxy jaws of the wyvern opened wide and grabbed hold of Syd¡¯s forearm, the inner jaws scraping uselessly against her thick armor. Wrapping her other arm around the creature¡¯s neck, Syd wrestled the wyvern, trying to break its spine. Wings, legs, and tail iled as she rolled across the ground with it, using her weight and strength to try and pin the creature. Screams came from herpanions nearby, but she couldn¡¯t see them, not with the wyvern getting in the way.
¡°Just. Fucking. Break!¡± Syd roared.
Getting one leg wrapped around the beast¡¯s torso, Syd yanked hard on the neck in her grip. A satisfying pop echoed as the possessed wyvern¡¯s body went abruptly limp. Releasing her hold, Syd scrambled to her feet. Just to be sure, she stomped her boot down on the head of the wyvern, crushing its skull with a sickening crunch.
¡°Is everyone okay?¡± Syd asked, turning to look at her friends.
Sabina was still holding onto Sorcha, the little goblin woman clutching onto the smith for dear life. Gunnar was shakily starting to sit up, his remaining arm clutching at his stump. Eir was¡ Eir was¡ª
The priestessy in the snow a few feet away from Sabina. One of the wyvern¡¯s long, ck tail spikes was pierced through her chest. Blood dripped from the tip of the spike where it stuck out from her back.
¡°
No!¡± Syd shrieked.
All three of Jadis¡¯ bodies froze in ce, terror gripping her hearts at the sight. As fear wed at her soul, Syd rushed over to her elven lover, copsing on the ground next to her.
¡°Hey, hey, Eir,¡± she called out, panic twisting her voice into knots. ¡°Wake up! You¡¯re okay, right? You can heal yourself, you¡¯re fine. Just wake up, just
wake up!¡±
Eir was still, eyes closed and chest unmoving as Syd gently cupped her face. She shook her, willing a response, but there was nothing. Tears streaming down her faces, Syd tore the helmet from her head and pressed her ear to Eir¡¯s lips to check for breathing. Nothing. She tried to put her ear to her chest next, but the wyvern¡¯s spike was in the way. Removing the foreign object would create more blood loss, Jadis knew that from her medical training, but she also knew she needed to start chestpressions right away. She quickly pulled the spike free, then bunched up Eir¡¯s robes to try and staunch any blood.
¡°C¡¯mon Eir, wake up,¡± Syd pleaded, trying to perform CPR. ¡°You¡¯re not dead, you¡¯re
not. You can do it, just open your eyes. I¡¯ll give you anything you want, anything at all, just open your eyes. Come
on.
Open your eyes!¡±
Syd tilted Eir¡¯s head back and put her lips to hers, blowing in. As she pressed her mouth against her lover¡¯s, a faint moan pressed back against her.
¡°Eir?¡± Syd pulled back, her eyes wide.
¡°Yes¡¡± Eir wheezed, her voice hoarse. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±
Syd¡¯s throat choked up and she was unable to get any words out. Instead, she just hugged Eir, gently clutching her to her chest as she felt the healing warmth of the priestess¡¯ spells begin to glow.
¡°¡How the fuck did she survive that shit?¡± Sorcha whispered, just loud enough that Syd could hear her.
¡°Uh, well, there was this ritual that we did the other night. I think that probably helped,¡± Sabina answered, her own voice low.
The ritual. Jadis had forgotten all about the lewd ritual they¡¯d done to protect Eir from harm. The spell had said that it would protect Eir from a lethal blow, dropping her health to one point instead of zero. She supposed the ritual had never said the damage wouldn¡¯t knock her unconscious. Or was it because the wyvern¡¯s spike had still been stuck in her chest?
Jadis decided she could think about itter. She wanted nothing more in that moment than to just hold Eir close.
There were still demons to kill, though. Lots of them. Especially that fucking twisted wretch matriarch. For most people, they¡¯d have to make a choice on what to do next. Jadis wasn¡¯t most people. She could easily do both at the same time.
Jay was already moving again. Charging with everyst ounce of energy she had left in her, she covered the distance between where she had fallen and the battlefield in seconds. She paid no mind to the lesser demons still recovering from the explosion their own twisted mother had created. That mother fucker needed to fucking die, and Jay was going to make sure it happened.
Swinging her hammer high, Jay spotted the matriarch. It was raising its warped hands to either side of its body, a bright glow pouring from both as it slowly marched towards where the rest of herpanions were fighting at the base of the hills. Without hesitation, Jay leapt into the air and fell upon the wretch with all the power of a falling star.
Jay¡¯s hammer impacted the wretch¡¯s two arms as they crossed in front of its body. The blow sent the demon skidding back a dozen feet, its hooves leaving deep groves in the dirt under the snow. Jay¡¯s momentum carried her forward with it as shended only a few feet away. As she readied her hammer, she saw that the matriarch looked unharmed from the blow.
¡°d you won¡¯t be too easy,¡± Jay snarled. ¡°I want to make sure your beatdown hurts.¡±
The matriarch made no response. Then, its arms fell to its sides, the glowing from its hands increasing in power. At the same time it opened its terrible skeletal grin, pouring a constant stream of putrid green fumes that quickly began to spread out around it.
Only, those fumes didn¡¯t spread like they had before in war. Here, in the battle for the Dryad grove, there was another factor at y. Strong winds sucked the noxious gas up, the wind mage¡¯s cyclone synergizing with the matriarch¡¯s fumes in the absolute worst way.
The terrible poison immediately began to eat away at Dys, sapping Jadis¡¯ health almost as quickly as the dragon¡¯s ice aura. It had already been hard to breathe with the winds constantly whipping at her, now it was bing impossible.
Jay dashed forward, striking at the matriarch with her hammer to end its life, or at least its spewing. The demon reacted quickly, glowing hands parrying and blocking her flurry of blows with shocking strength. The wretch continued to vomit forth its fumes in a never-ending geyser as it fought Jay. The matriarch wasn¡¯t able to strike back, its reach not as long and its movements not quite as fast, but it was at least fast enough to protect itself while pouring out enough poison to kill not just Jadis, but everyone else in the forest. The only reason why no one else had been affected by the fumes yet was because the possessed mage was sucking all of the gas up in its spiraling winds. However, all it would take would be for the elf to shift its attention away from Dys and sweep the sickening cyclone over the others and they would be poisoned, possibly fatally.
¡°Fine!¡± Jay shouted as she leapt back from the mother of wretches. ¡°Change of ns! Again! The wizard dies first!¡±
Chapter 273: Vengeance
Chapter 273: Vengeance
¡°Heal me,¡± Syd told Eir, holding the elf tightly against her chest. ¡°Use your protection spell on me too, please.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Eir said breathlessly, her body still shaking slightly from her near-death experience.
Dutifully, Eir began channeling her Oracle¡¯s Protection, boosting Jadis¡¯ Resilience and thus helping her to better withstand the foul fumes of the twisted wretch matriarch. With as much damage as the wretch was doing to Jay and Dys, Eir¡¯s healing was countering it. That healing wouldn¡¯tst forever, though, since Eir had already used up a lot of her magic reserves. The fight needed to end, soon.
With the intent of keeping the matriarch distracted, Jay renewed her attacks, swinging wildly and with as much speed and vigor as she could. Blow after blow struck the demon, doing no visible damage, but at least preventing it from casting any more spells. Still, Jadis was shocked that the demon could take so many direct hits from her heaviest weapon without showing signs of injury.
It only took a moment for Jadis to figure the demon¡¯s fortitude had to have something to do with its constantly glowing hands. The wretch had cast some sort of spell, maybe a channeled one, that was granting it some degree of protection. She didn¡¯t remember it doing that back in war. Maybe it hadn¡¯t felt the need at the time, or maybe she wasn¡¯t the only one to have gained a few levels since thatst encounter. Either way, the damage blocking spell was a problem, a problem that Jadis would have to see if Mirrored Strikes could ovee. First, though, the wind mage was going down.
Slipping out of the poisoned cyclone with a fast step to one side, Dys swatted a stumbling bone thief that happened to be in her way and shouted for help.
¡°Noll!¡± Dys called. ¡°Go to Jay!¡±
There was no time to hear an acknowledgement to hermand as in the next second the swirling green winds had enveloped Dys again. Doing her best to at least keep the cyclone away from the others, Dys headed towards the east side of the battlefield, striking and crushing any demons that got within her reach.
From her vantage point on the top of the hill, Syd stood tall, Eir still held against her, and observed the fight. With her multiple perspectives, Jadis was able to guide her two other selves to better positions for what she wanted to do, maneuvering both her selves, and her enemies.
The possessed elf floating in the air had his staff pointed at Dys, probably channeling his own magic to keep that part of Jadis suppressed. He was fifty feet up, easily out of reach of any melee attack. Anytime any projectiles wereunched at him, be they physical or magical, he would either dodge out of the way with surprising speed, or he¡¯d use powerful gusts of wind to throw the projectiles off course. Jadis was fairly certain she even saw a couple of Kerr¡¯s arrows try to strike the mage, neither hitting the mark as the winds simply tossed the arrows aside.
Seeing Noll approach Jay, shing demons to pieces with his sword as he went, Syd gently set Eir down, just for a moment. Turning and moving with great speed, Syd snatched the dead wyvern up from the ground. There was a definite undercurrent of satisfaction that Jadis would have to think aboutter as she viciously ripped the wings off of the wyvern and discarded them. Then, taking the reptilian corpse by the tail, she swung the creature over her head twice before hurling it at the wind mage.
While not exactly the most aerodynamic of projectiles while dead, the wyvern corpse still flew true, heading straight for the floating elf. When the fast-flying body was only twenty feet away, the mage¡¯s free hand flew up and a powerful gust of wind blew, pushing the wyvern¡¯s body off course. It sailed by, missing the mage by a few feet.
What didn¡¯t miss was Noll.
Using her supernatural coordination, Jadis hadunched Noll at the possessed mage a half second after Syd had hurled the corpse, timing it so that the mage would see and deal with the wyvern first. Hurtling through the air like some kind of furry, grumpy, lump of death, Noll¡¯s de whipped out just as the mage turned to face him.
Jadis¡¯ perception was such that she could see things move around her with greater detail when she wanted to, simply because her mind moved so fast thanks to her massively increased agility. Even with her greatly boosted stats, she still could only barely see the sh of Noll¡¯s de as his curved sword cut through the demonically possessed wizard. Maybe it was a skill. Maybe the old wolf could just move that fast when he wanted to. Jadis couldn¡¯t tell, but in either case she was d Noll was on her side.
The cyclone and disruptive winds that had been roaring all abruptly ceased as pieces of corrupted elf fell soundlessly to the ground. There were, among the seven or eight segments of bisected flesh, the writhing pieces of a demon¡¯s tentacles as well as a single emerald green eye, split in two.
With the cessation of the magically conjured winds, Dys was freed from the cyclone. Unfortunately, that meant the matriarch¡¯s noxious fumes were freed as well. The green gasses began to billow outwards, spreading across the field of death. Dys, though, could move freely, meaning she could help Jay finish off the wretched demon. But first¡
¡°Got you,¡± Dys said as she caught Noll before he could hit the ground.
¡°¡You didn¡¯t need to do that,¡± the man grumbled as he immediately extracted himself from the princess carry that Dys had caught him with.
¡°Yeah, but now we¡¯re even.¡±
¡°Ridiculous,¡± Noll snorted.
¡°True,¡± Dys agreed.
With that, both turned towards Jay and the matriarch, locked inbat.
¡°Time to settle this,¡± Dys announced as she clenched the haft of her axe.
¡°Go to it,¡± Noll nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep them off your back.¡±
There were many, many reasons Jadis loved having three bodies. Being able to do multiple things at once made most tasks quick and easy. Having more selves to let her dote and love on herpanions was wonderful. Thebat advantages were myriad and turned her into a devastating force to be reckoned with. But as she fought the twisted wretch matriarch, Jadis loved that she was able to watch the beatdown from a bird¡¯s eye perspective.
As Jay¡¯s hammer came down upon the wretch¡¯s raised left hand with the sound of steel on stone, Dys¡¯ axe came from the side and struck the demon¡¯s right arm. There was a tremendous thunderp, like a boulder had been struck by lightning, and the glowing from the demon¡¯s hands shattered like ss. The head of Dys¡¯ axe had not cut through the matriarch¡¯s armpletely, but the de was buried deep in the bone of its skinless forearm.
Wrenching her axe to the side, Dys pulled the demon off bnce for an instant. More than enough time for Jay¡¯s hammer to bypass the wretch¡¯s defenses and m into its ugly head. Antlers broke to pieces, some of them jamming down deep into the demon¡¯s skull while others fell to the ground. For a brief moment, the wretch¡¯s mouth was forced shut, the fumes it continuously spewed cut off. Then, like a child that was only registering it had been hurt a few seconds after the fact, the demon¡¯s mouth opened again. And it screamed.
The wailing of the twisted wretch matriarch was like nothing Jadis had ever heard. Unlike the greater demon they had killed before that screamed with the voices of many stolen bodies, the wretch had only one voice. And yet, the sound was as though a man and a woman as well as an elk had allbined together into one. The scream was inhuman, unnatural, and sent a chill through Jadis¡¯ soul.
That didn¡¯t stop Jadis from immediately attacking the wretch again, though.
As the two of Jadisid into the reeling matriarch, the demon¡¯s wretched cries seemed to spur the remaining demons on the battlefield into a frenzy. All those left alive rushed towards the matriarch, throwing themselves at the Nephilim knights with mindless fury. The way, however, was not clear for them.
Noll dashed back and forth, his long, curved de scything through the demons like wheat. Wherever he moved, demons fell. Wherever he wasn¡¯t, demons still fell. Kerr¡¯s arrows, now unhindered by the mage¡¯s winds, rained down on the demons from on high. Each shot killed, some arrows taking two or more targets at once.
Jay¡¯s hammer cracked against the matriarch¡¯s arms, the blow knocking the creature back as it stumbled in the snow. Before a second had passed, Dys¡¯ axe bit into the demon¡¯s back leg, cutting it clean off. The wretched mother screamed, calling out to the demonic children around it, but Jadis wasn¡¯t going to give them a chance to help. Her hammer swung again, hitting the demon in the side and sending it tumbling to the ground.
A sickly green light began to glow from the matriarch as it tried to cast another spell. Dys¡¯ axe fell on its midsection, cutting deep as ck blood and gore poured out. Jay¡¯s war hammer came down onto the wretch¡¯s upper body in the same instant, crushing its arms and left shoulder. The magic lights were snuffed out, the casting disrupted.
The demon¡¯s fumes also ceased, though its wailing didn¡¯t. Dys continued to hack away at the elk-like body and in a few more strokes of the axe the lower half of the demon was split apart. From inside dozens of demon eggs spilled out, as well as a few hatchlings, all of them squirming to get away. Jadis was ruthless, not willing to take any more risks with the safety of the others as she squashed the demonlings.
Somehow, despite the massive damage she¡¯d inflicted, the wretch matriarch still lived. It raised its broken arms, trying to cast magic while foul blood poured out of its severed torso. It screamed again, its dead eyes locked onto Jay with a malicious, desperate intent as it reached towards her with shattered bones.
Jay¡¯s hammer came down onto its head one more time, silencing the twisted wretch matriarch for good.
|
Congrattions!
Twisted Wretch Matriarch Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Mother of Samleos.
|
¡°Good riddance,¡± Jay and Dys both spat at the demon¡¯s corpse.
With a triumphant cry, Wi and the other soldiers rushed the battlefield, striking down the demons thaty between them and Jadis two selves. To Jadis¡¯ surprise, the Reavers charged with them. Maybe not all of the Reavers, by Syd¡¯s count, but a good number of them, including Stavros.
Turning away from the corpse of the matriarch, Jay and Dys fell into line with Noll, nking the old wolf on either side. Together, they pushed in towards Wi and the others, hammering what was left of the demon forces against their anvil. In seconds they cut the raging, undirected demons to pieces, leaving none alive.
¡°Are you all okay?¡± Jay called out to Thea, Bridget, and Wi as thest of the demons fell.
¡°Yes, we are,¡± Bridget answered, though she looked more than a little roughed up. ¡°Though I almost shit my pants when those demons exploded.¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Thea agreed,ing right up to Dys.
¡°Alive,¡± Wi called back, her breathing in great heaving gasps. ¡°Somehow.¡±
¡°Yes, alive,¡± Stavros rumbled, flicking ck blood from his scimitar as he came to a stop near Wi. ¡°For now.¡±
¡°For now,¡± Jay nodded at the dark man. ¡°You¡¯re a piece of shit, Stavros, but at least you aren¡¯t a coward.¡±
¡°Go fuck yourself,¡± he shot back, tossing a gesture her way that she didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Just keep me and mine from the hangman like you promised.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do my part,¡± Jay answered, though a pang of anger welled up in her as she thought of what had happened to Gunnar and Sorcha because of Stavros¡¯ lieutenant.
Then again, Stavros hadn¡¯t ordered her to attack like that, the bitch had just been insane. She could me herself just as much as Stavros for not doing a better job at securing the psychotic scum.
Thoughts of Eike brought Jadis¡¯ mind to thoughts of Alex, Eir, and everyone else up on the hill with Syd. She needed to brief everyone on what had happened. They all needed to regroup, actually, as soon as possible. The injured needed to be healed, then they needed to retreat to their fallback point. Ideally, Jack could keep the majority of demons chasing him distracted for a while longer and¡ª
The ground under Jadis¡¯ feet shook. Everyone around her bounced as well, the vibrationsing in a steady, thumping gait. Looking around, Jadis didn¡¯t immediately spot what it was. The light of day had almostpletely faded as the sun set behind the westward mountain, leaving only the gray of the gently falling snow.
¡°Look,¡± Noll said, pointing with his sword. ¡°There.¡±
Turning as one, the group looked where Noll indicated. From the shadows of the forest a gigantic shape loomed. Huge and bulbous, the aberrant form pushed through the trees, knocking them over as it went. Lesser shapes, some still huge in their own right and only dwarfed byparison next to the colossal figure, moved with the creature. All were heading towards them.
¡°You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me,¡± Bridget swore as she stared at the oing bramble fiend matriarch and its bodyguards.
¡°I guess we aren¡¯t quite done yet,¡± Dys murmured.
¡°Pull back,¡± Wi ordered, motioning towards her soldiers and Stavros. ¡°It¡¯s slow. We¡¯ll retreat to the fallback position.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll distract the faster demons,¡± Jay announced. ¡°We¡¯ll keep them off everyone¡¯s backs while we retreat.¡±
¡°Stay close,¡± Noll told her. ¡°Don¡¯t get separated.¡±
¡°We won¡¯t. None of us are in any condition to fight all that, not after what we all just went through,¡± Jay shook her head. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get¡ª¡±
An earthshaking roar sted through the night sky, causing everyone to jump. Turning to look back towards the open clearing, Jadis swore.
The dragon had regained consciousness. The titanic creature had risen to its feet without them noticing, their attention distracted by the battle and theing matriarch. The ice dragon looked, forck of a better word, pissed. Despite the dark, Jadis could see the dragon was glowing with an icy blue aura that radiated menace. Its red eyes shone with malice and its whole body was poised as though it were ready to pounce.
¡°I feel like we might be fucked right now,¡± Jay said as she stared at the imposing beast.
¡°Maybe not,¡± Noll growled after a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s interested in us.¡±
Noll¡¯s assessment proved right as the dragon¡¯s crimson eyes passed over all of them and came to a rest on the approaching bramble fiend matriarch. A deep growl emanated from the beast, so base that it could barely be heard, more felt in the bones. Spreading its wings wide, the dragon pped once, creating a gust of wind that practically knocked everyone off their feet. In the next moment, the dragon rose into the sky.
The dragon didn¡¯t fly far, however.
With a tremendous crashing sound, the dragon pounced on top of the bramble fiend matriarch, ws digging deep into the bulbous body. With another roar, the dragon unleashed its frozen breath at the demons surrounding the matriarch. It was hard to see what happened to the lesser demons, but the point-nk breath attack enveloped them all.
As the matriarch struggled against its attacker, casting spells and iling its twisted arms, the dragon¡¯s massive wings pped again. The beast rose once more into the air, this time taking the colossal matriarch with it. The two titanic creatures lifted high into the sky, disappearing into the night as the dragon continued to roar its rage.
¡°Holy shit,¡± Jay, Dys, and Syd all said as they watched the darkness where the dragon and demon disappeared.
¡°Holy shit is right,¡± Bridget echoed.
¡°Oh my,¡± Eir whispered as she wrapped her arms around Syd¡¯s neck. ¡°They¡¯ve gone quite high.¡±
¡°You can see them?¡± Syd asked, surprised.
¡°Yes,¡± Eir answered. ¡°Barely. And it looks as though¡ªoh! It¡¯s falling!¡±
¡°
GET DOWN!¡± Noll shouted, his yellow eyes having never left the sky.
A few heartbeatster, after everyone had thrown themselves to the forest floor, the world quaked as the body of the gigantic matriarch hit the ground right where it had been lifted from. Rocks, dirt, wood, and pieces of frozen demon flew everywhere as a cloud of dust and snow washed over the group. Cold pieces of debris bounced off of Jadis¡¯ armor, some of the broken bits even reaching as far as Syd and the others on the hill.
The forest was silent as the dust settled, everyone who had ducked for cover waiting to see if more woulde.
A pair of leather boots came to stand next to Jay¡¯s head.
¡°
Putain de merde,¡± Kerr said in awe as she stood over Jay. ¡°Did you see that? Good thing we didn¡¯t kill the dragon, huh?¡±
Chapter 274: Old Friends
Chapter 274: Old Friends
¡°This is not going to look good on our report.¡±
Nora¡¯s whispered words reached Syd¡¯s ears, though Jadis was only paying half attention. It wasn¡¯t as though she didn¡¯t care. The fact that Eike had murdered Jonas inside the wagon, either out of spite or a need to fuel her blood magic, pissed her off to no end. The thing was, the dead prisoner wasn¡¯t the only frustration Jadis had to deal with.
¡°Are you sure Alex went that way?¡±
¡°Yes, definitely,¡± Sabina nodded as she pointed into the dark woods. ¡°Alex and, er, Eike? They went that way, I¡¯m certain. Not a sight I¡¯m going to easily forget. Ever.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Syd shook her head. ¡°I believe you. We¡¯re just not seeing any signs of, well, anything.¡±
Well, that wasn¡¯t wholly true. Dys and Kerr were following tracks as best they could, but the snow was a mess, the ground around the wagon churned up. Kerr had found what looked like it could have been Eike¡¯s footprints leading off into the woods, but after a hundred yards or so they simply disappeared. There was just too much disturbance caused by all the wind magic, the demons running around, and the ice dragon dropping a small mountain of a matriarch. Half the trees in the valley had dropped the built-up snow from their branches with all of that shaking.
¡°Thanks for the healing,¡± a gruff man¡¯s voice caught Jadis¡¯ attention. ¡°I, uh, appreciate it.¡±
¡°You are wee,¡± Eir replied with a kind smile. ¡°You fought in the service of the gods and the good people of the Empire today. I hope that those in power see your valor and grant you clemency for your past transgressions.¡±
¡°Yeah, right. Thanks,¡± the Reaver nodded, looking decidedly ufortable.
The man, Jadis didn¡¯t know his name, was one of Stavros¡¯ men that had charged forward with him to finish of the demons towards the end of the battle. He was a rough-looking human, middle-aged, and had a striking tattoo of a hawk peeking out of his shirt and running up his neck. He¡¯d fought bravely and made no attempt to run either during or after the battle. In fact, none of the Reavers had tried to flee, though four of them had stayed among the boulders rather than charge with the rest of the soldiers. This man, though, had charged ahead, fought side-by-side with the soldiers, and then when the fighting had finished, he had lined up with the rest of the Reavers and meekly allowed the manacles to be put back onto wrists.
Jadis had to wonder why, all things considered, this man and the rest of the captured smugglers were being so cooperative. They all still had to have the worry that they could be executed upon their return to Far Felsen. They¡¯d broken quite a fewws, not the least of which had been the killing of three imperial soldiers, Achim, Sofie, and Gerd. Jadis didn¡¯t know much about thews of the Empire, but she had to imagine the penalty for such actions would be severe. And yet, here they all were, even Jockel, lined up and waiting patiently for Eir to heal them.
Upon reflection, Jadis had to wonder if it had something to do with seeing both the three of her and Noll fighting on the battlefield. The difference in power between them and her and her mentor had to be obvious by that point. Stavros could certainly handle himself, but even he wasn¡¯t going to put up much of a fight against her, much less Noll.
Force of arms wasn¡¯t the only reason, though, Jadis was sure. Maybe they really were putting their faith in the idea of leniency from thew based on her rmendation. If that was the case¡ well. She would just have to make sure she pressed Vraekae for as much as she could get. The Reavers, as horrible as they had been, had done their part during this battle. That counted for something.
¡°Thank you,¡± another Reaver thanked Eir. ¡°Gods bless you.¡±
¡°May they offer you peace and guidance,¡± Eir replied as she finished healing the man.
That was thest of the bound smugglers and, from what Jadis could tell, everyone in the whole expedition had received Eir¡¯s healing. As the Reaver walked away to join the rest of his cohorts lined up near the soldier¡¯s wagon, Syd quietly checked on Eir.
¡°Are you okay? Still holding up?¡±
¡°Yes, thank you, I am,¡± Eir smiled warmly up at Syd, though her steps still seemed a bit unsteady to Jadis. ¡°I am, however, down to thest dregs of my magic reserves. I could use some time to pray.¡±
¡°You need some time to sleep and recover,¡± Syd chided, her heart still tightening every time she saw the blood stain on the front of the priestess¡¯ robes. ¡°You need to be away from all of this fighting and death.¡±
¡°The same could be said of you,¡± Eir said with a tinge of worry in her voice. ¡°We all could. This has been¡ a terribly stressful journey.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t argue with that,¡± Syd agreed. ¡°We¡¯ve still got a long way to go here, though. We need to get out of this valley and somewhere safe.¡±
¡°Somewhere safe, yes,¡± a voice said from the dark. ¡°Out of the valley, no.¡±
Eir jumped at the sudden intrusion, though at this point Jadis was either getting used to his antics or was just too tired to get riled up. Jack, in the guise of amanding knight wearing shining armor came striding out of thin air, an illusion of invisibility falling away like a shed cloak. A helmet was tucked under one arm and his exposed face, ruggedly handsome, had a satisfied expression.
¡°Things have gone well. Better than I could have rightfully expected,¡± he said,ing to a stop a few feet away from Syd. ¡°Excellent job ridding the dragon of its demon blight.¡±
¡°Yeah, well, things didn¡¯t go perfectly smooth,¡± Syd said with a frown, motioning over towards the wagons. Gunnar was there, being tended to by one of the other soldiers, and Wi and a few others were pulling the body of the dead Jonas from their wagon. Sorcha was visible as well inside the open side of the Behemoth, her missing foot obvious. To Jadis¡¯ mild surprise, Sabina had slipped off to stand with Sorcha, speaking to the goblin witch quietly. ¡°We¡¯ve had some issues.¡±
¡°Casualties are expected in every battle,¡± Jack shrugged. ¡°Considering the forces involved, I would say that these results are admirable. Where are Noll and the rest of your selves?¡±
¡°What, you don¡¯t know already?¡±
¡°If I could see everything, I would have been able to warn you of that twisted wretch matriarch.¡±
¡°I guess,¡± Syd murmured. She still wasn¡¯t entirely sure if Jack had deliberately withheld the info on the mother wretch being in the area on purpose or not. He seemed entirely too casual about the whole situation. ¡°Kerr and Dys are searching for Alex. Jay, Noll, A, Thea, and Bridget are down where the bramble fiend matriarch fell, clearing off any stragglers.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Jack nodded confidently. ¡°Gather your erstwhile pet demonling, or let it be. The demons that I led around by their noses are lost in the forest, hapless and helpless without the guidance of their mothers or greater demons, but they will begin to wander this way eventually. The Dryads have opened the way for us to enter their grove. You all need to move inside now before more danger arises.¡±
The Dryads. Jadis hadn¡¯t exactly forgotten about them, but with all the excitement of the battle, she¡¯d figured she wouldn¡¯t get to see them until dayster, after the demons had been more thoroughly dealt with. Then again, there were no matriarchs left. The bigger demons that had been guarding the grove had mostly, if not entirely, been destroyed, as had the remains of the horde that had been with them. The giant ice dragon really was terrifyingly powerful.
So, if the way was clear, why not? Resting for the night inside the Dryad¡¯s protected grove didn¡¯t sound like a bad deal to Jadis, especially if they were being weed in.
¡°Fine, we¡¯ll be there,¡± Syd nodded to Jack. ¡°Give us a few minutes to get ready.¡±
It didn¡¯t take long after that for everyone to prepare themselves. They had already been mostly ready to move out to the fallback point to the south of the valley. Gathering themselves, Jadis, herpanions, the soldiers, and the captured Reavers all headed down the hill and towards the Dryads.
Jadis wasn¡¯t happy about leaving Alex behind. With no sign of the demonling, dead or otherwise, there was nothing she could do, though. And, if she were being truthful with herself, she was more than a little apprehensive about what sight awaited her once she did find Alex. Her harmless little hatchling had killed someone. True, it had been that horrible blood bitch Eike; the world was a better ce without her. Still, Jadis hadn¡¯t thought Alex had been capable of killing anyone. It was just a tiny demonling, barely bigger than her hand, and yet it had managed to strangle an injured but still high-level killer. And then Alex had¡ what? They hadn¡¯t found any sign of Eike¡¯s body. Did that mean Alex had possessed her? Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, it meant she might actually be able to try and speak with the demonling, an attractive prospect ever since she¡¯d confirmed it could understand hernguage to at least a limited degree. On the other hand, if the past few months hadn¡¯t done it, the battle against the dragon and the wind mage would have cemented Jadis¡¯ disgust for possession. Even if Alex was a ¡°good¡± demon, a debatable position to take, possession was objectively wrong in Jadis¡¯ opinion. No good coulde from it.
As the main group linked up with Jay and the others finishing off the remainders of the matriarch¡¯s forces, the expedition moved in silence towards the Dryad¡¯s grove. Jack, still the guise of a militarymander, rode ahead of them on a conjured ck stallion, leading the way. Or maybe Jack was the stallion and the knight riding on top was just an illusion the Fetch had created? Jadis really couldn¡¯t tell, which she supposed was the whole point for the shapeshifter.
The snow falling around them increased as they went, the constant light kes that had beening down all afternoon growingrger and more numerous as the valley truly fell into the dark of night. Despite theck of moonlight, the way before them remained clearly visible. At first Jadis thought Jack was doing something, but as they drew closer to the clearing surrounding the grove, she saw that the light had a different source.
Arge opening had appeared in the face of the tree wall, maybe twenty feet from the ground, the trunks and branches having shifted and moved into a whole new configuration that still somehow looked like hundreds of years of old growth. The entrance was big enough for two Behemoth wagons to easily pass through side by side. From inside it glowed a warm, yellow light that was tinged with soft pinks and verdant greens that seemed to flow through the air like water. A sort of tree bridge had stretched out from the opening, tall sides made of trees that were covered in bright leaves and faintly glowing blossoms. The bridge stretched all the way to the edge of the clearing, its roots digging deep into the earth around tworge trees that Jadis¡¯ expedition would have to pass through. The sight of the magically grown tree path was possibly one of the more fantastical sights Jadis had encountered during her months on Oros. It was truly beautiful, like a painting done by a fanatical lover of both nature and fairies had been brought to life.
The outside of the tree bridge was no less stunning, but in a far more vicious way.
Giant spikes of wood, some more than twenty feet in length, had erupted from the outer sides of the bridge walls. More spike growths had burst up from the ground, smaller but still sharp and most no less than a foot in length. They covered the area around the tree bridge at a distance of forty feet, all the way from the grove¡¯s walls to the edge of the forest. Dozens of demons littered the thorns, their bodies pierced by the spikes in a horrifying tableau.
¡°That straight up looks awful,¡± Dys murmured as she and the others neared the entrance to the bridge that would take them into the grove. ¡°Really, really awful.¡±
¡°You split a twisted wretch matriarch in half earlier and crushed the demon spawn that crawled out of its belly underfoot,¡± A pointed out dryly. ¡°I think that¡¯s worse than a few impalements.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Dys shot back, ¡°it absolutely was and thank you for reminding me. I might need to throw up now. Anyway, that still doesn''t mean seeing a hedge of thorns with dozens of demons impaled on it like some insane shrike was having a field day isn¡¯t going to make me cringe.¡±
¡°The day it doesn¡¯t is going to be bad one,¡± Syd muttered.
The short moment ofmentary died out as they rolled onto the living bridge, following it up to the entrance of the grove like a ramp. As they neared the entryway, Jadis got a good look at the interior. Her breath caught in her chest at the sight.
A bright, glowing summer day had appeared before her. The warmth of a greenhouse poured from the opening, flowing along with the vivid yet gentle light. There were tall, vibrant trees growing inside, flowering blooms covering their branches. More flowers of every sort that Jadis could imagine were covering the ground, their petals moving in an unseen breeze. A floral scent filled the air, one tinged with the aroma of ripe, sweet fruit. What really caught Jadis¡¯ eyes, however, were the Dryads.
Ten people, six men and four women, stood waiting for them just inside the entryway. The Dryads looked like trees that had decided to take on human form and that had then further decided that being human wasn¡¯t good enough. They were beautiful, yet also wild and alien in a way that other races Jadis had met were not. Their arms and legs were long, almost giving them a stretched appearance. Their skin, ranging in color from deep brown to pale green, had swirling patterns of wood grain to them. Branches grew from their heads like hair, some long like willows and others rising out like antlers covered in leaves. The whites of their eyes were the color of golden amber while their irises were iridescent greens, purples, and blues. Their clothing looked to be made of vines and leaves, yet they had been grown in such a way that they mirrored the look of cloth so well that Jadis barely noticed the difference.
¡°Wee,¡± an older-looking Dryad in the center of the assembled group called out as they neared. His voice was aged, yet strong and filled with a benign warmth. ¡°Be wee and weed again. Thank you for aiding us against a threat most dire. You may call me Yorath. Please enter and find rest. But first, tell me true, do my eyes deceive me, or has a Nephilim trulye to grace our grove once again?¡±
Jadis¡¯ three bodies came to an abrupt halt as herpanions, the soldiers, and the Reavers as well stopped next to and behind her. Had the Dryad just referred to her in the singr?
¡°Sure, sure, it¡¯s a Nephilim,¡± the horse Jack was riding groused. ¡°It¡¯s a wonder for the ages. Where¡¯s my ¡®Hello¡¯? I swear Yorath, one little dead race shows up and you forget all about your oldest friends.¡±
Chapter 275: Gratitude
Chapter 275: Gratitude
¡°My apologies,¡± Yorath said as he bowed his head low. ¡°I did not mean to reveal your secret to others. I had simply assumed that others with you would have known of your multi-bodied nature, if for no other reason than Madoc was also with you.¡±
¡°And what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Jack snapped at Yorath. ¡°I¡¯ll remind you, you old stump, my god is the god of secrets. I know how to keep them.¡±
¡°You are just as like to reveal them as you are to keep them,¡± the elder dryad retorted as he brought a cup of tea to his lips. ¡°Do not pretend otherwise.¡±
Jadis watched Yorath and Jack, or Madoc as the Dryad called him, bicker like old friends that had known each other for centuries. Jadis supposed that could quite literally be the case since she had no idea how old either man was, though based on Jack¡¯s level she suspected he was far, far older than anyone else she¡¯d ever met, gods notwithstanding. Elder Yorath could be right up there with Jack for all she knew, and by the looks of the Dryad, she felt he likely was.
In a flurry of activity, the expedition had been ushered into the Dryad grove by their weing hosts. The entryway had closed behind them and they had all been brought up living ramps made from the colossal trunks and boughs of ancient trees that wound their way high above the ground. Before Jadis really knew what was happening, tired and sore soldiers had been whisked away to ces offort inside the grove to rest and recuperate. Not just the soldiers, but the Reavers were also escorted to a finely appointed alcove where they received fine food and attention. Even the horses the soldiers rode had been seen to, their numbers integrated into a herd of strangely docile wild animals that grazed the grassy forest floor of the grove.
Jadis and herpanions had been taken to one of the upper levels of the tree structures where they had been shown into a beautiful and spacious room with walls made of flower petals. Before she¡¯d even had a chance to appreciate the sight, Jadis¡¯ three selves had been plucked from the pack and taken to an open space where Yorath waited for her. Jack had also been brought to the table that the old Dryad sat at, as had captain Wi and Noll. A sixth person, a female Dryad, was also present at the gathering.
¡°Never mind them,¡± Olwyn, Yorath''s partner, smiled as she cedrge bowls of tea before Jadis¡¯ selves as well as bowls of fruit and tes of thinly sliced meats drizzled in sauces. ¡°They are both old fools who must bicker for at least a few hours whenever they meet after a long time. It¡¯s tradition. Is there anything that you desire?¡±
¡°Uh, no, we¡¯re¡ªI¡¯m good.¡± Jay replied, discarding the pretense of her being one of multiple people halfway through the sentence. ¡°I¡¯m fine with the tea, thanks.¡±
¡°Now, now,¡± Olwyn chided with a motherly smile. ¡°One as tall and strong as you needs to eat to keep up all that strength. Have some sun berries at least. They will fortify you.¡±
Jadis nodded in agreement somewhat meekly, still processing the sights around her. Olwyn herself was definitely a focal point of those sights. The Dryad was Yorath¡¯s wife, obviously older and probably someone who could count her years by the century, and yet she possessed an unearthly beauty and grace that Jadis found captivating. Her skin was that light golden-brown color of birch-tree wood and her hair consisted of long, thin branches covered in green leaves and white flowers. Her eyes were a beautiful glowing pink and when she smiled, her whole face seemed to light up. Having finally met one herself, Jadis could easily see why spotting one had engendered a young Thea¡¯s proclivity for spying on beautiful things. Jadis felt like she could just watch the enthralling Dryad for hours.
To Jadis¡¯ surprise, that desire to stare at the Dryad wasn¡¯t even sexual. Even Yorath made her feel that way. The elder Dryad was decidedly masculine: even had a beard made of purple leaves. And yet, Jadis couldn¡¯t help but let her eyes wander over his form. Yorath was tall and broad shouldered yet he possessed a thin waist. His skin was a dark, rich brown and had more texture to it than the other Dryads, giving his outeryer a more bark-like appearance rather than smooth wood. The branches sprouting from his head swept down over his back and were covered in broad, dark purple leaves that had tinges of red to them. His eyes were a deep red color which contrasted strangely with his amber sclera. The clothes he wore looked almost like a toga, with one shoulder barepletely.
¡°Bicker for as long as you want,¡± Noll said as he scooped up some of the meats and wolfed them down in one bite. ¡°But if that¡¯s all you¡¯re going to do, I¡¯m going to bed. I¡¯m tired.¡±
¡°Tsk,¡± Jack¡¯s attention shifted to the Savage mercenary. ¡°You¡¯re too young to be nipping off to bed like a mere babe while your elders chat.¡±
¡°I¡¯m too old to waste time on bullshit,¡± Noll replied with his usual bluntness. ¡°I don¡¯t have the years to spare like some of you lot.¡±
¡°I¡¯m probably the youngest person here and I¡¯m honestly pretty tired too,¡± Jadis spoke up, using all three of her selves to speak at once. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t want to be rude or anything, but we did just fight a dragon and a whole horde of demons and my tank is running on empty right now.¡±
There was a pause as all of the others gathered around the round wooden table looked at Jadis with varying expressions.
¡°Tank?¡± Wi finally asked, her expression uneasy.
¡°Ah, uh, Nephilim expression,¡± Jadis waved the question off. ¡°I just mean my energy is low.¡±
Wi seemed to ept that exnation, but she wasn¡¯t the next person to speak.
¡°I must say, that is quite strange when you speak with all three of your¡ bodies, at one time,¡± Yorath eximed as he ran his fingers through his leafy beard. To Jadis¡¯ surprise, something else moved inside the growth, though the Dryad didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°A fascinating skill. The ss ites from must be Eldritch based, is it not?¡±
¡°Ah, yeah, it is,¡± Jadis acknowledged. ¡°Mirror Knight.¡±
¡°Fascinating,¡± Yorath murmured. ¡°A Mirror Knight creating mirror images of themself. Quite the interesting ss. I had guessed that must be the culprit since your secondary ss seems to have a more carnal focus to it, based on the name.¡±
¡°Wait, you can see the names of my sses?¡± Jadis asked, startled.
¡°Of course he can,¡± Jack rolled his eyes. He¡¯d taken on the appearance of young, handsome human man this time, with red hair and a shadow of a beard. ¡°How else do you think he figured your little ruse out? The old weed has an appraisal skill. He can see sses and levels the old-fashioned way, no Detect Stone needed.¡±
¡°Indeed I can,¡± Yorath admitted. ¡°It is a blessing, one that allows me to see through any demons that might try to infiltrate our grove via possessing our beasts during times of demonic invasion. It also allows me to see when this old reprobate tries to trick others with his illusions. Most of the time.¡±
¡°And that just got a little harder for you today,¡± Jack smirked at the Dryad. ¡°I finally hit a level threshold again. I¡¯m level two hundred and fifty now.¡±
Yorath¡¯s face turned somewhat sour as the Fetch practically oozed a smug self-satisfaction, but his expression softened as he redirected his gaze back to Jadis.
¡°Again, I do apologize. I hope you can forgive me for the error in judgement.¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Jay said, this time acting as a single spokesperson for her three selves. ¡°With all the attention I¡¯ve been gettingtely,¡± she briefly nced at Noll, ¡°it¡¯s getting harder and harder to keep up the charade. At the very least, you¡¯re a good reminder that my little lie can be pretty easily seen through by anyone who had some kind of detection skill.¡±
¡°Your magnanimity is appreciated,¡± Yorath inclined his head. ¡°Though not nearly as much as the service you and all of the noble warriors who fought with you have done for us. Rescue was not expected, but your assistance is most wee. Jadis, Captain Wi, Noll the Savage; your efforts and the efforts of those who serve under you have saved my life and the lives of my family. We humbly thank you.¡±
Yorath bowed his head and Olwyn copied the motion from where she sat next to him, echoing his thanks with her own deep sincerity. Jadis stared at the two elder Dryads, somewhat ufortable with how serious the conversation had be. It was nice to be thanked, she certainly felt like she and herpanions deserved it, but seeing someone who was probably ten times her age and clearly a leader whomanded great respect from his followers, well¡ it definitely made Jadis feel awkward.
¡°I, uh,¡± Jadis stammered. ¡°You¡¯re wee, I guess. Anytime.¡±
¡°Yes, we are happy to have been of assistance,¡± Wi said, answering with a practiced dignity that Jadis figured came with being one of Vraekae¡¯s trusted captains. ¡°As a duly appointed representative of the Magistrate of Weigrun, I can safely assure you that we were only doing our duty in offering our aid to valuable allies.¡±
Jadis noted that Wi had called them allies, and not citizens of the empire. An interesting distinction, one that she would have to investigateter.
¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± was Noll¡¯s simple reply. It felt like there should have been more, but the old wolf just blithely sipped his tea.
¡°And where are my thanks?¡± Jack said, a note of false injury in his voice. ¡°I will have you know that I was instrumental in the n that saved your sap-ridden skin! Do I not deserve some gratitude?¡±
¡°Certainly,¡± Yorath raised his head and gave Jack a nk stare. ¡°Thank you, Madoc, for not bringing more demons to my valley to make things worse.¡±
¡°Ah, the cruelty I must suffer,¡± Jack clutched his hand to his chest. ¡°Villthyrial, why must your children be so mean?¡±
Ignoring Jack¡¯s pleas to the deity who had created the Dryads, Yorath looked back to the others at the table.
¡°Later, after you have all had time to rest, I n on thanking you and all those who fought on the battlefield on our behalf with more ceremony. All of my kin would wish to do so as well. But it iste and I do see the weariness in you all. I won¡¯t hold you from your rest much longer. I simply wish to make my gratitude known. Further, if there is anything, anything at all, that any of your number needs, please do not hesitate to ask. We would not leave any of our saviors wanting for even a moment, so long as it is something within our power to grant.¡±
Wi nced at Jadis, then addressed the elder Dryad with a respectful nod.
¡°Thank you for your generosity. Fortune¡¯s Favored, Jadis¡¯pany, has a skilled healer in their number. However, one of my soldiers suffered a grievous loss. Do any of your number have any means of limb regeneration, by chance?¡±
¡°Sadly, no,¡± Yorath shook his head gravely. ¡°But pray, let me send my daughter to check on the brave soul. There may be something she can do to help.¡±
¡°Again, thank you,¡± Wi bowed gratefully.
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Noll said a momentter. ¡°Find me a good bed and I won¡¯tin.¡±
As Yorath readily agreed to Noll¡¯s request, making promises of luxurious care that the old mercenary brushed off with his normal gruffness. As the two talked, Jadis thought about her own response. She did in fact have a very important, at least important to her, question that she needed answered. She wanted to talk to Yorath, Olwyn, and maybe the other Dryads as well, about how they interacted with their progenitor god, Villthyrial. She¡¯d gotten Jack¡¯s answer as to how the godsmunicated with their chosen avatars, but she wasn¡¯t entirely trusting of his exnation. She wanted a second opinion. That said, she also didn¡¯t want to have that conversation with witnesses like Noll or Wi around. Sure, they all now knew she wasn¡¯t three Nephilim sisters but just one Nephilim with three bodies, but they still assumed her to be a native of Oros. Only A, Eir, Kerr, and Thea knew she had been reincarnated from another world. Well, and so did Jack, she supposed. She wanted to talk about how to call for godly guidance, but she wanted to keep that part of her existence closely under wraps. She wasn¡¯t sure how she was going to do that while talking to Yorath about her concerns, but however she went about it she knew she didn¡¯t want witnesses, especially ones that were absolutely going to report to a higher power.
Well, being blunt had generally worked in the past¡
¡°I do have a request,¡± Jay said after a brief lull in the conversation. ¡°However, it¡¯s a private matter. Can I arrange a meeting with you and maybe Olwyn too, butter? I don¡¯t think my brains are in the right ce to have an important discussion right now.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Yorath replied, his agreement echoed by Olwyn. ¡°We will dly find a time and ce that will suit you. And I can assure you privacy on the matter, whatever it may be, even from the likes of Madoc.¡±
Jack rolled his eyes but didn¡¯t object. Instead, he just gave Jadis a meaningful look. She had no doubt he knew exactly what she was going to be talking to the Dryads about.
¡°Thanks,¡± Jadis heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I appreciate it.¡±
¡°Now, since all that needs be said has been said,¡± Olwyn said as she rose gracefully back to her feet, ¡°let me guide you all to your ces of rest. I¡¯ll make sure more food is with you, should any of your number grow hungry in the night.¡±
Jadis nodded, getting to her feet as the others did as well. She noticed that Wi looked like she wanted to speak with her, but before the captain could speak Jadis said her goodnights and headed back to the room that she¡¯d been briefly shown before. While she didn¡¯t want to be rude to Wi, she wanted to get back to herpanions as quickly as possible. As much as she wanted to just shuck the armor from her bodies and fall asleep, they had a lot to talk about before bed. Not the least of which being all the levels they had gained. She knew she had a few to look over and while she hadn¡¯t been able to spare much attention for them with everything else going on to distract her, from what little she had seen, there was going to be a lot to discuss.
Chapter 276: Review Among the Trees
Chapter 276: Review Among the Trees
As Jadis neared the ce Olwyn had set aside for her and herpanions, she had to pause and marvel at the sight. One of the massive boughs of the ancient trees inside the grove had been sculpted, or more likely magically grown, into the shape of arge, circr room. Living, flowering branches spread out, creating a wide space that, despite hanging something close to a hundred feet from the ground, was as sturdy as stone. The walls were alive, covered in green leaves and fragrant flowers, and the domed ceiling was capped with a huge bell-like blossom that glowed a bright yellow.
ncing around, Jadis observed several more of those bright glowing flowers dotted across the grove interior, their magical light the source of the interior brightness. Though, even as she watched, she saw one of the Dryads, a beautiful woman with hair like a willow tree, walking among the branches. She would stop, raise a hand towards the glow blooms, and whisper a few words. In the next instant, the flower¡¯s petals would shift and close, dimming the light to something more akin to a full moon rather than the noontime sun.
¡°Now this is the magical shit I expected from Dryads¡¡± Syd murmured as she watched the graceful woman dim another glowing flower.
¡°Jadis, is that you?¡±
A¡¯s voice came from within the round room. A momentter, she pushed her way through the curtain of thick vines that blocked the entryway. She was no longer dressed in her armored robes and was instead wearing her more usual tunic and leather pantsbo. Her face and hair were wet, like she¡¯d just bathed, or at least sshed some water on them. Jadis didn¡¯t think she¡¯d been gone long enough for anyone to take a bath, anyway.
¡°Yeah, we¡¯re back,¡± Jay said. ¡°Er, I¡¯m back. Everyone alright?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± A smiled, though her expression showed her exhaustion. ¡°What about you? Are you okay?¡±
¡°Yeah, fine,¡± Dys nodded as she stepped up close to A along with her other selves. ¡°Yorath just wanted to give us a quick thanks before packing us off to bed. He¡¯s nning on doing some kind of more formal thank you tomorrow.¡±
¡°Good,¡± A nodded. ¡°But¡ are you okay? You¡¯ve been through a lot today.¡±
Jadis took a couple seconds longer to answer that question, but when she did, she did so as her selves leaned down and kissed A on either side of her cheeks.
¡°Yes, I¡¯m okay,¡± Jay assured her. ¡°Honestly, I feel like I¡¯m overdue for a long fucking vacation, but I¡¯m good. Nothing a little TLC¡ªtender love and care¡ªfrom my girls won¡¯t fix.¡±
¡°You and your ¡®Nephilim¡¯ expressions,¡± A smirked as she leaned in close to Jay and gave her a hug. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure we can manage that, be it during our stay here or when we get back to Far Felsen.¡±
Back to Far Felsen. Their expedition was practically over, yet there was a mountain of responsibility waiting for them once they got back to Far Felsen. Jadis had no doubt that she would be spending a lot of time meeting with Vraekae, reporting to her about everything that had happened. There were other concerns, too, such as finding more mercenaries to join Fortune¡¯s Favored, dealing with the repercussions of whatever General Egilhard had going on, and also, she had to keep her promise to Stavros and put in her good word on his behalf. Plus, there was no doubt more hidden bullshit waiting for her that she didn¡¯t even know about yet. She wasn¡¯t so oblivious to the political world around her that she couldn¡¯t tell that there were factions moving behind the scenes that would no doubt be inserting themselves into her life sooner orter. Noll was proof enough of that.
The thought was almost enough to make her want to convince everyone to just stay here with the Dryads for the winter. Maybe two.
Well, wishful thinking aside, Jadis knew there was at least one thing she was definitely going to do once they returned to the city. She was going to take A on a date. In fact, she was going to take all of her lovers on dates: one on three solo affairs where she could give each individual the proper attention they deserved. A and Kerr were the only ones she was officially dating, but that was going to change soon anyway if she had any say in the matter. Besides, even if she was just spending time with them as a friend, she wanted to do so with all of herpanions.
¡°Alright,¡± Jay smiled down at A. ¡°I look forward to it. But for now, can we go in and settle down? I¡¯d really like to get this armor off.¡±
¡°Plus, we have levels to discuss,¡± Dys added.
¡°We do,¡± A agreed readily. ¡°But we¡¯re going to do so more carefully this time. I don¡¯t think any of us are going to forget Noll¡¯s lesson.¡±
¡Yeah. They had been a bit too careless with their levels and skills discussions as ofte. Considering they had no idea who or what might be watching, they would have to show more consideration in how they went about talking over their stats. Jadis was sure A already had something nned out though.
Following A into the room, Jadis was extremely d she didn¡¯t have to stoop low once inside. The round space was plenty tall and gave her several feet of headroom even at the edges of the domed ceiling. The room was spacious as well, despite half of it being filled withrge, round tforms that were covered in nkets of moss. Beds, Jadis guessed, though far from the kind she was used to. There was also a small pool of water with a softly flowing waterfall on one side of the room, which exined how A had gotten cleaned up. Despite the beds and the pool of water, there was still more than enough space to ensure no one would feel crowded, even with ten people in the room.
Ten people? Yes, Jadis raised three eyebrows as she reassessed the upants. Ten people. There, sitting with Sabina on one of the moss beds, was Sorcha. The little goblin witch looked considerably more subdued than even when Jadis had first captured her. She supposed she could understand why. The goblin¡¯s hand kept drifting to the one leg now missing its foot, the end wrapped up in a bit of cloth.
She also noted, as Sabina eagerly prattled on to the witch, that Sorcha wasn¡¯t manacled. In fact, she had no restraints whatsoever.
Dys poked A in the side, getting her attention, and gave her a meaningful look while motioning towards the, well, prisoner? Was that still the right word?
¡°She insisted,¡± A said quietly, giving Jadis a barely perceptible shrug. ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t want to argue the point too much. Sorcha did save Sabina¡¯s life. I think she feels she owes her or something like that.¡±
¡°Well,¡± Dys let out a sigh, ¡°she might be right. Rather, I might owe Sorcha a big debt for saving the life of my friend.¡±
Greeting the other girls who were all in various stages of undressing and cleaning up, Jadis wasted no time in getting her armor off. Ten minutester, having washed off the grime of the day and changed into morefortable clothing, Jadis¡¯ three selves sat on three of the moss beds, surrounded by herpanions.
¡°Damn, these are actually reallyfortable,¡± Syd eximed as she ran her hands over the mossy tform. ¡°Too bad they don¡¯te in my size.¡±
¡°I tried pushing them together,¡± Bridget noted as she lightly tapped on the wooden side of the one she was sitting on. ¡°But I think they¡¯re actually growing out of the, er, floor.¡±
¡°No big deal,¡± Jay waved the concern away. ¡°So, I assume we all leveled, yeah?¡±
There were various words and nods of affirmation from the group. Even Sorcha looked up and gave a hesitant nod.
¡°Oh, uh, Sorcha,¡± Jay addressed the witch. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell us anything about your sses and levels. We, uh, we¡¯re going to be going over our own information because we like to share and coordinate our skills, plus get advice from each other.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Sorcha nodded with a little less uncertainty. ¡°I¡¯m the odd duck in this room. Maybe you should put me with the Reavers again so I don¡¯t¡ª¡±
¡°No, you¡¯re staying right here with us!¡± Sabina cut the goblin off, putting one arm around Sorcha¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Redemption is earned through valorous action and I say you more than redeemed yourself by saving me earlier today, so that means you don¡¯t belong with the smugglers. You didn¡¯t let anything bad happen to me so I won¡¯t let anything bad happen to you, either!¡±
Sabina¡¯s words were said with the utter conviction of a woman who knew what she had said was an obvious truth, no different from saying the sky was blue or the mountains were tall. There wasn¡¯t even a note of challenge to her tone. Some people, Jadis was sure, would have been pressing the matter as though daring others to say they were wrong. Sabina spoke as though the thought that she could be wrong hadn¡¯t even entered her mind.
Jadis was a little less confidentpared to Sabina, but at the same time she honestly didn¡¯t want to argue against her heartfelt assertion. As much trouble and pain as Sorcha had caused her in their first and second encounters, the goblin had saved her just as much trouble and heartache since. Maybe she was being a little too forgiving, but she just didn¡¯t feel like holding a grudge against the goblin.
Maybe the fact that Sorcha¡¯s big ears and eyes were kind of cute had something to do with her decision, too. Just a little.
¡°So, how are we doing this?¡± Dys asked, making no furtherment on Sabina¡¯s insistence on keeping Sorcha around. ¡°Do we have some way of keeping potential eavesdroppers from dropping their eaves on us?¡±
¡°Nothing magical, unfortunately,¡± A grumbled as she pulled her trusty journal out. ¡°I¡¯ve been recording our progress with this but considering the security concerns I believe I¡¯m going to destroy this journal.¡±
¡°Must you?¡± Eir asked, concern coloring her voice. ¡°You¡¯ve put so much work into cataloguing your theories on our ss progression. I had thought you were going to submit to the Imperial Academy?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that now,¡± A shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of risk involved, especially for Jadis. I don¡¯t want to chance that someone tries to use these details to find a way to harm her, or any of the rest of you.¡±
Leaning over, Jay plucked the journal from A¡¯s hand.
¡°Destroying this is a step too far, I think,¡± Jay said as she thumbed through the pages. ¡°Maybe some selective editing is in order. Also, you could just hold off on publishing anything until after I¡¯m so high level no one would even dream of trying anything.¡±
¡°True!¡± Kerr eximed, grinning as she leaned towards A. ¡°At the rate big stuff here levels, she¡¯ll be giving Noll a run for his gold by next summer!¡±
Jadis knew Kerr was joking, but the thought had little humor for her. Reaching Noll¡¯s level by next summer wasn¡¯t an idle dream. It was a goal. One that Jadis meant to aplish. But for now, she¡¯d let Kerrugh. Besides, her therion lover would be along for the ride, gaining all those levels right with her.
¡°Speaking of, let¡¯s get to the good stuff already,¡± Kerr said as she rubbed her hands together gleefully. ¡°I
definitely got some good levels today and I¡¯m dying to hear what you all got. This sharing shit¡¯s more fun than I first thought!¡±
A reached for her journal, which Jay held teasingly out of her reach for a few moments. Once she managed to squeeze a stern scowl out of the redhead, Jadis relented and gave the book back to her girlfriend.
¡°Well. Whether I burn this book or not, I suggest we write our level information down on the nk pages and then pass it around for all of us to read and then discuss without speaking about the details openly. That way, the only way someone might spy on our discussion would be if they happened to be in the room with us. Invisible. Like Jack.¡±
Thest was said with a sharpness that indicated that A fully expected the Fetch to actually be in the room with them. Whether he was or wasn¡¯t, there wasn¡¯t much they could do about it, though. Jack would do what Jack would do.
¡°Fine then,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go first. Let me have that book back and I¡¯ll write down my updates.¡±
¡°Are you sure?¡± Kerr teased as A almost reluctantly handed the journal to Jay. ¡°I mean, maybe one of us should write it down for you while you whisper in our ear or something. Writing isn¡¯t exactly your strength, is it Miss Mountain Barbarian?¡±
¡°Shut your cake hole,¡± Syd stuck her tongue out at the smirking sniper. ¡°My penmanship has gotten a lot better, thank you very much.¡±
To prove the point, Jadis wrote with exaggerated care as she outlined her updated main status sheet.
|
Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary ss: Mirror Knight (32)
Secondary ss: Perverted Ritualist of D (26)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 58
|
|
Health: 1330/1330
|
Magic: 310/310
|
|
Attributes
|
|
Strength: 220
Dexterity: 63
Agility: 266
Vitality: 103
Fortitude: 73
Endurance: 75
|
Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 266
Focus: 1
Resilience: 30
Will: 5
|
|
|
|
¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s passable,¡± Kerr continued to smirk at Jadis as she read the page from her seat nearby. ¡°Nice levels, too, by the way. Five levels in a day is damn good. Not as good as me, but you know. Good.¡±
¡°I assume you put your extra points into Eldritch?¡± A asked as she too watched Jay write.
¡°Yup,¡± Syd nodded, letting Jay focus on the task. ¡°Didn¡¯t take any new skills yet, just used the bonus points right away since there¡¯s no question where they should go. But I
do need to talk to you all about this skill I was offered from one of my Ritualist levels. It, uh, opens up a lot of possibilities.¡±
Jay quickly finished writing thest of the skill description before passing the book around for the others to read the page.
|
Lesser Fractional Spread
Passive Skill. Increase all physical attributes by 0.2 of the Eldritch attribute.
|
¡°Oh!¡± Eir gasped after reading the page.
¡°With a skill upgrade like that¡
merde,¡± Kerr murmured as she rubbed her chin in thought.
¡°What else did you get as options?¡± A immediately asked, a fire in her blue eyes.
¡°Just wait and see,¡± all three of Jadis grinned.
Chapter 277: Spoiled for Choice
Chapter 277: Spoiled for Choice
Discussing level progress via writing it down in a journal and passing it around the group was a tedious affair but considering all the levels that everyone had gained from the impossible fight, Jadis was more than willing to be patient. Sharing her growth as well as seeing everyone else¡¯s was worth the wait. Jadis was particrly excited since she was nearing the vaunted CLR sixty threshold and would soon be unlocking her tertiary ss. She had no idea what options were going to be made avable to her, but whatever they were she was certain they would be powerful. Maybe a little lewd, too, but
definitely powerful.
Not that Jadis wascking in terms of power. As her level twenty-five skill choices demonstrated, she was well on her way to bing a one-woman army. Or maybe she was a three-woman army? Three-in-one army? Whatever.
The two skills her ritualist ss had presented to her at level twenty-five were both excellent. However, there was a clear and obvious winner between the two, even if the other had great value to it.
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Lesser Fractional Spread
Passive Skill. Increase all physical attributes by 0.2 of the Eldritch attribute.
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Through Frost and me
Ritual Spell. Significantly increases your resistance to heat and cold. Resistance is effective against mundane, magical, and environmental damage. After the initial ritual, the spell requires recharging or the effect will end after forty days.
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¡°I mean, the second option would absolutely be a good choice under most circumstances,¡± Kerrmented as she passed the book to Thea. ¡°Just think about how often you get lit on fire or sted by ice magic. It¡¯s happened, what, half a dozen times in the past two weeks?¡±
¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Dys grumbled as she put her elbow on her knee and rested her chin on her hand. ¡°I am so sick of getting either cooked or frozen. Let me tell you, it feels way, way worse than it sounds.¡±
¡°I w¡ªwould still take the first option though,¡± Thea advised after having taken a few moments to think over the skills. ¡°The first p¡ªprovides growth to, ah, attributes that would help you in those situations anyways, p¡ªplus more.¡±
Thea was, of course, correct. Through Frost and me would give her a significant boost to her defense against thermal damage, but
only thermal damage. It looked like it would be a convenient ritual, too, since it only needed to be recharged once every forty days, the equivalent of an Orosian month, but Lesser Fractional Spread was a passive skill. No ritual needed, and she would still improve her resistance to all kinds of physical damage as well as her other stats besides.
Most of the responses to the choice weren¡¯t verbal. Everyone took turns writing more detailedmentary in the book, exining various pros and cons as well as asking questions about synergy with already existing skills and rituals. The whole process was starting to give Jadis shbacks to when she¡¯d browsed various forums online on Earth, reading the discussions people would have about characters in anime or books. It was more than a little odd to think of herself as the center of one of those discussions.
The real crux of the discussion ultimately wasn¡¯t whether or not Jadis was going to take Lesser Fractional Spread. Because she was, no question. No, the question became, should Jadis continue to use her Debauched Duplication ritual on Fractional Spread or switch it to something else?
Ever since she had gained the improved version of her Mirror Body skill, Jadis had used Debauched Duplication to double her Fractional Spread passive, increasing the number of attributes points she gained from it twice over. Now, with this ¡°Lesser¡± version upgrade, the skill would be able to give her the same number of points naturally, no ritual required. That meant she could potentially use the duplication on one of her other passive skills without any loss to her overall attributes. On the other hand, if she maintained her passive duplication ritual on Fractional Spread, she¡¯d be doubling her attributes again.
By A¡¯s math, hastily scribbled into the margins of the journal page, Jadis¡¯ attributes would jump from a fifty-three-point boost to a one-hundred-and-six-point boost. Jadis¡¯ Fortitude, the attribute that offered her resistance to all physical damage including fire and ice, would reach one hundred and twenty-six. Jadis didn¡¯t know the hard numbers on how well that would protect her, but considering how well Thea¡¯s one hundred and fifty-three points of Fortitude protected her, she had no doubt that she would be a walking juggernaut. Well, more of a juggernaut than she already was. And that was just her Fortitude.
All of her physical stats would be gaining the same benefit.
Those were some hard to ignore numbers.
Nothing else Jadis currently had in terms of passive skills could reallypare to the kind of attribute boost on offer, except for three other possibilities. The first, as per Eir¡¯s suggestion, was Improved Mirrored Body. Pushing past the giggles and smirks that were aimed at the priestess due to the obvious lewd implications, she pointed out that having two more of Jadis¡¯ bodies, powerful as they were, would be potentially invaluable. Jadis¡¯ strength was only growing greater and if
five of her bodies were fielded in battle, the results would be devastating to any enemy they fought. Jadis could just imagine the number of Mirror Strikes she could trigger when attacking with so many selves.
The downsides though, were that she¡¯d be even more vulnerable to wide-area attacks. Jadis¡¯ bodies shared the same health pool and damage like the twisted wretch matriarch¡¯s poison fumes did damage per each body affected. If Jadis had five bodies inside a toxic cloud, she¡¯d be taking five times the damage. Further, Jadis didn¡¯t have any weapons or armor for any extra selves at the moment which would reduce their effectiveness on the battlefield. That was, of course, a temporary problem, but still a pertinent one for the time being. Finally, if Jadis did duplicate her mirrored body skill, she¡¯d be once and for all giving up on the pretense of being more than one person. There wasn¡¯t a soul on Oros gullible enough to believe that the three Nephilim who had shown up in Far Felsen actually had two more sisters that they had rescued from the mountains, and those sisters were also identical siblings.
More bodies had a certain appeal, but Jadis was hesitant. There were still another two options to consider though. Both came from Mirror Knight level thirty-one and Jadis still had to choose one of those to take as well. Both were great, though for very different reasons.
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Mirror Knight¡¯s Imprable Ward
Passive Skill. Boosts your Fortitude and Resilience attributes by 25 points multiplied by the number of active Mirrored Bodies.
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Past Reflections
Passive Skill. Permanently gain three random active or passive skills or spells that you have not chosen from previous levels. Does not include attribute improvement skills.
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Mirror Knight¡¯s Imprable Ward indeed. Jadis had a strong inclination towards that particr skill, as did A, Eir, and Thea. At face value, the skill would increase Jadis¡¯ Fortitude and Resilience by seventy-five points each. While that wouldn¡¯t do anything for her physical stats other than her physical resistance, what the skill would do is shore up one of her most obvious weaknesses. Seventy-five points into her Resilience would make a massive difference in her ability to withstand magical effects. There was also the potential synergy to think of.
If Jadis used her ritual to double Imprable Ward, she would be increasing her magical and physical defenses by one hundred and fifty points
each. Jadis wasn¡¯t even sure if she would need to wear armor with over two hundred and twenty points in Fortitude. And per A¡¯s calctions, one hundred and eighty total points in Resilience would probably immunize her to most magical attacks from anyone with a magic attribute less than half of her Resilience. Maybe not all attacks, not if they had some kind of specialty, but that much magic resistance would nullify the magical attacks of mostmon demons. Doubling her defenses with the skill held major appeal.
There was also the fact that Imprable Ward would still be good even if she didn¡¯t double it, or if she chose to double her Mirrored Bodies. If she continued to duplicate her Fractional Spread, taking the skill would still benefit her magical defense greatly
and help increase her Fortitude to the two-hundred-point range as well. If she didn¡¯t duplicate Fractional Spread and instead duplicated her bodies, she would be gaining not seventy-five in each of her defensive attributes, but one hundred and twenty-five points. Plus she¡¯d still be getting all the benefits of having more mirrored bodies while increasing her defenses at the same time, which helped mute the drawbacks of increasing her number of bodies.
Then there was Past Reflections. It wasn¡¯t quite as morous as Mirror Knight¡¯s Imprable Ward, but it was far from a weak option. There were a lot of solid skills and spells that Jadis had passed up over the course of thirty-two levels not because they were weak, they were just weak
er than other options avable. This was a skill that had the potential to let her ess spells like Looking ss, an ability that would allow her to see through reflective objects within a certain range, or Heavy Armor Mastery, which would make the armor she already wore even more effective. Many of those skills weren¡¯t strong enough on their own to justify using a skill slot on, but at a price of three for one? Yeah, that was a lot of value.
What¡¯s more, she could use her ritual to double
that skill, and gain a total of
six skills for one skill slot. Six! Even if they weren¡¯t individually all that strong, having six more skills would drastically improve Jadis¡¯ base potential as well as her versatility. There was also the possibility, as Bridget pointed out, that if she didn¡¯t like the second round of skills that came from doubling Past Reflections, she could cancel the effect and perform the ritual again. Since the skills selected were random, she could get different results, ones that she liked better. She could keep doing that until she got her ideal mix.
Of course, there was also the chance that after the first ritual, any further applications would just remember the original result and there would be no difference. A didn¡¯t have enough data to say one way or another, having never read about a skill that functioned quite the same as Debauched Duplication. There was also the concern that if she used Debauched Duplication on Past Reflections now and she decided to switch it to something elseter down the line, she wouldn¡¯t have three base skills anymore. If in the meantime she had gained improved versions of those skills, they had no idea what would happen to them once the base skill was gone. None of herpanions had ever heard of a skill being removed before. They even broke the general silence to ask Sorcha if she¡¯d evere across that kind of situation. Sorcha had no clue, but her input mirrored A and Sabina¡¯s worry. They thought it likely that the improved version of the skill would no longer function, which had the potential to be a major problem.
Then again, maybe once she reached a point where she had the improved version of a skill, the base version wouldn¡¯t be needed anymore and she could safely stop duplicating Past Reflections with no negative consequences. It would be a way to essentially scam the system, a loophole that would let her bypass wasting a skill slot on a lower-level skill just to get the more powerful version. A doubted that such a loophole would exist, but Kerr and Bridget both thought it was possible since the gods tended to reward out-of-the-box thinking. In her own opinion, Jadis thought such an exploit had potential simply because she herself was a living loophole. She was the sole member of a previously extinct race because D had reincarnated her soul. The gods hadn¡¯t put any provisions in their Covenant preventing such a resurrection until after D had done so with her. Wasn¡¯t it possible they could have left another opening to exploit in their system?
Past Reflections was a gamble. A big one. But Jadis wasn¡¯t opposed to taking risks, especially when even the worst-case scenario was still quite powerful. If Past Reflections duplication didn¡¯t work out, she could still switch and double her stats with Fractional Spread or go with more bodies.
¡°Hey, uh, I know I¡¯m not part of this,¡± Sorcha spoke up, interrupting Jay¡¯s thoughts as she was rapidly writing down more thoughts on the choice to be made. ¡°But I¡¯m gonna say this anyway. It feels like you lot are getting super wound up on this whole skill choice thing. Maybe you should flip a coin or something? Or maybe set the debate down for the night ande back to it after you¡¯ve had some time to let the tea steep for a while.¡±
¡°Jadis is
not flipping a coin on this,¡± A immediately said, her expression stern as stone. ¡°Don¡¯t even suggest that. Jadis!¡±
Syd flinched, having been caught in the act of reaching for one of her belt pouches.
¡°What? I¡¯m just curious about what chance has to say about it. Doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll go by it.¡±
¡°No,¡± was A¡¯s upromising response.
¡°Fine, fine,¡± Syd held up her hands. ¡°Look, leaving everything to chance isn¡¯t a good idea, I agree. But I think Sorcha has a point. Let¡¯s put my skill discussion aside for the moment. I can make a final decisionter, after I¡¯ve had a chance to contemte all of your suggestions. Does someone else want to go next, just so we can talk about choices that maybe aren¡¯t asplicated?¡±
¡°I can do that,¡± Bridget perked up. ¡°I think my options are pretty straightforward, doubt there will be much debate. I¡¯ve already kind of decided what I want, but I¡¯d like to get your opinions first in case I¡¯ve missed something.¡±
With that, Bridget took the journal and began writing in it, detailing out her newest ss skills as well as the overall update to her status sheet. While she wrote, the others took some time to stretch, take some food from the tters their Dryad hosts and provided, and rx.
As Jadis closed her eyes and let all three of her selves lean back and just let her mind wander for a minute, she overheard a whispered conversation between Sabina and Sorcha.
¡°So, that¡¯s¡ªshe¡¯s really just one person? Not three sisters?¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s true,¡± Sabina confirmed, her tone quieter than normal though she didn¡¯t seem to be understanding the spirit of why Sorcha was whispering.
¡°That is¡ honestly one of the weirdest ss skills I¡¯ve ever heard of.¡±
¡°Oh, I agree,¡± Sabina chirped happily. ¡°But then again there are a lot of weird ss skills in this group, so it¡¯s hard for me to say which one is the absolute strangest since I guess it¡¯s kind of subjective. Splitting into three separate bodies is extraordinary, but drinking your own semen to regain magical reserves is also super strange too so that might be my pick for weirdest.¡±
¡°She does what now?¡±
Jadis sighed and opened her eyes, already getting ready to cut Sabina off before her half-exnation managed to make things even weirder than they already were.
Chapter 278: Peer Reviewed Journal
Chapter 278: Peer Reviewed Journal
Once she¡¯d written everything down, Bridget passed the journal around for the group to review. Overall, the upgrades to her two sses that the orc warrior had received were excellent and no one could really find any ws with her choice of skills. Thanks to all the demons that she had helped y, Bridget had received two levels in her primary ss and an astounding six levels in her secondary ss. An eight-level increase from a single battle was massive, though a good deal of that increase could be attributed to how low level her secondary ss had been going into the fight. Still, the fact that she had increased her CLR by so much in a single day was phenomenal, especially considering the number of people the experience had been shared with.
The growth was almost enough to rmend the idea of their little group seeking out armies of demons to fight. Almost. Jadis carefully did
not voice that opinion. There had been far, far too many close calls earlier in the day for those kinds of risks to be taken regrly. Besides, she was fairly certain two major factors to their sess were called Jack and Noll, and those two wouldn¡¯t always be around to aid them.
The one skill that Bridget had gained from her twenty-third level in Lantern Light Landsknecht was an interesting mix of offensive and defensive skill.
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Scorching Reprisal
Active Spell. Deal fire damage to enemies that strike you within your melee range. Damage done is equal to 0.25 of your Arcane attribute. Cost ¨C 5 magic per minute. Duration ¨C Channeled.
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While it didn¡¯t actually provide Bridget with any direct defense, it did make any one or thing that attacked her pay for the assault. The upkeep cost of the spell wasn¡¯t much either, so Bridget could easily keep it going through most fights. The main suggestion given from the others was that Bridget would need to increase her defenses so that getting hit would hurt her enemies more than it hurt her. Sabina nned on crafting Bridget new armor when they got back to Far Felsen, so her ability to take a hit was definitely going to go up.
The other three new skills Bridget had gained were from her Ardent Light of the Reborn ss.
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Ardent Light¡¯s Tenacity
Passive Skill. Increases the Fortitude and Resilience attributes by 5 points.
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Fuel for the me
Passive Skill. Every 30 minutes of intercourse with a Nephilim overcharges your maximum magic capacity by 50 temporary points. Overcharged magic points will be used first when casting spells. Once the temporary magic points are used, they do not replenish until intercourse with a Nephilim is had once again. The overcharged magic points will expire if not used within ten days.
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Stamina Beacon
Active Spell. Radiate a soothing light that increases stamina regeneration for allies within the spell¡¯s radius of 50 feet. Stamina regeneration is increased by 0.5 of your Arcane attribute. Cost ¨C 20 magic per minute. Duration ¨C Channeled.
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The first skill was just a in ten-point total boost to her two defensive stats. Nothing special, but a necessary improvement to help keep the orc warrior safe on the battlefield, especially since she was a frontlinebatant. It was also a better option than the other skills on offer that would either boost her Focus and Will or give her mastery skills that she didn¡¯t really need.
The second was¡ undeniably lewd, but also one of the best skills Bridget could get. Both A and Eir gushed over the Fuel for the me, and not because of the implied need to have lots of sex with Jadis. Or at least, that wasn¡¯t the only reason. A temporary magic reserves buffer that could be gained through actions that they were all already taking was a major boon, especially when the buffer was sorge and could be built up over the course of days before being used. If handled correctly, Bridget could very well not need to use her actual base magic pool in most fights at all.
The third and final skill of the ss, Stamina Beacon, had a in name but a powerful ability. Considering most melee warriors depended on stamina to use their active skills, having someone who could help replenish their stamina just by being nearby was a huge advantage. The synergy was especially good for Jadis, since she only needed to keep one of her bodies near Bridget and all three of her selves would benefit from the effect.
In the end, no one made any objections to Bridget¡¯s choices and she solidified her skill selection. Since everyone was feeling tired and worn out from the day, Bridget immediately put her Stamina Beacon spell to practical use. As soon as she cast the spell, a soothing blue light emanated from the orc woman, washing over the gatheredpany.
Jadis could feel the difference the light made right away. It was almost like she¡¯d drunk an energy drink: she could feel her stamina replenishing within her. It didn¡¯t necessarily cancel out her existing fatigue and it definitely wasn¡¯t a recement for sleep, but she felt like she could keep going for a lot longer with Bridget¡¯s pleasant glow warming her.
After Bridget, everyone took turns writing down the details of their newest levels. Everyone had gained multiple, though some had increased their levels more than others. The difference in level gains seemed to stem from abination of what levels their various sses were at the start of the battle, as well as how much active involvement each person had in the fight. Still, everyone had at least two new skill slots to fill and there was some debate on what to choose for a few. By the end of the discussion, everyone was more than happy with the choices they had made, especially since none were weak or unwee skills.
Sabina had gained one level in her smith ss and three levels in her enchanter ss, raising them to twenty-two and seven respectively. Considering she¡¯d barely participated in the actual fighting, it made sense that she hadn¡¯t leveled up quite as much as Bridget despite her enchanter ss being a lower level. She didn¡¯t gain any skills for her smith ss, but the two she gained for her enchanter ss were both important for her future as a masterss enchanter.
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essory Enchantment I
Passive Skill. Provides a minor boost to the quality of the essory enchantments you craft.
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Armor Enchanting I
Passive Skill. Provides a minor boost to the quality of the armor enchantments you craft.
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Neither were anything wild or lewd like Bridget¡¯s new skills, but they were both building blocks that would help increase the power of Sabina¡¯s future enchantments as well as open the door for better skills down the line. If Sabina was bothered by theck of mor her skills showed, she made no sign of it. Instead, she simply chattered along about the various enchantments she was nning on crafting once they returned to the city.
¡°Since I¡¯ll be making true permanent enchantments, we¡¯ll want them to be as good as they can possibly be! These passive skills will definitely help me with that, which is great because thest thing I want to do is mess anything up, especially if I do any enchanting on your cold me armor!¡±
Thea¡¯s new skills had a little more spice to them. She had gained two levels in her Imperial Soldier ss, bringing it up to thirty, and three levels in her Shieldsworn Guard ss which had increased to twenty-five. The new skill she¡¯d received for her soldier ss was a rare one, but also well documented as it was something other soldiers had received in the past, though usually at much higher levels.
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Imperial Vanguard
Passive Skill. Decreases the amount of damage you take from all physical damage types by an additional 0.2 of your Fortitude attribute so long as you are wielding a shield. This damage reduction is applied before any other damage reduction factors.
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The increase to Thea¡¯s defenses was staggering. With how high her Fortitude had grown, even before Jadis¡¯ newest levels were taken into consideration, Thea would be cutting thirty-one points of damage off the top of any attack that struck her before even taking her other damage-negating factors into ount. Jadis wondered if a bone thief could even actually hurt Thea when fully armored.
The other two skills Thea ended up taking for her Shieldsworn ss were a mix of interesting and practical.
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Shieldsworn¡¯s Deflection
Active Skill. Knock away ranged attacks with your shield. Projectiles blocked by this skill will not be lodged in your shield and will instead be knocked back in the direction the attack came from. Chance of deflection is increased by your Fortitude attribute. Cost ¨C 20 Stamina.
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Shieldsworn¡¯s Haste
Passive Skill. Increases the Agility attribute by 8 points.
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Shieldsworn¡¯s Haste was just a straight boost to Thea¡¯s Agility. Considering what a difference it was making in Jadis¡¯bat ability, it only made sense that the rest of the meleebatants also upped their agility where they could. Besides which, the faster Thea could move, the faster she could react to attacks and defend against them.
Shieldsworn¡¯s Deflection was an interesting defensive skill that had the potential for offense. Depending on the projectile that was knocked away, Thea could very well do some coteral damage to clusters of enemies that could be struck by the deflected attack. If she practiced with the skill enough, she might even be able to send the projectile back at the shooter. Plus, nothing in the description said it couldn¡¯t be used on magic attacks. During their discussion, Thea made ns with A and Kerr to test the limits of what the skill could do.
Kerr had also gone up eight total levels, just like Bridget. Her primary ss had risen one level to thirty-four, her secondary had risen one level to twenty-nine, and her new tertiary sniper ss had jumped to level seven. No new skill was gained for Nox Archer, but Far Wilds Traveler had gained a skill that synergized well with her other two sses.
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Overwatch Enhancement
Passive Skill. Increases the uracy of your ranged attacks when shooting from an elevated position. uracy boost is disabled if the target of your attack is at a higher elevation than you.
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Considering how often Kerr had been perched in treestely, shooting down at her targets, the skill made sense. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t always be in an area where towering pines were around every corner, but finding an elevated position was always something Kerr would try to do in any fight she was in anyways. It didn¡¯t even need to be a hundred feet in the air or anything; just standing on the top of the wagon would count as an elevated position for most situations.
Kerr had gained three skills for her new Bonded Slut Sniper ss, two of which werepletely mundane, useful improvements to her ranged prowess.
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Bonded Slut Sniper¡¯s Boosted Range I
Passive Skill. Increases the range of your ranged attacks by a minor amount.
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Prating Shot I
Passive Skill. Increases the depth of pration your arrows can achieve by a minor amount.
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Both were basic, but obviously important steppingstones to greater skills that woulde in the future. The real interesting skill that the sniper had received was, of course, decidedly lewd. A fact that delighted Kerr to no end.
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Lustful Arrow
Active Skill. Designate a single arrow as the recipient of your lust. Only one arrow can be designated at a time. Increase the damage the designated arrow inflicts by 0.1 of your Strength and Dexterity attributesbined per climax you experience, up to a maximum of ten climaxes. Climaxes must involve your bonded lover. The arrow is destroyed upon impact with a target. Cost ¨C 30 stamina.
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Aside from how utterly debauched the skill was, the power it was offering was great. So long as Kerr achieved ten ¡°climaxes¡± before using it, the arrow would do a huge amount of damage to a single target. While clearly not the kind of skill that could be used every battle since she could only create one ¡°charged¡± arrow at a time, it would be useful to have what was essentially an elite-yer attack that could help them cripple or outright kill a powerful opponent right from the start of a fight.
Of course, Kerr also made it clear that she expected Jadis to help her use her new skill as soon as possible. For practical purposes, of course.
Eir had received two levels in each of her sses, bringing her primary up to twenty-five and her secondary up to ten. Both had gained a new skill each. Beloved Cleric of Lyssandria¡¯s new skill was a healing one, though it went in an unexpected, but extremely wee, direction.
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Beloved Cleric¡¯s Autonomous Regeneration
Passive Skill. If you are injured and are unconscious or otherwise simrly incapacitated, you will automatically begin casting your most powerful healing spell upon yourself until your health pool is full. Self-healing will not work if your magic reserves are empty or if you are already channeling a different spell.
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It was a safety, one that was clearly meant to be paired with Protection of the D. Now, if Eir was ever injured and knocked unconscious again, she would immediately begin healing herself without the need for conscious effort. The only oddity of the skill description was the mention that it wouldn¡¯t work if she was already channeling a spell. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how that could ever be a problem since if Eir was rendered unconscious, she wouldn¡¯t be able to channel a spell anyway. A spected that it could be an indicator of future spells and abilities, which most everyone agreed on.
The other skill she gained, this one from Lustful Oracle of D, was one that she chose specifically for Jadis¡¯ sake. Or rather, for Alex¡¯s.
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Oracle¡¯s Guiding Vision
Active Spell. Briefly grant a single target the ability to see through a possession demon¡¯s disguise. Any creature within visual range that is possessed by a demon will be highlighted in the target¡¯s sight. Cost ¨C 50 magic. Duration ¨C 1 minute.
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Being able to see if there was a demon possessed person hiding in a crowd was good, but more than anything Jadis was hoping the skill would help her locate Alex. She fully nned on searching for the missing demonling in the morning, just as soon as she could. The mystery of where Alex had ended up was not one she was content to leave unanswered. Of course, they didn¡¯t know for sure that Alex had possessed Eike. Sabina hadn¡¯t seen that with certainty. But the fact that Eike¡¯s body had disappeared did cause some suspicions that perhaps that was exactly what had happened. So, maybe the spell would help find Alex. Or maybe it wouldn¡¯t. But Eir was willing to use her skill slot on the spell on the hope. Even if it didn¡¯t work out the way they wanted, it was still a valuable spell to have to help guard them from hostile possessed individuals.
A¡¯s Cart Driver ss had only gone up one level, from twenty-five to twenty-six, but her Arcanist ss had risen from twenty to twenty-four. As such, she had gained two new skills. The first was a new spell, an improvement of sorts to her force bolt spell.
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Arcanist¡¯s Tri-Bolt
Active Spell. Send three orbiting bolts of force magic towards any point within 150 feet of you. Form and function of spell can be modified by dependent passive skills. Cost and Duration variable dependent on variation of spell cast. Base Cost ¨C 50 magic. Base Duration ¨C Instantaneous.
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Aside from having increased range, the spell would fire three force bolts at the same time, all for the cost of two force bolts. Since the spell created three individual bolts, A was also certain that the interaction with her spell modifications meant that each bolt would be modified separately. That meant that if she used an explosion modification on the spell, the results would be¡ explosive.
Jadis was definitely looking forward to seeing all the different ways the new spell could be modified.
The second skill A gained was a new spell modification, one that looked like it would work out great with her new spell but would also synergize in interesting ways with her existing spells.
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Arcanist¡¯s Seeking Modification
Passive Skill. Adds possible variation to any Arcanist spells. Spell automatically seeks out the designated target. Spell will continue to follow the target until it strikes the target, is blocked, or the target moves out of range. If the base spell does not have a range, the range bes a number of feet equal to 0.5 times the Arcane attribute. Base cost of spell increased by 2 times. Duration unaffected.
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The modification would transform A¡¯s spells into homing missiles. While she usually had good aim with her attacks, especially since they moved pretty fast, the fight against the wind mage had shown that A¡¯s spells could absolutely be dodged. Being able to lock onto a target would be a major benefit when fighting speedy and slippery enemies.
After all the skills had been chosen and all the free attribute points had been assigned, everyone¡¯s status sheets were reviewed, just to make sure nothing had been missed.
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Bridget of n Warsong
Race: Orc
Primary ss: Lantern Light Landsknecht (23)
Secondary ss: Ardent Light of the Reborn (11)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 34
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Health: 250/250
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Magic: 200/200
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Attributes
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Strength: 40
Dexterity: 7
Agility: 15
Vitality: 25
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 20
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Arcane: 162
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 20
Resilience: 15
Will: 21
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Sabina Sarto
Race: Human / Elf Hybrid
Primary ss: Passionate Smith (22)
Secondary ss: Enchanter Smith of the Reborn (7)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 29
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Health: 150/150
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Magic: 140/140
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Attributes
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Strength: 20
Dexterity: 15
Agility: 15
Vitality: 15
Fortitude: 10
Endurance: 30
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 133
Focus: 14
Resilience: 5
Will: 20
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Thea of Cold Brook
Race: Human
Primary ss: Imperial Soldier (30)
Secondary ss: Shieldsworn Guard (25)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 55
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Health: 250/250
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Magic: 0/0
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Attributes
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Strength: 25
Dexterity: 10
Agility: 20
Vitality: 25
Fortitude: 161
Endurance: 27
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 0
Resilience: 45
Will: 0
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Kerr of n Nox
Race: Therion
Primary ss: Nox Archer (34)
Secondary ss: Far Wilds Traveler (29)
Tertiary ss: Bonded Slut Sniper (7)
Combined Level Rating: 70
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Health: 150/150
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Magic: 0/0
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Attributes
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Strength: 148
Dexterity: 72
Agility: 25
Vitality: 15
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 25
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 0
Resilience: 13
Will: 0
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Eir Aedraheill
Race: Elf
Primary ss: Beloved Cleric of Lyssandria (25)
Secondary ss: Lustful Oracle of D (10)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 35
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Health: 100/100
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Magic: 360/360
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Attributes
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Strength: 8
Dexterity: 12
Agility: 10
Vitality: 10
Fortitude: 8
Endurance: 10
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 189
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 36
Resilience: 10
Will: 24
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A of Red Tree
Race: Human
Primary ss: Cart Driver (26)
Secondary ss: Nephilim Powered Arcanist (24)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 50
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Health: 120/120
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Magic: 560/560
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Attributes
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Strength: 10
Dexterity: 15
Agility: 20
Vitality: 12
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 15
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Arcane: 183
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 41
Resilience: 5
Will: 10
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Overall, Jadis felt everyone was looking pretty good.
Chapter 279: Easy Decision
Chapter 279: Easy Decision
Reviewing everyone else¡¯s choices gave Jadis the time she needed toe to her own decision. In truth, it wasn¡¯t
that hard of a choice. Jadis didn¡¯t have the years ofbat training that Noll had, nor did she have weapon and armor skills to boost herpetency like Kerr and Thea. What Jadis had was raw attribute power. The pure overwhelming numerical advantage she possessed over others when it came to her stats was the determining factor when it came to her fights. That was the whole reason why even just one of her bodies was a force to be reckoned with. It was also why three of her was even more of a devastatingbo than it would be if there were, say, three of captain Wi. Her high attributes were key.
Jadis decided she would keep debauched duplication on her fractional spread passive. With that choice set firmly in ce, she also opted to cover her most obvious deficiency rather than spin the wheel on past skills. She took Mirror Knight¡¯s Imprable Ward, happy to finally have some real defense against magic. Considering what a boost it was, she was tempted to do some tests, same as Thea, to see how strong her new defenses were. However, stabbing herself with the cursed magic knife she¡¯d taken from the now very dead Legs felt¡ extreme. Certainly not something she was going to try to do that night, in any case.
Solidifying her skill choices in her mind, she could actually feel the physical shift in her body. Nothing visible about her selves changed, but her strength alone had just risen by over a hundred points. She absolutely felt the difference, to the point that she was somewhat worried about identally using more strength than she intended when interacting with herpanions, as well as the environment around her. No issues hade up so far since it seemed whenever she gained any Strength or Agility she also gained the instinctive knowledge of how to control her selves, but still. Jadis had just increased her attributes by their biggest jump to date. She couldn¡¯t help but have a little concern.
|
Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary ss: Mirror Knight (32)
Secondary ss: Perverted Ritualist of D (26)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 58
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Health: 1860/1860
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Magic: 310/310
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Attributes
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Strength: 326
Dexterity: 116
Agility: 266
Vitality: 156
Fortitude: 201
Endurance: 128
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 266
Focus: 1
Resilience: 105
Will: 5
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Of course, that concern was eclipsed by the tion of reviewing her stat sheet. She¡¯d truly grown by a massive amount. She couldn¡¯t wait to test her new-found strength out and get a real feel for just how much she¡¯d improved with thesetest levels. Maybe she could ask for a rematch with Noll. Not out of any petty spite over the ass whooping he¡¯d given herst time. No, she¡¯d deserved that one. But the savage wolf was three times her level and had be her best benchmark for truebat power. After this level, she could very well have surpassed Noll, at least from a numerical standpoint.
Maybe.
The old dog was pretty fucking strong.
Once everyone¡¯s choices had been made and the skills discussion petered out, A took back her journal and carefully secured it inside her backpack with severalyers of knotted string that couldn¡¯t be untied, only cut. There was no way anyone would be able to open the journal without at least giving away the fact that it had been spied on. A was still halfway convinced she should burn the notes, though Jadis convinced her otherwise for the time being. Instead, she told her that she would copy her notes into a new, fresh journal for her, only this time she¡¯d write it in her own Earth-basednguage, or as far as Sabina and Bridget were concerned, the Nephilimnguage. No one on Oros except for Jadis knew how to read and write English, so A could preserve her notes in a kind of cipher until a better solution could be found.
By then the night had grownte and everyone was exhausted, even with Bridget¡¯s Stamina Beacon giving them a boost. Picking out their moss-covered beds, everyone settled down for the night. The room grew quiet as the strange magical light of the flowers surrounding them seemed to sense their intent and slowly darkened to the point where there was barely any glow at all.
Since Jadis was sorge, she did not get to take advantage of the enchanting moss beds. The wood floor was her lot, but at least she had her nkets, which suited her well enough. Staring up at the strange, dark ceiling, she listened to the sounds of her friends and lovers falling asleep. There were a few whispered conversations, the sounds of movement under nkets, but after a time, those all faded away until there was nothing but the soft sound of ten different people breathing.
Two of her bodies were fast asleep, but the third, Dys, was not. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t trust the Dryads: she had no reason not to. But Jadis had been on high alert for a long while by that point and it was hard to just turn that off. So, one self stayed awake, watching and listening and thinking about what she wanted to do in the morning. It was because that one self was awake that she heard the sound of Eir getting up from her bed.
It was too dark in the room for her to see, but Jadis knew it was Eir because of where the sound hade from, as well as the lightness of her steps. Eir always moved with a kind of soft grace that was wholly different from the way the others moved. Whether that was an elf thing or just an Eir thing, Jadis didn¡¯t know. She was inclined to think it was a mix of both.
Dys waited, listening to Eir¡¯s bare footsteps as she left her bed and moved across the room to where Jadis¡¯ three selves were lined up in a trio on the floor. She said nothing, made no sign that she was awake, and waited to see what the priestess would do.
There was a long silence. Then, she felt Eir lie down, settling herself against Syd¡¯s open left side. She tucked herself into Syd¡¯s arm, one hand on her chest and her head on her shoulder. Jadis could feel Eir¡¯s fingers clutch her shirt as the elf pressed herself so close to Syd¡¯s side there was not a hair¡¯s breadth between them.
¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± Syd asked, that self waking as Jadis allowed Dys to drift into sleep.
Eir was not startled by Syd¡¯s whispered question. She simply took a deep breath, her face pressed against Syd¡¯s shoulder.
¡°No, I couldn''t.¡±
¡°Are you thinking about what happened earlier?¡±
There was a long pause.
¡°A little. I try not to.¡±
Images of Eir, a spike through her bloody chest, passed before Syd¡¯s eyes.
¡°It doesn¡¯t help to dwell on it.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Eir said as she moved slightly, rubbing her head closer against Syd. ¡°I have prayed to Lyssandria. And Destarious. I will be fine.¡±
Syd shifted, turning toy on her side so that she was facing Eir. She held the woman against, one arm propping the much smaller elf up. Pressing her nose to her hair, Syd kissed the top of Eir¡¯s head, findingfort in the feel of her locks as well as her clean smell.
¡°I want to promise that I¡¯ll never let anything hurt you again,¡± Syd whispered as she gently rubbed Eir¡¯s back. ¡°But I can¡¯t promise something like that if you stay by me. I¡¯m walking down a dangerous path. Anyone with me will be in danger, too.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Eir whispered back. ¡°I knew that from our first meeting. You are a fighter. It is a part of your beauty, that wild fierceness. I would not try to change it. So I am resolved to go with you, wherever your wild heart takes you.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Syd said, touched by Eir¡¯s words. ¡°That¡ well. It really amazes me how strong you are, you know? You don¡¯t have any real way of fighting or defending yourself at all, and yet you¡¯re always right out there, in the thick of things with everyone else. I¡¯m not sure if I would be as brave as you if I was also as defenseless as you.¡±
¡°I am certain that you would be brave whether you were a dragon or a mouse.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Syd chuckled softly. ¡°I appreciate the vote of confidence.¡±
Her amusement faded as her mind turned to more serious matters. Words that she had been thinking of for a while, words that needed to be said. She pulled back slightly, enough so that she could look down at Eir, even if she couldn¡¯t see much in the dark.
¡°Eir,¡± she began. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you about this for a while now, but I¡¯ve been waiting for the right moment. It never really came up, since we¡¯ve been out in these woods with all the demons and the smugglers and the¡ well. I just kept putting it off because I wanted the moment to be special. But after today, I¡¯m not waiting any more. I don¡¯t want to wait so long that something happens and then the chance never wille because one of us is gone.¡±
¡°Jadis¡ª¡±
¡°I don¡¯t expect that to happen. I expect all of us to die of old age a few centuries from now. But I¡¯m not going to take the chance anymore. So.¡± Syd took a deep breath. ¡°Eir. I love you. I want you with me, always. Will you be with me?¡±
Eir¡¯s body went stiff as stone in Syd¡¯s arms. There was a long, long silence as Jadis waited, listening, hearing nothing, not even the sound of Eir¡¯s breath. Then, as Jadis¡¯ nerves almost became too much, Eir seemed to melt as she moved against her, sliding up her body to bring her face level with Syd¡¯s. Her soft hands cupped Syd¡¯s face as she pressed her forehead against hers.
¡°Yes. I love you, too,¡± Eir whispered, her voice cracking slightly with emotion. ¡°I will always be with you. Always.¡±
Syd let out a sigh of relief that was quickly muffled as Eir pressed her lips against hers. She kissed the priestess back, slow and with a burning passion that she let smolder. Her arms wrapped tightly around Eir, dragging her on top of her as Syd rolled onto her back. She held Eir against her as they kissed, enjoying each other¡¯s warmth. No more words were needed.
They kissed for a long while, passionate but without lust, just a desire to touch and be touched. Eventually their mouths broke away from each other and Eir rested her head against Syd¡¯s chest, tucked up under her chin. They continued to hold each other, saying nothing, but happy. Happy in a way that made all the trials and horrors of the day fade away into nothing but a forgotten nightmare.
Eir was quiet for so long that Jadis thought that the elf had fallen asleep. Certainly she was having trouble staying awake, even her third self had heavy eyelids by that point. Then, as Syd began to drift, Eir quietly whispered a question against her neck.
¡°Jadis? When I was hurt, you told me something. You said that you would give me anything that I wanted. Is that still true?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Syd answered drowsily, but without any hesitation. She would do anything for her lovers and Eir was most certainly of that number now. ¡°Is there something you want?¡±
¡°There is,¡± Eir answered, her voice slightly apprehensive. ¡°It isn¡¯t¡ it isn¡¯t something I need right now. But, someday. Someday, I would. From you.¡±
¡°What is it?¡± Syd asked again, Eir¡¯s reticence perking her interest and dispelling a bit of her tiredness. ¡°Just ask, I¡¯ll do it for you.¡±
There was one more pause, shorter than thest, as Eir seemed toe to some internal decision. Her next words dispelled what remained of Jadis¡¯ sleepiness entirely.
¡°I want to have a baby.¡±
¡°¡Oh.¡±
Chapter 280: Future Plans
Chapter 280: Future ns
Breakfast the next morning was a beautiful affair. The Dryads had pulled out all the stops, piling the various tables they sat around high with delicious dishes of exotic fruits, invigorating soups, sugary cakes, and a truly staggering variety of egg dishes. There was enough food to feed three times the number of people who sat at the tables, which turned out to be the right call since everyone was eating like they¡¯d been starving for weeks on end. There were happy, even joyful vibes from everyone, especially the Dryads, who treated their guests with the kindest of attentions. Even the Reavers were seated around one of the tables and were waited on like war heroes rather than criminals. All who attended looked like they were having a good time, which was why Jadis felt somewhat shitty for barely enjoying the meal.
It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t appreciate what the Dryads were doing for her and everyone else. The food truly was amazing and thevish attention they were being given was ttering, to say the least. The problem was, Jadis couldn¡¯t really focus on the breakfast when she was too busy knotting her guts up into great big bows of anxiety because of Eir¡¯s request to have a child.
In some ways, Eir¡¯s wish was expected. She was, after all, an elf. One of the things that Jadis had learned from her time on Oros was that most elves had few children. They were a long-lived race, averaging three hundred years, and thus had a low birthrate. Most only had one or two children over the course of their centuries of life, and there were plenty who never had any children at all. So, for Eir, Jadis¡¯ Potency Alteration skill, which could literally increase the odds of a sessful pregnancy to near certainty, must have looked like a gift from the heavens. Of course she would want to take advantage of such a skill.
Then there was the fact that Eir was a priestess of Lyssandria and Jadis was the one and only living specimen of Lyssandria¡¯s avatar race. From a practical perspective, she would want to ensure Jadis had children simply because if anything were to happen to her, then there would at least be a half breed progeny to continue the essentially extinct bloodline. Regardless of personal reasons, Eir had to be cognizant of that line of reasoning. Even Jadis knew that some consideration had to be made for Nephilim offspring.
Finally, Jadis knew Eir loved her. Not just in a girlfriend kind of way, but in a ¡°devote my life to you¡± kind of way. Not that she was downying A or Kerr¡¯s feelings, not in the least. But Eir, despite her gentle and proper demeanor, had an intensely passionate personality under thatyer ofdylike behavior. For someone like Eir, having the child of the one she loved would be an ultimate expression of her devotion.
That was all to say that Jadis wasn¡¯t particrly surprised that Eir wanted to have her baby. What surprised her was that Eir had actuallye out and asked her about it mere minutes after having epted her proposal to be her girlfriend in the same way as A and Kerr. That had been a shock that had kept Jadis awake for a long while after.
The thing was, it wasn¡¯t even that Jadis was necessarily opposed to having children. She¡¯d been having daydreams about it for a while, specifically involving Eir for that matter. The idea had a strong appeal to it, undeniably so. But baby making had been theoretical so far. An idle fantasy for an older, more established Jadis to worry about far down the path. Now the possibility had been thrust into her face far, far sooner than she had been prepared to contemte and she felt like the ground had fallen out from beneath her feet.
What if she told Eir yes? Would that mean she¡¯d want the baby right away? Would they have to put their adventuring on hold for however long it took for Eir to give birth or would Eir tag along until she became too pregnant to make that reasonable? Jadis would have to support Eir and her child, so that meant she¡¯d have to have steady work. Should they get married or was that unnecessary?
What about A and Kerr? Would they want children too?
Jadis¡¯ mind had whirled like a topst night and it was little better during breakfast.
Eir had, kind soul that she was, realized that Jadis needed time to think over the request and had told her they could talk about itter. Jadis appreciated the reprieve she¡¯d given her, but she still needed to have a talk about it. Eir¡¯s question needed an answer. It wasn¡¯t something Jadis wanted to leave hanging. She wouldn¡¯t do that to her elf priestess.
So, all breakfast long, Jadis¡¯ eyes kept lingering on Eir as she contemted the idea of bing a mother. Wait, would she be called the mother when technically she was the father? No, no way, Jadis was not okay with being called father. If and when she had kids, regardless of how, she was mom, not dad.
Her attention was so focused on the idea of being a parent that she barely noticed when Yorath gave a rather grandiose speech expressing his undying gratitude for the rescue that Fortune¡¯s Favored, the Imperial Military, and the Roiling Reavers had performed. There were promises of gifts and treasures as well as pledges of boons and favors, all of which went right over Jadis¡¯ heads. It wasn¡¯t until the speech was over, people were leaving their seats, and A had unceremoniously shoved a finger into Jay¡¯s side that she realized that she had no idea what the elder Dryad had said or what everyone was doing.
¡°Okay, what¡¯s going on,¡± A asked in a low voice, giving Jay a stern look. ¡°You¡¯re more distractable than a drunk Sabina today.¡±
Looking at A up close, her long red hair framing her pretty freckled face, had Jadis imagining what the woman¡¯s children would look like and how cute they would have to be with just as many freckles sprinkled across their noses.
¡°Uh, we need to talk,¡± Jay answered after pushing the idea out of her head. ¡°But not just us. You, me, Kerr, and Eir.¡±
A raised her eyebrow at the list.
¡°Eir? Did something happenst night while the rest of us were sleeping?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Jay nodded, not even attempting to y coy. ¡°Yes, it did. So let¡¯s go talk.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± A answered mildly, perhaps taken aback by Jadis¡¯ in directness. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±
A few minutester Jadis¡¯ three selves were sequestered in a secluded part of the grove along with her three official partners. They were by the wagons, on the ground level of the grove where an open, grassy area held the horses along with a variety of wild creatures like snow elk and wild goats. No one else was around, giving them a moment of privacy.
Wasting no time, Jadis quickly exined to A and Kerr that she had made things official with Eir. Neither woman affected the least bit of surprise. A offered the priestess a sincere wee that seemed to make Eir bashful while Kerr grinned mischievously and began asking all kinds of lewd and inappropriate questions. Before her sniper lover could take things too far, Jadis interrupted by bringing the conversation around to what had distracted sopletely all morning.
¡°This isn¡¯t the kind of talk that can be had between just us,¡± Syd apologized to Eir. ¡°It¡¯s the kind of thing that would affect everyone in a rtionship with me.¡±
¡°I understand,¡± Eir said with a calm nod. ¡°And I agree. It is only fair to discuss with your other lovers.¡±
¡°What the abyss, you¡¯re making this sound all serious and shit,¡± Kerr chuckled, her grin still wide. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me one of you is pregnant or some shit like that.¡±
There was a charged pause between Jadis and Eir, one that made Kerr¡¯s face fall in shock.
¡°Wait, is one of you
actually pregnant? I was fucking joking!¡±
¡°No one is pregnant,¡± A dismissed the exmation with a wave of her hand. ¡°Jadis has a skill to prevent that, remember?¡± At those words, a dawning look ofprehension crossed A¡¯s face. ¡°A skill that controls potency¡ Both ways.¡±
Before Jadis could speak, Eir took the initiative. With shoulders squared and head held high, she looked A straight in the eyes.
¡°That is correct. I wish to carry Jadis¡¯ child. I have asked her for that honor.¡±
Kerr let out a choked noise as she quietly repeated Eir¡¯s phrasing. A¡¯s face was like stone, not even a hint of revealing emotion present. Jadis felt her stomachs lurch at Eir¡¯s deration, her nerves doing a number on her.
¡°So, uh, yeah,¡± Jay said after a tense moment had passed. ¡°Like I said. It¡¯s a conversation that affects all of us. I, uh¡ªwell. Thoughts?¡±
A¡¯s gaze shifted to Jay, giving her a piercing look.
¡°You want to have children?¡±
Jay flushed a little as all three of Jadis¡¯ selves shifted awkwardly. Being asked directly like that by A brought on a whole different set of nerves that she didn¡¯t even know were separate from the first bunch.
¡°Well, I mean, I guess I do,¡± Jay said as she ran her fingers through her white hair. ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said the thought hadn¡¯t crossed my mind. I want to be with you. All of you, for as long as we¡¯re alive. And probably after, too. That means having a family, with kids, eventually. I mean, how cute would little red-haired Nephilim babies be? Or ones with horns, or pointy elf ears? That actually sounds really good to me.¡±
As she spoke, she saw both A and Kerr¡¯s faces flush at the mention of traits that they would bring to the table if they were to have children. Kerr looked like she was struggling to find words while A¡¯s ears burned red. Eir looked¡ much calmer. Centered, even. The talk of children didn¡¯t seem to fluster her at all.
¡°But the thing is,¡± Dys continued the line of thought. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure I¡¯m ready for kids right now. I want to have children someday, but that¡¯s always been a thought I¡¯ve reserved forter, when I¡¯m older. I barely have my own life figured out half the time so how am I supposed to raise a child who¡¯ll be depending on me to have all the answers?¡±
Thest was said facing Eir directly as Jadis expressed her most sincere thoughts, airing everything out at once.
¡°Besides,¡± Syd added, ¡°I want to keep fighting. I want to battle demons and explore wild ces. I¡¯m not ready to settle down, I guess is the way to put it. I know I¡¯m going to be putting myself in a lot more danger, constantly, and I also know that I absolutely don¡¯t want to put a pregnant lover in dangerous situations, much less a baby.¡±
¡°I would not wish to take you away from the life you wish to live,¡± Eir spoke then, her voice soft but clear. ¡°My intention in asking for a child was not to change your path. However, just as you realized that life is fleeting and drew from that knowledge the courage to seek a deeper connection with me, I have learned the same lesson. It would be an unbearable tragedy if you were to be taken from me, from us, before we had the chance to consummate our love with the creation of new life. I do not wish to risk that regret, even in theory. That is why I ask that you allow me to bear your child.¡±
As Jadis thought over Eir¡¯s argument, Kerr regained her powers of speech.
¡°Look, Eir, my girl, I love you like a¡ well, I wouldn¡¯t fuck any of my sisters, but you get what I mean. But is this really what you want? To have a kid, now? You¡¯re still young, you know. Having a pup means putting everything else in your life on hold for a long ass time. Years! I guess you¡¯ve got the time, what with you being an elf and all that, but still. You really willing to go full mom mode now?¡±
¡°I am,¡± came Eir¡¯s simple response.
¡°I cannot say the same,¡± A said as Kerr stared at Eir, shaking her head. ¡°I¡ I am not opposed to the idea. I¡¯ll admit that I¡¯ve also thought about¡ children.¡±
That admission made Jadis¡¯ hearts thump wildly.
¡°However, I did not n on pursuing that line of thought until muchter in my life. Certainly not while the demonic invasion is going on, at the least. Now hardly seems to be an opportune time.¡±
A nced up at Jadis¡¯ faces, then looked back down at Eir. She took a deep breath, steadying herself, then nodded once.
¡°That said, regardless of how ready I am for having children, I cannot think of any reasonable objection to you having children with Jadis. If you want to and Jadis is willing, then I will certainly not stand in your way. In fact, I would say that you have my blessing, if that¡¯s what you are looking for.¡±
Kerr still looked bbergasted, but as she scratched at the base of her horn, she shrugged helplessly.
¡°Yeah, okay, fuck. I¡¯m good with it too, I guess. I mean, have at it,¡± Kerr tossed one hand into the air. ¡°Actually, I hadn¡¯t seriously put any thought at all into having pups. But now¡ fuck, now I¡¯m kind of thinking about it a lot. Damn. Little baby Jadis¡¯ running around that I can teach how to hunt and not be big stomping clods like their mother? That sounds pretty damn good the more I think about it.¡±
As both A and Kerr gave their permission, Eir turned hopeful eyes on Jadis.
¡°¡okay. I guess I¡¯m in the hotseat now. I¡¯m still not sure if I¡¯m ready to be a parent. But if that¡¯s what you really want Eir, I¡¯m willing. I mean, I feel like we still need to talk out the logistics on this before we do anything but¡ª¡±
Jay¡¯s words were cut off as Eir wrapped her arms around her waist in a crushing hug. Or at least what Jadis figured would have been a crushing hug for anyone of Eir¡¯s size. Against Jadis, it barely did a thing. Reactively, Jay wrapped her arms around Eir, holding the priestess close against her. She was still extremely nervous by the proposition, but there was also a great deal of strange, fluttering excitement floating around inside her chest.
Children. Her own child. It was a crazy thought, but it warmed her to her core.
Eventually Eir pulled out of the hug, beaming up at Jay with a brilliant smile. She leaned against her, one arm holding onto Jay. She breathed a sigh that was a mixture of pleasure and relief before sheposed herself into a more dignified air.
¡°Thank you. I truly do thank you. I¡ª¡± her voice hitched for a moment, ¡°I never thought that this was the course my life would take, but I could not be happier. I love you, Jadis.¡±
¡°Love you, too,¡± Jay said. Since the diminutive elf was holding onto her, Dys leaned down and gave Eir a kiss so she didn¡¯t have to break her hug. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re here with me, and with us.¡±
¡°So, uh, when are you going to, you know, do the breeding?¡± Kerr asked, predictably killing the tender moment with her crude personality.
Eir cleared her throat, getting all of their attention.
¡°I have a thought on that. It¡¯s not something thates up often, but there is a way for us to all be happy, I think.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± A asked as she sidled up next to Syd, pressing against her in an almost possessive way. ¡°Are we not all happy with this oue?"
¡°By that I mean,¡± Eir continued, ¡°I believe there is a way I can be impregnated by Jadis¡¯ seed without putting any stop my or our, ah, active lifestyle.¡±
¡°How¡¯s that?¡± Jay asked, looking down curiously at the elf. ¡°You haven¡¯t been hiding some extra info from us this whole time, have you?¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± Eir denied with the look of someone who had something to hide. ¡°I simply didn¡¯t want to influence your decision unduly.¡±
¡°Sure, sure,¡± Kerr said, arms crossed. ¡°Do tell,
ma petite pr¨ºtresse.¡±
¡°Some elves who find themselves pregnant do so at times that are¡ inconvenient. As do some women of other races for that matter, but it is elves that take advantage of this service more often than not. There is a high priestess of my order, the Followers of Lyssandria, who has a ritual spell that can halt a pregnancy indefinitely, so long as the unborn infant¡¯s growth hasn¡¯t progressed past a certain stage. If we were to seek her services, you could impregnate me and she could suspend that pregnancy indefinitely, holding it off until we are ready for children.¡±
¡°That¡ªthat actually sounds fucking awesome,¡± Jay eximed. A suspended pregnancy really would solve the issue, since they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about having a baby when they were still adventuring and they would also have the insurance in case the worst ever happened to Jadis. ¡°I¡¯m absolutely in favor of that.¡±
As she voiced her favorable opinion, she could see that A and Kerr both looked interested as well, to varying degrees.
¡°Where is this priestess?¡± Syd asked, giving Eir an encouraging smile. ¡°She sounds like exactly the person we need to see.¡±
¡°That is the one hinderance to the n,¡± Eir replied, ¡°though I suppose not an onerous one. She is in the capital, Eldingholt. We would have to sail there to seek her aid.¡±
All three of Jadis let out augh at once.
¡°Of course. When did our life be a never-ending road trip?¡±
Chapter 281: Cold Shoulder
Chapter 281: Cold Shoulder
After breakfast was long over and their private discussion on future ns was done, Jadis found herself outside of the grove once more. She was, of course, armed and armored; this wasn¡¯t a spur-of-the-moment trip after all. Jadis had nned on using the light of a new day to search for the one loose end that was still lost out in the snowy, demon infested forest. Alex.
¡°Gods, it¡¯s cold out here,¡± Kerr cursed as she shivered violently.
¡°Fuck yeah it is,¡± Jay agreed.
¡°Cold as Vraekae¡¯s left butt cheek,¡± Syd added.
¡°I¡¯m not sure the magistrate¡¯s posterior is below freezing temperature,¡± A responded dryly.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure,¡± Dys murmured under her breath.
With how pleasantly warm and verdant in the inside of the Dryad¡¯s grove was, it was easy to forget that it was winter outside. It must have snowed all night long as the ground was covered in nearly a foot of snow, nketing thend in a sheet of sparkling white. The remains of the many dead demons were barely discernable lumps under all the snow, giving the forest at least the appearance of a pristine winter wondend. There were dead horrors under the superficial coating, but at least for the moment the scenery was beautiful.
The dryads had opened their, well, "gate" was the wrong word. Front portal? Entryway? Tree wall? Whatever the case, the way had been opened and a much smaller ramppared to the previous night had been grown out of vines and roots, extending down to the ground below. Jadis and her fullpany were out, fully geared and prepared for a fight. There were still hundreds, if not thousands of lesser demons wandering around the valley. With the matriarchs dead, they were less focused than before, but they would still be drawn to the Dryads and any other life that they could kill. Since Jadis wanted to go out and find Alex, she also saw the time as an opportunity to help clear out as many of the lingering demon horde as she could.
Wi and a few of her soldiers, those who were in better condition, had chosen to help with the demon culling, as had Noll. Jack was conspicuously absent, which meant he could have been anywhere and probably was spying on them in some way, and Sorcha had been left in the care of Olwyn and one of the other Dryads, Myfanwy. Apparently, they were going to see what could be done about her missing foot while doing the same for Gunnar and his missing arm.
¡°Why does it have to be so cold?¡± Bridget moaned as she stamped her boots through the snow. ¡°I swear, I should move to Volto. I hear it¡¯s never colder than a spring night up there. I mean, the sun is out! Shouldn¡¯t it be a little warmer? Do your job you big bright bastard!¡±
¡°I would not me the sun for this chill, my friend,¡± a smooth, almost musical voice interjected. ¡°There are other forces at work here.¡±
Dys looked over her shoulder, eyes drawn to the handsome Dryad. He was tall, butpared to some of the people Jadis hung around with he seemed more average in height, his heading about even with Kerr¡¯s. His skin was a rich brown with a hint of red to it, like a dark stained cherry wood. His ¡°hair¡± was made up of many small, dark green leaves that swept back from his face and down his back. Small, delicate white blossoms dotted his hair like pearls. Severalrger ¡°branches¡± grew from his head, curling forward like horns, one pairrger like a ram and one pair smaller like a goat. His eyes were a bright, greenish blue that seemed to catch the light and shine brightly. He was handsome, in a rough and rugged kind of way. Broad shoulders, thick arms and legs, and a wide, mirthful smile that promised augh wasn¡¯t far away.
His name was Tegwyn. He had been introduced to Jadis and the others as Yorath¡¯s third of five children, a true middle child. When Jadis had told Yorath and the other Dryads of her n to go out into the forest again to clear it of some of the demons, Tegwyn had volunteered to go with them. He was, from what Jadis had overheard in brief conversation, one of the more martial members of the grove and could hold his own in a fight.
¡°What other forces?¡± Bridget asked, turning her head to look at the Dryad. ¡°You aren¡¯t talking about wind or clouds, are you, because it¡¯s a clear day.¡±
There was a bit of a snap in Bridget¡¯s tone, one that was probably prompted by envy. While the rest of them were bundled up as best they could be in their armor and winter cloaks, Tegwyn was bare-chested and wearing kilt and sandals. The cold didn¡¯t seem to bother him in the least and for a shivering orc, it was a bit frustrating to see. Even Jadis was a little envious and found herself idly wishing she could rece one of her less useful skill slots with Through Frost and me, just so the biting cold of the winter day didn¡¯t sting so much.
¡°No, not at all,¡± Tegwynughed, his mood cheery and bright. ¡°Aside from the natural cold of the season, I¡¯d say our friend there is to me!¡±
¡°Friend? What frien¡ªoh holy shit!¡±
As if in answer to Bridget¡¯s question, a huge shadow passed over them from behind the grove. The opening their group had been let out of was on the southeastern side, facing away from the western mountain ridge walling in the valley. From that side a bone-deep wind abruptly blew, heralded by the shadow. Everyone ducked for cover as the snow around their feet was caught up in a gale, all vision briefly blotted out. A few momentster the winds settled, revealing the ice dragon poised before them in all of its glorious immensity.
¡°Please tell me we don¡¯t have to fight this thing again,¡± Dys murmured quietly as everyone variously either backed away or ducked behind her bodies for cover. ¡°I do not feel ready for dragon ying this morning.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what¡¯s happening here,¡± A whispered back from where she stood behind Dys, one arm halfway raised and ready to cast a spell.
¡°Hello there!¡± Tegwyn called out happily, one hand raised high in greeting. ¡°I¡¯m d to see you are in better spirits!¡±
A tremendous hiss rumbled out of the dragon as it brought its head low to the ground so it was even with Tegwyn. The dragon¡¯s red eyes swept over the assembled group, pausing briefly as they locked onto Jadis¡¯ three selves. The dragon issued a low growl then, like a herd of boulders humping, before refocusing on the Dryad who had strode forward to stand only a few feet away from the dragon¡¯s nose.
¡°You look rough, friend,¡± Tegwyn eximed, hands on hips as he leaned left and right, examining the huge beast. ¡°You¡¯re in need of some healing I¡¯d say. Care to let us tend to you for a while?¡±
The dragon let out a deep noise that sounded less like a growl and more like andslide¡¯s approximation of a grunt before lowering its whole body down to the ground. Shifting, ity on its side, almost like the world¡¯srgest, most terrifying cat. Its long, sinewy tail wrapped up around its legs as it tucked in its wings, settling into afortable position.
¡°Fear not, my friends!¡± Tegwyn turned and called out to the rest of the group. ¡°He will not hurt you! He hase to the Dryads in peace and will abide by our concord. So long as you do not intend harm to him, he will visit no harm upon you.¡±
¡°¡Good to know,¡± Jay called back, not entirely trusting the way the dragon was eyeing her. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he have a freezing aura or something? That shit nearly killed me just being around it, I don¡¯t think anyone else should get near.¡±
¡°He is suppressing that aura out of respect,¡± Tegwyn replied, his smile broad as he waved them forward. ¡°Do not worry! He has visited us many times and never broken our trust.¡±
Well, Jadis wasn¡¯t going to just stand there all morning looking for excuses to not approach the giant icy death machine. Squaring her shoulders, all three of Jadis strode forward to join Tegwyn where he stood before the dragon. After a second¡¯s hesitation, she heard the others behind her move forward as well.
¡°So, uh, does he have a name?¡± Jay asked as she came up beside the Dryad.
¡°In the way that dragons speak, yes,¡± Tegwyn mused as he rubbed his chin. ¡°But their ways are very different from the children of the gods. It¡¯s hard to trante, but the closest we cane to it would be Vetregin. The Ruler of Winter, or Winter¡¯s Power, if you will.¡±
¡°Normally I¡¯d say that was a pretty egotistical name, but under the circumstances I think it¡¯s fair,¡± Jay murmured as she eyed the beast.
The dragon was making no effort to hide its own examination of her. While its red, snake-like eyes passed over the others in the group, its gaze stayed mostly on her three selves. The reptilian stillness with which it observed her was unnerving and made Jadis¡¯ muscles tense in anticipation of some attack. The fact that the dragon never seemed to blink didn¡¯t help.
¡°Why is he staring at me like that?¡± Syd finally asked.
¡°Probably because you stabbed him in the face,¡± Noll growled as he circled around to the side of the dragon, checking out the beast¡¯s nk and the wound where pieces of the dead demon still hung limply. ¡°I¡¯d stare at you too.¡±
¡°You remember that, huh big guy?¡± Syd directed the question to the dragon, not expecting a response.
The dragon growled, its deep rumble vibrating Jadis¡¯ armor. To her horror, the dragon raised one huge paw, the one with a broken finger, and tapped one gigantic w against the top of its snout where she could still see the broken scales of the hole she had made when she had driven hernce through the top of the dragon¡¯s mouth.
¡°Oh shit,¡± all three of Jadis cursed as one.
¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± Syd scrambled to apologize. ¡°You were, you know, pretty much possessed at the time and going to st everyone with your ice breath and, uh, it¡¯s all I could think to do to stop it. So, yeah, no offense intended, okay? I really didn¡¯t mean to start a beef with you or anything, okay?¡±
As Jadis rambled out an awkward muddle of apologies, Tegwyn abruptlyughed uproariously. Hisughter was so loud it echoed in the trees. He even bent over and pped his knee.
¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± he waved a hand at the three of Jadis who all looked at him with offense. ¡°Friend, I did not mean to make light of you, but that was a treat. You have no idea what a rarity it is to see anyone who has fought a dragon and lived then seek its forgiveness after. Also, you know that he cannot truly understand your words, yes?¡±
¡°He seemed to understand just fine a second ago,¡± Dys frowned at the amused Dryad. ¡°All of a sudden now he can¡¯t?¡±
Tegwyn held up his hand and wobbled it from side to side in a so-so gesture.
¡°It is a mixed basket of fruit. Dragons are not beasts; they have great intelligence. They are perhaps the most intelligent of all the magic beasts of the world. But their minds are not like ours. They do not understand things the same way that we do. Villthyrial did not make them to be us but in draconic form, he made dragons to be their own.¡±
As he spoke, Tegwyn took a few steps forward and ced his hand on the side of the dragon¡¯s jaws. He stroked the scales reverently, almost worshipfully.
¡°I personally think that Villthyrial sees dragons as his true avatars on Oros, not us Dryads. It is only for the sake of the Covenant that he chose us, a lesser form, to be his representatives. If our Father did not have respect for the other gods and the vows they have made together, surely Dragons would have ruled this world by his will.¡±
The Dryad seemed to lose himself in thought for a moment, his words lingering in the chill air. Then, shaking himself like a wet dog, he turned towards Jadis and the others and smiled brightly.
¡°But enough of philosophy! We are out here for reasons, are we not? Best that we start our two searches and waste no more of the sun¡¯s precious light!¡±
¡°Right,¡± Jay said slowly, sending an uneasy look towards A and Eir. ¡°Yes, we should. Is he¡ªVetregin¡ªgoing to just hang out here while we go about our business or¡?¡±
¡°If you want to start your search, go ahead,¡± the grinning Dryad said as he started walking back towards the grove. ¡°But if you want to wait a moment for me, I will fetch my sister Carys so that she can help heal our mighty yet injured friend. Then, I will help you in your search. I know the valley well. Anything that hides among these trees, I can most certainly find.¡±
Jadis easily agreed to Tegwyn¡¯s suggestion. Having a guide would definitely help in her search for Alex, though there was no reason for everyone to wait. As the Dryad fetched his sister, Jay and Dys and most of the others started to spread out around the grove and the surrounding trees, checking the area for any lingering demons. As everyone spread out, Syd found herself momentarily left alone with the huge ice dragon.
¡°So, uh, we good?¡± Syd asked as she gave the huge creature an awkward wave.
Vetregin snorted a st of cold air into Syd¡¯s face that blew her hair back and crusted it with frost.
¡°Okay, sure, fuck you too,¡± Syd dropped her hand in exasperation. ¡°You know I did save your fucking life, right?¡±
Another st of icy wind.
¡°Tch. Eat my ass¡ªwait! Didn¡¯t mean that! Did not mean that!¡±
Vetregin closed his mouth with an audible snap.
Chapter 282: Missing
Chapter 282: Missing
Carys, Tegwyn¡¯s sister, looked much like her brother overall. She didn¡¯t have the horns and the flowers growing in her hair were red rather than white, but otherwise their appearances were extremely simr. She was a priestess of Villthyrial, dedicated to healing both nt and animal life, and immediately set about tending to the injured dragon.
It was interesting to watch the Dryad at work. Jadis was used to Eir¡¯s sort of healing, where she simply held out her hands and the soothing light of her magic would wash over the wounded and restore their flesh to a whole and unblemished state. Carys¡¯ magic worked differently. Her method felt primal in a way that Eir¡¯s didn¡¯t.
After clearing an area of snow, Carys drew a circle in the ground that was inscribed with various runes that looked closer to tribal pictograms than the kind of runes she saw with A or Sabina¡¯s magic. Then, taking a seed from a pouch and uttering a prayer, Carys¡¯ feet sank into the earth in the middle of circle while the seed burst open, green branches and winding roots shooting out and growing rapidly into a sapling that sprouted from her left hand. The strange tree twisted and contorted as it sought out Vetregin.
The dragon, for his part, leaned in close, exactly as though he had experienced this kind of healing before and knew what to do. Putting his damaged paw near the Dryad, the magical sapling¡¯s branches spread out around it, sprouting green leaves that glowed with a multicolor light. As the leaves brushed against the dragon¡¯s scales, Jadis could see the healing start to work as broken scales mended and the flesh beneath reknit. The cracked bone of the dragon¡¯s finger slowly straightened out as the Dryad¡¯s healing worked its wonders upon it. Examining the rest of the dragon¡¯s body, Jadis could see other wounds start to heal as well. The festering demon wound, though, that was a different story.
In an act that Jadis could only liken to the worst pimple ever conceived, the remains of the demon¡¯s body began to slowly squeeze out of the hole, a rancid mix of demon flesh and old blood glopping out onto the ground with wet plops.
¡°The healing will take some time,¡± Tegwyn exined as Syd continued to watch Carys work. ¡°We should be about our business searching out demons, yes? It seems the rest of your party have begun, as have the rest of you.¡±
¡°Yeah, we should,¡± Syd agreed, more than happy to put some distance between herself and the unpleasant healing process. ¡°So far, just a few bramble fiends hiding in the snow around the grove.¡±
Tegwyn stared up at Syd, giving her a long and considering look.
¡°That is quite a skill you have, I must say. Three bodies, one soul. Were it not for my father¡¯s detection skill, I would not believe it.¡±
¡°It definitely has its uses,¡± Syd replied mildly as she started walking.
¡°I can imagine,¡± Tegwyn nodded as he walked next to her, keeping pace. ¡°Three bodies acting as one in battle would be a great boon. And I daresay having three bodies would make satisfying that many mates much easier as well.¡±
Syd shot a nce down at the Dryad. He didn¡¯t seem like he was poking fun or passing judgement, just making a neutralment.
¡°Yeah, yeah it does,¡± Syd agreed. ¡°I¡¯m definitely blessed in that regard.¡±
¡°Indeed you are,¡± Tegwyn let out a heavy sigh. ¡°If only I were so lucky as you, friend. Not that I seek many lovers, mind you. One fine Dryad woman would do me well. Sadly, my father¡¯s grove is rather remote and we have not had contact with any other Dryad¡¯s in quite some time. Not much opportunity for courting, you understand.¡±
¡°I guess not,¡± Syd mused. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s all family back there, which means¡¡±
¡°Exactly,¡± Tegwyn moaned melodramatically. ¡°It has been a long, long drought and I feel myself withering by the day.¡±
¡°Well, maybe you should get out more? Travel a bit, see the world outside of this forest?¡± Syd suggested as the two entered the tree line. ¡°You can¡¯t just sit around at home waiting for the love of your life to drop into yourp. That never happens. Sure didn¡¯t happen to me.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll think on that,¡± Tegwyn replied, nodding his head in consideration of Syd¡¯s advice. ¡°But enough about my non-existent love life. You said you were looking for a particr demon? Do you have any specifics?¡±
Syd quickly went over the basics of the situation with Tegwyn, exining that she was looking for a demon that had quite possibly possessed one of the Reavers, a woman called Eike. She was purposefully light on the details surrounding Alex since she wasn¡¯t sure how well an outsider would react to Jadis¡¯ attempts at demon domestication, but she was insistent on her desire to capture the demon alive.
¡°Alive? That will be a difficulty,¡± Tegwyn said as he rubbed his chin. ¡°Demons are nombs to be easily subdued.¡±
¡°You just leave that to me,¡± Syd told him as she put her helmet on. ¡°I promise you, I can handle it.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure you can!¡± Tegwyn eximed. ¡°Now, I think it is time I change into something morefortable. Then, my friend, we can search in earnest.¡±
Before Jadis could ask when he meant by his words, Tegwyn promptly undid the sash that ran from his kilt and over his shoulder. The kilt fell away to the ground, revealing the buff dryad in all his naked glory. While Jadis wasn¡¯t into men that way, she had to admit the Dryad had an admirable figure, the sort that Greek artists would have immortalized in marble. After the kilt went the sandals and Tegwyn was well and truly without a stitch of clothing on.
Syd watched curiously as the man knelt down on one knee in the snow, putting his hands onto the ground as he uttered a prayer in anguage she couldn¡¯t understand. As the Dryad prayed, a subtle green glow grew around him, though that wasn¡¯t the only thing to grow. Small vines began to sprout from his wooden flesh, swiftly growing and wrapping around his arms, legs, and torso. Tegwyn¡¯s form expanded, shifting away from his human-like shape into something far more beast than man. He rapidly grew in size, expanding as the vines molded together into a single surface. Soon, his outeryer was covered in long moss like fur while his hands and feet were reced with cloven hooves. The transformation took about a minute toplete and once it was done, the Tegwyn Jadis knew was gone, reced by a massive mossy mountain goat.
In his new form, the Dryad¡¯s head reached almost to the same height as Syd¡¯s. His thick neck and shoulders were bunched with powerful muscles and his body looked as solid as an oak. His horns had grown out further, curling around his long, goat-like face. He¡¯d grown a mossy beard that hung down from his chin, though his eyes were still the same vibrant color as before the transformation.
¡°Wow,¡± Syd said, giving the Dryad a once over. ¡°That¡¯s amazing! Is that something all Dryads can do, or just you?¡±
¡°Bah,¡± Tegwyn bleated in a deep, beastly tone.
¡°Oh, shit, you can¡¯t talk when you¡¯re like that?¡±
¡°No, I can talk just fine,¡± Tegwynughed as he shook his head like a dog¡¯s. ¡°Just a jest! But if you don¡¯t mind, would you pick up my clothes and sandals? You can just hang them on that tree branch over there. It¡¯s a pain to pick things up when you don¡¯t have fingers.¡±
Jadis rolled her eyes at the yful Dryad, not that he could see under her helmet. As she put his kilt and sandals up onto the tree branch as he requested, Tegwyn exined that his transformation was a product of his ss, not his race. Like his sister, he too was a priest, though rather than healing magic his divine nature had manifested into shapeshifting which allowed him to bettermune with nature. He had other tricks to call upon as well, though he didn¡¯t borate on them. Instead, he simply told her that his ss aided in the growth and rejuvenation of nature, one of the primary tenants of his patron god.
Tegwyn¡¯s ability to transform was fascinating to Jadis. She knew that shapeshifting was possible since that was the inherent domain of Fetch like Jack, but she hadn¡¯t expected the kind of change Tegwyn was capable of. He was more like a tree¡¯s approximation of a mountain goat rather than a true transformation into one like she was sure Jack would have done. She openly wondered what other shapes he could take.
¡°I have one other shape I can assume,¡± Tegwyn admitted. ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t be as useful for searching out this demon of yours. Perhaps I¡¯ll have asion to show it to you another time.¡±
From there Syd walked with Tegwyn in beast form all the way to the top of the hill where the battle from the day before had taken ce. It was easy enough to find the spot where the wagons had stood, even through theyer of snow coating thend. Using his big head to push through the snow, Tegwyn dug up the frozen blood from where Gunnar and Sorcha had been badly wounded. He sniffed the ground loudly, using his beast nose to track the scents of those who had fought in that spot. Eike¡¯s blood had stained the snow there as well, so finding her scent among the others was easy enough for one with the right senses.
Once he found the scent he was looking for, Tegwyn moved along, heading in the same direction that Jadis and Kerr had searched the night before. He followed the trail, just as they had, eventuallying to a stop in the small clearing where Kerr had also lost the trail. Circling the area, Tegwyn kept his nose to the ground as he sniffed out any remaining traces of either Eike or Alex. His huge nose plowed through the snow, pushing it aside and turning it up as he went, rooting for any hint of a track or drop of blood.
¡°Nothing,¡± Tegwyn snorted, blowing some snow out of his nostrils. ¡°The trail ends here. Wherever the demon went, it wasn¡¯t on foot.¡±
Syd looked up, eyes scanning the tall trees surrounding them.
¡°You think they could have scaled the trees?¡±
¡°That or they flew,¡± Tegwyn offered with a surprisingly human shrug despite his animalistic form. ¡°Who can say?¡±
¡°Well, let¡¯s keep looking,¡± Syd huffed, her breath misting in the winter air. ¡°I¡¯ll keep a look out above while you check out any likely hiding spots you know about. I¡¯m not giving up that easily.¡±
The search went on for several hours after that. Syd stuck near Tegwyn while Jay and Dys followed at a wider distance, apanied by the rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored. The going was slow, partly because of the care they put into the search, but mostly because there were still quite a few demons lingering nearby. Not that they posed much of a threat. Most were bramble fiends, along with a few twisted wretches and bone thieves. Killing off such demons was of such little consequence to her by that point that Jadis used the encounters as more of an opportunity to test her newfound strength as well as the capabilities of herpanions.
One quick experimentter and Jadis had an answer to one question. Bramble fiends were physically incapable of piercing Thea¡¯s skin with their thorns after her most recent increase in Fortitude.
As Jadis and herpanions made short work of any demons that had the misfortune of running into them, Jadis also got to see how Tegwyn handled himself in a fight. Whenever a demon approached his shaggy form, the Dryad would charge them, head down, horns forward. Smashing into bone thieves and twisted wretches alike, he would either trample them under his hooves or crush them against trees with his powerful headbutts. At one point, Syd watched in amusement as Tegwyn sent one bone thief flying through the air as heunched it over his back with a toss of his horns. Before it couldnd behind him, he kicked with both back hooves, rocketing the hapless demon with incredible force into a tree some thirty feet away.
¡°Are you sure none of these demons will suit your purposes?¡± Tegwyn asked after stomping another wretch into the ground. ¡°They are sadly plentiful right now and I haven¡¯t caught a whiff of your lost one so far.¡±
¡°No, none of these,¡± Syd shook her head. ¡°The one I¡¯m looking for is¡ unique.¡±
¡°Then I hope for your sake that it hasn¡¯t already been killed.¡±
That was a definite possibility, Jadis knew. Alex, whether it had possessed Eike or not, could have been killed by one of the others without them knowing any better. Or Alex could have been killed by the dragon eitherst night or earlier in the morning while it waited outside the grove. Alex might even have been killed by another demon at some point, considering the little demonling seemed to have no particr love or care for its own kind. The only thing that kept Jadis¡¯ hopes up that Alex still had to be out there somewhere was the fact that Eike¡¯s body was still missing.
Eventually though, as the day wore on, Jadis was forced to make the difficult decision to end the search. They had found no leads after hours of investigation and she could only devote so much time to looking for her little demon. As much as she wanted to find Alex, there were still other things to be done. She needed to speak with Yorath about her situation, which was definitely going to take some time, and they also needed to work on getting ready to depart. They honestly couldn¡¯t stay for too much longer since the snows were getting deeper and the winter was getting worse. If they lingered too long, they stood a real chance of being snowed in and would be stuck at the Dryad grove for months, at least until the spring thaw. Jadis had idly joked about wanting to stay in the grove, but that really wasn¡¯t an option. They all needed to get back to Far Felsen; there were too many responsibilities waiting for them to dy that long.
All Jadis could do was hope that Alex somehow found its way back to her.
With the sun past its zenith and heading for the western mountain ridgeline, Jadis and everyone else who had been searching returned to entrance of the grove where Vetregin and Carys still waited. While they hadn¡¯t found Alex, at least they had cleared many, many more demons from the valley, making the forest a safer ce for the Dryads.
As the group approached the entry way to the grove, Jadis saw that Carys was still working her healing magics upon Vetregin. Wanting to make some kind of peace offering, Jay leaned down to Eir and asked if she would be willing to try and use some of her healing on the dragon. Eir was willing, though she had very little magic left considering how little time she¡¯d had to pray and rejuvenate her reserves, plus the magic she¡¯d used during the search for Alex. Her new spell, sadly, had yielded no results.
¡°Hello there!¡± Carys smiled at Jay and Eir, the woman¡¯s pretty sea green eyes shing with mirth. Before Jay or Eir could offer any healing assistance, Carys continued. ¡°I have something here that I think you lost, friend. I think it best it was returned to you.¡±
She held out the hand that wasn¡¯t filled with tree branches, passing a piece of a steel rod about two feet long to Jay. It took a moment, but Jadis soon realized what it was.
¡°Did you¡?¡±
¡°From Vetregin¡¯s nose? Yes,¡± Carys nodded, the little flowers in her hair bobbing with the movement. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He isn¡¯t as angry with you now that I¡¯ve removed the remains of your spear.¡±
Eir covered her mouth with a delicate hand to hide her gasp of dismay while Jay eyed the huge dragon as it stared at her with unsettling focus.
¡°¡Thanks.¡±
Chapter 283: Fruit in a Basket
Chapter 283: Fruit in a Basket
¡°How can I help you, Jadis?¡±
It was strange to be sitting alone with a man she barely knew while contemting the idea of revealing her most closely held secrets to said man. Jadis had told A, Eir, Kerr, and Thea of her extra-Oros origins, but she hadn¡¯t revealed that information to anyone else, ever. Even the fact of her being one person with multiple bodies was a closely guarded element of her being that she was only recently gettingfortable with other people knowing. Now here she was, on the cusp of spilling her guts to Yorath. In a way, the situation was more stressful than fighting a demon matriarch.
¡°I have a problem that I need some advice on. Your guidance, really,¡± Jay started. ¡°But before I go into any details, I need to ask a different favor first.¡±
¡°Go ahead,¡± Yorath replied gravely. ¡°You have only to ask. So long as it is within my power and would bring no harm to my kin or charges, then I will do my utmost to fulfil your wishes.¡±
The two, or four, of them were sitting in a secluded part of the grove near its center. The ce felt like a private sanctum, which it probably was for the elder Dryad. The vines that grew around the circr area shielded the inner space from view while the soft and pleasant light emanating from the nts within kept the area well lit. A burbling spring was pooling water into the center of the space while flowering lily pads acted as miniature tables for the cups of refreshing nectar that Yorath had poured for himself and Jadis¡¯ three bodies.
Yorath had assured her that no one would be able to overhear their conversation while they remained in the sanctum. Not even Jack could spy on them without his immediate notice.
¡°What I¡¯m going to tell you is¡ sensitive information. No one but my closestpanions share this secret with me. I think for you to understand my situation and to give me the advice I need, you¡¯re going to have to know at least some of it. But if I¡¯m going to tell you anything, I need you to swear to me that you won¡¯t ever tell anyone else. Ever. Not for any reason.¡±
Yorath listened seriously to Jay¡¯s words, his expression solemn and unmoving. When she was finished, he nodded once before holding out his hand towards Jay. With the other he withdrew a knife made from stone from his belt and, without a moment of hesitation, drew the de across the palm of his hand. Immediately an amber sap began welling up from the wound.
¡°I swear it,¡± Yorath said, hand still held out towards Jay. ¡°I swear by my blood and by my soul that I will keep your secret.¡±
Staring at the Dryad¡¯s hand for just a second, Jay pulled a simple utility knife from her own belt and ran it across her own hand. It took a fair amount of force to draw blood, but once she had she sped hands with Yorath, letting her blood mix with his.
¡°Thank you,¡± Jay nodded with an internal sigh of relief. ¡°It means a lot that you¡¯re taking my concern seriously.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Yorath said. As their hands parted, Jadis noticed that his sticky sap-like blood seemed to act as a natural glue, clotting her blood from flowing further. ¡°It takes courage to speak of matters that one wishes to hold private with a stranger. I would not disrespect you by treating your worries with anything less than the same seriousness that you do.¡±
The small smile on Jadis¡¯ faces briefly faltered. She truly appreciated how serious Yorath was being, but conversely the solemnity the elder Dryad was lending to the whole situation was making her even more nervous than she already was. She could feel herself getting cold feet the longer she dyed and she hated the nket of cowardice that was trying to smother her intentions. Acting like a nervous wreck wasn¡¯t Jadis. It was time to be bold.
¡°So, I haven¡¯t always been a Nephilim.¡±
Jay¡¯s statement hung in the air for an ufortable stretch of time. Yorath¡¯s up to that pointpletely serious face slowly morphed into an expression of incredulous confusion as one leafy eyebrow raised up as high as it could go.
¡°What do you mean by that?¡±
¡°I am¡ªor rather, I was, human once. I died and rather than going to any sort of afterlife, D found my soul. By D I mean Destarious. For reasons that I don¡¯t want to get into right now, he reincarnated me into the body of a Nephilim. Going by my age when I was born as a human, I am twenty-two years old. But going from when I was reincarnated, I¡¯ve only been a Nephilim for six months or so.¡±
During her exnation, Yorath¡¯s other eyebrow rose to match the first. Then both rose even higher together, giving the old tree man aically wide-eyed expression. When she finished talking, he stared at her unblinkingly for a long while before he seemed to gather his senses. Clearing his throat, he took his cup from the lily pad and took a long, slow sip. It wasn¡¯t until he hadpletely drained the cup that he spoke again.
¡°I¡¯m¡ not entirely sure what to say,¡± he finally croaked out before clearing his throat again. ¡°Jadis, my dear, I have lived a long, long life. I have encountered many wonderous things over the centuries, many of which have repeated themselves simply due to the cyclical nature of life. Your story¡ is a first.¡±
¡°Weirdly enough, where I¡¯m from it¡¯s kind of a clich¨¦ story,¡± Syd said with grimace. ¡°I mean, it was a real shock that it happened to me, but the idea is actually kind of overyed in my opinion.¡±
¡°And where is it you are from, exactly?¡± Yorath asked.
¡°Pennsylvania,¡± Syd answered quickly and without much detail. ¡°It¡¯s a long, long way from here.¡±
¡°It must be,¡± the Dryad mused as he ran his fingers through his long and bushy beard. ¡°I have never heard that name before. I presume it must hold some connection to Volto since it had the word ¡®Sylvania¡¯ in it. That is of theirnguage.¡±
Jadis blinked, taken aback by Yorath¡¯s hypothesis.
¡°Uh, no. No rtion. The name¡¯s just a, uh, linguistic coincidence.¡±
¡°Fascinating,¡± he said, looking more and more intrigued. ¡°I would very much like to know more about this ¡®Penn Sylvania¡¯nd youe from.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not actually that interesting,¡± Dys shook her head. ¡°Anyway. We¡¯re getting off track. The reason why I need your help is directly because I was reincarnated.¡±
¡°Does it have something to do with the purpose behind Destarious giving you a second chance at life?¡±
¡°Not exactly,¡± Jay wobbled her hand side to side. ¡°Look, I was human before this. No connection to the gods at all, really. Now I¡¯ve been reincarnated into a body that is an avatar race. Not only do I have D looking in on me, who is my very direct patron, but I also have Lyssandria keeping tabs on me too. Supposedly I should be able to receive their guidance. I was¡ assured of the fact by an extremely reliable source. But I have absolutely no idea how to actually get that guidance from either of them.¡±
¡°Jack told me that the way it works is it¡¯s all just a gut feeling,¡± Dys threw a hand up in frustration. ¡°But how the fu¡ªhow am I supposed to just trust that when it¡¯sing from him? And if it really is just a ¡®gut feeling¡¯ and nothing more direct, how do I know when it¡¯s my own instincts telling me something versus one of those two sending me their guidance? For that matter, how do I tell which one is which?¡±
¡°Look, I¡¯m doing the best I can with all this,¡± Syd exined as her shoulders slumped. ¡°And I¡¯m not even trying to have D or Lyssandria do my thinking for me or anything. Far from it. I just feel like I could use some direction every now and then. But also, I don¡¯t want to be led around by either of them. I have my own goals in life and I¡¯d really like to know the ideas that pop into my head are actually mine and not a god trying to steer me in a direction that they want when otherwise I wouldn¡¯t go that way. It¡¯s¡ it¡¯s all really confusing.¡±
¡°I can see that,¡± Yorath murmured.
Having given her exnation, Jadis waited to hear what the elder Dryad would say. She soon found that his response was slow toe. Instead of answering any of her explicit or implicit questions, Yorath leaned back and closed his eyes. One hand continued to stroke his leafy beard while the other rested on his knee. A soft, almost musical hum rumbled from deep within his chest, but otherwise he was silent.
¡°Uh, Yorath?¡± Jay asked, not sure what was going on.
¡°A moment, if you will,¡± he answered softly, not opening his eyes.
So, with no other option, Jadis waited. She sipped at the sweet drink that Yorath had given her, but mostly she fretted about her situation. Half her thoughts were upied with the concern that she had just revealed so much information about her unique circumstances to Yorath. The other half of her thoughts strayed towards Alex. She truly hoped the little demon was okay.
¡°Jadis.¡±
¡°Huh?¡± all three of Jadis said at the same time in reaction to having her name called.
¡°Would you care to take a guess as to what it is I have been doing for the past several minutes?¡± Yorath asked, his eyes still closed.
¡°Well,¡± Jay started, her eyes narrowing in thought. ¡°My first instinct is to say you¡¯re just thinking everything over, about all the shi¡ªer, stuff I just told you.¡±
¡°However,¡± Dys continued, ¡°considering you¡¯re a Dryad, I bet you could be asking Villthyrial for some guidance right now.¡±
Yorath opened his eyes and smiled.
¡°Correct. I was in truth seeking Villthyrial¡¯s wisdom. Not that I do not have my own thoughts on this¡ shit that you have revealed to me. I have many, many thoughts and even more questions. However, there was one question I had that I thought it would be best to bring directly to my Father. And so, I asked Villthyrial, is it possible. It is
possible for a soul to be reincarnated?¡±
¡°What did he say?¡± Jay asked, leaning slightly forward in her curiosity.
Yorath¡¯s smile widened.
¡°Nothing.¡±
Jay blinked. She and her two other selves leaned back, their eyebrows raised in confusion.
¡°Nothing? He didn¡¯t tell you anything?¡±
¡°Nothing,¡± Yorath confirmed, his cid smile still in ce. ¡°Which is in of itself a confirmation. Should the tale that you have told me have been a lie, I am certain that my lord Villthyrial would have given me some warning. Instead, nothing. He is leaving how the situation should be handled to me.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Jadis said, her three selves still confused. ¡°Isn¡¯t that, just, I guess an assumption on your part?¡±
¡°It is,¡± Yorath conceded. ¡°But it is one born from years of experience. That, ultimately, is what youck. Experience. Every avatar race, whether they are Dryads, Fetch, Seraphim, or even Nephilim, must learn toe to terms with how their patron god speaks to them. It¡¯s not something that can be taught by telling you thusly and giving you a simple guide on do¡¯s and do not¡¯s. To learn how your patron is speaking to you requires a great deal of time and experience as you grow to understand them.¡±
Seeing the look on her faces, Yorath smiled patiently and leaned forward, his hands spread out wide before him.
¡°Think of it this way. How do you know that every thought you have is of your own making?¡±
¡°I
don¡¯t know,¡± Dys frowned. ¡°That¡¯s the point. I have no idea if my thoughts are being influenced by D or Lyssandria. Either or both could be pulling my strings.¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t you know?¡±
¡°¡Because I don¡¯t know how I would tell the difference?¡± Dys answered, running a frustrated hand through her hair. ¡°They¡¯re all just thoughts!¡±
¡°And whose thoughts are they?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Dys struggled not to raise her voice, her frustration growing.
¡°Then are you telling me you don¡¯t know your own thoughts?¡±
¡°I¡ªI know my own thoughts,¡± Dys said through clenched teeth. ¡°I just don¡¯t know if other thoughts are getting slipped in there.¡±
¡°How do you know they are your own thoughts?"
¡°Because they¡¯re mine!¡± all three of Jadis shouted.
¡°Yes,¡± Yorath nodded, his voice calm and quiet. ¡°They are your thoughts. Yet you struggle to recognize what is essentially you and no other. Thatck of certainty is what you must ovee. The first step in learning how to speak with your patron is not learning to recognize his or her voice. First, you must learn to recognize your
own voice. Once you know your own self, you will have much less difficulty recognizing when another voice reaches out to you.¡±
¡°That¡ That¡¯s¡ª¡± Jay started, stopped, and started again. ¡°I guess that makes some kind of sense?¡±
It wasn¡¯t exactly the answer she had been looking for, but the more she thought about it, the more Jadis saw Yorath¡¯s point. If D or Lyssandria were trying to guide her with gut instincts, then the way to know what that guidance was would be to know the difference between their godsent instincts versus her own natural ones. In other words, if her mind was a basket, she didn¡¯t need to know the name of every fruit that was being put into it. She just needed to know what she herself was putting in that basket. If she knew that she was only putting in apples, then she didn¡¯t need to know whether the other fruit were grapes or grapefruit. Just by them not being apples, she¡¯d know the difference and could identify the odd fruit out.
¡°Some kind of sense is what I can offer you, Jadis,¡± Yorath chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s all any of us can hope for, really.¡±
¡°Okay. Yeah. Thank you,¡± Jay said, her expression calming. ¡°I guess I need to think about how I, uh, ¡°think¡± some more.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t overthink it,¡± Yorath warned. ¡°I can tell you that worrying yourself over it only muddies the water. I will teach you a few meditation techniques that should help calm your mind and order your thoughts. Just bear in mind that it can take years to gain the experience you need to trulymune with your patrons.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll remember that,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°And thank you again. You¡¯re a big help.¡±
¡°You are most wee,¡± Yorath inclined his head. ¡°However, before we begin. I must have at least one or two of my questions answered or they willtle me to no end. Tell me, what is your Penn Sylvania like? It sounds like a forestednd. Are there any Dryads there?¡±
¡°No,¡± Syd smirked, giving the elder Dryad an amused look. ¡°No Dryads that I know of. Where I¡¯m from, the closest thing we have to Dryads are Amish folk.¡±
¡°And what is an ¡°Amish¡± exactly?¡±
¡°Well, mostly they¡¯re known for their beards, making really nice quilts, and living in a sort of paradise¡¡±
Chapter 284: Mending and Amends
Chapter 284: Mending and Amends
¡°So there are some Dryads buried in the ground? Like,pletely underground?¡±
¡°No, notpletely,¡± Eir shook her head. ¡°Their heads and shoulders were still exposed. It was like they were lying in pools of water; except they were covered in earth. I¡¯ve never seen a healing method quite like that. I would say it is effective, though.¡±
The thought of a bunch of Dryads sticking out of the ground like the tops of carrots made Jadisugh silently. She knew they were nt-based lifeforms, but literally burying themselves in dirt to recover from injuries was not something she had expected. The idea was intriguing enough that she was tempted to get up and go see the sight for herself. She wasn¡¯t
actually going to leave herfortable spot. But she was tempted.
Fortune¡¯s Favored, plus Sorcha, were all back in their guest quarters. Syd reclined against the foot of one of the moss beds while Eir sat in herp, wrapped up in her arms. The two were discussing what Eir had been doing while Jadis had been busy talking with Yorath for theter part of the day. While Jadis had been learning Dryad meditation techniques, Eir had been assisting Carys.
After Eir had poured some healing into the dragon Vetregin, she had followed the Dryad priestess back inside and to a well-protected hollow near where thest of the five waterfalls flowed into the stream that fed the grove. There Carys had shown Eir four more Dryads whom they had not met yet. Two men and two women, the sequestered Dryads had all been gravely injured during the demon¡¯s siege. Their bodies had been mortally wounded in a way that would have spelled the death of any other being, but due to the unique biology of the Dryads, they had survived. Huge chunks of their bodies were missing, the worst injured being barely more than a head on a mangled torso. The healing magic that Carys possessed had stabilized them, but none would be able to live without regeneration of their missing limbs and torsos. Hence, the nting.
¡°I can¡¯t imagine regrowing practically my whole body like that,¡± Syd mused as she idly ran her hands up and down Eir¡¯s arms. ¡°It¡¯s so bizarre. How long did Carys say it¡¯ll take?¡±
¡°Spring at the earliest,¡± Eir said. ¡°Before the least injured is made fully whole again. The others will likely take much longer. Perhaps next fall.¡±
¡°A long time to be rooted like a turnip,¡± Syd grimaced. ¡°But I guess it¡¯s a small price to pay for getting their bodies back.¡±
¡°Carys is amazing to have any ability to regenerate her family at all. Such magic is a rare gift. There are great healers back in the Capital that can regenerate limbs in days, sometimes hours,¡± Eir sighed. ¡°Such priests are truly a blessing upon Oros. I hope I too will have that power someday.¡±
¡°Oh, I know you will,¡± Syd grinned as she hugged her pure little priestess close to her chest. ¡°And once you do have the ability, I¡¯m positive you¡¯ll be better than any of those other priests. You¡¯ll be the best in the world.¡±
Eir demurred under the praise, though her polite reserve quickly fell away as Syd peppered her face and neck with tickling kisses.
The conversation between her one self and Eir shifted Jadis¡¯ main attention towards another interaction that was happening near her Jay self. Sabina and Sorcha were sitting at the opposite end of the circr room, on the bed next to where Jay sat. Sabina was, as she had been since the big battle, doting on the goblin witch.
Well, doting might have been the wrong word. Incessantly chatting with the bemused goblin was probably a better description. The mostly one-sided conversation had drifted across a few different topics, one being all of the rare and valuable magical ntponents that the Dryads had given Sabina. Since she was a witch, magicalponents were a subject that Sorcha had a fair amount of experience with and could offer some good input. The other topic was Sorcha¡¯s new foot.
The Dryads had fashioned a prosthetic foot for the goblin. Jadis had expected it to be a peg leg or something equally primitive, but instead it was something like a mix between the modern prosthetics Jadis was familiar with back on Earth and a definitively magical creation. The foot was, of course, made of wood; but instead of being some simple carving, it was a living nt with vines and roots that had taken on the shape of foot. It reminded Jadis of Tegwyn¡¯s magic in the way it looked like a mostly natural limb, except that where it connected to Sorcha¡¯s flesh, she could see the roots creeping up the woman¡¯s leg and holding it onto her.
Sorcha could move and flex the new limb, just like her remaining foot, though she couldn¡¯t feel any sensation through it. The nt-foot also required magic to sustain it, which meant she was constantly feeding a small amount of her magic reserves into the nt. Fortunately her Will was high enough that the amount she was expending on an hourly basis was less than what she was regaining through her natural magical regeneration, but it was still a drain on her resources. The nt also needed to be watered daily, which was why Sorcha had been sitting with her new foot in a bowl of water for the past hour.
Not as good as a true regeneration, but better than being without a foot at all.
¡°¡ªand that¡¯s why the Dryads will probably ask that Ricket be remanded to them.¡±
Jay blinked. Her attention had wandered a bit, thinking about Sorcha¡¯s situation and she had only caught the tail end of A¡¯s statement.
¡°Sorry, repeat that?¡± Jay asked as she interrupted A. ¡°What are the Dryads doing with Ricket?¡±
A gave Jay a look of exasperation, but she patiently repeated herself anyway. She had spent thete afternoon with Wi, Noll, and Yorath¡¯s wife, Olwyn. While Jadis had been talking with the elder, A had been discussing next steps with that small group.
¡°The Dryads are in need of reinforcements to protect their grove. Two of their number died during this siege and four others are too injured to fight. The siege has been broken, but it¡¯s entirely possible, even probable, that the grove will be attacked again. It¡¯s only prudent that they prepare for that eventuality.¡±
¡°Yeah, but they have Vetregin, don¡¯t they?¡± Jay pointed out. ¡°He isn¡¯t possessed, or partially possessed, anymore. They should be pretty well protected with him around. Plus Jack¡¯s here now, too.¡±
¡°Vetregin¡¯s presence isn¡¯t permanent,¡± A shook her head. ¡°The Dryads do not control the dragon. He came here for healing, but once he is rested and well again, he will no doubt fly back to his den. Or go to the ocean to seek out food. Also, do you really think Jack can be counted on for constant support?¡±
¡°No,¡± Jay said instantly. ¡°He¡¯s probably going to wander off to do something else as soon as the idea pops into his head.¡±
¡°Exactly,¡± A nodded. ¡°That is why the Dryads will likely ask Wi to give them Ricket.¡±
Jay frowned, one eyebrow raised as she looked at A. The two were sitting next to each other on the moss bed, mostly undressed as they got ready for the night. Seeing her girlfriend in very little clothing was distracting, but the way A had worded the proposed situation had Jadis¡¯ antennae up.
¡°You say that like Ricket is property to be handed over,¡± Jay stated, a note of question in her tone.
¡°In a certain sense,¡± A shrugged slightly. ¡°He is.¡±
Jay¡¯s frown deepened.
¡°He¡¯s a person. A prisoner, yes, but still a person, not property. Unless you¡¯re saying he¡¯s a ve?¡±
A opened her mouth to reply, then shut it as she considered Jay¡¯s question. It took her a minute or so, time that Jadis let her have withoutint. The others in the room were still focused on their own various conversations, but she noted that both Kerr and Sabina had seemed to twig onto Jay¡¯s unhappiness and were looking her way.
¡°Sometimes I forget that you aren¡¯t native to our¡ culture,¡± A said slowly. ¡°I can see where your confusiones from, I think. What, by your definition, is a ve?¡±
¡°A ve is a person who is the property of another person. They have no free agency and are subject to the wants and will of the person who owns them.¡±
Jay tried to keep her answer as close to a dictionary definition as she could, not adding anymentary on the institution of very. Her tone probably gave away her feelings on it somewhat, though.
¡°A fair summation,¡± A agreed. ¡°Now, do you have any concept of the term ¡®life debt¡¯?¡±
Jay blinked. She did know what a life debt was, at least conceptually. Life debts were something she¡¯d really only observed in fiction, never in a real-life situation.
¡°It¡¯s when a person owes their life to another person because they saved them. In my limited experience, it¡¯s usually the kind of thing where the person who owes the life debt will protect the other person who saved them until they have saved their life in return.¡±
¡°Also a fair definition. A life for a life, in a positive context. Now, what if instead of a person having their life saved by another, that person takes another¡¯s life? What is to be done with that person then?¡±
Jadis had a feeling she knew where A was going with her exnation, but she followed along and answered her question with the solutions she knew were what would be done in her own culture.
¡°Well, presuming guilt could be definitely established, then a punishment appropriate to the crime would be levied against that person. A prison sentence of some years, perhaps life imprisonment, or maybe even execution. I suppose it would depend on the circumstances that led to the death.¡±
Kerr snorted from where shey on her stomach on her bed, feet kicking in the air and tail waggingzily across her bare bottom.
¡°Imprisonment? For life? Who the fuck would waste their time doing that to a murderer? That¡¯d be such a fucking waste of resources.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve heard they do that in the Rubaline Dominion,¡± Bridget pipped up from where she was braiding her hair, having just washed andbed it. ¡°Sort of a reverse exile punishment. Throw them in a pit they can¡¯t leave, bare essentials to keep going until the end of their days. Really nasty way to go.¡±
¡°I guess you could do that if you want to prolong suffering on some piece of shit you really hate,¡± Kerr curled her lip. ¡°Still better to just kill them and be done with it. Why waste the food on someone who no longer does any good for the n?¡±
Kerr¡¯s take on capital punishment was definitely different from what Jadis was used to back on Earth. It felt like there wasn¡¯t much of an appeals system in n Nox. There was also the whole idea of imprisonment for rehabilitation, but that was a topic Jadis didn¡¯t think she wanted to go down at the moment. She still wanted to understand where A was going with the whole ¡°ve¡± and ¡°life debt¡± topic.
¡°Okay, so, clearly imprisonment isn¡¯t how things are handled up in the Verdant Sea. I¡¯m guessing Imperialw is simr in that sense?¡±
¡°Temporary imprisonment of a criminal is normal,¡± A tilted her head towards Jay. ¡°But long-term sentences aren¡¯t handled that way. There¡¯s actually a core t in Valtar¡¯s teachings that guides what is done with those who have been charged and convicted of crimes against their fellow mortals. I¡¯m not about to quote scripture, but the gist of it is thus: ¡®the poorest use of a man is to kill him.¡¯ In essence, you shouldn¡¯t waste a person¡¯s life, even if they have done wrong. It¡¯s always better to put him to some good use if it is possible to do so. Throwing a person into a pit and leaving them there to rot is just as much a waste as simply executing them.¡±
¡°Yeah, but if you execute them, at least you can be certain that they won¡¯t cause any more harm,¡± Jay pointed out. ¡°Same can be said if you imprison them. If they¡¯re locked away, they can¡¯t hurt anyone else.¡±
Even as she said it, Jadis knew that the second part of her argument wasn¡¯t wholly true. Prisoners could still cause harm, either to other prisoners, to those who guarded them, or to the public atrge if they escaped. Still, she stuck with the intent of the argument, if not the reality of it.
¡°If a person is truly that much of a threat, then yes, execution would be appropriate,¡± A agreed.
¡°Or exile,¡± Kerr added, holding up on finger. ¡°Which can be just about the same as an execution.¡±
¡°However, in the Empire, the preferred solution is to have the convicted work their debt off. Whether they are a pickpocket who stole a few coins or a murderer who slew a man in either rage or calction, it¡¯s generally considered a benefit for society as a whole to put that person to a task rather than wasting them.¡±
¡°Once dead, a person has no further chance for redemption,¡± Eir raised her voice so that the whole room could hear. ¡°Valtar would rather his children make amends and right their wrongs in this life than simply depart for the afterlife in disgrace.¡±
It seemed that Jay and A¡¯s conversation had gotten the attention of everyone in the room. All were listening now, Jadis noted, including an especially attentive goblin sitting quietly next to Sabina.
¡°So. That brings us back to the life debt. Ricket is at least partially responsible for the deaths of three soldiers. Considering those crimes and the fact that he can be convicted of many others, including attempted murder, assault, uwfully holding soldiers in bondage, theft, smuggling, and who knows what else, it wouldn¡¯t be unreasonable for the Magistrate to deem him too much of a risk to society to let him live. He owes a debt to the Empire for his actions, as well to those he has harmed. On the other hand, he has shown a willingness to cooperate with authority for the benefit of society: helping us remove the demon possessing the dragon and fighting the demons attacking the Dryads. He is of a high level, skilled in a craft that could be of great use against demons, and there are people who need help. Namely, the Dryads. Why waste his life when he could be put to better use?¡±
¡°Okay, I follow the logic,¡± Jay said, her frown still lingering. ¡°But what it really seems to boil down to is that because he can still be used, the Empire or the Dryads or whoever is going to turn Ricket into a ve until his ¡®debt to society¡¯ is paid off, right? Is that what¡¯ll happen?¡±
¡°A ve w¡ªwould have no freedom at all,¡± Thea quietly spoke up, her fingers twisting together. ¡°He w¡ªwould be a b¡ªbonded servant.¡±
¡°Correct,¡± A nodded. ¡°Ricket would have to work for no payment until such a time that his debt has been repaid. He
would have to stay where he is ced and follow themands of those put in charge over him. However, he would also be protected from mistreatment, his food and lodgings would be provided for him, and he would be free to do as he pleased whenever he isn¡¯t working. Considering the severity of his crimes, his debt would likely take decades to repay, but it is a far better use of him than death, and it gives him a chance to redeem himself. Overall, it¡¯s a fair arrangement.¡±
Jay leaned back, considering A¡¯s words. Honestly, it did sound better to her than just hanging the crazy trap maker, and it was definitely a better use of resources than throwing him in a prison cell for forty years. With how A presented the argument, and how everyone else in the room seemed to agree with her, it looked like bonded servitude was justmon sense on Oros. Or at least, in the Empire. It still made Jadis a little ufortable considering how close it felt to very, but thinking on it, she felt like that was probably her own bias from her previous life talking.
¡°What if he dies before the debt is paid?¡± Jay asked. ¡°Does it pass on to his family? And who decides how much the debt is and when it is fulfilled?¡±
¡°If he dies, the debt dies with him,¡± A answered inly. ¡°They were his crimes. No other is responsible.¡±
¡°The court would decide the appropriate debt and repayment,¡± Eir answered the second part of Jadis¡¯ question. ¡°My cousin the Magistrate would have to take many factors into ount, including the opinions of those who were directly impacted by his crimes, but she would be the ultimate judge of Ricket¡¯s debt here in Weigrun. Those who take custody of Ricket or any other who is bonded would have to deliver regr reports to the court so that progress could be tracked and marked in their favor. For longersting debts, court appointed officials will even perform asional inspections to make sure that no mistreatment is urring.¡±
¡°And so, once the judgement is made, then Ricket or whoever else would be remanded to the custody of someone to start working off their debt,¡± Jay nodded her head, her expression contemtive. ¡°I assume the court would decide who they would go to?¡±
¡°Correct,¡± A smiled. ¡°Usually a third party is chosen, one who holds no grievance against them. Sometimes the bonded will be turned over to the person they did harm to, but that usually only happens in minor cases like theft.¡±
¡°Do bonded servants ever get turned over to mercenarypanies?¡± Jay asked seriously, her head turning to look back at where Sorcha sat with Sabina, her big eyes wide and unblinking.
¡°Yes,¡± A nodded, also turning to look back at the goblin. ¡°They sometimes do.¡±
Chapter 285: Whispered Affection
Chapter 285: Whispered Affection
The next day felt almost like a repeat of the day before. Jadis spent the morning searching for Alex in the forest with the help of Tegwyn, Kerr, Bridget, and Noll. No trace of either the little demonling or Eike was found, much to Jadis¡¯ great disappointment, though they at least did the Dryads the service of clearing out many more wandering demons from the surrounding valley. While they were searching for Alex, they also made sure that there were no signs of any more greater demons or demon matriarchs being in the vicinity of grove. Fortunately the biggest threat they came across was a singr grundwyrm stomping its way through the northern slopes of the valley.
While her weapon and spells weren¡¯t ideal for taking down the stone demon, Jadis made sure that Bridget took point in the fight against the grundwyrm. She wanted herpanions who were of a lower level to catch up with her and the rest of her team. As it was, their fighting force was somewhat unbnced, at least in regard to levels. Their highest-level member, Kerr, was CLR seventy, while their lowest, Bridget, was CLR thirty-four. The orc warrior was literally less than half their archer¡¯s total level. Jadis knew that with the power they had all gained so far and how they were only growing stronger, Fortune¡¯s Favored could well and truly be considered an Elite fighting force. It wasn¡¯t every mercenarypany that could take on armies of demons and win. While the future was uncertain, Jadis could easily predict that they would be facing even greater challenges in the weeks and months toe. Thus, Jadis wanted to make sure all of her fightingpanions were of an elite status. That started with gaining even more levels and getting everyone to the point where they had unlocked their tertiary ss.
Bridget made it one step closer to that goal when she reached level twelve in her Ardent Light ss. Not a bad reward for taking on a grundwyrm
mostly on her own. Sure, Jadis broke down the demon¡¯s body to a state that Bridget could handle, but still. She let the me-wielding warrior take the lead.
The extra stat point that Bridget gained from the even level was ced into Strength. She was a frontline warrior, after all, even if she was doing a lot of magic buffing and debuffing.
In the afternoon, Jadis spent more time with Yorath. The elder Dryad was a kind and patient teacher, more than willing to exin things multiple times and from different angles just to make sure Jadis fully understood the concept he was teaching her. Mostly, he showed her various meditation techniques that could help her reflect on her inner thoughts. Not clearing her mind the way she understood was done with Earth techniques but instead focusing it on specific points in order to better know and recognize herself and who she was. To Jadis, it felt a lot like soul searching, in a very literal way. Yorath was essentially helping her recognize where the edges of her own souly; to know her inner self as well as she knew her physical self.
Considering her multi-bodied nature, Jadis knew her physical self
very well. It would take a long time and a lot of practice to know her mind as well as her bodies.
One of the other things that Yorath taught her were some basics on the local flora and fauna. He was a wealth of information when it came to the nts and beasts of the Great Southern Forest, magical or otherwise. While she was no biologist, Jadis was still fascinated by the descriptions the Dryad gave her of the wildlife. She wouldn¡¯t have minded spending a few weeks just learning all about magic beasts from the knowledgeable elder, if only she had the time.
While Jadis was busy with her own agenda, the others had their own tasks. A spent most of her day with captain Wi, making ns for the return trip to Far Felsen, things that were going to be done once they got back to the city, as well as the fate of their prisoners. Eir, once her magic reserves had been refilled, used her healing magic to finish all the healing that Vetregin needed while also healing anyone else who still had lingering injuries. She also learned a great deal about Dryad healing and magical limb prosthetics from Carys. Sabina also learned from Carys and Olwyn about the magic prosthetics since she felt she might be able to replicate them via her own enchantments. The smith and enchanter just generally learned as much as she could about anything remotely weapon, armor, or enchantment-rted from the Dryads. Kerr and Bridget both used their afternoon time to train with Noll, to Jadis¡¯ mild surprise. Both of the career mercenaries were eager to learn as much as possible from the living legend and Noll had no objections to teaching what he called ¡°a pack of promising pups.¡±
Thea¡ Thea did not train with the others. Instead, she spent much of her time standing watch. Not that she was watching for any danger. She was simply watching, quietly and unobtrusively, as was her wont. Jadis wasn¡¯t surprised. Thea had once revealed that one of her favorite memories was of an encounter she had with a distant Dryad back in her hometown. Just being able to see the beautiful Dryads in their surreal grove had to be a highlight of Thea¡¯s life, Jadis was sure.
At least it made it easy for Jadis to find the quiet guardswoman.
¡°Hey Thea,¡± Jay said as she walked up next to the woman. ¡°Doing alright?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Thea nodded, a small smile on her lips. ¡°I am.¡±
She was standing on one of therge tree boughs that arched over the open field inside the grove. From there it was easy to see the various animals contentedly grazing, along with one of the Dryads who was tending to the herd. ncing at the pack, Jadis saw both their own expeditions horses, various goats, deer, elk, and other animals she recognized, as well as a few magic beasts that she didn¡¯t. Her attention wasn¡¯t diverted, though. She had sought Thea out for a reason.
¡°It¡¯s a shame we can¡¯t stay longer, huh,¡± Dys sighed as she took up a position opposite to Jay, the two nking Thea on either side. ¡°This ce is so pretty.¡±
¡°It is,¡± Thea said, though it was hard to tell if it was agreement with the first or second statement Dys had made. Perhaps both.
¡°Nice views all around,¡± Syd added after she came to a stop behind Thea. ¡°Especially that one down there,¡± she indicated the Dryad who was currently bent over at the waist while she tending to a small goat. ¡°Stimting, really.¡±
Thea snorted inughter, a blush creeping up her cheeks. She turned and gave Syd an admonishing look but made no objection to the statement. They both knew Thea had spotted the sight just the same as Jadis and was appreciating it just as much, if not more.
They continued to stand there, just watching, inpaniable silence for a while. There wasn¡¯t any need for idle conversation. They werefortable just as they were.
¡°So, I wanted to talk to you about something,¡± Jay said eventually. ¡°Something important.¡±
¡°Mm?¡± Thea hummed inquisitively, her eyes still on the meadow below. ¡°Yes?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if you know this yet since I don¡¯t think anyone told you directly, but I¡¯m involved with Eir now. Romantically.¡±
From her multiple perspectives, Jadis saw Thea¡¯s body stiffen in response to the statement. As she continued to speak, she paid close attention to the soldier¡¯s reactions.
¡°Right now, it¡¯s an official rtionship between me and A, Kerr, and now Eir. It¡¯s¡ definitely a strange rtionship, but I think we¡¯re going to be able to make it work. The important thing is that we care about each other.¡±
¡°I love A,¡± Dys announced, continuing Jay¡¯s line of thought. ¡°I love Kerr and I love Eir. I want them to be by my side, always. I still feel like there¡¯s so much more I have to learn about each of them, but I want to spend the rest of my life learning to know them as well as I know myself.¡±
The tension in Thea¡¯s body was still high, Jadis noticed. Though, it didn¡¯t look exactly like anxiety. Panic, maybe. Or¡ perhaps something else. Her face was still as stone, but her eyes¡ There was a desperation there. One that Jadis hoped meant what she thought it did.
¡°I had been waiting to confront these feelings,¡± Jay said softly. ¡°But the danger we always seem to find ourselves in taught me how stupid an idea that is. I¡¯d rather make things clear and put everything out in the open.¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes darted up at Jay, a small hope shining in them, dominated by a fear that made Jadis¡¯ heart ache. The woman¡¯s lower lip briefly trembled, but she said nothing, no doubt not trusting her own words.
¡°Thea,¡± all three of Jadis gently called out as all got down on one knee so that they could be at eye level with the shorter woman. ¡°I love you. I want you to be with me, the same as my other lovers. Now, I know that might not be the kind of rtionship you want. Being with me when I¡¯m also with others who I love isn¡¯t for everyone, but I couldn¡¯t not tell you how I feel. If anything ever happened to either of us¡ I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of never having told you. You don¡¯t have to answer now, but¡ª¡±
Jadis¡¯ next words were silenced as tears started to fall from the quiet woman¡¯s eyes. She froze, uncertain of what to do next as Thea silently wept. Slowly and deliberately, Thea reached forward and wrapped her arms around Jay¡¯s neck, tucking her head close against her as she continued to cry.
Gingerly, Jay wrapped her arms around Thea and held her, saying nothing more as she let her work through her emotions.
After a while, Jadis heard Thea mumble something against Jay¡¯s chest, the words muffled as she was pressed against her.
¡°What was that?¡± Jay asked softly, her hand gently stroking Thea¡¯s brown hair.
¡°Yes,¡± Thea sniffed, turning her head just enough to be heard. ¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Yes?¡± Dys asked, a happiness welling up inside of her. ¡°Yes, what?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Thea repeated, her voice as quiet as ever. ¡°I w¡ªwant to be with you. P¡ªplease, yes.¡±
At those words, Dys and Syd both crowded in, hugging Thea from three sides as Jadis¡¯ own emotions got the better of her.
¡°I love you,¡± Dys said, whispering into Thea¡¯s ear.
¡°I love you,¡± Syd repeated, whispering into her other ear.
Both times, Jadis could feel Thea shudder against her. She liked the way that made her feel, so she kept repeating herself, whispering her love into her little shield maiden¡¯s ears over and over again. Every time she said, ¡°I love you,¡± Thea would tremble and move against Jay, almost like she was trying to bury herself inside her.
¡°I l¡ªlove you, t¡ªtoo,¡± Thea eventually whispered back, having finally found her voice.
That, of course, just sent Jadis into another spiral of whispered ¡°I love you¡± which meant the two continued to hug each other on top of that tree bough for a long, long time. If anyone noticed, they didn¡¯t interrupt them.
Some timeter, after the two had settled down andposed themselves somewhat, they moved to a slightly more private location. Jay sat with her feet dangling over the edge of a more remote tree branch, Thea in herp, while Dys and Syd sat to either side leaning their heads against Jay¡¯s shoulders. They didn¡¯t speak much; mostly they just watched the grove from their new position. Not that Thea needed to say anything. She practically glowed with happiness. Her hands continually sought to stroke and touch Jadis, almost as though she were reminding herself that she wasn¡¯t dreaming. Jadis was happy to lend her assurance.
¡°Oh, I guess I should let you know now,¡± Syd said, a thought popping into her head while she idly ran her fingers up and down Thea¡¯s arm. ¡°Since you¡¯re my girlfriend now.¡±
Jadis grinned as she felt Thea happily squirm against her at those words.
¡°Eir asked to have my child.¡±
Thea¡¯s squirming stopped. Slowly, her head turned to look at Syd, her eyes wide as saucers.
¡°Just, you know, something we¡¯re discussing right now. So you know.¡±
¡°¡Okay,¡± was Thea¡¯s very quiet response.
Chapter 286: Tempting Thoughts
Chapter 286: Tempting Thoughts
There was an awkward kind of nervous excitement in the air that night. Not that there should have been. Jadis and her lovers had performed their ritual tasks many times over the past few weeks, often enough that even the newest of their number should have been fairly well ustomed to the lewd deed that needed to be done. There was always some level of excitement between them: how couldn¡¯t there be? The feeling among them this time, though, was noticeably different, enough so that Jadis couldn¡¯t pretend it wasn¡¯t there.
Nor could Jadis pretend that she didn¡¯t know exactly where those awkward yet excited vibes wereing from.
Eir and Thea both had agreed to be in an official rtionship with Jadis in the past two days, on the same level as A and Kerr. Since this would be their first time having sex since bing her girlfriends, it felt as though there was some significance to the act.
Girlfriends. The thought did make Jadis giddy with happiness, though the word didn¡¯t feel anywhere near weighty enough. She felt like there should probably be something stronger to describe their new rtionship. Partner felt too clinical and lover was more what Jadis considered anyone who she had sex with to be. The right word just seemed to escape her.
Maybe she should take a page from the System and call them her bonded? Kerr was her bonded lover, that was for certain, and Jadis had no doubt in her mind that no matter what ss any of her girls got in the future, they would at least have the option of choosing one that held the title ¡°bonded¡± in it. Jadis loved them all with the same passion. She knew without a shred of doubt in her heart that they felt the same way.
Of course, thoughts of being ¡°bonded¡± brought Jadis¡¯ mind to the odd one out in the room.
Sorcha was not a participant in their rituals. Not yet anyway. But it did seem like things were likely heading in that direction. A had spent a lot of time discussing the possibility with captain Wi. While the captain was no arbiter ofw and justice, she knew the courts well enough and was more than familiar with Vraekae¡¯s judgements being a long-time subordinate to the elf. Sorcha was almost certainly going to be given a bonded sentence for her crimes. Whoever she was assigned to for working off the debt would have to be someone or an organization with a high enough level of power that they could ensure that Sorcha caused no harm to others and did notmit further criminal acts. Fortune¡¯s Favored was more than capable of handling one goblin witch of her level.
While they hadn¡¯t had an ¡°official¡± discussion on the matter, Jadis and A had brought up the possibility with the little green woman. Sorcha had, in no uncertain terms, expressed her interest in working for Fortune¡¯s Favored, though she had also been clear that she would have been more than happy putting her skills as an herbalist to work for an alchemy or enchantment guild. She didn¡¯t think those options were likely, not since she hadbat experience and therefore, she would probably be sent to work for the military. But, or so she had said, if she was going to be put in a position of danger once again, she¡¯d rather be working for a mercenarypany with some sense to it. Jadis was sure that being in an extremely powerful group who would probably protect the little goblin better than a battalion of soldiers had something to do with it, too.
So, if Sorcha was going to be a conscripted member of thepany, she was also probably going to be an eventual participant in the rituals Jadis performed. She¡¯d already unwittingly been involved in thest one just by witnessing the lewd ritual. She was clearly interested, too. Jadis honestly wasn¡¯t all that opposed to the woman anymore, either. She felt like she wanted to get to know her a lot better first before anything physical happened between them, but she didn¡¯t hold any grudge against her for her actions anymore. They had started out as foes, but that was more ident of fate than purposeful maliciousness. For all those reasons, Sorcha was a prime candidate for ritual involvement.
There was, however, the small issue of size differences¡ If Sorcha did be a member of their growing ritual club, Jadis had no fucking clue how that would work out mechanically. Sex with Eir already seemed to be pushing the limits of what was physically possible with the help of her Anatomical Adaptation skill. There was no way she was going to ¡°fit¡± inside the goblin. Her dick was literally bigger than her torso.
Regardless, Sorcha wasn¡¯t going to be joining them tonight. She was, like thest time, on the sidelines watching. That still added to the nervous atmosphere since having an ¡°audience¡± wasn¡¯t normal for their group, plus Sorcha looked more than a bit anxious herself, enough so that Jay quietly suggested to the witch that maybe she wanted to spend the night elsewhere that evening. She was certain that the Dryads would find her a ce to sleep that wasn¡¯t with the Roiling Reavers.
¡°Are you fucking kidding me?¡± Sorcha had responded with an incredulous look. ¡°There is no bloody way I¡¯m missing out on the show. Last time had me gushing like a river! As long as you don¡¯t mind me flicking the green bean in a corner over there, I want to stay. Considering the freaky stuff you and yours are into, I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t care.¡±
Jadis supposed she didn¡¯t mind that much after all.
There was one other aspect that was adding to the tension that Jadis could think of. This was also going to be their first time having sex since Eir had asked her to impregnate her. Of course, they had agreed to wait until they could arrange something with the priestess of Lyssandria that Eir knew of, but the thought still lingered. All it would take would be a small adjustment to her active skill. She didn¡¯t even have to make it a certainty. She could always just¡ turn it off and see if chance favored them.
A tempting thought.
Not that Jadis was going to do that. She already knew
exactly how much chance favored her and it was mostly for entertainment value. She didn¡¯t know how long it would be before they could make it to the imperial capital, much less how long it would take to get a hold of that particr priestess. It was still best to y it safe. For now.
There was something else that Jadis wanted from her lovely elf tonight, anyway. For as many times as they had done it with the others, for some reason, Eir had never gone through the ritual to grow her own cock. She was, by preference, usually the recipient of amorous attention. Jadis was more than fine with that arrangement, but she felt like she had gone too long without knowing exactly what her elven lover¡¯s cock was like.
¡°This feels strange,¡± Eir murmured as she stared at the massive pale shaft sticking out from between her thighs. ¡°Very strange.¡±
¡°I know, I know,¡± Kerr grinned toothily at the elf. ¡°You¡¯re probably fighting every instinct in you to not just stuff that pretty pussy of yours with that fat cock, but focus.
Our sexy girlfriend here wants to y with your package. You aren¡¯t going to disappoint her, are you?¡±
Jadis rolled her eyes at Kerr¡¯s crude words and lewd antics. The whole little speech was given with her bare ass pointed towards Eir and Syd behind her, her neck craned over her shoulder to stare lustfully at the two of them. When Jadis had made her suggestion, Eir had agreed with only a small amount of nervous trepidation. By contrast, Kerr had immediately jumped at the chance to help with the ritual. Jadis wasn¡¯t surprised.
Kerr¡¯s emphasis on the ¡°our¡± in ¡°our sexy girlfriend¡± did make Jadis¡¯ heart flutter in pleasant way.
¡°I suppose we should start then,¡± Eir said, biting her lip nervously. ¡°I¡¯m¡ not sure¡¡±
¡°Oh,e on,¡± Kerr cackled as her tail wagged and thumped teasingly against the tip of Syd¡¯s cock. ¡°You know exactly what it¡¯s like from the other end. You have to have
some idea of what to do.¡±
¡°Just take your time,¡± Syd murmured into Eir¡¯s pointed ear. ¡°There¡¯s no rush. You can¡¯t do this wrong, I promise.¡±
Eir was still definitely nervous about the whole thing, which Jadis found irresistibly adorable. The priestess could be so confident during sex sometimes, yet in moments like these her anxious earnestness just made Jadis want to hug and squeeze her. And fuck her. A lot.
Letting her elven lover set the pace, Syd kept her hands firmly on Eir¡¯s hips. Both of them were standing, though with the height difference the only way to make that position work had been to have Eir stand on top of one of the moss beds while Syd stood on the floor with her legs spread wide. Naturally, Kerr also had to stand, which she had no problem doing as she bent over with her shapely rear in prime position for Eir and Syd¡¯s attentions.
The others in the room variously watched the spectacle or focused their attentions on more pressing matters. Matters such as Jadis¡¯ other selves giving them their ownscivious attention. No one was being particrly chaste anymore as the nervous vibes seemed to trante into a stronger lustful reaction.
Jadis¡¯ other selves could handle what was going on elsewhere. Syd¡¯s focus was entirely on Eir¡¯s soft hand as it caressed her cock.
Considering their regr activities, Eir was more than familiar with the shape and feel of Syd¡¯s throbbing member. Her fingers easily found the most sensitive spots to rub, causing Syd¡¯s dick to jump at the attention. The way she moved her hands over her shaft, Jadis got the feeling that in this particr instance, Eir was imagining what it would be like if the cock jutting out from her crotch was actually hers. Whatever the details of her inner thoughts, Jadis knew Eir was enjoying herself. The wetness soaking the part of her shaft sandwiched between Eir¡¯s thighs made that clear.
Having let her fingers run their course all the way to the tip of Syd¡¯s member, Eir finally reached out to Kerr with her left hand. With a gentle reverence that matched the care she gave Syd, Eir stroked the therion¡¯s ass. Kerr¡¯s tail, which had been wagging back and forth in eagerness, stilled at the touch.
Kerr¡¯s eyes met Syd¡¯s for a moment before she winked mischievously.
¡°Nnhn, finally,¡± Kerr moaned in an exaggerated manner. ¡°You¡¯re so cruel for making me wait this long, priestess Eir. Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m dripping with need? Please, fill me with your hot cock before I lose my mind!¡±
To Jadis¡¯ surprise, Eir¡¯s hand gave Kerr¡¯s butt a firm smack, the meaty sound echoing lewdly. By the way Kerr jumped, it didn¡¯t look like she had been expecting it either.
¡°Shush now,¡± Eir said, her tone gentle yet firm. ¡°No more of that. I will start when I¡¯m ready and your pleading won¡¯t change that.¡±
Kerr looked at Eir with eyebrows raised high.
¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± she answered with a note of stunned amusement.
¡°Good girl,¡± Eir praised before rubbing the spot on Kerr¡¯s ass she had pped.
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but look at Eir¡¯s face from the other perspectives that her alternate bodies afforded her. Eir didn¡¯t look the least bit like she was teasing or joking, nor did she seem like she was purposefully being a dom. It was hard to tell, but Jadis wasn¡¯t sure that Eir even realized howmanding she had just been, or what a turn on it was.
There was definitely something there that Jadis was going to have to explore with her lewd priestess. Soon.
After rubbing Kerr¡¯s rear for a bit longer, Eir used that hand to pull Kerr¡¯s cheek to one side, revealing her wet slit. With a growing confidence, she used the hand that was still wrapped around Syd¡¯s cock and rubbed the head up and down against Kerr¡¯s pussy. Syd sighed at the feeling of her wet heat on her cock, having already grown unbearably stiff from all the dys and teasing.
¡°You are wet, aren¡¯t you,¡± Eirmented in a soft,manding tone. Jadis still couldn¡¯t tell if it was on purpose or not. ¡°Maybe even wetter than I feel right now.¡±
Eir¡¯s statement prompted Jadis topare. From what she could feel of the two women, they were both pretty evenly matched.
¡°I suppose there isn¡¯t much sense in dying any longer,¡± Eir mused as she slowly pushed Syd¡¯s cockhead against Kerr¡¯s lower lips.
¡°No there isn¡¯t, ma¡¯am,¡± Kerr moaned, this time for real as she pushed back against Syd¡¯s cock.
Abruptly, Eir pulled back, her rear pressing against Syd¡¯s crotch. Confused but still letting the elf do as she pleased, Syd pulled away from Kerr¡¯s heat, prompting a soft whimper from the woman.
¡°I have to ask,¡± Eir tilted her head to one side as she rubbed her fingers around the base of Kerr¡¯s tail. ¡°Will you so lewdly disy yourself for my own true cock once I have it?¡±
¡°Fuck yeah I will,¡± Kerr hissed, her eyes dark with hungry lust. ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡±
¡°Good girl,¡± Eir smiled with a twinkle in her purple eyes.
With no further hesitation, Eir took hold of Kerr¡¯s hips in both hands and pulled her onto Syd¡¯s cock, not stopping until she was rooted to the hilt and Kerr¡¯s ass was pressed up against Eir¡¯s thighs.
¡°Good girl,¡± Syd repeated, nting a kiss on the side of Eir¡¯s head as a shiver ran through her both from the feeling, and the way Eir had taken control of the situation.
Eir beamed.
Chapter 287: Better View
Chapter 287: Better View
¡°Oh, fuck yeah,¡± Kerr groaned through clenched teeth. ¡°Keep going just like that!¡±
Eir did her very best to oblige Kerr¡¯s wishes. It wasn¡¯t easy for the smaller woman, unused to the thrusting motion, but she made her best effort. Even though the main hurdle of height difference between Eir and Syd had been ovee via the elf standing on the bed, Kerr was still a lot taller than Eir too. Topensate and make it easier for her to reach, Kerr had to take a wide stance, her legs spread to give ess and lower her rear to be close to level with Eir¡¯s hips. Even still, Eir stood on the tips of her toes to keep level as she thrust her weight against the moaning therion.
Jadis did not actively aid Eir in her carnal endeavors. This was the priestess¡¯ show to run, not hers. Instead, Syd kept her hands firmly on Eir¡¯s sides and her hips against her ass. However Eir moved was how Syd would move, no more and no less.
While Eir was inexperienced with being on the masculine side of sex, her earnest enthusiasm more than made up for any amateurish ws in her technique. She wasn¡¯t a hard, rough thruster the way Kerr was, nor was she quite the domineering presence that A adopted when she was equipped with her own cock. No, when she moved her hips to cram Syd¡¯s cock deep into Kerr¡¯s tight depths, she did so with the purpose of pleasuring her partner.
Jadis wouldn¡¯t call herself an expert on sex or anything of the sort, but she was definitely experienced. She always did her utmost to pay attention to how her lovers were feeling and how they were reacting to her attentions. It was by her own experience with the practice that she saw how Eir was doing the same. The elf was adjusting her thrusts, trying to time the speed to just the right pace to keep Kerr breathing hard but without overwhelming her. She was also adjusting the angle of her hips, doing her best to hit spots that elicited bigger responses from Kerr.
The slutty sniper being so vocal definitely helped to pinpoint the best spots.
She was also, Jadis noted, trying to please Syd as well. Whenever Syd would let out a little gasp of pleasure or a grunt of satisfaction, Eir would repeat the same movement to draw out the response. She was even being careful to squeeze her thighs together around Syd¡¯s shaft with delightful force, even while she struggled to keep her hips pounding against Kerr¡¯s tight rear end. Jadis couldn¡¯t help but smile fondly; Eir really was an attentive lover.
The elf wasn¡¯t the only attentive lover in the room, though the type of attentiveness was of a different sort.
Thea watched the lewd spectacle of Syd, Eir, and Kerr fucking with single-minded intent. Her voyeuristic tendencies were being heartily indulged that night. She sat on the bed next to the one the trio upied, her eyes glued to the debauched disy. Jadis didn¡¯t think anything could tear the woman¡¯s eyes away from the show, not even if Vetregin were to appear before them wearing a grass skirt and dancing a h.
¡°Like what you see?¡± Dys whispered into Thea¡¯s ear.
She jumped, startled by the words murmured mere inches from the side of her face, but her eyes still stayed locked on the juncture of Syd, Eir, and Kerr¡¯s groins.
¡°Yes,¡± Thea whispered back, her head nodding slightly.
Dys grinned, amused by Thea¡¯s kink. She was always happy to indulge her shy little pervert, but she also enjoyed pushing her into more direct participation in their lewd fun. Dys had been involved with A, but she had to excuse herself for a moment just for the purpose of teasing her adorable Thea.
¡°You know,¡± Dys said between lightly nibbling on Thea¡¯s ear, ¡°Kerr looks like¡¯s starting to lose her bnce a bit.¡± She wasn¡¯t, Jadis knew. Kerr was far, far too strong to be knocked off bnce by Eir¡¯s efforts. ¡°You could give her a helping hand
and get yourself a more interesting angle to watch.¡±
Thea nodded absently, maybe not quite processing what Dys had suggested. That distracted attention made Dys grin. Her next action would be that much more of a surprise.
Moving quickly and confidently, Dys grabbed Thea around the waist and lifted her off the bed. Thea let out another adorable little squeak with Dys¡¯ actions, followed by a breathless noise as Dys sat her down on her knees directly in front of Kerr.
Kerr, bless her heart, didn¡¯t startle and instead immediately understood what Jadis was doing and joined in on the fun. With a wicked grin, she put her hands on Thea¡¯s bare shoulders and leaned against the woman with her full weight. She stared right into Thea¡¯s eyes as Eir continued to p her hips into her ass with enthusiastic force.
¡°Thanks hun,¡± Kerr huffed around pleasured moans. ¡°Much better angle now.¡±
Thea stared up into Kerr¡¯s face with wide eyes, doing her best impression of a rabbit having been caught out by a wolf. She kept staring for a drawn-out moment before her eyes were drawn like mas to the juncture of Kerr¡¯s legs, barely visible beyond the therion¡¯s swaying breasts. An instantter, her gaze shot back up to meet Kerr¡¯s grinning visage.
¡°Are you teasing dear Thea?¡± Eir asked, her pace slowing slightly.
Her question had not been directed towards any of Jadis¡¯ selves, but instead towards Kerr.
¡°Maybe,¡± Kerr admitted, not turning to look back at Eir as she continued to grin at the blushing human woman.
Another smack resounded in the room as Eir spanked Kerr¡¯s backside.
¡°Don¡¯t. Behave yourself and give Thea what she wants.¡±
Eir¡¯s demandingmand had not been part of Jadis¡¯ n, but she was
notining. By the shiver that ran through Kerr¡¯s flesh, it didn¡¯t look like she wasining either.
Changing position again, Kerr pressed against Thea¡¯s shoulders and arched her back, curving her head so far back that her long horns almost touched Syd¡¯s chest. In this new pose, her cock-stuffed core waspletely exposed to Thea¡¯s burning gaze.
¡°Well done,¡± Eir said as she took hold of Kerr¡¯s horn in her left hand, pulling her head back even further. ¡°Keep being a good girl like that and I know Jadis will give you a big reward.¡±
¡°And then you¡¯ll give me a big reward, too?¡± Kerr said huskily over her shoulder at Eir.
¡°Only if you continue to behave yourself.¡±
¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Kerr chirped happily.
When Eir resumed her thrusting, Kerr grinned down at Thea who was now too busy staring at the lewd disy to notice.
¡°Shit that¡¯s hot,¡± Dys murmured at a near whisper as she leaned back on the bed that she¡¯d shifted Thea off of.
¡°Is that sort of demeanor something you want us to do more often when we are in bed?¡± A asked curiously as she shifted to run her tongue along Dys¡¯ shaft.
¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you already do stuff like that,¡± Dys chuckled as she basked her girlfriend¡¯s tender licks and kisses against her cock. ¡°You can be a total queen when we¡¯re having sex sometimes.¡±
¡°I am not,¡± A protested, ring up at Dys. ¡°I just know what I want.¡±
¡°Yes, yes you do,¡± Dys agreed before moving her hand to tease A¡¯s heated core.
Thea got to enjoy her new, closer position for a few more minutes as Eir continued to hammer away with her borrowed cock. However, Jadis had used her skill to shorten the time required for the ritual. Nearing the end of their allotted time, Syd allowed herself to loosen the tight restraint she had on her pleasure. The peak that she had kept clear of neared.
¡°Do you feel that?¡± Eir asked Kerr as Syd¡¯s thick shaft throbbed. ¡°Jadis is close now. Are you ready for your reward?¡±
¡°Ye¡ªyes, yes ma¡¯am,¡± Kerr stumbled over her words slightly, clearly about to reach her own climax. ¡°Please!¡±
¡°Good girl,¡± Eir panted, almost out of breath from the exertion. ¡°Now, take all of our dear Jadis¡¯ seed. And don¡¯t spill a drop! Think of it as practice for when she fills your womb to breed you as you deserve.¡±
Holy fuck.
Eir¡¯s unexpected words tipped Syd over the edge even faster than Jadis had expected. The idea of this being practice to
breed her naughty therion had not entered her mind. Now that it had, Jadis shivered in an unrealized need.
A groan tumbled out of Kerr¡¯s lips as her pussy squeezed like a vice around Syd¡¯s cock. In the same moment, Syd let out her own low moan as her cum erupted into her lover, filling her belly full with the first pulse alone.
Throughout her climax, Syd kept thrusting. In all honesty, she wasn¡¯t sure if that was her own will or Eir¡¯s influence. Whichever the case, Eir continued to pump her hips right along with her. Despite the priestess¡¯mand to keep all of Jadis¡¯ seed inside her, there was simply no way for Kerr to keep that much cum inside herself while Syd continued to cram her cock into her. In moments the thick, sticky white seed was pouring out of Kerr¡¯s pussy, sttering across Eir¡¯s red thighs and onto the bed below.
Almost as though she were in a trance, Thea reached out her hand, catching some of the dripping liquid on her fingers. Bringing the seed up to her face, she yed with it for a few seconds before sucking the sweet substances off of her fingers with obvious relish.
¡°Fuck,¡± Dys shuddered, almosting from thebination of feeling her other self¡¯s pleasure and seeing Thea¡¯s lewd actions.
¡°Mmhmm,¡± A agreed, her mouth full at the moment though her eyes were locked onto the disy.
Even after thest of cum was milked from her pulsing shaft, Syd kept thrusting into Kerr¡¯s quivering tunnel. She hadn¡¯tsted quite long enough for the ritual toplete, though she wasn¡¯t too far off. She kept up the pace, making sure that Eir¡¯s efforts didn¡¯t go to waste. Not that anything about what they had just done could possibly be considered a waste, regardless of the oue of the ritual. Still, Jadis was going to see the spell through to the end. She had a goal to achieve. Plus, Kerr deserved her second reward.
After another minute of tireless thrusting, Jadis felt the ritual finally finish. In the same instant, Eir¡¯s body shook as she was wracked with the unexpected sensations that came with growing her very own cock.
Pulling back, Syd slid out of Kerr and from between Eir¡¯s thighs, her dick¡¯s departure leaving a messy trail of cum across the elf¡¯s legs. Without Syd¡¯s cock to support her, Kerr¡¯s knees buckled and she copsed, spinning about as she did so. She ended up with her back against a surprised Thea, her leaking cunt dripping all over the meek woman¡¯s nakedp.
Eir trembled and moaned as the flesh of her crotch shifted and warped, changing into something new. She would have fallen as well, but Syd kept her steady as she held her waist. Everyone in the room focused their attention on the elf as she writhed, fascinated by the transformation. It didn¡¯t take long, perhaps only a few seconds, but the end result of the eldritch magic shocked Jadis in a way she hadn¡¯t expected.
Eir¡¯s cock was a rich dark red, even darker than the rest of her. It stood proudly, not as big as A or Kerr but still nearly a foot long. It was a simr size to Bridget¡¯s, but not as thick or veiny. In fact, her long cock was more like Thea¡¯s in its oddly delicate, almost feminine appearance; an oxymoron considering the subject. The head of her cock was strange, practically blending into the shaft so that it almost looked like one long, smooth surface. Otherwise, Eir¡¯s new cock was fairly human-looking. Except for one ring difference.
Directly below the new glistening shaft was a second cock, identical to the first in every way.
¡°Am I seeing double right now, or does Eir have two dicks?¡± Dys was the first to speak.
¡°Of course she does,¡± Kerr grinned as she casually put an arm around Thea¡¯s shoulder in apanionable way. ¡°She¡¯s an elf. Definitely the biggest pair I¡¯ve ever seen on an elf, though. They¡¯re not known for their size.¡±
Indeed, while not the biggest cocks amongst their strange party, they were far, far from small. When ced onto Eir¡¯s short frame, the double dicks looked even bigger jutting from the elf¡¯s crotch.
¡°I swear to D you are hiding information like this from me on purpose,¡± Syd growled at the unrepentant Kerr.
Turning her attention away from Kerr¡¯s mischievous smile, Syd ced a kiss on Eir¡¯s neck before whispering into her ear.
¡°So, how does it feel?¡±
Eir shivered, her hands held out to her sides as she stared at her new appendages. She seemed to be avoiding touching them, or even jostling them, as she got used to the sensations coursing through her.
¡°Like I might faint,¡± Eir whispered back, her tone wobbly. ¡°Or climax. Perhaps both.¡±
Syd grinned and nibbled on the point of her priestess¡¯ ear. Before she could say more, her words were interrupted by an extremely shocked voice crying out from the far side of the room.
¡°Did you just grow a pair of bloody fucking cocks on the elf!?¡±
Jadis barely stifled augh. Sorcha had a lot to learn if she was going to be a member of Fortune¡¯s Favored.
Chapter 288: Twins
Chapter 288: Twins
Eir¡¯s two new cocks stood away from her body, throbbing in time with her beating heart. The sight was strange and unexpected, but still a total turn-on for Jadis. Seeing Eir¡¯s twin package brought a lot of questions to Jadis¡¯ mind, particrly about how elf biology and mating worked, however those questions were hardly important enough to distract Jadis from what she had to do in that moment. Before anything else, Jadis needed to make her acquaintance with Eir¡¯s double dicks.
¡°Oh wow,¡± Syd cooed as she smoothed her hands across the elf¡¯s hips to trace up and down her thighs and stomach. ¡°Your cocks are beautiful, just like you, Eir.¡±
Eir¡¯s breath came quickly, herrge chest heaving as she stared at the erections protruding from her crotch. She hadn¡¯t moved to touch them yet, still keeping her hands out to her sides. As Syd¡¯s hands moved across her body though, she leaned into the touch.
¡°I¡ªI am¡ª¡± Eir stuttered, her tongue tied with lust. ¡°Thank you, Jadis.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t thank me,¡± Syd grinned as she ced another kiss on Eir¡¯s ear. ¡°I should be thanking you. You¡¯ve just given me two new toys to y with for the rest of the night. I couldn¡¯t be happier.¡±
The heating from Eir felt like it increased twofold at Jadis¡¯ words. A small, almost inaudible noise of pleasure escaped her lips as Syd¡¯s hand came within a hair''s breadth of touching the base of Eir¡¯s cock.
¡°You don¡¯t mind if I get a closer look, right?¡±
¡°No, please do,¡± Eir said, the desperation in her voice enough to make Jadis silentlyugh.
Shifting around to sit on the edge of the bed, Syd positioned herself before Eir without making the priestess move. Almost as eager to touch as Eir was, Syd didn¡¯t waste any more time teasing the poor elf. She already looked like she was about to spontaneouslybust.
Taking hold of each shaft in one hand, Syd firmly slid up Eir¡¯s cocks in one long, slow stroke. Almost as though she were mirroring the motion with her voice, Eir responded to the touch with a low moan that rose in pitch as Syd¡¯s hands reached the cockheads. Stopping at the top, Syd used her thumbs to rub at the tips, spreading a clear and slippery fluid across them.
Eir shuddered, her legs almost buckling out from under her as she barely managed to handle the new and intense sensations. Her arms wrapped around her torso, hugging herself as she struggled to maintain control. Her mouth hung open as she panted, a look of excruciating pleasure clouding her expression.
¡°You¡¯re already about toe, aren¡¯t you?¡± Syd asked huskily, loving the feel of Eir¡¯s double cocks throbbing in her hands.
¡°Y¡ªyes,¡± Eir nodded, her purple hair falling over her eyes. ¡°I¡ªI haven¡¯t yet. I¡¯m so close. It feels so strange, yet so good¡¡±
¡°Hold on a little longer, won¡¯t you?¡± Syd requested as she gazed up into Eir¡¯s half-lidded eyes. ¡°I want your first load inside me.¡±
Eir let out a gasping shudder. Syd could feel by the way her cocks throbbed that she was nearly at the point of no-return. Smiling, Syd withdrew her hands from Eir. The desperate elf¡¯s hips bucked involuntarily at the loss of touch, though she held back and didn¡¯t immediately grasp her cocks with her own hands. She waited, breathing as hard as a racehorse.
Syd moved further up the bed, lying back on her elbows as Kerr and Thea made room for her. She brought her feet up and to either side of Eir¡¯s, her knees bent and her legs wide in an open invitation. Her own massive cocky heavily against her stomach, dripping from her first climax of the night, while her pale and perfect core glistened with her own need.
¡°Come on Eir,¡± Syd cooed while crooking a single finger at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to fuck your Nephilim?¡±
This time Eir¡¯s legs did buckle as she fell to her knees. She let out a pitiful groan as she shuffled forward so that she was between Syd¡¯s legs, one of her slender cocks in her right hand. She looked like she was past the point of speaking, all rational thought having fled in the face of overwhelming lustful need.
As Eir brought the tip of her upper dick to lightly rub against the lips of Syd¡¯s pussy, Jadis wondered how exactly this was going to work. She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d have trouble amodating Eir thanks to their difference in size, but still. Would Eir go for two at once? Or would one enter her while the other stayed outside? Or would she use the fact that she had two cocks to stuff both of her holes? Jadis wouldn¡¯t be opposed either way.
She didn¡¯t have to wait long to find out. With a sigh that spoke of aching need, Eir¡¯s upper cock pierced into Syd¡¯s wet core. The lower cock followed suit, guided in by its twin sister.
¡°Fuck,¡± Syd groaned at the strange sensation.
Individually, Eir¡¯s cocks weren¡¯t particrly thick. However, paired together, their overall girth was thergest of any of her girls. Syd felt stretched by the intrusion, but that wasn¡¯t the strange part. She could feel Eir¡¯s two cocks shift against each other inside of her, the twin shafts moving and rubbing her insides in ways that a singr cock could not. The feeling was bizarre yet thrilling, the pleasure tingling up her spine as she enjoyed the unusual sensation.
¡°Oh¡ Oh Jadis¡¡± Eir moaned as she fell forward, hilting herself inside of Syd. ¡°Oh gods!¡±
Syd wrapped her legs around Eir¡¯s backside as she leaned back, happily basking in the feel of having her priestess inside of her. Eir didn¡¯t move for a long time and Jadis felt no need to rush her. Taking long, shuddering breaths, Eiry on top of Syd with her eyes closed, perhaps just focusing on the sensation the same as Syd. Eventually, forehead still resting against Syd¡¯s torso, her hips began to move of their own ord.
Small motions at first, each sessive thrust grew in length and strength. In no time at all Eir was pounding her cocks into Syd¡¯s pussy with blissful abandon. Her heavy breathing blew hotly against Syd¡¯s twitching cock, her eager effortscking the skill and care that Eir had exhibited earlier. She was lost to her lust and beyond any state where she could be a caring lover. She needed toe, and she was using Syd¡¯s body to do so.
The depraved thought made Jadis shudder. Something about making Eir sumbpletely to her sexual desires turned her on in an unexpected way. Eir was the one with red skin and a sinful figure, but it seemed Jadis was ying the part of the subus that night.
Eir didn¡¯tst long. There was no chance she could have, not with how close she was already. Syd didn¡¯t climax with her, but she wasn¡¯t bothered. She was too busy reveling in the sensation of feeling Eir¡¯s twin cocks unloading their first orgasm into her depths. She could feel each pulse of elven cum filling her, the dual cockheads firing their loads together.
A soundless scream of pleasure came from the elf as she experienced the powerful and unfamiliar male climax. She shook wildly, her muscles trembling as she tried to pour every ounce of herself into Syd. Smiling, Syd ran her fingers across Eir¡¯s back, stroking her as she kept her legs wrapped around the elf, keeping her pressed firmly against her.
¡°Such a good girl,¡± Syd praised the priestess as her peak slowly faded and the pulses slowed. ¡°So very, very good. My good girl.¡±
When Eir finally came down from her overwhelming climax, her body lost all of its tension and puddled against Syd like a limp noodle. Her twin cocks still asionally twitched inside of her depths, but otherwise the elf remained motionless aside from her slow breaths.
¡°That looked like it was a good one,¡± Kerr spoke up.
¡°It d¡ªdid,¡± Thea quietly agreed.
Syd smiled as she nced over at the two. Both were still sitting on the bed next to her, just above her right shoulder. Kerr was still on Thea¡¯sp, one arm over the shorter woman¡¯s shoulder as she leaned her head against her. Both had had front row seats to the show and were looking at the aftermath with an appreciative gaze.
¡°It absolutely was,¡± Syd added her own agreement as she continued to pet Eir¡¯s back. ¡°Though I have no idea how you¡¯re going to take both of her at once, Kerr. She¡¯s stretching me pretty good and she doesn¡¯t have my adaptation skill to make big insertions easier. Are you sure you want your reward?¡±
¡°Pfft,¡± Kerr blew breath from between her lips. ¡°You underestimate my horniness. I expect better of you. Besides, you gave me
lots of lube earlier that I can put to good use.¡±
Kerr illustrated her point by dipping her fingers between her legs and showing off the Nephilim cum that dripped from them. While ordinately Jadis would say that wouldn¡¯t be enough, she had to admit that the sticky yet slick seed she produced worked exceptionally well as a lubricant. If Kerr wasn¡¯t worried, Jadis didn¡¯t see any reason why she should be.
¡°Eir,¡± Syd said softly, patting the elf on her sweat-dampened hair. ¡°Time to get up. You have some duties to fulfill that you promised you would.¡±
The priestess¡¯ body stiffened at Jadis¡¯ words, the post-climax fog lifting from her brain. She sat up, shuddering as her shafts shifted inside of Syd¡¯s tunnel. Blinking, she looked at Syd, then at the other two women sitting at Syd¡¯s shoulder.
¡°You owe me a reward, don¡¯t you?¡± Kerr said, grinning toothily at the elf. ¡°Plus I¡¯m pretty sure Thea could use some attention, too. ¡°Think you could amodate her?¡±
Eir¡¯s expression shifted from hazy confusion into realization and then into intense conviction. She nodded, then slowly yet firmly extracted herself from Syd¡¯s depths.
A shiver ran through Syd as she felt Eir¡¯s dual withdrawal. She was tempted to lock her legs and pull her elven lover back inside for another go, but their time wasn¡¯t without limit. They had many more rituals to perform that night and they also needed to work a few hours of sleep in as well. She couldn¡¯t indulge herself the whole evening. Jadis had to fuck with a purpose, at least for the moment.
God, but she lived a strange life.
Once she pulledpletely free, Eir leaned back on her knees, her twin erections standing proudly. Much like Jadis and unlike the others, Eir hadn¡¯t softened at all despite her recent orgasm. She still looked ready to go. Jadis wondered if that was an elf thing, or if Eir was just that sexually potent. Possibly both.
¡°I will of course give you the reward you deserve,¡± Eir smiled at Kerr. ¡°You did earn it. As for dear Thea,¡± her gaze shifted to the quiet woman. ¡°You are always well behaved. I see no reason to make any other demands of you before granting any indulgence you wish.¡±
Kerr made a noise of objection, then another one as Sydughed loudly.
Getting up, Syd¡¯s amusement twinkled in her violet eyes. She shifted forward towards the edge of the bed, bringing her face close to Eir¡¯s as she did so. Leaning in, she gave her lovely elf a deep kiss, lingering against her plush lips.
¡°Don¡¯t break them,¡± Syd whispered to Eir before licking her lips onest time and pulling away.
¡°Have no fear,¡± Eir replied, her ownughter hiding behind her falsely stern expression. ¡°I can fix them if I do.¡±
Syd stood up from the bed and stretched, her arms going high over her head. She felt rxed, soothed, yet still eager for more. Eir¡¯s cocks had stirred up a need inside of her for more, though she hadn¡¯t left her frustrated. She felt ready to continue onto the next needed ritual. In fact, Jay was already moving to do so with Sabina and Bridget. All her girls were going to need to grow their cocks back that night. Aside from the usual recharging, Jadis wanted to make sure Eir got her coating once again.
But first¡
Syd took a few steps and stopped in front of Dys and A. Her beautiful redheaded lover had been dutifully pleasuring Dys¡¯ cock during the whole encounter with Eir, both of them watching the show from the sidelines. As Syd stood before the two, A¡¯s mouth popped free from the tip of Dys¡¯ dick.
There was a question in A¡¯s eyes, one that was answered when Dys leaned forward and put her face between Syd¡¯s slightly spread legs. With a long, slow lick she tasted the cream that Eir had pumped inside of her, the seed starting to slowly leak out.
¡°Well, how does it taste?¡± A asked, knowing full well what Jadis had been thinking.
Dys smacked her lips appreciatively before turning to A with a grin.
¡°Come find out for yourself.¡±
To Jadis¡¯ continued delight, A did just that.
Chapter 289: Gifts
Chapter 289: Gifts
¡°I think we might have overdone itst night.¡±
All three of Jadis yawned in response to A¡¯s softly spokenment. Based on her foggy brain and general weariness, she had to agree with the arcanist¡¯s assessment. Last night had been an obscene whirlwind of lewd acts, almost all of which had been necessary for the purposes of keeping up their sex rituals. They had gone on for hours, even with Jadis¡¯ liberal use of her ritual time reduction skill, which unfortunately had resulted in less sleep than Jadis would have preferred.
Not that she wasining. The fucking had been fun and a wee bit of stress relief. Additionally, Jadis saw it as a way to keep the bond between her and herpanions strong. They had also managed to redo Eir¡¯s Protection of the D ritual, as well as a refresh of both Jadis¡¯ and Bridget¡¯s Stoke the Ardent me. Keeping their buffs active was an important maintenance activity, regardless of any lewd fringe benefits.
Sorcha¡¯s jaw had dropped to the floor after those disys. Her spectator¡¯s view on the whole debauched night had left the goblin wide-eyed and perhaps a bit fearful. Horny and curious, too, but Jadis could sense the trepidationing from Sorcha¡¯s nervous nces after the show. Jadis nned on having a direct talk with the witch concerning the whole situation, particrly about how while she nned on petitioning to have her turned over to Fortune¡¯s Favored as a ward for the duration of her sentence, she absolutely was not expecting the goblin to join in on their sex rituals simply because she would be working for her. Her participation was strictly optional and entirely up to Sorcha¡¯s interest orck thereof.
That important conversation would have to wait untilter, though. After the long night of messy fornication, plus a prolonged bout of washing to get everyone clean again, the group had gone to bed and woken the next morning with barely any time to spare. Upon waking, Jadis and herpanions had to rush to get all of their things packed. That day they were leaving the grove.
¡°Again I must express my undying gratitude to all of you for the service you have given us,¡± Yorath loudly thanked the assembled expedition. ¡°Without your timely assistance, we without doubt would have fallen prey to the host of Samleos¡¯ spawn that had beset our grove. Your assistance was invaluable and can never be adequately repaid. Thank you.¡±
Elder Yorath and the rest of the Dryads, at least those that weren¡¯t nted in the earth, bowed low in a show of gratitude and respect. It was somewhat ufortable for Jadis, at least in the formality of the asion. The elder had lined up with his family and had turned the expedition¡¯s departure into an event. Not that Jadis didn¡¯t appreciate the thanks, but the very public thanks did make her feel a little awkward in that she wasn¡¯t entirely sure how she should speak or act. She wasn¡¯t even sure she was standing appropriately.
Captain Wi and her soldiers were all dressed in their full armor and were standing at military attention. Even the usually easygoing Nora was locked in ce like a statue. The Roiling Reavers weren¡¯t quite as precise, but they too had lined up in a double row and were standing at attention as well. Some looked surly, especially with the chains and manacles locked onto their wrists, but others had hopeful expressions. Stavros, however, was as impassive as always. The man really had a stone¡¯s idea of expressiveness.
Jadis¡¯ own mercenarypany was somewhat less organized. They were standing in less of a line and more of a loose row. Most of herpanions weren¡¯t military after all, and neither was she for that matter. Thea was the only one with any true soldiering training and while she was standing at attention, she hadn¡¯t lined up the same way as the soldiers and had instead taken a stance that more closely aligned her with the rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored. That detail did not escape Jadis¡¯ notice or appreciation.
Something Jadis also noticed was that both Noll and Jack in the form of another therion stood together. The pair had been spending a lot of time talking for the past few days. Jadis had no idea about what since their conversations were hushed and private, but whatever the two were discussing involved no few nces in Jadis¡¯ direction. She nned on confronting one or both on the matter but put the questions as low priority. Chances were good neither would reveal the full contents of their conversations, especially if they in some way involved her.
So, not knowing exactly what to do with her hands, Jadis practiced an outward appearance of calm confidence as she kept her helmets under her arms and her two remaining weapons settled with their heads on the ground. She made sure to keep an eye on what the others were doing and did her best to mimic anything they said or did as Yorath continued with his ceremony.
It wasn¡¯t all just speeches and gestures, though. Once Yorath had finished leading the Dryads in a prayer to Villthyrial that was meant to bless the assembled expedition, he proceeded to give the various parties gifts.
Captain Wi and her soldiers were given arge chest that was filled with various potions and tinctures that the Dryads had crafted. The number and quality of the potions would help to ensure the safety of her small squad for years toe, or at least through the remainder of the demonic invasion. Each soldier was also given a small pouch filled with sparkling gemstones. Not eleria from what Jadis could see when Jaxton discreetly retrieved one of the gems from the pouch he¡¯d been given and held it up to the light, but instead emeralds and sapphires, enough that Jadis was certain their future retirements were secure. Wi herself was awarded a ceremonial shield that one of the Dryad¡¯s had crafted for her. While Jadis was sure that Wi wouldn¡¯t use it since she was dutifully bound to use the standard equipment of the Empire, the shield was beautifully made and looked like it was worth a lot of coin, if she were so inclined to sell it.
The Dryads also gave a gift to the Reavers, though it came in a different form. Yorath passed a bound scroll to captain Wi, one that he assured Stavros and his men contained his rmendation to the Magistrate that they be given leniency due to their service to the Dryads, as well as an invitation to remand any or all of the Reavers to his grove for the duration of their sentences. He would personally guarantee their safety so long as they vowed to follow theirws.
When it came time to present gifts to Fortune¡¯s Favored, Yorath was far more personal in the presents that he gave.
To A he gave a new staff. The wood had been grown specifically for the purpose of bing a magical staff, its shapeing from years of tending rather than a crafter¡¯s de. The red, polished wood was as tall as A and the upper third of the staff was lined with a twisting pattern of runic symbols that had been grown into the material, rather than carved. The tip was branched out and wrapped around arge shard of eleria that was eight inches in size, definitely thergest piece of the valuable crystal that Jadis had ever seen. By A¡¯s wide-eyed stare, it was probably the biggest piece she¡¯d ever seen either.
¡°The enchantments grown into this staff will decrease the cost of any spell you cast by ten percent,¡± Yorath exined as A reverently took the magical staff from his hands. ¡°It will also allow you to overcharge a single spell once a day, effectively doubling the power of that one spell¡¯s effects. Keep in mind that it does not work on rituals, nor does it work on spells that are channeled. I am certain you will be judicious in its use.¡±
Eir¡¯s gift was a new set of robes to rece the ones that had been damaged by the wyvern. Like her original set, they were armored robes that emphasized protection, but unlike the previous ones these robes had wood tes lining the thick cloth rather than metal. The robes had been dyed white and red, but they had also been embellished with beautiful patterns of purple and gold along the trim and edges. An enchantment had been worked into the equipment that would increase the wearer¡¯s Fortitude and Resilience as well as the overall toughness of the equipment. They had also been worked to hold a charge of magic inside them that, when activated, would send a wide st of magic around the wearer, knocking back anything close with a great deal of force. The effect had to be charged with Eir¡¯s own magic at the cost of fifty points of her reserve, but once charged the spell wouldst indefinitely until activated. The robes clearly hadn¡¯t been made by the Dryads specifically for the asion, and by their general shape and how well they fit Eir¡¯s small frame, probably hadn¡¯t been made for Dryads at all. There was a story behind the robes, one that Jadis hoped would be told at ater date.
Kerr received a far less showy piece of new equipment, but one that Jadis was sure the archer would put to good use. A pair of leather boots, trimmed with soft ck fur. The footwear had been enchanted to be supernaturally sturdy and resistant to environmental damage, as well as warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The best enchantment put on them though was the climbing spell. Once per day, Kerr could activate the enchantment on them and they would allow her to walk up vertical surfaces with as much ease as a t one. She would even be able to walk upside down on a ceiling without falling off. The wall-walking effect would onlyst for ten minutes, but it was more than enough time to easily scale a sheer cliff face or any other tall surface that she might need to climb for a better vantage point. The enchanted boots wouldn¡¯t even need a spell caster to recharge them: the effects were permanent.
Thea was given a new spear to rece the in one she had been using since her time in the army. Jadis doubted the finely serrated metal head of the long spear had been crafted by the Dryads considering the almostpleteck of metals she¡¯d seen in the grove, but the shaft of the weapon was made of a strangely dark, almost ck wood and wasced with the kind of runes carved on A¡¯s staff. The weapon had been enchanted to withstand far beyond the amount of pressure that a normal piece of wood could handle without breaking and was also resistant to practically all forms of fire damage; the spear could not be burned. The weapon had been given an enchantment that turned the serrated de of the spear toxic, each attack pouring a poison into the target that would slowly sap away both their health and stamina. For a primarily defensive fighter like Thea, the debuffing toxin was an ideal fit, even if the cruelty of such a weapon ran counter to the shy woman¡¯s meek nature.
Sabina¡¯s gift was nothing pre-made. Instead, the Dryad¡¯s gave her a veritable mountain of crafting supplies. She¡¯d already received bags of nt and herb materials that could be used for crafting, but she was additionally given three chests filled with even more supplies. The first held a variety of horns, ws, skins, and scales that had been sourced from magic beasts, some of which not even A or Kerr could readily identify. The second chest was smaller than the other two, but far more valuable than the first. It was filled with eleria crystals, enough that the enchanter smith probably wouldn¡¯t need to buy more of the vital material for a long, long time. The third chest didn¡¯t seem that impressive at first, though Jadis¡¯ opinion quickly changed. Therge box held more scales, all of them exceptionallyrge. Some were dark gray like te while others were the color of winter ice.
¡°From Vetregin,¡± Carys had exined when she¡¯d held open the lid for a practically vibrating Sabina. ¡°With his blessing. Though the impression I got from him was that if any wearing these scales were to raise a de against him, he would not be pleased.¡±
While Sabina hugged the bemused Dryad, babbling nearly incoherently about all the things she could make with dragon scales, Yorath gave Bridget her gift.
Bridget was bestowed a newntern to rece the one she had as the head of her il polearm. Thentern was made of ck iron, octagonal in shape and half-againrger than the il head Bridget already possessed. It had no ss to its faces but instead atticework of thin iron rodsced in intricate patterns. Most interestingly, there was already a me burning inside thentern, one that did not seem to have any fuel source.
¡°This was never intended to be a weapon,¡± Yorath said as he passed thentern to Bridget. ¡°But it is crafted to be far stronger than it seems. The me burning inside it will never go out, not even when submerged under water. If you pull on this part here though,¡± he pointed out a small, cleverly hidden lever, ¡°you can shutter the me on each individual face. Hopefully you can put this item to better use than its previous owner.¡±
¡°What happened to the previous owner?¡± Bridget asked as she examined the glowingntern.
Yorath smiled gently, though a hard glint appeared in his eyes.
¡°Not everyone who seeks out a Dryad grove does so with good intentions.¡±
While Bridget thought about the implications of that statement, Olwyn came up from behind Yorath and presented Bridget with a second item to pair with the first. A finely woven decorated bracelet that looked like it would wrap fully around Bridget¡¯s upper arm. The enchantment into the bracelet would protect the wearer from fire damage, or so Olwyn exined. The damage done by mes would be decreased by a quarter and, more importantly, the wearer could not be set on fire. Any persistent mes would either die or fall off if they were applied to her, though the strength of the enchantment could be overpowered by a strong enough magic.
¡°And of course, we have a gift for you as well, Jadis,¡± Yorath said as he approached her with a broad smile. ¡°In truth, we have three for you. Considering your unique nature, it felt only appropriate.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Jay said, bowing her head to the elder Dryad. ¡°I want to say that it isn¡¯t necessary, but I have to admit seeing all the awesome magic items you¡¯re giving to my friends has kind of gotten me excited.¡±
Yorathughed, his smile growing as he ran a hand through his beard.
¡°I have no doubt! Who doesn¡¯t like to receive presents? Especially ones like these.¡±
Walking up beside the old Dryad, Carys carried arge blue stone about the size of a basketball. It was irregr in shape and had deep grooves cut into the surface, almost as though somethingrge had wed it. Syd took the stone from Carys¡¯ hands since she had no weapon to hold onto.
¡°What is it?¡± Syd asked, looking the strange rock over. It didn¡¯t seem particrly special, or even enchanted.
¡°It is a marker,¡± Carys exined with a twinkle in her eyes. ¡°Of a sort rarely seen. With it, you may ask one boon of Vetregin. Any one favor. Dragons do not give out such markers lightly and in a certain sense it is a dangerous responsibility to carry one. You must be careful not to insult the dragon with your request, or the gift can easily turn against you. However, with this marker you can ask for a service of Vetregin, should you desire. Or, if you make your way to hisir, you could use it in trade for an item from his hoard. A dragon as old and venerable as he possesses many great treasures that you might find to be of value.¡±
Syd stared dumbly at the rock held in the palm of her hand. The possibilities that Carys had just suggested were, frankly, a little too much for Jadis to fully process considering her sleep-deprived state. She quietly thanked the Dryad for the gift as her mind slowly began to buzz more and more with ideas of just what she could do with a single favor from the colossal ice dragon.
¡°Your next gift suits your nature as the leader of a mercenarypany,¡± Yorath announced, recapturing Jadis¡¯ attention. ¡°Being a leader entails certain responsibilities, which this meager offering will hopefully aid you with.¡±
Another chest was brought out, this one small but heavily constructed with thick iron bands around it. Dys took the strongbox and, opening the lid, was greeted by the sight of glittering gold. The chest was filled with coins, most of them gold, though maybe a third of them were silver. The actual value of the coins was incalcble to Jadis. She had only a tenuous grasp on imperial pricing and what coins were worth what, but the sheer amount of valuable metal in the box boggled the mind.
¡°You will have to trade those in for Imperial coin,¡± Yorath advised with a knowing smile. ¡°They were minted in a kingdom far from here. But I doubt you will have much trouble.¡±
¡°Uh, no, yeah, I doubt that too,¡± Dys murmured as she slowly closed the lid on the box. ¡°Thank you very, very, very much.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t waste all of your thanks just yet,¡± the jovial voice of Tegwyn called out. ¡°There¡¯s one final gift we have to give!¡±
Jadis had noted that Tegwyn had slipped away at some point during the ceremony, though she hadn¡¯t seen where he had gone. Now, she saw him walking towards the gathering from the far side of the open grassy area. With him ambled fourrge forms, each one docilely following behind the grinning Dryad.
¡°I found these four fellows for you yesterday. So long as you take good care of them, you will have no further need to pull your own oversize wagon. As they are magic beasts, they are more than suited to the task.¡±
Jadis stared at Tegwyn, the grinning man surrounded on either side by the four huge mountain goats he¡¯d apparently tamed just for her. Each one was just asrge as the form that Tegwyn himself could take, though rather than being made of wood and moss, these goats were flesh and blood. Their white fur was dappled with dark gray spots along their nks and a mohawk of longer fur stood up along their powerful shoulders and backs. Their brown goat eyes watched Jadis impassively.
¡°You¡ got me goats?¡± Jay finally said, her eyes flickering between the huge animals and Tegwyn.
¡°For your wagon, yes,¡± he nodded happily. ¡°It hardly seems appropriate that a glorious warrior such as yourself should have to pull her own wagon around. So I have arranged for these four to do the job for you. Now, feel free to shower me with thanks. You are wee.¡±
¡°I, uh¡ thanks Tegwyn,¡± Jay finally said as she frowned at the big goats. ¡°I¡¯ve never taken care of goats before, magic or otherwise, but if these big guys can actually handle the wagon, then I really am thankful.¡±
¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Tegwyn said. ¡°It will be no trouble to show you how to properly care for them. We¡¯ll have plenty of time on the road, I am sure.¡±
Jay nodded, then froze.
¡°On the road?¡±
¡°Yes, of course!¡± Tegwyn smiled as he took a few steps forward and reached out towards Jay with a friendly hand. Holding her own out towards him on instinct, he took it in a firm handshake. ¡°I have decided to take your advice on getting out into the world and will be joining you on your trip to Far Felsen. Perhaps if the life suits me, I may even decide to join a mercenarypany for a time!¡±
Well. He wasn¡¯t exactly what she had been expecting, but one small worry was soothed by Tegwyn¡¯s suggestion that he would join Fortune¡¯s Favored. She did need to recruit a couple more members for the guild, and if she was going to recruit anyone, why not a powerful Dryad who could turn into a giant goat?
Chapter 290: POV Enchanter
Chapter 290: POV Enchanter
It was strange to be on the road again. Not because she wasn¡¯t used to it by now; far from it. Sabina preferred a nice warm bed and a table to sit at for breakfast in the morning, but she had spent plenty of time camping on the road when traveling between cities in the past. Plus, the weeks of being out in the forest on the expedition had limatized her to the whole nomadic lifestyle thing. Still, going from a warm summer¡¯s day in a sunny meadow to a freezing winter forest covered in a foot of snow was a difficult transition.
The Dryads had been such good people during their short stay. So many interesting botanical ingredients, so many fascinating and foreign enchantments. Sabina felt like she could spend years in their grove just studying all of their unique Dryad enchantment techniques. Well, maybe not all at once. She¡¯d need breaks to go back to somewhere with a forge. Dryads didn¡¯t do much metal-working, or so they had exined, which was just absolutely criminal in her opinion, but she wasn¡¯t going to be rude and tell the Dryads that. They had their ways and clearly they worked out for them. For Sabina, however, the emtion of Dryad enchantments would only go so far as the spellwork. There was no way she could ever abandon the forge. She would instead look for ways to incorporate Dryad techniques into her own creations. For example, Sorcha¡¯s new foot was an amazing work of spell craft, what with its ability to move with all the same precision and artiction of a natural limb. She¡¯d already spent hours examining it and felt like she still had hundreds more to go before she truly understood the mechanics. But how much better would it be if the foot was made of steel? If she could make Sorcha¡¯s foot out of metal, well, then she might not even want to get her old foot regrown! A limb made of metal would be so much stronger and more durable than anything made of flesh!
Wait. There was the problem of physical sensation. Sorcha couldn¡¯t feel anything through her recement foot. If Sabina¡¯s hypothetical metal foot was also just as incapable of feeling touch, then Sorcha would probably still want her old foot back. Sabina knew she herself wouldn¡¯t want to go through life without physical feeling. Maybe one limb was tolerable, but still. Metal flesh sounded far superior to the regr meaty kind, but there were also some ring drawbacks. It was too much fun having sex, for one thing. Sabina would never give up sex with Jadis just for a durable metal body. Not that she was having sex with her foot, or anyone else¡¯s for that matter. Though she¡¯d heard some people
did have some kind of sex involving feet. How that worked though was a mystery. Maybe Sorcha knew. Maybe Sorcha was into that kind of thing herself? If she was, the loss of a foot was definitely a problem since she couldn¡¯t feel anything through the recement.
But what about Golems? Metethys¡¯ divine children were made of stone. Could they feel touch like someone made of flesh and blood? Sabina had never met a Golem so she¡¯d never had the opportunity to ask. She¡¯d never thought of the question before even if she had had the opportunity. Not that she necessarily needed to talk to a Golem directly, she could probably find that information out in a book or by talking to someone more knowledgeable than her like A or Eir or maybe someone more worldly like Kerr or Noll. But if she had the chance to speak with a Golem, she could be more precise in her information gathering. She might even be able to glean some ideas on how to make it so that a metal limb could feel physical touch the same way a flesh one did, presuming that Golems did feel like she expected they could the same as everyone else. But if they couldn¡¯t feel, maybe there was¡ª
Sabina was jostled out of her thoughts by a sudden bump that sent the whole wagon bouncing. The bounce was big enough that she fell halfway off the box she¡¯d imed as a seat. Scrambling to her feet, she moved unsteadily to the front door of the wagon and pulled it open to check on what was happening outside.
A turned her head to nce at Sabina as she opened the door, an apologetic expression on her face.
¡°Sorry, Sabina,¡± she said. ¡°Unavoidable ditch in the road.¡±
¡°Are you alright?¡± Eir asked from where she sat next to A. ¡°I hope none of your crafting experiments were damaged.¡±
Sabina smiled at the two, her tone as cheery as she felt.
¡°All good! Everything I¡¯ve been doing this morning has been in my head so far, so no trouble at all!¡±
¡°That¡¯s good then,¡± Eir smiled warmly back at her. ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t spend all day in the wagon though, Sabina. It¡¯s cold out here, but fresh air is better for you than being locked away in a stuffy wagon.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not so stuffy,¡± Sabinaughed at Eir¡¯s motherly concerns. ¡°It¡¯s a lot less stuffy than my first tiny workshop space, that¡¯s for certain. I didn¡¯t have any dead drakes hanging in the back though, so that¡¯s a downgrade, but overall it isn¡¯t too bad! Are we making good time?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± A answered her question while keeping her eyes on the road ahead. ¡°Not as fast as when Jadis pulls us, but steady.¡±
Sabina nodded as her gaze drifted from the two women to the four Stone Crusher Goats that were pulling the wagon instead of Jadis.
The speed was definitelycking, she had to agree with A. But speed was also rtive, and at some times not as wee as other times. Jadis could definitely pull the Behemoth faster than the goats, but when she went past a certain limit, the ride was so jostling and unstable that not only could Sabina not work on anything, she could barely even think since it felt like her brain was going to bounce out of her skull. The metal spring suspension that Jadis had suggested for the wagon was good, but not
that good. The goats were slower, yes, but they definitely weren¡¯t moving at a crawl either.
Stone Crusher Goats were a magic beast Sabina knew were native to the Kalters Wall mountain range. She¡¯d seen the skins and horns of the beasts back in Far Felsen, the prizes of hunters who had braved the tall mountains. She didn¡¯t know too much about them other than they were rtively harmless creatures that mostly just stuck to the mountains and ate pinecones. She¡¯d also heard that they had the strength to crush boulders with blows from their short but solid horns, hence the name.
The goats were certainly strong enough to pull the wagon. Besides, since they had the soldiers¡¯ wagon and all the captured smugglers to bring with them, it wasn¡¯t as though they could go at Jadis speeds anyway. A caravan could only move as fast as its slowest cart. Or the people walking on foot. Whichever.
Since they were hers, Jadis had named the goats. Sabina wasn¡¯t certain which was which, the four all looked the same to her, but the names were memorable, if for no other reason than their oddness. She hadn¡¯t exined where the names hade from other than ¡°stories from her old home.¡± Sabina supposed that considering Jadis¡¯ old home was gone, it would be insensitive to ask too many questions and bring up sad memories. But the names really were strange and she had a burning curiosity to learn the stories behind them. The names her Nephilim friend had chosen had been Billy, Phil, Pan, and Tumnus. Definitely foreign names. Unless Pan was a reference to the cookware, in which case Sabina had even more questions.
Thinking about the goats caused Sabina¡¯s gaze to drift to the side where she saw a fifth goat, this one very different from the others.
Big and mossy and with much more extravagant horns, the extra goat ambled along next to the wagon, its big strides keeping pace with the four slightly smaller animals. He seemed to feel Sabina¡¯s attention, turning his head slightly so his goat-like eyes met her stare.
¡°Do you need something my enchanter friend?¡± Tegwyn called out, his voice shockingly unchanged despite his appearance. ¡°Or should I say, enchanting friend? Your lovely smile graces us all!¡±
¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied, raising her voice to be heard over the noise of the rumbling wagon. ¡°Also, I¡¯m not enchanting anything just at the moment, so I guess enchanter is fine. Unless you were making some kind of y on words, which now that I say it out loud, I think you were. So, if you were, thank you!¡±
¡°You are most wee,¡± Tegwynughed at her response for some reason.
Sabina wasn¡¯t sure where the humor was, but then again Tegwyn always seemed to beughing. He was a jolly man, which reminded her of her father. Not much else was simr, her father definitely couldn¡¯t turn into a giant goat, but the general aura of merriment wasfortably familiar.
She wondered how wise it was for the Dryad toe with them back to Far Felsen. She had thought he would want to stay with his own kin to help protect them in case any more demons showed up to attack their grove, but apparently not. He wanted to travel the world, see new ces, and find a nice Dryad woman who could stand his presence well enough to mate and make little Dryad babies. His words, not Sabina¡¯s.
Besides, as Tegwyn had exined, Jack had promised Yorath that he¡¯d stick around for a while to help protect the grove against further incidents. Jadis had seemed doubtful, but Sabina saw no reason to distrust the weird Fetch prankster. He hadn¡¯t done anything malicious so far. Besides, he and Yorath had been friends for a long time. Surely that meant the old Dryad knew how trustworthy Jack was.
¡°Hey, is everything alright?¡±
The groggy voiceing from behind her made Sabina look back over her shoulder. She saw her witch friend stick her head out from between the nkets she had nested herself inside in a corner of therge wagon interior. She had been sleeping since the return trip had begun, begging off from any conversation. She¡¯d cited ack of sleep from the night before, the experience of watching all the others have sex had been too distracting, apparently.
¡°Everything¡¯s fine!¡± Sabina chirped.
With a wave to the others outside, she closed the door to the wagon and made her way over to Sorcha. Sitting down heavily with a thump on the floor next to her friend, she smiled happily at the goblin.
¡°We¡¯re making good progress. I think we¡¯ll probably be back in Far Felsen in less than two weeks so long as the weather doesn¡¯t get worse before then.¡±
¡°Cheers to that,¡± Sorcha grumbled tiredly as she flopped back down into her nest. ¡°I¡¯m so bloody tired of being in this damn forest.¡±
¡°Anything I can do to make you feel better?¡± Sabina asked, hoping she could do something tofort her friend. ¡°Other than get you out of the forest faster, that is. I can¡¯t do that, I¡¯m not faster than the goats. But I can get you something to eat or drink?¡±
Sorcha eyed Sabina with an appraising look, her right eye squinting.
¡°Can you do something about these?¡± Sorcha held up her shackled hands, the manacles around her wrists clinking as they were freed from the muffling effects of the nkets. ¡°It¡¯s hard to get a good sleep wearing these bastards. Ufortable as talking about sex with your father.¡±
Sabina knew she must have made a face because Sorcha was quick to continue, waving one hand apologetically.
¡°I don¡¯t mean to take them off. I know you can¡¯t do that. But something to make it so they don¡¯t chafe my skin? I don¡¯t have the insane Fortitude stats some of you lot have. Metal on skin hurts.¡±
Sabina nodded knowingly.
¡°Yes, it would. That¡¯s why we have to make padding for armor. Even when you have high Fortitude, no one likes to have hard, sharp bits poking them. I think I can make something for your wrists that¡¯ll help. Give me a little while and I¡¯ll see what I can do!¡±
Getting to her feet without waiting for a response, Sabina strode across the length of the wagon interior to reach the back end. The inside was filled with crates and packages, including the preserved meat of the drakes and other beasts that had been in during their expedition. Even with so much stuff crammed inside the wagon, there was still lots of space. The spacious vehicle truly was marvelously huge.
Reaching the spot she was looking for, Sabina began rummaging through the various crates that contained her crafting supplies. She was running low on leather since she¡¯d used so much of it already on boots and cors and things, but she still had lots of cloth. She was no seamstress, but she figured she could make something easily enough that could be slipped between the manacles and Sorcha¡¯s wrists that would ease her friend¡¯s difort. Of course, finding the cloth she needed was the hard part.
There were just so many crates. There were small ones appropriate enough for packing away various sundries, big ones thatrger supplies like sacks of tubers could fit, and huge ones that contained the smaller ones to help keep things organized. Of course, Sabina hadn¡¯t thought tobel any of the crates, so the organization was of limited effectiveness. Nothing ever seemed to be where she left it, with various boxes ced out of order or winding up in wholly different spots from where shest ced it. Amon problem when many different hands stored crates in the wagon without proper coordination or a sorting system. Scrambling around for a few minutes, asionally bouncing forward and back as the wagon rocked, Sabina finally found what she was looking for. A medium-ish crate that was filled with various padded cloths.
¡°I knew I had you somewhere!¡± She proimed as she held the wooden box up. ¡°Thought you were in the big one there, but you were in the other big one here, but I found you anyway so it¡¯s all good!¡±
Sabina chuckled at her own silliness. She didn¡¯t normally talk to her crafting supplies, but her mood was high as the sky whenever she thought about them. She had so many great materials to work with once she got back to Far Felsen. Just the sight of the boxes that Yorath and the Dryads had given her made her giddy.
Which meant her mind immediately switched to thinking about all the amazing enchanted items that her friends had been given. Gods, Sabina was going to have so much fun analyzing those runes so she could try and replicate and improve them. She had so many ideas already just from a brief look at A¡¯s staff alone!
Sabina rushed back over to Sorcha, a spring in her step unrted to the bounciness of the wagon. She had so much to do and so little time, or so it seemed to her. She could worry about reorganizing the cratester. First, she would do something about Sorcha¡¯s wrists, then she would see if A or one of the others would let her take a look at their new enchanted items.
It was so much fun being an enchanter!
Chapter 291: Light in the Dark
Chapter 291: Light in the Dark
Jadis sat by the campfire, her three bodies surrounding it from three different angles. She was alone, up for a mid-shift night watch at the end of their first day back on the road after having left the Dryad grove. Sitting without others around gave her time to think, a private moment that she needed.
She stared into the mes, quietly contemting what was likely toe in the days ahead. There were many things that Jadis would have to deal with once they got back to Far Felsen. Stavros and his Reavers would have to be turned over to thew and she would have to fulfil her promise to put in a good word for them. She¡¯d have to find a way to make sure Sorcha was remanded to Fortune¡¯s Favored as well, or if that wasn¡¯t possible at least to a ce that would make Sabina happy. Then there was the testimony she would no doubt have to give about what she had witnessed down in the mines under the mountain. It was bad fortune that Jonas had been killed and Wi had lost his direct testimony, but everyone else who had seen what had happened in those tunnels would still serve as a great deal of incrimination. Where that went as far as General Egilhard went, she couldn¡¯t guess, but she was sure the man¡¯s involvement in her life wouldn¡¯t end so easily.
There was also her mercenarypany to consider. She had been told by Vraekae that she needed more members. It seemed that Tegwyn would be filling one of those vacant positions, and Sorcha might well fill the other. However, even if both worked out, Jadis felt like she couldn¡¯t leave it there. While her strength had grown tremendously over the past few weeks, as had the strength of herpanions, she had seen enough battles by that point to know that it wasn¡¯t just individual power that would carry the day to victory. She also needed adequate numbers to make sure that all of her nks were covered and her more vulnerablepanions protected. She couldn¡¯t do it all alone, even with three bodies. That realization meant that she would have to open up the doors of her guild to more people than Sorcha and Tegwyn. She wasn¡¯t sure how that was going to work out with her explicitly sexual ss. Jadis knew that new members certainly didn¡¯t have to participate in any of her rituals; Tegwyn certainly wouldn¡¯t be. But they would still have to know about them, and they would have to be people that Jadis wasfortable with not only knowing about all the sex, but also potentially standing guard while she and her lovers were upied. They¡¯d also have to be the kind of people who wouldn¡¯t get jealous or demand more if they weren¡¯t the sort that Jadis was attracted to. Finding mercenaries that fit the confined criteria that Jadis was looking for would not be easy.
Jadis couldn¡¯t even begin to think about what would go into their eventual trip to the imperial capital. She had no clue what kind of trouble could be stirred up by her arriving in a ce popted with High Priests, Princes, the Emperor, and who knows how many political sycophants. Plus, there was the possibility that if she went to the capital that she might run into a person of true significance to her D-given mission on Oros: the Hero. She barely knew a thing about him other than he was, indeed, a man and was human. His ss, his level, his personality, and pretty much everything else about the man was unknown to her. She¡¯d never given him much thought since, in her mind, he was a distant figure with no direct impact on her. But in truth, that was a short-sighted view for her to have taken. The Hero was integral to the never-ending cycle that Oros was caught up in, just as much as the Demon Lord was. Whatever she did to shake the status quo would without doubt prompt some kind of response from a man who was chosen by the gods in a way not all that dissimr from her own circumstances.
Thinking about her promised goal of disrupting the cycle for D¡¯s amusement sent Jadis¡¯ mind wondering about the one thing she¡¯d purposefully done since her arrival on Oros that could truly be considered a start to that ambition. Alex.
She had never found her little demonling, nor any sign of the Reaver, Eike, that Alex had attacked to protect Sabina. The blood bitch¡¯s body had vanished, same as Alex, with no trace but a short track to an empty clearing in the woods. Jadis wanted to find the demon, if for no other reason than tovish it with praise for saving the life of one of her friends. But she also wanted to continue her attempts atmunication with the demonling. She didn¡¯t doubt the evil nature of the demons that she had been ying for months now, not when she¡¯d experienced so much malevolent destruction caused by them. But Alex hadn¡¯t been violent. The little demon had protected her lovers on multiple asions, had been open to ideas ofmunication, and had even shown the capacity for something as altruistic as trying to cheer Jadis up when she had been injured and in a foul state of mind. That could mean that demons weren¡¯t
inherently evil, but that it was instead a choice that they made to do the horrible things that they did.
Considering what Jadis had learned from Jack and Yorath about the instinctual pull that the gods could give their chosen children, Jadis had to think Samleos¡¯ influence was ying a role in how the demons behaved. Of course, if Samleos was pulling all the strings when it came to the demons and their behavior, that just prompted more questions. Such as: why wasn¡¯t Alex cruel and violent like the rest of its kin?
¡°Thinking that hard isn¡¯t good for keeping watch.¡±
Jadis didn¡¯t look up from the fire. While her senses weren¡¯t as good as Noll¡¯s, she had three different sets of ears to work with. She had heard the old wolfing. Not that she felt she had a chance of hearing him if he didn¡¯t want to be heard. She was sure she would need some kind of sense enhancement skill to catch the master mercenary.
¡°I¡¯m paying attention,¡± Jay said as she shifted over on her log slightly, making room for Noll to sit by her. ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of attention to spread around.¡±
¡°More than most,¡± Noll grunted as he sat heavily on the log.
¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± Syd asked, ncing at the therion.
¡°My watch is soon enough,¡± he grumbled.
As she watched, Noll pulled a silver chain from one of his pockets. From it dangled a pendant with a bright yellow jewel that matched his eyes. He held it up before the fire, the light reflecting off of the gemstone in a way that hinted at something beyond the natural.
¡°That¡¯s what Yorath gave you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Dys asked. ¡°What¡¯s it do? I didn¡¯t hear what he said.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t know.¡±
Dys raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
¡°He didn¡¯t tell you?¡±
¡°No,¡± Noll shook his furry head. ¡°He didn¡¯t know either. It has strong magic in it. You can feel it. But its use is unknown. I¡¯ll have to get it checked by someone with a strong identification skill. Very strong.¡±
If Yorath hadn¡¯t been capable of determining the trinket¡¯s enchantment, Jadis couldn¡¯t guess who would be. Maybe there were specialists who had hyper-focused identification methods? If there were, she was sure that Noll would have to go back to the capital to find such a person.
¡°Kind of seems like a bad gift if he doesn¡¯t even know what it does,¡± Syd pointed out with an amused huff. ¡°What if it makes all the hair fall off your body when you put it on?¡±
¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m not putting it on,¡± Noll said dryly. ¡°Never put enchanted items on that you haven¡¯t already identified.¡±
All of Jadis smirked at the advice. She¡¯d already learned that lesson well from when Sabina had identally bespelled her with an enchanted armlet. Where had that item gone, anyway? She¡¯d have to ask if she rememberedter.
¡°Well, hopefully it isn¡¯t just a hair removal charm,¡± Syd shrugged. ¡°And if it is, I hope you can get a good price for it.¡±
Noll examined the jewel for a moment longer before tucking it away with a mild grunt.
¡°Anything so hard to identify will fetch a high price, regardless of its use.¡±
¡°Even if it does just remove hair?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not for hair removal,¡± Noll barked at her, his ears flicking back in annoyance.
¡°Fine, fine,¡± all three of Jadis responded, holding up their hands. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s very powerful.¡±
¡°But if it is for hair removal, I demand a cut of the sale price for calling it,¡± Syd added with a smirk.
They continued watching the fire together inpanionable silence for a while before a noise and movement out of the corner of her eye caught Jadis¡¯ attention. She could see movement from the soldiers¡¯ tents as a couple of dark forms roused themselves. Noll had been right; it was time to change shifts.
As she got to her many feet and wished the old wolf a good night, she was stopped when he softly called out to her.
¡°Don¡¯t overburden yourself with responsibility,¡± Noll growled. ¡°Too many young pups think leading the pack means doing everything on their own. It¡¯s a harsh lesson life teaches them when they find out they can¡¯t.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Jay answered as she looked over her shoulder with a grin. ¡°I have friends and lovers to lean on. And a grumpy old teacher, too.¡±
With that, Jadis parted ways with her often put upon mentor and headed for the wagon-tent. She hadn¡¯t bothered wearing her armor for the night watch, so she quietly slipped inside without disturbing any of herpanions.
The tent was silent and dark. It was almost impossible to see anything even with the light of the camp¡¯s bonfire bleeding through the tarp walls. Herpanions were all clustered together on the nkets, bundled up in a warm pile that no doubt prevented any of winter¡¯s chill from getting to them. Unwilling to disturb their slumber, Jadisid down on the outer edges of the pile, her three bodies encircling the people she cared most deeply about in all the world.
She couldn¡¯t even tell which woman was which with how dark it was, but Jadis pressed her selves up against those on the outer edges, wrapping strong arms around them. While she couldn¡¯t see them, she could tell by touch that her hands had found A, Kerr, and Bridget. Small sleepy moans were the responses she got from them as she embraced the three. Smiling to herself, Jadis happily let her mind drift off as she fell into a deep sleep.
It seemed like no time had passed at all when a gentle touch roused her. Blinking sleepily, Jadis¡¯ mind took a moment to orient as a tired fog clouded her awareness. At first, she thought that she was being woken at dawn, as was the standard for being on the road. However, her groggy brain soon realized that it was still just as dark as when she had gone to sleep, and herpanions were all still sleeping as well.
Well, not all, it seemed. A gentle but insistent hand was worming its way into Dys¡¯ pants.
Dys smiled, letting her unseeing eyes close as she enjoyed the sensation of one of her lovers toying with her body. She was fairly certain that she¡¯d gone to sleep while spooning Kerr, which the insatiable archer had no doubt taken as an invitation for some nighttime fun. She was content to let her lover have her way and made no attempt to respond, at least not just yet. Dys rxed as shey on her back, feeling the weight and warmth of her girlfriend pressing down on her from above. A strong hand stroked the base of her slowly engorging length, teasing Jadis in a way that heated her chest.
While one hand was busy with her cock, Kerr¡¯s other hand made its way up Jadis¡¯ stomach and chest. Dys was still wearing a shirt, so Kerr had wormed her hand under the material to touch Dys directly. As she moved up, dragging her hands across her pale flesh to cup her left breast, she bunched Dys¡¯ shirt up and exposed her torso to the chill air.
Just as Dys let out an involuntary shiver, Kerr began stroking across her stomach and chest with warm fingers, practically massaging her with her firm touch. At the same time, lips pressed lightly against Dys¡¯ lips in a kiss that Jadis was hard pressed to call anything other than chaste. Dys basked in the continued sensation of being stroked and massaged for a moment longer before she registered what she was truly feeling. Hands were on her stomach, on her chest, and on her cock. That seemed to be a few too many hands for just Kerr.
Had someone else woken up with her therion lover and decided to join in on the fun? Jadis didn¡¯t think she¡¯d heard or felt anyone else stir, but clearly, she had missed something. Curious to know who had decided to join Kerr in her lecherous behavior, Dys opened her eyes to see which of her lovers had just kissed her.
An inky ck abyss hovered inches away from her face, the featureless void broken only by three neon-blue eyes zing brightly in the dark.
Interlude: Prince Hraustrekr
Interlude: Prince Hraustrekr
The demon¡¯s sharp teeth shone as it lunged forward in a wild, vicious attack. What itcked in skill it more than made up for in speed and strength. Itsrge, ck body twisted on itself like a snake, rippling muscles shifting in a boneless body that allowed for unpredictable movements. Its maw was wide enough to swallow a man whole, a mass of talon-tipped tentacles writhing from within the jaws of the terrible abomination. Whatever it bit into would be pierced by those tentacles and dragged inside to be ripped to shreds within the belly of the disgusting creature.
Prince Hraustrekr¡¯s lips thinned in a slight frown. He wasn¡¯t sure from where Lady Una had conjured this demon from her long memory, but he felt some small sympathy for those who had been forced to fight such a foul and fierce foe. He doubted very much that whoever had encountered this greater demon had taken victory without loss of one kind or another. Not all were as skilled as he.
Sliding his left foot back slightly, Hraustrekr dodged the blow with as little movement as was necessary. He let the demon¡¯s jaws pass within a finger length of his face, relying on his superior speed and perception to keep out of reach of the attack. As the demon¡¯s head passed and its neck came into view, Hraustrekr shifted the de of his sword up so that the edge rested lightly against the underside of the demon¡¯s dark flesh. He had seen this attack twice so far in the fight already. He knew what woulde next.
The greater demon pulled away, whipping its head back towards its coiled body in a tearing motion that was meant to knock him off his feet or at least off his guard. Instead, having expected the move, Hraustrekr stepped to the side while forcing the edge of his de up into the neck of the demon, letting the power of his opponent¡¯s own movement tear into the flesh.
ck blood sttered across the stone floor in great gouts as the demon¡¯s main artery was sliced open. The creature gurgled out a screech of anger as its vitality was drained in seconds.
Hraustrekr smiled in satisfaction. He shifted effortlessly into the next stance, ready to make his own lunge and finish the monster with a piercing strike to its chest. Before he could, however, the demon¡¯s movements ceased entirely, freezing like a statue, before the whole of the illusion disappeared into a mist that lingered for only a moment before all signs that it had ever existed were gone.
¡°Why did you stop?¡± Hraustrekr demanded, his voice cracking like thunder as he whirled on Lady Una. ¡°I had notnded the finishing blow!¡±
The golem standing to the side of the training arena bowed her head in a perfunctory apology. Her face was impossible to read, the stone golem¡¯s form that of an ewe and therefore just as imprable to his discernment as any simple animal would be. Her stone hooves lightly tapped against the ground as she shifted her weight, motioning with her head towards the entry way of the arena.
¡°My apologies, Prince Hraustrekr,¡± Una intoned in her inflectionless voice. ¡°The illusion¡¯s calcted health was at less than ten percent of its maximum value. Based on your previous bouts this morning I judged that victory was a forgone conclusion. Since the end was assured, I did not think it prudent to continue to keep your advisors waiting.¡±
Hraustrekr suppressed a sneer. Of course he had known Jorvald and Runar were waiting for him to finish. How could he not? He was not deaf nor blind to the movements around him. If the news they had to bring him was of true importance they would have interrupted his morning exercises. Since they had waited, that meant there was no great rush. They could wait until he was damn well finished.
He was in half a mood to take his anger out on the impassive Golem. It wasn¡¯t like her to take such a daring action as to risk his displeasure. Which was why he didn¡¯t vent his spleen on her. Hraustrekr had kept Una in his service for decades because of her level-headed obedience. If she had decided to take such an independent action, then that meant she knew something that he did not. Or rather, her patron Metethys had put a thought in her granite head.
Forgoing the reprimand he had bnced on his tongue for Una, Hraustrekr sheathed his sword and stalked towards the edge of the stone circle where his two advisors waited for him.
¡°What is it now,¡± he called out as he approached the pair. ¡°Did the whole of the northern front copse since yesterday? I cannot think of what else would require both of you to seek me out so early in the morning.¡±
He regarded the two men who stood silently next to each other, both so simr in mien yet disparate in nature.
General Jorvald was a cold man, his dark grey skin and ck hair giving him an unfortunately grim appearance. His perpetually frowning expression and dour personality did nothing to dispel the foreboding air of the older elf, which was only made worse by eyes that were so dark blue that they looked ck when the light wasn¡¯t right. A grim appearance was no sin in Hraustrekr¡¯s book, especially not in a battlefieldmander, but Jorvald¡¯s perpetually sour air made it impossible to use him for formal functions. Most nobles and people of importance did not
like the dark man, which was utterly ridiculous in the prince¡¯s eyes. What did it matter if Jorvald was a hard-faced prig? He was a masterful tactician and a powerful warrior. That was all a general needed to be.
But no, results on the battlefield seemed to be not enough for the nobles and other supporters of the crown. One had to be
charming as well. So Hraustrekr had to do the job of wooing nobles to his cause. Gods but he wished he had someone with some tact to rely on.
Tact. Something that Runar certainly had in small supply as well. The Valbjorn was just as dark as Jorvald, with thick ck fur and shining silver eyes, but he was a burning me rather than a cold fish. His bulky frame and ursine visage inspired fear rather than distaste. A fact that Runar was happy to encourage. Again, a nature that Hraustrekr could well use on the battlefield but was practically useless in courtly circles.
¡°We need to get you back onto the battlefield,¡± Runar rumbled disapprovingly as Hraustrekr came to a stop before him. ¡°Fighting illusions is no recement for realbat.¡±
¡°Would that I could,¡± Hraustrekr spat in agreement. ¡°But every time I leave the capital as ofte, my
brother takes advantage of my absence. His plots are myriad and oblique. I cannot respond to them fast enough when it takes weeks to be updated.¡±
¡°Then kill him and be done with it,¡± Runar growled, his white teeth bared in a snarl.
¡°Silence,¡± Hraustrekr hissed. ¡°Do not speak of such treasonous thoughts in my presence.¡±
Not that Hraustrekr would mind if Kestil were to be permanently removed. His brother had grown into a thorn that had pierced his side years ago, only growing worse in his twisted nature ever since he¡¯d first been presented to the court. But he would not have his advisors talk of such things where others might be witness to their conversation. Not when such words might find their way to his father¡¯s ears.
His thoughts now centered on his brother, Hraustrekr¡¯s eyes narrowed at the Valbjorn suspiciously.
¡°Is that what this is about? More of
his machinations?¡±
¡°In part,¡± Runar shrugged one muscled shoulder.
Hraustrekr¡¯s eyes snapped to Jorvald, who had been silent so far.
¡°Out with it then! What is that snake up to now?¡±
¡°Nothing directly,¡± Jorvald said, his voice t and without passion. ¡°You remember the three Nephilim that were discovered in Weigrun.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Hraustrekr frowned at the general¡¯s statement. ¡°We¡¯ve sent an appropriate delegation to make contact with them. Have we received word? Did they return from that ill-thought-out expedition Vraekae allowed them to go on?¡±
¡°No word as to their return as of yet,¡± Jorvald shook his head. ¡°However, it seems that Prince Kestil had already made his move some months ago. He sent Noll to Weigrun. He¡¯s been there this whole time. From what our reports say, he has sessfully ingratiated himself with the Nephilim to the point that he has been acting as some form ofbat trainer.¡±
Hraustrekr bared his teeth in a snarl as his uncontrolled expression turned ugly.
¡°
Dammit! Damn the man!¡± he cursed, his fist clenching so tightly on the pommel of his sword that his bones creaked. ¡°Where is that loathsome cur now?¡±
¡°Unknown, but our contacts presume he is with the Nephilim on their expedition.¡±
Hraustrekr cursed again as he whirled away from his advisors, his temper red. He paced the arena in long strides, taking deep breaths to calm his raging mood. Anger had its ce, but it would blind him if he let it control his thoughts. He had to clear his mind and
think.
So.
Kestil had gotten ahead of him again and positioned one of his pawns in a ce where he could influence these Nephilim, and he¡¯d managed to do it many weeks ahead of Hraustrekr¡¯s expectations. A point in his brother¡¯s favor. Noll, the damned dog, had pledged no allegiance to Kestil and had remained stolidly independent, but his hatred for the First Prince meant that the mercenary would no doubt attempt to poison these Nephilim against Hraustrekr. He¡¯d seen Kestil attempt the same many times with the Hero.
Further, thest few reports he had received from that moron General Egilhard had not been encouraging. He¡¯d done precious little to court the Nephilim to his cause. The general¡¯s letters imed many earnest attempts and clever schemes, but Hraustrekr knew the man and could read what wasn¡¯t said. He¡¯d failed so far and had little chance of sess. Hraustrekr had thought the man put in a ce where he could do little harm, but it seemed he was doing little good either.
He''d sent his delegation to meet with these Nephilim as soon as he¡¯d received confirmation of the veracity of their im to be a lost avatar race but dying had clearly been a mistake. His brother hadn¡¯t waited, and now he had months of influence over an unknown quantity that had the potential to cause massive shifts in alliance among the nobles of the court. Certainly, having the Hero in his pocket was the strongest weapon in his arsenal, but an unexpected de like these Nephilim had too much potential to upset his ns. He couldn¡¯t ignore them, not when so much was at stake.
¡°There is more.¡±
Hraustrekr paused in mid-stride, looking up at Jorvald¡¯s unhappy face.
¡°What
more?¡± He growled, his temper barely held in check. ¡°What else has my brother done?¡±
¡°It is not him precisely, but the temples,¡± Jorvald exined. ¡°All nine of the High Temples have sent envoys consisting of High Priests to Weigrun.¡±
¡°All of them?¡± Hraustrekr stared nkly at his advisor. His eyes shifted from Jorvald to Runar. ¡°
All of them? Even your temple?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Runar growled. ¡°Steingrimur himself left to go see these Nephilim. He did so quietly, like a skulking fox. I did not even know he had left.¡±
What in the abyss was going on? Hraustrekr frowned deeply, his burning anger taking a step back as his confusion moved to the fore. Yes, the temples had been in an uproar ever since word of the return of the Nephilim race had be known. In particr Lyssandria¡¯s High Temple had been like an overturned ant¡¯s nest once the news had reached them. Hraustrekr expected as much, it was part of why he wanted to secure these Nephilim away from his brother so they could not be used against him.
But the high priests should
not have been given leave to sail to Weigrun. It was absolute folly to allow so many valuable, high-level priests to go to an active warzone. Such action went against all good sense.
¡°My father allowed this?¡± Hraustrekr demanded.
¡°They did not ask for his leave,¡± Jorvald pronounced direly. ¡°All left in secret. Your father is furious.¡±
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
¡°How long since they departed?¡±
¡°Five days ago.¡±
¡°Five days!¡± Hraustrekr let out a mirthlessugh. ¡°How on Oros did they manage that?¡±
He waved his hand dismissively when Jorvald opened his mouth to answer.
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. What does matter is when Kestil found out. If I know, he knows, I am without doubt. If he knew at the time of their departure, he could have sent word to his dog with the same ships. Or, damn him, the snake may have
aided the high priests in their flight.¡±
¡°It seems likely,¡± Jorvald agreed.
Yes, yes it did seem likely. How else could so many high priests manage to sneak away without anyone in the pce being aware? His brother
had to be involved. And if Kestil was willing to move the High Temples to meet with these Nephilim, that meant that he felt confident that he had secured the favor of the Nephilim. There was no chance his brother would allow others to potentially influence them unless he had already firmly hooked his craven ws into them. And if that was the case, then that meant Hraustrekr¡¯s chances of gaining them as allies were low. Damnably low.
Hraustrekr¡¯s sharp green eyes snapped onto Runar¡¯s face.
¡°Yourpany is in the city?¡±
¡°We rest and recover in preparation for a return to the eastern front.¡±
¡°Go to Weigrun,¡± Hraustrekrmanded, his mind seething with barely suppressed rage. ¡°Bring these Nephilim to me. No more dys, no more chances for maniption. I want them here where I can keep them under my thumb.¡±
¡°Under what pretense does Runar go to take them?¡± Jorvald asked in his sour tones. ¡°There are many eyes upon them. It iste in the day to try and secret them away.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t damn well care!¡± Hraustrekr shouted as he stormed up to the two men, a me burning in his eyes. ¡°I will not allow any further disruptions to my ns to continue to fester on my nk! Bring them to me!
Now!¡±
Chapter 292: Reunited
Chapter 292: Reunited
Time froze as Jadis processed what was before Dys¡¯ eyes. It was the middle of the night and she¡¯d only recentlye off of her own watch so far as she was aware. She¡¯d fallen asleep in her shared tent with the rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored, all of her lovers clustered in a pile with her own three bodies surrounding them in a protective circle. She¡¯d been woken by the feel of hands caressing her body and had assumed that Kerr or one of her other lovers was teasing her in preparation for somete-night fun. The unknown lover had just kissed her, and she¡¯d opened her eyes to see who it was. What she saw now, though, had taken all of her assumptions and beaten them to death with rusty hammer.
There was a demon hovering over her face.
How had the demon gotten past Noll and the others who should have been on watch? Was everyone else alright? Had there been a battle going on and she hadn¡¯t been woken somehow? Had she just caught the demon in the act of trying to possess her? Why had it kissed her?
Why the
fuck did it have a hand on her cock!?
Dys moved. Not with the careful restraint that she exerted during her day-to-day activities, but with the full force of her two hundred and sixty-six Agility and her three hundred and twenty-six Strength. Dys¡¯ arms snapped up and grabbed hold of the demon in a steel grip before forcefully rolling over so that the creature was under her and away from the vulnerable grouping of her sleeping lovers.
In the same moment, Jadis¡¯ other bodies moved with their full speed. Rolling away from their respective sides of the pile, they threw themselves across the floor and reached either side of Dys and the demon, prepared to m her fists down onto the abomination and end it before it could harm any of her lovers. However, as she drew her fists back to strike, a movement from the demon caused her to hesitate.
It was dark in the tent, the light from the bonfire made it so that the interior was barely visible. The demon below her was a mostly formless ck shape with vague appendages she could more feel than see. What she could see, though, were those three brightly glowing neon-blue eyes. A unique shade of unnatural blue that shed a small amount of light, just enough for Jadis to see a single ck tentacle raised before the demon¡¯s face. That tentacle moved, wiggling up and down in a familiar pattern.
It was waving at her.
¡°¡Alex?¡± Dys hissed, her strained and confused emotions causing her voice to crack. ¡°Is that you?¡±
¡°
Jadis¡¡±
The demon¡¯s words shook her. The strange, multi-tonal vocalization reverberated both in her ears and in her brain, making Jadis¡¯ mind buzz with confusion and difort that was both physical and mental. This¡ thing that had climbed on top of her in the night was her missing demonling, Alex. What the fuck had happened? What had Alex been
doing?
¡°Jadis?¡±
Eir¡¯s sleepy voice startled Jadis from her stunned moment of inaction. ncing over, she could see the silhouette of her elven lover stirring from one side of the pile, the noise and motion having no doubt woken her.
Shit. Jadis still wasn¡¯t sure what the fuck was going on, but she did not think Eir was going to react well to whatever it was. Her gentle priestess was kind and understanding, but having a demon unexpectedly show up inside their tent was not something she was likely to respond to without some amount of screaming.
Taking a risk, Syd quickly shifted away from Alex and her other selves. Shey down next to Eir, putting her hand around the back of her head and drawing her in for aforting kiss while also pulling her back to the nketed ground.
¡°Everything¡¯s fine,¡± she shushed the sleepy elf. ¡°Go back to sleep, okay?¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Eir muttered, her purple eyes fluttering closed.
At the same time, Dys held a finger to her lips, hoping desperately that Alex would understand the motion.
Two thin tentacles moved up and wrapped around the finger, stroking it up and down in an oddly sexual way.
Okay. So there was definitely still amunication barrier between them. But at least it seemed like Alex hadn¡¯t returned to her as some kind of hostile monster.
Arge, strong hand found Jay¡¯s leg and moved up it, fingers squeezing her thigh suggestively before cupping her ass.
Definitely not hostile.
¡°Stop that,¡± Jay whispered insistently. ¡°Just¡ stop! Follow me! We need to talk!¡±
She still wasn¡¯t sure Alex was understanding everything that she was saying, but when Jay and Dys pulled on the demon, it followed without any resistance.
Being careful to move as quietly as she could, Jay and Dys crawled under the wagon, lifting the tarp that they used to seal the tent area off so that both of her bodies could slide underneath with the demon in tow. As soon as she was out of the tent, Jadis was struck with the freezing cold of the winter night. There was still a foot of snow on the ground and a chilly wind rocking the pine trees surrounding the clearing that they had chosen to make camp in. Therge bonfire that they kept going all night in the middle of the camp was on the other side of the wagon, so none of its heat or light reached the back where Jay, Dys, and Alex hunkered down. There wasn¡¯t much moonlight to see by, either, so Jadis was still having a hard time seeing Alex, though from what she could make out the once little demonling couldn¡¯t be referred to as such anymore.
She needed to put some distance between them and the camp so she could try and talk with Alex. She needed to better understand what had happened and she didn¡¯t want Noll or anyone else overhearing. However, Jadis had no idea how she was going to sneak away without the watchful high-level mercenary noticing.
¡°Wait. Here.¡± Jay told Alex, pointing first at the inky ck demon, then at the ground. An idea had struck her, the only one that made any sense. ¡°Wait.¡±
Jay got up and walked around to the front of the wagon. Thankfully, Alex didn¡¯t try to follow and simply waited with Dys, unmoving as a dark lump in the night. At least Alex seemed to remember Jadis¡¯ lessons on basicmands.
Rounding the wagon, Jay walked towards the bonfire where she saw Noll and two of the soldiers, Jaxton and Landry, sitting and talking quietly. She approached, making no attempt to hide her presence. Noll¡¯s bright yellow eyes reflected the fire as they tracked her approach.
¡°Something wrong?¡± Jaxton called out once he noticed Jay.
¡°Need something?¡± Landry said at the same time as Jaxton.
The two friendly orcs red at each other when they realized they had spoken at the same time, which was fairly typical of the two. It looked like they were about to start snapping at each other, but their eyes darted to the old, powerful mercenary sitting nearby and they seemed to think better of it.
¡°No, everything¡¯s fine,¡± Jay said, addressing the two as well as Noll. ¡°Just realized we, or I guess just me, needs to answer nature¡¯s call and didn¡¯t want to rm anyone on watch.¡±
Noll grunted in acknowledgement, the taciturn therion making no furtherment. Jaxton and Landry, however, couldn¡¯t seem to resist a question.
¡°That¡¯s got to be bloody strange, right?¡± Jaxton said, his curious gaze on Jay. ¡°Three bodies and all that. Got to worry about all the little details at the same time, bodily instincts and what not.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t imagine,¡± Landry shook his head. ¡°Some mornings I forget which leg goes in which boot. Dealing with six legs has got to be confusing.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not as bad as you might think,¡± Jay grinned at the two. ¡°Just takes some getting used to.¡±
Jadis didn¡¯t bother trying to exin to the two soldiers that she had a skill that helpedpartmentalize her three different bodies and the sensations they experienced. She was d that so far, the unintended revtion of her multi-bodied nature hadn¡¯t caused too much trouble for her among the rest of the expedition, but she wasn¡¯t about to reveal any more secrets concerning her ss. She trusted captain Wi and all of her soldiers, but the less people knew about any of the particrs of her strange Mirror Knight ss, the better. Not everyone on Oros was friendly towards her.
Parting from the trio, Jay made her way back towards Dys and Alex, both of whom were already starting to move towards the far side of the roped off area where the horses and goats were penned for the night. Syd stayed inside the tent, keeping an eye on her sleeping lovers. Keeping Syd tucked away helped exin the noise of three figures moving in the direction of thetrine, or at least Jadis hoped so.
Alex didn¡¯t exactly walk.
By the time Jay and Dys had made their way with the wayward demon to the secluded spot on the far side of the camp, the light of the moon had started toe out from behind the dark clouds that had covered the sky since that evening. Hurrying Alex along for thest few feet, Jay and Dys pushed the strangely shaped demon behind the stand of trees that were meant to give anyone using thetrine a bit of privacy. With the light of the moon shining down unobstructed on them, Jadis got her first good look at Alex.
The demon hatchling had certainly changed since thest time Jadis had seen it only a few days ago.
There were two disparate parts to the demon, one human and the other not, melded together into a single creature. The human part was obviously female, a fact highlighted by its nudity. Tall and thin but corded with wiry muscle, the feminine body was pitch ck except for the hands and feet. The fingers and toes were bright blue, almost glowing, and matched the color of the demon¡¯s three eyes. The blue coloration slowly merged into the ck of the rest of the body as it moved up the limbs in a gradient pattern, the color gonepletely by the time it reached the elbows and knees. The only other spots of color could be found on the demon¡¯s head, where the brightly glowing eyes called for attention. Two were exactly where they should be on a human face, while the third was positioned in the middle of the forehead. They weren¡¯t the only bits of neon blue on the demon¡¯s head, though. A veritable mane of finger-thick tentacles grew from the otherwise human head, recing what should have been hair. The tips of the tentacles were also possessed of that gradient blue coloration, the same as the other limbs of the demon. Third eye and tentacles aside, Alex¡¯s face was entirely human.
For some reason, the face looked familiar to Jadis, though she couldn¡¯t immediately ce where she¡¯d seen it before. In any case, the rest of Alex was a major distraction that drew Jadis¡¯ gaze.
A second set of arms grew from the demon¡¯s back. They were roughly even with the shoulders of Alex¡¯s human form, but the second set was much, muchrger and longer, each arm reaching down at least a foot further than her feet. The pair of arms seemed to grow out of an almost backpack-like protrusion of dark flesh, making Alex seem like a second creature had been grafted onto the back of a human. From below the second set of shoulders and arms grew three huge tentacles, each one as thick around as Jadis¡¯ thigh and probably fifteen feet long at least, if not twenty. They slid across the ground in powerful snake-like motions, keeping the human part of Alex high above the snow. Jadis couldn¡¯t help but note that both the monstrous second set of arms and therge leg-tentacles also had the same blue to ck gradient coloration.
When Jay and Dys¡¯ eyes moved back to Alex¡¯s face, she saw that the demon was grinning at her with an expression of deep focus. The demon¡¯s neon gaze was unblinking and somewhat disturbing in its intensity.
Actually, Jadis realized, it wasn¡¯t the focus that was disturbing her. It was the fact that she¡¯d seen that grin before. She did know the face, though thest time she¡¯d seen it had been under very different circumstances.
The face that Alex now wore had once belonged to Eike, the blood bitch of the Roiling Reavers, who had tried to kill Jadis and herpanions on multiple locations. She, too, had gone missing during the battle at the Dryad grove. Specifically, Eike had escaped her bondage and tried to murder Gunnar, Sabina, and Sorcha, her vicious attack only stopped because Alex had broken free of its own ss container and stopped her, dragging her off into the woods where both had disappeared. At least, that was how Sabina had described the encounter, as the half-elf smith had been the only witness to the act.
Staring at Eike¡¯s now ink ck skin and three glowing blue eyes, Jadis did not doubt at all that Alex had done exactly what Sabina had said the demonling had done. All previous concerns about Alex¡¯s safety and the possible escape of Eike had been dispelled. Clearly, whatever had happened between the two once they¡¯d stumbled out of Sabina¡¯s sight, Alex hade out on top. While the demon¡¯s reappearance had answered at least two questions, Alex¡¯s return and new appearance had engendered hundreds more questions, creating a sea of confusion, curiosity, and tentative hope.
The main question Jadis had now was: what the fuck was she supposed to ask first?
Chapter 293: Language Barrier
Chapter 293: Language Barrier
¡°Alex?¡±
¡°
Jadis¡¡±
¡°Do you understand me?¡±
¡°
Jadis¡¡±
Jay and Dys both blinked, their brows puckering in a frown. Clearly this new version of Alex had a grasp on who
she was, but they were still encountering somemunication issues. She decided to try again.
¡°Can you say anything other than my name?¡±
Alex tilted its head slightly to one side, its three eyes focused on Jay. Its inhumanly nk expression on an all too human face sent a chill down Jadis¡¯ spines.
¡°¡
Yes.¡±
¡°Yes? Yes!¡± Jay grinned, some excitement thrilling through her for a moment. She quickly moderated the volume of her voice, though, since she didn¡¯t want Noll or the others on watch to overhear. ¡°So you can speak?¡±
¡°
Yes¡¡± Alex repeated, its strange multi-tonal voice also lowered to a volume that mimicked Jay¡¯s. When the demon saw the grin on Jay¡¯s face, its expression morphed into a warm, pleased smile that warred with Alex¡¯s unearthly appearance. ¡°
Yes¡¡±
¡°Okay!¡± Jay nodded, focusing intently on the transformed demon before her. ¡°You remember the lessons I gave you from before? With the letter blocks?¡±
¡°
Yes¡¡±
Jay smiled at the response and waited for more. When the silence stretched on with Alex just staring at her and she realized nothing else was forting, her smile dropped and she put a hand on her hip. A new suspicion formed, one which unfortunately made a lot of sense.
¡°Are you just saying, ¡®yes¡¯ to everything I say because you don¡¯t really understand me and are just trying to please me?¡±
¡°
Yes¡¡± Alex repeated with a blithe smile.
¡°Great. Perfect,¡± Jay sighed, a pained look crossing her face.
Of course Alex wouldn¡¯t just instantly know English or whatever fuckingnguage wasmonly spoken by everyone on Oros. Jadis had hoped it would be so, since Alex had grasped the meaning of the letter blocks as well as basicmands like ¡°sit¡± and ¡°stay¡±. Then there was the fact that demons like the green-eyed shit who had possessed Jana and the wind mage had some level of understanding of speech. Enough to make taunts, anyway.
Or rather, what had A once told her about people who were possessed by demons? They could put on a charade, but as soon as any kind of meaningfulmunication took ce, people would immediately know something was wrong. A superficial veneer of understanding, which came more from the demon piloting a stolen body than the demon¡¯s own thoughts.
Looking at Alex now, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure this could be considered possession. The little demonling hadn¡¯t infested Eike like the green-eyed demon and the wind mage, or like the other demon had tried to do with the dragon Vetregin. This new Alex was a transformation that involved the melding of Eike¡¯s body into an inhuman one. While not anywhere near as disturbing, the demons that Jadis was most reminded of were the Burning Rancor and the Wailing Grudge greater demons. Was that Alex now? Had the once small squiggle of a demon somehow transformed into a greater demon?
Looking over Alex again, Jadis noticed with a start that its expression had turned upset. The demon looked¡ sad. Anxious, even. Definitely displeased. The bodynguage wasn¡¯t right, not at all, but the facial expression was an almost exaggerated mirror of¡ well, her own unhappiness.
That was right. Alex wasn¡¯t stupid. Jadis had known for a long time now that the demon was capable of only a basic understanding of words, but more pointedly Alex seemed to understand action and emotion better. Alex had known when she was upset and had done what it thought would please her. It had seen A injured and had tried to help her. It had known Sabina was under attack, so it had defended her. Alex probably didn¡¯t understand the words or the context, but the demon did at least have some grasp of the emotions and the intent.
Hadn¡¯t the newly changed demon just groped her in the dark tent in a very explicitly sexual way? Clearly, Alex had some idea that Jadis plus Tent equaled Sex.
No, Alex wasn¡¯t withoutprehension. They just weren¡¯t speaking the samenguage yet, notpletely.
¡°Alex,¡± Jay pointed at the demon, making her intent as clear as she could through tone, bodynguage, and her vocal inflection. ¡°Alex.¡±
Alex¡¯s expression went vacant, all bodynguage gone as its three eyes ran up and down Jay¡¯s body. Jadis noticed that the extra eye in the demon¡¯s forehead did not move in the same way as the other two and acted independently. After a few seconds of nk observation, Alex grinned and pointed at its chest with both one regr hand and one huge, oversized demonic hand.
¡°
Alex¡
Yes¡¡±
Jay grinned at the response, making it clear that the demon¡¯s words pleased her. Then, pointing at herself, she stated her own name. Just to be certain they were on the same page with at least that much.
¡°
Jadis¡
Yes¡¡± Alex said while giving Jay a stunningly bright smile.
Jadis had never seen Eike smile. Or rather, the only expressions she¡¯d ever noted on the crazed bitch¡¯s face were deranged sneers and bloodthirsty grins. When Alex smiled, though, Jadis could see that she had a very pretty smile.
Er, Eike had once had a pretty smile. The demon, Alex, now had a pretty smile because Eike had¡ªfuck. The whole body snatching thing was really fucking with Jadis¡¯ perceptions. She didn¡¯t exactly feel sorry for the mad woman; she¡¯d been a terrible person and the world was better without her in it. But Alex taking her body was¡ disturbing on several levels.
Pushing those thoughts aside for the moment, Jadis focused on trying tomunicate the most important to answer questions she had for Alex. She knew her time was limited since she could only pretend to be upied at thetrine for so long before arousing suspicion. Dys was keeping a wary eye in the direction of the bonfire, but if one or more of the night watch came over to investigate, Jadis didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d be able to hide the nowrge demon.
¡°Alex. Where?¡± Jay asked, making her confusion in on her face. ¡°Where?¡±
Alex stared nkly at Jay once more, the only change to her stance being the slight tilt of her head. Pushing to make her question both simple and clear, Jay looked around her in an exaggerated fashion, even pretending to look under branches and bushes with a mystified expression on her face. She repeated the question multiple times, keeping away from using long sentences and instead just using the most basic of words.
Eventually, Alex pointed at itself in the same fashion as before, indicating itself with two hands and even a few of its head tentacles as well.
¡°
Alex¡
Here¡¡± the demon said.
Here. Alex had used a new word, one that Jadis hadn¡¯t prompted. That gave credence to the idea that the demon did have some basic vocabry. Though the question Jadis was trying to ask hadn¡¯t gotten through.
Jadis wanted to know where Alex had been since the battle at the grove. Had the demon been following them this whole time? Why hadn¡¯t it revealed itself to her earlier? Had it gone somewhere else first for some reason? Had it gotten lost and just found them, or had it been stalking them and waiting for some opportunity to approach? Jadis knew that with the limitedmunication abilities in the demon¡¯s possession, there was no way it would be able to understand much less answer all those questions. So, she was trying to keep it simple. Where had Alex been?
¡°Where Alex?¡± Jay asked again, still pantomiming her confusion and search. ¡°Where? Where before? Where Alex before?¡±
Jadis was no linguistics expert, but she knew that ¡°before¡± was a big concept to tackle. She wasn¡¯t sure if Alex would understand, but she hoped the demonling¡ªor rather, big demon, would get it eventually.
There was no dawning look of recognition or realization on Alex¡¯s face, but abruptly the demon moved in response to Jay¡¯s question. Coiling its long leg-tentacles together, Alex hunkered down and wrapped itself into a tight ball, the human half of the demon practically disappearing into the coils of the tentacles and the monstrous oversized arms. No, Jadis realized after a second, not a ball. Alex had shaped herself into the outline of a box. A long, rectangr box.
¡°
Alex¡
Here¡¡± the demon¡¯s muffled voice came from the simted box of dark flesh.
A box. A crate? Alex had been inside of a crate. But¡ that didn¡¯t make any sense. How could Alex have followed them if it had been inside of a crate? Where had the demon even found a crate?
Realization struck her. Gingerly releasing Eir, Syd sat up from her spot with the others inside of the tent and crept over to the open side of therge wagon. Inside, she could see Sorcha¡¯s nest of nkets that the diminutive goblin had imed as her own. But more than the witch, she could see crates. Dozens of them, some of them definitelyrge enough to contain the full bulk of the demon, though Alex would have been crammed in like a sardine in a tin can. How had the demon gotten into the wagon, though? The wagon had been inside the grove since the night of the battle against the demon horde. They¡¯d only just left the grove that morning and there had been no opportunity for Alex to sneak into the wagon, not without Jadis or any of herpanions or anyone else on the expedition noticing. There was no chance Alex had gotten into the grove, either, not with how well guarded it was against intrusion. So then how¡?
Jadis¡¯ selves froze. When she and Kerr andter Tegwyn had tracked Alex and Eike¡¯s trail from the wagon to the clearing where the tracks ended, none of them had even considered the possibility of Alex doubling back. The trail had been messy, no better than a furrow through the snow. Alex¡¯s and Eike¡¯s scents had been all over her wagon. The battle and the cleanup after hadn¡¯tsted too long, but long enough for a demon to sneak back into the wagon and disappear inside of an inconspicuous crate.
Fucking balls, had Alex really been with them the whole time?
Kneeling down, Jay tapped on Alex¡¯s thick tentacle to get the demon¡¯s attention. Immediately Alex uncoiled itself, taking a strangely demure sitting position that reminded Jadis strongly of Eir. Was the demon mimicking the priestess¡¯ mannerisms? Very possible, Jadis decided. Imitation seemed to be Alex¡¯s primary method of interaction with the world.
Jadis wanted to get rification on exactly what had happened, but considering the demon¡¯sck of vocabry, she resigned herself to keeping the questions simple and brief. Besides, she was already pushing the limits on how long she could believably be using thetrine.
¡°Sabina,¡± Jay said slowly and clearly. ¡°Alex. Help. Sabina?¡±
At the demon¡¯s utterly nk look, Jay did her best impression of the bubbly smith, pretending to tinker with invisible items and moving in an exaggeratedly animated way.
¡°
Sabina¡¡± Alex intoned, its pronunciation strained, as though it had never spoken the word before. Probably it hadn¡¯t.
Alex then repeated Jay¡¯s movements in a near perfect imitation. At the end, it motioned towards the wagon and smiled brightly.
That could be interpreted in a lot of different ways, but Jadis chose to see the demon¡¯s movements as Alex recognizing who Sabina was and being happy or pleased that she was alive. Maybe that was pushing it, but she felt like she was going to have to go by faith and assumptions for a while when it came to Alex.
¡°Eike?¡± Jay then asked, pointing at Alex.
Putting on a show of making an angry, sneering face, she pretended to sh the air, then continued to point at the body she knew once belonged to the blood bitch.
¡°Eike?¡± Jay repeated, then pointed at the parts of the demon that were definitely not human. ¡°Alex.¡±
She switched back and forth a few times, making a distinction between the two and putting as much question in her tone as she could.
Alex frowned, its brow furrowing in obvious displeasure. The demon tapped at its face with one finger, then against its chest. There was no outward sign of emotion after that, but the demon sat there with a nk expression that Jadis was beginning to understand was either its version of contemtion or consternation. Possibly both. Human bodynguage seemed to be entirely performative on the part of the demon, a conscious effort that it otherwise did not follow when distracted.
After a long, silent pause, Alex tapped its chest again while staring intently at Jay.
¡°
Death¡¡±
Now what the fuck was that supposed to mean?
Was that a simple acknowledgement that Alex had killed Eike? Or was it a judgement that Eike had deserved to die for her actions? Or was it a reference to the fact that, as a demon, Alex was a literal avatar of the god of death, Samleos? Maybe it was something more indirect, such as, Eike was dead anyway, so why not use her body?
Jadis wanted to pick apart that single word, but there just wasn¡¯t any more time. At the very least, she felt confident that Alex¡¯s single syble statement was not a pronouncement that it was death,e to visit wrath up her or any of herpanions. As strange and disturbing as the demon was, so far it still hadn¡¯t done anything explicitly or implicitly harmful towards Jadis or her lovers. She was going to give the demon lots of leeway.
However, Jadis couldn¡¯t extend the interrogation any longer. She had to return to her tent before Noll and the others came looking for her and discovered the much-changed demon. She definitely wanted to have a conversation with A and the rest of her girls before involving anyone else in the extremely unusual situation. Then she wanted to introduce everyone to Alex and see how that went.
Jadis cringed internally at the thought of how that encounter might go down.
Realizing that she had just left Alex hanging, she put on a smile and reached one hand out to gently pat the demon on the head. At her touch, Alex leaned in towards Jay, her tentacles wrapping around her hand in a familiar and affectionate way.
¡°Okay. We¡¯ll talk moreter, Alex,¡± Jay said. ¡°For now, we have to sleep.¡±
Quietly, she instructed the demon to follow her back to the wagon, keeping to outskirts and shadows as well as keeping her two bodies between the demon and the light. They fortunately made it back without confrontation or issue. Sneaking back inside the tent, Jay and Dys helped Alex back into the wagon. The whole time Jadis worried that one of her lovers or Sorcha would wake up, but the long day on the road was an advantage in her favor, as was her greatly increased Agility. No one stirred as Jay crept into the wagon interior.
The crate that Alex led her to was in the back, one of many surrounded by various supplies and Sabina¡¯s crafting materials. Looking inside, Jadis saw that resting on the bottom of the crate were a few scraps of stained cloth that had once been Eike¡¯s clothing, as well as the blood bitch¡¯s scythe. The weapon was¡ unexpected, but not unwee. She wanted to give it to Sabina to analyzeter. That would have to wait for the time being, though.
It didn¡¯t take much convincing, just a simple order of ¡°stay¡± and the demon slipped into therge empty crate at the back of the wagon, curling up inside. Alex even closed the lid with its own tentacles, silently hiding itself in a way that easily convinced Jadis that it was capable of sneaking into the wagon and staying hidden for days on end. Alex¡¯s slithering tentacles made virtually no noise as it moved across the wooden surface.
¡°Stay,¡± Jay repeated, softly patting the top of the crate. ¡°Good demon.¡±
Then, to herself, she shook her head in disbelief.
¡°How the fuck am I going to bring this up with the others?¡±
Chapter 294: First Impressions
Chapter 294: First Impressions
Jadis¡¯ life had grown to involve far too many lies. Considering how infrequently she¡¯d lied in her previous life on Earth, she felt like she was doing far, far too much of it on Oros. Not that she didn¡¯t have good reason to hide some truths. She was a reincarnated soul sent to the world as a trickster god¡¯s personal avatar to cause disruption to the status quo. Some things she felt she had to keep secret, for her own safety if nothing else. All that said, she was trying not to lie to the people who mattered to her anymore. Her lovers deserved nothing but the truth from her lips on all things, especially since A, Eir, Kerr, and Thea had allmitted themselves to her in such serious and genuine fashion. Which was why it pained her core to not immediately tell them about Alex.
She¡¯d stayed up most of the night thinking about how she was going to tell them. She was intensely nervous about their reactions, especially since she had made a promise to A that if Alex ever tried to possess anyone, she¡¯d kill the demon herself. Jadis didn¡¯t think what Alex had done to Eike counted as possession per se. It was more like recycling, if she were being generous. Certainly, what the demon had done was defensive in nature, not a malicious hostile act. However, A might not see it that way, and if she didn¡¯t then the argument was going to be a long one.
She didn¡¯t even want to think about how Eir would react.
Before Jadis knew it, the morning hade and she¡¯d gotten very little rest, nor had she actually taken the necessary step and told any of herpanions about Alex. By then, the camp was up and the necessary privacy was lost. Jadis was forced to bite her tongue and wait.
Doing her best to act natural and not call any attention to the demon hiding in the wagon, Jadis spent the day in much the same way as she had the day before. Training with Noll.
Since the wagon was being pulled by her four goats, Jadis could devote her time to being more than just a beast of burden. Since Noll was travelling openly with their expedition, he used the time to continue her instruction. He couldn¡¯t teach her much about weapon forms and martial stances while they were on the move but he could educate her about other things. Primarily, he taught her how to move through a forest without leaving a lot of tracks.
Forcing her to leave her armor in the wagon so that she wouldn¡¯t tter and nk like a whole regiment of soldiers, Noll led Jadis¡¯ three selves through the trees, teaching her about various stealth and tracking techniques, some basic and some more advanced. Kerr followed with them, of course, since the subject was very much her area of expertise, though she didn¡¯t hesitate to ask the older therion her own questions when he brought up skills and techniques that she wasn¡¯t familiar with.
Strangely, Tegwyn also joined them, though not so much to learn as to impart his own lessons. He didn¡¯t teach her anything about sneaking or tracking, but instead told her information about the various trees, nts, animals, and magic beasts that were native to the Great Southern Forest. The Dryad¡¯s info paired well with Noll¡¯s lessons, giving her guidance and advice on how to apply Noll¡¯s lessons to the specific environment of the forest.
Despite all the great information she was being given by two excellent teachers, Jadis¡¯ mind had trouble focusing on the lessons. Her thoughts couldn¡¯t help but drift towards the wagon and the secret hiding within. She felt like she was dragging around a literal Pandora¡¯s Box, one that could have massive repercussions on not just her little group, but the world atrge once it was opened. As confident as she had once been, now that she was in the moment, she couldn¡¯t help but feel some serious nerves about what was toe.
Apparently, she didn¡¯t do as good a job at hiding her inner turmoil as she hoped as sometime in the afternoon Kerr sidled up next to Dys with a questioning look.
¡°Hey, big stuff, you okay? You¡¯ve been acting like you forgot your dick in your other pants all day.¡±
The two were alone, Jadis¡¯ selves having spread out by several hundred yards. Jay was with Noll and Syd was with Tegwyn, both far outside of hearing range.
¡°I have no idea how that would work from a biological perspective,¡± Dys murmured with a slight quirk to her lips.
¡°Bio your logic whatever,¡± Kerr waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s up? You¡¯re starting to make me nervous with how preupied you¡¯ve been.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been that obvious?¡± Dys asked with a frown.
Kerr nodded, then thought better of it and tilted her head in a wobbly gesture.
¡°Maybe not that obvious to others, but I know you. If Blue or the Voyeur or the Scarlet Slut were here, they¡¯d notice, too. Maybe not Noll, but we can tell.¡±
Jadis grimaced. She didn¡¯t want to lie to Kerr. She could just say everything was fine or push it off as a ¡°we¡¯ll talk about itter¡± situation, but she really was growing to hate all the secrets that were twisting their way into her life. Besides, she trusted Kerr, just like she trusted all of her lovers. She had to tell her some of the truth at least. It didn¡¯t feel right not to.
¡°I found Alex,¡± Dys whispered, skipping all preamble and jumping directly into the deep end.
Kerr stared at her nkly for a moment before her eyes widened and her jaw dropped open.
¡°
C''est quoi ce bordel?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°What the
fuck Jadis, why didn¡¯t you say anything? Where is the freaky little ball of slime?¡±
¡°Alex isn¡¯t slimy,¡± Dys murmured, thinking about the feel of the demon¡¯s hands and tentacles against her skin. ¡°Alex is in the wagon, in a crate.¡±
¡°Seriously?¡± Kerr asked, her brow raised high. ¡°How¡¯d that happen? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s been in hiding in there the whole time?¡±
Dys frowned slightly, something about Kerr¡¯s question triggering a reaction in Jadis. She had been referring to the demon as an ¡°it¡± ever since Alex had been hatched and had continued to do so even up tost night. But now, hearing it spoken out loud by Kerr, she found the term bothered her. Alex had been a genderless blob of a tentacle demon, but that couldn¡¯t be said anymore. Alex hade back from its absence with a decidedly human appearance. A very much feminine one, at that. The word ¡°it¡± wasn¡¯t going to work for Jadis anymore as it felt far too dehumanizing.
¡°Yeah, she was,¡± Dys answered after only a moment¡¯s hesitation. ¡°Alex snuck outst night and approached me. I didn¡¯t want anyone to freak so I didn¡¯t wake anyone, but clearly, we need to talk. I¡¯ve been trying to think of how to get our group away from the rest of the expedition with Alex so we can discuss.¡±
¡°You are leaving a lot of things unsaid in that exnation,¡± Kerr narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Dys. ¡°But I¡¯m only going to ask about one for the moment. Why are you calling Alex a ¡°she¡± now?¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t surprised that Kerr had caught onto the shift innguage. As much as Kerr liked to present herself as rxed and unbothered, even something of a fool at times, she wasn¡¯t stupid. She had a keen mind and a quick wit that quickly picked up on subtleties. It was part of why she was such a good tracker.
¡°Because Alex came back different,¡± Dys borated without going too deep into the details. ¡°She¡¯s¡ evolved. Grown. She can speak now. Sort of. She¡¯s not all that good at it yet, but we had a brief conversation. Which is why
we need to talk. All of us. Including her.¡±
Kerr sat back on her haunches, eyes wide and unfocused as one hand covered her mouth in consternated thought. She was silent for a long minute, a few aborted attempts at words welling up from her throat but ultimately failing to form into anything coherent. Eventually, waved a boneless hand in Dys¡¯ direction.
¡°Are you sure it isn¡¯t just imitation? A trick? Like with possession?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Dys said with conviction.
¡°
Merde¡¡± Kerr cursed, her expression shifting through a few emotions before settling on something like amusement. ¡°What the fuck are you dragging me into, honey? This shit is way outside of my realm.¡±
¡°Wish I could tell you. I¡¯m kind of figuring all this shit out as I go.¡±
Kerr let out a bark ofugher.
¡°Yeah, I know. I don¡¯t mind that part, it¡¯s what makes every day with you exciting. Still. This shit with Alex¡¡± Kerr huffed out a sigh. Then, pping her knees, she got to her feet and gave Dys a good poke in the stomach. ¡°Alright. Here¡¯s what we do. While I¡¯m normally all for the sneaky ndestine option, this is a case where we need to just be upfront. At camp tonight we just tell Wi and Noll and the rest that we need to have a private meeting involving the future of the mercpany. No outsiders invited.¡±
¡°I thought of that. We can¡¯t do it near camp,¡± Dys frowned, tilting her head to one side. ¡°Noll or Gunnar will overhear shit with that killer hearing of theirs. And if we walk away from the camp, I¡¯m not sure how to get Alex out of the wagon without being obvious that we¡¯re carrying shit with us.¡±
¡°So we be obvious we¡¯re carrying shit with us,¡± Kerr rolled her eyes. ¡°Bring a bunch of different crates from the wagon, act like its normal. You don¡¯t have to exin why to Wi or anyone else. Just do it and they probably won¡¯t even give it more than a passing thought. Seriously, big stuff, you¡¯re supposed to be the bold one around here. I¡¯d ask you if your balls dropped off or something, but we both know you don¡¯t have any hanging down there.¡±
Dys smirked at Kerr¡¯s barbed words, not insulted by them in the slightest. Sass was just one of the perks that came with having a girlfriend like Kerr.
Quickly taking hold of Kerr¡¯s shoulders, she lifted the therion into the air so that her head was level with her own before she could react. Dys then soundly kissed the surprised archer, invading her mouth with an insistent tongue before pulling back abruptly.
¡°Thanks for the reminder, fuzz butt,¡± Dys grinned at Kerr before renewing their kiss.
Later, long after the kiss had ended and the expedition had found a suitable clearing to make camp for the night, Jadis found herself split between two perspectives. On one side, her Dys self was by the campfire, helping with some chores while Sorcha shadowed her. Noll and Wi both asionally sent curious looks in her direction, but neither had made any objections to the idea of a private meeting. Just to be safe, though, Dys was keeping an eye on the rest of the camp to make sure no one was sneaking after Fortune¡¯s Favored to spy on their impromptu gathering.
The other perspective was centered in a clearing a few hundred yards away from the camp. Jay and Syd had carried multiple crates from the wagon with them, all of them filled with various crafting supplies except for one in particr. All of herpanions were with her, including Sabina and Bridget. There were various levels of curiosity on the women¡¯s faces, and while Sabina seemed to have taken the excuse that they were discussing private business matters that involved their materials inventory, the rest of them clearly suspected more was going on.
¡°Okay. Now that we¡¯re out of earshot from everyone who might want to listen, what¡¯s this all about?¡± A asked before Jadis could begin.
¡°Yeah, this feels like something important is about to happen,¡± Bridget added, her brow creased in a frown.
¡°Are we not talking about crafting projects?¡± Sabina asked intively, a look of hurt disappointment on her face.
Thea patted the smith¡¯s shoulder consolingly.
¡°No, we¡¯re not out here to talk about crafting,¡± Jay said, waving one hand at the crates she¡¯d ced at her feet. ¡°Some major developments were revealed to mest night and I want to discuss it with all of you. I¡¯m not really sure how to broach the subject though¡¡±
¡°So I¡¯m just going to tear the bandage off so we can have an honest talk between the eight of us. Alex, can youe out please?¡±
There were some startled looks from the gathered women, a few like Thea and Bridget even twisting their heads about to look around the dark woods surrounding them. A, however, focused entirely on Jay and Syd.
¡°You found Alex?¡± she asked, her stolid expression betraying the barest hint of confusion. ¡°When did¡ªValtar¡¯s Halls!¡±
A¡¯s question was interrupted as therge crate by Syd¡¯s feet opened on its own and Alex¡¯s demonic form rose up from inside. It probably didn¡¯t help the first impression that Alex¡¯s human aspects were facing towards Jadis and away from the others, and thus most of what they saw were monstrous arms and huge tentacles. Then again, when Alex¡¯s form twisted around to reveal the naked body that had definitely once belonged to the now dead Eike, there were even more shocked outcries of rm.
¡°Alex, say hello to the rest of the team,¡± Jay said slowly, pointing towards the group of stunned women. ¡°Alex. Hello. Hello.¡±
Alex stared unblinking at Jay, then turned to face the others with an utterly nk expression. Abruptly, the demon¡¯s smaller hair tentacles, her human arms, and her monstrous arms all began waving in what Jadis interpreted as the familiar wiggling wave gesture that the demon had done frequently whenever it was greeting her or others from inside of its ss bottle. As a tiny squid of a demonling, the gesture had been cute. As a full-grown monster demon, it looked more like some kind of threatening disy to ward off predators. Or a seizure.
¡°
Hello¡¡± Alex repeated in a fairly good imitation of Jay¡¯s spoken word.
The mix of reactions were fairly dramatic. Some Jadis had expected, others she had feared, and a few she had hoped for. What she hadn¡¯t anticipated were Alex¡¯s next words, spoken with the same strange intonation as her greeting.
¡°
Alex¡
Fuck¡
Now?¡±
Chapter 295: A Disparate Gathering
Chapter 295: A Disparate Gathering
¡°Alex, no!¡±
¡°A, stop!¡±
Jay and Syd spoke simultaneously, their words intended for two different targets. Words came with action as Syd reached out for Alex, putting a hand on the demon¡¯s monstrous shoulder while also positioning herself to partially block her from A. The body blocking was necessary since A had immediately thrown up her new staff in clear preparation to st Alex with a force spell.
Jay grasped hold of A¡¯s wrist, having moved to stand in front of her with inhuman speed. Carefully holding onto her fragile lover¡¯s hand, she forced A to look into her eyes by bending low to put their heads level with each other.
¡°Just hold on, okay? It¡¯s Alex! She¡¯s not hostile! Remember, she sort of helped save your life and
definitely saved Sabina¡¯s life. Don¡¯t st her, alright?¡±
A¡¯s expression was wide-eyed and pale. Her gaze kept shifting away from Jay¡¯s face to stare at Alex, a slight tremor in her limbs.
¡°We need exnations, Jadis,¡± A strained to say calmly. ¡°
I need exnations. Now.¡±
¡°Yes, we do,¡± Jay agreed, nodding her head catingly. ¡°So that means no force ball explosions, yeah?¡±
¡°¡Yes.¡±
While Jay handled A¡¯s decidedly hostile reaction, Syd took stock of everyone else¡¯s. Fortunately, no one else had tried to attack Alex. Not yet, anyway.
Eir had not fainted. Jadis had half expected that the priestess would have gone under at the surprise. However, despite her often times meek nature, Eir was made of sterner stuff. What she had done instead was kneel down into the snow and start a prayer, the words tumbling off of her lips in a constant stream of anxious worry. Jadis was fairly certain the prayer was one of protection against evil, though with everything else going on it was hard to keep track.
Thea and Bridget had both readied their weapons. Neither were speaking nor were they advancing to attack, but they¡¯d taken up a defensive posture around Eir, a fact that Jadis could appreciate. Thea¡¯s face was a mask of nervous apprehension while Bridget¡¯s lip was curled in an oddly confused snarl. Neither of the women looked happy about the surprise situation, but at least they weren¡¯t immediately trying to kill Alex, which was about as good as Jadis felt she could hope for, all things considered.
Kerr and Sabina had unusually simr reactions. Kerr had been the only one with any forewarning of what the meeting was about, but even so Jadis hadn¡¯t told her what Alex looked like post-transformation. She was staring at the demon intently, one hand on her chin while she was bent sideways at the waist. The archer¡¯s eyes ran up and down the demon¡¯s form, examining Alex with riveted focus.
Sabina, like Kerr, was also staring curiously at Alex, though she¡¯d taken things one step further. Literally. Moving forward by several steps, Sabina was only a few feet away from the demon, examining her up close and in such a deeply intense way that Jadis wasn¡¯t even sure the smith was aware that A had been preparing to st Alex with a spell.
¡°So¡ Was that some kind of proposition?¡± Kerr finally asked, drawing the attention of the others. ¡°Because, correct me if I¡¯m wrong here, but I¡¯m pretty sure Alex just asked us if we wanted to fuck.¡±
¡°
Fuck¡
Yes¡¡± Alex intoned in seeming agreement with Kerr¡¯s words. Though two of her three eyes were staring intently at A and her stance had shifted to a stiff and unreadable one.
¡°I think Alex might have picked up on some of our more¡ lewd habits,¡± Syd shrugged while keeping one hand on Alex¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I mean, Jack did imply that when he temporarily modified my empowerment ritual, Alex had been a participant because of ¡®interest¡¯ in what we were doing.¡±
¡°So now Alex is some kind of sex obsessed demon? D¡¯s fucking balls, Jadis, your influence is just too much sometimes.¡±
Syd gave Kerr a dry look while the therion shook her head in amused amazement. It wasn¡¯t as though she could deny the usation, though. Clearly Jadis
had influenced Alex in a simr way to how she¡¯d had an effect on pretty much everyone else¡¯s sses.
¡°How much can it understand?¡± A asked while pulling her wrist free from Jay¡¯s grip to take a step closer to Alex. ¡°What has it said so far?¡±
¡°She.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Alex is a
she, A. Not an it.¡±
A opened her mouth, likely to argue, but after a second¡¯s hesitation seemed to think better of it and shook her head instead.
¡°Fine. She. What has
she said and how much can she understand us?¡±
¡°Not a lot,¡± Jay answered with a sigh. ¡°Alex seems to understand basic words and concepts, but she hasn¡¯t spoken inplete sentences and struggles when we use lots of words. Or big ones. Bodynguage and simple phrases seem to work best.¡±
¡°We didn¡¯t have much time to talk, either,¡± Syd continued. ¡°Alex basically confirmed that she killed Eike to protect Sabina and then used Eike¡¯s body to, uh, evolve, I guess. Maybe. Again, we¡¯re pretty limited on the words so its kind of hard to get a clear exnation.¡±
¡°Thank you for saving me and Sorcha from the crazy smuggler woman who was trying to kill us,¡± Sabina suddenly started to ramble while continuing to examine Alex. ¡°That woman probably would have murdered us if it wasn¡¯t for your help so I really mean it when I say thank you, and also I think Sorcha would say the same too if she were here right now but then again she might just be freaked out because you are a demon and pretty disturbing which I guess isn¡¯t your fault except maybe it kind of is since you seem to have subsumed that woman¡¯s body for yourself which I assume was a purposeful decision on your part. Unless it wasn¡¯t on purpose and was some kind of ident. Was it an ident?¡±
Sabina finally took a breath, having spilled her words all in one go. She stared at Alex intently for a moment, before ncing around and noticing that everyone else was staring at her. Even Eir had gone silent.
¡°What?¡±
¡°Nothing,¡± Syd slightly shook her head. ¡°I just haven¡¯t heard you go on like that in a while.¡±
¡°Oh. Well, I¡¯m nervous. I¡¯ve never spoken to a demon before.¡±
¡°Right. Speaking of,¡± Kerr said with a twitch of her long ears. ¡°I don¡¯t think our tentacle-limbed friend here got any of that.¡±
Indeed, from what Jadis could see Alex had not understood Sabina¡¯s verbal vomit. Her attention had shifted to the smith, a nk expression on her three-eyed face. It was hard to tell what the demon was thinking, but theck of any physical or verbal response seemed to indicate a definiteck ofprehension.
¡°Like I was saying,¡± Syd patted the demon¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Small words. Bodynguage. That works best.¡±
Almost as if to illustrate her point, Alex raised one of her monstrous arms up and patted Syd on the shoulder in a copy of the same move.
¡°Jadis, what are we supposed to do?¡± A asked. ¡°What¡ªwhat is the goal? Of this gathering? Of her?¡± She motioned with her hand at Alex. ¡°I understand you were trying to satisfy your curiosity about demons, but I¡¯m struggling to see any good reason to let this continue. Alex has clearly be some kind of greater demon abomination and has done so by subverting Eike¡¯s body. Whether by ident or intent, that shows a clear capability of doing harm.¡±
¡°So?¡±
¡°
So?¡± A echoed Jay¡¯s single word, her voice going up in pitch. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®So?¡¯ When you were toting around a demon in a jar, that was dangerous enough! Now, now look at her! This is a dangerous and unpredictable entity that could hurt or kill others! Do you not see the danger having this demon in our camp presents?¡±
Jay frowned, her brows furrowed as she considered A¡¯s words. Honestly, they were about what she expected to hear, which was why she had both feared A¡¯s response but had also sought it out. A always spoke sense, her ability to reason one of her best skills. However, as much as Jadis respected A¡¯s thoughts and opinions, she wasn¡¯t blind to the bias she presented in her words. That, to Jadis, was the goal of the gathering. To determine what was good sense, and what was justified but deeply seated prejudice getting in the way of change.
¡°Let me be more specific,¡± Jay borated. She made sure to keep her tone calm and her stance open. She didn¡¯t want to turn a discussion into a fight. ¡°One of your points was that Alex is capable of harm. Why does that mean she¡¯s no longer safe to be around? I myself am capable of inflicting catastrophic levels of harm on not only everyone in this expedition, but the whole city of Far Felsen if I put my mind to it. Does that mean I am a danger to others?¡±
¡°You are not a demon,¡± A said, her voice returning to its usual cool tone. ¡°I would argue that the track record between you and demon kind is significantly different.¡±
¡°And I would argue that it is Alex¡¯s track record that matters, not all of demon kind. Alex has never disyed a hint of aggression, not before attacking Eike, and that was clearly in the defense of one of our own. If anything, I would count that as a point in her favor. Killing that blood bitch was the right thing to do in that situation.¡±
¡°Even if I agree to that,¡± A spoke through thin lips, ¡°that doesn¡¯t change the fact that Alex has clearly possessed Eike¡¯s body. That cannot be ignored.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not saying it should be,¡± Jay raised both hands in a cating gesture. ¡°But looking at the way Alex is now, does this really seem like the kind of transformation that¡¯s going to be easily transferred from one body to another?¡±
¡°I have no idea what capabilities a demon like Alex might possess,¡± A quickly said.
¡°And that¡¯s why we should find out, don¡¯t you think?¡± Jay shot back just as quickly. ¡°I mean, you just called Alex a greater demon a second ago. How do you know that¡¯s true? What if she isn¡¯t? What if she¡¯s something else? Doesn¡¯t this deserve further investigation?¡±
With herst question, Jay swept her gaze across the others, motioning with one hand towards them in an open invitation to add their thoughts to the discussion. She wanted A¡¯s opinion, but she wanted the others as well.
¡°Investigation I can maybe understand,¡± Bridget spoke into the open silence. ¡°But we¡¯re talking about a demon here. Seeing you teach one of those little tentacle blobs how to pick out letters was weird enough. Now it¡ªer,
she is talking and shit? What are we supposed to do with that?¡±
¡°I dunno,¡± Kerr said with a shrug. ¡°Maybe we should fuck her and see what happens?¡±
At Bridget¡¯s shocked expression, Kerr threw up her arms and gesticted wildly in Alex¡¯s direction.
¡°What? It¡¯s a talking demon that
doesn¡¯t want to kill me! I get the caution but seriously, aren¡¯t you all at least a
little curious about what¡¯s going on with her? Yeah, yeah, I get the risk,¡± she held up a finger to forestall A¡¯s words. ¡°This whole thing could be some borate n to get us to let our guards down so we can be more easily killed or some shit like that. But seriously, think about that. Actually think about it. If a demon has enough forethought to spend months enacting a n of deceit and betrayal that involves luring us into trusting it because it purposefully avoided multiple opportunities to do us harm, doesn¡¯t that prove Jadis¡¯ point that demons have more intelligence than they let on? So doesn¡¯t that mean we need to pursue this further?
¡°And if this isn¡¯t some kind of mastermind n to betray us further down the line, doesn¡¯t that mean that Jadis is also in the right because she just showed us a demon that is capable of higher-level reasoning and made the choice to
not be an evil piece of shit? Isn¡¯t
that also worth pursuit?¡±
A silence hovered over the group as Kerr¡¯s words settled over them. Jadis was, frankly, impressed by the fervor with which her therion lover had argued in defense of Alex. The logic was sound, too. Whether Alex was doing something good or something evil, either way the demon was disying definite intelligence that proved Jadis¡¯ theories on demons, at least partially. No matter what, that meant summarily killing Alex was the wrong decision. She had to be researched further.
¡°So that¡¯s why at least one of us should fuck her.¡±
¡°Kerr¡¡± Syd let out a heavy sigh.
¡°Kerr, please,¡± A said at the same time, her expression pained.
¡°Look, I¡¯m serious!¡± Kerr said as she waved a hand at Alex. ¡°Jadis just said Alex is all about bodynguage, and Alex just said she wants to fuck. Maybe this is some kind ofmunication thing! We might understand each other better if we bump groins for a while or something.¡±
¡°
Fuck¡
Yes¡¡± Alex spoke up, waving her tentacles in Kerr¡¯s direction.
¡°Yeah, see? Clearly, she understands that word pretty well.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s put the sex part of this discussion to the side for now,¡± Jay grimaced, thinking back to how Alex had woken her the night before. ¡°I think the main argument that I¡¯m making and that Kerr is supporting is that Alex isn¡¯t a threat. She¡¯s still friendly towards me and the rest of us. I think she deserves the continued benefit of the doubt.¡±
¡°Where I¡¯m from, we have a saying,¡± Syd added. ¡°A person is innocent until proven guilty. I don¡¯t think Alex has done anything truly wrong so far. Does anyone im differently?¡±
The question Jadis put to everyone forced them all into a silent moment of thought. Jadis took that to be a good sign, since it showed that they weren¡¯t just casually dismissing all possibility of Alex being what she appeared to be; that being a genuinely friendly individual. Weird as fuck and kind of creepy, but friendly.
After a few seconds, Eir rose from her kneeling position, a look of deep concern on her beautiful face. With hands still sped before her, she regarded Alex with wary eyes.
¡°I am not sure. I feel wholly inadequate to the task of making such a judgement. However, I would like to seek guidance from a greater authority.¡±
Eir¡¯s gaze shifted from Alex to Syd.
¡°I would like your help speaking to D. We have the ability to ask three questions. I think, for this situation, we need to exercise that capability.¡±
Chapter 296: Unexpected Gift
Chapter 296: Unexpected Gift
Jadis blinked rapidly, her awareness briefly disoriented as she came to terms with only having one body once more. Briefly bing a singr entity every time she performed the ritual with Eir tomunicate with D truly was the most ufortable part of the process. Jadis was so used to experiencing everything through three different bodies that being limited to just one almost made her feel sick with dizziness.
Once she was able to collect herself,ing to terms with her own singr being, Jadis took stock of where she was. She was, she knew, visiting Destarious in his domain so that she could ask him three questions. However, unlike all the previous times, she was not in the enigmatic and mischievous deity¡¯s living room. She was elsewhere.
Jadis stood on a grasswn. Or at least, what she supposed was the conceptual ideal of a grasswn. She couldn¡¯t actually see any grass. She knew it was there, of course. Something had to be, because she was standing on it. Her brain was telling her that what she was standing on was a freshly cut, well-manicured, and definitely greenwn. However, she couldn¡¯t describe thewn via any other means. Like everything else she¡¯d ever experienced when in D¡¯s living room, thewn was just what it was. Awn.
There were bushes. And flowers. And a house. The house had two stories, several windows, and a door. There was definitely a roof. The color, size, shape, or any other details of the house or flowers or bushes all remained indeterminate. It was a nice day, but that was all that could be said about the weather. There was a fence of one kind or another surrounding the yard and beyond it¡
There was nothing. Nothing of note or interest or of any relevance whatsoevery beyond the borders of the yard. Not a void or emptiness; Jadis had experienced that before and knew exactly how horrible a true void was. No, there was just nothing interesting beyond the fence, so her mind slid away from even conceptual description.
What her mind couldtch onto was the homeless man digging in the mulch on the side of the house.
Well, maybe he wasn¡¯t homeless. Jadis had no idea what his property situation was, she just had a gut reaction based on the way he was dressed, orck of dress. Unlike their surroundings, the man wasn¡¯t just an idea. He was a very real presence that existed both within and outside of the abstract world that D lived in. She could describe this man, urately and with detail. And he was dirty.
No, not just dirty, filthy. He was a white human male. Or at least, she thought he probably was. It was hard to tell what color his skin was under the thickyer of dirt he was caked in. His hair was a wild crow¡¯s nest of tangled locks that stuck up in every direction, twigs and leaves and the gods knew what else mixed in. His bare back had a pack on it, though it was more like a badly roped-together cluster of various sacks, gourds, tubers. The nails on his bare feet were so long that they curled more than an inch away from his mud encrusted toes. He was not, thankfully,pletely naked, though what he wore to cover his private parts was jarring.
Wrapped around the man¡¯s waist was a bath towel. The towel was blue and covered in cartoonish depictions of smiling flowers happily waving at the viewer. The sunflowers were wearing sunsses.
Jadis¡¯ distracted focus was abruptly pulled away from the towel when the man wearing it suddenly let out a hoarse yet triumphant cry. Apparently, his digging in the mulch had met with sess as he raised a hand up above his head, something small and slimy wriggling between thumb and finger. He turned towards Jadis and smiled.
At least, she thought he was smiling. It was hard to tell what was going on under the matted mass of beard covering most of his face. She was pretty sure something was moving inside the beard, too, that wasn¡¯t the man.
Getting off his knees, the dirt covered man hobbled towards her on bowed legs. Once again, Jadis was struck with a bit of disorientation as his head was level with hers, even though the man was clearly stooped over with a bent back. She wasn¡¯t used to being at eye-level with others.
¡°For you,¡± the man rasped in a voice rough as sandpaper. ¡°Well deserved.¡±
Hesitating for only a moment, Jadis held out her hand, or the conceptual equivalent of it while she was nothing but her soul. Taking hold of her extended hand in one of his rough, wide hands the man gently ced the squirming thing into her palm.
It looked like a worm. Or maybe the grub of a beetle, since it was kind of thick and fat and had a face with pincers. It wriggled around somewhat before settling down, curling into a ball about the size of a gumball. Jadis felt the ¡°gift¡± was mildly gross, but in all honesty, she wasn¡¯t that bothered. She¡¯d never been the squeamish type and had seen far, far more disturbing things than a little grub.
Looking up from the strange insect she¡¯d been given, she found that the dirty man¡¯s eyes were on her face, a stern and piercing gaze boring into her with such intensity it made her try to take an involuntary step back. She couldn¡¯t move though, his strong grip still around her hand. His green eyes spoke of eons of experience, of wisdom beyond mortal reckoning. Those eyes felt older than the dream of trees.
Then the crusty skin around those eyes crinkled in a smile and the man closed Jadis¡¯ fingers over his gift.
¡°Well done,¡± he praised her with a cheerful grin thatcked a few teeth. ¡°Well done.¡±
¡°If you two are done over there, I haven¡¯t got all day. Well, actually, I do have all the time in the universe, but that doesn''t mean I like waiting!¡±
Jadis startled at the familiar voice. Looking for where it hade from, she saw that the yard extended around the side of the house. Of course it did. Why wouldn¡¯t it? As she looked in that direction, the dirty man let go of her hand and walked off in the same direction she¡¯d heard the voice of Ding from. She followed behind and, turning the corner, saw that the home had arge backyard with a pool. Next to the pool was somewn furniture, two chairs and a table, and sitting on one of those chairs was D.
Her patron was a man. Not tall, not short, not thin, not fat, not dark, not pale, not handsome, not ugly. Just a man. She¡¯d never been able to see him as anything else, nor describe any part of him in any other sense visually. D was a man.
However.
D was wearing a speedo.
She never thought about D wearing clothes before. She knew that he did, she just had no ability to describe what he was wearing, which was likely a purposeful choice on the god¡¯s part. Now, while she stood staring at the deity rxing by the side of his pool with a drink in his hand, she was absolutely certain that he was wearing a speedo. Which meant he wanted her to know he was wearing one.
What a fucking weird god.
¡°Hello D,¡± Jadis called out before walking over towards the man.
¡°And a good day to you my little darling,¡± D replied with a smirk.
He waved to thewn chair next to him, motioning for her to take a seat. ncing around, Jadis saw that rather than join D, the filthy man that she was fairly confident was a god had chosen to sit on the edge of the pool a few yards away, his feet dangling in the water. A cloud of dirt was quickly polluting the water, she noticed.
Jadis sat down next to her patron deity and took the ss that had been set on the table next to her in hand. It was a cool and refreshing drink that tasted wonderful, though she had no idea ability to describe the vor.
¡°So. You know you have gotten into a terrible habit, my little agent of chaos?¡±
Jadis almost asked what D meant but managed to stop herself. She only got to ask him three questions while she was here and even idle ones that he prompted would count against her. She wasn¡¯t going to repeat past mistakes.
¡°I know I have a few bad habits, but I don¡¯t know which one you¡¯re referring to,¡± Jadis said, taking care to phrase a statement, not a question.
D smiled over the rim of his ss before taking a sip.
¡°Indeed, you do have many. The one I am referring to in this case is howtely you seem to be courting the attention of my extended family. You are supposed to be serving me and my interests, Jadis dear. Not my uncle¡¯s.¡±
Jadis nced over at the man idly kicking his feet in the pool.
¡°I don¡¯t think anything I¡¯ve dely was specifically with the
intent of serving Villthyrial. I admit that I did take action that helped some of his Dryads. And a dragon, which I¡¯m sure he appreciates. But I¡¯m not trying to serve him. I just did what I thought was right.¡±
¡°Hm. I¡¯m sure you did,¡± D murmured. ¡°And if that was all you managed to aplish by doing what you thought was ¡®right¡¯ I would be rather cross with you. Saving dragons and Dryads from peril is
Hero work. I didn¡¯t put you on Oros for that.¡±
Villthyrial let out a loud harrumph then, momentarily interrupting D.
¡°Yes, yes, no offense intended, of course uncle,¡± he waved at his pool guest. ¡°Everyone loves your dragons. But that is beside the point.¡±
D set his drink down with a clink, turning in his seat to face Jadis more directly.
¡°ying demons and saving Dryads wasn¡¯t
all you didtely, now was it?¡±
¡°No,¡± Jadis shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve definitely aplished other¡ things.¡±
¡°Yes, yes you have,¡± D said, his mouth twisting into an ufortably wide and intense grin, made all the more ufortable by the fact that it was an idea rather than a visual sight. ¡°Which is why you are still my favorite little diversion on Oros. Now, go ahead and ask your questions.¡±
The questions. Jadis and herpanions hadn¡¯t had a lot of time to discuss what she was going to ask D. Wording was key when it came to the questions. D took a special delight in answering literally rather than in the spirit of the question. In fact, Jadis couldn¡¯t even be certain the crazy god¡¯s answers weren¡¯t lies. Though, so far as she could tell, everything he¡¯d ever said to her was truthful, if obscured.
In any case, Jadis felt like what they hade up with would cover at least the basic concerns her lovers had with their new and unusual situation.
¡°Does Alex intend harm as I define it against me or mypanions?¡±
¡°Obviously not,¡± Dughed the question off with a dismissive gesture. ¡°Go ahead and waste another.¡±
Jadis raised one eyebrow at that response. She had certainly hoped that would be the answer. She¡¯d felt Alex was peaceful towards her and her lovers in her gut.
In her gut.
Like an instinct.
Had that been D sending her signals to let her know she could trust Alex? Possibly. She was still working on figuring out how to tell the difference between her own instincts and the ones being sent her way by D and possibly Lyssandria. D¡¯s response made sense, though, from that perspective. He¡¯d already given her the answer. She just hadn¡¯t known how to interpret it.
Shaking those thoughts away, Jadis asked the next question that A had specificallye up with in order to cover all bases.
¡°Is Alex being used by Samleos to cause harm as I define it to others?¡±
That question prompted another grin from D.
¡°Better. Not great, but better. In answer: No. Samleos is not using Alex to bring about harm to others.¡±
A rather specific choice of words. D¡¯s answer didn¡¯t mean Samleos wasn¡¯t using Alex. It just meant he wasn¡¯t using Alex to bring about harm. It could mean Samleos wasn¡¯t using Alex at all, or that he was using her in some other way.
Jadis considered asking for further rification but decided against it for the time being. D¡¯s answer was skirting the edges of being almost unhelpful in its specificity. If she pressed him, she had a feeling he would just be uncooperative. Instead, she moved on to the third question that she and herpanions had decided on.
¡°What is the best way for me to teach Alex so that she and I canmunicate with each other urately?¡±
D let out a shortugh. Standing from hiswn chair, he stretched his arms out to his sides while rolling his shoulders, then stepped up to the edge of the pool. Turning to look at Jadis, he grinned at her condescendingly.
¡°For
you, Jadis honey, bodynguage is key.¡±
Without further exnation, D leapt into the air and dove into the pool, disappearing into the indescribable waters of the oddly suburban concept. As the world around her began to fade away, Jadis¡¯ eyes were drawn to Villthyrial where he still sat on the pool¡¯s edge. He smiled kindly at her, one hand held up in a parting gesture. As sight and sound blurred into nothingness, his croaked words managed to reach her ears.
¡°Say hello to my dragon for me.¡±
In the next instant, Jadis¡¯ consciousness returned to Oros as all three of her bodies became aware of their surroundings. For Dys, it was an odd transition as she startled into wakefulness sitting on the edge of the open wagon. Sorcha was nearby, who gave her a funny look, but otherwise made noment on herpse.
For Jay and Syd, it was a little different. Jay opened her eyes, her head in Eir¡¯sp, aware of cold snow soaking through the cloth of her pantlegs. Syd was also knelt in the snow, but her cock was still inside of Eir¡¯s tight pussy, throbbing from the aftershocks of her recent release. Eir let out a gasp, her body shuddering as Syd unintentionally shifted inside of her.
¡°Sorry,¡± Syd said, wrapping her arms around Eir from behind. ¡°Fuck. Are you okay?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Eir assured her, the priestess¡¯ breath stilling hard and heavy. ¡°Cold, but well. I¡¯d like to get dressed now, though.¡±
Jadis could understand. For the ritual, Eir had been forced to strip all of her clothes off and kneel in the nude in front of everyone. Even putting aside theplication of revealing the truth of her Oracle ss to Sabina and Bridget, something they would have to discusster, she¡¯d still had to be fucked while bnced on top of a crate out in the middle of the winter-frozen woods to make the ritual work.
Jadis hoped the intense purple mes Eir¡¯s body produced during the ritual hadn¡¯t attracted any attention.
¡°So? Did it work? What did D say?¡± Kerr asked from where she stood next to Alex. ¡°Also, get yourselves sorted already because it¡¯s getting kind of hard to hold this demon back.¡±
Looking her way, Jadis could see that Alex was indeed squirming in ce, her tentacles writhing in great agitation. Her human face and body didn¡¯t look bothered, but her eyes were locked on where Syd and Eir¡¯s bodies met. Jadis could also see that Kerr had a hand on Alex¡¯s arm, physically holding her in ce.
¡°It worked,¡± Jay said as she stood.
Reaching for Eir¡¯s clothes to pass them to her, she realized that she already had something in her hand. Slowly opening her fist, she revealed a small grub curled up in the center. Only, instead of a in and unappealing worm, the creature glowed like starlight, waves of unearthly energy radiating from it.
¡°It definitely worked,¡± Jay repeated, staring at the mesmerizing gift she¡¯d been given. ¡°And we have a lot to talk about.¡±
Chapter 297: Crate Trained
Chapter 297: Crate Trained
Jadis preferred not to live her life by a n. That wasn¡¯t to say she didn¡¯t make ns at all. She had plenty of ideas for what she wanted to do in the future. Most of those ideas involved leveling up, getting stronger, having lots of sex with her girls, and having an obscene number of children. Those were more goals than ns, though. In her experience, details were something that could usually be ironed out in the moment. Quick wit and quicker reactions generally saw her through most days.
However, Alex was going to need nning.
The confirmation that the demon was neither hostile nor being controlled by Samleos for hostile intent settled a lot of the nerves floating around Fortune¡¯s Favored. Not all of them, but a lot. No one was going to just forget about a lifetime¡¯s worth of taught caution, backed by literally thousands of years of knowledge reinforcing a specific idea. That would be too much to ask of anyone. But having a literal god give the word that Alex was friendly helped a lot.
With Alex¡¯s intentions confirmed innocent of harm, the conversation was able to move on to other matters. Such as, what were they going to do with a friendly demon? The floor was opened, so to speak, so that Jadis could get the opinions of herpanions. She had some ideas, but hearing what her friends and lovers thought was important to her.
Kerr¡¯s suggestion of indulging in the demon¡¯s request for sex was almost immediately quashed. Jadis wasn¡¯tfortable engaging in lewd activities with Alex, not just yet anyway. They could barely understand each other and she wasn¡¯t even sure the demon truly understood what sex was. Besides, she had been carrying the demonling around since it was an egg. She didn¡¯t have any maternal feelings towards Alex, not really, but it was still a jarring change to go from what was basically an intelligent pet to a sexy demondy. That was going to take at least a little while for Jadis toe to terms with, no matter how intriguing the idea of all those tentacles were¡
The only point that Jadis could admit in Kerr¡¯s favor for the fucking n was D¡¯s answer to her third question. Teaching Alex how to speak would apparently benefit from ¡°bodynguage¡± ording to D. Now, that could have been just a teasing jab from the mischievous god, and it certainly didn¡¯t explicitly mean that sex would make Alex a bettermunicator. Jadis couldn¡¯t even imagine how that would work. But it did imply that meeting Alex on her terms of direct physical interaction would help with theirmunication. That was something Jadis wanted to explore.
Aside from Kerr¡¯s proposal, other ideas of what to do were suggested by the group. Once her issues with the potential dangers Alex represented had been ayed, A in particr bent her mind to the subject like a true scientist. There were many profoundly impactful possibilities that Alex represented from a research perspective. The most interesting of which to A¡¯s viewpoint was how exactly demon sses worked.
The assumption was that demons used a different system for levelingpared to the rest of mortal kind. That thought stemmed from how magic beasts worked: a magic beast gained levels, but they didn¡¯t have any choice in what skills they gained. Every manticore would have the same abilities as every other manticore. The only difference between them would be the strength they gained from levels. Schrs assumed this to be the case since magic beasts weren¡¯t intelligent and therefore did not have the reasoning ability necessary to make skill choices. Many such schrs agreed that this was likely the case for demons as well, since their intelligence had always been considered on par with most magic beasts and there have always been a distinctck of variety between the individual members of any particr demonic group. A bone thief matriarch only ever produced bone thieves, and bone thieves all had the same skills and abilities, with the only noticeable differences between individuals easily attributed to levels.
Alex threw a big fucking wrench into all of those notions.
A¡¯s idea, which Jadis found herself agreeing with, was to get Alex a mercenary license. Not that A was suggesting Alex be a mercenary and member of Fortune¡¯s Favored. Induction into the group was something that Jadis was considering privately, but that wasn¡¯t A¡¯s reasoning. A wanted Alex to get a badge so that her status sheet could be examined. If her status sheet could be inspected, then a lot of questions about how demons work in general and how Alex got to be the way she was specifically could be answered. Worthy goals, Jadis couldn¡¯t deny.
From themunication front, Jadis also thought that getting Alex a badge would help them learn each other¡¯snguages faster. If Alex had a status sheet, then that meant that had to have some kind of writtennguage that she understood. If they could gain ess to Alex¡¯s sheet, then that meant that they could use it as a sort of Rosetta Stone. Hopefullymunication between them would be much easier from that point forward.
Of course, the issue of how they were actually going to get Alex one of those mercenary badges was the real problem. It wasn¡¯t as though they could just walk Alex up to the counter in the city hall and have her fill out a form. Fortunately, they did have a contact in the government of Far Felsen who could make almost anything happen. The question was, would Magistrate Vraekae be willing to help them?
Eir thought her cousin would be willing, with the right persuasion. Likely, Eir would have to reveal her status as an oracle to Vraekae and exin everything they had learned so far from asking D questions. And Vraekae would probably want certain favors in return. Jadis shuddered at the thought. But, considering how they had reached a sort of uneasy truce as ofte, Jadis was willing to negotiate with the Magistrate. Hopefully, considering all she had done to aid her in the investigation into the eleria smuggling, Vraekae would see that she already owed Jadis a favor now and that would be enough to allow her the use of her badge making system for Alex. She doubted it would be that easy, but Jadis could hope.
Revealing her status as an oracle was bound to cause furtherplications. Eir had purposefully kept the information about her second ss close to her chest in order to keep her autonomy. Oracles were so rare that both the empire and the temple would want to protect Eir, likely by constraining her movements. A direct pipeline to a god wasn¡¯t a resource they would want put in harms'' way. Maybe their precautions could be downyed to just some sort of honor guard, but even that was an annoyance that Jadis didn¡¯t want to have to deal with. It felt like she¡¯d only just managed to get rid of her own imperially mandated tail. Eir getting one would not make Jadis happy.
Still, Alex was worth the potential trouble. And the fact that Eir was willing to expose her own secret to aid Alex meant a lot. Then again, Jadis was fairly certain that it had more to do with Eir wanting to help Jadis than Alex, but she¡¯d take the assistance either way.
By that point in the discussion, the sun had set and it was getting far toote to continue the talks. They had a n, though, one that essentially boiled down to introducing a demon to Vraekae and asking for her permission to sign said demon up as a mercenary so that they could read her status sheet. Oh, and also, they needed Vraekae¡¯s guaranteed protection for the demon in question. A minor detail, really. Still, it was a n.
Now, to get the n started, they just had to convince Alex to get back in her box.
¡°Alex, please get in your crate.¡±
¡°
Alex¡
Fuck¡
Now¡¡±
¡°No, Alex. No fuck now. Please, we need to go back to camp,¡± Jay begged while motioning towards the crate. ¡°Alex. Crate. Stay.¡±
¡°
No¡¡± Alex said in her first explicit act of disobedience Jadis had seen her disy. ¡°
Crate¡
No¡
Fuck¡
Yes¡¡±
¡°No fuck, crate yes,¡± Jay said sternly, emphatically pointing at the open wooden box. She even stomped her foot down for emphasis, just to keep up with the idea of bodynguage. ¡°Now.¡±
Alex¡¯s otherwise nk face morphed into an expression of dour unhappiness. Her brow furrowed and the corners of her lips turned down to an almostical degree. Contorting her body, she pulled her legs up so that her knees were tucked up against her chest and her arms wrapped around them, making her into a rough ball shape. Her tentacles, on the other hand, spread out wide around her as they began to il wildly. She twisted and turned like a spinning top as herrger tentacles tossed snow into the air while her smaller tentacles whipped around in erratic patterns.
¡°Is she throwing a temper tantrum?¡± Kerr asked incredulously, watching the disy with one hand on her hip.
¡°Yes, I would say so,¡± Jay sighed.
¡°Well, shit. What do we do now? Bring her back to camp as is?¡±
¡°Of course not,¡± A denied immediately. ¡°We do not want everyone else on this expedition to be aware of Alex at this stage. Especially not Noll or the Reavers. Noll would no doubt report this to the Prince Kestil and who knows where the information would end up if any of those criminals knew.¡±
¡°Alex, please,¡± Jay tried again to appeal to the demon. ¡°Just for a while, okay?¡±
The demon wasn¡¯t listening. Alex continued to thrash about, making its displeasure known in no uncertain terms. Watching the spectacle, Jadis noticed that despite the obvious anger, Alex was still showing enough care to keep her tentacles away from everyone else. She wasn¡¯tshing out thoughtlessly; her long tentacles always stayed several feet away from others who were well within reach. Realizing this, Jadis figured that while the tantrum was an emotional disy, it wasn¡¯t an uncontrolled reaction like that of a child. Alex was purposefully acting in a way that made her feelings clear.
Like Jadis had thought and D had confirmed, bodynguage was key.
With a wry smile, Jay approached Alex and crouched down next to her. The demon¡¯s iling slowed, tentacles still twisting about her body but not as wildly. Reaching out, Jay firmly scooped Alex up, bringing her balled-up form against her chest in a tight hug.
Alex¡¯s limbs stopped their thrashing movements, still as stone for a moment as Jay rose to her feet and stood there holding the unhappy demon. Then, either in mimicry or understanding, Alex wrapped her tentacles around Jay in her own version of a hug.
It was a little like being squeezed by a snake, Jadis mused. When she was a kid, she¡¯d gone to a petting zoo where they¡¯d draped a python over her shoulders for a few photos. The weight and feel of Alex¡¯srge lower tentacles reminded Jadis strongly of that childhood experience, though there were some differences. Alex had no scales, just smooth and cool flesh, but more than that Jadis could feel the intention in the demon¡¯s action. The snake had justin on top of her, unmoving and uninterested. Alex was gently squeezing her, coiling about her back and arms while using just enough force to cling to her and nowhere near enough to be interpreted as harm.
¡°Crate,¡± Jay repeated in kind tones while giving Alex¡¯s strange back a gentle pat. ¡°Hide. Crate. Stay. Good. Okay?¡±
Alex didn¡¯t respond verbally, instead squeezing her tentacles a bit tighter before loosening them. Her head lifted to look up at Jay, all three eyes locked onto her. Her expression was once again nk and emotionless, as though the demon had forgotten how to emote with it. Then, with exaggerated effort, Alex opened her mouth and let out a long and aggrieved sigh.
¡°Thank you,¡± Jay said, fighting to keep fromughing at the overwrought disy.
Hesitating for half a second, Jadis considered how to reinforce her words with action. She wanted to make it clear that she was happy that Alex was listening to her again, though her bodynguage options were limited. Kissing the demon on top of the head was her first instinct, but Alex¡¯s head was a tangle of tentacles, not hair, so that felt a bit weird to attempt. Her forehead was also out of the question since that would mean nting her lips on top of Alex¡¯s third eye. She wasn¡¯t even sure Alex would know to close the eye, so she wasn¡¯t going to risk kissing eyeball. And for sure Jay wasn¡¯t going to kiss Alex on the lips. The demon had a clear interpretation of what that meant, based on how she had woken Jadis up before.
Mentally shrugging at the option left to her, Jay leaned her head forward and gave Alex a kiss on her nose.
Alex stiffened again, her body tensing for a solid ten seconds before the demon seemed to melt into Jay¡¯s arms. She actually uncurled her human parts and began rubbing against Jay in a manner that reminded Jadis of a cat. It wasn¡¯t overtly sexual, certainly, but she was worried that it might veer in that direction. Certainly, having a naked woman rub her body against her was already starting to prompt some automatic bodily responses in Jay. Before things could get out of control, Jay walked Alex over to the crate and set her down into it.
Without further protest beyond a slight squeeze of tentacles, Alex slid down into the wood box and contorted to fit inside of it, filling itpletely before pulling the lid on herself.
¡°Freaky¡¡±
Turning to re at Bridget with a raised eyebrow, the orc noticed Jay¡¯s stare and quickly amended her statement.
¡°I meant the crate thing,¡± she motioned at the box. ¡°Not the, uh, well. You know. I don¡¯t know how something¡ªuh, someone that big can fit in there. How in the abyss is she even breathing?¡±
¡°I d¡ªdon¡¯t think she is b¡ªbreathing,¡± Thea quietly said while staring at the box. ¡°Demons d¡ªdon¡¯t need to.¡±
¡°No, I don¡¯t think she does,¡± Syd agreed with her meek lover. Thinking about the hug, the only time she¡¯d noticed Alex¡¯s chest move had been when she¡¯d purposefully done the exaggerated sigh. ¡°Except when she chooses to.¡±
Not wanting to linger longer out in the cold any longer now that they had finished the impromptu meeting, Jay picked up Alex¡¯s crate and started walking. All of herpanions quickly joined her. The walk back to the camp was a quiet one. No doubt everyone had a lot to think about; Jadis knew she certainly did. The silence didn¡¯tst long, though. About halfway back, of course, Sabina broke it.
¡°So. Sex oracle. That¡¯s weird.¡±
Chapter 298: Grub
Chapter 298: Grub
¡°What is that?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. I was hoping you would know.¡±
¡°My friend, I can assure you that green grubs that glow like starlight are not amon sight in my grove. I would go so far as to say that I doubt anyone from my grove has evere across a creature such as this, else I would have heard it mentioned.¡±
Tegwyn held the grub carefully in the palm of his hand, examining the small creature with studious intensity. The grub, still emitting its ethereal light, looked almost like a jewel. The only sign that it was a living entity and not some trinket carved from precious stones was the asional twitch and flex of its body. Tegwyn ran one finger down the length of the grub, the wonder obvious in his eyes.
¡°Where did youe across such a thing?¡± Tegwyn asked, not taking his eyes off of the glowing creature.
¡°Villthyrial gave it to me while I was visiting Destarious.¡±
The Dryad stilled as his gaze lifted to Jay sitting across from him.
¡°I do not yet know you well enough to understand your sense of humor.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not joking,¡± Jay shook her head, expression as grave as a tombstone.
¡°Yeah, if I were joking it would be me making the joke,¡± Syd added from where she sat off to one side while cleaning a piece of her armor.
Tegwyn¡¯s eyes darted back and forth between Jay and Syd, likely looking for some sign that this was a prank being yed. Finding no evidence of such, he slowly settled back in his seat while giving Jay a serious and considering look.
¡°You aplished much during your private meeting in the woods.¡±
¡°A fair amount, yes,¡± Jay nodded. Then, after a short pause, she rified. ¡°Eir is an Oracle. We used the time to reach out to Destarious.¡±
An unreadable expression flickered across the Dryad¡¯s face. He considered Jay for a moment longer before leaning forward and speaking softly.
¡°I take it that this is information that you, Eir, and the rest of yourpanions does not wish to be divulged to the public atrge.¡±
¡°No, we don¡¯t,¡± Jay confirmed. ¡°No one outside of Fortune¡¯s Favored knows her ss.¡±
Tegwyn looked around the interior of the wagon-tent that Jadis had invited the Dryad into. The rest of herpanions were gathered inside except for Kerr, who was patrolling the camp and keeping an eye out for anyone who might be trying to listen in on their private conversation. All the other women were sitting or standing along the outer edge of the tent tarps, discussing various topics. They weren¡¯t shouting or anything overt, but they weren¡¯t being quiet either. The constant stream of chatter acted as an additional barrier to anyone who might be trying to eavesdrop on Jadis and Tegwyn¡¯s quiet discussion.
¡°Then I swear to you now that the information you have trusted me with shall never pass my lips outside of your or Eir¡¯s presence,¡± Tegwyn spoke seriously, not a hint of his usually yful demeanor about him. ¡°I swear it by my roots.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°Also, and this is kind of beside the point, but I want you to consider this as sort of an eptance of your proposition earlier. If you want to join Fortune¡¯s Favored, you are wee to.¡±
Tegwyn smiled then, a twinkle shining in his eye.
¡°Excellent! I had been considering immediately setting sail for distant shores once we got to this city on the coast I¡¯ve heard tell of, but I find the prospect of having goodpany at hand rather than strange sailors much more to my liking.¡±
¡°Sounds fair to me,¡± Jay grinned at the man. Then, motioning with a nod of her head, she redirected the conversation back to the grub. ¡°So. What do you think about the little green glowworm?¡±
¡°Even before the revtion of its origin, I can tell that it holds great magical power,¡± Tegwyn mused. ¡°The magic is practically overflowing from this small creature. Again, I have never seen anything quite like this before, so my experience is limited.¡±
¡°Can you talk to it?¡± Jay asked, head tilted to one side.
Tegwyn leaned back, giving her a strange look.
¡°Jadis. This is a grub.¡±
¡°I know that,¡± Jay quickly said while shrugging. ¡°But you¡¯re a Dryad. You all talk to animals and shit like that, don¡¯t you? Can¡¯t you, I don¡¯t know, say ¡®hello¡¯ to this little guy and figure out what going on with it?¡±
Letting out a bark of exasperatedughter, Tegwyn shook his head while rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand.
¡°My friend. I am a Dryad, yes, but we do not speak with animals. We can
with them, as in we can understand their intentions and make our own will known to them, but animals have no truenguage. An elk does not know what books or shoes are and has no words for them. Further, the simpler the animal the less understanding they have. Insects are¡ extremelycking. Few of them have more than the ideas of ¡®eat¡¯ and ¡®fight¡¯ and ¡®breed¡¯. The information one can gain from a grub is generally limited to whether or not they are hungry.¡±
¡°Well, what about a magic grub?¡± Jay pointed to the glowing creature. ¡°I mean, that thing clearly isn¡¯t a normal insect. Magic beasts are usually more intelligent than regr beasts, right? Doesn¡¯t it stand to reason that this little bug might have more intelligence to it?¡±
¡°A sound idea,¡± Tegwyn made a face. ¡°In theory, at least. However, the only thing that this grub ismunicating to me right now is that it is generallyfortable where it is and is growing a little hungry. Again, it¡¯s not like talking to a person, you understand. I can¡¯t ask a grub questions. It doesn¡¯t have the ability to understand what a question is.¡±
¡°Alright, got it. No Dryad magic to make this easier,¡± Jay sighed as she leaned back. ¡°How about this. Based on the knowledge that your patron god, Villthyrial, gave me this weird glowing bug, what do you think he intended for me to do with it? Because I have got to tell you Teg, I don¡¯t have a clue.¡±
The Dryad nced up at Jay, eyeing her with a smirk. He silently mouthed the word ¡°Teg¡± at her, which she responded to with a shrug. Shaking his horned head, he huffed out a breath and resumed his focus on the grub.
¡°Well, considering both the gift and its source, I would say there are two possibilities that are most likely. The first being, our Father may intend for you to eat it.¡±
¡°Are you serious right now?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Tegwyn motioned to the grub. ¡°There are tales and parables of long past encounters between Heroes of old and Villthyrial giving gifts that when eaten bestowed great power. Now, to be fair, those gifts were usually described as fruit of some kind, or as in the tale of the Verdant Knight and the Glowering Roc, it was a small stone that the hero had to swallow. In any case, Villthyrial¡¯s blessings oftene in the form of a bounty meant to be consumed.¡±
Jay eyed the wriggling worm with a newfound sense of distaste.
¡°I don¡¯t really want to eat this thing,¡± she muttered sourly.
¡°Even if it would grant you great power if you did so? In that same tale, the Verdant Knight gained the ability to turn his skin to stone at will, bing a nigh unstoppable juggernaut. It was that power that allowed him to defeat the ancient Roc that threatened his kingdom.¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t too sure about the whole "turning her skin to stone" thing, but she couldn¡¯t deny the appeal of being granted some magical power from a god. She really didn¡¯t want to eat a grub, especially since she doubted she would be allowed to cook it first. Somehow, pan frying the magical worm seemed like it would take all the magic out of it. Still, based off of the vibes Villthyrial gave her during their short encounter, she didn¡¯t think he was trying to trick her or anything. This grub was definitely supposed to be a reward. Maybe his gift would give her some crazy ability that would be extremely useful to her. It was worth consideration, at least.
¡°What¡¯s the other possibility?¡±
¡°Rather than eating, the intention may be for you to care for the grub,¡± Tegwyn advised as he carefully passed the worm back to Jay. ¡°This is, after all, the nascent form of something that has yet toe. Whatever this grub may one day transform into could be the true gift Villthyrial meant for you to have.¡±
That¡ made more sense to Jadis. A lot more sense, the more she thought about it. If Villthyrial had wanted her to eat his gift, was there any reason why he wouldn¡¯t wrap it in a more ptable shape? A strawberry or something like it would go over with her a lot better than a worm.
¡°Of course, you may still end up having to eat whatever this grub grows into.¡±
¡°Seriously?¡± Jay gave Tegwyn a disgusted look.
¡°What? It¡¯s a grub. Probably it will grow into a moth or a beetle of some kind. Those can make fine meals.¡±
¡°Okay, well, putting aside eating the damn bug for now,¡± Jay rolled her eyes, ¡°how do I care for it?¡±
¡°It has a simr appearance to the grubs of certain types of tree beetles I know of. I will prepare you a mix of earth and roots to put inside a container for the creature. Some honey won¡¯t go amiss, either. With your permission, I¡¯ll keep a careful eye on the grub to make sure that it stays well.¡±
Jay nodded in appreciation.
¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll take you up on that.¡±
Tegwyn stood to go then, but before he could walk away Jay rose and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look up at her questioningly.
¡°Onest question, actually. When ites to municating¡¯ with animals, like my new goats, are there any tips you can give me? I mean, from what you said it sounds like it isn¡¯t all that straight forward.¡±
¡°It is and it isn¡¯t,¡± Tegwyn shrugged. ¡°There are skills and spells that can make it easier, and we Dryads have an innate understanding that those not of our kin do not possess. Those factors aside, the main thing I would advise you to remember should you wish tomunicate better with your goats is that they are not Nephilim.¡±
¡°¡I know they aren¡¯t Nephilim,¡± Jay replied dryly.
¡°Yes, you know that intellectually, but you likely aren¡¯t thinking about the differences between a sentient mortal such as yourself and a beast such as a stone crusher goat. From my observations of you, I would say that you are generally quite good at reading people. You understand bodynguage well and can interpret facial expressions and tone with great uracy. It¡¯s part of what makes you so easy to talk to and why others enjoy yourpany. You understand them, and they understand you because you know how to make yourself understood in the same way.
¡°However, when ites to an animal like a goat, there are differences in how they think and understand the world around them that would invalidate your experience. For example, that lovely grin you so often shine towards others is charmingly roguish, much like my own. It puts most people at ease and makes them feel friendly towards you. Grinning at a goat does not do the same. A goat sees another animal that is baring its sharp teeth at it, not unlike a snarling wolf or bear. A grin is a threat to a goat, not a sign of friendliness. That is the sort of thinking that will serve you when trying to interact with an animal on their terms.¡±
Jadis nodded along to Tegwyn¡¯s words. His advice was useful, though she had no ns on applying it to the four goats in her possession. No, her mind was focused on Alex, her strange little demon, currently curled up inside of a crate in the wagon.
She had been using bodynguage to express herself to Alex andmunicate basic concepts, which had shown some sess. But looking at it from the perspective of Tegwyn¡¯s guidance, she was probably going about it all wrong. She¡¯d been trying to get Alex to understand her, when really, she needed to focus on understanding Alex. The demon wasn¡¯t a human. Yes, she¡¯d confirmed that Alex was sentient, there was no doubt left in her mind on that front. But she still wasn¡¯t a human, or rather, a mortal being in the same sense as Jadis or herpanions were. Even if Jadis had shown up on Oros unable to understand a single word out of A¡¯s mouth, she and A still would have been able tomunicate with each other decently well. They had a lot of things inmon, after all, despite their many differences. They both had the same general body shapes. They both ate the same things, drank the same things, had childhoods that followed simr developmental cycles. Fuck, they both breathed air, didn¡¯t they? The same could not be said for Alex on any of those points. She was a truly alien form of life.
That, Jadis realized, was going to be the key to trulymunicating with Alex. The demon had been doing all the work so far, moving and acting and even speaking in ways that were intentionally easy for Jadis to understand. Now it was Jadis¡¯ turn. To connect with Alex, she needed to learn how to speak Demon.
Chapter 299: Return
Chapter 299: Return
Finding time to speak with Alex was not easy. Jadis couldn¡¯t use the excuse of a private mercenarypany business meeting every night. That meant that any furthernguage lessons between her and the demon would have to be done inside the tent, preferably during the night when most of the camp was asleep. Fortunately, Jadis could go a long time on little sleep thanks to her trick of letting two of her bodies rest while the third stayed awake. As long as she wasn¡¯t too active, she would be rested enough, especially since she didn¡¯t have to drag around the wagon every day anymore.
A¡¯s warning that they keep Alex secret from Noll and the Reavers made sense. Jadis trusted Noll with her life; he had proven himself a stalwart ally and a generous mentor, but he had always been upfront with her from the start. He was in Far Felsen on business, and that business was spying on her for the Second Prince. Anything he learned he would have to report so long as he was on the job. So, if she wanted to keep Alex¡¯s unique nature a secret from the powerful noble, she had to keep the secret from Noll as well. At least until he was done with his contract, at any rate.
Jadis didn¡¯t want Kestil to know about Alex. Well, she didn¡¯t n on keeping him in the dark forever. While she wasn¡¯t certain about where everything would end, she hoped that she would be able to gain some kind of dispensation for Alex that would grant her a ce in public society. Jadis had no illusions that such a position wouldn¡¯t be costly to her personally, but she wanted to at least be able to select who she bargained with. She didn¡¯t know Kestil. She didn¡¯t know what he might ask of her or what he was inclined to do if he saw Alex as an opportunity to gain leverage over her. When she eventually, inevitably, met with the prince, she wanted to do so on even footing, or at least better footing than she currently had under her. To that end, Jadis was willing to bargain for Alex¡¯s freedom with two people. One was Vraekae. Frustratingly annoying as she was, the magistrate was at least a known quantity. The other was High Priest Gerhardt. Jadis didn¡¯t know the man well, but he had always been kind and fair whenever Jadis had met with him. Further, since he was a high priest, he had a good amount of pull both politically and with the general public. If she could get a high priest on her side regarding Alex, Jadis was sure that would go a long way towards getting Alex the safety and autonomy that she wanted for the demon.
All of that hinged, however, on keeping Noll in the dark regarding Alex.
To that end, there were two people that Jadis couldn¡¯t keep out of the loop. Both because their assistance in keeping the secret was needed, and because there really wasn¡¯t any easy way to keep it from them anyway. Furthermore, both were prospective members of Fortune¡¯s Favored. If Jadis had her way, they¡¯d both be inducted into thepany once they made it back to Far Felsen. So, Jadis had to tell both Tegwyn and Sorcha about Alex.
They took the revtion rtively well, all things considered.
¡°What the bloody shit baskets baked in a miller¡¯s pie am I looking at right now?¡± Sorcha had asked with clear fear in her wide eyes. ¡°Because that looks like fucking Eike wrapped in demon skin!¡±
Jadis and the others had been forced to exin quite a lot to the goblin woman after that. Eir¡¯s status as an oracle, Jadis¡¯ conversation with Destarious, Alex¡¯s unusually friendly demeanor and intelligence; it was a lot to take in for the witch. By the end of the long, private discussion that took ce in the back of the wagon, Sorcha was tentatively on board with keeping Alex¡¯s existence a secret.
¡°I¡¯ve got to tell you,¡± she had confided in Jadis, ¡°I¡¯m mostly on board with this because that demon of yours did actually save my life. If it, or she, hadn¡¯t done that, I¡¯d probably being saying bollocks to all this and be screaming for that big therion bruiser toe save me from you crazy cultists. As is, I do feel like I kind of owe the bugger.¡±
Jadis could appreciate the honesty. The fact that the goblin was so upfront with her doubts while also being willing to go along with the unusual situation just further reinforced Jadis¡¯ decision to keep the goblin around. She really wasn¡¯t a bad sort, just someone who had fallen in with the wrong crowd. She¡¯d been wasted on Stavros. Jadis swore to herself that she¡¯d treat Sorcha much better.
After Sorcha, Jadis had introduced Alex to Tegwyn. His reaction had been somewhat more muted than the goblin¡¯s, though he had still evinced quite a lot of shock. The first thing he had said regarding Alex, though, had managed to shock Jadis right back.
¡°Do you not have any clothes to give the woman?¡± Tegwyn had motioned at Alex who had hovered halfway out of her crate while staring at the Dryad. ¡°I¡¯m not one to mind nudity, but I¡¯m finding the sight of a naked demon woman to be oddly distracting.¡±
Thatint had made Jadis realize just how stupid she¡¯d been topletely overlook Alex¡¯s nudity. She herself had grownfortable being naked around herpanions, which had somewhat tranted to not minding being naked in front of decentlyrge numbers of people. By extension, seeing others unclothed feltmonce to her, natural even. Besides which, Alex had made no indication that she cared about wearing clothing, or that she was bothered by the cold.
Letting Alex continue to prance aboutpletely nude wasn¡¯t a good idea, though. When they got back to Far Felsen and introduced Alex to Vraekae and High Priest Gerhardt, having some clothes on the demon would probably improve first impressions.
Other than pointing out the obvious to her, Tegwyn was fairly epting of the demon. He by no means trusted Alex, he made that very clear. He did, however, trust that Jadis was telling the truth about what Destarious had said. He was leery of where the experiments with Alex would go, but he was alsoforted by Villthyrial¡¯s presence in Jadis¡¯munion with D. Since Villthyrial hadn¡¯t made any kind of objection, Tegwyn felt that meant he¡¯d given tacit approval of whatever was going on.
One thing that Tegwyn did promise Jadis was that if he received any guidance from his patron god directly, he would be sure to let her know. As it was, Villthyrial was silent. Not unusual, Tegwyn assured her. He was a subtle god, one that did not like to interfere in the affairs of mortals often. Tegwyn vowed to keep his ears open, though.
With both the promised silence and aid of Sorcha and Tegwyn, Jadis was able to find some time almost every night to talk with Alex. Not every night, though. Jadis still had to find time at least once every three days to satisfy the requirements of her lewd rituals with herpanions. On those days, she simply could not have Alex around. She was still fixated on having sex with Jadis, so putting her in the position of watching while being denied participation was not something Jadis would do to the frustrated demon. On those nights, Sorcha was given the duty of keeping the demon inside of her crate and distracted, which worked out surprisingly well.
After her initial temper tantrum, Alex made no moreints about staying in the crate. She usually spent all day long inside the closed box, making no sound whatsoever. At least, for the first few days. After being on the road for a while, though, Sabina and Sorcha told Jadis how the demon had scared the pants off of both of them when she¡¯d snuck half-way out of the crate to watch what they were doing. She hadn¡¯t fully left the crate though, Sorcha had noted, so she supposed Alex was sticking to the letter of thew, if not the spirit.
Good information, Jadis supposed. She could assume then that Alex had some concept of being a sneak as well as knowing that she could get in trouble.
Sabina and Sorcha didn¡¯t mind Alex watching them. She was quiet, made no attempt to talk to them or interfere in anything they did, and quickly retreated into the crate whenever anyone came close to the wagon who wasn¡¯t one of Fortune¡¯s Favored. Sabina suggested that Alex had very good hearing or some other method of sensing, since the demon could hear peopleing before either she or Sorcha did.
During the night, when everyone was asleep except for her own people on watch, she would sit with Alex inside of the wagon and quietly talk with the demon. Sometimes one of the others would join her, but mostly it was just a Nephilim to Demon interaction. Jadis divided their time up into sections. Half of the time she would focus on teaching the demon about hernguage, and the other half of the time she would focus on learning what she could about demonic methods ofmunication. The results were mixed.
In a continuation of their lessons before Alex¡¯s transformation, Jadis would bring out the letter blocks and practice reading and writing with the demon. Pattern recognition was easy for Alex; she had no trouble memorizing the letters, the sounds that went with them, and even the spelling of words that wereid out for her. Jadis could string several sentences together for Alex and she could repeat them back with near perfect uracy. Comprehension, however, was the roadblock. Some concepts were simply too difficult, or too alien, for Alex to understand. Not with her limited vocabry, at any rate.
One of the odder hangups that Jadis encountered while teaching Alex was the idea of food. The demon didn¡¯t eat. She didn¡¯t understand what eating was, nor why Jadis and the others were shoving bits and pieces of things into their mouths on a regr basis. The whole concept of having to consume edible materials in order to fuel the body confused Alex to the point that Jadis couldn¡¯t exin it to her. The issue wasn¡¯t helped by the fact that Alex didn¡¯t need to breathe, either. Sleep was optional, too. She could enter into a sort of torpor when not doing anything important, but she wasn¡¯t truly asleep and she didn¡¯t need to rest in order to recover. All the basic functions of a normal mortal creature were absent in the demon, which made Jadis question if Samleos had cheated the covenant in some way. Demons were supposed to be the mortal avatars of the God of Death on Oros, yet if they didn¡¯t run around getting into fights with literally everything they saw, they appeared to be functionally immortal. Jadis was sure there had to be more to it than that, since the goddess Metethys had Golems, being made of living stone, as her avatars and those weren¡¯t some kind of loophole, she was sure. But how and why demons were so utterly different from the rest of life was something that Jadis added to her list of questions that needed answering.
The times when Jadis would focus on learning how to speak demon were even less productive than when she would teach Alex themonnguage. Alex wasn¡¯t much of a teacher. Jadis wasn¡¯t even certain the demon understood what she was trying to aplish. However, one thing that Jadis felt reasonably certain of when it came to demons was that they truly had no form of verbalmunication. It made sense, when Jadis thought about the behavior of the many demons she had fought over the months. Bone thieves and bramble fiends made no noise whatsoever. Twisted wretches did, but they were usually mindless squeals that bore no resemnce to any kind ofmunication beyond possibly alerting other demons that an enemy was nearby. Possession demons mimicked the noises of those creatures they possessed, but any time Jadis hade across such demons they only ever used those noises to trick people. Jadis had never seen a possessed creature try to speak to the other demons around it. Not even the Wailing Grudge, the most vocal demon Jadis hade across before Alex, had used its words to talk to the demons around it. Nomands issued, no request made. The only things that horrible greater demon had used its voice for had been to try and lure in victims or frighten and disturb its enemies.
It was as though demons knew that mortals used sound tomunicate and knew enough to take advantage of the fact but didn¡¯t actually use sound themselves.
So, armed with her strong suspicion, Jadis focused exclusively on trying to understand Alex through her other senses. Sight, smell, touch, and taste.
Sight was easy enough. Jadis was already using bodynguage tomunicate with Alex and the demon was doing the same with her. Only, Jadis tried to pay special attention to how Alex¡¯s tentacles moved when she wasn¡¯t putting on an obvious disy. Alex had a human face to read now that she¡¯d evolved, but that wasn¡¯t natural to demonmunication. The tentacles were really Jadis¡¯ only lead when it came to normal demonic bodynguage.
Smell and taste didn¡¯t have much sess. At least, Jadiscked the means to understand what a smell might mean to Alex. It was just too different from what she was used to as a person. Also, ¡°tasting¡± Alex had prompted all kinds of confusion and misunderstandings that took quite a lot of time to sort out. To Alex, Syd giving her a lick had been an open invitation to lick back and she had not wanted to stop.
Touch seemed to hold the most promise other than sight. Alex seemed toprehend the intention behind a gentle pat on the head or a calming palm on her shoulder fairly well. On the other side, when Alex used her tentacles to touch Jadis¡¯ bodies, she could usually tell what Alex was trying to do. Whether it was just to get her attention, expressing her distress, showing her affection, or trying to initiate something lewd, Jadis could almost always urately guess what Alex was trying to do with her touches.
While Jadis did feel like she was making progress, she also felt like she was barely getting anything done at all with her attempts at teaching Alex to talk. She had hoped that by the time they made it back to Far Felsen, Alex would be well versed in themon imperial tongue and she¡¯d be able to speak for herself when Jadis showed her to Magistrate Vraekae. A ridiculously hopeful ambition. All the same, Jadis still felt disappointed that she hadn¡¯t managed better when, nearly two weeks after leaving the Dryad¡¯s grove, the expedition came into sight of the border fort along the road that was manned by Bernd¡¯s des.
¡°Almost home,¡± Jay murmured as she stared at the fort with its green g waving from the watch tower.
It was about midday. They¡¯d almost managed to avoid the true Weigrun winter weather, but not quite. For the past two days it had been snowing nonstop. The road was covered in two feet of snow and it was only getting worse. Jadis was certain that the only reason why the horses were able to pull the soldiers¡¯ wagon was because her own wagon being pulled by her goats were acting as a giant snowplow. It had gotten bad enough that the Reavers, who had mostly stayed on foot for the journey, had too much trouble moving through the deep, heavy snow. Jadis had been forced to put them on the roof of her wagon just so that they could keep up.
¡°You think so?¡± A asked from where she sat on the wagon, a few feet away from Jay.
¡°Well, yeah,¡± Jay motioned towards the fort, its walls half obscured by the snowfall. ¡°The fort¡¯s right there. We might even be able to make it to Far Felsen today if we push our pace.¡±
¡°No, not that,¡± A said, drawing Jay¡¯s gaze. ¡°I mean, you think of Far Felsen as home?¡±
Jay paused at the question, taking a second to think it over.
¡°No, not really,¡± she said after a moment, shrugging her armored shoulders. ¡°To me, home is wherever my family is. So, you know. With you.¡±
The blush that crept up A¡¯s neck and to her ears made Jadis smile. She was happy to see she could still embarrass her imcable girlfriend.
¡°You are such a strange woman,¡± A shook her head.
¡°Yes,¡± Jadis didn¡¯t bother arguing. ¡°And you love me. So what does that say about how strange you are?¡±
¡°Flirtter, pups,¡± Noll¡¯s voice dragged Jadis out of her pleasant banter with her redheaded lover. ¡°There are riders approaching.¡±
Looking back towards the fort, Jadis saw that the old mercenary was right. A small band of men on horseback had left through the open gates of the fort and were pushing their way through the snow to meet them. It was hard to be sure at the distance and with the poor weather, but Jadis was fairly certain that two of the men, both tall and simr in build, were A¡¯s mercenary uncles, Gerwas and Ludwas. That thought brought a smile to Jadis¡¯ faces, but the thought that came after caused it to fade.
What was so urgent that the mercenaries couldn¡¯t wait for the expedition to get to the fort when there was a blizzard blowing snowdrifts as tall as her across the forest?
Chapter 300: Hearth and Home
Chapter 300: Hearth and Home
¡°Hail!¡± A deep man¡¯s voice called out, the sound muffled by the snow that was falling faster and faster as the day progressed.
¡°Hail!¡± Wi called back, riding her horse ahead of the expedition, both Jaxton and Landry riding next to her. Then, by way of introduction, she shouted, ¡°Captain Wi, returning with the mercenarypany Fortune¡¯s Favored from their expedition to search Kalters Wall for Nephilim survivors.¡±
¡°Of course you are,¡± a different man¡¯s voice, one that Jadis very well recognized, said just loud enough to be heard but just quietly enough that it was obvious that he should have been keeping his mouth shut. ¡°Can¡¯t mistake those three great big giants for anyone else, can we?¡±
¡°Shut it, Ludwas,¡± Captain Renz, the first voice, snapped. ¡°Captain Wi! With permission, we will scan the expedition with our detect stones before proceeding. It seems there have been additions made to the group from whenst you passed by the fort.¡±
¡°You have no idea,¡± Jay mumbled under her breath as Wi called out her agreement.
In short order, Captain Renz and the seven men with him all began quickly scanning the expedition members to confirm none had been possessed by demons. The men were all business, moving quickly and efficiently to get the job done. Once the soldiers moved close enough, Jadis found that her suspicions had been proven right. Both Gerwas and Ludwas were among their numbers, though none of the other men were anyone she recognized other than Captain Renz. The two brothers smiled and nodded at Jadis and the others, but otherwise stayed professional and didn¡¯t stop to converse, instead focusing on getting everyone scanned. To help, Jadis made sure to ask Sabina and Sorcha toe out of the wagon.
Better that the inspectors didn¡¯t go inside the wagon and risk seeing something that they shouldn¡¯t.
¡°Level fifty now, is it?¡± Ludwas said quietly as he stood near to his niece, A. ¡°What in the frozen skies have you all been up to for the past few weeks?¡±
¡°More than you can imagine,¡± A answered just as quietly.
¡°I can see that¡¡± Ludwas drawled as his gaze flitted between the giant goats, Tegwyn, Noll, and the Reavers.
¡°We¡¯ll talk once we get inside the fort,¡± A assured her uncle.
¡°No, no we won¡¯t,¡± Ludwas said, drawing a slight frown from the arcanist.
Jadis frowned too, though in the same moment as she was overhearing A and Ludwas, she was also a part of a conversation between Renz and Wi. Between those two, she was given more context.
¡°The magistrate has ordered we escort you back to the city immediately,¡± Renz told both Wi and Jay. ¡°No dys. We¡¯ll need to push on through the snow.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± Jay asked, folding her arms across her chest. ¡°We¡¯re within our expected travel time, aren¡¯t we? Did something happen?¡±
¡°The orders came four days ago. I have no official word as to why, simply that we are to escort you back to the city as quickly as possible. We¡¯ve been keeping scouts on the road looking for you. They were only driven back due to the blizzard.¡±
¡°No official word,¡± Wi repeated, her own frown creasing her brow. ¡°What¡¯s the unofficial word?¡±
Renz¡¯ face was hidden by his helmet, but by the way he shifted on his saddle, Jadis got the impression that the man was ufortable, either with the question or the answer.
¡°Nothing definite. There¡¯s been a lot of scuttle around the barracks in the city. Arrests have been made in the army. Multiple ships departing in the night. The magistrate is furious.¡±
¡°General Egilhard?¡± Jay asked, drawing a sharp look from Wi.
¡°Still in the city so far as I know,¡± Renz answered. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Best not talked about here,¡± Wi cut Jay off from saying more. ¡°Not where the seeds of rumors will grow.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± Jay agreed, not seeing the worth in arguing. Egilhard was probably going to be out on his ass or locked in a cell soon enough. Jadis could wait to talk shit about the asshole a little longer. ¡°If we¡¯ve got to push on, let¡¯s do it. Unlike the rest of you, I¡¯ve got three asses freezing in this snow and I want to get somewhere warm as soon as possible.¡±
¡°What was that?¡± Renz asked, his voice perplexed.
¡°Yeah, sorry, I¡¯ve been lying about the whole triplets thing. I¡¯m actually just one Nephilim with a skill that gives me three bodies,¡± Jay announced matter-of-factly. ¡°Cover¡¯s been blown, so, yeah.¡±
Captain Renz sat very still on his horse for a moment before his head tilted to one side.
¡°Is this some kind of jest?¡±
¡°It is not,¡± Wi answered with mirthless chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ll exin as we go.¡±
With a course set, Jadis moved quickly to get the expedition across the final leg of the journey. To get as much speed as possible, Jadis unhooked the goats from their harnesses and put them in Tegwyn¡¯s care. She also had the horses unhooked from the smaller wagon as well. Considering her vastly increased Strength, Jadis knew she was more than capable of pulling the Behemoth with just two of her bodies now. In fact, she could probably manage with just one if she had to, though that would have been a strain.
Jay and Dys took the Behemoth while Syd took the soldiers¡¯ wagon. With everyone either in or on a wagon, or on horseback, Jadis rumbled forward like a freight train. The snow, more than two feet deep by that point, was only an inconvenience to her, not a barrier. She was certain that most wagons would have had to stop under such weather conditions. Maybe Vraekae had even intended for her and the others to leave the wagons at the fort and ride on without them for the sake of speed. A consideration made unnecessary thanks to Jadis¡¯ explosive growth.
With Jay and Dys in the lead, the expedition plowed through the heavy snow. Syd and her smaller wagon followed behind, then Tegwyn in his goat form along with the slightly smaller stone crusher goats. By the time all of them had passed, captain Wi and captain Renz, along with everyone else on horseback, had a clear path to move through. A fortunate circumstance, considering how fast Jadis was moving.
¡°You fuckers better hang on tight!¡± Kerr shouted into the wind at the Reavers who were on top of the Behemoth with her. ¡°If you fall off, Noll is going to have to pick you up and he won¡¯t be happy about it!¡±
Noll ran next to Jay and Dys, easily keeping up as he bounded through the snow like it wasn¡¯t there. At Kerr¡¯s words, he sent a re up at the archer. A re that Jadis was sure would be interpreted by anyone else looking as a threat backing up Kerr¡¯s words, rather than the annoyance that the old wolf was probably feeling towards his obnoxious kinswoman.
Even with the blistering pace that Jadis set, it still took a long time to get across the Broken Hills and all the way to Far Felsen. The road was winding, straight lines impossible through the unnaturalndscape, and she couldn¡¯t run the whole way. The horses were only normal beasts. Even with enchanted barding to help with their speed and stamina, they were only capable of so much.
By the time the walls of Far Felsen hade into view, the sun had already fallen below the horizon and night had taken full possession of the sky. With how hard the snow was still falling, Jadis couldn¡¯t even see the torches along the walls and towers until she was practically on top of them. The gates stood closed against the dark, but as their wagons rolled into the glow of the firelight, calls went out from watch towers. The massive double doors swung open at their approach, not even necessitating Jadis to stop.
In short order, the whole expedition was inside the walls of Far Felsen.
Everyone was cold. Frozen, really. Even A and Bridget who had skills to deal with the extreme temperatures looked chilled to the bone. They hadn¡¯t stopped to eat, either, so Jadis was sure the stomachs of herpanions were rumbling just as much as hers were. At that moment, Jadis was thinking fond thoughts of Hans and his meat pies.
¡°To the city hall, then?¡± Wi huffed, her breath freezing in the air.
¡°We should, yes,¡± Renz nodded as he started to urge his horse forward.
¡°You all can do that,¡± Dys said, waving her hand dismissively in the direction of the civic structure. ¡°We¡¯re going back to our headquarters.¡±
Both Wi and Renz turned in their seats to look at Dys.
¡°Jadis¡ª¡± Wi started, but Jay cut her off.
¡°It¡¯ste. It¡¯s cold. We¡¯re all tired and hungry. Whatever Vraekae wants can wait until the morning. Or, if she needs to see us that bad, you can let her know where to find us.¡±
¡°Your orders were to escort us back to the city, right?¡± Dys pointed to Renz. ¡°Not to Vraekae directly?¡±
¡°¡That is true, but I still¡ª¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be a stick in the mud, Renz,¡± Dys groaned. ¡°Let us at least eat before we have to deal with whatever bullshit Vraekae has waiting for us.¡±
Tossing a look at Wi, Renz heaved a sigh before motioning towards Gerwas and Ludwas.
¡°You two. Stick with the Nephilim. We¡¯re going on to report to the magistrate.¡±
¡°Get the prisoners down first,¡± Wi ordered her own troops. ¡°We¡¯ll take them straight to the dungeon to be held until proper proceedings can be done.¡±
Unfortunately, Wi¡¯s orders included Sorcha too. It made Jadis ufortable to see the goblin women taken away with the rest of the Reavers, but the captain assured her that Sorcha would be kept separate from the others. She had defected, after all, and thus there was a real risk of reprisal. Sabina wasn¡¯t happy to see the witch go, but Jadis told her that they would check on Sorcha in the morning. Jadis had every intention of following through on her promise to get Sorcha remanded to Fortune¡¯s Favored as soon as she could. There were other priorities, however. Not the least of which was getting Alex into their private building where there was less chance of any unwee surprises happening.
Leaving the extra wagon behind, Jadis and the rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored parted ways with the soldiers. There weren¡¯t any hugs or tears, but Jadis did feel strongly that she would see the soldiers soon. They had proven themselves to be stalwart allies over the days and weeks of the expedition. At the very least, she owed them all a round of drinks.
Tegwyn and the goats came with her as well, of course. The Dryad wasn¡¯t registered as a mercenary yet, but he would be soon enough and Jadis had no qualms about hosting him in their headquarters. Where exactly they were going to find a room for him, she wasn¡¯t sure. The building wasn¡¯trge and the second floor had basically been converted into a single bedroom and bathroom meant just for Jadis and her lovers. They¡¯d figure something out, she was sure. Though where the hell they were going to keep the goats, Jadis couldn¡¯t quite picture.
Noll also followed along. Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely surprised, though she had thought the old merc would have headed off to his own amodations in the city. She thought about asking, then realized there was no point. Noll wanted to be near her in case Vraekae really dide calling in the night, she was sure.
He probably wanted to eat some of Hans¡¯ pies too.
The streets were empty due to the blizzard and they made their way to the two-story building Fortune¡¯s Favored called home without issue. There was nowhere else to park it, so for the time being Jadis just left the Behemoth in front, blocking off more than half of the road with its bulk. While Dys moved to unload the crate containing Alex from the wagon, Syd showed Tegwyn the way to the back courtyard they owned. The goats would have to stay there for the time being, and Tegwyn would need help getting food for the big animals.
Jay, along with everyone else, piled in through the open doors of the mercenary hall, making a huge tter of noise.
¡°Thank the gods,¡± Kerr sighed in relief as she copsed onto her knees in an overdramatic fashion. ¡°I need to sleep for about a week, starting now. Jay, carry me to our bed.¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t you carry me?¡± Jayughed as she pulled her helmet off, shaking the snow from the dark metal. ¡°You¡¯re strong enough to do it.¡±
Kerr looked up at Jay, towering over her figure, still geared in her heavy te armor.
¡°Take all that shit off and we¡¯ll talk.¡±
¡°Hans? Are you¡ªoh! You are here,¡± A called out, her sentence interrupted as the barman pushed his way out of the kitchen carrying a tter of food. ¡°Good. I¡¯m d you kept the fire going for us.¡±
He looked surprised to see them, which was no shock to Jadis. It wasn¡¯t as though they had had any way of giving the man warning that they were on their way. They¡¯d told him approximately when they would be back, so she supposed he had been ready for their return since they were in the correct date range. Jadis appreciated greatly that he had been preparing food for them just on the chance that they might return that night, though if he had been doing that for days now it was probably a bit wasteful.
Then again, looking at the tter the man carried, maybe it wasn¡¯t meant for them and was instead his own dinner. It was only one meat pie, along with a mug of ale and a¡ bowl of milk? An oddbination, Jadis mused as she looked over the sight. Well, hopefully Hans could get them some kind of dinner going on short notice, even if he didn¡¯t have enough pies ready for the whole lot of them. At least, as A had pointed out, Hans had kept the fire going in the hearth.
As everyone continued to shake the snow off of their cloaks and boots, Jay moved towards the firece on one side of therge room. The hall was still fairly empty since they hadn¡¯t had time to fill it with furniture before their departure on their expedition. But there was a nice fire glowing brightly along with a few simple chairs ced around the firece.
Maybe ced a little too close to the firece. Was one of them on fire?
To Jadis¡¯ utter shock, a ball of fire was burning on the seat of one of the three chairs that they had scrounged up to put near the firece. Only, the chair itself wasn¡¯t burning. There wasn¡¯t even any smokeing from it. Instead, as Jadis watched, the ball of mes uncurled itself, two paws stretching out before it as a tail rose high in the air. It took a second for her to process what she was seeing, but finally the strange sight clicked in her head and Jadis realized that the mes weren¡¯t just fire, but fur.
Sitting upright, the creature turned bright green eyes in Jays direction, a gentle purr filling the room as everyone else took notice of the odd apparition.
¡°Oh, my,¡± the fiery cat said as it smiled kindly up at Jay. ¡°It seems Ulya has once more guided me true. I¡¯m so pleased to finally meet you, Child of Lyssandria. My name is Vita, High Priestess of Ulya¡¯s Temple in Eldingholt. May I have a word with you?¡±
Chapter 301: Lares
Chapter 301: Lares
¡°Did this seriously happen to me twice?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡± Vita asked, her head cocking to one side in a frankly adorable move.
¡°Never mind,¡± Jay mumbled as she nced sidelong at Noll.
Was she going to have to put in a standing order to Hans to not let weird furry people into their guild hall while she was gone? Getting ambushed like this again was not Jadis¡¯ favorite way of being greeted when returning home from a long trip. Well, she had to admit, she wasn¡¯t quite as thrown off her footing the second time around. Unlike the debacle with Noll, she knew what Vita was, if only through Eir¡¯s descriptions.
Vita was a Lares. Just as her elven lover had described, Vita looked just like a normal cat. Maybe a bit on therge side for a house cat, but not to the point where she¡¯d be confused for a wildcat. The big, obvious, unmistakable difference, however, was that Vita¡¯s fur was made up of burning mes. Yellow and orange fire radiated from the Lares¡¯ body, though rather than looking like some uncontrolled inferno, the mes spread out around her in a pattern that mimicked fur. If the scintiting mes had been still rather than constantly moving, Jadis might have been convinced that Vita was just an unusually bright long-haired cat. That could talk.
The talking part was kind of a big thing, too.
¡°Hello,¡± Jay said, making a conscious effort to not be a rude bitch like she had been in the previous simr situation. ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Ja¡ªJay.¡±
Jadis briefly stumbled over her name. She had resolved herself to the fact that the cat was out of the bag when it came to her triple-bodied nature, yet it still felt weird to introduce herself as anyone other than her assumed identities as triplets. She¡¯d tried it with Renz and it had gone over well enough, but that was someone she had at least a passing acquaintance with. Renz was on her list of people she felt she could trust in a pinch. This high priestess wasn¡¯t even in the same book. She felt like she might as well keep up the pretense, at least for however long it took to get the high priestess out of her house. She really didn¡¯t want to get bogged down in any discussions until after she¡¯d had a night¡¯s sleep.
Wait. Was ¡°cat out of the bag¡± an insensitive phrase considering presentpany? Thinking about it, Jadis decided she would keep that little idiom to herself for the time being as well.
¡°Ah, yes, Jay,¡± Vita said with a nod, as though she had expected the name. ¡°One of three sisters, or so I have been told. I do not see them with you. Are they nearby?¡±
¡°Yeah, just outside,¡± Jay hooked a thumb over her shoulder. ¡°They¡¯ll be in in just a second. Is there something we can do for you¡?¡±
¡°Perhaps,¡± Vita purred, her voice slightly raspy in a pleasant sort of way. ¡°And perhaps I for you. But, look at me. I have been ever so rude. Here I am chatting away when you have clearly just returned from a long and tiring journey. No doubt you are cold, hungry, and tired. And I have not even had the grace to introduce myself to your estimablepanions. Please, do go about your business, dear, and I will greet yourpany and perhaps do what I can to soothe your aches.¡±
Even as she spoke, Vita¡¯s mes red in brightness. A warm aura radiated out from the Lares, spreading over the whole room and everyone in it.
Immediately Jadis felt warmer. Even her two bodies who were still outside suddenly felt as warm as though all three of her were sitting in front of a crackling fire with a mug of hot coco in their hands. More than the temperature, Jadis also felt her stamina rejuvenate in a way that reminded her of Bridget¡¯s aura ability, only far stronger. Even the little aches and pains that came with wearing heavy armor for a long time were gone, leaving Jadis feeling just as refreshed as if she had just stepped out of a hot shower.
True to her word, Vita leapt off of the seat she had imed and began walking around to each and every one of Jadis¡¯panions. She spoke kindly, introducing herself to each one in turn, even taking the time to ask a few questions about who they were and where they were from. From the way she spoke, it seemed to Jadis that Vita already knew the answers to her questions but was determined to be polite and get the information directly from the source.
While all of them were respectful to the Lares, Eir was the most formal towards Vita out of all of herpanions. She bowed deeply, hands folded before her, and spoke to the Lares in a way that reminded Jadis of someone speaking to their boss. Which made some sense, Jadis supposed, since Vita was apparently a high priestess. That had to put her on the same level as High Priest Gerhardt, at least. Or perhaps higher, considering Vita had introduced herself as being the high priestess of a temple in the empire¡¯s capital. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how religious hierarchy worked on Oros, but she made a note to ask Eir as soon as she could get the elf away from Vita.
With the high priestess momentarily distracted, Jadis took the opportunity to get her other two bodies into the building through the back door. Syd and Tegwyn had moved the goats into the back courtyard while Dys hurried behind them carrying Alex in her crate. As soon as all three entered through the kitchen, Dys set the crate down and partially opened the lid to speak with the demon.
Alex¡¯s three bright eyes stared up at her upon opening the crate, her tentacles already moving to push their way out. Making a shushing noise, Dys motioned for Alex to stay where she was.
¡°Alex, stay,¡± Dys whispered while Tegwyn and Syd strode over to the door that led from the kitchen into the main room. ¡°Quiet. Stay. Okay?¡±
Alex didn¡¯t respond verbally, but a tentacle reached out and ran across Dys¡¯ face in a tender stroke. Jadis felt like she was getting a little better at interpreting the demon¡¯s touches, since she felt like the move had been an intentional effort to tell if Jadis was alright.
¡°Safe,¡± Dys said, though she wasn¡¯t wholly sure if Alex understood that word yet. ¡°Just, be quiet and patient, okay?¡±
Hans was heading back towards the kitchen then, so Dys hastily put the crate¡¯s lid back in ce. Then, to make sure no idents happened, Dys used the distraction that Syd and Tegwyn provided to take the crate down the stairs into the cer.
It was easy enough to use the idea that they now had a lot of valuable items in their possession as an excuse as to why they needed to unload the wagon right away, so while Vita eximed her delight over meeting Tegwyn, a native Dryad to Weigrun, Jadis unloaded a few more of the most valuable crates from the Behemoth. Once she¡¯d moved enough to feel like her actions weren¡¯t suspicious, Jadis resigned herself to the fact that it looked like she would be having four guests staying for dinner. Not only Noll, Gerwas, and Ludwas, but also High Priestess Vita. She politely excused herself from the ming feline to rush upstairs and take off her armor, followed by pretty much all of her girls, even Sabina and Bridget.
¡°Why in Lyssandria¡¯s perfect tits is the high priestess of Ulya¡¯s Temple downstairs?¡± Kerr demanded as she quickly stripped out of her own leather armor. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t she be, I don¡¯t know, in Eldingholt!?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that hard to guess,¡± A waved a hand at the trio of one Nephilim in one corner of the bedroom. ¡°She¡¯s here for Jadis.¡±
¡°Yeah, no shit. But why is she here?¡± Kerr cursed as she nearly fell over in her haste to remove her boots. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m about to have dinner with the damn emperor.¡±
¡°Vraekae might have called for her,¡± Jay suggested sourly. ¡°Or Gerhardt. It smells like some kind of political nonsense to me.¡±
¡°I do not think my cousin would have requested the high priestess of Ulya¡¯s Temple to travel all the way to Weigrun, Jadis,¡± Eir said in a subdued tone. ¡°She does not have the power to move them, for one. Nor do I think she would wish to risk such a venerable high priestess by having here to a city on the front line of the demonic invasion, especially when High Priest Gerhardt is already here.¡±
¡°Why would that make a difference?¡± Jay asked, turning to face Eir. ¡°Also, just how high up the chain ofmand is Vita?¡±
¡°As a rule, both the temple and the empire do not generally permit more than one high priest to be in the same high-risk location at the same time. What if the worst were to happen and the city were to fall to a demonic attack? Losing one high priest would be a tragedy. Losing two would be an utter disaster. High priests are an exceedingly rare ss that are not easily reced. High Priest Gerhardt¡¯s presence here in Far Felsen should prohibit all other high priests froming to this border city, for prudence¡¯s sake. Such a rule would not be broken lightly.
¡°As to her rank, High Priestess Vita is one of the few that have surpassed level one hundred. There are only a handful of high priests in each gods¡¯ temple that have exceeded that marker. I believe only a few priests would be her senior.¡±
From Eir¡¯s exnation, Jadis was quickly putting the pieces together to get a picture of what had been going on in Far Felsen while she¡¯d been away on the expedition to the north. Vita had shown up, likely just as unexpected and uninvited on Vraekae¡¯s doorstep as on her own, and demanded to see the mysterious Nephilim sisters that had shown up out of the blue. Since Jadis hadn¡¯t been present, Vraekae had probably been having a fit trying to appease the high priestess, which exined why she¡¯d put an order out to the border forts to get her back to the city as quickly as possible. It was also probable that Vraekae was trying to get Vita out of Far Felsen as quickly as possible to avoid any incidents.
At first nce, Jadis didn¡¯t think having a second high priest in town for only a short visit was really all that big of a deal. But then she remembered how demons were avatars, just like Nephilim or Lares. If Ulya had given Vita the nudge to be at the Fortune¡¯s Favored headquarters on just the right night to be around for their arrival, it was just as possible that Demons could be receiving the same kind of instinctive direction that several somethings worth killing could be found at the southernmost tip of thendmass.
Well. Jadis and her allies had just killed off two demon matriarchs, two greater demons, and literally thousands of the regr variety. With so many in, Jadis figured the number of demons wandering the Weigrun wilderness had to be depleted. Even their journey back to the city had been fairly unobstructed by demonic attacks. Hopefully that meant she¡¯d bought a little safety for the visiting high priestess.
Soon, Jadis and herpanions were changed out of their travel gear and into morefortable clothes. Feeling slightly more informed though still underprepared, she led them all back down the stairs to where Vita, Noll, Gerwas, Ludwas, and Tegwyn were already sitting around the solerge table in the room. Hans was busily setting out tes and mugs, as well as baskets of bread and tters of assorted cheeses and preserved fruits. She could already smell meat cooking in the kitchen, so it looked like Hans wasn¡¯t holding anything back for the impromptu return dinner.
¡°Noll was just telling me a little of your journey,¡± Vita said to Jay as they all squeezed in tight to find seats around table. ¡°It sounds like you have had quite the adventure! Clearly, you and your sisters are not ones to shy away from danger.¡±
¡°Ah, no, definitely not,¡± Jay quickly agreed. She found herself slightly distracted by having a conversation with a cat who was happilypping at a bowl of milk, but she managed to get her head back on track. ¡°We had an overall pretty sessful trip, aside from the fact that we didn¡¯t find any other Nephilim.¡±
¡°But other than that minor detail,¡± Syd huffed dramatically, ¡°yeah, it was good. Feels like we got a lot done.¡±
¡°A toast to that,¡± Tegwyn added, raising his mug in a salute to Jadis and the others. ¡°Praise be to the gods that you and yours came when they did, else my kin would have been in dire straits.¡±
¡°Returning alive is always worth a toast,¡± Noll agreed as he raised his own mug.
¡°To living another day, then,¡± Jay said as she took up her drink. ¡°Cheers!¡±
The toast did what Tegwyn likely had hoped it would and broke some of the tension that still lingered in the room. It helped that Vita didn¡¯t attempt any kind of interrogation or pursue some kind of obvious agenda. She was kind and attentive, asking questions and answering those asked of her, though otherwise not inserting herself into every conversation. She behaved, despite her lofty title, no differently from anymon guest that might join them for ate dinner. The Lares¡¯ behavior was calming enough that Jadis felt she was likely going to be able to get away with pushing off all important conversations until the next morning.
And then the front door banged open with a gust of frozen wind with a sternly frowning Magistrate striding into the room a moment after. The words she spoke were said with enough frost in her voice to put the blizzard outside to shame.
¡°Of course I find you here.¡±
Chapter 302: The Second Worst Kind of Dinner Party
Chapter 302: The Second Worst Kind of Dinner Party
Jadis stared at the ominous figure standing in the open door to her guild hall for a frozen moment. Around her, the rest of the table was just as still. She really shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that Magistrate Vraekae woulde storming down from the city hall to drag her by the ears to her office. But she had hoped that maybe the news Wi would have no doubt delivered to the magistrate would have won her a little consideration, at least enough for a night¡¯s peace.
Before Jadis could respond to the interruption, she was startled all over again as both of A¡¯s uncles, Gerwas and Ludwas, jumped to their feet so fast that their chairs ttered to the ground behind them.
¡°Magistrate!¡± both men shouted as they saluted the blue-skinned elf.
Vraekae ignored the two mercenaries as she stalked forward, mming the door behind her to shut out the cold and snowy wind of the night. She was wearing a heavy fur cloak, her usual military uniform partially visible underneath. The glowing red sphere that followed her everywhere hovered over one shoulder like some mockery of a pet bird. Jadis eyed that globe cautiously. She¡¯d seen Vraekae wield it in battle and she knew it was a thousand times more deadly than any war hawk or eagle.
As she strode up to the table, Vraekae¡¯s blood red eyes flitted over the gathering. Her icy expression didn¡¯t change, but when she met Noll¡¯s gaze, she did incline her head slightly in some form of familiar acknowledgement. She didn¡¯t speak again until her feet had brought her to a stop in front of the target of her ire. To Jadis¡¯ surprise, Vraekae didn¡¯t stand in front of any of her selves.
¡°High Priestess Vita,¡± the magistrate spoke in a voice that cooled the room by several degrees. ¡°I believe I requested that you do not leave your quarters without escort for the duration of your brief stay in Far Felsen. I remember asking this of you personally not two days ago. I did not think your memory would be so short.¡±
So, Vraekae wasn¡¯t here for her, but for the high priestess. That made a lot of sense, Jadis realized. Vita was here in her guild hall without any kind of visible escort. Sure, her CLR was past the one hundred mark so she was probably able to take care of herself, but her level didn¡¯t necessarily trante tobat prowess. Jadis was certain that even if Eir was level one hundred, she¡¯d still be an easy mark for a maligned thug at half her level, just because her skill and stats weren¡¯t geared towardsbat. She didn¡¯t know what sses Vita had, but Jadis doubted a priestess of the goddess of hearth and farming would have sses meant for fighting.
¡°Oh, fi,¡± Vita purred in a dismissive tone, her tailshing once to the side. ¡°You are being unnecessarily restrictive, Vraekae my dear. I have no doubt that I am as safe in your city as I would be back in the capital. Besides, you are being rude. Dare you chide me in front of our hosts without even greeting them?¡±
At the priestess¡¯ reproach, Vraekae¡¯s eyes narrowed to near slits. Her attention shifted then towards the Nephilim in the room, a fact that Jadis did not thank Vita for. Jadis had always bristled like an angry hound whenever she¡¯d butted heads with the magistrate. But tonight, with how Vraekae was looking at her, Jadis found that her normal attitude was curbed slightly. She wasn¡¯t exactly cowed by the elf, but she did feel a bit like a child who had tried to sneak something past their parent and had got caught red-handed.
¡°Good evening, Jadis,¡± Vraekae coolly greeted her, revealing that at the very least Wi had reported the nature of her ss to the magistrate. Of course, Vraekae had already known that fact about Jadis, but now she was making it clear that she wasn¡¯t making an effort to keep her secret for her anymore. ¡°I am gratified to see you returned safely from your expedition. I had hoped we would be able to discuss the details in my office.¡±
¡°Good evening, Vraekae,¡± Jay said back to the obviously pissed elf. ¡°d to be back. We had nned on reporting to you, we do actually have a lot to discuss. Just, in the morning.¡±
¡°Since it¡¯s, you know,te,¡± Syd added.
Syd didn¡¯t exactly droop under the withering re that Vraekae shot at her, but she did squirm slightly in her seat.
¡°Would you care to join us, cousin?¡± Eir spoke up abruptly, rising from her seat in a polite gesture. ¡°We were just sitting down to ate dinner. We can make room for you.¡±
¡°No thank you, I already dined this afternoon,¡± Vraekae rejected Eir¡¯s offer, though her stiff tone was far less icy towards her younger cousin.
¡°Knowing you, that will mean a cup of tea and perhaps a roll with jam. Please, cousin,¡± Eir pleaded in her most dulcet tones. ¡°Break bread with us in this happy gathering. It is too cold outside to not ept warmth when offered.¡±
¡°I am simply here to gather my charge and take her back to her quarters. The other high priests will not be pleased once they hear of High Priestess Vita absconding in the night.¡±
¡°Pish,¡± Vita tutted. ¡°If they are not here now, it is their own fault for not being as devout in their vigil. Listen to the girl. Drag me back by the scruff after dinner if you must but eat with us first. This meat pie that Hans has made is truly delicious. I¡¯ve not had better in the finest restaurants in Eldingholt.¡±
High Priests? As in, plural?
Jadis¡¯ eyes grew slightly wider at the realization of what Vraekae had just subtlymunicated to them. Vita wasn¡¯t the only high priest that had shown up in Far Felsen looking for her.
Dys¡¯ eyes met A¡¯s and she could instantly tell that her clever arcanist had picked up on the hint. Syd did the same with Eir and she had clearly noticed as well. Both had excellent poker faces and did not reveal their thoughts on the matter, but Jadis could guess well enough what they were likely thinking. Their minds had to be heading in the same direction as hers, she did not doubt.
How many high priests were there? Vita was a priestess of Ulya, but really, if any high priest were going to show up from the capital, shouldn¡¯t it have been one from the temple to Lyssandria? The appearance of a Nephilim would have been a lightning bolt to a religious sect who was dedicated to the same goddess who Nephilim were the avatars of. And if Jadis were to pick a second high priest other than one of Lyssandria to show up, she would have chosen a priest of Destarious, not Ulya. Considering her connection to D, surely one of his high priests would havee to check on her as well. And if those two hade, and so had a priest from Ulya¡¯s sect, who else might havee? Valtar? Villthyrial? All of them?
If a pack of high priests, possibly ones from every temple sect hade to Far Felsen looking for her, what was their purpose foring? Surely not to just say hello. Maybe they just wanted to see the resurrected Nephilim race for themselves, to verify the reports were urate. But they were high priests. They couldmunicate with the gods to at least a lesser degree, and Vita was an avatar race. She could have just sought guidance from Ulya and had her suspicions confirmed.
No, if the high priests had alle to Far Felsen in direct defiance of the hard rule to never have too many of their ss in the same ce during a demon invasion, then that meant they were here for what they considered to be an extremely important purpose. She could guess what that purpose was, but something told Jadis that she was probably going to be finding out soon enough. Vita had been the first to approach her, but she wasn¡¯t going to be thest. And the fiery feline hadn¡¯t even revealed her true purpose yet, either.
While Jadis had been distracted with her thoughts on the implications of multiple high priests showing up on her doorstep, Vita had convinced Vraekae to stay for dinner with the promise that she would return with the magistrate back to her quarters withoutint right after. Before sitting down, Vraekae had strode back to the door and spoken to someone outside.
That single someone turned into many as six soldiers wearing winter gear came into the room. They took up guard stances next to the door and in the corners of therge open room, filling the air back up with that aura of tension Tegwyn had managed to break minutes earlier. Gerwas and Ludwas both looked uncertain of themselves, like they were torn between staying seated next to their niece versus joining the soldiers along the walls.
With a nudge under the table and a quick nce, Jadis got A¡¯s attention and she quickly set her hand on her uncle¡¯s arm, urging him to sit back down.
Looking a bit harried, Hans came out of the kitchen and put down not a mug, but a ss in front of Vraekae, plus a bottle of wine to go with it. Vraekae took the offering with the air of someone who had expected it, which made Jadis wonder if maybe the magistrate had visited her guild hall a couple of times in her absence.
¡°Ahem,¡± Jay cleared her throat. ¡°Well, the more the merrier.¡±
In an effort to regain at least some of the atmosphere that had existed before Vraekae had walked in and squashed it like a bug underfoot, Jadis started up three different conversations at once. Since her selves were spread out around the table, it was easy enough to start talking to her neighbors. She didn¡¯t ask about anything in particr, just basic small talk to get other people talking. Despite her burning curiosity concerning the high priests, she still wanted to avoid any heavy topics as much as she could. She knew she¡¯d be caught up in only D knew what kinds of meetings in the morning. There were so many different things to talk to Vraekae about, ranging from Sorcha and the Reavers to the demon she currently had hiding in her basement, but there were also things she knew Vraekae and her holy guests were going to want to discuss with her as well. It was all a little overwhelming. Before she got into any of it, Jadis just wanted one night of solid sleep in her own bed.
¡°Jadis is your proper name, is it?¡± Vita asked Jay from where she sat to her left. ¡°That¡¯s quite a lovely name.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Jay smiled down at the cat woman. ¡°It¡¯s from a story my parents really loved.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not familiar,¡± Vita mused, her little tongue licking her chops in an oddly ordinary cat way. ¡°With the story, I mean. I should think I would remember a tale with such an unusual name. Were your sisters also named after characters from this story?¡±
¡°¡Yes. Yes, they were,¡± Jay answered, purposefully not correcting Vita¡¯s assumptions.
¡°Perhaps you will regale me with the story sometime in theing days,¡± the priestess said, empathy clear in her tone. ¡°I understand you have no other family left. You have my deepest sympathies for your loss. But should you wish to share the tales your family once told you, I would happily listen and pass those stories along among my own kin, so that they will never be lost to time and misfortune.¡±
Jay¡¯s expression turned into a far more genuine smile as her eyes flickered over to her lovely girlfriends, all four of them.
¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m not worried about losing those stories. I have a new family now. One that we hope to grow soon enough. I¡¯ll have many I can pass those stories down to.¡±
Vita¡¯s eyes narrowed, a cheshire grin spreading across her feline face. Just beyond her, Jay could see that Vraekae had also taken interest in what Jay had just said, her blood-red eyes focused sharply on her. Both women regarded Jay with their own odd expressions, but it was Vita who responded first.
¡°That is wonderful to hear!¡± She purred in obvious delight. ¡°I¡¯m certain that Aurea will be ever so pleased to hear that you have children on the way!¡±
¡°Ah, what?¡± Jay startled. ¡°No, uh, not yet. We¡¯ve been talking about it and we¡¯re looking into it but¡ª¡±
¡°Oh, no need to fret my dear,¡± Vita interrupted her. ¡°I can see by the look in your eyes that it¡¯s no longer a question of ¡®if¡¯ but ¡®when¡¯ you will have little ones. I shan¡¯t press you further for details, but I want you to know that when the timees, I would be happy to serve as midwife. Ulya will undoubtedly grant her blessings upon any births, and I have spells that can help ensure a healthy pregnancy and an easy delivery.¡±
With every word Vita spoke, the more attention was drawn from others around the table and the more Jay felt like crawling into a hole and dying from embarrassment. Vraekae looked like she had a hundred words sitting on the edge of her tongue. Gerwas and Ludwas were looking between a scarlet red A and Jadis¡¯ three bodies, their expressions a mix of shock and panic. Sabina and Bridget were both staring at the other women of the group with their own surprised expressions while Noll had buried his nose into his mug, looking for all the world like an ufortable father listening to his daughter talk about sex. Tegwyn had his hand over his mouth and was holding back an avnche ofughter. Eir was nervously ncing between Vita and Jay while Thea had gone stiff as a board, her brown eyes wide as saucers. And Kerr¡
Kerr was just sitting there with one elbow on the table and her chin on her hand, grinning at the show.
¡°That¡¯s a kind offer,¡± Jay finally forced out in response to Vita. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±
¡°Good, good,¡± Vita purred, seemingly oblivious to the havoc she had just unleashed. ¡°Of course, should you wish to have children that are not half-breeds, you¡¯ll have to consider incestuous coption. A generally distasteful practice, but necessary in some circumstances such as yours. I¡¯m not sure how it would be necessarily with Nephilim, but I know of a few priests who should be able to help make sure there are no deformities in the children, should that be an option you and your sisters wish to explore.¡±
Suddenly, talking to Vraekae about Alex and Sorcha felt like a far better option than her current conversation.
Chapter 303: Gathering of Priests
Chapter 303: Gathering of Priests
The morning was cool and crisp, a sharp ocean breeze carrying along the smell of salt and ice. The sun¡¯s light sparkled off of a nket of snow that had covered the city three feet deep, transforming the streets and buildings into featureless uniformity that was nheless beautiful in its clean simplicity. Whole quarters of the city were silent, the reduced poption who still remained mostly staying indoors on this clear day after a blizzard. The few who were moving outdoors on this quiet morning were on official business: city guards changing shifts at the wall, soldiers preparing to go on patrol,borers working to clear the main streets from all the snow, and nine-foot-tall Nephilim mercenaries marching on city hall to meet with a gaggle of priests.
Of course, Jadis wasn¡¯t alone. All of herpanions had wanted toe with her to meet with Vraekae and the priests, if for no other reason than to offer their support, but the magistrate had preemptively disallowed that from happening. After the extremely awkward dinner on their first night back in Far Felsen had quickly ended, Vraekae had ordered Jadis to report to the city hall first thing in the morning with no more than two of herpanions apanying her. She¡¯d then heavily implied that those twopanions had better be Eir and Tegwyn or no one at all.
Jadis liked the fire-cat priestess Vita. She was kind and friendly and honestly gave off a sort of motherly vibe that made Jadis feelfortable with the Lares in a way that she did not with many other authority figures. However, the business of excitedly talking about Jadis producing children, whether they be with her lovers or with her own ¡°sisters¡± had been one of the most excruciating few minutes of her life. And as someone who had literally been set on fire to the point of having her skin melt off, Jadis felt like the assessment held a lot of weight.
As bad as that had been, it had given Jadis some hint of the reason the high priests hade all the way from the capital to the distant colonial city. They weren¡¯t here to confirm if Jadis really was a Nephilim but had insteade to make sure that the only ¡°three¡± Nephilim known to exist in the whole world didn¡¯t stay at just three.
Now, that wasn¡¯t to say there weren¡¯t other agendas hiding under the table. Jadis wasn¡¯t so blind to political machinations as to think that nine different priestly envoys would seek her out just to make sure she was doing her part to repopte the species. There were definitely other reasons for the high priests to seek her out. Jadis had no doubt that some of them had to do with political favors and support; Vita didn¡¯t seem like the type but Jadis doubted that the Lares got to be a high priest of a temple in the capital by ignoring politics. Jadis was going to have to tread carefully to make sure she wasn¡¯t sucked into any partisan quicksand in theing meeting.
Jadis hadn¡¯t gotten as much sleep as she would have liked before going into this meeting, either. As soon as all of their guests, including two decidedly concerned and overexcited uncles, had left the mercenary headquarters, Jadis and herpanions had spent hours discussing what their game ns were. Eir in particr had done a lot of the talking as she had not only gone over all the information she had on any and every high priest that she thought could have possiblye from Eldingholt to speak with Jadis, but also went over all the information she herself had ever reported to High Priest Gerhardt about Jadis. Eir had previously admitted that she had passed information on her experiences with Jadis to the temple head as a matter of course but had not borated overmuch on what she¡¯d said. Now that it was clear that Vita knew about Jadis being a hermaphrodite-type Nephilim, A wanted Eir to go over even the smallest detail that she may have told Gerhardt since it was more than likely that all such information had been passed along to the other high priests. In theing encounter, it would help Jadis to know what the priests already knew about her.
Crunching her way through the snow the next morning, Jadis wished she had A with her. While her arcanist girlfriend wasn¡¯t a priest or a politician, she did have a sharp mind that would have been very wee as an added defense against a group of people who had who knows how many hidden motivations. Having Eir apany her was excellent since, as a priestess and someone of noble lineage, Eir had a wealth of experience walking through the same circles as the kind of people Jadis was about to meet with. But Vraekae had limited the number of participants, probably because she wanted to lessen Jadis¡¯ defenses, and she¡¯d told Jadis to bring Tegwyn instead of any of her otherpanions. And Tegwyn was a far cry less wee of apanionpared to A.
Well, that wasn¡¯t fair. Tegwyn was a good man. Even though Jadis hadn¡¯t known him that long, he¡¯d shown himself to be both a congenial and trustworthypanion. And while he wasn¡¯t any more experienced with politics than Jadis, he was a fellow avatar race. That fact alone gave him the advantage of having a god in his corner who might offer some guidance should Tegwyn and his Nephilim friend wander into some truly troublesome weeds.
She was also probably being unnecessarily bitchy about Vraekae, too. There were more reasons to limit the number of people Jadis brought with her other than putting her at a disadvantage. One reason that Jadis could think of right away was that the magistrate was probably just trying to keep the high priests safe. It had to be stressful having that many important guests dropped into herp, the expectation that she had to keep them secure from all harm weighing heavily on her. Jadis could admit a begrudging sympathy with Vraekae when she thought of it that way.
After all, Jadis spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about how to protect those who were special to her.
¡°What do you think about the city so far, Teg?¡± Syd asked Tegwyn, noticing the Dryad¡¯s head was on a swivel as they made their way to the city hall. ¡°And now that I think about it, have you ever been anywhere like this before?¡±
¡°No, not really,¡± Tegwyn answered in a distracted tone. ¡°I¡¯ve visited a few smaller settlements in the past, but I never came this far south. Just little viges.¡±
He was quiet for moment as his gaze tracked the movement of a woman sweeping the snow out of the doorway to a shop. The woman stopped to stare at their group right back, her eyes moving up and down the smiling Dryad in a way that made Jadis smirk. After they had passed, Tegwyn seemed to remember he had been asked more than one question.
¡°Oh, yes, this city is much nicer than I had expected. My father and other Dryads had told me that manyrger cities tend to be overly crowded and unclean, but so far Far Felsen has been rtively pleasant. Not enough trees to be anywhere I¡¯d want to settle my roots, but nice enough.¡±
¡°Some cities can be untidy ces,¡± Eir chimed in. ¡°Though that is mostly a problem in border towns that do not have well-established local governments andck funding for public works. But you would love the capital, I am certain. The Great Eld Tree is a wondrous sight.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve heard tell,¡± Tegwyn nodded. ¡°The founding tree. I would like to see such an ancient work of Villthyrial¡¯s one day.¡±
¡°It is beautiful,¡± Eir smiled, clearly thinking of a fond memory. ¡°As is the rest of Eldingholt. Every street is lined with works of beauty and art. You could spend a year wandering the roads and alleys from dusk to dawn and still not find every statue and mural that has been ced for the citizens to appreciate and enjoy.¡±
Jadis liked the picture that Eir was painting of the capital city, but she doubted that her pure and sheltered priestess had a full picture. Maybe it was her Earthly background biasing her expectations, but Jadis doubted that any city could exist that didn¡¯t have a poorer quarter. There always had to be ces where the impoverished and downtrodden lived, and those ces were usually far out of sight of the ces where someone with Eir¡¯s background would live. Maybe Jadis was wrong and Eir was right and there weren¡¯t any rough ces in the capital. But she doubted her expectations would not be met.
Soon enough, the small group of pseudo-five people found themselves walking up the steps of the Far Felsen city hall. It had been more than a month since thest time Jadis had been to the municipal building but she didn¡¯t expect there to be any changes. For the most part, there weren¡¯t any, except that it looked like the number of guards who were normally stationed along the entrances and walls had doubled.
Before Jadis had even reached the top step, she found herself osted by a half-dozen well-dressed attendants. The group of men and women metaphorically swept Jadis off her feet, trundling not only her but Eir and Tegwyn along in a whirlwind of rushed greetings and official courtesies. In mere minutes Jadis was walking through a set of double doors that were actually tall enough that she didn¡¯t have to stoop to go through them. Beyond them was a massive chamber that was longer than it was wide. The richly appointed room wasrge enough that a few hundred people could have been amodated within, though the number of upants there to greet Jadis and her twopanions was far less than that number.
A long table had been set up in the middle of the room with exactly enough chairs around it for the people present, if Jadis included herself, Eir, and Tegwyn. None of the people around the room were seated, barring one exception. Standing at one end of the table was Vraekae, the blue-skinned elf dressed in an even finer uniform than the one she typically wore. Her perpetually cold expression was in ce, as was her glowing red ball of death. To her right stood High Priest Gerhardt, the old and bearded human man wearing a set of fine white robes. To her left was¡ª
Jadis nearly let out a curse. To her utter disbelief, General Egilhard was standing to Vraekae¡¯s left. He was also dressed in a formal uniform that was the match to what the Magistrate wore, though his chest was festooned with what Jadis assumed were military medals. The general looked serene, satisfied even. Not at all the way Jadis would have expected Egilhard to look after captain Wi had no doubt given her report to Vraekae. In fact, Jadis had fully expected not to see the general at all, except maybe in a courtroom or behind bars. But there he was, unruffled as an eagle surveying his rightful domain.
The distraction that General Egilhard presented was enough that Jadis almost missed the other people standing on either side of the table. Fortunately, she was able to gather her senses before she caused a disturbance and quickly took in the various men and women. It took only a nce to confirm what Jadis had feared might be the case. Of the nine men and women at the table that Jadis didn¡¯t know, every one of them looked like a priest.
There was, of course, one who Jadis did have an acquaintance with. Vita, a high priestess of Ulya, was the exception to the rule of everyone else standing. The fiery Lares sat on a kind of booster seat in her chair near the end of the table that Jadis was closest to. She gave Jadis a very feline smile before calling out to her ahead of everyone else.
¡°Good morning, dears!¡± Vita purred in that slightly raspy voice of hers. ¡°I¡¯m so d you could join us, Jadis. Eir and Tegwyn as well, of course.¡±
There was an amused sparkle in the ming cat¡¯s eye that made it clear that her words had been chosen with care. A nice signal to Jadis to let her know that not only did she now know the nature of Jadis¡¯ three split bodies, but everyone else present was aware as well. Jadis would have to thank Vita for the warningter. Maybe buy her a bucket of fish and another of cream.
¡°Yes, wee,¡± Magistrate Vraekae quickly said, taking control of the room with little effort. ¡°Please be seated. We have much to discuss.¡±
With a mental shrug, Jadis moved her three bodies together in purposeful unity. Taking hold of the three seats that were clearly intended for her bodies considering their unusual size, she sat down at the other end of the table, Eir on her left and Tegwyn on her right. She smiled in as polite and friendly a way as she could manage at the gathering before greeting them in perfect unity.
¡°Good morning. My name is Jadis Ahlstrom. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you all.¡±
Chapter 304: VIPs
Chapter 304: VIPs
Taking in the reactions of the people around her, Jadis saw most evinced mild surprise if they showed any emotion at all. Just as Jadis had suspected from Vita¡¯s warning, the secret of her multi-body ss was well and truly exposed. One face in particr that Jadis focused on was that of General Egilhard. The man was one of those that kept a nk, neutral expression when she greeted everyone in unison. The fact that the general likely knew her secret before this meeting told Jadis a hint of what was going on behind the scenes. Either he had some discreet line of informationing to him, such as a spy, or someone in a high position like one of the priests had clued him in. In both cases, it meant that Egilhard wasn¡¯tpletely without allies.
She couldn¡¯t waste all her mental focus on Egilhard, though. Just like in a battle with multiple foes, Jadis had to keep track of all the yers on the field, both allies and enemies. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure where many of the faces looking back at her fell on the spectrum of ally and enemy, but she hoped that most would at least be reasonable people.
Smoothly taking Jadis¡¯ cue, Eir and Tegwyn also introduced themselves, giving their names to the group atrge. Vraekae nodded slightly and, motioning to her right, began her own introductions.
¡°We metst night,¡± she said as she inclined her head to Tegwyn. ¡°But allow me to introduce you to High Priest Gerhardt, head of the temple here in Far Felsen. And this is General Egilhard,mander of his imperial majesty¡¯s armed forces in Weigrun.¡±
Both men smiled and greeted Tegwyn. While Gerhardt looked genuinely pleased to meet the Dryad, the smile didn¡¯t quite touch Egilhard¡¯s eyes.
¡°I would also like to introduce you all to our city¡¯s most esteemed guests. The temples in Eldingholt each saw fit to send envoys headed by high priests.¡±
While Vraekae was always the consummate professional, Jadis had met with the cold elf enough times to recognize the subtle differences between her normal chilly personality and when she was displeased with something. And by the way Vraekae was practically radiating enough frost to rival the ice dragon Vetregin, Jadis could tell the woman was pissed. Still, she politely presented each high priest to Jadis and her twopanions.
Now that she wasn¡¯t putting all her attention on the unexpected general, Jadis was intensely interested in the men and women that were arranged around the long table. They were a varied bunch, showcasing a wide variety of both species and outward personality. Jadis had half-expected that the gathering of high priests would consist of a bunch of elderly folks in white robes and dour faces, but the truth was far different. She examined each person as they were introduced to her, making note of every detail andparing them to what information Eir had been able to drill into her the night before.
Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if there was some sort of order of precedence to where the individual priests had been positioned, but the man directly to High Priest Gerhardt¡¯s right was the first to be introduced. He was a human, so far as Jadis could tell at least, and looked to be in his fifties or sixties. He was short and thin, probably only a few inches taller than Eir, with the paleplexion of someone who has spent most of their life indoors. His hair was gray and wavy and his eyes were steel blue. Unlike his peer, Gerhardt, he waspletely clean shaven. Also, unlike Gerhardt, his robes were not in white but a mix of white and blue, the colors of the imperial standard. He had a pleasant, modest kind of smile on his face and bowed his head to Jadis in a friendly greeting.
¡°Oswin Teel,¡± he said with a strong Germanic ent that reminded Jadis of A¡¯s uncles. ¡°High Priest of Valtar. An honor to meet you all.¡±
The way Oswin spoke, looking each of Jadis¡¯ selves in the eyes as well as Eir and Tegwyn, made her think of one of her professors in university back on Earth. He exuded that kind of confidence that spoke of a man expert in his field,fortable in his tenure and with no need to flex his status.
Directly across from the mild-mannered Oswin sat a man who looked to be his pr opposite. He was much younger, maybe forty at most, and didn¡¯t look wholly human. His hair was ck and his eyes were dark, and his skin had the look of a man who spent most of his life outdoors. He had a thick, dark beard that matched his hair. In fact, most parts of his body had a lot of hair. Not to the point of being furry like Noll, but he was definitely on the edge of werewolf territory. Starting at the bridge of his nose, he had a scar that ran across to his left cheek, disappearing into his ck beard. His ears weren¡¯t human; situated high on his head, they practically blended in with his hair with how round and covered in fur they were. It took a moment, but Jadis realized that they looked like a bear¡¯s ears. He didn¡¯t wear robes at all, and instead wore dark pants and a in tunic that exposed a lot of his thickly corded muscles. When he spoke, Jadis could see his teeth were unusually sharp and hadrge fangs, like a carnivore.
¡°Steingrimur,¡± he spoke in a deep baritone. ¡°Of Solheim. High Priest of Charos. d to see you aren¡¯t the helpless waif some worried you would be.¡±
The dark man¡¯sment brought a few looks of censure his way from the other priests, but he ignored them entirely in favor of staring down Jadis. Fortunately, Jadis had three different pairs of eyes, so she could easily leave Dys to engage the battle priest in a staring contest for as long as it might take for one of them to blink while her other two selves continued on.
Sitting to Steingrimur¡¯s left was a man who was just asrge and powerfully built, maybe even more so. Since his skin was green, Jadis thought that the hugely muscr priest had to be an orc, yet there were two ring differences between him and every other orc Jadis had ever met. Those being the two thick horns jutting out from his head. They weren¡¯t as long as Kerr¡¯s or even Noll¡¯s horns, but they were much wider at the base. Thebination of horns and green skin made Jadis wonder if maybe the man was a mix between orc and therion.
Looking past his possible hybrid origins, the man had short brown hair cut close to his scalp, red eyes that did nothing to soften his intimidating visage, and an exceptionally thick jaw. He wore clothes simr to Steingrimur¡¯s in that they were a tunic and pants, but his clothes were far more ornamented with stitched patterns. He also had a multitude of bracelets and bangles on his wrists and arms, some of which Jadis could tell were etched with enchantments. When he spoke, his voice was deep and rough, and had an ent to it that Jadis hadn¡¯t heard before.
¡°Doru of n Jormund. I serve Svaroga. May his hammer bless your works.¡±
Jadis was immediately certain that she needed to get Sabina in the same room as Doru. A high priest of the god of crafting and the forge was someone that the budding enchanter absolutely had to have a few words with.
Across from Doru and to the right of Oswin sat a man who managed to look even more unusual than the horned orc. Well, Jadis assumed he was a man, though that was mostly based on thepleteck of any feminine features. Not that there were many Jadis would call masculine, either. There wasn¡¯t a lot to go on at all with the strange creature.
He was, Jadis was certain, a Golem. That assumption came from the fact that the priest was made entirely from a dark bluish-green stone. The Golem¡¯s head was only vaguely human-shaped andcked any clear features, just hints of what could be a face. His tall and wide-shouldered torso had six different armsing out from it, and each arm had one more joint to it than was right. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if it was strange or not, but he was wearing robes in a toga-like style, not too dissimr from how the elder Dryad Yorath had dressed. The Golem wasn¡¯t unpleasant to look at, but he was definitely strange to the eye in a distracting way. If Jadis had topare the priest to anything, she would suppose he looked like someone had blended a man and a spider together and then let some Cubist artist replicate the result in a sculpture.
¡°I am called Myron,¡± the Golem said, his voice definitely masculine though higher pitched than Jadis had anticipated. ¡°I am a High Priest in the service of the Eldingholt temple dedicated to my god, Metethys. With your permission, I would like to transcribe what is said here today for our official record. I have already received permission from the others present.¡±
¡°Sure, that¡¯s fine,¡± Jay said after checking with Eir and Tegwyn.
As soon as she had agreed, Myron pulled a book from the folds of his robes and began writing in it with a pair of his lower arms. Bizarrely, rather than hold the book in one hand while the other wrote, the Golem set the book down on the table and wrote with two hands, each holding a pen.
Sitting to Myron¡¯s right was a man who was far less eye-catching than the Golem, though Jadis was certain that if he hadn¡¯t been sat next to the living modern art sculpture, Jadis would have thought the little priest to be exceptionally strange looking.
The priest was a goblin, with lime green skin and bright orange hair styled in a bushy mop that made Jadis think of dandelions. His bright purple eyes twinkled with a hidden merriment, like he was privy to some joke and didn¡¯t want to spoil the punchline for anyone else. He was, just like Sorcha,pletely proportional for his height. He had to be three feet tall at the most, yet his head and limbs looked to be the right size for his body. He wasn¡¯t a handsome man, but he wasn¡¯t ugly like Jadis pictured goblins either. His thin lips were parted in a half-grin that revealed rows of small, sharp teeth, but that was about the most monstrous thing about him.
He wore robes, but they were more form-fitting than the others and were a mix of cks, blues, and reds. He also wore five earrings in each of hisrge, floppy ears, a different colored stone represented by each of the ten pieces of jewelry.
¡°You can call me Sholto,¡± the goblin called out casually, like he was sitting in a bar rather than in a meeting with the highest-ranking people currently in the city. ¡°I¡¯ll give you three guesses as to which god I serve. Also, if it takes you more than one, I¡¯ll lose all respect for you as a person.¡±
¡°D,¡± all three of Jadis said without hesitation.
¡°Damn bloody right!¡± the goblin cackled gleefully. ¡°Wasn¡¯t sure if splitting a brain between three bodies would dull ya, but so far you seem to have all your ale in one cup.¡±
¡°Sholto, behave yourself,¡± Vita chided the amused high priest of Destarious. ¡°We are guests in thisnd. Save your jokes and pranks for the tavern, if you please.¡±
¡°I might not please!¡± Sholto shot back, though he gave the Lares a congenial wave. ¡°But then again, I might! Time will tell!¡±
Vita shook her head but didn¡¯t press the issue further. She had been sat across from Sholto and to Doru¡¯s left, which had probably been on purpose. Jadis imagined that the motherly cat needed to be where she could keep an eye on Sholto, who was obviously the troublemaking sort, though Jadis could also guess that it would have been a bad idea to put her directly next to the goblin. Sholto seemed the type to poke and goad.
Next to Vita and thest priest on that side of the table before reaching Tegwyn was another elven woman. She was the tallest of the three, taller than Eir and Vraekae, though not by much. Her skin was light green in color, almost like a pale nt¡¯s leaves, and her hair was the pink of cherry blossoms. Her almond-shaped eyes were also pink though they were a darker color than her hair. She was beautiful, though not in the voluptuous way of Eir. She looked more like a doll with her delicate features and perfectly straight long hair.
The elf wore robes that looked simr to what Oswin and Gerhardt wore, though there were significant differences in ornamentation. Small stones and pieces of bone were beaded all over her clothes, with both feathers and dried flowers mixed in. Across her chesty a ne made entirely of uncut crystals that had been tied together with leather straps. When she was introduced, her smile was thin and her nod slight, though Jadis sensed no hostility.
¡°Good morning. My name is Rhyswynn Salonen. I have dedicated my life to Villthyrial¡¯s service. I am d to have met you, Jadis. And you as well, Cousin Tegwyn.¡±
Tegwyn, Jadis noticed, seemed particrly interested in Rhyswynn. He grinned at her with a questioning look, then spoke in anguage that Jadis didn¡¯t understand. In response, the priestess nodded slightly and spoke a few more words in that same liltingnguage.
¡°Ha! I did not think to find family here,¡± Tegwynughed. ¡°Not even one so distantly rted. Still, what a fine day this is, Cousin Rhyswynn. We must talkter!¡±
¡°Yes,¡± the elf agreed with a single word and a soft smile.
Moving on from the two, Jadis was next introduced to the man sitting to Sholto¡¯s right. He was about the same size as the goblin, though of very different build and coloration. Tan and covered in those strange bluish markings, the priest was clearly a gnome. His light, sun-bleached hair looked like it had beenbed recently but wasn¡¯t used to the effort and his brown eyes had deep crinkles in the corners. The gnome looked like a worker rather than a priest, his strong hands covered in calluses. The blue robes he wore were very fine and looked expensive and were clearly his, but the man looked like he¡¯d be better suited to wearing a tunic like Steingrimur and Doru.
¡°I¡¯m Lonan Fairwind. High Priest of Tamar. I want you to know I put in a word with my goddess to cut the blizzard out once I heard you had returned, so feel free to give the credit for this fine morning to me.¡±
Lonan¡¯s words were clearly spoken with humor and were punctuated with a mischievous wink. Jadis could tell right away that the gnome didn¡¯t take himself too seriously, or his goddess for that matter. The way he spoke also reminded Jadis of the sailors she¡¯d met back on her first trip to war. Jadis wondered if the man had been a sailor himself before bing a high priest, or if those two upations were mutually exclusive. His patron deity was the goddess of storms and seas, after all.
Between Lonan and Eir sat thest high priest in the room to be introduced. She was also a human like Gerhardt and Oswin, but their race was the end of their shared characteristics. The woman was gorgeous, breathtakingly so. Her hair was golden blonde and her hazel eyes shone with a lustrous light. Her plump lips were set in a demure smile that constantly threatened to expand into a full-blown grin every time Jadis spoke and her gaze never left the Nephilim.
The priestess¡¯ figure was a match for Eir¡¯s and the delicately flowing white and purple robes she wore were designed to enhance her figure, rather than hide it. When she spoke, she leaned forward in a perfectly elegant way that also managed to show off her impressive cleavage.
¡°I am High Priestess Aurea Hightower, but please call me Aurea,¡± she purred in a way that was wholly different from Vita. ¡°I serve our Lady Lyssandria. I do not think you can begin to imagine just how much of a pleasure it is for me to meet you. When word of your existence made it to our temple in Eldingholt¡ªwell, you would not believe the furor that was stirred in even our most serene members.¡±
¡°I can guess,¡± Syd said from where she sat next to Eir. ¡°Must have been a surprise.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the understatement of the century,¡± Sholto said as he leaned to put his cheek on his fist. ¡°Could hear the screaming from the other side of the temple square.¡±
¡°Screaming¡?¡± Jay asked with one eyebrow raised.
¡°Shouts of excitement and joy,¡± Aurea quickly interjected before Sholto could say more. ¡°In praise of the gift that our Lady has seen fit to bestow us with once more.¡±
Lyssandria¡¯s gift. Right. So Aurea and the other priests didn¡¯t have any clue that Jadis was a product of D and not their goddess. That was going to be an interesting conversation. But one that would hopefully wait forter.
As the introductions had finally beenpleted, Vraekae took her seat. Her gaze swept around the table before settling back on Jay. For the briefest of moments, Jadis saw a slight frown tug at the elf¡¯s lips, but her expression quickly smoothed into her usual cool stoicism. With one hand she rapped the table with her knuckles, almost like the gavel of a judge calling for attention.
¡°Now that we are settled, we have multiple items on the docket to discuss for this meeting. As host and magistrate, I cede the ce of first matter to High Priest Oswin. As you please.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Oswin replied as he scooted forward in his chair slightly. His eyes moved over the assembled table before stopping on the three of Jadis. ¡°As High Priest of Valtar and a member of the Emperor¡¯s Holy Council, I petition that the Nephilim known as Jadis Ahlstrom be immediately removed from Far Felsen and ced in protective custody in the capital city of Eldingholt.¡±
Chapter 305: Tense Negotiations
Chapter 305: Tense Negotiations
¡°Well that¡¯s not fucking happening.¡±
The assembled high priests all turned their heads to regard Jadis¡¯ three selves with a mixture of expressions on their faces. Oswin in particr was giving her a look of censure, like a disapproving father, while Sholto was grinning widely like he¡¯d just heard a fantastic joke. Jadis didn¡¯t have time to examine the others in the room as the conversation quickly resumed from her strongly worded interruption.
¡°Do not interrupt,¡± Vraekae spoke with the authority of a god in her own domain. ¡°This is a formal meeting and participants will adhere to standard practices. Do not speak until you have been called upon.¡±
Jadis¡¯ teeth ground in three sets of mouths. All good will she¡¯d been feeling towards the magistrate had just flown right out of the window. It was suddenly very clear to her that Vraekae had truly intended this ¡°meeting¡± as a trap, or else she would have at least told her the rules of this apparently formal asion.
Jadis had already considered that the priests might want to put some limitations on her. It had been a major topic of discussion during their prep the night before. Still, hearing Oswin just out and out say he wanted throw her in some kind of cell for her own good was pissing her off to no end. There was no chance on Oros she was going to just sit there and watch them discuss her fate without speaking her mind.
Without knowing what else to do, all three of Jadis¡¯ hands rose into the air.
Vraekae stared at her nkly, as did the priests around the table.
¡°What are you doing?¡± Lonan asked after a moment, blinking in confusion.
¡°I¡¯m raising my hand to let the magistrate know I would like to be called on,¡± all three of Jadis said in a fair imitation of the frozen anger that Vraekae herself could exude. ¡°Since no one has actually told me what a formal meeting is, I¡¯m going by the rules I know.¡±
There were a few looks exchanged around the table. In particr, Jadis noted that Aurea was looking at her with worried sympathy while Egilhard had a slight smirk to his expression. Gods, Jadis wanted to punch him in his insufferable face. Followed shortly after by Vraekae.
¡°This is a discussion,¡± Oswin finally said, taking the reigns back. ¡°A formal one, to be sure, but perhaps in light of the cultural differences of those present, we should rx those formalities that are typically adhered to. With your permission, magistrate, I would motion that the table be opened to all.¡±
¡°I second the motion,¡± Sholto quickly added, his wide grin still on his green face.
¡°The motion is epted,¡± Vraekae once again rapped her knuckles on the table. ¡°The current topic is open to the table atrge.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Jadis said once more in perfect unity. ¡°Like I was saying. No fucking way.¡±
¡°The profanity isn¡¯t necessary to make your point,¡± Vita tutted, her expression clearly amused. ¡°Even a blind mouse could see that you are upset at the proposal.¡±
¡°Let her curse if she wants to,¡± Steingrimur waved a hand dismissively. ¡°We¡¯re not a bunch of fucking priestly prudes.¡±
Oswin clearly had a thought that was at odds with Steingrimur¡¯s statement, but after a moment of hesitation he must have decided that discretion was the better part of valor. With a short sigh, he turned his gaze back on Jay, choosing her as a focal point rather than switching his attention between the three of Jadis¡¯ bodies.
¡°My petition is intended for your safety, Jadis. Far Felsen is a city located in a border territory that is under direct attack by the current demonic invasion. Your own vige, thest of its kind so far as even you are aware, was destroyed by demons. You are thest of a race that has been thought to be extinct for two thousand years. It would be only prudent to move you to a safer area where you can be properly protected. I by no means intend to curtail your freedoms, simply assure your well-being.¡±
¡°It sure feels like you¡¯re infringing on my freedoms when you make a petition to have me moved rather than just asking me.¡±
Oswin nodded, not disturbed by Jay¡¯s usatory tone. He folded one hand over the other¡¯s fist, his expression one of understanding.
¡°I can see how you would feel that way. However, that is the purpose of this meeting. If it were our intent to simply make a decision concerning you without thought for your own will, we could have had this meeting back in the capital. In fact, it would have been far easier on us to do so rather than chartering a ship to travel all the way to this colony. This is a formal decision that is meant to set precedent in both how we interact with you, as well as any other situations simr to your own that may ur in the future. As such, we must treat the decision made here with the formality it deserves, rather than a simple ¡®back-alley handshake¡¯ as it were. With all of that said, your opinion on this matter is important, which is why several of us insisted oning to Felsen to meet with you.¡±
While Jadis digested that exnation, one thought came to Jadis¡¯ mind. Did Oswin and the other priests really think precedent was necessary? As in, did they think other extinct avatar races might show up? The idea made her want to impulsively exin to the priests that her existence was literally a god meddling in the affairs of the mortal world and that the chances of something like her happening again were pretty much nil. But then again, when she thought about it, there wasn¡¯t anything about her situation that meant actual pockets of Merrows and Dwarves might not show up someday. It was interesting to think that the priests were making ns that far ahead.
Jadis¡¯ thoughts were interrupted as the other priests continued to speak.
¡°It would not have to be a permanent move,¡± Aurea spoke up in a concerned voice. ¡°If love of your homnd is what spurs your objection to the petition. It would only be until the Demon Lord has been in by the Hero and the demonic invasion has ended.¡±
¡°Your safety is our prime motivation,¡± Myron added in his slightly echoing voice. ¡°There is room for negotiation.¡±
Prime motivation. Not sole. Prime. Jadis wasn¡¯t so dense that she missed that particr distinction.
Still, she was beginning to see where the battlelines were being drawn. Oswin, Aurea, and Myron were clearly in favor of locking her up in a gilded cage for her own protection. Maybe their intentions were good, but there wasn¡¯t a chance in D¡¯s nonexistent asshole that she was going to ept any deal that involved her being shoved into a backroom somewhere in the capital like some kind of fragile little princess. She was a lover, yes, but she was also a fucking fighter. She wanted to be on the front line.
¡°I¡¯m not interested in taking a backseat in the fight against the demons,¡± Jadis replied through Jay¡¯s voice alone. ¡°I want to be on the battlefield. I¡¯m good at it. It¡¯s what I do best.¡±
At her words, Jadis saw that Steingrimur was leaning forward, approval gleaming in his eyes. Next to him, however, Doru looked unhappy with the sentiment. Strangely, Jadis saw that Egilhard was also looking pleased with her statement, though why the general should be made happy by her words Jadis had no clue.
¡°Being good at fighting isn¡¯t a strong enough reason to keep you in harm¡¯s way,¡± Doru intoned in his deep voice. ¡°You are thest of your race. You have a responsibility to ensure your own safety until such a time as your bloodline is secured.¡±
There it was. The baby making.
Jadis had nned on going to the capital specifically for the purpose of visiting a priestess that would allow her to impregnate Eir, as well as maybe a few of her other bonded lovers who might be interested. She didn¡¯t need the priestess to ensure the conception was sessful; she had her own skill for that. Jadis wanted to keep adventuring and the priestess had a spell that would make it so that Eir¡¯s pregnancy would be paused indefinitely until they as a group were ready to settle down and make a home. Impregnating her lovers now was intended as a kind of insurance, just in case the worst should happen.
Her already intended ns would probably go a long way to satisfying the concerns the high priests had. However, Jadis considered the ns she had with her lovers to be private. It wasn¡¯t anyone else¡¯s business what she and her lovers did in their bedroom. She didn¡¯t want these prying assholes sticking their noses in what was an intimate decision made between her and those she loved. The thought of exining everything to them made Jadis¡¯ fists clench at the indignity.
¡°First of all, whether or not I have children isn¡¯t your god damn business,¡± Dys snapped at Doru, causing the man to defensively fold his arms across his chest. ¡°So don¡¯t even start with that ¡®responsibility¡¯ shit.¡±
¡°Second, I¡¯m not just good at fighting,¡± Jay said in a calmer tone. ¡°I¡¯m great at it. I unlocked my first ss this year. Six months ago, in fact. In that time I have already reached CLR fifty-eight. I¡¯ve also killed three demon matriarchs, three greater demons, and I don¡¯t even know how many magic beasts that were possessed. But you can count a possessed mage that was over CLR eighty in that number.¡±
¡°Saved a dragon from being possessed, too,¡± Syd added almost as an afterthought. ¡°A really big one that could have probably destroyed Far Felsen if that greater demon trying to possess it had seeded. So, you know, you¡¯re wee.¡±
There was a general silence in the room as the priests processed the information Jadis had just unceremoniously flung at them. The first one to recover and speak was the Golem, Myron.
¡°Do you have evidence to support your ims regarding the destruction of the greater and matriarchal demons, as well as the saving of the dragon?¡±
¡°I can attest as witness to almost everything that Jadis has imed is true,¡± Eir spoke up for the first time since introductions were made. ¡°I wasn¡¯t present for the first demon matriarch she yed, but I was for all of the others.¡±
¡°I can also stand witness,¡± Tegwyn put a hand on his chest, ¡°to the fact that Jadis has in multiple extremely dangerous demons and did save Vetregin the ice dragon from being subsumed by a greater demon. She did all of this, by the by, while saving my family¡¯s grove from being invaded by an army of demons.¡±
¡°The public record also confirms this,¡± Vraekae stated calmy as sheced her fingers in front of her. ¡°I have the full testimonies of captain Wi and all of her surviving subordinates that apanied Jadis on her expedition. They can confirm much of what Jadis just stated as fact.¡±
¡°Oh, this sounds like a good story,¡± Sholto cackled as he leaned forward towards Jadis. ¡°And a story told by the hero of it themselves! Do regale us, do indeed! I would pay a pretty coin to hear this tale from your lips!¡±
¡°The others are at a disadvantage,¡± Vita purred. ¡°I know some of the story from our talkst night, but the story should be retold in itspletion for all to hear.¡±
¡°Is it truly relevant?¡± Oswin asked, not angrily but with the tone of a debater. ¡°Jadis¡¯ recent deeds, no matter how valorous, do not change the fact that her safety is a priority considering the circumstances of her race.¡±
¡°I would argue that her capabilities should be taken into ount,¡± Lonan spoke up, turning in his seat to face Oswin. ¡°Your petition ims that she needs to be moved for her safety, but if the woman is more than capable of defending herself against even the most dangerous of threats in the area, what is there to fear?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s hear it,¡± Steingrimur pped his hand down onto the table for emphasis. ¡°Battles shouldn¡¯t be fought blindly. I want all the information.¡±
So Jadis told the story of her expedition, starting from when she left Far Felsen and all the way to her return. She didn¡¯t go into any private details of sses and skills, either her own or those of herpanions, though she did tell them about the levels that they had gained. Jadis made no attempt to hide the various close calls that she had, especially since she knew that Vraekae had Wi¡¯s report which likely would not spare any inconvenient details, but instead chose to spin those near-death experiences as proof of just how much punishment she could take and ovee. It wasn¡¯t everyone who could take magic daggers to the chest and walk away.
There were few interruptions from the priests as Jadis recounted her story. A few questions were asked here and there for rification, but overall they mostly stayed silent. As she spoke, Jadis made note of her audience¡¯s reactions. Some were hard to read, particrly Myron and Rhyswynn. The elf because she had a stolid deadpan to rival Vraekae¡¯s and Myron because he had no facial expressions at all. None that Jadis could see at any rate. However, Sholto was an active listener. Heughed, gasped, and even cried out in rm at various parts of the story. By the end of it, he actually gave her a standing ovation.
¡°Excellent! Most excellent!¡± Sholto proimed as he enthusiastically pped his hands. ¡°The delivery needs work or else you¡¯ll never make it as a bard, but the story was thrilling!¡±
¡°She¡¯s not a damn bard, you twit,¡± Steingrimur snarled at the excited goblin.
¡°Order, please,¡± Vraekaemanded as she once again knocked her knuckles against the table. Once Sholto had plopped back down in his seat, she motioned with one hand towards Jadis. ¡°Thank you for your testimony. While my office has not yet received the demonic cores for confirmation, I can again attest to the fact that Jadis¡¯ story is corroborated by the witness statements of my own guard that were present at the time of these events. Are we all in agreement that Jadis¡¯ testimony can be taken for factual truth?¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± all of the priests said at the same time. Even Egilhard and Gerhardt spoke their agreement.
¡°Then, considering we are in agreement that Jadis is more than capable of not only defending herself against even some of the most powerful of demonicbatants in Weigrun, but has in fact defeated many of them, by what argument do you make your petition that Jadis be removed from this territory and transferred to the capital in Eldingholt?¡±
Jadis stared at Vraekae with open confusion. Hadn¡¯t Vraekae just tried to shut her down at the start of the meeting? And now here she was making an argument that seemed pretty clearly against Oswin¡¯s attempt to have her sequestered somewhere safely under imperial control? Jadis frowned. Vraekae hadn¡¯t been so antagonist towards her just for the fact that Jadis hadn¡¯t followed protocol, had she?
Fuck. That was probably exactly the reason why.
Damn bureaucrat¡
¡°While I do not disregard Jadis¡¯ exceptional abilities,¡± Oswin replied to the magistrate¡¯s question, ¡°my argument is based on the fact that battle is unpredictable. Even the most powerful of warriors can be felled by unexpected circumstances. I am nobatant myself, but I think my colleagues who are more warlike than I can agree on that sentiment.¡±
Steingrimur, Doru, Loman, and Rhyswynn all nodded their heads.
¡°For the sake of the safety of thest Nephilim known to exist, I would contend that she should be moved to a territory that is safer than a war-torn border colony that is weeks away from any substantive aid should it be needed. The presence of so many demon matriarchs in the area alone should support my argument.¡±
¡°My apologies for disagreeing with your eminence,¡± Egilhard butted into the discussion at that point. ¡°I do need to add rity to your assumption. As of this date, we have no intelligence to support that there are any demon matriarchs still alive in Weigrun.¡±
Jadis had to stop herself from gaping at the general. Had he just joined in on the argument on her side?
She shook her head internally. Clearly this was some kind of ploy. General Egilhard had been ham-fistedly trying to entice her to join the military under hismand since they¡¯d first met. When she formed a mercenarypany, he¡¯d started working on trying to disband it in order to try and hem in her options. Now, seeing that she was pissed at the prospect of being spirited away by the priests, he was taking her side to seem like an ally. Jadis was sure that once the meeting was over, the general would have quite a lot to say about how on her side he was and how if she worked for him, he could leverage his influence to keep her in Weigrun.
As though she were so easily manipted.
Still, disregarding the obvious attempt to curry favor with her, Jadis was intensely interested by the general¡¯s statement. As were the priests, it seemed.
¡°No demon matriarchs?¡± Oswin repeated, one eyebrow raised high. ¡°None at all?¡±
¡°Correct,¡± Egilhard inclined his head. ¡°Taking into ount the Twisted Wretch, Bramble Fiend, and Nithetre matriarchs that have been reported in in the past month, the only other matriarch that was confirmed to still be in the territory was a Grundwyrm matriarch located somewhere in the northwest section of the mountains. However, as of nine days ago, the fifth division of my forces tracked the matriarch down and killed it about thirty miles from Fort Roundtop. With the grundwyrm matriarch¡¯s death confirmed, we have no evidence to support that there are any matriarch demons left in Weigrun.¡±
There were sighs of relief and murmurs of excitement and praise around the table. Jadis herself couldn¡¯t believe it. There really weren¡¯t any demon matriarchs left? Sure, that didn¡¯t mean Weigrun was totally safe or anything. There were still demons wandering the forests and hills, and who knew how many greater demons might still be out there. But, thinking about it, Jadis and herpanions had encountered rtively few demons on their way back to the city from the grove. If there were no more demon mothers out there to produce demon hatchlings, that meant the demons left weren¡¯t going to be getting any more reinforcements. With every skirmish fought, their numbers would dwindle until the demons would be gone from Weigrun. Which, while great for the locals, wasn¡¯t so great for Jadis and her mercenarypany. Ack of hostile demons to fight would drastically diminish their ie, never mind what it would mean for their leveling pace¡
Definitely a situation Jadis needed to think about.
¡°Do you have any further arguments to support your petition to have Jadis removed to protective custody in the capital?¡± Vraekae asked Oswin, her head tilted to one side.
¡°In light of the information provided by Jadis¡¯ testimony and the report given by general Egilhard,¡± Oswin leaned back, a contemtive expression on his face, ¡°none at this time.¡±
¡°Are there any further arguments from the table?¡± Vraekae addressed the meeting atrge.
When no further discussion was forting from the gathered priests, Vraekae nodded her head once and knocked on the table three times.
¡°Then as the duly appointed magistrate of the territory of Weigrun, I hereby deny the petition to have Jadis Ahlstrom removed to the capital. Until such a time as a higher authority overrules my decision, Jadis will remain awful citizen of this territory. Further, as the head of a mercenarypany in good standing with the empire, I see no reason to curtail her or herpany¡¯s freedoms or duties. I ce no restrictions on the activities of Fortune¡¯s Favored.¡±
Jadis let out a huff of breath. That was it? Oswin had tried to have her taken away, Vraekae had denied the motion, end of story? She honestly wasn¡¯t sure how to feel. She had thought that there would be a lot more arguments, maybe counter petitions orwsuits or however things like that worked in the empire. Instead, Oswin didn¡¯t even look all that unhappy with the oue. Shouldn¡¯t he be upset that his n had failed?
All in all, it felt too easy. Jadis wanted to be happy, but instead she felt like she was waiting for another shoe to drop.
And, of course, when that second shoe did drop, it was a big one.
¡°Moving on to the next item on our docket,¡± Vraekae continued with a nod towards Sholto. ¡°I cede the second matter to High Priest Sholto. As you please.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± the goblin said with a sharp-toothed grin. ¡°I petition that the elf known as Eir Aedraheill be immediately removed from Far Felsen and the territory of Weigrun and taken to the capital city Eldingholt.¡±
¡°What!? Why?¡± Jadis yelped in surprise.
¡°Because she is an Oracle, of course,¡± Sholto said in a patronizing voice. ¡°That¡¯s almost as rare as you are! Can¡¯t be letting you hog her all to yourself now, can we?¡±
Jadis clenched her fists. She had a new target to punch.
Chapter 306: Influence
Chapter 306: Influence
¡°Where did youe by this information?¡± Vraekae asked before Jadis could say anything. Though her words were directed at Sholto, her gaze was locked onto her cousin. ¡°Eir has only recently unlocked her second ss and my reports indicate it is a ritual-based priestess ss.¡±
Sholto smirked as his fingers slid under a chain that hung around his neck. Pulling on it, he revealed an amulet that had been hidden under his robes. The gold device was a t round disc with a hole in the middle. Something that looked a lot like mercury was contained behind ss inside the hollow middle. Intricate patterns were etched across the golden surface in atticework soplicated it was hard for Jadis¡¯ eyes to follow.
¡°Allow me to introduce you to Rowen¡¯s Medallion of Truesight. Take a good look, you might never see it again considering it hasn¡¯t left Destarious¡¯ temple in Eldingholt in over seven hundred years.¡±
¡°You brought one of your order¡¯s most sacred artifacts here?¡± Doru demanded, his brow creased with incensed fury.
¡°Considering the topic of conversation, I would say it was a prudent precaution. If she had turned out to be a Fetch that had somehow tricked the lovely magistrate, I wanted a way to track the dastardly miscreant.¡±
The way Sholto spoke it sounded more like he would have been proud of any Fetch that would have pulled the feat off, rather than upset.
¡°Irresponsible¡¡± Doru shook his head, but Vraekae cut him off before the conversation could be further sidetracked.
¡°This is not the topic you indicated to me you would be bringing before the table at this meeting,¡± the magistrate frowned as she regarded Sholto.
¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± he shrugged. ¡°But considering how the first topic went, I¡¯m not interested in pursuing any further action with Fortune¡¯s Favored at this time. No, the protection of an Oracle is of far greater concern, especially one that is dedicated to my patron deity! This young woman should be taken back to the temple to Destarious with all the haste of a drunk three cups too deep would be thrown out the door!¡±
At that deration, the rest of the table startled like someone had put red hot pokers under their seats. All of their reactions were tinged with shock, but Jadis¡¯ attention was drawn to the high priestess of Lyssandria sitting next to Eir. Aurea¡¯s perfect mouth fell open in a surprised O as her face turned as white as a sheet. She stared at Eir with as much intensity as she had Jadis¡¯ selves, though her attention was tinged with a great deal more confusion.
¡°Eir,¡± Vraekae addressed her cousin directly. ¡°Do you deny High Priest Sholto¡¯s ims that your second ss is that of an oracle?¡±
Eir¡¯s dark redplexion meant that she never looked pale, but Jadis knew her elven lover well enough to see when she was distressed. She was putting up a noble effort to remainposed, but her body was trembling with nerves.
Reaching over to her lover, Syd took Eir¡¯s hand and held it firmly, willing all of her love and support into her through her fingers. Neither of them had expected Eir to be ambushed like this today, and by Vraekae¡¯s reaction Jadis didn¡¯t think she had anticipated this either. But Jadis was here for her, just as Eir was there for her.
¡°I do not deny it,¡± Eir replied, her voice hitching slightly. ¡°My secondary ss is an oracle ss.¡±
There were murmurs from around the table, some too quiet for Jadis to pick out but she caught enough of them to get the impression that Eir¡¯s ss revtion was causing some major consternation and upheaval among the gathered high priests.
¡°And¡ªand you aren¡¯t an oracle dedicated to Lyssandria?¡± Aurea asked, her face a picture of crushed disappointment. ¡°Are you not a Beloved Cleric of Lyssandria? How did you be attached to Destarious with enough passion to gain a ss with his favor, much less that of an oracle of all things! That should not be possible! I do not understand!¡±
Eir opened her mouth to respond to the high priestess¡¯ plea, but no words came out. Distress was written all over her face and Jadis could imagine why. Though Eir had willingly epted her oracle ss, she¡¯d done so not out of a love for D, but of a love for Jadis. She¡¯d always remained stalwart in her worship of Lyssandria and always presented herself as one of her followers. To have one of the most high-ranking religious figures in her faith call her dedication to their goddess into question had to hurt.
¡°That would be my fault,¡± Syd quickly said, catching Aurea¡¯s attention away from Eir. ¡°My patron deity is Destarious and that had an influence on her ss options when she unlocked her secondary ss.¡±
¡°You¡ Destarious?¡± Aurea¡¯s tone was aghast. ¡°You are not dedicated to Lyssandria?¡±
¡°No she is not!¡± Sholto crowed with delight. ¡°She even has a ss blessed by the mighty D! She¡¯s one of mine, dear Aurea.¡±
The blonde priestess turned to look at the goblin, her face crestfallen. At the same time, Dys pointed a stiff finger at Sholto and growled with all the menace of a snarling manticore.
¡°I¡¯m not your anything. We worship the same god, but I make my own decisions. Don¡¯t start thinking I¡¯m going to listen to you over anyone else.¡±
Sholto put up his hands before him, palms out as though he were fending off blows.
¡°No offense intended, of course!¡± he quickly said, though he seemed more apt tough than cower in fear. ¡°But your fascinating ss aside, I think our focus should be on the oracle in the room, shouldn¡¯t it?¡±
From there a flurry of words began between the priests. To Jadis it was more like watching a table full ofwyers debating litigation than a liturgical discussion. Multiple different angles were examined in quick session as the high priests talked, the topics varying in range from the status of the only other oracle currently known in the empire, a woman named Kiera, to the precedent of previous generations where more than one oracle was alive in the country at the same time. To Jadis¡¯ surprise, all of the priests engaged in the debate heavily, even the ones she had gotten the impression were less than schrly. It seemed even if individuals like Steingrimur and Lonan looked like working men, that didn¡¯t mean that they weren¡¯t trained as priests, nor did they fail to take the position seriously.
From the way they talked, Jadis got a better understanding of just how important oracles were to the empire. Avatars received instinctual guidance from their patron deities, but the guidance wasn¡¯t always clear, nor reliable. Additionally, it was just gut feelings, not answers to precise questions. Those with a High Priest ss had the potential to unlock ritual spells that would allow them tomune with the gods, but those rituals were usually only avable at exceptionally high levels and weren¡¯t a guaranteed unlock. Further, high priestmunion rituals were limited in scope and usually had long cooldowns that could stretch for a year or even longer. An Oracle, however, could speak with the gods directly, or even allow others to do so. Precise questions, often more than one, could be asked and the answer was usually far more reliable.
The value ced on oracles wasn¡¯t just from the perspective of gaining answers, but also from how dangerous they could be. An oracle could ask the gods for information on another nation¡¯s military status, for example. A boon to the nation that had the oracle and a threat to the one whose military secrets had just been divulged. As such, the empire had a vested interest in making sure that any of their citizens who became oracles stayed citizens and weren¡¯t taken by another nation. If an oracle were to fall into the hands of a hostile organization, it could mean disaster for the empire.
¡°The standard protocol used during the reign of Uthar the Blue should apply,¡± Myron argued once more, one of his many hands pointed at Vita. ¡°A second oracle should be sequestered for the duration of the time the Hero¡¯s oracle is in the field. Once Kiera is finished with her duties aiding the Hero, then protective measures can be rxed. If Kiera should fall in the line of duty, Eir would need to be avable to aid the Hero as a recement.¡±
Jadis¡¯ temper nearly boiled over at the thought of Eir being taken away from her, much less sent to ¡°aid¡± the Hero. Jay bit her tongue, however, and refrained from bursting out in a rage. She¡¯d already been schooled by Eir and the others to keep her outbursts under control during this meeting. As she¡¯d already seen, it was better to talk things out with this crowd rather than escte into shouting.
¡°I disagree,¡± Vita was saying to Myron¡¯s insistent proposal. ¡°The Hero¡¯s Oracle is not a position that can simply be switched out like a candle that has burnt out. Besides which, Eir was given her oracle ss because of her proximity to Jadis. That is a clear indication that she should remain with Jadis, regardless of what may or may not happen to Kiera.¡±
¡°I agree with Vita,¡± Aurea spoke up, having regained herposure some minutes ago. ¡°In the previous case you point to, Myron, both oracles were dedicated to Charos. They were meant to walk the same path. Kiera is an Oracle of Valtar while Eir is an Oracle of¡ªof Destarious. Their purposes are different.¡±
Aurea¡¯s face had fallen slightly when she¡¯d had to say which god Eir¡¯s ss was dedicated to, but in the next moment she turned and smiled kindly at Eir with an encouraging nod.
¡°While not irrelevant,¡± Oswin frowned in consideration, ¡°I think we have strayed from the main point. As a citizen of the empire who has gained an Oracle ss, the emperor has the right to reserve one question per ritual to ask for matters of state. Should he choose to exercise that right on a monthly basis as Eir has indicated is her cooldown period, then Eir would need to be located somewhere near the capital in order to fulfill her duties.¡±
¡°Speaking of which,¡± Lonan added as he leaned forward, ¡°it¡¯s the right of the temples to petition an Oracle for answers to questions as well. I¡¯m not saying that we need to, or even should, but having the option is important. Now that doesn¡¯t mean that you absolutely need to be relocated,¡± he said while looking Eir in the eye. ¡°However, the responsibility having an oracle ss gives you is a weighty one. I¡¯m not sure having you all the way down in her Weigrun is the right choice.¡±
¡°Could you not send emissaries to perform the ritual with Eir when needed?¡± Gerhardt asked. ¡°So long as we know we can reliably find her in Far Felsen, I do not believe it would be that different a situation from what is currently the case with Kiera.¡±
¡°I would not perform the ritual with any emissaries the temple sends.¡±
Eir¡¯s sudden exmation brought the debate to a halt as all the priests turned to look at Eir. She sat with her back stiff, seemingly frozen in shock from her own outburst.
¡°Why not?¡± Lonan asked into the silence, one eyebrow raised in confusion.
¡°Yes, tell us, why not?¡± Sholto encouraged with a mischievous gleam in his eye.
Jadis hadn¡¯t thought it possible, but Eir¡¯s face actually managed to grow redder with an undeniable blush. For her face to darken like that, Jadis imagined the elf had achieved a blush of epic proportions.
¡°Because I will not perform the ritual with anyone other than Jadis.¡±
After a moment and an audible gulp, Eir added an additional stiption.
¡°Also with Jadis¡¯ other lovers.¡±
¡°Lovers?¡± Aurea and Oswin both said at the same time, though their tones were sharply different.
Before any further exmations could be made, Vraekae loudly rapped her knuckles on the table, silencing the high priests. With an utterly deadpan expression on her face, the magistrate addressed her cousin with amand.
¡°Eir. What is the full name of your secondary ss.¡±
¡°¡It is Lustful Oracle of D,¡± Eir quietly answered, not meeting her cousin¡¯s gaze.
As the priests had various reactions, Vraekae simply turned her eyes upon Jay.
¡°I assume your influence is responsible?¡±
All three of Jadis took a breath. She was finally being given an opportunity to make an argument and she wasn¡¯t going to let it slip by. Listening to all the high priests debate each other for the past ten minutes had given her some idea of what talking points might sway some of them to her side when it came to Eir. She wasn¡¯t going to be parted from her elven lover, and they were going to have the freedom to go where they chose. If she had to force the matter through violence, Jadis knew she had the conviction to do so. But if she could convince them with words, that would be the best result. And Jadis thought she knew the right words to use.
¡°Definitely my influence,¡± Jadis spoke in unison, nodding all three of her heads. ¡°Let me be upfront with everyone here since I know you already know this, Vraekae. My secondary ss is a ritualist ss that requires sex to perform the rituals.¡±
¡°And before you,¡± Syd pointed at Sholto, ¡°can say anything, the name of my ss is Perverted Ritualist of D.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anyone else¡¯s business, but at this point I¡¯m beyond being embarrassed by the idea of strangers knowing about the nature of my ss,¡± Jay shrugged one shoulder. ¡°So yes, because I regrly perform sex-based rituals with Eir and most of the rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored, Eir received a simrly themed ss when she unlocked her secondary ss slot.¡±
¡°And before you ask,¡± Dys addressed Myron, ¡°the answer is no. No, she is not the only one to have been affected by my ss and no, I will not tell you any further information about any of mypanions who may or may not have sses that were influenced by me. That¡¯s their private information.¡±
¡°What I do want to say though,¡± Jay continued, ¡°Is that I am certain of the reason why being around me has influenced Eir and others in such a significant way. It¡¯s the same reason why I am dedicated to D and not to Lyssandria.¡±
All three of Jadis once more spoke in unison, though Jadis made sure to use her Syd self to look Aurea directly in the eye.
¡°I was given a mission directly by Destarious to act on his behalf.¡±
The mood in the room shifted at Jadis¡¯ words. Surprise, rm, and caution all warred across the faces of those gathered.
¡°In what manner were you given this mission?¡± Oswin asked, his expression closed off.
¡°Directly. I spoke with him, without the use of an oracle.¡±
There was another brief silence, though only a brief one. It was shattered as Sholto once more jumped to his feet while mming his hands onto the table.
¡°I knew it!¡± he shouted, wild-eyed and exuberant as his feet pounded on his seat. ¡°I knew it! Destarious you bastard, I knew it!¡±
Jadis was taken aback by the goblin¡¯s crazed outburst. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure if it was happiness or anger that prompted it, Sholto¡¯s shouts were so wild. The others didn¡¯t seem overly concerned by the goblin¡¯s behavior, though, and instead continued to focus their attention on her.
¡°What, exactly, was the mission he gave you?¡± Rhyswynn asked, her quiet voice barely audible over the goblin¡¯s continued noise.
Jadis was strongly tempted to fudge the details. However, considering she was talking with people who potentially had the means to seek answers directly from the gods, she figured being forthright was the best course of action. Better to be upfront now with an ufortable truth than caught in a lieter.
¡°He asked me to make changes,¡± Jadis replied. ¡°More specifically, to bring an end to the cycle of heroes and demons. He was purposefully vague in his directions and told me to make the choice for myself on how I went about it, so I¡¯ve chosen to do everything I can to be powerful enough to stop any Demon Lord from ever invading Oros again. Ever.¡±
For the umpteenth time in their hastily gathered meeting, the high priests were silenced by another revtion. Even the trio of Vraekae, Gerhardt, and Egilhard were stunned, looks ofplete disbelief frozen on their faces. Vraekae¡¯s mouth was actually hanging open.
It was Steingrimur who spoke up first in reaction to Jadis¡¯ bold im. Taking a deep breath, he leaned back in his seat, brows furrowed and nose scrunched. He said one word.
¡°Bullshit.¡±
Chapter 307: Understanding
Chapter 307: Understanding
What made a person the Hero?
There were many reasons a person could be deemed a hero. From valorous deeds on a battlefield to works of great merit in a social context, there were innumerable avenues which a person could travel in their life to gain thebel of hero. But on Oros, the title of Hero came not from past actions but from the bestowal of two gifts. The first was a ss and the second was a mission.
The ss of Hero was always a primary ss. The individual who received it would have many variations to choose from, but the ss itself would be a Hero ss. No one but the ordained Hero of Oros had ever unlocked a Hero ss, which was not unexpected considering its providence. The Hero ss was considered to be a divine gift from the gods, one that the pantheon only granted to one lucky individual as a response to the resurgence of the demonic forces of Samleos led by the Demon Lord. Without having a Hero ss, a person could never be considered The Hero.
The other gift that every Hero received was a divinely mandated mission. Over the millennia that the demonic invasion cycle had repeated, every Hero born had always been visited by at least one god. This visitation often took the form of a dream, though it could be a more physical encounter depending on the situation. One of the gods who would visit the newly chosen Hero was always Valtar, while if there was a second, they would be one whom the individual most closely identified with in both their personal beliefs and past actions. Most Heroes of the past chose a ss rted to Valtar, but a strong minority had chosen sses rted to one of the other eight gods. No matter which god the nascent Hero most identified with, the mission was always the same: Stop the Spawn of Samleos from destroying mortal kind and destroy the Demon Lord.
Along with the mission, the gods who visited the new Hero would provide them with a relic of some kind. Usually they were given a weapon, sometimes armor or a tool of some kind. This item would be imbued with divine power and was intended to empower the Hero in their progress towards bing a force capable of defeating the demonic hordes invading thends. The relic would also serve as an identifier, making it easy for themon man to know that this person was the Hero. Aside from some form of identification spell, this divine relic was the main way most people were able to identify who the Hero was at a nce. However, there were other hallmarks of a Hero that were rtively unknown beyond those of the priesthood and the upper echelons of the imperial government.
One of those notable qualities was the way the Hero affected the ss options of theirpanions. It wasn¡¯t unheard of for one person to have an influence over another person¡¯s ss. One of the most well-known examples were ¡°Bonded¡± sses, though other examples existed like ¡°Loyal Follower¡± or ¡°Mortal Rival¡±. Still, in the case of those influenced sses, the descriptor tended to have more to do with the feelings of the person who had gained the ss than the person who stood as the focal point of the ss. This was not the case for Hero-influenced sses.
Thepanions that a Hero could have with them always ended up gaining powerful sses that were more than just the standard variety of Bonded ss. The impact that the Hero¡¯s presence had upon his closest adherents was pronounced and consistent. That was why every Hero had an Oracle to aid them, as well as Pdins, Arch-Wizards, and Bulwarks. To be thepanion of a Hero was to ept the inevitability that both one¡¯s ss choices and one¡¯s life were going to be altered. No one but the Hero had the ability to affect other people¡¯s sses with such power and regrity.
Except for Jadis.
Jadis, divinely chosen avatar of the God D, was not a Hero. That much the High Priests finally agreed upon after nearly six hours of debate. She didn¡¯t have a Hero ss and she didn¡¯t have a holy relic. However. What Jadis did have was a mission given to her by a god of the pantheon and, arguably, an intangible gift in the form of her starting attributes.
No one started with seventy points in a single attribute. Not in any history that High Priest Myron could reference, and the Golem had read a lot of histories. It wasn¡¯t umon for Avatar races to have higher starting numbers than other mortal species, but Jadis¡¯ numbers were beyond any ounting. So, while it was possible that having seventy points in her Eldritch stat from day one was just a fluke and she was extremely lucky, it seemed more likely that D had pumped up her numbers as a gift. And holy missions apanied by a divine gift were not something the gods gave to people, not unless that person was a Hero. Which Jadis definitely was not. Except, how else did one exin the undue influence her presence was capable of exerting over those who were her regrpanions? All of which was to say, didn¡¯t that mean that Jadis was actually some kind of non-standard Hero?
Such was the circr logic that kept the meeting going for an additional four hours after the high priests had decided that Jadis wasn¡¯t a Hero.
Considering the nature and duration of the discussion, Jadis felt she was due some credit for not pulling her hair out, screaming, or punching anyone. She did, at one point, challenge Steingrimur to an arm-wrestling match just to prove to the man that she did in fact have more Strength than he did, which he was not willing to readily believe. The relish with which she had mmed his arm down onto the table had probably been inappropriate, but after the first three hours of endless arguing she found that her ¡°shits to be given¡± reservoir had run dangerously low.
Seeing Steingrimur¡¯s face after she won three times in a row had helped make her feel better, though.
By the end of the excruciatingly long day, Jadis could say that a few things had been aplished. Not many things, but important ones. Firstly, the assembly of high priests had agreed that they would no longer make any petitions to move Jadis to some form of protective custody. Secondly, they would refrain from taking Eir into protective custody as well, pending further review. And finally, they had all agreed that Jadis was on a holy mission given to her by Destarious.
Thatst one was the most important item to get agreement on. While Jadis had secured both her and Eir¡¯s freedom from the high priests, she hadn¡¯t done so from the Empire. The temple atrge would abide by the ruling that their little council hade to, but the emperor and those who advised him coulde to a different conclusion and choose to act separately from the temple. However, since the high priests agreed that D had given her a holy mission, the temple would support her in that mission and would also strenuously object to any action the empire might take that would get in the way of her aplishing that mission.
Of course, part of that support came from the fact that Jadis had made it clear that her interpretation of D¡¯s mission was for the ultimate good of mortal kind on Oros. She was pretty sure that if she had chosen to assist demons with the eradication of all mortals from the face of the like Samleos wanted, then she¡¯d probably be locked down like a rabid dog. Even her status as thest remaining Nephilim probably wouldn¡¯t save her skin in that situation.
There were still issues to discuss, points to debate, and questions to be answered. However, after more than ten hours of talking to the high priests with no more than a brief lunch break of entirely too small sandwiches, Jadis was ready to go home.
As much as she wanted to leave the city hall and make a beeline for the rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored, Jadis couldn¡¯t go. Not yet. There were still a few things she needed to talk to Vraekae about, just not publicly. So, once the meeting was finally adjourned, Dys and Syd stayed with Eir and Tegwyn to talk in the room with whichever of the priests wanted to discuss less-official matters while Jay requested a moment alone with the Magistrate.
¡°First of all,¡± Jay said to Vraekae once they had excused themselves from therge hall, ¡°would you please give me some fucking warning about what I¡¯m walking into if you ever call me to one of these meetings again?¡±
Vraekae regarded Jay coolly in the dim light of the side room she had led her to. The room clearly hadn¡¯t been used for years if the dusty sheets covering the furniture were to go by. Judging by her posture andck of angry death vibes, Jadis thought that the elf had calmed down a bit since her obvious bad mood that morning.
¡°What would you give me for any such information?¡± she asked with no inflection to her voice.
¡°Give you?¡± Jay asked, one brow raised. ¡°I need to give you things formon courtesy, now?¡±
¡°Common courtesy you can have for free,¡± Vraekae replied with a slight wave of one hand. ¡°What would cost you are insights into the growing political storm you have stirred up. Knowing what¡¯sing and where to ce your feet is a valuablemodity.¡±
Jay¡¯s lip curled in distaste.
¡°Politics. Of course. I¡¯d rather not be involved at all, thank you very much.¡±
¡°I¡¯m certain of that,¡± Vraekae actually smirked for a moment before her lips smoothed back into a straight line. ¡°However, a life free of political intrigue is something you are no longer able to have. I had hoped this meeting had made that clear.¡±
Jay sighed, her shoulders dropping as she leaned her back against a wall. Folding her arms in front of her, she stared down at the marble floor with a crease in her brow and a glint in her eyes.
¡°Yeah, I know. I knew before I said anything about my mission that I¡¯d be stirring the pot. It¡¯s why I¡¯ve been avoiding saying anything about it. How deep in the shit do you think I am right now, anyway?¡±
¡°Thigh high, at least,¡± Vraekaemented. ¡°Which is extremely deep for one of your stature.¡±
Jay let out a bark ofughter. Had that been a joke? From Vraekae? What was the worlding to?
¡°Okay, look,¡± Jay said with a shake of her head. ¡°I¡¯m going to be level with you. All I want to do is work on my mission for D while spending my spare time with my loved ones. I don¡¯t want to get into politics. I¡¯m not looking for favors from people in high ces because I don¡¯t want to owe anything to people who would trade in those favors to do things that I wouldn¡¯t want to do. For real and true, I just want to be left alone to do my mission.¡±
Vraekae stared at Jay with an unreadable expression for a long moment before lightly sighing. Taking a short step, she took a spot against the wall to Jay¡¯s right, leaning there with arms folded in a simr stance while staring off into the dark corners of the dusty room. When she spoke, her voice was tinged with a wistful note that softened her cold tone.
¡°I have been active in politics since before my ss was unlocked. I do not think I need to tell you that my unlocking was a long time ago. While I have always seen it as both my calling and my duty, I cannot deny that there haven¡¯t been days when I wished I¡¯d chosen a different career. Perhaps I would have been happier if I had stayed in the military, or taken up a schr¡¯s robes, or settled down to marriage.¡±
Vraekae¡¯s jaw tightened after a brief second of silence, her voice hardening into something more like her usual coolness.
¡°That said, I would not change my past choices as I believe all that I have aplished so far in life has been for the betterment of the Empire, and the people of Oros. I consider you to be an excellent justification of that sentiment.¡±
¡°Me?¡±
¡°Yes, you,¡± Vraekae nodded. ¡°Because my life choices led me to this point in my career where I can offer effectual aid to someone of importance who needs it.¡±
Jay looked at Vraekae consideringly. She had to say, she hadn¡¯t expected those words toe out of the Magistrate¡¯s mouth. She knew that Vraekae had been trying in her own way to protect Jadis, but she¡¯d assumed that the motivation was entirely motivated by a desire to raise herself up the political hierarchy. The thought that Vraekae might have some ¡°Greater Good¡± goals in mind hadn¡¯t urred to Jadis.
¡°Well, thank you,¡± Jay said after the silence had settled between them for a while. ¡°But how much is the help you¡¯re offering going to cost me?¡±
¡°Minimally,¡± Vraekae said. ¡°I won¡¯t deny that my helpes with a price. However. I will swear to you, here and now and before the gods themselves, that I will not use any favors to force you into action that you would find repulsive to your moral code. Does that satisfy you?¡±
Jay nodded thoughtfully.
¡°That helps, yes. I¡¯m not going to try and skip out on any debts, but if you or anyone else asks me to do something I think is shitty, I¡¯m just not going to do it.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
Jadis smiled to herself. It actually felt like she¡¯d reached some kind of ord with Vraekae. A true one. Maybe they weren¡¯t ever going to be friends, but at least they understood each other and could work together. That was more than she thought might ever happen between them.
¡°Now, what else did you want to speak to me about?¡± Vraekae asked, tilting her head to the side so she could look up at Jay.
¡°Well, a few things,¡± Jay took a deep breath. ¡°Not really sure where to start, honestly. I guess with Sorcha and the Reavers, since I feel like that¡¯s the easiest.¡±
¡°I am already aware of the word you had promised to put in for the prisoners,¡± Vraekae cut Jay off. ¡°That was part of why I had asked you to bring Tegwyn to the meeting today. I had nned on discussing their movement to the Dryad¡¯s grove, but other ¡®revtions¡¯ took precedence.¡±
¡°You can say that again,¡± Jay mumbled before speaking up more clearly. ¡°What about Sorcha? Can we get her remanded to Fortune¡¯s Favored?¡±
¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± Vraekae agreed readily. ¡°She has no history of prior criminal activity and is rtively low riskpared to some of the others from the Roiling Reavers. Besides which, seeing you redeem a sinner such as her will boost your reputation among the temples.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t really be surprised that Vraekae was thinking about things like her reputation even in these circumstances. She wasn¡¯t sure the elf was even capable of turning the politics off.
¡°What¡¯ll that cost me?¡±
¡°Nothing,¡± Vraekae let out a breath. ¡°I consider it more than fair considering all you did for my investigation team. Thank you for returning them to me.¡±
¡°Cool,¡± Jay nodded in appreciation. ¡°Alright then. That actually brings me to my next topic. Why the fuck was Egilhard sitting in that room with us instead of in a jail cell?¡±
As soon as Jadis had asked the question, Vraekae¡¯s whole demeanor shifted into one of extreme anger. Frozen rage radiated from her as her lip curled up in a snarl. The glowing red orb that floated by her shoulder shifted, sharp spikes appearing across its surface.
Jadis leaned away slightly, suddenly feeling a lot lessfortable around the red-eyed elf.
¡°That is a long story. However, the short version is this: Captain Hakon is dead and Major Kreszentia is in custody. And General Egilhard is the ¡®hero¡¯ who uncovered their misdeeds.¡±
Chapter 308: Scapegoat
Chapter 308: Scapegoat
¡°Eleven days ago one of the military cargo ships docked in port set sail without authorization. The crew wasrgely left behind, including the captain. General Egilhard immediately ordered two patrol ships to give chase. They managed to catch up to the fleeing vessel within a few hours thanks to favorable weather conditions and several wind and water mages on board. The pursuers managed to board the vessel and the soldiers on board violently resisted capture. The majority of the deserters were killed in the ensuing battle.
¡°Once all deserters aboard the ship had either been killed or subdued, a search was conducted and more than four thousand pounds of eleria crystals were found in unmarked crates, along with several dozen more crates filled with the parts of various unreported magical beasts. Those few who had been captured alive were quickly questioned and their testimony coupled with the physical evidence confirms that apany of soldiers led by captain Hakon had been illegally mining eleria in the Kalters Wall Mountain Range via the use of an underground tunnel that they had found ess to in the vige of war.¡±
Jay blinked, a frown slowly working its way across her features. Eleven days ago would have been around the time she and herpanions were fighting the demonic horde and possessed dragon attacking the Dryad¡¯s grove. Considering she and captain Wi had witnessed the soldier activity in the mines under the mountain maybe six to eight days before that point, that meant that captain Hakon and his soldiers had likely immediately returned to war and had reported to General Egilhard. And what had Egilhard done?
¡°Are you telling me Egilhard just pinned all of this smuggling shit on Hakon?¡±
Vraekae¡¯s scowl was thunderous as she shifted away from the wall they had both been leaning against. She paced a few feet away, her hands sped behind the small of her back.
¡°I am exining that General Egilhard, through his own investigation, managed to flush smugglers and deserters out of the military forces here under hismand. At least, that is what the official report is going to say since I have no evidence to say otherwise.¡±
¡°Nothing?¡± Jay asked, pushing away from the wall herself. ¡°No evidence against that slimy shitstain at all?¡±
¡°Nothing that I could use against him in court,¡± Vraekae shook her head. ¡°Yes, this illegal activity happened under hismand, but he is hardly the first militarymander to have eggs go bad under his watch, nor will he be thest. None of the evidence or testimony that I had before the expedition could prove a connection to Egilhard and nothing that Wi has brought back can do so either. The highest-ranking officer I can make a connection to is Major Kreszentia and she¡¯s already been arrested by Egilhard.¡±
¡°No honor among thieves, huh?¡± Jaymented sourly as she took in what Vraekae was telling her.
Jadis had known that the testimony of the soldier they had captured, Jonas, wasn¡¯t going to be enough to sink Egilhard on its own. The man had never seen the general directly involved in anything rted to the eleria smuggling. However, she had hoped that with the evidence provided, it would be enough for Vraekae tounch some kind of criminal investigation that would catch Egilhard off guard with his hands in the cookie jar.
Though, realistically, Jadis couldn¡¯t have been too surprised that they had missed that opportunity. If Wi had gone back to Far Felsen with Jonas right away, then maybe Vraekae really could have done something. But since Wi and her soldiers had stuck with Jadis and herpany while they continued their expedition, they had given Egilhard too much time to get ahead of their investigation. Jadis couldn¡¯t say that she regretted her choice to not escort Wi back to the city; she¡¯d aplished too much and saved too many lives to be upset over her actions. But she did wish there had been some way to get Wi and Jonas back to the city faster.
¡°No honor at all,¡± Vraekae replied coolly as she turned to face Jay. ¡°At least not between the upper and lower ranks.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve got Kres¡ªwhatever in custody, though, right?¡± Jay asked. ¡°She had to be getting her orders straight from Egilhard. You can¡¯t get anything out of her?¡±
¡°No, I cannot,¡± Vraekae shook her head. ¡°The investigation that Egilhard has officially reported shows that Kreszentia is guilty of taking bribes to ignore some minor smuggling activity. She denies having any knowledge of the mining operation or even the nature of the cargo being smuggled. Egilhard¡¯s evidence shows nothing to the contrary and I have nothing beyond the hearsay of a dead man to say otherwise. Everyone who might know the depth of her involvement is either dead like Hakon or beyond my reach like Egilhard himself.¡±
¡°That¡ That really sucks,¡± Jay said after a moment,pletely at a loss as to what to do about the turn of events. ¡°So, no one¡¯s going to be punished after all the crap I went through? You know, I literally got burned alive to get that information.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Vraekae answered in a subdued voice. She eyed Jay appraisingly, though what she was thinking Jadis couldn¡¯t guess. ¡°Your efforts are certainly noted. Unfortunately, it doesn¡¯t seem as though anyone worth the effort is going to see their just dues. A charge of bribery will hurt Kreszentia¡¯s career, but I doubt she will even be removed from the military. And the poor fools who were left alive aboard that ship are just pawns. Their punishments will fit the crimes they are most certainly guilty of, but their arrest is hardly the justice I was looking for.¡±
So that was that. Egilhard was getting away free and clear and there wasn¡¯t anything Jadis could do about it. Not practically speaking, anyway. She could always charge over to the aggravating man and toss him out of a high window, but just as she didn¡¯t want to get involved in politics, she really didn¡¯t want to get further involved in the imperial justice system, either. Maybe if she got the chanceter down the line she would see if there was something she could do to get back at the general, but in a way, she hoped that opportunity would nevere. Jadis didn¡¯t want to be like Vraekae or Egilhard. Political intrigues weren¡¯t her realm. If she never had to deal with Egilhard or his ilk ever again, that would be just fine by her.
¡°Alright, well, setting that bearded asshole aside for now,¡± Jay said with a sigh, ¡°there¡¯s one other thing I think we need to talk about right away.¡±
¡°Yes?¡± Vraekae asked, her usual stoicposure having returned. ¡°Something to do with priests, I take it?¡±
¡°No, not that,¡± Jay shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m done talking about priests for the next couple of years at least. I have a different situation that¡¯s developed in a direction I wasn¡¯t expecting.¡±
¡°Go on,¡± Vraekae tilted her head to one side, her attention fully on Jay.
Here it was. Jadis was going to have to put a little faith in Vraekae now. She felt like she could probably trust the Magistrate, though she also knew her loyalties were to the empire above all else. If she decided that what Jadis was about to tell her constituted a threat to the empire or the people within it, she had no doubt that Vraekae would do what she thought was best for their protection, regardless of what Jadis wanted.
Jadis wasn¡¯t in the habit of praying often, but she let out a silent prayer to D and Lyssandria both that this would go well.
¡°So, you know in that story I told this morning, I mentioned how I lost that little demon hatchling I¡¯d been carrying around as a sort of pet?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Vraekae acknowledged with one slender eyebrow raised. ¡°The one you have taken to calling ¡®Alex¡¯ as I recall from Wi¡¯s reports. I have a few questions about the encounter, actually. Wi¡¯s description of events came across as somewhat farfetched.¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure,¡± Jay let out a nervous chuckle. ¡°But, uh, yeah. I¡¯m sure she mentioned how I never found Alex?¡±
¡°She did,¡± Vraekae agreed, her eyes narrowing slightly.
¡°Well that isn¡¯t entirely true,¡± Jay continued. Taking a breath, she squared her shoulders and dove headfirst into the pool. ¡°I found Alex the night after we left the grove. I have her in a crate in the basement of Fortune¡¯s Favored, actually. And she¡¯s changed. A lot.¡±
¡°Changed?¡± Vraekae¡¯s voice crackled like ice. ¡°She?¡±
¡°Yeah. She. Alex is a she now. When she attacked Eike to protect Sabina and Sorcha and Gunnar, she did something with her. They¡ melded together. It¡¯s not possession, not like the examples I¡¯ve seen. She became something more like a greater demon, I guess, though a lot less monstrous. Look, body aside, the important part is she can talk now. I had been trying to teach Alex words and letters even before she transformed and I was having some pretty good sess with it. But now she¡¯s got a human body¡ªsort of. And she can talk and is clearly both intelligent and friendly. She¡¯s not some mindless demon trying to kill and destroy.¡±
There was a pained look on Vraekae¡¯s face as Jadis spoke. One that only got worse as she went on. When the blue-skinned elf didn¡¯t respond right away, Jadis kept going. She exined everything she knew about Alex so far, going over how she had found the demon and what she¡¯d been doing to try and bettermunication between them. By the end of her long exnation, Vraekae¡¯s expression had recovered and she was once again standing ramrod straight with an unreadably nk expression on her face.
¡°Jadis,¡± Vraekae spoke when Jay trailed off. ¡°How is it that you manage to cause so much trouble in so short amount of time?¡±
¡°I mean, I don¡¯t think I cause that much trouble,¡± Jay said defensively. ¡°Besides, I clear up a lot of trouble, too.¡±
¡°A sentient demon, Jadis. You im to have brought a sentient greater demon into my city. One that is currently sitting unguarded in your basement. One with unknown powers and abilities. Unguarded?¡±
Jay shifted ufortably.
¡°Notpletely unguarded, no. You made me leave most of mypanions behind, so they¡¯re all back at thepany building. Well, maybe not all of them. Some could have left to go do other things, I guess¡¡±
At Vraekae¡¯s t stare, Jay threw up her hands in frustration.
¡°Look! She¡¯s not hostile! If Alex wanted to hurt us in any way, she¡¯s had countless opportunities! She¡¯s not going to run around the city maiming people! She¡¯s probably just sitting in her crate waiting for me right now!¡±
¡°And if she¡¯s not?¡± Vraekae said sharply, ¡°if she has slipped out and caused harm to others? What if this demon was just waiting for a moment of your inattention? Waiting for the opportunity to be brought straight into the heart of the city where hundreds of defenseless civilians reside? Jadis, you are not stupid. How have you not considered the potential consequences of your actions!¡±
¡°I did consider them!¡± Jay couldn¡¯t help but raise her voice, though she quickly got herself under control by taking a deep breath. ¡°Look, think about what you¡¯re saying. If Alex was just a dumb demon like everyone says all the others are, then she wouldn¡¯t be capable of the level of nning that you are attributing to her.¡±
¡°Yes, she could,¡± Vraekae snapped. ¡°We see it in possessions all the time. Demons that stay just quiet enough in their stolen bodies to avoid scrutiny for long enough to get somewhere vulnerable. Then they kill everyone they can as soon as the strongest defenders are away. By the gods, Jadis, that is not a sign of intelligence! No more than a fox creeping into a hen house.¡±
¡°You wouldn¡¯t say that if you spoke to her,¡± Jay shot back. ¡°She¡¯s not an enemy. Fucking D himself said she wasn¡¯t hostile when I asked him a question during an oracle session! She¡¯s not some evil snake trying to sneak her way into to hurt anyone, she¡¯s just trying to have sex with me!¡±
Vraekae nched at thest, her expression a mixture of shock and strangled amusement. Her mouth fell open, a question hanging there that wasn¡¯t quite making its way out into the open.
¡°No, I haven¡¯t had sex with her,¡± Jay rushed out, her face heating as she spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve been turning her down every time she tries to initiate anything, which she hasn¡¯t been happy about. But no, we haven¡¯t done anything. Though from all I can tell, that really seems to be her only motivation. I¡¯m kind of hoping that she¡¯ll figure out some other hobbies or life goals or something, but yeah, she¡¯s pretty fixated on having sex with me¡¡±
Vraekae closed her mouth, a chokedugh cut off before it could grow out of control. She cleared her throat and looked away from Jay, shaking her head in amazement.
¡°No wonder you are dedicated to Destarious. This has to be some kind of divineedy.¡±
Jay motioned with one hand towards the door, her expression pleading.
¡°Come speak with her. Take a minute to talk and you¡¯ll see what I mean. I want to get her examined and I want to do right by everyone, but that everyone includes her. Come back to the headquarters with me and let¡¯s just talk, okay? Once you do, I¡¯m positive you¡¯ll agree that at the very least, she deserves some special considerations.¡±
¡°I make no promises,¡± Vraekae said. ¡°But yes, we should go there, immediately. And we will not be going alone.¡±
Chapter 309: POV Alex
Chapter 309: POV Alex
Alex felt ufortable. Which was wrong. She should not feel ufortable. Yet she did. And she knew why.
Jadis was gone.
The ce Alex was inside was small. Dark and tight andforting. It was like being inside the clear thing that Jadis had given her when she left the egg. The clear thing had beenfortable. Alex felt tight and contained but could still see through to watch Jadis when she wasn¡¯t in darkness. Many times Jadis had kept her inside darkness, which Alex liked, except that then she could not see Jadis, which Alex did not like. Being inside the ce Jadis called ¡°crate¡± was like that. It was dark and tight. Alex felt safe and protected inside. But she could not see Jadis, so Alex felt ufortable.
No.
That was not the right word.
Words.
Alex had to concentrate to think in words. Jadis thought in words. The others who worshipped Jadis thought in words. They opened their face holes and made noise and then they knew what the other was thinking. It was easy for them. It was not easy for Alex. She had to focus. Sometimes she understood. She had been watching Jadis for a long time, so she knew what some noises meant. But it was never easy.
The word Jadis would use was not ufortable. Ufortable was next to the right word. It wore the same shape and moved the same way, but it did not feel the same. The taste was different. The color was wrong. It was close, but not right.
Unhappy.
That was the word.
Alex was unhappy.
Why was Alex unhappy? The answer came easy. She could not see Jadis. She could not taste her sweetness on the air. She could not feel the vibrations she made when she moved nearby. She could not hear the noises she made, noises that Alex heard different and new and beautiful now that she had changed. Jadis was gone.
Alex hated when Jadis was gone.
No, she could not hear Jadis. But Alex could hear others. Strange noises. Movement. Words. Words that came from the others who worshipped Jadis.
The others did not want Alex near Jadis. They did not ¡°trust¡± Alex. That was the right word, Alex had learned. That word meant much to Jadis. Jadis ¡°trusted¡± the others and so she gave herself to them. That word meant Jadis would have sex with them. Taste and be Tasted. Comfort. Happiness.
Love.
Love was a word that felt like trust. Not the same, though. The taste was different. Stronger. Jadis trusted the powerful one with dark fur. His word was Noll. Jadis trusted Noll. But she did not love Noll. Not like she loved the others.
Jadis loved the one with long hair and tiny marks on her face. Her word was A. The taste and feel was love. Much, much stronger than trust. And A loved Jadis. Alex did not need to be told. The way her body moved. The way she changed when she looked at Jadis. The change in her taste.
Obvious.
Alex copied A. She copied the others as well. She moved and posed and showed her body as she had seen them do many times. She produced tastes like they did, made her body taste as they tasted. She tried to be as close to them as she could.
Failure.
Alex had tried to show Jadis that she also loved her. The way the others who worshipped her loved her. But it had not worked. She had tried to show Jadis the way she felt, but Jadis had not understood because Jadis was not the same as her. So Alex had changed her body to be more like Jadis. To show her in the same way as the others. To be as close to Jadis and the others as she could be. A new body that looked and felt and tasted and made noise just as they did.
More Failure.
Jadis knew what Alex wanted. Jadis was not stupid. No. Never stupid. Alex had watched Jadis and knew she was smart. She saw what others did not. But Jadis had rejected her. Jadis did not want Alex like she wanted A. Jadis did not love Alex.
Pain.
Alex writhed at the thought. Her tentacles twisted in knots as she squirmed against the hard walls of the crate. There was no one to see her pain. Jadis could not see her. But she could not help it. She moved.
The pain made Alex want to listen to the Urge.
The Urge told her that everything would be better if she took Jadis by force. She could be inside her. She could take Jadis and be inside where it was dark and tight and warm forever. The Urge told her that she could have gone inside A. Then Jadis would have loved her as she loved A. The Urge told her she could kill the others. Kill all of them. Then she would have Jadis for herself. Alone. Jadis only for Alex.
Kill them all.
Kill.
No.
No. No. No.
The Urge was wrong. The Urge was what her stupid kindred followed. They felt the Urge and did not question. So Jadis killed them.
Satisfaction.
Alex felt satisfaction when Jadis killed the cruel ones. Jadis killed the ones who followed the Urge and by killing the cruel Jadis became strong. And because Jadis grew, Alex grew. So Jadis was right to kill Alex¡¯s kindred. The Demons. Because the Demons who followed the Urge were blind and stupid and wrong. Alex had tasted their intentions and they were horrible. Vile. Wrong.
Alex did not follow the Urge. She followed Jadis. She would always follow Jadis. She loved Jadis. But Jadis did not love her. Because Jadis loved A and the others who worshipped her. And A and the others did not trust Alex.
They were wrong.
They were also right.
Alex did feel the Urge. But Alex would never follow the Urge. But Alex¡¯s stupid kindred all followed the Urge and tried to kill Jadis and the others. So the others did not trust Alex. They were not wrong to feel that way. Alex understood. They were not as smart as Jadis. They did not see as well. That was not their fault. Just like her, they could change. Alex would find a way to show them and they would understand and change. And when they changed, when they trusted, then Alex would be a part of the whole. She would taste them and they would taste her and Jadis would love Alex. Jadis would love Alex.
Yes.
Alex wrapped her tentacles around her body as she immersed herself in the feeling of satisfaction her n gave to her. As she wriggled happily, she felt the vibrations of someone approaching herfortable ce. For a moment, Alex bubbled with delight that Jadis had returned to her. But sensing the weight and pace of the vibrations, she quickly recognized that it was not Jadis approaching. Alex clenched in disappointment. But she did not grow unhappy. One of the others hade.
Opportunity.
Alex opened the lid of the crate and peered out to confirm who hade near her. She already knew who it must be based on the sound and taste, but to see was best.
The watcher. Her word was Thea.
Alex felt kinship with Thea. She was not a Demon, but she was patient. She watched. She had that inmon with Alex. Smart. She watched Jadis. Intelligent. She watched Jadis with love and want. Kinship.
Thea spotted her right away. Eyes watched eyes. Thea did not draw back. Her face was shaped like Jadis¡¯ face was sometimes. Thinking. Curious.
Thea was not wearing her strong shell. She was wrapped in weak cloth, the kind Jadis wore when she was not fighting but not having sex either. Why did she not always wear the strong shell? Why did any of them wear anything other than strong shells? The cloth was weak. Pointless. It did not protect, not even as flesh would protect. They had wrapped Alex¡¯s body in cloth. Thin and light and useless. Alex wore it because it had pleased Jadis. But alone in her crate she had discarded the pointless material. But the others had made moves and noises that told her to put the pointless cloth back on her body whenever they saw her without it.
Strange creatures.
Alex watched as Thea sat down on the steps that led up to the ce where others moved. Light came down from the top, along with sounds and tastes. Alex did not recognize many of those tastes, but some she did. Some she knew came from the things that Jadis and the others put in their holes.
No. Not all their holes. One hole.
Mouths.
Thea was doing that as she watched Alex. The flesh of nts, the flesh of creatures, cut and crushed and mixed and heated so that it burned. They always did the same thing in different ways. Usually burnt things, sometimes not. But they would put them in their mouths, the same hole they used to make words. The same hole they used for sex. But unlike when they used them for sex, they would crush and chew what they put inside with their mouth bones. Every day. Many times each day, they would do the same thing.
Why?
Thea watched Alex for some time. Alex watched Thea back. They watched each other. After Thea had finished putting the burnt flesh inside of herrgest face hole, she took out another piece of something that was not flesh and put that in her ¡°mouth¡± as well. This time, though, this thing had a taste that was better to Alex than the other things she had seen Jadis and the others put in their mouths. The taste in the air was sweet. Like Jadis.
Jadis had tried to show Alex. She had given her the burnt meat and shown her how to put it in her new mouth. Alex had not wanted to. For Jadis, she had done so, but it had felt wrong and she had to remove it quickly. Jadis had not pushed her to do so since. But the thing Thea had looked more eptable.
Maybe if she copied Thea and put the sweet thing in her mouth, Thea would see Alex as kindred.
Trust.
Slowly, so that she would not startle the quiet watcher, Alex reached out one of her new limbs. She did not use her tentacles. She could tell that her tentacles made the others feel difort and unhappiness. Except for the one called Kerr. She did not react the same way. But this was not Kerr, this was Thea. So Alex used her ¡°arm¡± to reach out.
Thea stared at her.
Alex stared back.
Was it not obvious what she was trying to do? Or did Thea mean to reject her? Or was there a word that she should be using? Thea made less noise than the others, but she still responded to noises the same. So that meant Alex should use a word. But which word?
¡°Thea...¡±
Alex¡¯s tentacles twisted in rm as Thea stood and looked like she was going to go back up the stairs. She had upset the quiet watcher. Frightened. She had not meant to. Using Thea¡¯s word had not been the right word. Or, perhaps she needed more than one word.
¡°Wait¡¡±
That word worked to stop Thea¡¯s retreat. Alex was not entirely sure what that word meant. But when Jadis used it, Alex stopped moving and that pleased Jadis. Alex was happy it worked when she used it as well.
¡°Give¡ Please¡¡±
Give was a word that made some sense to Alex. Give meant that others would pass things to the one who used the word. Please was a word that made no sense at all. But Alex had watched Jadis and the others use that word many times. The results were always better when that word was used with whatever word it was paired with.
Thea hesitated, but she came closer. Slowly and cautiously, she reached out and ced the sweet thing into Alex¡¯s waiting hand.
Sess.
The ¡°please¡± word worked.
Alex would have to use the ¡°please¡± word more often when she asked Jadis for sex. It should help with the results.
Everything would be better once Jadis had sex with Alex. Taste and tasted. They would be together. One. Not always, but for the time while they had sex. And every time after. That would be better. That would be right. Alex knew it. She felt urges, but they were not like the Urge. They were right. Whole. Clean. Happy.
But first. Alex had to gain trust.
Slowly, to make sure she did not cause Thea to feel rm, Alex ced the sweet thing into her mouth. It was toorge for her to fit the whole thing, so she used the sharp bone things in her mouth hole to crush a piece off. Inside her mouth the crunchy material was even sweeter. The broken material rested against the small tentacle in her mouth hole which tasted the sweetness even more strongly than when it was on the air. Imitating what she had seen the others do so many times before, Alex worked her jaw in a rhythmic pattern. Soon, the crunchy stuff turned to wet paste as the fluids inside her mouth hole leaked out and mixed with the crushed bits. The texture was strange, though the taste was still sweet.
What now?
Alex almost opened her mouth to remove the paste but stopped. She had seen others remove the crushed bits from their mouths before and knew that the others had viewed the act with upset. Unappealing. Unclean. The removal she had seen had made Alex ufortable as well. Alex did not want Thea to feel ufortable. That would not help her with her goal.
Jadis and the others took the flesh that they put inside of their mouth holes inside of themselves. Strange and ufortable to watch. Painful. But Jadis and the others also took the seed that they ejacted from their bodies into each other. Pleasing. Both the face hole and the lower holes between their lower limbs. The seed did note out often. Mostly not at all.
The seed Jadis and the others made should have been for making eggs. But no eggs were ever made. Alex did not think eggs woulde from the mouth hole, either. But she might be wrong. Hard to know when Jadis never made eggs. But Jadis and the others still put the seed in their holes and did so for pleasure. Happiness. Taste.
Was that the same act as putting the burnt flesh in the face hole?
No. Alex could not say they were the same. But now that she was examining the strange act from a new angle, she could see the shape and color were simr. They were close to each other. Close enough that Alex thought that maybe, if she pretended that the crushed and wet bits were from Jadis, then maybe she knew what to do.
Alex swallowed.
The crushed mess went down the tube in her body to stop inside a chamber that she could feel somewhere inside her torso. Ufortable. Strange. Vile. Alex could feel different parts inside of herself that she did not have before changing start to react. Liquids were excreted. Her organs moved on their own without conscious thought. The sensation was wrong. Strange. Terrible.
Alex shuddered, her whole body shaking from tentacle tip to eye at the strangeness of the experience. What possible reason could Jadis have for doing this to herself every day?
A noise startled Alex out of her thoughts. She stared at Thea, the source of the noise. A happy noise. A good noise.
¡°You d¡ªdidn¡¯t like that much, d¡ªdid you?¡±
Alex did not know what those words meant, but the noise Thea had made had been one of happiness. The noise that Jadis made when she was pleased or amused. So crushing the sweet bits up and forcing them down into her organs had made Thea happy. The reason was unknown. But Alex was sure Jadis would find a way to exin it to her eventually. For now, Alex was pleased that her choice had worked. Thea had been made happy by her actions. That drew them closer to kinship and trust.
Alex shoved the rest of the sweet thing into her mouth.
¡°No, wait,¡± Thea said, her words ones that Alex recognized easily as a denial. ¡°Stop. You d¡ªdon¡¯t have to do, ah, that if you don¡¯t like it.¡±
Had she been wrong to continue to imitate Thea? Why was the first act met with approval but the second act met with disapproval? She had done something wrong. But Alex did not know how. Confusing. Strange. Frustrating.
Maybe Thea did not like that Alex was taking everything that Thea had given her? But why give it all if she wanted to keep some for herself? The motivation was strange, but Thea must have wanted some of the sweet thing back. Reason unknown, but action understood.
Just as Alex was about to offer the crushed bits back, a noise louder than before began in the ce above them. There was a lot of noise. Many sounds, many that Alex did not recognize. But there were sounds mixed into themotion that Alex did recognize. Sounds that she loved.
Jadis had returned.
Alex tensed inside of her crate. She wanted to go to Jadis. But Jadis had told her to stay and would not be happy if Alex did otherwise. Frustrating. But Alex believed that Jadis would be happier if she obeyed than if she disobeyed. For now. Alex was patient. So Alex waited and watched as Thea went back up the steps to the ce above.
After a short while, Thea came back down, which was good. But better than Thea, Jadis also came down from above. Happiness. Jadis¡¯ faces changed when they saw Alex. Her faces said that she was happy. But the taste told Alex she was rmed.
Confusion.
But Jadis was making the happy change to her face, so Alex imitated the change and made her face the same way.
Then Alex noticed that Jadis and Thea were not all who came down the steps from above. The one with red skin was there. Her word was Eir. A was there as well. As was the one with sharp bits on her head. Her word was Kerr. But there was also one with blue skin. Alex did not know that one¡¯s word. And there was also one with white hair on its face around its mouth hole. Alex did not know that one¡¯s word, either. Both were staring at Alex.
¡°Hello Alex,¡± Jadis made noises of greeting from one of her faces. ¡°Can you say hello to Magistrate Vraekae and High Priest Gerhardt?¡±
Alex paid close attention to the two Jadis had brought with her, memorizing their words. Alex could tell that Jadis wanted her to greet the two new people. Easy. Happy. Alex used her four new limbs and several of her tentacles to wave at Magistrate Vraekae and High Priest Gerhardt. But Alex knew that was not enough. She had to make noise greetings back as well. So Alex opened her mouth to do so.
Crushed bits of wet sweet thing fell out of her mouth hole, making a mess across her chest and onto the floor.
Alex had forgotten to swallow.
Ufortable.
Chapter 310: Intentions
Chapter 310: Intentions
¡°Oh, Alex¡¡±
Jay moaned quietly as she rushed to crouch down next to the demon who¡¯d just made a mess all over her chest. Her very naked chest. Of course she¡¯d taken off her clothes again. Not that the scraps of cloth she¡¯d barely managed to get Alex to wear were clothes, really. Just some basic wraps that Sabina had cut to approximately the right shape and size so that Alex could wear them on her strangely shaped body. Still, they would have been better than the nothing Alex was wearing now. Though nothing would have been better than¡ªwhat had Alex been eating?
¡°S¡ªsorry,¡± Thea meekly spoke up from where stood in a corner of the basement. ¡°I¡ªI gave her my c¡ªcookie b¡ªbecause she, ah, asked for it.¡±
¡°She asked for a cookie?¡± Dys looked at Thea in surprise. ¡°Alex never eats.¡±
Thea only shrugged at the question, her face a mask of nerves as she kept eyeing both the Magistrate and the High Priest standing just beside Syd. Not that Jadis could me her quiet girlfriend for being nervous. This was a decidedly tense situation.
First impressions hadn¡¯t been ideal, but Jadis hoped the embarrassing gaffe just helped make it clear how little a threat Alex was. Eating cookies while crammed in a wooden box in a basement wasn¡¯t exactly the behavior of a dangerous monster. Maybe a blue fuzzy monster, but not a dangerous one.
Using a spare rag she found lying around to quickly clean Alex off, Jadis helped the demon get her clothes back on. Alex didn¡¯t struggle; she never really objected to the things Jadis asked of her. However, Jadis was getting good enough at reading Alex¡¯s bodynguage to tell that wearing the clothing didn¡¯t please the demon. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure why Alex felt the need to be constantly nude, but that was just one of thosenguage and culture barrier things that they were going to have to figure out together.
¡°Alex, say hello to our guests,¡± Jay repeated, making a second attempt at putting the demon¡¯s best foot forward. Tentacle. Whatever.
¡°Hello¡¡± the demon spoke in her strange, dissonant voice. ¡°Magistrate¡ Vraekae¡ High¡ Priest¡ Gerhardt¡¡±
Jadis smiled to see Alex catch onto their names so quickly. Full sentences were still beyond the demon, but the couple of weeks of teaching Alex Jadis had been able to work in during the trip back to the city had just reinforced Alex¡¯s intelligence in Jadis¡¯ mind. The issue wasn¡¯t ack of brains. Just ack ofmon understanding.
Vraekae did not react to Alex¡¯s spoken greeting. Her face was that same stone-cold expression she wore in all public and professional situations. But Gerhardt looked like he¡¯d just swallowed something nasty. His left hand was clutched around the circr medallion he wore on his chest and Jadis could see that the man was shaking slightly.
¡°She doesn¡¯t know all that many words yet,¡± Jay said after clearing her throat. ¡°But she catches on pretty fast, considering. Bodynguage works well, too, formunication.¡±
Vraekae stared at Alex, her red eyes boring holes in the demon¡¯s ck flesh. At least the Magistrate¡¯s red orb of doom wasn¡¯t boring any holes yet, but the vibes were definitely more hostile than not. Still, Jadis had done as much as she could to warn Vraekae of what she was walking into before they made it into the cer. Gerhardt was the one stumblingrgely in the dark, not the Magistrate. Still, what wasing made Jadis nervous.
Finally, Vraekae shifted her gaze to coldly regard Jay.
¡°What exactly is this supposed to prove?¡± The prim elf spoke with deliberate slowness. ¡°Other than that you have taken leave of your senses. And somehow managed to cause the others around you who I expect better from to do the same. This demon has clearly subsumed the body of a human and is using that body to replicate words and behaviors. This repugnant abomination needs to be killed at once.¡±
¡°Hey now,¡± Kerr spoke up from the crate she had perched on top off to watch the goings on. ¡°My senses are all present and intact, thank you very much, your highness.¡±
¡°You were not who I was referring to,¡± Vraekae snapped.
¡°¡Walked into that one.¡±
Jadis bit back her strong response to Vraekae¡¯s words. The elf had warned Jadis before they hade down to the basement of her n to prod Alex for telling reactions. She had known that would involve harshnguage. Jadis couldn¡¯t fault the magistrate for her caution or her sense of duty when it came to making sure that her city and its citizens stayed safe. It still bothered her to hear Vraekae talk about executing Alex, though.
¡°You aren¡¯t killing her,¡± Jay replied calmly while watching the demon through Syd¡¯s eyes. ¡°Alex hasn¡¯t done anything wrong.¡±
¡°She has clearly killed a person.¡±
¡°So have I,¡± Dys challenged. ¡°More than Alex, actually. And just like Alex, I killed those people because they were trying to kill me and my friends. That¡¯s self-defense, not murder.¡±
¡°Jadis is right,¡± A said, catching Jadis off guard. ¡°I¡¯ve been around Alex since she hatched. She¡¯s never taken any aggressive action that wasn¡¯t in the defense of Jadis or one of us. She¡¯s been otherwisepletely harmless.¡±
Considering A had been one of the strongest proponents against keeping Alex around, Jadis was surprised to hear Aing to the demon¡¯s defense. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if the redhead was doing it for Alex or for Jadis, but either way she appreciated the sentiment. Jay gave A a small nod of thanks when she caught her eye.
¡°The demon could still be hostile,¡± Gerhardt found his voice as he slowly recovered from the shock of the situation. ¡°Though I find myself at a loss. I have never known a creature possessed to not attack once exposed.¡±
¡°I get the caution,¡± Dys said as she motioned towards Alex who had remained very still between her and Jay since speaking. ¡°But what¡¯s it going to take to convince you that she isn¡¯t a threat? An oracle reading? We¡¯ll have to wait a few more weeks before Eir can do another one of those.¡±
¡°We may be able to have one of the other high priests contact one of the gods sooner,¡± Gerhardt proposed. ¡°It would not be the same as an oracle¡¯s ritual, however¡¡±
¡°Then we lock the demon into a cell until the gods can be consulted,¡± Vraekae stated. ¡°Away from anyone that it may potentially cause harm to.¡±
¡°Vraekae,¡± Jay shook her head. ¡°Come on now. Can we please be reasonable?¡±
¡°I am being reasonable,¡± the Magistrate replied coldly. ¡°In fact, I am being overly generous by even entertaining this farce.¡±
¡°Cousin,¡± Eir pleaded, her expression pained. ¡°I have told you the questions that Jadis asked Destarious and the answers given. Surely you can agree that the situation is not as dire as you are making it seem.¡±
¡°I would not trust everything that trickster says at face value,¡± Vraekae responded. ¡°He has been known to purposefully lead his followers into folly on many asions. I am certain High Priest Gerhardt can confirm.¡±
¡°That is not entirely untrue,¡± the old man said after a moment, his eyes still locked onto Alex. Though the priest was looking less apprehensive and more curious by the second. ¡°I would argue that Destarious¡¯ tricks have usually led to harmless results for the faithful. The crueler pranks spoken of in tales and scriptures were generally punishments for those who had done wrong.¡±
¡°But not always,¡± Vraekae insisted, her own gaze having never left the demon.
After a brief pause, Vraekae slightly shifted her attention to Jay. Her words were spoken with a coldness that made a shiver go up Jadis¡¯ spines.
¡°Another test, then. Please do not react to what I am about to do. I will not cause any harm unless forced to. Gerhardt, Eir, please step back.¡±
¡°What are you going to do?¡±
As Jay frowned and questioned the magistrate, both priests quickly backed away towards the stairs where A waited. In the next instant, before Jadis could react, Vraekae¡¯s glowing red orb grewrge spikes across its surface and began spinning with incredible speed. Then, with deliberate intention, the orb moved towards Jay, Dys, and Alex.
¡°I am checking this demon¡¯s priorities.¡±
The deadly spell did not rush towards them. Jadis knew from firsthand experience just how fast the red orb could move. Instead, it floated towards them no faster than a person would walk. It hovered in the air above the three, rotating at a speed that would tear flesh to shreds with even a casual brush against the whirring spikes.
Jadis did not move either of her bodies, trusting Vraekae¡¯s word that she wasn¡¯t going to hurt anyone. But Alex moved. Though the way she moved was probably not what Vraekae had expected.
Maybe the Magistrate had thought the demon would try to flee orsh out wildly. That would be what Jadis would expect any demon who had possessed a person and infiltrated a group of people to do when threatened with certain death. Take as many mortals out as possible before either fleeing or dying.
Not Alex.
Using her threerge tentacles, two monstrouslyrge arms, and several smaller, medium-sized tentacles that extended out of her back, Alex quickly wrapped herself around Jay and Dys¡¯ heads and upper bodies, shielding her from the red orb spell. Alex even moved her own human-like body up so that it was between the two of Jadis and the spinning spike ball, two of her eyes locked onto the orb and the third watching Vraekae.
¡°Goodness me,¡± Gerhardt quietly eximed as he stroked his beard, watching Alex¡¯s reaction.
The orb moved back and forth, changing angles. Alex followed every change, keeping the majority of her own body between the spell and whichever Jadis was closer.
¡°Stop¡ Please¡¡±
That simple plea brought Vraekae up short. The scarlet orb hovering overhead immediately stilled, then slowly backed away toe to a rest above Vraekae¡¯s shoulder once more.
¡°Well now,¡± Gerhardt said quietly. ¡°I would say the Demon¡¯s reaction is rather illuminating, isn¡¯t it.¡±
Vraekae stared at Alex, her expression no softer but her back and shoulders less stiff.
¡°Yes, I suppose so.¡±
The blue elf turned her head to address Syd who was standing at her side. She arched a brow, her red eyes gleaming in the low light.
¡°You realize that we will have to bring this before the other high priests in the city and that this will most certainly extend the debates, yes?¡±
¡°Yeah, I figured,¡± Syd said dryly. ¡°I bet you¡¯re going to tell me that we¡¯ll have to bring this before more than just them, too.¡±
¡°Undoubtedly. The emperor¡¯s own court, in all probability.¡±
¡°Before tackling that horrifying prospect,¡± A said with a slight shudder, ¡°is there something you can do to ensure Alex¡¯s safety for the time being? I don¡¯t think anyone here, even Jadis, is suggesting that she be allowed to wander the streets freely. However, some kind of guarantee or special dispensation to make sure a band of soldiers sent by a certain general don¡¯t knock down the door in the middle of the night would be helpful.¡±
Vraekae took a step back, one finger pressed to her lip as the other arm wrapped around her torso. She concentrated, lost in thought for a moment, before slowly shaking her head.
¡°I will have to research what is possible. I cannot think of any precedent for this situation. The capture and study of demons is not unheard of, but this situation no longer has much inmon with those tolerances. In a way, it is fortunate that the high priests have gathered here. Their knowledge and experience should help, especially the high priest of Metethys, Myron. He may have some records that would be of help. How long is she going to keep doing that?¡±
Thest was a pointed question directed at Jay and Dys, who still stood with a demon wrapped around their heads and shoulders. Alex¡¯s many tentacles had begun to worm their way under their shirts and Jadis was starting to have a hard time keeping the demon from putting her hands or tentacles somewhere inappropriate.
¡°Probably for as long as I let her,¡± Syd answered with a huff.
With the potential for violence diffused, Jadis sternly convinced Alex to crawl off of her two selves. Both Vraekae and Gerhardt watched with interest as Alex both listened to hermands while alsoining about the loss of contact at the same time. Somehow, Alex managed toe across as both perfectly obedient and incorrigibly bratty at the same time.
As Jadis disentangled herself from the wriggling demte, A spoke with Vraekae on her aggressive behavior. The elf exined that she had purposefully tried to provoke Alex into revealing her true, hostile intentions by both talking of killing her and also disying her own ability to kill the demon. In the past, demons who had infiltrated viges or camps had always tried toy low until the opportunity to cause harm came along. That, or their cover was blown and their life was threatened. Then the demon would attack without fail. The fact that Alex had done nothing of the sort when faced with Vraekae¡¯s obviously hostile intent, both verbal and visual, settled the Magistrate¡¯s concerns significantly. Maybe even more than the knowledge that D had given the all-clear.
Jadis still would have preferred some more detailed warning about what Vraekae was going to do, but she understood the reasoning.
Since there wasn¡¯t much room down in the cer and Jadis was starting to feel cramped, she suggested they all move to the floor upstairs to discuss the situation with Alex further. Everyone agreed and soon, anotherpletely bizarre and unexpected sight could be observed in the dining hall of Fortune¡¯s Favored. The fullpliment of the mercenarypany, including the provisional new member Tegwyn, were sat around therge circr table along with the Magistrate, the local High Priest, and a barely clothed demon woman.
The look on Hans¡¯ face was priceless.
Chapter 311: Getting a Handle on Things
Chapter 311: Getting a Handle on Things
¡°I am so fucking exhausted.¡±
All three of Jadisy in a tangled heap on top of her massive bed in the shared bedroom taking up the majority of the second floor of the mercenary headquarters. Vraekae and Gerhardt were gone back to wherever they spent their nights, Hans had taken Tegwyn to the inn where he stayed, and Alex was safely tucked away behind the locked door of the cer. Now all Jadis wanted to do was sleep and not think about everything that she was going to have to deal with in the morning. The day had been far, far too long and filled with more stress than some of her more harrowing battles. The idea of just running away to go live in the woods somewhere far from priests and politics was looking particrly appealing. Was it toote to go back to the Dryads?
¡°Mm-hmph,¡± came a tired squeak of agreement from somewhere under a couple of Jadis¡¯ arms.
Since she was technically the closest, Dys pulled Eir a little tighter against her side. The poor elf had been through the wringer, maybe even more so than Jadis. At least Jadis had been prepared to have all of her personal business aired out in the open. Eir hadn¡¯t been so lucky.
¡°If that dinner just now was half as bad as the meeting you had all day, then yeah, I get it,¡± Kerr said from her spot sitting on the edge of the bed. ¡°Seriously, when did all this shit get soplicated?¡±
Having a meal with two extremely important political figures while discussing the fate of a literal demon that was sitting at the table with them had been one of the more surreal experiences of Jadis¡¯ life. She didn¡¯t feel like she¡¯d resolved too much, either, though at the very least she¡¯d managed to ensure some temporary safety for Alex. There were about twenty guards stationed outside of the mercenarypany guild hall now, but that wasn¡¯t honestly that huge of a problem to Jadis. It was a step in the right direction, at least.
¡°I know, right?¡± Syd called out, her voice muffled by having her face pressed down into a pillow. ¡°This shit is wack!¡±
¡°Whack what?¡±
Both A and Thea asked at the same time, pausing to look at each other before both seemed toe to the mutual understanding that dissecting Jadis¡¯ speech patterns wasn¡¯t worth the effort.
¡°I¡¯m not sure about the phrasing, but the sentiment I can agree with,¡± A said as she finishedbing her long red hair. ¡°Nothing about our situation is as simple as we would like it to be.¡±
No, nothing ever was. Not that Jadis felt like she had much room toin. Her whole mission on Oros was to stir up trouble and upset the established cycle. She couldn¡¯t be upset that doing so was causing some disruption to her own life. One couldn¡¯t expect to throw a rock into a pond without having the ripplese back at them.
¡°So,¡± Kerr said as she leaned back so that Jadis could feel her weight shifting on the bed. ¡°Fucking exhausted doesn¡¯t mean too exhausted to fuck, does it?¡±
One of Dys¡¯ eyes popped open to stare at Kerr who was giving her a rather toothy grin.
¡°Are you serious right now?"
¡°Never more,¡± Kerr winked. ¡°We didn¡¯t get a chance to do a real homingst night since you were all so worked up over the meeting. Now that we¡¯ve popped the cork on that mess, what¡¯s there to stress about now? Might as well have some fun in our free time!¡±
Dys¡¯ gaze shifted from Kerr to A, the taller woman standing just behind the horned and horny therion. She was giving Kerr an exasperated look, though there was also a noticeable blush creeping up her neck from under her nightshirt.
¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s physically or emotionally possible for me to not want to fuck you or anyone else in this room right now,¡± Dys said without a hint of humor in her voice.
¡°Damn right,¡± Kerr preened before sliding closer to the pile of Jadis on the bed. ¡°That means you too, princess. Sleep after sex,¡± Kerr added as she poked Eir in the side. ¡°Or during! That might be interesting, actually. That¡¯d give you some real special wet dreams at least, I bet.¡±
As Kerr cozied up to Jadis¡¯ selves and Thea gave Kerr one of the most bug-eyed looks the woman had ever made, Jay¡¯s attention was caught by Bridget standing awkwardly off to one side. The orc looked a little unsure of herself, one hand rubbing at her other arm.
¡°Bridget?¡±
The orc warrior startled at being called out, then squared her shoulders before speaking.
¡°Do you all, uh, want some privacy? I mean, I did crash herest night because we were all up sote and all that, but if you want some alone time, I can find somewhere else for the night. I mean, Alex probably wouldn¡¯t mind thepany downstairs, right?¡±
¡°What are you talking about?¡± Syd raised her head off of her pillow, twisting around to stare at the dark-haired woman. ¡°You don¡¯t want to have sex?¡±
Bridget made a face as she let out a surprised littleugh.
¡°Well, no, I didn¡¯t say that. I just, you know, the five of you and all that. Don¡¯t you need some, uh, privacy or something like that? Because you¡¯re all together now? Officially?¡±
Ah. Jadis understood. She was surprised she hadn¡¯t realized sooner. Bridget was feeling a bit like a third wheel. Or, technically, a sixth wheel? Ninth wheel? Whatever. An extra wheel. Bridget wasn¡¯t her girlfriend. Not like A or Kerr or Eir or Thea. But considering everything that they had been through together, Jadis couldn¡¯t imagine why Bridget would think that meant she wasn¡¯t wee in their bed.
¡°Bridget,¡± A spoke firmly, cutting off the words Jadis was about to say. She had her arms folded across her chest and was staring at the orc with her most deadpan expression. ¡°Do you really think that if we didn¡¯t want you here with us, we wouldn¡¯t tell you? Has anything about the way we act with each other ever indicated that any of us are shy about making our wishes known?¡±
¡°No, uh, I guess not,¡± Bridget answered after a brief pause.
¡°Correct. If we didn¡¯t wee you, you wouldn¡¯t be wee,¡± A announced, making the whole situation clear as crystal. ¡°Now, unless you want to excuse yourself for your own reasons, get on the bed.¡±
¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Bridget said with a mildly shocked expression as she moved to obey A¡¯smand.
At that moment, Sabina exited the bathroom, naked except for a towel she was using to vigorously scrub her wet hair. She paused, assessed the situation, then rambled.
¡°Oh, are we having sex now? I was hoping we might be having sex sometime soon but considering all the stuff with the priests and the magistrate and everything that happened yesterday and today I thought that maybe you all wouldn¡¯t be in the mood, so I didn¡¯t want to say anything, but I guess I was wrong which makes sense because I don¡¯t think Jadis is ever not ready to have sex. That¡¯s why she has a sex ss, now that I think about it. It¡¯s an even bigger part of her personality than smithing is for me, which is a really big part, which now that I am saying it out loud makes it seem like I was making some kind of pun about Jadis and big parts, which I wasn¡¯t, but if you want to take it that way I wouldn¡¯t mind, which also sounds like some kind of innuendo, but¡ª¡±
Sabina¡¯s ranting was abruptly silenced when, following a silentmand from A, both Bridget and Thea moved to either side of the naked smith and picked her up by either arm before carrying her to the bed.
In short order everyone on the bed was as naked as Sabina, or at least close enough in all the ways that mattered. With two lovers to each of her three bodies, Jadis would have thought that they would naturally split up in groups of three more often. However, that rarely seemed to be the case when they had sex in a group like this, and this night was no exception.
A had kept her cock from thest time they had performed the Duality of Flesh Ritual and she was getting some good use out of it. Lying back against the bed¡¯s headboard so that her twelve-inch monster jutted up into the air, she¡¯d takenmand of Sabina and pulled the talkative half-elf¡¯s mouth down onto her shaft. Considering the size of her cock, there was no chance Sabina was going to get her lips all the way down to the base of A¡¯s thick member, but one had to give the smith credit; she was really putting in a lot of effort to make it happen.
Maybe not all of that effort wasing from just a desire to please A. Jay had positioned herself behind Sabina and had taken her from behind. Every thrust of her powerful hips was driving the tanned woman into A, making the half elf choke out lewd gurgling sounds as she was forced further down A¡¯s shaft. It hadn¡¯t even been three minutes and Jadis could tell that Sabina had already cum just by the feel of her pussy clenching and fluttering across her cock.
The nice thing about the position was it allowed Jay to lean forward and kiss A, slipping her tongue against her lover¡¯s in an erotic dance that was almost as sexually thrilling as the half-elf pussy squeezing her shaft.
Eir, Kerr, and Thea had all teamed up on Dys. Somehow, through a decision that Jadis had not participated in, Thea had ended up sitting on Dys¡¯ cock. The timid woman was no wild rider, her hips squashed down tight against Dys¡¯ crotch, yet she was gyrating in just the right way to keep Dys rock hard inside of her. Part of that was Kerr¡¯s influence, though.
Kerr had decided to take a seat right behind Thea, pressing her body up against the brte¡¯s back. One of her hands had dipped low to the juncture between Thea¡¯s legs, her fingers ying with the guardswoman¡¯s swollen clit, while her other hand was eagerly fondling Thea¡¯s breasts. Kerr¡¯s lips were pressed against Thea¡¯s ears and she was whispering all manner of lewd suggestions andmentary, though Jadis was having some trouble hearing everything. It was, after all, hard to hear through Eir¡¯s thick red thighs.
Eir had climbed on top of Dys¡¯ face and was happily enjoying Dys¡¯ long tongue. She was turned to face towards Kerr and Thea, so when Jadis was able to nce over with her other bodies, she saw that Eir was quite purposefully putting on an overly dramatic show of enjoying herself for Thea¡¯s voyeuristic benefit. The purple-haired priestess truly was a giver; even while being serviced she wanted to be of service to others.
With all the others upied, that left Syd and Bridget alone to each other. Despite her earlier feelings of insecurity, the orc woman didn¡¯t y up any overly emotional disys. Instead, she¡¯d simply thrown herself into Syd¡¯s arms with utter abandon, ready to release all the tension that had been building up for the past couple of days. Jadis knew exactly how Bridget felt and was just as eager as her to let loose.
After some rather rough kissing and pawing, Bridget had wound up prone on her stomach with Syd on top of her. With her thick cock buried deep inside the warrior¡¯s core, Sydy into Bridget heavily, practically smothering the smaller woman with her sheer size while pounding her hips against the orc¡¯s meaty ass. The position felt primal, closer to rutting than fucking, and going by Bridget¡¯s loud, grunting moans she was loving every second of it.
Jadis reveled in the sexual freedom she enjoyed with her lovers. She loved both giving and receiving pleasure from them. All of her five senses were focused on the glorious sensationsing from her three bodies as she fucked her girlfriends andpanions. The lust and love she felt for them seemed boundless to her; if it were physically feasible, she was fairly certain that she might not ever stop fucking them.
She really did need to impregnate them sooner rather thanter.
All three sets of Jadis¡¯ eyes popped open in unison at the intrusive thought. Intrusive. As in, not her own. Not truly, anyway. It wasn¡¯t as though she didn¡¯t want to have children with her lovers. She was confident that she would be thrilled to make babies with her willing women. But that hadn¡¯t been the gut feeling she¡¯d just experienced. No, Jadis had felt a distinct urge to undo her Potency Alteration skill right then and there and let nature take its course.
And that instinct had definitely not been her own.
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
Jadis blinked, realizing that her bodies had slowed to stillness as she had processed the new situation. Her lovers were looking at her from their various lewd positions with concern. A was the one who had spoken, her breath stilling fast with need but a look of concern in her eyes as her hand rested on Jay¡¯s cheek.
¡°Nothing,¡± Jay answered after a moment, her expression twisting into a confused smile. ¡°It¡¯s just¡ªI think I¡¯m finally starting to get a hang of this whole ¡®avatarmunication with the gods¡¯ thing.¡±
Chapter 312: Between Friends
Chapter 312: Between Friends
¡°Lyssandria must be speaking to you,¡± Eir confidently asserted after Jadis exined why she had stopped moving mid-coitus. ¡°Our Lady is confirming her approval of your own desires!¡±
¡°That¡ makes the most sense,¡± A said slowly, having calmed down somewhat now that Sabina was no longer trying to deepthroat her cock. ¡°D might be reaching out to you as well, but the nature of the impulse seems more like something Lyssandria would want than Destarious.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Kerr smirked as she leaned her chin on Thea¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Getting the sudden urge to throw all caution to the wind and risk pumping a couple of pups into your lovers seems like the kind of random chance fuckery that D would love.¡±
Jadis had to agree with Kerr on that point. Taking chances and ying with odds was absolutely D¡¯s domain. Besides, the weird god would probably get a kick out of any anxiety or panic the unnned decision might bring about. That said, Jadis also agreed with Eir that Lyssandria would probably want to reinforce the idea of Jadis having children. Creating more Nephilim, even half-breed Nephilim, seemed like something the goddess would want. Besides, Jadis still wasn¡¯t entirely certain she was even capable of receiving D¡¯s signals; he was her personal patron, but Lyssandria was the patron of her race. Jadis really wasn¡¯t sure how that worked out.
¡°Either way, it¡¯s nice to know I¡¯m starting to get the feel for picking out the ¡®god instincts¡¯pared to my own,¡± Jay mused as she sat back on her heels.
Moving, even slightly, quickly reminded Jadis that she really had stopped in the middle of some rather sensitive actions. Jay¡¯s cock was still buried many inches deep inside of Sabina and pulling back only highlighted that fact. The poor half-elf¡¯s whole body shuddered with the motion as she let out a rather lewd squeak.
¡°Sorry,¡± Jay let out a huskyugh as her hands started rubbing the tan woman¡¯s back and hips. ¡°We can talk about that crapter. Kind of busy right now, aren¡¯t we?¡±
¡°Yes, please,¡± Sabina croaked out, her voice still a little raw from having A¡¯s shaft stuffed down her throat so recently. ¡°I¡¯m very interested to know more about your god-to-avatarmunication issues, but I can¡¯t really think at the moment.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Jay chuckled as she waggled her hips back and forth, enjoying the tight feel of Sabina around the top half of her member. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to it, yeah?¡±
¡°Sure. Just one question, first,¡± Kerr called out just as Jadis started to move her bodies again. ¡°Are you going to do it?¡±
¡°Do it?¡± Dys stopped, pulling her mouth away from Eir just as she was about to start licking again. ¡°Do what?¡±
¡°Cancel out your potency skill. Are you going to leave it to chance or not?¡±
Jadis stared at the grinning therion with all three of her selves. With her current position, Kerr¡¯s taunting expression was contrasted in a fascinating way with Thea, who had a strange mix of shock, rm, and arousal on her face. No wonder, really, since she was currently sitting on a couple of feet of belly-bulging Nephilim cock.
¡°Ah, maybe n¡ªnot just yet?¡± Thea said, both of her hands rubbing at the outline of Dys¡¯ shaft apparent on her stomach. ¡°¡Unless you, ah, r¡ªreally want to.¡±
While Jadis processed that tentative permission to potentially knock Thea up, Bridget mumbled something from underneath Syd that Jadis didn¡¯t quite understand.
¡°Huh?¡± Syd eloquently asked as she looked down at the prone orc.
¡°If you¡¯re going to do that, would you mind switching?¡± Bridget asked, her skin flushing a darker green. ¡°To, uh, you know. My arse? I¡¯m not really ready for kids right now and, uh¡ I kind of like it when we do it that way¡¡±
Gods, Jadis was getting distracted. She was usually more than capable of handling input from multiple different sources with rtive ease, but Thea and Bridget¡¯s two very different statements were really throwing Jadis for a loop.
After taking a moment to readjust her train of thought, Dys put both of her hands on Thea¡¯s hips and gave the shy woman the most heated look she could muster. It must have had some effect, because Thea practically melted as her already flushed face turned beet red.
¡°Trust me, Thea. I really, really want to. Let¡¯s revisit that thoughtter, though. I¡¯m not thinking straight right now and if I¡¯m not careful I really might do something we might regret in the morning.¡±
¡°Ha! What a pussy,¡± Kerr taunted as she ground her body against Thea¡¯s back. ¡°Who¡¯s talking about regrets? What¡¯s a little impregnation between friends, anyway?¡±
¡°Okay, that¡¯s it. Switch,¡± Both Jay and Dys called out as they quickly changed positions.
Before theughing therion could scramble away, Jadis had removed her two selves¡¯ cocks from Thea and Sabina and had pinned Kerr to the bed on her back. Without taking any time to ease her way in, Dys shoved her cock to the hilt inside of Kerr¡¯s core, making the slut yelp in pained pleasure. Her crude cursing was quickly muffled by Jay sitting down on top of her face, pressing her own dripping pussy against her lips.
¡°Do something useful with that mouth of yours for once,¡± Jay sighed as she settledfortably on top of Kerr. ¡°Now, where were we¡ªoh!¡±
Without asking, Eir, Thea and Sabina had all moved in front of Jay. The three women wasted no time in wrapping their hands around her throbbing shaft while peppering her cockhead with wet kisses and licks. Considering her size, there was more than enough room for all three of them tovish her cock with attention without getting in each other¡¯s way.
Pulling her plush lips away from Jay¡¯s tip for a moment, Eir looked up at her and batted her thick eyshes in a decidedly coquettish way.
¡°You could turn your skill off while you are iming Kerr,¡± Eir said between licking precum off of Jay¡¯s cockhead. ¡°Just to test how you feel.¡±
There were some muffled noises that vibrated nicely against Jay¡¯s pussy, but otherwise Jadis paid the archer no mind as Dys continued to relentlessly pound her hips into her.
¡°But, she¡¯s a therion,¡± Sabina perked up as she leaned away her side of Jay¡¯s cock. ¡°Kerr isn¡¯t fertile unless she wants to go into heat, right? There wouldn¡¯t be any chance¡ª¡±
Sabina¡¯smentary was hushed as Eir put a hand on the back of her head and pressed her back down against Jay¡¯s pale flesh.
¡°As Kerr herself pointed out,¡± Eir continued as though she hadn¡¯t been interrupted. ¡°What¡¯s a little impregnation between friends?¡±
With her smoldering gaze locked onto the three women who were servicing her throbbing cock, Jay briefly raised her hips and called out to Kerr.
¡°Safe word is ¡®Bite Me,'' alright?¡±
¡°Shut up and pump me full of your cum already, you¡ª¡±
Jay sat back down on Kerr¡¯s face before she could finish her sentence. In the same instant, Dys picked up her pace even more, filling the room with the sounds of flesh pping against wet flesh. Making a small mental adjustment, Jadis turned her Potency Alteration skill off. She didn¡¯t change it so that her seed would guarantee pregnancy, just left the mental slider at a mid-point; there would be no interference in her natural virility.
Despite not being the one who was getting fucked, the look on Eir¡¯s face was ecstatic.
On the other side of the bed, Bridget let out a squeal of surprise as Syd rolled them over so that the orc was lying on top of her. With a quick, smooth motion, Syd withdrew her slick member from Bridget¡¯s wet core and positioned the tip of her cock against her twitching back door.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t forget about you,¡± Syd whispered before firmly pressing Bridget down onto her shaft.
Bridget let out a low moan of pleasure as Syd¡¯s cock filled her tunnel beyond what should have been physically possible. Using one hand to hold her knees together and against the orc¡¯s generous chest, Syd also moaned as the position only increased the tightness of Bridget¡¯s body. No matter how tight though, Jadis wasn¡¯t going to leave the job half done. Taking full advantage of her strength, Bridget¡¯s toughness, and her Anatomical Adaptation skill, Syd didn¡¯t stop until her cock waspletely nestled inside of Bridget¡¯s twitching rear.
Once she was fully inserted, the two women took a moment to just breathe, basking in the sensations with their eyes closed.
¡°I didn¡¯t forget about you, either,¡± Syd murmured.
Jadis was amused to see Bridget¡¯s eyes pop open in confusion, only to realize that Syd hadn¡¯t been talking to her. No, she¡¯d been talking to thest woman unounted for in their little orgy.
A stood before Syd and Bridget, her feet nted between Syd¡¯s legs. Her foot long cock stood out from hernky body, throbbing with need and shining with the remnants of Sabina¡¯s spit. She had one hand on her hip while the other held a small ss bottle that contained a lemon-yellow liquid inside.
¡°You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± A asked as she waggled the contraceptive potion she¡¯d fetched from their belongings at Bridget. ¡°You¡¯re used to taking two at once, anyway, right?¡±
¡°I, uh,¡± Bridget gulped, then held out a hand. ¡°Ah, fuck it. Toss it here.¡±
Catching the tossed bottle, Bridget quickly downed the potion while Syd used her grip on the warrior¡¯s legs to position her pussy for easy ess. Settling down onto her knees, A slid the tip of her member against Bridget¡¯s fluttering lower lips. After only a few seconds of teasing, A eased her cock into the orc, pressing in with a panting groan that was soon echoed by both Bridget and Syd.
Syd shivered in delight as she felt her girlfriend¡¯s cock rub against the underside of her own turgid shaft through the thin flesh of Bridget¡¯s pussy walls. The sensation was both familiar and alien; Jadis had fucked Bridget more than a few times with all three of her bodies, but never with someone else¡¯s cock taking up one of the woman¡¯s holes. Knowing that A was going to join her in fucking the orc woman senseless was an extra turn-on.
¡°So,¡± A sighed as she finished sheathing herself in Bridget¡¯s core, her body leaning forward so that her own modest breasts were pressed into Bridget¡¯s heavy tits. ¡°You said you weren¡¯t ready for kids right now. How about in the future?¡±
¡°Whuh?¡± Bridget responded, cock drunk and eyes half-lidded. ¡°Kids?¡±
¡°Yes, kids,¡± A huffed as she stirred her hips into the muscr warrior, making her now bulging stomach move in lewd ways. ¡°In the future. Any ns? Maybe thoughts about who you¡¯d like to have them with?¡±
¡°I, uh, I guess¡ªAh! Oh, I guess I wouldn¡¯t¡ªwouldn¡¯t mind having a couple or three. With, ah, someone strong. P¡ªpowerful. A good, ah, fighter.¡±
A¡¯s next questions were followed with small thrusts of her hips.
¡°Tall?¡±
¡°Ah, yeah, I like tall.¡±
¡°Pale?¡±
¡°Pale¡¯s good, I like pale.¡±
¡°Violet eyes?¡±
¡°Oh, mm, purple and green look good together. Green skin and, ah, purple eyes sound good to me.¡±
¡°Then maybe we should have a talkter about your position in the mercenarypany. And our rtionship,¡± A mused while turning her blue gaze to meet Syd¡¯s violet eyes.
¡°I¡¯d, ah, like that, mm, very much,¡± Bridget replied, turning her head to give Syd a look over her shoulder.
¡°Holy shit, I don¡¯t think you all realize what the fuck you¡¯re doing to me right now,¡± Syd panted, barely in control of impulses. ¡°In fact, fuck it. You¡¯re about to fucking find out.¡±
Tossing aside all further attempts at restraint, Syd began thrusting her hips up into Bridget¡¯s ass, literally bouncing A into the air with the power of her motions. While she normally prided herself on her staying ability, Jadis was too turned on to hold out for long. After only a few precious moments of pure pleasure, Syd felt the tenuous string keeping her from the edge snap. With a shudder and a moan, Syd began pouring hot seed into Bridget¡¯s rear.
Climaxing didn¡¯t stop her movements, though. As she came, Syd continued to thrust into Bridget, her cum sttering out around her shaft as it leaked messily between her and the orc.
¡°Oh, fuck! Fuck!¡± Bridget cried out, her own orgasm triggering as she felt Syd continue to piston into her while filling her up with thick seed.
From there it turned into a climax cascade as A shuddered with her own release, prompting Jadis¡¯ other two selves to orgasm. As A pumped her cum into Bridget¡¯s pussy, Dys poured her load into Kerr¡¯s unprotected womb while Jay shot rope after sticky rope of pearlescent seed across Eir, Thea, and Sabina¡¯s faces.
It took a solid minute at least before Jadis finally slowed, her triple-triggered orgasm one of the most intense she¡¯d ever had. Looking down at the mess she¡¯d made, Jay had to let out a little giggle at the sight of the elf, half elf, and human utterly coated in strings of sticky semen.
Semen that was unaltered and very virile.
The same semen that was now slowly leaking out of Kerr¡¯s well-fucked pussy.
Pulling back a little, Jay looked down at Kerr¡¯s damp, sex-slicked face.
¡°Hey, you aren¡¯t actually in heat or something right now, are you?¡±
Kerr let out a tired, gaspingugh.
¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know.¡±
Chapter 313: Status Sheet
Chapter 313: Status Sheet
The next several days after Jadis¡¯ first meeting with the high priests were an absolute whirlwind of stressful activity. As she had expected, much of her waking hours were taken up by further meetings with the priestly envoys, but there were other kinds of meetings to take up her time as well. Meetings with Vraekae and Wi to go over the reports concerning the expedition, meetings regarding the Roiling Reavers and Sorcha, meetings about Fortune¡¯s Favored and thepany¡¯s status; meetings, meetings, meetings. While Jadis couldn¡¯t in all honesty say the meetings were worse than some of the rougher days she¡¯d had during the expedition to the mountains, Jadis still found herself thinking wistfully of the days when all she had to worry about was life and death, rather than making some kind of legal or political misstep that could unintentionally screw either her future or the futures of herpanions.
It didn¡¯t help Jadis¡¯ concentration that Kerr had obstinately refused to reveal whether or not she¡¯d been fertile during their impromptu unprotected night of sex. Jadis was fairly certain Kerr was just messing with her head, but the woman was just crazy enough that Jadis couldn¡¯t discount the possibility.
Thoughts of parenthood aside, one of the most important things that Jadis had to deal with was securing approval from the priests for Alex. That had, naturally, involved physically introducing the demte to the group at the next meeting where all the priests were gathered a few dayster. Popping open a box and having Alex crawl out had elicited some interesting responses from the gathering, including three different attempts at smiting the demon, four different spells that Jadis couldn¡¯t even guess at their power or purpose, and one chair that had been thrown with extremely impressive uracy.
Jadis was just d General Egilhard hadn¡¯t been invited to that particr meeting.
Convincing the high priests that Alex wasn¡¯t a threat hadn¡¯t been easy per se, but it hadn¡¯t been quite the impossible task that Jadis had feared it would be. Part of that ease stemmed from the fact that Jadis had a ratherrge ace in her pocket in the form of a literal god. D had answered her questions in regards to Alex which was something the high priests took very seriously. Not without debate, but seriously. It also helped that both Myron and Vita were avatars, which meant that they had direct lines to their own gods to give them guidance. When confronted with Alex, neither could say that their individual patrons were warning them of danger. Vita imed that her goddess, Ulya, was giving her a clear indication to walk with caution, but Myron¡¯s only discernable directive was to analyze, analyze, and analyze.
One suggestion that Jadis made regarding Alex was for Sholto to use Rowen¡¯s Medallion of Truesight on the demon. She had originally nned on asking Vraekae to make Alex a mercenary badge so that her status sheet could be viewed and examined. The artifact that Sholto had brought with him from the capital could aplish the same feat, though, which Jadis thought was the better option.
Jadis did her best to exin to Alex what exactly they wanted to do, trying to give her the same level of respect and autonomy as anyone else deserved when it came to the privacy of their status sheet; however, Alex simply did not seem to catch on to what Jadis was telling her. It might have been because the concept of a status sheet was too hard to exin with the demon¡¯s limited vocabry, or it could have been that Jadis just wasn¡¯t doing a good job at presenting the idea. Jadis¡¯ true fear, though, was that Alex didn¡¯t understand the idea because she didn¡¯t have a status sheet to begin with, therefore the idea waspletely alien.
That fear was all but confirmed when Sholto used the golden artifact to examine Alex and revealed that all that the detection enchantment was showing him was the same kind of information that he would have received if he had used it on any other demon. In conjunction with the enchanted device shaped like a te that Vraekae retrieved from her office, Jadis and all the priests were able to see what Sholto could see while using the artifact.
|
Bonded Alex
Greater Demon of Samleos
Health 750/750
|
¡°Rather low health for a greater demon,¡± Oswin mused as he drummed his fingers on the table. ¡°But other than that anomaly, this does nothing to prove your presumption that Alex or any other demon has ess to the System and are capable of gaining sses.¡±
¡°That¡¯s an interesting name, though. ¡®Bonded Alex¡¯. Sort of implies a strong rtionship with someone, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Sholto mused as he scratched his green nose. ¡°Almost like a bonded ss.¡±
¡°Greater Demons typically possess a two-part name structured as an ¡®adjective¡¯ and ¡®noun¡¯bination that represent aspects of their unique nature,¡± Myron intoned as his many stone hands scribbled away in two different books. ¡°While I am unaware of any greater demon having been recorded as possessing an actual proper noun as part of their naming structure, Bonded Alex does not deviate from the expected format.¡±
Bonded Alex.
Jadis looked at the ck and neon blue demon with worried eyes. She didn¡¯t have to wonder who that ¡°bonded¡± was in reference to. Jadis had just experienced Kerr receiving a bonded ss thanks to her involvement with her. Considering how attached the demon was to her, she couldn¡¯t be wholly surprised that Alex had also unlocked a bonded ss. Of course, Jadis still felt blindsided by the revtion, just notpletely lost. She really had been underestimating just how strongly Alex felt about her.
Well. If anything, the knowledge that Alex had taken a bonded ss because of her just further pushed Jadis to make sure that the demon got every possible chance to show that her nature was far moreplex than these people thought it to be.
¡°I¡¯d like to give her a mercenary badge,¡± Jay spoke up, addressing Vraekae who sat at the far end of the table once again. ¡°To see how that interacts with her status sheet.¡±
A flicker of surprise flitted across the magistrate¡¯s face, but before she could say anything Steingrimur spoke up with a growl.
¡°Why? Anything a badge could do, that trinket around Sholto¡¯s neck can do. If that thing can¡¯t see a sheet on this demon, what difference is a badge going to make?¡±
¡°Consent.¡±
Jadis¡¯ three-voiced answer prompted various surprised reactions from the priests around the meeting table mixed with heavy doses of doubt. Leaning forward, Jay motioned towards Alex who quietly sat between her and Dys.
¡°No, really. Consent. Since that Truesight-whatever thing is an artifact, I figure it was probably used by some past hero, right?¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Aurea answered her question. The beautiful priestess was looking a little subdued this morning, which Jadis thought might have something to do with any preconceived notions the woman might have had about the only living Nephilim having not been met. ¡°The Hero from around two thousand four hundred years ago, a time before your people were¡ thought to be extinct.¡±
¡°Right. And I¡¯m sure it¡¯s seen use since,¡± Jay nodded her head while leaning back in her chair. ¡°If all demons have status sheets, I¡¯m sure that artifact would have picked up on it before now.¡±
¡°Except!¡± Syd held up a finger. ¡°Having actually spent timemunicating with Alex, I can tell you that the way she thinks is not the same as how any of us think, and I don¡¯t think that¡¯s unique to her. I suspect that demons have just as much intelligence as anyone else, however, their brains are hardwired differently so they don¡¯t process things the same way. I mean, they don¡¯t breathe. They don¡¯t eat. They don¡¯t sleep. I don¡¯t think they even really perceive sensory input the same way as we do.¡±
¡°Which is why I think that since her mind doesn¡¯t work the way ours do, her status sheet probably doesn¡¯t work the way ours do either,¡± Dys followed up as she put a hand on Alex¡¯s monstrous shoulder. ¡°Alex can read, but only because I showed her what letters are. It wouldn¡¯t make sense that her status sheet would be formed of letters and numbers when demons don¡¯t even operate like that. Their status sheets would have toe in some form that they innately understand, rather than a format that would require them to have knowledge of a letter system they can¡¯t possibly possess.¡±
There was a long, long minute of silent contemtion between the high priests before any of them responded to Jadis¡¯ theories. When one of them did, Jadis wasn¡¯t surprised to see it was the Golem, Myron.
¡°In support of your theory, I can confirm that the Temple of Metethys has records of individuals who were born blind and remained so before reaching the age of majority for their race and unlocking their primary ss. When such individualster had sight given to them by priests, they were asked questions concerning how they viewed the status sheet in their mind. Such individuals stated that they did not ¡®see¡¯ a status sheet in the same way that ismonly described, but instead ¡®heard¡¯ the status sheet. It was only after they had been given vision that they began to see the status sheet.¡±
Jadis smiled at the stoney priest. She wasn¡¯t sure if he had any real interest any helping Alex, but the example he¡¯d just provided was excellent evidence in favor of her theory. If blind people didn¡¯t see status sheets, why would demons, who didn¡¯t seem to think in words, have status sheets like that at all?
¡°A fair point,¡± Oswin nodded his head as he wrote a few notes down on a parchment he had before him. ¡°However, I¡¯m sure that temple records can confirm that such blind individuals still had visually readable status sheets when detection spells such as Rowen¡¯s Medallion of Truesight was used on them.¡±
¡°Partially correct,¡± Myron said, holding up one finger. ¡°We have no record of Rowen¡¯s artifact being used to examine such an individual and therefore cannot confirm. However, we do have records showing that such blind individuals did have normal status sheets when mechanisms such as mercenary badges or simr devices were used on them.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t argue against that,¡± Jay interjected before Oswin or anyone else could say more, ¡°but I don¡¯t think that invalidates my point here. If a blind person got a badge, that meant they consented to have it. They wanted their status sheet to be legible for others to understand it.¡±
¡°Look, it can¡¯t hurt, can it?¡± Lonan, the halfling priest, spoke up. ¡°I mean, it isn¡¯t like we have any precedent for something like this, right? None that I remember from any records I¡¯ve ever read. Why not try it and see what happens? I, for one, am interested in learning as much as we can from Alex about demons.¡±
¡°The demon known as Bonded Alex poses a unique research opportunity,¡± Myron agreed in his dispassionate voice. ¡°We should take advantage of every avable avenue to gather data.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡± Sholto expressively shrugged his shoulders. ¡°We get a demon who is contractually obligated to follow mercenary operationalws? Doesn¡¯t seem like a big loss to me.¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± Vraekae finally said, putting her verbal seal of tentative approval on the process. ¡°We¡¯ll take a recess here. It will take me some time to arrange proceedings.¡±
With that, the meeting took a reprieve while the Magistrate went about getting things set up for Alex to receive a mercenary badge. Jadis was fairly certain that Vraekae would want as few people around to witness the process as possible, so that probably meant she was going to have to clear much of the building so that no one would be around to observe Alex in the chamber where the magic ritual for a badge was done. Jadis didn¡¯t know how long any of that was going to take, but while she waited, she spent the time trying once again to exin the situation to Alex.
¡°Status sheet,¡± Jay tried again. ¡°Jadis has a status sheet. A has a status sheet. Alex has a status sheet.¡±
¡°Status¡ Sheet¡¡± Alex repeated as she stared at the crude drawing of a status sheet that Jadis had drawn on a borrowed piece of paper. ¡°Letters¡¡±
¡°Letters and numbers, yes,¡± Jay sighed. It didn¡¯t seem like they¡¯d quite made a breakthrough in understanding. ¡°Letters and numbers for Jadis. Letters and numbers for Alex.¡±
The high priests, all of whom still lingered in the room, threw both cautious and curious looks Jadis¡¯ way while she tried to exin things to Alex. They spoke mostly in pairs and small groups, discussing what they thought of Alex, and also of Jadis, and the implications of the situation, both current and in potential. Since she had a couple of extra sets of ears and eyes to keep track, Jadis was able to follow along with their concerns well enough to get the impression that most were focused on what this information might mean for the war against the Demon Lord. Jadis didn¡¯t know much about the shadowy counterpart to the Hero, but considering the situation she was currently in, she thought it was about time that she got some more details on the individual. She¡¯d have to ask one or more of the priests what they knew. Considering their positions, they had to have some in-depth knowledge, she was sure.
As she pondered who best to ask, the goblin high priest broke away from Lonan and Myron to head her way.
¡°Here, try this,¡± Sholto said as he approached Jadis and Alex, his small green hand outstretched. ¡°If all this nonsense you¡¯re spouting has any basis, then I¡¯d wager your pet demon here would need a boost of some kind to really understand what you¡¯re banging on about.¡±
From his hand dangled the shining golden Truesight medallion. Jadis stared at it, both taken aback and a little suspicious.
¡°Letting Alex touch that isn¡¯t going to count as sacrilege or something, right?¡± Jay asked with narrowed eyes.
¡°And it isn¡¯t going to hurt her or something like that because she¡¯s a demon, is it?¡± Dys added with a scowl.
¡°Tits on a toad, you¡¯re suspicious,¡± Sholto cackled in response to her questions. ¡°It¡¯s not that kind of artifact. And do you really think Destarious is the kind of god to give a shit about sacrilege?¡±
¡°No, that hasn¡¯t been my experience of him,¡± Jay murmured as she took the medallion from the goblin. Turning her attention to Alex, she motioned for her to lean forward. ¡°Here, try this on.¡±
Putting the artifact¡¯s chain around Alex¡¯s neck, Jadis showed the demon how to hold it and then exined how to push magic power into it. The process of exining to the demon how to put her magic into an item took a few minutes, but honestly wasn¡¯t as bad as Jadis had feared. Alex seemed to have an instinctual understanding of magic. That, or she just knew enough from seeing other examples of Jadis and the others using magic items that she understood what was needed.
Soon enough, Jadis could feel the magic coursing through the artifact as Alex pointed it at her.
At first, there was no reaction. Then, almost like someone had poked her with a hot firebrand, all of Alex¡¯s tentacles began to twist and curl in excited motions. She practically vibrated as she changed her facial expression into a bright, joyful grin.
¡°Status¡ Sheet¡¡± Alex said, pointing at Jadis. ¡°Status¡ Sheet¡¡±
¡°I think she just might have had an epiphany¡¡± Sholto mused as he scratched at his chin.
¡°Good, good job,¡± Jadis praised Alex. ¡°You¡¯ve got it!¡±
The revtion hade just in time, too, as Vraekae soon returned to escort Jadis and Alex to the chamber where the demon could undergo the ritual to receive a mercenary badge. While Alex had been obviously willing to agree to anything Jadis suggested to her, her enthusiasm had clearly increased when Jadis once again exined to her what the chamber was for. In no time at all, Alex had undergone the procedure and had a mercenary badge tuned to her. Not wanting to waste another minute, Jadis rushed with Alex and Vraekae back to the meeting room with the priests where they could all see exactly what information the badge held.
As soon as Syd had ced the silver badge onto the enchanted disc in the center of the long table, an illusory image appeared in the air above it. The image was¡ confusing, to say the least. A bizarre scramble of shapes and colors floated in a wide scramble, moving and twisting in vaguely disquieting ways. It was almost like looking at an optical illusion and, after only a few seconds of trying to stare at the image, Jadis¡¯ eyes started to hurt.
¡°What in all the abyss is that?¡± Doruined as he averted his eyes. ¡°That is not a status sheet!¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s something¡ªwait!¡± Lonan said, pointing at the image. ¡°There! Is that a number?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t¡ªhold on, I think I see what you mean,¡± Oswin said slowly, squinting at the bizarre jumble of colors and shapes. ¡°Is that a two?¡±
¡°I believe it is,¡± Vita purred as she leapt up onto the table and took a few steps closer to the illusion. ¡°And I believe that right there is the letter A. In fact, I think that might be something close to an L next to it.¡±
Indeed, Jadis could see it now, too. Definite letters and numbers, all of them slowlying into focus as the strange image seemed to twist and unblur itself, like some kind of kaleidoscope rearranging itself. It was a slow process, but before too long the gathering was left staring not at a jumbled mess of iprehensible colors, but a true status sheet, one that looked identical to any other that Jadis had ever seen, including her own.
As much as Jadis wanted to proudly celebrate and shout ¡°I told you so¡± at Vraekae and the priests, she found that she was far too distracted by the contents of Alex¡¯s status sheet to do any of that. She imagined the silenceing from the high priests probably had something to do with Alex¡¯s primary ss as well¡
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Bonded Alex
Race: Demon
Primary ss: Pdin of Jadis (21)
Secondary ss: Bonded Alex (2)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 23
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Health: 750/750
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Magic: 455/480
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Attributes
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Strength: 55
Dexterity: 10
Agility: 62
Vitality: 75
Fortitude: 33
Endurance: 42
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 95
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 48
Resilience: 40
Will: 151
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¡°Status¡ Sheet¡¡± Alex proimed with a satisfied smile.
Chapter 314: Paladin of Jadis
Chapter 314: Pdin of Jadis
¡°She¡¯s a pdin? A fucking pdin demon? Dedicated to you!?¡±
Steingrimur¡¯s outraged shout was the all the force needed to break the dam holding the room in silence. Everyone began talking at once as the many ramifications of Alex¡¯s status sheet blew all previously epted understandings of how demons worked out of the water. The verbal barrage of ideas, suppositions, arguments, usations, and conjecture were so fast and numerous that Jadis could barely keep track of who was saying what, much less understand the individual words.
Feeling a soft body pressing into her side, Dys looked down to see that Alex had curled up into a ball, knees against her chest and both sets of arms wrapped around them, and was basically hiding in Dys¡¯ shadow. All three of her eyes were wide as saucers as she watched the high priests argue with each other.
Jadis could easily understand how the demon felt.
A loud rapping sound echoed over the din of voices and it took Jadis a moment to realize that it wasing from Vraekae. The Magistrate was knocking her knuckles against the table again in an effort to restore order. After a few seconds of her attempts not working, the elf switched tactics.
¡°Silence!¡±
Vraekae¡¯s shoutedmand was punctuated by her red orb mming into the table with enough force to make the sturdy piece of wood vibrate. The priests all seemed to get the picture then and finally settled down, at least returning to a veneer of calm, if not trueposure.
¡°Oswin,¡± Vraekae spoke in her usual cold tones. ¡°As you are senior here, I offer you the floor. Please lead us in this calm and rational discussion.¡±
With a nod of acknowledgement, the older human licked his thin lips and set his elbows on the table before him, handsced together. He took a deep breath, then began to speak.
¡°I do not think I can overstate the significance of this discovery,¡± he began. ¡°To have verifiable proof that demon-kind have both a status sheet and sses is¡ Well. It changes all previous schrly inquiry and has potentially ground-shattering implications in both our understanding of demons as well as how Samleos interacts with the Covenant. I almost don¡¯t know where to start.¡±
¡°I do,¡± Steingrimur interjected. ¡°Why in the gods names is that thing a Pdin dedicated to a mortal being? Unless she¡¯s hiding something about her origins, Jadis should not be qualified to generate Pdin sses that are dedicated to her!¡±
Jadis was, in fact, hiding something about her origins. But she wasn¡¯t going to bring that up at that moment. Enough bombs had been dropped in the room already. Even if she wanted to tell them, she didn¡¯t think the high priests could handle another.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Oswin sighed, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. ¡°That aspect, while troubling, is hardly the most disturbing aspect of this situation.¡±
¡°To you, maybe!¡± Lonan pointed a callused finger at the human. ¡°Demons having sses isn¡¯t exactly a brand-new idea that¡¯s never been thought of! Having confirmation is something else, I agree, but it¡¯s not like it¡¯spletely out of thin air. I¡¯ve at least heard the scroll-heads arguing over this very idea in the past.
¡°However! A mortal person, even an Avatar, being a focal point for a Pdin ss is unheard of! How could that happen? Why Jadis, and why this demon? Does this utterly unprecedented ss have something to do with the fact that Alex is a demon? Are Pdin sses amon urrence among demons? Could Jadis cause others to have a Pdin ss option?¡±
¡°Oh, and don¡¯t forget,¡± Sholto tossed into the conversation, ¡°why in Valtar¡¯s hairy ballsack does that demon have such high stat values despite being so low level?¡±
¡°Yes! That!¡± Lonan said, mming his hand onto the table. ¡°That is also a damned good question!¡±
¡°Disrespectful phrasing aside, I agree,¡± Oswin said with a frown. ¡°There are many, many questions that this revtion has engendered, far more than it has answered. I would suggest then that we examine Alex¡¯s ss skills. That would at least give us answers as to why her attributes are so high and may also give us some answers to our other questions.¡±
¡°Now, hold on there,¡± Jay spoke up at that point, holding up a hand to forestall any further action. ¡°Look, I get the excitement here, but considering everything that I think has been answered by Alex having a status sheet, I say it would be a massive breach of privacy to just look at her ss skills like that.¡±
¡°I mean, we¡¯re all on the same page here now about her being just as deserving of respect as anyone else is, right? She¡¯s not a magic beast,¡± Dys pointed out. ¡°She¡¯s an avatar. A Demon, yes, but still an avatar race with free will, the same as Myron or Vita or me. You can¡¯t just walk all over her rights and examine her ss skills.¡±
¡°Not without permission, anyway,¡± Syd added after a moment. ¡°If she¡¯s cool with it, then it¡¯s fine.¡±
There were a few nces shared around the table, but after only a brief pause it was Vita who addressed the balled-up demon directly.
¡°Alex, dear,¡± Vita spoke kindly in her purring voice, though Jadis could tell that she¡¯d hesitated over the endearment. ¡°May we examine your ss skills?¡±
Chin popping up over her knees, Alex stared at the ming cat for a moment before speaking.
¡°ss¡ Skills¡?¡±
¡°Gods, here we go,¡± Sholto muttered under his breath.
It took longer than any of them would have liked to exin what ss skills were to Alex, though once she understood what was being asked of her, she easily consented to having them examined. Jadis got the feeling that, just like her, the demon didn¡¯t have any of the cultural hangups that most people did on Oros when it came to publicly disying ss information. Which made sense, honestly. Why would demons care if other demons knew their stats?
As soon as Alex¡¯s ss skills started appearing in the hologram-like illusion hovering over the table, Jadis started writing the information down on her own sheet of parchment. She just knew A would want to analyze the detailster. It wasn¡¯t every day that one got to examine the stats of a demon. And, just by reading the first skill description, Jadis knew A was going to have a lot to say.
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Follower of Jadis
Passive Skill. The amount of Experience Points you actively and passively gain from following Jadis are increased by 0.3. This increase only applies to experience points gained either from participation in an appropriate action in conjunction with Jadis or from passive gains generated from appropriate actions that Jadis has taken in your presence. This Experience Points gain also applies to your Secondary and Tertiary sses.
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¡°That looks¡ kind of insane, actually,¡± Jay murmured under her breath.
There were, of course, immediate reactions from the gathered priests, though the reasons for furor turned out to be different from what Jadis was expecting. In her opinion, a ss skill that passively increased experience point gain was, well, just unfair. A thirty percent boost to experience gained, even if it had a limited scope of effectiveness, sounded amazingly useful. Jadis had never even heard of skills that boosted experience points. Was that another stunning, unheard-of revtion for the gathering of priests to tackle?
No, no it wasn¡¯t. As it turned out, a good number of sses offered passive skills that could increase experience gain if certain criteria were met. They were usually sses like Acolyte or Apprentice and weren¡¯t often chosen. While the experience boost was useful, the other ss skills offered tended to be inferior to other, less training-wheel type options. Other sses having experience boosting skills did happen, though that was exceedingly rare and usually only happened with sses that had strong dedications to particr focuses.
That was part of the real interest to the priests. The fact that Alex¡¯s exp skill was dependent on Jadis was unprecedented. Usually, the requirements were to perform certain actions under specific circumstances, like studying in a schoolroom. Instead, Alex¡¯s skill only required that the experience pointse from gaining them with Jadis.
Which meant, Jadis realized, that Alex had actually been siphoning off bonus experience points from every demon kill Jadis had ever made while toting the little demonling around. Plus, that bonus exp had been boosted by nearly a third the whole time.
Sneaky little devil¡
The other aspect of the skill that the priests focused on was the fact that it applied to her secondary and tertiary sses. That was almost unheard of, though not quite. The only two examples that could be pointed to, though, was a Hero from centuries past and apanion to a Hero from a few cycles ago. Either way, seeing a demon with such a valuable skill was unexpected and, to some of the priests, concerning.
Eventually they had to move on to Alex¡¯s other ss skills and, while there were many pauses to examine and debate, Jadis eventually had a full list written down for her and A and the others to go over once they got back to the headquarters.
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Expanded Awareness I
Passive Skill. Your physical senses are increased by 0.1.
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Pdin¡¯s Resolve
Passive Skill. Increases the Endurance and Vitality attributes by 7 points.
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Pdin¡¯s Faith
Passive Skill. Increases the Divine and Will attributes by 5 points.
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Pdin¡¯s Reservoir
Passive Skill. Increase the Focus attribute by 10 points.
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Regrowth by Will
Passive Skill. Your Health regenerates at half the speed of your Magic, as based upon your Will attribute.
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Pdin of Jadis¡¯ Boldness
Passive Skill. Multiplies a chosen magical attribute by 1.5. Attribute is chosen when skill is first selected and cannot be changed.
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Pdin¡¯s Barrier Break
Active Spell. Strike a physical or magical barrier with a weapon or your body. Deal divine damage equal to yourbined Strength and Divine attributes multiplied by 2. Cost ¨C 25 magic. Duration ¨C Instantaneous.
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Pdin of Jadis¡¯ Fervor
Passive Skill. Increases the Divine attribute by 15 points.
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Pdin¡¯s Stalwart Sacrifice
Active Skill. Increase your Fortitude and Resilience attributes by 0.3 while in a defensive stance. Defensive bonus increases to 0.5 when stance is used to block damage that would hit a target other than yourself. Cost ¨C 10 stamina and 10 magic per second. Duration ¨C Channeled.
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Pdin¡¯s Bold Smite
Active Spell. Strike a target with a weapon or your body. Deal damage equal to your Divine attribute multiplied by 1.5. Target takes additional damage equal to 0.5 of your Pdin¡¯s Boldness attribute every second for the next 5 seconds. Cost ¨C 50 magic. Duration ¨C Instantaneous.
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Body of Bonded Alex
Passive Skill. Choose a vessel to incorporate into your being and be a Greater Demon. The vessel chosen will alter the oue of your physical form. Once chosen, the vessel cannot be changed. Once your transformation isplete, the physical and magical attributes that your vessel had gained through leveling are added to your own. If your vessel had no physical or magical attributes gained through leveling, instead gain 20 points in each attribute. Increase one attribute of your choice by 50.
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There was a lot to process when it came to Alex¡¯s skills. Some were, to Jadis¡¯ surprise, kind of ordinary. Passives like Pdin¡¯s Resolve and Pdin¡¯s Faith were just straightforward attribute buffs, some basically the same as ones that she or her otherpanions possessed. On the other hand, Alex had a skill that was almost too familiar. Pdin of Jadis¡¯ Boldness was essentially Jadis¡¯ Mirror Knight¡¯s Might but for magic attributes. Jadis knew from conversations with A that such a powerful skill was as rare as hair on a frog, so the fact that Alex had such a skill was mind-blowing.
Regrowth by Will was also something Jadis would call a cheat skill. Alex literally regenerated health points constantly, just standing around, with no effort. How was that fair? Even Jadis had to freaking sleep to regain health points with her skill. Sure, it wasn¡¯t as fast as the healing Eir could do, but so long as Alex wasn¡¯t dead, she could regenerate to full health without any outside assistance within ten hours.
So unfair.
Though, thinking about it, Jadis guessed that was an issue that most demons would need to ovee. Healing themselves. Jadis knew from experience that some demons were capable of casting healing spells, at least on themselves and their hosts, but she¡¯d never seen any demons going around healing other demons in the middle of battle. Having some kind of regeneration skill made sense for some demons to have, though Jadis doubted they all had skills as strong as Alex¡¯s.
The attack spells that Alex had ess to were a surprise. Since Alex had never taken much in the way of aggressive action, Jadis had assumed that meant the demon just didn¡¯t have any kind of offensive skills or spells to use. As it turned out, that was incorrect. In fact, Pdin¡¯s Bold Smite looked incredibly nasty. Jadis wouldn¡¯t want to get hit by that attack, even with her recently increased Resilience. Pdin¡¯s Barrier Break, however, exined something that Jadis had always wondered about. How had Alex managed to break out of her confinement? The answer, apparently, was by smiting the shit out of it.
Then there was the big one. The skill that came from her brand-new Bonded Alex ss. It was, without a doubt, the most controversial as well as most enlightening of all of Alex¡¯s skills.
Body of Bonded Alex.
What a skill. If what Alex had was simr to what all other Greater Demons unlocked with their ss, and there was no reason Jadis could see to think it wasn¡¯t, then that exined a lot about why Greater Demons were so powerful. Alex had ¡°chosen¡± Eike to be her vessel. Eike had been a high-level melee-magic caster. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d been above level sixty or not, but she had probably been at that point, or at least close to it. That meant somewhere around sixty levels worth of attribute point gains had all been dumped right into Alex¡¯s stats. Based on the wording as well as the quantifiable numbers on Alex¡¯s sheet, it seemed likely that included both regr free attribute point gains as well as any passive skills that had boosted Eike¡¯s stats. Sure, Alex hadn¡¯t gained any other kinds of skills or spells from the woman, but even just stat boosts were a huge deal. And who was to say other Greater Demons didn¡¯t have different versions of the skill that did grant different aspects of their vessel? From what Jadis had seen of every Greater Demon she¡¯d fought so far, she wouldn¡¯t have been surprised to find out that her guess was true.
Plus, a straight fifty-point boost to whatever attribute she wanted? Alex really had gotten a killer ss¡
¡°All right, everyone,¡± Vraekae called out to the gathering after the priests had calmed down slightly from reading Alex¡¯stest skill. ¡°This meeting can¡¯t go on forever and we still have a lot to discuss. I think, however, considering the extremely illuminating and potentially world-altering information that we have gained thanks to¡ Alex¡¯s assistance, we need to discuss special dispensations in order to secure her safety here in the Empire. I do not think it would be wise to allow such a valuable¡ ally to either be harmed or fall into the wrong hands.¡±
¡°I second the motion,¡± Myron spoke up, his constant writing having never slowed during the whole meeting so far. ¡°Demonic origins notwithstanding, Alex is too valuable an asset to be lost due to thoughtless error.¡±
¡°Ally,¡± Jadis corrected the Golem. ¡°Not an asset. She¡¯s an ally.¡±
¡°Ally,¡± Myron agreed without argument. ¡°No offense was intended.¡±
Steingrimur scoffed at the apology, but Jadis didn¡¯t pay the man any mind. Thanks to all the incredible insight Alex had provided into demon-kind, Jadis was certain that she¡¯d secured both her safety and her freedom. Most of the high priests were looking far more interested in Alex than disturbed, which meant she¡¯d managed to gain some tentative allies. While things hadn¡¯t gone as smoothly as Jadis had privately hoped for, the meeting had still gone way, way better than she had feared it would. Truly, Alex hade through in the end.
¡°Good girl,¡± Jay warmly praised Alex while gently stroking her tentacled head. ¡°Very good girl.¡±
The demte leaned into Jay¡¯s touch, her own happy smile on her face as her many thin head tentacles reached up to stroke Jay¡¯s hand back in turn. After a moment of clear enjoyment, Alex looked up into Jay¡¯s eyes and ruined the tender moment by embarrassing the living soul out of Jadis in front of Vraekae and the high priests.
¡°Alex¡ Fuck¡ Now¡ Please¡?¡±
¡°What did she just say?¡± Aurea asked, her eyes wide and mouth hanging open.
¡°D damnit, Alex,¡± Jay murmured with no heat to her words. ¡°We really gotta work on your timing¡¡±
Chapter 315: Parole
Chapter 315: Parole
There were limits to Vraekae¡¯s power. She was the Magistrate, the legal and political head of the entirety of Weigrun, and she was from a noble family to boot. However, she was ultimately aw enforcer, not aw maker. She couldn¡¯t just wave her hand and proim something and then everyone had to follow along. That kind of power was the prerogative of Emperor Somerulf, and even he didn¡¯t take actions like that casually. All that was to say, Vraekae couldn¡¯t just change imperialw to make it so that a greater demon like Alex could just walk freely around the countryside without consequence.
But she could bend the rules.
Imperialw allowed citizens to capture and hold live demons, typically for the use of alchemists, as fresh demon eyes or demon blood could be used in some rare and difficult to create potions. The practice was highly regted and required stringent adherence to proper procedures to make sure no demons got loose in a popted area. Jadis¡¯ rather loose handling of Alex had been technically incorrect and something that Vraekae absolutely could have levied charges against Jadis for. However, since Vraekae didn¡¯t actually want to either incarcerate or alienate Jadis, she hadn¡¯t pressed the issue. For a demonic entity as small and weak as Alex had been, there hadn¡¯t been much risk anyway.
Hindsight being what it is, Vraekae was forced to admit that her judgement had been wed. Jadis was very, very thankful that Vraekae had made that mistake. Otherwise, Alex likely never would have grown to be the perception-challenging Demon that she had.
In fact, when Jadis considered it, she was fairly confident that just by bringing Alex to the attention of some of the most highly ranked priests in the empire she had likely fulfilled D¡¯s request to ¡°shake things up¡±. Not that she thought her job was done or anything. She doubted D would be satisfied with just the one rtively little quake. She was going to have to see things through to the end, wherever that might lead her.
In any case, the issue of keeping Alex safe while also satisfying Jadis¡¯ personal sensibilities was something that Vraekae was able to aplish by mostly sticking to the rules as written. Technically, to properly handle a live demon in captivity one had to keep them restrained within a containment device of some kind that was authorized by the local government. That could have meant that Sabina was going to have to make a whole new ss-faced crate for Alex to be carted around in, but Vraekae had a better solution.
When a criminal who hadmitted a violent offense was remanded to a proper agency, they were typically equipped with an enchanted arm band that would allow authorities to both track and disable them. The metal band allowed those with the properly paired enchanted device to track the individual, and depending on the version could also deliver debilitating spells directly into the person. The bands couldn¡¯t be removed, at least not easily, and if they were removed, or the body part they were attached to was removed, the paired device would be notified immediately. These devices weren¡¯t cheap to make since they needed to be able to function for long periods without recharge, so the empire generally used them sparingly, only equipping them on criminals where the situation truly warranted them.
¡°Metal¡ Shell¡¡±
Alex poked at the steel armband that had been ced around the bicep of one of her monstrous extra arms. The outer surface of the enchanted device was simple, nothing more than smooth polished steel with the imperial coat of arms stamped onto the surface. The inner surface, though, had been aplicatedwork of faintly shining lines and runes that looked almost asplicated as copper lines Jadis remembered seeing onputer chips back on Earth. Those runes had glowed with a surge of power once the armband had been locked into ce on Alex¡¯s arm, but after the initial click the glow had faded and the manacle was no more noticeable than any other metal armlet.
¡°This can¡¯t hurt her, right?¡± Dys asked Vraekae again as she frowned at the armband. ¡°I don¡¯t want some asshole officer who doesn¡¯t know any better to press a button and hurt Alex.¡±
¡°No, it cannot,¡± Vraekae assured Jadis for what was probably the tenth time. ¡°The enchantments on this model are based around Eldritch magic. If activated, it will cause temporary paralysis as well as deafness and blindness. She cannot be directly hurt by this tracking manacle.¡±
¡°Just put in a position where a cat could kill her,¡± Dys grumbled as she remembered all the times she herself had been paralyzed by a certain goblin¡¯s spells.
¡°Thank you for doing this,¡± Jay said more loudly, not wanting Vraekae to think she didn¡¯t appreciate the risks she was taking on her behalf. ¡°I know you don¡¯t have to. It¡¯s¡ it¡¯s really nice of you to help me and Alex like this.¡±
Vraekae eyed Jay with an appraising re. They were alone with Alex in Vraekae¡¯s office. Another two days had passed since Jadis had revealed Alex to the congregation of High Priests and they were finally at a point where they were in enough agreement about Alex that Vraekae had been able to push forward with her suggestion on how to restrain Alex enough to meet the letter of thew. The sun was already starting to set and it was snowing again. The glow of the fire burning in the hearth kept the officefortably warm, which was nice since it felt like the weather outside had dropped twenty degrees.
¡°That is not entirely true, now, is it?¡± Vraekae intoned from where she sat at her desk, her pen scribbling across what Jadis was sure was paperwork rted to the tracking manacle. ¡°You are bing quite the important figure in imperial politics. As a mere civil servant, it behooves me to stay in your good graces.¡±
Jay let out a littleugh at Vraekae¡¯s words, but the amusement died when she saw just how deadly serious Vraekae was.
¡°I¡¯m not actually more important than you,¡± Jay said, shifting a little ufortably. ¡°I mean, yeah, I¡¯m important. Not going to deny that. Literally on a mission from a god. But you¡¯re still the de facto ruler of an entire sub-continent.¡±
¡°I was appointed to my position by the Emperor,¡± Vraekae spoke as she stood from the desk, carrying several sheets of paper with her as well as two small but thick metal discs. ¡°The post I was assigned to is strategically important, but not vital to the war effort against the demonic invasion. Across the empire, there are precisely eighty-three other magistrates who oversee their own provinces, many of which could easily be judged as more vital to the empire than Weigrun. My family, Aedraheill, is a noble one, but we are but one of many and have no special connection to either the emperor¡¯s family line or to any of the Heroes from previous cycles.
¡°You, Jadis, are thest remaining member of an Avatar race, one who has been given a mission directly from the god Destarious. You have already proven that you are capable of altering the course of a demonic warzone nearly single-handedly, you are capable of altering the types of ss options others gain to ones of frankly absurd power, and you have settled a debate on Demonic intelligence that has been argued over for literal millennia.¡±
The blue-skinned elf came to a stop in front of Jay, a faint smirk ghosting across her lips.
¡°Between us, which do you think is the more politically important?¡±
¡°I see your point,¡± Jay answered dryly.
¡°Good,¡± Vraekae said before holding out her hands and passing both the papers and the metal discs to Jay.
¡°What are these?¡± Jay stared at the items the elf had given her.
¡°Those are the legal documents you need for Alex¡¯s tracking manacle, and that disc there is how you control it,¡± Vraekae tapped one set. ¡°The other papers and second disc are the ones you need for the convict Sorcha, Daughter of Tyree. When you pick the convict up downstairs, the guards will show you how to operate the discs. They¡¯ll also give you something to set them into so you don¡¯t lose them, like an amulet or a wristband.¡±
Vraekae glowered at Jay, her expression frosty.
¡°Do. Not. Lose. Them. These enchantments are extremely expensive to craft. Not all enchanters who can make these manacles are capable of making enchantments strong enough to overpower someone as strong as Alex.¡±
¡°Alex¡ Strong¡¡± the demon sagely nodded in agreement while flexing both sets of arms in a disy that mimicked something Jadis was sure she¡¯d done herself on a few silly whims. ¡°Status¡ Sheet¡ Strong¡¡±
Jadis smirked at the demon¡¯s antics. Whilemunication was still mired in difficulties, it hadn¡¯t taken Alex long to figure out that the high priests were impressed by Alex¡¯s high stats. That realization seemed to have done wonders for the demon¡¯s self-confidence.
¡°Oh, I¡¯m getting custody of Sorcha, too?¡± Jay asked, mildly surprised by the information. ¡°Already?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Vraekae nodded. ¡°She has already cut a deal to provide testimony and I see no reason to prolong her trial. I dealt with her sentencing this morning. Ten years of indentured probation. Much more lenient than what the rest of her former cohorts are getting, but the goblin has friends in high ces.¡±
¡°Good to have friends,¡± Jadis grinned at the magistrate.
¡°Indeed. Now, before you go, tomorrow¡¯s agenda¡ª¡±
Vraekae¡¯s next words were cut off as a loud knock came from her office door. Turning away from Jay, she called out for whoever had knocked to enter. When the door opened, it turned out to be one of Vraekae¡¯s guards. The man paused, looking at Alex with a disturbed expression that he quickly covered under a mask of professionalism.
¡°Apologies for the interruption, ma¡¯am,¡± the guard said while giving Vraekae a salute. ¡°We just received word from the docks. A ship flying the imperial g arrived in port about half an hour ago. It¡¯s not one of the regr vessels on schedule. The watch captain thought you would want to know.¡±
¡°Yes, thank you,¡± Vraekae said, her tone clipped. ¡°Inform the lieutenant on duty that I will be heading to the docks shortly.¡±
¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± the guard saluted before quickly exiting the room.
¡°What¡¯s that all about?¡± Dys asked, one eyebrow raised.
Vraekae let out a sigh as she shook her head.
¡°Likely a ship sent by the emperor to bring back the high priests. It is best that I see to whichevermander was sent right away to avoid even further difficulties than there already are.¡±
Stepping away from Jay and towards another door set on the far wall, Vraekae opened it to reveal what looked like her personal quarters beyond. As she briskly moved, she called out to Jadis.
¡°Go and pick up your charge. I will see you tomorrow here at the city hall an hour after dawn. Please bring my cousin, as we will likely need to involve her in the discussions tomorrow.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± all three of Jadis readily agreed as they headed for the exit. ¡°See you then, Vraekae. And thanks again for your help.¡±
¡°You are wee,¡± Vraekae said from beyond the open door of her living quarters.
Not wanting to waste any more time now that she¡¯d been given leave to go home, Jadis wasted no time in beating a hasty retreat.
All three of her selves were in her casual clothing skirt-pants and tunics, though she¡¯d worn extrayers considering the extreme cold outside. She was also wearingrge fur cloaks with hoods, custom made to fit herrge stature. She¡¯d brought an extra cloak with her, which was what she put on Alex.
Since Jadis now had everything arranged from a legal standpoint, she saw no reason to keep toting the demon around in a box. People were going to have to get used to seeing Alex walking, or slithering, around town. Though, considering Vraekae¡¯s guards¡¯ reactions to the demon, Jadis figured baby steps would be best.
With the cloak and hood firmly secured around the squirming demon, Jadis quickly made her way through the halls of the administrative building and found her way to where Sorcha was being kept. The goblin had been eagerly waiting for Jadis and was happy to see her, though that happiness was overshadowed by the surprise that Alex presented.
¡°Bloody shit, what in the fucking abyss is that Demon doing out and about!?¡± Sorcha shouted upon seeing Alex¡¯s face peeking out at her from under her hood. ¡°Shouldn''t she be in a bloody crate or something!?¡±
¡°Uh, no,¡± Syd replied, running a hand through her hair. ¡°We, uh, kind of sorted everything out with the Magistrate and the High Priests. She¡¯s been confirmed to be a greater demon now but also has a status sheet and sses and all that. She¡¯s also just been granted special probation, kind of like what you have, so she doesn''t have to be in a box anymore.¡±
¡°Hello¡ Sorcha¡¡± Alex waved her many tentacles at the goblin witch.
Sorcha stared at Alex for a while, her big eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. After an ufortably long silence, her mouth shut with an audible click and she turned her gaze on Syd.
¡°Valtar preserve me. Joining you lot is the better option to being sent to the military, right? Because I¡¯m starting to second guess my decisions here.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s talk about it while we head to the guild hall,¡± Sydughed.
It took a few minutes for Jadis to sort things out with the guards, and another few to go over the use of the control discs as well as get somerge t holders to put the discs into, but before an hour had passed they were all out of the city hall and walking the snow-covered streets back to Fortune¡¯s Favored headquarters. Jadis spoke the whole way, catching Sorcha up on the situation as well as answering the goblin¡¯s many questions. She also had to answer a fair number of questions from Alex as the demon, having learned the rightbination of words, had learned how to ask what the names of things were.
It was a good thing Jadis had extra bodies and could hold two different conversations at once fairly easily.
Before they got to the street that the mercenary headquarters were located on, Syd split off from the group. While Jay and Dys continued to escort Alex and Sorcha to the hall, Syd headed for a nearby tavern located a few streets away from the headquarters. It was a popr spot with the sailors since it wasn¡¯t far from the port and was open all hours of the day and night.
With how well everything had turned out so far with Alex, the high priests, and Sorcha, Jadis was in the mood to celebrate. She was pretty sure everyone else would be feeling the same way, so she was in a mind to purchase arge quantity of whatever alcoholic beverages she could carry.
With her mind focused on thoughts of whether ale, mead, or wine was best to buy and whether she had enough coin in her purse to buy a barrel of each from the tavern, Syd didn¡¯t notice the figure that was standing in her path until she was only a few feet away. Coming to an abrupt stop to avoid walking into the stocky-looking human man, Syd let out a surprised huff of breath.
¡°Excuse me,¡± she said, already starting to move around the man. ¡°I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡±
¡°This has got to be one of them Nephy sisters, right boss?¡± the man called out loudly, his voice echoing in the frozen air of the empty street.
¡°Yes,¡± a voice that rumbled like thunder spoke from behind Syd. ¡°Yes, it is.¡±
Syd shifted, turning to look back at the second speaker while doing her best to keep the short man in her sights. Therge, hulking figure that loomed in the shadows stared at her with shining silver eyes.
¡°Why do I get the feeling that I¡¯m not going to like you?¡± Syd asked aloud, her head cocking to one side.
¡°Because,¡± the hulking figure answered evenly, ¡°you won¡¯t.¡±
Chapter 316: Assumptions
Chapter 316: Assumptions
The hulking brute standing behind Syd was easily thergest person Jadis had met so far during her time on Oros, though she almost had to second guess herself on the ¡°person¡± part. He had to be more than seven feet tall as the top of his head nearly reached Jadis¡¯ shoulders, though his great height was almost an afterthought. The truly eye-catching aspect of the man was that he was a bear.
Not a bear in the term Jadis thought of asrge, hairy men, but a literal bear. His head was ursine in shape with arge muzzle, thick ck fur, and distractingly cute round ears on the top of his massive head. In the instant she saw him, Jadis almost thought the man was literally just a bear standing on its hind legs, though a second¡¯s longer inspection showed that while the stranger¡¯s head was essentially identical to a grizzly bear, his body was more human in nature. While his shoulders were thick and wide, his arms were human-shaped and his wed hands had a normal number of fingers. The shape of his lower body was no different from any other man¡¯s would be, though like the rest of him his legs were thick and densely muscled with a heavyyer of fur and fat making him look even wider.
He was wearing a dark gambeson that looked like it was barely containing his bulk along with leather pauldrons and vambraces, though none of his armor looked to be made of metal. The only marking visible on the dark cloth was an imperial crest stitched into the breast, though he also had a strangely familiar marking etched into the leather of his pauldrons. The leather belt around his waist had two short axes hanging from it. In one hand he carried a nged mace that looked almostically small in his huge paw.
The other man in the duo who had managed to surround Syd from front and back was a much smaller human. He was five and a half feet tall, at the most, with a stocky and muscled frame. His in face was unremarkable except that he had a twice broken nose. His hair wasn¡¯t visible under the leather cap he wore, but his close-cut beard was as brown as his eyes.
He was also wearing a gambeson, though he had far more metalponents to his armor pieces. He, too, had an imperial crest stitched into the breast of his chest armor as well as the same familiar symbol on his shoulder guards that tickled Jadis¡¯ memory, though she couldn¡¯t ce where she had seen the pattern before. He wasn¡¯t carrying any weapons beyond a sheathed dagger on his belt, though Jadis noticed that his forearms were wrapped in thick leather and metal bands while his hands were protected by metal-studded cestus.
Everything about the two men Jadis took in in the blink of an eye, her mind already gearing up forbat. She doubted the two men had approached one of her bodies while alone for good intentions. With her Jay and Dys selves already at the door to the Fortune¡¯s Favored headquarters, she immediately went inside to alert the rest of herpanions while she tried to stall for time with Syd. She didn¡¯t have any of her weapons or armor on her and while she was confident in her ability to defend herself without them, Jadis wasn¡¯t going to make the mistake of underestimating either man.
¡°What do you want?¡± Syd asked, standing at an angle to keep her back pointed towards the wall of the building on her right. ¡°I¡¯m kind of busy at the moment so¡ª¡±
¡°You¡¯re under arrest,¡± the hulking bear-man thundered in his ridiculously deep voice. ¡°Get on your knees and put your hands behind your head.¡±
Syd blinked in surprise; themand was more confusing than angering. Why would the city guard be trying to arrest her? She had literally just walked out of city hall after a meeting with Vraekae. Except, Jadis didn¡¯t think this bear was with the city guards. She¡¯d never seen him or his short friend before, and they weren¡¯t wearing the usual uniform, even if their armor had imperial crests.
¡°What¡¯s the charge?¡± Syd asked, her voice incredulous.
¡°Suspicion of consorting with the Cult of Samleos and aiding demonic forces in their war against the people of Oros,¡± the bear-man intoned. ¡°Comply now or we will use force.¡±
Cult of Samleos? Aiding Demons? What the fuck was this idiot talking about?
Jadis nearly lost track of what her various bodies were doing as she focused on the utterly insane usation that the bear brute had levied against her. Considering how many demons she had in in her efforts to protect both the city and Weigrun atrge from being overrun, Jadis couldn¡¯t possibly imagine that the charges were anything more than a joke. Except, she had just made a major shift in the understanding of demon kind by bringing Alex to light. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, Jadis could see that as being viewed as some kind of tactic to stir up discord and division among the people when it came to demons.
But she had literally just gotten permission from Vraekae, the high arbiter ofw in Weigrun, to let Alex basically walk free. None of this made any senseing from a logical or legal standpoint. Vraekae wouldn¡¯t go through all that show just to have her arrested out in the street. And these men weren¡¯t guards, Jadis was more and more certain. No, they had the look of mercenaries. Or, considering the crests on their chests, soldiers. Soldiers could bemanded to make arrests, though thatmand wouldn¡¯t havee from the Magistrate.
Amand like that would havee from General Egilhard.
¡°Well, tell your fuckface of a leader he cane arrest me himself if he¡¯s going to start slinging lies about me,¡± Syd snarled as her temper red at the thought of the general interfering with her life again.
A deep growl from the bear shook the night, visibly causing the small snow flurries falling around them to vibrate in the cold air.
¡°Let¡¯s not be stupid about this,¡± the smaller man said.
As he took a step forward, leatherbound hand reaching out towards Syd, Jadis reacted. Her right hand snapped out and grabbed hold of the smaller man¡¯s wrist and whipped him around like a ragdoll. She hurled him at the bear man with enough force to throw him clear across the city.
At least, that¡¯s what she tried to do.
As she spun and released her hold on the man¡¯s wrist, he somehow moved fast enough to catch hold of her own right wrist in his other hand. The force of her movement still snapped his body out like a wet towel and his legs mmed into the bear¡¯s chest, but to her surprise he clung onto her. Even more shocking, getting hit in the chest full force like that did not knock the bear man down. He did rock back, but not even by a full step.
Moving quickly, Syd leapt back several feet while trying to violently shake the smaller man off. Instead of being flung away, the man had wrapped his arms and legs around Syd¡¯s right arm in what Jadis recognized as an arm bar hold. Pulling hard, he actually managed to wrench her arm back, locking her elbow into a bad angle that Syd had to use all the strength in her arm to keep from getting worse.
¡°Get the fuck off me!¡± Syd shouted before turning mming the man against the stone wall of the building next to her.
The man¡¯s head went straight through the thick stone, a hole three feet across sted open by the force of her blow. When she pulled her arm back out, she was shocked again to see the in-faced man was still hanging onto her, a fierce look of determination in his eyes even as his blood trickled down one side of his head. She couldn¡¯t waste any time wondering at the man¡¯s resilience though, as in the next instant the bear was on top of her.
The dark-furred beast man rushed her, one wed hand reaching to grab at her. Syd blocked the move with her free left hand, but an instant toote Jadis realized that was the reaction the bear had wanted. His mace mmed into Syd¡¯s left knee, causing her to buckle as the blow caused not only ance of pain to race up her leg, but an electric shock that caused her muscles to uncontrobly convulse for a split second.
The effect of the enchanted mace was brief, barely even a moment, but it was more than enough time for the powerful bear man to m his mace down onto Syd again, then a third time, both follow up blows striking her left shoulder with enough force that Jadis felt the bone crack.
¡°Fucking tough bitch,¡± the smaller man mumbled as he strained to wrench Syd¡¯s right arm out of its socket.
¡°Fuck you!¡± Syd growled as she twisted around, purposefully letting herself fall back onto the frozen cobblestones.
Rolling back, Syd got her right leg against the bear¡¯s stomach and kicked out. It didn¡¯t matter how strong and sturdy the furry fucker was at that point. Even if he did look like he weighed the better side of five hundred pounds, the power behind her kick was fueled by three hundred and twenty-six points in Strength. He had just volunteered to be in the Jadis Space Program.
The bear rocketed into the sky, flying at least fifty feet back before mming into the overhang of a roof on the other side of the street. Stone, wood, and broken shingles went flying everywhere as the bear ricocheted off the building,nding somewhere distant in the dark.
Flipping forward and back onto her feet, Syd took the opportunity to grab hold of one of the smaller man¡¯s arms and pry it off of her wrist. She was still surprised by how much effort it took to move him, though the look on the man¡¯s face showed that he was just as shocked that she was able to actually pry his hold apart.
¡°Tough fucking bitch¡¡± the man gasped out again as he strained to maintain his hold against Syd¡¯s superior strength.
¡°Damn fucking right,¡± Syd snarled as she finally broke the man¡¯s grip and spun with all her force to m him through the already broken wall of the building.
The opening attack had been far, far more powerful than Jadis had expected. In fact, she wasn¡¯t certain that she would have been able to withstand it if she hadn¡¯t both immediately transferred Syd¡¯s injuries to her other bodies and had Eir heal her right away. The blow to her knee alone had dropped her health by two hundred points and the attack had definitely broken bone. Jadis had to wonder at the strength of the two men. Where the fuck had they been during the attack on the city? She felt like those two could handle a small army of Demons all on their own, maybe even as well as Noll could.
Noll.
That was where she had seen those symbols on their pauldrons before. They were the same symbols as the crest on Noll¡¯s belt buckle. The same one that signified that the wearer had surpassed CLR one hundred.
A tremendous roar, loud enough to shake the ss windows in their frames, came from the distant hulking figure now rushing back towards Syd. It seemed like she¡¯d just gotten into a fight with not one, but two warriors who both had CLRs closer to Noll¡¯s level of power than even the elite mercenaries stationed in Weigrun.
Fuck it. Jadis could deal with them. She had a lower CLR, but she was about to introduce them to her massively boosted attributes. Plus, her other two bodies were now moments away, herpanions in tow. If these assholes wanted a fight, she¡¯d give them one they¡¯d never forget. And when she was done, she was going to pay that shithead general a visit and¡ª
Darkness overtook Jadis as her vision waspletely cut off. It wasn¡¯t even the same as shutting her eyes or having her head shoved in a bag. It was as though all light in the universe had been instantly snuffed out. She couldn¡¯t see. She was blind.
All three of her.
In the next moment something heavy mmed into Syd¡¯s knees from behind, once more knocking her to the ground. A fist she couldn¡¯t seeing cracked against the side of her right knee, once more breaking bone with a precise strike. Blindlyshing out at where she thought the assant had been standing, her arm met only air. In the same fluid motion, the man had taken hold of Syd¡¯s other leg and had put her into a leglock, his whole body straining to either break her ankle or pop it out of joint.
At the same time, Jadis could hear the thunder of the bear man rushing towards her, as well as other footsteps rushing up from the opposite direction that definitely were not her other bodies orpanions. Armored footsteps. Lots of them.
Damn it.
Chapter 317: Resisting Arrest
Chapter 317: Resisting Arrest
Jadis¡¯ two other bodies had moved to grab her axe and maul the moment the confrontation with the two elite mercenaries had started. She¡¯d also informed everyone in the headquarters of what was going on so they coulde and assist. Not wanting an even bigger incident toe from the situation, Jadis had told Sorcha to stay behind and to watch Alex. She didn¡¯t want the goblin witch to break some aspect of her parole, nor did she want Alex to get involved in a fight that could negatively impact public perception of her. Leaving those two behind, as well as her armor since it would have taken too long to equip it, Jay and Dys sprinted out of the guild hall to connect back up with Syd. Those who followed her into the fight were A, Eir, Thea, and Tegwyn.
Kerr, Sabina, and Bridget hadn¡¯t been at the headquarters, out on their own business at an inconvenient time. Jadis didn¡¯t know if the general was just targeting her or if the rest of herpany were being osted as well, so worry that her unounted-for lovers could have already been arrested filled a corner of her mind. However, Jadis had to put those thoughts aside for the time being. First, she had to deal with the assholes who were attacking her Syd self, and that meant dealing with her blindness.
¡°I can¡¯t see,¡± Jay announced through gritted teeth, informing herpanions of her sudden disability. ¡°Some kind of spell hit me!¡±
¡°Put us down,¡± Amanded as she tapped on Jay¡¯s shoulder.
Following her direction. Jay quickly slowed to a stop and put both A and Eir down. She¡¯d been carrying them both since neither had the Agility to keep up.
¡°I think I can help,¡± Eir said, her voice shaky. ¡°One moment.¡±
A familiar sensation coursed through Jadis¡¯ bodies as her elven priestess cast Oracle¡¯s Protection. The spell increased Jadis¡¯ Resilience by eighteen points; not a huge amount, but considering the magic attack she was under, every bit of magic defense she could get would be of great aid.
Not immediate aid, though, as Jadis continued to remain blind. Blind but not without her other senses. Syd was under direct attack and she was still more than capable of fighting back, even if the difficulty had just gone up.
Twisting around andshing out, Syd caught some part of the small man who was trying to break her ankle. She wasn¡¯t sure what part of him she¡¯dtched onto, but once she had him, she yanked with all of her might.
It was like trying to pull a tree out of the ground. The man had a vice-like grip and when she pulled on him, she only threw herself more off bnce thanks to his hold on her foot. Abandoning that tactic, she switched to pure attack. She had worried at first about identally killing them, but if they were going to break her bones Jadis didn¡¯t think she needed to hold back from doing the same.
Smashing her fist into whatever limb she¡¯d taken hold of Syd heard the man cry out in pain as something loudly cracked. Grinning viciously, she twisted and yanked again, causing a worse cracking sound as the man released his hold on her leg. She took the opportunity to roll to her feet when abruptly her vision was restored.
The return of her sight was disorienting and it took her a second toe to grips with her surroundings again.
Looking around, Syd could see that she still held the smaller man¡¯s right leg in her hand, the limb bent in such a way that told her she¡¯d managed to break his femur. She doubted he had a convenient second body to shunt the injury onto, so she whirled and tossed him as far down the street as she could manage. Which turned out to be really fucking far.
As the small man sailed through the night sky towards the docks that were just faintly visible in the distance, Syd caught sight of a woman standing maybe fifty feet away in the shadow of an archway. She was an elf and definitely some kind of spellcaster going by the staff in her hand and the oddly traditional-looking pointed wizard¡¯s hat. Her armored robe was simr in cut to what the two men had worn, dark cloth with an imperial crest on the breast. She was pointing her staff towards Syd and had an intense look of concentration on her purple-toned face.
Jadis¡¯ instinct was to break line-of-sight with the elf in order to dodge whatever spell she was casting, especially since there was a high likelihood that she was the one responsible for her temporary blindness. However, there were two issues with that n. The first being that a dozenrge men in full te armor were charging down the streeting from the direction she¡¯d just tossed the smaller man and they were only seconds away from crashing into her. The second issue was the bear man. He wasn¡¯t almost on top of her.
He was on top of her.
One huge paw of a hand wrapped around Syd¡¯s left bicep. Twisting around, Syd mmed her fist into the bear¡¯s face. Except, in thest possible instant, the man tilted his head and changed the angle so that her blow struck the top of his skull instead of his cheek or snout. Hitting that thick, unmoving skull was like punching an iron block. While it didn¡¯t hurt Syd, not with her level of Fortitude, it did mean that she¡¯d wasted a precious moment on an ineffectual attack. A moment that the bear capitalized on.
Using his mace to once more sweep at her legs, Syd lost her footing as his weapon connected with the side of her knee. She used all her speed and training to try and recover, but the man¡¯s fluid motions flowed from one into another. Twisting at the waist, he yanked on her arm and suddenly she was airborne.
In a strange moment of mental rity, Jadis realized that she was about to experience the same thing she¡¯d just put the smaller man through.
The bearunched Syd into the air, only instead of trying to toss her far away, his move shot her straight up at a nearly ny-degree angle, clearing the rooftops of the three-story buildings around her and then some. There was nothing Syd could do; once she was in the sky, her speed and strength were neutralized. All she could try was to twist her body around midair so that she couldnd on her feet and be ready to fight when shended. At least Eir had healed most of her injuries.
And then her world went dark again.
Jadis cursed the timing as she floundered both in the air and on the ground. The witch or whatever she was had caught her with the spell again. Based on how long the blindness hadsted thest time, Jadis guessed that she was going to be without sight for ten seconds at least. She was going to hit the ground far before her vision came back.
At least her other two bodies and herpanions had made it to the other end of the street.
Jadis couldn¡¯t see what was happening, but she could hear the sound of Tegwyn¡¯s hooves tter against the cobblestones as the transformed Dryad charged into the fight. Before she¡¯d lost her vision again, Jadis had seen that Thea had leapt onto the back of the tree-goat, her spear and shield at the ready. She hadn¡¯t had time to get her armor on either, but she had a massive amount of Fortitude, almost as much as Jadis herself. Jadis had to trust that the guardswoman knew what she was doing.
Eir kept her hand pressed against Jay¡¯s side, channeling healing and supportive magic into her. The elf was uttering a constant litany of prayer, her words washing over Jay in aforting way that helped center her mind. A, on the other hand, was silent as she cast her spells. Jadis couldn¡¯t see what she was doing, but she could feel her presence next to Dys.
¡°Brace yourself!¡± A abruptlymanded, her voice as cool and level as ever.
Not thinking about it, Jadis curled Syd into a fetal position, head between her knees. She knew she¡¯d been falling for a few seconds but had no way of knowing how close she was to the ground. An instant after she braced herself her whole body was jarred by a powerful impact that shook her teeth in her head. It wasn¡¯t from hitting the ground, though. Something else had struck her, the small but painful impact point numbing her back with convulsive electrical shock. Her stomach lurched as she felt Syd rocket off in an entirely new direction, the change fast enough to make her feel like her insides had just been scrambled like eggs.
A secondter Syd collided with wood and stone, her body breaking through a barrier that did little to slow her down. The second barrier she hit did halt her progress, though, and she let out a grunt of pain as she bounced off of what she assumed was a stone wall. As much as Syd wanted to just lie there for a moment and maybe retch up her stomach contents, Jadis knew she couldn¡¯t waste that kind of time. The fight was still happening and herpanions were involved now. Worse, she couldn¡¯t truly aid them. Not until the blindness spell she was under expired.
It was a terrible feeling, being rendered so helpless while herpanions fought around her. It reminded Jadis of when Sorcha had paralyzed her with that witch spell of her own. Considering how much her Resilience had leveled up, she was damn well upset that she was still so vulnerable to magical attack. With over a hundred points in the attribute, she had thought that she¡¯d be far more resistant to any kind of debilitating spells. Then again, considering who she was working with, the witch or whatever she was who had cast the blindness spell on her was probably a lot higher level than Sorcha. Maybe she was also someone who had surpassed level one hundred?
Maybe, but maybe not. Jadis hadn¡¯t gotten a good enough look at the woman¡¯s armored robes to see if she had the same symbol the bear man and his smallpanions had on their armor. Still, if she was working with those two, she was at least an elite caster who had unlocked her tertiary ss, something that granted a huge power spike for anyone who managed it. Following that line of logic, that meant that if Jadis didn¡¯t have such high numbers in resilience, she probably would have been even more vulnerable to the spell. Instead of blindness for a few seconds, it could have been minutes¡
With that thought, the spell finally wore off and Jadis regained her sight. The second time wasn¡¯t as disorienting, so the moment she got her vision back she took in the situation as quickly as possible. She needed to act decisively to end this brawl before she was disabled again and one of herpanions was seriously injured.
Jay and Dys could see now that Thea and Tegwyn were down the street where Syd had first been osted by the two men sent by Egilhard. They were partially surrounded by the dozen heavily armored soldiers that she had briefly seen running up the street. All were wearing te armor, though there were some subtle differences in style for a few of them. Not enough to give them a mishmash look like some mercenarypanies had; the Roiling Reavers being one and her own Fortune¡¯s Favored being another. These men were more uniform than that. But their armor had clearly been customized to the individual¡¯s needs. The men also had a variety of weapons on them, but Jadis could now see that none were wielding any kind of ded weapon. All had clubs, hammers, or maces of some kind. Not exactly non-lethal, but it would be a lot more difficult to identally cut off a head with a club than a sword.
At least it looked like Egilhard was trying to take her alive.
Regardless of their intent, Jadis had no intention of being taken anywhere by the general¡¯s goons. With vision restored, Jay and Dys both immediately sprinted down the street to join the melee. Thea and Tegwyn were holding their own for the moment, but they were greatly outnumbered and the heavily armored soldiers weren¡¯t rank and file fodder. They were clearly elites, attacking with coordinated strikes that her twopanions weren¡¯t going to be able to defend against for long.
Jay immediatelyunched herself into a trio of the armored men, knocking them back with her massive maul. Two of those three were able to react quickly enough to turn her attack into a ncing blow and recovered quickly, though the third was hit full-on. The man¡¯s armor was crumpled by the blow and he went flying to the left, crashing into the ground where he was immediately wrapped up in spectral chains from a snare trap spell that A had cast. More and more of those traps were appearing on the ground around their feet and Jadis would have to be careful where she stepped. But she knew her lover and where she liked to ce such traps. These assholes didn¡¯t.
Dys didn¡¯t join the melee. Instead, she rocketed past the cluster ofbatants, her aim intent upon the spellcasting elf.
The woman¡¯s bright gold eyes widened in shock from the speed at which Dys moved towards her. Reacting to the attack, the woman rapidly threw one hand up in front of herself, some kind of gemstone visible in the palm of her glove. A translucent purple barrier appeared in front of her, ten feet across in every direction, the shield spell blocking off any forward approach to the witch.
Dys didn¡¯t hesitate. Her axe crashed into the obstacle with the full force of her Knight¡¯s Daring Charge. A terrible shattering sound echoed off the stone walls as the magic barrier shattered like ss. Dys acknowledged a slight pain as the skin on her arms split from the shards of the spell flying through the air, but otherwise she pushed on, crossing the distance in a split second. Before the elf could cast another spell, she had the de of her axe held just an inch away from the witch¡¯s throat.
¡°You¡¯re done,¡± Dys growled at the panicked mage.
If she had wanted to, Jadis could have lopped the elf¡¯s head off and ended her threat permanently, but Jadis didn¡¯t think it was wise to do so. These people weren¡¯t Demons or bandits. They were soldiers who had been sent on a mission to arrest her. They were just doing their jobs to the best of their ability, no matter how misguided. Jadis wasn¡¯t going to kill them for following orders.
Beat the shit out of them, yes. But not kill them.
Dys easily ripped the staff from the woman¡¯s hands and tossed it far away where it couldn¡¯t do any harm before taking hold of her wrists and holding them together behind her back in one hand. She¡¯d take the woman over to where A was so that she could be restrained with a spell. Once that was done, Jadis would have to decide where Dys needed to be. Not an easy decision, because while Jay was helping Thea and Tegwyn deal with the dozen armored soldiers, Syd had her own threat to deal with. One that had followed her all the way into the building it had tossed her into.
¡°Submit!¡± the bear man bellowed in a roaring rage as he collided with Syd.
¡°Eat shit!¡± Syd screamed back into the bear¡¯s face as she met him head on.
Chapter 318: Bear-Room Brawl
Chapter 318: Bear-Room Brawl
Syd grunted as the bulky warrior mmed his knee into her leg, trying once more to throw off her footing. She held her bnce this time, though, as the angle of his attack wasn¡¯t right. She got the feeling the ck-furred man wasn¡¯t used to being the smaller person in a fight. Making her counterattack, Syd punched the bear in his face with her bare knuckles, this time managing tond the blow on his jaw.
The bear man was rocked to the side by the power of her blow, even if it hadn¡¯t been delivered with the full force of her body weight behind it. Not letting up the attack, she continued her counterassault, punching the bear¡¯s face and upper body multiple times while he stumbled back, crashing through a piece of wooden furniture. He couldn¡¯t get away from her though, not with his right arm and her left arm locked together.
Wood splintered and ss shattered as they both crashed through what a small part of Jadis¡¯ mind registered as disy cases. The building that Syd had been knocked into had been some kind of shop, though there weren¡¯t any goods on disy. Many of the buildings in Far Felsen were empty since so many of its citizens had been evacuated at the start of the demon invasion. It seemed this was one of those empty buildings. A good thing, too, since Jadis wasn¡¯t sure there was going to be much left of it after she and the bear were done.
The two violently bounced around the store, wrecking terrible damage to the interior in their quest to beat each other¡¯s brains out. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if she should be shocked or not at her ability to keep up with the bear. He was clearly a much higher CLR than her, but she had massively boosted stats. She felt like she should have been able to knock him out, even with the handicap of only having one of her bodies fighting him, yet the man persisted in getting the upper hand. There were times in the fight where she felt she was clearly faster and stronger than he was, and yet every time she tried to press that advantage, he did something to counter her in a way that she didn¡¯t expect.
Trying to take control of the rhythm of the fight, Syd twisted and shoved the bear man into a stone wall, crushing some shelves that were in the way in the process. As his back hit the wall, the bear lunged forward, jaws open, and bit her face, her whole head practically disappearing inside his ursine maw.
¡°What the fuck!?¡± Syd shouted, her voice muffled by being literally inside the man¡¯s mouth.
She didn¡¯t get a chance toin about the bear¡¯s bad breath, though. With a jerk, he yanked her head to the side, throwing her off bnce yet again. Using the momentum of his unusual fighting tactic, he got his arm under Syd¡¯s and twisted her around in what Jadis recognized toote as a sort of judo throw.
Syd was bodily thrown through a door, the wooden barrier splintering from the force. When shended, she was outside again, rolling to a stop in a snowdrift. She didn¡¯t pause, though. Ignoring the cold and the drool on her face, she leapt to her feet, arms already raised for the attack she knew wasing.
Her prediction had been right. The bear mmed into her a momentter, his mace just barely blocked by her left arm. The two once more engaged in a wild scrum, this time outside in the night air where the stone walls of a building didn¡¯t contain them. Soon enough their motions had them both breaking through barriers and crashing from one street to another. Syd wasn¡¯t even certain what part of the city she was in as the dark buildings around her were not the same ones she and her other selves had been surrounded by moments earlier. She could feel the distance between her selves growing, though, which was at least an indication of direction.
With how things were going, Jadis realized that she needed to get her bodies back together. She could hold her own with one body against the grizzly veteran, but she was starting to wonder if she could actually beat him without ess to her Mirrored Strikes. As much damage as she had been dishing out on him, he wasn¡¯t showing any signs of slowing. In fact, she was fairly certain that the ces in his hide where she¡¯d cut him had healed up mid-fight. Did he have some kind of regeneration skill? Or had a spell been cast on him ahead of time? Or maybe his somewhat in-looking armor had enchantments that were keeping him healthy?
Maybe all three?
Dys leapt past Jay, Thea, and Tegwyn as they continued to deal with the group of armored soldiers. Dealing with them was proving more difficult than expected, but at least she had allies here. Jadis decided she needed to get Dys over to Syd so that she could jointly put the bear man down for the count.
Landing next to A, Dys quickly asked her arcanist lover to put down a snare trap. As soon as A had, she thrust the witch into the ghostly spell circle and let the spectral chains wrap her up. The purple elf clearly wasn¡¯t a physical fighter so there was no way she would break out of those arcane chains anytime soon.
¡°Stay put,¡± Dys told A and Eir. ¡°I need to go help Syd. We¡¯ll deal with the bear man and then get back here as quick as we can.¡±
¡°Alright, be careful,¡± A said, then threw up her hand in the direction of Jay and Thea. ¡°Watch out!¡±
Jay was in the middle of blocking a blow from a knight wielding a lucerne with a blunted tip when A shouted her warning. She dodged to the right just in time to avoid being struck in the back of the head by a spinning kick. Repositioning, she saw that her old friend, the small man with leather-bound fists, was back. He was also uninjured, his leg unbroken and looking good as knew. ncing beyond his scowling visage, Jadis saw the likely reason for his swift and healthy return. Two mages, a man and a woman, were standing a few dozen feet further down the street, their hands held up as healing magic pulsed from them in waves.
¡°You¡¯re just making this worse on you!¡± the man shouted as sheunched into a flurry of blows that Jay was hard pressed to avoid. After bouncing off her hammerhead with a mule kick, he frowned in confusion. ¡°Wait, you aren¡¯t the same¡¡±
¡°Shut up and back off!¡± Jay shouted back as she swung her maul. ¡°Vraekae is going to fry your asses!¡±
¡°What¡¯s left of them if you keep this shit up!¡± Dys added as she blindly thrust the haft of her axe behind her at the brawler.
Since she hadn¡¯t been looking in his direction, the man didn¡¯t expect the attacking and was knocked to the side when the axe handle hit his shoulder. The momentary stumble was enough of an opening for Jay to perform a kick of her own. Her boot connected solidly with the man¡¯s chest and once more he was sent airborne as he flew vertically across the street for several yards. He didn¡¯t go as far as the momentum of her attack should have taken him, though.
A shimmering made of golden light appeared in the air, catching the small man and arresting his flight. Dropping to the ground, he didn¡¯t hesitate to rush straight back towards Jadis¡¯ two selves, not even slowing down for a breath.
What kind of spell had that been? Something intended to safely catch falling allies, she guessed, but how often did that situation pop up that one of their healers had used up a skill slot just to be able to catch allies who were falling through the air?
Thinking about how often in this fight she¡¯d sent her enemies rocketing through the night sky and just how many times they¡¯d done the same to her, Jadis came to the quick conclusion that a friend-catching spell wasn¡¯t all that big of a waste.
In any case, it didn¡¯t look like she was going to be able to send either of her other two bodies after Syd. She was too locked down by the dozen armored soldiers, the brawler, and their support mages, at least for the time being. What she needed to do was lead the bear back towards the main fight. The problem was, he was a lot more in control of their one-on-one battle than she would have liked.
¡°Hey! You two! Stop!¡± a guard shouted as he rushed towards Syd and the bear man.
He was the sixth or seventh guard to have chased after them and just like all the others he wasn¡¯t anywhere near capable of keeping up. With fric force Syd and the bear asshole were tossing each other around the city, covering dozens of yards by the second. By this point she¡¯d lost count of how many walls she had crashed through, some of which had led into empty rooms, others through homes that were clearly popted by the sounds of shocked shouting that came from the floors above. Jadis was just grateful that they hadn¡¯t identally ttened anyone in their fight so far, though that concern was somewhat secondary. She was mostly focused on trying to win. Or at least trying not to lose before her other selves could handle the other assants.
With another ground-shaking roar, the bear man crashing into Syd, sending her careening towards the stone wall of another building. Bouncing off of it, she rolled across the frozen ground and got her legs under her just in time to catch the bear man in both arms. Attempting a move she¡¯d never done before in her life, she used her grip around his waist to heave him over her head as she fell backwards.
The warrior was tossed like a sack of beans,unched at least twenty feet before he mmed into the side of another stone building, the impact causing an avnche of snow to fall from the roof above.
Ignoring the screams of surprise that came from inside of the building, Syd followed after the bear and used the cover of the snow to get in close before he could see hering. Targeting his right arm, she took hold of the handle of the mace in her left hand before striking at his wrist with her right. The blow was enough to loosen the man¡¯s grip and she instantly ripped the weapon from his hand. Reversing her hold on the mace, she raised her arm to m the nged head down onto the bear¡¯s head.
Before she could do so, the bear punched her in the gut, knocking the air from her lungs with the precise blow that left her stunned for just a second. With another roar, he tackled her with his shoulder, driving it further into her abdomen as he carried her along, dashing down the street at breakneck speeds. His roaring tackle was interrupted as they both crashed through the front of another building, far more shouts and screams of surprise filling the air than any of the others had produced.
Syd and the bear man tumbled through the chaos, wood breaking around them as they rolled away from each other. Leaping to her feet while panting heavily from the exertion of the fight, Syd took in where she and her foe had ended up this time.
¡°Jadis!?¡±
Syd startled at the familiar voice calling out her name. Looking to her right, she saw Bridget sitting at a table, a stunned look on the orc¡¯s face. Sitting at the table with her she saw the warrior¡¯s mercenary sister, Addy, as well as the blond merc from Bernd¡¯s des, Volker. There were a couple of other mercenaries sitting at the table that Jadis didn¡¯t recognize, but one that she did notice with a start was the beefy orc barbarian from the me Wolves. He was also frozen in shock, just like the rest, a tankard of ale halfway to his open mouth.
Looking around, Jadis saw that she and the bear had crashed a party. Literally. They were in a tavern, tables full of soldiers and mercenaries, many of whom were wearing the colors of either Bernd¡¯s des, the Gilded Rose, or the me Wolves.
¡°Uh¡ª¡± Syd unintelligently got out before being punched in the face by the bear.
She wasunched back by the blow, his fist sending her crashing through the tavern bar, splitting the wood like tissue paper. Righting herself from the sucker punch, she saw that the attack had been all the trigger it took for the whole room to erupt in a chaotic flurry of flying fists, mugs, chairs, and people.
¡°My bar!¡± a man standing behind the counter shouted as the tavern descended into madness. ¡°Who¡¯s going to pay for my bar!?¡±
¡°Take it up with general Egilhard,¡± Syd growled through gritted teeth as she charged back into the fray.
Chapter 319: Snapped
Chapter 319: Snapped
¡°Half!¡± Eir shouted in warning.
That was her signal to let Jadis know she was down to half her magic reserves. Not good. Jadis hadn¡¯t thought she¡¯d been injured quite that much by the bear man, and on a moment¡¯s reflection she figured she probably hadn¡¯t been. The problem was that Eir was casting her healing at a distance, which ate up a lot more of her magic to do, and she was also healing Thea and Tegwyn. Jadis didn¡¯t know how much healing the men in ck had left in them but she wasn¡¯t going to assume less than Eir. Her priestess¡¯ warning was just another signal that Jadis needed to end the fight soon.
It wasn¡¯t the only signal, though. Syd and bear-man¡¯stest maneuver had only worsened the pounding headache that was chipping away at Jadis¡¯ three skulls. Syd was far too far away from Jadis¡¯ other selves for herfort. There was a limit to how distant her bodies could be from each other and she could tell that she was getting close to that line.
Feeling the pressure, Jadis increased her efforts with Jay and Dys to put down the armored soldiers and the brawler as quickly as possible. Of course, if Syd could get away from the bear, that would be even better, but that didn¡¯t seem likely. Not even with all the chaos happening in the tavern bar.
The bear charged at Syd just as she did the same, both locking arms again in a struggle of pure strength. Around them came the shouts and cries of anger and amusement as the unruly mercenaries, many of them no doubt deep in their cups, were turning the tavern into a mess of fists and broken furniture. Colliding with the bear, Syd mmed her head forward in an effort to knock the furry fucker out.
The bear had the same idea, or so it seemed, as he also mmed his head forward. The two knocked skulls together in a blow that echoed like boulders breaking. The attack did nothing good for Syd¡¯s headache, though the bear didn¡¯t fair much better. They both stumbled back, briefly stunned from their double headbutt.
Syd¡¯s eyes cleared just in time to see Bridget charging at the bear man, a chair raised over her head.
¡°No, wait¡ª!¡± she tried to stop her orcpanion, but her warning came toote.
Bridget¡¯s chair shattered over the bear man¡¯s shoulders, leaving her holding nothing but a couple of broken wooden sticks. He barely even seemed to register the blow, his sturdy bulkpletely unaffected. However, that didn¡¯t mean he let the attack go. With an almost casual movement, he swiped his left arm to the side in a backhand that connected with Bridget¡¯s chest. The orc hurtled backwards like she weighed nothing, her body crashing through two tables before she tumbled to a stop.
¡°Motherfucker!¡± Syd shouted in rage, her fury blinding her as she rushed the man who had just hurt her lover.
¡°You bloody wanker!¡± Jadis heard Addy shout as she, too, rushed at the bear in defense of her sister.
¡°Fucking ggard!¡± The barbarian orc roared in his incredibly loud voice as he also charged at the bear.
Syd reached the bear man first. Leading with a right cross, she attempted to strike his jaw but failed when the bear caught her fist in his hand. Using her own momentum against her, he spun Syd and tossed her into Addy, sending both women crashing through a cluster of mercenaries. Rolling off of the stunned orc and the slightly squashed men, Syd looked up just in time to see the elite me Wolf barbarian collide with the bear.
The two men exchanged multiple fast-paced blows that Jadis could barely keep up with; not because they were too fast for her to follow, but because they were shockingly precise andplicated. For the briefest of moments, the orc and the bear looked like two peak martial artists in the midst of a highly choreographed stunt fight. That illusion was shattered when the bear struck the barbarian in his stomach with a knee, then did a double-fisted overhead blow that knocked the orc t on the ground with enough force to crack the stone floor.
Then the bear stomped on the barbarian and put him through the floor to the basement below.
Jadis wasn¡¯t idle while the two fought. She¡¯d lost track of the mace she¡¯d taken from the warrior¡¯s hand earlier, but while he was distracted by the barbarian, she found the enchanted weapon amidst the broken clutter of tavern furniture. Just as the bear turned his attention back on her, she threw the mace with all of her strength.
The metal mace bounced off of the bear¡¯s head with a satisfying ng. Stumbling slightly from the surprise blow, he failed to see Syding before she ran into him, tackling the bear in a flying leap that sent both of them back through the broken face of the tavern and out into the cold night.
Jadis still hadn¡¯t been able to finish off either side of her fight, but she thought things were finally turning in her favor.
Tegwyn¡¯s back hooves connected with the head of one of the heavily armored knights, sending him flying off his feet. His rolling tumble across the cobblestones was stopped when he hit one of A¡¯s trap circles and ghostly chains wrapped him up tightly. He was the third soldier to be caught in one of her traps so far and the darkly attired assants were starting to lose their numbers advantage.
From atop Tegwyn¡¯s back Thea used her shield to block another knight from striking at the Dryad¡¯s nk, her wholebat style focused on defense. Every time one of the men tried to attack anywhere the goat man couldn¡¯t see, she was there to block them. Not only block but redirect as she pushed them back directly into either Jay or Dys¡¯ attacks.
Every chance she got Jadis struck at the armored foes, using her axe and maul to trip, push, strike, and bludgeon. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t spare much of her attention on the rtively lesser soldiers since the short man was taking up much of her focus.
The brawler was fast and agile and hit with bone-jarring force. Hecked range, but he turned that to his advantage as he constantly pushed to be inside of Jadis¡¯ guards, staying at just the right distance that she couldn¡¯t effectively bring herrge weapons to bear against him. Now that there were two of her on the battlefield, he no longer went for the grappling moves to try and tie her up, but instead struck at her joints and or swiped at her feet and legs, constantly trying to trip her or disable her movement. Jadis was fairly certain that the two healers further down the street were boosting him in some way as well since the man¡¯s movements were even faster than they were before.
If she could, Jadis wanted to dash over to those two priests or clerics or whatever they were and take them out of the fight, but every time either Jay or Dys moved in that direction the small man was there to block her, aided by two or more of the soldiers in dark armor. She was still trying to figure out what to do to bring a swift end to this pointless and stupid fight when a new factor revealed itself.
¡°Halt! Put down your weapons and cease fighting!¡± a man¡¯s voice cried out.
ncing down in the direction of the docks, Jadis could see a squad of guards running towards their fight. Unlike the men she¡¯d been fighting, these soldiers were wearing the white and blue livery of the city guard, so Jadis knew they should be on her side. Or at least not on general Egilhard¡¯s side. All ten of the guards had their shields out and their spears pointed in front of them as they charged towards their melee.
¡°Stand back!¡± the female cleric shouted at the oing guards. ¡°This is imperial business! By order of Prince Hraustrekr!¡±
Prince Hraustrekr? Jadis knew that name. Wasn¡¯t that the first prince? What did he have to do with any of this? If anything, Weigrun was territory controlled by the second prince, the Kestil guy or whatever his name was.
Were these men not sent by Egilhard?
Jadis couldn¡¯t waste too much mental effort on deciphering that situation. While the approaching guards and the enemy healing mages shoutedmands at each other, she was still in the middle of two different fights. The short brawler was still trying to take Jay and Dys out at the knees while Syd and the bear were locked inbat.
More specifically, Jadis was finally giving the damn bear the beatdown he deserved.
As the two had tumbled across the snowy road, Syd had managed tond so that she was sitting on top of the bear man¡¯s lower body. Clenching her thighs to make sure he wasn¡¯t going to be going anywhere, she rained down a hail of blows down on his ursine head.
Covering up, the bear managed to protect his head from many of the blows by blocking with his arms, but Syd was relentless. Now that she had him on the backfoot, she wasn¡¯t going to give up her advantage. Strike after bone-breaking strikended on the bear¡¯s forearms, the sides of his head, and on any other exposed part of his body she could reach. She avoided hitting his pauldrons or the top of his head, both being thickly protected, but without pity she smashed her balled fist down on one of his round ears, making the bear visibly wince with pain as he let out a yelp.
¡°Stupid fucker starting fights!¡± Syd shouted as she continued her assault. ¡°Could have juste to me like a fucking reasonable person and talked! Big, stupid, idiot, ugly, teddy bear!¡±
Her fists were starting to hurt, the skin on her knuckles split and bleeding, but that was nothingpared to the pain of the splitting headache she had. The piercing pain just fueled her anger even further as she kept screaming half-coherent insults at the ravaged bear, striking him so hard that the ground around him was cracking and indenting. When one particrly wild haymaker knocked his head to the side and left him open for a moment, Syd grabbed hold of either side of his furry head and mmed it down into the cobblestones, shattering the stone with the power of her strength.
¡°Stupid fucking asshole!¡± she shouted as she made the same move again, seeing that the bear¡¯s silver eyes were clouded with pain and unfocused from the attack.
Before she could hammer his head into the ground a third time, a sudden intervention threw off her rage-filled focus. The intervention wasn¡¯t between Syd and the Bear, though. It was between her Jay and Dys selves and the fight back on the original street.
Jay had picked up another one of the heavily armored men and thrown him through a wall to get him out of the way when the brawler had gotten behind her to punch at her hip. Dys had seen the attacking from her angle, though, so Jay twisted to the side to dodge the attack. In the process of doing so, she identally jostled against one of the other armored foes who was nearby. It threw off her dodge and she ended up not quite getting out of the way. The result was that the brawler¡¯s fist connected, though not where he had been aiming originally.
A pained groan issued unbidden from Jay¡¯s mouth as she involuntarily buckled after being punched in the dick. It hurt almost as bad as the time she¡¯d been burned alive, if more focused in scope. If it was that bad without balls, she couldn¡¯t imagine what it was like to get hit like that for someone with a pair.
¡°Huh?¡± the brawler hesitated, apparently not anticipating the reaction.
¡°Bastard!¡± Dys yelled as she mmed the pommel of her axe square between the man¡¯s legs.
He copsed to his knees from the power of the blow and, for just a moment, he and Jay stared at each other in mutual pain and understanding. Just a moment, though, as both growled and rose to their feet, both rearing back to strike. Neither blow came, though, as a high-speed ball of blood-red light flew into the open space between them.
¡°Oh shit¡ª¡± Jay cursed just before Vraekae¡¯s orb of doom instantly expanded from about the size of a person¡¯s head to roughly the size of Tegwyn¡¯s goat form.
Jay and the brawler were both sent flying away from each other by the power of the spell. Because of where she was standing, Jay was knocked through the window of a storefront, ss shattering as she fell onto her back inside the building. The short man was sent all the way to the other side of the road, as were several of the armored soldiers. Even Thea and Tegwyn were thrown back a few feet as the orb clipped them.
¡°Enough!¡± Vraekae¡¯s voice boomed with frozen fury. ¡°All of you stand down or I will have you put down!¡±
Looking towards where the shout hade from, Dys could see Vraekae marching towards them from the direction of the docks. There were dozens more soldiers with her, most of them her own guards, though she saw a few people wearing the same dark clothes as the assants who she had been fighting. She also saw that high priest Oswin was with her, as was general Egilhard.
From the look on Vraekae¡¯s face, it looked like the next person who made a hostile move was going to be introduced to her orb in a non-too pleasant way. Jadis let out a sigh of relief at the sight. Chances were good that she was probably going to get in some trouble for this fight, at least from the perspective of property damage, but she had been the one wronged. Now that Vraekae was here, she could settle this shit and get the ridiculous charges that Egilhard or Hraustrekr or whoever it was had levied at her dismissed.
As the tension left Jadis¡¯ body, she realized her mistake toote. She¡¯d let her guard down because the fight felt like it had finally ended in her favor and a person in authority she had some respect for had shown up to take her side. But that was only where her two bodies were located. Syd was halfway across the city. And the bear didn¡¯t have a clue what was going on where everyone else was.
In the couple of seconds that Syd let up her assault, rxing her hold on the bear man¡¯s head and body, he acted. With a swift move he struck Syd¡¯s chin in a surprise uppercut that knocked her head back. As she reeled from the blow, he twisted his lower body out from under her and put his feet against her abdomen in a mirror of the same move she¡¯d done to him at the start of the fight. Using all of his considerable strength, he kicked.
Syd wasunched away from the bear, her body flying through the air for several seconds before crashing against something hard. She tumbled across the top of a roof, broken shingles flying everywhere as she spun uncontrobly. Her head felt like it was going to crack into pieces as tried to grab hold of something to slow down, but the stone tiles ripped off of the roof in her hands. Eventually she felt herself go into freefall again as she fell off of the roof.
As she fell, she could make out that she was somewhere past the tavern, falling from the top of another tall building. She could see the bear man slowly getting to his feet in the distance. Closer, she could see Bridget pushing her way out of the tavern door, her sister right behind her. She was bleeding from her nose and her face was twisted in anger, though as her eyes found Syd her expression shifted into one of fear.
¡°Jadis!¡± Bridget shouted as she started running towards her, but it was hard to hear her.
Jadis¡¯ heads were pounding, not just Syd¡¯s but Jay and Dys¡¯ too. Sound was muffled and light was blurry as she cringed in agony. It felt like her soul was being stretched beyond its limit, almost to the point of tearing apart.
Then, as Syd hit the ground, her fall causing her to bounce just a few inches further away, Jadis felt it happen.
Her mind snapped.
Chapter 320: Fractured
Chapter 320: Fractured
Jadis felt wrong.
There were many times since her rebirth on Oros that she had been injured. Lacerations, broken bones, burns from both fire and acid, extreme freezing temperatures, and pure malicious magic that attacked her soul directly. Thinking about it, if it weren¡¯t for all the intimate and caring lovers and great sex with said lovers, she¡¯d probably have to say that she¡¯d had a pretty miserable time on Oros. Well, there were a lot of other good things about being reborn in the fantastical world that she could point to. She just couldn¡¯t think of any of them at the moment because her head felt like it had been shoved in the ass crack of a grundwyrm and the demon was clenching.
The throbbing pain was overwhelming, so much so that she couldn¡¯t concentrate on any thought for more than a few seconds. The overwhelming agony would crush her mind every time she tried to focus on anything else. She was fairly certain that she had lost consciousness at some point. Maybe multiple times, in fact. It was so hard to tell when every time she tried to direct her attention on anything she felt like a gong was being beaten directly inside of her skull. It wasn¡¯t just the pain, either. She felt sick. Nauseous. Her equilibrium was gone in a way that mirrored when she¡¯d worn the first item Sabina had ever enchanted. She couldn¡¯t tell up from down, left from right, her foot from her nose. The stomach-churning sickness was so horrible that she weed the oblivion of dreamless unconsciousness. It was better to feel nothing than to feel so utterly wrong.
And then, with no warning whatsoever, Jadis didn¡¯t feel so wrong anymore. She didn¡¯t feel good, not really, but the wrongness that had driven her near madness had simply ceased. The headache had gone, almost as though it had never existed, and her nausea had lessened significantly. Her stomachs still felt somewhat upset and her mind was still fuzzy and unsteady, but the feeling of not being able to even move a finger because she couldn''t tell what her finger was had fled. She was better. Wrung out, exhausted, dizzy, and sore, but better.
Not quite daring to open any of her eyes yet, Jadis started with the most basic of her senses. Her sense of self. She could tell that her three selves were all lying down on soft beds, near each other though not in her usual tangle of interlocking limbs. The beds weren¡¯t her giant-sized bed, either. These were a little too small for her bodies, since she could feel that her feet were hanging over the foot of the bed, though something had been used to prop up the lower half of her legs so they weren¡¯t just ufortably dangling. Dys was in the middle, and Jay was to Dys¡¯ right while Syd was on the left. She was fairly certain that her bodies were naked, since she could feel the smoothness of silky sheets directly against her body.
There was a small weight resting on top of Dys¡¯ chest. It was light and very warm, and she could feel an aura of radiating heating from the small object. It felt nice and was doing a lot to soothe the aches and pains that were still lingering in her bodies. There was something else warm wrapped around Jay¡¯s right hand. It was a different kind of warmth, more familiar and human. Almost without thinking, Jay tightened her grip on the warm presence, just enough to give it a small squeeze.
All three of her selves took a deep breath, the air filling their lungs before she slowly let the breath out. The air smelled unfamiliar, a strange scent of wood and tar mixed with salt and something pleasant, like incense. Taking another deep breath through her noses, Jadis also caught the familiar scent of alcohol.
Was she in a tavern? Thest thing she remembered was Syd getting tossed by the bear man somewhere beyond the tavern where Bridget had been meeting with her family. It would make sense if after she¡¯d lost consciousness, they had taken her into one of the rooms to recover.
Except, no, that didn¡¯t make sense. Why would all three of her bodies have been taken to a tavern room? Her Jay and Dys selves had been a long, long way away, practically on the other side of the city. There wouldn¡¯t have been any point for someone to bring those two parts of her to where the one was located. Especially since those assholes had been trying to arrest her¡ª
Ah. The fuzziness in Jadis¡¯ mind cleared a bit at that thought. She¡¯d been in the middle of a fight, resisting the uwful arrest that those soldiers working for Egilhard had been trying to put her under. Or, no, it wasn¡¯t Egilhard. Was it? She remembered someone shouting something about Prince Hraustrekr. She didn¡¯t know what that was about, exactly, but she had gotten the impression that maybe Egilhard wasn¡¯t as involved in the attack as she had thought.
Vraekae had been there, too, Jadis remembered. She¡¯d shown up at thest and brought the whole fight to a stop. If Vraekae had gotten involved, Jadis was certain that she hadn¡¯t been arrested. The Magistrate never would have allowed that to happen. So, wherever she was, Jadis was positive it was somewhere that the elf had decided was best. Maybe not Jadis¡¯ first choice, since she would rather have been back in her own bed, but she was somewhere safe at least.
Finally opening her eyes, Jadis slowly took in her surroundings.
The ceiling was¡ lower than she would have expected. It was also wooden, which was unusual. Most architecture in Far Felsen was made out of stone, Jadis had noticed, which was probably a precaution against the overly strong from doing damage to homes and businesses by mistake. Not that it had done much to stop her and the bear man, but it probably would have been worse if the walls had been made of wood instead of stone. Other than being made of wood, the ceiling wasn¡¯t giving Jadis much to go on so she shifted her heads to look around.
A was on Jay¡¯s side, sitting in a chair that had been pulled up against her bed. She was sleeping, her head resting on Jay¡¯s arm and her hands wrapped around Jay¡¯s. That had been the warm, familiar presence she had felt. Seeing her lover¡¯s sleeping face made Jadis smile, though her immediate reaction of happiness at seeing A was tempered by concern. Even sleeping, Jadis could see the puffiness of A¡¯s eyes and the stains of tears on her cheeks.
Jadis almost opened her mouth to say something, but the two other figures in the room caused her to pause.
Kerr was sitting in a chair on Syd¡¯s left. She was also asleep, her head lolling over the back of the chair. A ss bottle of some kind was held in her limp hand, a bit of liquid dripping from the tilted end, staining the therion¡¯s pants. That exined the smell of alcohol. Kerr looked rough, her hair ubed and her clothes a mess, and the bags under her eyes were dark and puffy.
The third individual in the room was almost as unexpected a sight as her two clearly distraught lovers. Lying curled up in a ball on Dys¡¯ chest was the ming form of Vita. The fiery Lares was also asleep and was the source of the radiating warmth that Jadis had felt in the room. It was strange to see the mes of the fire cat licking across the soft nket that covered Dys without causing the material to even cken slightly. Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure why the high priestess was lying on top of her, but she had to admit that her aura wasforting. It had to be some kind of spell, Jadis was sure, which might have meant it necessitated physical touch.
As Jadisy there, taking in the sight of the three sleeping women, a door that was set into the far wall more towards Jay¡¯s side of the room opened up. A man that Jadis only vaguely recognized entered the room carrying a tray that wasden with steaming wooden bowls and a mound of biscuits.
¡°High priestess,¡± the man began, calling out softly as he took a couple of steps forward. ¡°I¡¯ve brought some¡ªgood gods!¡±
The man¡¯s exmation was punctuated by him almost dropping the tray of food. He managed to catch the tray before itpletely slipped out of his hands, but the bowls and biscuits spilled and he ended up with what looked like soup all over his hands and arms. It must have been hot since he immediately started cursing in pain, though after the initial burst of foulnguage he quieted himself. A golden glow of healing light also began to emanate from his hands, which Jadis recognized as healing energy.
¡°Lohan, what is the meaning of all this noise?¡± Vita asked with a yawn as she raised her head up to look at the man. ¡°Please have more care!¡±
The Lares red at the man, but in the process her green eyes nced over Jay¡¯s form and, doing a doubletake, Vita startled as she realized that Jay¡¯s eyes were open. Twisting her head around, she locked her gaze onto Dys, the two of them staring at one another for a moment.
¡°Hey, Vita,¡± Dys said with a croak, her throat feeling terribly dry. ¡°Why are you sleeping on me?¡±
¡°My goodness,¡± Vita chittered, her purring voice gone high-pitched with excitement. ¡°You¡¯re awake! Jadis, are you well? How are you feeling? Can you control your other bodies?¡±
The rapid-fire questions made Jadis frown, especially thest one. Of course she could control her bodies. Why wouldn¡¯t she be able to?
¡°Jadis?¡± Kerr¡¯s sleep-slurred voice called out, catching her attention.
Her bonded lover blinked her eyes blearily as she looked around. Once her eyesnded on Syd¡¯s, she let out a hupping breath of shock beforeunching herself forward. Shended on top of Syd, her sudden weight making Syd wince. Before Jadis could react, Kerr was peppering Syd with kisses all over her face, on her cheeks and forehead, her nose and lips, and even on her closed eyelids.
¡°You idiot stupide,¡± Kerr cursed at her in between kisses. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever do anything like that ever again! I¡¯ll kill you myself if you even try!¡±
¡°What¡ªwhat are you talking about?¡± Syd got out in the moments when Kerr didn¡¯t have her face pressed up against hers. ¡°What happened?¡±
¡°Jadis?¡±
Jadis¡¯ attention was split again as she heard A call her name in a confused, intive tone. Looking down, Jay saw that her red-headed lover had just woken and was staring at her with bloodshot eyes. Her face was nk for a brief moment before it contorted into a barely contained mask of relief. Tears streamed down her cheeks out of all control as she too abruptly threw herself onto the closest of Jadis¡¯ bodies.
¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here,¡± Jayforted her crying lover as A wordless bawled into her chest. ¡°It¡¯s okay, everything¡¯s fine. I¡¯m here.¡±
As Jadis hugged her two lovers to her selves, she felt Vita shift on top of Dys as the high priestess of Ulya hopped off of her and onto the side of the bed. Quietly, she ordered the man standing awkwardly by the door holding the tray to take the spilled food away. As the man left, Vita gave Dys a kind look.
¡°I think it would be best if you all had some time alone. I¡¯ll go inform the others that you have awoken. I¡¯ll be backter.¡±
With that, the Lares padded out of the room and Jadis was left alone with her two crying lovers.
¡°Are either of you going to fill me in?¡± Syd asked after hugging Kerr tightly enough that the woman wasn¡¯t able to wiggle around her anymore. Doing so, Jadis noticed that Kerr was resisting her strength as firmly as she would have expected.
¡°I¡¯m fine now,¡± Jay reassured A as she gently patted her back. ¡°Please, tell me what happened. Thest thing I remember was losing consciousness during that fight. I think my bodies got too far apart from each other. At least, that¡¯s what it felt like.¡±
Kerr didn¡¯t seem to be in a condition to answer her coherently as she continued to switch between multiple differentnguages to utter both endearments and curses. A, on the other hand, pulled herself together more quickly. She sat up, wiping her eyes clear. The bed was too narrow for her to sit on it without sitting on top of Jay so she started to move off, but Jadis wasn¡¯t going to let that happen. Picking her up while shifting so that her back was against the wall, she sat her beloved arcanist down in herp. Once she was settled and looking a little moreposed, she met Jay¡¯s questioning gaze again and started exining.
¡°Jadis, that fight was three weeks ago. Three weeks to the day, I think. You¡¯ve been gone that whole time.¡±
¡°Three weeks?¡± Jay repeated, her expression somewhat stunned. ¡°I was unconscious for that long? Like, I was in aa?¡±
¡°Not for all of it¡¡± A trailed off, a worried look clouding her expression before she firmly smoothed out her features. ¡°Something happened to you. We thought it was probably because your bodies were too spread out, though we weren¡¯t sure. But, you changed. Mentally.¡±
¡°You went nuts,¡± Kerr said, sniffing loudly as she pulled back from Syd¡¯s face. ¡°Absolutely insane. You couldn¡¯t control your bodies right; your arms and legs were swinging around all over the ce. You were saying all kinds of mad things.¡±
¡°It was like pieces of your mind were broken off and left behind in your three different bodies,¡± A continued, her voice subdued. None of them had everything. One of you wasughing uncontrobly, hideously, while you tried to strangle one of the guards to death.¡±
¡°What?¡± Jay cried out, a sinking dread filling her with every word her lovers were telling her. ¡°Did I hurt anyone? Fucking god, please tell me I didn¡¯t hurt any of you.¡±
¡°No, you didn¡¯t,¡± A assured her while cing a kiss on her cheek. ¡°You didn¡¯t hurt us. You definitely hurt some of the soldiers and guards, but nothing that wasn¡¯t fixable.¡±
¡°You fucked up a lot of buildings though,¡± Kerr muttered. ¡°Especially after your mind broke or whatever the merde that was. Even before that you caused a lot of damage, but once you went crazy, that body that was fighting the bear went berserk. Literally tore down an entire building before you could be subdued, and it took, like, twenty mercenaries piling on top of you to hold you down. Bridget said you kept screaming out weird words she couldn¡¯t understand, mixed in withplete nonsense shit like ¡®the square root of the hypotenuse¡¯ or something like that. None of it made any sense.¡±
The description was making Jadis feel even sicker than she already did. It sounded like when she got too far apart, her mind had literally broken into pieces, fragments of her memories and personality left behind in her three different selves. None had had enough to be wholly her, so she¡¯d rampaged uncontrobly. It was a frightening thought. Worse, she couldn¡¯t remember any of it.
¡°How long was I like that?¡± Jay asked, almost scared to know the answer.
¡°Only a few hours,¡± A said as she brushed her fingers through her hair. ¡°Once we managed to bring your bodies close to each other, you fell into a deep sleep. Some of the priests were able to wake you with healing spells, but whenever they did you were still crazy. They had to stop healing you otherwise you would have hurt yourself or others. Since then you¡¯ve been unconscious.¡±
¡°Fuck¡¡± Jay cursed, not liking much of what A was saying. ¡°At least I didn¡¯t hurt anyone. Right?¡±
¡°No one that didn¡¯t deserve it,¡± Kerr growled as she pressed her forehead against Syd¡¯s. ¡°That Runar piece of shit is going to look like a rat ate his face for a while since Eir and that other Lyssandria priestess refused to fix him. Fucker.¡±
¡°You didn¡¯t kill anyone,¡± A said again, reassuring Jadis.
¡°That¡¯s something¡¡± Jay mumbled. ¡°But, where are we any¡ª¡±
As she was asking the second question on her mind, the door to the small room burst open. In a flurry of robes and red skin, Eirunched herself across the room tond at Jay¡¯s side.
¡°Jadis!¡± the elf cried out, practically climbing over A in her single-minded efforts to get close to her. ¡°You¡¯re awake! You¡¯re alright!¡±
Behind Eir, who was already crying tears of joy even before she copsed on top of Jay, came Thea, Sabina, and Bridget. The three women crowded into the room, moving to surround Dys. Suddenly, she had all three women wrapped up in a hug as they were all talking at once. It was a confusing mess of questions and exmations of joy that even with three different selves, Jadis had a hard time keeping track of. Eventually, forcing a bit of silence by firmly kissing some of her more talkative lovers on the lips to silence them, Jay continued the question she¡¯d been trying to ask.
¡°Where are we right now? What happened after I was, uh, subdued?¡±
A few tried to answer at once, but after a couple of awkward nces, A took the lead.
¡°We¡¯re aboard the Rising Dawn. It¡¯s a transport ship. We¡¯ve been at sea for almost two weeks now. Once it didn¡¯t look like you were going to recover, it was decided that we had to transport you back to the Capital to see if any other healers might be able to help.¡±
¡°We are probably only a couple of days away from reaching the maind,¡± Eir added, sniffing as she wiped the tears from her nose with a handkerchief. ¡°We¡ªwe didn¡¯t think you would wake back up before reaching the Capital. Praise be to Lyssandria and D that you have.¡±
Well, shit. She¡¯d really been out ofmission for three weeks. And they had really been at sea for almost two weeks? Jadis honestly wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to feel about the abrupt shift in her position. At least her lovers were here with her. Though, at that thought, Jadis had to wonder where Alex and Sorcha were. Had they been brought along as well? How exactly had that gone down, particrly with Alex. She couldn¡¯t have been easy to get on board the ship without her help.
¡°Are we really on board a ship?¡± Dys asked aloud, that question unintentionallying out of her.
¡°Yes,¡± Thea said, her quiet voice slightly muffled by her face being pressed into the crook of Dys¡¯ neck.
¡°Okay,¡± Syd said, letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°So that rocking sensation isn¡¯t my sense of bnce being broken. The ground is actually rocking right now, isn¡¯t it?¡±
Eir sat up, her face worried, though she gave Jay a reassuring smile.
¡°Probably. After everything you¡¯ve been through, however, I think we had best call some of the high priests in to have you checked.¡±
Chapter 321 POV: Paladin
Chapter 321 POV: Pdin
Anger.
Anger. Anger. Anger.
Alex did not know other words for the feeling inside her. One word was enough. Anger. She felt anger asrge and wide and deep and strong as her love for Jadis. It was because of her love for Jadis that she felt such terrible anger. It was because of her love for Jadis that she pushed the anger away.
The Urge loved the anger.
The Urge told her to act on the anger. Kill those who had hurt Jadis. Rip and tear their weak flesh. Destroy those who would imprison her, keep her from her love. Crush the metal that bound her. Crush the people who guarded her. Break their shells and bones and let them hurt.
Make them hurt.
Hurt them.
Yes.
No.
No, Alex would not do what the Urge wanted her to do. Alex knew the Urge wanted to mislead her. It wanted to turn her into the same stupid and weak Demons that Jadis and the others killed. It wanted the others dead. It wanted even Jadis dead. She would not listen. Stupid Urge. It could not understand. Alex would never do what it wanted.
Never.
Alex had to wait. She was patient. She could wait for as long as she had to. Silent and watching. Jadis was strong. Jadis woulde for her. Alex needed no others. Only Jadis.
The little one was nice, though.
Sorcha. That was the word for the small green one that tasted of nts and stone. Sorcha sat with her in the dark, next to her cold metal ce. Sorcha tasted of fear. But she stayed. She talked. She answered questions. She did not have to, but she still stayed with Alex.
Maybe she did have to.
Jadis had told the Sorcha to stay with Alex when she had left her in the warm ce that tasted of Jadis and her others. Jadis had told Alex to stay, so she had stayed. Jadis had told Sorcha to watch Alex, so she watched Alex. Sorcha was smart. She knew it was best to listen to Jadis. So Sorcha still followed Jadis and watched Alex, even though it had been a long, long time since Jadis had left.
Maybe Alex should not have listened to Jadis.
When A hade back, she had tasted of fear and sadness. A had told Alex that Jadis was sick. Sick was not a word that Alex knew, but A was smart. She had exined almost as well as Jadis, so she knew then what the word sick tasted like. A bad word that tasted of vile injury. A word that should not ever belong to Jadis. Jadis had been sick before, when her skin had been burnt like the flesh that the others ate. Eir and the others had fixed Jadis then. But Jadis was sick and A and Eir and the others did not know how to make Jadis better. Alex had tasted their confusion. Fear. Sadness.
Would Jadis be sick if Alex had not listened to Jadis?
Alex had wanted to follow. Her own urge had been to follow and protect. To not be parted from Jadis. She had known Jadis was fighting. She had tasted the anger and excitement that Jadis exuded whenever she wanted to fight. But Jadis had not wanted her to follow and had told her to wait. Alex had agreed because Jadis had asked her to.
Now Alex did not think she should have listened to Jadis. She should have gone with her. She could have protected her. Alex was strong. The strong ones in the huge ce that tasted of many had all agreed. Her ¡°Status Sheet¡± was strong. Alex was powerful. She could have protected Jadis and she never would have be sick.
But Alex had been good. She had listened to Jadis and waited. She waited like a good Demon.
And like a good Demon, Alex had listened to A and Eir and the others when they had told her to be patient. She had listened to the others when they had told her to go into the cold metal ce. She had waited when the others had told her to wait, even though she could have destroyed the cold metal ce. She could still destroy the cold metal ce.
Maybe she should not always be such a good Demon¡
¡°Okay Alex,¡± Sorcha said as she held up a piece of paper. ¡°What¡¯s this called?¡±
¡°Paper¡¡± Alex answered, her voice low and listless.
Sorcha tilted her head and made a face. Her eyes were big. They told Alex many things. They told her now that Sorcha was not pleased with her answer. Frustration. Disappointment.
¡°Alex, you know what I mean,¡± Sorcha said with her small and strange voice.
Alex did know what Sorcha meant. She was not asking what the paper was. She was asking what the ink that she had stuck onto the paper was meant to represent. It was like the letter blocks that Jadis had taught her, but different. The letter A was always the letter A and never changed. It was always those same lines in the same shape. But the things that Sorcha made were not always the same. And they could mean many different words.
Drawing. Animal. Beast. Small. Fluffy. Cat.
So many words.
And a different paper with different ink could mean the same words even though they looked nothing alike.
The paper confused Alex.
But Alex was learning. The others did not think as she did. They saw two things that were not the same as being close, so close was close enough. They were not as smart as Alex. They could not repeat the same shapes in the same exact way. That was their w. Once Alex understood that w, she found it was easier to see what they were trying to mean.
Alex could see the drawing on the paper Sorcha held up and even though it was not close at all to what she was trying to mean, Alex understood now what Sorcha meant. It was not that hard. But Alex was tired of the paper and ink that Sorcha showed her. Alex did not want to answer.
Alex wanted Jadis.
¡°C¡¯mon now,¡± Sorcha prompted. ¡°I know you can do it. You¡¯re way smarter than that bitch you killed ever was, so use that big brain and tell me what this is!¡±
Alex curled, her limbs twisting tight around her body before rxing and going limp. Sorcha was kind. She was trying to keep Alexpany. She still tasted of fear. But her taste was better than the disgust of the ones who stood in the room watching. Their shells were cold and metal, like the metal ce Alex was told to wait inside of. They did not speak words to her. They did not show her papers. They were as cold as the metal. Alex did not want to be alone with them.
The Urge told her to do terrible things when she was alone with them.
Anger.
Loneliness.
Alex lifted her head and looked at the paper again.
¡°Fish¡¡±
¡°Yes! Good job!¡± Sorcha praised Alex. ¡°You¡¯re really getting the hang of this stuff.¡±
Alex felt bits and pieces of her insides clench when Sorcha praised her. It made her think of Jadis. Jadis had praised her many times. Sorcha was nice, but her praise was not Jadis.
¡°Okay, let¡¯s try this one now,¡± the small green one said, holding up another paper. ¡°This might be tricky, but I think you can do this one.¡±
Alex looked at the paper and the ink sttered across it that was meant to represent the Dryad, Tegwyn. She opened her mouth to answer, but froze in the action.
Alex could taste Jadis.
Jadis was in the air. Not weak, but strong. Close. Alex could taste her sweetness. There was no sickness. Only sweet. Then, Jadis felt the familiar weight of Jadis¡¯s step. The vibration of her presence. The sound of her voice.
Sorcha heard Jadis too, then, as she looked towards the door that led away from the dark ce they were inside of. Alex pressed herself up against the holes of the cold metal ce she was waiting inside. Her hands and tentacles gripped the metal hard. She waited.
Then.
Jadis was there.
¡°Alex!¡±
Happiness. Desire. Longing. Need. Joy.
Love.
Jadis hade for her.
Alex knew she would.
There were others with Jadis. The small me with great power was there. Her word was Vita. The blue one with red eyes was also there. Magistrate Vraekae, Alex knew her word, too. They were speaking words to Jadis and Jadis was speaking angry words back to them, but Alex did not care. Jadis was here. That was all Alex needed.
She knew she should say words. To call out. But Alex could not think of any words. None were right. None were strong enough. None tasted with the depth andplexity of what she felt in that moment. Alex needed Jadis to know the whole of what she felt. Word noises were not enough.
Alex released her own taste into the air. She curled and disyed herself. She glowed for Jadis. She needed to touch her, to touch and be touched so that Jadis could know. She had to know.
¡°I don¡¯t care what that fucker wants,¡± Jadis was speaking. Her tone was angry. ¡°She¡¯s not staying in that cage! I want her out, now!¡±
¡°The situation isplicated, Jadis,¡± the Magistrate Vraekae spoke her quiet words. ¡°The political implications of everything that has happened is already going to be a tangled mess to deal with as is. Somepromises are necessary to maintain the peace, at least temporarily.¡±
¡°Fuck that,¡± Jadis spoke, repeating her words that Alex knew did not mean sex, but instead meant anger. Confusing. ¡°They didn¡¯t exactly go out of their way to promise¡¯ with me, did they? I¡¯m sure as shit not going to let one of my friends be crammed into a hole for a minute longer just for their sakes. Alex is getting out of that metal box. Now.¡±
Jadis was not speaking to Alex. But Alex understood enough of what Jadis was saying to the blue one with red eyes. Jadis wanted Alex out of the cold metal ce. Maybe to hold her. Maybe more.
Please more.
Alex did not have to wait for the blue one. She could get out herself.
Carefully, so that Sorcha would not be hurt, Alex used one of her tentacles to push the small green one out of the way. Sorcha made a tiny, high-pitched noise, like the kind that Sabina made when Jadis would have sex with her. Maybe Sorcha thought that Alex was trying to have sex with her? Strange.
Once Sorcha was out of the way, Alex called up the power within her. She used her magic to strike at the cold metal with herrger, more powerful hands. The sound the metal made was loud and painful. It hurt Alex¡¯s senses. But that was fine. The sound was temporary. Jadis was forever.
Jadis and Vita and Magistrate Vraekae stared at Alex as she broke the cold metal. She peeled it open, making a hole wide enough for her body. Then Alex slipped through and into the open air. The angry ones wearing metal shells moved towards her with weapons, but they did note near. They did not dare. Jadis was too powerful for such weak people.
¡°Well. I would say that Alex has her own thoughts concerning her confinement,¡± Vita spoke words, her sounds odd but pleasant. ¡°One might wonder if she was ever contained to begin with.¡±
¡°That bloody fucking bitch is dead as a coatrack and she is still finding ways to scare the ever-loving shit out of me from beyond the abyss,¡± Sorcha spoke, her words still tasting of fear.
¡°So be it,¡± Vraekae spoke, her tones colored by a sigh. ¡°Keep her with you at all times. We cannot afford any more fights, especially not aboard this ship. I will toss you all overboard before I let you destroy this vessel.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Jadis spoke her kind words. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in having any fights right now. Just, uh, let me take her back to our cabin before she does something embarrassing.¡±
Alex did not care what they were saying. She had wrapped her arms and tentacles around Jadis and was holding her tight. Yes, this was only one of Jadis, but that was fine. Easier to wrap herself around one Jadis. Now Jadis could feel her love. Alex knew she could.
Jadis had wrapped her arms around Alex.
Alex closed her eyes and basked in the wonderful sensation. She had gone too long without Jadis¡¯ touch. She would never go so long again. As Jadis carried Alex away from the dark ce and the cold metal, Alex made a promise to Jadis. And to herself. She would not let Jadis go unprotected again. She would always protect Jadis.
Even if she had to disobey Jadis.
Chapter 322: Reorientation
Chapter 322: Reorientation
Shit had certainly not turned out the way Jadis had expected.
It took hours of talking things out with her lovers, but Jadis had eventually gotten caught up on everything that had happened while she¡¯d been out ofmission. A lot in their situation had changed, but not all of it was terrible. A lot of it wasn¡¯t great, true, but none of it was as bad as it could have been considering the worst cast scenarios.
Jadis had nned on going to the capital for the rather personal reason of seeking a priestess who could put a literal pause on pregnancy. It was a somewhat silly reason, from a certain point of view, but considering the dangerous life that she led, Jadis didn¡¯t think it was foolish to want to give those of her lovers who wanted to bear her children that insurance. Of course, Jadis had no ns of dying early. Still, better safe than sorry, especially since it would be her lovers who would be suffering the worst in that situation.
Ironic, then, that no sooner had she resolved herself to travel to the capital, thugs had been sent by First Prince Hraustrekr to drag her there by force.
What had the asshole prince been thinking? Jadis really wasn¡¯t sure, but whatever the reason for the urgency, sending soldiers to arrest her had been a colossally shit move to pull. It was so shit, in fact, that Vraekae had packed her bags and gotten on board the ship to the maind herself. Not an action the Magistrate of Weigrun took lightly, either. Leaving her post was a potentially dangerous move, but from what Eir had exined, the situation was both convoluted enough, and politically advantageous enough, that Vraekae pretty much had to go and deliver her report in person if she wanted to gain some advantage from the situation as well as prevent things from getting worse. Jadis still had mixed feelings about the icy elf using the trouble to further her own agendas, but at least in this case her actions were also serving Jadis. Vraekae was, in essence, acting as Jadis¡¯ legal representation.
Technically, Jadis had broken thew by resisting arrest.
Of course, as far as Jadis was concerned, she¡¯d just been defending herself against a couple of jackasses that had been sent by General Egilhard to harass her. Which, in a way, she had been. The problem was, thews regarding jurisdiction in her particr situation were muddy enough that by fighting back against the soldiers sent to arrest her, she¡¯d potentially broken thew. Potentially.
Runar, the huge bear man, had been sent to arrest Jadis under suspicion of consorting with demonic forces. The charges were patently ridiculous and were the kind of baseless im that were levied against political dissidents when no real crimes could be pointed to, or so Vraekae had assured Jadis. Of course, the fact that Jadis had a literal demon at her side as apanionplicated matters as far as that charge went, but that was beside the point. The legitimacy of the charges was also ultimately unimportant. The important part was the bureaucracy of jurisdiction.
Prince Kestil was the ruler of Weigrun, which meant that everything that happened in that corner of the empire was under his purview. Magistrate Vraekae was thewfully appointed government official who administered Weigrun, proposed by Prince Kestil and confirmed by the Emperor. For all general purposes, any arrests going on in Weigrun would have to be overseen by Kestil or one of hiswfully appointed representatives, such as Vraekae. Runar had not been sent by Prince Kestil and thus had had no jurisdiction.
However.
Runar was a pdin of Charos who headed apany of knights who worked directly for the empire and the Temple of Charos. They were not mercenaries, but a holy order devoted to the God of Battle and War. They were, in essence, a military extension of the temples and thus had no limits on their jurisdiction. In fact, one of their holy duties was to seek out and uproot any potential cult activity across the empire. They had every right to make arrests in Weigrun, regardless of jurisdiction. While they were supposed to notify Vraekae of any activity they might be performing in her territory, they didn¡¯t need her authorization to execute an arrest.
Of course, they had actually gotten Vraekae¡¯s unhappy permission anyway.
While Runar and his shortcky had been going after Jadis, several of the other Knights of the War God¡¯s Fist had been informing Vraekae of their mission and intentions. There were, of course, ways Vraekae could have fought the arrest and even potentially have had the charges dismissed entirely without Jadis having to go anywhere, but the initial arrest was unavoidable. Doubly so since as soon as the ship carrying the Knights had arrived in port, they had been greeted by thewful militarymander of the region: General Egilhard. He had, naturally, seen no problem at all with granting the Knights permission to enter the city and begin their search of supposed cultists. It was the duty of the army to ensure the safety of the city, after all.
Fucking prick.
Nothing was clearcut about the situation. Runar had jurisdiction, but he should have waited to inform the Magistrate of what he was doing since he was ying in her backyard. His knights had technically done so, but he¡¯d still entered the city and gone straight to arrest Jadis without dying for that clearance. Plus, Egilhard was the one who had let Runar into the city. Technically he had the right to do so if Runar was investigating cult activity in the military, but the bear hadn¡¯t been doing that. Jadis was a mercenary, not in the army, so Egilhard didn¡¯t have the right to give permission to send a smatterling after her, much less an elite holy order of knights. Further, Runar openly admitted that the information of suspicious activity hade from Prince Hraustrekr, not Prince Kestil. Following the proper channels would have involved reaching out to the second prince and having him investigate the situation, not acting so directly. But since Runar worked for the temples, he still had their backing. Except maybe not entirely, since he¡¯d taken action in the city in the name of the temple while an actual High Priest of Charos had been in the city without even notifying said priest. Not technically necessary, but had he sought Steingrimur¡¯s guidance, he probably would have been told to fuck right off back to the capital. The whole situation was a political and bureaucratic clusterfuck and Jadis wanted nothing more than to just ignore every part of it.
Not that she could or would ignore the storm circling around her. But the desire was still there.
All of that said, Jadis wasn¡¯t upset to find that she was already a mere day or two away from the maind via ship. The way she¡¯d gotten aboard certainly wasn¡¯t at all what she had nned for or wanted, but at least she was heading somewhere she kind of wanted to be. Kind of.
No one had been left behind, either, which had been a very big concern for her once Jadis hade to terms with her new situation. All of her lovers were with her, as she well knew from the moment of her reawakening, but so was her ward, Sorcha, her Dryadpanion, Tegwyn and, most shockingly, Hans. Both Sorcha and Tegwyn had officially signed up as members of Fortune¡¯s Favored with A¡¯s assistance. Sorcha didn¡¯t have to, but she¡¯d seen where the wind was blowing and had eagerly taken the opportunity handed to her. Tegwyn had jumped at the chance to leave Weigrun and potentially meet Dryads from different parts of the world. Hans, apparently, had simply packed his bags and shown up at the docks without further exnation once it was time to set sail.
Not everything could be brought along, but none of Jadis¡¯ important possessions had been left behind. A had made sure that all of her clothes, weapons, and armor had been packed and stored in the ship, along with all of thepany funds. The goats, Billy, Phil, Pan, and Tumnus, as well as the Behemoth, had also made it on board. How in D¡¯s name they had managed to get the massive vehicle on board the ship, Jadis didn¡¯t know, but it had been managed.
The high priests were aboard the ship as well. All of them. So, too, were a wholepany of soldiers who were there to ¡°keep the peace¡± and protect the many high-value individuals on board. Noll wasn¡¯t on board, though. Not that he was staying in Weigrun. Noll was aboard the ship carrying Runar and his Knights, the Prowling Seawolf, which was apparently entirely done for the purpose of making the bear man and his subordinates ufortable.
Jadis would have to remember to thank Noll for that little gesture of solidarity.
There were three more ships following along as well, turning their trip to the capital into a small fleet. Considering all the important people on board, Jadis couldn¡¯t say she was surprised. At least Egilhard wasn¡¯t joining them. She didn¡¯t like the idea of that turd muncher being left alone in Far Felsen but having him aboard would have been way worse for her. One had to find the silver linings.
Most importantly in Jadis¡¯ eyes, Alex had been brought along. The demon had been contained in a ¡°cage¡± as A had called it, though it was more akin to a metal block with small holes in a few sides. The box wasn¡¯t custom made but was actually something used by the military when transporting demons or the possessed over long distances. Runar had made quite the stink about Alex once he¡¯d found out about her and to avoid even more incidents, Vraekae had agreed to putting the Demon into a box. Alex had apparently listened to A¡¯s instructions and stayed inside of the cage willingly when Vraekae had brought it for transportation. That had changed the moment Alex had been reunited with her, but Jadis was gratified to know that Alex would listen to herpanions if she were absent. Being able to follow sensible direction was another point in Demon¡¯s favor.
Not that Alex was inclined to listen to directions at the moment.
All three of Jadis were walking along the deck of the Rising Dawn. The morning following the night she¡¯d regained consciousness was bright and sunny and considering how long she¡¯d been lying in bed, Jadis had no desire to stay below deck. The Rising Dawn was a huge ship, at least three times the size of thest vessel she¡¯d been on when she¡¯d sailed to the vige of war. There was enough room on a ship of this size that Jadis could walk freely around the deck and stay mostly out of the way of the crewmen scurrying around. In fact, it was pretty easy to avoid running into any of the sailors since they were doing everything in their power to stay far away from Jadis. Or more specifically, they were staying far away from Syd.
Syd was wearing a Demon cape, after all.
Ever since she¡¯d literally broken out of her rune-reinforced confinement with a casual ease that made even Jadis pause, Alex had taken to hanging off of one of Jadis¡¯s bodies constantly, whether Jadis wanted her there or not. Without words, she had made it very clear that she was not going to be separated from Jadis any time soon. Jadis didn¡¯t mind the sentiment, though there were times when the demon¡¯s constant presence did cause some awkwardness. Particrly in the tripping over tentacles department.
Alex hade up with a solution to that problem all on her own, though. With herrge arms wrapped around Syd¡¯s shoulders and her smaller arms around Syd¡¯s neck, Alex hung off Syd¡¯s back like some kind of disturbing cloak of tentacles. It was still kind of awkward, but it was a lot less so than having the nearly naked demon girl stered to her chest.
It was nice to have a constant hug, anyway.
¡°Are you purposefully trying to scare the shit out of all these poor sailors?¡±
Jay nced down at the speaker, not entirely sure she was happy to see Hight Priest Sholto standing at her side. The goblin man was wearing a heavy fur cloak, though his hood had been left down to expose his bushy orange hair. He wasn¡¯t looking at Jadis, but instead was staring out across the ocean to where a coastline was just barely visible on the far horizon.
¡°No,¡± Jay answered the priest¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯m just not interested in hiding Alex from them. It¡¯s better for them to see her and get used to what she is, rather than hide her and let rumors spread.¡±
Sholto snorted derisively.
¡°Are you sure you¡¯re a follow of Destarious?¡± he asked with a teasing tone. ¡°That¡¯s the kind of thinking I¡¯d expect out of one of Valtar¡¯s ilk.¡±
¡°Not everything I do is for him,¡± Jay replied dryly. ¡°He knows it. If he wanted a zealot, he would have found someone else.¡±
¡°I doubt he had many options for Nephilim who would be willing to take him as their patron over their own Mother Goddess, but I take your point.¡±
There was a short silence between the two of them as they continued to watch the faintly visible shores. Jadis wondered what the Central Continent was going to be like. Weigrun was a subcontinent to the south where it was colder, so apparently the central continent had a warmer climate. Did that mean there would be jungles? Deserts? Steppes? Jadis didn¡¯t really know, but from the few descriptions she¡¯d gotten from her lovers¡¯ hometowns, she didn¡¯t think it would be too different from Weigrun. At least, not drastically so. Then again, what did she know? It would be fun to find out, anyway.
¡°Just in case it wasn¡¯t clear,¡± Sholto abruptly spoke up, his thin voice partially drowned out by the sound of the waves. ¡°The Temple of Destarious will vouch for your character. It is inly obvious you are not a cultist.¡±
¡°Thank you for that,¡± Dys said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Honestly, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure if you¡¯d be getting involved in all this bullshit.¡±
¡°Think nothing of it,¡± The goblin waved a small hand. ¡°Of course, you are consorting with demons. One demon, anyway. And you did have an extremely potent de of malediction in your possession. And you have formed some kind of sex cult thing with a harem of women who practically worship you¡ª¡±
¡°Okay, you can stop right there,¡± Jay cut Sholto off. ¡°We are not a sex cult and my lovers do not worship me.¡±
¡°Worship¡ Jadis¡¡± Alex repeated as she caressed Syd¡¯s face with one hand.
¡°Thank you, Alex. That is not helping.¡±
Sholto let out a loud bellyugh, his eyes sparkling with amusement. He grinned widely, his expression dripping with mischief. Jadis probably would have been more nervous in other circumstances, but she¡¯d spent too many days with Jack the Incorrigible Fetch to be bothered by the teasing words of a mere High Priest of the God of Chaos.
¡°Only a jest,¡± Sholto chuckled. ¡°One would have to remove all context to view anything I just said in a negative light. Of course, rumors have a wonderful way of doing just that, don¡¯t they? Have some care once we arrive in the capital. Rumors have wings, after all, and they fly farther and faster than you might think.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Jadis told the priest.
She meant her words, too. While Jadis herself wasn¡¯t inclined towards rumor mongering, she was no stranger to the scene. In fact, considering she¡¯de from a world set in the age of the inte, Jadis felt like she probably knew more about fast-spreading rumors than anyone on Oros could even begin toprehend. There were probably going to be a dozen different versions of the same story told about what happened between her and Runar spread around the city the moment the ship docked. Those dozen different stories would mutate and grow and who knew what they¡¯d look like in a month. She wouldn¡¯t be surprised if some hypothetical versions involved Vetregin showing up and sting the city with an ice storm.
Well, whatever. There wasn¡¯t anything Jadis could do about the things other people said. She knew who she was and what she¡¯d done. She didn¡¯t give a damn what random people on the street thought. All that mattered was what herpanions thought. Those were the opinions she valued.
¡Then again, there was one other person whose thoughts would probably make a difference to her.
God, she hoped Emperor Somerulf wasn¡¯t as big an asshole as his son.
Chapter 323: Doing the Math
Chapter 323: Doing the Math
¡°Wow. The capital is a lot bigger than I thought.¡±
Jadis stared at the looming towers of the citadel built into the river mouth their ship was steadily approaching. The sun was setting in the west behind the ship, so the city was brightly lit with the with a blue backdrop of evening sky. They were on the southwestern coast of the maind, or so Jadis had heard, though since she¡¯d only ever seen a few maps in passing she didn¡¯t really have much context for where they were located in the world.
The mouth of the river they were approaching was wide, maybe a mile across, with a small ind in roughly the middle. On the north side of the river stood a massive, towering castle with walls a hundred feet tall at least. A city had been built up around the castle withyered walls spreading outward epassing the hive of urban activity. The city docks along the river coast were immense, the sails of hundreds of ships of all sizes visible in the dying light.
The southern shore had another, smaller city built up along the shore. There were even more docked ships on that side of the river, though not as numerous. The southern city had smaller walls and no towering castle, either. What it did have were farms. Even with the daylight fading Jadis could see miles upon miles of farms and orchards radiating out into the ins and hills with the city as its focal point.
The ind in the middle of the river mouth had a lighthouse built out from it. Jadis had been to the Statue of Liberty once when she was a child and this lighthouse was bigger by far. A great golden light shone from the top of the tower, not rotating but simply lighting up the sky like a beacon. As she was watching the beautiful light, Jadis saw a winged figure leap off from the top of the tower and take flight, heading towards the city.
Had that been a Seraphim? Jadis had seen Jack take the form of one in the past, so she knew they looked like angelic beings. Spotting the one lit a certain amount of excitement in Jadis¡¯ chest. She¡¯d like to meet a real angel, not just a shape changing pervert pretending to be one.
¡°No, that¡¯s Glitnir. The capital is going to be another few days up the river.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Jay asked, startled by Kerr¡¯s casual exnation. ¡°But, this ce looks huge! And this isn¡¯t even the capital?¡±
¡°Nope,¡± Kerr shrugged as she cut off a slice of apple with a knife and ate it. ¡°Glitnir is kind of big, I guess. A lot of foreign imports and imperial exportse through here. But it¡¯s hardly the biggest city I¡¯ve visited in the empire. Top ten, maybe.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Jay repeated, still surprised. ¡°What if you count outside of the empire?¡±
¡°Oh, definitely not top ten. It might edge in to the top twenty, but I¡¯d have to think about that.¡±
Wow. Never before had Jadis felt like such a country rube. She would have thought that her experiences back on Earth would have inured her to the sight ofrge cities, yet here she was gawping at a city that wasn¡¯t even in Kerr¡¯s top twenty for size.
Jadis had always thought that medieval cities were limited in their size, both due to smaller poptions and issues with infrastructure. But those were expectations based on her old world¡¯s history. This was Oros. There were different rules in y.
While she¡¯d never asked how old the Empire of Alfhilderunn was, Jadis knew from context that the country had been around for a long, long time. It had at the very least been around when her species, the Nephilim, had died out over two thousand years ago. Jadis imagined most continuous empires would probably haverge poptions, especially considering the lifespans of people in general were probably pretty long when they weren¡¯t being killed by demons. People weren¡¯t so likely to die from sickness and diseases when there were clerics and priests running around who could clear up those issues with a simple spell.
Infrastructure was probably a lot different, too. Magic was real. Enchantments in the right ces could make all the difference in terms of working water and sewer utilities. In fact, that probably had somewhat to do with why Oros was stuck in a mostly medieval technology level. Why evolve technologically when levels and magic were pulling all the weight?
Regardless of the reasons behind the huge city, Jadis would simply have to get used to the size. She wasn¡¯t going to walk around looking like some hapless tourist.
Maybe only a little bit of sightseeing.
A touch.
¡°Are we going to stop here for the night?¡± Bridget asked, voicing a question that Jadis had simply assumed. ¡°Or will we keep going straight on to Eldingholt?¡±
¡°I would guess we¡¯ll be stopping,¡± A answered from where she leaned into Dys¡¯ side. ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure they¡¯ll let us get off the ship. Jadis is in custody. Supposedly.¡±
Dys snorted at A¡¯s statement.
¡°Only because I¡¯m ying nice.¡±
All three of Jadis¡¯ bodies as well as her manypanions were standing around the prow of the Rising Dawn, discussing the city they were approaching. No one else wanted to be below deck anymore than Jadis did now that their sea voyage was almost over. The trip had been a lot worse for everyone else than it had been for Jadis. At least in her case it had felt quick, even if she had been in a lot of pain. For everyone else, the past two weeks had been the excruciating boredom of sailing on a ship with precious few diversions.
¡°Eugh,¡± Jadis overheard Sorcha say to Sabina, the two women standing next to each other. ¡°This is where I was recruited to join the Roiling Reavers. Biggest regret of my life. I tell ya, never agree to join up with strangers looking for adventure that you meet in a dark tavern. It never ends well.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Sabina replied, her head lying on her crossed arms set on the ship¡¯s rails. ¡°Your misadventure brought you here to join up with us, didn¡¯t it? That¡¯s a pretty good end, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Sab. I¡¯m a felon,¡± Sorcha pointed at her tracking armlet with a deadpan expression. ¡°This isn¡¯t exactly ideal.¡±
While the tanned smith devolved into a stumbling and awkward babble of words, Jadis readjusted her focus to the conversation happening between Thea and Tegwyn.
¡°So there is a Dryad grove near your hometown?¡± Tegwyn was asking the shy brte, one hand rubbing at his chin. ¡°Is this Cold Brook far from the capital?¡±
¡°Ah, no, I d¡ªdon¡¯t think there is a grove, like where you are f¡ªfrom,¡± Thea shook her head. ¡°Just one D¡ªDryad. In the Brenna Woods. That¡¯s, uh, maybe three days from the c¡ªcapital with how fast we travel. She¡¯s, ah, p¡ªprobably still there. My m¡ªmother told me stories of seeing, um, the Dryad when she was a child. Her mother, ah, too. She¡¯s probably b¡ªbeen there for a hundred years.¡±
¡°Hm,¡± Tegwyn¡¯s expression turned contemtive as he tilted his head to one side. ¡°Well, I do not mind older women. I would like to meet this Dryad. She may be just the woman I am looking for to start my own grove!¡±
While Thea flushed pink at the horned man¡¯s unabashedly forward statement of intent, Eir perked up and joined the conversation. Her purple eyes looked bright in the evening light as she regarded the Dryad.
¡°I did not realize you were so interested in having children,¡± the priestessmented. ¡°Or do you simply mean to recruit her to your own cause?¡±
Tegwyn shrugged one shoulder and made a face.
¡°I am not sure. I am not opposed to the idea of having a few saplings, but it is no pressing need that I feel. But I would like to start amunity of my own. A ce to grow and nurture nature. A refuge for the wild, but also a space for those who wish to learn more about the nts and beasts of the world. That would be a fine thing, indeed.¡±
¡°Ah, I see,¡± Eir looked slightly disappointed, though her expression quickly turned curious. ¡°If not children of your own, then it sounds like you are interested in passing on your knowledge to a younger generation. Not just other Dryads, I presume?¡±
¡°Yes, indeed!¡± Tegwyn let out a cheerfulugh. ¡°I¡¯ve no desire to stay far and away from theings and goings of the rest of Oros like my father, no disrespect intended. I see no reason the Children of Villthyrial cannot take a more active role in the lives of greater society.¡±
Jadis had known Tegwyn was looking to hook up with Dryads from ces other than Weigrun, but she¡¯d never known about the man¡¯s other ns. The idea of a Dryad grove that was more closely linked to society intrigued Jadis. She wasn¡¯t sure what that would look like exactly, but she imagined the Dryads had a lot to share about wild beasts, both mundane and magical, that would be of great benefit to the people of Oros.
Other than Tegwyn¡¯s ideas, something that Thea had said peaked Jadis¡¯ interest. Thea had said that her hometown, Cold Brook, was only a few days away from the capital, at least going by Jadis speeds. Thea had a family. Jadis knew that conceptually, of course, but since she and Thea were both in Weigrun and the guardswoman¡¯s family was so far away, she¡¯d not given too much thought to the idea of meeting them. Now, however, they were going to be in rtively easy reach.
Thea wasn¡¯t the only one, either. A was from a ce called Red Tree. Jadis doubted hernky lover¡¯s hometown was all that far from where they were going, either. And Eir? Well, she was from a noble elven family. They might even have a home in the capital. If that were the case, it seemed as though meeting her family on this trip was inevitable.
Kerr¡¯s n was in the Verdant Sea, wherever that was, and Jadis wasn¡¯t sure where Bridget and Sabina¡¯s families were from. Sorcha, though, was apparently from somewhere near Glitnir. Would any of them want to take trips to see their family? Jadis kind of hoped they would. The more she thought about it, the more she was getting excited at the idea of meeting the loved ones of her loved ones.
As Jadis distractedly contemted what meeting a whole family of Sabina¡¯s might be like, some motion against Syd caught her attention.
Alex, still hanging off Syd¡¯s shoulders like the world¡¯s fleshiest cape, had raised her head from where she¡¯d had it nestled against Syd¡¯s neck and was staring to the left. Or, port, Jadis supposed, since they were on a ship after all.
¡°Asshole¡¡±
¡°What?¡± Syd asked, startled by the Demon¡¯s sudden explicative.
¡°The fuck did she just say?¡± Kerr asked around a mouthful of apple. ¡°Who¡¯s the fucker that¡¯s been teaching our innocent ass little demon here to use foulnguage, huh?¡±
¡°Try looking in a mirror,¡± A huffed as she turned to look up at the Demon. ¡°What are you trying to say, Alex? Is something wrong?¡±
¡°Bear¡ Asshole¡¡±
¡°Bear? What do you¡ªoh.¡±
Jadis caught on about the same time as A did. Turning her gaze in the direction Alex was now pointing with several of her tentacles, Jadis could see the Prowling Seawolf pulling up alongside their own ship. That was the ship that Runar was aboard, Jadis knew, along with the rest of his knights. The ship was close enough that she could see the crew moving around on the deck, though it was also just far enough away that it was hard to make out the individuals. One person stood out, though. Large, dark, and hairy, that singr static figure caught Jadis¡¯ eyes.
¡°Runar,¡± Kerr growled. ¡°Gods, I want to get my hands on that asshole. Just an hour alone.¡±
¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± A snapped. ¡°If he was able to do what he did to Jadis, you¡¯d be crushed in an instant. Especially since we still need to redo our bonds.¡±
While Jadis could understand A¡¯s entirely reasonable warning, she was still inclined towards feeling the same as Kerr. Her grudge against the bear man was still very, very alive. Even if he was just a soldier doing his job, he was still a fucking prick. She definitely wanted to see how well he stood up to her in a one-on-one match rather than an ambush.
¡°I would simply ignore him,¡± Eir said primly, her nose tilted into the air slightly as she looked away from the other ship. ¡°While I feel awful saying this about an avatar, a man of his quality is not worth sparing any of our attention for.¡±
¡°Oh, he has my attention,¡± Jay growled. ¡°But you¡¯re right. There¡¯s no point in glowering at him like this. So long as he¡¯s over there, we can¡¯t do much anyway.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Kerr¡¯s shoulders slumped slightly. ¡°Can¡¯t even shoot him with my good bow right now. Speaking of, when are we going to get to fucking? It¡¯s been a three-week dry spell and I¡¯m getting antsy. No one was interested in even ying around while you were out cold.¡±
¡°Kerr, you were an even bigger wreck than A and Eir,¡± Bridget pointed out, causing the therion to flush slightly. ¡°Don¡¯tin about no one being in the mood when you weren¡¯t either.¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t¡ª¡±
¡°Holy shit!¡±
Jadis cut Kerr¡¯s protests off with her sudden exmation. She hadn¡¯t meant to, but Runar had, for the second time, taken her by surprise.
With a prodigious leap, the Valbjorn pdin had leapt from the deck of the Prowling Seawolf. Soaring through the air like something out of aic book, he crossed the open waters in an instant, his huge bulknding on the deck of the Rising Dawn with a loud thump.
Sailors scattered as the huge bear man righted himself and turned to look at Jadis and herpanions.
For an instant, Jadis was ready to fight, her instincts screaming for a second go at the jackass. Then, as she took in his appearance, she paused. Runar was¡ looking rough.
All the fur was missing from the left side of the bear man¡¯s face. Some stubble was starting to grow in, but most of his pink skin was marred by some rather hideous-looking scars, almost as though he¡¯d been burnt in a fire. Theck of fur went all the way down his neck and, from what Jadis could see, probably extended far down under his doublet. His left hand was missing its fur, too. Jadis also saw that his left ear was missing, nothing but an ugly bumpy earhole in its ce.
¡°Shit, what the fuck happened to you?¡± Jay asked with her lip curled.
A second thump resounded in the cold air as anotherrge figurended on the deck next to Runar. Rising from his crouch, Jadis saw that the neer was Noll, her erstwhile mentor. He looked no different from normal, except that armor looked like it had been recently polished.
¡°You happened,¡± Noll gruffly answered Jay¡¯s question. ¡°Give us a minute. We need to talk to Vraekae.¡±
As Noll stalked away towards the back of the ship, Runar turned to follow after him. Not, however, before he tossed a grumbling question towards Jadis of his own.
¡°What the fuck is a hypotenuse, anyway?¡±
Chapter 324: Visitation
Chapter 324: Visitation
Jadis sourly stared at the docks of Glitnir through the tiny window of her prison cell.
Well, that wasn¡¯t fair. The plush bedroom she¡¯d been put into wasn¡¯t intended for prisoners. More of a ¡°visiting dignitaries¡± kind of setup. The room was spacious, the ceilings plenty tall enough to amodate her height, and the furnishings were frankly luxurious. The rugs were soft, the bed almostrge enough for all three of her to squeeze onto, and there was an attached bathroom with a heated bathtub. The window wasn¡¯t tiny, either. Small for her, but perfectly average sized for anyone else.
No, the problem wasn¡¯t anything to do with the room. The problem was the fact that Jadis was confined to it.
While Jadis had been allowed a modicum of freedom, she was still technically under arrest. Runar, the bastard bear that he was, had argued that she was also a flight risk since she¡¯d previously resisted arrest and was also clearly of a power level that warranted extra precautions. Vraekae had told the Valbjorn that he was an idiot in that particr way the elf was capable of insulting people without saying so directly but had ultimately had little choice but to agree that Jadis could not be given leave to wonder wherever she willed until the legal troubles were resolved. That meant no sightseeing. No nighttime dates. No fun. Just a nice room in a tall government building that she¡¯d been escorted to so quickly after docking that she¡¯d barely even had a chance to take in what little of the city she¡¯d been rushed through.
One of the nice things about having multiple bodies was that it enabled Jadis to perform multiple activities at the same time. For the moment, it meant Jadis could mope around her apartment prison in three different ways.
¡°Good gods, Jadis. You¡¯re pouting like a child. Is a night under house arrest really that terrible?¡±
Syd nced at A, the redheaded mage standing in the open door holding a tter in her hands. Since Syd¡¯s head was hanging over the edge of the bed, the view was upside down so it took a moment for Jadis to parse what was on the tter, but after a moment she realized that A had brought a variety small bowls that looked like they were filled with multicolored mounds of whipped cream. Maybe they were some form of ice cream?
¡°Blue, I¡¯m so fucking bored,¡± Syd moaned. ¡°I¡¯m too bored to even sleep.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been sleeping for weeks,¡± Dys grumbled, her face nted into the thick fur carpet, her body partially under the low table set between a couple of couches. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep anymore.¡±
¡°This is not how I wanted to spend my first night on the maind,¡± Jay sighed, her breath fogging the windowpane. ¡°Couldn¡¯t they at least let me stay in the same room as you all?¡±
¡°Apparently not,¡± A let out her own sigh as she shut the door with a foot, blocking any further view of the four guards stationed outside in the hallway. ¡°Now that you¡¯re awake, Runar is being a stickler for following the formalities of prisoner transport. At least you¡¯re getting the ¡®noble¡¯ treatment. It could be worse.¡±
¡°He¡¯s just doing this because I fucked up his face,¡± Dys grumbled, turning her head to the side so her words were more audible. ¡°He¡¯s lucky I don¡¯t find him right now and shave the rest of his fur off.¡±
¡°Probably,¡± A agreed as she walked over with the tray and set it down on the table. ¡°He seems like the type to hold a grudge.¡±
¡°Hug?¡± Syd pleaded, holding her arms out towards A without otherwise changing her position.
A¡¯s lips quirked up in a smirk, but withoutint orment she walked over to where Sydy on the bed. As soon as she was in range, Syd wrapped her arms around A¡¯s waist in a tight hold.
¡°Jay, this isn¡¯t exactly an easy position for me to¡ªow! What are you¡ªstop that!¡±
Syd did not stop and instead continued to yfully nip and bite as A¡¯s inner thighs. With her head positioned so perfectly between her girlfriend¡¯s legs, how could she be expected to resist? Besides, A had guessed which body Syd was wrong. She deserved some light punishment.
¡°Jadis! Stop!¡± A yelped out augh. ¡°I¡¯m going to get you for this!¡±
With such a dangerous threat looming over her, Jadis knew she had to act fast. Shifting swiftly, Syd pulled A over on top of her, causing the redhead to let out a cry of surprise. In just a few quick movements, Syd had the arcanist pinned underneath her. Any further protests that A might have made were silenced by a passionate kiss that went on long enough that both of them were breathless by the time their lips parted.
¡°Can you stay with me?¡± Syd asked softly, her eyes focused on A¡¯s parted lips.
¡°No,¡± A answered, breathing hard. ¡°I want to, but they insisted on separate rooms. Something about flight risks and jail breaks. I¡ can¡¯t really think of the details right now. I don¡¯t really want to, honestly.¡±
¡°Then I guess we don¡¯t have much time before the warden calls for curfew,¡± Syd murmured, dipping her head down for another brief taste of A¡¯s sweetness before pulling back. ¡°We¡¯d better get started.¡±
¡°Started?¡±
¡°We have a bond to renew, don¡¯t we?¡±
¡°But¡ª¡±
Jadis didn¡¯t listen to A¡¯s weak protest before once more capturing her mouth with her own. It had been weeks since she¡¯d made love to her girl and she didn¡¯t want to waste another moment. Sure, from her perspective it hadn¡¯t felt all that long; she hadn¡¯t been aware of the passage of time while she was in aa. However, even the thought of not being with her lovers for so long made Jadis antsy.
Syd cupped A¡¯s breast in her left hand, her thumb firmly rubbing against the hard nipple that she could feel through the thin material of her tunic. Her deep kiss moved to A¡¯s jaw, then her neck, nipping and licking at the tender flesh there. Her redheaded lover had a lot of freckles on her pale skin and Jadis was determined to give each and every one a nibble.
¡°Ah, Jadis,¡± A said around a breathy moan. ¡°We should really wait¡ª¡±
¡°I don¡¯t want to wait,¡± Syd interrupted in the brief moment she could tear her lips away from A¡¯s skin. ¡°I can¡¯t wait a second longer.¡±
¡°I cane back in fifteen minutes,¡± a cold, clipped voice rung out in the room. ¡°However, we have a lot to discuss and I would rather not waste my time waiting for you two to finish.¡±
Jadis didn¡¯t need to lift Syd¡¯s head from her work at A¡¯s neck to see Magistrate Vraekae standing in the open door of her room. Jay and Dys, both in various states of undress, were able to see that easily enough. They were also able to see that Vraekae wasn¡¯t alone.
¡°No, please continue,¡± Sholto said, his teeth shining as he grinned lecherously. ¡°Don¡¯t mind us. We¡¯ll just have our fruit cream while we wait.¡±
Jadis sighed from all three of her selves as Syd disentangled herself from A, who was now beet red with embarrassment. Jay, shirt in hand but at least still wearing her pants, turned to regard the interrupters with fists on her hips.
Magistrate Vraekae was there, wearing her usual sharp uniform, as was the grinning goblin high priest. Behind those two, still in the hallway, were Eir and the Lyssandria high priest, Aurea. Eir looked like she was suffering from a little secondhand embarrassment but was otherwise fairly collected. Aurea had eyes as wide as saucers as she stared at Jay¡¯s half-unclothed form. Jadis supposed that probably had something more to do with getting to see her goddess¡¯ avatar in the partial nude, less so walking in on a couple about to have sex. Aurea didn¡¯t seem like the prudish type to Jadis.
¡°This can¡¯t wait until tomorrow?¡± Jay asked, not moving just yet to put her shirt on, though Syd and Dys interposed their bodies between A and the interlopers until she could get her clothes straightened out. ¡°I¡¯m not really in the mood for entertaining visitors right now and would rather you all leave. Eir excepted, of course.¡±
¡°You can perform your sex rituals another time,¡± Vraekae announced curtly as she swept into the room. Jadis noticed that she had a leather portfolio in her hand. ¡°Put your clothes on and sit down. We need to talk about our strategy once we arrive in the capital.¡±
Seeing that Vraekae wasn¡¯t going to take no for an answer, Jadis begrudgingly went about dressing her selves. She was half tempted to leave whatever bits of clothing she had removed off just to make the woman ufortable, but she tossed that idea out the window. She knew Vraekae well enough now to know that the elf wouldn¡¯t be put off by a little nudity. Besides, she was fairly certain that Aurea was going to start drooling soon if she didn¡¯t cover herself.
A few momentster and Jadis and her guests were seated on the couches and chairs set up around the small table by the firece. Well, her guests were seated on the furniture. None of the seats were made for Nephilim proportions so Jay was seated cross legged on the floor next to the couch while Dys and Syd sat further away on the foot of the bed. A and Eir were both seated on the couch closest to Jay while Aurea and Sholto had upied the other couch opposite them. Vraekae hadmandeered a high-backed chair all for herself.
While it was only a minor constion, the ¡°fruit cream¡± that Sholto had mentioned turned out to be the bowls of whipped cream that A had carried in with her. The sweet cream was fruity and refreshing, and also had a taste of alcohol to it. Jadis quite liked the cream, though she would have preferred to have shared it with just her lovers after several hours of intense lovemaking.
¡°We had determined ns while you wereatose, ¡°Vraekae exined as she passed a sheet of paper from her portfolio to Eir, who passed it to Jay. ¡°Now that you are awake, we need to go over those ns with you as well as make any necessary adjustments. The priority is to have all charges levied against you dismissed as quickly as possible.¡±
Jay nodded along to the magistrate¡¯s words as she looked over the paper. It took Jadis a minute to read through the document, partially because she was still learning how to recognize Imperial writing, and partially because a lot of formalnguage had been used. In summary, it looked like the document was a petition to have her case seen before the emperor directly, rather than through typical court proceedings.
¡°The emperor oversees court cases?¡± Jay asked, looking up at Vraekae. ¡°I figured he¡¯d probably be too busy doing, I don¡¯t know, leader-things to bother with court trials.¡±
¡°Leader things?¡± Sholto guffawed, though Vraekae shushed him with a nce.
¡°He is exceedingly busy,¡± the blue elf exined. ¡°And that is partly due to the various legal proceedings he investigates and oversees. Most cases are handles by the lesser courts. More important cases are overseen by the local magistrate, such as myself. But cases that can have long-reaching consequences for the entire nation are usually brought before the emperor. He may not choose to hold the trial directly, but the details at least make it to his desk before he delegates the proceedings to another court.¡±
¡°Most cases thate before the emperor involve noble families,¡± Eir quietly added. ¡°Orrge businesses. Land and inheritance disputes aremon.¡±
¡°Having your case seen by the emperor should not be an issue,¡± Vraekae continued. ¡°Your status as a Nephilim is more than enough to warrant his attention. The issue is timing.¡±
¡°Timing?¡± Jay asked as she passed the document to A. ¡°Hold on. Let me guess. It normally takes a long time for the emperor to review the cases that make it onto his desk?¡±
¡°Precisely,¡± Vraekae confirmed as she settled back into her chair. ¡°While I have no confirmation as of yet for the current state of things, thest time I was in the capital and attended the emperor¡¯s court, the average wait for a case to be seen was three to four months.¡±
¡°Months?¡± all three of Jadis said in disbelief, the chorus of identical voices making Aurea and Sholto both jump. ¡°Seriously? It¡¯ll take that long to get this shit over with?¡±
¡°That is just to have the case seen,¡± Vraekae corrected. ¡°Depending on the situation, it could take several more months for the proceedings to get to the point where you have your day in court. Of course, you will be sequestered until everything is resolved.¡±
Insane. That¡¯s what Jadis had to say about what Vraekae was telling her. Absolutely insane. She could be wrapped up in red tape and legal bullshit for half a year, maybe longer, all because some dipshit prince had decided to sick his attack bear on her for no discernable reason? There wasn¡¯t a penguin¡¯s chance in a desert that Jadis would wait around under confinement for that long.
A¡¯s hand on Jay¡¯s shoulder grounded her enough to prevent her from blowing up in anger. Taking a deep breath, Jay pushed her gut reaction down. Losing her temper didn¡¯t help anything.
¡°Okay. What can we do to push this along?¡±
¡°That¡¯s where wee in,¡± Shoto said with a cheeky grin. ¡°A bit of preferential treatment should do the trick.¡±
¡°Since you have been given a mission directly from Destarious, the temples will put their weight behind you to apply some pressure.¡± Aurea exined, her voice calm and soothing. ¡°In fact, since the charges that prompted this whole debacle were those of heresy and association with the Cult of Samleos, we can easily im some level of jurisdiction. The Holy Council will certainly be involved, in any case. We should hopefully be able to push the proceedings forward to a minimal timeframe.¡±
¡°That sounds good,¡± Jay nodded slowly as she leaned back against the couch. Her violet eyes flicked between the two priests. ¡°Now, what do you want for the help?¡±
Vraekae snorted, a sound so unprecedented that Eir¡¯s mouth actually hung open in surprise. The magistrate¡¯s face wasposed an instantter, but Jadis was certain she could see the ghost of a smile hiding in the cold woman¡¯s eyes.
¡°It is gratifying to see that you are starting to understand the way politics work,¡± Vraekaeplimented Jadis in an utterly deadpan voice.
¡°I always understood,¡± Jay glowered. ¡°I just don¡¯t like it.¡±
¡°To answer your question,¡± Aurea politely redirected the conversation, ¡°nothing that we feel you don¡¯t already want. A few minor considerations. Some time spent in the templemuning with the followers of our Lady.¡±
¡°Destarious, too,¡± Sholto cut in before shoving another spoonful of cream into his mouth.
¡°Destarious¡¯ temple, too,¡± Aurea acknowledged. ¡°A few works that will benefit the faithful. Nothing that should cause you any inconvenience.¡±
¡°And¡?¡± Jay asked, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
¡°She wants you to impregnate her,¡± Sholto let the statement thump onto the table with all the care and tact of a hippo in a crowded buffet.
With a graceful ease that made Jay¡¯s eyebrow shoot up, the blonde priestess reached over to the goblin and flicked his floppy ear with enough force to make an audible snap. Sholto yelped, his hand going to his abused earlobe. Aurea never took her eyes off of Jay.
¡°A crass insinuation. However, the Temple of Lyssandria does want to ensure that the Nephilim lineage continues, even if only through crossbreeds. We understand that you are already in the process of trying to impregnate priestess Eir, correct?¡±
It was less of a question and more of a confirmation. Clearly Aurea already knew the answer. Jay still nodded, waiting to see where the woman was going.
¡°Excellent. We have priestesses in the capital who can perform rituals of fertility that should be able to help, since elves are notorious for their low fertility rates. That said, the temple will also want to ensure a diversity of offspring. The exact numbers are open for discussion, but we think it appropriate that you also impregnate several other of our priestesses as well. I think fifty would be a good number to start, if you agree?¡±
Jadis just stared at Aurea. Her silence went long enough that the woman actually started to lose some of her calm poise, a slight fidget appearing in her folded hands. The others in the room didn¡¯t say anything either, just watching as Jay continued to silently watch the high priestess. Eventually, the blonde woman¡¯sposure broke and she hesitantly opened her mouth.
¡°Perhaps a smaller number?¡±
¡°I am not going to fuck a bunch of strange women that I don¡¯t know,¡± Jay stated tly. ¡°I am definitely not going to impregnate a bunch of women I don¡¯t know so they can scurry off with my children to do who the fuck knows with them.¡±
¡°Well, your involvement in their upbringing would be weed,¡± Aurea said hurriedly. ¡°And it isn¡¯t as though the women you would be impregnating would be randomly taken from the streets. They would be devout clerics and priestesses of the faith who would make devoted mothers to a new generation of Nephilim!¡±
¡°I told you,¡± A said, speaking up before Aurea could say more. ¡°Jadis has a lot of lovers. But she doesn¡¯t sleep around. She just doesn¡¯t work like that. You can¡¯t just throw women at her and expect her to be happy with that.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a shock,¡± Sholto said under his breath, though he quickly shut his mouth as several different women red at him.
¡°If it¡¯s a matter of selection, we can certainly make amodations. A screening process, perhaps?¡±
Jay shook her head at the priestess, letting out an exasperated sigh. This was not a problem that Jadis ever thought she would have to deal with. A religious order was actually trying to convince her to breed her race back into existence. The bizarreness of the situation aside, Jadis just wasn¡¯tfortable with a temple mandating she sleep around and make a bunch of strangers preggers.
However, Jadis did n on impregnating Eir, as well as any of her other lovers who wanted it. Was it that weird to do the same for other women who were interested? Now that she had started to get a feel for what she was looking for, she could sense that alien gut reaction that wasing from outside of herself. Lyssandria, or at least she presumed it was Lyssandria, was definitely giving her some approving vibes whenever she contemted the idea. Her ¡°mother goddess¡± wanted grandchildren, or so it seemed. Lots of them.
Looking at A and Eir, Jadis saw that while neither looked particrly happy with the high priestess¡¯ request, neither looked like they were upset, either. She imagined some variation of this talk had already yed out while she was unconscious, so they probably had had more time toe to terms with the situation than her. At that thought, Jadis didn¡¯t really want to consider how exactly they were nning on proceeding with the breeding if she never recovered from hera.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk this out,¡± Jay sighed. ¡°But first, get some more of this fruity cream stuff. This is going to take a while.¡±
Chapter 325: Greater Good
Chapter 325: Greater Good
Thepromise that Aurea was eventually able to pin Jadis down to was¡ tolerable. In Jadis¡¯ honest opinion, she didn¡¯t think the temples or anyone else had any business sticking their noses into her reproductive activity. However, if she was being honest with herself, she had to admit that she was the equivalent of an endangered species. It could easily be argued that it was her duty to make sure her species got every chance at survival. In fact, that had been one of Aurea¡¯s arguments. If nothing else, Jadis did feel like she probably owed some consideration to Lyssandria to give her as many metaphorical grandchildren as she could.
Jadis had ended up making a promise to have a minimum of thirty children with at least ten different women, as well as bearing children of her own, though no number had been put on that part. No timeframe had been explicitly stated, but the heavy implication was that the sooner things got started, the better. Considering Jadis had at least four lovers she was very likely going to be spending the rest of her life with, and possibly more depending on how things yed out, that meant Jadis only had to find six women that she wasfortable enough with impregnating. Probably less, depending on how Sabina and Bridet felt, though how Jadis and those two of her lovers felt about their future rtionship status was still something that needed to be discussed. Fortunately, who the women were that were to bear Jadis¡¯ children hadn¡¯t been specified, though Jadis knew without a doubt that Aurea was going to be putting as many of her fellow Lyssandria worshipers forward as possible.
Aurea had also insisted that, considering Jadis¡¯ proclivity towards dangerous situations, that at least one of the women Jadis impregnated be someone who wasn¡¯t following her on her quest. A backup to the backup n, as it were. Still, since there was no stiption on who that person was, Jadis was sure she could find someone she gelled with who wasn¡¯t an active member of her band of mercenaries.
Jadis wasn¡¯t worried about her ability to father thirty children, either. She was dead sure that Eir would have probably volunteered to have all thirty, if they let her. No, the ability to do so wasn¡¯t an issue. The idea of actually having thirty children though¡ that was making Jadis break out into a cold sweat. She¡¯d really just promised to have thirty children.
Thirty.
Three zero. Three times ten. More than the number of her fingers and toes. More than her actual age.
It was a daunting prospect.
Still, it wasn¡¯t a terrible oue. Jadis wanted children. She wanted to have a family with her lovers, just not until after she had had her fill of adventure. Fortunately, as part of the deal, Aurea had agreed to have the priestess who could perform a ritual to put a pause on pregnancy do so for Jadis and her lovers. There was usually a long wait to gain ess to that particr priestess, but they would let her jump the line.
Aurea had also offered to get fertility priests involved, but Jadis had declined that offer. She had a skill for that part of the equation. Once she revealed the details of that little ability of hers, the conversation had derailed for quite some time as Aurea practically begged Jadis to use the skill on as many women as possible, though they¡¯d eventually gotten back on track. Apparently, most casters capable of altering fertility did so through rituals, and those took a long time and often didn¡¯t have a one hundred percent sess rate. The fact that Jadis could do so with a simple skill was mind blowing for the priestess.
With her mind focused on the thought of reproduction and children, Jadis couldn¡¯t help but consider how any of that might work out with Alex. She knew the Demon was sexually attracted to her. That was in as day. Jadis had been offput by the idea at first, but the more time she spent with Alex the less the proposition bothered her. Alex didn¡¯t operate by the same physical or psychological rules as everyone else, but she was without a doubt a free-thinking person. That had been Jadis¡¯ biggest concern. If Alex hadn¡¯t been capable of truly understanding what it was she was after, then Jadis didn¡¯t want any part of it. But that worry had been dispelled with time. Now with all the talk of babies, Jadis was wondering if she and Alex were biologicallypatible. What would that kind of crossbreed even look like?
How would the high priests and the rest of Oros react to whatever offspring might arise from Nephilim and Demons?
That thought was a far and away idea, though. Jadis still wasn¡¯t entirely certain if she even wanted to take her rtionship with Alex to the next step, much less all the way to weird freaky tentacle babies. That was just something that Jadis would have to tackle should it evere up down the line.
Of course, pregnancy wasn¡¯t the only thing that Jadis had discussed with Vraekae and the high priests. There were other, more practical issues to deal with, from how they were going to present the case to the emperor to where they would be staying while in the capital. One of the more important items was the status of Fortune¡¯s Favored as a mercenarypany.
Vraekae had stretched the legal limits of thew by giving Jadis¡¯ group provisional mercenarypany status. Now that thepany had been in operation for months and was also directly involved in legal troubles, Jadis needed to get thepany to full status as soon as possible. Since her unique nature had been found out, that meant that Fortune¡¯s Favored officially had nine members; one member shy of the minimum ten members that were required for the imperial version of incorporation.
If Jadis had her way, Alex would be that tenth member. Vraekae had nixed that idea the moment it was suggested. Since her status was still in a rather precarious position, it didn¡¯t seem likely that the Demon would be legally considered a person capable of bing a mercenary any time soon. That meant Jadis would have to find someone else to join thepany, preferably before Jadis had her day in court before the emperor. The less instability and quasi-legal loophole shenanigans Jadis was involved in when she had her day in court, the better.
Fortunately, Jadis had a few ideas of who she could ask for rmendations.
¡°Where do you think I should go to recruit a mercenary or two for mypany?¡±
Noll didn¡¯t turn to look at Dys as the two stood along the port rail of the Rising Dawn. They had all mbered back on board the ship shortly after sunrise that morning and they were currently a few dozen miles up the wide river called Brandrvald. The scenery was admittedly idyllic and Jadis didn¡¯t take her eyes off the shore either. It was a better view than the guards standing watch behind her, at any rate. At least those guards were more focused on her Jay and Syd bodies, especially since Alex was with those two of her selves.
Thendscape was dominated by farnd, though there were still stretches of woonds scattered among the hills. Small farmsteads andpounds could be seen scattered across the countryside, some asionally collecting in enough numbers that Jadis would call the grouping of buildings a vige. Whether it was a vige or just a lone farmstead, Jadis noticed that the dwellings all had high walls surrounding them that blocked most of the view of the structures beyond them. Not that the walls were the stark, bare-stone construction of Far Felsen¡¯s city walls. These walls were all decorated with intricate carvings depicting various forms of nature or sometimes what Jadis guessed were historical events. The walls were usually painted, too, adding some beautiful color to the scene. Some walls were also covered in manicured bushes and vines, though with the winter weather the beauty of those dormant nts was muted.
Back in Far Felsen, Jadis recalled there being more than two feet of snow on the ground before she¡¯d been knocked into aa. ording to A, by the time they had set sail and left the city, another two feet of snow had fallen and the city was well and truly on its way to being buried in a nket of cold that even the demon hordes would have trouble moving through. Here though, at the heart of the empire, the winter wasn¡¯t as harsh. There was a light dusting of snow on the ground, not enough to even fully cover the ground. That was likely to change, Jadis figured since winter was far from over, but clearly thend wasn¡¯t going to be covered in impassable snowdrifts.
¡°That depends,¡± Noll said, his gruff voice frosting on the wind. ¡°Do you want someone to fill a seat or someone who will pull their weight?¡±
¡°Pull their weight,¡± Dys said immediately. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in anyone who¡¯s just there to make my books look clean.¡±
¡°Do they have to fornicate with you?¡±
¡°Uh, no,¡± Dys answered with a wry grin. ¡°Sex is definitely not a requirement for membership. Tegwyn¡¯s in the group and there¡¯s no chance of any fornication going on between us.¡±
¡°But you aren¡¯t saying the same for the goblin woman.¡±
¡°Well, I guess I don¡¯t know yet about Sorcha,¡± Dys spoke slowly as she thought about what Noll was saying. ¡°I think she¡¯s interested, at least conceptually, but I don¡¯t know if things will go in that direction. Why are you asking about the sex stuff so much anyway?¡±
Noll turned to face Dys, leaning his elbow on the rail as his golden eyes regarded her. He suddenly looked both much older, and much wiser, than he had a moment before. His expression reminded Jadis that he was not a young man, but an aged and experienced warrior who had probably suffered through more trials and tribtions in life than Jadis could yet understand.
¡°Because every woman in yourpany is having sex with you except for one, and even she seems likely to make her way into your fold.¡±
As Dys opened her mouth to speak, the old veteran held up his wed hand to stop her.
¡°I¡¯m not judging you. I¡¯m pointing out the potential pitfalls,¡± Noll exined, his rough voice just loud enough that only she could hear him over the sounds of the ship. ¡°What if you hire on a bunch of men who are interested in some of your women?¡±
¡°Well, they can fuck right off,¡± Dys replied instantly. ¡°Me and my girls might be in an open rtionship, but I¡¯m not sharing with a bunch of dudes who think they¡¯re entitled to anything with my girlfriends.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Noll said easily, not looking the least bit surprised by her answer. ¡°What if some of those men are interested in you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not attracted to men,¡± Dys answered, the small amount of heat that had red within her leaving just as quickly. ¡°Just¡ªno. I¡¯d tell them that, politely.¡±
¡°Mmhmm,¡± Noll made a noise. ¡°Now, what happens if more women join and they¡¯re interested in you?¡±
¡°¡I guess it depends,¡± Dys paused in thought for a moment. ¡°Just like Sorcha, I suppose. I¡¯d have to see where it goes.¡±
¡°And if you have both men and women hired on, and some are interested in you, but you only ept a few of those interested into your harem, what then?¡±
Jadis had to think longer about what Noll was saying. She wasn¡¯t so dense that she needed his point spelled out further for her. What her mentor was leading her to see were the potential issues of running a mercenarypany where a good number of the members were her lovers. Depending on who joined, there could be problems with feelings of favoritism, envy, jealousy, and worse. Jadis had already had simr thoughts a while ago when she¡¯d first started her mercenarypany. Anyone who joined would have to be carefully vetted to avoid interpersonal issues. She couldn¡¯t just open the door to anyone who wanted to be a part of her little group. There was too great a risk of creating bad feelings that could poison herpany.
¡°I take your meaning,¡± Dys said after a few seconds consideration. ¡°I was nning on being selective. Just like when I hired on Bridget, I¡¯m going to have to just be up front with anyone I interview and tell them what¡¯ll be going on in the guild. If they don¡¯t seem like they¡¯ll be able to handle the situation, then I won¡¯t hire them. It shouldn¡¯t be that big of an issue. I¡¯m a pretty good judge of character.¡±
Noll raised a furry eyebrow at her.
¡°I didn¡¯t say I was perfect at it,¡± Syd said defensively. ¡°Besides. I think A is going to have to handle most of this recruitment stuff anyway. I¡¯m probably going to be under some form of house arrest, at least for a little while, from what Vraekae told me. A¡¯s the smartest person I know, so I¡¯m sure she can handle any interviews.¡±
Noll snorted but turned to face the riverbank without furtherment. The two continued to watch the passing scenery inpanionable silence for a while longer. Jadis didn¡¯t push Noll further. She knew her teacher was a man of few words and he¡¯d already spoken more than he was apt to in their short conversation. He¡¯d continue when he was ready.
¡°I can think of a few potential recruits,¡± Noll finally said. ¡°And a few ces where you might find more. No guarantee anyone I¡¯d rmend will be in the capital, though.¡±
¡°Awesome,¡± Dys said with a smile. ¡°Apass pointing in the right direction is all I ask.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Noll nodded. ¡°You need people already inmitted rtionships. Less fuss that way. Limits the pool of candidates. Most mercenaries I know don¡¯t like that kind ofmitment.¡±
¡°Is that why you aren¡¯t married?¡± Dys asked, curious about her teacher¡¯s personal life. ¡°Commitment issues? I mean, I figured a guy as powerful as you would probably have a whole harem and his own n, from what Kerr has told me about The Verdant Sea.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not from The Verdant Sea,¡± Noll said, not looking at Dys. ¡°I¡¯m from Bastoc.¡±
¡°Bastoc? Where¡¯s that?¡± Dys asked, noting that the old man hadn¡¯t answered her question on his marriage prospects.
¡°Nowhere,¡± Noll replied after a moment. ¡°The empire conquered it a long time ago.¡±
With that, Noll pushed away from the ship¡¯s rail and left Dys alone with her thoughts.
Chapter 326: Eldingholt
Chapter 326: Eldingholt
¡°Okay. That has to be the capital.¡±
¡°Yes, yes it is,¡± Kerr agreed, her voice slightly obscured by the strong wind blowing. ¡°Eldingholt. Even bigger than I remembered.¡±
¡°It¡¯s tremendous!¡± Tegwyn eximed, his voice tinged with awe. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it!¡±
¡°It truly is impressive,¡± A agreed. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it before and it still amazes me.¡±
¡°The greatest city in the world,¡± Bridget announced with a shake of her head. ¡°Not even joking. It¡¯s a sight.¡±
That was an understatement, if Jadis had ever heard one. The imperial capital was nothing like Jadis had expected, and everything she could have hoped for. Her inner nerd was screaming in delight at what she was seeing and it was only through sheer force of will that she was maintaining her cool. In fact, if the high priests, Vraekae, Noll, Runar and a whole squad of guards weren¡¯t in nearpany, she probably would be freaking out. As it was, she felt she had to maintain at least a modicum of dignity.
At the very least she didn¡¯t want to rile up Alex.
¡°Big¡ ce¡¡±
¡°It really is,¡± Syd agreed with her demonic cape¡¯s assessment.
The Brandrvald river had taken them for miles through the farnds thatprised the central imperial territory. With a width of at least a mile, the gigantic river had plenty of room on it for not only The Rising Dawn but also all the rest of the ships that had escorted them from Far Felsen, and it also still had more than enough space for myriad other ships to pass them by that were heading in the opposite direction, towards the coast. After another day and night on the water, Jadis had expected the river to narrow somewhat, but that hadn¡¯t been the case. Which was why Jadis was so shocked to see the absolutely colossal waterfall ahead of them.
Thend to the east was raised up in an unnatural formation. A sheer cliff that had to be two hundred or more feet tall stretched across the horizon, heading from north to south in an almost perfectly straight line. It looked as though a god had literally lifted a continental shelf up and ced it on top of another, revealing hundreds of feet of bare stone that stretched for miles in either direction. The river poured over the side of the cliff, creating a massive waterfall that shone with a rainbow effect in the sun¡¯s light.
The cliff and waterfall, as distracting as they were, didn¡¯t hold a candle to the city perched on top of them.
A truly colossal construction had been ced along the edge of the cliff. Marble white walls that were patterned with an intricatetticework of blue stone had been built on the top of the cliff. Massive arches, themselves nearly as tall as the cliff was, stretched off into the distance beyond where Jadis could see from her lower position. While Jadis couldn¡¯t see the full picture yet, from what herpanions told her, the arches ringed the entire city, creating a magical fortification that no demon army had ever pierced. What Jadis could see were tall towers glittering with silver and gold, massive bridges that were probably big enough to hold smaller cities on their own, and strangely, the upper branches of a tree that were winter bare. Considering how far away they were yet, and how gigantic the city appeared to be, the fact that Jadis could see wooden branches scraping the sky above many of the towers told Jadis that the tree had to be unimaginablyrge.
Many buildings were built into the side of the cliff, with tall towers reaching from top to bottom. More of the city spilled out onto the ground below the cliff on either side of the river, almost like the foam from the waterfall had been ossified into stone, though the walls that surrounded the lower level of the city were the more typical kind. The lower city seemed to be there more as a result of the docks than anything else as rather than stretched out to the north and south, the walls and building followed along directly next to the river. Hundreds of ships were moored at the docks, with many moreing and going. As impressed as Jadis had been by her brief glimpse of Glitnir, Eldingholt was far and away the more astounding city.
¡°How are any of the boats even able to get that close with how fast the river current is going?¡± Jay asked as she leaned over the edge of the ship to get a better look at the sights. ¡°With that much water going over the falls, the current has to be insane!¡±
¡°Water mages,¡± A answered simply. ¡°Look there. You can see one of the guide shipsing now.¡±
Looking where the arcanist was pointing, Jadis saw the smaller vessel heading their way. The ship had a sail, but unlike most of the other ships, this one had its sails furled and was simply gliding along with the current. It wasn¡¯t arge ship; Jadis thought it might have been called a sloop, though she wasn¡¯t too familiar with nautical terminology.
¡°There will be a few mages on board that ship that will be able to use their spells to guide our ship against the current,¡± A exined. ¡°They¡¯ll bring us into the docks safely.¡±
¡°They really have spell casters dedicated to just guiding boats?¡± Jay asked, the incredulity clear in her voice. ¡°That seems like kind of a waste.¡±
¡°Hardly,¡± A answered her with a look. ¡°It¡¯s an important job that makes navigating the Brandrvald near the falls much easier. Without those mages, ships wouldn¡¯t be able to sail as close and trade would be much more difficult along the river. They¡¯re paid very well for their work.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Jay said as she watched the small shipe up alongside their own vessel. ¡°I¡¯m guessing we¡¯re going to be going up top? The pce and temples and everything important have to be up there, I¡¯m betting. How do we get up?¡±
¡°See those towers?¡± A pointed to the tall towers that were built into the side of the cliff. ¡°There are magical tforms built into them that can be raised and lowered. I¡¯ve seen whole caravans be lifted on them.¡±
¡°The Rising Towers of Eldingholt are considered to be one of the greatest magical achievements in the world,¡± Eir added, ¡°almost as impressive as the crescent shield wall that surrounds the city. I think you are in for a real treat getting to ride them for the first time.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but smile at the endearingly cute way Eir was excited for her to experience what was basically just a big elevator. Lifts werepletelymon back on Earth, so the concept of a raising tform, no matter how big, wasn¡¯t particrly impressive to her. The fact that it was powered by magic was interesting, though. Jadis wondered what was involved in the creation of enchantments that could move so much weight so far, and why such enchantments weren¡¯t a moremon sight. If she had to guess, she bet it had something to do with the precious resource known as eleria.
¡°How many people live in the city?¡± Dys asked as Jay continued to listen to A and Eir discuss the ships and lifts.
¡°I¡¯ve heard the numbers reach two million,¡± Bridget answered without taking her eyes off of the impressive cityscape. ¡°Though the poption will be less right now.¡±
¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Dys asked distractedly as she watched several flying figures wing their way across the river overhead. ¡°Why less now?¡±
¡°The war,¡± Bridget said simply. ¡°Many soldiers will be on the frontlines.¡±
¡°Eh, the disced will make up for it,¡± Sorcha interjected, speaking up from where she stood with her hands wrapped around the balusters of the ship rail. ¡°Lots of people flee the outer edges of the empire where the fighting is bad. Most don¡¯t make it all the way to Eldingholt, but enough do. There¡¯s a lot of space in the city intended to provide refuge against demonic invasion. People will be there using it, that¡¯s a fact.¡±
Sorcha¡¯sment made a lot of sense to Jadis. With how big the city looked, even from her poor position, Jadis felt like the city could hold a lot more people than the two million that Bridget had imed. Which meant it probably could, just that it didn¡¯t always. With demonic invasions being a real threat on a constant cycle, it made sense that the architects and city nners of Oros had designed their cities to be able to amodaterge influxes of citizens in need of a protected ce to stay. Maybe that wasn¡¯t true everywhere, but at least that seemed to be the case in the empire.
¡°Look! Look there!¡± Sabina cried out while tugging on Syd¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Do you see that? That¡¯s a Timekeeper Tower! Those were invented by Slevin of Keelton! He was an amazing enchanter who worked on a lot of amazing inventions centuries ago, but most of them are so well done that no one hase up with anything better than what he made in all that time because he was just that good at enchanting! That tower has an enchantment in it that tells you the precise time of day or night no matter what season it is! Bells ring to let people know, just like how some temples have bells that priests ring themselves to let you know that its noon or that the gates are closing for the night, but these bells ring every hour on the hour and no one has to ring them! They do it all on their own! It¡¯s amazing!¡±
Syd stared at the ¡°timekeeper tower¡± that Sabina continued to excitedly gush about. Clearly the capital had a level of magical enchantment to it that at least mimicked a level of technology that was closer to the renaissance age than Far Felsen¡¯s more medieval feel. Still, the fact that everything was made by magic rather than technology was intriguing, not only because magic was fascinating, but because it made Jadis wonder just how many concepts that she took for granted just didn¡¯t exist in Oros.
She really did need to take her half-elf smith to the side and introduce a few more modern Earth inventions to her. Sabina had a ss that was designed to let her experiment and try new things and create inventions. She wanted to give her a nudge, just a small one, to see what the inventive smith mighte up with. Maybe someday in the future young enchanters would be animatedly discussing Sabina¡¯s achievements, if things went well.
¡°Can¡¯t wait to take a tour,¡± Jay murmured as A and Eir¡¯s conversation reached a lull. ¡°Though I guess I don¡¯t have any choice on that, considering my circumstances.¡±
¡°True,¡± A agreed, her expression darkening. ¡°Your detainment is temporary, though. At least we will be staying in the temple district, so the amodations will be nice.¡±
¡°Quite nice,¡± Eir echoed. ¡°Luxurious, even. I stayed in the acolyte quarters when I joined the temple here and even those rooms were extremelyfortable. I can guarantee you that the temple will not provide you with less.¡±
¡°They can stick me in a shed out back for all I care,¡± Jay grumbled. ¡°Just so long as they give me some alone time with my girls.¡±
¡°Hopefully that restriction will be lifted soon,¡± Eir said, leaning into Jay¡¯s side. ¡°Now that I know differently, I find that abstinence doesn¡¯t suit me. Not where you are concerned, at least.¡±
¡°What a thing to hear from a priestess,¡± Kerr said, clicking her tongue. ¡°You better be careful, Jadis, or they¡¯re going to use Eir against you in court. The evil Nephilim, running around the countryside with demons, corrupting young clerics. Shameful.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll show you corruption,¡± Jay growled at the grinning archer. ¡°Just you wait until I have you alone again.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that,¡± Kerr winked.
Damn, but did Jadis want to toss all considerations aside and take Kerr right there on the deck of the ship. Eir and A too, for that matter. The restriction against leaving her alone with herpanions for any length of time greater than a few minutes had continued to hold ever since Runar had talked with Vraekae. Jadis figured part of it was petty revenge, but there was some sense to it. While there wasn¡¯t anything Runar could do about Jadis¡¯ absurd stats, he could at least prevent Jadis¡¯panions from being powered up. While none of them were under arrest, they were her closest allies and therefore at least suspects themselves. Jadis figured Runar didn¡¯t want any of them to have any extra power boosts if he could help it, just in case another fight broke out.
How exactly the Valbjorn knew about Jadis¡¯ sex-powered rituals, she didn¡¯t bother guessing. Too many people had gotten too much information over the course of the expedition to the mountains. Now, the limits of her abilities were being used against her. A good reason why so many people on Oros kept their skill details close to their vests.
Well, the bear didn¡¯t know everything. If he did, he probably would have found some way to keep her from having sex with her own selves. Maybe the thought that she was degenerate enough to fuck her own bodies hadn¡¯t crossed Runar¡¯s mind. It was an inherently weird thought. Or maybe he had thought about it but just didn¡¯t know that she got any benefit from it. Either way, she had still been able to redo her Stoke the Ardent me ritual while she¡¯d been in Glitnir. Maybe it wasn¡¯t the biggest boost to her statsparatively speaking, but every little bit helped.
Besides, being able to suck her own cocks really helped fight off the itch of not being able to fuck her gorgeous lovers.
¡°Damn, I really am a lewd degenerate, aren¡¯t I¡¡±
¡°What was that?¡± A asked, looking up at Jay.
¡°Nothing,¡± Jay shook her head. ¡°At least, nothing you don¡¯t know already.¡±
Chapter 327: Power Play
Chapter 327: Power y
¡°Hey Thea.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°You have a cute butt.¡±
¡°W¡ªwhat?¡±
¡°You have a cute butt,¡± Syd repeated as she idly stared at her shy lover¡¯s posterior. ¡°Very cute. Like a peach. Makes me want to squeeze it.¡±
¡°Ah, um, w¡ªwell, d¡ªdon¡¯t!¡± Thea shot back as she blushed a bright pink. ¡°This isn¡¯t a good p¡ªce for, ah, things like that!¡±
¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Syd sighed while leaning her chin on the heel of her right hand. ¡°But I can give it some attentionter, right?¡±
¡°Oh¡ªokay,¡± Thea said nervously as she looked around to see if anyone was listening. ¡°Um, yes. Sure. Thank you,¡± she said, biting her lip. Then, her blush growing stronger, she added, ¡°I think your b¡ªbutt is very, um, attractive too.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Syd smirked. ¡°It¡¯s about eyelevel with most people, so if I had an ugly ass, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d make a very good impression.¡±
Thea choked back herughter as she covered her mouth with one hand. When a nearby guard turned his gaze on her, drawn by the noise, she quickly wiped the smile from her face and drew herself to attention, her demeanor matching the dour man¡¯s attitude pound for pound. She was intent on presenting the guards watching Jadis with a wall of her own, so with a sigh of resignation, Syd let her conversation drop so as not to distract her loyal lover further.
Jadis was bored. Stultifyingly so. All the excitement that she¡¯d felt upon arriving in the massive capital city of Eldingholt had disappeared hours ago. All that was left was the tedium of being left to ferment in a waiting room. She couldn¡¯t even properly enjoy the sights of the magical city. The window to the holding pen she¡¯d been ced into had the rather spectacr view of a shipping dock and not much else.
Jadis and everyone else who¡¯de from Far Felsen had disembarked from the ship some time shortly before noon. Jadis didn¡¯t even really have to guess, since she had heard the bells of the timekeeper towers ring only a few minutes after she had stepped onto the dock. Unfortunately, just like her brief stay in the coastal city of Glitnir, Jadis had been immediately escorted by Runar and his cadre of knights to an officious-looking building where she¡¯d been ordered to stay while the legal minutia of her detainment was sorted out.
From what Aurea and Sholto had told Jadis, it shouldn¡¯t have taken all that long to get the ball rolling on a transfer of custody. Yes, she had to be detained, but due to the nature of her used crimes as well as her status as a Nephilim, she should have been simply remanded to temple authority and what amounted to house arrest in the temple district until the trial proceedings were sorted. However, what should have taken no more than a few minutes was now dragging on into its fifth hour.
Everyone else had been given a greater degree of freedom, which meant her lovers had been able toe and go, bringing her news and updates. From what Eir hadst been able to pass along, it seemed that the paperwork that needed to be filed to make the transfer official was taking an ¡°unusually long time¡± to process due to ¡°irregrities¡± in the reports. ording to Eir, Vraekae suspected interference from the magistrate who ran the capital city. Why the man would be using his power and position to inconvenience Jadis in such a petty way was simultaneously obvious and a mystery. Obvious because Magistrate Hob was a firm supporter of First Prince Hraustrekr. A mystery because Jadis still had no answer as to why the prince was so invested in making her life miserable.
This was precisely why Jadis never wanted to get involved in politics. She didn¡¯t know Hraustrekr. She didn¡¯t know Hob, either. Yet for some reason, at least one of these two men feltpelled to interfere in her life, and the other feltpelled to aid him because of some political connection the two had. A connection that Jadis wouldn¡¯t have had any clue about if it weren¡¯t for the fact that Vraekae had her own political connections to a different prince. Which meant that because Vraekae was Jadis¡¯ legal defense, Hob was just dragging his feet even more because she represented an opposing side in an ongoing political argument that Jadis did not understand and did not care to learn.
Maybe the whole arrest and detainment was a misunderstanding. Maybe the first prince had received bad information and acted on it rashly. Maybe he was genuinely concerned that the high priests and everyone else in Weigrun were being deceived and he just wanted to make sure the potential deceiver was thoroughly investigated before any irreparable damage was done. Maybe the prince was just a fucking idiot who got his rocks off by abusing his power.
Maybe.
But Jadis had had plenty of time to think over the several days she¡¯d spent on the ship as well as the past few hours in the holding room. And from everything that she had observed, the facts seemed to point to one conclusion. Jadis was being targeted for political reasons.
You couldn¡¯t make allies without making enemies. Jadis didn¡¯t know if that was a quote she¡¯d heard in a book before or something she¡¯d bastardized from a movie, but either way she felt it was true. Because she was on nominally good terms with Vraekae, a supporter of Second Prince Kestil, Jadis was being attacked by First Prince Hraustrekr. At least, that¡¯s how it seemed. Jadis didn¡¯t know if that was true, not really, but no other reason she could think of made sense. The two royal siblings were at odds with each other, or so she¡¯d heard, which meant that if she were ally to one, she was enemy to the other.
Except, Jadis wasn¡¯t Kestil¡¯s ally. Jadis didn¡¯t know Kestil. She didn¡¯t give two shits about the man beyond the fact that he was in some distant way the purse behind the budget for all the mercenary activity in Weigrun. That made him her employer in an extremely roundabout way, if only because he was the man who signed Vraekae¡¯s checks. Sort of. But that connection was thinner than the paper it was written on.
Then again, looking at it from an outsider¡¯s perspective, Jadis could see how someone could mistake her political alignment. She was working for Vraekae as a mercenary. More importantly, she was romantically involved with Vraekae¡¯s cousin, who was herself the member of a house who supported Prince Kestil. That wasn¡¯t a lot to go on, but it was more than the nothing that stood for the connection Jadis had with anyone who backed Hraustrekr. Apparently, if she had wanted to maintain an air of neutrality, she should have done more to cultivate some attachments to people who supported the first prince. People like General Egilhard.
Like that was going to happen.
Her gut reaction to the useless general probably had something to do with her perceived alignments as well. Jadis didn¡¯t like Egilhard at all, which was no secret from anyone who knew her. The fact that she was so openly opposed to a supporter of the first prince probably didn¡¯t do her any favors in Hraustrekr¡¯s eyes.
Whatever. Jadis didn¡¯t want to stew on the princes much longer than she already had since it was doing nothing for her mood. Once she had her day in court, she was just going to be as clear and open as possible that she didn¡¯t care about either man. An argument could be made that maybe she should throw her support behind Kestil just to spite the stupid crown prince, but Jadis balked at the notion. She still didn¡¯t know anything about the second prince. She didn¡¯t really want to side with one brother just because the other had pissed her off. For all she knew, he could be even worse than the older one. Ultimately, whether she ended up supporting Kestilter or not, she was still stuck in a guarded room for the moment with no way out until the asshole bureaucrats in charge decided to let her move on with her life.
Extreme violence was starting to look better and better with every passing second.
The doors to the stark stone room opened abruptly, drawing Jadis out of her thoughts. All three of her looked to the interloper with a glimmer of hope. That hope was quickly dashed when she saw the sour look on A¡¯s face.
While Syd had been sitting on a stone bench on the far side of the room, Jay and Dys had both been walking in circles in the open space of therge room. Her circr path had put Jay closest to the door at the moment it was opened, so that was the body Jadis used to approach the unhappy-looking woman.
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jay asked as she approached her redheaded lover. ¡°Those blue eyes aren¡¯t screaming good news.¡±
¡°No, they aren¡¯t,¡± A said in her cool, calm voice. ¡°The news is, in fact, obnoxious.¡±
Jay sighed, taking a moment to look around the room. Aside from her and Thea, Alex and Sorcha were also in the room, as well as ten heavily armored guards. The guards were Runar¡¯s men, though Jadis only recognized one. The man had been one of the knights who had fought Jay and Dys back in Far Felsen and was also the same man who¡¯d been bringing soup into her room when she¡¯d woken from hera. Sorcha had been spending her time trying to teach Alex some kind of card game Jadis had seen others y in the past, though their attention was now just as much on A as hers was.
Jadis had no intention of hiding any details from either Alex or Sorcha, and she honestly didn¡¯t care if any of Runar¡¯s guards overheard what they were discussing. With those thoughts in mind, she urged A to continue.
¡°Is the transfer not going through?¡± Jay asked, expecting the worst.
¡°It hasn''t been rejected, no,¡± A shook her head. ¡°But Magistrate Hob has announced that he will need to review some jurisdictionalws to confirm the appropriate course of action regarding your case. He told Vraekae that he should have an answer in the next few days.¡±
¡°Days? You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me,¡± Dys cursed as she kicked a stone bench in frustration.
She hadn¡¯t meant to put that much force behind the action, but apparently it was more than enough to cause the whole stone bench, which probably weighed several hundred pounds, to jump off the floor by half a foot with a loud crack. Every guard in the room reacted by drawing their weapons and taking a stance meant for attack.
¡°Sorry, my bad,¡± Dys held up her hands, gritting her teeth as she motioned for the knights to settle down. ¡°Just¡ªjust keep calm.¡±
The guards didn¡¯t immediately put their weapons away, but once Dys moved the now cracked bench back into ce and took a seat, they backed down. In an effort to dispel some of the tension in the room, A and Jay both took a seat on the same bench, just on the far end of it.
¡°Eir and Vraekae are both throwing a fit, metaphorically,¡± A continued her exnation. ¡°It¡¯s an obvious stall tactic. Vraekae and Eir are doing everything they can, but the high priests aren¡¯t here to help them. They were called back to the temple district to report on what they learned on their unauthorized trip to Far Felsen. They might even be getting a p on the wrist from the emperor. Apparently, he wasn¡¯t happy about so many of them sailing to Weigrun without permission.¡±
¡°Okay, okay,¡± Jay huffed while shaking her head. ¡°So, what are we going to do? What can we do?¡±
¡°Nothing,¡± A shrugged helplessly. ¡°Nothing at the moment, in any case. We¡¯ll just have to wait.¡±
¡°Wait where? Here?¡± Jay asked while doing her best to moderate the sharpness of her tone.
A wasn¡¯t to me for what was happening, so she didn¡¯t want to take any of her anger out on her lover. There were other targets for her to focus on.
¡°Here,¡± A confirmed with a nod. ¡°It¡¯s the ¡®neutral¡¯ option, for now. I¡¯m sure Runar has probably already argued that you should be thrown into a cell, but at least that isn¡¯t going to happen.¡±
So. Hraustrekr really was determined to piss her off. Thoughts on how she might pay the piece of shit prince back flitted though Jadis¡¯ mind while she ate a cold dinner with Fortune¡¯s Favored. The rest of herpanions had shown up a little after A, bringing with them food as well as some bedding for Jadis to use. They would be required to sleep in rooms assigned nearby, continuing the precedent of keeping her separated from her lovers, but at least she was allowed to spend time with them while everyone was awake.
The mood was dark. Any conversation topics that they might have wanted to discuss were dampened by the constant presence of the guards. In consequence, there wasn¡¯t much for them to talk about and Jadis spent most of the meal quietly brooding. She appreciated thepany that her friends provided her, but she found that she herself wasn¡¯t making goodpany for others.
Eventually herpanions were forced to say their goodnights and left Jadis alone in her mock cell. Even Alex had to leave, though she was once again obedient enough to Jadis¡¯ requests to follow A just as she had in Glitnir. With her visitors gone, Jadis was left alone as the guards moved out of the room as well. With nothing but her unhappy thoughts to keep herpany, Jadis stared up at the dark ceiling with three sets of eyes. For a long time, all was quiet. Eventually, she softly whispered a vow for her ears alone.
¡°I¡¯m going to punch Prince Hraustrekr in his fucking nose.¡±
With that happy thought tofort her, Jadis drifted off into a light sleep. While she¡¯d intended to keep at least one of her bodies on watch, at some point the boredom must have gotten to her because she was suddenly awoken by a loud noise that startled her to full wakefulness. Since none of her selves had been conscious, the loud bang of the doors opening caused all three of her bodies to leap to their feet, arms raised for battle in case she was under attack.
It took her a moment to realize she was still in the holding room, and another second after that to recognize that she wasn¡¯t being attacked by Demons or anyone else. It didn¡¯t even look like it was morning, either, since a nce out the window showed dark skies andnternlight. The person standing in the doorway wasn¡¯t A or any of her otherpanionse to rescue her, either. Nor was it Runar or any of his knights. No, the blonde woman wearing armor who¡¯d thrown open the doors was a stranger.
She was also an angel.
¡°Good reflexes,¡± the woman Jadis presumed had to be a Seraphim said as her cross-shaped pupils nced across her form. ¡°Jadis Ahlstrom, I presume. I am Lady Severina, Pdin of Valtar. I¡¯vee to escort you to the temple district.¡±
Chapter 328: Subtext
Chapter 328: Subtext
The night sky was slightly overcast, the clouds far above blotting out the sight of the half-moon and some of the stars. Despite theck of overhead light, Jadis could still see the Brandrvald stretching out into the countryside for miles, the farnd around it dotted with the faintly glowing light of the viges and farmsteads she¡¯d seen while sailing towards the capital. From far below, she could just barely make out the sound of the timekeeper towers chiming, the number of bells indicating that it was five in the morning.
¡°I do not trust that woman,¡± Kerr murmured quietly to Dys as the two stood near the edge of the tform where the wind was loudest. ¡°She¡¯s a cunt. I can smell it.¡±
¡°You can smell her cunt?¡± Dys asked while making a face.
¡°No¡ªno, you ass, you know what I meant,¡± Kerr smacked Dys¡¯ hip with the back of her hand. ¡°She¡¯s got a rod stuck so far up her ass I can see it poking out of her nose.¡±
¡°Yeah, I think I can see it, too,¡± Dys replied. ¡°But you¡¯ve got to be careful with your words, don¡¯t you know?¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Kerr shuddered. ¡°I know. I¡¯ve been hearing that from Eir more than you have. Trust me.¡±
Both Dys and Kerr let out a conjoined sigh in joint remembrance of the lectures they had received from Eir over the past few days. Since their littlepany was going to be interacting with the royal court and likely the emperor himself, their noble-born priestess had been doing her best to impress upon everyone the proper etiquette and manners for interacting with such highly positioned people. Jadis didn¡¯t want to be intentionally rude, especially not to someone whomanded the entirety of the empire and all its armies, but that didn¡¯t mean she was going to start curtsying to garner favor. Fortunately, Eir hadn¡¯t tried to make them do anything like that. Instead, her focus had been onnguage. Cursing and innuendos were not going to go over well in the court, which meant they had to moderate their normal vocabry.
Kerr was having a particrly hard time with that part ofing to the capital.
Lady Severina was a good test case for how to behave. The Seraphim was apparently one of three pdins whomanded an order of knights who served Valtar¡¯s temple, an organization called The Hand of Justice. She, like Runar, was a major yer in the temple and on the battlefield, though she was more than just a glorified holy knight. She was also the scion of one of the most influential noble families in the empire. Considering she was heir to a notable noble title and also someone who regrly served the royal family, at least ording to Eir, Severina was someone that deserved a great deal of respect. Conceptually, at least. In practice, Jadis was having a hard time with that part herself.
¡°What do you think the odds are that she¡¯s going to screw us over in some way?¡± Dys asked Kerr as they continued to stand near each other on the edge of the tform.
¡°Fifty-fifty. If she came here with the intent to fuck up our day, she would have gone about it in a more direct way. A woman like that isn¡¯t the type to y around with sly tricks,¡± Kerr replied while still keeping her voice low. ¡°On the other hand, with the way she¡¯s staring at Alex, she might just say ¡®fuck it¡¯ to whatever mission she¡¯s on and start smiting.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t disagree with Kerr¡¯s assessment. The blonde Seraphim definitely didn¡¯t seem like the kind of person who would sweep them out of Runar¡¯s custody in the middle of the night, yacting the savior, just to turn around and throw them into a dungeon. Severina hade to them with the express purpose of escorting them to the temple district by the order of the emperor, or so she had said. Great news, really. It seemed like the head of the empire had taken note of the situation and decided to cut through all the red tape bullshit. Or at least enough tape to get her out of the magistrate¡¯s holding cell. Severina hadn¡¯t brought any word of her charges being dismissed. Just that she was to be moved to the temple district right away.
Of course, that meant all of Jadis¡¯panions as well. That was a point in Severina¡¯s favor, Jadis decided. Or maybe the emperor¡¯s favor? Whoever had made the decision. Either way, they hadn¡¯t tried to separate Jadis from herpanions and that was a relief. Though that had led to the awkward moment when Lady Severina, a pdin of Valtar, hade face to face with Alex, a Demon born of Samleos. For a moment, Jadis had thought the winged woman was going to pull the sword from its scabbard at her hip and start swinging.
To Severina¡¯s credit, she¡¯d only red at Alex, offering noment otherwise. That burning re had appeared whenever the angelic blonde had looked in Alex¡¯s direction, but for the most part she had ignored the Demon while escorting them from the docks to the lifting tower, where they currently were.
Alex, on the other hand, had locked her attention onto the Seraphim with hawk-like focus. While she continued to act as a kind of fleshy backpack, hanging off Jay¡¯s shoulders this time around, her tentacles were far less squirmy and her muscles were tense. Jadis knew Alex¡¯s bodynguage well enough by now to know that she was on high alert and prepared to either take hostile action or respond to it in kind. Clearly, Alex didn¡¯t like the Seraphim any more than Severina liked the Demon. Jadis had to wonder if that was a product of the fact that their patron deities were so hostile towards each other, creating some kind of instinctive dislike, or if Alex wouldn¡¯t have cared at all about Severina if she wasn¡¯t so obviously hostile towards her.
Jadis didn¡¯t think Alex was going to start anything. So far, the only times she ever took any aggressive action had been when others had attacked first. Still, just to be on the safe side, Jay had moved so that she was as far from the Seraphim as she could be on the tform, which turned out to be a fair distance since the lifting tform was truly huge.
A had not been joking about the magically powered lift being able to hold a whole caravan. While the Behemoth had not been brought along with them, there would have been more than enough room on the lift to fit five of the massive wagons, with room to spare. The tower walls were more akin to stacked arches which allowed anyone riding the tform to easily see outside. The lift itself operated inplete silence. No sound of machinery or gears came from the operation of the rising tform. The enchanted device didn¡¯t move particrly fast, either, since it took ten minutes to go from bottom to top, but the movement was smooth and the upper weight limit of the tform was apparently high enough that is was near impossible to overload, just from a practical standpoint.
¡°Where¡¯s Vraekae at?¡± Syd asked Eir while they waited to reach the top of the tform. ¡°Or Hans, for that matter. I haven¡¯t seen either of them since yesterday.¡±
¡°Vraekae is at her own estate here in the city,¡± Eir exined, motion with one hand upward. ¡°She has a mansion that she maintains separate from our family property. I believe Hans is with her. She offered rooms for all of us as well, but we declined since we did not want to be so far from you.¡±
¡°I appreciate that,¡± Syd smiled down at the red-skinned priestess. ¡°Though I don¡¯t me Hans for taking up Vraekae on her offer.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s liked being out of the kitchen for so long,¡± Eir whispered conspiratorially. ¡°If Vraekae¡¯s house cook lets him, I¡¯m sure Hans will be already up and making pies for breakfast this morning.¡±
¡°Oh, absolutely,¡± Syd agreed without missing a beat. ¡°That man has a gift and he¡¯s not about to squander it. Do you think we can stop by Vraekae¡¯s ce for breakfast? I could absolutely go for one of Hans¡¯ meat pies.¡±
¡°That won¡¯t be possible.¡±
Syd turned away from Eir, meeting the gaze of Lady Severina who had answered her question before the oracle could speak. The Seraphim had her arms crossed over her armored chest and was managing to strike quite the imposing figure despite being only around five foot eight inches. She wasn¡¯t tall, but her bearing was both graceful and regal and her armor straddled the line between functional and ornate. There was something about the woman that seemed to glow, a subtle shine to her presence that both drew the eye and exuded and air of authority.
¡°Why not?¡± Syd asked neutrally, not trying to start anything with the woman but also not just backing down either. ¡°Vraekae¡¯s my legal representation in all this sh¡ªnonsense. I should be able to visit her for council, right?¡±
¡°No,¡± Severina stated with iron in her voice. ¡°Until the hearing is concluded, you will be restricted to the temple district. You will not be allowed to leave Lyssandria¡¯s temple except during daylight hours and you will be under escort whenever you do leave the temple. If you attempt to break any of these rules, you will finish your stay in the capital from within the dungeon. Vraekae will have toe to you.¡±
Jadis swallowed the first words that came to her mind with that deration and instead searched for something more diplomatic to say. After a short pause, she found the right phrasing.
¡°And how long do you think I¡¯ll be under these restrictions? Since the emperor ordered me to the temple district, I assume that means he¡¯s already taking a look at my case?¡±
¡°That is a fair assumption,¡± Severina replied with a little less prickle in her tone. ¡°However, I cannot say how long your hearing may take.¡±
¡°Cannot or will not?¡± Syd prodded while keeping her own voice light.
¡°Neither,¡± Severina frowned. ¡°I would not presume to speak for the emperor.¡±
It didn¡¯t seem as though she was going to get much more useful information out of the pdin, so Jadis readied to turn away from Severina and resume ignoring her. However, before she did, a thought struck. Acting on impulse, she decided to ask the woman a direct question.
¡°You¡¯re a Seraphim,¡± Syd started by stating the obvious. ¡°So you have a link to Valtar. What¡¯s he telling you about Alex?¡±
¡°You mean you¡¯re pet demon?¡± Severina said with a slight curl to her lip.
¡°I mean Alex,¡± Syd reiterated with a little more force behind her words. ¡°She¡¯s not a pet.¡±
Severina didn¡¯t outwardly respond to Jadis¡¯ assertion, but her body did stiffen in an almost imperceptible way. Her eyes were drawn towards where Jay was standing on the far end of the tform along with most of the others. Alex clung to Jay¡¯s back, her neon-blue eyes quite visible in the low light of the tform¡¯s softly glowingnterns. The Seraphim¡¯s brow furrowed and she was silent for a long pause. When she did finally answer, her tone radiated displeasure.
¡°Our Father is silent on the matter,¡± the pdin stated with some of the steel back in her attitude. ¡°Perhaps this is meant as a test for the faithful.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think I need to guess what kind of test you mean,¡± Syd said as she crossed her arms.
¡°However, testse in all manner of forms,¡± Eir spoke up, inserting herself between Syd and Severina by taking a few steps forward. ¡°Sometimes the gods test our faith by presenting us with situations where we must make the right choice based on adherence to scripture. In other cases, we must make our choices via our own discernment.¡±
¡°One with true discernment will find their answers align with scripture,¡± Severina replied, her X-like pupils now locked onto Eir. ¡°Valtar¡¯s guidance is for the good of all.¡±
¡°I agreepletely,¡± Eir smiled serenely. ¡°After all, as it says in the fifth scroll of his holy word, ¡®change is the marrow of life, for without change all that lives weakens and withers until the soul is rotted from within.¡¯ An unwillingness to change would be a detriment to the spirit.¡±
¡°So it does say,¡± Lady Severina agreed. ¡°Though the fifth scroll also says to ¡®beware the false prophet, lest ye fall under the will of a deceiver.¡¯ I would think an oracle of Destarious would know that lessen well.¡±
¡°I do know that lesson,¡± the elf nodded her head. ¡°I knew it long before I had any connection with Destarious. I also know that it says both in our Father¡¯s scripture and my Lady¡¯s, that one should ¡®Judge through love, not anger,¡¯ for that is the only way we avoid harming ourselves through rash actions. Ah, but I am certain that I have no need to exin such verses to one so estimable in the eyes of the temple. I speak for my own sake, so that I remember the will of our gods better.¡±
¡°An excellent practice,¡± the Seraphim replied, her face having turned into a nk mask. ¡°Though I would suggest learning some discernment as to when it is necessary and when it is ill-advised to take up time with unnecessary scripture lessons.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Eir bowed her head. ¡°We can all use more discernment in our lives.¡±
At that moment, before Severina could reply, the lift came to a gentle stop and the gates facing the back of the tower opened to reveal the upper tier of the capital city. Closing her mouth with a click of her teeth, Severina took a few steps away from Eir and Syd and began to call out orders to the guards she¡¯d brought with her as part of her escort. As everyone began to gather together, Syd ducked her head low to whisper into Eir¡¯s ear.
¡°I thought you said we had to watch our words around people like her?¡± Syd questioned with a slight tremor of humor in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you just called her a fucking bitch.¡±
¡°We do need to,¡± Eir replied quietly without removing the cid smile from her face. ¡°And I did. It takes some practice to learn how to call someone a bitch without using the word.¡±
Chapter 329: All Roads
Chapter 329: All Roads
Unlike her brief stint in Glitnir, the trek through Eldingholt allowed Jadis to get some sightseeing in. Not because Severina wasn¡¯t rushing them; no, her pace was about the same as Runar¡¯s had been in hurrying them through the streets at a quick march that left no room for stopping. The difference was the distance. The walk from the docks to the temple district was long enough that it took more than an hour for their group to travel the whole way, even using the shortest path possible. The capital truly was a colossal city, even from a modern standpoint.
The architecture of Eldingholt was simr to what Jadis was familiar with in Far Felsen, but still different enough that Jadis could hardly mistake the two cities for each other. It was clear that whoever had first designed the capital had done so with a great deal of forethought for the future. The streets were wide, the buildings tall, and at least the main thoroughfares that Jadis was led through felt spacious and uncluttered.
One of the first things Jadis noticed about the cityscape now that she was within the city proper was that none of the buildings looked in or utilitarian. Every surface was carved in some way, either with nature-themed motifs or with intricate geometrical designs that reminded Jadis of a mix between art deco and Celtic knots. All of the buildings were made of stone, with little wood being used beyond doors and signs and simr structures. The scenery did not feel foreboding for the all the stone, though, as the harshness was ameliorated by both the wide space of the streets as well as the prevalence ofrge windows across the walls. The windows themselves were works of art; many were made with colored ss and almost all of them sported beautiful designs much like a stained-ss window.
At one point Jadis was captivated by a gigantic window ced in the surface of a wall that depicted an idyllic scene of various fruits and vegetables spilling out over an oveden table, with pastoral farnds visible in the background. It took Jadis a few seconds to realize that the building was in fact some kind of market and the window was basically an advertisement for the various foodstuffs sold within.
Even in the early pre-dawn hours, the streets of the capital were not empty. Unlike Far Felsen, Eldingholt was not a city popted primarily by mercenaries and soldiers. There had been no evacuation here; in fact, as Sorcha had pointed out, this was the city where many would have evacuated to. As such, Jadis got to see a fair number of people passing by. Merchants, soldiers, tradesmen of all kinds were already up and about, getting a head start on their day¡¯s business. One thing she noticed right away though were the number of people running down the middle of the street.
The roadways were wide enough that two good-sized carts could pass by each other with plenty of room on either side of the street for pedestrians. There were what appeared to be one-way side streets that branched off from the main roads as well, but even those were wide enough that Jadis¡¯ Behemoth wagon could fit through. The middle of the road, however, looked like it was reserved specifically for individuals who moved faster than average. More than fast, actually. People who ran at a speedparable to Jadis¡¯ own insane Agility stat were running along the middle of the street, some flying by so fast that she could feel the wind pressure of them passing by. Jadis was certain that she was faster than the majority of the sprinters: her stats were no joke. But a few looked like they would give even her a run for her money.
Those people were message runners, or so Eir exined. Individuals whose whole ss progression centered around being able to run fast to carry messages back and forth throughout the city and the territories beyond. Message runners weren¡¯tbatants: in fact, most of them were fairly weak and could only move as fast as they did because of specific criteria like being on properly constructed roads or carrying messages. Still, they were a vital part ofmunication in the empire and one of the main reasons why the empire was able to maintain such arge territory. Since they moved so fast and their purpose was so important, runners had their ownne in the middle of the main streets to ensure that they were able to get to and from their destinations without difficulty. The separatene was also there to help make sure no children were run over by the sprinting maniacs.
That was another aspect of the poption that caught Jadis¡¯ eye. Children. There hadn¡¯t been any children in Far Felsen. None. Jadis remembered seeing at least one woman who had looked pregnant, but that was it. Since the city was on the border of the fighting, most of the regr citizens and all of their children had been taken far away in the evacuation. In Eldingholt, there was no need for such measures. Here, as the sun crested the city walls, Jadis was able to see mothers walking with children scurrying around their feet. It was¡ refreshing.
Jadis had almost forced the convoy to a halt when she saw a gnomish woman sweeping the doorstep of her home, a tiny gnome toddler sitting on the step next to her. The child was the goddamned cutest thing she¡¯d ever seen, and she wasn¡¯t even the type to coo over babies. The toddler also answered a question Jadis had been wondering about for a while. Apparently, the blue tattoo-like markings on gnomes were, in fact, just a part of their skin color.
At least, Jadis hoped so. That, or gnomes tattooed their toddlers.
Jadis wasn¡¯t the only one getting an eyeful, either. As she was escorted through the streets and more people came out to start their days, more and more people spotted Jadis. With each of her bodies standing just slightly more than nine feet tall, it wasn¡¯t as though the guards nking her and herpanions could do anything to obstruct her from sight. Not unless they wanted to use illusion magic of some kind, which, apparently, they did not or did not have ess to.
As the trek progressed, a crowd slowly gathered as people began to follow behind them. She had trouble hearing the things they were saying, but their expressions were easy enough to gauge. Many looked excited, though there were also definitely some who looked concerned and even a few who looked downright hostile. That negative reaction seemed more to do with the sight of Alex than Jadis herself, though the unhappy and angry looks were also a reminder for Jadis that the rumor mill had likely already scooped up the story of how she¡¯d been arrested and spread the grist far and wide. Jadis had no way to know in the moment just how badly the rumors had been turned against her, though she imagined it couldn¡¯t be all bad.
Hopefully.
¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s a good thing the featherhead came to get us so early,¡± Kerr half-whispered at Dys, unable to keep her voice low simply due to the growing noise of the crowd following them. ¡°If it wereter, this shit would have turned into a parade.¡±
¡°I can imagine,¡± Dys murmured as she eyed the trailing people.
¡°Of course, if they had wanted to do this quiet-like, they could have brought carriages,¡± Kerr pointed out. ¡°Or a couple of wagons at least.¡±
¡°What, you think this public walk is on purpose?¡± Dys asked her archer lover.
¡°Abso-fucking-lutely,¡± Kerr nodded her horned head. ¡°They wanted you to be seen. You can¡¯t tell me the emperor has a shortage of covered carts.¡±
¡°They wanted you to be seen, but not by so many people that there would be risk of a riot,¡± A added in her usual cool and collected way, though her words weren¡¯t exactly calming.
¡°Why would there be a riot over me?¡± Dys asked, then immediately answered her own question. ¡°Or, do you mean because of Alex?¡±
¡°Alex¡¯s presence is no doubt already being spread as rumor all over the city,¡± A nodded. ¡°We¡¯re bringing a lot of upset with us, and we aren¡¯t the only ones presenting the news.¡±
Jadis could just imagine what Runar and his fuck-face of a prince might be saying about Alex. And anything that those two said would definitely be heard by a lot of people. Jadis just had to hope that more people would be convinced by what the high priests who had actually met Alex had to say. She also had to hope that what the high priests said was in Alex¡¯s favor. That wasn¡¯t a total guarantee, after all.
While Jadis grew more and more preupied by the thought of how she was going to handle not just limating Alex to society, but society to Alex, her attention was distracted by the sight of the imperial pce. Their route had taken them along the northern side of the city and along the way they crossed a huge market circle that also served as the intersection of two major roads. The road they were following was one that circled the half-moon shape of the city from one side to the other in an unbroken arc. The road that met their route in the market circle came from the north and went in a straight line southward to cross the river and exit the city on the other side. The river ran through the middle of the city, but an ind split the river before it reached the falls. That ind was the center point of the city, from which all the arches and bridges radiated from. It was on that ind that Jadis could see the Eld Tree she¡¯d been told about once before.
The massive tree towered high into the sky, its branches covered in a gray-brow bark. There were no leaves on the tree, the winter having stripped the branches bare. However, Jadis could tell from the way the boughs arched out over the ind and river that tree¡¯s shade would reach all the way to the edge of the city¡¯s shore. Considering the river was a mile wide, the Eld Tree was one truly massive nt.
Below the tree, built up from the roots, rose an ornate pce. It faced the west, so the pce was not touched by the dawn¡¯s light, but even in the shadow of the tree Jadis could see the towering structure was gorgeous. A multitude of spires crowned the pce, with arches and shining ss edifices surrounding the walls. It looked like a building designed to be beautiful, rather than a defensive structure, though Jadis doubted that it was defenseless. The many bridges that crossed the river all converged on the ind, surrounding the pce in an interwoventticework of arches from which the towering, jeweled pce overlooked everything.
¡°All roads lead to Rome,¡± Jay mumbled as she took in the sight of Eldingholt¡¯s center of power.
¡°Rome¡?¡± Alex asked, her tone curious.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Jay shook her head. ¡°Just a ce I once read about.¡±
The number of people who were following their fast-moving escort increased significantly after the market circle. There were enough by that point that Jadis could hear the crown calling out questions.
¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±
¡°Are those the Nephilim?¡±
¡°Where are they being taken?¡±
¡°Is that a demon?¡±
¡°Are they fakes?¡±
¡°What happened to the cultists?¡±
¡°Did the Hero save them?¡±
It was an interesting mix of questions that Jadis felt like she could answer simply and directly if she was only given a chance. But how was she supposed to address the questions of literally hundreds of people? She couldn¡¯t stop to talk to them, even if she wasn¡¯t being escorted by Severina and her knights. She¡¯d be swarmed by the mob. Not that Jadis feared for her safety, but the number of people with serious concerns was starting to feel overwhelming.
The march through the city couldn¡¯tst forever, though. Eventually the convoy made it to the temple district.
Situated in the eastern section of the city along the northern shore of river, the temple district was apound of buildings that were set apart from the rest of the structures around them. Like some kind of a holy dais that was set above its surroundings, the road led up to the district via ramps that wound around the side of the circr tform. The wall that surrounded the district was tall, but like the great wall that surrounded the whole city, it was primarily made up of arches that allowed one to easily see inside. Walking through the gates, Jadis could see that there were nine huge templeplexes that surrounded a central open area that looked wide enough that thousands of people could have gathered within the space, even taking the beautifully manicured flowers and shrubs into ount.
While the city had a fairly uniform style, at least in terms of architecture, the temples in thepound were all very different in the way they looked. It was easy to tell at a nce which temple belong to which god, even if the banners and statues decorating the structures didn¡¯t make it clear. Jadis was able to spot Villthyrial¡¯s temple right away, since it was literally covered in nts to the point that she could barely see the stone underneath it.
¡°I¡¯m definitely going to have to visit there, first,¡± Tegwyn said as he pointed at the temple dedicated to his patron. ¡°It¡¯s probably been a while since a Dryad has visited them, what with all this¡ civilization built up around it. It¡¯s only polite.¡±
¡°I totally get it,¡± Syd nodded as she patted the man on his shoulder. ¡°Come find us when you¡¯re done.¡±
¡°I will,¡± he grinned up at Syd. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the priests there about your little present while I¡¯m at it. Perhaps they¡¯ll have some idea as to its purpose.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Syd grinned back at the horned man, waving as he broke away from the escort without issue.
Jadis had nearly forgotten about the emerald grub she¡¯d been given by the God of Nature. Despite Tegwyn keeping it in a mixture of soil and mulch that should have been ideal for a creature of its type, the grub hadn¡¯t changed at all from when Jadis had received the strange gift. She still had no idea what it was intended for, but who was she to look a gift horse in the mouth? She¡¯d keep caring for it until she figured out its purpose. Besides, Tegwyn was right. These were the temples of the Alfhilderunn Empire. The best priests in the nation gathered on these hollowed grounds. It had to be a tremendous source of knowledge and wisdom.
That was a silver lining, wasn¡¯t it? Lady Severina had said that she had been restricted to the temple district, not just the interior of Lyssandria¡¯s temple. That meant Jadis could visit all of the temples while she was temporarily stuck in the one location, pending her court case. It was a good opportunity to get some questions answered, as well as explore some options with herpanions. For instance, Jadis had wanted to introduce Sabina to Doru of n Jormund, the half-orc, half-therion High Priest of Svaroga. Surely the temple dedicated to the god of crafting and invention would have a workshop where Sabina might be able to stretch her metaphorical wings and really get creative with all the interesting materials she¡¯d been given by the Dryads back in Weigrun.
Yes, not everything was bad about her current situation, Jadis had to remind herself. There were things for her to do while she was stuck in the city. Even more things if she could get her case resolved quickly, or her restrictions eased at a minimum. Besides, as Jadis was led up to the temple decorated in alluring sculptures that Jadis presumed had to be Lyssandria¡¯s temple, she had to admit that her amodations could be a lot worse. After all, she should finally be able to get a room alone with her lovers.
That was a thought that brought a smile to her faces.
Chapter 330: Warm Welcome
Chapter 330: Warm Wee
¡°The High Temple of Lyssandria wees you,¡± a chorus of voices echoed in the marble hall.
¡°Hey,¡± Jadis repliedmely with her three selves, taken aback by the unexpectedly formal greeting.
Despite the sun having just barely risen, it looked like the entire temple had turned out to greet her. What had to be more than three hundred people were gathered in therge central hall. Considering almost all of them were wearing robes of varying levels of ornateness, Jadis presumed they were all clerics and priests like Eir. They were all arranged in neat rows and all had bowed at the waist as part of their formal wee.
¡°Please, be at ease,¡± a familiar voice said warmly. ¡°You must be tired, so we will escort you to your rooms. Unless you would prefer something to eat, first. The kitchens will have breakfast ready soon and we can take you to the dining hall straight away.¡±
Aurea, the blonde high priest, was at the front of the congregation. The robes she was wearing were even more borate than the ones Jadis had seen when she had first met the woman, and she looked like she was in full ¡°temple leadership¡± mode. Two other people stood to the fore with her, both of which Jadis assumed to be the other High Priests of Lyssandria that Eir had told her about previously.
The woman in the center was older, her silver hair cascading down her back in a thick braid. Her skin tone implied she was human, like Aurea, though her pointed ears indicated some elvish blood in her veins. She was a beautiful woman, the only outward sign of her aging besides her gray hair being slight crow¡¯s feet around the corners of her brown eyes.
Her name was Irene, and she was the senior high priest in the temple. Eir had described her as being a warm woman whose sses centered around painting and art. Apparently, she had a habit of painting portraits of every cleric and priest that came to stay at the temple, and her self-made art collection was known to be one of the better one¡¯s in the empire. Jadis hoped she¡¯d get a chance to see Eir¡¯s portrait and nned on asking the high priestess for a viewing while she was at the temple.
The man to Irene¡¯s right was an elf with ruby-red hair and light purple skin. He was tall for an elf, a head taller than either woman he stood with, and his golden eyes shone brightly in the light. Jadis noted that his robes were of a different cut than the rest of the priests and she could clearly see the finely-made tunic underneath.
The elf¡¯s name was Aimery and he was the third and final high priest of Lyssandria in the city. ording to Eir, the man had originally started out with a musician¡¯s ss and had only been offered a priestly ss upon unlocking his secondary. He had spent much of his careerposing music for both the temples and for the royal court and it was for his emotionally captivatingpositions that he had unlocked a High Priest ss.
¡°I¡ am not sure, honestly,¡± Syd replied to Aurea¡¯s question. ¡°Things have been moving kind of fast¡¡±
Out of the corner of her eye, Jadis saw Lady Severina speaking with a short man wearing some of the gaudiest armor she¡¯d ever seen in her life. The armor was covered in silver and gold etchings and it even had a plume of pink and purple feathersing from the top of the helmet. Based on his height, she presumed that he had to be a gnome. There were other knights gathered around the man, all of whom looked far more reasonably equipped, if not at least spit-polished to a mirror shine. Jadis was able to overhear a few of the words exchanged between the Seraphim and the garish knight, and from what little she heard it seemed he was the head of the order of pdins who would be responsible for watching over her during her stay in Lyssandria¡¯s temple.
¡°Perhaps baths would be best,¡± Eir spoke up as Jadis hesitated. ¡°We have traveled far and have had no opportunity to refresh ourselves.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Aurea bowed her head. ¡°A wise suggestion, Sister Eir. If you would all follow us, we shall lead you to your rooms where you can drop off your belongings and then proceed to the baths.¡±
¡°Speaking of belongings,¡± Dys said before Aurea could start to move. ¡°We were rushed over here without any time to really get our things. Most of our stuff is back at the docks.¡±
¡°Have no fear, Lady Jadis,¡± the small knight in the ridiculously ornate armor stated as he took a step forward, ¡°My men are already on their way to pick up all of your things. We¡¯ll have everything collected and back in your possession before you know it.¡±
The man had a strangely familiar ent and it wasn¡¯t until he raised the visor on his intricately decorated helm that Jadis realized who it reminded her of. The man wasn¡¯t a gnome, but a goblin, with green skin and red eyes. His ent had that thick brogue just like Sorcha and Sholto. He was also possibly the most handsome man Jadis had ever met in her life. Perhaps noticing her shock, he smiled rakishly at her while giving her a wink.
¡°Sir Roy, Pdin of Lyssandria,¡± the goblin introduced himself with a flourish.
¡°Holy shit, it¡¯s a little green man version of Brad Pitt,¡± Syd murmured before she could stop herself.
¡°Brad what?¡± Kerr quietly asked, having stood close enough to overhear.
Jadis didn¡¯t bother answering, and she hoped that no one else had overheard her either. Exining either part of her surprised exmation was not something she wanted to do with a few hundred priests hanging on her every word.
Fortunately, it looked like no one else had heard, or at least anyone who had was politely ignoring the mumbled statement.
Without further dy, Jadis and herpanions were whisked along through the halls of the temple, no longer escorted by pdins but by priests. There were many warm, even excited smiles on the faces of the men and women Jadis passed by, though she noticed there were some expressions of concern whenever any of the priests turned their gazes onto Alex. There wasn¡¯t as much upset as Jadis would have expected, though, and she figured that probably had something to do with Aurea giving the temple some warning.
Back in Far Felsen, Aurea hadn¡¯t been thrilled with Alex, but she hadn¡¯t been hostile, either. The blonde woman had been far more concerned with any potential threats to Jadis¡¯ safety than anything else. Perhaps considering how well-behaved Alex had been so far, even while Jadis had been unconscious, she¡¯d developed some new, kinder opinions of the Demon.
Jadis hoped she had, at least, and hoped that she had passed those opinions on to the rest of the priesthood.
The temple interior was, as Jadis had expected from the outside, ornate and beautiful. The d¨¦cor wasn¡¯t gaudy like Roy¡¯s armor, thank goodness, but there were statues, murals, and paintings everywhere. There were even alcoves along the halls where priests were ying quiet music or singing gentle hymns. Music and art were majorponents of Lyssandria¡¯s domain and it seemed the temple was decorated to exemplify those qualities.
While not all of the art on disy was exactly to Jadis¡¯ tastes, there wasn¡¯t anything she was seeing that she felt could be described in any way other than beautiful. It was all just a bit¡ much for her, though. She felt like she was walking through an art museum. She could scarcely imagine living in a ce like the temple long-term, though she had to admit that the surroundings did seem like the kind of ce that would suit Eir.
And then Jadis¡¯ thoughts were derailed by the statue.
There, in the intersection of three halls, stood a tall, marble statue. The statue wasposed of four different figures, each one of them wondrously sculpted with such detail that it looked like any one of them might step off the tform they rested on at any moment. All of them were nude, which made it easy to tell that one figure was male, another female, a third was a futanari, and the fourth had a strangely androgenous appearance.
They were Nephilim, each one representing one of the four different sexes. The way they were posed was oddly sensual without being overtly erotic. Jadis would have found it difficult to point to any one aspect of the statues that could be considered pornographic, yet there was still something innately sexual about the way the marble figures were posed, their bodies subtly touching each other, that Jadis found innately sexual.
¡°Until I met you, I could never be sure how urate this rendition of the Nephilim was,¡± Aurea quietly stated from where she stood next to Jay. ¡°Now, seeing you side by side, I feel as though the artist hardly did you justice.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Jay said with genuine appreciation in her voice. ¡°That¡¯s really nice of you to say.¡±
It really was. The marble figures were beautiful, exuding an air of attractiveness that felt almost supernatural. Jadis knew she was beautiful. She saw her face and body every day, all day, simply by the nature of her ss. Sometimes it was easy to forget that her looks weren¡¯t just on the high end of the scale but were literally inhuman.
The strangest thing about seeing the statues though, Jadis realized as Aurea led the group down the left hallway, was the realization that if it weren¡¯t for the color of her eyes, she really would be identical to the statues in terms of skin tone and hair. Therge statues were even the same height as her. If she took off her clothes and closed her eyes while holding still next to them, Jadis was fairly certain that no one would be able to tell the difference between her and the statues. Had that been Lyssandria¡¯s intent when she had created the Nephilim? To make living works of art, marble statues of elegant, sensual beauty? Whether that was the case or not, Jadis had to appreciate the skill of the hands who had crafted those statues, as well as the godly will that had designed the Nephilim to begin with.
There was one difference that Jadis had spotted between her selves and the statues, though. For both the male and the futanari representations, neither were quite so well-endowed as she was.
After a flight of stairs and a few more hallways, Jadis was shown the room she¡¯d been given for her stay in the temple. While Jadis couldn¡¯t be sure, she highly doubted that the ridiculouslyrge and lushly appointed suite was the kind of ce most priests, or imprisoned individuals, were regrly given. Aside from the fact that the furniture and various decorations looked like they probably cost more than everything Jadis had ever owned in either of her livesbined, the bed had clearly been set up with her in mind. It wasn¡¯t tall enough to meet her preferred sitting height, but the size was enormous and could easily fit all three of Jadis¡¯ giant bodies as well as all of her lovers with room to spare. The presence of the bed had Jadis wondering how exactly the priests had managed to cobble together something big enough for her on such short notice. Or had this room always had an unountably massive bed in it? The piece of furniture hardly looked out of ce in the huge room; it even had posts with curtains.
The suite didn¡¯t just consist of the one superrge bedroom. There was a separate sitting room with chairs and couches intended for entertaining guests, three smaller bedrooms attached to the grand one that had more reasonably sized beds in them and less extravagant furniture, and two different bathrooms. One bathroom was set up with the three smaller bedrooms and gave Jadis the feeling it was intended for servants, while the other bathroom was just as impressive as the giant bedroom. It even had a tub in it that wasrge enough for one of Jadis¡¯ bodies to fit in itfortably, though adding anyone else would turn it into a tight squeeze. As nice as it was, that wasn¡¯t the bathroom where Aurea intended to take them, though.
No sooner had Jadis and herpanions dropped off the few possessions they had brought with them than they were escorted to a different part of the temple, further towards the center. The domed room that Jadis was taken to made Jadis think of the bathhouse in Far Felsen where she¡¯d first gotten a look at Eir¡¯s voluptuous body, and Eir had gotten her first eyeful of Nephilim. The circr room was ringed with tall marble columns and there was a round hole in the roof to let in light and air. The floor was dominated by round pools of water, many of which were visibly steaming with heat, and the walls were ringed with constantly streaming waterfalls where bathers could wash the grime off before getting into the baths. In the center of the room stood a statue of a gorgeous woman, the marble iid with gold, silver, and a variety of precious gemstones. Since she had met the goddess once before, Jadis knew it was someone¡¯s attempt at capturing Lyssandria¡¯s beauty. While Jadis could easily admit that the statue was one of the most beautiful and elegant sculptures she¡¯d ever seen, it simply could not hold a candle to the burning me of Lyssandria¡¯s true glory. In all honesty, Jadis didn¡¯t think it was even possible to truly capture the goddess¡¯ beauty in any form of art. But she knew that wouldn¡¯t stop people from trying.
¡°Alright,¡± Kerr said happily as she rolled her shoulders. ¡°Scrubbing off with wet clothes was getting old. This was a great fu¡ªah, great idea, Eir.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Eir said as she began to remove her robe. ¡°I had fond memories of the temple bathhouse. I hoped you all might enjoy.¡±
¡°Definitely going to do just that,¡± Jay said with a grin. Then, at a thought, she turned her head to catch Alex¡¯s face. ¡°This¡¯ll be your first real bath, huh? Might spoil you for any other after this.¡±
¡°Hot¡ Water¡ Make¡ Clean¡¡± Alexmented sagely.
¡°Yes, yes it does,¡± Jay nodded as she turned to look to her left. ¡°Soap helps a lot to¡ª¡±
Jay cut of her words as the sight of at least two dozen priestesses, each one young, nubile, andpletely naked, caught her off guard. The women were standing just to the side of and behind Jadis¡¯ group and many had clearly been a part of Jadis¡¯ escort through the temple. When Syd looked to her right, she saw even more naked women standing on that side of her group. All the priestesses were drop-dead gorgeous, which was why it took Jadis a second to realize that all of them were holding various items that would be useful for pampering and grooming. Brushes,bs, sponges, cloths, bottles of oils and lotions, and even things that looked like back scratchers were in their hands.
¡°Please, allow us to help you disrobe, Lady Jadis,¡± Aurea said, her bountiful breasts on full disy as she stood there just as nude as the rest of her priestesses. ¡°We shall attend to you and yourpanions¡¯ every need.¡±
Jadis had honestly expected Aurea would try to toss a few priestesses her way, what with the deal she had made about making some Nephilim babies. Maybe even make a pass or two herself, since she was a very attractive woman. But she¡¯d thought that the high priest would have been slightly more subtle, at least at the start. Instead, it looked like the sexy woman was bringing out the big guns right from the start.
Jadis was tempted to ask the priestesses to leave. She really had no intention of doing anything sexual with any of the strangers. In fact, if she was going to have any fun while in the baths, she¡¯d be doing it with her lovers, and not in front of an audience. Still, thinking about it, she didn¡¯t see that it was really necessary to kick the women out. They were only offering to help bathe and groom her, and the offer had been extended to herpanions. Was that so bad?
Well, when in Rome.
Chapter 331: The Bathing Scene
Chapter 331: The Bathing Scene
¡°Oh, gods, if this is how things are around here every day, I have no idea why anyone would ever join any other temple.¡±
Kerr¡¯s words, spoken in a low moan, echoed Jadis¡¯ own thoughts. She couldn¡¯t help but let out a contented sigh of agreement from all three of her selves as she luxuriated under the devoted attentions of the priestesses. Jadis had been to a spa once or twice with friends, but the temple bathhouse blew those experiencespletely out of the water.
When Aurea and the many beautiful priestesses with her had offered to pamper Jadis, the offer hadn¡¯t been for her exclusively. All of Jadis¡¯panions had been included in the proposition, which was how what Jadis had assumed would be a quick and refreshing bath had turned into a truly decadent indulgence of catered grooming.
Kerr had, of course, showed no hesitation whatsoever to strip off her travel-worn clothes and practicallyunch herself at a trio of buxom priestesses. Not in a sexual way, thank D. If Kerr had still had her ritual-given dick and had tried to initiate anything, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure what she would have been able to do to politely extricate herself from the ensuing orgy. Fortunately, her exuberant lover was in her natural, unaltered form, and she had simply focused on the opportunity to be waited on hand and foot.
Since Kerr had given herself over to the spa treatment without any issue, the rest of Jadis¡¯ lovers had quickly followed suit. Seeing everyone partake, even shy and nervous Thea, Jadis saw no reason not to do so herself. She did, however, draw a few lines between herself and the priestesses.
Jadis did not let the women undress her. There was something intensely personal about the act of undressing someone that she couldn¡¯t put into words, but Jadis knew that letting these virtual strangers do so would be a mistake. Maybe she was overthinking things; Jadis knew that in many cultures throughout history that servants dressed and undressed their noble employers. But Jadis wasn¡¯t a noble, nor was she employing any of these women. The only people who Jadis ever let undress her, at least while conscious, were her lovers. So, even if the act was innocent, Jadis knew her bodies would respond to the situation in a way that she didn¡¯t want them to at that moment. No need to give Aurea or any of her girls hope of something happening that Jadis had no intention of doing.
Getting naked in front of more than forty pairs of hungry eyes was still pretty wild, though. It was only through a supreme effort of will that Jadis was able to keep her lower bodies from responding to the attention, especially when she heard the stifled gasps that went around the room once she had taken her skirt-pants off.
What Jadis did indulge in, though, was letting the priestesses wash her bodies. The women who attended to her were reverential, practically worshipful in their actions. With three women to each of her bodies, including Aurea herself, Jadis was treated to an absolutely luxurious washing. Fortunately, none of the women tried to do anything untoward with their hands, even when they were washing Jadis¡¯ more sensitive regions. To Jadis¡¯ shock, she didn¡¯t even feel her libido stir despite the gorgeousdies attending to her. Their practiced touches were immensely rxing, to the point that Jadis was fairly certain that they had to possess some kind of massage skill. Knots of tension in her muscles melted away, leaving her feeling more at ease than she would have thought possible when surrounded by a couple dozen naked women who were eyeing her like a b of meat.
Well, maybe not a b of meat. A divine b of meat, if that were possible.
Looking around therge room while indulging in the attention of the priestesses, Jadis saw that everyone else was enjoying the treatment as much as she was, though maybe not so vocally as Kerr.
Two women were brushing A¡¯s long red hair in a way that already had her beautiful locks shining as brightly as polished copper. Both wereplimenting the arcanist excessively, though despite her blush A was doing an excellent job of maintaining her typical coolposure.
Eir was happily talking with three women who were washing her hair and feet, but unsurprisingly Eir was herself washing the third woman¡¯s hair for her. From the way she was acting with the group, she got the feeling that Eir had simply slipped right into a ritual act of grooming that was hardly new to the cleric. Maybe she even personally knew those three priestesses?
Kerr wasid out on a wooden table made for the purpose and was happily enjoying an orc woman¡¯s strong hands as she massaged her back and shoulders. Kerr¡¯s tail waggedzily back and forth as sighs and moans of contented enjoyment rolled out from between her parted lips.
Thea was already half submerged in one of the heated pools, her eyes roaming across the upants of the room in that quiet yet intense way that Jadis knew meant the shy woman was excited. Two priestesses were sitting to either side of her, quietly talking to the guardswoman as they massaged her hands and fingers.
Sabina was sitting off to one side happily chattering with an elf who was talking back to her with an equal level of energy, which was pretty impressive. While the two women talked, a third woman was manicuring Sabina¡¯s toes, only asionally smiling and nodding as the two nattered on without pause.
Bridget still stood under the warm waters of the continually pouring waterfalls with her eyes closed, clearly just enjoying the feel of the running water. However, two priestesses were standing nearby, waiting for an opportunity to shower the taller, muscr orc woman with pampering attention.
Three gnome women had surrounded Sorcha and were giving her an obviously pleasurable rubdown with scented oils and soaps. If they noticed or cared about the fact that the goblin witch had a tracking manacle around one arm, they made no obvious sign, which Jadis was silently thankful for.
And finally, Alex. Alex was¡
In all of themotion Jadis had briefly lost track of her demonic ward. She had been hanging off Jay¡¯s shoulders for most of the morning, but once they were in the bath the Demon had slipped off while Jadis had removed her clothes. Now that she was looking around, Jadis saw what had happened to Alex and the sight made her brows pinch in worry.
Alex was standing off to one side, near the flowing water intended to wash off any dirt or grime. She had removed the little clothing she wore, probably because she¡¯d seen Jadis do so, and was standing in that one spot, still as a statue. The only part of her that was moving were her eyes, which tracked the nervous movements of three women who were standing slightly apart from the Demon.
Two of the priestesses were elves and the third was a human. All three were just as beautiful as any of the other women in the room, but their looks were slightly marred by the obvious fear coloring their expressions and bodynguage. The three were anxiously whispering to each other, asionally tossing nces towards Alex, though a few were also directed towards Aurea. Jadis surmised that these priestesses had drawn the short straw, so to speak, and had been assigned to attend to Alex by the high priestess. Clearly, they weren¡¯t thrilled with the prospect.
As Jadis watched, one of the elves, a svelte woman withvender skin tones, was discretely pushed forward by the other two. The elf took a deep breath, stered on a professional smile, and approached Alex while carrying a soft cloth and a lump of floral-smelling soap.
Alex loomed over the elf, her feet hanging off the ground by more than a foot as she bnced on the three long, thick tentacles that sprouted from the backpack-like lump her second set of arms extended from. Her ink-ck form was a dark blotch in the white marble room and despite how well lit the bathhouse was, Alex¡¯s three neon eyes glowed ominously against her face.
From experience with the Demon, Jadis knew that Alex was remainingpletely motionless because she didn¡¯t want to make any sudden movements that might startle the elf approaching her. But from an outside perspective, Jadis could easily see that the motionless nature of the demon was just freaking the poor priestess out even more than she already was.
When the priestess came to a stop before the Demon, she opened her mouth as though she were going to offer to wash Alex¡¯ back for her. However, no sound came out as the woman tried and failed to get her voice to work. As she stood there, barely managing a squeak, Alex acted first.
¡°Hello¡ Sister¡ Ad¡¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t surprised that Alex had known the priestess¡¯ name. The pdin had amazing senses, made more powerful by her Expanded Awareness skill. No doubt she had overheard the three women talking and had put together the context clues to get the elf¡¯s name. Considering Jadis had always been careful to teach Alex people¡¯s names, it made sense that the Demon had greeted the priestess the way she had.
Unfortunately, the attempt at a friendly greeting had the opposite of its intended effect. The elf let out a terrified, barely suppressed yelp of rm before turning tail to run back to the two other women who had pushed her forward. However, she barely got two steps before her nose bumped into a hard, t surface and she let out another yelp, this one of surprise.
¡°Sorry,¡± Dys said as she put a hand on the purple elf¡¯s shoulder to steady her from having run her face into her abs. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to startle you.¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t you let me have that, okay?¡± Jay asked sweetly but firmly as she took the cloth and soap from the elf¡¯s unresisting hands.
¡°Ask your friends to bring us some more cloths and maybe some of those scented oils, okay?¡± Syd winked at the priestess while the woman just nodded dumbly, her mouth hanging open slightly as she stared up at three towering Nephilim. ¡°Thanks a bunch!¡±
Not waiting for a further response, Jadis approached her demte pdin. She had moved quickly,pletely abandoning Aurea and the group of priestesses who had been attending her. The attention had been nice, but Jadis wasn¡¯t going to let Alex feel excluded from the spa treatment. And if none of the holy women had enough guts to approach the Demon, Jadis would happily take the task on herself.
¡°Hey Alex,¡± Jay smiled down at the Demon who, with her elevated tentacles, wasn¡¯t that much shorter than her. ¡°Do you mind if I help give you a wash?¡±
Alex was silent for a drawn-out moment, long enough that Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if she had understood the question. Then Alex smiled widely, showing all of her white teeth.
¡°Yes¡ Please¡¡±
¡°Good,¡± Jay grinned back, then helped the Demon to step over to the cascading waterfalls.
Once Jadis had guided Alex to step under the warm water and get herself thoroughly soaked, she had the pdin take a seat on one of the stone benches that were set up around the room to let people sit while they washed their bodies. The benches were too small for Jadis, so she knelt down directly on the stone floor, with Dys on the left, Syd on the right, and Jay directly in front of Alex. The marble was cool, but not ufortable, and with how high her Fortitude stat was, the hard surface didn¡¯t really bother her.
Using the soap and cloth to get a nicether going, Jay passed the soap over to Dys and then ran her hands through Alex¡¯s head tentacles.
Alex didn¡¯t have hair. Her head tentacles approximated hair since they were short and thin, but they wriggled and moved with the same prehensile ability as the rest of the Demon¡¯s longer tentacles. Jadis didn¡¯t even think Alex sweated, but personal hygiene was something she wanted to reinforce with her not-so-little demonling. She didn¡¯t want anyone to toss around any usations of Alex being unclean, after all. Besides, Besides, the wash was a good way for Jadis to run her hands through the fascinating little tentacles without being sexual.
While Alex¡¯s main body heldpletely still, her head-tentacles slowly shifted and moved in response to Jay¡¯s touch. They wrapped around her fingers, sliding between them, stroking her digits and palms in a way that was almost erotic and also extremely alien. Alex¡¯s big, neon-blue eyes stayed locked onto Jay¡¯s face, unblinking even when some of the soap suds dripped down across her brow and got into her forehead eye.
¡°Hey, doesn¡¯t that hurt?¡± Jay gently asked as she wiped the soap away from Alex¡¯s middle eye.
¡°Yes¡¡±
¡°Well, if it hurts, don¡¯t let it just happen, okay?¡± Jay said with a small frown. ¡°I don¡¯t ever want you to be hurt. At least say something, alright?¡±
¡°Alright¡¡± Alex agreed without furtherment.
As Jay worked on Alex¡¯s more human side, Dys and Syd worked on her demonic features, starting with her three giant tentacle limbs. Washing them was an interesting experience. Running her soapy hands over the long, thick tentacles let her feel just how strong and muscr the appendages were. Jadis was certain that even if the System that granted sses and attributes didn¡¯t exist, the Demon¡¯s tentacles would still be strong enough to crush bones in their grasp. There was also something strangely¡ exotic about the feel of the limbs that gave Jadis shbacks to some of the more perverted pornography she had perused back in her life on Earth.
¡°Ahem,¡± a delicate voice cleared their throat just behind her trio of bodies.
Since at least one of her was facing that direction, Jadis knew it was Aurea who had approached. The nude high priestess was carrying a few more of the washcloths, as well as what looked like a bottle of scented oil. Jadis didn¡¯t take her eyes off her task though, instead focusing on thoroughly washing her Demon friend, who as far as Jadis could tell was absolutely loving the attention.
¡°Yes?¡± Dys asked curtly, her tone even and without inflection.
¡°I¡ apologize on behalf of my sisters. They did not mean to give any offense to you or your¡panion. Would it be alright if I assisted you in washing Alex?¡±
So, the woman was extending an olive branch. Whether she would have or not if Jadis hadn¡¯t taken the first step, she wasn¡¯t sure. But the offer seemed genuine and if Jadis wanted others to start seeing Alex as a person, not a monster, she would have to encourage moments like this, even if Jadis was fairly certain the high priestess¡¯ motivation had more to do with Nephilim than Demons.
¡°I¡¯m not the one to ask,¡± Dys finally said as she moved to wash Alex¡¯s left-mostrge tentacle. ¡°It¡¯s Alex who makes the decisions on who touches her body.¡±
Aurea absorbed that statement for a moment before walking around the side. With her hands sped before her, she bowed slightly and addressed the Demon directly.
¡°May I also wash you, Alex?¡±
Alex¡¯s eyes flicked between the blonde woman and Jay. Alex made no outward expression, so it was hard to know what thoughts were going through her head. But with her hands still in her tentacle hair, Jay did notice that Alex squirmed and flexed in a particr way. Maybe that was an indication that she was thinking?
¡°Yes¡¡± Alex finally said, though she didn¡¯t smile at Aurea the way she had for Jadis.
Aurea smiled at the Demon, which prompted a smaller, echoing smile from Alex, then went back around to stand between Dys and Syd. Pouring some of the oil onto one of the cloths, the buxom woman applied it to Alex¡¯s middle tentacle with a surprisingck of hesitation. The oil smelled faintly of clover mixed with something sharp and it quickly absorbed into the Demon¡¯s smooth ck skin.
¡°Try some of this,¡± Aurea suggested while passing the bottle to Syd. ¡°It¡¯s good for the skin and helps keep it from drying out.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Syd smiled as she took the proffered ointment. ¡°Maybe I should use some myself.¡±
Aurea let out a pleasantugh as she confidently rubbed Alex¡¯s middle tentacle.
¡°One such as you would have no need. At least, not ording to all the old stories about your ancient kin. Nephilim are blessed with perfect, unchanging beauty by our Lady. I may need to worry about skin care, but you should not. Though, now that I think on it, I¡¯m not entirely sure if a Demon would need to worry about such things, either.¡±
Syd smiled at the woman who had been brave enough to take the next step following her path.
¡°Who knows? But at least I think Alex likes it.¡±
¡°Yes¡¡± Alex interjected, a grin spreading across her face. ¡°Thank you¡ Jadis¡ and¡ Aurea¡¡±
¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± all three of Jadis responded at once, with Aurea responding the same in almost the same instant.
Chapter 332: Breakfast at Lyssandria’s
Chapter 332: Breakfast at Lyssandria¡¯s
The rest of Jadis¡¯ bath time was a rxing, if slightly odd, experience. Despite the sexually charged atmosphere, no one tried to initiate anything, either on her side or the side of the priestesses. Even Alex behaved herself, though she did insist on washing Jadis in the same way she had done for her. It had been¡ interesting to have Alex¡¯s small, human hands and herrge, demonic ones run reverentially through Jay¡¯s hair.
Another fascinating aspect of the bath had been watching Alex swim. Once all of the washing and massages had been through, everyone had gotten into therger bathing pools for a soak. Two of the pools, one with warm water and the other with cool, were ten feet deep and plenty wide enough that a normal-sized person could go for a swim if they wanted to. For Jadis, it was a short swim, but still doable. Once Alex saw Jadis¡¯ selves take the plunge, she jumped right in as well.
Alex swam like, well, an octopus. While her main body remained mostly motionless, her tentacles pushed her along in an undting fashion that was really quite elegant. Most of the priestesses stayed out of the pool that Alex swam in, but a few followed Aurea¡¯s example and were at least willing to sit with their feet in the water while they watched the strange Demon glide under the surface for many minutes without any need toe up for air.
Seeing how easily Alex moved through the water made Jadis wonder why she had never seen more demons in the ocean. Sure, she hadn¡¯t spent much time around the water herself so naturally she didn¡¯t think about it much, but she would have thought that there would have been a greater fear among soldiers and sailors that demons might attack from under the surface. Demons didn¡¯t need to breathe and, from what Jadis knew of how Alex saw the world, were quite capable of sensing things around them regardless of light. To her mind, that meant the ocean was the perfect ce for demons to rule uncontested, especially since the avatar race of the Goddess of the Ocean had been killed off by demons long ago. And yet, their ship had sailed across the ocean for weeks without any issue.
There had to be some piece to the puzzle that Jadis was missing. She made a mental note to ask A and the others about demons and water when they had some time alone.
After bathtime had ended, Jadis and herpanions had been given fresh new clothes to wear while their old things were being cleaned. Jadis didn¡¯t know how anyone had managed to make clothing in her size so quickly, but she was certain that magic had to be involved.
While everyone else received finely made,fortable clothes in styles that closely matched what they usually wore, Jadis¡¯ gifted ensemble was nothing she ever would have chosen for herself under most circumstances. The purple tunics she had been given had long, flowing sleeves, tight belts to go around the waist in order to entuate her figure, and an excessive amount of gold embroidery. The pants were ck, tight, had even more gold embroidery on them, and did nothing to hide the bulges between her three bodies¡¯ legs. Fortunately, the tunics were long enough that she was mostly covered, at least for people who had their heads above the height of her waist. Anyone else, though, was going to get an eyeful.
Aurea and her priestesses did not see a problem with the arrangement.
Alex had as much trouble with her clothing as Jadis did, so at least she could look to the Demon to share in her garment-based misery. The Demon did not like to wear clothing, for whatever reason, though she did so on Jadis¡¯ request. Whoever Aurea was using to make the clothes hade up with a kind of ck halter top that was secured with belts to go on Alex¡¯s torso. There was some confusion getting the piece onto the Demon, but that had more to do with Alex not understanding the purpose of the top than any issues with its design. Fortunately, the pair of nk pants that were tailored just for Alex went on without any issue.
Once they were all dressed and presentable, Aurea had taken them to the dining hall of the temple where a magnificent breakfast had beenid out. There were all kinds of meats, fruits, breads, jams, pies, and soups to choose from in a disy that was practically a work of art. The food was presented buffet style, not that Jadis got the chance to take a te to the long table. The moment she sat down at the seat of honor she¡¯d been given at the head table on the far side of the hall, dozens of tes had been ced before her three bodies piled high with samples of every kind of dish that she had seen on the buffet disy.
The food was just as delicious as it looked. Jadis and herpanions took their time eating since there was no need to rush. With all of her friends and lovers sat at the same table, along with the high priests, there was plenty to talk about. It was during the luxurious meal that Jadis was introduced to someone she¡¯d been hoping to meet.
¡°So, you have a ritual that can pause a woman¡¯s pregnancy?¡± Jay asked the short, plump older woman with kind, brown eyes.
¡°Yes, Lady Jadis,¡± Bertha replied with a slight bow of her head. ¡°My primary ss is of the Midwife variety. I received a more standard priestess ss when I reached my twentieth level, but when I managed to unlock my tertiary ss, I received a divine ritualist ss that is a mix of the two. I¡¯ve been training a few other priestesses in the hopes that they will also unlock the ss, but so far, I am the only one.¡±
¡°You¡¯re above CLR sixty?¡± A asked from her seat across from Jay. ¡°Before the demon invasion? That is very impressive.¡±
¡°It¡¯s been a long road,¡± Bertha smiled demurely. ¡°But I managed it!¡±
¡°What¡¯s your secret?¡± Jay asked with a yful grin. ¡°Unless you want to keep it to yourself.¡±
¡°No secret, Lady Jadis,¡± the woman said with a twinkle in her eye. ¡°Just lots and lots of babies. And being far too old.¡±
¡°Call me Jay,¡± Jay insisted for the umpteenth time that morning. ¡°I¡¯m really not a Lady anything. Also, you don¡¯t look old at all. I¡¯d be shocked if you said you were over sixty.¡±
¡°Well, prepare to be shocked, Lady Jadis,¡± Bertha announced whilepletely ignoring Jay¡¯s request about her name. ¡°I will be eighty years old next spring.¡±
Jadis jolted in some surprise. She hadn¡¯t been joking when she¡¯d said that the priestess didn¡¯t look that old. She had pegged the woman¡¯s age at somewhere in her mid-fifties at the most. Clearly, being a servant of Lyssandria came with some perks.
¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± Jay said earnestly. ¡°You really do look great.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Bertha smiled and bowed her head again. ¡°I have been blessed, certainly. Speaking of blessings, are you or any of your lovelypanions in need of my services right now?¡±
¡°Uh,¡± Jay stammered for a moment at the sudden question. ¡°No. I¡¯m, uh, not pregnant at this time.¡±
Jay winced internally at the awkward way she¡¯d responded, but Bertha didn¡¯t seem to mind.
¡°One of us might be,¡± A said, instantly drawing Jadis¡¯ attention.
¡°What?¡± Jay asked, the food on the forks of her other two bodies forgotten as all three of her focused on A. ¡°Who?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you remember?¡± A asked dryly. ¡°Kerr¡¯s been teasing the possibility for weeks now.¡±
Ah. Jadis had turned her potency skill off during thest time she¡¯d been with her therion lover. She hadn¡¯t thought that Kerr had been serious though about going into heat. Kerr liked to make jokes and y pranks. Surely her allusions to the possibility of being pregnant had been nothing more than her usual teasing.
Right?
¡°Do you have a skill or spell that can confirm if a woman is with child?¡± A asked Bertha as Jadis just stared in dumb silence.
¡°I most certainly do,¡± the older priestess said with barely contained excitement. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve been introduced to Kerr yet, but if you lead me to her, I can get an answer in a moment¡¯s time.¡±
Jadis could only watch as A pointed out her horned lover with a finger and Bertha bustled over to Kerr with a purpose. Once the older woman had reached the archer and was beyond easy earshot, Jay leaned across the table to speak quietly to her arcanist girlfriend.
¡°She¡¯s not really pregnant, is she?¡± Jay asked with a little more desperation in her tone than she had intended. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m ready to find this out right now.¡±
A shrugged once before putting a small forkful of a green fruit into her mouth. Taking her time to chew, she looked up at Jay with a perfectly innocent expression.
¡°I¡¯m really not sure if she is or not. But if you weren¡¯t prepared to be a father, you probably shouldn''t fuck your lovers without protection, hm?¡±
Jay stared at A, her mouth open for a second, before she snapped it shut and red at her redheaded lover.
¡°This is for that thing back in Glitnir, isn¡¯t it.¡±
A only shrugged lightly, though Jadis could just barely make out the smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
It was only a few momentster that Jadis overheard the conversation between Bertha and Kerr and learned that she was not yet a mother-father. It wasn¡¯t exactly relief that swept through her at the news, though. The panic certainly disappeared, though she also felt a tinge of disappointment. A particr tug in her gut also bubbled up from within that Jadis had learned to recognize as an outside instinct. That externally born influence was also disappointed and was strongly encouraging her to give it another try.
¡°Okay Lyssandria, I hear you,¡± Jay mumbled as she sat back heavily in her seat. ¡°I¡¯ve got the message.¡±
¡°Lyssandria speaks to you? Oh, what am I saying, you¡¯re a Nephilim! Of course she does.¡±
Jay startled, then looked down to see that Roy, the goblin pdin, was standing at her right elbow. The gaudy goblin had his helmet off, revealing his bright pink hair that was styled in a ridiculously perfect pompadour. Considering all the armor he wore, Jadis was shocked that he had been able to sneak up on her. Though, to be fair, she had been rather distracted.
¡°Oh, uh, yeah,¡± Jay said as she turned slightly in her seat to better face the man. ¡°She does from time to time. What¡¯s up, Roy?¡±
¡°Sorry to disturb you while you are eating, mydy,¡± Roy said apologetically as he took something from under one arm. ¡°But I have some letters here for you. I took the liberty of putting the more, ah, important ones at the top.¡±
The object that the pdin ended up passing to Jadis was arge bundle of envelopes. There were dozens of letters, all of them with wax seals and family crests painstakingly inked onto the front. Most of them were addressed to ¡°Lady Jadis¡± though a good number were addressed either to ¡°Fortune¡¯s Favored¡± or to "Lady Ahlstrom¡±. Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure how both her first andst name had gotten around so fast, but she supposed she really shouldn¡¯t have been surprised. The capital city¡¯s rumor mill was no doubt hard at work.
Thanking Roy, Jay picked up her seat and carried it over to the other side of the table so that she could sit between A and Eir. Showing them both the letters, she began going through them to see what they were all about.
¡°These are messages from weapon and armor smiths,¡± A said as she perused through the pile of letters that were addressed to Fortune¡¯s Favored. ¡°They want to sell you their weapons and armor at a discount. No doubt they want to be able to advertise that they are the ones supplying the only Nephilim in the world. Not a bad idea, honestly. I bet they do that with the Hero and his party, too.¡±
¡°The empire doesn¡¯t supply the Hero with all their gear?¡± Jay asked, looking up from the letter she was holding that was edged with gold leaf. ¡°I figured that they¡¯d be given everything they could possibly need straight from the imperial armory or whatever.¡±
¡°To a degree, yes,¡± A said as she waggled one hand back and forth. ¡°The Hero is always well-supplied, but it¡¯s more like they are given arge stipend that they can use as they see fit. The empire can¡¯t just give the Hero the whole treasury, after all. There¡¯s a lot that the nation still has to use that coin for, especially in a time of war.¡±
¡°Huh,¡± Jay murmured as she tilted her head to one side. ¡°I guess I just imagined that every time the Hero shows up, the emperor or whoever just hands them all the best magical gear they have and sends them on their way.¡±
¡°Mm, I think that is something that some nations do,¡± A absently nodded as she opened another letter. ¡°And I¡¯m sure the empire has probably done that in the past, too. But the problem with that is, the Hero isn¡¯t always from Alfhilderunn. The empire is big, but there are lots of other countries out there, especially on the eastern, western, and northern continents. If you give the Hero all of your best enchanted gear, they¡¯re probably not going to give it back once the demonic invasion is over. And if they then decide to move to a nation that isn¡¯t friendly to your own, well¡ It¡¯s happened in the past. Heroes don¡¯t just go away when the invasion is done.¡±
Jadis hadn¡¯t thought much about it before, but A¡¯s words made a lot of sense. Heroes were real people. Chosen by the gods and all that, but still just people with their own desires and motivations that wouldn¡¯t just go away because they received a holy ss and divine gift. In fact, considering how high level most Heroes had to get, they were in the unique position of being extremely powerful, elite warriors who were also still young enough that they had decades of their lives left to pursue their own personal goals. Even if the Hero wasn¡¯t an asshole who wanted to use his power to go to war with other nations in order to expand his home country¡¯s territory, once that hero died, Jadis doubted the home nation would give any of the relics and artifacts that the hero had been given back to the nation that had lent them to the hero.
The whole Hero thing was looking more and moreplicated the more Jadis thought about it. She wasn¡¯t even the Hero, just sort of Hero adjacent, and her life was getting moreplicated by the second. The actual Hero had to have it pretty rough.
¡°These are invitations from noble families,¡± Eir said as she showed one of the letters she had opened to Jay. ¡°Dinners, tea parties, a few balls. They will want to meet you, to gauge who you are as a person as well as satisfy their curiosity concerning many of the rumors that are spreading throughout the city. We will have to be cautious about which letters you respond to. Any function that you choose to attend will signal favoritism and any that you do not attend could lead nobles to feel they are being purposefully snubbed.¡±
¡°God damnit¡¡± Jay sighed heavily as she nced at the thick stack of opened letters that Eir had already gone through. ¡°How many are there?¡±
¡°More invitations to events than you can possibly attend,¡± Eir smiled sympathetically. ¡°Even with three of you.¡±
¡°Well, shit,¡± Jay cursed as she held up the golden letter she¡¯d just opened. ¡°I guess this is one I should probably make time for, at least.¡±
¡°What is it?¡± A asked as both she and Eir leaned closer to see the letter.
¡°An invitation from Second Prince Kestil,¡± Jay replied as she set the letter down on the table. ¡°He wants to meet me for tea at my earliest convenience.¡±
Chapter 333: Teatime with the Prince
Chapter 333: Teatime with the Prince
Second Prince Kestil was not the man that Jadis had expected.
¡°How do you take your tea?¡± the gold-skinned elf asked as he personally poured the hot liquid into fine porcin cups from an unusuallyrge teapot. ¡°With milk? Honey? I have a berry mix that goes quite nicely with this blend if you¡¯d like.¡±
¡°Anything¡¯s fine,¡± Jay replied quietly as she carefully watched the man. ¡°I¡¯m not picky.¡±
¡°Then, perhaps a different option for each of you,¡± Kestil said after a slight pause. ¡°Variety is a spice unto itself.¡±
Jadis observed the man warily as he prepared three cups of tea, one with milk and honey, one with a mix of sweet berries, and one without any additions at all. He passed the threerge but delicately made cups to Jadis¡¯ three selves before making his own smaller cup of tea which he took with only a ssh of milk.
When Jadis had received the invitation to have tea with the prince, Jadis had been immediately wary of the man¡¯s intentions. Prince Kestil was the man who had sent Noll to spy on her. He was also the one who had mostly left Jadis alone during her time in Weigrun, despite ostensibly being the one in charge of the whole region. Jadis knew Magistrate Vraekae reported directly to Kestil, which meant he was no doubt double informed on everything Jadis had done since showing up in Far Felsen. He¡¯s shown a keen interest in tracking her movements by sending Noll after her as well as having Vraekae keep constant tabs on her, but he also hadn¡¯t ever made any direct approach towards her before, either. He had seemed like the kind of person who wouldn¡¯t want to get his hands dirty and let his subordinates act for him, so far as Jadis could tell.
But with the invitation to meet, Kestil had changed the status quo and initiated direct contact. Was this going to be his attempt at officially inviting her to be on ¡°his side¡± as it were? Jadis knew there were party lines being drawn between the two princes. She¡¯d been angling to remain neutral, even with the asshole behavior of the first prince, but now that she was being approached directly by Kestil she wasn¡¯t entirely sure how she should respond.
One thing she did know how to do, though, was to act. Sitting around and letting others move for her had grown old fast. Jadis had been going along with the Pdin Orders and the High Priests for a while now, but she didn¡¯t n on continuing down that path for much longer. She wanted her freedom, sooner rather thanter. As beautiful as Lyssandria¡¯s temple was, it was still just a gilded cage so long as Jadis had no choice about being there.
Jadis was willing to try the legal methods of clearing up her issues, but passively waiting for Vraekae and others to do all the work while she twiddled her thumbs was not how she wanted to spend her time. Meeting with Kestil could make a difference in her situation, so Jadis acted straight away. Borrowing a pen and paper from Aurea, Jadis wrote out her reply to the prince letting him know that she was willing to meet with him that morning. Less than an hourter she had been escorted to the pce and into a wing of the massively extravagant structure that belonged to the second prince.
No one else hade with Jadis. Herpanions had not been included in the invitation. Lady Severina had been the one to escort her, having arrived with the prince¡¯s wee toe to the pce straight away. Once inside the pce, Jadis had half-expected to be mobbed by nobles and courtiers, but the way Severina had taken Jadis had been quick and discreet and they barely saw anyone other than guards and servants.
The room Severina had taken Jadis to was an airy sr with many windows and an excess of greenhouse-grown flowers. A table had been set up that had clearly been purposefully made for someone of Jadis¡¯ size, along with three chairs that actually allowed Jadis to sit properly. Unlike the ones from back in Far Felsen, these chairs and the table did not look like they had been quickly put together by a fast-working carpenter, but instead had the appearance of intricately carved and well-maintained antiques. Considering how long it had been since any Nephilim had walked on Oros, that implied that the furniture was at least a couple of thousand years old.
Jadis had sat in the chairs with some apprehension. Fortunately, despite their apparent age, they held her weight without a single creak.
Prince Kestil had been waiting for Jadis when Lady Severina had brought her into the sr. He was an elf, as Jadis had known he would be, and had gold skin and light blue hair that was pulled back in a short, low ponytail. His eyes were a bright silver color and he was decidedly handsome in a foppish kind of way. He also seemed to have a perpetual smile on his face that made him seem like he was thinking of a private joke that others weren¡¯t privy to.
¡°Ah, that¡¯s quite nice,¡± Kestil sighed after taking a sip from his cup. ¡°The vor turned out much better this year.¡±
Jadis sipped at her own tea and was surprised by just how good the taste was. Even the in, unaltered cup was deliciously sweet without being overly sharine.
¡°This is¡ very nice,¡± Jay said after taking a second sip. ¡°What kind of tea is this?¡±
¡°My own private blend,¡± Kestil said with a satisfied grin. ¡°I grow the flowers myself. A mix of local and exotic flora that I have been cultivating over the years.¡±
¡°It¡¯s really good,¡± Jay replied, genuinely meaning thepliment. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever had any better.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± the prince replied. ¡°I¡¯ll have a box of the blend made for you so you can take it with you when you go. A small gift, and perhaps, a token of apology. Though not the only one I offer you, rest assured.¡±
¡°Apology?¡± Dys asked with one eyebrow raised as she set her cup down. ¡°What are you apologizing for?¡±
Jadis did not assume that Kestil had no reason to say he was sorry. He had sent someone to spy on her. But she didn¡¯t get the feeling that was what the prince meant.
¡°Yes, an apology,¡± Kestil nodded once as he set his own cup down. ¡°One made on behalf of my intemperate brother, though he has not asked me to. More than that, though, I apologize for my part in the way you have been mistreated these past few weeks.¡±
¡°Your part?¡± Dys asked, her expression having darkened.
Kestil smiled, his poise exuding an easy confidence. They were alone in the room, yet he didn¡¯t seem to have even the slightest concern that Jadis might pose a threat to him. She wasn¡¯t sure if that was because he had an extremely high level and felt he could handle her in a fight, or if he had other protections in ce that she couldn¡¯t see. He also could have just been an overconfident idiot, she supposed, but Jadis didn¡¯t get that impression from the elf. Kestil might have been a lot of things, but she didn¡¯t presume he was an idiot.
¡°From what both Vraekae and Noll have told me,¡± the prince said as heced his fingers together, ¡°you are a woman who appreciates direct words. So then, if you will forgive my bluntness, I will simply confess that I have used you.¡±
¡°¡What?¡±
¡°Not with any intent to bring you harm,¡± Kestil said with a cating gesture. ¡°Though I admit that what I have done was without your knowledge or your permission. For that, I sincerely apologize to you.¡±
Jadis¡¯s lips drew into thin lines as she regarded the prince. For someone who was delivering an apology, he didn¡¯t look particrly sorry. Further, as Jadis thought about the man¡¯s words, he hadn¡¯t actually said he was sorry that he had used her, just that he had done so without her knowledge. Regret didn¡¯t seem to have any part in the equation.
Her first impulse was to punch the elf in his perfectly shaped nose. She still fully nned on doing so to his jerkwad of a brother, so why not assault two members of royalty? However, the many lessons Jadis had received from A and Eir to think first before acting, at least in a social setting, had found some purchase in her core. While she was a woman of action, she wasn¡¯t going to make the mistake of acting rashly and without thought.
She still might punch Kestil in the end, though.
¡°What exactly did you do to ¡®use me?¡¯ I¡¯d like a clear exnation,¡± Dys said in a t, mostly calm voice.
¡°Of course,¡± Kestil said as his smile widened for a brief sh. ¡°Now that you are here, I do want to exin things to you. It¡¯s only fair.¡±
Leaning forward as he spoke, Kestil picked up a small cookie shaped like a flower and took a delicate bite of the pastry. He let out a small hum of happiness as he chewed the treat before motioning for Jadis to have her choice from the silver tter.
¡°Please, have some. These cookies are made by one of the best bakers in all the world.¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if Kestil was trying to stall or just butter her up, but each of her selves wordless took a different cookie. Popping the tiny biscuits into her mouths, she chewed them thoughtfully before rendering a verdict that was announced from all of her selves at once.
¡°I¡¯ve had better.¡±
¡°Truly?¡± Kestil asked, one eyebrow raised. ¡°You must name the individual. If they can do better than these, then I may need to find them a ce of employment here in the capital.¡±
¡°Destarious,¡± Syd told the prince, her own gaze t and serious.
Kestil paused for only a split second before his manner rxed and he took another sip of his tea.
¡°How can one hope topete with a god?¡± He said with a chuckle. ¡°Still, putting the divine aside, I wager you¡¯ve not had better made by mortal hands.¡±
¡°No, I suppose not,¡± Jay said, some impatience starting to show in her voice. ¡°But we weren¡¯t discussing cookies. You were going to tell me about what your involvement has been in all this shit with your brothering after me like some kind of psycho.¡±
As a silence lingered between them for a brief moment, Jadis wondered if maybe she shouldn¡¯t have used cursenguage with the Second Prince. If the royal elf wanted to talk about cookies, A would probably tell her to just let the fucker talk about cookies until he got to his point. But Jadis didn¡¯t want to let this smug princeling haveplete control of the conversation. He couldn¡¯t just dangle information in front of her like a carrot on a stick.
¡°Quite,¡± Kestil sighed, though his smile stayed in ce. ¡°My role was and has been, to put it simply, that of an instigator.¡±
Kestil paused, perhaps waiting for some reaction. When Jadis didn¡¯t respond to the confession and just continued to nkly look at the prince, he continued.
¡°I needed my brother¡¯s attention to focus away from a particr direction. To that end, I facilitated the creation of several reports as well as aided in the movement of certain priests, all of which led my brother to believe that I was making a major move of some kind that involved you. Of course, as you know, I did not make any move towards you, but he thought differently. I admit, I had expected him to have shown more restraint than he did, though perhaps some of the me lies on Runar¡¯s shoulders. That man is a zealous one when ites to his duties and is not known for subtleness. Regardless, my brother is now convinced that he has caused some kind of disruption to my ns by having you arrested and confined to the temple district. And, so long as you remain under confinement, he will continue to believe that he has dealt me a blow.¡±
¡°You mean you had me arrested and nearly got me killed in the process, by the way, just as some kind of distraction?¡± Jay asked, her tone rising towards the end of her words.
Kestil nodded, his expression momentarily turning serious.
¡°Again, I do apologize. What Runar did was unconscionable and were it in my power to do so, I would have him removed from his position. That is not up to me, sadly, though perhaps that will change once I have supnted my brother and inherited my father¡¯s throne. However, I freely admit that your summary is urate. You have served and continue to serve as a distraction. Certainly, no harm was ever meant to befall you via my actions, and yet here we are. As such, I do feel I owe you rather more than just an apology. What would you say to receiving a dukedom?¡±
Jadis stared at the golden elf, her emotions fluctuating wildly inside her head as she went over the absurd string of sentences the second prince had just let loose from his smiling mouth. From the casual way Kestil had slid from outright admitting he nned on taking the position of crown prince from his elder brother to the bizarre offer of anded title, Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to respond.
Shaking her heads, Jadis initiated a factory reset of her brain and just let all the extraneous matters go. When she didn¡¯t have to think about all the consequences of everything the Second Prince had just said, the way forward was much, much clearer.
With a lightning-fast flick of her arm, Jay reached across the table and punched Kestil in the face before he could even blink.
¡°Ah! Gods¡ªwhat in all the abyss are you doing!?¡± Kestil shouted as he clutched his bleeding nose between two fingers. ¡°That hurt!¡±
¡°Good,¡± Jadis said with her Dys and Syd selves.
¡°Apology epted for the moment,¡± Jay said as she sat back in her chair feeling a little morefortable. ¡°But now you¡¯re going to tell me what¡¯s actually going on with all this fuckery and how exactly you n on getting me out of it.¡±
Chapter 334: Spice
Chapter 334: Spice
In the same moment that Jadis had sat back in her chairs and made her clear demand to Kestil, the doors to the sr burst open. In the blink of an eye three armed knights had surrounded Jadis from three sides, their longswords drawn and pointing at the Nephilim. A fourth knight, who Jadis immediately recognized as Lady Severina, practically materialized next to the prince. She had moved so fast it had been difficult for Jadis to track her movement as anything other than a blur.
¡°Your highness, I¡ª¡±
¡°Stop, stop,¡± Kestil cut the Seraphim off before she could continue with whatever she was about to say. ¡°It¡¯s quite alright. No harm done beyond a little blood.¡±
Kestil gingerly wiped at his nose with a white handkerchief, pulling it away to reveal a decentlyrge blot of red. His nose looked¡ slightly tter than it had a moment ago and while Severina maintained her professional mask, Jadis could see the way her eyes widened at the sight.
¡°Alright, maybe more than just some blood,¡± Kestil poked at his obviously broken nose. ¡°Fetch me a healer, would you, Severina? They cane attend me after out little meeting here ispleted.¡±
Jadis raised an eyebrow on each of her faces at the prince¡¯s statement. She had half-expected him to try and toss her out on her ear. She had acted¡ rashly. Not that she could find it in herself to regret her decision. Maybe she¡¯d feel differently once the weight of what she had done settled in, but she honestly felt like she had done the right thing. Kestil seemed like the type who forgot that his little ns and machinations had real consequences for real people, not just abstract concepts like military units, mercenarypanies, citizens, nations, and the like. He had needed the knock to the face as a reminder that casually interfering in someone else¡¯s life could have a direct negative impact on him. Though, Jadis did have to admit that maybe she wasn¡¯t in the best position to give the elf the reminder.
¡She might have to leave that part out of her recap when she told herpanions about the visit. Jadis was fairly certain that Eir would faint.
¡°I believe the meeting is over now,¡± Severina stated coldly as the feathers on her white wings bristled slightly. ¡°Clearly this¡ Nephilim is not capable of maintaining a civilized conversation. She has assaulted your royal highness and she should be thrown in the dungeon.¡±
The pdin¡¯s barely restrained words and glowering demeanor was imposing, but the impact of her presence was greatly diminished for Jadis by the fact that the furniture she and Kestil were sitting at was Nephilim-sized. Standing next to the table, with her head and shoulders barely rising above the wooden surface, made the Seraphim look more like a petnt child than a vengeful angel.
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Kestil insisted as he straightened his nose with a wince. ¡°I think our dear Jadis here was due that little outburst for all the trouble she¡¯s been put through as ofte. I¡¯m certain she will restrain herself going forward.¡±
¡°So long as you don¡¯t do anything to deserve a punch to the schnoz a second time, sure.¡±
Both Kestil and the angry pdin stared at Jay as she looked back at them with a mild expression. Letting out her impulse to punch the annoying royal had cooled a lot of her temper and she was honestly feeling much better than she had in a while. She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d need to punch the man again. But if he pulled more shit in the future, well, she wasn¡¯t going to make any promises she couldn¡¯t keep.
¡°Schnoz?¡± Kestil asked, his voice tinged with confusion.
¡°You dare admit that you n to assault the Second Prince again right in front of me?¡± Severina demanded as she took a dangerous step towards Jadis.
Before she could move closer, the gold-skinned elf¡¯s hand took hold of the Seraphim¡¯s elbow and stopped her from going further.
¡°As I said, Severina. We are fine here. I am in no danger and Lady Jadis has made her position abundantly clear. Take your leave. I have private matters to discuss with my guest.¡±
At her liege¡¯s words Severina shut off her ring anger and reverted to a formal salute. Without a further word she motioned for her knights, the three of whom had been standing around Jadis the whole time, to exit the room. As she left, she tossed Jadis one final re of warning, which Jadis acknowledged with her own firm, unyielding gaze. In moments the doors to the sr were closed and she and Prince Kestil were alone once more.
¡°I do believe you were owed that outburst,¡± Kestil started with a decidedly less friendly smile on his face. ¡°But do not make the mistake of thinking me tolerant of continued disrespect. That was your one jab at me. Understood?¡±
¡°I understand you,¡± Jay said without breaking eye contact or backing down. ¡°Just so long as you understand that I do not ept being used. If you want my help with something, fucking ask.¡±
Kestil regarded Jadis, his expression unmoving. His silver eyes burrowed into her in a way that made her feel like she was being weighed on a scale like some object of value, but his face was guarded enough that she had no inkling into what his judgement was. Whatever his thoughts, after a few seconds his expression reverted to that same easy smile that he had carried when she¡¯d first met him, though it was marred slightly by his broken nose.
¡°Then may I presume you would heed my requests, should I make any?¡±
¡°If they are within reason,¡± Jay said cautiously. ¡°And I¡¯m not going to agree to anything you ask without consulting my friends.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s be frank,¡± Syd said from Jay¡¯s side. ¡°I¡¯m at a total disadvantage when ites to politics. There weren¡¯t any emperors or princes where I grew up, I don¡¯t know anything about the current events or the history of your empire, and I¡¯m about as devious as a log.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t want to step into any mud dealing with you or your asshole brother,¡± Dys continued from Jay¡¯s other side. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in getting involved in any wars of session and honestly, I don¡¯t know if I really like you. If you¡¯re the kind of person who can fuck up another person¡¯s life that you don¡¯t even know just for some minor advantage in an argument between you and your sibling, I¡¯m not sure you¡¯re the kind of ruler I would want to support.¡±
¡°But I¡¯m willing to hear you out,¡± Jay said with shake of her head. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you. I¡¯m not sure I trust you, but I don¡¯t hate you. At least someone else I respect has positive things to say about you, so I¡¯m holding out hope you aren¡¯t as big a douche as your brother has shown himself to be.¡±
Jadis hadn¡¯t originally nned on being quite so open with Kestil but considering how the man seemed to thrive on subterfuge and innuendo, she wanted to be as forthright and honest with the elf as possible. She knew she wasn¡¯t going to win ying his game, so why even try to? Better to force the guy to deal with her in the open as best as she could and remove as much of his avenues for being sneaky as possible.
¡°My, my,¡± Kestil said as he leaned back in his chair. Breaking from his adherence to polite etiquette, he leaned his chin onto the palm of his hand while his elbow rested on his armrest. ¡°You and my brother are far, far too much alike. I¡¯m afraid you would absolutely hate each other.¡±
¡°What? Why?¡± Jay asked, somewhat surprised by thement.
¡°He¡¯s always the type to cut straight to the heart of the matter as well,¡± Kestil said, his amused smile looking far more genuine than it had a moment before. ¡°Vraekae and Noll were quite right. You are cut from the same cloth. Direct and to the point. I can hardly believe you are some kind of chosen demi-hero of the God of Secrets and Lies. You don¡¯t seem like the right type for such a devious god.
¡°Then again, considering what you just did, you seem exactly the right type to sow chaos wherever you go. I suppose that¡¯s the thing about Destarious. He and his followers nevere at you in the way you¡¯d expect.¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to feel about the prince¡¯s assessment of her, but she kept silent as he continued to speak.
¡°My dear brother prefers to attack things straight on, just as you do,¡± Kestil grinned. ¡°Why take the time to undue a knot by hand when a de will make quick work of the problem? And that spark of violence is certainly present in you both. Yes, you two are very much alike. The reason why I say you two would hate each other is that you would never bow to him, just as he would never bow to you.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t want him to bow to me,¡± Jay said, but Kestil cut her off as he forged ahead with his exnation.
¡°Yes, but he would want you to bow to him. He wants everyone to bow to him. Hraustrekr is convinced that his way is the only way and he will suffer no one to choose their own path.¡±
¡°What do you mean, exactly?¡± Jay asked, her brow furrowed in a mix of confusion and concern.
¡°What are you saying? He¡¯s a control freak or something?¡± Syd asked.
The elf nodded to Syd, his smile widening.
¡°Control freak. Yes! That is quite a good description. Yes, he does seek control. Not just of the empire. But of all of Oros. My brother seeks to rule the entirety of the world.¡±
Jadis blinked at the bold statement. It was so absurd, so ridiculous, that she almostughed. But there was something about the look in Kestil¡¯s eyes that prevented her from taking the assertion that Hraustrekr was seeking world domination as a joke.
¡°Okay, fine, your brother wants to rule the world,¡± Dys said with a frown and a shake of her head. ¡°So what? Don¡¯t most kings and emperors want to rule the world? Don¡¯t you want to do the same, if you be the emperor instead of him?¡±
Kestil nodded his head as though he had been expecting her usation.
¡°While I can¡¯t deny that there are some hostile territories that I would seek to conquer, I agree with my brother on those points, it is his treatment of allies that I disagree with him on. I wish for the empire¡¯s strength to grow, but not at the cost of our allies. As I said, he is trying to expand his dominion to the entire world. That includes nations that have heretofore peacefully coexisted with.¡±
¡°He¡¯s nning on attacking allied nations? Now? During the demonic invasion?¡±
¡°No, no,¡± the prince rified as he waved one hand dismissively. ¡°That would be an unnecessarily expensive endeavor. No, what my brother is doing is using the demonic invasion to his advantage. You see, Hraustrekr, as blunt as he is, is not without subtlety, particrly when ites to warfare.¡±
As he spoke, Prince Kestil got to his feet and walked down the short set of stairs that had been set up so that he could sit at the same height as Jadis¡¯ selves. He strode over towards therge window that had a beautiful view of the Brandrvald river as it winded its way westward. His hands brushed the flowers growing along the sill with a delicate touch.
¡°Have you ever heard the phrase, ¡®the enemy of my enemy is my friend?¡¯ It¡¯s a particrly apt expression to exin what my brother is doing.¡±
¡°¡He¡¯s using the demonic invasion to weaken other nations, isn¡¯t he?¡± Jadis asked in all three of her voices.
¡°Precisely,¡± Kestil grinned at her over his shoulder. ¡°The Rubaline Dominion fell not only because of the unexpected nature of the demonic assault, but because my brother purposefully withheld troop reinforcements that could have turned the tide of the initial attack. He has done the same in regards to Volto, as well as many of our other neighbors.
¡°All with usible cause, of course,¡± the elf said as he turned to face Jadis. ¡°This demonic invasion is one of the worst noted in many cycles. It¡¯s important that the empire look to guard its own borders and the citizens within before aiding other nations. However, such considerations are ultimately a smokescreen for his true intentions. He continues to dy and allow the casualties to rise among our allies so that when he does finally act and the invasion is repelled, he will be able to send his own troops into neighboringnds unopposed. It will be a simple matter of cleaning up the mess.¡±
The implications of what Kestil was saying were¡ horrifying. If his words were true, it meant that thousands, no, tens of thousands of people had died since the start of the demonic invasion all because of one power hungry prince¡¯s desire to rule. Jadis couldn¡¯t even fully grasp the amount of suffering that was likely going on in the rest of the world even as she sat with Kestil drinking tea, if her little slice of experience in Weigrun was anything to go by. What Hraustrekr was doing was evil, through and through.
That was, if what Kestil was saying was true.
Jadis didn¡¯t trust that everythinging out of the second prince¡¯s mouth was the whole story. There was no way for her to know how much of what he said was the truth and how much was a lie intended to provoke a response out of her. For all she knew, all of it was just a story that Kestil had made up on the spot. Of course, the fact that Hraustrekr came across as a total prick due to his behavior with her lent credence to Kestil¡¯s tale. But that could all be a part of the prince¡¯s lie, a deliberately created misunderstanding to guide her towards distrusting the first prince when otherwise she would have no reason to believe anything that Kestil was saying.
On the other hand, Kestil was telling her a lot of information that he had to know that she would be talking to herpanions about. In fact, considering she was currently quartered in Lyssandria¡¯s temple, she could verify most of what he was saying with the high priests. Heck, she even had a direct line to a god via an oracle girlfriend. She could perform a ritual and check out his story directly with Destarious if she wanted.
Kestil had to know all of that. And yet, here he was, telling her everything with the confidence of someone who was simply telling her the time of day.
Her doubt must have shown on her faces as the prince looked down with a small huff ofughter before walking back to the table to have a seat again.
¡°No surprise that you don¡¯t believe me. I¡¯m not my brother. I rarely speak in direct words and you are right not to trust me. I certainly wouldn¡¯t. But please, take my words into consideration. Speak with whoever you have to and when you¡¯ve had time to think things over,e back to me. I could use your help.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Jay finally said after a pregnant pause. ¡°But I won¡¯t make anymitment to you right now. Or your brother.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Kestil said with another one of his strange smiles. ¡°More tea?¡±
As Kestil picked up the teapot and started to pour another round, Syd leaned her head to the side and voiced a thought that Jadis had had while listening to the elf¡¯s words.
¡°It wasn¡¯t your father who sent Severina to get me out of that holding cell at the docks, was it?¡±
Kestil¡¯s smile widened to a grin.
¡°No, no it wasn¡¯t.¡±
¡°Are you going to get into any kind of trouble for that?¡±
¡°Perhaps,¡± Kestil shrugged. ¡°However, what¡¯s a little trouble but another spice of life?¡±
Chapter 335: Ancient History
Chapter 335: Ancient History
Several hours had passed by the time Jadis was escorted back to Lyssandria¡¯s High Temple. Teatime with Prince Kestil had been mentally exhausting and coupled with theck of sleep from the night before, Jadis was feeling drained to the dregs. Before she could crawl into the very soft-looking bed in her temporary quarters, she needed to give herpanions a run down on what had been said and done at the meeting. The punch to the prince¡¯s face could be left out for the sake of everyone else¡¯s blood pressure, but Jadis wanted opinions on the things Kestil had said.
To that end, Jadis made sure to stop by Villthyrial¡¯s temple to pick up Tegwyn. While the congenial Dryad was by no means conversant with imperial politics, in fact he was probably even less experienced than Jadis, he was still an intelligent man who Jadis trusted. His opinion had value to her, and she wanted him included in the discussion.
Once she was back in the temple, Jadis also made sure that Sorcha and Alex were at her impromptu meeting as well. She wasn¡¯t sure what Sorcha might be able to offer to the conversation, but she was an official member of Fortune¡¯s Favored so Jadis wanted her to have the opportunity to speak her mind should she have anything to say. Alex was the least suited out of anyone for politics, but that didn¡¯t mean Jadis would exclude her. If for no other reason, Jadis wanted Alex to see that she was being included in the group as a peer, not just carried along like some kind of pet.
The sitting room of Jadis¡¯ fancy chambers was plenty big enough for the whole group to gather in and once the doors were closed, Jadis felt assured of her privacy. Kerr and Thea had both inspected the room thoroughly for any sign of little tricks that others could employ to spy on them and had found nothing. That didn¡¯t mean the room waspletely safe to have open and unguarded conversations in since there were still magical means of spying that they had no means of defending against, but Jadis would just have to trust the word of the high priests that they were being give true privacy.
With everyone gathered, Jadis did a quick rundown of what Kestil had told her, primarily focusing on what he¡¯d said about getting Jadis and herpany out of confinement. After he¡¯d admitted to being the one responsible for sending Severina to escort her out of the dock holding room and to the temple district, he¡¯d given Jadis the details of what was happening with her case.
Kestil¡¯s father, Emperor Somerulf, had been notified of Jadis¡¯ situation and was actually quite interested in meeting her. However, Prince Hraustrekr had been using various ploys and tricks to sideline her case in favor of other reasonably important matters. Jadis was in the capital and in the custody of the temples, therefore there was no need to rush her hearing, or so the heir apparent argued. Kestil, for his part, had used his influence with his father to have Jadis and Co. moved to the temple district faster than Hraustrekr had wanted in order to make it seem as though he wanted to get Jadis out of custody as fast as possible.
In truth, he didn¡¯t need Jadis to be out of custody at the moment. What he needed was for Jadis to keep the first prince¡¯s attention focused on her so that he could continue to make other, less public moves that furthered his attempts to counter his brother¡¯s actions. Of course, Kestil would not share what those moves were with her, but per the second prince, they were of vital importance to undermining Hraustrekr¡¯s ns. Thus, what Kestil wanted from Jadis, at least for the moment, was to protest her confinement without pushing back too hard.
¡°He wants us to draw things out, basically,¡± Syd said as she waved her hand in what she imagined was the direction of the pce. ¡°Make Hraustrekr expend resources on keeping me tied up in court.¡±
¡°For how long?¡± A asked, her pretty face locked in an expression of serious concentration.
¡°Two weeks would be the max,¡± Jay answered as she leaned back on the sofa. The piece of furniture had not been built with Nephilim in mind, but the cushions were sinfully soft and at the moment she wasn¡¯t in the mood to mind the fact that her oversized body was taking up the whole thing as she stretched across it diagonally. ¡°Any longer and he said it wouldn¡¯t be believable and Hraustrekr would get suspicious.¡±
¡°But he wants at least a week,¡± Dys added as she stretched her legs out on the floor. ¡°Any less and he risks his ns, whatever the fuck they are.¡±
¡°But, we could get out right now?¡± Kerr asked, her brow furrowed as she paced the room. ¡°I mean, you could see the emperor right now and be done with this mess? Putain de bordel, this is so fucked up.¡±
¡°He said that if I refuse to help, he¡¯ll talk to his father and get me a hearing in the next day, maybe two. And while I feel like he¡¯s as shady as a cave, I don¡¯t think he was lying about that. The question is, should I demand the early hearing or wait things out to help him with whatever he¡¯s doing?¡±
There was a thoughtful silence among the group as everyone considered Jay¡¯s question. Well, Alex might not have been putting any thought into it, but Jadis wouldn¡¯t fault the Demon for that. She was at least experimenting with tasting sweet drinks while she silently listening to the discussion, which was a step in the right direction so far as Jadis was concerned. In any case, everyone else was focused on the problem at hand. Somewhat predictably, it was Sabina who ended up speaking first.
¡°I suppose it depends on whether or not you think he¡¯s telling you the truth about what the First Prince is doing,¡± the smith said as she fiddled with a spoon between her fingers. ¡°I mean, he could be lying, or he could be telling the truth, or he could be telling you only half the story which I guess is kind of a lie of omission as well but I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s better or worse, but also I think it might be up to the idea of whether or not you think what he¡¯s doing is wrong. Prince Hraustrekr, I mean. Not Prince Kestil. Well, I guess I mean that too, since I guess Prince Kestil could be in the wrong, but what I meant at first was that you might not think Prince Hraustrekr is wrong for trying to weaken other nations so he can invade them after the demons are gone because you want the empire to expand too or something, which I guess is sort of reasonable in a way though I personally think it¡¯s really awful to let all those people get hurt just for the sake of making it easy for the empire to take control of their territory.¡±
When Sabina finally paused to take a breath, she looked around at the gathering of friends who were all staring at her with mixed expressions. Shrinking a little, she set the spoon down with a light tter and folded her hands together.
¡°That¡¯s just my take, I guess.¡±
¡°That is actually a good point,¡± A said as she nodded in Sabina¡¯s direction. ¡°About whether or not even trying to disrupt Prince Hraustrekr¡¯s ns is desirable, if those are his actual ns. Is a takeover of other nations that bad?¡±
¡°I¡¯d say it fucking is!¡± Kerr growled as she continued to stalk back and forth. ¡°I¡¯m not from the empire like you, Freckles. I¡¯m from the Verdant Sea. You think I want to see my neighbors getting ughtered in some stupid war that cock sucking prince wants to start because he¡¯s an egotistical prick?¡±
A looked slightly abashed by Kerr¡¯s outburst. Leaning back, she shook her head slightly and offered an apology.
¡°No, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡± she said calmly. ¡°But wars happen. Emperor Sumerulf¡¯s reign has been rtively peaceful up to this point, but peace doesn¡¯tst forever. And I¡¯m not sure we would want to do anything to undermine the position of the first prince when he¡¯s likely to remain the heir. What if by aiding Prince Kestil, we aplish nothing more than weaking the empire¡¯s military strength and make it vulnerable to attack from other nations once the invasion is over? It¡¯s a possible oue, one I don¡¯t want us to overlook.¡±
Once more Jadis felt as though she had swum into a pool whose depths she had no idea to. The empire¡¯s history was alien to her. Further, she didn¡¯t know anything about the surrounding nations or what their dispositions were towards the empire. Was Alfhilderunn even well thought of on an international scale? She¡¯d always assumed that the nation was a good one, but what if they were known to others as warmongering imperialists?
¡°If I can interject,¡± Tegwyn said as he tapped his chin thoughtfully with one finger. ¡°I think it would be better to focus on whether Kestil¡¯s words are trustworthy. For myself, I see no point in getting my sap congealed in clumps over a lie. Now, I don¡¯t know much about either man. So I must turn the question back onto you all, my friends: does what Kestil say seem like something his older brother would do?¡±
¡°I do not believe so,¡± Eir hesitantly said with a small frown. ¡°I find it hard to believe that any of the imperial line would choose to allow demons so much free reign to harm others. It is the emperor¡¯s sworn duty to bring any demonic invasions to an end as quickly as possible for the safety of the people.¡±
¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s the trick, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sorcha scoffed as she picked at a piece of bread she held between her two hands.
When the small goblin women didn¡¯t borate further, Syd poked her in the side with one finger.
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°Ah, well,¡± Sorcha startled, almost as though she didn¡¯t expect to have been listened to. ¡°I mean, he¡¯s not the emperor yet, is he? He can bloody well do whatever he wants, can¡¯t he? He¡¯s not sworn, so he isn¡¯t breaking any oaths.¡±
¡°Besides,¡± Kerr pointed out as she stopped to waggle a finger at the general group. ¡°That oath is for the protection of imperial citizens. I don¡¯t think the rules of that shiny oath give a damn about what happens to people from other countries.¡±
Eir seemed bothered by Kerr¡¯s assertion, but before she could speak up, Tegwyn asked another question.
¡°But has the man done anything in the past to support the idea he would be doing these nefarious deeds today? The tree shows its true colors when its flowers bloom, and those flowers don¡¯t change from year to year.¡±
¡°Not that I can think of,¡± A said with contemtive frown.
¡°There hasn¡¯t been a proper war in like, what, sixty years?¡± Bridget said as she scratched at the top of her head. ¡°Not since the war with the Rubaline Dominion, and that ended in a truce, didn¡¯t it?¡±
A and Eir both nodded their heads to Bridget¡¯s statement, but Thea quietly disagreed with a shake of her own.
¡°Thassia and B¡ªBastoc.¡±
¡°Bastoc?¡± Jay asked, perking up at the familiar word.
She remembered from a few days earlier that Noll had told her that he was a native of Bastoc, a ce that didn¡¯t exist anymore. He¡¯d said that the ce had been conquered by the empire some time ago.
¡°Ah, yeah, that¡¯s right,¡± Bridget said as she nodded vigorously at Thea¡¯s words. ¡°I forgot about them. That was, what, thirty years ago?¡±
¡°I believe that was in the year twenty-seven eighty-eight,¡± A answered slowly as she thought it over. ¡°So, almost forty years ago now.¡±
¡°What year is it now?¡± Syd asked.
Everyone in the room stared at her. Even Alex did, though Jadis was fairly certain that was because the Demon just liked to look at her.
¡°I forget about your ignorance tomon knowledge sometimes,¡± A said with no reproach in her tone. ¡°It is currently the year two thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven, I.E.¡±
At Syd¡¯s questioning look, A added, ¡°The I.E. stands for Imperial Era.¡±
¡°Okay, so, what¡¯s the deal with Thassia and Bastoc?¡± Jay prompted while looking between Thea and Bridget.
¡°They were city states in the southeast part of the central continent,¡± Bridget exined after seeing Thea motion for her to continue. ¡°There were actually a bunch of them over there, I think.¡±
¡°Still are,¡± Kerr interjected. ¡°Whole bunch of tiny kingdoms, most of them no more than a city with a few surrounding towns or viges. Some of them are pretty wild.¡±
¡°That part of the continent tends to be hit by demonic invasions frequently due to its location,¡± A added. ¡°At least, historically. So there isn¡¯t arge poption, but the people living there usually have higher than average CLRs.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Bridget nodded, warming up to the story. ¡°All that is that. Anyway, Thassia and Bastoc got into some kind of a war. Big deal at the time. I remember my grandfather telling stories about how some high level, elite warriors were causing a ton of damage to thend around those cities with all the fighting. Real nasty stuff that spilled over into the neighboring territories.
¡°The fighting went on for more than a year with lots of death and destruction. Then, when some of the fighting spilled over the imperial border and, I think it was a small vige, was destroyed, Prince Hraustrekr led a force of soldiers to Thassia and Bastoc. They killed the high CLR fighters that were causing most of the damage, then took control of the two cities.¡±
¡°They were annexed,¡± Eir rified. ¡°The war between the two cities was so destructive that leaving them to their own devices wasn¡¯t an option. They would have been easy prey for the other city states in the area, which likely would have led to further warfare if those kingdoms decided to fight over who took control.¡±
¡°The imperial army, led by the first prince, absorbed Thassia and Bastoc into the empire,¡± A further added. ¡°It was generally praised by leaders of the time as a wise move since it settled a ruinous conflict with minimal casualties to the empire. I¡¯ve read books about Hraustrekr¡¯s actions back then and the military genius he¡¯s said to have disyed at the time.¡±
As herpanions finished their exnations, talking amongst themselves for a few moments as they discussed some of the minor details of the decades old history, Jay turned her gaze to meet Tegwyn¡¯s. The Dryad raised one eyebrow as the two of them seemed to share the same thought. She motioned one hand towards him, but he motioned back at her for her to take the lead.
¡°Okay, so, correct me if I¡¯m wrong,¡± Jay said as the others immediately quieted down to hear what she had to say. ¡°But isn¡¯t that whole thing with Thassia and Bastoc exactly the same thing as what Kestil is saying Hraustrekr is doing right now? Basically letting other nations exhaust themselves in a war against powerful enemies so that he cane through after to sweep up the pieces?¡±
The others paused, thinking over Jadis¡¯ point. Eventually, A huffed and turned to face Jay.
¡°Possibly. But all Hraustrekr did with Thassia and Bastoc was put an end to an already ongoing conflict. You could argue that he took advantage of the situation, but most schrs I¡¯ve read have said that his actions were reasonable and hardly the work of a man power-hungry enough to let demons ughter innocents for the sake of some dream of conquest.¡±
¡°Yeah, but I bet those were all books written by imperial schrs,¡± Kerr said before heavily thumping down on top of Jay¡¯s stomach as she took a seat. ¡°Totally not biased or anything, right?¡±
Kerr¡¯s sarcasm was not lost on Jadis. That was a good point. Propaganda could have easily been used to reframe Hraustrekr¡¯s actions to be more benevolent than they actually were, especially since the invasion had happened four decades prior. No one in the room had even been alive at the time except for Tegwyn, and he certainly wasn¡¯t a source for imperial history. But there was one person who Jadis knew and trusted implicitly who was.
¡°Anyone know where Noll went?¡±
Chapter 336: Conspiracy Theory
Chapter 336: Conspiracy Theory
The rules that governed Jadis¡¯ confinement allowed her to leave the temple district during daylight hours, so long as she was under escort. Not the most draconian of restrictions, she supposed, but not exactly convenient, either. Having a couple of guards trailing her movements was something Jadis was used to, in all honesty. Vraekae had been having her watched for months back in Far Felsen. So what if it was people from the temple, rather than city guards?
As it turned out, Jadis had severely underestimated the nature of her escort.
¡°This is freaking embarrassing,¡± Syd growled in low tones as she made her way through the streets of Eldingholt.
¡°Yes, it is,¡± Kerr shot back, her own voice barely kept in check. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t my bonded lover be just a teensy, tiny bit less trouble? Because this shit right now is fucked.¡±
¡°Divine punishment for past deeds, I¡¯m sure,¡± A replied with her head held high as Kerr stuck her tongue out at her from behind. ¡°I think we need to turn left at this intersection.¡±
Jadis struggled not to look around her selves as she followed her redheaded lover down the street. Compared to her march through the city earlier that morning, there were significantly more people out and about since it was now well into the afternoon. Everywhere she looked there were dozens, if not hundreds, of people. And almost all of them were staring at her.
Jadis had never been bothered by crowds. Public speaking hadn¡¯t been an issue in school and while she¡¯d never actively sought to be the center of attention, she had always stayed calm and collected when she was put in the position of being arge group¡¯s focus. However, having hundreds of strangers staring at her everywhere she went did put a prickle of sweat between her shoulder des. That slight difort, something that under most circumstances she could easily push out of her mind, was amplified by the fact that twenty heavily armored guards were following close behind her and they were not being subtle about it.
Roy, the mboyantly handsome goblin pdin who led Lyssandria¡¯s pdin order, served as Jadis¡¯ escort while she walked the city streets. With twenty knights of the Lady¡¯s Grace temple order following behind in lockstep formation, there was no such thing as an unobtrusive walk about town for Jadis.
Not that Jadis was likely to get around the capital without being recognized everywhere she went anyway. She was literally three pale, giant women. There weren¡¯t many crowds she¡¯d be able to blend in with.
Even though it was embarrassing to have such a huge escort following her around everywhere she went, the one nice thing about having Roy and his knights in tow was the fact that no one tried to approach Jadis. While all eyes were on her, the heavily armed and armored knights served as a pretty solid deterrent to any of the people who might have otherwise approached Jadis and gotten in her way. She was on something of a time crunch and wouldn¡¯t have had the time to stop every few feet to greet everyone who looked like they wanted to approach her. Back in Far Felsen, Jadis had been a known figure and she had happily smiled and waved back at the various soldiers and merchants she passed by. She¡¯d even stopped to chat with some of the ones she had grown acquainted with. But here in the capital, there were far too many people to even think about having that kind of casual conversation with. Not unless she wanted to waste the whole day.
Then again, as Jadis eyed the expressions of the people she passed by, she wasn¡¯t sure many of them would have been happy to shoot the breeze with her. That could have been because of the rumors that were circting about her supposed cultist involvement. Or it could have had something to do with the Demon riding on her back.
Alex had listened when Jadis had insisted she stay put in the temple while she visited Kestil. It seemed one departure a day was her limit, though. When Jadis had set out to find Noll, Alex had refused to be left behind to the point that Jadis was certain that if she had tried to leave without her that Alex would have broken out of the temple in her attempt to follow. Rather than risk creating some kind of incident, she¡¯d let the bratty demon tag along, which meant Alex was happilytched onto Dys¡¯ back as they made their way through the city streets.
Jadis had a strong suspicion that Alex¡¯s presence alone was enough of a deterrent that no one would be willing to approach her, guards or no guards.
While the trek through Eldingholt was mildly embarrassing, it was at least unimpeded. The ce A led Jadis, Kerr, and Alex to was a well-respected inn located on the northern side of the city. The Silver Lute wasn¡¯t the most expensive ce in the capital, but it was certainly one of the finer establishments in the city. It was also the ce Noll had told A he¡¯d be staying while he was in town. Fortunately, it was only a twenty-minute walk away from the temple district.
Walking through therge doors of the Silver Lute, Jadis let out a small sigh. The lobby of the inn was warm, inviting, and most importantly, empty. While Roy followed her and herpanions into the building, the twenty knights remained outside. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if she could have handled having that many guards riding her ass the whole time, so their momentary absence was a relief.
Once inside, A quickly went over to the wide-eyed receptionist and asked her if Noll was avable. Of course, there was always the possibility that the mercenary was out doing his own thing and if that had been the case, Jadis would have just left him a message telling him toe by the temple when he got back. However, luck was on their side and the woman attending the counter pointed them to therge bar and dining area that was attached to the main inn.
Thanking the obviously flustered woman, they wasted no time in making their way over to the bar where they found the old wolf sitting at a small table by himself. Seeing theming, Noll stood without a word and moved to arger table that could amodate them all. Thankfully, Roy didn¡¯t try to join them and instead made his way over to the bar where he hopped up onto a seat and immediately began hitting on the attractive elven bartender.
¡°I told you I¡¯d work on finding you some prospective members,¡± Noll said gruffly as Jadis moved some seats out of the way so her three bodies could sit on the floor. ¡°But I don¡¯t work that fast.¡±
¡°I know, and thank you,¡± Jay said as she shot the old man a grin. ¡°I¡¯m not here for that, though.¡±
¡°We need some information and we thought you were the person most likely to be able to help,¡± A said as sheced her fingers together before resting her hands on the table before her. ¡°You¡¯re originally from Bastoc, yes?¡±
Noll¡¯s yellow eyes narrowed as he considered A¡¯s question. Without revealing much of anything, he inclined his head.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Were you in Bastoc when Hraustrekr annexed the city?¡±
Jadis could sense more than see the hackles rise on Noll¡¯s back at A¡¯s second question.
¡°Why?¡±
The growl in Noll¡¯s single word made it clear that this was not a line of discussion the old mercenary was interested in continuing. Even A¡¯s perpetually cool demeanor cracked slightly as her eyes flicked between the dark-furred therion and the others sitting at the table.
¡°Because I want to know what really happened,¡± Dys said, pulling Noll¡¯s attention to her and rescuing A from his glower. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the summary from what others have read in the history books. I want to know what went down from someone who was actually there. If that¡¯s not a story you want to tell, that¡¯s fine. Point me to someone who you think wants to talk and I¡¯ll get the info from them.¡±
Noll¡¯s sour mood didn¡¯t outwardly improve, but his low, rumbling growl quieted. Jadis waited patiently as Noll sat silently in his seat,ing to his own decision in his own way. He wasn¡¯t a talkative man at the best of times, so Jadis knew that this topic wouldn¡¯t be an easy one for the merc to discuss. After a long and tense minute, Noll raised his wed hand and got the attention of one of the waiters that was attending the scant few other patrons in the dining hall.
¡°A round of calvados,¡± he told the man before putting a few coins into the waiter¡¯s hand.
It took only a moment for the server to reappear with the requested drinks, which turned out to be some kind of strong brandy that smelled like apples. Once everyone had a drink, including one confused and curious Demon, Noll addressed Jadis¡¯ inquiry.
¡°I was there. What do you want to know.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Jay let out a small breath as she organized her thoughts. ¡°I want to know what exactly happened. By that I mean, did Hraustrekr do what he did because he thought he was helping? Or did he just take advantage of a bad situation? Or was it something else? I¡¯m trying to get an idea of how the guy operates.¡±
Noll snorted derisively before taking a sip from his ss, which was quite a feat considering his canine muzzle.
¡°How am I supposed to know what that milksop was thinking? I was just some dumb kid back then, not much older than you pups. I wasn¡¯t any confidant of my own king, much less a foreign prince. He came, he conquered, that¡¯s the end.¡±
¡°So he did conquer Bastoc,¡± Jay pressed. ¡°I mean, he purposefully took over, right?¡±
¡°Of course he did,¡± Noll growled. ¡°You don¡¯t identally execute a whole royal family, much less two of them.¡±
¡°What?¡± A eximed, sitting up even straighter. ¡°What do you mean? The kings of Bastoc and Thassia both died in battle, as did their sons.¡±
¡°Yes, they did,¡± Noll nodded as he met her gaze. ¡°And isn¡¯t that convenient that all the fighting men on both sides would die in battle. How unfortunate for their wives. And what of their wives and daughters? What happened to them? The children too young for their first ss? What do you think happened to them?¡±
A¡¯s expression turned doubtful as she nced towards Jay. The bitterness in Noll¡¯s sarcastic questions couldn¡¯t be missed and was clearly making A ufortable.
¡°I read that they were imprisoned briefly beforeter being released after both families relinquished their rights to the throne.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Noll curled his lip to reveal his sharp canines. ¡°And that¡¯s why you¡¯ve never heard of them since.¡±
¡°Well, I can¡¯t say that I¡¯ve paid much attention to the whereabouts of abdicated royalty.¡± A said as she shifted awkwardly in her chair as Noll¡¯s sharp gaze scrutinized her.
¡°You¡¯re saying that Hraustrekr had them killed?¡± Jay redirected the conversation so that Noll would look at her. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Lineage,¡± Kerr answered for Noll after gulping down half the ss of brandy. ¡°It¡¯s not a new story. If you¡¯re going to be taking over a country, you don¡¯t want any whelps born from the previous management¡¯s loins to show up and make ims to the throne. Pretty inconvenient to have the family of someone you killed show up and demand vengeance.¡±
Noll grunted in agreement before turning his attention back to Jay.
¡°Hraustrekr came to Bastoc with promises of aid and thinly veiled threats of violence if that aid was not epted. He moved his armies into our city so that the war with Thassia could be ended quickly, but once the fighting was done his armies never left.¡±
Noll¡¯s version of events was an unhappy one, but not particrly shocking. Jadis hadn¡¯t grown up in the environment, but she was no stranger to the idea of conquest and cutting off family lines so that new rulers could take control. She¡¯d paid attention in history ss back on Earth. What was being described wasn¡¯t oundish at all and it did support the idea that Hraustrekr would take advantage of weakness in other nations to gain power for himself. But as harsh as Hraustrekr might have been with Thassia and Bastoc¡¯s royal families, that didn¡¯t mean that he had purposefully manipted events to his favor.
Though, it didn¡¯t mean he hadn¡¯t, either.
¡°Do you think the war between Bastoc and Thassia happened because of Hraustrekr?¡± Jay asked bluntly.
Noll¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change much; the man had an impressive poker face. But he did pause long enough that Jadis could tell he was thinking over her question with a great deal of care.
¡°Maybe,¡± he finally answered. ¡°But not likely. We were always on bad terms with Thassia. Wouldn¡¯t take much to set either side off, but I doubt it was Hraustrekr. Faithstone Vige. That was Hraustrekr.¡±
¡°Faithstone Vige?¡± Jay asked. ¡°Was that the ce where the fighting spilled over the border?¡±
Noll snorted in disgust. Finishing off what remained of his drink, he put the ss down with a loud thunk before pointing a wed finger at Jay.
¡°Faithstone Vige had no strategic value. Just some middle-of-nowhere vige on a border river with less than a hundred people to its name and barely a palisade in ce. It had been built less than five years before and it wasn¡¯t even on the regr merchant circuit. Why would Bastoc or Thassia bother with it?¡±
¡°Are you saying the vige was never attacked?¡± A questioned with a frown. ¡°That it was just a lie, an excuse to get involved?¡±
¡°No,¡± Kerr growled as she leaned back in her chair, a disgusted look on her face. ¡°He¡¯s saying it was setup. He¡¯s saying Hraustrekr destroyed Faithstone and killed all the people there himself to have the excuse.¡±
Silently, Noll leaned back in his own chair and nodded at Kerr, marking his agreement with her conclusion.
¡°Do you have any evidence to support that im?¡± Jay pressed.
She felt like she was arguing against a hard-rooted belief, which wasn¡¯t her goal. But conspiracy theories could only fly so far. Facts were what would make the difference in her future decisions.
¡°No,¡± Noll shook his head, much to Jadis¡¯ disappointment. ¡°But I was a soldier in Bastoc. I fought on the western border. My brother was a captain, as was my mother and my uncle. Most of my family were in the army. Not one of us knew of a singlepany of soldiers that were stationed anywhere near Faithstone Vige when it was massacred. After the war, I met many warriors from Thassia. Not one of them ever told me they had been to Faithstone or knew of anyone who had been.
¡°Maybe shame would keep their teeth locked,¡± the old wolf growled. ¡°Maybe all who were involved are long dead. But in forty years I have never found one man who admitted to have been in battle at that damned border vige. Make of that what you will.¡±
With thosest words, Noll stood from his chair and stalked away from the table to head up the stairs of the inn. Jadis didn¡¯t try to stop him. The man had said more than he usually ever did about anything, and the conversation had clearly pained him with old wounds. Considering how much he obviously hated the first prince, Jadis had to wonder why Noll even worked as a mercenary inside the empire and not for other nations. But that was a question she¡¯d have to ask another time, after the old wolf had had time to cool.
Eyes meeting her A and Kerr¡¯s, Jadis shared the same silent thoughts with her two lovers. Whether or not Hraustrekr had purposefully orchestrated the war between Bastoc and Thassia or the destruction of an entire vige and all the people within, what had be clear was that the first prince was a man more than willing to take advantage of bad situations for his own benefit. Kestil¡¯s usations were looking less farfetched by the second.
The unspokenmunication between the three of them was broken when a mist of bourbon sprayed across the table from Alex¡¯s mouth. While they had been focused elsewhere, Alex had gulped the whole ss and had apparently had a negative reaction to the taste.
Alex had her foot-long blue tongue hanging out of her mouth as she used her hands to animatedly wipe the calvados off if it. As Jadis and A stared at the Demon, Kerrughed and put an arm around her shoulder.
¡°That¡¯s alright squid girl,¡± Kerr reassured the Demon with a grin. ¡°Nobody likes this shit right away. Going to have to work you up to the good stuff. Waiter! Going to need a round of ale over here!¡±
Chapter 337: Mate
Chapter 337: Mate
Kerr¡¯s attempts at getting Alex drunk met with a surprising amount of sess. Considering the Demon didn¡¯t need to eat or drink, Jadis had assumed that Alex wouldn¡¯t be susceptible to alcohol, but it turned out that assumption was incorrect. She may not have needed to consume anything to survive, but Alex¡¯s human-like body was still capable of digestion and alcoholic libations could still affect her once imbibed. The vast majority of the drinks that Kerr ordered for the demte were soundly rejected for ¡°tasting bad¡± but once Kerr cottoned on to Alex¡¯s interest in sweet-tasting things, she ordered a few varieties of mead and that was the end.
Carrying an inebriated Demon through the streets of Eldingholt was an interesting experience, one made more so by the fact that Jadis felt fairly flushed herself. All of those drinks that Alex had rejected had to be consumed lest they be wasted, after all. Kerr had done most of the heavy lifting in that department, but Jadis had spread a good number of drinks out between her three bodies just to make sure Kerr didn¡¯t end up drinking herself under the table. Again.
Just to make things easier walking back to the temple, Jadis used her Mirrored Body¡¯s Shifting Reflection skill to transfer the effects of the alcohol from her Jay body to her other two selves. She hadn¡¯t been sure that would work, but she was pleasantly surprised to find that inebriation counted as an ¡°injury¡± for the skill and could be shifted around between her bodies. It was also interesting to experience being drunk from two perspectives while her third self remained sober.
The sun was nearing the horizon by the time Jadis and herpanions got back to the temple district. Once inside Lyssandria¡¯s temple, she did her best to avoid getting tangled up with the many priestesses who instantly tried to cater to her in increasingly personal ways. Once she made it back to her suite of rooms, she suffered the incredibly awkward experience of teaching Alex how to use a bathroom. Fortunately, while that pressing need was being addressed by two of her selves, she was able to discuss the information she¡¯d gotten from Noll with her third body.
There was a great deal of back and forth on the implications of what they¡¯d learned, and the discussion was drawn out somewhat by Kerr being far from sober, but the eventual conclusion they all agreed on was to go along with Prince Kestil¡¯s n for the time being. While the veracity of Noll¡¯s im that Prince Hraustrekr had massacred imperial citizens just so he could get involved in a foreign war couldn¡¯t be confirmed, Jadis trusted the old merc¡¯s opinion enough to believe that it was possible. Since she didn¡¯t have much else to go on, it seemed like agreeing to Kestil¡¯s request was the safest option she had open to her. She¡¯d already beenbeled an enemy by Hraustrekr, so getting on a second prince¡¯s bad side felt like a poor decision. There was always the option of trying to approach the First Prince and talking things out, but considering how he¡¯d acted so far, Jadis didn¡¯t have much interest in being diplomatic with the man. Especially since he was looking more and more like the kind of guy who would sacrifice hundreds or more innocent people to get what he wanted. That kind of thinking just wasn¡¯tpatible with Jadis.
With a decision made, Jadis asked for Eir¡¯s help and together theyposed a short letter that was phrased in as polite and as obscurenguage as possible to let Kestil know that she agreed to his n. After passing the letter along to a priestess who waited outside of her chamber doors so that it could be sent to the royal pce, Jadis chose to skip dinner and turn in for the night. With all the alcohol in her system and how little rest she¡¯d gotten the night before, she wanted sleep more than anything else.
Since there were extra bedrooms connected to the suite, Sorcha imed one for her own while Jadis settled the still inebriated Alex in another. She didn¡¯t have to worry about Tegwyn, since he chose to stay in the Villthyrial temple. There were enough beds otherwise avable in the suite that everyone could have one to themselves, but that was ultimately not a necessity.
Stripped down naked, Jadis luxuriated in the soft, silken bed sheets. The huge bed was just as soft as it had looked and plenty wide enough that all three of her bodies could stretch out on top of it. That meant, of course, that all of her lovers could join her on the bed as well, which they did without any hesitation.
As Jay wrapped her arms around A from behind, bing an overlyrge spoon against her back, she buried her nose against the top of her girlfriend¡¯s head and breathed in deep. With no further need to remain sober, Jadis had let the alcohol¡¯s influence spread evenly between her three bodies and was feeling quite mellow as the buzz tingled inside her. With her eyes closed, she simply ran one hand up and down A¡¯s bare stomach, not seeking to prompt any kind of sexual response, just enjoying the feel of her lover¡¯s body.
While Jadis herself wasn¡¯t looking to start anything, others in the bed had different ideas.
¡°You know, we, hm, we need to redo our bond, Jay-Dys,¡± Kerr said, her speech slightly slurred as she over-pronounced Jadis¡¯ name. ¡°I¡¯ve been very patient and I don¡¯t want to go another night without it.¡±
Dys opened one eye to gaze up at Kerr. Dys had wound up in the middle of the bed, stretched out with her arms behind her head. Jay was to her right, curled up with A in her clutches, while her Syd self was syed out cattycornered so that one leg was tossed over Dys¡¯ and her head was practically hanging over the edge of the bed. Kerr was standing over top of Dys, one foot on either side of her abdomen, with her fists resting on her hips in a mock-stance of outrage. The pose was obviously not being done seriously, the fact evident since Kerr waspletely naked and her gray tail was wagging back and forth behind her.
¡°I¡¯m not sure I have it in me right now to do a full bonding ritual marathon,¡± Dys informed her therion lover as she opened her other eye to fully meet her smirking gaze. ¡°I¡¯m really worn out right now, plus I¡¯m kind of drunk.¡±
Kerr seemed to think about that information for a moment, her face turning skyward in an overly exaggerated way. After a few seconds she dramatically sighed and turned her lecherous gaze back down onto Dys.
¡°That¡¯s fair, I suppose. But you still have enough cum in you for a few good fucks before bed, right?¡±
ncing around, Jadis saw that Kerr wasn¡¯t the only one invested in the answer to the question. Eir was sitting demurely on the edge of the bed, but her purple eyes were locked onto her Syd self with a smoldering passion that Jadis could practically feel. Both Thea and Sabina were sitting further back, wearing nothing but their undershirts, and looked like they were trying to be inconspicuous while sending longing nces towards Jadis¡¯ bodies, particrly the lower halves. Meanwhile, Bridget hadid down on her front, her arms folded on top of Syd¡¯s stomach as her feet slowly kicked in the air behind her. When Syd raised her head to look at her, she smiled a toothy grin and gave her a small wave.
Even A, sofortably curled up in Jay¡¯s embrace, had snaked one hand down to lovingly stroke the base of her cock.
¡°Always,¡± Dys answered with absolute certainty.
Without missing a beat, Dys grabbed hold of Kerr¡¯s ankles and pulled her forward, yanking her horned lover so that she lost bnce and fell hard on her ass on top of Dys¡¯ belly. Laughing uproariously, Kerr iled wildly as Dys dragged her up before settling her on top of her face. Theughter soon transformed to moans interspersed with a few giggles as Dys applied her lips and tongue to Kerr¡¯s wet pussy. The taste of her therion mate was something Jadis had longed for and the first long and loving lick she gave Kerr prompted a moan from Syd¡¯s own throat.
Her mate. Yes, that was what Kerr was, Jadis realized as she continued tovish her lover¡¯s delicious pink slit with attention. Kerr was her mate. Just as A and Eir and Thea were hers. Sabina and Bridget were hers, too. Jadis wanted them, and she knew without a doubt they wanted her back. They were her mates, and she wanted them to know it.
¡°I¡¯m turning off my skill,¡± Dys said as she briefly pulled her mouth away from Kerr.
¡°Huh?¡± was all Kerr could manage in response as she lewdly ground her cunt against Dys¡¯ face.
¡°I¡¯m turning off my potency restriction,¡± Dys rified again as she growled out a moan.
The second time around Kerr caught on. With a grin, she ground down even harder against Dys¡¯ lips as she arched her back.
¡°Yes¡¡± she hissed, her eyes rolling back in pleasure. ¡°Fuck us all-natural. Pump us full. We want it. I want it! I want your cum in me so fucking bad. I¡¯ll breed you so many pups, you¡¯ll need a hundred wetnurses to feed them all! Fuck!¡±
Kerr must have been on a hair trigger, either from the booze, or from the long wait since thest time Jadis had touched her. That, or the talk of breeding was really getting the archer off since she came then and there, her sweet nectar flooding Dys¡¯ tongue.
Dys held Kerr¡¯s hips firmly in ce as she squirmed on top of her, not nearly done enjoying her mate¡¯s taste. She kept going long after Kerr hade down from her peak, long enough that she rose to a second peak and shuddered in climax again. As Kerr¡¯s wed hands dug into Dys¡¯ white hair, Jadis savored the feelings of ecstasy and love flowing around her bodies.
Thea and Sabina had both moved up and taken a stop on either side of Dys¡¯ cock. The two women were stroking, licking, and kissing her shaft, each in their own unique way. Sabina moved fast and firm, her tongue going up and down Dys¡¯ length in long strokes while her hands firmly stroked and squeezed the base. Thea, on the other hands, licked and kissed shyly around the crown of her cock, asionally swiping her small pink tongue over the tip to gather the precum into her mouth.
Bridget had crawled forward to kiss Syd and their two tongues were engaged in a furious battle. Their hands roamed each other¡¯s bodies, groping and fondling every exposed inch of skin that they could reach. As Syd cupped and squeezed her orc warrior¡¯s heavy breasts, she felt small hands grip her cock and bend it upward so that the tip was pressed against the entrance to Bridget¡¯s hot core. A wet kiss was pressed against the underside of her shaft as her cockhead was used to firmly stroke the lips of Bridget¡¯s pussy, just barely teasing entrance.
Bridget broke away from Syd¡¯s lips with a gasp, followed by a low moan. Sitting up slighting and looking over the orc¡¯s shoulder, she saw that Eir was kneeling between both their legs, her hands stroking Syd¡¯s cock with her face was buried between Bridget¡¯s ass cheeks. She pulled back slightly to look up at Syd with half-lidded eyes, her breathing ragged and quick. With her red skin and sultry smile, she never looked more like a wicked subus.
¡°Take her first,¡± Eir whispered as she pressed Syd¡¯s cock deeper into Bridget. ¡°Fill her with your seed. I can wait. I know you have more than enough to fill me, too.¡±
Shifting her gaze from Eir to Bridget, Syd asked her a question with her eyes. Without saying a word, Bridget bit her lip, then nodded, her expression filled with lust and longing.
That was all the permission Jadis needed.
Taking hold of Bridget¡¯s waist, Syd inexorably pulled her orc mate down the length of her cock, not stopping until she was fully hilted inside of her. As she was pulled down, Bridget let out a low, keening moan that rose in pitch until it was practically a scream once she was all the way down. Once she was as deep inside her lover as she could go, Syd rolled forward so that Bridget was on her back. Reaching over to take hold of her disced elven mate, she set her lewd priestess down on top of Bridget.
¡°I¡¯ll fuck you both,¡± Syd huffed as she began thrusting her hips against Bridget. ¡°And we¡¯ll see who gets my seed first.¡±
Bridget wrapped her arms around Eir¡¯s body, holding the smaller woman in ce as Syd rammed her cock into the orc for another few thrusts before pulling out entirely and shoving her slick shaft into Eir¡¯s dripping core. The elf let out a yelp at the sudden fullness, but her yelp quickly transitioned into licentious moans that sent thrills up Syd¡¯s spine.
¡°How do you want me to fuck you?¡± Jay whispered into A¡¯s ear as her other selves had their ways with her other lovers.
¡°I¡¯m happy just like this,¡± A sighed contentedly.
Jay¡¯s cock was trapped between A¡¯s thighs, her slick heat rubbing across the lower half of her length. They were both still on their sides, facing away from the others as Jay spooned her first girlfriend. Her first lover. Her first mate. Jay grinned at the thought as tweaked A¡¯s left nipple with one hand with her other gently rubbed at the nub between her legs.
¡°I love you,¡± Jay told her. ¡°I¡¯ll always love you.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll always love you, too,¡± A said back as she turned her head to kiss Jay¡¯s arm, that being all she could reach.
Putting her left hand under A¡¯s knees, Jay raised her mate¡¯s long legs so they were tucked up against her chest. Shifting her shaft around, Jay slid her cock into A¡¯s depths, relishing the warm embrace of lover¡¯s sweet pussy. The position enhanced the tightness, making A¡¯s tunnel almost too tight to move. Not that Jay needed to move much. She gently, almost sedately pumped her hips against her lover¡¯s backside, slowly working both of them up towards their peaks.
Long before Jay and A neared their climaxes, Kerr had crawled off of Dys and switched ces with Thea. With slow,nguid movements shepped at her quiet lover¡¯s pussy, sometimes stopped to suck on her clit, other times shoving her tongue as deep inside of her tunnel as she could go. The whole time Thea stared down at her, eyes locked with Dys¡¯ as she watched her work. Jadis had no doubt she was getting off on the sight as much as she was the sensation, so she made sure to show just how much she was enjoying eating out her cute girlfriend with every lick and moan.
Another hupping moan caught Jadis¡¯ attention and it took her a moment to realize that it wasing from Sabina. When Syd nced over, she saw that Kerr wasn¡¯t just sucking on Dys¡¯ cock; of course she couldn¡¯t do only that. She had enveloped Sabina in her embrace from behind, pressing her breasts against her back as the two womenvished her straining member with their tongues. One hand was working between Sabina¡¯s legs, making the easily excitable smith shudder and groan in pleasure.
The sight was so erotic that Syd couldn¡¯t hold herself back anymore. She felt the ball of tension in her lower belly clench as her orgasm came unexpectedly fast. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was just the fact that she hadn¡¯t been with her lovers in far, far too long. Whatever the reason, her cock swelled as she orgasmed, firing rope after sticky rope of virile seed into in the tight core she happened to be buried in at the moment.
It was Bridget who ended up being the first recipient, and she shuddered in obvious pleasure as Syd¡¯s sudden climax set off her own. Her strong arms squeezed her Eir tightly, causing the priestess to gasp in recognition of the moment. As Syd looked down at the two beautiful women, both so very different in appearance but both so utterly gorgeous, that she almost lost all sense of what she was doing. Fortunately, she managed to retain enough wherewithal to use her long fingers on Eir¡¯s sopping pussy so that she wasn¡¯t left behind. Bridget even slipped a hand down to rub at the priestess¡¯ clit, helping to bring Eir to her own climax a few momentster.
Even under normal circumstances it was hard for Jadis to control her three selves from all climaxing if one of them did. As she was at that moment, she didn¡¯t stand a chance.
Jay¡¯s cock throbbed as she poured her seed into A¡¯s core, filling her womb with what felt like a liter of cum. A did not orgasm in the same moment, but even as Jay pumped her load deep into her redheaded mate, she made sure to stroke and rub her sex, ensuring that A was only moments behind.
Dys¡¯ turgid cock shook as she came, a lewd fountain of pearly white seed painting both Kerr and Sabina. The sticky substance coated their faces, dripping down their hair and across their brows, long strands dangling down onto their heaving chests. As Dys covered them in her cum, Thea leaned back to look over her shoulder at the growing mess of debauchery, the sight triggering her own orgasm as her pussy soaked Dys¡¯ face with her juices.
The group of them took a minute or two to finish their respective orgasms, some havinge after others. Eventually they all came down from their collective highs and the room was silent except for the sound of their heavy breathing.
¡°Ah, you wasted it,¡± Kerr mewled as she gave Dys¡¯ dick a sloppy kiss on the tip. ¡°That¡¯s okay, there¡¯s always more where that came from.¡±
¡°Nothing wasted here,¡± Bridget heaved a contented smile as she continued to hug Eir tightly against her chest.
¡°Nothing indeed,¡± Eir agreed with a beneficent smile as she turned her head to give the orc woman a kiss on the cheek. ¡°I do wonder if that was truly enough to¡ªoh my!¡±
Eir¡¯s words were cut off by her own exmation as her gaze flickered to the foot of the bed. Looking up to see what had startled her, Syd locked eyes with three neon blue ones.
Alex knelt on the floor, both sets of hands resting on the edge of the bed as her tentacles slowly waved behind her in a halo of ck and blue. Her expression was strange, a mix of attempted emotions that Jadis couldn¡¯t quite interpret. She stayed there, not reaching out, but her whole self intent upon Jadis and her lovers.
¡°Please¡¡± Alex pleaded, the inflection in her tone so strained that it made Jadis¡¯ heart beat faster.
Jadis wasn¡¯t wholly sure what to do. Her mind had already been a bit jumbled from the light buzz of alcohol and the post-climax rity was not kicking in. A haze of lust had suffused her brain and, in that moment, she only saw a beautiful woman who loved her asking to be loved. She wanted to reach out to her, to invite Alex in. But she wouldn¡¯t do so, not unless the rest of her lovers were in agreement. Her mates were too important to her to not take their feelings into ount.
While Jadis was momentarily paralyzed with indecision, Kerr released her hold on Sabina and turned around on her knees to full face Alex. She swayed a bit, her bnce somewhat impaired, and a string of Dys¡¯ cum that had gotten onto her right horn dripped down across her face. Her tongue flicked out and took the rope of sweet seed in before she smacked her lips and gave Alex a considering look.
¡°I guess just a taste to start wouldn¡¯t be all that bad.¡±
With that mystifying pronouncement, Kerr took hold of Sabina¡¯s chin with one hand and casually licked her from across her nose, from one cheek to the other, scooping up a mouthful of cum and making the half-elf squeak in the process.
Knee walking across the bed, Kerr came to a stop directly in front of the waiting Demon. Alex had gonepletely still, not even her many tentacles making a move. With one hand, she mirrored her movements with Sabina and tilted Alex¡¯s head up and back while she brought her own face closer.
At Kerr¡¯s prompting, Alex slowly opened her mouth, her shockingly long blue tongue sliding out. With her gaze focused on the Demon, Kerr opened her mouth and let the cum she had collected slip out, filling Alex¡¯s mouth with Dys¡¯ seed.
Syd had a perfect side view as she watched a shudder travel through Alex¡¯s body. Her eyes closed and her tentacles curled in a sign of pure bliss as she epted Kerr¡¯s gift and held the sweet seed in her mouth. Once all of it had been transferred, Kerr gently shut the Demon¡¯s mouth with one finger before nting a kiss on Alex¡¯s nose.
¡°Hope you like it,¡± Kerr purred in the most erotic way she¡¯d ever spoken.
Alex took a moment to respond, her tongue moving around inside her mouth for a long minute before an audible gulp could be heard. When she answered Kerr, her voice was pitched in a perfect imitation of the archer¡¯s sultry tone.
¡°Yes¡¡±
Chapter 338: POV Demon
Chapter 338: POV Demon
Jadis tasted good.
Alex had known that already. Jadis was one of the earliest tastes she had ever felt. Her sweetness was as known to Alex as her own taste was. But that taste had always been on the wind. When Jadis had sex, her taste would fill the air and Alex would bathe her tentacles in the vor. What Kerr had given her was more. Much more.
Alex understood why Jadis and the others who worshipped her ate things now. They did so because the strange liquids were crude imitations of Jadis¡¯ seed. They sought more of her taste and could not always have it. They could not always have Jadis so they reced it with other things to fill the emptiness. Alex understood. Now that she had taken Jadis¡¯ seed within her mouth, she never wanted to be without it again.
Love.
Longing.
Lust.
There was another vor mixed with Jadis¡¯ sweetness. The taste was of Kerr, which made sense. Kerr had given her Jadis¡¯ seed from her own mouth, a sign of trust that Alex respected her for. It was not a bad taste. Kerr¡¯s vor was of trees and snow. But it was not Jadis¡¯ vor.
Alex wanted to taste Jadis from the source.
Jadis was speaking words. The others were speaking words as well. Alex had not noticed; she had been too focused on the taste of Jadis to pay attention. What were they saying with their strange noises? She wasn¡¯t sure. She was still distracted.
Some of Jadis¡¯ seed was on Kerr¡¯s body. A long, thick strand dripped down the front of Kerr¡¯s chest, across the right-side lump of fat that Alex had learned was called a breast. Though, she wasn¡¯t sure. Sometimes they were tits. Or boobs. Once she had heard Kerr call the breasts on Bridget¡¯s chest ¡°teats¡± but the worshipper had gotten angry at Kerr, so that could not be the right word. Whatever the right word was, Jadis¡¯ essence was hanging directly in front of Alex, mere inches away.
Temptation.
Kerr had not given Alex that dangling seed. She gave her the seed from her mouth, but not the rest. But that did not mean Alex could not have more. Alex had seen the others use their mouth tentacles on each other many times to take Jadis¡¯ seed into them. That was done freely between them. Since Kerr had given Alex the seed Jadis had given her, did that not mean that she had been invited to take as she liked, just as the others did?
Hope.
Cautiously, Alex reached out with one of her smaller tentacles, one that grew from her back that was thin and long. With as light a touch as she could manage, she used her tentacle to collect the strand of sweet seed. When she came away from Kerr¡¯s skin, she had the slick and sticky substance wrapped around the tentacle.
Sess!
For some reason, Alex could feel all the organs inside of her body tighten and squeeze. She had to think what the word was for the feeling. She wasn¡¯t sure, but anticipation seemed like the right sound.
Before Alex could bring the precious Jadis essence to her mouth, Kerr moved with great speed and snapped her lips around the tip of her tentacle. Alex went still as she felt Kerr¡¯s sharp teeth lightly hold her appendage in ce as her mouth tentacle circled around the tip. A shiver went through Alex at the feeling, involuntary but pleasant. It was a good touch, one that made Alex long for more. Then Kerr pulled away and Alex was left with the realization that all of Jadis¡¯ seed had been licked clean from her tentacle.
Frustration.
¡°Not so fast, you sexy Demondy, you. If you want more of Jadis¡¯ cum, you¡¯ll have to earn it.¡±
Alex did not understand all of what Kerr had said. She thought she understood the intention. The suggestion in Kerr¡¯s words filled Alex with hope. Her gaze shifted so that she could look at Jadis.
One of Jadis¡¯ bodies was kneeling in the center of the bed, the other parts of her self off to the sides with the rest of her worshippers. Jadis was without any of the useless cloth that often covered her skin. She was beautiful. Perfection. True sweetness that filled Alex with feelings that were stronger than anything the awful Urge could muster.
¡°Come here,¡± Jadis beckoned and Alex went forward without thought.
When she stopped before Jadis, mere inches away from the divine, Alex had to struggle not to envelope her in her hold. She knew it would not be right to take the first step. But she did not have to wait long.
¡°She doesn¡¯t need to earn anything,¡± Jadis spoke to Kerr, a look on her face that Alex believed meant she was amused. ¡°If anything, Alex deserves a reward.¡±
Jadis¡¯ face neared Alex and for a moment she did not understand the intention. Then she realized and without hesitation she closed her eyes and leaned into the press of her love¡¯s kiss.
This was not the first. Alex had stolen a kiss from Jadis¡¯ lips while she had slept. Alex knew that was wrong, now. Theft. Permission. Consent. Taking without asking was wrong. No matter how sweet the taste, it was only the brutish and cruel who took without consent. Alex could not bring herself to regret kissing Jadis on that night. But she would not make the same mistake twice.
She was happy she had waited.
Joy.
Delight.
Bliss.
Jadis¡¯ kiss was so, so, so much more when it was given. The soft yet firm pressure that tickled Alex¡¯s lips. The warmth that filled her chest and spread out to the tip of every limb. The taste of muted sweetness that promised more was toe. The tingle that grew both in Alex¡¯s head and between her legs.
Jadis¡¯ mouth tentacle¡ªno, the word was tongue¡ªpushed against Alex¡¯ lips. Without thinking Alex opened and epted her lover¡¯s question, inviting her inside without reservation. The feeling was ecstasy. Alex understood in that moment why Jadis¡¯ worshippers made the strange noises that they made when she touched them. It was as involuntary as her tentacles curling about Jadis¡¯ body in ecstatic bliss. It was electricity. Pure pleasure.
Perfection.
Jadis pulled away from Alex far too soon. Forever would have been too soon. Alex hoped Jadis felt the same way. But still, Jadis pulled away. With gentle firmness she guided Alex so that shey on her back, her head resting on the pillows by the wall. She hovered over her, cing more kisses on her face and neck, each one leaving behind fire on Alex¡¯s skin.
¡°I want us to be more,¡± Jadis said as her teeth nipped along edge of Alex¡¯s jaw. ¡°I know you want more, too. But for now, let¡¯s take this forward one more step tonight, and we¡¯ll see how we all feel in the morning. Okay?¡±
Jadis had asked Alex a question. Irrelevant. Jadis was finally touching her the way Alex wanted to be touched, finally showing her the love that Alex felt for her. It was perfect. No need for silly words. Just action.
But when Alex did not answer, Jadis pulled away. Her strange yet beautiful eyes looked down at her with expectation.
Alex pulled on Jadis, her tentacles sliding across her pale flesh. She did not have the strength to physically move her. If Jadis did not wish to move, she would not. But Alex wanted Jadis to know that she wanted her. That she wanted to be with her in all the same ways as her other worshippers.
Always.
Jadis did not move. She waited. Patiently. Like a Thea. Like a smart Demon. So Alex had to stop and think about the words Jadis had used and what they might mean. She thought she understood, but the noises were always moreplicated than they seemed with second, third, and fourth meanings hidden within.
¡°What¡ Means¡ One¡ Step¡?¡±
Jadis smiled, her expression pleased. Alex glowed with the knowledge that she had been understood and Jadis was happy with her.
¡°I want to use my mouth to pleasure you,¡± Jadis exined, speaking in a soft tone she reserved only for those whom she loved. ¡°Only my mouth. Can we start there? Are you okay with that?¡±
Excitement.
Disappointment.
Confusion.
Jadis would not have sex with her. She wanted to give Alex pleasure, but she would not give Alex her seed.
Alex felt¡plicated.
She wanted Jadis to love her. Any way that Jadis chose to do so would be wonderful. But Alex could not trick herself into thinking she did not want more. The others received Jadis¡¯ seed. Her cum. Her essence. Why not Alex?
But Jadis had said One Step. One step implied there would be another. Or there could be another. The second step was in question. That meant Jadis was not certain if she would want to take a second step with Alex. Which meant this was a test.
Alex did not know what the right answer would be to make Jadis love her the way she loved the others. Was there an answer? Was there anything she could do to change who Jadis was and what she chose to do?
That answer Alex knew.
¡°Yes¡¡± Alex spoke her answer to Jadis¡¯ question.
There was nothing Alex could do to change who Jadis was or alter what she would do. Jadis was Jadis. All Alex could do was hope that Jadis would see and understand her. Until then, she would take any fragment or crumb of affection Jadis might offer her.
Jadis gazed down at Alex for a long time after she gave her answer. Long enough that Alex began to think she had said the wrong word and failed whatever test she had been given. Then Jadis leaned forward and kissed Alex again, her touch filled with the tender love Alex had hoped for.
There were no more words. Only Jadis¡¯ lips, her tongue, her hands, and her perfect sweetness. Alex closed her eyes and savored the wonderful sensations of Jadis¡¯ touch running down her body. Every second of contact soothed Alex¡¯s fears and assured her that Jadis did care for her. That she did love her. That she wanted her body the way Alex wanted her body in return.
Then Jadis¡¯ lips found the ce between Alex¡¯s legs.
Shock.
A jolt ran through Alex as she halfway sat up, her eyes open wide to stare down at Jadis¡¯ face half hidden from where she was between her thighs. Alex had thought she knew what pleasure was. She had thought she understood why Jadis did what she did with her worshippers and why they did what they did with her and each other.
Alex had been wrong.
She had known nothing.
Alex realized that Jadis was no longer moving. She was waiting. Her expression was¡ concerned. She was worried. Worried for Alex. Jadis must have thought that Alex had not liked what Jadis had done to the lips between her legs. That was wrong.
She had to reassure Jadis. She had to let her know how right it had felt. How wonderful. How¡ everything it had been.
Alex¡¯srge tentacles coiled around Jadis and stroked her body, lovingly caressing her while encouraging her to continue. Using one of herrge hands, she stroked Jadis¡¯ head, ying with the hair there in the same way that Jadis yed with the tentacles on Alex¡¯s head.
For once, Jadis seemed to understand her intent without any issue.
Alex rolled back, closing her eyes once more in delighted contentment as Jadis pleasured her. The feelings were intense. Greater than anything she had expected. As wonderful as the sensations were, they were also strange and confusing. Alex couldn¡¯t understand why her chest heaved up and down, faster and faster as time passed. Why a tightness grew in her lower body. Why she felt like she should be doing something, anything, everything, and yet felt as though all she could do was bask in the feeling.
Jadis¡¯ tongue slipped up and down the outer portions of her flesh, flicking and teasing at the small bundle of nerves that was located at the apex of Alex¡¯s slit. Every time she touched there the tightness within her grew, and grew, and grew more. Jadis¡¯ tongue would slip inside, tasting the fluid that dripped from within Alex and the small noises she would make let Alex know that Jadis was pleased with what she tasted. That knowledge alone was enough to send Alex into paroxysms of delight.
Then Jadis wrapped her lips around the little nub and sucked on it the way Kerr had sucked on the tip of Alex¡¯s tentacle.
Something inside of Alex broke.
Alex did not know what happened. One moment, she had beenying back on the bed. The next moment, she was wrapped around Jadis. Her arms, her legs, her tentacles; every part of her was embracing Jadis in a tight grip that left almost nothing of her love¡¯s pale flesh exposed. As a hazy sense of rxation settled over her, Alex realized that the tension that had been building inside of her stomach was gone. With its disappearance, Alex¡¯s muscles felt weak and useless, but in a way that left her satisfied and happy.
Flopping back down onto the bed, Alex let her tentacles slide away from Jadis, all of her strength spent.
Jadis gently kissed her skin, sending shivers through Alex, though she had no more energy to react beyond the involuntary contractions. Pulling herself up Alex¡¯s body so that her face was next to hers, Jadis kissed her one more time before pulling her close so that her head rested against Jadis¡¯ chest.
As she lovingly petted the back of Alex¡¯s head, Jadis spoke two words. They were the best words Jadis had ever spoken.
¡°Good girl.¡±
Chapter 339: Duty Assignments
Chapter 339: Duty Assignments
When Jadis woke the next morning, she felt more rxed than she had in a long time. Was everything right in the world? No. Was everything right in her own little sphere of influence? Also no, she had to admit. But Jadis felt as though things had finally shifted in her favor. Her lovers were around her. She and everyone she cared for on Oros were as safe as they could be. There was a viable way forward through the morass of politics she¡¯d been dragged into that she could see and achieve. And better yet, she¡¯d finally been able to have some alone time with her lovers.
Letting out a contented sigh, Jay slowly opened her eyes. Doing so, her vision was filled with a trio of bright blue eyes set in an ink ck face only inches away from hers.
¡°Shit!¡± Jay yelped as she jerked back.
¡°Shit¡?¡± Alex asked curiously as she shuffled forward on the bed to put her face closer to Jay¡¯s again.
¡°Uh, no, no shit,¡± Jay said as she tried to calm her racing heart. ¡°Just, don¡¯t put your face so close to mine like that when I¡¯m waking up, okay? You surprised me.¡±
Jay had been sleeping on her stomach, head turned to the side. Her quick jerk of movement had jostled those who were bunched up around, waking them as well. She heard Kerr growl a protest as she buried her face into Jay¡¯s side.
¡°How long have you been lying there, staring at me?¡± Jay asked as she propped herself up on her elbows.
Alex didn¡¯t answer verbally, her only real movementing from one of herrge lower tentacles curling and uncurling around Jay¡¯s leg.
¡°All night, right?¡±
At Alex¡¯s nod, Jay let out an aggrieved sigh.
¡°We need to get you something to do when we¡¯re sleeping, Alex. You can¡¯t just stare at me. It¡¯s kind of creepy.¡±
Alex tilted her head to one side in a fair impression of a confused dog.
¡°Why¡?¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡¡± Jay trailed off, then shook her head. ¡°That¡¯splicated. Just trust me, it is. We¡¯ll figure something out. You¡¯re getting good at reading, maybe we can get you some simple books or the like.¡±
¡°Who¡¯s getting books?¡± A yawned as she sat up with a stretch. She had somehow ended up between Alex and Jadis¡¯ Syd self and was still as naked as she had beenst night. While her redheaded lover didn¡¯t have the biggest breasts, they looked mouthwatering when she arched her back. ¡°Good morning as well, I suppose. What time is¡ªJadis!¡±
Jay chuckled at A¡¯s small screech of surprise. Her mood had been too high to ignore the impulse, so she¡¯d leaned over and licked one of her mate¡¯s pert nipples. Shooting the offended arcanist a grin, Jay shrugged.
¡°No idea. And good morning to you, too.¡±
As A red in mock-rage at Jay while covering her breasts with one arm, Jadis had a thought. Looking down at Alex who was lying between them and giving them both an intense stare, she asked the Demon a question she thought she might understand.
¡°Alex, how many bells did you hear ringing most recently? The big bell sounds thate from outside?¡±
Alex considered her words for a moment before answering.
¡°Seven¡¡±
¡°Seven in the morning,¡± Jay told A with a smile before turning her attention back down to the Demon. ¡°Thank you, Alex. You¡¯re getting so good at understanding the imperialnguage.¡±
To punctuate herpliment, she gave Alex a kiss on the lips that the Demon eagerly responded to. With a passion that Jadis could hardly deny, Alex slipped her long tongue inside of Jay¡¯s mouth and began stroking and ying with a dexterity that no human could match. The feeling of the lusty demte¡¯s tongue was a huge turn-on for Jadis and she was eager to feel that strong and dexterous appendage elsewhere on her body. That hadn¡¯t happened yet, but maybe soon?
Jadis was d to take things somewhat slower with Alex than she had with the others. While Alex was clearly an adult by Demon standards ¨C she had to be since she had not just her primary, but her secondary sses ¨C she was also incredibly inexperienced. All of Jadis¡¯ other lovers had decades of life experience under their belts while Alex had only months. Jadis didn¡¯t want to overwhelm her. She didn¡¯t want to reject her feelings for her either, though. That had been why, with everyone else¡¯s agreement, she had brought Alex into the group.
There were still some reservations among the others, Jadis could tell. Not enough that they had blocked Alex¡¯s inclusion outright, but certainly there were some mixed feelings.
Some of those hesitations seemed to have been smoothed over by how Alex had behaved once she¡¯d been allowed to join them in bed. She hadn¡¯t acted rashly or without thought, she hadn¡¯t tried to take more when she was given a limit, and most importantly, she hadn¡¯t hurt anyone either by mistake or intention. Jadis knew there were still a lot of deep-rooted fears, ones based on very real concerns, floating around in the minds of her girls when it came to Alex. However, Jadis knew that those fears were ultimately unfounded since they came from experiences with Demons as a group, not Alex as an individual. The more time they spent with Alex, the more she knew they woulde to ept her as apanion.
¡°Are you two going to waste the whole morning kissing?¡±
A¡¯s question reminded Jadis that she¡¯d been sucking on Alex¡¯s tongue for quite a while by that point. Pulling back, she grinned at A and shrugged helplessly.
¡°Can you me me? She¡¯s actually really good at it.¡±
A rolled her eyes.
¡°I¡¯ll take your word on that¡ª¡±
¡°For now,¡± Jay said, prompting A to give her a look.
¡°For now,¡± she continued. ¡°But we do need to get up. We have things to do today and most of them can¡¯t be done in bed.¡±
Jadis liked the implicit promise in A¡¯s words. There would be one or two fun things to do in bedter. But for the moment, she was right. Jadis and the others couldn¡¯tze about. Not yet anyway.
As she and the others stared rolling out of bed, Jadis noticed an already fully dressed Sorcha wander out from the hallway that attached to the main chamber. The goblin woman eyed the group as they all variously began putting on their clothes, or in the case of Alex, resisted putting on clothing.
¡°So, did you all fuck the Demonst night?¡± the witch asked with a skeptical expression.
¡°Not all of us,¡± Sabina quickly exined as she jumped up and down in ce while pulling her pants on. The movement did wonderful things to her exposed breasts. ¡°Just Jadis. And even then it was only oral sex, except only Alex was on the receiving end, which I think was probably a good idea because shew as pretty stunned by what I think was probably her first ever orgasm, so it was probably a really intense experience. But now that Jadis tried it I¡¯m kind of curious too because Alex is way sexier when she¡¯s all hot and bothered than I expected and I¡¯m thinking that maybe her tentacles could be kind of fun. Actually, I just realized I¡¯m being rude because she¡¯s standing right there and I¡¯m talking about her like she¡¯s not listening and I¡¯m pretty sure she is so really, I should probably stop.¡±
Sorcha nodded,pletely unfazed by Sabina¡¯s verbal diarrhea. She¡¯d obviously grown used to the smith¡¯s habits.
¡°Uh huh. That sounds¡ well. That sounds like you, Sabby.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t fret so much,¡± Kerr said as she threw an arm around Sabina¡¯s shoulder and using the opportunity to surreptitiously cup the shorter woman¡¯s breast. ¡°Alex probably didn¡¯t understand half of that anyway. She¡¯s smart, but thenguage barrier thing means we can probably get away with talking shit about her to her face without her noticing for at least a few more months.¡±
Thement had clearly been intended as a joke, but Jadis still rolled her eyes at the insensitive nature of her crass lover. She thought Alex was doing extremely well with English. Or, Imperial. Whatever the spokennguage was. She was just about to make a retort when Alex turned her gaze on Kerr and Sabina.
¡°Alex¡ Will¡ Fuck¡ Sabina¡ If¡ Sabina¡ Desire¡¡±
Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at Alex. That had been the longest and mostplete sentence the Demon had uttered yet. And of course it had been about fucking.
¡°Kerr¡ Can¡ Go¡ Talk¡ Shit¡¡±
While the stunned silence continued for almost everyone, a sudden maniacalughter filled the room. Sorcha doubled over, pping her knee as she let out a long, cacklingugh.
¡°She¡¯s got your number, Kerr!¡± the goblin cried between fits ofughter. ¡°Talk shit, get shit on by a bloody Demon! Hah!¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but join in theughter as the tension released and everyone started giggling as well. While Kerrughed even harder than Sorcha, Eir sighed in exasperation before approaching Alex and trying to exin the finer points of polite conversation. Alex¡¯s vocabry was increasing by leaps and bounds, which meant the danger of her saying something rude to someone who might take offense was increasing as well. While Jadis wasn¡¯t super concerned, she could understand why her more social-minded lover might feel differently.
Once everyone had gotten dressed, they headed to the dining hall to join the Lyssandria priests for breakfast. While they ate, they discussed their ns for the day. A had been right. There were a lot of things they had to do and to make things easier, they divided the tasks up and assigned different duties among the group.
A and Kerr were paired up to handle issues rted to their mercenarypany. Since they were in a new city, there was paperwork to be filled and filed so that they could operate legally without issue. They also still needed to investigate the matter of new recruits. Noll was helping with that, but Kerr also had contacts she could seek out who might be good fits for thepany. Then there was the idea of possibly setting up apany branch headquarters in the capital. It wasn¡¯t strictly necessary, especially since they knew that the temples would be happy to host Jadis for as long as she stayed in Eldingholt, but she didn¡¯t think bumming around the temple district was viable long term for a mercenarypany. Especially not if she wanted to maintain some kind of independence.
Eir and Thea were assigned to letter duty. There were dozens of invitations from rich and noble families, all of them interested in meeting the sole Nephilim. Jadis¡¯ supposed legal troubles had put a damper on the volume, but not much of one and Eir had assured her that many more invitation would being. While it was tempting to ignore them all, Jadis knew it would be a bad idea to unnecessarily slight the kinds of people who could send invitations for balls and tea parties to someone like her. She had enough enemies. No need to make more. So, Eir and Thea would send responses in Jadis¡¯ name, epting a few of the less potentially contentious events while politely declining the rest.
Sabina, Bridget, and Sorcha were given the fun job of checking out all the advertisements that had been sent her way from the crafters and merchants. Jadis didn¡¯t n on epting those offers, but there was no reason not to check the wares out. Thepany was actually fairly well flush with cash and they could all afford some upgrades to their equipment. Plus, while the three women were out on the streets, they could gather some information about what was being gossiped about Jadis and the whole situation with Prince Hraustrekr. Jadis wanted to know what was being said, not so much because she was concerned about her reputation as she was curious about what kind of propaganda could be making its way around the city. Besides, just as it was foolish to insult wealthy nobles, it was just as stupid to ignore the opinions of the masses. Jadis was effectually a one-woman army and could live her life alone without issue, she was certain, but so long as she lived in a society, other people¡¯s opinions mattered.
With all of those tasks assigned to the others, that left Jadis, Alex, and Tegwyn in a group of their own. Since the remaining trio just so happened to all be avatar races, that meant they were in a particrly unique position. Here they were in the temple district of the capital city, in a ring of High Temples that had dozens, if not hundreds of the most learned priests alive all gathered in one location.
It was time to do some religious investigation.
Chapter 340: Guardian
Chapter 340: Guardian
¡°I believe this may be a Guardian Soul Grub.¡±
Jadis blinked, somewhat taken aback by the grandiose-sounding name.
¡°And¡ what is that, exactly?¡±
¡°A great rarity, young Jay,¡± the old druid chuckled softly. ¡°A great rarity, indeed.¡±
Jadis¡¯ three selves watched curiously as the wizened old human man painstakingly got to his feet and tottered over to the bookshelves grown into the far wall of the room. He took his time to examine the books before pulling one particrly thick tome from the lowest shelf and checking the contents. Turning a few pages, he let out a hum of satisfaction and tapped the open page with one knobby finger.
¡°Yes, indeed, this matches the description well. A Guardian Soul Grub. Almost as rare as you are, my dear. Ha!¡±
¡°I think a more detailed exnation would be beneficial, Tom,¡± Rhyswynn gently chided as she smiled at the old man¡¯s excitement. ¡°May we see the book?¡±
¡°Of course, of course,¡± Tom replied, his grin hidden behind his thick white beard. ¡°Have a look. I doubt any of you youths will be able to read ancient Lemurian, but there are illustrations!¡±
Jadis could not, in fact, read the words printed on the archaic vellum pages. The script was wholly alien to her, not even close to the imperial lettering system she¡¯d been learning. However, the tome did have some beautiful illuminations and one page was dedicated to a coge-style mix of artistic depictions of various strange creatures that all seemed to be stemming from the figure in the center; a sparkling green grub.
¡°Ah, my father speaks Lemurian,¡± Tegwynmented absently as he examined the pages. ¡°I have only a passing familiarity, not enough for fluency.¡±
¡°Few do these days, young Tegwyn,¡± Tom smiled in a grandfatherly way as he eased back into his padded seat. ¡°There is little use in learning thenguage of a dead people, except for old schrs like me to putter about with forgotten tomes. Ah! But it seems my hobbies still have a practical use! An excellent day this is, indeed.¡±
Syd smiled at the old druid as her other two selves studied the book. She liked Tom. He reminded her of her grandfather on her father¡¯s side. Despite his obviously failing health, he was still sharp-witted and had high spirits. Thinking about Grandpa Mike sent a momentary pang of homesickness through Jadis, but she quickly pushed the unwee emotion away. She hade to Villthyrial¡¯s temple to gain knowledge, not reminiscence about her past life.
Jadis, Alex, and Tegwyn were all gathered together in arge chamber somewhere on the second floor of the Nature God¡¯s temple. The room had no ceiling and was more like a courtyard, except Jadis knew that they weren¡¯t on the main floor of the building. Despite the fact that they had to be on at least the second floor, the ground was covered in grass, trees and bushes were growing all around them, and a small creek burbled from one side of the room across to the other where it disappeared through an opening in the wall. The d¨¦cor greatly reminded Jadis of how the Dryads back in Weigrun had their grove set up. All of the furniture was made of a mix of living nts and carved wood and stone. The table they were sitting at was actually some kind of tree with carefully pruned branches that held up arge, t stone surface for them to sit around. The chairs all had small vines and other nts growing from them, and even the bookshelves along the walls were basically just trees with long, straight boughs that had been cultivated for the purpose.
Rhyswynn, the green skinned and pink haired elf who had been part of the priestly delegation sent to meet Jadis back in Far Felsen, had of course weed her into the temple. What Jadis hadn¡¯t expected was just how few other priests were present. While there had been hundreds of priests and priestesses in Lyssandria¡¯s temple to greet her, there were only a few dozen of Villthyrial¡¯s holy order waiting for her inside the nt-festooned halls. When asked, Rhyswynn had exined that Villthyrial¡¯s followers tended to eschew cities since his primary domains involved the open wilds of the world, so most of the priests lived and worked out in the forests and countryside, only asionally visiting the temples for important asions. In fact, Rhyswynn herself usually spent her time travelling in a circuit through the farnds surrounding the capital and was only staying in the city for so long because of Jadis¡¯ presence.
When Jadis had asked the high priestess about the glowing green grub she¡¯d ¡°found¡± in Weigrun, Rhyswynn had taken Jadis and herpanions to meet the only other High Priest of Villthyrial in the empire, Old Tom.
Tom was a human man that looked like he was at least ny years old, but proudly announced he was almost one hundred and twenty. His wrinkled face was constantly crinkled in a broad smile and his thick, white beard made him look a bit like Santa us if he¡¯d been left out in the sun for too long. A small blue and yellow finch sat on the old man¡¯s shoulder and he would asionally pass the little bird small seeds with an air of kind familiarity.
Despite looking like he was long past the age of retirement, Old Tom was apparently a powerful Druid and one of the highest-level people in the city.
Tom¡¯s eyes shined as he spoke to Tegwyn and Jadis couldn¡¯t help but feel like the man was probably more excited about speaking with a Dryad than he was about meeting her. Not that she minded, especially since he was still happily answering all of her questions. She just found it interesting how different the man¡¯s focus waspared to most of the other priests Jadis had met.
¡°Now, Tom,¡± Tegwyn said with a charming grin as he motioned towards the illustration of the grub. ¡°Two words I do recognize on that page are ¡®Transformation¡¯ and ¡®Adaptation¡¯ so long as I haven¡¯t missed my mark. Tell me, friend, does this creature have a variable form?¡±
¡°Indeed it does!¡± Tom smiled happily as he motioned towards the actual grub that was nestled inside a jar filled with dirt on the table between them. ¡°This magic beast may start out as an innocuous little worm, but its adult form can take a myriad of shapes. In fact, there is no end to the possibilities of what kind of form it may end up assuming! Ah, well, I may exaggerate the depth of variety. It cannot take the form of a man or simple beast. A Guardian Soul Grub will always transform into some manner of magic beast. Griffins, kraken, manticores, you understand.¡±
¡°Fascinating,¡± Tegwyn eximed as he admired the glowing creature. ¡°It sounds simr to a Fetch in nature, or is that not the case?¡±
Tom shook his head, his long beard brushing back and forth across the table.
¡°No, no, not at all. A Fetch can change its shape on a whim. Once the grub grows into its adult form, it will not change further.¡±
¡°Kind of like a Demon.¡±
Tom nced up at Syd, his attention stolen away from the Dryad by herment. He leaned back in his seat, a considering look on his face.
¡°I suppose that¡¯s true,¡± he allowed, his voice creaking with age. ¡°To an extent. I am no expert on demons, but I do believe that once they have gained a particr form, they do not change.¡±
¡°Unless they be a greater Demon,¡± Dys pointed out. ¡°Like Alex. I suppose that¡¯s a product of her ss, but there aren¡¯t any other sses out there that radically change a person''s form, area there?¡±
¡°Demons everywhere seem to have variable forms depending on the ss they have,¡± Jay mused. ¡°You can¡¯t change your ss, so you can¡¯t change your form. But, if you get a secondary or tertiary ss that offers a new form, that would be how they change into greater demons or demon matriarchs.¡±
¡°At least, that¡¯s what I¡¯m guessing based off of Alex,¡± Syd finished by putting her hand on the Demon¡¯s shoulder.
¡°That would make sense,¡± Tom said, his tone filled with the kind of curious contemtion that Jadis associated with a lifelong schr. ¡°Again, demons are not my area of expertise, indeed they are not. But your theory holds merit. I would suggest you discuss the idea with the priests of Metethys. Myron may have some insight, or possibly Fulton. Yes, actually, I would rmend Fulton. He is indeed quite the researcher when ites to the esoteric and malign.¡±
The malign part bristled Jadis¡¯ feelings somewhat, but she could tell Old Tom hadn¡¯t meant to be rude by thement. He¡¯d actually been fairly sanguine when it came to Alex, approaching her as more of a strange curiosity than a fearsome threat. Still, she¡¯d have to keep an eye out for those kinds of casual remarks. Alex was bing more and more fluent with thenguage all the time and she didn¡¯t want her to be hurt.
¡°We n on visiting that temple next,¡± Jay nodded to the old druid. ¡°For now, though, is there any way to know what kind of, uh, final form this grub will take?¡±
¡°Ah, well,¡± Tom cleared his throat, ¡°ording to the wisdom of the Sage Inuka, the writer of this tome, the Guardian Soul Grub will transform into whatever form bests suits its task of defending its home territory.¡±
¡°Home territory?¡±
¡°Yes, indeed,¡± he nodded his head while passing a few more seeds to his finch. ¡°That is the ¡®guardian¡¯ part of the name. You see, these creatures will stake out a territory of their own and will be fiercely protective of it. Not to say they will attack any and all who attempt to move through that territory, indeed no! Instead, they will guard thend and even the creatures who dwell within it, protecting them from hostile entities. They are not sentient as you or I are, but they are intelligent enough that they can tell fair from foul.¡±
¡°They are like Tree Guardians?¡± Rhyswynn quietly asked, her head tilted to one side.
¡°No, my dear, they are Tree Guardians. Or rather, Tree Guardians are but one variation of the adult version of a Guardian Soul Grub.¡±
Rhyswynn made a little noise of understanding before folding her hands, seemingly satisfied with the answer. Jadis, however, feltpletely unenlightened so she turned her questioning gaze onto the elf woman. The High Priestess caught on fast and offered a brief exnation.
¡°There is a ce in the northern territories of the Verdant Sea where severalrge tree-like creatures defend a particr mountaintop. It is thought of as a holy ce by many druids and I have been there myself on pilgrimage. The Tree Guardians are a magnificent sight.¡±
¡°Okay, so, I guess that means I should find a ce that needs some protection and bring this little guy there?¡± Syd asked curiously.
¡°Not necessarily,¡± Tom raised one gnarled finger. ¡°Guardian Soul Grubs will guard what they wish to protect, what they see as their home. There are recorded cases of that focus being a person! In fact, one of the great Heroes of the past, Eumelia the Tempest, had one such creature for apanion during her campaign against the demonic invasion. I believe the beast was called Anemos, the Emerald Wyvern.¡±
¡°That wyvern was a Guardian Spirit Grub?¡± Tegwyn perked up. ¡°I have heard of Eumelia¡¯s story, but I did not know that her Wyvern had such humble origins.¡±
¡°Alright then,¡± Jay gently picked up the jar holding the grub. ¡°This little guy might one day turn into a cool magicalpanion of some sort. That¡¯s interesting.¡±
¡°It might be hot,¡± Old Tom cautioned, having misunderstood Jadis¡¯ ng word. ¡°Or just a normal temperature. That will depend entirely on what magical beast it ends up mimicking.¡±
¡°¡Right,¡± Syd nodded, choosing not to correct the elderly man. ¡°Anyway, what do I have to do to care for it? Are there steps I should be taking to make sure it, I don¡¯t know, bonds to me or something? Special food or some kind of ritual?¡±
Tom raised his hands palm upwards and shrugged his bony shoulders in a helpless gesture.
¡°There isn¡¯t much I can tell you, unfortunately. Indeed, this book is one of the few I have that offers any advice on Guardian Soul Grubs and even then, it is mostly about how to interact with their adult forms. Your heart is what matters most, I would say.¡±
¡°My heart?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Tom nodded with a smile. Since she was sitting closest to him, he reached over and took Syd¡¯s hand in his and gently patted it. ¡°Like most wild animals in nature, you cannot control what they will and will not do. You can predict. You can observe and learn how best tomunicate with them, and you can build a rtionship. Indeed, you may even gain a friend. But you cannot know with certainty what thoughts possess them, no more than you can know where the wind will blow next. This young beast may grow one day and choose a path that you do not follow. If that shoulde to pass, I advise you to wish the beast well and simply let it go. You cannot control the wild. You can only ept it for what it is.¡±
Jadis supposed she shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that there was no surefire way to guarantee she ended up with some kind of ultra-awesome magicalpanion. There were never any guarantees in life. She still felt a little disappointed that Villthyrial¡¯s gift to her might not end up being useful to her. But just because it wasn¡¯t necessarily going to be a cool animalpanion, didn¡¯t mean the grub wouldn¡¯t have a purpose. If the creature ended up bing some kind of magically powerful guardian beast that protected an area that needed that protection, then Jadis would be satisfied. In fact, that very well could have been the nature god¡¯s intention. Maybe she was expected to bring the grub somewhere that was in danger. Not so much a mission from a god, more like a side quest from an interested party. Who also happened to be a god.
She still kind of wanted a cool wyvernpanion.
¡°Let¡¯s study some of these other books you have,¡± Tegwyn suggested with a grin as he got up from his seat. ¡°Any anything else you have on magical beasts that might have a simr nature. Perhaps we cane up with a good n to keep our little green friend hale and hearty so that when it does mature, it will be in the best health possible.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Jay grinned back at the Dryad as she too got up from her seat.
¡°Indeed!¡± Old Tom agreed.
Chapter 341: Books
Chapter 341: Books
Fulton turned out to be a rather officious-looking gnome withrge, goggle eyes and a ridiculously bushy mustache. The high priest of Metethys was so buried in his books that he brought two of them with him even when greeting Jadis. He and Myron, the Golem she¡¯d already met, were the only two high priests of their goddess in the empire. While they were the only two at the top,pared to Villthyrial¡¯s following, there were far more lower-level priests present in their temple. More than there had been in Lyssandria¡¯s temple, even.
When Jadis had expressed her surprise over how many priests there were, Myron had exined that many of the individuals were not actually priests or clerics but were instead schrs from the Imperial Academy who had taken the opportunity toe and meet the famed Nephilim.
Meet might have been the wrong word, though. Everywhere Jadis looked she saw men and women with pens and journals, all of them furiously writing down notes and observations concerning her. While they all seemed nice enough, she could tell that they were far more interested in her as a unique case study, rather than a person. Of course, that attitude extended just as much to Alex as it did to her, and even to Tegwyn, much to his bemusement.
One particrly enterprising young woman even approached Alex directly and started interviewing her with a series of carefully worded questions that focused on the Demon¡¯s physical and mental status. Once Alex showed that she could answer those questions, albeit haltingly, she quickly had a crowd of schrs and priests all grouped up in front of her, calmly asking questions while writing down her answers.
It almost reminded Jadis of some kind of press interview. All that wascking were the cameras. Though, when she looked off to one side, she could see that at least two people were actively sketching portraits of Alex, as well as her.
While many of the priests focused on Alex, Myron and Fulton did what they could to answer Jadis¡¯ questions concerning Guardian Soul Grubs, Demons, and also a few questions on Nephilim history.
Metethys¡¯ temple held a massive library within its walls, one that spanned multiple levels and had to contain tens of thousands of books and scrolls. However, ording to Fulton, the Imperial Academy had even more books on its shelves. The temple usually housed the older, more valuable tomes, while the academy had more copies of the books so that multiple were avable for both students and the public to read. Many of the temple¡¯s tomes were original volumes from which copies were painstakingly recreated by hand before being sent out to other libraries. The printing press was not a thing yet on Oros, though from what Jadis saw she could understand why. There were people with sses whose whole skill set were centered around being able to quickly copy and reproduce books. They weren¡¯t anywhere near as fast as a modern printing press, but they were far faster than any normal person when it came to writing and rewriting words on a page.
The books that Myron and Fulton showed Jadis on the guardian grub were all the same as the tomes Old Tom had shown her. In fact, they were exact copies of the same volumes. While they didn¡¯t have any new information to provide, they did have a few of their schrs with the right skills quickly copy the relevant chapters into a nk journal so she could take the info back to her room to review with the rest of herpanions.
As to Demons, Fulton was able to show Jadis an extensive collection of tomes, manuscripts, and essays written by schrs and researchers over the years regarding the Spawn of Samleos. The vast majority of the written works were focused on cataloguing the different types of Demons, the abilities that they manifested, and their usual behavior. All with the purpose of making it easier for others to kill those Demons, of course. While there was a frankly overwhelming amount of information on the different types of Demons, Greater Demons, and Demon Matriarchs, there was surprisingly little concerning Demon intelligence.
One promising book did catalogue a series of experiments where a group of researchers had attempted to raise several Demons in a controlled environment, but the experiment had apparently ended in disaster when one of the schrs was killed by one of the Demons they had raised. The book was huge, hundreds of pages long, and was written in a style that favoredplicated words and scientific jargon. Reading it was slow going for Jadis due to the differences between written English and Imperial, but she received permission to take a copy with her. Jadis hoped A would have better luck with the tome and would be able to summarize the more important bits for her.
Fulton also gave Jadis several other books regarding Demons, including several that outlined the types of Demons that were beingmonly seen on the maind battlefields, ording to reports. He also gave her books that talked about the Demon Lord, the Cult of Samleos, and a book on courtly etiquette for some reason. Jadis got the feeling that Fulton would have forced more books on her but was restrained by Myron.
Thest book Jadis was given came from the Golem. It was a book that covered the history of the Nephilim, stretching from the creation of the world to their eventual extinction some two thousand years ago. It wasn¡¯t a detailed ount, more of an overview than anything else, but it was precious information as far as Jadis was concerned. While Jadis had been reborn as a Nephilim due to the whims of a god and therefore had no true connection to the original people who had once lived on Oros, she was intensely interested in knowing more about who the Nephilim once were. She didn¡¯t know anything about their culture. Did they even have a distinct culture from other races? A differentnguage? Differentws or beliefs? Jadis had no idea, but she happily took the book Myron offered her so that she could get at least a small inkling as to what the lost children of Lyssandria were like.
While she was there, Jadis managed to arrange a date where A could speak with some of the imperial schrs about her research journal. Her lover still wasn¡¯t entirely confident she wanted to share any of the notes she¡¯d taken regarding Jadis¡¯ ss, much less the ss details of everyone else, but Jadis wanted A to at least talk with the schrs. ss skill research was something A was obviously interested in and Jadis wanted to encourage her favorite redhead¡¯s intellectual pursuits. Even if she didn¡¯t publish any info on their sses in the end, Jadis still thought it was worthwhile for A to talk with the kinds of people who regrly wrote the manuscripts that she so genuinely admired.
With a fairlyrge pile of books to read, Jadis returned to Lyssandria¡¯s temple so she could tuck right into the tomes without dy. Tegwyn didn¡¯t join her and instead returned to Villthyrial¡¯s temple with a few books he was interested in. The Dryad was morefortable with the nature theme of the temple than he was with pure stone buildings, so Jadis didn¡¯t press him. He¡¯d explore the city more when he was ready. Alex stuck with her, naturally, and even had a couple books of her own that were intended for children.
As Jadis briefly reviewed the books she had, she wondered if maybe she should start by reading the children¡¯s books herself. While she could read Imperial, it still wasn¡¯t as easy for her as it was to read English. Children¡¯s books weren¡¯t exactly engaging, but practice made perfect, after all.
When A and Kerr returnedter that evening, they found that their entry into the room was blocked by several dozen priestesses all gathered around the open doors to honored guest chambers. Of course the women quickly dispersed once Jadis¡¯ two lovers asked to be let through, but even then, several still lingered to watch longingly as Jadis continued to read storybooks out loud to an attentive Alex.
Jadis had made the mistake of leaving the doors open when she¡¯d returned and by the time she¡¯d realized that she had an audience, she felt it was a little too awkward to shoo them away. Once she had finished the first book, several of the priestesses had fetched her a few more books, these ones more like simple novels than children¡¯s tales, and had encouraged her to read those aloud as well. And so Alex and the priestesses had been treated to a three-way performance as Jadis¡¯ selves narrated the books, each body performing different voices for the characters.
She wasn¡¯t sure which priestess had slipped a smut novel into the pile of books, but Jadis had to admire the woman¡¯s taste and made a mental note to read the intriguing work of fiction when she didn¡¯t have such arge crowd listening.
¡°Tell me this isn¡¯t what you¡¯ve been doing all day,¡± Kerr groused as she copsed onto a couch while shooting thest of the lingering priestesses a dirty look. ¡°Because that would just chafe my arse.¡±
¡°I was just practicing,¡± Jay defended herself as she set the novel down, making sure to mark the page so she could return to the adventure storyter. ¡°I have actual information to share.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± A quipped as she removed her cloak and hung it up. ¡°Because we do as well. Some of it is actually good news, too.¡±
¡°That sort of implies some of the news is bad,¡± Dys frowned at A.
¡°True,¡± A agreed without hesitation. ¡°But nothing too bad.¡±
¡°Which do you want first? The good or the shit?¡± Kerr asked as she kicked her feet up on the coffee table near where Alex was sitting on the floor. ¡°Though I guess it doesn¡¯t matter that much really¡ªhey!¡±
Kerr yelped as Alex lifted her legs up off of the table, using her tentacles to pull the archer¡¯s boots off before setting them aside and then shifting her feet so that they were resting on an ottoman. cing the boots near the hearth, Alex met Kerr¡¯s incredulous stare with a serious look of her own.
¡°Dirty¡¡±
¡°I may have read a few pages from an etiquette book to her before I got bored,¡± Syd admitted.
¡°Fucking Ulya¡¯s tits,¡± Kerr grumbled as she made herselffortable in her seat. ¡°You better not turn all polite and prissy on us, Alex. We¡¯ve already got enough sticks in the mud for one harem, thank you very much.¡±
¡°Harem¡?¡±
¡°Not important at the moment,¡± A interjected before they could be further sidetracked. ¡°I¡¯d like to review what we aplished and what we learned today. Though, should we wait for the others? Actually, where are Eir and Thea? Did they go out?¡±
¡°They did, before I got back,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°Aurea said that Eir wanted to deliver a few responses directly and they she¡¯d be back before dinner. I haven¡¯t seen Sabina and the others return yet, either. But go ahead and tell me the news now, we can fill them in once they get back.¡±
With a nod, A filled Jadis in on what she and Kerr had been up to all day.
The bad news, as A had called it, wasn¡¯t really all that bad or unexpected. Most of the mercenaries that were in the capital were either already contracted to otherpanies or were entirely unsuitable for joining Fortune¡¯s Favored. Those numbers were already small to begin with, since the vast majority of mercs in the empire were on the front lines rather than in the safe inner territories. Not that there hadn¡¯t been a few contacts Kerr had managed to look up who might have worked out, but after the initial interviews A had preemptively dismissed them from further consideration. Even putting the peculiarities of Jadis¡¯ ss and rtionship with her guild aside, A still had standards when it came to who could join thepany. Anyone who looked like they wouldn¡¯t be able to keep a secret or be trusted with sensitive information was automatically taken out of the running, which turned out to be most the candidates.
The good news was that Noll hade through with his own promise to find suitable candidates. Again, there hadn¡¯t been many to choose from, but two experienced mercenaries he¡¯d kept tabs on had happened to be in the city and looked like they were exactly the kind of people their mercenarypany was looking for.
Nevan and O Dunntree were a couple of gnomes who had met each other while adventuring and gotten married some ten years ago. The two were middle-aged for gnomes, very in love with each other, and very monogamously so. Neither were prudes, but neither would have any interest in joining in Jadis¡¯ debauched circle of lovers nor would they likely to feel any envy or jealousy. They were extremelymitted to each other, which was part of why they weren¡¯t currently contracted with a mercenarypany. Thest one had tried to split them up for a long period of time, so they had broken their contract and paid the fine to get out of it rather than be parted.
Both had decently high CLRs, though neither had unlocked their tertiary ss to gain elite status. Noll had vouched for their martial skill though,menting that while neither was particrly outstanding solo, as a duo they had wonderful synergy and were extremely effective against strong single targets. Nevan was a swordsman who wielded a rapier while O used a dagger and a whip. Neither had any magical affinity and their sses were entirely martial in nature, but as Noll had proven that was hardly a handicap. The two usually made their living taking down powerful magic beasts for bounties but were willing to consider joining Fortune¡¯s Favored as they were interested in fighting more Demons and wanted to reach CLR sixty.
An experienced couple who could work as part of the team but would also be able to handle themselves without Jadis¡¯ help did sound like a great fit. A had only briefly spoken with Nevan, but he hadn¡¯t set off any red gs and he¡¯d agreed to bring O by the temple the next morning for an interview. Jadis genuinely looked forward to meeting the two gnomes.
As A wrapped up her report on the day¡¯s outing, Eir and Thea walked through the still open doors. Sabina, Bridget, and Sorcha were right behind them, the trio of women still talking animatedly while Eir and Thea looked more nervous than anything. Well, Eir looked nervous, while Thea looked like she was experiencing nerves by association.
¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Syd asked as she watched the group enter the room. ¡°How¡¯d everything go today?¡±
¡°Sort of a mixed bag,¡± Sorcha said before the others could say anything. ¡°But nothing that takes precedence over the redss here.¡±
Syd raised her eyebrow at the goblin, but instead of responding she simply turned her gaze onto Eir, the question clear in her expression.
¡°I¡¯m sorry Jadis,¡± Eir said, bowing her head in an unexpected gesture of regret. ¡°I made a promise that you will attend a ball.¡±
Jadis mentally blinked at the odd apology. A ball? Sure, a formal dance wasn¡¯t something that Jadis was particrly interested in attending, but that was the kind of formal event that she had always figured she¡¯d probably have to suffer through if she ever went to the capital. It really wasn¡¯t that big of a deal, so long as she didn¡¯t have to wear some kind of poofy dress.
¡°What¡¯s so bad about this ball?¡± Syd asked in confusion.
¡°My parents are hosting it,¡± Eir exined, her face still turned downward in a bow. ¡°They want to meet you because I may have unintentionally revealed that I intend to carry your child, so they expect that you will be asking for my hand in marriage. I¡¯m sorry.¡±
Jadis stared with all three of her selves, her mouths hanging open while the other women in the room shifted awkwardly from side to side. Finally, Sorcha broke the silence by pointing at Eir.
¡°See? Way more important than whatever shite I was about to tell you about.¡±
Chapter 342: Blunt Conversation
Chapter 342: Blunt Conversation
Jadis blurted the first thing that came to her mind as soon as the initial stun had worn off.
¡°Why are you apologizing?¡±
Eir looked up, her eyes flickering between the three of Jadis¡¯ bodies since all had spoken at once. She finally settled on Syd, since she was the closest.
¡°Because I¡¯ve unintentionally forced you into an awkward situation with my family. While I have freely given you all of my love and wish to be the mother of your child, I had not intended to trap you into matrimony.¡±
Eir¡¯s anxious words kickstarted Jadis¡¯ brain into moving at faster speeds. That was what her elf lover was worried about? She was afraid that she would look like she¡¯d trapped Jadis into a shotgun wedding?
The thought almost made Jadis want tough. Not because she didn¡¯t want to marry Eir. Quite the opposite. She fully nned on marrying her elven mate, as well as all of her lovers. She just didn¡¯t know anything about the local customs for such matters and was otherwise content with the personal bonds made between them for the moment. She didn¡¯t need a ring to prove her love for Eir or A or any of her mates. They were hers and she was theirs. That was more than enough for the time being.
But had Eir maybe expected more? Jadis didn¡¯t think that was the case, not with how her priestess has always acted. Eir¡¯s parents apparently expected more, though. Probably because they were nobles. Jadis had known Eir was the daughter of a noble family, but that had always been a kind of unmoored fact floating in the background. It just hadn¡¯t mattered that much to Jadis. Now, though, it seemed it had be a factor. Eir¡¯s parents had expectations when it came to their daughter. Ones that were causing said daughter some distress.
Syd took a few steps forward and knelt down so that she was level with Eir. Cupping the woman¡¯s face in her hands, she gave her sweet elf a tender kiss to reassure her.
¡°I can promise you that the thought of you trying to trap me in a marriage has never once crossed my mind,¡± Syd told Eir, her forehead pressed against the elf¡¯s. ¡°What absolutely has entered my thoughts on many, many asions is how much I want to marry you. Trust me. I¡¯m not even a little uncertain about that particr life goal.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Eir asked, her voice so small she almost couldn¡¯t be heard.
¡°Absolutely,¡± Syd nodded before giving Eir another kiss.
While the kiss lingered, A approached Jay and leaned against her side. ncing up, she asked her a rifying question.
¡°So you¡¯re going to marry Eir just as her parents are requesting?¡±
¡°Oh, absolutely not,¡± Jay waved the idea away with one hand. ¡°I mean, yes, I¡¯m going to marry Eir. But either I¡¯m marrying you first, or we¡¯re going to do some kind of group union thing. You¡¯re my first wife, after all.¡±
That perfectly blunt statement prompted a wide-eyed, startled look from A. But Jadis pushed forward, wanting to get all of her thoughts out while she had everyone¡¯s attention.
¡°Also, I want to do it right. I have no idea what the courtship traditions are like around here, but I don¡¯t want to skip any steps. I know what I¡¯d be doing back where I¡¯m from, but I¡¯d like to follow the steps you all would expect, too. I¡¯m not going to leap ahead just because Eir¡¯s parents are trying to force us to.¡±
¡°Are they trying to force us?¡± Syd asked, breaking the kiss to address Eir.
¡°Ah, sort of?¡± Eir said, blinking as she reoriented herself from what had be a fairly passionate kiss. ¡°Um, my parents are¡ traditional. I¡¯m also their only child. When I told them I was joining the temple, they were displeased since it meant I wasn¡¯t likely to produce any heirs of my own that might hold our family¡¯s noble title. But now that I am, I think they are excited by the opportunity and are pressing harder than they normally would.¡±
That made some sense. Jadis knew Eir was an only child, and if her parents were nobles, they probably did want heirs to ensure the family line continued. That meant the whole push was probably just an overreaction that could be sorted out with an open conversation. Jadis was more than willing to have that conversation with the two, though she had hoped the first meeting between her and one of her lover¡¯s parents didn¡¯t have so much anxiety hanging over it.
¡°Hold the cart,¡± Kerr spoke up, capturing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°I feel like we just rode right by a massive fucking street sign withoutment. You¡¯re nning on asking us to marry you? All of us?¡±
Dys stared at Kerr, giving her the best ¡°are you stupid¡± look she could muster.
¡°Well, yeah. You¡¯re my bonded slut, remember? You¡¯re basically my second wife already. A¡¯s pretty much already my first wife. We live together, work together, and spend almost all of our free time together. I want you to have my kids. Of course I want to marry you and the others. Duh.¡±
¡°I¡ªuh, Ah¡ªI, okay, yes!¡± Kerr stumbled over her words for a moment. ¡°Yeah, obviously! I just¡ We haven¡¯t talked about it that way just yet, so I guess you just plopping it out in the open like a wet turd kind of threw me off, okay?¡±
Jadis was not impressed by Kerrparing her intent to marry her lovers to a particrly squishy bowel movement, but she pushed past the horrible metaphor to focus on the important part of the conversation.
¡°Look. I love you. I love you, too,¡± Jay said as she turned her gaze to meet Thea¡¯s, who looked immediately bashful at the attention. ¡°And I love you, Eir, and you, A. You are all my girlfriends and my lovers and my mates. And, once we figure things out, I hope you¡¯ll be my wives. You do not have to answer that question right now. I¡¯m not officially proposing or anything. Like I said, I want to do it right and this isn¡¯t romantic at all. Going to need a candlelight dinner at a minimum. But yes. I do think of you all that way, if that fact wasn¡¯t clear before now.¡±
¡°And just to be equally as clear with you two,¡± Dys said as she turned to look at Sabina and Bridget, both of whom startled at being focused on, ¡°I feel the same way about you two. We just haven¡¯t made anything official yet and I was waiting for a better moment to have that conversation. But yeah. Sorry this is kind of being brought up in an awkward way, however, I¡¯d like our rtionships to be moved to the next level. If you want to have the conversation in private though, we can¡ª¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
Jay paused at Sabina¡¯s loud outburst. The smith was practically dancing on her toes, but at Jadis¡¯ momentarypse she visibly reigned herself in before exining herself.
¡°I mean, I¡¯ve been thinking we were already dating for a while now really but I wasn¡¯t sure and I didn¡¯t want to make it awkward by saying anything because if we weren¡¯t dating and I only thought we were then me saying something could have made you or me or someone else ufortable and I didn¡¯t want that to happen! Ah, but, since you are bringing it up now, I absolutely want to be your girlfriend and talk about marriage and maybe have kids and a house and¡ªoh! You need to ask my father for permission before we go that far if we want to be proper, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯d approve of you and so would my mother if she were around but that¡¯s beside the point. Yes, I want to date you!¡±
¡°I¡¯m, really, really happy to hear that,¡± Jay replied, feeling a blush heat her cheeks due to the smith¡¯s unfiltered words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we didn¡¯t have this conversation sooner, honestly.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± Sabina quickly brushed the concern away. ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve had a lot of time to ourselves to talktely!¡±
¡°Ahem,¡± Bridget cleared her throat to catch everyone¡¯s attention before Sabina could start rambling again. ¡°I would, uh, like a more personal conversation about us datingter. You know. Romance and all that shit. But, um, I may be pregnant with your child fromst night for all I know, so, yeah. I¡¯m kind of onboard with the whole being your mate thing. Kind of thought that was obvious by now, too¡¡±
¡°Yes, it was,¡± Jay smirked. ¡°But it¡¯s nice to have it said out loud. And we¡¯ll have that talk in a little bit, alright?¡±
Bridget nodded, her own face turning a darker shade of green as she blushed, though she was doing a better job of controlling her reactions than she used to. Probably A¡¯s influence, if Jadis had to guess.
¡°This has got to be one of the weirder conversations I¡¯ve ever witnessed¡¡± Sorcha mumbled from her seat on the sidelines. ¡°Not sure I should even be here for this, kind of feels like I¡¯m intruding on some pretty personal business.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve literally watched us fuck on multiple asions,¡± Kerr pointed out. ¡°You could probably paint a picture of Jadis¡¯ cock with your eyes closed by now. This isn¡¯t that much more intimate.¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure she agreed with Kerr¡¯s assessment, nor did it look like Sorcha bought the excuse either, but either way the therion¡¯sment had brought up another point that she wanted to address.
¡°So, I wanted to ask you all out on dates,¡± Syd started as she took Eir by the hand and led her to one of the couches to sit. ¡°I mean, personal ones. Just the three of me and one of you. Individual dates. I know we spend literally all our time together, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the same thing as going on a date. We¡¯ve got something like two weeks here in the capital at a minimum, so now seems like a great time, so long as you all agree.¡±
¡°Also, I do mean all of you,¡± Dys said as she pointed first at Alex, then at Sorcha. ¡°Alex is basically my lover now, even if we¡¯re still working things out, and I want to get to know you better, Sorcha. I¡¯m not sure where things are going between us, but I want to feel things out, if you¡¯re okay with that.¡±
Sorcha¡¯s big eyes got bigger at Dys¡¯ words. Her gaze swiveled back and forth between the different women in the room, seeing no censure or suspicion but instead curiosity and open interest. After a moment, she made a loud gulp to clear her throat and waggled her head in a way that made her big ears flop.
¡°I, um, I would like that, yes. Yes. Let¡¯s go on a date.¡±
¡°Awesome,¡± all three of Jadis¡¯ selves smiled. ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about the actual logistics of all this, huh? I¡¯ve never been in a multi-partner rtionship so I don¡¯t have a clue how we¡¯re supposed to work out who goes first. Thoughts?¡±
As the group started talking, Jadis grinned widely. It felt good to get her feeling out in the open. She had wanted to make sure everyone was on the same footing and understood how she felt about them, but had been beating around the bush somewhat because she didn¡¯t want to do it the wrong way. A ridiculous fear, one that she should have known better than to fall to. Taking bold action, be it on the battlefield or in her rtionships, was always the best course of action. Directmunication, even if it was blunt and risked hurting feelings, was better than nomunication at all. Looking at the faces of her lovers andpanions, Jadis was fairly certain they felt the same way. Certainly, the conversation could have gone worse. And by the way no one had balked at the idea of marriage and had instead seemed excited by it, Jadis¡¯ mood was soaring higher than a dragon could fly.
The debate on how they were going to handle their dating schedule was mostly led by A, to no one¡¯s surprise. That didn¡¯t mean that the others didn¡¯t have input, but she kept the conversation moving by rejecting the silly ideas and turning the group¡¯s focus onto the more tenable ones. Jadis had expected Kerr to have more input since her people more frequently hadrge, harem-style rtionships as a part of their society, but she ended up not having much to say on the matter. In most therion harems, the head of the group would just say what they wanted and that was the end of it. Since Jadis didn¡¯t want to do that, A directed them to some other ideas.
In the end, they settled on chance. Letting D¡¯s domain be the arbiter of what order the dates went in felt appropriate, so Kerr retrieved some dice from her pack so they could roll for who got to go first and then go from there. While they sorted out the order, they also talked about what exactly the dates would entail.
The problem with being in the capital was that their options were somewhat limited. Not through any fault of the city, of course, but because Jadis couldn¡¯t leave the temple district without a ridiculouslyrge escort. Plus, the restrictions of her parole wouldn¡¯t allow her to be out of the district after nightfall. That meant whatever dates they went on, they were pretty much stuck with staying in or around the temples. Not that Jadis felt like they couldn¡¯t enjoy themselves without going out on the town; the dates were about spending time together, not exploring the city. Still, Jadis chafed at the idea that she was limited in what she could treat her girls to because of stupid politics.
Thinking of both politics and being chafed, Jadis caught Eir¡¯s attention as the women continued to work out their ns.
¡°How exactly are your parents nning on having me attend a ball?¡± Syd asked quietly. ¡°I mean, I have to be inside the temple district before nightfall. They know that, right? They know about all this shit with the prince and stuff?¡±
¡°They do,¡± Eir nodded. ¡°And I assure you, they have a n. My parents are hardly the most influential nobles in the empire, but they are¡ persuasive when they want to be. Before your detainment ends, there will be a ball, and you will be attending it. I have no doubt of it.¡±
From the way Eir spoke, Jadis had no doubts about it either.
Chapter 343: Lovebirds
Chapter 343: Lovebirds
¡°My beloved, I do believe we made the right decisioning here today.¡±
¡°My heart, I cannot help but agree! Your instincts are as sharp as a de today, just as they always are.¡±
¡°No more than a dull butter knife inparison to your razor wit, my love.¡±
The softly spoken words were punctuated by the wet smacking sounds of kissing, which was almost enough for Jadis to break down and startughing. Still, she managed to keep her serious face on. ncing at A, she saw that the redhead was sitting more stiffly than usual, which was a clear sign that she was struggling to maintain her cool as well. Kerr wasn¡¯t even trying. The archer had turned away, leaning over her seat with her face pressed into the crook of her arm while her whole body shook withughter. At least she was keeping rtively quiet.
Jadis tried not to stare at the two gnomes, Nevan and O. The two prospective guild members had stepped away from the table to have a private chat while they considered Jadis¡¯ offer of employment, and somehow that had devolved into the two snogging each other in the corner of the meeting room that was partially obscured by a potted nt. At least they were in the love goddess¡¯ temple. Hopefully Lyssandria wouldn¡¯t mind.
Hoping that they would be done soon, Dys kicked Kerr¡¯s shin under the table. At the prompt, Kerr did her best to pull herself together, though her face was beet red and her eyes were wet with tears.
¡°Have youe to a decision?¡± A loudly asked, her voice somewhat more strained than normal.
¡°Yes, we have!¡± Nevan replied without missing a beat as he gave his wife onest kiss on the back of her hand. ¡°Pass us a pen and we¡¯ll sign on the line! Fortune favor¡¯s us today, and we would be fools to not take the opportunity presented to us!¡±
Jay grinned at the man¡¯s silly pun as he and his wife reapproached the table. Before sitting, he pulled out O¡¯s chair for her with a flourish, acting the part of the extravagant gentleman. Once he had taken his own seat, he took the proffered pen from A and began filling out the paperwork that would make the two of them official members of Fortune¡¯s Favored. Jadis found that she really liked the two gnomes and was happy to have them joining the team.
Nevan and O were deeply in love with each other. But not just in the way that Jadis and her mates were in love. The two gnomes were dramatic with their love. Dramatic, public, andpletely unashamed. Restraint didn¡¯t seem to be an option between the two, not when it came to each other. Whenever they were near each other, they were holding hands or touching in some way. When they were apart, they were constantly looking towards each other. Whenever they had a spare moment, and even times when they didn¡¯t have spare moments, they were engaging in ridiculous, over-the-top disys of affection. It might have been creepy, if it wasn¡¯t so obviously genuine.
The charm of the couple was enhanced by their individual natures. Each gnome was a character and would have been eye catching on their own. The two together were just adorable.
Nevan was not a handsome gnome. His pale blue eyes bulged a bit and his nose was too big. His slick ck hair had a single curl that bobbed over his forehead like a fishing lure and his goatee was trimmed thin and tight. The tattoo-like markings on his face made him almost look like someone had painted cat whiskers on him, and when he smiled, he had a wide gap between his two front teeth. And yet, despite his outwardly goofy appearance, Nevan had a powerful charisma to him that stemmed from his unwavering confidence. The man didn¡¯t walk; he strutted. He didn¡¯t talk; he made speeches. He didn¡¯t just grin; he lit up his entire being with emotion.
O, on the other hand, was as attractive as Nevan was not. In fact, she was the most attractive gnome that Jadis had ever seen, by arge margin. Her heart-shaped face and button nose looked like they belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine, an idea only enhanced by the killer body disyed with clothes that were only just barely on the right side of scandalous. Her long, ck hair was tied back to show off the elegant curve of her neck and shoulders as well as the delicate design of her skin markings. The swirls and stripes marking O¡¯s neck and shoulders were so intricate that Jadis had a hard time believing that they were natural and not an actual tattoo. As beautiful as O was, it was her energy that truly drew the eye. She was just as confident as Nevan was, if not quite as boisterous. Still, she had some aura about her that oozed a sexy self-assurance that almost made Jadis wish the woman was single.
Almost. Seeing the couple together, Jadis couldn¡¯t even dream of doing anything toe between them. They were clearly made for each other.
¡°I was a tiny bit worried at first,¡± O admitted as she watched her husband go over the documents. ¡°The rumors surrounding you three ¨C or should I say just you? ¨C are not entirely pleasant.¡±
¡°I can imagine,¡± Jay grimaced as she nodded at the gnome. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a few myself. Which ones have you heard that had you concerned?¡±
O absently pointed out a signature line that Nevan had missed with a tap of one finger as she answered Jay¡¯s question.
¡°Oh, there were some about you three being fakes, of course. Then there were the ones about the empire having kept a secret enve of Nephilim hiding in the wilds of Weigrun.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t forget the variations where some other nation was hiding the Nephilim and the empire rescued you from their controlling clutches!¡± Nevanughed as he reviewed hispleted contract.
¡°Yes, those as well,¡± O smiled indulgently at her hubby. ¡°Of course, the one that did actually concern me was the rumor that one or more of the ¡®Nephilim Sisters¡¯ had been possessed by a demon and was brought to the temple district so they could be purified, or restrained, or used for breeding, or some other of a hundred different variations on the story.¡±
¡°Yeah, that sounds about right,¡± Syd sighed as she slumped back in her chair. ¡°The rumor mill around here is brutal, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Oh my, yes,¡± O nodded sympathetically. ¡°It¡¯s especially bad right now due to the demonic invasion. Far too many nervous people with too much time on their hands. Idle minds often think of the worst.¡±
Not to mention a few first-prince-aligned agents purposefully stirring the pot, Jadis was sure. She kept that opinion to herself, though. Best not to sling usations against someone who might be the next emperor right in front of the new hires.
Nevan and O¡¯s insight into the rumors surrounding Jadis lined up with what Sabina, Bridget, and Sorcha had learned the previous day. During their outing around the city, they had visited many of the smiths, enchanters, and merchants who had been brash enough to send Jadis advertisements for their wares. In every case, it seemed the individuals had been reaching out in order to get more information on what was happening with the Nephilim, more than they were genuinely trying to forge business connections. Jadis was the talk of the town, and everyone had an opinion.
Combing what the trio had learned with Eir and Thea¡¯s experiences with the noble letters and visiting Eir¡¯s parents, the picture Jadis had gotten was frustrating. Not dire, but certainly annoying.
The nobles seemed to have a pretty good idea of what was going on. None of the ones that Eir¡¯s parents had spoken of seemed to believe the usations of working with the Samleos cult. The spection among the nobility was on why the false usation had been made and what fight specifically was happening between the two princes. It was obvious to everyone who knew the royal family that some kind of power y was going on. The only questions were what moves were being made and what the results would be once the dust settled.
It was themonfolk, those who didn¡¯t have the level of insight that those who regrly attended court, who were running wild with the ridiculous rumors.
The rumors were generally all over the ce, ranging from fairly urate to outrageous tales of fantasy that sounded so oundish Jadis couldn¡¯t imagine how anyone could believe them. Sorcha had heard over a dozen different versions after spending only an hour in a weaponsmith¡¯s shop listening to the customers who wereing and going. It was worse in the bars and taverns.
Wild rumors Jadis was prepared for. What she hadn¡¯t been ready for was the apparent misinformation campaign.
A good number of the rumors were centered around Jadis being a danger to the empire. Be it the supposed connection to the Cult of Samleos, her habit of ¡°Demon Taming¡± as it was being called, or the rumor that she was a ¡°False Hero¡± sent to trick the populous as part of some malicious prank on behalf of Destarious, there were a lot of negative things being said about Jadis in the streets.
It was the rumor about her being a False Hero that was really getting under Jadis¡¯ skin. That information about her having a God-given mission from Destarious was not public knowledge. Or at least, it shouldn¡¯t have been. Only Vraekae and the High Priests should have known about that. And General Egilhard. And Runar. And the Princes¡
A lot of people knew about her mission. More than she knew about in all likelihood. Which meant the rumor mill could have gotten the information from any one of a dozen different sources. However, the fact that her mission was being framed in a negative light made her certain that it was Prince Hraustrekr who had orchestrated the malign rumors against her. Whether it was because he was trying to counter whatever he thought Kestil was doing with her or because he was just being a petty asshole, Jadis didn¡¯t know or care. Whatever the reason behind his actions, Jadis was growing to loath the first prince, and she hadn¡¯t even met him yet. For all his public appearance as a strong and brave militarymander, he had yet to show his face to her.
That was the part that infuriated her the most. If she could look the man in the eye, she had some confidence that she might be able to work things out with him. Not to be friendly, but to at least get him off of her back. But he had remained distant so far. Which was probably what Kestil wanted. The second prince wanted a long, drawn-out affair to keep Hraustrekr distracted for a while. Jadis didn¡¯t know why Kestil wanted that, but she had some hope that it would be worth the inconvenience.
If it wasn¡¯t, she¡¯d just punch Kestil in the nose again.
As Nevan and O wrapped up the process of filling out their paperwork, Jadis set aside her negative thoughts. She didn¡¯t want to waste any more mental energy on stressing over things she couldn¡¯t change than necessary. She¡¯d be vindicated in the end, she was certain, especially since she had the temples on her side. The bad rumors would be quelled and the truth would be more and more epted. Maybe not the whole, unadulterated truth, but enough to get her public reputation back in order.
¡°I¡¯ll bring these to the city hall for processing,¡± A said as she gathered up her copies of the contracts. ¡°I assume you two still have a ce to stay while we are in the capital? Or do we need to arrange lodging?¡±
¡°We¡¯re renting a fine little house right now,¡± Nevan brushed the concern away. ¡°No need to worry on our ount. We quite like the cozy little love nest! It has charm, even if it is a tad cramped at times.¡±
¡°Do you have lodging?¡± O asked, one perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised. ¡°Other than the temples, I mean. I can¡¯t imagine staying here will be a permanent situation.¡±
¡°No, not yet,¡± Jay answered the question, ¡°but we¡¯re looking into setting up a branch office. Actually, do you know any good real estate for sale that might fit a mercenarypany¡¯s needs?¡±
O thought about it for a moment, on delicate finger going to her chin. She slowly shook her head as she gazed off into the distance.
¡°No, I don¡¯t think I do know of any such ces. But I will ask a few contacts I have who might have an idea or two.¡±
¡°As shall I!¡± Nevan announced with a dashing grin. ¡°I believe my cousin, ¨ªte, used to broker properties in the city. I¡¯ll ask her if she can offer any insight or rmendations.¡±
It took every ounce of willpower in Jadis¡¯ bodies to resist asking Nevan if his cousin had long brown hair covering the entirety of her body. It was a struggle, but somehow, she managed to keep her tongue in check. Thanking the two for their help, Jadis officially weed the lovebirds into the guild. As they parted ways, she reminded them that they would be holding a training session in the Charos Temple¡¯s training hall so that they could meet the rest of thepany as well as demonstrate theirbat skills.
The two happily promised to be there, bright and early, then headed down the hall while holding hands and whispering what Jadis assumed were sweet nothings into each other¡¯s ears while giggling like school children.
¡°Alright, I guess that¡¯s settled,¡± Jay said with a satisfied smile. ¡°I think they¡¯re going to fit right in.¡±
¡°Sure will,¡± Kerr drawled. ¡°Couple of weirdos like them couldn¡¯t be a better choice for thepany.¡±
¡°Shall we keep looking for more members now that we have them?¡± A asked as she nced up at Jay. ¡°Personally, I think we should take this opportunity to fill out our roster. Maybe find some support staff. Right now all we have is Hans and if we are going to have an actual branch office here in the capital, we¡¯ll need more than just him.¡±
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good point,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°Keep your feelers out and we¡¯ll see if we can get anyone else with some promise.¡±
¡°In the meantime,¡± Syd drawled, ¡°I have a date I need to get ready for.¡±
Kerr scowled at Syd¡¯s words, a note of frustration coloring her voice.
¡°Damn dice. I knew I should have used my loaded set.¡±
¡°If you had, I would have noticed and you would have forfeited your date altogether,¡± A primly sniped at the sniper. ¡°You can be sure of that.¡±
¡°Not a chance,¡± Kerr countered. ¡°You aren¡¯t anywhere near observant enough to catch onto my dice.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± A admitted. ¡°But I know you and I know when you¡¯re being tricky. You¡¯d out yourself. Guaranteed.¡±
¡°No I wouldn¡¯t!¡± Kerr gasped in mock horror. ¡°You take that back!¡±
¡°Going to have to agree with A on this one,¡± Syd said as she grinned at her two arguing lovers. ¡°She¡¯s absolutely got your number by now.¡±
¡°You shut up,¡± Kerr snapped at Syd, waving a hand to shoo her away. ¡°Go n whatever you¡¯re going to do with the lucky winner. Whatever you do with Sorcha, I expect three times as much when it¡¯s my turn.¡±
Jadis justughed as she headed back to her rooms, leaving A and Kerr to banter. She needed to dress up and get ready. She did have a goblin to entertain soon, and depending on how the date went, maybe even woo. The thought sent a little nervous thrill through Jadis. She hoped Sorcha was feeling as much anticipation as she was.
Chapter 344: Date with a Goblin
Chapter 344: Date with a Goblin
¡°I¡¯ming across as a bloody prat, aren¡¯t I.¡±
Jadis smirked, a ripple of amusement flowing across her three bodies. Both Jay and Syd had drinks at their lips, but her Syd self didn¡¯t, so she set the ss in her hand down to focus and respond to Sorcha¡¯s statement.
¡°You¡¯re nervous. I don¡¯t think that makes you a prat.¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t do me any favors,¡± Sorcha groused, her green eyes focusing anywhere but on Jadis. ¡°Gods, why did I have to go first¡¡±
Syd arched an eyebrow at the mumbled plea. The rest of the girls had been surprisinglypetitive with the dice rolls when they had sorted out the dating order. It was all random chance, but that didn¡¯t stop a few of them from getting a little riled up in the moment. When Sorcha had won with the highest numbers, there had been some good-natured grumbling, but no one had thought ill of the goblin witch so far as Jadis had noticed. The order of the dates didn¡¯t ultimately matter, when it came down to it. It was the time spent together that was important. However, it seemed that getting to go first had given Sorcha a bit of aplex.
Since she was first, there hadn¡¯t been a lot of time toe up with a date n. Not that Jadis was certain what she¡¯d do with the goblin woman even if she did have more time. Jadis didn¡¯t really know Sorcha all that well. What she¡¯d seen of her once they¡¯d gotten past the whole ¡°Enemy Combatant¡± thing had interested Jadis enough to allow the witch to hang around during their rituals, but they hadn¡¯t had a lot of one-on-one together. That was the problem, really. Jadis didn¡¯t know Sorcha that well. But she wanted to, at least enough to give her a chance.
So, with little prep time and few options, Jadis had opted to stick with the simple n of having lunch with Sorcha. She¡¯d gotten what amounted to a pic basket from the temple kitchen and the two had donned their coats and found a quiet spot in the gardens behind the temple to have a meal and chat. The gazebo they¡¯d chosen to eat in had served well as a pleasant bit of scenery, even if it was a bit cramped for Jadis and a little too big for Sorcha, but that was fine. The conversation so far, though, had been what Jadis would call strained. Not to the point of being unpleasant, but there was some definite awkwardness between them that was making it difficult to make any real connection.
¡°I¡¯m d you got to go first.¡±
Syd¡¯s words caused Sorcha¡¯s gaze to flick up at her, at least for a moment. The direct eye contact didn¡¯tst long as the goblin soon turned away, a dark flush coloring her cheeks.
¡°Yeah, best to get the annoying shit out of the way first. Do the chores in the morning so you can rx the rest of the day, or so my ma used to always say.¡±
Sorcha¡¯s words had been said with an air of self-deprecation, and had probably been meant as a joke, but Jadis frowned upon hearing them. She could sense the bitterness behind the light tone.
¡°You aren¡¯t a chore,¡± Jay spoke firmly as she leaned forward, one elbow on the table. ¡°Why would you think you are?¡±
Sorcha looked furtive at Jay¡¯s pressing question. In fact, she looked like a hunted animal, ready to bolt. Considering how confidently sassy the goblin was around Sabina or the others, her current attitude was throwing Jadis off. If she didn¡¯t know better, Jadis might have thought Sorcha was¡ scared of her?
¡°I¡¯m not one of your¡panions,¡± the witch motioned towards Lyssandria¡¯s temple. ¡°I mean, I guess I kind of am since I¡¯m in your mercpany now. Which I¡¯m really thankful for! I¡¯d be kind of screwed otherwise. But I¡¯m, you know, not really one of them. I¡¯m not a¡ªa mate of yours, or anything like that.¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that why we¡¯re having this date?¡± Dys asked, doing her best to keep her tone neutral. ¡°To see if that¡¯s the direction we want to go?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think you had to do any dancing around the idea with the others,¡± Sorcha pointed out, her words tumbling out of her mouth in a rush. ¡°They just clicked into ce like puzzle blocks. If we fit together like that, we would be there already, right? So, yeah, this is probably all a mistake. I think I should probably go and you can get one of the others toe out here and show ¡®em a good time. No sense in wasting any more effort on me.¡±
Jadis regarded the goblin woman carefully. She took in her words, the way they were spoken, and her bodynguage as well. It would have been perfectly reasonable to take Sorcha¡¯s words at face value and let her go like she wanted. They didn¡¯t have to have a rtionship. She could be a simple member of herpany, no different from Hans or Nevan and O. As Sorcha put it, if they didn¡¯t click, they didn¡¯t click. No need to try and force either of them into a shape that didn¡¯t fit.
But Jadis did think they clicked. Or at least, had the potential to. Maybe she was just being led by her libido, but she was attracted to the goblin woman, and not just physically. She liked it when she was being sassy. She liked the way she kept the people around her grounded with her acerbic wit. She liked the ease with which she seemed to gel with her other lovers. Those were all strong points that intrigued Jadis, made her want to know the goblin more. And, if she was reading the woman right, she thought she wanted to know Jadis more as well.
There was just a hurdle or two getting in the way.
¡°Sorcha,¡± Dys pronounced, her voicemanding. ¡°Look at me.¡±
The witch flinched, herrge ears twitching. She slowly turned to look up at Dys from across the table. Her big, emerald eyes were wide and unblinking.
¡°Are you scared of me?¡±
Sorcha cringed slightly, her shoulders hunching as a grimace crossed her face. She seemed to think for a moment before some resolve was found within her and she braced her posture.
¡°I find you bloody terrifying, actually.¡±
The frank honesty was nice, but the answer still made Jadis¡¯ heads tilt in some confusion.
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Why?¡± Sorcha repeated, her tone incredulous. ¡°Look at you! I mean, you¡¯re a bloody giant! First time I ever saw you, you came out of the fucking fog like some kind of armored nightmare, tossing people around like dolls! You can crush men and demons underfoot without even breaking stride! You could probably flick one finger and knock my fucking head right off my neck! You¡¯re a monster!¡±
Jay set her elbow on the table next to Dys, then rested her chin on her fist. When she spoke, she did so with the slow deliberateness of someone who was trying to puzzle out a mystery.
¡°Noll¡¯s probably stronger than me. We¡¯re at least even. You aren¡¯t scared of him, are you?¡±
¡°¡I mean, he still makes me nervous, too,¡± Sorcha answered with a frown. ¡°He¡¯s kind of a creep, you know? Just staring at everyone and growling in a corner like a grumpy dog all day.¡±
¡°But you aren¡¯t scared of him,¡± Jay pressed.
¡°¡No, I¡¯m not.¡±
¡°But I scare you?¡±
Sorcha struggled to find a response, her mouth silently opening and closing several times. Before she could formte an answer, Syd spoke up with another question.
¡°It¡¯s not because we fought before, is it? Because I don¡¯t hold any grudge against you for any of that. We were on enemy sides. There wasn¡¯t anything personal between us, we were just doing what we had to do in the moment.¡±
¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± Sorcha let out a huff. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m sorry any of that shite happened, you know? I never should have signed up with that moron¡¯s crew. I just didn¡¯t think things would go so far¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s water under the bridge,¡± Syd motioned with one hand. ¡°Who gives a fuck? We¡¯re on the same side now. I don¡¯t have any hard feelings towards you. Do you feel any towards me?¡±
¡°No, not really.¡±
¡°Then what is it about me that scares you?¡± Syd asked again. ¡°It¡¯s not because we fought each other. It¡¯s not because I¡¯m big and strong.¡± Syd¡¯s eyes narrowed in a sly expression as she continued. ¡°Is it because I have a big dick? Because I can understand some nerves about all that if you¡¯ve been thinking about how we¡¯d do the deed. I¡¯ve been thinking about the logistics and I think we¡¯ll be okay¡ª¡±
¡°No! Shut the fuck up already!¡± Sorcha screeched, her cheeks dark green with embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m not nervous about your damn dicks! I mean, I am, because you¡¯ve got fucking horse cocks swinging between your legs, but gods dammit all that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about here!¡±
¡°Then what are we talking about?¡± Jay asked, drawing the goblin¡¯s attention back to her.
¡°This!¡± Sorcha motioned at Jadis. When she only gave her a confused look, the goblin continued by waving her hands around her. ¡°All this! The temple! The princes! Heroes and Demons and gods knows what else! The actual fucking gods that you actually talk to! Holy shit in my socks you¡¯ve actually met three gods! You¡¯ve talked to them!¡±
¡°Four gods, actually,¡± Dys corrected. ¡°Though I didn¡¯t really talk to Samleos, we just sort of stared at each other.¡±
¡°That!¡± Sorcha pointed emphatically at Dys. ¡°That¡¯s what I mean! That¡¯s bloody well terrifying what you just said, and you said it like it¡¯s just a normal day at work! I¡¯m terrified of all this power and importance and everything all swirling around you like a damn chaotic whirlwind, and I¡¯m not sure if I should be holding on for dear life or running for the hills! I¡¯m just an herbalist that happened to get a witch ss and then made a stupid mistake by joining the wrong mercenarypany. I don¡¯t know anything about any of these big matters that are for big people like you. I¡¯m not important. You are. And I¡¯m scared shitless about what might happen if I stay anywhere near you.¡±
Having exhausted herself, Sorcha slumped back in her raised seat, all the energy from a moment before gone. She gave Jadis¡¯ selves an almost petnt look as she grabbed the ss of warm cider from the table and gulped it down before thunking it back onto the metal surface. She waited for Jadis¡¯ response, a sparkle of defiance in her eyes.
For her part, Jadis got it. She totally got it. Sorcha was right. Jadis¡¯ life was absolutely insane. Even if she took out half of the things she¡¯d done sinceing to Oros, she¡¯d still have a massive story to her name, filled with crazy, unbelievable events. Her very existence on Oros itself was an impossibility that boggled the mind so far as Jadis was concerned. So yes, she understood exactly where Sorcha wasing from.
Jadis didn¡¯t have too much of a choice anymore. She¡¯d made her Faustian bargain and now she had to fulfill her end of the deal. Sorcha, on the other hand, didn¡¯t have to get involved in any of the chaos surrounding Jadis if she didn¡¯t want to. She was well within her rights to wipe her hands clean and step away. After all, who would want to purposefully involve themselves with someone who was so consistently courting disaster on a regr basis?
Someone who was interested in that person, that¡¯s who.
¡°Can we walk?¡±
Sorcha looked confused by the question, but she shrugged her shoulders in a nomittal way. She got up from her seat, following Jadis¡¯ selves as she stood and walked out of the pleasant little gazebo they¡¯d been eating their lunch in.
The gardens behind Lyssandria¡¯s temple were mostly barren with winter, but there were still some nts that were green despite the chill. Jadis was sure that in warmer months the many hedgerows and flowerbeds made for some beautiful scenery, but the view was more somber in the winter. Jadis had hoped the secluded spot would have helped Sorcha feel morefortable and willing to open up to her. Well, it had worked, Jadis supposed, though not in the way that she had expected.
Leading Sorcha down one of the winding paths that were surrounded by tall, highly manicured bushes, Jadis thought the goblin¡¯s outburst through. She was pretty sure she knew where she stood now that Sorcha had aired out all of her concerns. Hearing someone else talk through their feelings had strangely helped orient her own. Now she just needed to act.
¡°I want you to know right now,¡± Jay exined with a grave tone, ¡°that if you want to stop associating with me, I understand and will do everything possible to help. If you want to be support staff and stay at the base with Hans, I¡¯ll make that happen. If you want to leave Fortune¡¯s Favored and switch your custody to some otherpany, I¡¯ll talk to Vraekae and that¡¯s what¡¯ll happen. If you want me to smuggle you in a box out of the country so you can live a free life without any obligation to the empire, then I¡¯ll do that, too. It¡¯s your choice. Your life, your will. You¡¯re what matters here.¡±
¡°But if you want to know what I want,¡± Dys said as she slowly paced next to Sorcha. ¡°Then I want you to stay. I want to get to know you better. I don¡¯t think I love you, not like I do the others, but I want to see if I will. You are funny and sassy and cute and you have a good heart. I want to see where our connection brings us. But I refuse to hold you against your will. It¡¯s your choice.
¡°I can¡¯t promise that staying with me will be easy. In fact, I can damn well guarantee that staying in mypany will bring all kinds of hardship. That¡¯s just who I am. However, I can also promise you that if you stay, I will protect you with all my heart, exactly the same as I would any of my lovers, no matter where our rtionship ends up. I¡¯ll never abandon you. I¡¯ll never reject you. I¡¯ll be your friend. Always.¡±
¡°Question is, is what I¡¯m offering worth all the trouble?¡± Syd spoke wonderingly into the chill air. ¡°That¡¯s your call. I do want to add, though, that even if we don¡¯t end up in the kind of rtionship I have with my lovers, that doesn¡¯t mean you won¡¯t be invited to have some pretty awesome sex with us for our rituals. Nothing wrong with being a friend with benefits. I mean, mind-blowing orgasms on a regr basis has to be at least one good reason for putting up with everything else thates with me, right?¡±
Having said her piece, Jadis silently continued to stroll forward, trying her best not to reveal just how anxious she was to hear Sorcha¡¯s response. She wanted to present an air of confidence so that Sorcha didn¡¯t feel pressured to pick an answer just to please her. Jadis wanted Sorcha to stay. Everything she¡¯d said about how she felt about Sorcha had been true. So had been the part about letting the goblin make her own choices, though. She wouldn¡¯t force something to happen between them if the little green woman didn¡¯t want it. If her feelings truly weren¡¯t returned, then she¡¯d just have to let the goblin go, even if it hurt to do so.
Jadis stopped walking when she realized she couldn¡¯t hear Sorcha walking next to her. Turning back, she saw that she¡¯de to a standstill a few paces back, her head bowed in a look of intense concentration as her fists clutched at the hems of her coat sleeves.
¡°Sorcha?¡±
The witch nced up, a determined expression on her face. She raised one hand, beckoning Jay toe towards her.
¡°Can youe down here, please?¡±
Closing the distance, Jay knelt down on one knee, putting her head more on level with Sorcha¡¯s, though she still had a significant height advantage over the smaller woman. To bring herself further down, she knelt fully on both knees, then sat back on her legs.
Now on more of an even level, Sorcha took a step forward so that she was standing in the gap between Jay¡¯s knees, her body just a few inches shy of being pressed against Jay¡¯s. Her hands went on either side of Jay¡¯s face, cupping her cheeks with cold fingers. With an unreadable expression, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against Jay in a firm kiss.
Jadis epted the kiss, a little thrill of electricity running through her. The experience was both familiar and yet strange. All of Jadis¡¯ lovers were much smaller than her, and so kissing them meant her lips tended to overshadow and overwhelm them. With Sorcha, that experience was amplified since she was just so petite inparison. Still, her lips were soft and warm and as the kiss continued, Jadis found herself melting into the smaller woman.
Sorcha took the lead, probing Jay¡¯s lips with her tongue. When she opened her mouth to ept her, she eagerly slipped inside and showed some true erotic skill. Her tongue was small but dexterous, running all over her teeth and tongue in an exploratory dance. As the dance continued, Jay responded by pushing back against her, slipping her own tongue into the goblin¡¯s mouth. Sorcha¡¯s teeth were just as sharp as they had looked, and Jadis had no doubt that if she wanted to, the goblin could bite through bone. But instead of biting, Sorcha lewdly sucked on Jay¡¯s tongue, at least as much of it as could fit inside her mouth.
After a far too short amount of time, the kiss was broken as Sorcha pulled back, panting heavily. She gasped in a breath, her eyes foggy with lust but clearing as she took a moment to breathe. Clearing her throat, she stepped away from Jay, leaving the Nephilim feeling much hotter than she had a minute before, as well as much more constricted by her pants.
¡°Now that I¡¯ve finally got a sample of the wares¡ You might possibly be worth the trouble,¡± Sorcha said, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope neither of us experience any buyer¡¯s remorseter, yeah?¡±
¡°We won¡¯t,¡± Jay grinned, before pulling Sorcha back in for another kiss.
Chapter 345: Earnest Discussion
Chapter 345: Earnest Discussion
¡°Jadis, may we speak for a moment?¡±
Aurea¡¯s voice caused Jadis to pause as her three selves strode down the corridor. She¡¯d just parted ways with Sorcha, the two having spent the rest of their date just talking as they walked the winter gardens. Having opened up to each other, Jadis was feeling pretty good about where their rtionship was headed. They¡¯d not gone any further than some kissing, but that was fine. Jadis wasn¡¯t in any kind of a rush, and it didn¡¯t feel right to try and push things along between them to something physical when they were still working their feelings out. But that was what the date had been for, and Jadis was looking forward to spending more time with the little witch.
For the moment, however, Jadis was intending to meet up with A and see what she¡¯d aplished as far as mercenary recruitment. At least, that had been her n before the blonde high priestess has called out to her.
¡°Can I help you?¡± Jay replied for her triumvirate, all three of her selves turning to look at the beautiful woman.
¡°I hope so,¡± Aurea smiled demurely as she approached. ¡°First, though, I wanted to let you know that we managed to negotiate a reduction on the restrictions surrounding your detainment.¡±
¡°You have?¡± Jay asked, surprised. ¡°With who? How?¡±
¡°With the emperor, of course,¡± Aurea exined as she came to a stop directly in front of Jadis. ¡°We did make a deal to leverage the temple¡¯s influence in your favor, did we not?¡±
Indeed, they had. Thinking back on their meeting in Glitnir, Jadis had promised to have a fair number of children with a variety of women in exchange for the temple helping her out of the legal and political swamp she¡¯d managed to get stuck in. Now that she¡¯d had a meeting with Prince Kestil, Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure she need have bothered. It seemed like Kestil was going to be getting her out of trouble through his own power, no need for the temples to intercede.
Then again, considering how maniptive Kestil appeared to be, it was probably a good idea for Jadis to have more than one avenue to get out of the trouble she was in. If the temples were going to back her, that would be a big help if the second prince decided to back out of his promise to her. Plus, even if the prince did fulfill his end of the bargain, having the temples exerting their influence to help her could make for some good cover. If asked, she could say that she didn¡¯t have much to do with Kestil and was just relying on the temples to aid her while she was in a bind. Being able to put that kind of distance between her and Kestil felt like a good idea to Jadis.
¡°Well, that¡¯s great,¡± Jay responded to the high priestess with a grin. ¡°What kind of restrictions were lifted?¡±
¡°The number of guards following you when you leave the temple district will be reduced. Oswin argued that considering how strong you are, it made more sense to have only a few elites escort you rather than a whole detachment of soldiers.¡±
That was a surprise. Jadis had thought it would only be Lyssandria and Destarious¡¯ temples aiding her when Aurea and Sholto had negotiated the deal. Oswin¡¯s involvement hadn¡¯t been mentioned, though Jadis supposed Aurea had said ¡°the temples¡± would help her. She just hadn¡¯t realized that meant all of the temples.
¡°That¡¯s very nice of him to help,¡± Jay said in a mild tone. ¡°I¡¯ll have to thank him next time I see him.¡±
¡°He also negotiated a better curfew time,¡± Aurea continued. ¡°You won¡¯t have to return until the midnight hour, instead of sundown.¡±
That made Jadis genuinely pause in shock. She tilted her heads in confusion, eyeing Aurea with a bit of suspicion.
¡°¡Really? That¡¯s¡ actually very generous.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve got to ask,¡± Syd probed the blonde woman, ¡°Were Eir¡¯s parents involved in that decision at all? Because I know they are nning some kind of a ball¡¡±
¡°There were a few unexpected petitions that showed up both on our desks as well as in the emperor¡¯s court,¡± Aurea admitted. ¡°The various parties who signed them were enough to loosen the hold, if not release youpletely. I¡¯m not sure why he¡¯s being so stubborn on the matter, but from what Oswin told me, Prince Hraustrekr is being unusually harsh in his judgement of you and your actions. His opinion has a great deal of sway with the emperor, and I believe that his insistence that you remain in custody is the only reason why you haven¡¯t been freed already. You wouldn¡¯t know what is causing him to take such a contrarian stance, do you?¡±
¡°Not with any certainty,¡± Dys answered in a semi-truthful way. ¡°I have the impression it has something to do with my association with Magistrate Vraekae, which trantes to my association with Kestil. Kind of a misunderstanding, I guess.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Aurea frowned. ¡°It is a shame how at odds those two brothers are. If only they were able to get along, then I think they could aplish great things working together. But I digress.¡±
Aurea waved a dismissive hand, reorienting the conversation away from talk of the princes and politics.
¡°I was hoping that you¡¯d have some time tomorrow to make an appearance at one of the smaller temples here in the city. There are many adherents of Lyssandria who are eager to meet you and, if you are willing, we would like to make that happen sooner rather thanter.¡±
As part of the bargain Jadis had made, she had agreed to do some small events to help the temple. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure she was really suited for the kind of thing Aurea was asking her to do, but she didn¡¯t think it would be fair to refuse when the temple had clearly called in some favors to help her. Besides, talking to a few worshippers of Lyssandria in a small temple didn¡¯t sound that bad, on a conceptual level, at least.
¡°They aren¡¯ting here to the main temple?¡± Jay asked, motioning at the halls around them. ¡°I figured most worshippers would want toe her if they can.¡±
¡°We¡¯d rather have you go to them,¡± Aurea shook her head, causing her blonde curls to bounce. ¡°It¡¯s a better image to have you visit the smaller temples that themon popce frequents rather than hold you to the High Temple. You are not meant to be locked away for only the select few to meet but seen and heard by all. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±
While she could argue that maybe Aurea¡¯s sentiment stemmed from her having an inted opinion of Jadis due to her being a Nephilim, she had to admit that being ced on a pedestal inside the high temple was absolutely not something she wanted. Nodding her agreement, Jadis quickly arranged an outing with Aurea to go visit one of the smaller temples. The engagement did mean that Jadis had to slightly alter her ns for her next date, but not so much that it would cause problems, especially since the curfew restrictions had been lightened. Tomorrow would be a busy day, but there would be enough time that no obligation would be shirked and she¡¯d still be able to go on her date.
With her business with Aurea concluded for the time being, Jadis sought out A as she had originally intended. Her lover was in the temple library, of course, and was reading one of the books that Jadis had borrowed from the Metethys archives.
The Lyssandria library wasn¡¯t anywhere near as grand as the one in the Metethys temple, but it was significantly cozier with overly cushioned chairs, sweet-smelling flowers, and even a trio of musicians softly ying music from a balcony. Definitely a better ce for rxation, if not for research.
¡°Reading up on the big baddie?¡± Syd asked as she plopped down onto the floor next to A.
It was at moments like these where Jadis sincerely wished she was shorter. Therge chair A had imed as her own looked sinfullyfortable and would have been just the right size for two people to share, presuming they didn¡¯t mind getting somewhat intimate. As it was, though, she would have only crushed her redheaded lover under her big butt if she had tried to squeeze into the seat.
Being a giant wasn¡¯t always easy.
¡°Yes, I am,¡± A murmured distractedly as she finished whatever passage she was reading in the book written about the Demon Lord. ¡°It¡¯s really quite interesting. There are a good deal of details in this research that I was never aware of.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll have to fill me in when you¡¯re done,¡± Jay sighed as she settled onto a divan that creaked ominously but felt like it was going to hold up. ¡°I don¡¯t know anywhere near enough about this Demon Lord guy. Actually, is he a guy? Or what?¡±
¡°Yes, he is male,¡± A answered dryly as she closed the book. Her hand brushed through Syd¡¯s hair in a proprietary way, sending a pleasant shiver down Syd¡¯s spine. ¡°But that¡¯s beside the point right now. How did your date go with Sorcha?¡±
Taking a knee behind A¡¯s chair, Dys leaned around the side opposite of Syd and gave her favorite freckled woman a kiss on the cheek. Leaning her head against the redhead¡¯s, she wrapped one arm around her waist before answering her question.
¡°It went well. We got to clear the air between us, get to know each other a little better. You know, she was actually kind of scared of me?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not surprised, no,¡± A mused as she continued to run her fingers through Syd¡¯s hair while leaning into Dys¡¯ embrace. ¡°You can be quite imposing, and not just because of your height.¡±
¡°Well, I think she got over it,¡± Syd chuckled lightly. ¡°Maybe not , but we¡¯re definitely on better terms now.¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t¡ bother you, does it?¡± Jay asked, her voice taking on a serious tone. ¡°I mean, me pursuing Sorcha. If you didn¡¯t want her around, I feel like you would have told me by now, but you also haven¡¯t really said much about me potentially dating her and having her join our more intimate group.¡±
A was quiet for a moment, her gentle ministrations not stopping as she thought Jadis¡¯ question over. When she did answer, she spoke with a slow but confident air.
¡°She did at first, honestly. Sabina trusts herpletely, which was enough for me to not say anything, but she did participate in at least two attempts to kill you.¡±
¡°That¡ª¡±
¡°I know,¡± A stopped Jay from continuing. ¡°Circumstances being what they are, I can see why you don¡¯t hold a grudge against her. In fact, I think that¡¯s one of your better points. You¡¯re harsh against people who wrong you, but you are also quite forgiving to those who repent. Valtar would approve, I think. If redemption wasn¡¯t possible, why would anyone ever try to be better?¡±
Turning head to face Dys, A¡¯s piercing blue eyes bore into her.
¡°That said, she did try to kill you. That¡¯s not the sort of thing that I can so easily let go.¡±
¡°Do you want me to stop pursuing her?¡± Dys asked seriously. ¡°If you don¡¯t want her around, I¡¯ll cut things off now before they go a step further. I won¡¯t do that to you.¡±
A smiled, then gave Dys a gentle kiss on the lips that only lingered for a few seconds.
¡°I know. And that knowledge is a far biggerfort to me than actually sending Sorcha away would be. Just, take it slow with her, alright? I want you to bepletely sure about her before you get attached. I know you¡¯re going to have to have children with a fair number of women, which I can ept. I want those women to be people that I trust, but more importantly, people that you trust. Be certain, is all I¡¯m saying.¡±
¡°I promise,¡± Dys assured her sincerely.
¡°Good,¡± A gave her another peck on the lips. ¡°Now, stop distracting me with your damn libido for a moment and I¡¯ll tell you what Kerr and I did today.¡±
¡°Oh, I¡¯m the distraction?¡± Dys gasped in mock outrage. ¡°Someone as sexy as you dares to call me the distraction?¡±
A gave her a t look.
¡°Okay, fair enough,¡± Dys sighed dramatically. ¡°I am actually pretty damn sexy. Forgive me for my w of being amazingly attractive and I¡¯ll do my best to contain my overwhelming aura of lewd debauchery.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± A replied sarcastically before she recounted the details of her day.
She, Kerr, and Noll had spent more time together discussing potential candidates for the mercenarypany, though they were more focused on support staff than trainedbatants. There were a fare few good options, enough that A had scheduled a morning of interviews a few days out. Hans had also joined them, offering his own list of candidates that contained some promising individuals. Even Vraekae had stopped by their little gathering for a brief moment, though she¡¯d mostly just done so to fill A in on what was happening in the court as far as Jadis¡¯ case before the emperor went. It turned out that the magistrate had also been involved in the loosening of restrictions, so A had known about them even before Jadis.
It certainly did suck to have enemies, but Jadis couldn¡¯tin about having some stalwart allies to rely on.
The final bit of news A had to give regarded Nevan¡¯s cousin, ¨ªte. The gnome had reached out to her and provided some good leads on affordable property in the capital that could be used for a mercenarypany, so long as they didn¡¯t mind not being in the more central and affluent districts. A had assured ¨ªte that they did not, knowing well that Jadis wouldn¡¯t care, and had arranged a time for them to check those ces out. Jadis had initially worried that they might not have the money to afford a new property in Eldingholt, but A had ayed those concerns. Thepany had plenty of funds due to the rewards the Dryad¡¯s had given them. Maybe not so much that they could spend what they had injudiciously, but not so little that they had to worry about scrimping pennies.
It had been a good day, all in all, so far as Jadis was concerned. Rxing into herfortable spots while listening to A¡¯s clear voice, Jadis idly hoped that the next day would go just as well. She had a date with Kerr to look forward to, after all.
Chapter 346: Training Grounds
Chapter 346: Training Grounds
¡°Ha! Strike fast, strike true, and look good doing it! Such is the way of a Dunntree man!¡±
With a flick of his rapier, Nevan lunged forward with his de pointed straight at the heart of the axe-wielding orc looming over him. Without seeming to dodge, he somehow slipped straight through the warrior¡¯s attack, the bigger man¡¯s axe sweeping so close by his head that his dark hair was ruffled by the breeze. Sliding between the orc¡¯s legs, Nevan jabbed upward and caught the unfortunate axe man in thehers, prompting a pained grunt of surprise. In the next moment, Nevan danced out the other side. When the orc spun to face him, the gnome jabbed twice more before he could dodge, striking him twice in the gut with the blunted de.
¡°Haha! Three points for me, young buck! And you¡¯re done!¡±
¡°Dammit!¡± the orc cursed as he kicked the ground of the training ring in frustration. ¡°You¡¯re as slippery as a bloody eel! One more go!¡±
¡°Another time, my fine fellow!¡± Nevan flourished his practice de before sheathing it. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ve taken up too much time in this ring already, and I would hate to be an inconvenience for any of your finepatriots, or my own for that matter!¡±
The orc warrior grumbled, but epted Nevan¡¯s polite refusal. The two even shook hands, though the bigger man still looked heated from the loss. Jadis couldn¡¯t me him. The two were in the same CLR bracket and therefore should have been a decent match for each other, yet the gnome had danced rings around the younger orc. Nevan was a startlingly skilled swordsman, far better than she had expected, and her expectations were already high. Noll had rmended him, after all.
¡°You weren¡¯t kidding about him being good,¡± Dys murmured from the sideline.
¡°No,¡± Noll grunted, watching the two clear the arena with single-minded focus. ¡°He¡¯s a blowhard, but he can back up the swagger.¡±
¡°Definitely,¡± Dys nodded.
It was an hour after dawn and Jadis had already worked up a sweat going through her weapon drills. She and the rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored had been neglecting that particr part of their daily routine due to the circumstances of their travel to the capital, but now that they were in a better position Jadis was determined to get back to sharpening her skills. Luckily, with Noll still in town, he was able to join their morning exercises and lend his considerable wisdom to their efforts.
The back gardens of Lyssandria¡¯s high temple had plenty of open space for her little group to do some training and even spar, but with Charos¡¯ temple practically next door, there really hadn¡¯t been any good reason to ignore the opportunity to use a real training facility.
Charos¡¯ high temple was simr in construction to Metethys¡¯ temple, at least in terms of architecture, but instead of books and schrs it was full of weapons and warriors. Though realistically, there weren¡¯t actually that many people in the temple. With a demonic invasion going on, the vast majority of Charos¡¯ pdins and priests were on the battlefield, ying demons and protecting the people. The only priests still in the capital were essentially a skeleton crew made up of mostly older warriors who were past their prime and injured individuals who were recovering from their wounds. That meant that the training arenas were free for Jadis and herpany to use.
There was one other group of warriors in the temple, though. A group that was made up of neither old priests nor recovering soldiers. The War God¡¯s Fist order of holy knights was still in the capital.
And Runar was with them.
Jadis did her best not to re at the hulking bear man standing on the other side of the arena. She was trying her damnedest to be the better woman and not pick a fight with the hairy brute. She really, really, really wanted to, but she didn¡¯t want to give Hraustrekr any more ammunition to use against her. With that thought in mind, she was using every ounce of willpower she possessed to ignore the jackass. However, she was certain that there was no way the asshole bear hadn¡¯t purposefully positioned himself so that he was constantly in her line of sight.
She was dead certain he was basically inviting her to pick a fight with him.
Jadis wasn¡¯t going to fall for the petty provocation. She had better things to do, anyway. Like observe the skills of her newpany members.
¡°Try again my dear, you almost hit me that time.¡±
¡°How dare you mock me you little¡ªGah!¡±
¡°Mock you? My darling, I¡¯d never do such a thing. I believe you are doing genuinely well and I am merely offering you some encouragement. Keep up the good work!¡±
Charos¡¯ temple had multiple fighting rings used for sparring, which meant up to nine groups could train at the same time. Jadis couldn¡¯t watch them all, but she could watch the three that were the most interesting to her at the same time.
O¡¯s match was still going, though not because she was struggling against her opponent more than her husband had. The beautiful gnome woman had been matched up against an elf with a spear who had exuded an air of superior confidence right up until O had snatched the elf¡¯s weapon straight out of her hands. O had graciously given the spear back to the elf and had been toying with the woman ever since.
Toying might have been the wrong word. There wasn¡¯t anything sadistic in what O was doing. When she had said that she was simply offering encouragement to the spearwoman, Jadis believed her. She seemed to genuinely be trying to give the woman a chance to practice against an opponent who outssed her. The problem was the elf was quickly losing her temper with how easily O was handling her. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure the angry elf was going to get much out of the experience considering how frustrated she¡¯d grown.
¡°Step a little more to the left next time, dear,¡± O corrected the elf as she nimbly dodged to the side. ¡°You¡¯re overcorrecting and that¡¯s throwing you off your center. You won¡¯t be able to follow my movements as well if you¡¯re struggling to maintain your bnce.¡±
¡°Fuck me!¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry sweeting, but I¡¯m a married woman. You¡¯re very pretty though, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find someone who is interested soon enough.¡±
The elf let out another string of what Jadis presumed were curses in anguage she couldn¡¯t understand while thrusting her spear in a flurry. O barely seemed bothered as she danced out of the way. While the furious warrior turned to follow her, O¡¯s whip snapped around the elf¡¯s ankle and pulled, causing her to lose her bnce and crash onto the hard-packed arena floor.
¡°See what I mean? Remember to keep your body centered,¡± O tutted as she began winding up her whip. ¡°Or even little gnomes like me will be able to pull you right off your feet.¡±
O was just as impressive as her husband. In fact, her skill with the dagger and whipbo she wielded was borderline intimidating. Jadis had been assured that neither gnome possessed any kind of magic, yet the uracy with which O was able to maneuver her whip was almost unbelievable. Whatever skills O had chosen for her ss, the majority must have been centered around powering up her whip prowess to a point where she was practically supernatural with the weapon.
As she and Noll had watched the gnomes disy theirbat skills, the two had discussed how to utilize the couple on the battlefield. While Noll was confident that the two would be capable of taking care of themselves, he cautioned Jadis about their weak points. While they were great at dealing against single opponents, even more so when working together, neither gnome had good skills for dealing with a crowd. Their weapons weren¡¯t meant to be wielded against multiple opponents and their ss skills weren¡¯t much help either. Even their mundane training and style ofbat was more suited towards duals than an open battlefield. That meant Nevan and O weren¡¯t necessarily good options for fighting crowds of demons. Not that they¡¯d be incapable, but their effectiveness would be lessened.
It was Jadis¡¯ responsibility as leader of the mercenarypany to keep the two new members¡¯ strengths and weaknesses in mind when she fielded them. As Noll was quick to instruct her, a bad tactician would just assign them a duty and leave them to figure it out. A good one would take into ount what the couple were capable of and find a role that suited them.
Having now seen the two in a few training spars, Jadis felt like she had a pretty good idea how she could utilize the mboyant gnomes when fighting demons. They¡¯d need to work it all out through some team practices, and further adjustments would likely need to be made once they actually got some time on the battlefield, but the training bouts were definitely helping Jadis n her next steps for the mercenarypany.
Those formtions took a backseat in her mind as her focus was drawn by the third fight she was actively observing. This fight she had a different interest in, one that was far more personal.
¡°Bollocks!¡±
Bridget¡¯s curse was echoed by a grunt from Thea as both women were pushed back by the scrappy short man that she¡¯d fought in Far Felsen.
With his arms raised so that his fists protected his head, the stocky man charged the two women as they desperately tried to strike him with their polearms. Neithernded even a ncing blow as the man dipped and dodged both, moving in close enough that he was able to punch Thea¡¯s shield with a short-range body shot. The blow hit Thea¡¯s shield and wasn¡¯t even delivered with the force of the man¡¯s weight behind it, yet it was enough to send the guardswoman rocking backwards, barely able to keep to her feet.
At first, Jadis had thought her two lovers would have faired well against the short boxer. They had a reach advantage, both women being taller than the guy and due to their choice in weapons. Unfortunately, the sheer power difference between them was too much. Shorty was over CLR one hundred, which meant he had more levels than both womenbined. Maybe the fight would have been a little less one-sided if the two had been empowered by Jadis¡¯ Lewd Lover¡¯s Bond ritual, but without that boost to their stats it was simply no contest.
Bridget let out a grunt of exertion as she tried to cover for Thea, herntern-iling down onto the short man¡¯s head. What should have been a sure hit was easily turned into a counterattack as the man grabbed hold of the polearm¡¯s shaft and with one strong pull, yanked it out of the orc¡¯s grasp. In the next instant, Bridget was on the ground, her legs swept out from under her.
Thea tried to rally, to her credit, but her attempt at a shield bash was turned aside as the brawler pushed back against. In another moment, she had been tossed on top of Bridget, also disarmed of her spear.
¡°You¡¯ve got a long ways to go,¡± shorty said as he waited for the two women to get to their feet. ¡°But not as long as some I¡¯ve seen. If you weren¡¯t spoken for, I¡¯d tell you to join the recruitment program for our order. The both of you could make the distance.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Bridget grumbled as she took her il back from the man. ¡°I guess. We¡¯ll get you next time.¡±
¡°Next time,¡± the man smiled and shrugged in a good-natured way. ¡°Might be. I¡¯m no soothsayer. Either way, I look forward to the fight.¡±
Thea didn¡¯t speak to the man, instead simply nodding in acknowledgement before taking her spear back from him. Jadis could sense the frustrationing from her quiet lover. It wasn¡¯t always easy to tell what was going on in her shy shield maiden¡¯s mind, but at a guess Jadis presumed she was feeling some frustration at her inability to match up to the stronger man. The two had fought previously, after all.
¡°Alright, anyone else want to take me on?¡± the short man asked the crowd of spectators. ¡°I¡¯ve still got some energy to work off!¡±
¡°Me.¡±
The short man smiled, then flinched back as all three of Jadis approached him. It was for only a brief moment, but she saw the way his body turned and one hand strayed towards his crotch upon seeing her three selves. A fair reaction, Jadis supposed, considering how they¡¯d left off theirst fight.
¡°¡Anyone else?¡± the short man asked as he eyed Jadis warily. ¡°No offense, love, but I¡¯m not sure you and I should be doing any dueling, friendly or otherwise.¡±
¡°Why? You aren¡¯t scared to fight someone more than fifty levels lower than you, are you?¡± Syd asked tauntingly.
¡°I promise, no low blows,¡± Dys intoned gravely. ¡°So long as you don¡¯tnd any on me.¡±
¡°If you aren¡¯t up for the challenge, then I¡¯ll find someone else,¡± Jay shrugged. ¡°And you can go take a rest.¡±
¡°Now, it¡¯s not that I¡ª¡± the man started to say before he was cut off by another, much deeper, voice.
¡°I¡¯ll fight you,¡± Runar rumbled as he marched into the ring. ¡°One on one.¡±
¡°Shite¡¡± the short man cursed under his breath, clearly unhappy with the direction things were going but not willing to get in his boss¡¯ way.
Jadis, however, couldn¡¯t have been happier.
The huge bear man was dressed in his usual dark gambeson. His hair had been restored since thest time Jadis had seen him, which meant he no longer looked quite soical. In fact, his appearance was even more intimidating than usual considering the huge mace he was carrying on one hand. Unlike the weapon he¡¯d been wielding when they¡¯d first fought, this mace was suited to his size and looked like it meant business. The hard edges of the star-shaped mace head looked like they could punch right though even the thickest armor. An idea that could potentially be tested since Jadis was fully decked out in her te armor.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind a rematch,¡± Jay growled back at the infuriating bear man. ¡°The fight might not go the way you think it will, once you¡¯re fighting all of me, rather than just a third.¡±
¡°The quantity doesn¡¯t change the quality,¡± Runar let out a huff that misted in the cold air. ¡°Three or three hundred, you¡¯re still an inexperienced lump of shit.¡±
¡°What¡¯s that say about you, dickless, considering I ttened your facest time?¡± Syd sneered as she motioned to the half of his head that had previously been burnt clean of fur.
¡°It says that I was holding back, since I was ordered not to kill you,¡± Runar replied with a deadly earnestness that practically screamed the truthfulness of his statement.
¡°Happy to put that to the test,¡± Jay spread her arms wide in challenge. ¡°So long as you and everyone here agrees that this is just a spar that you asked for, and not me being a hothead looking for revenge.¡±
¡°You are a hothead,¡± Runar pointed out in a way that reminded Jadis far too much of something Noll would say.
¡°Beside the point. This is your idea, agreed?¡±
¡°Agreed,¡± Runar growled.
Just as the big bear man was about to take a step forward to meet Jadis in the ring, another man¡¯s hand fell on his shoulder and forced him to stop.
¡°Not a chance, Runar,¡± Steingrimur sternly admonished the pdin. ¡°You¡¯re out of line.¡±
¡°What? Why?¡± Dys demanded as she watched the high priest force the Valbjorn to take a step back. ¡°You aren¡¯t stopping us because of some political bullshit, are you?¡±
The half human, half Valbjorn man snorted loudly as he took a step towards Jadis.
¡°Of course not. I¡¯ve been waiting for my chance to fight you since we met. I¡¯ve got first call. Runar can wait his fucking turn.¡±
Chapter 347: Acolytes of War
Chapter 347: Acolytes of War
Jadis watched in bemusement as Steingrimur and Runar quietly argued with each other over which of them was going to get to fight Jadis first. She honestly hadn¡¯t expected there to be a literal line of people who wanted to test either her or theirbat prowess, but apparently there was. Though, as she thought it over, it really wasn¡¯t that surprising considering the temple she was currently visiting. Charos was the god of war andpetition. It made sense that his most devout followers would be spoiling for the chance to pit themselves against a new opponent.
Jadis couldn¡¯t overhear everything that was being said, but she could hear enough to tell that it wasn¡¯t just about who got to go first, like Steingrimur had imed. The short man, whose name she really should learn at some point, seemed to be acting as a voice of reason between the two taller men, basically arguing that brawling with the woman that their holy order had arrested while under custody was just in stupid. It certainly sent a message, even if Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure she was catching all the nuances.
However, the two big brutes weren¡¯t having any of it. Both wanted to fight more than they wanted to handle anything political, and neither wanted to cede first go to the other.
¡°Both of you can fight her,¡± Noll¡¯s growling voice called out, catching Jadis off guard. ¡°It¡¯ll be fairer that way.¡±
The bear man and the high priest both stared at Noll, their brows furrowed and their shoulders set in surprisingly simr ways. For half a second, Jadis wondered if the two were rted? She quickly disregarded the idea. Just because one was a Valbjorn and the other was a half Valbjorn didn¡¯t mean that they had any blood ties to each other.
¡°Are you sure?¡± Steingrimur asked. ¡°I¡¯ve seen her stats. I know she¡¯s strong, but attributes aren¡¯t everything.¡±
¡°They aren¡¯t,¡± Noll agreed as he settled back against a far wall to watch theing show. ¡°You¡¯ll need Runar.¡±
That pronouncement just galvanized the brazen priest in his desire to fight Jadis solo even more. Jadis could practically see the fire burning in his eyes, one that raged not just with wounded pride, but also excitement at the prospect of a challenge.
Steingrimur opened his mouth to speak, then shut it as he thought better of what he was going to say. Pointing a finger at Runar, then another at Jadis, he started walking towards a group of older priests standing to the side of the arenas.
¡°If we are going to fight, let¡¯s do this properly. Get your weapons ready, Jadis. No holding back.¡±
Jadis had her axe and maul already, but she had yet to get a recement for thence that had been destroyed by the ice dragon, Vetregin. Backing out of the ring, Syd went to the weapon rack closest to Noll so she could pick out something suited to her size.
¡°Thanks a lot, Noll,¡± Syd whispered as she picked out a halberd that was a bit too small for her but would work well enough.
¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± the old wolf replied with perfect magnanimity.
In short order, the priests that Steingrimur had spoken to had set up a ritual ring around the training arena, something that they seemed well-practiced at. It took about five minutes toplete, but when they were done the arena had been sanctified with a powerful spell that would prevent anyone within from being knocked below ten health points. It would only work on an individual once, and it onlysted for half an hour, but it essentially worked the same way as Eir¡¯s Protection of the D ritual. A useful spell to prevent idents from happening when training, but apparently too costly to use all the time. For a fight between Jadis and the two bear men, though, the spell was very much worth the expense.
With the ritualpleted, Jadis¡¯ three selves stepped into the ring and squared off against the two higher-level warriors. She couldn¡¯t deny that she was thrilled to have a chance to fight against two skilled opponents without having to worry about holding back. She was especially eager to give Runar another taste of her wrath. But fighting both the high-CLR pdin and a high priest of the god of war at the same time¡
Well, Jadis hoped Noll¡¯s confidence in her wasn¡¯t misced and that she wasn¡¯t about to embarrass herself in front of all of herpanions and a growing audience of Charos knights.
¡°Kick their hairy asses!¡± Kerr shouted from the sidelines, whooping and hollering as she pumped a fist in the air. ¡°Show ¡®em who has the biggest dick around here!¡±
With Kerr¡¯s raucous cheering to lead them, the others surrounding the ring started joining in. All of Jadis¡¯panions of course started cheering for her, but to her surprise, some of the Charos priests and even a few knights were cheering for her, too. Whether that was because they didn¡¯t like Runar and Steingrimur, or because they just liked the idea of rooting for an underdog, Jadis couldn¡¯t tell. Either way, with the cheers of her lovers ringing in her ears, she stepped forward to face off against the two powerful warriors.
Jadis had some idea of what to expect from Runar. The Valbjorn hadn¡¯t exhibited any outward magical effects during their fight back in Far Felsen. Maybe that was because he¡¯d been holding back and hadn¡¯t cast any smite spells or the like on her. Or maybe his magic was subtle and didn¡¯t make its effects obvious. Or the bear man just didn¡¯t have that kind of magic. That was always a possibility, Jadis supposed. She barely had any magic herself, even though her Mirror Knight ss was certainly capable of casting spells. Runar could have made simr choices to her and just not gone the magical route with his sses. There was no way for her to know for sure when it came to things the brute might be hiding, but what she did know was that he was skilled with his mace, he liked to get in close to grapple with his free hand, and he wasn¡¯t afraid to bite. Maybe not the most detailed evaluation of Runar¡¯s capabilities, but she could say that the man¡¯s fighting style wasn¡¯t aplete mystery to her.
Steingrimur, on the other hand, was aplete unknown. She¡¯d never seen the man fight, or even hold a weapon. In fact, he still wasn¡¯t holding a weapon and was still just wearing a loose tunic and a pair of in pants. Maybe that meant he was a bare-knuckle brawler like the short man? That seemed likely, since he hadn¡¯t picked up any weapons while they had been waiting for the ritual toplete. However, Jadis wouldn¡¯t put it past the half-bear man to have some kind of trick up his sleeve. Whatever the case, one thing Jadis felt safe on assuming was that Steingrimur was capable of casting spells. He was a high priest, after all. Even if his other sses were non-magical, that one certainly had to grant some kind of casting ability.
¡°Ready?¡± Steingrimur called out over the din of the cheering crowd.
¡°Ready,¡± Runar rumbled loud enough to make the ground quake.
¡°Ready!¡± all three of Jadis replied in unison.
That was all that needed to be said. In one moment, all were standing still. In the next, they moved.
Runar charged forward with a vicious roar that shook the air and reverberated inside of Jadis¡¯ armor. With mace raised high, he closed the gap between Jay and himself, aiming straight down the center line.
Steingrimur dashed behind him, following in the bigger man¡¯s wake, the sh of some kind of spell glowing from both of his hands.
Jay had positioned her selves so that her Jay body was in the middle, with Syd on her left and Dys on her right, with about three feet between each of them. As Runar approached, Jay raised her oversized maul to swing at him in a right-to-left sweep. At the same time, Dys feinted to the side and jabbed at Steingrimr¡¯s head with her axe while ignoring Runar entirely. Syd, meanwhile, dashed to the left then kicked off of the ground with a single push of her powerful left leg, rocketing her self towards the high priest. Since he seemed to be acting as a spell caster, she figured that a strong double-attack should be able to disrupt the man¡¯s spell, if not knock him out of the fightpletely so that she could then put all of her focus on Runar.
Jay¡¯s sweep attack caught Runar in the side, but rather than crumple under the blow, the Valbjorn leaned into it, letting Jay¡¯s hammer carry him along to the side as his feet left the ground. With his free leftnd wrapped around the head of her metal maul, his right hand came down in an overhead swing and struck Jay¡¯s arm in a ringing blow that made her bones shake. The counterattack was strong enough to force Jadis¡¯ right hand to release her weapon, an opening that Runar instantly took advantage of.
Putting his feet down, the huge brute pivoted and used this weight to spin the maul around him, carrying Jay along so that she was tossed around in a spinning fulcrum. The move was so unexpected that Jay nearly lost her left-handed grip on her weapon, though she managed to hold on through a strained effort.
As Runar was countering Jay, Dys and Syd were making their attack on Steingrimur. Just before their two weapons made contact with the high priest, a ck and red glow shed around him, bright enough that it partially blinded Jadis¡¯ two other bodies. When she was able to see again a momentter, she found that both Dys¡¯ axe and Syd¡¯s borrowed halberd had been blocked by a sword and shield, respectively. Only the sword and shield hadn¡¯t existed a moment ago, and they were unlike any sword or shield Jadis had ever seen.
The spectral armaments were made of a swirling mist of red and ck energy, a dark and fierce light glowing around them. The sword in Steingrimur¡¯s left hand was a bastard sword with an upward curving guard and a pommel styled to look like a snarling bear. His shield was a kite style with rounded edges, though a single solid spike stuck out from the middle.
¡°Wrong target!¡± the high priest shouted with glee as he thrust back against the two of Jadis simultaneously.
Dys was knocked back, the axe ringing in her hands from his parrying swing. She was forced to fall back as a fark fire roiled down the shaft of her weapon, burning through her gauntlets. As soon as she broke contact, the fire faded, but for the brief moment she made contact, whatever magical effect Steingrimur had on his conjured weapon made it near impossible for her to hold onto her axe.
Syd was sent flying, her leaping attack working against her as the powerful priest was able to m his shield through her halberd and into her body. The shield bash was enough to throw her several feet away from him, her trajectory putting her right in line to smash into Jay. Jadis had no doubt that had been a deliberate move on the part of the two experienced warriors. They had probably spent considerable time training with each other since they were both high-ranking adherents of the same god. Their moves spoke of years of practice that led to an almost instinctive coordination, the kind of thing that would make them a terror on the battlefield. Against any other opponent, Jadis was certain the move would have led to a quick and devastating defeat.
But Jadis didn¡¯t need training to instinctively coordinate with her own self.
Letting go of her hammer, Jay turned and caught Syd mid-air. In the same moment, Syd dropped the undersized halberd and grabbed hold of the shaft of Jay¡¯s maul. Rather than tumbling in a confusion of tangled limbs like Steingrimur and Runar had no doubt hoped would happen, Jay and Syd pivoted together in perfect sync, using theirbined strength to drag Runar off the ground and into a fast-spinning arc.
The high priest managed to get his shield around barely in time before Runar was mmed into him and the two were sent rolling across the ground together.
To their credit, the two men were back on their feet in an instant, the move having caught them off guard but not actually doing much damage. They were both professional fighters, some of the elites of the world. Jadis would have been disappointed if one or both had been knocked out in just the first exchange.
¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re going to make this interesting!¡± Steingrimur cried out, a fierce excitement lighting his face.
¡°I¡¯m d you aren¡¯t as big a pussy as that shithead next to you!¡± Dys jeered.
¡°Trash,¡± Runar snapped, his hackles rising as he bared his huge fangs. ¡°You won¡¯tst a minute.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t need to,¡± Syd taunted back. ¡°You¡¯ll be out before then anyway.¡±
¡°Enough talk!¡± Steingrimur shouted as he mmed his spectral sword against his shield in a call to battle. ¡°Fight!¡±
That shout seemed to be part of a spell as that same sh of ck and red consumed the high priest for a moment. In the next instant, a suit of armor made of the same roiling energy as his weapon was covering himpletely. The armor was stylized to have the maws of snarling beasts on his pauldrons and knee guards while his helmet made him look like a mirror image of Runar.
Jadis didn¡¯t bother with any further verbal responses. She didn¡¯t need them. Action spoke louder than words ever could.
Since Syd already had the hammer in hand, she charged forward with it raised high to meet Steingrimur as he rushed right at her. Dys let out a bestial scream in response to Runar¡¯s deafening roar as she met him in the middle of the arena. Jay, on the other hand, didn¡¯t charge either man but instead ducked to the side in a forward roll.
Leaping on top of the discarded halberd, Jay grabbed the weapon and snapped the handle in half. Using the momentum of her roll to rise back up to her feet, she hurled the broken lower shaft at the high priest.
The angle of her toss was such that Steingrimur had to either block the handle with his shield and try to deflect Syd¡¯s hammer blow with his sword or use his shield to block the hammer and let the handle hit his side. As Jadis had expected, Steingrimur let the harmless wooden shaft bounce off of his dark energy armor. That was what armor was for, after all. No need to block or dodge every minor attack when it could be easily deflected by solid tes of steel. Well, in the priest¡¯s case it was some kind of divine spellcraft given form, but the principal was the same, Jadis was sure.
That was fine by Jadis. She hadn¡¯t expected to cause any real damage with the attack. What Jay¡¯s attack did do, though, was trigger Mirrored Strikes when Syd¡¯s maul made contact with Steingrimur¡¯s shield.
Syd had not held back. She¡¯d put every ounce of strength she could muster into her attack. When the maul¡¯s head hit Steingrimur¡¯s spectral shield, the sound was like a stick of dynamite exploding. The high priest was knocked to the ground, his whole body rebounding as the impact caused the densely packed dirt to crack like a crater. His conjured shield was obliterated, the ck and red energy bursting like a rotten tomato.
Steingrimur skidded back across the ground a couple of yards before hended on his feet, an enraged roaring from inside the snarling visage of his dark helm. His right arm was broken, his forearm bent at a right angle in the middle. With a flick of his arm and an audible cracking sound, he snapped the bone back in ce as red energy red around him, his divine spells no doubt healing him. Before another spectral shield had been conjured, he was already charging straight back at Syd.
Her Syd self would just have to handle the self-healing warrior priest for a few seconds alone. Before Steingrimur had even righted himself, Jay had already thrown herself at Runar from the side as she and her Dys self attacked the roaring Valbjorn.
It turned out that both Jadis and Runar had been wrong in their predictions. Jadis was not able to put Runar out of the fight before a minute¡¯s time had passed, but their fight alsosted far longer than a minute as well. The two-on-one, or three-on-two depending on perspective, devolved in a rapid-fire scrum of weapons and fists swung with such speed and strength that Jadis doubted the onlookers could even properly follow everything that was happening. Jadis was in the middle of the fight and even she was having some trouble keeping track.
Jadis lost all sense of time as she focused her whole being on fighting then two formidable opponents. Their moves were powerful, precise, and exhibited a level of skill she recognized she had not yet reached. Yet she used everyst point in her overwhelmingly high-attribute arsenal to not just hold her own, but actually fight back against the two. Still, for some minutes, the fight was effectively a stalemate as any damage Jadis was able to do to the two was healed by Steingrimur, while the damage they were able to do to her was minimal enough that her massive health pool could handle it.
The breaking point urred when Jadis went for the ring-out on Steingrimur.
Tossing her axe into the air overhead, Dys tackled the priest around the waist in an attempt to toss him onto the ground. He countered by mming his sword into her back, causing a burning pain to eat away at her dwindling health. That was fine. Jadis couldn¡¯t let the fight drag out for minutes longer, otherwise the priest would oust her just by the fact that he could heal injuries and she couldn¡¯t. So instead she tanked his burning de while Jay caught the axe and used the pointed back end to attack him.
He caught the blow with his shield, the pointed end digging deep into the conjured material. Pulling hard, Dys reared back and tossed the surprised priest into the air while Jay yanked him along with the grip of her axe. In one coordinated move, Steingrimur was thrown out of the arena,nding in a roll just outside of the ring.
Jadis had no chance to cheer her sess, however, as by devoting so much attention to one opponent left her third self struggling against the other.
Runar¡¯s mace bashed through Syd¡¯s guard as he brought the weapon down onto her shoulder. She weathered the blow, staggering slightly under the impact, but she used the opening to sweep at his legs. However, her blow hit nothing as he leapt over the telegraphed move, then struck the same point on her armor again. This time her armor crumpled under the power of the blow and she felt her bone snap.
¡°Shit!¡± Syd screamed in pain as she desperately tried to back-pedal away from the Valbjorn before he could take advantage of her dangling arm.
Jadis tried to use her Mirrored Body¡¯s Shifting Reflection to transfer the wound to one of her other bodies, but because her armor had been bent into her flesh her arm simply broke again as soon as she did so.
With a triumphant roar, Runar struck hard and fast, too fast for her to defend herselfpletely. In a moment, she was airborne as the bear man knocked her off her feet and sent her tumbling out of the ring.
Runar¡¯s ted roar was cut short, however, as both Jay and Dys tackled him from behind. The brutish bear was crushed under hundreds of pounds of armored Nephilim as they crashed out of the ring in a pile of rage and iling limbs.
¡°Get off me!¡± Runar shouted as she elbowed Dys.
¡°Stop fucking squirming and I will, idiot!¡± Syd cursed into his face as she struggled to keep the angered bear man from damaging her broken arm any further.
Just as the pain was starting to be too much to handle, a soothing warmth washed over Jadis, followed by another warmth that felt strangely invigorating. Looking around, she could see that both Eir and Steingrimur had approached her and both were pumping their healing magics into her bodies.
¡°I can¡¯t believe you got me with that maneuver. It¡¯s fucking kids stuff!¡± Steingrimurined, though he didn¡¯t look particrly unhappy. In fact, from the wide grin on his face, Jadis could tell he was actually rather excited. ¡°You won¡¯t get me with that move again.¡±
¡°Of course she got you with it, you meat sack,¡± Runar fumed as he finally extracted himself from the tangle of Jadis. ¡°You never remember to guard yourself against tosses.¡±
¡°You¡¯re one to talk,¡± Jay snarled at the bear. ¡°I fucking tossed you all over Far Felsenst time.¡±
¡°Losers don¡¯t get to talk back,¡± Runar snarled back at Jay. ¡°Shut your snout and go back to fucking priestesses in the baths.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not fucking anyone in any baths,¡± Jay shouted as she butted heads with the bear. ¡°And I¡¯m not a loser! You lost in Far Felsen, and this fight was a tie!¡±
¡°Younded outside of the ring before me,¡± Runar roared at her, waving his mace wildly in agitation. ¡°You lost!¡±
¡°Wended outside of the ring at the same time!¡± Jay yelled and waved her own arms. ¡°It¡¯s a tie!¡±
¡°Dragon piss! You were out first!¡±
¡°I have three bodies! Two of themnded on top of you! You werepletely out of the ring before I was!¡±
¡°That¡¯s not how that works!¡± Runar raged.
¡°Yes, it is!¡±
¡°No, it isn¡¯t!¡±
¡°Fine!¡± Jadis shouted from all three of her bodies at once as they all whirled to look at her mentor still leaning against the far wall. ¡°Noll! Was that a tie or not!?¡±
Noll simply let out a huff as he slowly shook his head in exasperation.
Chapter 348: Meeting the People
Chapter 348: Meeting the People
¡°It was a tie¡¡± Syd grumbled with her arms crossed.
¡°No, you fucking won that,¡± Kerr groused along with her. ¡°Noll¡¯s a slime-slurping, geese-fucking, roach-eating connard for saying you lost.¡±
Syd snorted, doing her best to repress her grin at her lover¡¯s indignation. Jadis honestly wasn¡¯t all that made about the end decision of the fight. She hadnded outside of the arena boundary first before Runar, so in all fairness she did ring out before him. She didn¡¯t like losing. She didn¡¯t like Runar winning even less. But it was just a sparring match with no real stakes. She had enough perspective to get over it.
Kerr, though, seemed genuinely pissed that Jadis hadn¡¯t been dered the winner.
¡°You fought two muscle-headed warrior-god freaks that were over CLR one hundred when you haven¡¯t even unlocked your tertiary ss and you were winning that fight!¡± Kerrined just loudly enough that Syd had to shush her. ¡°It¡¯s bullshit!¡± she hissed in a quieter tone. ¡°You won that! I bet you the fur on my tail that not even the Hero could have done that! Well, at the same CLR, anyway.¡±
¡°You think so?¡± Syd asked, smiling as she gave Kerr a sidelong nce.
¡°I know so,¡± Kerr waved the question away. ¡°Obviously! You¡¯re stronger than any of them! Just imagine if you had some actual experience under your belt, and you¡¯d have kicked their asses in thirty seconds.¡±
¡°Hey! I have experience,¡± Syd frowned at Kerr.
It was Kerr¡¯s turn to snort at that assertion.
¡°Sure, sure. Plenty of experience. Not even a full year on the battlefield, no training before unlocking your first ss, no weapon expertise skills, no military background¡ª¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah, I get it,¡± Syd flicked one of Kerr¡¯s horns. ¡°I¡¯m working on the whole experience thing. Give me time, okay?¡±
¡°As much time as can be given,¡± Kerr smirked. ¡°You¡¯ve got other responsibilities besides training yourbat prowess.¡±
¡°Unfortunately¡¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t help the sigh that escaped Syd¡¯s lips as she took in the sight before her. At least she was able to keep it froming out of her other bodies. Her Jay and Dys selves were firmly enmeshed in the duties of being a Nephilim who owed the temples a favor. As such, it probably wouldn¡¯t look good to sigh and grumble while meeting the throng of worshippers who had crowded the small temple.
The temple Aurea had escorted her to was in a district on the other side of the river from the Temple District. The area had looked like it catered to mostly the working-ss kind of people who were needed to keep any city running. The temple itself wasn¡¯t anything impressive; in fact, it looked a lot like the one that had been in Far Felsen, with alters dedicated to all of the nine gods. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure what the normal capacity for the temple was, but that capacity had certainly been reached as the crowd who hade to see her stretched outside of the open doors.
From her first experiences back in Weigrun, Jadis knew that the average person didn¡¯t know what a Nephilim was. They were a lost race, thest of their kind dead somewhere around two thousand years ago. Only those truly dedicated to the worship of Lyssandria would have bothered to learn anything about them, with most citizens not having the kind of education that would afford them knowledge of a people lost to history. Even those who might have read the name in a book or heard them mentioned in a sermon wouldn¡¯t likely know anything more than that ¡°Nephilim¡± were rted to Lyssandria. All that was to say, Jadis had expected the response from the citizens in the capital to be simr to the locals in Far Felsen. Curiosity and maybe some spective interest, but not much more.
That expectation had proven wrong.
Maybe it was from some information campaign led by the temples, or maybe the people of Eldingholt were just way more education on ancient history, but no matter the reason the people who had shown up to the small temple weren¡¯t just curious, they were thrilled to see the trio of Nephilim. The crowd pressed in, all of them trying to see and ask questions; it was a little overwhelming. In that moment, she felt like she knew what it was like to be a new panda on disy at a zoo. Or perhaps a new dinosaur exhibit was a betterparison. Either way, it wasn¡¯t the mostfortable she¡¯d ever felt.
Fortunately, Aurea¡¯s priests hade prepared to handle the number of people who hade to see Jadis and they did a good job of keeping everyone in order and respectful. The pdins assigned to guard Jadis helped with that aspect, too. It didn¡¯t look like anyone was going to misbehave with Roy around, along with the three other high CLR pdins who were there to guard her. Jadis didn¡¯t know those pdins, but she was at least thankful that none of them were Severina.
That was one thing Jadis noticed about the visit. None of the priests or guards who¡¯de with her were avatar races like her. None of the people who hade to see her were avatars, either. Jadis was used to seeing other avatar races, but now that she was in a trulyrge city, walking among themon folk in a manner of speaking, she felt she had better context to understand just how rarely seen avatar races were. The high temple district where she was staying had a collection of them, and even there they were a barely represented minority. Other than Severina, she¡¯d seen maybe one other Seraphim flying overhead? Possibly two? Runar was the only Valbjorn she¡¯d seen, Myron the only Golem, and Vita the only Lares. That realization made Jadis appreciate just how rare avatar races were among the people. No wonder people were so excited to see her.
¡°Can you bless me so that I will find true love?¡± a pretty young woman asked as she stared up at Jay with adoration in her brown eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll pray to Lyssandria every night!¡±
¡°I don¡¯t really have that kind of power,¡± Jay replied to the woman with a smile. She wasn¡¯t the first to have that particr request and didn¡¯t seem likely to best. ¡°But I¡¯ll offer a prayer to Lyssandria for you, if you tell me your name.¡±
¡°Is there really a city of Nephilim living in Bosrenia?¡± a middle-aged man with a red beard asked Dys. ¡°Have they been keeping it secret from the world?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve never been to Bosrenia,¡± Dys shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t even know where that is. But I doubt they have any Nephilim over there at all.¡±
And so the questions and requests continued as more people were ushered through the temple to see her. Most were innocuous inquires, generally regarding Nephilim and such, some were questions about her specifically, and quite a few requests were made for her to intercede with Lyssandria on some matter or another that Jadis was fairly certain she couldn¡¯t really do anything about. Some of the questions were a little less innocent, though, including the one woman who wanted to know if the rumors of Nephilim being unstoppable sex-beasts was true. The fact that it was a seventy-year-old grandmother asking with a mischievous twinkle in her eye helped, but Jadis still had a hard time answering that particr question.
Then there were the questions about Demons. Those were a lot harder to answer, since Jadis did actually have a Demon as apanion. However, exining Alex¡¯s particrs was not something easily done in the setting of a temple meet-and-greet. For the most part, Jadis just did her best to assure the people who asked that she was not possessed, had never been possessed, and had nothing to do with any cults dedicated to Samleos or any other gods for that matter.
The event continued for about three hours, during which Jadis switched out her bodies in a rotation so that at least one of her always had a reprieve from the crush of people. Both Eir and Kerr had apanied her to the temple, which helped greatly. Eir of course helped field a lot of the more technical religious questions, while Kerr hung around in the back, keeping whichever body was on breakpany. By the time the event was concluded, Jadis was mentally exhausted.
¡°Are people going to mob me like that every time I try to go out now?¡± Jay asked Eir in a intive, whining tone. ¡°Because that¡¯s way too much to handle on a daily basis.¡±
¡°I doubt it,¡± Eir shook her head as she smiled. ¡°There will always be the curious onlookers and the few bold enough to approach you directly, but most will be polite and maintain some distance.¡±
¡°Eyes will always be on you,¡± Roy chimed in from where he stood off to the side, his absurdly decorated armor shining in the light. ¡°I¡¯ve known a few Seraphim and Lares over the years and they¡¯re always watched by a crowd no matter where they go. You¡¯re going to draw crowds,dy Jadis. Best get used to it!¡±
¡°That, or you can always sequester yourself in a temple, far removed from the public,¡± Aurea suggested in a not particrly serious way. ¡°I know a few Avatars who have done just that.¡±
Jadis shuddered at the idea. Holing herself up in a room somewhere for the rest of her life just to avoid a little attention? No, thank you. She¡¯d rather deal with the annoyance of a few crowds than give up her freedom.
Freedom was certainly on her mind as she walked out of the small temple nked by guards. That was a temporary situation, so far as she was concerned, though. Only a couple of weeks, then she¡¯d be through with the nonsense. She hoped.
¡°You know, this whole temple thing wasn¡¯t the only responsibility I was referring to, right?¡± Kerr whispered up at Dys as they walked out into the street lit by the afternoon sun. ¡°You owe me a date.¡±
¡°Yes, yes I do,¡± Dys grinned at her therion lover. ¡°That thought is what¡¯s been getting me through this whole day.¡±
¡°Me too,¡± Kerr grinned back. ¡°I have all kinds of ns for you and me.¡±
¡°Oh really?¡± Dys raised an eyebrow. ¡°What do you have in mind? Something fun?¡±
Jadis had already thought of a few things she wanted to do with Kerr, but she wasn¡¯t surprised to learn that Kerr already had ideas for what she wanted to do on their date. Kerr was anything but passive, and if she wanted to take the lead, Jadis was willing to indulge her.
¡°A dinner, a drink, a show,¡± Kerr ticked off on her fingers. ¡°Then, tonight, I get all of you all to myself.¡±
¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve got all the details hammered out,¡± Dysmented.
¡°Damn right,¡± Kerr quipped. ¡°And I¡¯m going to love every minute. You too, but that¡¯s beside the point.¡±
Nothing about Kerr¡¯s ns sounded unusual, which was why Jadis was certain that her crazy slut had something outrageous in mind. Kerr was always cooking up some absurdity to mess with everyone, usually in a lewd way. Jadis could try to pry the details out of her, but why bother? It was far more fun to wait and see in what way Kerr would surprise her.
As Jadis wasing up with a suitably saucy response to Kerr, her thoughts were interrupted by another woman¡¯s voice.
¡°Lady Nephilim, may I offer you this gift?¡±
Jay paused her steps. She had been following Aurea and Eir down the street, her four guards surrounding her at a distance. Most of the people who hade for the event had already dispersed, but a few clustered groups still lingered. The woman who had approached her came from around one of those groups, and a man who was probably her husband stood right behind her.
The human woman looked like she was in her thirties and had a wide smile on her round face. She was short and just a tad plump in an attractive kind of way. The man behind her was almost the same height as her and had a well-trimmed beard that made him look dignified, though he was balding on top. They were both wearing fairly in,mon clothes that were nevertheless well-maintained and showed a hint of wealth with how nice the material was. The jewelry that both she and he wore also spoke of them being richer than the average person Jadis had seen in the temple that day. Merchants, perhaps? The man had a polished wooden box held between his outstretched hands, about two feet across though only a few inches deep.
¡°You don¡¯t need to give me anything,¡± Jay kindly replied. ¡°Your well-wishes and prayers are enough.¡±
That had been the rote reply she¡¯d been instructed to give by Aurea beforeing to the temple. It was not umon for gifts to be offered at these kinds of events, which Aurea had told her was entirely appropriate to ept. However, Jadis was ufortable with the idea of receiving gifts from people she didn¡¯t know for no reason other than who she was. She hadn¡¯t done anything for any of those people, so epting something that no doubt cost them money didn¡¯t sit right with her. When she had expressed that opinion, Aurea had taught her the simple way to politely refuse without causing offense.
Some of the gifts she¡¯d been offered Jadis had taken, though those had mainly been small packages of food like home baked breads and cookies. A few other items had worked their way into her hands, like a nicely knit scarf and a hand-stitched handkerchief. Nothing that looked like it would cause a problem for the giver to give away. This box the two were offering her looked like it would be one of the things Jadis would want to turn away.
¡°Oh, please!¡± The woman pleaded as she ced a hand on the lid of the box. ¡°When we heard about you and your sisters, we spent many nights making these in your honor! Please take them, it would bring us so much joy to know that you had them!¡±
As she spoke, the woman opened up the lid of the box to reveal a velvet cushion upon whichy three silver nes. The chain of each ne had clearly been made long enough to fit someone of Jadis¡¯ size, as anyone else would have to loop the ne twice over to not have it dangling below their chest. The pendants on each ne weren¡¯t anything ornate; the style was rather simple in fact, designed to look like a blooming flower with a small violet-colored jewel in the center. They were really quite lovely, and looked like a lot of care had gone into their crafting.
¡°That¡¯s far too much¡ª¡± Jay started to say, before the woman cut her off with another plea.
¡°No, please do take them!¡± she said as she ced her hand on her man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°My husband and I are jewelers. The cost truly isn¡¯t a burden, I assure you. In fact, if you take them, we¡¯ll be able to proudly tell all of our customers that we make jewelry fine enough to suit the avatars of the goddess of beauty! There could be no higherpliment!¡±
The woman¡¯s words caused Jadis to hesitate. She¡¯d had plenty of letters from weapon and armor smiths saying they wanted to equip her for basically the same purpose as these two were saying. She hadn¡¯t taken any of them up on that offer since herpanions had found those merchants were more interested in gossip than anything else, but these two seemed to genuinely just want to give her a present that would also benefit them. That kind of straightforward exchange seemed far fairer to Jadis than just a unteral offering.
¡°What are your names?¡± Jay asked.
¡°Nedrick and Olga,¡± the man replied in a quiet voice. ¡°Of the Understair.¡±
¡°Well, Nedrick and Olga,¡± Jay smiled as she took the proffered jewelry case from the short man, ¡°I thank you for your gift. You are very kind to make these for us. They are truly beautiful, and I¡¯ll make sure to wear them on special asions.¡±
¡°Thank you!¡± Olga beamed proudly as her husband put an arm around her shoulders. ¡°Thank you very much!¡±
¡°No, thank you,¡± Jay repeated. ¡°And tell your customers that Jay, Dys, and Syd are fans of your work.¡±
¡°We will!¡± Olga proimed. ¡°Please,e visit our shop next chance you can! We promise you¡¯ll not regret it!¡±
With a final farewell, Jadis took her leave from the happy couple. The nes were truly beautiful, and Jadis meant what she¡¯d said. She would absolutely wear them for formal events. In fact, the timing was perfect, since the ball Eir¡¯s parents had nned wasing up soon. The real prize, though, was knowing some excellent jewelers who were friendly to her. There were gifts she¡¯d like tomission for her lovers, and having a good rtionship with crafters who could make such fine jewelry was a definite boon.
¡°Okay,¡± Kerr eximed as soon as they were out of earshot of the couple and further down the road. ¡°Let¡¯s get all this shit back to our rooms so we can get our date going! All this temple stuff is putting a crimp in my back and I¡¯m ready to blow off some steam!¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t have agreed more.
Chapter 349: Date with a Wanderer
Chapter 349: Date with a Wanderer
¡°This is where you¡¯re taking her?¡±
Kerr paused mid step to turn and give Severina a surly re.
¡°Yes, it is. If you¡¯ve got a problem with that, you can wait outside.¡±
¡°You know I can¡¯t do that,¡± Severina replied sternly, her eyes full of judgement. ¡°This had best not take long.¡±
¡°Oh, trust me,¡± Kerr purred, her tone unexpectedly shifting from one of annoyance to pure lust. ¡°With these kinds of things, Jadis can go all night.¡±
The change in attitude seemed to catch Severina off guard as she drew back a little, her look turning wary as her nce darted between Kerr and Jadis¡¯ closest self, Dys. She looked both annoyed and scandalized, with the three other high-ranking knights with her wearing simrly judgmental expressions under their helms. The lordly Seraphim opened her mouth to retort, then thought better of it as she caught Kerr¡¯s delighted grin.
¡°Be on your guard,¡± Severina instead instructed her team. ¡°I want you all on full alert while we are inside this¡ establishment.¡±
With those words, she motioned for Kerr to proceed with a thin-lipped smile. An invitation that Kerr happily took as she linked her arm into Dys¡¯ and strode forward to the building she¡¯d been leading Jadis to originally. Her grin was triumphant as she led the group up to the tall door and gave it a knock.
Jadis, for her part, had no idea what the fuck was going on.
The evening so far had been about as enjoyable as she would have expected, though theck of and true surprise had her a bit on edge with anticipation. Kerr had taken Jadis to a part of the capital that she probably would have categorized as the ¡°rough side of town¡± if she were back on Earth, though theck of trash on the streets or vagrants panhandling on the corners meant the area still looked fairly nice. The businesses were definitely seedier than other ces Jadis had visited, with dark interiors and noticeably cheaper wares and furnishings. The area felt like the kind of ce Kerr likely spent a lot of her time in the past, not necessarily because she couldn¡¯t afford better, but because Kerr was the kind of person to seek out thrills in disreputable ces.
The restaurant Kerr had taken her to had been more of a bar that served food. Good food, as it turned out, so there wasn¡¯t anything to be disappointed with in that department, though Jadis had been fairly certain the roughly human-sized stain on the floor next to their table hadn¡¯t been made by beer.
After passing the time eating, drinking, and wandering through a few of the darker alleys, Kerr had led Jadis¡¯ selves up to a building that didn¡¯t look much different from the rest they had passed by. There weren¡¯t so many stained-ss windows in this part of the city and there weren¡¯t any on this particr establishment, so there wasn¡¯t much to indicate what might be inside. There was a sign over the door, raised wooden letters painted in bright reds and blues that caught the eye, but it had been written in anguage that Jadis couldn¡¯t read. The only image on the sign was that of a deer or elk with wide antlers, so the best guess she had was that the ce was a hunting lodge.
That was, of course, until Severina had objected to them going inside.
Jadis had not been happy about the stuck-up angel following them around as an escort that evening. She had figured Roy would have done the job, but apparently the goblin pdin had other duties to attend to that night. Instead, Severina and a trio of knights from Valtar¡¯s temple had been assigned to guard her while she was on her date with Kerr. Jadis supposed the Seraphim was a better choice than Runar, but the situation still wasn¡¯t ideal.
At least the pdin had been mostly unobtrusive, staying out of obvious line-of-sight and keeping quiet while Jadis and Kerr enjoyed themselves. She hadn¡¯t done more than give them a disapproving look when Kerr had brought them to the shady bar. This unknown business, though, was apparently a step too far outside of what Severina deemed eptable. It couldn¡¯t be illegal, Jadis was certain, since if it was the pdin definitely wouldn¡¯t have allowed them to continue. But the ce had to be disreputable to the extreme for her to raise an objection.
Jadis was actually getting kind of excited by the idea of Severina hating the ce.
After a brief wait, a small window on the front of the door slid open to reveal a set of gray eyes. The man behind the door said something in anguage that sounded vaguely like French, which was recognizable only in that it was anguage that Kerr liked to swear in frequently. Kerr responded in kind and, a momentter, the door opened to reveal another therion.
Jadis hadn¡¯t seen many therions other than Kerr and Noll, so it was interesting to encounter another. The doorman was a bulky sort with reddish-brown fur and horns that curved significantly more than Kerr¡¯s, making him look more like a goat than an antelope in that regard. He eyed Jadis¡¯ three bodies warily, then frowned at the quartet of holy knight standing right behind, one of them obviously winged and unhappy.
¡°We¡¯re here for fun, nothing else,¡± Kerr rolled her eyes. ¡°Would I lie?¡±
The doorman gave her a t look, then huffed loudly before stepping aside to let their party in. He said something else in that foreignnguage that made Kerrugh, though he put up no further objection. Jadis ducked to get in through the door and found that the entrance area was something of a mudroom where people could leave their coats and, more importantly, looked like they were supposed to leave their weapons.
A pretty young human woman was set up behind a counter where she could hold on to any weapons that customers might have. The look she gave the three towering Nephilim was a mixture of shock and awe that Jadis was growing familiar with. Jadis and Kerr had not brought any weapons with them, so there was nothing for them to turn over to the gawkingdy. Severina and her knightspletely ignored the woman, clearly having no intention of turning over any of the armaments.
Once Kerr had led Jadis past the woman and through a short hallway, she realized exactly what kind of establishment her mischievous lover had taken her to.
Multiple round stages were spread out across the room, with onerger stage in the middle. The music of low flutes, lutes, and steady drums filled the softly lit space, with a scent of some kind of incense filling the air. There were tables and chairs positioned around and between the stages, about half of them filled with mostly male patrons. The people on the stages, though, were women. Women who were barely clothed to the point of obscenity. Beautiful, nearly naked women who were dancing and gyrating to the rhythm of the thrumming music.
Kerr had taken her to a strip club.
¡°This is where you want to spend our date?¡± Dys asked dryly. ¡°Really?¡±
¡°Fuck yeah,¡± Kerr grinned as she eyed a particrly bottom-heavy elf who was bent over at the waist while she entertained a trio of very drunk orcs. ¡°The Bounding Buck has the best dancers I¡¯ve evere across outside of Tiaga. Someday when all this demon shit is over with, we¡¯ve got to sail there. That ce was amazing, especially the dancers. But since we can¡¯t just up and fly a thousand miles on a whim, this ce will do.¡±
As Kerr followed Jadis around the edges of therge room, she was pleased to find that very few of the patrons paid any attention to her. The lighting was fairly dim except for where the women were dancing on their small stages, and the people watching them were far more focused on the shows than anyone walking around in the background. Jadis couldn¡¯t me them. The dancers really were gorgeous. Their movements were so smooth and elegant that they almost seemed supernatural, an effect that was borderline mesmerizing. A couple of the women even had small lights glowing and flickering around them as they danced, likely the effect of some kind of illusion spell. Jadis suspected that all of them had sses that enhanced their dancing skills, and probably their beauty as well. She wasn¡¯t sure what kind of dancing ss would offer illusion spells as well, but someone in the building had to be powering those dancing lights. Or maybe they were enchantments?
There was something magical about the music as well. Not in that it was literally a spell or anything like that; Jadis could see the musicians off to one side on a stage of their own. The unnatural aspect was how evenly the music filled therge area. If Jadis had been back on Earth, she would have assumed it was the work of a good sound system with speakers set up in all the best corners of the room. Since that wasn¡¯t an option, Jadis guessed there was some kind of magical enchantment or a skill being used to help the music be heard throughout the whole chamber.
While Jadis was partially distracted by a redhead doing the kinds of acrobatic movements she¡¯d expect to see at a circus while wearing nothing but a skimpy skirt, Kerr spoke with a woman who was more generously clothed.
¡°A private room, please,¡± Kerr purred as she passed the woman a handful of coins. ¡°North side.¡±
¡°Right this way,¡± the woman bowed her head with a smile.
The woman escorted them up a partially hidden flight of stairs to the second floor of the building. The hallway was lined with doors, all of which were on one side. Upon being led to a particr door, Jadis found that inside was a balcony box seat that overlooked the floor below with an excellent view of the main stage in the center. Looking around, Jadis saw that while she could make out the other private rooms that also overlooked the main floor, she couldn¡¯t actually see into any of them. A few had some shadowy figures barely visible, but other than the indication of movement she couldn¡¯t tell who was there or what they were doing.
Another bit of illusion magic, Jadis guessed.
The ce might have been a strip club, but it had to be one of the higher-end variety if they could afford to spend money on privacy enchantments. Or was there a person who was casting spells to give people the anonymity they desired? Either way, it seemed no one would be able to see what Kerr and Jadis were up to while they were inside their private room.
That thought had Jadis¡¯ hearts beating even faster.
¡°Sorry, chicken wing,¡± Kerr drawled somewhere behind Jadis¡¯ selves, ¡°but this is a private room. We don¡¯t have the room for your whole retinue.¡±
¡°Jadis is not to be left alone and unobserved while outside of the temple district,¡± Severina replied shortly. ¡°That is not negotiable.¡±
Jay turned to watch as Kerr stood in the door, blocking Severina or her knights from entering. She was taller than the Seraphim, so she was using that to her advantage as she leaned one elbow on the door frame and grinned down at the shorter woman.
¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed,¡± she hooked a thumb over her shoulder, ¡°but my mate is a fucking giant and she has three bodies. We don¡¯t have the space in here for all of you. If you want to stand against a wall while we enjoy ourselves, that¡¯s fine. But the boys will have to stay outside.¡±
Kerr¡¯s teasing tone and casual demeanor looked like they were going to give the stern Seraphim an aneurism, but eventually Severina seemed to swallow whatever vitriolicment she was going to make. The pdin was a professional, through and through, Jadis had to give her credit for that. She was here to do a job and she wasn¡¯t going to rise to any of Kerr¡¯s bait. Of course, Kerr was an expert when it came to taunts, so not even the pristine pdin of Valtar could avoid the color in her cheeks growing from the therion¡¯s provocations.
Then again, maybe that light blush was stemming from other sources. Jadis couldn¡¯t imagine the high-borndy and devout Seraphim had ever visited an erotic establishment before. The sights couldn¡¯t be something she had much of a defense against if she¡¯d never built up a tolerance. Jadis suspected the woman was probably internally dying from mortification at the situation while also cursing Roy out for not being avable to escort Jadis instead of her.
¡°Fine,¡± Severina snapped. ¡°Step aside. You three, perimeter watch.¡±
With that order, the three other knights took up positions spread out in the hallway. Seeing that, Kerr stepped away from the door while shing Jay a cheeky grin. Once Severina was inside and posted up against the wall, Kerr shut the door and joined Jadis by the balcony.
¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m taking up that much room,¡± Jay quietlymented to her horned lover as she wrapped and arm around her side.
¡°No, you aren¡¯t,¡± Kerr whispered back. ¡°But we need to make sure we¡¯ve got enough room up here forter.¡±
¡°Later?¡±
¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Kerr winked.
There were leather-cushioned seats set up in the private booth, but since they weren¡¯t quite adequate for Jadis¡¯ size, she opted to take a few cushions off and make herselffortable on the floor. With Jay in the middle, Syd on the left and Dys on the right, Kerr chose to plop herself down in Jay¡¯sp. Thus arranged, they settled in to watch the shows going on down below.
It didn¡¯t take long for the first main act of the night to begin. A lithe elf with pale blue skin and dark blue hair got onto the stage. She was wearing more clothing than the other dancers, with a top that exposed her toned stomach and a long skirt that was slit high on either side of her legs, but that just seemed to add to her alure. As she began to dance, the music changed to suit her movements. Her swaying, gyrating form was tantalizing, and as Jadis watched, she found herself drawn in by the elf¡¯s charisma.
The show wasn¡¯t just a simple, mundane dance, however. As the song progressed, afterimages of the beautiful elf appeared on the stage around her. Almost like a kaleidoscope, the dancer¡¯s form weaved through the mirrored shadows of herself in an intricate pattern that was almost too difficult to follow. Though with how sexy the dancer was, Jadis put in extra effort to try.
At some point, the dancer lost her top, then her skirt. Jadis couldn¡¯t even be sure when it happened, but by the end of the dance the elf waspletely naked, her achingly attractive body bare to the world. When the sensual song finished and the blue-skinned woman had struck her final pose, Jadis couldn¡¯t help but p in appreciation as the rest of the audience shouted their approval.
Fortunately, no one started throwing coins at the woman.
¡°She¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t she?¡± Kerr murmured as she watched the elf leave the center stage, still without a stitch of clothing.
¡°She really is,¡± Jay easily agreed. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like that.¡±
¡°I¡¯m d to feel your appreciation for her talents,¡± Kerr added, her voice dripping with lust as she wiggled her ass against Jay¡¯s crotch. ¡°Maybe we should meet herter?¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to bother any of the women while they¡¯re working,¡± Jay chuckled at Kerr¡¯s teasing suggestion. ¡°Besides, why would I need her when I¡¯ve got you?¡±
Kerr just hummed knowingly before turning her eyes back to the stage.
As the night continued, several more shows were put on, all of them equal parts erotic and alluring. A few servers came through their private room, bringing them drinks. Not so many that Jadis could say she was truly drunk, but enough that she maintained a pleasant buzz. Kerr talked with most of the servers in a friendly, personal way, sometimes using their nativenguages instead of Imperial. Even though Kerr hadn¡¯t been to this ce often, she apparently left a good impression as the servers both recognized her and seemed eager to serve her.
asionally, Jadis would spare a nce to check on Severina, only to find the Seraphim stoically ignoring everything around her as she stood at attention by the door. She wasn¡¯t sure if the woman was bored, peeved, or embarrassed, but she definitely didn¡¯t look like she was enjoying the show. That was fine, so far as Jadis was concerned. Severina hadn¡¯t been invited, after all. Her satisfaction wasn¡¯t really a part of the equation.
Jadis finished off another collection of sweet drinks before pping for thetest show, which had involved five women putting on a visual impressive acrobatic disy. She was thinking about how exactly she might convince her lovers to try one of the positions they¡¯d taken, just to see how it would look with them doing it, when the door to the private room opened again.
Expecting to see another server, Syd did a double take when she nced over her shoulder.
Two women had entered the room. One was a therion woman she¡¯d seen in multiple acts that night, her wild ck hair and short horns giving her a tomboyish look. She was wearing a shirt and skirtbo that showed off her generous cleavage and muscr thighs. The other was the lithe, pale blue elf. She was once again wearing the same clothes she¡¯d been wearing at the start of her dance before, though images of what she looked like underneath the enticing outfit couldn¡¯t help but flit through Jadis¡¯ mind.
¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± Kerr purred as she once more ground her ass against Jay¡¯s bulge. ¡°I ordered us a private show. I wanted a closer look.¡±
No, Jadis certainly didn¡¯t mind. She¡¯d wanted a closer look, too.
Chapter 350: Private Show
Chapter 350: Private Show
There wasn¡¯t much of an introduction. As soon as Kerr and Jadis¡¯ three selves had repositioned so that they were facing towards the right-hand side of the private room, the two dancers began their show. While their movements down on the main stage had certainly been sexual, there had been a certain distance from the act that had made their dances more of a tititing work of art than anything too erotic. Now that they were only a few feet in front of Jadis, the experience took on a whole new level of sexiness that had her pants feeling entirely too constrictive.
¡°Quel genre de danse veux-tu voir?¡± the blue elf asked, her voice soft and sultry.
¡°De quoi allumer un feu dans le c?ur de mon amoureux,¡± Kerr replied in a tone that matched.
Jadis didn¡¯t have to wonder long what those words meant as the nature of the dance shifted from lewd to obscene.
While at the start the two women had merely been brushing against each other as they moved and swayed, after Kerr¡¯s request they began to truly rub against each other in an erotic disy. Hands swept across the swell of breasts, the curve of hips, and the t ins of trim abs. Legs ground against legs in just the right way to make Jadis¡¯ mouth water, and fingers found the right spots to teasingly reveal hidden treasures before the cloth was slipped back into ce.
¡°I bet you¡¯d like to see me and A doing that, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Kerr murmured as she breathed in deeply, practically moaning as she watched the two dancers. ¡°We¡¯d put on such a good show for you.¡±
¡°You would,¡± Jay whispered in response, her hands idly stroking Kerr¡¯s stomach and thighs. ¡°Though I don¡¯t think I could hold back for very long if any of you put on a show like this for me.¡±
¡°I want to see you dancing like that,¡± Kerr continued as she nced up at Dys on her right. ¡°All three of you, nothing on but maybe a shirt. Your perfect bodies on disy, your cocks swinging between your knees. Touching each other. Grinding on each other. Would you do that for me?¡±
¡°Whenever you want,¡± Dys replied as she leaned down to kiss Kerr. ¡°As often you like.¡±
Kerr smiled against Dys¡¯ lips as she reciprocated the kiss. She nipped at her with her fangs before breaking away and admonishing Dys.
¡°Then you better focus on them. You¡¯ll need to remember those moves so you can show them to meter.¡±
Jadis did just that, having never really looked away since she had three sets of eyes to keep the erotic pair under constant observation. As focused as she was on the two, there was a third woman in the room that Jadis couldn¡¯t help ncing at.
Severina looked like was about to either explode or shrivel up into a raisin and die from embarrassment. The light pink blush had bloomed into a full-on red-faced flush and her body was even stiffer than it had been before.
Kerr caught the direction of Syd¡¯s eyes and, ncing at the Seraphim, her face lit up with a wicked grin. Without breaking eye contact with the pdin, Kerr¡¯s hand began firmly rubbing the bulge in Dys¡¯ pants.
¡°Hey,¡± Dys began, concerned that her lover might be taking things too far considering both their audience and their location. ¡°I don¡¯t think¡ª¡±
¡°Shush,¡± Kerr quieted her as her one hand firmly squeezed her cock through the thin, ck material of her pants. ¡°Eyes on the dancers.¡±
Jadis was d she had reminded her, as her three selves shifted their focus back onto the lewd disy, she found that the dancers had upped the lewdness factor by a huge margin.
The taller, tomboyish therion with ck hair was behind the elf now, the two of them swaying in a synchronized rhythm to the beat of the music. The blue elf¡¯s silver eyes were locked onto Dys as she smiled seductively, her arms raised over her head and her chest pushed out. The therion woman had been running her hands up and down the elf dancer¡¯s exposed bits, never lingering any one ce for long, but now that she saw that Dys¡¯ attention was focused on the duo, she began to fondle the elf¡¯s small, pert breasts through the material of her purple top.
The moves were still elegant, still timed to the rhythm of the beat, still a part of the show. But the therion was absolutely groping the elf for the purpose of sex. Even as Jadis had the thought that maybe it was just a passing moment, the elf let out a lustful moan as the therion slipped her hands under the flimsy top and push it out of the way to expose her tight nipples, squeezing and pulling on them with obvious delight.
While Jadis was distracted by the enticing vision of erotic beauty, Kerr worked magic of her own. In record speed she had thecing of Dys¡¯ pants untied and, with one swift move, she fished Dys¡¯ cock out and had it standing tall in the dim light of the cloistered room.
Dys couldn¡¯t help but let out a slight gasp as her aching erection met the open air. Having Kerr¡¯s hand firmly gripped around the base of her cock was heavenly, but she was exposed, her shaft fully visible toplete strangers.
She wasn¡¯t the only one to gasp, though.
Both of the dancers had let out their own little gasps at the sight of Dys¡¯ massive member. They kept dancing, their movements still in time to the beat, but both of them were staring at the huge cock with looks of wonder and, Jadis hoped, some measure of lust. However, a fourth gasp had been made at the same time. The dancers weren¡¯t the only spectators to the show Kerr was putting on.
Severina was staring with ck-jawed horror at the beast gripped in Kerr¡¯s hand. The look on her face was priceless, and the red blush of embarrassment coloring her skin had to extend across her whole body, Jadis was sure. The Seraphim¡¯s gaze was locked onto the throbbing shaft with such a look of intensity that Jadis was slightly worried that the woman¡¯s eyes were going to fall out of her head. It took a moment, but her gaze flickered up to meet Syd¡¯s eyes. Giving her a smirk and a raised eyebrow, Syd wondered what the winged woman would do next.
The answer to that question was apparently to shut her gaping mouth and lock her gaze Forward as she took a parade stance. There was no hiding the fact that her focus was continually being drawn to Dys¡¯ exposed dick, but Jadis had to admire the attempt at professionalism. Maybe Jadis should have felt bad for Severina, but in the moment, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do so. The pdin had brought this on herself. She could have waited outside. In fact, she still could leave. Nothing was stopping her. But there she continued to stand, eyes asionally darting to watch Kerr¡¯s hand stroke up and down the absurd length of Dys¡¯ twitching cock while she tried to pretend like she wasn¡¯t watching.
The two dancers whispered a few words to each other as they continued to sway, their eyes shining with interest and their smiles wide. Kerr continued to stroke Dys, her touch fueling the fire in her veins, but her lover kept her eyes on the dancers for the most part, only asionally ncing towards the Seraphim to grin or send her a saucy wink. The blue elf and tomboyish therion were still the ones putting on an actual show, after all.
As the two continued to grind against each other, the elf¡¯s top was fully removed and dropped to the ground. When the therion dancer moved around from behind the elf, somehow her top had disappeared as well without Jadis noticing. Herrge breasts were amazing, easily a match in size for Eir and Bridget, yet she didn¡¯t show them off for long. The dark-haired woman spun away from Jadis¡¯ view, keeping her front pressed against the elf.
With an over-the-shoulder grin at her audience, the therion slid down the elf¡¯s front, her knees spreading wide as she bnced in a crouch on the balls of her feet in a way that perfectly showed off her still-clothed ass. As the blue elf continued to gyrate, her arms raised high overhead and her sultry smile wide, the therion dancer lifted the front of the other woman¡¯s skirt and let it fall over her head.
The length of purple cloth that made up the front of the elf¡¯s skirt fell perfectly between the therion¡¯s horns, draping across her smooth back. With how the tomboy was position, Jadis couldn¡¯t see any of what was happening between the elf¡¯s legs, only the delightful expanse of the dancer¡¯s thighs that the rest of the elf¡¯s slitted skirt couldn¡¯t hide. Jadis¡¯ imagination ran wild as she watched the blue dancer continue to gyrate her hips, this time directly into the face of her partner.
A soft sigh escaped the elf¡¯s lips, a sigh that was echoed by Dys. Kerr had leaned to the side, both hands now working her exposed shaft as she nted small kisses around the head of Dys¡¯ cock. When Dys looked down and met her lover¡¯s gaze, Kerr raised one eyebrow and motioned with a hand.
¡°Do you mind leaning back? I still want to watch the show.¡±
With a shrug, Dys leaned back on her hands, giving her bonded slut more room to do as she pleased.
Kerr kept stroking as she leaned so that her mouth could perform its magic along the top side of Dys¡¯ cock. For all the effort she was putting into pleasuring her partner, she did just as she had said and continued to watch the dancers as their act progressed.
And the dancers had definitely stepped up their game. The elf had raised her right leg to set it on top of the therion¡¯s shoulder, bncing on her other leg as she continued to sway and dance in ce. Jadis couldn¡¯t hear much over the beat of the drums and lilting melody of the exotic flute, but asionally, if she strained her hearing, she could make out the sound wet flesh on fleshing from under the elf¡¯s skirt where the tomboy¡¯s head was firmly pressed.
On the other hand, that might have just been Kerr, as she was not being quiet or subtle about her treatment of Dys¡¯ dick.
Jadis couldn¡¯t help ncing once more to see what Severina was doing. With how they were positioned, Dys leaning back and Kerr bent over from the side, the Seraphim had a perfect view of everything the incorrigible archer was up to.
Severina looked so red in the face she was actually giving A a run for her money. She was still doing her best to maintain her parade stance professionalism, but was Jay watched out of the corner of her eye, she saw the woman¡¯s legs start to rub together, the absurdly lewd scene affecting even her. Jadis didn¡¯t focus on her for long, though. Both the dancer¡¯s show and Kerr¡¯s ministrations were ramping up, capturing all of the attention she had to spare.
The lithe elf was openly moaning, her t stomach heaving as she panted in pleasure. Her hands, which had up to that point been moving as part of the sensual dance, moved to caress her own small breasts as whatever the therion was doing under her skirt had clearly reached a peak. The leg she had bnced on the other woman¡¯s shoulder hooked around the tomboy¡¯s back, pulling her in closer while also unintentionally causing the skirt cloth to bunch up higher, exposing just a little more of what was happening. The therion¡¯s hands were cupped under the elf, holding up her ass as she continued to work under the cover of the infuriating, tantalizing skirt.
Kerr¡¯s tongue found the underside of Dys¡¯ cockhead, teasing and nipping at the edge of her crown as her hands worked faster and faster along the shaft. Precum was practically pouring out of Dys¡¯s tip, the overwhelming lewdness of the situation making it a struggle not to grab hold of Kerr¡¯s horns and shove her mouth down onto her cock and filling her gullet with a load of sticky seed right then.
Just as Jadis¡¯ restraint was reaching its limit, the blue elf tipped over her own edge.
With a cry of pleasure, the elf grabbed hold of the therion¡¯s short horns, pressing her hard against her crotch as she doubled over. Despite the trembling shudders running through her heaving body, the dancer continued to maintain her bnce on one leg, while also keeping her lust-hooded eyes locked onto Dys.
That was too much. With a barely contained grunt of her own, Dys climaxed, her cock throbbing with release. Kerr must have anticipated the moment as she managed to get her mouth over Dys¡¯ tip a split second before the flood of cum could spray into the air. With a loud, continuous gulping noise, Kerr swallowed every powerful burst of seed, with only a few small rivulets of pearlescent liquid dribbling out of the corners of her mouth and down Dys¡¯ shaft. When Dys¡¯ orgasm finally subsided, Kerr¡¯s mouth popped off of her cockhead with a gasp before she quickly moved to lick up the remnants of seed that had escaped her lips.
With a grace that almost felt at odds with what they¡¯d just done, the two dancers parted, their show over. The therion stood back to her full height, picking up the women¡¯s discarded tops as she did so. The elf was still breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling deeply as she caught her breath, but the sultry smile was still on her face as she watched Kerr clean Dys up. The therion looked somehow moreposed, though she was also licking her lips, a liquid sheen visible on her mouth and chin. She looked like the cat who had just gotten cream as she said something to Kerr in that samenguage that Jadis couldn¡¯t understand.
¡°We loved it,¡± Kerr replied as she pulled away from Dys¡¯ cock. ¡°Absolutely magnifique, as always. Here, a tip for you both.¡±
The two dancers approached, taking therge sum of coins Kerr offered while unabashedly eying Dys¡¯ still very exposed, very erect member. They didn¡¯t try to make any moves on her, simply taking their tips with wide grins, but the blue elf quietly whispered an invitation with a thick ent.
¡°Please,e visit again,¡± she said, her silver eyes shining. ¡°We would love to perform another dance for you. And maybe next time, you three will give us all a treat, not just your naughty friend, no?¡±
Thest was said with a wink towards Jay and Syd, making it clear exactly what she meant.
With that, the two dancers departed, not bothering to put their tops back on. With her eyes following the two beautiful women, Jadis couldn¡¯t help but look at Severina, who looked very much like she wanted to melt through the floor.
¡°Come on, we better go,¡± Jay pulled Kerr to her feet. ¡°We need to get back to our room. Now.¡±
¡°Damn right we do,¡± Kerr agreed with heat in her voice as she helped Dys tuck herself back in.
The walk out of the Bounding Buck was a more than a little awkward since Jadis was still fairly aroused, which made the tight pants she wore a challenge to walk in. There was also the fact that a still red-faced Severina was walking behind them, along with her three subordinate knights who had to have all kinds of ideas about what had gone on inside the private room. Jadis didn¡¯t think they could have heard anything, not with how enclosed the room had beenbined with the pervasive thrumming music, but they couldn¡¯t have missed the two topless womening out of the door.
Once they were outside in the cool, winter¡¯s night air, Jadis took a deep breath, feeling her own tension ease just a little bit as the heat left her body. Of course, she was still going to fuck Kerr¡¯s brains out as soon as they got somewhere private, but it was no longer an imminent threat. Before she could start heading back to the temple district, Severina¡¯s voice rang out in a clear order.
¡°You three,¡± she pointed at the armored knights. ¡°Escort them back to the temple. Make sure you arrive before the midnight bell tolls.¡±
¡°Where are you going?¡± Kerr asked innocently as the Seraphim spread her wings in preparation to take flight.
Severina didn¡¯t look back as her big, white wings pped and she lifted up off the ground. However, as she started flying away, she passed by Syd¡¯s head just close enough that she could overhear a few mumbled words that probably weren¡¯t meant for anyone else¡¯s ears.
¡°I¡¯m going to go wash my pants.¡±
Chapter 351: Date with a Priestess
Chapter 351: Date with a Priestess
¡°Is this really what you want to do?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Eir replied, a serene smile on her lovely face.
¡°If you¡¯re sure,¡± Jay shrugged with a little uncertainty. ¡°This just doesn¡¯t seem like it would be much of a fun activity for you.¡±
¡°This is something I¡¯ve wanted since we first met,¡± Eir assured her. ¡°Well, one of many things, but I did hope that this would be possible at some point. I¡¯m d we finally have the opportunity.¡±
Jay turned her head to ask Eir what else she¡¯d been hoping for, but before she could she received a gentle rebuke.
¡°Please don¡¯t move,¡± Irene admonished. ¡°Talking is fine, but you must maintain that pose for a while longer.¡±
¡°Right, sorry,¡± Jay murmured as she resumed the specific positioning she¡¯d been instructed to hold. ¡°How long do I have to be like this?¡±
¡°Not too much longer, dear,¡± the older high priestess assured her as she continued to sketch on her canvas. ¡°We can take a break in a few minutes.¡±
It was a little boring to have her portrait painted, but if it was what Eir wanted, Jadis was willing to do it for her. Well, it wasn¡¯t all that bad. Quiet and subdued, really. After the previous night¡¯s debauchery with Kerr, Jadis could use a little subdued rxation. The dancers had been amazing, and her night alone with Kerr in the big bed had been a scene. Kerr¡¯s screams of pleasure had probably kept half the temple awake. But a little reprieve from the intensity to do something calming was appreciated.
Of course, now Jadis was thinking about bringing Eir to the Bounding Buck, which was a delightful bit of mental imagery but not a thought that was going to help keep herself calm.
ncing over at where Eir sat behind and to the side of Irene, Jadis couldn¡¯t help but smile. Her elven lover was such a strange person. Most of the time she was demure and refined, a perfect example of the meek yet noble priestess. But other times, particrly when they were in bed, she was a wanton slut with a penchant for both being a sub and a dom, depending on the situation.
Today, Eir was being the perfect angel. With how modest she looked sitting there in her white robes, one would be hard pressed to imagine that she¡¯d ever even heard of the word sex, much less anything of a lewder nature. Of course, that was only if one didn¡¯t know her the way Jadis knew her. Jadis had no trouble imaging Eir¡¯s proclivities at all, especially not with the reminder from that morning.
Waking up to find an elf sucking one of her cocks had definitely been a highlight in Jadis¡¯ second life.
¡°What are your parents like?¡± Jay asked in an attempt to distract herself from wandering down another inappropriate line of thought.
¡°My parents?¡± Eir blinked as though she were taken off guard.
¡°Yeah,¡± Syd said as she shifted slightly in ce, drawing a look from Irene. ¡°I¡¯m going to meet them at this ball, which I¡¯m looking forward to, but what can you tell me about them ahead of time? Anything I should know?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure where I should start,¡± Eir let out a softugh, looking genuinely at a loss for words. ¡°What would you want to know?¡±
¡°How about their names?¡± Jay asked. ¡°That seems like a pretty good ce to start.¡±
¡°You also said that they are nobles?¡± Dys added. ¡°What¡¯s all that about?¡±
Eir shifted in her chair, her serene aura slightly disturbed though she quickly recovered. Jadis wasn¡¯t yet sure why, but she got the impression that Eir didn¡¯t like talking about her parents. Was she not on good terms with them? She didn¡¯t think that was the case, but there was definitely something off in the way Eir was reacting. If the topic was truly a sensitive one, then having a conversation about it when another person, namely High Priestess Irene, was in the room was probably a bad idea. Jadis was just about to tell Eir to forget it and change the subject when Eir began speaking again.
¡°My father¡¯s name is Einar Aedraheill, and my mother¡¯s name is Svana. My father inherited the title of Margrave from his father thirty years ago. His territory, Aedrnd, is on the southwestern coast. It is not a particrlyrge territory, but it is peaceful and well-kept. Aedrnd is known for its ssworkers and many of the stained-ss windows you see in Eldingholt were actually made by skilled artisans who live in my father¡¯s territory.¡±
Eir¡¯s description was certainly¡ informative, if a bit dry. Jadis got the feeling that this was the kind of exnation that a visitor would get from the pamphlets handed out in the visitor center for Aedrnd, though. Jadis had hoped for something a little more telling. Searching for a question that she hoped would give her more of what she wanted without stepping on anything too sensitive, she settled on a question she¡¯d heard her own mother ask in simr, get-to-know-you kind of situations.
¡°What food does your dad hate?¡±
¡°What?¡± Eir squeaked.
¡°What food doesn¡¯t he like?¡± Syd asked again. ¡°What does he never eat? Like, I hate pears. Not even sure why. I just can¡¯t stand them.¡±
¡°Oh, well,¡± Eir floundered for a moment before a smile tugged at her lips. ¡°Well, my father never eats fish. Which is odd, since our hometown is on the coast. He once told me that when he was young, he was on a ship where most of the provisions were spoiled and couldn¡¯t be eaten shortly after setting sail. He and the rest of the crew were forced to eat nothing but fish for nearly a month. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s eaten fish since.¡±
¡°Understandable,¡± Syd grinned. ¡°What about your mother? What¡¯s her favorite food?¡±
¡°Grapes,¡± Eir answered instantly. ¡°I cannot remember a day when we didn¡¯t have a bowl of grapes on our table in the morning. We have a small vineyard behind the manor and she always tends to the vines herself. She even picks them herself and preserves them. Father would always scold her, telling her to let the servants do the work, but mother would always say that she enjoyed doing the work herself. She said it made the grapes taste better. I have to agree, since I¡¯ve always thought her grapes tasted bestpared to any other I¡¯ve had since leaving home.¡±
The fond smile on Eir¡¯s face made Jadis grin, the mood lightening significantly. Wanting to see her lover smile more, she kept asking questions.
¡°So your mother is a bit of a green thumb?¡±
¡°A what?¡±
¡°It means she likes to garden,¡± Jay exined. ¡°My mother was terrible with gardening, always killed every nt she brought home. But she always kept trying so we¡¯d always buy her more nts and tools for gardening to help her.¡±
¡°No, my mother wasn¡¯t particrly interested in gardening,¡± Eir shook her head. ¡°She never paid much attention to the rest of the gardens, at least. Just the vineyard. That was special to her. When she wasn¡¯t tending to her grape vines, she was usually attending social engagements or overseeing the manor and its budget.¡±
¡°What about your father?¡± Dys asked. ¡°What did he do?¡±
¡°He takes his duties as a margrave very seriously,¡± Eir said with a small sigh. ¡°Most of his time was spent recruiting and training soldiers and sailors. Whenever he wasn¡¯t doing that, he would often inspect and oversee the ssworks. Honestly, I think he would have preferred to have had an artisan ss that would let him craft ssware. He always seemed happiest when I¡¯d see him inspecting the colored ss being made by the crafters. But duty demanded he be a military man, like his father.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
The simple question caused Eir to look up at Jay, her mouth open in a voiceless response. She eventually found the words she was looking for as she smiled wanly.
¡°He¡¯s a margrave. It¡¯s his duty. My father is an honorable man. He would never shirk his duties, not for his own desire.¡±
Jadis knew her elven lover well enough to hear what was left unspoken. The implication she¡¯d made was that her father would not shirk his duties, but she had. That was the source of the tension she had senseding from Eir when she spoke of her parents. She had said that her mother and father were insisting on marriage, which probably had more to do with the duties of the heir of a margrave than any kind of social convention.
Eir was a priestess of Lyssandria. Not even a standard one, but a Beloved Cleric of Lyssandria. That was an amazing ss, one that probably would have led to her reaching a very high rank in the temples even if she had never met Jadis. But being a priestess likely meant that Eir had renounced her im to any title. Jadis didn¡¯t know the specifics or legalities, but she doubted priestsmonly held noble titles. She hadn¡¯t seen any so far, at least. Did that mean that her father had been disappointed in Eir¡¯s choice to be a priestess rather than uphold the family duty of being a margrave?
¡°I bet they were really happy to see you,¡± Jay said, trying to salvage the good feeling that had been tarnished by a bad memory.
¡°They were,¡± Eir smiled more broadly. ¡°They were very happy. I¡ was not certain how to bring up our rtionship when I met them, but my mother is always the first to know about anything of importance. She already knew all about you. I think you will get along with her. I hope you get along with both.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t wait to meet them,¡± Jay grinned.
The next few minutes passed in idle conversation, with topics ranging from the home where Eir had grown up to the names of her extended family. When Irene informed Jadis that she didn¡¯t have to stand still anymore, she was almost disappointed since she had been entertained by the stories Eir had been regaling her with.
¡°I should be able to finish from this point without any further need of your modeling,¡± the mature high priestess exined as she showed Jadis the sketch she had done. ¡°With this base, my ss skills will allow me to finish without issue.¡±
The sketch was nice just on its own in Jadis¡¯ opinion. The charcoal lines showed the simple pose Jadis¡¯ three bodies had taken and would make for a fine portrait, she was sure. Jadis would have preferred a simple photo, but since modern conveniences weren¡¯t a thing, magical painting would have to do. Jadis didn¡¯t know much about art, but she had heard once that oil and canvas portraits took months toplete on average. Irene had assured her, though, that the painting would be done in just a few weeks at most. Apparently, the magic involved greatly reduced the time it would normally take.
¡°I can already tell the end result will be stunning,¡± Eir praised Irene as she surveyed the sketch. ¡°As always, your talents are a wonder.¡±
¡°You really are good,¡± Jay agreed as she looked down at the canvas.
¡°Are you nning on taking this with us when we go back on the road?¡± Dys asked curiously, addressing her question to Eir.
¡°No, it¡¯s much toorge for that, and I fear it would be damaged,¡± Eir shook her head. Indeed, the canvas was six feet tall, so bringing it in the wagon would have been inconvenient at best. ¡°The temple will hold onto this for us while we are away. I can retrieve itter when we are in a more stable situation.¡±
¡°I may make a few copies,¡± Irene mused. ¡°I think this is going to be one of my better works. Now, did you want to start on those other paintings we discussed, or would you rather take a break for some afternoon tea first?¡±
Thest was addressed to Eir, who looked immediately guilty at Jadis¡¯ raised eyebrows.
¡°More paintings?¡± Jay asked. ¡°How many more portraits of me do you need? I like seeing my face as much as anyone, but a whole collection of portraits seems a bit extravagant, doesn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°These would not be portraits per se¡¡± Eir exined, her eyes not meeting Jadis¡¯ gaze. ¡°They would be for my¡ personal consumption. Not for public disy. And they should be much quicker to make.¡±
Eir picked up a leatherbound book from a nearby table. It wasrge in the short elf¡¯s hands, but really it was about a foot and a half on each side.
¡°Personal consumption?¡± Syd repeated. ¡°What kind of paintings are these supposed to be?¡±
¡°¡The kind where you remove your clothing for them?¡±
Jadis stared at Eir, the request so utterly unexpected that her brain stopped working for a minute. While it was pretty much impossible to tell when Eir was blushing due to the color of her skin, Jadis was certain that the priestess was even more embarrassed than Severina had been the previous night.
¡°Shall I give you two some time to discuss?¡± Irene asked, a bemused expression on her face. ¡°I hadn¡¯t realized that you hadn¡¯t gone over this part of your request with Jadis already, young Eir.¡±
¡°No, no,¡± Jay stopped the high priestess from leaving. ¡°I¡¯m happy to model for Eir if she want¡¯s some more¡ personal material to keep for herself. Just¡ªjust tell me where to stand and what to remove.¡±
¡°Lovely,¡± Irene¡¯s smile shined. ¡°Why don¡¯t you strip off your shirts for now. We¡¯ll start there and proceed however you feel after.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Syd grinned, shaking her head at the turn the day had taken. ¡°Shirtless it is.¡±
As Jadis removed the clothing from her upper bodies, she made her own request.
¡°If I¡¯m doing this, I want a few portraits of you, too,¡± Syd pointed a finger at Eir. ¡°Maybe we can even do one or two where we are together?¡±
¡°A splendid idea,¡± Irene beamed. ¡°The portrait I did of Eir is one of my favorites. She has such an alluring look to her; the canvas simply adores her. The two of you together will be a masterpiece, I¡¯m quite certain of that.¡±
And so Jadis and Eir¡¯s date went on for several hours in that fashion until, sometime around dinner, A found them still in Irene¡¯s workshop. The position that she found them in would have been embarrassing if it had been anyone else, but A had seen Jadis holding Eir in far, far more obscene ways on a regr basis, so there wasn¡¯t too much shock to go around.
¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt¡¡± A spoke with some uncertainty in her tone, no doubt at least somewhat confused by the scene. ¡°I was hoping I could talk to Jadis for a moment?¡±
¡°Of course, dear,¡± Irene said as she quickly finished her sketch. ¡°I have this pose down now. Jay, why don¡¯t you Eir¡¯s leg up like that¡ªno, I can see her vulva when you lift her knee that high. We want to tease the viewer, not reveal everything in one go. A little lower¡ªyes, yes, that will do nicely. Dys, Syd, you two can take a moment. This will be a beautiful duo portrait.¡±
Breaking away from her Eir and her other self, Dys and Syd walked over to the door where A stood. Seeing her redheaded lover always brought a smile to Jadis¡¯ faces, but A¡¯s expression gave her some pause. She looked worried, her bottom lip chewed between her teeth, and Jadis noticed that she had a letter in one hand.
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Dys asked,ing to a stop before her lover and putting one fist on her bare hip. ¡°Did something happen with the princes? Or was there some other news from Vraekae?¡±
A shook her head, brushing the concerns away.
¡°No, nothing like that,¡± A tilted her head to one side. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry to bring this up right now, I know you¡¯re on your date with Eir and I don¡¯t want to interrupt, but I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t have much time to prepare unless I bring this up now.¡±
¡°Why, what happened?¡± Dys repeated, her concern growing. ¡°Fill me in, Blue. Whatever it is, I¡¯m sure we can ovee it.¡±
¡°I hope so,¡± A¡¯s shoulders heaved in a heavy sigh. ¡°Jadis, my parents areing. They want to meet us. And by us, I mean you and the rest of your lovers.¡±
For a second time that day, Jadis¡¯ brain froze. When it finally started working again, she said what was probably the dumbest thing she¡¯d uttered. Ever.
¡°More parents?¡±
Chapter 352: Pillow Talk
Chapter 352: Pillow Talk
Jadis supposed she shouldn¡¯t have been surprised. She had multiple partners. That meant multiple parents. She just didn¡¯t think she¡¯d have to deal with meeting more than one family at a time. If A¡¯s parents were on their way, that meant they could be showing up around the same time as Jadis was supposed to meet Eir¡¯s parents. How exactly was she supposed to handle that?
That internal question had Jadis envisioning a homey scene of her, her lovers, and the fourteen or so more parents all gathered around a table to have a turkey dinner together.
¡°Jadis.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°You¡¯re drifting.¡±
¡°I am, yes.¡±
A sighed, cocking her hip as she shook her head. She nced around Dys to look over at where Jay was still posing with Eir for Irene¡¯s erotic picture album.
¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as big a deal as Eir¡¯s parents,¡± she said after a short pause. ¡°My parents aren¡¯t nobles, so there aren¡¯t any expectations for you to deal with in that sense. I think they¡¯re just excited to see me and concerned about me being in a rtionship with someone. I¡ didn¡¯t do that much when I was back in Red Tree. Rtionships, I mean. Anyway, they¡¯reing, and they should be here in three days. I know that throws off our dating schedule, but with their arrival I was hoping that could be our day together so you can focus on meeting them. I¡¯m going to talk it over with everyone else, but I wanted you to know right away.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ good,¡± Dys nodded. ¡°That¡¯s some time to prepare. Do you know where they are going to be staying?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll arrange their lodgings. We have the coin, so I¡¯ll probably put them up in the same inn as Noll. Though, the idea of them spending any time with him is¡ concerning. In any case, you don¡¯t need to do anything for now, I just wanted to inform you since this could disrupt any of the ns you had made for future dates.¡±
Of course A would have everything well in hand. She was, as always, calm, cool, and collected. That self-assured confidence was one of the tall redhead¡¯s strongest points, and one of the things that attracted Jadis to her. A always had a n; Jadis didn¡¯t need to worry about a thing.
Except for A.
¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry,¡± Dys assured her freckled lover while drawing her in for a hug. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to meet your parents. Everything will go great, I¡¯m positive. Later, when we get a moment, I want to go over our ns for the day they arrive. We¡¯re going to give them the best impression we possibly can, and they¡¯ll be so impressed that they¡¯ll be begging us to get married just like Eir¡¯s parents.¡±
A wrapped her arms around Dys, melting into the reassuring embrace with her eyes closed. She breathed deeply, takingfort from the support Jadis offered. They stood together like that for a few moments, just enjoying each other¡¯s warmth, before A spoke softly, her breath tickling Dys¡¯ stomach.
¡°This would be a much sweeter moment if your dick wasn¡¯t brushing against me.¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± Dys pulled back slightly to look down at her favorite redhead. ¡°We were kind of in the middle of something.¡±
¡°Yes, and as I said, I¡¯m sorry to have interrupted,¡± A pulled away fully, taking on her more usual stoic expression. ¡°Eir? I apologize for taking Jadis away from you, and I¡¯ll return this part of her now.¡±
¡°Nothing to apologize for,¡± Eir replied sweetly as she adjusted her purple hair slightly so that it fell across her chest in a particr way. ¡°I believe I can well empathize with the troubles of having demanding parents.¡±
¡°Yes, well,¡± A cleared her throat, ¡°as you were, I suppose. What exactly are you doing, actually¡?¡±
¡°You¡¯ll see when the paintings arepleted,¡± Eir smiled mischievously. ¡°I think Irene¡¯s work will be very popr among our little group. We may even need tomission further portraits.¡±
¡°For this subject matter,¡± Irenemented as she continued to sketch, ¡°my schedule will always amodate.¡±
After A excused herself, Jadis and Eir continued to pose for Irene, filling all fifty pages of the sketchbook with imagery ranging from almost modest to just shy of obscene. The high priestess promised to deliver the book to them once she¡¯d refined and touched up all of the sketches, possibly coloring a few of them as well. Jadis earnestly looked forward to seeing thepleted album, though after the long day of being naked around Eir without satisfaction, what she truly looked forward to was being alone with Eir in their bedroom.
¡°After we marry,¡± Eir spoke up some timeter, ¡°where do you think we will live? I mean, after the demonic invasion is over and we can actually settle down to raise our children.¡±
Jadis breathed deeply, thinking about Eir¡¯s question while enjoying the afterglow of their passionate lovemaking. They were on their giant-sized bed in their temple room, alone since the others were giving them privacy. Eir was lying on top of Syd, the two nked on either side by Jay and Dys. Eir had her cheek resting on top of Syd¡¯s left breast, her head turned to the side, while she idly toyed with Syd¡¯s right breast. The delicate touch of her fingers as she circled Syd¡¯s nipple was a ticklish distraction, but Jadis had enough brainpower to focus on her lover¡¯s question.
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Jay replied as she traced the curve of Eir¡¯s ass with one hand. ¡°Somewhere closer to the wilds than here, though. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯d want to continue exploring, even after the Demon Lord is dealt with. It¡¯d be nice to have a home where we can set out and see the untamed forests whenever we want, but still have some of the conveniences of a city like this.¡±
¡°Perhaps we will return to Weigrun, then,¡± Eir hummed. ¡°I think it might suit all of our needs.¡±
¡°What, and have your cousin as our permanent lord?¡± Dys grumbled in mockint.
¡°I thought you were getting along better with her,¡± Eir scolded while giving Syd¡¯s nipple a pinch. ¡°She¡¯s been quite good to you as ofte.¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Syd batted Eir¡¯s hand away from her breast. ¡°It¡¯s just habit. She¡¯s not all that bad. I can think of worse politicians, anyway.¡±
Eir was quiet for a moment, her fingers intertwining with Syd¡¯s as they held hands. When she spoke again, her voice was softer, lost in thought.
¡°How many children do you think we will have? Ones that you give me, I mean. Not including the others.¡±
¡°As many as you want,¡± Jay replied with perfect sincerity. ¡°More than you can probably handle. We¡¯ll have a long time to make a lot of babies.¡±
Eir smiled, her face glowing with happiness as she met Jay¡¯s eyes.
¡°Give me one now. Please. I want to know I have your first child, this night.¡±
¡°Are you sure?¡± Jay asked, expression serious. ¡°You don¡¯t want to wait until after I meet your parents?¡±
¡°No,¡± Eir shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t care what they have nned for us. I¡¯m your mate, just as you are mine. I want to bare your children, no matter what the future holds.¡±
¡°I love you,¡± Jay whispered in response, leaning close to kiss her sweet priestess.
¡°I love you, too,¡± Eir answered, her breath filling Jay¡¯s mouth.
Jadis had already made love to Eir for the past hour, renewing their Lover¡¯s Bond, but her Potency Alteration skill had been left in its ¡°natural¡± state. With Eir¡¯s desire made in, Jadis flipped the mental switch, turning her potency to the max so that the chances of Eir bing pregnant were at their max.
Shifting behind her, with her knees on either side of Eir and Syd¡¯s legs, Jay pressed into her lover¡¯s core with gentle insistence. As always, her tight tunnel resisted her huge member, but just like always Eir warmly weed her into herself with a loving embrace.
Syd cupped Eir¡¯s face in her hands, switching between kissing her deeply and peppering her brow, nose, cheeks, and chin with light pecks as Jay took her from behind. Eir¡¯s gasping moans were intoxicating, inviting Jadis to thrust faster and harder. Jadis resisted that tempting urge, wanting to drag their lovemaking out for as long as possible.
Slipping her hand between Eir and Syd¡¯s bodies, Dys delicately rubbed her lover¡¯s clit, causing the scarlet elf to shudder with pleasure, her body writhing under thebined assault. Without slowing or increasing her pace, Jay continued to pump her cock deep inside of Eir¡¯s core as she orgasmed. Even when Eir¡¯s climax subsided, Jay continued to steadily thrust within her, carrying her along to a second peak, then a third. It wasn¡¯t until Eir had climaxed for a fourth time that Jay could no longer hold back her urges.
With sweat dripping from her brow, Jay let loose within Eir. Her release was apanied by a groan of relief, the tension finally broken as her cock throbbed inside Eir¡¯s tight depths, pouring a flood of potent seed within the shuddering elf. Jay¡¯s toes curled at the sensation, her thick cum filling Eir to the point of overflowing. Hot seed leaked out from Eir¡¯s stuffed pussy, coating Syd¡¯s stomach in the pearlescent fluid as Jay¡¯s orgasm stretched on and on. When she finally felt her climax subside after what felt like minutes, Jadis felt light-headed in all of her bodies.
¡°I love you,¡± Eir whispered, pressing another kiss onto Syd¡¯s lips.
¡°I love you, too,¡± Jadis replied in all three of her voices, kissing Eir back in three different spots.
The twoy still together, basking once more in the afterglow of their orgasms. Even though her mind felt clearer and more unbothered than she¡¯d ever felt before, Jadis couldn¡¯t help but let her thoughts wander. Was Eir pregnant now? Were they mothers? How long would it take before the midwife, Bertha, would be able to tell? If Eir was pregnant, what would their child look like? What would they name them? Would they be a boy or a girl? Or would they be like her, and be dual-gendered?
As many thoughts raced through her mind, Jadis didn¡¯t feel an ounce of panic. She waspletely certain of herself. She wanted to have a child with Eir. She¡¯d never felt more certain about anything else.
¡°Jadis?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Would you make love to me, one more time?¡± Eir asked, her voice tinged with longing and lust. ¡°Just to make certain.¡±
Jadis had to chuckle at that excuse. She¡¯d probably filled Eir with more cum than a horse could. Another load of potent seed wasn¡¯t going to make a difference with the amount she¡¯d already pumped into her.
But another round couldn¡¯t hurt, either.
Jay pulled out of Eir, eliciting a shiver from both of them once her cock had popped free. A torrent of hot cum spilled out of Eir¡¯s core, wetting Syd¡¯s belly even further. At the sight, Dys couldn¡¯t resist ducking in and licking some of the sweet seed up, using her tongue top her other self¡¯s cum off of Syd¡¯s stomach as well as to drink some directly from Eir¡¯s pussy. Having satisfied her need to taste, Dys got into position behind Eir. She pulled her lover¡¯s hips up high, arching her back as she roughly drove into her.
The second round was not gentle. Dys pounded Eir in an almost animalistic way, rutting into her mate a burning fervor. Eir¡¯s cries and screams of pleasure echoed in the dim chamber, driving Dys on to further ecstasies as she sought her release. The lewd sound of wet and sticky flesh pping together added to the licentious symphony, urging them both ever upwards towards their peaks. From the side, Jay was treated to the utterly debauched sight of her own cum dangling and dripping from between Eir¡¯s pussy lips as Dys¡¯ rapidly thrusting massive cock caused the seed to lewdly squelch out of her core.
¡°Fuck, I¡¯ming!¡± Dys growled as she bent over Eir, her bodypletely covering her as the elf was sandwiched between two of Jadis.
¡°I¡ªI am! I am too!¡± Eir managed to get out around her moans of frenzied bliss. ¡°Come inside me!¡±
The tension inside of Dys¡¯s stomach released as she exploded within Eir¡¯s core, her thick seed filling her lover up even more quickly than Jay had. Soon, more cum was pouring onto Syd¡¯s body as Eir¡¯s stomach bulged from the overwhelming amount of seed she¡¯d been filled with, her capacity exceeded and then again.
When both finally finished their orgasms, they copsed together, Dys barely managing to roll off of Eir so that she didn¡¯t squish her small lover under her giant body. However, with her cock still inside of Eir, the elf was partially pulled along to the side, ending up resting in the crevice between Syd and Dys, utterly exhausted and practically unconscious from the back-to-back climaxes.
¡°Do you think that was enough?¡± Dys panted in Eir¡¯s pointed her, unable to resist the urge to give the tip a nibble.
¡°Gods, I hope not,¡± Eir murmured sleepily. ¡°You need to do that to me again. At least a hundred more times.¡±
¡°As many times as you want, my good girl,¡± Jadis promised in unison, before Eir and all three of her drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 353: Date with a Smith
Chapter 353: Date with a Smith
The next morning¡¯s sun brought with it hope dashed and a change of ns.
Before breakfast, Eir visited Bertha and returned with the unfortunate news that she was not pregnant. Even with Jadis¡¯ Potency Alteration skill, if Eir¡¯s body didn¡¯t have an egg ready, then there simply wasn¡¯t anything for her seed to fertilize. Jadis had hoped that whatever magic was empowering her sex-based skills would trante to a first-try sess, but it seemed chance was against them in that regard.
While Eir was disappointed, she was still as bright and cheerful as she ever was. Just because they hadn¡¯t seeded on this attempt didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t seed on the next. Jadis absolutely agreed with her attitude on the matter and made a promise to keep her potency set to max whenever they were having sex in the future. That meant the other girls had to be aware if they were doing any group activities that they could be impregnated as well, but considering how onboard everyone seemed to be with that prospect Jadis didn¡¯t think it would be a problem, as least so long as they had ess to Bertha.
The change of ns came in the form of her scheduled date. It was supposed to be A¡¯s day, but with the news of her parentsing to town, some shuffling had to be done with the order of the dates. For Jadis, that meant after the morning training session with Noll, she made her way to the High Temple of Svaroga, God of the Forge. She hadn¡¯t visited this particr temple yet, though she had been meaning to even beforeing to Eldingholt. Doru, the High Priest of Svaroga she had met previously interested her, and she had wanted to arrange a meeting between him and Sabina for some time.
Fortunately, it seemed Sabina had already been several steps ahead.
¡°Ease the crucible down now,¡± Doru rumbled, his deep voice easily heard over the roar of the fire and the nging of metal on metal. ¡°Slowly. Slowly. We want the eleria to flow evenly throughout the channels. If it clumps, the enchantment could be faulty.¡±
Jadis watched in fascination as Sabina gradually poured liquid eleria into the tiny, intricate passages that had been carved into the de of the strange sword. The crucible she held with iron tongs was glowing bright white with heat, though the molten material within wasn¡¯t red, but a multicolored mixture of shining lights. It looked less like she was handling a melted stone, and more like she was pouring liquid light in the channels.
The eleria, a pretty enough stone while in its normal state, had been crushed into powder and then melted down like ss. The enchantments Sabina had etched into the sword would work all on their own, but as soon as any amount of magic power was put through them, they would cause the material of the weapon to quickly degrade and break apart. Eleria acted as a conduit, letting magic flow through the enchantment without damaging the surrounding material.
From the way Sabina described the process, it felt a lot like electricity and circuits. If circuits were made correctly and made from the right material, the electricity passing through them would cause no harm and allow the electronic device to function as intended. But if the circuit was incorrectly fashioned, or if it was made from the wrong material, it wouldn¡¯t function correctly, or even at all.
Or maybe it would work for a brief moment before overheating and exploding.
As she emptied the small container, Doru reached over and took it from her tongs and switched it out for another so that she could continue the enchantment. Unlike Sabina, the half orc half therion high priest did not use tongs and simply held the white-hot crucibles in his bare hands. Jadis knew that the temperature on those ceramic containers should have been enough to melt through Doru¡¯s skin down to the bone in less than a second, but apparently the big man had a skill that gave him immunity to any heat that was generated by a forge. Definitely a useful trick, not just for the utterly badass way he could just pick up chunks of burning metal and literally mold them by hand, but also because the forge was hotter than an on oven on Thanksgiving Day.
Almost the entirety of the temple interior was dedicated to workshops of one kind or another. Everything from fletchers to candlestick makers were represented in some fashion since crafting of any kind was Svaroga¡¯s domain. However, the back half of the first floor of therge temple was nothing but forges. Dozens of priests were running around inside the massive open room, all working to forge weapons and armor which would be sent to the army to aid in the fight against the demonic invasion.
Of course, the priests didn¡¯t look much like priests. Most of them wererge, sweaty men, while a few wererge, sweaty women. Most wore heavy leather aprons rather than a priest¡¯s robes, and quite a few were spotted with fresh burn marks from the sparks and mes constantly flying from the open mes and hammering anvils. All were focused on their tasks, with only a few asionally ncing over at Jadis in curiosity.
Doru didn¡¯t pay any of the other priests any mind at all. His attention was solely on the de being forged, and by extension, teaching Sabina how to better enchant.
¡°There. Let it cool a moment now. The eleria needs to set or it¡¯ll spill out of the channels.¡±
¡°The metal is still hot though, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jay asked. ¡°Will it really cool enough like this?¡±
Doru didn¡¯t answer, instead motioning towards Sabina. The half elf set her tongs down and took a step back from the burning tform where the de had been set, it¡¯s metal still glowing red.
¡°Cold me steel doesn¡¯t have to be as hot as regr steel to be workable,¡± Sabina exined as she motioned towards the iplete weapon. ¡°While eleria has a very high melting pointpared to almost anything else. At this temperature, the liquid eleria will cool and bind to the steel, which will result in a stronger, longersting enchantment.¡±
¡°So long as you don¡¯t break her, thisdy willst you a lifetime,¡± Dorumented as he gently ran a thick finger over the surface of the de. ¡°That¡¯s about enough, Sabina. I¡¯ll handle this next part. You prepare the quenching mix.¡±
Since she had three sets of eyes, Jadis was able to keep track of what both crafters were doing.
Doru pulled a different crucible from his forge, this one filled with a molten metal of some kind. To Jadis¡¯ surprise, he used a small tool to gentle cover the eleria-filled etchings, creating a smooth surface on the de. The work was slow and extremely finicky as the master smith was careful to only get the molten metal onto the enchantment etchings with no spillover onto the main parts of the de. Considering how small and thin those channels were, the process was excruciating to watch. If Doru didn¡¯t have the ability to ignore the heat of the metal, Jadis didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to paint the metal on in the way he was.
¡°This can¡¯t be how most enchanters craft swords,¡± Dys addressed Sabina, not wanting to distract the high priest while he was so focused on his task. ¡°There¡¯s no way this is done for all the magic weapons out there.¡±
¡°Definitely not!¡± Sabina chirped in her excitable way. ¡°Most smiths will forge the sword first, then add the enchantments after. Which is perfectly fine! It¡¯s how I¡¯d have to do enchantments. In fact, it¡¯s how I¡¯ll have to add the enchantments I want to make for your armor. That¡¯s the normal way and there¡¯s nothing wrong with it! What Doru is helping me do is the expert way! Only the greatest smith-enchanters in the world can do this! It¡¯s truly an honor to get his help with something like this, especially since he¡¯s teaching me so much about how the masters work! Oh, if only my father were here, he¡¯d love to see Master Doru in the forge, he¡¯d probably talk about it for days! I hope I get a letter back from him soon, but probably not since he gets so focused on his work that he forgets everything else around him and then¡ª¡±
¡°Sabina? Sabina,¡± Dys interrupted her gushing lover. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the mix.¡±
¡°Oh!¡± the smith eximed, realizing that she was still holding a sack of something in one hand while standing next to a very tall, thin barrel. ¡°You¡¯re right! Thank you!¡±
Unable to reach her cheek, Sabina hopped up on her toes and gave Dys a peck on her arm, drawing augh from Jadis. Without further dy, Sabina began pouring some kind of powder out of the bag and into the quenching barrel.
The barrel, Sabina exined as she worked, was full of an oil made from a particr nt seed called Forge Thistle. Other seeds could be pressed to make suitable oil, but forge thistle was the best due to its purity. The powder that Sabina was pouring into the oil was a mix of different reagents that came from magic beasts as well as alchemically useful herbs. Even some crushed eleria crystal was mixed in, everything ground down into as fine a powder as possible before adding it to the oil. Several ingredients had to be added separately though, and idly only moments before the metal was ready to be quenched.
¡°Once we quench the de in this oil, all the magic inside the ingredients will be used up,¡± Sabina told Dys and Syd, pointing to the mixture in the barrel that she was stirring with arge pole. ¡°So it¡¯s a very expensive process. We have to make sure we get it right, or thousands of coins worth of ingredients will be wasted.¡±
¡°How much is all this costing?¡± Syd asked with some concern. If this was a one-try only kind of situation with some expensive materials, she didn¡¯t want to be a distraction.
¡°Well,¡± Sabina thought out loud as she stirred the thick mixture while bnced on top of a stepdder. ¡°The forge thistle oil would cost about twenty eagles for this amount.¡±
Jadis cringed at the quoted number. An eagle was one of the higher coin denominations in the imperial mary system. She knew from previous experience that ten eagles was enough to buy a riding horse with its saddle. Twenty silver eagle coins for just this barrel of oil was quite an expense.
¡°Then there¡¯s the powdered drake bone, the wyvern spikes, the purple crown mushroom, the silverleaf, the red rot lily petals¡¡±
Sabina continued to list of one ingredient after another, the number of different strange and alien items growing to a worrying amount. Jadis knew that some of the materials Sabina listed came from their own adventures in the Great Southern Forest, but many were unknown to her and likely came from the crate of materials the Dryads had gifted Sabina.
¡°All together, I think the cost it probably somewhere around nine hundred eagles.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not counting the cost of the de itself,¡± Doru called out from where he was still finishing up his part of the enchantment. ¡°Add on seven hundred eagles, then a few hundred more for thebor.¡±
¡°And then there¡¯s the types of enchantments we¡¯re putting onto it,¡± Sabina pointed out as she added the contents of a small bottle of ck liquid to the oil mixture. ¡°Enchantments for hardness, enchantments for sharpness, enchantments for arcane damage,¡± she called out with glee in her tone. ¡°We can¡¯t add too many or the enchantments will interfere with each other and cause them to fail, but the ones we put on their will be worth their weight in gold! Except, enchantments don¡¯t weigh anything, so I guess that doesn¡¯t work, but they¡¯ll be worth something really heavy in gold!¡±
¡°A kingly de,¡± Doru murmured as he smoothed out the final touches. ¡°Or queenly, I suppose. You¡¯ll inspire fear in your enemies and envy in your allies.¡±
¡°I, uh, guess I¡¯ll just stand over here, then,¡± Jay mumbled as she slowly backed away from the iplete weapon that probably cost more than her all the rest of her gearbined, multiplied by ten. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to get in the way¡ª¡±
¡°Nonsense,¡± Doru shouted over the din of the forge. He pointed at Jay, then at one of therge bellows. ¡°Syd, get over there and start pumping. I need some heat for this.¡±
¡°That¡¯s Jay, not Syd,¡± Sabina corrected without looking.
¡°She¡¯s all the same woman,¡± Doru huffed. ¡°What¡¯s it matter?¡±
¡°It matters because that¡¯s Jay and this is Syd,¡± Sabina replied matter-of-factly. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t call a sledgehammer a cross pein hammer, would you?¡±
¡°Whatever,¡± Doru dismissed as he pointed a meaty finger at Jay. ¡°You, pump the bellows.¡±
Doing as she was told, Jay began working the bellows as Doru ced the de into the forge to heat it up to a bright red color. Following the master smith¡¯s instructions, she settled on what she felt was a fairly slow pace, but ording to Doru anything faster would risk overheating the cold me steel to the point of melting, which would ruin all their work.
¡°Why do they call it cold me steel, anyway?¡± Jay asked the high priest as he retrieved a pair of tongs and leather gloves from a nearby workbench.
¡°Because if you use the right fuel, it softens at a much lower temperature than ordinary steel,¡± he pointed at a barrel of dark green pebbles that he¡¯d been periodically tossing into the fires. ¡°Lower temperature, colder me. Cold me steel.¡±
Oh. That was significantly less magical than Jadis was hoping for. Still, it was an interesting concept. Since it acted differently from steel, which Jadis knew was just iron and carbon in the correct mixture, she wondered what materials the cold me steel was made with. There had to be something magical going on there, otherwise she was sure she¡¯d have seen something like the metal back on Earth. Since she¡¯d never heard of anything like it, there had to be something supernatural to the metal and its manufacturing.
¡°Go ahead and add the demon blood to the oil,¡± Doru ordered as he checked the de to make sure it was heating evenly. ¡°Then get your butt over here, Sabina. You¡¯ll be doing the quenching.¡±
¡°Demon blood?¡± Syd asked, surprised by the final ingredient. ¡°Really?¡±
¡°There¡¯s a lot of magic in demon blood,¡± Sabina shrugged as she added a small pot of the dark liquid to the barrel. Unlike with the other ingredients, she didn¡¯t mix the blood in, but simply poured enough on the top to create a surfaceyer. ¡°Other additives work well, too, but demon blood is super full of magic and does a great job of getting the reaction going, better than most. I¡¯ve heard some powerful enchanted weapons were made with Seraphim blood, or Dryad sap, or things like that. But demons are all over the ce right now, so their blood is in good supply.¡±
That information sparked a tinge of difort in Jadis¡¯ thoughts. Since she now knew that Demons were just as sentient as humans or other avatar races, the idea of using them for parts in the making of enchantments felt a little wrong. Then again, it wasn¡¯t as though the demons were being bred in a pen and farmed for their value as an alchemical ingredient like some kind of farm animal. They were hostile entities trying to kill all other mortal races by any means necessary. The people of Oros had been in conflict with Demons for millennia. It only made sense that they hade up with a few ways to make use of their enemy.
A different thought crossed Jadis¡¯ mind at that point. If Demons and other avatar races could have their blood used in the crafting of enchantments for powerful effects, could Nephilim blood be used too? Would it be better or worse as a reagent? What about other fluids? She was certainly capable of outputting enough of her more pleasurably obtained fluids to fill the jar Sabina held. Maybe it would have the same effect? Maybe even a better one?
Not that Jadis was going to suggest Doru and Sabina stop what they were doing so she could jack one of her selves off into the quenching barrel. Beyond the fact that it would be awkward as fuck, she wasn¡¯t about to suggest experimentation when so many rare and valuable ingredients were on the line.
Moving quickly and without need for instruction from Doru, Sabina put on the leather gloves and used the tongs to pull the heated weapon from the forge. The sword wasrge, with a long de and an even longer tang, but the tang had not been heated and apparently didn¡¯t have to endure the quenching process. Holding the sword so that the de hung straight down, Sabina quickly carried it over to the barrel and up the stedder. With a steady hand, she dipped the de into the oil.
Jadis had expected the oil to re up with fire and maybe some steam. Instead, a searing light shone from the liquid, bathing the workshop in an eerie, blue-green glow. A high-pitched sound apanied the light, almost like a steam whistle, yet it had an indefinable quality to it that made Jadis¡¯ brain itch.
As the light and the sound slowly faded, Jadis noticed that the forge had gone rtively quiet. All the other priests and their apprentices had stopped what they were doing to watch the quenching. Under a full crowd¡¯s eyes, Sabina lifted the sword from the barrel, revealing the tempered de.
The metal was ck, yet it seemed to shine with an inner light that made it stand out against the shadows. In fact, there really was an inner lighting from the de. Where Sabina¡¯s enchantments etchings had been made, filled with eleria, then covered by Doru, were glowing runes. The runes shone silver against the ck de and, as Jadis could observe from multiple angles, the runes were visible on both sides of the sword.
Sabina quickly passed the de to Doru, giving the high priest onest chance to make any adjustments before it grew too cool to be worked any further. Checking the length for any bends, he simple grunted his approval without and changes and passed it back to Sabina, who then locked the tang into ce with a vice so that the de could be left to cool while hanging upside down.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Sabina let out a sigh of relief before grinning up at Syd.
¡°Whew! That¡¯s done! Now, what else do you want to do for our date?¡±
Chapter 354: Makes Sense
Chapter 354: Makes Sense
Jadis wasn¡¯t surprised that she had ended up back in her bedroom with Sabina after their time in the forge. They had worked up quite a sweat, after all, so a wash and a change of clothes was in order. That Sabina would take the opportunity to initiate a more intimate encounter while they were alone together in the private bath of the suite wasn¡¯t a shock either. There weren¡¯t too many circumstances Jadis could think of where she wouldn¡¯t dly take the opportunity to toy with her smith girlfriend¡¯s overly sensitive body. What Jadis did feel some astonishment about was just how nonchntly Sabina had taken the news that Jadis¡¯ soul had been reincarnated.
After washing up a second time from their bout of bathroom fun, Jadis had brought Sabina to the bed and cuddled with her enchanter lover. Mostly because she had wanted to cuddle, but also because she had wanted to tell Sabina the full truth about her origins. Jadis was seriously considering marriage with Sabina, or something close to it in Oros terms, however it all worked out, so she wanted to give Sabina the same level of trust that she had her other lovers. A, Eir, Kerr, and Thea knew about her otherworldly origins, but Sabina and Bridget hadn¡¯t been told yet. So, after a brief conversation to prepare the smith for the info-bomb, Jadis hadid out the truth in as direct terms as she could.
Sabina¡¯s response was¡ Sabina.
¡°Oh. That makes a lot of sense.¡±
Jay stared at her bronze-skinned lover who stared back at her with a cid expression. That was it? No rush of questions? No verbal flood of stumbled words? Not even a shout of surprise? Theck of response made Jadis think that maybe Sabina hadn¡¯t fullyprehended what she¡¯d just been told. So, Jadis tried again.
¡°Sabby,¡± Jay started, ¡°Do you understand what I¡¯m saying? This body was made by D. I was a human from an entirely different world until I died and my soul was put here by D. I wasn¡¯t born a Nephilim. I¡¯m not from a mountain vige. I wasn¡¯t even born on Oros.¡±
¡°Yes, I understand,¡± Sabina nodded solemnly. ¡°And it makes sense.¡±
Jay exchanged nces with her other self resting on Sabina¡¯s opposite side. Yup, she looked as confused as she felt. Not sure how to move forward with the conversation, Jay tilted her head and hesitantly asked the first thought toe to mind.
¡°And that¡¯s all you have to say¡?¡±
¡°What else is there to say?¡± Sabina replied with such a matter-of-fact tone that Jadis¡¯ brain almost short-circuited.
¡°Did A or one of the others already tell you about this?¡±
¡°Oh, they know?¡± Sabina asked. ¡°I suppose that makes sense too. Of course you¡¯d tell A and Kerr and Eir and Thea. Did you tell Bridget and Alex already? What about Sorcha?¡±
¡°Uh, Bridget and Sorcha don¡¯t know,¡± Jay responded, her brow furrowed in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how I would approach the subject with Alex. My soul being from another world might be a little too high concept for her right now, considering ournguage barrier issues.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Sabina shrugged, ¡°but she¡¯s getting really good at talking in short sentences now. The more you talk to her, the quicker she learns. I think she¡¯d probably understand after a few tries, though you might have to get creative with the whole ¡®other world¡¯ part of the exnation. Maybe use the moon as an example?¡±
While Jadis appreciated the practical advice Sabina was giving regarding Alex, she was still caught on how utterly easily Sabina had taken to the idea of her being from another world. She was talking like it was such a non-issue that Jadis was beginning to doubt herself and wonder if she was making a bigger deal out of it than she should.
¡°You don¡¯t have any questions about me being reincarnated?¡± Dys asked from her spot on Sabina¡¯s other side. ¡°No questions about any of it?¡±
¡°Oh, I have millions of questions,¡± Sabina said as she rolled over to face Dys. ¡°More than I can probably ask in a year if you gave me the time. All I¡¯m saying is, I¡¯m not surprised that you were reincarnated and are originally from another world. I mean, the whole trip to Kalters Wall was supposed to have been so that you could look for any surviving members of your vige, yet you didn¡¯t spend any time looking for them. We didn¡¯t even try to go wherever the remains of your vige should have been, which would be the first ce I would start if I was looking for survivors. Instead, you were focused on finding the Dryads and barely even mentioned the vige during the whole trip. You never talk about any of your family or friends from the vige, which could just be because of grief, but you don¡¯t act like you¡¯re sad except sometimes you look a little homesick, which I guess is kind of sad, but that¡¯s not the same kind of sad that people who¡¯ve lost their whole vige in a horrible demon attack act like, which I know from experience because I¡¯ve met people like that and you don¡¯t act like them.
¡°So maybe you¡¯re just a very different personality and react to grief differently, which kind of makes some sense because you are so focused and unbothered on the battlefield by terrifying stuff that it might carry over to other things, but with how you behave with everything else I didn¡¯t think that was the case. You could also just hate your family, which would be sad, but then I don¡¯t think you¡¯d have even suggested looking for them in the first ce. Then there¡¯s the fact that you don¡¯t know anything about being a Nephilim, or being an avatar race, or talking to the gods or Lyssandria or however all that works, even though you are clearly old enough to have learned that sort of thing from other Nephilim if you were raised in a vige by them. Also, even though growing up in a remote vige does give a good reason for why you don¡¯t know much about anything in the empire, you basically don¡¯t know anything about anything that¡¯s normal like status sheets and leveling and magic beasts, but at the same time you also have knowledge of all kinds of things that I wouldn¡¯t think a remote vige would know anything about like indoor plumbing and spring suspensions and politics. I mean, you hate politics, but the fact that you even know about politics enough to hate them is weird for someone who was supposed to have grown up in the middle of the mountains.
¡°There are tons of weird little things you say, phrases and references to stories and things that none of us have ever heard of. Plus, you write in apletely unknown alphabet. Like, it¡¯s not even an offshoot of Imperial or some deadnguage that no one uses anymore, it¡¯s justpletely different from anything I¡¯ve ever seen. And you write well, too. You speak well. You¡¯ve got a weird ent, but you¡¯re educated. You use big words and know how to apply them like a noble, even if you like to curse all the time. Also, when you curse, you say ¡°God¡± a lot. Not gods, God. Singr. Which god? There are nine. Well, ten actually if you count Samleos, but he¡¯s not part of the reckoning for most people to worship, but anyway, everyone says ¡®gods damn it¡¯ not ¡®god damn it¡¯ because there are multiple gods. If you are calling on just one god to curse, you¡¯d say ¡®Valtar damn it¡¯ or something like that.
¡°So, thinking about it, youe across as someone who is well-educated yet ignorant to many ordinary things that a person with a good education should not be unfamiliar with, you also have a weird speech pattern, weirdnguage, and knowledge of things that probably don¡¯t exist on Oros. Combined with your shaky backstory and I say yes, it makes sense that you were reincarnated by Destarious from another world.¡±
Jadis was speechless.
Just how transparent had she been? She knew she wasn¡¯t the best liar in the world, but she thought she¡¯d done a decent job of keeping her most sensitive secrets hidden from others. Apparently not. With how Sabina put it, she felt like she may as well have just worn a sign around one of her necks exining her otherworldly origins.
Then again, no one else had ever confronted her. Not even Vraekae. Certainly the intense magistrate would have at least approached her in private about her origins if she had any suspicions that Jadis¡¯ story was a lie. Sabina spent a lot more time with Jadis than Vraekae. That probably had a lot to do with how the smith had picked up on things that others who weren¡¯t as close wouldn¡¯t notice. Still, with how Sabina hadid out all the ws in her backstory, Jadis felt like she was going to need to be a lot more careful. Especially if she was going to be rubbing shoulders with people like Prince Kestil or other nobles.
¡°So, when did you figure out I was reincarnated?¡± Dys responded to Sabina¡¯s exnation, having finally found her voice.
¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t,¡± Sabina shook her head. ¡°My running theory was that you were actually raised by a secret n of Dvergr somewhere under the mountains, which would exin yournguage quirks and why you have some unusual knowledge. I figured you didn¡¯t want to tell anyone about it to keep the Dvergr safe. But like I said, your exnation makes much more sense.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t help the shout ofughter that exploded from her three selves.
¡°Sabina, never change.¡±
¡°Why would I change?¡± the smith asked as she sat up so she could look down at Dys in confusion.
¡°You wouldn¡¯t,¡± Dys grinned. ¡°Nowe here, I want a kiss.¡±
Sabina yelped as Dys pulled her down on top of her, her exmation transforming intoughter as Dys began kissing her all over.
¡°I want a kiss, too,¡± both Jay and Syd added as they moved in from the side, adding to the swarm of kisses and doubling Sabina¡¯sughter.
Some momentster, after Jadis and Sabina had settled down, they spent some time talking about their lives. As promised, Sabina had many questions about Jadis¡¯ previous life and Earth in general, though Jadis had her own questions about Sabina that she wanted answered and so used the opportunity to ask them.
Sabina¡¯s father, Gallo, was a widower, her mother having passed away when she was just a child to a gue that hit the northern borders of the empire. Her father was from Volto originally but had moved to the empire so that his wife could be closer to her family since he had none. He was a well-regarded smith in the town of num, the ce where Sabina had grown up, and while he wasn¡¯t an enchanter himself, he worked with many enchanters and so was possessed a great deal of knowledge on the subject.
Sabina had sent him a letter when they had arrived in Eldingholt with the hope that he would be able to visit, though she hadn¡¯t heard back from him yet. The border with Volto was a long way from the imperial capital, so her letter likely hadn¡¯t even reached him yet, even with the express service she had paid for.
Jadis had to exin quite a bit about Earth in general to Sabina, particrly regarding theck of magic. The fact that magic didn¡¯t exist was such an iprehensible idea to the smith that she had a lot of trouble processing it. More than the idea of other worlds existing, as it turned out. Jadising from a different that was popted exclusively with humans? No problem. Jadising from a ce where magic didn¡¯t exist outside of fantasy and therefore enchanting isn¡¯t real? Impossible.
¡°But if you don¡¯t have magic, how are you powering the clock tower?¡± Sabina motioned wildly with her hands, clearly having difficulty epting what Jadis was saying was true. ¡°You have to have some way of powering the internal mechanisms! Even if your people figured out some way of making highly refined mechanical constructs, you still have to power them with something or they won¡¯t move! Don¡¯t tell me they are using people to manually turn the gears or something like that, are they?¡±
¡°No, no,¡± Sydughed. ¡°It¡¯s not manpower¡ªwell, actually, the way watches were originally made, they were designed to work off of springs that were held under tension. You¡¯d use a small key to wind the springs inside of the watch and that would let the watch function for long periods of time. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s how they handled clock towers back in the day; this is all before I was born. Nowadays, or, I guess when I died, everything was powered either by electricity orbustion engines. Often times a mix of the two.¡±
¡°Right, electricity,¡± Sabina said skeptically. ¡°That power that isn¡¯t magic yet it does everything magic does.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not magic!¡± Syd insisted with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s physics and chemistry. Magic does way more things that would be consideredpletely impossible back on Earth. I mean, look at me! This whole three-body thing is absolutely in the realm of impossible dreams. It¡¯s just, people much smarter than me figured out ways to harness the fundamental forces of nature in order to make our lives easier. We didn¡¯t have magic to rely on, so we found other ways. Well, my ancestors did. I certainly didn¡¯t contribute anything to our technological progress.¡±
¡°But how does it work?¡± Sabina pleaded, still not understanding. ¡°Why would electricity cause gears to turn? I¡¯m certain that if I had a wizard st some lightning into a collection of gears it won¡¯t get those gears to turn.¡±
¡°No, that wouldn¡¯t work,¡± Jay agreed. ¡°An electric motor involves wires and mas surrounding a central shaft that can turn. Um, this isn¡¯t the easiest thing to exin, I only have ayman¡¯s knowledge here. Maybe if I drew some examples for you?¡±
¡°Yes!¡± Sabina perked up. ¡°One moment! I¡¯ll get some paper!¡±
Scrambling up and away from Jadis¡¯ arms, a naked Sabina ran across the room to gather up some writing supplies. Jadis admired the passion Sabina had for crafting, as well as learning new things, but at that moment, seeing Sabina standingpletely unclothed while she rummaged around looking for paper and something to write with, other kinds of admiration were stirred inside of Jadis.
She¡¯d have to show Sabina how motors worked quickly, Jadis decided. Then they could spend a little more time getting sweaty together. Later, if her mad genius lover wanted more knowledge from another, Jadis would happily give it to her. She trusted Sabina would make good decisions with any tech ideas she was given. Besides, as Jadis had to admit, she really didn¡¯t know much about the inner workings of many technologies. How much could her meager knowledge really affect the progress of science on Oros anyway?
¡Probably far more than she could even begin to anticipate.
Chapter 355: Date with a Guardswoman
Chapter 355: Date with a Guardswoman
¡°Gods, you really do have a perfect ass.¡±
Thea jumped, startled by Syd¡¯s crudepliment. She straightened up, giving her a look halfway between offended and amused. The washcloth and soap in her hands went ignored as she took a moment to decide on how to respond. She seemed to settle on mock indignity as she waggled one finger towards Syd, a sparkle in her warm brown eyes.
¡°Y¡ªyou shouldn¡¯t be so crude in a p¡ªpublic bath. Besides. You¡¯re b¡ªbutt is much nicer than mine.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Syd shrugged, willing to concede the second point. ¡°I was god-made to be beautiful. But I promise you, Thea, your ass is the mold Lyssandria was thinking of when she was designing Nephilim posteriors.¡±
Thea let out a disbelievingugh, a rare grin shing across her blushing face. She looked away, dismissing the im and resuming her scrubbing, though Jadis noticed that her shy lover put a little extra effort into soaping up the swell of her hips and buttocks. An effort that Jadis greatly appreciated with her multi-angled viewpoint.
¡°Also,¡± Dys murmured quietly, making sure her words were just for Thea¡¯s ears, ¡°Are you really sure you should be calling me ¡®crude¡¯ when you¡¯re the one alwaysing to this bath so you can ogle the priestesses?¡±
¡°I am n¡ªnot ogling them!¡± Thea barely restrained her yelp, her eyes not quite meeting Dys¡¯ gaze. ¡°I¡ªI just p¡ªprefer this bath. It¡¯s nice and has g¡ªgood facilities.¡±
¡°Has a nice view, too,¡± Dys grinned as she nced at the cluster of naked priestesses talking quietly amongst themselves while perched on the edge of one of the pools. ¡°Very stimting.¡±
Thea frowned crossly at Dys, but she couldn¡¯t keep the act up for long. After a moment, her scowl cracked and she looked away.
¡°It¡¯s¡ a very nice, um, view.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t fault her shy little voyeur for indulging in her passion while she had the opportunity to. The suite of rooms Jadis and herpanions had been given had a luxurious bathroom intended for the upant of honor, and a second bathroom that was perfectly serviceable and was likely intended for servants. There was no real need to use the public bathhouse in the temple. And yet, Thea had used the public bath at every opportunity during their stay in the temple so far.
The view really was stimting. It waste afternoon, so there weren¡¯t many priestesses using the baths at the moment. In fact, the baths had looked empty when they had returned from their day about town. However, as soon as Jadis and Thea had made their way into the bath, a group of priestesses had shown up to join them. Of course, all seven of the women were young and beautiful, with bodies that practically begged for the attention of a wandering eye, or other parts of a bystander¡¯s body¡
Not that the priestesses tried to interfere in Jadis and Thea¡¯s private conversation. They kept their distance, talking amongst themselves and beyond a smile and a wave, made no attempt to approach. They did, however, always seem to angle themselves in just the right way to show off their tantalizing assets whenever any of Jadis¡¯ selves nced in their direction.
Looking at it from a certain perspective, Jadis¡¯ presences really was a boon to Thea. She was getting her secretly perverted lover some prime ogling material.
Once they were done washing themselves off, Jadis and Thea made their way into one of therge warm bathing pools to rx. While they shared the same one as the group of priestesses, Jadis made sure that they settled on a spot far enough away that they weren¡¯t in easy hearing range, just to keep a bit of distance between them. Fortunately, they were still in a good position where Thea could easily keep her eye on them whenever she wanted to look. The priestesses, for their part, seemed to perk up and rearrange their disy for better viewing.
Settling in the water, Jadis took a moment to just close her eyes and soak. Her time with Thea had gone exactly as she had hoped it would. Her shy lover wasn¡¯t the type to enjoy extravagant events or big disys that focused on her. She was a quiet person, one who preferred to not be in the spotlight. Thea was happy watching from the sidelines, supporting others and letting those with bigger, brasher personalities lead while she followed. She was also amoner, through and through, and shied away fromrge expenses. Doing something too involved for their date would have just made her ufortable.
That¡¯s why Jadis had suggested they just spend time walking through Eldingholt and visiting some of the parks. There werendmarks that they could have gone to, as well as some rather famous spots like the market circle and the restaurant row where many highly extoled chefs had set up their businesses, but those would have involved a lot of crowds which Jadis wanted to avoid. So instead they had wandered some of the less-travelled ces where they could be alone.
Well, notpletely alone. There were still the guards following them. Roy had been their escort along with several of his knights, but there had been an additional member added to the normal retinue. Severina had also apanied them, to Jadis¡¯ surprise. She would have thought the Seraphim had been scared off after thest date, but she supposed Thea came across as a far safer option than Kerr.
The constant re Severina had focused on one or another of Jadis¡¯ bodies had been a little ufortable at times, but once Jadis started staring back, Severina had backed off and returned to her more rigid and professional demeanor.
When Thea was alone with Jadis she didn¡¯t magically start talking more. She was as quiet in private as she was in public. But she stuttered less, and conversation came easier for her. While Jadis did most of the talking, she was able to learn a few things about her lover¡¯s life.
Much like Sabina, Thea had been raised by a single parent. Her father had died when she was ten in a fire barn fire, as had her older brother, so her mother had raised her all on her own. They hadn¡¯t had any family in the farming vige that she¡¯d grown up in, but the neighbors had all been kind and supportive so she¡¯d lived a happy, if somewhat frugal, life before joining the military. That had been her main reason for joining the army, in fact. All her expenses were taken care of while she was enlisted and almost all of her monthly pay was sent to her mother to help support her.
Jadis wanted to meet Vera, Thea¡¯s mother, but it didn¡¯t seem likely that she woulde to the capital to visit them. The vige she lived in was far, far away from Eldingholt, to the northwest. It turned out it wasn¡¯t actually all that far from the town where Sabina had been raised, only a week or so by horseback, but that was still a very long way for one woman with little savings to travel.
Thea hadn¡¯t asked, but Jadis made a mental promise to directly visit Thea¡¯s home vige. Mostly because she wanted to meet Thea¡¯s mother and treat her with the same respect as her other lovers¡¯ parents, but also because she wanted to make sure the woman was financially secure. From Thea¡¯s exnation, it seemed that she was doing fine now, especially with Thea¡¯s increased pay from bing a mercenary, but Jadis wanted to make sure Vera never had to worry about having enough coin saved up again.
There had been plenty of other, less serious topics for Jadis and Thea to discuss, though. Mostly they¡¯d talked about things like the uing ball Eir¡¯s parents were hosting, what clothes everyone would wear, and what they would do when they inevitably had to talk with various nobles who had been invited. Like Jadis, Thea wasn¡¯t thrilled by the idea of having to rub shoulders with nobility, but Thea at least was nice enough to say that at least some of the nobles had to be alright. After all, Eir had turned out wonderful. She couldn¡¯t be the only one.
All that walking and talking had made for a lovely date. With a warm bath to soak in and Thea cuddled up under Jay¡¯s arm, Jadis felt like she should be about as rxed as she could possibly be. Except, there was a persistent and growing pressure rising in her lower stomach that had started when Thea had bent over and exposed her perfect bottom and it had only gotten worse every time she nced over at those naked priestesses that were pretending as though they weren¡¯t trying to attract her attention.
The breaking point came when she felt a hand drift across Jay¡¯s lower back, the innocent touch turning less innocent as it dipped low to slide across her left cheek.
¡°Do you want to go back to our room?¡± Jay asked, cracking one eye open to look down at Thea as that one hand continued to drift across sensitive skin.
¡°Mm, soon,¡± Thea replied idly, not looking back as her gaze continued to wander over the bodies of the priestesses.
Jadis suppressed a grin. Clearly, her little voyeur was having too much fun spying on other women to pay her the proper amount of attention. That one wandering hand was definitely not enough for Jadis. She¡¯d have toe up with some way to entice Thea back to their chambers, otherwise Jadis would likely end up putting on a show for the gaggle of priestesses that Thea would cause Thea to die of embarrassment.
That thought sparked an idea. Not the embarrassing Thea part, but the putting on a show bit.
¡°Hey, do you see that one girl there with the curly brown hair?¡±
¡°Ah, yes?¡± Thea replied. ¡°In the middle?¡±
¡°Yeah, that one,¡± Syd confirmed. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s one of the priestess¡¯ who lent me a book the other day. I¡¯ve been reading it and it¡¯s been a lot of fun. Lots of interesting ideas, some of which I¡¯d like to try sometime. I¡¯m going to go thank her real quick. You mind?¡±
¡°N¡ªno,¡± Thea shook her head, though she did seem a little confused and curious about the abrupt topic change.
Without further exnation, Syd slipped forward and made her way across the pool, causing all of the beautiful priestesses to freeze midmotion. Dys slid into Syd¡¯s ce, purposefully pressing her body against Thea so that she was firmly sandwiched between two of Jadis¡¯ naked forms. One hand settled on Thea¡¯s thigh, while another on her lower back, but her touch remanded otherwise innocuous, at leastpared to what Thea had been doing.
¡°Hey,¡± Syd smiled at the group of women as she approached, though she focused on the priestess with curly hair. ¡°You¡¯re the one who gave me that book the other day, right? The one titled The Elf Ranger and the Orc Queen?¡±
¡°Yes!¡± the brte replied after a brief pause to find her voice. ¡°Yes, I did! I hope it was to your tastes? If not, I will take it back and perhaps I can find you another book¡ª¡±
¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s good!¡± Syd assured her as she swam to a stop near the cluster. ¡°I haven¡¯t read it all yet, but chapter four was very spicy. I didn¡¯t think the orc queen would fall for the elf¡¯s ¡®foot massage¡¯ ploy, but the way it was written really made it seem appealing.¡±
One of the other women gasped, putting a hand to her mouth as she whispered at the curly-haired priestess.
¡°You gave her that book?¡±
¡°Yes, I did,¡± the priestess replied quickly, though she kept her gaze on Syd. ¡°I am so very gratified that you are enjoying the story, Lady Jadis. I, too, greatly enjoyed that chapter. It¡¯s one of my favorites.¡±
¡°Oh, please, just call me Syd,¡± Syd requested as she rose from the water and stood with one hand on her bare hip. ¡°What was your name?¡±
¡°S¡ªsibyl,¡± the pretty priestess stuttered as her gaze was drawn down Syd¡¯s body. ¡°Sibyl, Lady Syd.¡±
¡°And your friends?¡±
The introduction and conversation continued as Jadis made sure to maneuver her Syd self in just the right position so that she was cattycornered towards Thea. That way, she was able to give Thea a view of her profile while also letting her little voyeur see the priestesses and how they were reacting to Jadis¡¯ proximity.
With her height, Syd was able to stand so that her lower body was just barely above the surface of the water, meaning that the upper swell of her partially engorged cock was visible. The rest of her member was below the surface and obscured by the rippling water, but that small stretch of flesh seemed enough to send the whole group of women into utter distraction. To their credit, the priestesses were doing their best to keep their gazes on Syd¡¯s eyes, but Jadis wasn¡¯t making it easy for them.
Syd kept the conversation going, asionally shifting in ways to draw attention to her exposed breasts or her barely concealed cock. The longer the talk went on, the more hot and bothered the women grew. It became a sort of game for Jadis to see what reactions she could get out of them without doing anything explicit. The peak tease came when Jadis shifted the conversation topic to exercise. When Jadis admitted that the only exercise she ever did involved weapon drills or actual fighting, the priestesses couldn¡¯t believe it. Her form was too perfect for that to be true.
¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Syd grinned as she leaned forward while flexing her bicep. ¡°Here, feel. This is just how I am, no exercises needed.¡±
Jumping at the opportunity, the women ran their hands over Syd¡¯s upper arm, feeling her muscle in ways that were probably a hair over the edge of appropriate. Of course, in the process of doing so, they were all rubbing against each other, their nude and nubile bodies sliding pressed close, wet and slick flesh creating an unforgettable visual.
Jadis felt Thea¡¯s fingers abruptly tighten, almost wlike, on Jay¡¯s ass as her breathing quickened.
In a bold move that Jadis hadn¡¯t anticipated, the curly-haired Sibyl leaned forward and ran her hands across Syd¡¯s stomach.
¡°And your abdominals are so defined. You simply look smooth when you¡¯re standing still, but when you move or take a deep breath, your muscles stand out so sharply.¡±
Syd didn¡¯t pull back as a couple more of the priestesses gained the courage to follow Sibyl¡¯s lead and touch her abs, their finger running across her pale flesh.
¡°We need to go b¡ªback to the bedroom,¡± Thea said abruptly.
Dys looked down, observing the way Thea was panting, the way her thighs were unconsciously rubbing together, and the way her eyes were dted. Her gaze was locked onto Syd and the beautiful priestesses, her whole demeanor exuding arousal and lust.
¡°Are you sure?¡± Dys asked, one eyebrow raised.
¡°Now,¡± Thea confirmed, her voice raspy.
¡°I mean, I could probably get them to put on more of a show for you,¡± Jay teased from Thea¡¯s other side.
¡°No,¡± Thea shook her head. ¡°I d¡ªdon¡¯t want them to put on a show. I want you to.¡±
¡°Me?¡± Jay asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Thea nodded. ¡°All of you. Alone. In bed. P¡ªplease.¡±
¡°At yourmand,¡± Jay and Dys purred together while Syd worked on excusing herself from the cluster of fawning priestesses.
Chapter 356: Putting on a Show
Chapter 356: Putting on a Show
Jadis loved the way she looked.
Perhaps an understatement, but an important consideration when it came to her daily life. There probably wasn¡¯t anyone else in the whole world who saw themselves with the same level of regrity and intimacy as Jadis. There was no part of her three new bodies that she hadn¡¯t seen, touched, and licked over the past half a year. That personal expertise was important for the power of her own ss skills, but also for the power of her lovingpanions. So then, it was indeed a very good thing for Jadis that she loved the way she looked.
It was a good thing for Thea, too, because she was definitely getting off on the show Jadis was gleefully putting on for her.
Jay¡¯s hands groped Syd¡¯s breasts from behind as her turgid cock nestled against her ass. With practiced familiarity she nibbled and licked at Syd¡¯s neck in all the spots she knew she liked best, the sensations undimmed by knowing the touches wereing. Dys¡¯ hands ran up and down Syd¡¯s sides, hips, and thighs as she nted kisses in various spots across her front, teasing herself with not quite reaching the most erogenous bits, buting close enough to make her nerves tingle. As her two other selves worked on her, Syd moaned obscenely, unabashedly making her pleasure known to her audience of one.
Theay with her back against the headboard, surrounded by a throne of pillows as she watched Jadis lewdly touch her selves. She had put on her nightshirt, the tease, which somehow only made it sexier for Jadis to see that her right hand was busy between her legs, just barely hidden by the innocent yet diabolical cloth. The wide-eyed and panting expression on Thea¡¯s face was an even greater temptation, one that Jadis was having a harder and harder time resisting.
But resist she did, as she wanted to please her lover. And her lover wanted to see her please her own selves.
¡°What do you want me to do now?¡± Jay asked, her voice dark with lust. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything you want me to do to myself.¡±
¡°Just name it,¡± Syd encouraged, her grin tainted with desire. ¡°I¡¯ll make it happen.¡±
Thea swallowed thickly, the heat of the moment getting to her. Breathlessly, she made her request.
¡°K¡ªkiss. All three. P¡ªplease.¡±
Thea wanted to see a three-way kiss? An interesting ambition, Jadis supposed. She didn¡¯t kiss her own selves very often, so she guessed Thea hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to spy on the spectacle. Not that Jadis was interested in analyzing the particrs of why Thea wanted what she wanted. She was more than happy to indulge her wanton desires.
Shifting slightly to make sure Thea would get the best angle, Jadis began kissing her own selves. She started slow, simply letting her lips press together in a slightly awkward three-way. The awkwardness didn¡¯tst long as Jadis quickly ramped up the lewdness, letting her tongues slide out and against each other. Soon, she was sucking and licking at her selves in a constantly shifting pattern, the act unavoidably sloppy as her chins grew wet. When she finally forced herself to break away from her selves so her bodies could take a proper breath, she¡¯d made an utter mess of her faces.
All of her eyes turned on Thea to gauge her reaction.
The voyeur¡¯s breath came in gasps as her chest heaved, a powerful shiver rolling through her body. Thea¡¯s left hand had joined her right, both buried between her clenching thighs as her legs twisted and writhed in agonizing bliss. Through it all, her eyes somehow remained open, all the way until her head fell back against the headboard with a thump and she let out an exhausted sigh.
¡°Did you just cum?¡±
Thea¡¯s eyes opened again, half-lidded and dripping desire.
¡°A little,¡± she admitted.
All three of Jadis grinned brightly, delighted with her lover¡¯s response.
¡°What should we do next?¡± she asked in unison.
Her shy little guardswoman gulped, an idea clearly on the tip of her tongue. Thea hesitated, her gaze faltering as she blushed bashfully.
When Thea looked back up, the breath caught in her throat as all three of Jadis had closed the distance, her faces mere inches away.
¡°You know you can ask me anything,¡± Jay assured her with the utmost sincerity.
¡°There¡¯s nothing you could want that would turn me away,¡± Dys promised.
¡°I bet you that I¡¯ll probably be into it,¡± Syd suggested with a lusty grin.
Thea hesitated for a moment more before returning Syd¡¯s grin with a shy smile of her own. Haltingly, but with growing confidence, she exined the lewd act she wanted Jadis to do for her. When she was done, Jadis¡¯ grins had grown even wider.
¡°I knew you were a pervert just like me,¡± Jay praised her lover before giving her a heated kiss.
¡°That idea of yours only ounts for two of me, though,¡± Dys pointed out.
¡°Where do you want my third?¡± Syd asked with some hope in her tone.
¡°Well¡¡± Thea replied nervously as she lifted her nightshirt to reveal her sexy body and slick thighs.
Jadis didn¡¯t need any further invitation.
It only took a few moments for Jadis to get her selves into their ces. Her own excitement had built to the point where she was in no mood to dy any longer. Her cocks were straining with need, precum dripping in copious amounts to the point of staining the bedsheets, which was a good thing since Jadis was going to need her supernaturally affective lubricant.
Sydy with her shoulders pressed into the bed and her body practically bent in half and her feet to either side of her head. It was a challenging position to maintain, or at least, it would have been if Jadis still possessed her old human body. With all the Strength she now had, she could hold just about any position she wanted near indefinitely.
Dys stood behind Syd, her legs bent at the knees in preparation for the pounding she was about to give her other body. The tip of her dick lovingly traced the outer lips of Syd¡¯s pussy, the illicit contact sending shivers up both her spines. The heat was delicious as well, but as much as she wanted to get started, she wasn¡¯t going to until Thea was ready.
Jay had taken Thea¡¯s spot with her back resting against the bed¡¯s headboard. Lifting her smaller lover with no effort, she held in her in ce with her knees together and pressed up to her chest. For her part, Thea had one hand on Jay¡¯s cockhead, her strong fingers rubbing circles that both felt wonderful, but also spread her precum around in preparation for pration. Not that Jadis thought Thea needed much help in that department since her core was literally dripping with lust.
¡°Ready?¡± Jay asked as she leaned forward to whisper into Thea¡¯s ear.
Thea shivered, nodding her head as Jay slightly lowered her so that her shaft¡¯s tip rubbed against the entrance to her pussy.
However, before she could lower her lover further, Thea abruptly shook her head. Freezing in ce, Jay waited for her quiet mate to make her intentions clear. She didn¡¯t have to wait long.
With a firm grasp on her, Thea shifted Jay¡¯s cock so that her tip was nestled between the cheeks of her perfect ass. Jay¡¯s tip teased the entrance to her backdoor, causing Jadis to quirk her eyebrows in surprise at the unexpected development.
¡°H¡ªhere,¡± Thea confirmed, giving Dys and Syd a look before adding, ¡°You, t¡ªtoo.¡±
With a smile, Dys bowed her head.
¡°As you wish.¡±
With new orders received, Jadis got to work.
There was no further hesitation as Dys pressed her cock into Syd¡¯s ass, forcing her way into the tight hole that she so rarely got to use, yet so earnestly enjoyed. Both Dys and Syd let out a joined grunt as Dys¡¯s cockhead popped past the outer ring, the sensation almost enough to make Syd lose her bnce, though she recovered quickly. Putting both hands on the backs of Syd¡¯s thighs, Dys slowly lowered herself down, pressing her throbbing shaft deeper and deeper. The tight heat was a unique, indescribable sensation that Jadis couldn¡¯t fairlypare to any of the other ways she had sex. There was just something so terribly lewd about fucking her own ass that made the whole experience impossibly hotter.
The view was nice too, since the obscene position Syd was bent into and the change of hole let Jadis see Syd¡¯s perfect pussy pulsing with arousal as her slick juices spilled out of her. As an added bonus, Syd¡¯s cock was pressed between her own breasts, the tip of her throbbing member dripping precum all over her chest and onto her face whenever it bobbed.
Jadis loved the view from Dys¡¯ perspective, but the view was just as amazing from Jay¡¯s spot, which was great since Jay¡¯s view was Thea¡¯s view.
Speaking of Thea, Jadis hadn¡¯t forgotten about the entry her shy lover had offered her. With Dys hilted halfway into Syd, Jay started pulling Thea down, pressing her cockhead into her rear.
It took significantly more effort than with her body, a fact unavoidable just due to the size difference, but inevitably Anatomical Adaptation took over and Thea¡¯s body allowed her inside.
As tight as Syd was, Thea was tighter. The heat and pressure were almost too much and Jay had to stop for a moment, giving both her and Thea the time they needed to adjust. When if felt like Thea was ready to continue, Jay resumed easing her lover down the length of her huge cock, forcing little gasps and groans from her mouth. When Thea was about half-way down, Dys resumed her own progress, cramming her cock into Syd. When Thea¡¯s ass finally rested firmly on Jay¡¯sp, Dys¡¯ dick was hilted all the way inside of Syd.
Jadis could see the outline of Dys¡¯ cock in Syd¡¯s toned stomach, a sight that turned her on to no end. By the same token, Dys could see Jay¡¯s member bulging out Thea, though her tightly clenched legs partially blocked that view. Not that Jadis would change the position. She loved the way Thea looked in that moment. The view was almost a bigger turn on than the feeling of her tight ass clenching around her cock.
¡°I¡¯m not going to be able to be very gentle,¡± Jay hissed through gritted teeth as she pulled Thea tight against her chest. ¡°I¡¯m getting close to my limit here.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Thea shuddered in a way that made Jay¡¯s toes curl. ¡°I want it. You¡¯re c¡ªcum. Fill me.¡±
Fuck.
Like she¡¯d spoken a magic word, Jadis felt her cocks grow even more as her lust surged. For a woman who said little, Thea always knew exactly what to say.
Done with dys, Dys pulled out by about a third before thrusting back inside of Syd with a meaty smack of flesh. That first solid thrust was soon followed by another, then another. Her pace set, Dys began jackhammering her cock into Syd with a fervent need that drove her on towards a nearing peak. Each thrust was apanied by a grunt of exertion, indelicate as it was erotic. Dys took no care for how she looked, only seeking to plunge her cock deeply into her double¡¯s ass with as much speed as she could muster.
Syd moaned wantonly, the almost-pain of being fucked so roughly driving her pleasure skyward. As Dys mmed into her with all of her might, Syd¡¯s cock bounced with each thrust, sending her dripping precum flying. With a wicked thought, Syd yed into the moment, opening her mouth wide and letting her long tongue hang out, catching her own delightful sweetness while simultaneously making a mess of her perfect features.
Jay barely managed to restrain her own need as she bounced Thea in herp. She didn¡¯t lift her high or drive her hard, but she did thrust her hips up with short, pistoning movements that made Thea¡¯s moans catch and hup. With one hand under her knees, Jay kept Thea¡¯s legs pulled against her chest, ensuring Jadis could continue to see her beautiful pussy and how Jay¡¯s cock was driving into her ass.
¡°Ah!¡± Thea let out a sudden cry, her normally subdued voice cracking with the strain as her body convulsed.
Thea¡¯s climax wasn¡¯t quite enough to tip Jadis over, but it brought her to the edge. Needing thatst bit of stimulus and knowing exactly where to get it due to a burst of inspiration, Syd craned her neck forward and wrapped her lips around her own cockhead, using her tongue top at the drooling tip.
That was thest push needed.
With a cry Jadis came, her three cocks pulsing as they each released a torrent of seed. The first pulse filled Syd¡¯s ass and her mouth, then the second caused both to overflow. With a gasp, Syd opened her mouth, letting her cock bounce free. In the next moment, another powerful pulse of cum had covered her face, painting her in a debauched tableau.
Dys leaned down and took hold of Syd¡¯s shaft in one hand, frantically jacking it to help urge as much seed out of her sister-self while her own cock poured what felt like buckets into Syd¡¯s hot tunnel.
Jay¡¯sp was soaked with seed as Thea was filled to overflowing. Another cry of pleasure erupted from her lover¡¯s lips as Jay held her close, panting with her passionate release. Another orgasm ripped its way through Thea, prompted either by the sensation of being filled to the brim, or more likely from the insanely obscene spectacle Dys and Syd were putting on for her. Jadis felt no shame in admitting that the lewd disy was kind of thing that would make a hentai artist blush.
When all three of Jadis and Thea eventually calmed from their explosive orgasms, they were left with quite a mess. Dys flopped onto her back, letting her cock pop free of Syd¡¯s ass as Syd copsed from her position and her legs fell akimbo across her other self¡¯s body. Jay¡¯s hold on Thea ckened, letting her quiet lover¡¯s body slump as her legs slid forward. That movement sent a shudder through them both, though, since Thea was still firmly seated on Jay¡¯s cock.
As they slowly caught their breath, Jay brought one hand up to brush through Thea¡¯s hair before cing a loving kiss on the side of her head.
¡°What do you want to see now?¡± Jay asked, her voice colored by a satisfied grin.
¡°A washcloth,¡± Thea answered breathlessly, though after a moment of further consideration, she amended her request. ¡°Unless¡ you have, um, a b¡ªbetter idea?¡±
Jay¡¯s tongue licked from bottom of Thea¡¯s jaw all the way up to her ear.
¡°I might.¡±
Chapter 357: North Gate Reunion
Chapter 357: North Gate Reunion
The northern gates of Eldingholt were quite a sight, Jadis had to admit.
From the moment she had arrived in the empire¡¯s capital, Jadis had made special notice of the unusual walls that surrounded the city. In fact, they weren¡¯t really walls in the traditional sense, since they consisted of wide-open arches that Jadis was pretty sure were broad enough that a jumbo jet could fly through them without issue. With how they were designed, they reminded Jadis of Roman aqueducts that she had seen in pictures with the tall arches and a t surface running across the top. It was obvious that the arches were huge, even from a distance they towered in the background, but up close they were extraordinary. Jadis couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how such colossal structures could be made without the aid of magic.
Of course, magic was the whole point of the arches. They constituted a magical barrier around the capital city that would keep any attackers out. Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure how it worked, but she didn¡¯t doubt the potency of whatever spells and enchantments were on those towering walls. Standing as close as she was to them now, she could feel a tingle on her skin that reminded her of when powerful magic users had been casting spells in her vicinity. It wasn¡¯t unpleasant, and she could put it out of her mind if she wanted to, but it was there and it was constant.
Eyeing the walls, Jadis wondered what would happen if someone tried to pass through one of the arches. No one around them was doing so, even though the space was open wide. Instead, everyone was keeping to the road and passing through the main gates without even ncing at the arches.
¡°Not thinking about running, are you?¡± Roy joked from Syd¡¯s side, the dapper goblin using a purple cloth to polish his already shining helmet. ¡°Can¡¯t say as I¡¯d me you. I¡¯ve met a few parents at different points in my life and it¡¯s never been easy.¡±
¡°Have you now?¡± Syd raised an eyebrow in question as she looked down at the small green man. ¡°Never settled on just one lover?¡±
¡°Not yet,¡± Roy grinned while tossing Syd a wink. ¡°Not everyone¡¯s so lucky as you! I serve the goddess of love, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t struggle with dating like everyone else.¡±
¡°Well, if I ever meet anyone who¡¯s into pink-haired goblin pdins, I¡¯ll make sure to point them in your direction,¡± Syd promised with a chuckle.
¡°Much appreciated!¡± Roy bowed slightly. ¡°I prefer brtes, by the by, should the situatione to pass.¡±
Syd continued to joke with the pdin as they waited, which was helpful to Jadis¡¯ nerves in the exact opposite way that A was not helping her nervousness at all.
A paced anxiously back and forth, crossing the distance between Jay and Dys with each pass. Her gaze constantly turned towards therge open gates to check the iing crowd for signs of her parents. Jadis had never seen her stoic lover acting so nervously. She wanted to reassure her, but so far her attempts hadn¡¯t made much of a difference. It seemed that A was intent on stressing out over her parents visiting, regardless of what Jadis or anyone else did to try and ay her concerns.
Introducing lovers to parents was a rather nerve-wracking proposition for Jadis, so she understood how A felt. She¡¯d rarely gotten to the phase of meeting the parents of girlfriends in her past life, and the scant asions where she had done so had not been easy. Still, she was doing her best to put on a calm mask and a confident aura. Everything would be fine, she was sure. It wasn¡¯t as though A dating her and promising to be her first wife among several and agreeing to bear her children all while the group of them continued to battle Demons while on a quest from a God was all that weird of a situation to drop onto a couple of parents.
Nope. Completely normal dating situation. Nothing weird at all.
¡°Maybe you should go back,¡± A abruptly said as she came to a stop in front of Jay.
¡°What? Why would I?¡± Jay asked, confused by the sudden request. ¡°I¡¯m here to greet your parents with you. It¡¯s the polite thing to do.¡±
¡°I know,¡± A said with a nod as she closed her eyes and took a breath. ¡°However, I¡¯m worried they might get¡ overwhelmed. This alles across as a bit much.¡±
Jay opened her mouth to respond, then closed it as she considered A¡¯s point. It wasn¡¯t hard to see what her redheaded lover meant.
Jadis¡¯ presence at the northern gate had not gone unnoticed and something of a crowd had gathered. No one was approaching, but there were a lot of people who should have been passing by who were instead stopping to gawk and whisper. Therge open circle that led to the giant gates had a great deal of traffic, not just from people entering and leaving the city, but from merchants hawking their wares and city-folk looking to buy fresh goods that had just arrived from the local farms. The fact that there were fresh goods at all was somewhat confusing to Jadis, since it was the middle of winter and all, but maybe these werete harvests? In any case, the circle wasn¡¯t a market per se, but it was damn close to it in most respects.
The attention Jadis drew just by her obviously Nephilim appearance was bad enough, but the guards following her didn¡¯t help. It wasn¡¯t just Roy and his temple knights apanying her. Much like during her dates with Kerr and Thea, Severina had tagged along as well. The blonde Seraphim was keeping a watchful eye on both her and on the surrounding crowds, her stern gaze probably acting as equal parts shield and lure. Jadis got the feeling that themon folk wanted to approach the revered Seraphimdy, but her intimidating demeanor certainly made her difficult to approach.
Then there was Runar.
For some gods forsaken reason the Valbjorn hade as well. Maybe he wanted to make sure she didn¡¯t try to book it out the city gates since her business had brought her so near to them. Or maybe he wanted to fuck with her ns because he was a petty bitch who hated her guts. Maybe there was some third reason that she hadn¡¯t considered that justified the annoyance of his presence. Jadis couldn¡¯t be certain, but what she was sure of was that Roy, Severina, and two other temple knights were already guarding her, which meant the furry jackass did not need to be there.
And yet there he was, the big bastard, looming in the background like a furry shadow. He didn¡¯t have any worries about anyone approaching him, either. His cross-armed stance and menacing aura did wonders for keeping onlookers at bay. A space of ten feet was cleared all around him, no one daring to go near, which made it all the more obvious that he was staring right at Jadis¡¯ group.
Did this count as harassment? Were restraining orders a thing in the empire?
Whatever the case, Jadis could understand why A would argue that maybe under the circumstances it would be better if Jadis waited for her and her parents back at the inn where they would be staying, the Silver Lute.
Shoulders sagging, Jay was just about to agree to the suggestion when a sh of color at the gate caught her eye. Arge caravan of wagons had arrived while she and A had been talking and were being inspected by the guards. In order to keep the gate clear and the line moving, each wagon was being pushed along as soon as the guards hadpleted their brief inspection. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure what they were looking for, but she presumed Demons were on the list of contraband.
What caught Jay¡¯s eye was the second wagon in the group. The wagon had just gotten the go-ahead by the guards and was in the midst of pulling forwards and towards the stable yards where the rest of the wagons that weren¡¯t directly proceeding into the city were being parked. The wagon itself wasn¡¯t anything special, just the typical covered design with a rounded roof, same as Jadis had seen many times in Weigrun. The eye-catching part was therge, red-leafed tree that had been painted on the side.
Wasn¡¯t A¡¯s full name A of Red Tree?
¡°I think it might be toote,¡± Jay amended what she¡¯d been about to say as she pointed out the distant wagon.
A¡¯s eyes opened, a pained expression on her face. She slowly turned to look where Jay pointed. A smile flickered across her face, one that was quickly smothered under her typical mask of stoicism.
¡°That¡¯s father¡¯s wagon, yes,¡± A confirmed. ¡°Let¡¯s¡ go greet them, shall we?¡±
Following behind A, Jadis frowned to see the entourage following behind them both. She knew they had to guard her, but couldn¡¯t they at least give her a little space considering the circumstances?
Catching Roy¡¯s gaze, Dys did everything she could to convey her feelings to the goblin through her eyes alone. He gave her a nod and a wink, which seemed to convey some understanding. A momentter, he backed off slightly and motioned subtly towards his knights, who also fell back. Severina almost swept past them, but a word from Roy drew her up short. When Runar almost did the same, both Roy and Severina stood in the Valbjorn¡¯s path, blocking him from getting too close.
Now that they were only a few yards away from the wagons, Jadis got a good view of the man driving it, a man Jadis presumed was A¡¯s father. She had told Jadis that he had the cart driver ss, just like her, so it made sense that he¡¯d be the one at the reins.
A¡¯s father was a tall man, far taller than average. Even sitting down, Jadis could tell he was well over six feet, probably more than six and a half like his daughter. He had broad shoulders and a thick waist, with arms as big around as Eir¡¯s abdomen and thighs like tree trunks. He was girthy, but not in the way of a sedentary man, but instead a strongman who needed that extra bulk to fuel his powerful frame. His hair was a dark brown and he had a thick, short beard just like his brothers, Gerwas and Ludwas. In fact, other than the difference in height, he looked almost exactly the same as his mercenary siblings. He wore a heavy brown coat that was rather in but clean and he had a fur-lined cap on his head.
When he nced in Jadis¡¯ direction, she could see that he had bright blue eyes, just like his daughter. Also like his daughter, he had a perfect poker face, his expressionpletely unwavering despite locking gazes with three giant Nephilim.
Sitting beside the big man, going almost unnoticed due to the shadow her husband cast, was a woman that Jadis presumed had to be A¡¯s mother. She was short, probably only a few inches over five feet tall at the most and she had a slight build. Her dress was as in as her husband¡¯s brown coat and while clean, it looked like it had seen a lot of mending around the hems. The only thing that drew the eye towards her whenpared to her husband was her bright red hair. Even done up in a tight bun, the older woman¡¯s red hair shone with the sun¡¯s light, a brilliant sheen that reminded Jadis exactly of A¡¯s own glorious mane. The only difference was the faint signs of white hair mixed in with the red, though even those strands were lustrous and did not take away from the beauty of her hair.
When the wagon came to a stop, the woman stood and the morning¡¯s light reached her face, revealing that she was covered in just as many freckles as her daughter. When her hazel eyes passed over Jadis, a frown puckered her brow, revealing a stern expression that exined exactly where A had learned to scold people so effectively. However, when her gazended on A, her face lit up like the sun and she leapt off of the wagon, not waiting for it toe to a full stop.
¡°A! Oh, A, my love! I¡¯m so happy to see you!¡± her mother cried out, closing the distance between them with surprising speed.
In moments she had her arms around A¡¯s waist, crushing her in a desperate hug. The smile on A¡¯s face was genuine, a tear sparkling in her eye as she hugged her mother back, bending to nt a kiss on the top of her head.
¡°Hello mother,¡± A said quietly. ¡°I missed you.¡±
¡°Oh, I missed you so much my little Bean Pole,¡± her mother choked out, her throat tight with emotion. ¡°I prayed for your safety every day.¡±
Jadis noted that despite her use of A¡¯s hated nickname, A only smiled even brighter upon hearing it.
A momentter the two were joined by A¡¯s father, the big man tromping across the cobblestones in heavy boots. His bearded face didn¡¯t change much, but there was a slight softening around the eyes as he took A in his strong arms, hugging her as well as catching his wife between them. Jadis had been right about his height; he matched A inch for inch, the top of his head slightly higher than his daughter¡¯s. With gentle softness, he kissed A¡¯s cheek while whispering something so quietly that Jadis couldn¡¯t make it out.
Jadis didn¡¯t interrupt the tender moment, only standing nearby and watching as her hearts clenched with longing. Seeing A¡¯s parents dote on their daughter made Jadis think of her own parents who were lost to her when she died. Not wanting to let her thoughts wander down a mncholic path, she put aside her envious wish to hug her own parents and instead focused on preparing herself for introductions.
A muffled sound came from between A and her father and, a moment after, the two were pushed apart as A¡¯s mother freed herself from the embrace of the two much taller members of her family.
¡°Alright then,¡± she sniffed, wiping away a tear from her eye andposing her expression. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to meet your¡ girlfriend, yes? Must I guess which one of those three she is?¡±
Jadis¡¯ eyebrows rose at the woman¡¯s words. Had the fact that Jadis had three bodies not beenmunicated in A¡¯s letters to her parents? Jadis had assumed that she had, but she hadn¡¯t confirmed when they¡¯d discussed today¡¯s ns. That assumption had been wrong, apparently, which made Jadis wonder what else A might have omitted from any letters she had sent to her parents.
Turning to face Jadis, A smiled weakly before putting a hand on her mother¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Jadis, I¡¯d like you to meet my parents,¡± she announced. ¡°This is my mother, Senta, and my father, Vikwas. Mother, father, this is Jadis.¡±
In the split second after A introduced them, Jadis could see the confusion on both Vikwas and Senta¡¯s faces. Their eyes darted back and forth, clearly trying to figure out which of the three giants towering over them was this ¡°Jadis¡± her daughter had mentioned. Taking the initiative, Jadis stepped forward with all three of her selves and bowed at her waists, attempting to mimic the courtly manners she¡¯d seen others use to help convey her respect.
¡°Hello,¡± all three of Jadis spoke in unison. ¡°My name is Jadis Ahlstrom. It is a genuine pleasure to finally meet you both.¡±
The two stared at Jadis, the silence stretching awkwardly as they processed the implied information that they¡¯d just been given. Eventually, A¡¯s father was the first to move. He took a half-step forward and raised his hand out towards Dys who was on the left side of Jadis¡¯ typical formation.
¡°Vikwas of Red Tree,¡± he introduced himself quietly as Dys shook his hand. ¡°Good to meet you.¡±
His words seemed to kickstart A¡¯s mother into action. She took in a sharp breath before stepping forward, her eyes locked onto Jay in the center.
¡°Senta of Red Tree,¡± she said, giving Jadis a short curtsey. ¡°I¡¯ve heard¡ some things about you. You had best have been treating my daughter well these past few months.¡±
¡°Mother,¡± A tried to hush Senta.
¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Jadis quickly assured Senta, ¡°A is one of the most important people in the world to me. I¡¯d never let anything happen to her.¡±
The continued triple-speech from Jadis¡¯ multiple bodies seemed to take the older woman back, her eyes flitting uncertainly between the three giants. However, after a moment, her mouth firmed up into a thin line as her face hardened.
¡°Hmph. We¡¯ll see what that¡¯s worth,¡± she said sternly before turning away from Jadis to speak with her husband.
As Senta instructed Vikwas to open up the wagon so she could pull out their travel baggage, A and Jay exchanged a look. It didn¡¯t seem like A¡¯s mother was quite so eager as Eir¡¯s parents to wee Jadis into the family. The silent expression of apology that her redheaded lover sent her told Jadis that Senta¡¯s attitude wasn¡¯t something wholly unexpected, either. The shorter, older woman seemed like someone with strong opinions and nopunction against voicing them.
It was a good thing Jadis and A had arranged the rest of their group to meet the couple at dinner rather than lunch. From what Jadis was seeing, she, A, and A¡¯s parents were going to need some private time together to talk.
Chapter 358: Letters and Words
Chapter 358: Letters and Words
¡°Why is that bear staring at us?¡±
Senta¡¯s question caused Dys to involuntarily nce to the side as she was in the best position to see said bear. As expected, Runar was still sitting in the same spot as before, one elbow leaning heavily on the table as he glowered at Jadis. The mug of ale that had been set before him looked untouched, the froth of foam still visible rising of the top despite it having been there for some time. His bear-like face was hard to read at times, but there really was no mistaking his expression for anything other than thinly veiled hostility.
¡°He¡¯s not staring at us,¡± A corrected her mother. ¡°He¡¯s staring at Jadis.¡±
¡°You know very well that doesn¡¯t answer the question,¡± Senta said primly while giving her daughter a censuring look.
¡°He doesn¡¯t like me very much because I beat him in a fight a while ago,¡± Jay stepped in to answer the question. ¡°Sort of a sore loser kind of bear.¡±
Jadis heard a snorte from the distant table, one that was answered by a growl. She did her best not to pay the other table too much mind since she was trying to focus on A¡¯s parents, but she couldn¡¯t help but see the reactions of the other upants to her statement.
The snort hade from Noll, an unexpected member of the side gathering. When Jadis¡¯ party had made it to The Silver Lute and seated themselves as a table, her unwanted escorts had grabbed a table nearby, including Runar. Noll had already been sitting at his own table when Jadis had arrived. For whatever reason, he¡¯d switched seats and joined the other high-CLR people at their table.
Noll¡¯s snout showed a rather obvious smirk that had to be a purposeful attempt at antagonizing Runar. The old wolf normally had a solid deadpan, but it seemed he enjoyed getting a rise out of the Valbjorn. Runar was ring back at Noll, his attention momentarily diverted. Jadis supposed it was a good thing both Roy and Severina were sitting between them, otherwise Runar might have started something physical.
D dammit all, Jadis was supposed to be entertaining her girlfriend¡¯s parents, not worrying about whether or not a couple of overpowered fur boys were going to start throwing punches at the next table over.
¡°He seems strong,¡± Vikwas quietlymented as he eyed Runar in response to Jay¡¯s exnation.
¡°He is,¡± A agreed. ¡°He¡¯s past CLR one hundred. But Jadis was sparing with both him and another CLR one hundred warrior just the other day and she almost beat them both. She only lost because of a ring out, actually. Jadis is truly much stronger than she looks, so she¡¯s a great protector.¡±
¡°She looks strong already,¡± Vikwas said as he eyed Syd, the closest of Jadis¡¯ bodies.
¡°Thanks,¡± Syd smiled, hoping that was intended as apliment.
¡°I still don¡¯t understand why those people need to follow you around then,¡± A¡¯s mother interjected with a huff. ¡°Are you under arrest, or aren¡¯t you? Is that why you were fighting that bear man over there? Were you causing trouble?¡±
¡°It¡¯s all just politics, mother,¡± A replied before Jadis could say anything. ¡°Political maneuvering between nobles and the like. It¡¯s all being resolved soon enough, so it¡¯s nothing you need to worry about.¡±
¡°I would say that having a man like that following you around is very much something to worry about,¡± Senta red at Runar with such fierceness that Jadis actually felt a little nervous for the Valbjorn. ¡°Most of those knights seem like the sort of crowd you¡¯d want to avoid when alone at night. At least that Seraphim seems like she has a good head on her shoulders.¡±
Was it Jadis¡¯ imagination or did Severina¡¯s feathers actually puff up slightly at thepliment? She couldn¡¯t easily tell since the pdin had a poker face to rival Vraekae¡¯s, but Roy was definitely giving the Seraphim an offended look.
¡°They¡¯re all good people,¡± A assured her mother. A debatable assertion considering Runar had been included in that statement, but Jadis wasn¡¯t about to correct A at the moment. ¡°They¡¯re just doing their job. You don¡¯t have to worry about them causing any trouble.¡±
¡°They aren¡¯t the ones I¡¯m worried about,¡± Senta said, her hazel eyes flickering between A and Jadis.
¡°There¡¯s nothing you need to worry about,¡± A insisted before changing the subject. ¡°What did you bring from Red Tree, anyway? I saw a lot of crates in the wagon.¡±
¡°Just some items that our neighbors wanted us to sell while we¡¯re in the capital,¡± Senta answered after a moment, apparently willing to let the subject change for the moment. ¡°We had lots of room in the wagon, so no reason not to make the most of the trip.¡±
¡°We brought Ethel¡¯s jam,¡± Vikwas said as he lifted his mug to take another drink. ¡°A whole crate.¡±
¡°Oh, Ethel¡¯s jam!¡± A eximed, a smile brightening her freckled face. ¡°I¡¯ve missed her jams so much! Jadis, you¡¯ll have to try some. Have I told you about Ethel and her fruit trees?¡±
And so the conversation went, just as it had all the way from the north gate and into The Silver Lute. As A¡¯s mother consistently expressed one worry or another, A would do her best to reassure her. Vikwas wouldn¡¯t say much, but when he did speak it was usually a bit of information that A was able to use to keep the conversation moving away from sensitive topics. Jadis still wasn¡¯t entirely sure if he was doing that to support A, or if he was just avoiding difficult conversations. Either way, it seemed that A was doing everything in her power to also avoid those concerning topics, which was something of a shock to Jadis.
A had always been one of the most direct and straightforward people Jadis had known. She was blunt with her words, though not to the point of rudeness. A simply spoke her mind and did so with articted rity and self-assured confidence. Even if she did have a vulnerable side with some hidden doubts, she always put on a strong face to the world.
Her mother, though, was an apparent weakness.
From what Jadis had gathered through the conversation so far, A had told her parents about Jadis. Sort of. She¡¯d told them about Jadis being a Nephilim and all of what that entailed. She¡¯d also told them of some of their exploits, such as fighting their way through the demon tunnels under Weigrun and ying the Burning Rancor greater demon, but apparently A had been fairly light on the details. Light on a lot of details, actually. Including the tri-body nature of Jadis.
Jadis supposed she couldn¡¯t me A for not discussing certain aspects of who she was in a letter. Any correspondence that went from Far Felsen to the little vige of Red Tree would have to travel for weeks over the sea and ovend. Further, there was no guarantee the letter would even make it the whole way. Anyone of a number of parties could have intercepted the letter, so avoiding sensitive information was prudent.
However, A hadn¡¯t told Jadis what she had and hadn¡¯t told her parents. Certainly the visit was a bit short notice and Jadis had been busy with her other lovers, but there had been time to talk. A could have given her some heads up on the situation over the past couple of days.
Jadis was beginning to suspect that A was a lot more shaken up about her parents visiting than she had let on.
The early lunch they were served while they talked was a fine meal, but Jadis found herself too focused on A and her parents to truly enjoy it. The more they spoke, the more the dynamic became apparent. Senta was upset, likely because of worry over the danger A was putting herself in. A was trying to pacify her mother but was avoiding any kind of confrontation. Vikwas¡
Well, Vikwas was mostly silent. He didn¡¯t interject much, mostly letting Senta do the talking. From what little he did say and they way he moved, Jadis didn¡¯t think he was upset, but he was a hard man to read.
Once the meal was over, Senta turned in her seat to face A directly.
¡°A dear, why don¡¯t you show me to the room you arranged for your father and I. I could use your help unpacking.¡±
That could not have been a clearer message that she wanted to talk to A alone than if Senta had painted the message on a banner and had a parade march through the dining hall carrying it. The expression on A¡¯s face was as stoic as ever, but Jadis knew her lover well enough that she could see the trepidation in her eyes. Reaching under the table, Jay took A¡¯s hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
A seemed to take some strength from that simple gesture. Squaring her shoulders she got to her feet while giving her mother an amodating smile.
¡°Of course,¡± she agreed. ¡°I think the room is on the third floor. I¡¯ll show you the way.¡±
Senta stood to follow her much taller daughter, a look of steely determination in her eyes. Before she left, she gave the three of Jadis a wary nce before turning to her husband and putting a stern hand on his shoulder.
¡°Behave yourself, love.¡±
Vikwas simply nodded in response to his wife¡¯s order. Jadis had to wonder what the diminutive redhead could have meant considering how mild her husband appeared to be. The big man simply watched his wife and daughter leave the room, an inscrutable expression on his face. Then Vikwas turned to look at the three of Jadis.
¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk.¡±
It wasn¡¯t really a request. Vikwas stood and started towards the door and Jadis was left with the choice to either follow or not. Not following wasn¡¯t much of an option, so Jadis drained the three mugs in her hands of what was left in them before catching up with her future father-inw.
The sound of chair legs scraping against the floor began, then was silenced. ncing over, Jadis saw that while Roy, Severina, and Runar had started to follow, Noll had put a big, wed paw on the table before him while giving them all a meaningful look. Both Runar and Severina looked like they were going to argue, but Roy whispered something that she couldn¡¯t quite make out that seemed to settle them both down.
Whatever that was about, Jadis was just d that Noll was able to give her at least a small moment of privacy.
Instead of leading Jadis out the front, Vikwas stopped to ask the front desk attendant a few questions that were barely audible due to his quiet voice. From there, he walked down a hall and led Jadis out of a different door, taking her to an open garden area behind the inn. There wasn¡¯t a lot of space, but it was quiet and secluded, and the only other people present were two goblin men who looked like gardeners using brooms to sweep away the snow from the walkways. When they saw Jadis and Vikwas, they silently made their exit, leaving them alone.
¡°So, uh,¡± Jay started haltingly after a few seconds of silence. ¡°I¡¯m sorry A didn¡¯t tell you about my, uh, unique ss. I guess it was kind of a shock.¡±
Vikwas shrugged, his big shoulders rising and falling like boulders.
¡°Not that bad. We were warned.¡±
¡°You were?¡± Jay tilted her head in surprise. ¡°From the way you and Senta were acting, I thought¡ª¡±
¡°My brothers wrote me,¡± Vikwas interrupted as he pulled a folded letter from his inner coat pocket. ¡°They did not spare the details.¡±
¡°Ah,¡± all three of Jadis made the ufortable noise at the same time.
¡°What did their letter say?¡± Dys asked warily.
Vikwas tapped the letter idly in his hand, looking down as he contemted his answer. After a moment, he extended his hand, offering the letter to Dys.
¡°A lot,¡± Vikwas said as Dys took the letter.
Quickly scanning the collection of pages, Jadis saw that both Gerwas and Ludwas had contributed to the lengthy letter. They were indeed detailed, describing everything from the encounter with the grundwyrm they¡¯d fought side-by-side with Jadis to the massive battle outside of Far Felsen¡¯s walls. There were many things that the letter didn¡¯t include, things that only Jadis and herpanions would know, and the letter had clearly been written before Jadis and Fortune¡¯s Favored had returned from their trip to find the Dryads, but the fact that Jadis and A were in a serious rtionship and that included Eir, Kerr, and Thea had been outlined. Interestingly, while Gerwas and Ludwas and not indicated they had any issue with the polyamorous rtionship, what they did voice some concerns about was Jadis¡¯ involvement with Magistrate Vraekae as well as making enemies with General Egilhard. The two brothers had been paying closer attention to those kinds of politics than Jadis had thought.
¡°Senta didn¡¯t want A to go to Weigrun,¡± Vikwas spoke up, not looking in Jadis¡¯ direction. ¡°Too dangerous. Too close to the demons. Too far from home. She wanted A to stay in Red Tree. Maybe go to Rivercrest for training. Maybe be a schr. Study here, in Eldingholt, if she could.¡±
He turned then, looking up at Dys.
¡°She promised she¡¯d stay safe and far away from harm. Gerwas and Ludwas promised to look after her. Neither turned out to be true.¡±
¡°There¡¯s nothing safe about what we do,¡± Dys admitted, her arms hanging at her sides. ¡°But I promise you, I¡¯m keeping her as safe as I possibly can. Hel¡ªAbyss, she keeps me safe. She¡¯s so strong now, I bet you wouldn¡¯t even believe it. She can kill dozens of demons with a snap of her fingers now.¡±
Vikwas nodded as Dys spoke, arms folded across his chest. His expression was still inscrutable, but his words were soft.
¡°I know. My girl has always been strong. She just needed room to grow.¡±
His eyes turned up towards the tall inn walls, almost as though he could see through the stone right to where his wife and daughter were.
¡°The trick is getting my sweet Senta to understand.¡±
Jay shifted, turning her gaze to follow where the older man was looking.
¡°Haven¡¯t you told her? Tried exining things to her?¡±
Vikwas met Jay¡¯s gaze, a smirk barely visible under his thick beard.
¡°To be told something is true, and to know something is true, are very different things.¡±
Chapter 359: Encouragement
Chapter 359: Encouragement
¡°Hey, are you alright?¡±
A startled, her nk expression dropping for a moment as she seemed to realize she wasn¡¯t alone in just that moment. ncing up at Jay, she gave a thin smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes.
¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Do you think we have time to stop by the market before we return to the temple? I was checking our travel supplies and there are a few items we are running low on. Might as well replenish our stocks while we¡¯re out.¡±
Jay frowned as she ignored the obvious subject change. An open street in Eldingholt wasn¡¯t the best ce for a private conversation, especially when her unwanted guards were so close by, but from what she could see it didn¡¯t look like it could wait. Using her Dys and Syd selves to put a little distance between the guards and A, Jay stepped closer to A so she could talk quietly as they walked.
¡°You aren¡¯t fine, Blue. What happened? What did your mother talk to you about while you two were alone?¡±
A¡¯s expression remained cool, though she didn¡¯t answer right away. Jadis gave her time to think, not pushing for an immediate response, but not letting it go, either. When A did speak, she did so in calm, measured tones.
¡°She wasn¡¯t happy,¡± she spoke quietly. ¡°She was upset that I hadn¡¯tmunicated all the details of our¡ exploits. Actually, she was more than upset. She was furious.¡±
¡°I can understand her concern,¡± Jay murmured, the frown still on her face. ¡°She¡¯s your mother. I¡¯m sure she doesn¡¯t like the idea of you being in any kind of danger.¡±
¡°She really doesn¡¯t,¡± A almostughed. ¡°It was such a fight just to get her to agree to let me go with my uncles. Now¡ now she¡¯s even less willing to ept things.¡±
A looked up at Jay, her cool expression falling awaypletely as she frowned mournfully. Her voice spiked with emotion, barely contained as throat tightened with emotion.
¡°She wants me to leave you. She wants me to leave everything ande back to Red Tree where its safe.¡±
The idea of A leaving caused a red-hot spike of anger to surge inside of Jadis, so sudden and so fierce that it nearly made her gasp. She quickly released that anger, letting it slide away and off her mind as it had no ce in the situation. Getting upset wasn¡¯t going to help A. She needed to think clearly, especially if her cool and logical mistress of magic was having trouble doing so. If A was having trouble keeping calm, then Jadis would be the calm one for her.
¡°You¡¯re an adult,¡± Jay pointed out, speaking in the slow, precise way A normally did. ¡°She can¡¯t force you to go back with her if you don¡¯t want to.¡±
¡°No, she can¡¯t,¡± A agreed as she shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have to go back. But it¡¯s hard. It¡¯s hard to hear her beg me to return and not¡ And not listen¡¡±
¡°She loves you,¡± Jay spoke as A fell silently. ¡°She wants what¡¯s best for you. But she can¡¯t take the choice away from you. That¡¯s never best for anyone. You have to have a choice. You¡¯re a grown woman with your own life, your own ambitions and desires and dreams. She can¡¯t decide what¡¯s best for you. She raised you, she taught you, she gave you the best advice she could have given. But now you¡¯re an adult. You have to decide what you want. And if she can¡¯t ept that, well, that¡¯s just the way it¡¯s going to be.¡±
A was silent for a long time as they continued walking. Slowly, she leaned in close so that her side was pressed up against Jay. Pulling her in a little closer, Jay put her hand around A¡¯s shoulder, supporting her.
¡°It¡¯s easy to say all that,¡± A finally said, the cold air turning her breath to mist. ¡°It¡¯s a lot harder to act on.¡±
¡°Always is,¡± Jay agreed. ¡°Just like with anything.¡±
¡°If mother won¡¯t listen, she can¡¯t stop me from doing anything,¡± A spoke quietly enough that Jay almost couldn¡¯t hear her. ¡°But I don¡¯t want her to not be in my life.¡±
¡°She¡¯lle around,¡± Jay did her best to try and reassure her. ¡°Hopefully she¡¯ll see what a great family you¡¯re a part of and that¡¯ll wipe away all her doubts about your safety.¡±
A shuddered, a pained bark ofughter proceeding her words.
¡°Gods, she¡¯s going to meet Kerr. And she¡¯ll meet Alex, too. She might throw me over her shoulder and carry me back to Red Tree on foot.¡±
¡°She could try,¡± Jay mused lightly. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯d get very far. Not unless she has a lot of points put into Strength. You probably weigh twice as much as she does, considering the height difference¡ªhey!¡±
A shook her hand after having given Jay a hard smack, the blow probably having hurt her more than Jay.
¡°You have no idea what ss my mother has,¡± she pointed out with false crossness. ¡°She might have one perfectly suited for kidnapping daughters.¡±
Jadisughed at the thought, d that A¡¯s mood had brightened enough that she could joke again.
The rest of the way back to the temple, they discussed what A had and hadn¡¯t told her mother and father, both in letters and during the private conversation she¡¯d had with her mother. Jadis¡¯ supposition had been pretty much spot on: A hadn¡¯t wanted to discuss too many sensitive details in an unsecured letter. Further, she had known her mother would be upset and had wanted to break any news of the battles she had been in slowly and gently. She figured being able to directly answer any questions would be far better than writing a letter and letting her stew for weeks, if not months waiting on a reply. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure that A was correct on that, since having some information was better than having none at all in her opinion, but she wasn¡¯t going to argue. A knew her mother better than her, that was certainly true. And from how Senta had reacted from the letter sent by Gerwas and Ludwas, A probably had a point.
One thing that Jadis did make clear to A was that in the future, she wanted to have some kind of heads up as to what had and hadn¡¯t been said before seeing her mother. Jadis wanted to support A, but not having information made it hard to do so.
¡°Of course,¡± A agreed readily. ¡°I¡ wasn¡¯t thinking straight. I should have discussed everything with you the moment I knew they wereing. I just¡ didn¡¯t want to interrupt your time with the others. Honestly, you haven¡¯t had much time to rx and you need some time to not be stressed, and everyone else needs time to be with you. I can¡¯t monopolize your time.¡±
¡°This whole multi-partner thing is tricky,¡± Jay sighed. ¡°It¡¯s going to take some working out to get right. But I promise you, no matter what the situation is, I want to know about anything that might be bothering you right away. The same goes for everyone. I¡¯m going to have to make sure they all know that, too, actually. Bottling things up isn¡¯t going to help any of us, not in the long run.¡±
¡°Fair,¡± A nodded. ¡°Speaking of, what are we going to do about the dinner tonight?"
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°I mean, we have the restaurant set up and all of that, but how are we going to handle introducing my parents to¡ well, everyone? I¡¯m at a loss.¡±
Jay looked up at the cloudy winter sky, then shrugged expansively.
¡°I dunno. Start with their names and go from there?¡±
A sighed heavily as she slumped against Jay.
¡°This is going to be a disaster.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Jay agreed. ¡°But we¡¯ll figure it out. Can¡¯t be worse than fighting a possessed dragon, right?¡±
¡°You don¡¯t know my mother very well yet.¡±
Once back at the temple, Jadis took some time to dress up. The restaurant A had booked was one of the fancier ones in the city, which was saying something considering they were in the capital. She¡¯d gotten the rmendation from Aurea and the high priestess had assured them that the high-ss establishment was one used to handling unique guests. A whole room had been reserved just for them, so they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about anyone staring or bothering them, and the staff wouldn¡¯t cause them any trouble either. Even if the servers had reservations about waiting on a Demon, they wouldn¡¯t drop their mask of professionalism.
¡°Are you sure you want me toe?¡± Sorcha asked again as she fussed with the bodice of the dress she¡¯d been given to wear. ¡°This seems like a kind of important dinner and I don¡¯t want to intrude¡¡±
¡°Of course I want you toe,¡± Syd smiled at the tiny goblin. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have asked if I didn¡¯t want you there.¡±
¡°Yes, you should definitelye,¡± A added as she made somest-minute adjustments to her hair. ¡°You¡¯re officially dating Jadis now, aren¡¯t you? Even if you aren¡¯tmitted yet, you should still be there.¡±
Sorcha mumbled something under her breath that Jadis couldn¡¯t quite hear, but it sounded suspiciously like she wasining about going to a restaurant where a single te of food would cost more than her entire pack of belongings.
¡°That dress is beautiful on you, by the way,¡± Sydplimented Sorcha sincerely. ¡°It really suits your hair.¡±
¡°Oh, ah, thanks,¡± Sorcha replied awkwardly as she continued to fiddle with the bodice. ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bit too much?¡±
¡°Not even a little,¡± Syd assured her.
¡°Looks sexy as fuck to me,¡± Kerr grinned as she threw in her two cents. ¡°Better be careful wearing something like that, actually. Jadis might need to take you to the bathroom for a quicky before desert.¡±
¡°No she will not,¡± A said primly, pointing one finger at Syd. ¡°You¡¯ll do nothing remotely like that tonight.¡±
¡°Hey, of course not!¡± Syd eximed as she held her hands up defensively. ¡°I¡¯m not crazy! That¡¯s Kerr¡¯s idea, not mine!¡±
¡°And you!¡± A frowned as she whirled on the grinning therion. ¡°Behave yourself. Don¡¯t you even think of going under the table tonight or I¡¯ll cut off your horns!¡±
¡°What happened under what table?¡± Bridget asked, unfamiliar with the scandalous event A was referencing.
¡°Never you mind,¡± A said as her face reddened. ¡°It¡¯s not important because there will not be a repeat. Understand?¡±
¡°Sure, sure,¡± Kerr agreed without sounding particrly sincere. ¡°I promise my hands and my mouth will stay firmly above the table.¡±
That wasn¡¯t the most reassuring of promisesing from Kerr, but A didn¡¯t seem willing to press the matter. They didn¡¯t have the time for any further debate, anyway. They all needed to get moving if they were going to make it to the restaurant on time.
Jadis took a moment to look over her three selves, needing no mirror to do so. Her bodies wore even fancier tunics than the ones she¡¯d been given by the temple so far, these ones a rich blue color with silver trimming. Her selves also wore dress coats in a fashion that reminded Jadis of the military suits that Vraekae favored, though these weren¡¯t quite so severe. The outfit was a test run for what she¡¯d be wearing to the ball Eir¡¯s parents had arranged, and so far Jadis liked the feel.
Sweeping her gazes across her girls, Jadis was happy to say that everyone looked gorgeous. A and Kerr had both gone with dress suits in a simr style to Jadis, though A¡¯s was red and Kerr¡¯s was green. Eir had gone with a dress that hugged her curves in ways that stirred Jadis¡¯ interest, but the gown was far from inappropriate. Eir simply wore the outfit well, giving her a naturally regal look. Thea had gone with an actual military suit that bore the white and blue colors of the empire, one that denoted her previous employee in the army. Sabina and Bridget had both worn dresses, though to Jadis¡¯ surprise they were of a different style from the ones she had seen most other women in the empire wear. Sabina had on a dress that almost looked like a toga, leaving one shoulder bear, and with lots of folds in the fabric. Bridget¡¯s dress looked more like something Jadis had seen in medieval picture books; dark blue in color, the dress had a square neckline and a belt that hung one long end down her front. No massive sleeves though, at least. Sorcha¡¯s dress was a cross between Eir¡¯s and Bridget¡¯s, the main difference being that while she had a tight skirt like Eir, her bodice was ace-up design that pushed up her breasts to enhance her cleavage. As for Alex¡
¡°Alex, promise me, you will keep these clothes on until we get back, alright?¡± Dys pleaded with the disgruntled Demon. ¡°It¡¯s polite to keep your clothes on when in public.¡±
Alex squirmed, the backless dress she¡¯d been given a mix of cks and blues that matched her coloring. It was the most fabric Jadis had ever managed to get the Demon to wear at once and Alex was not happy about it.
¡°Pointless¡¡± Alexined as her fingers picked at the material.
¡°I promise you, it isn¡¯t pointless,¡± Dys sighed. ¡°It¡¯s about making a good impression. We want A¡¯s parents to like you. They won¡¯t like it if you sit down at the table in the nude.¡±
¡°Well, A¡¯s father might like it, but that¡¯ll just cause more problems,¡± Sabina joked nervously, then quickly shut her mouth when she saw the look A gave her.
¡°Promise me, okay?¡± Dys insisted as she took Alex¡¯s smaller hands in hers.
Alex frowned, a purposefully action on her part since facial expressions took effort for her, but she slowly nodded her head.
¡°I Promise¡¡±
¡°Okay, are we ready to go?¡± A called out after hearing Alex make her promise. ¡°Everyone have their coats?¡±
A chorus of affirmatives echoed in the room, though Jadis had to voice a negative as she realized she¡¯d forgotten one part of her outfit.
¡°Almost forgot about these,¡± Jay said as she opened up the jewelry box to reveal the nes she¡¯d been given by the jewelers Nedrick and Olga. ¡°I think this asion is special enough to justify a little sparkle.¡±
As Jadis slipped the nes on, A frowned and asked a question.
¡°Did you get them checked yet? By a high priest?¡±
¡°Jadis did arrange for all of the items she had been given during the temple greeting event to be checked. I did so myself with High Priest Aimery¡¯s assistance,¡± Eir chimed in. ¡°We found nothing amiss with them or any of the other items that Jadis brought back.¡±
¡°Good,¡± A nodded in appreciation.
¡°I can be responsible,¡± Jay grinned at A. ¡°Sometimes.¡±
¡°And if we want to keep being responsible,¡± Dys said, ¡°then we need to get our coats on and go! We have a curfew to contend with so we definitely don¡¯t want to bete for dinner.¡±
¡°Mydy?¡± Syd asked as she offered A an arm. The height difference made it somewhat awkward, but A made it work as she ced her hand on Syd¡¯s arm.
With a deep sigh, A nodded her head.
¡°Let¡¯s go and make our second round of introductions.¡±
Chapter 360: Trummelton’s
Chapter 360: Trummelton¡¯s
Jadis realized their choice in dining establishment may have been a mistake as soon as she saw the building.
Trummelton¡¯s was, as Aurea had advertised, a high-ss restaurant. Maybe a little too high ss. Jadis had expected the kind of ce that had waiters in suits and silk tablecloths. She had not expected a ce with literal gold tes.
The restaurant was located in an area where every store looked like it would cost a fortune just to walk through the door and somehow it managed to look even fancier byparison. The building towered above the others, six stories tall and decorated with borate stonework and stained-ss windows. The double front doors had been gilded with gold and as soon as Jadis walked through them, she found the temperature in the building was the perfect temperature, like magic was being used to ensure maximumfort for the guests. The d¨¦cor was luxurious to the extreme, with marble floors and purple carpets. Silk tapestries and museum-worthy paintings adorned the walls while a pleasing melody floated through the air.
To the credit of the host who greeted them upon their entry, the elf didn¡¯t batt an eye at Jadis¡¯ appearance or that of Alex. He simply escorted their group to the second floor where their table awaited them.
No, it wasn¡¯t the d¨¦cor or the staff that posed a problem. The first issue came in the form of the other guests. Trummelton¡¯s wasn¡¯t the kind of ce the average imperial citizen went for dinner, not even on special asions. The clientele found within were of a far richer and nobler sort. The sort who had been sending letters to Jadis, inviting her to gatherings from day one in the city. The sort who were dead set on gossiping about her and herpanions, and who had the means affect their lives on a whim.
Dozens of nobles filled thevish dining room as Jadis passed through, all of them staring at her without staring. It was actually impressive how they managed to maintain an air of polite disinterest in anything but their private conversations while also keeping tabs on Jadis¡¯ every move. If it weren¡¯t for her having multiple perspectives, she might not have noticed. But the fact remained that a lot of very wealthy, very connected people were all in the same restaurant as her for the first time and she did not think it likely that many would miss an opportunity to meet with her.
The second issue with their choice of restaurant revealed itself as soon as Jadis and herpanions made it to the second floor. The way the restaurant had been designed, the second and third floors were tiered balconies that overlooked the first floor, with the second floor on the north side while the third floor was on the west. There were three more floors with private dining rooms above, but those rooms were booked for months out and ast-minute reservation like theirs couldn¡¯t manage a spot, not even with Aurea¡¯s rmendation. Instead, the whole of the second floor had been reserved for their party, which meant their table was in an open space that was visible to anyone on the third floor, as well as good number of people on the first floor depending on where they were sat.
Then there was the third issue. That little problem reared its ugly head the moment Jadisid eyes on Vikwas and Senta.
A¡¯s parents had arrived at Trummelton¡¯s a few minutes before Jadis and had already been seated by the efficient waitstaff, which meant the couple had arrived at the restaurant, been escorted through it and past all the nobles, and seated at one of the most extravagant dining tables Jadis had ever seen, all by themselves. For the decidedly humble, working-ss pair, the experience could not have been easy, not if the nervous expressions on their faces were anything to go by.
It probably would have been wiser to have had dinner at The Silver Lute or another, less opulent establishment, at least for their first meeting. Jadis and A had wanted to make a good impression, show A¡¯s parents that she was doing well and there was no need to worry. Disying their wealth had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now Jadis worried they had probably overdone it. By the way A was moving so stiffly, Jadis guessed she was feeling the same.
¡°Mother, father,¡± A greeted her parents an awkward formality. ¡°I want you to meet my¡panions.¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure what word A was going to use to describe everyone else, but panions¡± was probably the most diplomatic option.
Senta and Vikwas rose to greet A, both giving her small hugs as they focused more on the gathering of women before them. Jadis couldn¡¯t even imagine what was going through their heads, especially with the moment of hesitant silence hanging in the air. Fortunately, there was at least one among their number who had practice in smoothing out difficult social engagements.
¡°It¡¯s such a delight to meet you,¡± Eir practically cooed as she warmly hugged both of A¡¯s parents, an act of overt familiarity that seemed to catch them off guard. ¡°A has told me so much about you both! My name is Eir Aedraheill, but please just call me Eir.¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t sure who was more stunned by Eir¡¯s hug. Vikwas looked like he didn¡¯t know where to put his hands while being hugged by such a gorgeous stranger, Senta looked like she somehow recognized Eir¡¯s noble station and didn¡¯t know what she was supposed to say in response, and A looked like a drowning woman who¡¯d just been tossed a life preserver.
¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Vikwas was the first to respond.
¡°Yes, a pleasure,¡± Senta quickly agreed, her manners showing as much stiff formality as her daughter. ¡°I¡ªI didn¡¯t think our daughter would have spoken much about us to¡ to any of you.¡±
¡°Of course she has,¡± Eir dazzled the older human woman with her brilliant smile. ¡°A was just telling me about the wonderful braided breads you bake for the winter harvest festival, the ones with the apples woven into them. It¡¯s a shame we won¡¯t be having any for this evening, but perhaps when we visit Red Tree? Ah, but I don¡¯t mean to monopolize you. Everyone else is waiting to greet you.¡±
With practiced ease, Eir turned and pulled Kerr forward with one hand, guiding the tall therion into her own introduction.
Kerr¡¯s introduction to A¡¯s parents went surprisingly smoothly, as did Thea¡¯s after her. In fact, there were no issues at all until Eir got to Sorcha. While the quality of Sorcha¡¯s dress showed that she was an equal member of the party, there was no hiding the tracking manacle on the goblin¡¯s arm. Jadis doubted the device was something that was often seen in a small country vige like Red Tree, but Senta clearly recognized what it was. Vikwas probably did as well, though his deadpan expression was much harder to read.
Whether they recognized what the device was or not, neither parent asked about it, though Senta was significantly more reserved with Sorcha. It didn¡¯t help that Sorcha was feeling awkward about the whole situation and while she was trying hard to rx, she wasn¡¯t particrly sessful.
And then there was Alex.
¡°Mother, father,¡± A said as she took over the responsibility of introductions from Eir. ¡°This is Alex. She is also our¡panion.¡±
¡°A delight¡ to¡ meet you¡¡± Alex spoke in an imitation of Eir¡¯s manners as she slid forward, herrge tentacles silently carrying her along the marble floor.
While Alex did not try to hug either parent, she did draw near them both and extended one of her human hands towards Vikwas to shake.
Vikwas stared up at Alex, her head hovering a little over his due to the height her tentacles gave her. His stoic expression had finally broken, revealing a mix of worry and horror that was tempered by a surprisingly fierce determination. Nostrils red, he hesitated for a brief moment before deliberately taking Alex¡¯s hand in a firm handshake.
¡°G¡ªgood to meet you, Alex,¡± Vikwas only stumbled a little over his words as he maintained eye contact with the Demon.
That was all Vikwas said. Hisck ofmentary was something Jadis found hard to interpret, but the fact that he wasn¡¯t running away screaming was a good sign. A had warned her parents about Alex during their private conversation that Jadis hadn¡¯t been around for. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure of what had been said, but she knew A had done her best to prepare her parents for the unusual meeting.
Senta was less circumspect than her husband.
¡°So you¡¯re the demon that supposedly saved my daughter¡¯s life?¡± she asked when Alex turned towards her.
¡°Yes¡¡± Alex replied simply in her usual way.
¡°And you can talk?¡± Senta asked, the answer to the question obvious yet pressing forward anyway. ¡°You aren¡¯t some mindless, vering spawn of Samleos?¡±
¡°Yes¡¡± Alex replied again, agreeing with the negative in Senta¡¯s question.
¡°A demon,¡± the older woman continued, having not yet taken Alex¡¯s proffered hand. ¡°Here in the capital. Among the temples. And no one has smote you yet in the name of Valtar or another god?¡±
Senta¡¯s questions were already past the boundary of politeness, but thest one was just in hostile. Jadis moved to interpose herself and deescte the situation before it grew heated, but before she could act, Alex spoke first.
¡°Smite¡ is for bad¡ people¡¡± Alex intoned with solemnity as she held up a single finger between herself and Senta. ¡°Alex¡ good¡ Ask¡ Jadis¡¡±
¡°She is good,¡± Jay said as she stepped up next to Alex while looking down at Senta. ¡°Alex has saved many lives, not just your daughter¡¯s. Ask anyone here and they¡¯ll tell you the same. In fact, if you really want a second opinion from someone who represents the temples, there are three pdins right over there you can ask.¡±
¡°Well, don¡¯t ask the bear,¡± Syd amended as she nced over at the temple escort. ¡°He¡¯s a prick. But the goblin and the Seraphim are alright.¡±
As she spoke, Jadis motioned towards the far side of the floor where Roy, Severina, and Runar stood near the open stairway. She had hoped that Runar would be done following her since this outing didn¡¯t take them anywhere near the walls, but that had turned out to be a pipe dream. Whatever was prompting his continued presence, Jadis was beginning to suspect that Runar was the reason for Severina tagging along as well. Roy and a few knights should have been enough, but both the Valbjorn and the Seraphim were still following her. Considering both were representatives of their respective princes, Jadis guessed Severina was more keeping tabs on Runar than her. Or it could have been vice versa, Jadis supposed. Runar might have been there because of Severina. It was hard to know for sure without confronting them, which didn¡¯t seem like a wide idea in the moment.
Well, if Jadis was forced to tolerate their presence, she might as well make use of them.
¡°If she were a danger, do you think those three would be letting Alex walk around like this?¡± Dys asked Senta.
A¡¯s mother eyed the pdins, her expression showing a fairly obviousck of trust. Still, after a few long seconds, she begrudgingly conceded Jadis¡¯ point.
¡°I suppose there are responsible parties around who can take action should something unfortunate take ce,¡± she said with a dour frown. ¡°Valtar forbid it.¡±
That seemed to be about as good a response as she was likely to give. Jadis was faintly annoyed by Senta¡¯s attitude towards Alex, but in all honesty, she was doing fairly well. Demons were the literal boogeymen of Oros, a perpetual blight that regrly attacked the mortal races of the world every few centuries. Even if a person never met a Demon their whole lives, they still would have been told stories about the horrors they regrly inflicted. Jadis couldn¡¯t even fault people for that attitude considering her own experiences with every Demon other than Alex. Taking all of that into ount, the fact that Senta was even willing to sit down at the same table with a Greater Demon was a miracle.
With introductions handled, everyone took their seats. Within moments the waitstaff appeared as if by magic, filling sses with water and wine while also serving small tes of what Jadis would call hors d''oeuvres. Thanks to the noble etiquette book Jadis had been given during her visit to the Metethys High Temple, she knew that this serving was only the start of a traditional nine course meal. A fancy dinner like this would take a few hours to get through, with many smaller tes of rich food brought out in a particr order. Other than asking about wine preferences and a check for any food ingredients that would be disagreeable for the individual, the waitstaff didn¡¯t ask any further questions. With a meal like this, the chefs were making what they were going to make; no menus involved.
Without much else to distract them for the moment, the gathering sat in an awkward silence as they tried the admittedly tasty finger foods. Not wanting to let the uneasy energy fester, Jadis took the reins of the non-existent conversation and did what usually worked. She asked questions.
¡°So how was the trip from Red Tree?¡± Jay asked Vikwas and Senta. ¡°It looked like you rode in with a caravan. Were you with them the whole way?¡±
¡°The trip went well enough,¡± Senta replied shortly. ncing at A¡¯s frowning face, she seemed to think better of her spartan answer and continued. ¡°We joined the caravan after one day on the road alone. It¡¯s fortunate they were willing to let us join them. There¡¯s good safety in caravans of that size.¡±
¡°Is safety that much of a concern?¡± A asked. ¡°With Red Tree and the capital being so far from the borders, I would have thought the ride here would be fairly secure.¡±
¡°The viges are safe enough,¡± Vikwas answered his daughter. ¡°The roads are a question.¡±
¡°Demons havee so far into the hearnds?¡± Eir asked with a worried expression on her pretty face.
¡°No,¡± Vikwas shook his head. ¡°Bandits.¡±
¡°Bandits are hardly new,¡± Kerr said dismissively as she popped one of the small ball-shaped savory hors d''oeuvres into her mouth. ¡°But they aren¡¯t exactly a threat around here the way they are in the remote parts of the empire.¡±
¡°There are many more than usual,¡± Senta corrected Kerr. ¡°All the deviants that normally stick to the bordends or wildernesses have fled the demonic invasion ande to the central territories. So far, all the viges around Red Tree have been fine, but the talk of highway robbery has gotten worse and worse over the past few months.¡±
While the table was no longer quiet, the conversation wasn¡¯t exactly uplifting. Hoping to steer the conversation in a lighter direction, Jadis tried to subtly change the subject.
¡°Then I agree, it¡¯s good you found a caravan to join,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°We haven¡¯t been a part of any caravans, but we do have our own wagon that we used while travelling across Weigrun. Did A tell you about the Behemoth?¡±
The mention of the huge wagon sparked interest in Vikwas¡¯ eyes. He nodded once, scooting forward slightly in his chair.
¡°A said it has eight wheels?¡±¡±
¡°Sixteen, actually,¡± Jay grinned at the man. ¡°Four axles with four wheels on each. It¡¯s really an amazing ride.¡±
¡°Sabina helped build it, too,¡± Syd motioned towards her half-elf lover. ¡°She designed the spring-suspension system, as well as the spring-loaded hinges for the wall-door.¡±
¡°Spring suspension?¡± Vikwas asked, unfamiliar with the term but clearly curious.
¡°Oh yes!¡± Sabina pipped up. ¡°The springs were Jadis¡¯ idea, actually, but once she showed me what she had in mind I was able to make some small models and then bigger versions and then we were building the wagon! The way it works is¡ª¡±
Sabina¡¯s exuberance helped break the ice as conversation began flowing more easily around the table. It didn¡¯t take long before Vikwas, Sabina, Sorcha, and Syd were all locked into a conversation about wagons and travel conveyances in general. Senta, on the other hand, mostly asked questions about where people were from and how they had ended up traveling together. Considering how Sorcha came to join Fortune¡¯s Favored, she avoided answering those questions. However, Eir and Kerr had a lot to say and were able to keep Senta¡¯s attention focused mostly on them.
As the dinner progressed, Jadis felt much of the tension surrounding A¡¯s parents drain away. There were definitely still some nerves in the air and more than a few awkward moments, but the longer everyone talked, the better things got. By the time the fifth course hade, Jadis had even managed to get a fewughs out of Vikwas, and a tentative smile from Senta.
Once the sixth course, a delicate fish dish that was honestly the best fish Jadis had ever tasted, had been taken away, Jadis excused herself from the table. They¡¯d been at the restaurant for a couple of hours by then and all three of her bodies needed to use the restroom. She had to take the stairs down to the first floor to reach the bathroom as there weren¡¯t any on the second floor, so when she did so she was immediately followed by both Runar and Severina.
There were quite a few noble¡ªor noble looking-- people who had found one reason or another to gather at the base of the stairs or in the pir partitioned hallway leading to the back of the building. There were a few bows and curtseys, light attempts at passing greetings, though the small groups made no concerted effort to stop Jadis and her escort. Much to her relief, she managed to make it to the restroom without interference.
It was as she was making her way back to the stairs to rejoin herpany when Jadis was stopped by a noble¡¯s approach. Rather than approaching her directly, however, the noble in question called out to one of her guards.
¡°Runar? Is that you? Goodness, it¡¯s been so long!¡±
Slowing her pace, the three of Jadis turned her heads to see a pretty young woman with long, ck hair and a purple dress advance on them from the side from between two pirs. The noble was definitely human and didn¡¯t look like she was older than twenty. She had a Greek nose, a little long for her face, but in a way that gave her character rather than taking away from her refined beauty. As she approached, she smiled showing all of her bright white teeth. Just behind her by a few steps paced an older man wearing a formal military uniform. He looked more like a guard or chaperone, rather than a family member or friend. While she spoke, the man remained silently and simply watched.
¡°Lady Brunholt,¡± Runar rumbled gruffly as he stopped to let the young woman catch up to them. ¡°What do you want?¡±
¡°Oh, please Runar,¡± she tittered in a way that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes. ¡°Call me Elodie like you used to when I was child. You and my father have always been friends, haven¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Hmph,¡± Runar huffed in a way that made Jadis doubt the veracity of the woman¡¯s assertion.
¡°And Lady Severina!¡± The woman smoothly shifted her attention from the Valbjorn to the Seraphim. ¡°It¡¯s been more than a year since youst epted one of my invitations to tea! We¡¯ve all missed your enlightened presence, truly!¡±
¡°Lady Brunholt,¡± Severina acknowledged the other woman with stiff formality. ¡°I hope you are doing well. As I¡¯ve apologized in the past, there is a demonic invasion currently threatening our borders. I have been upied.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± the noblewoman agreed with a broad sweep of her hand that seemed to epass the many nobles who were standing within earshot but were not part of the conversation. ¡°We all thank you for your service. It¡¯s thanks to the efforts of those like you and my father that those like me who have littlebat ability can enjoy such safety andfort as this. I only hope that you can spare me a visit in the future when you are less preupied with affairs of war and state. Even a pdin as mighty as you needs to take some rest from time to time.¡±
As Severina reluctantly nodded her head to the darkhaired woman¡¯s words, Lady Brunholt turned her attention onto Jadis.
¡°Oh, where are my manners,¡± she purred, acting as though she somehow overlooked three giant women standing a few feet away from her. ¡°I do apologize for not introducing myself! My name is Lady Elodie Brunholt.¡±
With a smile, Elodie offered her hand to Jadis, though not in the manner of a handshake but instead as though she expected Jadis to kiss the back of her hand. It was an odd gesture, one that Jadis wasn¡¯t sure was normal among high society or if it had any hidden implications since it hadn¡¯t been covered in what she¡¯d read in the etiquette book so far. Further, Jadis noticed that Elodie didn¡¯t shift her attention between the three of Jadis¡¯ selves. She kept her gaze solely on the body in the middle, the Jay self.
¡°Jadis,¡± Jay said as she took the young woman¡¯s hand. Deciding to just go with it, she bent at the waist to bow low enough that she could kiss the back of Elodie¡¯s hand.
¡°Of course you are,¡± the noblewoman smiled brightly. ¡°There could hardly be anyone in the whole city who could mistake you for another. Thest Nephilim. One whose beauty and power excel over all others. Truly, it is a pleasure to finally meet you.¡±
¡°Yes, I suppose I am hard to mistake for anyone else,¡± Jay politely agreed.
Jadis kept up a polite smile though she really didn¡¯t have much interest in continuing the conversation, especially not with the way Elodie was phrasing things. Something about the way she spoke warned Jadis that the woman was saying more under the surface than her words appeared to mean.
¡°I must say, I¡¯m terribly miffed that I haven¡¯t gotten to meet you sooner,¡± Elodie continued in her airy tones. ¡°Everything I¡¯ve heard about you thus far has utterly fascinated me. I dare say, I couldn¡¯t believe half the things that have been said are true, yet now that I¡¯ve seen you here tonight, I¡¯ll have to give those impetuous rumors more credence! Aside from your mesmerizing beauty, the rumor I am most surprised to see is true is that you truly do have a pet demon that follows you around! Why, it even wears clothes and eats at the table like one of those trained beasts I¡¯ve seen in theatre performances. Absolutely astounding.¡±
It took an incredible amount of willpower for Jadis to keep her temper under control and not let her anger show on her face. She was close to picking the woman up and shoving her head down the toilet where it belonged, but her better sense won out and she managed to restrain her instinctual response.
¡°Alex is mypanion, not a pet,¡± Jay, Dys, and Syd all corrected with a deadly calmness that dropped the temperature in the air a good ten degrees. ¡°She and my otherpanions are waiting for me, so you¡¯ll have to excuse me, Lady Brunholt.¡±
¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean to impose,¡± Elodie smiled demurely, not showing any surprise or fear to Jadis¡¯ unified speech. ¡°I really should return to my own table. I simply wished to say hello to some old friends.¡±
Jadis noticed that every noble around them had ceased their conversation, listening to Jadis and Brunholt. Jadis had no doubt that everything that had just transpired would be ryed across every noble household in the city by the time tomorrow¡¯s breakfast was over. How much embellishment was added, however, Jadis couldn¡¯t begin to predict.
Elodie turned to leave, but before she could fully do so, she spun back around, the expression on her face one of sudden remembrance.
¡°I almost forgot,¡± she said with another bright smile. ¡°Lady Eir Aedraheill is with you, yes? Would you please pass along my sincere gratitude to her and her lovely mother and father for inviting me to the ball? I do so look forward to seeing them and you there.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Jay replied, wondering why her sweet priestess would invite a bitch like this to the nned ball. ¡°I¡¯ll tell her.¡±
With that, Elodie departed and Jadis was able to continue back to her table uninterrupted.
Once she had rejoined the party and taken her seats, Dys leaned close towards Eir¡¯s side and whispered into her ear.
¡°I ran into a noblewoman who wanted to thank you and your parents for inviting her to the party,¡± she said as she watched Kerr and Bridget tell A¡¯s parents about the battle fought against the ice dragon. ¡°She was a real shit-stain. No idea why you¡¯d invite her. Do you know a human named Elodie? Long, ck hair. Pointy nose.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t believe so,¡± Eir¡¯s lips turned down in a contemtive frown. ¡°I haven¡¯t been involved in the invitations, anyway. My parents have been sending them out. What was herst name?¡±
¡°She said her name was Lady Elodie Brunholt.¡±
Eir¡¯s frown deepened as she turned to look Dys in the eyes.
¡°Brunholt? Lady Brunholt?¡±
¡°Yeah, why? Is she someone important?¡±
¡°Jadis,¡± Eir said, her voice tinged with concern, ¡°that¡¯s General Egilhard¡¯s name. Egilhard Brunholt.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Dys murmured, feeling a sudden urge to scrub Jay¡¯s lips with bleach. ¡°Well. Fuck.¡±
Chapter 361: Fireside Council
Chapter 361: Fireside Council
¡°She was definitely trying to goad you into doing something reckless,¡± A advised with confidence.
¡°Reckless like what?¡± Jay scoffed. ¡°She couldn¡¯t think I¡¯d punch her, would she? Who¡¯d be stupid enough to throw hands in the middle of a fancy restaurant?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t imagine,¡± A smirked. At Dys and Syd¡¯s offended expressions, she rolled her eyes and continued. ¡°No one in this room, certainly. However, there are other ways to act recklessly. She probably expected you to say something that could be used against you. In a way, you kind of did.¡±
Jadis let her frown show on all her faces, not that A could see them all. She and A were back in their room in the temple, alone for the night as the others found alternate ces to sleep so as to give them some privacy. Jadis had made a nest of pillows and nkets on the floor in front of the firece, using the couch as a backrest since it didn¡¯t make for a good seat due to her size. The three of her were seated side by side, bare feet stretched out towards the crackling fire. A had made herselffortable sitting in Jay¡¯sp, wearing nothing but a shirt and some underclothes as she cuddled into Jay¡¯s embrace.
The dinner with A¡¯s parents had concluded rtively well, with no further incidents to speak of. Jadis still wasn¡¯t sure A¡¯s mother was on board with the rtionship her daughter had be mixed up into, but she seemed less tense than she had at the start. With time, Jadis thought she¡¯d probablye around, especially with Eir doing such a good job of smoothing Senta¡¯s ruffled feathers. Vikwas looked far happier at the end of the meal, having spent a good amount of time talking with Sabina. Something about having the inventive smith around seemed to inspire confidence in the man, though Jadis couldn¡¯t quite figure out his reasoning. Maybe it was just the fact that she could talk shop with him about wagons?
After Jadis and herpanions had escorted A¡¯s parents back to their inn, she had exined the full encounter with Elodie to the group. She didn¡¯t bother trying to hide the details from her guards since both Severina and Runar had been directly involved in the conversation. In fact, as Jadis recounted the interaction, Severina even offered a few corrections on the exact wording, though she didn¡¯t offer any opinions of her own. Maybe it was professional conduct, or maybe she had some rtionship with Elodie and her family that prompted her to keep her silence, but Severina didn¡¯t try to sway Jadis with any warnings. Thatck ofmentary surprised Jadis, since she would have thought someone so closely linked with the second prince would leap at the opportunity to badmouth someone who was of the first prince¡¯s faction.
Another surprise came when Runar tossed a few words of his own opinion into the air.
¡°That one¡¯s a cunt with teeth,¡± he had said with a curled lip that showed off his fangs. ¡°Watch what you dangle near her.¡±
Putting aside her Valbjorn tormentor¡¯s vivid description, the opinions on the interaction varied among herpanions. It was fairly clear to all that there was something fishy about what Elodie had said, though the exact design and purpose was uncertain.
The group didn¡¯t spend much time discussing it with Jadis, though. Rather than go into a full analysis of the conversation, Jadis was sent back to her room by Eir with a stern warning to focus on A for the rest of the night rather than petty politics. An order that Jadis was happy to follow, hence the love nest in front of the firece.
It was just like A, however, to focus on the annoying encounter rather than more attractive pursuits.
¡°What did I say that was so bad?¡± Jay asked, pressing her face against the top of A¡¯s head as she spoke. ¡°I thought I was pretty reserved considering how insulting she was.¡±
¡°You were,¡± A agreed. ¡°She said a lot and you said little. What you did say corrected her, informing her and, by extension, the rest of the nobles who were eavesdropping that you don¡¯t view Alex as a pet or a novelty. She¡¯s apanion, same as the rest of us. That¡¯s a major statement, don¡¯t you think? I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re wrong to have done it, but you did just im a Demon as yourpanion in a very public way, while you¡¯re still technically under suspicion of consorting with the Cult of Samleos.¡±
Put like that, Jadis could see what A was getting at. Everyone had to know the cult thing was a farce, a false charge that was a result of the bickering rivalry between the two princes. But Alexplicated that perception. It was a little harder to deny a rtionship to a cult that worshipped Samleos when she literally had a Demonpanion who rode around on her back most days.
¡°Out of everything that Elodie said, that was the one and only thing you took the time to correct,¡± A continued. ¡°And she said a lot more than just calling Alex a pet beast.¡±
Reviewing the conversation in her mind again for the umpteenth time, Jadis brought up her own analysis of Elodie¡¯s phrasing.
¡°I noticed that she put her father and Severina in the same boat together. Her words implied that General Egilhard was just as important to the war effort against the Demon invasion as Severina. From what I can tell, that¡¯s a pile of bullshit. He¡¯s damn well useless down in Weigrun. Maybe even worse than useless, since he¡¯s smuggling eleria for whatever reason. I don¡¯t know a lot about Severina, but I¡¯d bet my underwear that she¡¯s done a lot more to fight demons than anything that egg-face has ever done.¡±
¡°No doubt,¡± A agreed with Dys¡¯ words. ¡°She did the same with Runar. She implied that he and her father are close, close enough that Runar should be speaking to her in a very familiar way. For anyone listening, that would make her father seem like an important man with strong connections to other important people. And if Egilhard has those kinds of connections, that means she has them.¡±
¡°So why didn¡¯t either Severina or Runar reject her implications?¡± Syd asked as she leaned her head onto Jay¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Runar obviously doesn¡¯t like her, and I don¡¯t think Severina would be cozy with someone who¡¯s in Prince Hraustrekr¡¯s faction.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± A shrugged, her arms rubbing against Jay¡¯s hug. ¡°She probably has some value to them as a connection, so they let that perceived connection exist. We¡¯d have to ask them to get more details.¡±
¡°Hm, fun,¡± Jay grumbled sarcastically. ¡°Talking to Runar about people I don¡¯t like.¡±
¡°She also said more about you, you know,¡± A pointed out. ¡°By saying that you proved some rumors she heard as true, she implied that more rumors going around could be true as well. It¡¯s subtle, but she¡¯s basically saying that some of the worse rumors in cirction could have a basis in reality. That was probably the whole point of the interaction to begin with. To damage your reputation with the nobles who were observing.¡±
¡°Of course she did,¡± Dys groaned. ¡°Maybe I really should have punched her in the face. Would have been a lot more satisfying and I doubt it would have hurt my reputation any worse than how you¡¯re saying it went.¡±
¡°Why try to tear me down like that anyway?¡± Jay asked in the next instant. ¡°Does she really need to pick fights with me?¡±
¡°You¡¯re already her father¡¯s enemy,¡± A sighed. ¡°You hate him and I doubt he¡¯s unaware of the fact. He tried to get you onto his side and that¡¯s failed. Now he¡¯s probably hoping to undermine you to lessen your power and influence. And if he¡¯s doing that, his family will likely do the same. Even if his daughter doesn¡¯t know anything of importance and has no direct connection to General Egilhard¡¯s dealings, she¡¯s probably against you just because you are against her father. Let¡¯s be honest; even if she wasn¡¯t being a catty bitch, would you be friends with her once you knew who her father was? Or would you avoid her just on principle?¡±
Jay opened her mouth to deny the im, then paused before slowly closing it. She liked to think she was a good enough person to not me the sins of the father on the son¡ªor in this case, the daughter. But A was right. She wouldn¡¯t want anything to do with someone who was so closely rted to a person who had been purposefully fucking with her life for his own gain, never mind the cutthroat criminal associations.
¡°Probably not, no,¡± she settled on saying. ¡°But just because we aren¡¯t friends doesn¡¯t mean we have to be enemies.¡±
¡°Noble houses don¡¯t work like that. If one house feuds with another, the individual members aren¡¯t going to be on good terms with each other. And for all intents and purposes, you are a noble house, and we¡¯re your household. Even if you don¡¯t have a title, you¡¯ve got the power. More than I think you realize.¡±
Maybe A was right about households, Jadis admitted. She wasn¡¯t a noble, but she did consider her lovers to be her family, or household, or whatever. She wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to any of them, and if anyone had beef with one of them, she¡¯d have beef with that person by default. A dangerous road of grudges and revengey down that line of thinking, though. Jadis would have to be careful she didn¡¯t fall into step with people like the princes and their adherents, drawing battle lines in the sand just because of affiliations. There had to be room for alliance andpromise, even with people she didn¡¯t like, otherwise she¡¯d just end up as an ind surrounded by enemies.
¡Egilhard¡¯s daughter was making it damn hard to y nice, though.
¡°What about your parents?¡± Jay asked. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re okay with you being a part of my household now?¡±
A was quiet for a while, the sound of the crackling fire all that could be heard in the room. Jadis didn¡¯t press her, waiting for her redheaded lover to think through her thoughts and emotions. When A did finally speak, her voice was quiet.
¡°I think my father is feeling better about things now that he¡¯s met everyone. I think he was worried I was getting swept up into some kind of cult or something, but meeting everyone changed his mind on that, I think. Mother, though¡¡±
Syd leaned in, wrapping an arm around A while Dys did the same from the other side, effectively tripling Jadis¡¯ hug. A sighed at feeling, her body melting into thefort of the embrace.
¡°She¡¯s just worried for you,¡± Dys finished A¡¯s thoughts. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want you to get hurt, physically or emotionally.¡±
¡°I know,¡± A nodded. ¡°I¡¯m just not sure how to convince her that she doesn¡¯t need to worry about me like that.¡±
¡°I doubt you can,¡± Syd mused. ¡°It¡¯s a mother¡¯s prerogative to worry about her children. She¡¯ll probably still be worrying about you when you¡¯re older than she is now. Unless¡¡±
¡°Unless?¡± A echoed when Syd didn¡¯t immediately continue.
¡°You could give her a grandchild or two to focus all that attention on,¡± Syd smirked as A met her gaze. ¡°A couple of big, healthy, half-Nephilim babies would probably take up all of her time, enough that she won¡¯t have any left to worry about you.¡±
Aughed, a smile gracing her kissable lips.
¡°I doubt that very much,¡± she shifted to lean her forehead against Syd¡¯s. ¡°She¡¯d probably get even more protective of me and just wrap any babies under the same nket, smothering us all with her zealous attentions.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Syd grinned. ¡°Maybe not. We could find out?¡±
A seemed to think the proposition over before shaking her head.
¡°They just met you today. I don¡¯t think either of my parents would look favorably on the announcement that I¡¯m pregnant literally the day after our introductions were made. Let¡¯s hold off a little longer on that, okay?¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Syd agreed with no disappointment in her voice. ¡°I can wait until you think it¡¯s a better time. But what about when I get Eir or one of the others pregnant? Do you think that¡¯ll cause any problems with your parents?¡±
¡°I¡ don¡¯t really know, honestly,¡± A shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think either of them ever expected me to be in a rtionship where that would even be a consideration. I know I didn¡¯t. I guess we¡¯ll just have to navigate that part of the road when we get there.¡±
¡°Yes, we will,¡± Jay agreed as she smiled against the top of A¡¯s head.
¡°What about our Lover¡¯s Bond?¡± Dys prompted, forcing A to turn her head towards her. ¡°I¡¯d like to renew that with you tonight. Want me to turn my potency off for now?¡±
A bit her lip as she thought it over, a certain glint in her blue eyes as she considered Jadis¡¯ question.
¡°Put yourself at natural,¡± she finally said, a mischievous smile working its way across her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m at the best time in my cycle right now, but there¡¯s a chance. If it happens¡ Well. We don¡¯t have to tell my parents right away, do we?¡±
¡°No, we don¡¯t,¡± all three of Jadis agreed.
Chapter 362: POV Bridget
Chapter 362: POV Bridget
The knot that had been sitting in Bridget¡¯s stomach for the past few days just wouldn¡¯t go away, and she wasn¡¯t sure what to do to get rid of it. There were a few different ropes tangled into the knot, each one adding to the size and shape of the heavy lump, enough so that she wasn¡¯t sure which side to start tugging on to unravel it all. And if she did start tugging, she wasn¡¯t wholly sure what might fall apart in the end.
Part of the knot came from the fact that she was fucking horny. Hearing Jadis fuck A while she¡¯d been trying to sleep in one of the side rooms had been damn near torture. Those sounds were¡ something else. Even if she didn¡¯t know first had what it was like to be bedded by Jadis, she¡¯d have found the sounds of their lovemaking to be nigh on impossible to resist. Gods, she¡¯d been feeling anxious ever since the morning after Jadis had made love to her and the rest of the women some nights ago. Even Alex had been involved in that little orgy and as much as the Demon made Bridget nervous, she couldn¡¯t deny that she had been as sexy as a shining new sword, fresh from the forge, when she¡¯d been writhing on the bed like that while Jadis had ate her out. Fuck, just thinking about it was getting Bridget a little wet, which was not what she needed at the moment. She shouldn¡¯t be thinking with her pussy. She needed to think with her brain, gods damn it.
But Jadis was just so bloody fucking sexy¡
That was part of the problem, though, wasn¡¯t it. Bridget had never considered herself all that attracted to women. She¡¯d certainly appreciated a pretty face or a short skirt every now and again, but she¡¯d always been interested in men. In fact, the solid hunk of meat that her sister Addy had found back in Far Felsen was usually more her speed. Human men were cute; not so delicate and fragile looking as most elves, but not as bulky and broad as most orcs. Humans were usually a nice middle-ground between elves and orcs and the ones built like Volker were right in Bridget¡¯s sweet spot. Especially blonds. Both she and Addy had always agreed, blonds were sexy, and when Bridget had found out that her sister had managed to snag a blond human, she¡¯d actually been pretty envious. She¡¯d cursed her luck that Addy had gotten to the cute soldier boy before her and despaired that she¡¯d likely not find anyone who couldpare to the passion that Volker obviously showed for Addy.
But Jadis¡
Jadis did things to Bridget. Oh, she did all kinds of things to Bridget, forward and back, upside down and backwards, multiple holes and ways¡
Shit sandwiches, it wasn¡¯t just about the sex! As great, amazing, knee-shaking, mind blowing, soul destroying as the sex was, Jadis wasn¡¯t just about the sex. Bridget liked her. She liked her a lot. A whole lot. She liked being near her. She liked looking at her, listening to her talk, just touching her and being touched. She liked fighting with her, side by side, on the battlefield. She liked the way she threw herself into everything with such bold and reckless passion, whether in armor or out of it. She liked Jadis. In fact, she was pretty sure she loved Jadis¡
But did she want to marry Jadis?
Fucking abyss¡ Probably? That was the bigger problem. Bridget wasn¡¯t sure. She had always imagined she¡¯d marry a man. A blond one, if at all possible, with nice muscles and a white smile and a cute butt. They¡¯d date for a few years, he¡¯d propose, they¡¯d get married and settle down in either his vige or hers, whichever they could afford a house in, and maybe they¡¯d have a couple brats her mother would spoil rotten and her father would teach the sword to. It was a nice dream, a happy dream, one that Bridget had privately grinned over many nights when she¡¯d been cold and alone in her bedroll.
But Jadis¡
Jadis wanted her to have her child. What a bizarre statement that was. She wanted her to have her child. Bridget had never even heard of or considered people being like Jadis. The whole idea was so strange. And yet, it didn¡¯t bother Bridget at all. Not the body part of it, nor the having children part. Whenever they talked about having kids, Bridget¡¯s heart would clench and she¡¯d get all fuzzy inside and she¡¯d wonder what the offspring of an orc and a Nephilim would look like.
But having babies with Jadis hadn¡¯t been the n. Jadis wasn¡¯t exactly a blond human soldier boy with a cute butt. She was a snow-pale giant with three bodies and a butt to die for. And really amazing breasts. And those legs were so long and smooth. And her perfect abs¡
Fuck, not the point.
Bridget wasn¡¯t stupid. She knew well enough to grab hold of a good thing when it came by and not waste the opportunity while pining over imaginary dreams that might nevere to pass. Jadis was a very, very good thing. Bridget wasn¡¯t going to miss the chance to be with someone who loved her just because that someone wasn¡¯t blond. Or human. Or a man.
The thing that scared her though, was the idea that she might be rushing into things. She hadn¡¯t been with Jadis that long. A few months. That¡¯s all. And a good part of those months Jadis had been in aa. And yet here they were, already talking about marriage and kids and meeting parents¡
Oh, fuck, Bridget was going to have to introduce Jadis to her parents.
Gods, she hoped her parents would handle the surprise better than A¡¯s had. A¡¯s mother had looked like she was going to drag her daughter home by the ear at times. She¡¯d looked better by the end of the evening, but Bridget doubted the waters were as calm as they looked on the surface.
That was a whole other part of the knot, wasn¡¯t it. A. And Eir. And Kerr and Thea, Sabina, Sorcha, Alex¡ Bloody abyss, being with Jadis didn¡¯t mean just being with Jadis. It meant being with all of them. Not that Bridget disliked any of them. In fact, she liked all of them quite a bit. Even the little goblin bandit and the terrifying Demon were growing on her. And that night with Jadis, when she¡¯d done things with her and Eir¡
Bugger, focus! It wasn¡¯t just about the sex.
There was the whole harem thing to consider, but there were other strands too. The politics that Jadis was getting tangled up in. The mission from a literal God. The fact that Jadis was the only one of her race and she needed to have children with lots of women. And then there was the Demon stuff with Alex and the temple and gods¡
Bridget¡¯s rtionship with Jadis was not the simple matter that she¡¯d always hoped any serious rtionship she¡¯d have would be.
All in all, there were a lot of strings tangled together to make the knot in Bridget¡¯s stomach as big as an ox¡¯s head. The current situation was giving her mixed feelings as well, fraying the knot and making her stomach feel like she¡¯d literally swallowed a rock with how heavily it sat in her belly.
Today was Bridget¡¯s turn. Her day to date Jadis, to have her all alone to herself. And what had she suggested they do first thing?
Spar.
Okay, well, Bridget didn¡¯t really consider this as part of their date. She doubted Jadis did either. For the past few days, the group¡¯s morning routine had involved meeting up with Noll for training and sparring. The girls who had less physical sses mostly stuck to simple exercises to strengthen the body while those who did meleebat worked on their weapon forms and technique. That meant Bridget got to train directly under Noll, one of the greatest mercenaries of the century, and Steingrimur, a high priest of the god of war. Considering up to a few months ago she was struggling to even find eptance into a standard mercenarypany, her change in fortune was a dreame true.
She¡¯d been sparring with the various warriors and priests in the temple at every avable opportunity. She didn¡¯t even care that most of the time she lost since without Jadis¡¯ skill boosting stats or her own Nephilim-based boosts, she wasn¡¯t all that strong. No, for Bridget, this was an invaluable learning opportunity, a chance to hone her weapon skills and better her technique. Only idiots relied solely on their ss skills to improve theirbat prowess. A true warrior trained until the blood ran from their hands, and then they trained some more.
Today, however, Bridget was doing something she hadn¡¯t done sinceing to Eldingholt. Today, she was sparring with Jadis. One on one. And she was terrified.
Syd stood across the training ring from her, equipped in her full te armor. At least, she was pretty sure it was Syd. Sometimes it was hard to tell which body was which, but Syd tended to be Jadis¡¯ outlet for jokes and yful banter and this body had been pretty jokey so far, so it was probably Syd. Briget was used to seeing Jadis in her armor, but that was usually with them on the same side. Facing off against Jadis, even in just a training scenario, was a whole different experience.
She was just so gods damned tall! She towered over everyone, looming like a dark spire made of steel. Her ck armor hid all of the gorgeous woman Bridget knew was underneath, showing only a knight who had to be powerful just to wear what had to be hundreds of pounds of metal. She looked like she could crush most soldiers just by stepping on them. Bridget didn¡¯t doubt that she probably could.
And then there was the new weapon Sabina had made.
It was a sword staff. An absolutely huge one. In design, it was simr to a ive, except the de was longer and was double-edged. The base of the de also had a curved crossguard, so if Jadis wanted to, she could hold the handle right below the de and it would look no different from a fairly standard longsword in her hands. Except, the shaft of the hilt was the length of a polearm, giving the weapon the same reach as a halberd or spear. Of course the weapon had been made of cold me steel, just like the armor, so the de was ck as night, which only added to how intimidating the thing was. Even worse, Bridget could clearly see the line of enchantment runes running down either side of the de, the white glow of their magic contrasting against the ck steel.
Gods, seeing Jadis wielding a weapon like that was sending shivers up and down Bridget¡¯s spine.
¡°A hit with a weapon is a point,¡± Steingrimur called out, acting as an official for their spar. ¡°Stepping out of the ring is a point. First to five points wins. Don¡¯t pull your swings, but no intentionally deadly attacks. Don¡¯t make me use my healing spells or I¡¯ll ring the magic wasted out of your sorry hides. Any questions?¡±
Both Bridget and Syd shook their heads, understanding the rules well thanks to previous spars against other foes.
¡°Are you ready?¡± Syd called out to Bridget, the affection in her voice the only sign that the terrifying warrior before her was her lover.
¡°Of course!¡± Bridget boldly lied. ¡°And you bloody well better not hold back on me or I¡¯ll be fucking pissed!¡±
Performing an overly elegant bow, Syd acknowledged Bridget¡¯s demand.
¡°As you wish, my foul-moutheddy.¡±
Steingrimur snorted at their banter, then held up his hand in preparation to signal the start of the bout. Bridget took up her stance, choosing the form she¡¯d been trained to use againstrge enemies like demons who inhabited oversized bodies. Across from her, Syd readied her new weapon.
Bridget had a chance, she was certain. Sure, Jadis had reach on her, especially with that swordstaff. She also had strength. And speed. Those were¡ well, those were all fucking massive advantages. Still, Bridget had far more skill than Jadis. Jadis¡¯ technique was¡ adequate. She was making quick progress with her training, but she was still only barely passable for a beginner. That had to count for something in a spar like this. Right?
The guard Syd had taken was a low one. A terrible choice for most situations with a polearm. Defending from a downward angle was difficult since the wielder would have to pull upward against most attacks. Bridget would have scoffed at anyone else starting out a spar in that position, but for Jadis it made sense. Everyone was shorter than she was, so most of her attacks would have to focus on downward thrusts. That meant a low guard was ideal when fighting against an opponent with a lower center of gravity. Since Syd was that much taller, even with the reach her swordstaff afforded her she¡¯d still have trouble going after anything below Bridget¡¯s waist. The swordstaff was also far more like a spear than a ive since it had a straight edge, so shing attacks were less effective. Even though she¡¯d just gotten the weapon, Bridget was certain Noll would have already drilled that bit of basics into Jadis. While chopping motions weren¡¯t out of the question, a straight thrust would be the easiest type of attack to make, especially from the starting stance Syd had taken. Keeping all those observations in mind, as well as knowing how proactive Jadis liked to be when fighting, Bridet predicted Syd would close the distance quickly and deliver a solid thrust towards either her middle or her head. That meant her best chance of scoring a hit on Syd would be to parry the iing thrust and counterattack in the same swing.
Bridget¡¯s hands tightened their grip around her il¡¯s haft as the analysis ran through her head. In the next moment, Steingrimur dropped his hand, shouting out a singlemand.
¡°Begin!¡±
Metal nged against metal and Bridget felt a ringing in her head. She gapped, her breath stolen as she stood in ce, having had no chance yet to move. Syd was there, directly in front of her, her monstrous armored visage taking up Bridget¡¯s entire view. Tilting her head back, Bridget saw that the curved crossguard of Syd¡¯s swordstaff was cupping her forehead, the ck de resting against her left temple.
Syd had crossed the distance and struck her before Bridget could even move.
¡°Point to Jadis!¡± Steingrimur called out.
¡°Are you alright?¡± Syd quietly asked as she pulled her weapon back.
¡°Yeah!¡± Bridget squeaked, feeling faint as her knees trembled. ¡°No problem! Let¡¯s try that again!¡±
¡°Sure thing,¡± Syd nodded before lightly jogging back to the other side of the ring for a reset.
Holy gods above, how the fuck had Bridget thought she stood a chance? What did bloody technique matter when someone could move like that? Bridget had fifteen points in Agility. Jadis had, what, two hundred and sixty? A little more than that? What the fuck did it matter at that point, she had more than seventeen times the speed as her!
¡°Begin!¡± the high priest shouted, jarring Bridget from her thoughts.
Instinctively, she swung her il, just hoping to hit something. Unluckily, her weapon met nothing but air as Syd came in at a different angle, her lightning-fast attack taking the form of a sweep that took advantage of the reach her new polearm offered her. Bridget was knocked back, the t of the de nging against her middle and forcing her to fall unceremoniously on her rear.
Like a good and honorable warrior, Syd offered her hand to help Bridget to her feet. Bridget took the help, though the shame of herplete and utter trouncing was starting to make her face burn. Without any further words, they reset their positions.
¡°Begin!¡± Steingrimur called, and again Jadis and Bridget shed.
Again, Bridget missedpletely as Syd struck her shoulder with a thrust that could have knocked her arm off if it hadn¡¯t been pulled. In the next bout, Syd caught Bridget off guard again, closing the distance in an instant and catching her before she could even begin to swing her il, giving her four points while Bridget had yet to earn one.
Resetting again, Bridget growled in growing frustration. She wouldn¡¯t be so easily dominated like this. She wouldn¡¯t! She had tond at least one hit on Syd. Just one, to show that she wasn¡¯t aplete pushover.
Powering up all of her skills, the me on her metalntern il burst into life, burning a bright blue color. Pouring all of her strength into the next exchange, Bridget swung again the moment Steingrimur shouted the signal to begin.
Bridget¡¯s arms ached as her bones shook from the impart with something hard. It took a second for her brain to catch up with the situation, but Bridget quickly realized what had happened. Syd was once more standing before her, only this time her left hand was holding onto the shaft of Bridget¡¯s il, blocking her blind attack. Syd¡¯s swordstaff was resting with the tip touching Bridget¡¯s chest, Syd having choked up her hold on the polearm so that it functioned more like a sword in that moment.
¡°Point to Bridget!¡±
¡°What?¡± both Syd and Bridget asked in surprise, turning in unison to look at Steingrimur.
¡°Her il head hit your arm when you caught the shaft,¡± the man growled around his sharp-toothed grin. ¡°If that was me you were fighting, that would have broken your wrist. Pay attention to what your enemy¡¯s weapon can do, cub.¡±
¡°Huh,¡± Syd nodded as she considered Steingrimur¡¯s words. ¡°Good point. I won¡¯t make that mistake again.¡±
¡°No more of that dashing shit,¡± Noll shouted at them from his spot by another ring. He was watching Jay spar against a couple of warrior clerics and instructing her on how to fight two on one, but apparently, he had been paying attention to their fight as well. ¡°Go slower. Fight her. She¡¯s got better form than you.¡±
Syd shouted her acknowledgement, then got back into position for another round. Bridget, in the meantime, slowly got into her own stance.
She¡¯d hit Syd. She¡¯d scored a point. She¡¯d scored a point! She could fight Jadis, even if she was ridiculously disadvantaged against her. That thought set a fire in Bridget, her passion burning brightly. Under her helmet, her teeth bared in an excited grin.
¡°Ready!¡± she shouted, eager for another try.
¡°Begin!¡±
This time Syd attacked Bridget slower. Well, slower byparison to her previous attacks, but she was still moving so fast that Bridget was barely able to keep up. Their polearms rang as they struck against each other in a series of passes that showcased how inexperienced Jadis actually was with her new weapon. Bridget hadn¡¯t been able to see it before, having not been able to see much of anything with how much Agility Jadis had, but now that they were fighting in a more extended engagement, she could tell Syd was unfamiliar with how to use the swordstaff.
Syd¡¯s grip kept shifting, weakening her stance and slowing her down unnecessarily as she adjusted and ovepensated. Her footwork was decent, but she was off bnce at times, like she was expecting the de to way more than it did and she was putting too much strength into her swings. She kept leaving her back open, overextending when she thrust forward. When she overextended for the fourth time, Bridget punished her for it, slipping her il through as the head banged against Syd¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Point to Bridget!¡± Steingrimur called.
¡°Shit, that was a good one,¡± Sydughed as she reset her stance.
¡°Yes, I will,¡± Bridget promised, her own voice light with the joy of battle.
Again the fight began, and this time Bridget saw the change in Syd¡¯s movements. She was a fast learner, and the more she fought, the better she got. The little mistakes she¡¯d made were lessening in frequency. Her grip improved, as did her footwork, and she wasn¡¯t overextending as much. When sheshed out at Bridget with a particr overhead swing that was followed by a twist and a pull that nearly yanked the il from her hands, Bridget recognized what Syd was doing. She was copying Bridget¡¯s style, observing and learning how to use her polearm even as they fought. The realization caused a different fire to light in Bridget¡¯s heart, one that burned the knot in her stomach into ash.
As Syd closed in, Bridget blocked her blow, forcing them close to each other as their polearms briefly locked together.
¡°I want you to fuck me so hard right now,¡± Bridget growled with burning love for her warrior lover.
Syd stumbled, the lustymand catching herpletely off guard. Bridget took immediate advantage of the break in concentration tond another blow, this time knocking her il against the side of Syd¡¯s head. She didn¡¯t hold back, hitting Syd¡¯s helmet with full force, and yet Syd¡¯s helm didn¡¯t shift an inch as her gaze was locked onto Bridget.
¡°Point to Bridget!¡± echoed in the training grounds, not that Bridget much cared anymore.
¡°You¡¯ve got to beat me first, though,¡± she told Syd, speaking only loud enough for just her to hear. ¡°So hurry up and beat me.¡±
Syd didn¡¯t answer, instead simply pulling back to take up her stance on the far side of the ring. Bridget readied her own weapon, not willing to make this next engagement too easy on her giant lover.
¡°Begin!¡±
Before Bridget knew what was happening, her head was spinning and a strong grip was around her waist. In the next moment, she felt her feetnd onto the ground, the fact that she had been held dangling in the air only registering after she had been set back down. Looking up, she saw that she had her back pressed up against Syd¡¯s front, one of Syd¡¯s arms around her waist while her il wasn¡¯t even in her hands anymore. Syd was holding her own weapon and Bridget¡¯s in one hand, having disarmed her without her even noticing.
¡°Point to Jadis by ring out!¡± Steingrimur shouted.
Syd didn¡¯t immediately let go, her breathing hot and heavy, her helm causing it to echo in an ominous way. The fire inside of Bridget grew brighter with each breath, like a bellows fanning the me.
¡°Go wait for me in our room,¡± Syd whispered to Bridget, her voice husky with lust. ¡°I¡¯ll be up as soon as I take care of something.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Bridget gulped, stepping away from Syd. ¡°See you there.¡±
As Bridget shakily took her il back from Syd, she walked away from the sparring ring with as much dignity as she could muster. She didn¡¯t think anyone had overheard what Syd had told her to do, but as she passed by Kerr and Thea who were practicing together, the therion gave her a sly wink.
Bridget¡¯s face burned, but she didn¡¯t feel any regret. So what if a few of the warriors around the ring might have overheard her and Syd talking? They were lovers, weren¡¯t they? Lovers fucked. That was a fact of life. And ideally, she and Jadis would be fucking in the near future, as well as for a long, long time.
Who needed a cute blond boy when she had a gorgeous warrior queen to fuck her brains out?
Chapter 363: Stoking the Flame
Chapter 363: Stoking the me
¡°Jadis, I¡¯ve been waiting for bloody hours!¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but cringe a little at Bridget¡¯s voicedint. She couldn¡¯t really me her green-skinned lover for being upset, either. After that little spar of theirs had gotten Jadis¡¯ blood pumping to all the right ces, she¡¯d been eager to show Bridget just how much she desired her. She¡¯d told Bridget to head to their room with the intent to follow soon after for some morning alone time, but a wild thought had subsumed her original intent, one that she hoped would make up for forcing Bridget to wait.
Seeing Bridget stand up from the bed wearing nothing but a light bathrobe made it abundantly clear to Jadis that her lover had been anticipating a fun time as well. The cross look of unhappy impatience made her seem particrly attractive to Jadis for some reason. Something about that fierce expression got Jadis¡¯ blood pumping again, not that she¡¯d ever really lost the desire from a couple hours back.
¡°Sorry,¡± Jay grinned at Bridget, as she leaned against the doorframe. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to take so long, but I¡¯ve got a surprise for you.¡±
¡°What is it?¡± Bridget asked, one brow raising in a look of curiosity. ¡°Also, what happened to your armor?¡±
Jay had left the room earlier that morning wearing her suit of heavy armor, as had Dys and Syd. Coming back, she should have still been wearing it. Instead, all Jay wore was the lightyer of clothing she typically wore under the armor.
¡°I needed to take it off for your surprise," Jay grinned. ¡°I hope you like it.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Bridget frowned, her curiosity piqued. ¡°What¡¯s the surprise.¡±
To answer her lover¡¯s question, Jay stepped into the room and made way for her other selves. Dys entered the room, also without any armor, followed by Syd who was still equipped with her te mail.
And then another Jadis wearing full te armor walked in behind Syd.
And then another.
¡°What the fuck¡?¡± Bridget gaped at the sight, her mouth hanging open to disy her sharp fangs. ¡°What did you do?¡±
¡°Switched around my Debauched Duplication,¡± Dys answered as she strode towards her stunned orc girlfriend. ¡°Figured it would be of some use to your Stoke the Ardent me skill.¡±
¡°Plus, I just thought you¡¯d like to have some fun,¡± Syd grinned as she removed her helmet. ¡°That pounding I gave you in the ring isn¡¯t the only pounding I¡¯m going to give you today.¡±
Bridget looked to be at aplete loss for words. While she came to grips with the new situation, Jay helped her three other selves remove her armor while Dys took a seat on the bed next to where Bridget stood. Wrapping one arm around her warrior woman¡¯s waist, she pulled her in close to stand between Dys¡¯ knees. Bridget didn¡¯t resist the contact at all, seemingly too taken aback by the sight to focus on what Dys was doing.
¡°How¡?¡± Bridget finally uttered, causing Jadis to pause as her selves looked at her from their disrobing.
¡°Well, obviously I had to fuck myself for a couple of hours,¡± one of Jadis¡¯ new bodies said, having removed her helmet and thus able to sh a grin at Bridget. ¡°I used my ritual time reduction skill, otherwise you would have been waiting even longer, but it still took and hour and a half toplete.¡±
¡°Kind of why I don¡¯t just switch things around all the time,¡± Syd shrugged one shoulder. ¡°As much fun as it is to ride my own cock, it¡¯s kind of time consuming.¡±
¡°The real bitch was finding a ce to do it all in privacy,¡± Jayughed as she helped her fifth self take off her boots. ¡°I had to ask Aurea for help. Had her stand guard over a little prayer room while I did the deed. Pretty sure she was peeking towards the end. But at least I wasn¡¯t interrupted.¡±
¡°Next time I do this,¡± Jadis¡¯ fifth self announced as she worked to unbuckle her leg armor, ¡°I need to have extra clothes ready. Wearing this armor without anything underneath it is freaking ufortable.¡±
Bridget continued to watch as Jadis¡¯ selves unequipped their armor, showing that yes, indeed, the two new bodies wore nothing under the armor except for a white loincloth. It seemed that bit of clothing was an integral part of Jadis¡¯ existence, for whatever reason, as it was the same scrap of clothing that she¡¯d spawned into the world with and was the same bit of cloth that her other two selves had materialized with when they had been created.
Dys¡¯ hands found their way inside of Bridget¡¯s robe, running up and down her toned body. She quickly found Bridget¡¯s heavy breasts, fondly squeezing them as her fingers rolled her hard nipples between them. Bridget leaned into the touch, her thighs already rubbing together as the anticipation of what she hading to her began to grow. Her own hands rested on Dys¡¯ legs, using her to support herself as her breathing quickened.
¡°What do I call the two, uh, new yous?¡±
¡°I was thinking about that,¡± Jay mused as she set aside a chest te. ¡°And I think I came up with a couple of good options.¡±
¡°You can call me Adi,¡± one of Jadis¡¯ new bodies said as she stepped out of thest bit of her armor. ¡°From my three middle letters.¡±
¡°And you can call me Dia,¡± Jadis¡¯ other new body said as she stripped away her loincloth to reveal her cock already at half-mast. ¡°A little mix on the letters. I considered going with Ida, but I have an aunt named Ida so using that name feels weird.¡±
¡°Or just call me whatever the fuck you want,¡± Syd cooed as she stepped in front of Bridget, putting her hands on her knees as she leaned down to put her face on eye level with her favorite orc warrior. ¡°Because I¡¯m pretty sure you aren¡¯t going to be able to tell the difference between any of me after the first couple of hours.¡±
¡°Hours?¡± Bridget breathily moaned, her dark eyes wide as her nostrils red.
¡°Hours,¡± Syd confirmed. ¡°You aren¡¯t leaving this bed for at least the next five or six hours unless you¡¯re impaled on one of my cocks. Unless, of course, you don¡¯t think you can handle all of me?¡±
Bridget gulped, then nodded once.
¡°I can handle you. All of you. I want all of you. Always.¡±
The unexpected seriousness in Bridget¡¯s voice caused Jadis to pause, all her lustful desires taking a backseat, at least for a moment. Syd¡¯s grin softened as she leaned in close to Bridget¡¯s face, her whispered words caressing her lover¡¯s lips.
¡°I want all of you, too.¡±
Bridget made a noise in her throat before she closed the gap and pressed her mouth against Syd¡¯s in a tender kiss that made Jadis¡¯ toes curl. When Bridget broke the kiss a few secondster, she didn¡¯t pull back far, continuing to speak with her face pressed close to Syd¡¯s.
¡°Thank you,¡± she murmured. ¡°Now, hurry up and fuck me already you absolute menace. Don¡¯t make me drag you by the scruff to our bed.¡±
¡°I dunno,¡± Syd chuckled. ¡°I might like it if you get rough with me.¡±
¡°Bloody pervert,¡± Bridget growled as she pulled back from Syd. ¡°I¡¯ll show you rough.¡±
pping Dys¡¯ hands away from her breasts, Bridget reached forward and grabbed hold of Syd¡¯s cock with one hand. Her firm grip wrapped around her stiff member like it was the shaft of her il, or at least she tried to do so; Syd¡¯s cock was far too thick for Bridget to fully wrap her fingers around. Still, with a very firm tug, she pulled Syd along, forcing her to swing around so her back was to the bed.
¡°Keep mouthing off and I¡¯ll teach you not to tease someone who¡¯s teeth are so close to crotch height,¡± she mock-threatened before giving Syd¡¯s cockhead a wet kiss.
¡°Keep acting like that and I¡¯ll teach you not to tease someone who¡¯s cock is at your head¡¯s height,¡± Syd shot back with a grin.
Another growl rumbled out of Bridget¡¯s throat as she pushed hard against Syd, forcing her to fall back onto the bed. Discarding her borrowed robe to reveal her muscr warrior¡¯s body, the beautiful orc crawled onto the bed on her hands and knees, making her way between Syd¡¯s legs to arrive at her cock again. She began licking and stroking her shaft, asionally nipping at her sensitive flesh in a way that couldn¡¯t truly hurt Jadis.
As shevished her cock with attention, Bridget level Syd with a hungry gaze that promised she was just as insatiable as Jadis was. Working her way up the pale pir, she paused at the top, just before her open mouth was set to engulf Syd¡¯s twitching member. Looking over her shoulder, she shot a questioning look at the rest of Jadis while shaking her hips in an enticing wiggle.
¡°Well? What are you waiting for?¡±
The other four of Jadis answered in unison, their hard cocks bobbing with their heartbeats as they stood together in a cluster behind Bridget.
¡°Just enjoying the show.¡±
Without further need for invitation, Jadis moved in and quickly began finding new ways to explore Bridget¡¯s body with a couple more pairs of hands.
Jadis wasn¡¯t wholly sure how much time had passed before her time with Bridget was briefly interrupted, but when the cry of shocked surprise pulled her out of her lust-haze, she nced out the window to see that the sun had moved at least a few hours closer to the horizon.
¡°What the fuck¡?¡± Kerr gaped at the scene, standing nearly the still partially open doorway to their suite.
¡°Oh, hey Kerr,¡± Dia panted, feeling a bit breathless as she leaned back and away from the cluster fuck on the bed. ¡°Did you need something?¡±
It took her therion lover a moment to respond, Dia¡¯s question not quite registering until the question was asked a second time. When she finally did realize that Jadis was addressing her, Kerr blinked and shook her head as if to clear it.
¡°Uh, yeah,¡± she said, her eyes fixed on the bed, or rather, the bed¡¯s upants. ¡°I wanted to go out to, uh, explore a few ces in the city and I needed to get my coin purse¡ªis she alright?¡±
¡°Huh?¡± Dia blinked, then looked down at Bridget. ¡°Oh, her? Yeah, Bridget¡¯s doing just fine.¡±
At Kerr¡¯s question, Bridget gurgled, her throat convulsing around Dys¡¯ cock in a way that sent shivers down her spine. Taking it for the signal that it was, Dys pulled back, letting her cock pop free of Bridget¡¯s mouth. With a wet smack, her cum and saliva coated cock fell across Bridget¡¯s face, the meaty shaft covering half of it as she turned to meet Kerr¡¯s eyes.
¡°Hey,¡± Bridget gasped, her throat a bit raspy from sucking Nephilim cocks for the past several hours. ¡°Kerr. You¡¯ve got to try this. I think my brain fell out of my head a couple hours ago, but it¡¯s so worth it.¡±
Bridget¡¯s assertion made Jadisugh, causing some interesting sensations considering where several of her cocks were currently shoved.
¡°Okay then¡¡± Kerr tilted her head, seemingly to get a better look at the lewd tableau before her. ¡°I¡¯m, uh, definitely feeling a little shown up here. Was not expecting you to out lewd me, green bean.¡±
¡°I can be ambitious,¡± Bridget grinned before Dys pped her cock on her face a couple times.
¡°Hey, enough chat,¡± shemanded. ¡°I¡¯m still fucking you for at least another hour.¡±
¡°Duty calls,¡± Bridget quipped and gave Kerr a wink before letting Dys cram her cock down her throat again.
¡°Okay then,¡± Kerr announced, still looking pretty nonplussed. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll just, hm, go and get my coin purse then. You two, er, six, keep at it.¡±
¡°See youter Kerr,¡± All five of Jadis called as the archer quickly grabbed her coin pouch from her belongings before making her way back to the door. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about fitting you into this setupter!¡±
¡°Yes, we will,¡± was thest thing Jadis could hear Kerr say before she exited the room.
¡°Now, where were we?¡± Dia asked Bridget as Dys pulled her cock out of her throat once more.
¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I was about to cum,¡± Bridget panted, her eyes clouded with lust. ¡°And you were about to cover my tits in your cum while your others were going to fill my stomach, ass, and pussy with even more of your seed.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t forget about me,¡± Syd pouted from Bridget¡¯s other side.
¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Bridgetughed as she tugged on Syd¡¯s cock with her right hand. ¡°You¡¯reing on my tits too.¡±
¡°Ah, but which of us is doing which?¡± Jay asked from underneath Bridget, her voice slightly muffled by Dys¡¯ legs due to positioning.
¡°I don¡¯t bloody care,¡± Bridget gasped before positioning Dys¡¯ tip at her lips with her own hand. ¡°As long as you¡¯re Jadis, that¡¯s all that I want.¡±
Chapter 364: Perfectly Jadis
Chapter 364: Perfectly Jadis
¡°You leveled?¡±
¡°Yup,¡± Jay nodded before taking a sip of a sweet juice that tasted faintly like kiwi fruit. ¡°Level twenty-seven in my ritualist ss now.¡±
¡°That makes you CLR fifty-nine,¡± A eximed, though she quickly tempered her voice so as not to attract attention from all the priests in the dining hall. ¡°You¡¯re so close to unlocking your tertiary ss now.¡±
¡°And you got that level from fucking Bridget? With five of you?¡± Kerr asked, her expression a mix of annoyance and envy.
¡°I did,¡± Jay shrugged. ¡°Bridget got a level, too.¡±
¡°What?¡± Kerr yelped, then turned in her seat to glower at the orc who was sitting a little further down the table near Sabina and Syd. ¡°She got to have five of you all to herself for a day and she got a level out of it? Some girls have all the fucking luck¡¡±
Bridget shot Kerr a coy grin, though her attention was more on Sabina who was grilling her for information on what it had been like to have sex with five of Jadis at once. Not the most appropriate of breakfast conversations, but the table they had to themselves in the temple dining hall was separate enough from the other upants of the room that they couldn¡¯t be easily overheard.
Jadis hadn¡¯t kept her extra two bodies for long, instead choosing to revert back to her typical setup once she¡¯d exhausted Bridget with their day of debauchery. As a consequence, not everyone had gotten to ¡°meet¡± Jadis¡¯ extra selves, though the fact that she could alter her skills to have five bodies was a big topic of discussion that morning.
¡°What skill did you get for your level?¡± A asked Jay, refocusing her attention. ¡°Was it a new ritual?¡±
¡°It was,¡± Jay confirmed with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s a good one too. I¡¯ll give you the details when we¡¯re in private, but it¡¯s an emergency healing skill for situations where I can¡¯t get healing from Eir.¡±
A looked extremely interested in hearing more, but she didn¡¯t press Jay for any further information. Even though they were somewhat separated from everyone else, they were still in a huge hall full of dozens of clerics and priests. There was no knowing who might have a skill to help them listen in. Jadis didn¡¯t want to broadcast her new skill details to the world atrge, especially since it was then kind of skill that could make a serious difference in a life and death situation.
The new ritual Jadis had unlocked after she realized she¡¯d level some time during her debauched rampage with Bridget was called Ceremony of Licentious Regeneration. The description details were long, but the effect was fairly self-exnatory in Jadis¡¯ opinion.
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Ceramony of Licentious Regeneration
Ritual Spell. For every climax shared with an individual other than yourself, store a charge of healing equal to 0.1 of your Eldritch attribute. Upon actively triggering the ritual¡¯s end, use all stored charges to heal yourself, draining all charges in the process. Once initiated, the ritual does not end unless cancelled or the healing effect is triggered. Climaxes achieved while performing a different ritual do not count towards the Ceramony of Licentious Regeneration and will not increase the number of stored charges. This spell cannot regenerate lost limbs orpletely missing organs.
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In essence, the ritual acted as an ¡°Oh shit I¡¯m about to die¡± button. If Jadis was in a seriously life-threating situation, she could trigger the ritual effect and she¡¯d heal for what would likely be a ridiculous amount. A single charge would only heal her for about twenty-six health points; chump change numbers whenpared to her nearly two thousand health point maximum. However, since she had three bodies, just one round of sex with one lover would her almost eighty stored healing points. And that was just from one round. Jadis rarely went for just a single trio of climaxes, especially not with her many sexy lovers. Even discounting the times where she had sex for the purpose of some other ritual, Jadis was positive that she¡¯d have hundreds, if not thousands of points stored up in a week¡¯s time. Of course, triggering the effect would use everything up in one go and over-healing wasn¡¯t a thing, so there was no benefit to having excess charges stored. Not that Jadis cared about that. She really didn¡¯t have any interest in optimizing every aspect of her life, nor her rtionships with her lovers. Still, it was good to have a failsafe healing spell that she could use on herself in dire emergencies.
Actually, now that Jadis thought about it, her calctions were wrong. Not so far as the amount of sex she was likely to have in any given week, but in terms of her attributes.
When Jadis had switched her Debauched Duplication so that she had five bodies, she¡¯d done so to help improve Bridget¡¯s stats. Well, she¡¯d also done it so she could fuck her orc lover five-ways to Sunday, but the stats were a big part of it. In the process though, Jadis had also improved her own stats since she had Bridget¡¯s Stoke the Arden me replicated. Due to the nature of the skill, both she and Bridget had increased their four chosen attributes by ten points each. For Jadis, that meant her new totals were looking pretty good. She hadn¡¯t thought to review her main status sheet after her day-long bout of debauchery since her mind had been¡ hazy. But now that she was far more awake and aware, she could look at her status and smile at the results of all her hard work.
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Jadis Ahlstrom
Race: Nephilim
Primary ss: Mirror Knight (32)
Secondary ss: Perverted Ritualist of D (27)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 59
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Health: 2040/2040
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Magic: 310/310
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Attributes
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Strength: 362
Dexterity: 124
Agility: 286
Vitality: 174
Fortitude: 209
Endurance: 136
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Arcane: 0
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 286
Focus: 1
Resilience: 115
Will: 5
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Well holy socks on a naked nun, Jadis actually did have two thousand health points. In fact, all of her physical attributes had gone up significantly. The downside of the boost, though, was that she¡¯d need to temporarily switch her duplication ritual at least once every ten days to maintain it. She was only able to keep the extra numbers as long as she had five of her selves to fuck herself with. That went for Bridget, too. They¡¯d need to make an event out of Stoking the Ardent me every week, just to be on the safe side.
Not that Jadis wasining about the prospect. While she wouldn¡¯t want to have five bodies all the time since it stretched the limits of her ability to multitask, Refracted Mind only helping but so much, increasing the number of her selves had been fun and was something she looked forward to doing again. Especially since it was improving not only her stats, but the stats of her lovers as well.
Bridget¡¯s level up hade from her Ardent Light of the Reborn ss, bringing her secondary up to thirteen and her overall CLR to thirty-six. Since it was also an odd numbered level, she¡¯d been able to choose a new skill as well. She¡¯d told Jadis the one she¡¯d gone with had been inspired by their spar, specifically with how big a difference Jadis¡¯ speed had made in their fight.
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Ardent Light¡¯s Celerity
Passive Skill. Increases the Agility attribute by 10 points.
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While the straight attribute boost didn¡¯t seem like muchpared to the numbers Bridget had gained from a single night of passion with five of Jadis, much less the increases Jadis was sporting, ten points for a sub-level twenty skill was actually an incredible number for most people. Bridget had nearly doubled her Agility score with one level, and that was nothing to sneeze at.
For her part, Jadis approved of the choice. Bridget was doing her best to bnce out her stats so that she was an all-around solidbatant, rather than hyper-focusing now that Jadis was able to help her with her Arcane attribute. Jadis thought it was a wise decision, though maybe that was because she herself was in the position of having high numbers across all of her stats.
With her new improvements, Bridget¡¯s status sheet looked far stronger than it used to.
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Bridget of n Warsong
Race: Orc
Primary ss: Lantern Light Landsknecht (23)
Secondary ss: Ardent Light of the Reborn (13)
Tertiary ss: None
Combined Level Rating: 36
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Health: 250/250
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Magic: 200/200
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Attributes
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Strength: 51
Dexterity: 7
Agility: 25
Vitality: 25
Fortitude: 15
Endurance: 20
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Arcane: 182
Divine: 0
Eldritch: 0
Focus: 30
Resilience: 15
Will: 31
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Aside from the extra numbersing from the new passive skill and her own Stoke the Arden me, Bridget¡¯s Arcane stat had also gone up by another ten points thanks to Jadis¡¯ improved Eldritch stat. In fact, all of her lovers had had their bonded attribute go up by ten points thanks to the skill. Truly, fucking Bridget with five different bodies was a boon to everyone.
Well, almost everyone.
Jadis still hadn¡¯t gone any further than some kissing and maybe a little petting when it came to Sorcha. They were still feeling each other out, getting used to their rtionship dynamic. Jadis hadn¡¯t had too much time to spare for Sorcha since their previous date day, but she was still treating her the same way she would any of her other lovers, which seemed to be the right call. Sorcha was growing more and morefortable among the group, finding her voice in more conversations and feeling a lot lesspunction against using her sarcastic wit to point out when someone was saying or doing something stupid.
She wasn¡¯t sure when their rtionship would move on to the next level, but Jadis wasn¡¯t feeling rushed about it. They¡¯d get there when they were both ready.
Alex, however, was a different situation.
Dys¡¯ violet eyes met Alex¡¯s three neon blue ones as she looked at her demonicpanion. Alex sat across the table from her, wearing the clothing she¡¯d been given without fuss, sipping on a cup of sweet juice. Her te was empty since the Demon had no need to eat, but ever since she¡¯d gone drinking with Jadis at The Silver Lute, Alex had taken to sipping on sweet drinks, and even asionally tasting foods if they smelled sweet enough. Alex hadn¡¯t said much since they¡¯d all gathered for breakfast, which wasn¡¯t unusual. While her vocabry was rapidly expanding every day, the Demon still didn¡¯t like to vocalize her thoughts much, instead relying on her bodynguage to convey her mood and intentions.
Alex wasn¡¯t the only one who had improved her knowledge. Jadis had gotten better at reading Alex¡¯s alien movements, recognizing it for thenguage that it was. She¡¯d even started to pick up on the various scents that Alex exuded when she was conveying a particrly strong emotion. While she was far from conversant in the Demon way ofmunication, Jadis felt like she had a pretty good handle on how to interpret Alex¡¯s signals. And the signals she was getting this morning were clear as crystal.
Alex wanted to have sex with Jadis.
That wasn¡¯t exactly a revtion. Alex had been open about her intentions ever since she¡¯d had the right kind of body to be able to convey them. In fact, looking back on how Alex had acted when she was just a little squid in a jar, Jadis was pretty sure Alex had been trying tomunicate her intent even then. Ever since she¡¯d gotten a body that waspatible with her, Alex had been straining at the leash to get at Jadis. That was part of why Jadis had finally broken down and given Alex what she had wanted, at least in part. They hadn¡¯t gone all the way, but Jadis had performed oral sex on her loyal Demon, which was a pretty huge step.
For the past week, Jadis had been making passionate love to herpanions, a fact that Jadis knew Alex was aware of. How couldn¡¯t she be? Most of the time, she was in an adjoining room, no doubt both listening to and ¡°tasting¡± the lewd activities. She¡¯d already gotten a direct taste for what those activities felt like. Now that today was her day to have Jadis all to herself, she didn¡¯t seem like she was going to be patient anymore.
¡°So, Alex,¡± Dys addressed the Demon woman sitting across from her. ¡°Anywhere in particr you want to go today?¡±
¡°Bed¡¡± Alex replied instantly, her strangely two-toned voicecking the proper inflection, but her demeanor and scent conveying her message without issue.
¡°I was thinking more along the lines of doing something fun together,¡± Dys demurred, not denying Alex¡¯s intention but not agreeing to it just yet either. ¡°I was hoping we could spend some time together just talking about, you know, us.¡±
Alex tilted her head questioningly, a movement that wasn¡¯t part of her natural bodynguage but something she¡¯d picked up from watching others.
¡°I want to know more about you,¡± Dys exined. ¡°And I want you to know more about me. That¡¯s a big part of what dates are for. They¡¯re so people in a rtionship can get to know each other. If we¡¯re going to be in a rtionship like that, I want us to know each other.¡±
Alex seemed to consider that for a while, turning the words over in her head, probably recontextualizing them in whatever way made sense to her alien mind. Most of the time, Jadis was confident in Alex¡¯s ability to understand what she meant, but sometimes when Jadis said something, her Demonicpanion came back at her with utterly bizarre responses that Jadis could only attribute to the differences in their biology. She had to wonder if this was going to be one of those times.
¡°I do know you¡¡± Alex finally said, her voice confident and unwavering. ¡°I know¡ Everything¡ You are Jadis¡ You are¡ Perfection¡¡±
That was a startling statement, one that not only drew a frown from Jadis¡¯ selves, but nces from the rest of Jadis¡¯panions who were sitting near enough to overhear Alex¡¯s words.
¡°Alex, I¡¯m not perfect,¡± Dys spoke slowly, worried that she might upset Alex but not wanting her Demonpanion to live under false perceptions. ¡°I¡¯m far from perfect. I make mistakes all the time. Big ones. You shouldn¡¯t think of me as perfect.¡±
Nodding her head in agreement, Alex smiled, the grin on her face not wholly natural, though Jadis could tell by the way her tentacles were moving that Alex truly meant the smile. She reached out one of herrge, monstrous arms and ced a hand on top of Dys¡¯ hand in a mimicked gesture of reassurance.
¡°No¡ Jadis is not¡. Perfect¡ Jadis can be stupid¡ Stupid like Demons¡ But Jadis is Perfect¡ Perfectly Jadis¡ As she¡ Should be¡¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely certain how to feel about Alex¡¯s words. Her Demon wasn¡¯t treating her like an idol to be worshiped, a significant worry considering Alex had a ss dedicated to her name. Instead, she was aware of Jadis¡¯ ws and simply epted them as a part of Jadis, seeing her for what she was and not as some kind of idealized version of herself. That was earnestly one of the most touching things anyone had ever said to Jadis.
There was one little hup to address, though.
¡°Did you just call me stupid?¡± Dys asked, tilting her head in mock indignation.
Alex kept the grin on her face as her tentacles curled in mischievous delight.
¡°Yes¡¡±
Chapter 365: A Good Person
Chapter 365: A Good Person
¡°Hey, are you cheating?¡±
¡°No¡¡±
Jay red at Alex, her violet eyes narrowed in suspicion. The Demon stared back at her, utterly calm and unflinching. She affected the air of perfect innocence, showing that she had nothing to hide.
Jadis didn¡¯t believe her.
¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯re getting that lucky every time,¡± Jay groused as she tossed her cards down onto the table. ¡°That¡¯s five times in a row you¡¯ve gone out before me. You¡¯re hiding cards in your tentacles, aren¡¯t you?¡±
Alex raised her tentacles, showing that she had nothing hidden. Her smile was bratty, almost taunting, and was clearly something she had picked up from watching Kerr.
¡°I¡ Am¡ Luckier than¡ You¡¡±
¡°Bullshit,¡± Jay cursed after making a rude noise with her lips. ¡°You¡¯re doing something funky, I can tell. You¡¯re just good at ying all sweet and innocent when really you gained some kind of master ¡®card shark¡¯ skill while I wasn¡¯t looking.¡±
Alex tilted her head to the side, showing her confusion.
¡°Card¡ Shark¡?¡±
Jay chuckled before exining what the term meant. There were always new phrases for Alex to learn, though the number was decreasing every day. She¡¯d really gotten good at understanding imperial, to the point that she could extrapte the meaning of a lot of words from context. Card Shark was a bit too strange for Alex to understand without a more in-depth exnation, but still. Jadis was basically able to have whole conversations with Alex without having to worry about anything important being lost in trantion, for the most part. More importantly, when there was something that either she or Alex didn¡¯t understand about what the other was saying, they were aware enough to stop the other and ask for rification.
¡°Let¡¯s y a different game,¡± Dys suggested, getting up from where she¡¯d been lounging by the fire. ¡°They have chess here, or at least a version that¡¯s pretty much the same. I¡¯ll teach it to you. I think you¡¯ll like it.¡±
¡°Yes¡¡± Alex agreed without argument.
Jay and Syd stood as well, helping Alex to stand out of courtesy. Not that there was any real need to. With how Alex¡¯s tentacles were, she could easily rise from any position in the blink of an eye. But it felt right to offer her hand to Alex and pull her up. She¡¯d do the same for any of her lovers, even though few of them would need that kind of help either.
¡°I think I saw a chessboard in the library,¡± Dysmented as she led the way out the door. ¡°Let¡¯s head there and see if it¡¯s free.¡±
While Jadis was genuinely interested in ying chess, she had suggested the idea more to give her and Alex a change of scenery than anything else. She and Alex had been sequestered in their room all morning, ying various card games and reading books. After breakfast, Jadis had gone about her early morning training with the intention to take Alex out to explore wherever interested her after. However, snow had begun to fall well before the morning exercises were done. By the time she and the others had called it quits, the skies had really opened up and the city had been caught in a whiteout. Looking out the windows, Jadis could barely make out the temple courtyard with how heavy the snow was falling.
Alex didn¡¯t seem to mind the cold and Jadis had a pretty strong tolerance to low temperatures thanks to her high Fortitude, but a blizzard made going outside unptable. Instead, they had decided to stay indoors and y games.
The point, of course, wasn¡¯t to just y around. The whole reason for the yful activities was so that Jadis could get some true alone time with Alex, and vice versa. So far, Jadis felt like she hadn¡¯t learned enough about her Demonpanion. At least, not as much as she knew about her otherpanions. Over the months that she¡¯d known her girls, Jadis had learned many things about them, mostly just from idle talk while travelling or sitting around a campfire. That hadn¡¯t happened with Alex, and not just because the Demon was only recently capable of meaningfulmunication. Alex didn¡¯t have a life before Jadis to reveal in tragic tales or humorous anecdotes. Alex had literally been with Jadis since before she¡¯d hatched, and a lot of that time had just been her sitting inside of a ss jar.
It was a weird thought, when Jadis analyzed the timeline that way. She knew pretty much everything about Alex¡¯s story, starting from her birth, since she¡¯d hatched in a jar Jadis had kept in box. Alex had no ¡°childhood¡± to speak of, either. She was born an adult, a physically mature Demon at any rate, as grown as she was going to get since she¡¯d gained a ss as soon as she¡¯d hatched. From everything Jadis had learned from talking with Alex, Demons just didn¡¯t have adolescent or immature forms. They were eggs first, semi-conscious and at least capable of being influenced by their surroundings to a minor degree, and then upon hatching they were adults, their minds already fully formed. Since Jadis had taken Alex¡¯s egg from the dead body of her Matriarch, she¡¯d known Alex her whole life.
That was another weird thought. She¡¯d killed Alex¡¯s mother. Not without good cause, of course, since Alex¡¯s mother had been trying to kill her, but still. The idea kind of put a damper on any discussions on parents and family. Not that Alex seemed to care about her dead mother. So far as Jadis could gather from their conversations, Alex¡¯s only real opinion on the matter was that her mother had been ¡°stupid¡± for trying to kill Jadis.
In any case, even though Alex had been with Jadis for virtually her entire existence, Jadis still felt like she didn¡¯t know the Demon, not the way she knew her lovers. Alex¡¯s thoughts were still sometimes and enigma to her. She wanted to understand Alex better, on her terms. It was hard to think of topics to discuss sometimes, though.
Thinking about Alex¡¯s matriarch and the way Alex so easily dismissed her death did bring one question to Jadis¡¯ mind.
¡°Alex,¡± Jay asked as she strode with her through the halls of the temple, ¡°do you hate other Demons?¡±
¡°Yes¡¡± Alex replied without any hesitation.
¡°All other Demons?¡± Jay pressed, her brow creased with concern. ¡°As a species? Everyst one?¡±
¡°All¡ I have met¡¡± Alex rified after a moment. ¡°All are¡ Stupid¡ Cruel¡ Blind¡¡±
¡°You don¡¯t think any of them can be reasoned with? They¡¯re all just, I don¡¯t know, doomed to kill or be killed? I mean, you¡¯re a Demon, but you aren¡¯t like they are. You don¡¯t think there are other Demons like you?¡±
God, it felt weird to phrase the question like that. It almost felt like she was asking Alex if there were any ¡°good ones¡± among her race, a topic she did not want to engage with. Still, Demons were a whole different species and they were all of them hostile, at least so far as Jadis had experienced. She didn¡¯t know with certainty why that was, though she had some suspicions. She hoped Alex could help illuminate the reasons behind the demonic aggression.
Alex took her time answering Jay¡¯s question. It was a difficult one, so Jadis couldn¡¯t me her for thinking her answer over a few times. Honestly, that was better than just a flippant response in Jadis¡¯ opinion. It meant Alex wasn¡¯t being dismissive of the concern but was truly thinking it through.
It wasn¡¯t until after they had made it to the temple¡¯s small library and imed a table for themselves that Alex finally answered. Jadis had just finished setting up all the pieces when Alex made a few movements with her tentacles that Jadis was able to interpret as meaning Alex was saying something serious.
¡°There could¡ Be others¡¡± she started. ¡°But¡ Most listen¡ to¡ The Urge¡¡±
¡°The Urge?¡± Jay repeated quietly, all her attention on Alex¡¯s halting words.
¡®The Urge¡ Is wrong¡¡± Alex tried her best to exin a concept that she was obviously struggling to convey. ¡°It wants me to¡ Do bad things¡ To hurt you¡ To hurt others¡ Kill¡¡±
¡°The Urge isn¡¯ting from you, is it?¡± Jay asked, her voice calm even though her heart was beating fast. ¡°Do you feel that way, wanting to hurt others?¡±
Alex shook her head while flexing her tentacles in a way that indicated emphatic denial. Jadis could even smell a faintly acrid scent waft from Alex that reinforced the signs her body was disying.
¡°No¡¡± She intoned with finality. ¡°The Urge is¡ Other¡ The Urge wants¡ Death¡ I do not¡ Want death¡ It is not¡ Me¡¡±
¡°I know,¡± Jay smiled as she reached out and put her hand over Alex¡¯s to give it aforting squeeze. ¡°You would never hurt anyone, not unless they were trying to hurt someone else.¡±
¡°This Urge,¡± Dys mused after a short pause. ¡°Ites from outside of you, right?¡±
When Alex nodded, she continued with her theory.
¡°It sounds a lot like what I¡¯ve experienced with Lyssandria. Just a sort of¡ nudge of emotion or sh of a feeling. Like someone else is sharing my mind for a moment and I¡¯m feeling their emotions. Is that what it¡¯s like?¡±
Alex nodded again, her expression difficult to read but her tentacles showing a tentative confirmation.
¡°I think that Urge you are feeling has to be from Samleos. He¡¯s trying to direct you to do things that he wants, that will further his goals. You¡¯re a god¡¯s avatar, after all, just like me.¡±
¡°Yes¡¡± Alex agreed, her body drooping slightly. ¡°Samleos¡ The Father¡ He is¡ The Urge¡¡±
¡°Father?¡± Syd raised an eyebrow at the unexpected familial title. ¡°You think of Samleos as your father?¡±
Alex shook her head, then made a few motions that indicated uncertainty.
¡°The other¡ Demons¡ Call Samleos Father¡ It is¡ The word¡ With the closest¡ Taste¡¡±
Disturbed by what Alex was saying, all three of Jadis leaned in towards her Demonpanion. Jay spoke softly, keeping her voice down so that anyone else in the library who might be near wouldn¡¯t overhear.
¡°You¡¯ve spoken to other Demons?¡±
Alex¡¯s motions changed, bing stiff with anxiety as she struggled to answer the question.
¡°When you¡ Fight them¡ I see them¡ I taste them¡ I hear them¡ They speak¡ I listen¡ They are terrible¡ They follow¡ The Urge¡ I would destroy them all¡ To silence what they scream¡ To stop them¡ From bing Death¡¡±
Sliding across the floor, Dys pulled Alex off of the chair she¡¯d been sitting in and set her down into herp. Wrapping her arms around Alex, she hugged the Demon to her chest, giving her thefort that she so desperately needed. With every word she¡¯d spoken, Alex had grown more and more distressed, her bodynguage showing an extreme fear that hurt Jadis¡¯ heart to witness.
This was her fault. Before Jadis had known the extent of Alex¡¯s intelligence, she¡¯d thought of her as nothing more than an experiment, or maybe a particrly smart pet. She¡¯d cared enough about Alex to protect her from being summarily destroyed, but she¡¯d also not truly given any consideration to Alex¡¯s mental well-being. For all the time Jadis had travelled the wilds of Weigrun with herpanions while searching for the Dryads, Alex had been trapped in a ss cage that hung from the front of the wagon. She¡¯d seen pretty much every one of Jadis¡¯ fights against Demons. She¡¯s seen Jadis and herpanions kill hundreds, if not thousands of Demons. Which meant Alex had been able to see, hear, and taste the shouts, cries, and deaths of every single one of them, experiencing a silent ughter that only she could understand thenguage of.
What the fuck had Jadis been thinking.
Alex¡¯s tentacles slid around Dys, wrapping her up in a cool embrace. Her touch was tender, an expression of love that Jadis wasn¡¯t sure she deserved. With deliberate intent, Alex raised one of Dys¡¯ hands to her lips. She ced a kiss on one finger, her soft skin brushing against a pale knuckle. Slowly, Alex kissed each of Dys¡¯ fingers, finishing by bringing Dys¡¯ hand to the side of face so that she could rest her head against the palm.
¡°They chose¡ To Follow¡ The Urge¡¡± Alex spoke, her eyes closed infortable bliss. ¡°Their choice¡ Was wrong¡ Do not be sad¡ They would not¡ Be sad¡ For you¡¡±
How Alex could still show such selfless concern for Jadis after everything she¡¯d put the Demon through was a mystery. She¡¯d never intentionally done any harm to Alex, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that she¡¯d been aplete idiot. She should be apologizing to Alex, begging for her forgiveness for forcing her to watch her kind be killed in droves. And yet, Alex¡¯s only worry was that Jadis was sad.
¡°You¡¯re a really good person, Alex,¡± Dys croaked, her throat feeling unexpectedly tight. ¡°Did I ever tell you that?¡±
¡°No¡¡± Alex answered, still happily leaning into Dys¡¯ embrace.
¡°Well, you are,¡± Dys repeated. ¡°You¡¯re a very, very good person.¡±
¡°I know¡¡± Alex smiled.
¡°Of course you do, you know it all,¡± Dysughed before kissing Alex¡¯s cheek. ¡°Now, how about we stop talking about such serious shit. I was going to show you how to y chess.¡±
¡°Alright¡¡±
Jadis kept Alex in Dys¡¯p, happy to hug and be hugged by the Demon. She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d lost her appetite for killing Demons, not based off of her past experiences with the terrible monsters, but Alex had definitely introduced her to a new perspective that was going to take a lot more time to process ande to terms with. But Jadis was done with heavy conversation for the time being. There was only so much she could take in one sitting.
There was one more question she had to have an answer to, though.
¡°Alex,¡± Jay said as she leaned across the chessboard to look the Demon in the eyes. ¡°What made you decide to not listen to The Urge?¡±
Alex grinned, showing her bright teeth as one long tentacle wrapped around Dys¡¯ shoulder and stroked the side of her face.
¡°I hatched and¡ I saw you¡ And you¡ Were beautiful¡ Perfectly beautiful¡ And then¡ The Urge¡ told me to¡ Destroy you¡ And I knew¡ The Urge was wrong¡ So I did not¡ Destroy you¡ And The Urge became angry¡ So¡ I knew¡ I should never¡ Ever¡ Listen to anything¡ It had to say¡ Ever again¡¡±
Jadis smiled, a small huff ofughter escaping her lips.
¡°Thanks for not destroying me.¡±
¡°You¡¯re wee¡¡±
Chapter 366: A Demon’s Choice
Chapter 366: A Demon¡¯s Choice
Alex turned out to be good at chess. A little too good, in fact. No rule needed to be repeated; once Alex had something exined to her, she did not forget it, her only troubles with understanding usuallying from subtleties and context. Chess was straight forward enough, so as soon as she understood the rules and the goal, Alex took to the game like a squid to water.
Jadis was no chess expert, but she¡¯d always been decently good at the game, enough that she¡¯d even briefly considered joining the chess team when she was in high school. She hadn¡¯t had much of a social life anyway, so it had seemed like a decent idea at the time. That was, of course, until she sat in on a chess club meeting and halfway through the meet they started ying ¡°strip chess¡± and Jadis realized that chess club nerds were a little too freaky, even for her.
In any case, Jadis felt she was a pretty good chess yer. Then Alex beat her in four moves and she was forced to reconsider her own ability.
After Alex¡¯s eighth win against Jadis, a few of the priestesses who had been watching from a distance approached and offered to y. After Alex beat both of them in less than twenty moves each, more priestesses showed up and before long, a small crowd of Lyssandria¡¯s clerics and priests were ying against Alex. Two more chess boards were scrounged up from somewhere and Alex ended up ying three games at once, somehow easily keeping up with the multiple games without any issue. By dinner time, Alex had won a total of eighty-nine games and had only lost twice. The two priestesses who had managed to gain victories over Alex wereuded as chess experts by the rest of the gathering and were given special ribbons someone had cobbled together.
Alex was awarded a much bigger ribbon and was given the title ¡°The Demon Queen of Chess¡± by the crowd, an de that was given as a good-natured jest. While there were still some anxious looks directed at Alex whenever one of her tentacles were used to move a chess piece, overall the priestesses seemed to lose a lot of their reserve around the Demon. A big part of that probably came from the fact that Alex continued to sit in Dys¡¯p the whole afternoon, clearly enjoying being cuddled, and wouldin any time Dys tried to move.
After the impromptu tournament was over, Jadis took Alex back to their room to have a quiet meal in privacy rather than join the rest of the temple in the dining hall. Jadis wasn¡¯t all that hungry, having snacked on various treats that the priestesses had brought her all afternoon, so dinner was light. Alex didn¡¯t eat, instead just watching Jadis as she finished off what were, for her, small tes of food.
When Jadis put thest te aside, she found that several of Alex¡¯s tentacles had wormed their way inside of Jay¡¯s clothes. The strong, sleek appendages slipped along her skin, wrapping around her waist and thighs in an oddly pleasing way. With single-minded intent, Alex crawled into Jay¡¯sp, this time facing her rather than sitting with her back to her.
¡°Alex, hold on a moment,¡± Jay said, putting her hands on the Demon¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I just¡ Before we go any further, I want to ask you something.¡±
Alex paused, her tentacles going still as her hands stopped where they were, each pair halfway to pulling her shirt up or her pants down, respectively. She tilted her head to one side, her three eyes locked onto Jay.
¡°I¡ I didn¡¯t treat you like a person when I took you from the Bone Matriarch¡¯s corpse. I thought of you as more of a, well, I guess as a pet. I wanted to see if I could train you, like an animal. I thought you might be intelligent, but I didn¡¯t know for sure, and I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d have human intelligence since all the Demon¡¯s I¡¯d ever fought seemed kind of¡ animalistic at best.
¡°I was wrong. You proved that a long time ago, but I didn¡¯t recognize it until I saw you with a human face. That was¡ really stupid of me. I didn¡¯t treat you the way you deserved, and I¡¯m sorry for that. Really, truly sorry. I¡¯d change a lot of things if I could. But I know that you wouldn¡¯t. You don¡¯t think I did anything wrong and you¡¯re happy with the life that you¡¯ve had up until this point.
¡°That¡¯s the problem that I¡¯m having right now. I¡¯m worried that I, I don¡¯t know, that I screwed up and turned you into some kind of cult follower. Like, you listen to everything that I say and believe everything I do is right. And I¡¯m not right. I fuck up all the time. And I don¡¯t want you to worship me or think that everything I do is without w, because I¡¯m not perfect. And I know you know that I¡¯m not perfect, but I still just¡ I just want to make sure that you are doing what you want to do, and not something that you think I want you to do.¡±
Jadis felt like she might have been rambling a bit there, but by the end she was fairly certain that she¡¯d gotten to the point that she¡¯d wanted to make. She just hoped she¡¯d made it in a way that Alex understood.
Small hands settled on either side of Jay¡¯s face, followed by tworger hands resting on her shoulders. A soft pair of lips pressed against Jay¡¯s mouth in a gesture of love, not lust. The kiss lingered, chaste yet passionate in its intent. By the end, Jay was breathless, and her other bodies were as well just from watching.
¡°I make my¡ Own choices¡¡± Alex said with solemnity, only pulling back far enough from Jay¡¯s lips to be able to speak. ¡°Not The Urge¡ Not you¡ I choose¡ And I choose¡ To be¡ With you¡¡±
Alex¡¯s lips pressed in again, and this time the kiss was anything but chaste. Her long, prehensile tongue forced its way into Jadis¡¯ mouth and coiled around her tongue like a snake. The sensation was intense, unlike anything Jadis had felt before, and her heat only grew as Alex¡¯s tentacles started moving again. It felt like dozens of different fingers were sliding across her body, teasing and stroking her skin in an effort to explore every inch of her. Some wrapped around her breasts, squeezing in an undting pattern while others sought out her cock, running across it in an almost reverential way. Still more slipped down to her pussy, invading the outer reaches of her core as they coated themselves in her increasing wetness.
The threerge, thick tentacles that Alex used for lotion suddenly shifted and Jay was lifted into the air. With a powerful flex, Alex tossed herself and Jay onto therge bed, keeping the kiss going as she seemed unwilling to part from Jay now that she had her in her grasp.
A ripping sound heralded the loss of clothing as Alex¡¯s second set ofrge, monstrous arms tore at her clothing. Without any care for the effort that went into making the fine shirt and pants that she wore, Alex shredded the clothing to reveal her ink-ck body. In the next instant, she did the same to Jay¡¯s clothing, tearing it to pieces to get at the snow-white flesh beneath.
Dys and Syd enabled Jadis to watch in fascination as Alex took control, mounting Jay with insistent need. The pdin was determined to have things her way now, and Jadis didn¡¯t feel any need to stop her anymore.
Large, powerful hands inteced fingers with Jay, holding them so that they were stretched over her head. Smaller, nimbler hands cupped Jays breasts, squeezing gently while ying with her nipples. And then there were the tentacles. So many tentacles, all of them gliding across Jay¡¯s body and exploring her with unfettered fascination.
Jay gasped into Alex¡¯s mouth, their kiss still unbroken, as several tentacles wrapped around her cock, the slick feeling incredible and unlike anything she¡¯d experienced before. The strong limbs coiled around her length, epassing her whole member as they squeezed and undted in the same way Alex¡¯s tongue hand done around Jay¡¯s tongue, only this time in far greater numbers. Jay¡¯s mind seemed to float out of her skull at the sensation, the pressure at the base of her stomach tightening to a near impossible degree.
Then it was Alex¡¯s turn to gasp, her whole body going rigid as she pulled away from the kiss. Her three eyes went unfocused, her mouth hanging open in shock.
If it weren¡¯t for her other two selves watching, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure Jay would have had the wherewithal to realize what had happened. Alex had guided Jay¡¯s tentacle-encased cock to her core and in one firm motion, lowered herself down onto her so that Jay¡¯s tip was inserted inside of her pussy.
While it took her a moment to reorient her awareness, Jay quickly recognized the sensation of Alex¡¯s pussy clenching around her cockhead. It was a far more familiar feeling, one closer in nature to her other lovers, though there were differences. Alex¡¯s tunnel was far bumpier than the others, almost like she had internal muscles or ridges that the others did not. She was also cooler, something that didn¡¯t surprise Jadis, but still startled her in the moment. She¡¯d already known that Alex had a lower body temperature than normal, especially since she¡¯d made personal acquaintance with Alex¡¯s sweet core some days past, but it was still a very different experience now that she was prating her demonic lover.
Jay stared up at Alex, the Demon frozen as she adjusted to the sensation of the huge cock filling her pussy. She didn¡¯t move, or even breathe, acting almost like a statue.
¡°Go slow,¡± Jay advised after catching her breath. ¡°Take your time and get used to me.¡±
Twitching slightly at the sound of Jay¡¯s voice, Alex looked down at her, eyes refocusing. Her expression was nk as she simply stared for a few seconds. Then, her face brightened in a wide, delighted grin.
¡°No¡¡±
Without warning, Alex plunged herself all the way down Jay¡¯s length, the p of her ass pping against Jay¡¯s thighs echoing in the room.
Jay let out a cry of shock, the sudden engulfment unexpected and intense. Alex held still for just a moment, but before Jay could even take a breath the Demon began to move, setting a rapid pace as she rode Jay¡¯s cock.
¡°Oh, fuck,¡± Jay cursed, Alex¡¯s intense bouncing making her toes curl.
She had no chance to say anything else as Alex lunged andtched her lips back onto her, resuming her deep kiss as she continued to fuck Jay with a spine-tingling tempo.
Jay¡¯s legs were suddenly spread apart as therge, thick tentacles Alex used to walk with wrapped around them and pulled. In the next instant, two of Alex¡¯s tentacles slipped inside of Jay¡¯s pussy, diving deep as they began to piston in and out of her in a drilling motion. The sensation of being prated by two tentacles was so sudden and unexpected that Jay abruptly came, a tortured groan filling Alex¡¯s mouth as her cock jerked and started to pump a load of thick seed into Alex¡¯s pussy.
Alex didn¡¯t stop riding as Jay came, continuing to bounce on top of her, riding the storm as she sought her own release. The twisting tentacle thrusting didn¡¯t stop either. Instead, Alex added a third tentacle, stretching Jay and drawing her orgasm out via the wild pumping. Nephilim cum spilled out from Alex¡¯s pussy as her motions grew more frantic, creating a sticky mess that squelched lewdly with every wet p of their bodies joining.
Suddenly, Alex¡¯s whole body froze as her tentacles curled in on themselves, their movements losing coordination. Jay broke the kiss to take a deep breath and Alex didn¡¯t resist, her whole face gonex as her tongue lolled out of her mouth and her three eyes crossed themselves. A shiver ran through all of Alex, from the top of her head to the tip of her tentacles, before she abruptly went limp, like a doll with its strings cut.
Still breathing hard to recover from her own intense climax, and not entirely sure if she was going to be able to walk anytime soon, Jay slipped her hands free from Alex¡¯s and wrapped her arms around the limp Demon in a tight hug.
¡°Are you okay?¡± Jay asked.
¡°Yes¡¡± Alex replied with a slur, her tongue still hanging out of her mouth as nuzzled into the crook of Jay¡¯s neck.
¡°Good,¡± Jay said, squeezing her Demon a little tighter, the experience of their first time leaving her just as foggy as Alex appeared to be.
After a long pause where the two simply rxed into each other¡¯s arms, enjoying the afterglow, Jay felt a stirring inside her. Literally. The three entwined tentacles that were still inside of her pussy began to move, though not in the fric thrusting way of moments before. They shifted about in a slow,nguid, exploratory fashion that sent tingles through Jay¡¯s body at the odd yet pleasurable sensation. Squeezing Jay¡¯s still half-hard cock with a clench of her own pussy, Alex nibbled at Jay¡¯s jawline questioningly.
¡°Again¡ Please¡?¡± Alex asked, her intive tone enough to make Jadis shudder at the eroticism.
Jay shifted her grip on Alex, maneuvering past her tentacles to get her hands around Alex¡¯s posterior before lifting her up so that her cock could pull out of Alex. Doing so caused a flood of seed to spill out, as well as a mewl of disappointment from Alex. Both were quickly stopped as Dys¡¯ cock reced Jay¡¯s as she took Alex from behind.
¡°Absolutely,¡± both Jay and Dys agreed, though Dys¡¯ voice had a hitch in it as she hilted her cock inside of Alex to the core.
Alex grinned, giving Jay another kiss as her tentacles began to earnestly move inside of Jay, while a couple of others started to wrap around Dys. When she broke the kiss, her radiant smile was the most beautiful it had ever been. Alex spoke her next words like prayer, the force of her emotion so intense that Jadis almost forgot about everything else.
¡°I love you¡¡±
¡°I love you too,¡± all three of Jadis replied, before Jay pulled Alex close again for another kiss.
Chapter 367: Branching Out
Chapter 367: Branching Out
The snow had finally stopped by the next morning, revealing a city transformed. The white nket smoothed the hard edges of the stone architecture and deep snowdrifts buried some windows and doorways nearpletely. A little more than three feet of snow had fallen in a single day and night, enough that shorter races like gnomes and goblins would sink into the snow up to their eyeballs if they tried to brave the winter wondend. Eldingholt was an old, established city though, and the people living there were used to dealing with blizzards. The day¡¯s needs didn¡¯t go away just because of a little snow, and while the snowplow hadn¡¯t been invented yet on Oros, the people had their ways of dealing with the bad weather.
¡°That is amazing,¡± Jay said with delighted awe. ¡°I wish I¡¯d had people who could do that where I grew up¡¡±
¡°Me too,¡± A agreed as she watched the mages do their work. ¡°We had to pull out the shovels whenever it snowed like this if we wanted to dig ourselves out. No one in Red Tree had that kind of magic power.¡±
¡°We had a fire wizard who lived in my town,¡± Sorchamented. ¡°He¡¯d melt the snow on the main streets. Made a horrible soggy mess, but it was better than shoveling. Once, he identally set a goat that was on the other side of a snowbank on fire.¡±
¡°Oh, goodness,¡± Eir gasped at the goblin¡¯s story. ¡°What happened to the poor goat?¡±
¡°Goat stew, mostly,¡± Sorcha shrugged. ¡°At least the wizard paid the family who owned the goat and let them keep the carcass, too. He was a pretty decent guy. Too bad for the goat, but at least the family ate well that week.¡±
Jadis could see how using fire to clear snow would lead to idents like Sorcha described. It sounded a bit like clearing a driveway with a methrower; no one could really be surprised if you set the mailbox on fire in the process. At least idental arson wasn¡¯t something anyone in Eldingholt had to worry about, not with the snow removal crews Jadis could see, anyway.
The wizards and sorcerers that were clearing the streets in front of Jadis and herpanions were a mix of wind and ice mages. The two middle-aged women who looked enough alike from what Jadis could see of their faces under their fur-lined hoods were definitely sisters. The duo were ice wizards who worked in tandem, weaving spells that appeared as floating runes in the air that glowed the color of blue ice. Whenever they cast a spell, the snow around them would coalesce into hard-packed blocks around three feet on each side. A group of young boys and a few old men ran around behind them, lifting the blocks and stacking them out of the way along the sides of buildings. Some others ran back and forth with carts, dragging the blocks further away to be dumped either into the river or outside of the city walls.
They were currently working to clear a major intersection, and Jadis could see another team working down the other road. That group consisted of an older man with a bright blond beard streaked with gray and a much younger man who was probably his apprentice, or maybe even a rtion like a grandson. The man had to be a sorcerer since he wasn¡¯t crafting his spells the way the two wizards were, instead simply gesturing to cause an effect. His spells manifested as wind magic, which he used to blow the street clear of snow. His efforts weren¡¯t as neat as the two mages, but he was also faster and covering far more ground with the speed of his magic ability. The young man with him didn¡¯t look old enough to have his first ss unlocked yet, but Jadis could see he had some kind of staff in hand that would asionally glow with an enchantment. It seemed to her that the apprentice was casting spells with the aid of an enchanted stave while following the direction of his master, likely in the hopes of increasing his chances of unlocking a magic caster ss. How he was casting magic without his own magic power pool to draw from, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure, but probably the staff was powered by the mage and activated by some means that Jadis wasn¡¯t familiar with.
Jadis¡¯ thoughts were interrupted by A gesturing down the street where the sorcerer and his apprentice wereing from.
¡°Once they clear this intersection, we can turn to the left from where they came. It¡¯ll take us the long way around the block, but it looks like that street has already been cleared so it¡¯ll be quicker,¡± A advised.
¡°Sounds good,¡± Jay nodded. Turning her attention to Kerr, she asked, ¡°The lovebirds know to meet us there, right?¡±
¡°They do,¡± Kerr replied absently around the bite of an apple she had in her mouth. ¡°They¡¯ll be there, so long as they didn¡¯t get stuck in a drift or get caught up ploughing each other.¡±
Both of Kerr¡¯s suggestions were possible, Jadis supposed, though she didn¡¯t think Nevan nor O would be so irresponsible as to miss the first official meeting they¡¯d been called to for Fortune¡¯s Favored. The wholepany was meeting at the new building headquarters that A had purchased with the help of Nevan¡¯s cousin, ¨ªte. Jadis hadn¡¯t seen the property yet, but she trusted A¡¯s judgement in such matters. Since A, Eir, and Thea had checked the ce out and given their approval, Jadis had agreed to the purchase. Their descriptions of the building made the ce sound like a great fit for theirpany, so Jadis hadn¡¯t had any second thoughts about spending the money. Thepany coffers had definitely taken a hit since property wasn¡¯t cheap in Eldingholt, but they had enough for the building and still plenty left over for their regr budgetary concerns thanks to both the generous gifts the Dryads had given them, as well as the bounty rewards for all the demon¡¯s they had in. Three demon matriarch bounties amounted to a lot of gold, never mind the greater demons.
Going over the numbers with A, Jadis estimated that even if they were stuck in the capital city for the rest of winter, they¡¯d still have plenty of money to pay everyone¡¯s sries and then some. Not that she nned on staying in the city that long. As much as she was enjoying the time she was able to spend with her lovers in rtive peace, Jadis was starting to itch a bit at the enforced confinement. She wanted to stretch her legs, get out into the wider world and explore. Fighting monsters, ying Demons, and just running free was the life Jadis wanted to resume.
Well, ying Demons was something Jadis would have to discuss with the others. Not that she was having second thoughts about putting down the nasty abominations that were doing horrible things to the people of Oros, but after her conversations the previous day with Alex, Jadis had new ideas percting about how to approach the Demon problem guing the world.
Thinking of Alex made Jadis look in the Demon¡¯s direction. A loving smile tugged at her lips as she watched the bundled-up Alex speak with Sabina. Really, it was more like Sabina was speaking at Alex while the Demon just listened, but Alex would asionally add ament to the mostly one-sided conversation. As much as Alex had protested that clothing was pointless, now that true winter weather had well and trulye, she wasn¡¯t so opposed to wearing a warm coat.
There were definitely things to discuss with the whole group after Jadis¡¯ earnest conversation with Alex, but the day was still young and there were a lot of things they had to do. Alex¡¯s part in uing ns could wait a little longer, especially since they were still in the presence of those who Jadis didn¡¯t necessarily want to overhear their discussions.
Today was Roy¡¯s turn to follow Jadis around while she was outside of the temple district, though only one of the knights with him were from his order. The other two were from Charos¡¯ faction, men that Jadis recognized from the training rings. Their presence was something Jadis had grown to expect and they seemed like decent people, but Jadis wasn¡¯t going to go discussing potentially sensitive information where they could hear it. She didn¡¯t know who they might report to and Jadis didn¡¯t want to risk certain topics getting to Runar or the first prince.
When the intersection was finally cleared enough that they were able to proceed down the side street, Jadis and herpanions continued on their way to the new Fortune¡¯s Favored Eldingholt Branch Headquarters.
The district the new building was located in was on the western side of city, close to the huge cliffs that split thendscape in two for hundreds of miles to the north and south. The surrounding buildings were mostly workshops of one kind or another, though there were also a few residential structures as well. The building theirpany had purchased was a few doors down from one of the main thoroughfares on a cross street that had a number of carpentry businesses upying it. The business directly across the street from theirs was actually a workshop that made barrels and casks and when Jadis arrived with herpany in tow, she could see the coopers inside hard at work. The banging sound of their hammers echoed against the stone walls, but once she entered their own building, the sound was barely noticeable.
Leaving the hammering sounds of the woodworkers outside along with Roy and the temple guards, Jadis inspected her new property.
The building wasrge, muchrger than the one Jadis had bought from Kerr for their headquarters back in Far Felsen. In terms of style, there was nothing special about the buildingpared to the ones that neighbored it. Three stories tall, it had small ss windows with no colors, a in decorative pattern that matched the rest of the district, and identical shutters and doors to every other business on the block. What made the building stand out were a few functional aspects of the architecture that had been incorporated into the structure due to its use as a workshop with a unique purpose.
The man who had owned the building was a sculptor. The aged human had specialized in marble statues, many of which decorated some of the wealthier merchant businesses and homes around the city. His work wasn¡¯t world-ss, but he¡¯d been sessful enough that he was happy to retire at the age of sixty and enjoy his grandchildren. Not that any of the man¡¯s personal business mattered to Jadis, but she was happy for the guy. Not everyone found the level of sess in life that the sculptor had.
In any case, the man¡¯s specialty had been in the sculpting ofrge statues, mostly the kind that were used as part of fountain disys. That meant he needed lots of room to work on his towering statues, as well as plenty of room to allow the transportation of said statues.
The double doors leading into the building were twelve feet tall and allowed plenty of headroom for Jadis. It was sadly rare that she didn¡¯t have to stoop to walk through a doorway, so it was a nice change of pace to be able to hold her heads high. Inside, the building opened up into a huge space that had once been the sculptor¡¯s workshop, though now it stood mostly empty. The main floor was solid stone and the ceiling reached up all the way to the third floor of the building. The second floor had a balcony with no railings running all around the left, right, and back sides, as did the third floor. Since the huge square space reached so high up, it gave the open area an airy feeling, almost like they were walking into one of the high-domed temples.
While there were no railings to cordon off the balconies, there were pulley-style lifts in the two back corners. Both were solidly constructed using chains instead of rope and Jadis was pretty sure she could stand one of her bodies in full te on the lift and it could hold her. Maybe not more than one of her selves, but still, the devices looked sturdy. There was even a collection of variously sizeddders against one wall, some of them reaching all the way to the third floor. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure what she¡¯d do with the lifts anddders, but they were a nice bonus.
On the left side of the workshop, which was the wall that faced roughly northward, was a massive pair of barndoors set on rails that reached all the way to the third floor. The balconies on that side were made of wood and were designed to be pulled away so that any huge statues that the sculptor would have crafted could be moved out of the workshop. The huge barndoors led to a wide alleyway that was also on the property of the building and led out onto the street. If one were to turn away from the street and go towards the back of the building, Jadis knew that there was arge storage yard in the back of the property that was set up to hold huge marble blocks and other such materials.
The huge workshop wasn¡¯t the only room inside of the building. Along the back wall were more doors, those of a more average size, which led to a series of hallways and rooms that took up the other half of the structure.
The first floor consisted of an office, a smaller workshop, a bathroom with indoor plumbing, and a small storage room. The second and third floors were mostly open space without partitions; apparently the sculptor had used those areas as disys for smaller works and as storage space for unfinished side projects. It wouldn¡¯t be hard to section off the spaces, though, and Jadis calcted that they could probably set up at least ten nice-sized rooms on each level, not including the bathrooms. Maybe fourteen rooms if they didn¡¯t mind making them a little smaller, or twenty if they were okay with the upants getting little more than a bed with a trunk at the end. Though if they were going to do that, a barracks-style arrangement might be better.
The building didn¡¯t have a basement, since technically this part of the city was elevated and there was apparently a whole different city block located underneath, but there was a huge shed in the open area in the back that could either be used for more storage or converted into something else like a smithy for Sabina.
¡°This ce is pretty nice!¡± Syd grinned as she spread her arms wide and slowly spun around in ce. ¡°I don¡¯t feel so cramped in here!¡±
¡°Speak for yourself, friend,¡± Tegwynughed as he examined the tower barndoors that led back outside. ¡°This ce is far too stark with all this stone and dead wood. It makes my horns itch.¡±
¡°Well, we¡¯ve got the room for nts,¡± Jay quipped. ¡°Abyss, we could probably decorate the ce with a few trees if we wanted to. Just pick them out and we¡¯ll get them in here.¡±
¡°Ah, you know how to make a Dryad smile,¡± Tegwyn shot his own grin back at Jay before turning to examine one of the lifts.
Deciding to get a better view, Dys lifted herself up to the second floor by simply hopping up to the back balcony. Taking a seat, she looked out over the spacious area and imagined what it would look like once they got a few renovations done. There¡¯d be room for tables where dozens of people could sit, a front desk to act as a weing center, and maybe even a training ring.
Well, probably not a training ring. That would be pushing things. But the open space out back would serve that purpose well, even if she chose to move the Behemoth wagon to park in that space.
¡°Alright, is everyone here?¡± Dys called out from her spot on high, getting the attention of everyone else in the room.
¡°No,¡± Eir answered, confirming what Jadis realized at the same time. ¡°Nevan and O haven¡¯t arrived yet, nor has Hans. It¡¯s still early, though, so I¡¯m sure they are on their way.¡±
At that moment, a solid knock echoed in the open hall, one that came from the door rather than the thumping work of the neighboring carpenters.
¡°Speak of the De¡ªDemon,¡± Jay muttered, just barely avoiding using a word and phrase she didn¡¯t think would work on Oros. ¡°That must be them.¡±
Striding over to the front door, Jay pulled one open to greet whichever of thete arrivals had shown up. Doing so, she revealed two gnomes who were bundled up in enough furs that they looked like balls of fluff, as well as a tall, mustachioed man standing stoically behind them. There was one more unexpected figure with the expected trio, however, and she stood to the fore of the group,manding all attention on herself.
¡°Hello Jadis,¡± Magistrate Vraekae smiled thinly up at her.
Chapter 368: Company Meeting
Chapter 368: Company Meeting
¡°Vraekae,¡± Jay greeted the blue-skinned elf. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you today. How have you been?¡±
¡°Busy,¡± the magistrate replied without further boration. ¡°And cold. May we enter?¡±
¡°Yes, of course,¡± Jay said, moving aside and holding the door open so the elf could enter.
Vraekae quietly stepped inside, the ominous red ball of death floating above her shoulder. She wasn¡¯t wearing her usual sharp military suit and instead had on a thick fur-trimmed coat that had the imperial crest stitched on the breast. As she entered, she removed the white gloves from her hands, a slightly wider smile gracing her lips as Eir came forward to greet her cousin.
¡°Vraekae!¡± Eir eximed with a bright and weing grin. ¡°How are you?¡±
¡°Well, little cousin,¡± Vraekae replied and epted her red-skinned rtion¡¯s hug.
While those two spoke quietly, the rest of the people on the new headquarters¡¯ doorstep followed inside.
Nevan and O trundled through the door, their overly fluffy, furry coats not stopping them from holding hands as they walked side by side. Both gave Jadis a look like they weren¡¯t sure if they were in trouble for showing up on the heels of the magistrate, but Jay gave them a reassuring smile as she ushered them into the wide workshop.
Behind them came Hans, the broad man looking unchanged from thest time Jadis had seen him. As he entered, he gave Jay an upward nod of approval before passing her a wicker basket. Taking the proffered package, she peeked inside the lid and was immediately struck by the delicious scent of Hans¡¯ meat pies.
¡°Thank you, Hans,¡± Jay grinned at the stoic man. ¡°I¡¯ve missed these.¡±
Hans simply gave her a stern nod before wandering inside to casually inspect the new building.
Behind everyone else came onest figure, a man that Jadis hadn¡¯t noticed with the others in the fore to distract her. Gunnar, the muscr elf who had joined Jadis on her expedition into the northern reaches of Weigrun¡¯s forests, came through the door. The man looked much the same as thest time Jadis had seen him. Aside from his greenish blue skin, almost white hair, and bright green eyes, Gunnar was noticeable for his bulky frame. He had a body-builder¡¯s physique, though the image was slightly spoiled by his enchanted recement arm. The prosthetic wasn¡¯t a perfect match for his muscr appearance, but it was close enough to pass a casual inspection. The only real difference Jadis noted was a change in clothing. Gunnar was a military man and Jadis had never seen the solider outside of uniform. Today, however, he was wearing civilian clothes that took the form of a red coat and brown trousers.
¡°Hey Gunnar,¡± Jay greeted the man by warmly shaking his good hand. ¡°What are you doing here? I thought you had stayed in Weigrun.¡±
¡°I just arrived a few days ago,¡± the quiet elf replied with a soft smile. ¡°I¡¯m here to get on the list for limb regeneration. And I¡¯m also here looking for work.¡±
¡°Work?¡± Jay asked with some surprise as she closed the door behind the elf. ¡°You left the military?¡±
¡°I did,¡± he confirmed with a nod. ¡°And since you are opening a new branch of Fortune¡¯s Favored here in Weigrun, I want to apply.¡±
The request was unexpected, but not exactly unwee. Jadis liked Gunnar; he was a solid,petent man who knew how to be discreet and never cked on his duties, even after losing an arm to Eike, the Blood Bitch who had almost killed him during the battle of the Dryad Grove. Jadis would happily wee the man into herpany as a brother in arms. However, she couldn¡¯t overlook the obvious connection present in the room.
¡°Is this your idea?¡± Syd asked as she crossed her arms and quirked an eyebrow at Vraekae. ¡°Trying to insert a spy into mypany?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Vraekae replied without an ounce of hesitation or shame. ¡°I did suggest to Gunnar that he might wish to spend his time on the wait list here in the capital as a member of Fortune¡¯s Favored rather than a soldier on convalescence. You need someone you can trust to be tight-lipped about your affairs to act as a clerk and quartermaster for your new mercenarypany branch. I need someone who can discreetly alert me to any important events that ur within your organization. Gunnar suits both our needs quite well.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t see how you need to be notified about any of our organization¡¯s affairs,¡± Jaymented as she took a few steps closer to join the circle that had formed. ¡°Is what we do really your business?¡±
¡°Yes, it is,¡± Vraekae responded calmly, her expression as icy as ever. ¡°I have invested far too much time and effort into you and yourpany to simply bid farewell once I return to Weigrun. Gunnar will keep me informed on things I may need to know.¡±
Vraekae¡¯s eyebrows raised in an expression of slight exasperation as she regarded Jay.
¡°I am not trying to hide anything from you. I am beingpletely open about my intentions. Do you deny that having me as an ally has been beneficial to you?¡±
Jay sighed in resignation, her heart not in the fight.
¡°Yeah, yeah, fine. As long as Gunnar doesn¡¯t poke his nose into any confidential information then it¡¯s fine. I get it. You¡¯re a control freak and you need to keep tabs on everything. It¡¯s fine.¡±
Vraekae arched her brow at the ¡°control freak¡±ment, but otherwise acknowledged Jadis¡¯ eptance with a gracious nod.
Jadis knew that since her current ns involved expanding Fortune¡¯s Favored, she was basically inviting spies under her roof. She was a high-profile individual and even if the whole quarrel between the two princes wasn¡¯t a thing, she was sure that both of them as well as other powerful noble families would still be trying to get information on her daily dealings. There were always people trying to make power ys among the nobility. Even if Jadis shouted at the top of her lungs to the whole world that she wasn¡¯t interested in politics or making moves against the establishment, there would still be people who assumed that she was lying and had some secret agenda. In a way, Jadis couldn¡¯t even argue with those people. She kind of did have her own agenda, one that wasn¡¯t necessarilypatible with all the people in high ces.
If Vraekae wanted to keep tabs on Jadis and her actions, that honestly wasn¡¯t a big deal to her anymore. Vraekae had proven many times over that she was an ally; she was an icy bitch, too, but an ally. Jadis could allow a little espionage in her ranks if it was being done by Vraekae. It was everyone else who wanted to spy on her, however, that she was going to have to be careful to keep out.
Thinking it over, Jadis figured that letting Vraekae have Gunnar keep an eye on things for her might be beneficial towards her goal of keeping other wandering eyes away. Gunar could help root out any other spies, and Vraekae could help Jadis vet who she hired, potentially.
¡°Not to be rude, but we¡¯re about to have apany meeting,¡± Jay told Vraekae. ¡°Other than... requesting we hire Gunnar, was there anything else you came here for?¡±
Vraekae nodded, her red eyes scanning the room with a brief nce before answering.
¡°I have some news to discuss with you. Some of it pertains to your uing meeting with the emperor. If I need to return, I can make timeter this afternoon.¡±
That was to say, at least some of what Vraekae had to discuss wasn¡¯t for the ears of everyone in the room. Jadis trusted her loverspletely and anything the magistrate had to say to her, she could say to them as well. However, Tegwyn, Nevan, O, Hans, and Gunnar were all in the room, too. Since Jadis didn¡¯t know for sure what information Vraekae had to share, it probably would be best to have the conversation in a more private setting.
¡°Well, if you don¡¯t mind waiting a few minutes,¡± Jay started slowly as she processed her options, ¡°there are some main points that I need to go over with everyone. Once we do that, you and I can go find somewhere to talk while the rest of us break into groups and go through some more detailed discussions.¡±
¡°Very well,¡± Vraekae nodded. ¡°Please proceed. I will make myself scarce until you are ready.¡±
With that, the blue elf stepped away from the gathering and began wandering the edges of therge workshop. It was a polite way of giving them room to talk, though with elven hearing, Jadis was under no delusions that Vraekae couldn¡¯t hear every word being said.
Gunnar almost stepped away as well, but Syd stopped him and kept the bulky man in the group. Jadis was serious about hiring him and she didn¡¯t see any reason to exclude him from the meeting.
¡°So,¡± Jay began after taking a breath. ¡°Thank you all for being here. Unless there¡¯s anything that any of you need to say in front of the whole group before we get started, then I¡¯m just going to charge right in.¡±
When no one spoke, Jadis took that as a sign to proceed.
¡°The purpose of this meeting is to get everyone on the same page,¡± Jay continued, feeling just a little too much like some kind of business management graduate. ¡°As you can all see, Fortune¡¯s Favored has purchased this property in order to establish a branch of thepany here in Eldingholt. Some of you might be wondering why we¡¯ve done that, since I¡¯ve generally been pretty vocal about not wanting to stay in the city for very long.¡±
¡°Yeah, what was the point?¡± Kerr called out, interrupting Jay as she wiggled her fingers at the walls around them. ¡°Seems like a nice ce and all, but if we¡¯re getting back on the road again, why do we need all this space?¡±
¡°Two words,¡± Jay said in response to her therion lover¡¯s question. ¡°Rapid Deployment.¡±
At everyone¡¯s nk stares, Jay forged on.
¡°While Eldingholt isn¡¯t the most central point in the empire, it is where all the best roads lead to. It¡¯s the main hub ofmerce in the whole country, probably the whole continent, which makes it ideal as a point of resupply for our mercenarypany. Anything we might need can be purchased here in this city. But like I said before, that doesn¡¯t mean I want us to have to spend a lot of time bogged down in Eldingholt every time we need to resupply.
¡°That¡¯s why I want to hire a support crew. Men and women who can handle buying supplies and maintaining ourpany presence and our funds here in the city while we are out in the field. With the Behemoth, we can carry a lot of supplies with us when we go on the road but we can¡¯t bring everything. We might not always bring the right supplies, or our cargo could get ruined during attacks or other unforeseen events. Having a dedicated crew set up here in the capital that can get us what we need and deliver it to us when we need it is the idea.¡±
While Jay paused to let what she had exined so far settle into people¡¯s minds, she saw that a few of herpanions had looks on their faces like they wanted to ask questions. Picking at random, Jay pointed at Sorcha, indicating that she should voice her thoughts.
¡°How exactly are you nning on getting supplies from the city to wherever we¡¯re going to be?¡± the goblin asked with a doubtful expression. ¡°I mean, having some people here set up to handle some regr resupply business sounds reasonable, but getting those supplies to us when we¡¯re hundreds of miles away sounds like a pretty big hole in this idea you¡¯re weaving. Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to just buy supplies that we need from whatever town it is that we¡¯re close to?¡±
¡°Potentially,¡± Jay nodded along to Sorcha¡¯s words. ¡°But what if there isn¡¯t a town nearby? We can hunt and scavenge for a lot of foodstuffs, but not everything can be gathered out in the wilderness. Also, what if the town is low on supplies, or doesn¡¯t have what we need? We¡¯re currently at war. Demons are invading the borders. I doubt many towns along those borders are going to have many supplies avable, and what is around is probably going towards the soldiers protecting the border. Having our own supply chain will allow us to stay mobile and give us more flexibility and range.
¡°As to how we¡¯re going to handle getting supplies from here to wherever we might be, that¡¯s where ¡®rapid deployment¡¯es in. There are going to be details we¡¯ll have to work out, particrly in regards to coordination andmunication, but Sabina has been working on some really impressive ideas for new enchantments that will help see my visione to life.¡±
Sabina brightened when Jay motioned towards her, the excitable smith bouncing on her toes.
¡°Yes! It¡¯s going to take some time and materials and some experiments and lots and lots of testing but I have some ideas that are going to be a big help I think!¡±
Many of those ideas, Jadis knew, had been inspired by things she had told Sabina about Earth and the technology that existed there. Jadis really didn¡¯t have much technical knowledge on how things worked, but she knew some basics. Going over those basics with Sabina, as well as describing a fewmon ideas of what was possible without magic, had really lit a fire in the smith¡¯s forge. When she hadn¡¯t been working on Syd¡¯s new sword staff or other weapon and armor repairs, she¡¯d been brainstorming all kinds of inventions. Jadis was still a little worried that she might have opened pandora¡¯s box by giving Sabina so much insight into Earth technology, but since nothing she had told her enchanter lover had been a weapon, she was pretty sure she wasn¡¯t going to cause too much damage¡ Probably.
D had told her to shake things up, hadn¡¯t she?
¡°We¡¯re going to need more than just a few people buying supplies and coordinating deliveries though,¡± Jay continued after Sabina had finished speaking. ¡°We¡¯ll need transportation crews and people to guard them.¡±
¡°Runners formunication, too,¡± A added thoughtfully.
¡°True,¡± Jay agreed, though there was an idea she had to discuss with Sabina that might remove the need for runners. ¡°Also, depending on how we might want to run things, we may expand to have multiple teams coordinating with us. A constant rotation that keeps us and our people supplied and in contact with each other and the city.
¡°That¡¯s ultimately what we¡¯re here to discuss,¡± Jay waved her hands in an open gesture to the group. ¡°I want us to go over some of the logistics and details, discuss next steps, and figure out things like how many people we should be hiring to start and our budget for everything.¡±
¡°We¡¯ve got this ce to figure out first though,¡± Syd eximed with a p of her hands. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to set up rooms and buy furniture and shit like that just to get it to a usable state, so why don¡¯t we split up, check things out, and then meet back here to go over some ideas, yeah? It¡¯ll give everyone some time to think about my proposed vision for the next stage of our mercenarypany.¡±
With that, the gathering broke up as people moved away in pairs or small groups to talk over the ideas Jadis had for Fortune¡¯s Favored. Jay and Syd kept with two of those groups, but Dys hopped down from her seat on the second-floor balcony and motioned for Vraekae to follow her. Heading for the little office room that Jadis knew the building had on the first floor, she intended to discuss whatever it was that had brought Vraekae out to speak with her. Jadis hoped it would be good news, but considering how well everything had been going for the past week, she was starting to get the feeling that she was overdue for a turn in her fortune.
Chapter 369: Forewarned is Forearmed
Chapter 369: Forewarned is Forearmed
¡°That is quite the ambitious n you have,¡± Vraekaemented while leveling her gaze on Dys. ¡°I had no idea you had any desire to expand Fortune¡¯s Favored.¡±
¡°Neither did I, honestly,¡± Dys shrugged. ¡°I only really considered it aftering to the capital. Seeing how things work around here sort of sparked a fire in me.¡±
¡°Good,¡± the elf nodded with a satisfied smile. ¡°Levels are only one means of gaining power. I am d to see you are expanding your horizons.¡±
The two of them were sitting inside of the small office room, the best privacy they could get for the moment. Vraekae had imed one of the worn chairs that had been left behind by the previous owner, while Dys sat on top of the desk. The wooden piece of furniture creaked under her weight, but it was sturdy enough to handle her.
Jadis didn¡¯t mind Vraekae knowing about her ns. She figured the magistrate would probably tell the second prince, but she doubted the info would go anywhere else. Even if it did, nothing Jadis had said was truly sensitive information. It was the logistical details that would require protection from prying eyes.
¡°You¡¯re a good example as far as that goes,¡± Dys admitted. ¡°What with you being a powerhouse on the battlefield and on the political floor. I¡¯m not interested in politics, but I¡¯m not going to ignore their existence. Besides, there are other avenues to gaining power, like building up a base of loyal mercenaries.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Vraekae nodded. ¡°A loyal following will give you more ground to stand on when you inevitably knock heads with those who act counter to your ns.¡±
¡°And knowing me, there will definitely be some head knocking,¡± Dys smirked.
Vraekae¡¯s lips tweaked up in another restrained smile, a rare show of emotion on the icy elf¡¯s face. The amused expression was quickly smoothed over though as she raised a slender finger to make a point.
¡°While I agree that your ns to expand your mercenarypany will be a benefit to you, you also need to keep your surroundings in mind, Jadis. You have been sequestered in the temple district for your stay in Eldingholt thus far, with only brief forays out into the greater city. The pdins and guards who have been escorting you have been acting as a buffer. Once they are gone, you will find that far more of the general citizenry will approach you. I think you have some inkling as to what I mean considering you have already acted in your capacity as a representative of Lyssandria at one of the smaller temples.¡±
Jadis did know what Vraekae meant. Some of the people who hade to see her had been borderline worshipful of her. Roy and the guards who waited for her outside were there to guard the people from her, but also to guard her from the people. She had no doubts that some more intense types would seek her out once her assigned guards were out of the way. That was part of why she wanted to expand her mercenarypany. The more people she had working for her that she could trust, therger the buffer between her and the kind of crazies who could cause problems there would be.
¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Dys replied to Vraekae¡¯s warning. ¡°I won¡¯t always have Roy out there running interference for me. That¡¯s part of why I don¡¯t want to linger in the city too much. Better to get out into the world than stay cooped up here.¡±
Shifting her weight on the desk, Dys leaned forward towards the magistrate with her hands on her knees.
¡°That said¡ Sage advice on how to handle my uingpany expansion and personal freedoms isn¡¯t what brought you out here, is it?¡±
¡°No, it is not,¡± Vraekae agreed. She paused a moment, perhaps to choose her next words, before raising one eyebrow as she asked a question that she had to already know the answer to. ¡°You have met the young Lady Brunholt?¡±
¡°Yeah, I have,¡± Dys nodded with a grimace. ¡°She approached me at Trummelton¡¯s. Aside from being a huge thorn up my nose for no damn reason, she¡¯s nothing like her father.¡±
¡°Quite,¡± Vraekae¡¯s expression shifted to one of mild distaste at the mention of Egilhard. ¡°Elodie Brunholt takes more after her mother, Vanessa. Be careful what you say and what you do not say around those two. They are both experts in court intrigues.¡±
¡°So I¡¯ve been warned,¡± Dys replied mildly. ¡°Is Elodie or her mother stirring up some shit that I need to know about?¡±
Vraekae shook her head.
¡°Not that I am aware of, though that does not mean they do not have their own ns in motion. Eir reached out to me about her after your encounter. Lady Brunholt has been invited to the ball that our family is holding in your honor. Eir has asked if it would be politically viable to rescind the invitation that has been extended to Brunholt and her kin. I am here to tell you that it is not.¡±
Dys frowned. She didn¡¯t particrly like the idea of having to deal with General Egilhard¡¯s snob of a daughter, but she didn¡¯t think her presence at one party was really that big of a deal. If she had to smile and make small talk for a few minutes with the woman, she could deal with it. But from the way Vraekae was exining things, it didn¡¯t seem like Elodie¡¯s presence was just a minor annoyance that she had to put up with for a night before moving on with her life. Something bigger was going on.
¡°I don¡¯t get the impression that Egilhard or his wife and daughter are all that politically important,¡± Dys frowned back at Vraekae. ¡°So what¡¯s the issue?¡±
¡°They are not, no. Lady Vanessa Brunholt is the sister of Duke Colgrave, which does give her some pull in the courts. But that is not the reason why the invitation cannot be withdrawn. Lady Elodie has recently be engaged, a fact that I only became aware of a few days ago. With other issues taking precedence, I neglected to pay attention to recent affairs of court. The man she has been betrothed to is Ludger of Crosswall.¡±
Dys stared nkly at Vraekae for a moment. Eventually, when it seemed like no further exnation wasing, she asked for rification.
¡°Who?¡±
Vraekae frowned, her brow furrowing in a way that reminded Jadis a lot of when Eir was frustrated with something.
¡°You have not been using your time here in the capital to educate yourself on important figures and current events.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been busy,¡± Dys shrugged.
¡°Busy going on dates.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Dys confirmed without a bit of shame. ¡°I¡¯ve been going on dates. Dates with my girls take priority over nobles and their politics. As such, I don¡¯t have a clue who this Ludger guy is. So just spill the beans already. Who is he and why should I care?¡±
Vraekae arched a brow at Dys¡¯ turn of phrase, but after a restrained sigh, she continued.
¡°Ludger of Crosswall is the Hero¡¯s Bulwark. Not only is he one of the Hero¡¯s chosenpanions who acts as his defender and right-hand man, Ludger is the Hero¡¯s childhood friend. They have known each other for most of their lives and are described to have a brotherly bond. In other words, he is a man who has strong and direct influence with Valtar¡¯s Chosen Hero.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Dys blinked after a moment. ¡°I guess he¡¯s kind of important then, huh?¡±
¡°Yes, he is,¡± Vraekae confirmed as she rose from her seat so that she was more on eye level with Dys. ¡°And it has nothing to do with nobility. He has a great deal of influence already thanks to the deeds he has aplished, and that influence is only going to grow. Ludger is not a man you want to have as your enemy, especially since being marked as such would practically guarantee that the Hero will also see you as an enemy. And Lady Elodie Brunholt now has that man¡¯s ear.¡±
Well. Fuck.
Jadis didn¡¯t know very much about the Hero. She knew he existed, of course, and she knew that he was Valtar¡¯s answer to Samleos¡¯ Demon Lord. There were other small details that she¡¯d learned in passing, like the fact that he was a young human man, probably younger than her in fact, and he had a party of powerful followers whose sses were influenced by his presence in the same way that her ownpanions had sses influenced by her. Jadis knew that he was up north somewhere, fighting demons along the imperial border, but she¡¯d never actually asked which country shared that border.
There were a lot of things Jadis had never asked about the Hero. In fact, she didn¡¯t even know the man¡¯s name. It wasn¡¯t as though she didn¡¯t care about the Hero. She knew that considering her own God-given mission, she was going to have to interact with the man at some point. It was just that, for some reason, investing effort into learning more about the Hero felt likemitting to a course of action that Jadis hadn¡¯t previously felt like she¡¯d been ready for. Once she opened the door of knowing the Hero, she felt as though she¡¯d have to step through it and out onto the stage where she¡¯d then have to deal with him, in one manner or another. By not asking too many questions about the Hero, she¡¯d always gotten the feeling that she was buying herself some time to grow stronger before walking through that door. That had been a pure delusion, of course. Whether she knew details about the Hero or not wouldn¡¯t have changed when she met him. Now, it looked like the time to do her homework had grown much shorter than it had seemed a minute ago.
¡°There is other news,¡± Vraekae announced, drawing Jadis¡¯ attention back to her. ¡°I have received unconfirmed reports that the Hero and his party is on his way back to the capital from the front line.¡±
Time had gotten really, really short.
¡°He is?¡± Dys eximed. ¡°Why? He¡¯s noting here because of me, is he?¡±
Vraekae shook her head in the negative.
¡°Not everything that happens is because of you.¡±
¡°I know that,¡± Dys scowled at the smaller woman. ¡°But with how those two princes have been bickering, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the scum sucker first prince had called the Hero down to mess with me.¡±
¡°Prince Hraustrekr would not call the Hero to the capital just to inconvenience you. He is not that foolish or impulsive. I am not entirely sure the Hero would listen to such a request to begin with. There is a demonic invasion going on, after all. From what my sources have told me, this seems to be a simple withdraw for rest and resupply. With the winter weather hitting, the demonic invasion has slowed. It is a good time for him to back away from the border and take a break.¡±
That made more sense than Hraustrekr calling on the Chosen Hero of the Gods toe beat her up, Jadis supposed, but she still wouldn¡¯t put it past the prince to try and influence the Hero into doing something to fuck with her.
¡°Okay, so, the Hero is on his way back to the capital¡ª¡±
¡°Probably,¡± Vraekae interrupted with a correction. ¡°My reports are not yet confirmed.¡±
¡°Okay. Probably on his way to the capital, which means his party of super strong, super amazingpanions will be with him, too. And one of thosepanions is his childhood friend, who is also engaged to marry Elodie Brunholt, who is the daughter of General Egilhard, the guy back in Far Felsen who hates my guts. Also, the general is a loyal follower of First Prince Hraustrekr, the man in line to the throne, who also hates my guts because he thinks I¡¯m a pawn of his brother, Second Prince Kestil. Is that a good summary?¡±
¡°Brief, but decent enough,¡± Vraekae nodded in approval. ¡°I take it you see the inherent problems this could cause you?¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah I do,¡± Dys sighed. ¡°Fine. I can see where the wind might be blowing. Things have the potential to blow up real bad, depending on what bullshit Elodie whispers to her fianc¨¦, and what she says will probably be heavily influenced by Egilhard or Hraustrekr, or maybe both. Which means I need to prepare for what might being my way.¡±
With another heavy sigh, Dys stood up from the desk and folded her arms across her chest. Restraining her frustration, Dys focused on doing what she could, rather than moaning over things she couldn¡¯t change.
¡°So. What can you tell me about the Hero?¡±
Chapter 370: The Making of a Hero
Chapter 370: The Making of a Hero
Wilhelm of Crosswall was born and raised in Crosswall, a small but idyllic town located in the Dukedom of Colgrave, which itself was a pleasant expanse of forest and farnd found in the central areas of the empire. His father was a ranger and a huntsman who managed Duke Colgrave¡¯s forests. His mother was an herbalist who crafted potions and healing poultices. Wilhelm was taught from an early age how to hunt beasts, gather wild herbs, and travel through the paths of Colgrave¡¯s forests like they were the halls of his own home. He learned both the bow and the de and by the time he was fourteen, he had shown such exceptional skill that Duke Colgrave had invited him to train with his personal guard. Along with his lifelong friend, Ludger, Wilhelm studied the sword and shield under the tutge of the Duke¡¯s best men and was widely anticipated to be the next man-at-arms for the dukedom. When he was fifteen years old, he rescued a griffon hatchling from poachers and raised the magic beast as his ownpanion. When he was sixteen years old, he and Ludger tracked down a group of bandits and captured all ten criminals by themselves, fighting grown men with sses despite not yet unlocking their own. When he was seventeen, he retrieved a rare magical flower from the depths of a monster-infested cavern so that his mother could craft an alchemical cure to a disease that was guing the countryside.
And then, when he turned eighteen, Wilhelm became the Hero.
¡°Latest reports state he is now CLR ny-eight,¡± Vraekae continued her exnation after taking a sip from her cup of hot tea. ¡°That may have changed, though, since those reports are a month out of date.¡±
¡°He levels fast,¡± Amented as she set the kettle back on the fire. ¡°Do you have any information on his specific ss details?¡±
¡°Most of his details have been well hidden by both the temple and the emperor,¡± Vraekae shook her head. ¡°Those he has shared information with are being very tight lipped. He is capable of casting magic, though, and has exceptional skill with the sword, as one would expect considering the gift given to him by Valtar.¡±
¡°I know that he is not capable of healing himself or others,¡± Eir chimed in. ¡°At least, that¡¯s something I overheard from the priests I¡¯ve spoken to. Not that I think he would need the ability, since his Oracle is a powerful healer, and his Pdin can do some healing as well.¡±
¡°Not as good a healer as you, I¡¯m sure,¡± Dys smiled at Eir, though her expression fell a little at Eir¡¯s frown.
¡°If what I have heard is true, I am nowhere close to being as skilled as she is, though I hope I will one daypare favorably.¡±
¡°I find it hard to believe anyone could be a better healer than you,¡± Dys told her elven lover with full sincerity. ¡°Not even someone who apanies the Hero.¡±
¡°Hero¡¯s often have a way of attracting powerful souls to them,¡± Eir smiled as she held her own cup of tea between her hands. ¡°Wilhelm is no exception. Lady Jocelyn was already a powerful cleric even before meeting the Hero. Once she joined his side, she became an Oracle and her powers grew to astounding heights. The same can be said of all of hispanions. They are all more powerful than you may suspect.¡±
Dys sat back on her haunches, contemting what Eir had said and what she¡¯d learned of the Hero so far. While everything she¡¯d been told made the man sound like, well, a hero, that didn¡¯t necessarily give her much confidence about their future interactions. Just as Vraekae had warned, Wilhelm the Hero sounded like he was thest person Jadis wanted to have as an enemy.
When Jadis had asked Vraekae to tell her what she knew about the Hero and it became clear that the exnation was going to take a while, she had gotten A and Eir to join her in the small office so she could get their opinions on the matter. Therge basket that Hans had brought had not only contained meat pies, but also a tea kettle and a few other small snacks, which Jadis had passed around so they could refresh themselves while they talked. The rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored continued to inspect the new building and discuss future ns, but since the talk looked like it was going to take longer than originally anticipated, she told Nevan, O, Tegwyn, Gunnar, and Hans that they could leave if they had other ns to attend to. None of them left, which Jadis appreciated as a sign of their support.
Sometime before a full hour had passed, Jadis remembered that Roy and his knights were outside, so she invited them in out of the cold. Not that it was much warmer inside of the empty stone building, but Thea went to one of the workshops next door and purchased a load of wood. With Bridget and Sabina¡¯s help, she got fires going in all the different fireces throughout the structure.
With the ce warming up, it was a lot easier to have a long discussion with Vraekae, A, and Eir about what they knew of the Hero. Most of what they talked about were stories of his past deeds, which gave Jadis a pretty good idea of who he was as a person. By all ounts, he was a skilled swordsman, a strong leader, and a kind soul. A man who had a great deal of respect for nature, but also focused on thews of man and justice. Apparently, he¡¯d been offered a Hero ss by both Valtar and Villthyrial but had chosen Valtar because he considered doing so as his duty to the empire.
Of course, those stories were all the kinds of stories that everyone around the empire and probably the rest of the civilized world knew about Wilhelm the Hero. That meant a lot of it was probably affected by propaganda, at least in part. If the tales of Wilhelm¡¯s life could be believed, he had been quite the perfect young man, which Jadis doubted. No one was perfect, least of all teenagers who were still growing and trying to find themselves.
And then there were the Hero¡¯spanions. Ludger the Bulwark. Jocelyn the Oracle. Tiernan the Arch-Wizard. Lucia the Pdin. Amarantha the Mystic. Halvor the Berserker. Rein the Lancer. All of them were young yet formidable individuals who already had stories circting throughout the empire praising their great power and heroism. A few unlocked their primary sses alongside Wilhelm and thus gained a Hero-influenced ss from the very start, like Ludger and Tiernan, while others already had strong sses and became even stronger when they joined up with the Hero like Jocelyn and Rein. Regardless, all of them were capable of turning the tide of a battle all on their own, and when working together they were virtually an army unto themselves, if the stories were true.
Considering what Jadis knew she and her ownpanions were capable of, she saw little reason to doubt those stories.
¡°So, with everything we know about Wilhelm and his buddies,¡± Dys spoke after a long silence, ¡°what are the odds that he will just, I don¡¯t know, instantly decide he hates me and if he does, what kind of trouble is that going to get me in?¡±
¡°You haven¡¯t done anything wrong that would cause him to hate you,¡± Eir protested. ¡°The Hero is regarded as a fair man. Kind and just in his ways. He would not hate someone who has done so much good as you have, Jadis. He has no reason to.¡±
¡°Aside from the fact that you¡¯ve been arrested for possible connections to Samleos¡¯ cult under the orders of First Prince Hraustrekr,¡± A said mildly. ¡°And then there¡¯s the fact that you actually do have a Demon for apanion. And you¡¯ve also been given a mission to end the war by another god, which has got to be at the very least confusing for the man already chosen by Valtar to do that.¡±
¡°Also, his closest friend¡¯s soon-to-be-wife will likely be whispering poison into his ear against you,¡± Vraekae added helpfully.
¡°Right,¡± Dys nodded. ¡°So. With all that said. What do we think? How is this going to y out?¡±
There was some silence between them as the gathered women thought over their responses. After taking a sip of cooling tea, Vraekae was the first to speak.
¡°I have never met the Hero, but from what I gather, he is not a politically savvy individual.¡±
¡°No?¡± Dys raised an eyebrow at thement. ¡°You mean he¡¯s like me?¡±
¡°I would not go that far,¡± she replied dryly. ¡°However, he is amoner. He was not raised in the courts and had little interaction with court intrigues. That could mean that he is susceptible to clever maniptions, but it could also mean that he is less likely to put much stock in the rumors that abound in high society, if he even listens to them at all. I think, based on what I have heard of the man, that Wilhelm is more likely to base his opinions on what he experiences himself, directly, than on second-hand tales.¡±
¡°I hope so,¡± Dys nodded along to Vraekae¡¯s assessment. ¡°I¡¯m sure my first impression has already been ruined by whatever rumors the first prince has been shoveling in his direction. Hopefully he won¡¯t buy into all the bullshit.¡±
Tapping her fingers on her knee, Dys paused a moment before asking another question.
¡°What about hispanions? I mean, sure, Ludger is going to have Elodie as his elbow, but is he the kind of guy who¡¯s going to believe everything that she says without question? And what about the otherpanions? Are any of them likely to cause problems?¡±
¡°The rumors that I have heard say that Ludger has pined after Elodie ever since he was a young boy,¡± Vraekae exined. ¡°She would visit her grandfather¡¯s duchy every summer and Ludger would often see her during that time since he trained with the duke¡¯s guard, just like Wilhelm. An unrequited love that has against all odds been realized now that Ludger is the Hero¡¯s Bulwark.¡±
¡°Fancy that,¡± Dysmented sarcastically. ¡°Elodie finds her true love right under her nose. I¡¯m sure it was only an afterthought that the guy has be massively important and she totally would have married him if he wasn¡¯t the Hero¡¯s best friend.¡±
¡°Indeed. Other than her, the only other one of Wilhelm¡¯spanions that could have a problematic connection that I have been able to find is Rein.¡±
¡°Rein?¡± A asked. ¡°The Lancer? What issue could he have with Jadis?¡±
¡°Likely none,¡± Vraekae turned her gaze onto the redhead. ¡°However, Rein is a distant rtion to General Jorvald, a staunch supporter of Prince Hraustrekr. Their familial connection is tenuous, but Rein doese from a branch family that is loyal to Jorvald. He will likely be inclined towards supporting his family and, by extension, the first prince. How much that will affect the Hero, I cannot say. But that is at least one more person that he trusts who has good reason to speak against you.¡±
¡°And so what if he does?¡± Dys asked with a huff. ¡°I mean, I get it. The Hero and hispanions may or may not take some exception with me due to the political maniptions of people who are opposed to me for their own dumb reasons. What I want to know is, what happens if he does decide he doesn¡¯t like me and wants to oppose me the way Egilhard and Hraustrekr do? What does that mean for me?¡±
A and Eir looked ufortably at each other while Vraekae¡¯s cold expression remained unchanged.
¡°Well?¡± Dys asked again. ¡°What, is he going to be able to just cut my heads off and no one will care?¡±
¡°No,¡± Eir said immediately. ¡°No, he cannot do that. The hero has a great deal of influence, but he cannot go around killing people without cause. Valtar would not choose someone to represent him who would do such a thing, anyway.¡±
¡°You could be a pariah,¡± A frowned. ¡°No one would want to do business with someone who the Hero disfavors. If the Hero shuns you, in a way, it would be like being shunned by the gods themselves.¡±
¡°It would not be that simple,¡± Vraekae corrected A. ¡°Jadis has been chosen by one of those gods. She has an Oracle with her. She is thest known living Nephilim and is thus an Avatar of Lyssandria. If the Hero chooses to shun her or worse, it could cause a schism in the temple.¡±
¡°A schism?¡± Dys echoed faintly.
¡°Yes,¡± Vraekae nodded with a detached tone that sent a chill down Jadis¡¯ spines. ¡°The Temple of Lyssandria would not withdraw their support from you, even under those circumstances. Destarious¡¯ temple would not either in all likelihood. Valtar¡¯s temple, on the other hand, would undoubtedly support the Hero. There would be division. Depending on how certain people interpreted their duties to their patron deities¡ It could lead to a holy war.¡±
¡°A holy war?¡± Dys eximed, her mind reeling at the suggestion. ¡°Over me and the Hero not liking each other? Are you fucking for real?¡±
¡°You are representatives of the gods,¡± Vraekae replied calmly. ¡°You are not a Hero, but as the high priests of the temples have already been discussing, you are the closest thing to a Second Hero that has ever urred. Your existence is an apparent disparity in the will of the gods. If you and the Hero take exception to each other, worst case scenario, it could be interpreted by some as a proxy war being held by the gods. There are those in the world whose reaction to that idea would be to wage war on behalf of the gods, for one side or another.¡±
Dys stared at Vraekae, momentarily at a loss for words. The elf¡¯s deration that Jadis¡¯ existence could literally cause a holy war depending on how the Hero and the people who surrounded him reacted to her was insane. Completely insane. Which was why it made way, way too much sense.
D really did want her to shake things up, didn¡¯t he?
Chapter 371: Time to Build
Chapter 371: Time to Build
¡°I will see you tomorrow,¡± Vraekae promised as she slipped her gloves back on. ¡°Until then.¡±
Dys nodded as she saw the magistrate out the door. Her discussions with the elf hadn¡¯t exactly aplished much other than provide Jadis with a lot of information that she should have already known, but at least she now had a better view of the ever-changing politicalndscape. Jadis still wasn¡¯t certain how she was going to navigate around all the thorns and pitfalls, but she¡¯d figure something out. She¡¯d n and prepare as much as she could, but once the fights started, verbal or otherwise, she¡¯d do what she always did: Improvise.
¡°Gods, what a mess,¡± Jay grumbled as she rubbed at her eyes with her right hand. ¡°I think I¡¯d get a long with Vraekae better if she wasn¡¯t always dropping bad news on my heads.¡±
¡°Speaking of,¡± Kerr said in a half-whisper, ¡°what¡¯s the word? You going to fill me and the others in?¡±
Jay smiled before leaning down and kissing Kerr. When she pulled back, she patted her therion lover on the shoulder.
¡°I will, just not now. We¡¯re going to have to have a group discussion about all this, but it¡¯s a conversation for the inner circle, if you get me.¡±
¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Kerr shrugged. ¡°I can wait. Just don¡¯t make me wait too long or I¡¯m going to have to fuck the answers out of you, and neither of us want that, do we?¡±
¡°Definitely not,¡± Jay chuckled. ¡°That kind of torture would just be cruel.¡±
Jadis had every intention of holding a discussion with all of her lovers about what Vraekae had told her, just not while they were still out in town. The magistrate¡¯s visit had already derailed Jadis¡¯ ns for the day long enough and in her opinion, it was time to get back on track. The warnings of war and destruction were only worst-case scenarios, after all, and there wasn¡¯t even any concrete evidence that the Hero would be in the city soon anyway. All Vraekae had were suppositions and rumors. Jadis wasn¡¯t going to waste her time wringing her hands over what-may-be when she had real problems to deal with in the moment.
While her Dys self had been talking with Vraekae, A, and Eir, her other selves had been busy touring the new premises and discussing what they wanted to do right away, versus what they could put off untilter.
One thing they had decided was that furnishing the top floor as their group bedroom was a must. As nice as Lyssandria¡¯s High Temple was, Jadis didn¡¯t want to live there. As soon as the show trial with the emperor was over, she wanted to move out to her own home, not stay cooped up under the watchful eye of the priests. That meant they were going to need to remodel the third floor of the workshop to be something livable.
Fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like it would be too hard a task to aplish. The third floor was wide open and could be partitioned in any way she and her lovers wanted. The biggest difficulty woulde from the fact that there wasn¡¯t any kind of plumbing on the third floor. There was on the second floor, though, so it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to get something set up on the floor above, but it would require hiring a professional to do the work. Since they¡¯d be paying a good amount to install indoor plumbing, an expensive luxury in most cities but far moremon in the capital, Jadis nned on making sure that the facilities could handle someone of her dimensions. She didn¡¯t want to have to hoof it to a bathhouse every time she wanted to take a bath without squeezing into a tub that was three feet too small for her.
Showers weren¡¯t really a thing on Oros from what Jadis had experienced, but the bathhouses did have those waterfalls to wash with. She wondered if she exined to the craftsman who would be doing the work what a showerhead was if he could set something up. It was worth a try, she supposed, though she wasn¡¯t wholly sure how well it would work out.
Another thing they had decided on was how many rooms to have set up on the second floor. They determined that setting up half the floor with eight decent-sized rooms while the rest of the floor was furnished as a barracks-style bunkbed setup would be the best option considering how many employees they were likely to hire, at least to start. Nevan, O, and Sorcha had all really helped provide some insight on how smaller guilds operated in regard to housing, which helped guide Jadis¡¯ final choice.
Sorcha had been a member of the Roiling Reavers, which had been a rtively small mercenarypany though with far more members than Fortune¡¯s Favored currently had. Jadis had been surprised to learn that the crookedpany had had a base that they operated out of in the coastal city Glitnir. The building they¡¯d used as a headquarters had provided free amodations to all members, though that amounted to basically just a bunk and free meals that were on the cheap side of quality. That setup was fairlymon for most mercenarypanies, Nevan and O had both confirmed, though the bigger and more sessfulpanies tended to offer better options for higher-CLR members as incentive to stay. One of themon options given in betterpanies were private rooms that could be rented at a cost that was usually deducted from the merc¡¯s pay. Some ces would give those private rooms away for free if the mercenary was a high enough CLR, but that was an option Jadis could worry aboutter. Having eight nice rooms avable that people could choose to rent if they wanted to was more than enough to meet their near-future needs.
Nevan and O always rented a room from a family they were distantly rted to during their stays in Eldingholt. That was apparently a fairlymon practice for independent mercenaries like them since most were on the road too often to want to spend the money on owning property but didn¡¯t have apany headquarters to fall back on. Depending on how Jadis had the new rooms furnished, they might just choose to rent one of the rooms instead, though their basic sries afforded them better options than just the HQ bedrooms. Other than them, it was likely that support staff like Gunnar and Hans would rent rooms, unless they already had better amodations elsewhere.
There would also be those who didn¡¯t care too much about where they slept. Jadis nned on hiring actual mercenaries, not just support staff, and the two gnomes had assured her that those were likely the sort who would be happy to save their earnings and would take the free bunks withoutint. Most mercs were used to roughing it out in the field. Sleeping in a barracks was no great hardship.
Aside from the living amodations, the biggest priority was getting a workshop for Sabina to work out of up and running. Jadis¡¯ ns relied heavily on the smith¡¯s ability toe through on the ideas that they had discussed that were inspired by Earth technology. If Sabina couldn¡¯t work on her ideas or craft her creations, then there was no point to hiring anyone else at all.
While Jadis had told Sabina about a lot of different technologies, most of those stories were examples of the end effect, not the specifics of how the technology worked. While she had always done well in school, Jadis was no expert in any of the fields that would have allowed Sabina to replicate the more advanced mechanical and electronic machinery of modern Earth. Trying to exin what aputer or the inte was to Sabina was like talking in a differentnguage and was so alien a concept that the half-elf had basically dismissed the stories as pure fantasy. A small rectangle that weighs only a few pounds yet somehow holds thebined knowledge of every civilization known to mankind was just too oundish a concept to entertain. Sabina didn¡¯t have a clue where to even begin with an idea like that and had no hope of replicating it.
There were other ideas, though, that had sparked inspiration in her excitable lover. Some of the notions that had taken root in Sabina¡¯s mind hadbined together with her knowledge of magic and enchantments, prompting an avnche of possibilities that would probably keep the smith busy for decades if she were left to her own devices. However, Jadis made sure to point Sabina¡¯s immense intellect and burning passion for invention towards the ideas that sounded most beneficial to Fortune¡¯s Favored. Jadis didn¡¯t mind admitting that some of the imaginative inventions that Sabina had told her about in her rambling way had kind of gone over her head. Sabina¡¯s knowledge of enchantments and what was possible with magical materials like eleria far exceeded Jadis¡¯ understanding, but the end results that Sabina proposed sounded like they were mostly in line with her own end goals.
Sabina had a good supply of materials stocked up already to begin the more magical side of her experiments, but what shecked was a proper workshop as well as a stockpile of more mundane materials. Since a lot of what she needed wouldn¡¯t require any kind of special order and they were already in a district that contained all kinds of woodworkers and smiths, Jadis decided she would do some shopping while they were already out. Sabina woulde with her, of course, but she also wanted Sorcha to join them as well. The goblin woman had a way of interpreting and summarizing Sabina¡¯s rambling sentences in a way that other people could understand.
¡°Okay, does everyone have their assignments?¡± Jay called out to the gathering. ¡°And are there any questions?¡±
¡°All good here,¡± Kerr replied first as she pulled her heavy coat back on. ¡°We¡¯ll be back quick enough.¡±
¡°I want to stop by a locksmith on our way,¡± A corrected Kerr as she fished a blue scarf out of her pocket. ¡°I don¡¯t trust the old locks on this building. Someone could have gotten a copy of the key from the previous owner. If we¡¯re going to have supplies in here, we should make sure they are secure.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Jay agreed. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t get anyone out right away, though. We can always keep stuff locked up in the wagon if we need to.¡±
A and Kerr were going to fetch the wagon and relocate it to the storage yard of the new headquarters. A probably could have handled the task on her own, but Jadis didn¡¯t want her to get hassled by guards or anyone else since driving the oversized wagon through the city streets wasn¡¯t going to be the easiest task. Better to have someone with her to back her up just in case.
¡°I¡¯ll ce what orders I can,¡± Eir spoke up while putting one of her dainty hands on Thea¡¯s arm. ¡°If I can¡¯t find the plumber who worked on my parents¡¯ mansion two summers ago, I¡¯ll ask around and find someone else who can do the job.¡±
Eir¡¯s main objective was to locate the plumber so they could start those renovations first, but she¡¯d also be cing orders on other materials that would take time to custom craft, such as bedding and furniture that suited Jadis¡¯ size. Thea was going with her to serve as her guard. Jadis didn¡¯t think it likely that any harm woulde to Eir, but out of all her lovers, Eir was the least capable of protecting herself. Having someone nearby who could defend her just in case was a huge load off of Jadis¡¯ mind.
¡°We¡¯ll find the stuff we need to get a proper kitchen going,¡± Bridget added. ¡°Hans should know where to go, but I can check with a few mercenarypanies I know have bases here in the city for ideas on where they get their supplies if all else fails.¡±
Hans nodded along to Bridget¡¯s words, confirming that he had everything under control when it came to the kitchen renovation. The old workshop didn¡¯t have a kitchen, but the smaller workshop in the back half of the first floor would serve the purpose well once they got it fixed up and supplied right. Most rooms already had a firece in them anyway, so turning the one in that workshop into an oven was more than possible.
¡°I swear on my honor as a gnome that I will find you suitable candidates for your burgeoning mercenary empire,¡± Nevan told Jay as he ced a hand over his heart. ¡°Not one ckguard orggard will darken your doorstep. Fortune will only favor the very best!¡±
¡°Thank you, Nevan,¡± Jay grinned at the serious expression on the small man¡¯s face. ¡°But you don¡¯t need to overdo it. We¡¯ll have some proper interviewster. I just want to start the process to see who might be interested and who we might be interested in.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± O smiled sweetly as she took her husband¡¯s hand. ¡°I assure you, we won¡¯t go too far in our search for suitable recruits. But my husband is correct, dearest Jay. Only the best for Fortune¡¯s Favored.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t argue with the couple¡¯s intent. She only wanted the best for her mercenarypany, too, so she wouldn¡¯t argue with them if they were telling her that they were taking their task seriously. Nevan and O had far more connections with independent mercenaries than Noll did, mostly because they weren¡¯t as high-level as he was and therefore mingled with a broader demographic. Jadis had only known the two of them for a short while, but she trusted them enough to start the recruitment process. She¡¯d still rely on A and the others to truly vet any candidates, but she doubted that Nevan or O would send any unsuitable people to be interviewed.
¡°That leaves me,¡± Tegwyn smirked as he leaned against the wall near the door. ¡°I can¡¯t say that I mind staying behind to tend the flock, but it does feel like a far less exciting taskpared to everyone else¡¯s duties.¡±
¡°Thank you for agreeing to watch over Alex,¡± Jay turned to face the Dryad. ¡°It may not be a morous duty, but then again, neither is talking to plumbers or buying furniture.¡±
¡°Besides, you and Alex won¡¯t be alone,¡± Syd added as she retrieved the three coats she and her other selves had taken off once the workshop had started warming up. ¡°Gunnar will be here too. I¡¯m sure you three can find some things to do.¡±
As much as Jadis would have preferred to have Alex join her, Sabina, and Sorcha on the shopping trip, having the Demon along would probably cause a few too many problems. Even if Alex didn¡¯t scare the diarrhea noodles out of the neighbors, she¡¯d probably draw far too many questions than Jadis wanted to deal with at the moment. For the sake of expediency, Alex would remain in the workshop until Jadis got back, with Tegwyn and Gunnar to act as ¡°guards¡± since legally speaking, a ¡°captured¡± demon wasn¡¯t supposed to be left alone and unsupervised. Technically, if they were truly following thew, she¡¯d need to be in a cage, too, but Jadis would be dead before she let anyone put her tentacled lover in a cage of any kind ever again. Putting a watch on her, though, would at least show that she was following the letter of thew, if not the spirit.
¡°I will¡ Clean the rooms¡¡± Alex announced her intentions withplete assurance. ¡°Tegwyn and Gunnar¡ Will help¡¡±
¡°Oh will we now?¡± Tegwynughed at the Demon¡¯s confidence. ¡°I suppose if ady is asking two strappingds for help with the wash, we can¡¯t exactly refuse, can we?¡±
¡°No, we cannot,¡± Gunnar agreed as he turned to look at Alex, addressing the Demon for the first time.
As the elf faced Alex, Jadis was suddenly struck with the reminder that Alex¡¯s new form was something that Gunnar might take exception to for a very unique reason. Thest time Gunnar had seen the face Alex wore, it had belonged to Eike, the blood bitch who had chopped off his arm with a scythe and almost killed him. Sure, Alex had killed Eike and taken her corpse as her own to make a new body, one that looked drastically different from what it once was, but still. Aside from the ink-ck skin, tentacle hair, three neon-blue eyes, and the fact that Alex smiled like apletely different kind of crazy person than the blood bitch used to, it was still Eike¡¯s face that Gunnar was looking at.
The two regarded each other for a tense moment. Gunnar stood with his arms crossed across his chest, his prosthetic in to see. Alex simply stood there, her feet a foot off the ground as her tentacles kept her suspended in the air. Finally, the elf spoke.
¡°You could have picked a better face,¡± he said mildly.
¡°No¡ I couldn¡¯t¡¡± Alex replied.
¡°Hmph. Well, I suppose your options were limited at the time. Thank you for saving me.¡±
¡°You are wee¡¡± The Demon said with a grin that was intended to be friendly, though that expression didn¡¯t alwayse across well thanks to Alex¡¯s threatening looks.
¡°Where do you want to clean first?¡± Gunnar asked, already getting down to business.
¡°Up there¡¡± Alex pointed up towards the corners of the ceiling where cobwebs were visible.
¡°We have thedders for it,¡± he nodded as he moved towards thedders that were propped against one wall with a purpose. ¡°May as well get started now.¡±
Jadis grinned with relief to see Gunnar getting along with Alex without obvious issues. She felt confident just from that little exchange that they would be fine on their own, especially with Tegwyn around.
With everyone¡¯s tasks sorted, Jay pped her hands together once.
¡°Alright everyone, let¡¯s get to it! We¡¯ve got a mercenarypany to build!¡±
Chapter 372: Shopping for Smiths and Witches
Chapter 372: Shopping for Smiths and Witches
As Jadis, Sabina, and Sorcha made their way down the street, they spoke quietly amongst themselves about what they were looking to buy and where they might be able to find it. Roy and the knights with him kept a respectful distance, but Jadis wasn¡¯t worried about them overhearing their discussion. Nothing they were talking about was anything that would reveal any sensitive information about her and Sabina¡¯s ns. Jadis still kept her voices low, though, since she didn¡¯t want to broadcast their shopping list to whoever they might pass by on the street.
The main thing that Sabina wanted to get straight away was the equipment she would need for a smith¡¯s forge. That meant hammers, anvils, crucibles, grindstones, and all manner of other bobs and ends that Sabina listed with enthusiasm but Jadis had no clue as to their function. Sabina had a good number of supplies already in the wagon, but that gear was intended for travel and thus more suited to spot-repairs. To get her experiments out of her head and into the world, she needed real, heavy-duty equipment. Jadis didn¡¯t know much about what would be suitable, but Sabina did, so she was happy to let the half-elf take the lead while she acted as the wallet.
As Sabina rambled on about the various tools and supplies that she wanted to buy, she absently took Dys¡¯ hand in hers andced their fingers together. The gesture was so casually intimate that Jadis almost didn¡¯t notice that it had happened, and when she did realize, a warmth spread throughout her bodies, making her feel giddy with delight. It really didn¡¯t matter how many times it happened, holding hands with one of her lovers warmed her in a way nothing else could.
¡°Tsk. She makes that look so easy.¡±
Syd nced down at Sorcha to see the goblin woman staring enviously at where Dys and Sabina had locked hands together. She must have sensed the gaze on her, though, because after a second, she nced up at Syd and a dark flush crept over her features. She cleared her throat before speaking.
¡°Uh, where were we. Talking about lumber, right?¡±
¡°Do you want to hold my hand?¡± Syd asked,pletely ignoring Sorcha¡¯s attempt at deflection and going straight to the heart of the matter.
¡°Who said I wanted to hold your hand?¡± Sorcha balked as her voice went high-pitched. ¡°It¡¯s a silly sort of gesture, isn¡¯t it? That sort of public disy is a bunch of lovebird nonsense, right? Anyway, you¡¯re way too tall and I¡¯m too short to even think about it. I¡¯d dangle from your hand like a bag.¡±
Jadis was suddenly reminded of Shakespear, though she resisted the urge to quote Hamlet. Sorcha wouldn¡¯t have gotten the joke, anyway.
¡°I could walk on my knees if that would help,¡± Syd offered with deadpan seriousness.
¡°You will not, you arse!¡± Sorcha hissed as she pped the back of Syd¡¯s leg. ¡°Your giant bloody bodies attract enough attention as is. I won¡¯t have you doing something stupid like that and dragging me down with you.¡±
¡°Well, if you won¡¯t let me drag you down, how about I drag you up?¡±
Sorcha cocked her head to one side, herrge ears flopping in a cute way as she screwed up her face in confusion. Before she could ask what Syd meant, she let out a yelp of surprise as Jay swooped in from her other side, picking her up with hands around her tiny waist. In the next moment Jay set Sorcha on Syd¡¯s shoulder like some kind of overgrown green parrot.
The goblin squawked like a parrot, at least.
¡°What are you doing!?¡± she practically screeched as she wrapped both hands around Syd¡¯s head in an attempt to keep her bnce. ¡°Put me down!¡±
¡°Look, I don¡¯t have any stilts or a cart you can sit on while we walk here, so just ride on my shoulder, okay?¡± Syd told the squirming witch, her voice slightly muffled by the grip Sorcha had around her face. ¡°I want to be able to talk to you without raising my voice or putting a crimp in my neck. Plus, now you have an excuse to hold my hand.¡±
With those words, Syd lifted up her right hand, offering Sorcha an easy way to stabilize her seat.
The goblin glowered at the hand, then at Syd, then at Jay, before finally bracing herself by wrapping her much smaller fingers around Syd¡¯s.
¡°How do you manage to be both romantic and an idiot?¡± Sorcha grumbled as she settled into her new elevated spot.
¡°Romance makes fools of us all,¡± Syd spoke with all the gravitas of an ancient sage. ¡°I ept that foolishness without hesitation, and thus I am free to be as romantic as I want to be.¡±
¡°You¡¯re a bloody git.¡±
Syd grinned, not bothering to argue with the assessment. Instead, she nuzzled her head into Sorcha¡¯s side, enjoying the warmth her goblin girlfriend provided. It was almost as nice as having a pair of thighs wrapped around her head, though with only one goblin sitting on her right shoulder, her left ear was still feeling cold. Maybe she could try to bnce Eir on her left side some other time? The elf was probably small enough. Maybe.
¡°So, what about your supplies?¡± Syd asked as she strolled along behind Sabina and her other self.
¡°My supplies?¡± Sorcha asked, the question having caught her off guard. ¡°What supplies?¡±
¡°You know, the ones you need for being a witch,¡± Syd borated. ¡°You¡¯ll need materials so you can cast spells and stuff like that, right?¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Sorcha said in a small voice, almost as though the idea of casting spells hadn¡¯t even urred to her. ¡°Well, you only broke the one wand. As long as I can get some stuff I need to make a new one of those, I don¡¯t really need anything else.¡±
¡°Nothing?¡± Syd asked, surprised by the goblin¡¯s response. ¡°I thought witches made potions and other stuff like that. Don¡¯t you need, I don¡¯t know, a cauldron? Some eye of newt? Powdered mandrake? Bat wings?¡±
¡°Bat wings? What¡¯s a bat?¡±
¡°Just¡ªuh, just a flying animal kind of like a bird I heard about once. But seriously, don¡¯t you need to supply yourself with materials for the items you use to cast spells? I thought that was how witches work.¡±
Sorcha didn¡¯t respond right away. She was quiet as Syd carried her along, her cold fingers unconsciously squeezing Syd¡¯s hand. After a short while, their little group made it to the first smithy that Sabina had wanted to visit. Jay and Dys went inside with Sabina to talk to the owners and see what she might be able to buy from them, but Syd stayed outside with Sorcha still perched on her shoulder. Two of the knights followed Jadis¡¯ other selves inside the building, but Roy and another knight stayed outside. They both kept their distance, quietly talking just barely out of easy earshot.
¡°I¡¯m not a very good witch,¡± Sorcha quietly announced a couple of minutester, her sudden response almost making Syd jump.
¡°You seem pretty good to me,¡± Syd said, her tone matching Sorcha¡¯s seriousness. ¡°I mean, you can turn people invisible and can paralyze your enemies. That¡¯s pretty cool. I don¡¯t know what your other wands can do, but I bet their strong spells. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got potions and stuff you can make too. How does any of that make you a not very good witch?¡±
¡°Because I can¡¯t make potions,¡± Sorcha admitted as her left hand settled on top of Syd¡¯s head. ¡°I can¡¯t do potions or staves or tokens or totems or bloody anything but wands. Just wands. That¡¯s all my ss will let me do. And I don¡¯t have that many. I only know how to make the four that you¡¯ve seen. Yeah, I can turn people partially invisible for a short duration, but anyone with high enough Resilience can see right through it. I have a wand that can slow people down, but it¡¯s single-target and I have to channel through it to make it work. The paralysis wand was really the only good wand that I have. Had. Whatever. But it¡¯s got a hard limit to it. It paralyzes someone for two minutes, minus a number of seconds equal to the target¡¯s Resilience. If I used it on you right now, it¡¯d freeze you up for all of five seconds. It¡¯s a good enough spell, but it costs a lot of magic to cast so I can¡¯t use it that often.¡±
Sorcha sighed, then rested her chin on top of her hand that was on top of Syd¡¯s head.
¡°Look, I¡¯m not trying to be all pitiful here, I¡¯m just¡ I didn¡¯t get that great of a witch ss. I¡¯m limited. So no, I don¡¯t need a cauldron or newt eyes or whatever the fuck it was you said. All I need is a few things to make a recement wand for the one Kerr broke and that¡¯s it. No sense wasting any extra gold on me.¡±
Sorcha sounded resigned, like the disappointment she had about her ss was just another part of her life that she¡¯d epted. There was no use in getting upset when she couldn¡¯t do anything to change it, so why bother?
Not a sentiment Jadis liked to hear.
¡°What about your fourth wand?¡± Syd asked quietly. ¡°You never said what that does.¡±
¡°Oh, uh, it¡¯s for herb collecting. It dries out bundles of leaves and stuff like that for quick preservation. Just something I thought would be useful for my primary ss before I got the bright idea to be a mercenary.¡±
¡°That sounds pretty cool, actually,¡± Syd murmured after a moment. As she spoke, she squeezed Sorcha¡¯s hand. ¡°I mean, none of your wands sound bad to me, actually. The invisibility and the paralyzing wands are super strong. Most people don¡¯t have the kind of Resilience that I have now. I sure as shit didn¡¯t when we met, so you really fucked my ass up. Plus, that slowing wand literally saved lives when Eike got loose. So what if it¡¯s single target? That¡¯s an amazing power, to be able to slow down an enemy¡¯s movements. Paralyzing, slowing, invisibility¡ªto me it just sounds like you¡¯re a great support mage. So what if you can¡¯t make potions? Does it matter when you can literally freeze monsters in their tracks with a wave of your wand?¡±
As Sorcha continued her silence, hopefully mulling over Syd¡¯s words, she continued with another point.
¡°Besides, look at A and Bridget. Neither of them got the sses they wanted when they started out. Bridget¡¯s ss didn¡¯t have the stats to support it and A was a, well, Cart Driver. Look at them now. I don¡¯t think you¡¯d call either of them ¡®not very good¡¯ at this point.¡±
¡°No, but that¡¯s because you¡¯re empowering them,¡± Sorcha pointed out with a bit of petnce in her voice.
¡°Yeah, I am. You don¡¯t think I¡¯ll do the same for you?¡±
¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± Sorcha said after a moment, her voice slightly muffled as she buried her face into Syd¡¯s hair. ¡°I¡¯m just saying I don¡¯t have an amazing witch ss, is all. I don¡¯t need any special considerations.¡±
¡°You¡¯re my girlfriend,¡± Syd enunciated slowly. ¡°You get anything you want that I can provide. Don¡¯t tell me you deserve less than anyone else, because you don¡¯t.¡±
¡°Well I¡ª¡±
¡°Have you seen how much I can do in five seconds?¡± Syd asked, interrupting Sorcha before she could denigrate herself any further. ¡°Freezing me for five seconds is a massive game changer on the battlefield. If you had had that wand back in Far Felsen and had used it on Runar during our fight, I would have fucking destroyed him. Even if all you did was give me five seconds, that would have won me the fight. So don¡¯t talk about you not being all that good or any shit like that. You¡¯re amazing, Sorcha. You¡¯re just specialized.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t see Sorcha¡¯s face while she waited for a response since the goblin was sitting on her shoulder and her other two bodies were inside the smithy, but when she finally replied, there was a tightness in her voice that spoke of strong emotions.
¡°Thanks, Jay, that means a lot to me. I, um, I don¡¯t want to be an anchor. I don¡¯t weigh much, so I¡¯d be pretty shit at that, anyway.¡±
¡°Just speaking the truth,¡± Syd smiled as she squeezed Sorcha¡¯s hand. ¡°Also, you need to get better at telling me apart. I¡¯m Syd.¡±
¡°Oh, fuck off,¡± Sorcha said as she roughly tousled Syd¡¯s hair. ¡°Sabina¡¯s the only one who can tell you buggers apart and that¡¯s because she¡¯s some kind of savant.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Syd shrugged the shoulder Sorcha wasn¡¯t sitting on. ¡°Or maybe you just need to pay better attention.¡±
The banter between them continued for a few more minutes, a happy back-and-forth that kept both of them grinning the entire time. As Jadis¡¯ other selves and Sabina started wrapping up their business inside the smithy, a thought struck her that Syd decided to ask.
¡°Hey, you said your primary ss is an herbalist one, right?¡±
¡°Ah, yeah,¡± Sorcha answered. ¡°Nothing special. Just a in sort of herbalist ss you might see in any vige.¡±
¡°Now don¡¯t start¡ª¡±
¡°I¡¯m not talking shit about my ss,¡± Sorcha cut Syd off before she could get going. ¡°I¡¯m just letting you know it¡¯s not an alchemy ss or anything like that. It¡¯s just a very in version of the ss. It¡¯s called Garden Herbalist.¡±
¡°Garden?¡±
¡°Yeah, garden,¡± Sorcha confirmed. ¡°I¡¯m from a town outside of Glitnir called Bell¡¯s Ford. Most of thend around where I grew up was farms and pastures. Not a lot of gathering to do in woods, you know? I grew most of the herbs I collected in the garden out back of my parents¡¯ house.¡±
¡°I guess that means you¡¯re pretty good at gardening then, huh? To get a ss that focuses on it, I mean,¡± Syd mused as the gears in her head ticked.
¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± Sorcha agreed, though Syd could feel the goblin shrug. ¡°I¡¯m no Dryad but I made decent coin selling my harvest. Enough that I probably could have bought my own little cottage if I¡¯d stuck with it for a few more years, rather than trying to make it big being a bloody witch.¡±
¡°So you¡¯re saying you have a green thumb.¡±
Sorcha was silent for a long moment before replying with a confused and suspicious tone in her voice.
¡°¡Yeah, Syd. My thumbs are green. I¡¯m a goblin. We¡¯re all green.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯ve got a few ideas about gardening that I haven¡¯t seen anyone around here use so far,¡± Syd continued, pushing past her failed attempt at a pun. ¡°How about we buy a few things that I think might help and I show you some Nephilim gardening tricks?¡±
¡°That sounds fun,¡± Sorcha agreed, the smile back in her voice. ¡°I doubt you know more about growing nts than me, you big lug, since if you did, you¡¯d know we can¡¯t do much growing right now since it¡¯s the middle of winter. But who knows, maybe you can impress me.¡±
¡°Just maybe¡¡± Syd murmured as a grin of anticipation stretched across her face.
Chapter 373: Cleaning and Reconstruction
Chapter 373: Cleaning and Reconstruction
By the time Jadis got back to the new headquarterster that afternoon, most everyone else except for Nevan and O had already returned. With all of the shopping she, Sabina, and Sorcha had done, Jadis felt like they¡¯d aplished a great deal. Most everything that Sabina had needed to set up her workshop had been bought and would be delivered the next day, and everything that they couldn¡¯t outright buy had been ordered. The biggest expense was the actual forge that needed to be constructed, but fortunately they¡¯d found a craftsman who specialized in the making of forges who was able to start construction right away. They¡¯d also purchased a great deal of lumber and other supplies that were generally used by herbalists and alchemists, so Sorcha could set up her own little workshop for growing and processing herbs and other useful nts. Even if she wasn¡¯t the kind of herbalist who knew how to make potions and poultices, Jadis figured Sorcha could sell or trade her crop to other alchemists in exchange for fully processed goods.
Or maybe Sorcha might develop something better? Who was to say? It cost Jadis little to enable the goblin to be able to put her first ss to work. She saw no reason not to help her grow if she was interested.
Everyone else had aplished their missions as well, Jadis was happy to see, though the one who surprised her the most was Alex. Jadis hadn¡¯t actually worried too much about cleaning up the old building. She figured it was the kind of thing that could be done in stages as they worked on refurbishing the ce. However, upon her return, she found that the main open hall of the building had been transformed. Every surface was spotless, not a crumb of dust or smudge of dirt to be seen anywhere. The stone of the floors and walls actually shone, like they¡¯d been polished to a mirror shine, and even the ceiling was a brighter color from being cleaned.
Gunnar had been at the door to greet her and when she¡¯d asked how he, Tegwyn, and Alex had managed to clean so much so quickly, he¡¯d demurred and directed her to check on the third floor.
¡°That is possibly the most bizarre thing I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Syd said under her breath as she watched Alex make her way across the floor.
¡°You should have seen her when she was on the ceiling,¡± Tegwynughed. ¡°That was a much stranger sight, I assure you!¡±
Alexy on her back, her human partspletely horizontal. She looked as stiff as a board, her body basically nking. Her tentacles, both the big ones and the medium ones that could retract out of her back, were all spread out in a halo around her on the ground. The tentacles were propelling her across the floor, scooting her along at about the speed of a slow walk. Each one had a rag at the end and as she swept around the room her tentacles scrubbed at the floor with the rags and cleaning cloths. Alex¡¯s tworger, monstrous arms each held a bucket in one hand and different tentacles would asionally dip their rag into a bucket to wet and wring it out before continuing to clean and polish.
¡°Hello¡ Jadis¡¡± Alex said as she passed her by. ¡°Almost¡ Done¡¡±
¡°Here, change out,¡± Tegwyn called as he held out two fresh buckets. Alex took the buckets from the Dryad, passing him the two that were filled with dirty water before continuing on her way. ¡°I¡¯ve never had to mop a floor before,¡± Tegmented as he hefted the two buckets. ¡°But Alex makes it look easy.¡±
¡°Okay, so she¡¯s a Demonic Roomba now,¡± Syd shook her head before turning her attention to other matters. ¡°Anyway. Anything happen while we were gone I should know about?¡±
Tegwyn looked confused for a moment, but then he shrugged and simply carried on.
¡°Nothing of great note. Several workers from the neighboring businesses came by to greet us and gawk, but Gunnar proved adept at politely shooing them away.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Syd nodded appreciatively. ¡°Anything else?¡±
¡°I spotted a few children ying around the back edge of the storage yard,¡± he shrugged dismissively. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure how they got in, but they scurried away like mice when they saw meing to check on them.¡±
¡°Well, we should check that out then,¡± Syd frowned. ¡°If there¡¯s a hole in the wall somewhere, we¡¯ll need to patch it. I don¡¯t want some kid to get hurt by ident. Workshops can be dangerous, especially with all the fire and metal that Sabina will be dealing with.¡±
¡°And if mice can get in, other, less savory, pests might sneak in as well,¡± Tegwyn smirked with a glint in his eye. ¡°Never fear. I¡¯ll root out their route.¡±
¡°Thanks Teg,¡± Syd grinned at the man as she pped her hand to his shoulder.
About that time the two gnomes returned from their tour around the city¡¯s most popr spots for mercenaries to hang out. The two had found leads on lower-CLR mercenaries that could fit in with thepany, but pickings were slim. Most mercenaries were out in the field, fighting Demons. Those who were in the city were mostly the sort who were either uninterested in putting themselves in that kind of danger or had well-paying jobs already that had brought them to the capital for one reason or another. There were still some mercs that were in town simply to rest and recuperate like Nevan and O had been, so there was still hope of finding a few people to hire.
There was also the possibility of hiring those who had just unlocked their primary ss. That would be a risk, though, since such individuals would be young and inexperienced. Per A, they would have to show great promise to be worth investing in, though their low level could also be a selling point in their favor. If Jadis was willing to spend some time doing so, she could power-level new recruits quickly and efficiently, just as she had done for A back in Weigrun. There were many who would trade a great deal of gold for the opportunity to skip months of leveling.
With most everything that could be aplished done, Jadis and herpanions retired for the day. Hans agreed to stay in the new headquarters rather than go back to Vraekae¡¯s residence that night, just so that someone was around to make sure no one broke into the building now that a lot of their travel supplies had been moved into it. So long as he had a bedroll and a fire to cook, he could make do.
Over the next several days, Jadis and her crew spent most of their time at the new base, working together to set it up for thepany¡¯s use. Aside from the renovations, they also prepared for ball Eir¡¯s parents were holding in Jadis¡¯ honor. It was only a few days away, and would be held at Trummelton¡¯s, the same restaurant that Jadis and herpanions had taken A¡¯s parents too. The big difference was, though, that Eir¡¯s parents had rented out the whole building for their ball, which had to be an utterly ridiculous expense from how much just dinner for a dozen people had cost Jadis. Since it would not only be a fancy dinner but also a ball, the nice clothes that had already been made for Jadis just wouldn¡¯t do and Aurea and her priestesses were constantly pestering Jadis and her lovers to do fittings and measurements.
Aside from the new base and prep for the ball, there were other various duties that vied for her attention. For one, Jadis had to attend another temple greeting event, this time in a district on the other side of the city that was more on the upper-ss scale of living. The people who came to greet her still asked a lot of questions, many of which she had to politely not answer, though she made sure to rify any rumors that she heard regarding Alex. Many more gifts were pressed upon her, enough that Jadis wasn¡¯t whollyfortable taking them all, though the fact that most of the people who came to the temple looked like the kind who could afford the expense helped ease her conscious.
Jadis also visited the High Temple of Ulya to spend some time speaking with Vita. The temple was just asrge as the other temples in the district, however, once inside, it felt much smaller. Jadis quickly realized that it was because, rather than being filled with huge halls and wide-open spaces, the temple had been modeled to look like afortable and cozy home on the inside. Walking the temple corridors felt no different from walking through the hallway of a particrly nice residence, especially since the d¨¦corcked any extravagant statues or opulent decorations. The temple simply felt warm, which was a pleasant consideration in Jadis¡¯ opinion, since so many of the people who wereing and going were injured folk seeking treatment.
The priests and priestesses of Ulya tended to be the best healers, with their sses focused on recovery and restoration. Many soldiers who had injuries that couldn¡¯t be treated by the clerics on the battlefield were transported back to Eldingholt where the priests could perform rituals to heal them. The rituals were more time-consuming, but ultimately more powerful and effective. Considering how many people wereing to the temple for treatment, Jadis was surprised at how few priests were actually in the templepared to Lyssandria or Metethys. Not that the halls were empty, just that there was a lot less than Jadis would have hoped to see.
Vita was the only high priestess of Ulya in the city, though not the only one in the empire. While there weren¡¯t that many of Ulya¡¯s priests in the temple with Vita, there were far more of the goddess¡¯ avatars running around than Jadis expected. At least twenty of the me-furred felines prowled the cozy halls of the temple, each one emitting a warm, soothing glow. When Jadis asked about it, Vita exined that unlike the rest of the avatar races, Lares gave birth to litters and so tended to have a higher poption on average. Many of the fire cats that wandered the halls were actually Vita¡¯s children and grandchildren.
¡°Where¡¯s your husband?¡± Jay asked, then balked as she realized that the question could have been insensitive. ¡°Or, uh, if that¡¯s not something you want to talk about¡ª¡±
¡°On the front lines to the east,¡± Vita purred, not bothered at all by the inquiry. ¡°Cato is not a high priest, but he is a powerful cleric who can both heal and fight. He stays with the army, doing what he can to soothe the wounds inflicted upon the noble soldiers who fight the dark tide that seeks to sweep us away. I miss him, but he is a man of duty. He will not sit idly in the safety of the capital while others suffer on the battlefield.¡±
¡°Sounds like a good guy,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°I personally would love to be out there like him rather than loitering around here. No offense.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Vita smiled warmly. ¡°It is in your nature to be proactive. A fine trait. But taking some time to rest is necessary, even for the very strong. Enjoy the quiet moments when you can. You may not always have the luxury when you need it.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Jay agreed, ¡°who knows what¡¯ll happen once I¡¯m back out there fighting. I just think I¡¯d enjoy my time here if there were less¡ politics getting in the way.¡±
¡°Assuredly,¡± the Laresughed as she settled onto her elevated plush chair with her paws tucked under her body in a bread loaf shape that frankly looked adorable. ¡°I would as well! But even the Gods cannot escape politics. If they cannot avoid the practice, what chance do we have?¡±
Jay shrugged helplessly, seeing Vita¡¯s point. There really was no getting around it. So long as there was more than one person in a ce, there would be politics.
¡°Politics aside, I was wondering if there was any chance you could do me a favor.¡±
¡°If it is within my power, young Jadis, I will strive to amodate you.¡±
¡°Eir has been helping with the healing around here, what with all the soldiers that are sent off the line for more serious treatment,¡± Jay started, referring to her lover¡¯s volunteer activities when not otherwise engaged. ¡°I don¡¯t know a lot about how things are organized in the temples here, but she told me that in order for a person to get a missing limb regenerated, they have to get on a list.¡±
¡°That is true,¡± Vita nodded in confirmation. ¡°There are a limited number of priests who are capable of such spells. Most can only cast the spell or ritual once a day, sometimes only once a week depending on the spell and ss. The number of souls who need our help always far outstrips the number we can handle.¡±
¡°That makes sense,¡± Jay nodded, already having been told pretty much the same by her elven lover. ¡°So, with that said, I¡¯m not going to take offense if you say no to my request. But I still feel like I have to ask. I have two friends who both lost limbs during our expedition into the Great Southern Forest. Is there any chance that they could be moved further up the list for regeneration?¡±
Vita smiled kindly but shook her head slowly.
¡°I know who you speak of. Sorcha and Gunnar are both in need but are in far better shape than many others who are ahead of them on the list. Since their injuries are not life-threatening, it would be unfair to others who have waited for more than a year to regain their lost limbs to push your two friends ahead. There is also the delicate matter of Sorcha being a convicted criminal.¡±
As Jay opened her mouth to speak, Vita held out a paw to calm her and quickly exined.
¡°I well know the circumstances. Out of the many I have seen convicted of crimes both great and small over the years, I would say that Sorcha is one of the few who well and truly regrets her actions, even without punishment hanging overhead. However, Imperialw does not make such a distinction. Sorcha has been convicted and while that does not exclude her from treatment, it does mean she is not eligible for special treatment, not when there are others who are in need.¡±
That¡ was disappointing, but honestly fair. Jadis couldn¡¯t get mad at what was overall a fairly generous system. The people getting their limbs regenerated didn¡¯t even need to pay for it, as the service was offered freely by the temple. It was only reasonable that they would have a system in ce to prioritize who got the treatment since it was a service in short supply. Still, Jadis had felt she had to try, for the sake of both her friends.
Without any other business in the temple, Jadis thanked Vita and said her goodbyes, promising to visit again sometime in the future. From there, she met back up with the rest of Fortune¡¯s Favored at the new base to help with the setup. There was a lot to do to get the ce to a livable state, even with professionals working on the moreplicated aspects of the refurbishment. It was nice to keep busy, though, since it helped the time pass quicker.
Of course, there were other ways to pass time, too. Since the days were short in winter, Jadis and her lovers spent some long hours between the sheets at night, renewing bonds and just generally enjoying each other¡¯s bodies in bouts of carnal delight. Even though Jadis had finally consummated her rtionship with Alex, the Demon had yet to join in with a group activity, mostly because Jadis¡¯ other lovers were still approaching her either singly or in pairs. Not every night was an orgy, after all. Jadis didn¡¯t think it would be long before Alex got pulled into something with her and one of the others, though. Kerr had made no effort to hide her interest in the Demon¡¯s tentacles, and Eir had started showing some curiosity, too, now that she and Alex could have open conversations with each other.
Thoughts of what thatbination of lovers might lead to was a major distraction for Jadis, which was the excuse she gave for how Gunnar managed to sneak up on her while her three selves were helping Sabina set up her forge.
¡°The first of the candidates have arrived for their interview,¡± Gunnar spoke while standing at Dys¡¯ elbow, making her jump. ¡°A and Thea are already waiting in the office.¡±
¡°Shit, thanks Gunnar,¡± Dys cursed. ¡°I lost track of time. Let me wash my hands and I¡¯ll be right there.¡±
For the interviews, Jadis nned on having just one of her bodies attend along with A and Thea. While A was an obvious choice for leading the interview process, Jadis had wanted Thea to be involved since the former soldier was exceptionally observant. She didn¡¯t say much, and Jadis didn¡¯t think she needed to, but she was likely to spot things about the candidates that she or A might miss.
Washing her hands clean in a cold bucket of water, Dys left the half-finished forge and made her way into the main building to meet the potential new members of the expanding Fortune¡¯s Favored Mercenary Company.
Chapter 374: Mercenaries and Mice
Chapter 374: Mercenaries and Mice
¡°Thank you foring. We¡¯ll send a runner in the next couple of days if we decide to hire you.¡±
Dys smiled politely at the nervous young man as he bowed his head and muttered farewells in an anxious voice. She was beginning to hate that phrase. It was just so¡ canned. It made her feel like she was lying, even though she wasn¡¯t really. She really would send a runner if they decided to hire this guy. She just didn¡¯t think it was very likely that they would. However, just out and out announcing that she didn¡¯t think the young guard was a good fit for their mercenarypany right to his face felt too rude even for her usual style of bluntness.
¡°What do you think?¡± Dys asked as soon as A closed the door behind the man.
¡°His qualifications are fairly average for someone who hasn¡¯t yet reached CLR twenty,¡± the redheaded arcanist said in her typical cool, business-like tone. ¡°The fact that he has been working as a guard for a private merchant guild for over two years is a good sign. However, he¡¯s a city man. Since he¡¯s never left Eldingholt, he has no real experience being on the road or roughing it. That could make him a liability in many situations, unless he gets the right training.¡±
Nodding along to A¡¯s assessment, Dys turned her head to look at Thea when the redhead finished. Thea had sat quietly during the interview, just as she had for the past dozen or so. She had only uttered a few words, asking a short question here or there, but just as Jadis had expected, the shy woman was sharp in her observations.
¡°He k¡ªkept looking at you,¡± Thea said quietly after a brief pause. ¡°The way he was, ah, looking, I think he was m¡ªmore interested in you than the j¡ªjob.¡±
¡°Yeah, I got the feeling he was another gawker,¡± Dys grumbled in frustration. ¡°The way he responded to some of our questions seemed kind of distracted. Good odds he just wanted a chance to see me in person.¡±
A sighed as she crossed her arms and leaned against the desk they had set up in the office.
¡°This would be so much easier if you weren¡¯t such a celebrity.¡±
¡°Hey, it¡¯s not my fault!¡± Dys frowned. ¡°I was born this pretty. I can¡¯t help it if people want to bask in my beauty.¡±
¡°Considering the nature of your birth, I don¡¯t think you can actually im that to be true,¡± A smirked at Dys.
¡°Good point¡¡±
So. Another fruitless interview. Unfortunately, that had been the case for the majority of the interviews so far that day. While Nevan and O had done their best to try and find serious candidates for the job, there was only so much the couple could do to filter out the people who were really only interested in gawking at the rumored Nephilim versus those who actually wanted work. And even among those who were truly looking for a job, the pickings were apparently slim.
¡°Anyway, who¡¯s next?¡± A asked, looking at Dys expectantly.
¡°Another human man,¡± she replied. ¡°This guy¡¯s older, though. When he spoke with Gunnar, he introduced himself as Terrance.¡±
¡°Ah, the runner,¡± A nodded as she checked a list that she¡¯d written for herself. ¡°A local. O said he¡¯s supposed to be pretty well-liked in themunity. Hopefully he¡¯s serious.¡±
Dys nodded thoughtful as her other self observed the man as he talked with Gunnar in the main open hall. While Syd had continued to aid Sabina and the workers with setting up the smithy out back, Jay hade inside and ¡°oversaw¡± the work that the carpenters were doing on the second floor. In reality, she was just using it as an excuse to loiter on the second-floor balcony and watch the candidates as they came into the building. It was a good way for her to see what the interviewees were like before they got to introduce themselves to her Dys self in the office.
Terrance looked like a in, middle-aged man with a shaved head and a goatee. He was fit a trim, a bit on the short side, but otherwise unremarkable in appearance. He was supposed to be one of the higher CLR candidates that had reached out to be interviewed that day and was probably one of the oldest as well. Certainly, from the way he moved as he followed Gunnar to the office door, he presented an air of calm confidence that gave Jadis a good impression. If he had nerves, he was doing a good job of keeping a lid on them.
As Gunnar opened the door and introduced Terrance to Dys, A, and Thea, a shout out in the yard caught the attention of Jadis¡¯ third body.
¡°Did you hear that?¡± Syd asked as she set therge anvil down in the spot where Sabina had directed her.
¡°Um, yes, I think so?¡± Sabina responded distractedly, her focus on theplicated series of ropes and pulleys that would eventually make up her forge¡¯s bellows. ¡°Do you mean that dog barking, or the guy singing about big-breasted women, or the little kid that¡¯s crying?¡±
Syd had to pause and stare at the smith. She¡¯d forgotten that Sabina was a half-elf and thus had much more sensitive hearing than she did.
¡°The crying child,¡± Syd rified.
¡°Yeah, that one is unusual for where we are,¡± Sabina agreed as she pulled on a rope that caused her contraption to swing wildly and almost knock a worker over. ¡°Sorry!¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to go check on that,¡± Syd murmured as she left the preupied smith to her work.
Stepping out of therge storage building, it only took a second for Syd to spot the source of the unexpected noise. Mostly because it wasing straight for her.
¡°My friend!¡± Tegwyn called out, a bemused smile on his face as he approached her. ¡°I have caught one of our mice!¡±
Syd stared at the approaching Dryad, a frown deepening on her face with every step he took. When he came to a stop a few feet away from her, she decided to open with the obvious.
¡°That¡¯s a child.¡±
Tegwyn looked at the small gnome dangling from his right hand by the cor.
¡°Yes, I believe she is.¡±
¡°Why are you carrying a child? A crying child?¡±
¡°Well,¡± Tegwyn shrugged, causing the little girl to bounce slightly in her coat. ¡°She was one of those littlembs I saw sneaking around the back of the storage yard. There were seven or eight, but she was the one I managed to catch. Probably because she¡¯s a gnome. Small legs, doesn¡¯t move as fast.¡±
Syd sighed as she shook her head at the Dryad¡¯s exnation. Since it was Tegwyn, it was hard to tell if he was joking or if he really didn¡¯t see the problem with abducting a small child and swinging her around like a fish on a line. Even if the kid was trespassing, this was not what Jadis had expected him to do when he¡¯d promised to root out the trouble-making children.
The child was, as Tegwyn had pointed out, definitely a gnome. The bluish face markings were a dead giveaway. It was hard to tell age since the race was so small, but Jadis guessed the kid couldn¡¯t have been older than ten. Probably closer to six or seven. She was wearing a threadbare woolen jacket and boots that were clearly a size too big for her tiny feet. The hat on her head looked like it had been hand-knit by a family member rather than something bought from a shop. She looked like she probably would have been an adorable little girl, though it was hard to tell since her face was all twisted up and red as she loudly cried.
Leaning forward and putting on her friendliest smile, Syd spoke to the little gnome in an attempt to calm her down.
¡°Hey there, my name¡¯s Syd. What¡¯s your name?¡±
Syd jumped back a little as, unexpectedly, the little girl¡¯s face scrunched up in terror as she began wailing even louder. Her terrified scream was enough to cause the workers inside the smithy toe out and see what was happening.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sabina asked with concern as came up next to Syd.
¡°Teg caught a kid running around our property and she¡¯s freaking the fu¡ªfrick out,¡± Syd answered in exasperation. Holding out her hands, she tried to calm the child down again. ¡°Hey, calm down, no one¡¯s going to hurt you! It¡¯s okay! What¡ª¡±
Syd¡¯s words were cut off as the tiny gnome somehow managed to cry even louder, all attempts at constion falling on deaf ears.
¡°Here, let me have her,¡± Sabina marched up to the now grimacing Tegwyn. ¡°Let¡¯s take her inside and get her something warm to drink and maybe she¡¯ll calm down enough to tell us her name and then maybe who her parents are. Oh, and maybe some of the workers around here know who she is if she hangs around the area a lot so we should probably send someone to ask around.¡±
Jadis watched, both impressed and mildly amused, as Sabina took charge of the situation in a way that she normally did not act. Taking the child in her arms from Tegwyn, she held the little girl against her chest and headed towards the back door of the building. For her part, the little girl didn¡¯t throw her arms around Sabina or anything like that, but she did quiet down a little. That may have just been a result of her face being pressed up against the smith¡¯s apron, but it was at least a small improvement.
Once inside, the wailing gnome quieted down slightly, but that seemed to be more an effect of an increase in terror, rather than a lessening of it. When Sabina sat the girl down on one of the seats next to the fire in the half-finished kitchen, she went stiff as a statue, like a mouse that had been caught out in the open by a cat. She still let out the asional wail of fear, but it was almost as though her mind couldn¡¯t decide which way to respond, crying or freezing.
¡°Sh¡ªshoot,¡± Syd grumbled as she folded her arms. ¡°I wish Eir was here. She¡¯d know what to do.¡±
Eir was still back at the temple district, putting her healing skills to use. While Jadis agreed it was a good use of her time, now that she needed her, she hated not having her cleric lover immediately at hand. Certainly, Eir had to be better with children than everyone else at the headquarters.
¡°Hans, would you please make something warm and sweet for her?¡± Sabina asked the man. ¡°I think she could use something like¡ªoh! Oh, thank you, Hans. You¡¯re the best!¡±
Sabina praised the cook as he pulled a slice of warm fruit pie out from somewhere as well as a cup of honeyed tea. Both of the sweet treats found their way in front of the little girl, which seemed to tempt her. Jadis could see the longing in the tiny gnome¡¯s eyes as she looked at the slice of crumbled pie, but she didn¡¯t take the offered food. Her gaze kept drifting towards Syd, and every time she looked at her, the crying would renew in vigor.
While Sabina tried to get the little girl to eat and talk, Syd spoke with Tegwyn.
¡°Where did you catch her, anyway? And what about all the other kids?¡±
¡°The back left corner,¡± the Dryad hooked a thumb over his shoulder. ¡°It was hard to follow tracks since the pack was running around and making a mess of the snow. But I saw where they ran to this time. There¡¯s a drainage grate in that corner. Much too small for me to fit in, but just the right size for adventurous children.¡±
So the kids had been sneaking around through the sewers? Or was it a storm drain? Was there even a difference? The drainage systems of the capital city hadn¡¯t exactly been on Jadis¡¯ mind before, so she had no idea how any of that worked. In any case, did that mean the kid was some kind of a street rat, or an orphan maybe? Looking at her clothes, she seemed like she didn¡¯t have a lot of money, but she also didn¡¯t look unhealthy or like she was living in poverty. More like she was just from a poor neighborhood and she was wearing hand-me-downs. There was supposed to be a lower level of the city under the street she was on, wasn¡¯t there? It would make sense if that was the poor side of town.
After many minutes with no real progress in calming the scared child down, Jadis decided the best thing to do was to send Thea and maybe Kerr to see if they could find a way down to the lower level. The interview with Terrance was wrapping up anyway and there weren¡¯t any more candidates waiting in the lobby, so Thea would be free to do some door-to-door searching if that was necessary.
The runner¡¯s interview had gone well. Better than everyone else¡¯s had, certainly. Terrance was a polite man with a good-naturedugh and a humble disposition. He was nearing forty years old and was also close to CLR forty. For someone who spent no time inbat with Demons at all, that was actually pretty good. Terrance wanted to reach CLR sixty before he got too old to make use of a third ss and had been considering joining a mercenarypany ever since the demonic invasion broke out so that he could get some bonus experience points, though he hadn¡¯t built up the courage to make the transition until Nevan and O had approached him about Fortune¡¯s Favored.
When Dys walked with the older man out into the main hall of the headquarters and told him that she¡¯d be sending a runner in a couple of days to let him know if they chose to hire him, she really meant it. They were going to have a final discussion of the candidates before hiring anyone, but unless one of her trustedpanions had a reasonable objection, she nned on hiring the bald man.
¡°Thank you again for taking the time to see me,¡± Terrance smiled somewhat shyly up at Dys as he firmly shook her hand. ¡°I know you, A, and Thea must be busy women.¡±
¡°We are, but that¡¯s why we want to hire people like you,¡± Dys grinned down at the man. ¡°Anyway, thanks foring and¡ª¡±
Dys¡¯ words were interrupted by the muffled shriek of the tiny gnome girl as she let out a particrly loud wail.
¡°Was that a child?¡± the runner asked as his expression instantly switched from shy happiness to concern.
¡°Sounded like a cat with its tail caught in a wheel,¡± A eximed as she looked in the direction of the kitchen door. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±
Of course, A didn¡¯t know about the child Tegwyn had caught, nor would Thea or Terrance. Dys only knew because she was the same person as Syd.
Uncertain as to whether she should reveal her multi-body status to Terrance since that fact about Jadis wasn¡¯tmon knowledge among the public, Dys hesitated. Seeing her reply wavering on her lips, A spoke up and smoothly covered for Dys¡¯pse.
¡°Whatever it is, it sounds like it came from the kitchen. If you¡¯ll excuse us, Terrance, we¡¯d best see what the rest of ourpany has been up to this afternoon.¡±
A quickly strode over to the door, Dys and Thea following close behind. When the redhead threw open the door to reveal Syd, Sabina, Tegwyn, and Hans gathered around a crying gnome, she looked genuinely flummoxed.
¡°Uh¡?¡±
¡°Tegwyn found her running around outside in the storage yard,¡± Syd quickly exined. ¡°We thought we¡¯d better bring her inside and ask her where she came from, but she¡¯s been wailing non-stop this whole time and we don¡¯t know what to do!¡±
Thest came out with a little more desperation than Jadis had intended, but her nerves really were starting to get frazzled by all the crying. Jadis liked kids, but her experience caring for them was limited and she¡¯d already exhausted all she knew how to do.
¡°Oh. Well¡¡± A trailed off, clearly having trouble adjusting to the suddenness of unexpected situation. ¡°Did she tell us her name, or¡?¡±
¡°Fiona?¡±
Dys and Syd turned to look at Terrance in surprise, as did the rest of the men and women in the kitchen. The runner hadn¡¯t left when A had dismissed him and had instead quietly followed behind. Standing at the door, he stared at the little girl with a look of mild surprise.
¡°You know her?¡± Dys asked with a raised eyebrow.
Terrance nodded, a wry smile twisting his lips as he let out a softugh.
¡°Yes, I do. No idea how she got up here, but I do know her.¡±
Chapter 375: Undercity
Chapter 375: Undercity
The city of Eldingholt took the idea of ¡°urban nning¡± to a whole new level.
Centuries ago, when the arches of the magic wall were being nned by the emperor and architects of the time, they had rightly predicted that once the walls had been built, there would be no way to expand them. At least not without exorbitant costs, considering the insane resources being poured into the walls to begin with. So, to make sure there would be plenty of room for growth within the walls, the city¡¯s buildings had been built on solid foundations that stretched deep underground. This was to allow for a great deal of upward expansion, a feat of engineering that few other cities could match. It was thanks to that foresight that Eldingholt was able to house its massive poption so well over the many years. However, the construction of the city¡¯s foundations had an unexpected side effect.
The undercity.
¡°This isn¡¯t as bad as I thought it would be,¡± Jaymented as she looked around at the buildings lining the avenue.
¡°What were you expecting?¡± Kerr asked as she paced beside her. ¡°Garbage all over the streets? Soot and filth on the walls? Drunkards lying in puddles of their own piss and vomit?¡±
¡°Well, yeah, kinda,¡± Jay shrugged. ¡°At least a little of that, I guess.¡±
¡°Maybe in other cities,¡± Kerr snickered, ¡°but not in the imperial capital. Too many priests to let something like real slums form. Anyone who¡¯s that bad off will have the temples swoop down on them like oiseaux de proie, only with food and clothing instead of, you know, death.¡±
That was good to hear. While her stay in the temple district had made it clear to Jadis that the priests certainly indulged in a degree of luxury, they also didn¡¯te across as corrupt. Lyssandria¡¯s temple was filled with statues and expensive goods, but that seemed to be more a product of their patron¡¯s aspects of beauty and art instead of any kind of greed. Temples like Charos or Metethys were imposing and well-crafted, but practically austere in their decoration. It seemed the temples actually used the money donated to them for the betterment of people in need, rather than to line the pockets of the higher-ranking priests. A nice change of pace, Jadis had to say,pared to what she knew was all toomon back on Earth.
In any case, the streets of the undercity were fairly clean and the people walking them looked well-kept, though their clothes made it obvious they were in a lower ie bracketpared to most of the people Jadis had seen on the streets at ground level. There was definitely a different feel to the areapared to above, though, and it wasn¡¯t just because there was no visible sky.
The undercity had started asworks of tunnels that had been dug when the architects of old had dug out the foundations of the great city above. Those tunnels had expanded over time as the city¡¯s infrastructure was improved, leading to huge open areas that were just below the surface. Some of those areas had been filled with the expansive sewage and drainage systems, as well as some more magic-based systems that were in ce to help increase the stability of city¡¯s towers and walls. Between those systems, though, mundane sorts of buildings had been constructed over time. Shops, businesses, and homes had filled all the avable space in ways that looked less nned and more haphazard than elsewhere in Eldingholt. The top level of the city had a clean congruity to it, with the various buildings all matching in style so that if one had been built a hundred or a thousand years ago, there would be no visual indication to tell one way or the other. In the undercity, though, it was clear that buildings had popped up like mushrooms over time, their different styles and shapes frequently warring with each other.
At least there were plenty of streemps along the walkways to make up for theck of natural sunlight.
¡°Fiona¡¯s street should be just around the corner,¡± Terrance announced as he led the group through the undercity. ¡°Her building is on the end, near the aqueduct.¡±
¡°This is a long walk for such a young kid,¡± Dysmented as she strode just behind the bald man. ¡°I¡¯m surprised she came all the way to our building from here.¡±
To get from Fortune¡¯s Favored headquarters, they had been forced to walk many streets over to get to arge stairwell that led down to the street below. To Jadis, it felt a bit like walking down into a subway station, except instead of train tracks there were just more streets and buildings.
¡°Well, it¡¯s not actually that far if you look at it from a vertical perspective,¡± he said conversationally. ¡°The street your headquarters are on is right above us,¡± Terrance pointed towards the dimly lit ceiling. ¡°If we could go straight up, we¡¯d be back in no time at all.¡±
¡°Not an option for us, I guess,¡± Dys looked upwards spectively, ¡°Not unless I want to break through rock and stone to get there. But I guess the kids found a way.¡±
¡°So it seems,¡± Terrance chuckled.
It was quite the lucky circumstance that Terrance had been at the base for his interview at the same time Tegwyn had caught the little gnome, Fiona. If he hadn¡¯t been there, it probably would have taken a long time to either calm the crying girl down enough to get answers or search out her home on their own. Fortunately, Terrance was a runner, and specifically he was a runner whose clients were mostly on this side of the city. He knew the streets around the crafters and merchant¡¯s districts like the back of his hand. He also had a good memory for people¡¯s names and faces, which helped with his business of delivering letters and packages. As such, he knew where Fiona lived because he¡¯d passed by her home many times and even delivered to her parents in the past.
The street in the undercity where Terrance led them was wide and well lit despite beingpletely underground. Tall buildings lined the road on either side, with the ones on the left clearly intended for residential purposes while the ones on the right looked like workshops. At the far end of the row of buildings was a massive, open-top aqueduct that continued off into the distance heading in either direction. On the right side of the street directly adjacent to the aqueduct was a building constructed in a design that mirrored the buildings on the surface, as opposed to the more basic construction of the rest of the buildings in the row. From what Jadis had been told, that was likely some kind of official city-works station that was there to monitor the water and sewer systems. All the other buildings would have been built up around it over the centuries.
¡°Are you going to tell momma I was in the tunnels?¡±
¡°Yes, I think we¡¯ll probably have to do that,¡± Sabina nodded to the little gnome¡¯s question. ¡°What you and your friends are doing in the tunnels isn¡¯t safe because you might get lost or you might get stuck somewhere you can¡¯t get out, or worse, it might rain and then you might get washed away and drown. I don¡¯t think anyone wants to see a bunch of innocent little kids get drowned in a storm drain so you really need to stay out of them, so we¡¯ll tell your mother so she can keep an eye out for you and the other kids you were ying with.¡±
¡°¡You talk too fast,¡± Fiona said as she frowned at Sabina.
¡°Yes, that¡¯s true, I do,¡± Sabina agreed without taking offense. ¡°Here, have another candied fruit.¡±
The child took the candy happily, though before she popped it into her little mouth, she eyed the sweet treat with some suspicion.
¡°Are you sure it won¡¯t turn me into a demon?¡±
¡°It won¡¯t turn you into anything,¡± Sabina said before yfully biting the yellow fruit out of the girl¡¯s hands and showing it between her teeth. ¡°See?¡±
The little girlughed as Sabina pulled another candied fruit from her pocket and gave it to her and they both enjoyed their little treats together.
Syd watched their antics with amusement, though she did feel some mild frustration. Despite finally calming down, little Fiona continued to throw wary looks at her, even as she ate the candy that she¡¯d been given.
When Terrance had told them where they could find the tiny gnome¡¯s home, he¡¯d been able to calm the girl down as he was a somewhat familiar face. Once she wasn¡¯t crying, Sabina had been able to tempt her into talking with various sweets and treats. What the girl had revealed was, in a way, unsurprising, but still incredibly annoying.
It seemed that Fiona and all the kids from her little neighborhood were under the strong impression that Jadis was a Demon. More specifically, the three giant pale women were Demon possessed monsters that were in the city to turn people into Demons. Or make them be possessed. Or maybe feed them to Demons? The theories on what the Nephilim were there to do were pretty varied and more than a little muddled since the six-year-old child wasn¡¯t terribly coherent in her storytelling.
Whatever misinformed belief the kids were going by, Fiona and the older kids she followed around had been delighted to find out that the terrifying and evil Nephilim had moved in right above their homes. It was quite the exciting event to learn that such boogeymen had turned up in one of the ces the gaggle of children liked to y. Jadis got the impression that the stories were probably all kids stuff; the kind of things kids told their friends to scare each other, and it was doubtful any of them believed it. However, Fiona was just young enough to believe everything she heard. So, when Tegwyn had caught her, the little girl had assumed she was about to be turned into a Demon. Or possessed. Or eaten. At least one of those oues.
Jadis had judiciously decided to avoid introducing Alex to the kid after that revtion.
¡°So, not a lot of people around here, huh?¡± Dys asked as they neared the end of the street where Fiona was supposed to live.
¡°Many of the men around here joined the army when the demonic invasion began,¡± Terrance exined as he led the way. ¡°Along with a few women. It¡¯s mostly just those who are too old to easily get a secondary ss or those much too young to unlock their primary ss left.¡±
Indeed, the people Jadis could see in the workshops on the righthand side of the street were all older folk, more than a few of them with graying hair. There were a few people who were younger, but they were definitely in the minority.
As they neared the end of the street, Dys slowed to look up at the three-story building that Fiona¡¯s family shared with several other families from what Terrance had told her.
¡°Alright, now we just have to hope her parents are home. Or someone who knows her is around,¡± Dys said aloud. ¡°How about we¡ª¡±
¡°Hey!¡± A loud, angry voice called out. ¡°Let go of my cousin!¡±
Jadis turned her multiple gazes to see a short, purple-skinned woman wielding a broom rushing towards Syd. It took half a second for Jadis to assess the situation, but she quickly realized that the woman wasn¡¯t actually heading for Syd, but for Sabina and the little girl she held in her arms. Either way, the woman didn¡¯t really look like much of a threat, so Syd casually moved to interpose herself between Sabina and the broom-wielding woman.
Roy and his knights, however, reacted far more decisively.
In a sh, the goblin pdin and two of his human-sized knights in full te armor were standing in front of the purple woman, blocking her way. The speed at which they moved was slowpared to what Jadis was capable of, but they were still far faster than any normal person would be capable of. From the woman¡¯s perspective, Jadis was sure it was like the three had simply materialized in front of her.
¡°Please set the broom down, ma¡¯am,¡± Roy asked in a calm, professional tone. ¡°Or we¡¯ll be forced to take it from you.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll have you lot set down my cousin first!¡± the young woman shouted with some bravado, though it was pretty clear by her bodynguage that she was intimidated by the knights. ¡°I won¡¯t let some upper-crust slimes kidnap my family!¡±
As Jadis watched Roy and the purple woman confront each other, she noticed a few other people had gathered around. There were a handful of older folk sticking their heads out of doors and windows, the shouting having no doubt caught their attention. But more than that, there was a group of children who looked like they were ranging from Fiona¡¯s age to early teens. They were all staring at the confrontation with wide eyes, and more than a few were pointing at Fiona.
¡°I think there¡¯s been a misunderstanding,¡± Syd said as she stepped forward to loom behind Roy. ¡°If we were kidnapping her, why would we be walking her back to her house?¡±
The short, purple woman blinked up at Syd, clearly thrown off by the logical inconsistency. That, or she was just freaked out by speaking to someone who was more than twice her height. As she stood there, gaping up at Syd¡¯s towering figure, a small voice that came from behind Syd caught her attention.
¡°Violetta,¡± Fiona said with a small child¡¯s unshakable authority. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They aren¡¯t demons. They have candy.¡±
Chapter 376: Apprenticeship
Chapter 376: Apprenticeship
¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really, really sorry.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay! But you really shouldn¡¯t run at people carrying brooms because you never know how much higher CLR they are from you and if you trigger a bad response, you could get badly hurt so make sure to use your words in the future, okay?¡±
¡°Um, yeah, sure¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Fiona patted Violetta¡¯s side. ¡°She talks too fast.¡±
So ensued another round of apologies and assurances. Now that Roy and his knights were calmed down, and Violetta wasn¡¯t trying to bash anyone in the head with a broom, the situation had progressed to the stage where the young woman was profoundly apologizing for the misunderstanding. The interaction between Sabina, Fiona, and Violetta made Jadis idly wonder if D was perhaps the patron god of children. Certainly, they were capable of prompting chaos with little effort, something he held in great regard.
¡°Like she said,¡± Jay stepped into the conversation before it went in any more circles. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We just don¡¯t want any kids to get hurt. Try to keep them out of the storm drains, okay?¡±
¡°Right,¡± the purple woman nodded up at Jay, still showing some timidness when addressing her directly. ¡°I¡¯ll, uh, try to do that.¡±
That seemed to be about the best promise Jadis was going to get, so she mentally shrugged and let it go. It really wasn¡¯t fair to put all the responsibility on Violetta, anyway. She wasn¡¯t the parent or guardian of any of these kids, she was still practically one herself.
Well, that felt a little unfair. Jadis was twenty-two years old. That wasn¡¯t that much older than Violetta¡¯s seventeen years. Still, Jadis felt a lot older than she was numerically. Responsibility did that, she supposed.
Violetta was Fiona¡¯s older cousin and neighbor to all the other kids that had been running around. She happened to be the oldest among them, less than a year away from unlocking her primary ss, while the next oldest was a boy only fourteen years old. It wasn¡¯t her job to watch the kids. Apparently, from what Jadis had gathered from Kerr and Sabina and from the context of the conversation, it was pretty umon for there to be any kind of babysitters for children old enough to take care of themselves, at least among the regr working folk of the empire. When the children weren¡¯t at the local temple learning to read and write, they were left up to their own devices. If they were old enough, they might work in an apprenticeship, but otherwise they went unsupervised.
Having grown up in a suburban environment in Pennsylvania, Jadis couldn¡¯t imagine leaving kids free to wander without any kind of adult supervision. Stranger Danger wasn¡¯t really a thing, she guessed, which felt utterly bizarre. Then again, in a world with literal god-blessed pdins running around, maybe families felt a little more secure about the safety of their children from predators. At least in the big cities where lots of high-CLR, righteous sorts of people were frequently found. It was the smaller viges where people with high levels were lessmon that Jadis imagined had a greater chance of something happening. Sort of counter-intuitive to what Jadis would expect from her own experience back on Earth, but she supposed it made some kind of sense.
She still didn¡¯t like seeing kids running around in dangerous ces without anyone looking after them.
¡°I¡¯m surprised you aren¡¯t in an apprenticeship!¡± Sabina was saying to Violetta while Jadis had been briefly lost in thought. ¡°You¡¯re old enough, aren¡¯t you? Even those boys over there look old enough to be doing work around a shop. Are you taking a day off? Or do you not have any work? Could you not find any work? Or were you fired? I hope you weren¡¯t fired, that would be awful. You don¡¯t seem like you¡¯d be the sort to get fired, unless you were waving a broom at the shop owner, because that would get you fired.¡±
¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t have an apprenticeship,¡± Violetta managed to get out before Sabina continued with her inappropriate rambling. ¡°The workshops here can¡¯t afford any more apprentices. They¡¯re full up on unskilledbor. I¡¯m just, uh, sweeping up the streets because I don¡¯t have anything better to do.¡±
¡°Oh! Well, in that case, you shoulde work for us.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Both Jay and Violetta eximed at the same time, staring at Sabina. For her part, the half-elf looked surprised by Jay¡¯s surprise and turned her gaze up at her.
¡°Well, yeah, she should. So should the three boys over there who look big enough to work. I¡¯ll need help around the forge for all the crafting I¡¯ll be doing and it makes sense to hire some local kids. I don¡¯t necessarily need a bunch of people with smith sses, I can do most of theplicated stuff myself; in fact, I¡¯d rather do all theplicated stuff myself so it¡¯s done the way I want it. I just need some hands who can carry things for me, or hold things, or fetch things, or all those other little helpful tasks that apprentices do. Three or four kids will do the job nicely! That¡¯s what my father did with me and my siblings, after all, and it worked out well. So we should hire Violetta, and maybe those boys there, and then I wouldn¡¯t have to go searching for any more people because that¡¯s probably all I¡¯ll need for now.¡±
Jadis considered what Sabina was saying, quickly thinking the suggestion over. It was true that Sabina did need some helpers around the smithy, or at least she would once it waspleted. There were a lot of projects that Sabina was going to be working on and she couldn¡¯t do it all alone. She¡¯d figured that she¡¯d be hiring a couple of professionals to assist her talkative lover, but if Sabina said all she needed were a few unskilled hired hands, she wasn¡¯t opposed to the idea.
Jadis had originally nned on getting out of Eldingholt after staying the two weeks Prince Kestil had asked of her, but now that she had some ns to expand Fortune¡¯s Favored as well as improve their technological assets, she¡¯d altered her ns a bit. At the very least, she¡¯d need to stay within a couple of days travel of Eldingholt so that she could renew her bond with Sabina every few days while she worked on the enchantments. Jadis didn¡¯t know how long it would take the smith toplete the main projects that Jadis had asked her to work on, but she wouldn¡¯t be at all surprised to learn it would take a few months. That was a pretty short amount of time, really, for a technological revolution.
So, Jadis did need to hire some helpers for Sabina. She could easily agree with that. However, was Violetta the right person for that job?
Looking the young woman up and down, Jadis carefully considered what she saw. Violetta was¡ unique in her appearance. She was purple¡ªnot that umon from what Jadis had seen of elves. Her skin was a very light purple, like mauve, while her shoulder-length hair was a dark purple that had a bluishness to it. If that was all there was to the girl, Jadis would have assumed that she was an elf. Except, there were some noticeable differences. For one, Violetta¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t a solid, bright color like other elves, but instead she had normal sclera like a human and irises that shone a bright silver color. Her ears were pointed but were much smaller than most elves. In fact, her ears were closest in shape to Sabina¡¯s ears. She was also a lot shorter than most elves. She was even shorter than Eir, who was already a petite woman. At a guess, she figured Violeta was probably no more than four and half feet tall. Most notable of all were the markings on Violetta¡¯s face. She didn¡¯t have many, but she did have some lines that ran from cheek to cheek across her nose, as well as one thick line that went from her bottom lip down her chin and all the way down to her neck.
¡°I¡¯m sorry if this question is rude, but are you half elf and half gnome?¡±
Violetta stared up at Jay, a frown puckering her forehead.
¡°Yeah, I am. What of it? You got a problem with me being a mule?¡±
¡°No, not at all,¡± Jay shook her head, though she was confused about the name Violetta had called herself. ¡°I was just curious. I¡¯ve never seen anyone who looks like you do. No elves or gnomes where I grew up, so I wasn¡¯t sure if you were just a particr type of elf or gnome I hadn¡¯t run into yet.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Violetta snorted. ¡°Lots of big, purple gnomes running around the aqueducts.¡± A secondter, she seemed to think better of what she¡¯d said and hastily added, ¡°I mean, I guess if you¡¯re not around a lot of other races like in the big cities, I guess I can see how that¡¯d be confusing¡¡±
¡°No, that was a rude question,¡± Jay assured the younger woman. ¡°You would have been in your rights to tell me to fuck off.¡±
Jay¡¯s rough words brought a giggle out of Violetta, but a censuring gasp from Fiona.
¡°That¡¯s a bad word,¡± the little gnome girl said as clutched at Violetta¡¯s skirt. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell Priest Herman.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right, that was a bad word,¡± Jay smiled apologetically down at Fiona. ¡°Do me a favor and let that one go, okay?¡±
¡°Why? You¡¯re telling on me to Momma about the drain tunnels.¡±
¡°¡Fair enough.¡±
Switching her attention off of the little girl and back to Violetta, Jay put a hand on Sabina¡¯s shoulder.
¡°If you¡¯re interested in working for Sabina,e by Fortune¡¯s Favored Headquarters after you talk it over with your parents. Tell the boys that are old enough over there, too. If they want the job, tell them they have to bring their parents with them and we¡¯ll discuss duties and wages. Sound good?¡±
Violetta perked up, her interest obvious, but she didn¡¯t immediately jump at the offer. Instead, she cautiously asked a couple questions.
¡°What kind of work is it? You were talking about a smithy?¡±
¡°Yes!¡± Sabina exined. ¡°I¡¯m a smith and an enchanter. I make all kinds of things, mostly weapons and armor, but pretty much anything. You really don¡¯t need to have experience, just the wits to do what I tell you and not to stick your hands in the fire. Who knows, you might get an enchanter ss if you hang around me!¡±
That definitely caught the girl¡¯s interest, as it did the boys who were still standing far enough back that they couldn¡¯t easily be caught. Doing her best to keep from looking too excited, Violetta nodded her head in agreement.
¡°I¡¯ll make sure we all talk it over with our parents as soon as they¡¯re back from work. Some of them work in these workshops here, so they¡¯re probably already overhearing all this. We¡¯ll, uh, let you know.¡±
Jadis had to chuckle inwardly at Violetta¡¯s choice of words. After having spent most of the day telling people the same thing, it was ironic to hear the statement directed towards her.
With Fiona safely delivered and an unexpected job offer extended, Jadis felt like it was time to go. After saying a few quick farewell, she gathered up the group and headed back to the headquarters. Once they had all made it back onto the main road that would take them to the stairs that led to the surface, Kerr let out a long, loud sigh.
¡°Well, that was a waste of time.¡±
¡°You think so?¡± Dys nced down at her archer. ¡°Sabina might have just found some helpers, though.¡±
¡°You can find kids who are willing to work like that anywhere,¡± Kerr waved one hand dismissively. ¡°Probably could have gotten a couple from the workshops next door, honestly. Of course, once the parents know we¡¯ve got Alex in the building, there¡¯s no chance they¡¯ll let their kids work for us. As nice as Alex is, she¡¯s still just a Demon in the eyes of, well, pretty much everyone. No one will want their kids hanging around her.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Dys sighed and shrugged. ¡°Then again, maybe they¡¯ll be okay with it if Eir is there. A priestess or cleric¡¯s word goes a long way. Might even be able to arrange something with Aurea.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Kerr mused. ¡°Got to admit, that¡¯s a fucking hrious idea. Bringing a high priestess by so she can assure some parents that their kids are safe to hang around a Demon? That has to be a first.¡±
¡°Well, better they work under some kind of supervision than running around in dangerous ces, I guess. What¡¯s the point of having connections if I don¡¯t use them to help people, anyway?¡±
Kerr murmured agreement to Jadis¡¯ sentiment beforepsing into silence. They continued along for a ways, following behind the others for a while before Dys asked a question about something Violetta had said.
¡°Hey, what did that girl mean when she said she was a mule?¡±
¡°Oh, that,¡± Kerr shrugged one shoulder. ¡°She¡¯s talking about the fact that she¡¯s a half breed.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t follow,¡± Dys tilted her head in confusion.
¡°Right, I guess you wouldn¡¯t know,¡± Kerr paused as she shot Dys a nce. ¡°It¡¯s because some race mixes don¡¯t work out very well. A human and an elf works out just fine; just look at Sabina. But some crossbreeds rarely happen, and if they do, the offspring are usually sterile. Like a mule. She¡¯s a gnome and elf half-breed. She probably won¡¯t ever have any pups. Just how it is.¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s fucked up,¡± Dys frowned at Kerr¡¯s exnation.
¡°Yeah, it is,¡± Kerr agreed. ¡°If you can breed with someone, your kids should be able to breed when they¡¯re grown up, too. No fucking idea why the gods made it so that it doesn¡¯t always work that way. Bunch of merde, really.¡±
Jadis couldn¡¯t agree more with Kerr¡¯s sentiment. What was the point in making the different racespatible enough that they could have children, but not all of thempatible enough that their children wouldn¡¯t be sterile? Gics and DNA probably had something to do with it, Jadis was sure, but she wasn¡¯t going to just handwave an exnation like that. Gods were real. She¡¯d spoken to several of them by this point. They had to have known what they were doing when they made the gic sequences of the various races. She didn¡¯t think it would be something they just happened to overlook.
Then again, thinking about D, maybe it was an oversight? From her experience, the gods did note across as infallible. Her very existence on Oros was because of a loophole in a divine pact that they had apparently overlooked. Wasn¡¯t that proof enough that the gods didn¡¯t always get everything right?
Whatever the case, the idea of someone like Violetta having that stigma over her made Jadis unhappy. She didn¡¯t think it was right that she was so casually calling herself an insulting term. She clearly had to have heard it from others, and she¡¯d been hackles-up the moment she thought Jadis was calling her out on it.
¡°I hope our children aren¡¯t like that,¡± Kerr murmured quietly as she strode next to Dys. ¡°You know, when we have them. That¡¯d really fucking suck piss.¡±
Jadis was startled by the voiced worry. She¡¯d never given any thought to the possibility that her children might not be able to procreate themselves. She knew she waspatible with her lovers, if for no other reason than Lyssandria was so insistent that she breed with them. But her children? What guarantee did she have that they would all be¡ normal, in that respect?
¡°They¡¯ll be fine,¡± Dys said after a moment. cing a hand around Kerr, she pulled her therion lover in close to her side. ¡°We¡¯re going to have generations of giant, pale, therion-Nephilim hybrids running around, all of them with your horns. I promise.¡±
¡°Yeah, of course they will,¡± Kerr grinned up at her. ¡°Lyssandria wouldn¡¯t fuck us over like that.¡±
¡°No, she wouldn¡¯t,¡± Dys agreed withplete confidence, doing her best to push any little doubts out of her mind.
Chapter 377: Dress to Impress
Chapter 377: Dress to Impress
The next day was a whirlwind of activity, as it was finally the time for the ball that Eir¡¯s parents had arranged in Jadis¡¯ honor.
Since she knew that the time spent with a great number of nobles was going to be immensely frustrating for her, Jadis used the early morning hours to let off some pre-ball steam by fighting Steingrimur in the training ring. She may have been a little more aggressive than was warranted, but the half-bear man handled the pummeling pretty well. Once she was done exercising off some nerves, Jadis hurried to the new headquarters so she could get as much construction done as possible before being forced back into the temple fitting rooms. Now that she had a clearly defined goal, she didn¡¯t want to waste any time if she could help it. Plus, working helped keep her mind off of all the ways she could potentially screw up during the ball.
Jadis didn¡¯t really care too much what the various nobles thought of her, but she would be meeting Eir¡¯s parents for the first time and she wanted to make a good first impression.
While she was at her mercenarypany base, a few visitors showed up. Violetta and her elven mother, as well as the three older boys from the group of children with one or two of their parents each. Kerr¡¯s prediction that the parents wouldn¡¯t want to let their kids anywhere near where a Demon resided turned out to be only partially true. The parents were, in fact, very concerned about the idea of Alex being near their children, but they had consulted with their local priest, Herman, and he had whole heartedly endorsed Jadis¡¯spany as an excellent opportunity for the young ones. He¡¯d even gone the extra mile to assure them that Alex had been vetted and vouched for by the high priests. That had been enough to get the parents to at leaste and talk the employment opportunity over. It also helped when they spoke with Roy, who also assured them that Alex wasn¡¯t a threat.
When Jadis exined how much she was willing to pay the apprentices, the deal was pretty much sealed.
The oldest of the three boys was Chace, and he was an orc. For fourteen years old, he was big and broad-shouldered and looked like he was closer to Violetta¡¯s age. He was still prettynky, though, and probably needed another few years to fill out. He was exceptionally eager to work, even before hearing about the pay, and from what Jadis could tell the boy had dreams of bing a mercenary one day. Getting into a mercenarypany as an apprentice was a stroke of luck for him, one that he probably would have forgone all pay to take part in. Not that Jadis would even consider not paying any of the children. As far as she was concerned, people who worked had to be paid for their time and effort.
The other two boys were named Dexter and Lon. They were brothers and twins, though fraternal, not identical. Dexter was several inches taller than his brother Lon, and he had brighter hair while Lon had darker hair and bright green eyes. They were thirteen years old and very much looked like it, with gangly limbs and teenage awkwardness. But they were both polite and attentive and seemed eager to earn a wage.
Jadis made it clear to Sabina that she didn¡¯t want Chace, Dexter, or Lon to overwork themselves. Violetta was basically full grown and only months away from unlocking her primary ss, but the boys were still very much growing children. Jadis didn¡¯t want their growth to be stunted by being overworked and underfed, so she made sure Sabina understood what an eptable amount of work was the young boys.
Acting on a sh of inspiration, Jadis told the parents of her newly hired apprentices that since they were her employees, any of their meals would be covered by Fortune¡¯s Favored. They¡¯d be at the local temple learning their letters and numbers most mornings, but at the very least they¡¯d be able to have a midday meal on thepany¡¯s expense, if not dinner as well. Jadis even told them that the other kids in the neighborhood could join them for the midday meal if they wanted to, offering it as a sort of ¡°friends and family¡± bonus.
The generous offer seemed to help boost the parents¡¯ opinion of Jadis. She didn¡¯t know how many of the kids would take her up on the offer, but she figured that if even only a couple of kids came, that was still a couple of kids fed who needed the meal. Besides, the offer could help her public image with the locals, which was a nice side bonus.
With the new hires left in the capable hands of Gunnar, thepany ¡°manager¡± of sorts, Jadis spent a few more hours working on the various refurbishment projects that needed doing around the base before heading back to Lyssandria¡¯s temple. She and herpanions didn¡¯t need to be at Trummelton¡¯s until six, but Aurea had insisted that Jadis be back at the temple with at least two hours lead time so she could be properly dressed in her new ballroom attire.
It was a good thing the high priestess had insisted, because the outfits were a lot more than just nice shirts and fancy pants.
While the formal tunic and dress pants had been eptable for other events, Aurea had made it clear that for her first public ball, Jadis needed to make a grander impression. Thus, she had pulled strings and had set multiple tailors to the task of making some truly glorious dresses. Each of the three nearly identical gowns were white with violet ents that matched the color of Jadis¡¯ eyes. Form fitting and elegant, they were sleeveless but came with matching gloves that stretched up beyond the elbow. The only minute differences between them were shades of purple and violet, with Dys¡¯ dress being the darkest and Syd¡¯s being the lightest, creating a purposeful gradient when all three of her selves stood next to each other. The artists who had crafted the dresses had apparently taken inspiration from the delicate flower pendants Jadis had been gifted by the jeweler couple, as the skirts of the dress were designed to look like the twisting petals of a half-open flower. While wearing both the pendants and the gowns, Jadis had to admit she presented quite the elegant visage.
¡°I feel like a giant lily,¡± Dys huffed as she looked at her other selves.
¡°That makes sense. You look like a giant lily,¡± A said yfully as she entered the room.
Jadis would have shot back a witty retort, but her breath caught in her throat as she saw her redheaded lover for the first time since she¡¯d been whisked away by a trio of priestesses to be helped into her own gown. The gorgeous blue ensemble matched A¡¯s eyes perfect, and a daring slit on one side of the dress showed tantalizing glimpses of A¡¯s long and sexy legs. While Jadis¡¯ hair, now more than shoulder length, had been done up in stylized buns, A¡¯s glorious red mane had been wound into a thick braid that trailed down her back. The look was decidedly femme fatale and it took every ounce of willpower in Jadis not to rush over and utterly ruin the beautiful image by ripping off her own silly dress and showing A just how much she loved her in a very carnal way.
¡°You look amazing,¡± was what Dys finally said, a broad grin splitting her face. ¡°You¡¯re so fucking beautiful.¡±
A blushed, a deep crimson blush coloring her cheeks, neck, and even her chest. She took a moment to collect herself, clearing her throat. When she did speak again, her voice was tinged with embarrassment from Dys¡¯ open, earnestpliment.
¡°Thank you. You look amazing, too. I know you probably think you look too girly, but really. You¡¯re extremely beautiful in that dress.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± all three of Jadis replied at once. With A voicing her approval, Jadis didn¡¯t feel quite so opposed to the gowns anymore.
¡°I haven¡¯t worn heels in a really long time,¡± Jaymented as she stepped towards A. ¡°Thank Lyssandria they went easy on me and didn¡¯t make them too tall.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not as though you need any help in the height department,¡± A smirked up at her.
¡°Nope. But it makes my butts look good, though. Right?¡±
A leaned to one side, making a quick assessment.
¡°Yes, they do. Very nice.¡±
¡°d you approve,¡± Jay grinned before leaning down to give A a kiss that didn¡¯tst anywhere near long enough.
¡°We should get moving,¡± A said breathlessly as she pulled away from Jay. ¡°The others are waiting. I came to get you.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s get moving,¡± Syd quipped as she headed for the door. ¡°The sooner we get this ball over with, the sooner I can drag you back to the bedroom and show you my appreciation for that sexy-as-sin dress.¡±
With her promise made, Jadis exited the bedroom and headed for the open hall where the rest of herpanions waited.
The sight that greeted her was almost too much for Jadis to stand. All of her lovers had been dressed up in their own custom-tailored gowns that entuated their natural charm. To see them all gathered together in one glorious disy of scintiting beauty made Jadis¡¯ hearts want to beat out of her chests. It was times like these that she was so very d that she had multiple pairs of eyes to see from multiple angles.
With earnest attention, Jadis made sure to approach each of her lovelypanions and give them apliment and a kiss. Even though there were eight of them, the process didn¡¯t take long since there were three of Jadis.
¡°I can¡¯t believe you have me wearing this ridiculous outfit,¡± Kerr grumbled against Syd¡¯s lips as she pulled back from her kiss. ¡°You know I only put up with this shit because of you.¡±
¡°It looks really good on you, though,¡± Syd replied with a cheeky grin. ¡°Almost as good as when you aren¡¯t wearing anything at all.¡±
The dress Kerr was wearing really was a work of art. The archer had no more love of wearing traditionally girly attire than Jadis, but the forest green gown the Lyssandria tailors had sewn for her was a nicepromise, with leather belts, tassets, and discs of ornamental copper strategically ced in a way that made the dress feel almost like it was battle-ready. It wasn¡¯t, of course, since it was far too cumbersome and wouldn¡¯t offer any real protection, but look was mouthwateringly sexy on Kerr.
¡°You don¡¯t look half bad yourself,¡± Kerr nipped at Syd¡¯s lips with her teeth once before letting her pull away.
Much like Kerr, Bridget had also been dressed in a simrly war-like gown, though it was a mix of orange and blue colorsbined with a cut that evoked the imagery of a burning me. Thea¡¯s dress had been designed with ayered pattern that made the red and white skirt look like scales, while a pattern on her back was designed to look like a kite shield. Sabina¡¯s bright yellow dress was covered in patterns that mimicked the rune shapes she used in her enchantment crafting and someone had even made a ne for her to wear with a stylized hammer as the pendant. Sorcha¡¯s ck and orange dress had been cleverly cut to hide the tracking bracer on her arm was surprisingly sultry on the small woman. Perhaps it was just Jadis¡¯ point of view, but the lowcut bodice did a lot to show of the goblin¡¯s appealing figure.
¡°Remember, just likest time we were at the restaurant, do not take off any of your clothes,¡± Dys warned Alex as she pressed another kiss against the Demon¡¯s cheek.
¡°Of course¡ Not¡¡± Alex agreed, giving Dys a reproachful look. ¡°Clothes are useless¡ But I know¡ What is¡ Polite¡¡±
¡°Notpletely useless,¡± Dys rolled her eyes at the Demon¡¯s continued obstinance when it came to the function of everyday clothing. ¡°If nothing else, that dress makes you look ravishing.¡±
The ck and blue gown Alex wore was a daring design with no shoulder straps. Jadis had never seen a dress without shoulder straps on Oros, but the tailor had been forced to get creative due to Demon¡¯s unique form. Jadis had to wonder if the new look might start a trend. She hoped so, though she wasn¡¯t sure if the fact that it was a Demon wearing the new dress design would help or hurt the fashion in the eyes of the nobles.
¡°I will¡ Ravish¡ You¡ Later¡¡± Alex promised as her neon blue eyes glowed faintly.
¡°Duly noted,¡± Dys grinned back at her demonic lover.
Eir¡¯s dress was both extravagant and understated at the same time, which was quite a feat to pull off. Considering her priestly upation, the red-skinned elf¡¯s dress had been designed to mimic a cleric¡¯s robes,plete with a hood and Lyssandria¡¯s holy symbol. However, the fabric had been made of a pearlescent white silk and highlighted with gold and purple trimmings. While the upper half maintained the illusion of being a robe with long and heavy sleeves, the lower half came across as a pleated dress delicately embroidered designs along the hem.
¡°I¡¯ve never seen a more beautiful oracle,¡± Jay whispered to Eir as she held her hands.
¡°As I have never seen a more beautiful Nephilim,¡± Eir smiled impishly.
Unable to resist the impulse, Jay dipped down and pressed her lips to Eir again, happily tasting her sweet mouth one more time before reluctantly pulling away.
Still holding one of her elven lover¡¯s hands, Jay turned towards the doors that would lead out of the temple.
¡°Alright everyone,¡± Jay said with the confidence of a battlefieldmander. ¡°Time to rub shoulders with nobles. D willing, we¡¯ll get through this without makingplete fools of ourselves.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s the right god to be praying to for that particr goal,¡± Sorcha pointed out, drawing someughter from the rest of the assembled women.
¡°Probably not,¡± Jay agreed. ¡°But he could always make things way worse if feels like it, so let¡¯s hope the prayer strokes his ego enough to let us squeak by without fucking uppletely.¡±
Chapter 378: Night of the Ball
Chapter 378: Night of the Ball
There were definitely some perks to being doted on by the High Temple of Lyssandria. One of those being that any transportation that they arranged was never second ss.
There weren¡¯t many carriages that could easily amodate Jadis¡¯ great height; she¡¯d be forced to ride bent halfway over or put her head straight through the roof and neither of those options were eptable. That left the option of a topless carriage, which did exist, but was normally reserved for warmer weather. Since the cloudden skies had decided to start snowing, a topless carriage would have Jadis arriving at the ball covered in a nket of snow. Hardly appropriate considering the circumstances. However, there were ways of getting around that issue, if one had the right kind of magic, or at least had the money to buy the right kind of magic.
The carriage that Jadis¡¯ three selves rode in pulled up to the front of Trummelton¡¯s, stopping right at the entrance to thevish restaurant. There were already dozens of carriages all around the front of the building dropping off various guests, but as the guest of honor Jadis got to skip the line. Jadis had a clear view, since the topless carriage did nothing to impede her vision. Despite the snowing down at a decent rate, Jadis was as warm and snug as if she¡¯d been sitting in a nice chair in front of a roaring firece. The wizardly attendant riding on the back of the carriage was seeing to that.
Opening up the door to the carriage herself, Jadis realized toote that a young man in uniform has been rushing forward to hold the door open for her. Grinning at the boy, Syd shot him a wink before quickly disembarking from the carriage without aid. She had to suppress a chuckle as the young man¡¯s face blushed bright red.
¡°Are you sticking with us the whole way?¡± Jay asked Gregor, the wizard Aurea had hired to protect Jadis¡¯ fine gowns, as he stepped down from the back of the carriage.
¡°Just until you and yourpanions are all safely indoors, mdy. I¡¯ll be waiting with the rest of the serving staff for when you¡¯re ready to return to the temple.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Jay smiled kindly at Gregor. ¡°Remind me when we get back to the temple and I¡¯ll be sure to give you a tip for service. Keeping the snow off like this is really impressive and convenient. Makes me wish I had some kind of magic like that.¡±
¡°No need, mdy,¡± the wizard put his hand to his chest and bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m paid well for my skill. And I must say, it is a pleasure to serve a client of your caliber. I have a younger brother in the army stationed in Far Felsen. I thank Lyssandria every day that she sent you and your sisters to aid them in their time of need. Thank you.¡±
¡°Oh, uh, you¡¯re wee,¡± Jay managed to get out, taken aback by the sudden disy of heartfelt gratitude.
Any further conversation was cut off, though, as the carriages transporting the rest of Jadis¡¯panions pulled up in front of the restaurant. In short order everyone exited their carriages and had gathered with Jadis under the protective influence of the wizard that kept the snow from touching their dresses. It really was a ridiculous extravagance of magic.
Despite not yet entering the venue, Jadis could already see that her party was drawing a lot of looks. Or rather, she was drawing a lot of looks and Alex was drawing even more. The men and women who were heading into the restaurant were obviously wealthy, wearing expensive cloaks that shrouded rich suits and dresses underneath. Most, if not all of them, had to be nobles, a supposition supported by their exceptional poker faces. They stared at Jadis and her group yet managed to do so without being overt in their intentions.
Jadis felt the instinctual impulse tobel them all a bunch of stuck-up rich folk, but considering how she literally had a hired wizard keeping the snow off of her head, she felt like that was a bit of a hypocritical thought. She didn¡¯t know these people. It would be stupid to assume that they were all just wealthy assholes. She had to at least give them a chance.
She could call them assholes after they proved it.
¡°Well then,¡± Jay said as she looked around at her lovers and squared her shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Since there was no way to offer her arm to all of her lovers, even with three bodies, Jadis instead chose to lead the charge, her three bodies in wedge formation with Jay in the lead. The attendants at the door smoothly opened the way for them as she approached, allowing Jadis to glide forward unimpeded. As soon as she entered the building, Jadis was once more struck by thevish and extraordinary d¨¦cor of Trummelton¡¯s as well as by the fact that the entryway actually had magical temperature control.
Beyond the entryway, therge main floor of the restaurant had been transformed. All the tables had been cleared away, revealing an intricately detailed marble mosaic on the floor that depicted the pce and the massive tree in the center of the city. Arge alcove that Jadis hadn¡¯t seen before due torge velvet curtains had been revealed along one wall, and inside was what looked like an entire string orchestra. Statues and hothouse flowers were everywhere, and the scent of sweet perfumes was everywhere, with a faint taste of wine mixed in.
There were many people already in the hall, all of them wearing extravagant suits and dresses, though of course Jadis didn¡¯t recognize any of them. Jadis really wasn¡¯t sure how many people were supposed to be attending the party, but as she looked up and saw that there were even more people on the open second and third floors of the building, she guessed that the guest list had to number in the hundreds. And that wasn¡¯t even counting all the serving staff and guards she could see moving unobtrusively along the edges of the gathered crowds.
¡°Announcing Ladies Jay, Dys, and Syd Ahlstrom of the Nephilim!¡±
Jadis managed to hide her surprise at the sudden and unexpectedly loud voiceing from one side of the door. ncing to her left, she saw that a formal-looking older man had been stationed at the entryway to act as some kind of announcer.
All eyes turned towards her and Jadis felt a momentary wave of difort. She¡¯d never had trouble getting in front of crowds, but to have that many people suddenly focus their attention on her did give her some pause.
¡°Announcing Lady Eir Aedraheill, daughter of Margrave Einer Aedraheill and Svana Aedraheill!¡±
Eir, for her part, didn¡¯t react at all and simply continued along behind Jadis with a smile.
Following the instructions her noble priestess had given her before beforehand, Jadis walked further into the hall and made room for herpanions and thoseing behind. There were servants who quickly came forward and whisked away the light cloaks Jadis had been wearing and still more who appeared seemingly out of nowhere offering delicate crystal goblets filled with bright and rosy wine. Taking one for each of her selves, Jadis calmly assessed the crowd while doing her best to maintain her own guarded expression.
Naturally, Jadis didn¡¯t recognized many of the people. These were all upper crust nobles, not the sort of folk that she would have any prior experience with. However, the gatheredpany wasn¡¯tpletely alien to her. There were a few familiar faces in the crowd, though Jadis didn¡¯t rate all of them as friendly.
Vraekae was easy enough to spot. The blue-skinned elf had that glowing red ball of death hovering over her shoulder at all times, so it was as good as a neon arrow pointing her out in any crowd. She was talking with an older looking human man, someone that Jadis didn¡¯t recognize. It was impossible to what the magistrate was thinking since her icy expression revealed none of her inner thoughts, however, the gray-haired gentleman she was with looked stiff and cross, like he was unhappy to even be at the ball.
ncing through the rest of the gatheredpany, Jadis saw Severina was present as well. She clearly hadn¡¯t been invited in her capacity as a pdin, since instead of her usual shining armor she was wearing a white and gold dress that was open backed to amodate her wings. Even though she wasn¡¯t armored, Jadis noted that the Seraphim still carried her sword at her side. Jadis had to wonder if that was because the prickly pdin didn¡¯t trust the many guards stationed around the building to do their job, or if it was more of afort thing for the winged woman. She seemed like the type to sleep with the sword on a pillow next to her on her bed.
Even without Severina, the restaurant had to be one of the safest ces in town. Not only did it have a plethora of regr guards, Roy and his knights had naturally apanied Jadis as well. Besides which, who knew how powerful any number of the nobles could be? Jadis would eat her socks if there weren¡¯t a bunch of high-CLR warriors or mages mixed in with the rest of the gentry.
Now that she thought about it, Jadis did notice that one demographic was in decidedly short supply from what she could see. Namely, young men. Those of a fighting age werergely absent from the ball, though notpletely. There were still plenty of young women, and there were at least a few men around in their twenties or thirties, but the majority of the crowd were definitely older.
There was one face she spotted that was young, though.
Jadis did her best not to frown when her eyes met Elodie Brunholt. The dark haired young woman was wearing a ck and red dress that was stitched with enough pearls to make her look like a walking constetion. Her hair had been done up as well, with a literal diamond tiara. As sheughed flirtatiously with a group of men in military uniforms, her gaze met Jay¡¯s and raised her wine ss in salute. The smile on her face didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes.
¡°Announcing Alex, the Gods sanctioned Demon Pdin!¡±
That was new. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure where that particr title hade from, but she appreciated that the announcer had dered it without even a hint of hesitation. The crowd¡¯s murmurs increased in volume as Alex made her way into the hall with the rest of Jadis¡¯panions, though no one showed any overt hostility, thankfully. Doubly thankfully, Jadis was d that Alex was thest of her lovers to be announced, which meant they were all inside and she was free to move further into the ballroom.
¡°My parents are not going to like that part when they arrive,¡± A whispered to Syd as she strode along next to her.
¡°Damn, you¡¯re right,¡± Syd winced. ¡°Should we ask around and see if we can just sneak them in before they have to go through that?¡±
¡°Toote,¡± Kerr smirked as she lightly tapped on A¡¯s shoulder and motioned with her head. ¡°Looks like Mama and Papa A arrived early.¡±
A didn¡¯t cringe when she saw her two ufortable-looking parents standing in a crowd of nobles. She was too good at keeping cool for that. But Jadis could practically hear the internal screaming.
¡°Your mother looks really nice in that dress,¡± Sydmented in an attempt to soothe her redheaded lover¡¯s nerves. ¡°And blue is definitely your father¡¯s color.¡±
¡°Thank you¡¡± A replied woodenly.
¡°Oh, good,¡± Eir said as she moved up next to Syd, A, and Kerr. She¡¯d been momentarily distracted as she spoke to one of the serving staff and probably hadn¡¯t heard what they¡¯d been talking about. ¡°I see A¡¯s parents have already met with my parents. That will make introductions a little easier.¡±
¡°Oh!¡± Syd perked up as the realization struck her. ¡°Those are your parents? I should have guessed.¡±
Vikwas and Senta were both standing meekly next to two elves and despite Vikwas towering over the elven couple and all the rest of the nobles surrounding them, it was clear as crystal that the elven man was dominating the conversation. The elf wasn¡¯t particrly tall, maybe even an inch or two under the average height, but his presence was undeniable. He exuded an aura of fierce control, like an eagle surveying his domain. His blue skin was a perfect match for Vraekae¡¯s, which nicely exined which side of the family Eir¡¯s cousin was from, though his eyes were sea green instead of red. His ck hair was slicked back and tied in a short braid, and the clothes he wore were simple in style yet rich in quality. He didn¡¯t have on a military uniform like many of the other men in the hall, but he did carry a sheathed saber on his belt.
The woman standing with her hand ced genteelly on the man¡¯s proffered arm could have been Eir¡¯s twin. Her deep red skin and dark purple hair matched Jadis¡¯ lover exactly, though when she turned her face slightly Jadis saw that the woman¡¯s eyes were pink instead of purple. Her vibrant green dress had severalrge gems sewn into the bodice that probably cost more than the carriage Jadis had rode on that evening. Despite the intimidating presence of her husband, the woman exuded an air of open friendliness and charm that Jadis recognized as identical to Eir¡¯s own loving personality. When her gaze drifted far enough to make eye contact with Eir, her whole face lit up with a stunning smile that made Jadis¡¯ stomachs flutter.
¡°Holy halls above,¡± Kerr murmured under her breath. ¡°She practically popped you out of a mold, didn¡¯t she?¡±
¡°We do have a strong resemnce, don¡¯t we?¡± Eir replied modestly as she started towards her parents.
¡°That¡¯s an understatement,¡± Syd said as she quietly agreed with Kerr.
Chapter 379: Dance to Remember
Chapter 379: Dance to Remember
Jadis was having a hard time epting the two elves as Eir¡¯s parents. Not because they didn¡¯t look like her or act the part, but because they both looked so young. Einer, her father, looked like he was thirty years old at the most, while her mother, Svana, looked like she was the same age as Eir. In fact, Svana looked damn near identical to Eir, in both face and body, to the point that Jadis thought Eir actually had a twin sister and she was just pulling some kind of weird prank on her. The only real distinguishing differences between them were that Svana¡¯s eyes were pink instead of purple, and she had slightly fuller lips.
¡°Jadis, it is such a pleasure to finally meet you,¡± Svana said as she warmly took Jay¡¯s hand between hers. She didn¡¯t try to hug Jay, though her broad smile was almost loving enough to make Jadis feel as though she were actually being embraced. ¡°Eir had told me such wonderful things about you. May I ask which of your selves you are?¡±
¡°It¡¯s great to meet you, too,¡± Jay smiled at Eir¡¯s mother, doing her best to hide her mounting confusion. Svana even sounded like Eir. ¡°I¡¯m Jay. That other me is Dys, and that¡¯s Syd. You can call whichever of us what you want, it¡¯s really okay.¡±
¡°Nonsense!¡± Svana cooed as she patted Jay¡¯s hand. ¡°Your situation is unique and that requires a unique approach. If this part of you is Jay, then I will do my utmost to mark the fact and refer to you as such. Now, tell me, is the lovely young woman A? I was justplimenting Senta on her beautiful hair. It is a delight to see you share that trait with your mother.¡±
The way Eir¡¯s mother spoke was so genuinely kind and caring that Jadis found that while she was still vaguely disturbed by her appearance, she couldn¡¯t help but like the woman. The way she greeted A with just as much warmth as she had Jay meant a lot. It wasn¡¯t just looks that Eir had gotten from her mother, but personality as well.
Eir¡¯s father, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t have been more different.
¡°Jadis,¡± the stoic-faced man said without any perceptible change to his expression. ¡°A pleasure to meet you.¡±
¡°Likewise,¡± Dys said as she held out her hand to shake.
Einer hesitated slightly, almost as though he had expected Dys to greet him in a different way, but after a short pause he took her hand in a firm grip.
¡°I have heard many things about you. The service you have rendered to the empire has been admirable so far. I hope you continue to find sess in your endeavors.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Dys nodded, not entirely sure where to take the conversation with such a formal introduction. ¡°I¡ have heard a lot about you as well from Eir. She told me you¡¯re a margrave. I have to admit, I¡¯m notpletely certain of what that is since we didn¡¯t have titles like that where I grew up, but she told me you are the lord of Aedrnd. That must me an incredible responsibility.¡±
¡°It is,¡± Einer nodded his head. ¡°The protection of my people and my borders is my highest duty. Aedrnd has been fortunate this cycle in that few demons have managed to make it to ournds, be it by sky or sea. ying such fiends ismon for you, though, I have been told.¡±
¡°Yes, definitely,¡± Dys agreed with an amused huff. ¡°Since the moment I entered the empire¡¯s borders, really.¡±
¡°And yet you consort with one openly.¡±
The question wasn¡¯t said with any malice, but it was delivered with the same cold deadpan as Jadis was used to hearing from Vraekae when she was on-duty. It was also a directly confrontational statement that seemed counter to the special consideration of Alex¡¯s announced title that either Einer or Svana had to have set up as a courtesy. Narrowing her eyes at the stony man, Dys inclined her head towards him.
¡°Demons are avatars, just like Nephilim or Seraphim. And just like any avatar, they can choose whether or not they listen to the guidance of their god. Alex chooses not to suffer Samleos¡¯ influence. She had a sharp mind and a strong will. Those are just two of the many things that make her a powerful ally and a good friend.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Einer spoke with the sameck of emotion, like he wasmenting on the weather. ¡°Why do you think it is that your Alex has chosen a different path from all other demons in creation?¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her yourself?¡± Dys inclined her head towards Alex who was standing quietly in the middle of Jadis¡¯ gatheredpanions.
¡°I intend to. However, I want to know your opinion. That is why I asked you.¡±
Einer¡¯s dry tone suddenly made sense to Jadis. She could see now that he wasn¡¯t trying to be rude, he was simply ufortably direct in his thinking. Or maybe he didn¡¯t care if he came across as confrontational, so long as he got the answers he was looking for. Jadis still wasn¡¯t quite certain, but she felt her agitation at his questions fade as she reconsidered the man and his apparent personality.
¡°Well, she already told me why she made the choices that she made, so my opinion is colored. But I will say that I think a big part of the reason is because she saw something in me that most Demons don¡¯t care for.¡±
¡°What is that?¡±
¡°Beauty.¡±
¡°Interesting,¡± the stoic elf intoned. ¡°A trait that you and my daughter share.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Dys nodded her head towards the margrave. ¡°I would say the same about your wife.¡±
¡°She is beautiful,¡± Einer agreed with all the matter-of-factness of a mathematical statement. ¡°My daughter is fortunate she takes after her and not me.¡±
Yes, Eir definitely was, though Jadis wasn¡¯t going to say that to her future father-inw¡¯s face. Not on the first meeting, anyway.
While Jay spoke with Svana and Dys spoke with Einer, Syd had managed to slip around the side toe up next to Vikwas and Senta, A¡¯s parents.
¡°So. You two doing okay?¡± Syd asked quietly as she moved next to the two.
¡°Hmph,¡± Vikwas made a nomittal noise.
¡°I have never seen such extravagance in my life,¡± Senta said as she kept a careful smile stered on her face. ¡°I can see A is going to have to deal with a lot of¡ high-mannered situations if she stays with you.¡±
Jadis didn¡¯t like the sound of Senta¡¯s ¡°if¡± but diplomatically chose to ignore it for the moment.
¡°That¡¯s true, she will. It¡¯s a good thing she¡¯s so smart, because she really does help me navigate through stuff like this. I¡¯d be lost without her.¡±
Senta nced up at Syd with an appraising look, her expression still a polite smile though her eyes were calcting.
¡°I believe partners shouldpliment each other,¡± Senta said after a moment. ¡°One¡¯s strength can make up for another¡¯s deficiencies.¡±
¡°I agreepletely,¡± Syd nodded as she met Senta¡¯s gaze. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I have so many wonderful women who love me. I have a lot of failings they make up for. But I like to think I raise them up with my own strengths, too.¡±
Senta¡¯s face softened slightly, her expression rxing a little as a spark of some understanding passed through her eyes. Then, as Eir¡¯s mother came near and drew her and Syd into her conversation, Senta¡¯s rigid mask came back into ce.
¡°Senta, I was just about to tell you before our lovely children arrived. I have been speaking with a few distant acquaintances who I know have family who are engaged in simr circumstances to our own youngdies,¡± Svana smiled kindly as she easily swept up to the redheaded woman and took her arm in her own. ¡°We¡¯ll have to discuss how best to handle our own situation, since noble titles are involved, but I¡¯m quite certain we cane to a fair arrangement.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry, what situation?¡± Syd asked as Senta blinked owlishly at the outgoing elf.
¡°Our inw situation, of course,¡± Svana smiled up at Syd with a twinkle in her eye. ¡°Since you will be marrying my dear Eir and Senta¡¯s dear A, that means Senta and I will both be your mothers inw. There are not many in the empire who engage in multi-partner marriages, and most of those who do are Therions who are originally from the Verdant Sea, so I¡¯ve had to do some research on what the appropriate protocols are for these kinds of marriages. I think we may have to¡ improvise a little, but in the end I¡¯m quite certain that we will be able to work out any potential familial issues. Don¡¯t you agree, Senta?¡±
Like a stalwart soldier, Senta stiffly nodded her head.
¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±
¡°In fact, I think you shoulde and guest with me and Einer in our city estate while you¡¯re still in the capital,¡± Svana blithely continued. ¡°I understand you are staying at the Silver Lute right now, which is a fine establishment, but you are soon to be family! You should avail yourself of our resources. Einer and I would love to have you guest with us. We have far too many unused rooms, anyway.¡±
As amusing as the idea of A and Eir¡¯s parents sitting down to breakfast together was, Jadis quietly excused herself from that particr conversation. There were far too many ways for her to put her foot in her mouth, so she decided discretion was the better part of valor and withdrew before anything catastrophic could be said.
There was no shortage of other people to talk to. Everyone Jadis looked, there were fancily dressed nobles waiting for an opportunity to talk with her. Even with three of her, she felt a little overwhelmed by the number of people who wanted a moment of her time. Fortunately, Eir¡¯s father smoothly handled the situation.
¡°Dys, may I introduce you to Lord Kernagin, Margrave of Kernhill,¡± Einer said as he motioned towards an old human man with prominent bulbous nose and a droopy mustache. ¡°His territory neighbors my own to the east.
¡°A pleasure to meet you,¡± Dys smiled easily enough as the aged lord nodded his head to her in greeting.
¡°A delight,¡± the man imed with easy confidence. ¡°I must say, I had heard rumors of Nephilim beauty, but they fall far short of the mark. You shine as brilliantly as a star on cloudless winter night, mydy.¡±
Dys blinked at the man¡¯s unexpectedly suavepliment. For a fairly unimpressive-looking man, the old lord had some charm and poise to him.
¡°You¡¯re too kind,¡± Dys managed to say without stumbling over her surprise.
¡°Not at all,¡± Lord Kernagin waved a wrinkled hand. ¡°I speak only the truth that is as obvious as the mushroom I call a nose. I¡¯m just a fat old relic, so I won¡¯t take up any more of your time, but if you are ever in the vicinity of Kernhill, I invite you to visit my estate. My wife would be delighted to meet you.¡±
¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Dys grinned at the margrave, entertained by his easy demeanor. ¡°I hope we do get the chance to visit.¡±
As Margrave Kernagin puttered out of the way to make room for more nobles, Einer spoke up just quietly enough that only Dys would be able to hear.
¡°Ask my daughter.¡±
Dys nced in Eir¡¯s direction. She was close to Jay, talking with Thea and Bridget. Clearly Einer didn¡¯t mean for Dys to rush over to speak with his daughter since he was already introducing another noble to her, but he was trying tomunicate something. Jadis quickly realized that Einer had already put it together that she could hold multiple conversations at the same time, and therefore she could ask Eir questions with one body while her other body spoke with the nobles.
Internally shrugging, Jadis did exactly as her future father-inw suggested.
¡°What should I know about Margrave Kernagin,¡± Jay asked in a low voice as she stood in a cluster with Eir, Thea, Bridget, Sorcha, and Alex.
¡°A good man. Very charming,¡± Eir replied immediately. ¡°Perhaps a little too charming, some might say. He has three mistresses and fifteen bastard children aside from his wife and seven legitimate children.¡±
¡°Him!?¡± Jay strangled a yelp. ¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Eir confirmed without losing the easy smile on her face. ¡°He¡¯s a good lord, though. He is always fair to his people and keeps his roads clear of bandits with a strong local militia. His mistresses all have their own private homes and he paid for the educations of all of his illegitimate children. He is a supporter of the first prince, but that seems to be more because he supports the current emperor¡¯s choices than because of any love he might have for Hraustrekr.¡±
¡°Wow,¡± Jay said, her eyebrows raised high as she regarded Eir. ¡°You¡¯re a font of information on these things, huh?¡±
¡°Important studies from before I became a priestess,¡± Eir shrugged one delicate shoulder. ¡°I brushed up on a few current affairs since we arrived in the city, as well.¡±
¡°Okay then,¡± Jay grinned at her favorite cleric. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the couple I¡¯m speaking to now? Baron Hertz and his wife?¡±
¡°Herschel Hertz is from a long line of battlemanders and one of his ancestors directly served the Hero from three cycles ago. He¡¯s very proud of that fact, but don¡¯t bring up current military affairs with him as he gets easily agitated. Nina Hertz breedsp dogs and will talk for hours about her favorite pups if you let her. They fervently support the first prince and their son, Leo, is amander in the army and has often served the prince directly.¡±
Eir¡¯s insights and knowledge about the various nobles who came up to greet Jadis proved to be invaluable. As one or another of Jadis¡¯ selves was introduced to a noble, Eir would feed her info on who the person was, what topics to avoid, and what to say to leave a good impression. When her Jay self was inevitably approached, Eir¡¯s father would pass along information as well, acting as a backup when he could. The father-daughter duo were so in tune with their timing, Jadis found that there were almost no points over the course of the next couple of hours where she was left hanging without support from one or both of them.
There was, however, one person who approached Jadis who neither Einer nor Eir could help much with.
¡°Good evening, Jadis,¡± Elodie Brunholt purred from behind Jay. ¡°Such a pleasure to see you again!¡±
The obnoxiously catty woman had chosen the perfect moment to approach Jay. None of herpanions or Eir¡¯s family were nearby, as Jay had taken a few minutes to talk with a couple of high-ranking merchants about possibly ordering some materials for her mercenarypany through them. Talking about such business wasn¡¯t exactly polite conversation for a party, so Jadis had kept the exchange to a minimum, but Jay had still ended up taking a while longer than she would have preferred to speak with the two nd men. That had caused her to separate from the others for a brief moment, an opportunity that Elodie had apparently been waiting for.
¡°Hello Elodie,¡± Jay replied, purposefully keeping her tone calm and casual as she turned to look down at the dark-haired young woman. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty dress you¡¯re wearing.¡±
¡°It is, isn¡¯t it?¡± Elodie tittered like a bird as she held up a delicate hand to cover her mouth. ¡°It took months to make. My grandfather has such a skilled and dedicated tailor on staff. Hees up with the most wonderful creations. But I must say, the gown you¡¯re wearing is absolutely marvelous! Or should I say gowns? I¡¯m not sure what the propernguage would be when referring to more than one of you.¡±
¡°Whatever you¡¯d like,¡± Jay shrugged nomittally, giving no special attention to the woman¡¯s attempt at showing she was aware of Jadis¡¯ unique nature. ¡°I won¡¯t be offended whatever way you word it, so long as you¡¯re being polite.¡±
¡°How magnanimous of you,¡± Elodie smiled. ¡°Ah, but it is such a delight to speak with you that I have forgotten my manners. Jadis, I would like to introduce my mother to you. Lady Vanessa Brunholt.¡±
Jadis had not failed to notice the older woman who had walked up to her with Elodie. Much like her daughter, Vanessa Brunholt was a dark-haired woman wearing what looked like an extravagantly expensive dress. She was definitely older, likely in herte forties or early fifties, but her face had few wrinkles and she possessed a stately sort of beauty. She was more handsome than pretty, but Jadis could definitely see the resemnce between her and Elodie.
Vanessa smiled thinly at Jay, her cool eyes assessing her with all the emotion of a viper.
¡°It is wonderful to finally meet you,¡± the older woman spoke in a regal tone. ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about you from both my husband and my daughter. You¡¯ve left quite the impression.¡±
Jay smiled back, consciously not bowing her head towards Lady Brunholt. She wasn¡¯t so dense that she didn¡¯t pick up on the fact that the woman hadn¡¯t mentioned whether the impression was good or not.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t say the same. No one has really mentioned you before now. But it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±
¡°Quite,¡± Vanessa said, expression too trained to reveal if Jadis¡¯ jab had scored or not. ¡°It¡¯s always good to be able to put a face to the name. I must say that I¡¯ve been interested in meeting you ever since I heard about your exploits in Weigrun from my husband, but my interest has only risen since I learned that you brought a demonic pdin to the capital. I had feared that your demon might not attend tonight¡¯s gathering, but it seems my fears were unjustified.¡±
¡°I told you it would be here,¡± Elodie said with a giggle to her mother. ¡°Jadis isn¡¯t the sort to show the kind of¡ restraint that most others would. Alex is her , after all. Isn¡¯t that right, Jadis?¡±
¡°Yes, she is,¡± Jay agreed as her blood simmered under the barely concealed provocations. ¡°Alex is mypanion. I¡¯ve had great luck in the past few months. Since being forced to leave my old home, I¡¯ve found many wonderful people who have shown me great love and support, including Alex.¡±
¡°If only we could all be so lucky,¡± Vanessa said with a tone that didn¡¯t quite match her words. ¡°Is that the¡ Pdin? May I speak with her? I find myself possessed of a gruesome fascination and I would be thrilled to have some conversation with her.¡±
Jay didn¡¯t need to look over her shoulder to see where Lady Brunholt was looking. A, Eir, and Alex stood a few paces behind her, gathered near the edge of the open dance floor. Jadis and herpanions had spent most of the night so far talking with people while meandering through the crowd, asionally nibbling on the provided finger foods and drinking expensive wine. The party was a ball, though, and with a full orchestra ying there was, of course, dancing.
At the moment, a collection of maybe twenty or thirty couples were in the middle of the open dance floor, moving in time with the waltz the musicians were ying. From the perspective of her other selves, Jadis could see that A, Eir, and Alex were talking with each other while watching the couples perform the simple dance. Some of the dances that Jadis had seen thus far had been fairlyplicated and were not something she would try without a little instruction first, but this dance was fairly simple. Even Alex, who had shown no interest in music before, was bobbling along to the beat as she observed the waltz.
¡°Later, maybe,¡± Jay responded to Lady Brunholt with a falsely apologetic smile. ¡°I was just about to ask Alex to dance. We¡¯ve already let too much time slip by doing nothing but talking. It¡¯s time we had a little fun.¡±
Vanessa looked startled, her mask slipping as she probably hadn¡¯t expected such a blunt rejection. Before she could recover, Elodie eximed her surprise first.
¡°You¡¯re going to dance with the demon?¡± the pointy-nosed prat said with barely concealed disdain.
¡°Of course,¡± Jay grinned at her. ¡°I fuck her, so it¡¯d be pretty weird if I drew the line at dancing.¡±
Jay turned away, an intense glow of satisfaction settling over her as she left the two stuck-up women behind her gaping like a couple of fish. Intellectually, Jadis knew that being so crude to the two about something that had to be a pretty huge culture shock would probablye back to bite her in the asster, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to care all that much. Alex was her lover. If the priests in Lyssandria¡¯s temple didn¡¯t know it already, they would figure it out soon enough. Once they knew for sure, Jadis was sure that it wouldn¡¯t be long before everyone in the whole damn capital knew about her love life. Why bother waiting for rumors to spread? Better to just confront others with the facts than let them make inferences. Jadis was, in fact, having sex with Alex. She was her lover, and she wasn¡¯t going to hide it.
Jay reached Alex in the same moment that her other two selves did. As Alex, A, and Eir all turned to look at Jadis¡¯ selves, she performed a copy of a bow she¡¯d seen others do when approaching their partners.
¡°May I have this dance?¡± Jadis said in unity to the three beautiful women before her.
¡°Of course!¡± Eir grinned happily as she ced her hand in Syd¡¯s open palm.
¡°If you¡¯d like to,¡± A said to Dys with her usual coolness, though her blue eyes twinkled in amusement.
¡°How do I¡ Give you¡ This dance?¡± Alex asked with a confused tilt of her head.
As Dys and Syd lead A and Eir onto the dance floor, Jay took Alex¡¯s hand and pulled her along.
¡°Follow me and I¡¯ll show you.¡±
As Jadis expected, the results of trying to dance were about as messy as the first time she¡¯d ever fought a bone thief back on her first day on Oros. Well, maybe not as life-threatening, but certainly just as chaotic.
Jadis was a perfectly capable dancer, but she¡¯d never performed a waltz or any other formal sort of dance before, and she¡¯d certainly never tried to dance in such a fancy dress, either. While she was able to muddle through well enough by copying the movements of others around her, it was still painfully obvious to her own eyes that she was inexperienced. The bigger issue though was her size. Thanks to her height, there was just no easy way for her to dance with someone who was of a more normal height.
Dancing with Eir was like trying to waltz with a kid. The size difference wasical. She couldn¡¯t even put a hand on Eir¡¯s waist without awkwardly bending over, and poor Eir had to crane her neck back just to be able to see something other than Syd¡¯s skirts. A had a little better time since she was exceptionally tall for a human woman, but the difference wasn¡¯t that much lessened and frankly, A wasn¡¯t a very good dancer. She kept stepping on Dys¡¯ feet and tripping on her dress skirt.
Alex was by far the best dancer of them all. She glided across the marble floor, literally. Since she had herrge tentacles to support her, Alex simply raised her self high up enough to be on eye level with Jay and slithered along in a strange approximation of a waltz while her human legs dangled several feet above the floor. As Jay swept her across the room, the other dancers broke form and scurried out the way of Alex¡¯s tentacles, creating a chaotic disruption that left nobles bumping into each other and stumbling over their partners.
Overall, it was an amazing time. Jadis couldn¡¯t stop grinning as she haphazardly bounced around the dance floor, not caring one bit about how she might appear to the assembled nobles. Soon, it wasn¡¯t just herughing, but her lovers too as her brightened mood infected them. When the waltz reached its conclusion and the orchestra struck up another, moreplicated tune, Jadis switched partners and pulled Kerr, Thea, and Sabina onto the floor. She really didn¡¯t have any idea what the proper dance form would be for the song, but that didn¡¯t matter. She was having fun, and so were her partners. Kerr proved to be a surprisingly adept dancer and Jay was soon learning from her movements as the bold therion tried to lead. Thea practically melted under the gazes of so many people, but her shy ways were soon discarded as she lost herself in Dys¡¯ arms. Sabina kept changing her pattern, never settling on just one style, which just made dancing with her more fun as Syd adapted to her mercurial movements.
When it was Bridget and Sorcha¡¯s turn, both women desperately tried to reject her request, the embarrassment getting the better of them. But after only a few pleas both women sumbed and joined Jadis out in the middle of the ballroom. Bridget was an even worse dancer than A and fretted for the first few turns, but soon enough she wasughing along with Syd as she spun her around in silly twirls that took her off her feet. Sorcha had it worse, though, since she was even shorter than Eir and couldn¡¯t even take Jay¡¯s hand when standing next to her. Improvising, Jay put her hands around Sorcha¡¯s waist and held her close to her chest, letting the smaller woman wrap her arms around her neck as she danced around with her in her arms. Sorchained the whole way about how ridiculous Jadis¡¯ height was and how difficult it made things for them all, but the smile never left her face.
Without another partner, Dys almost went and grabbed another one of her girls again, but hesitated when she spotted a familiar face nearby. Grinning, she made a beeline for the stoic elf, not bothering to hide her amusement.
¡°Would you care to dance, magistrate?¡± Dys asked as she held out her hand to Vraekae.
With one slender eyebrow raised, the red-eyed elf calmly took Dys¡¯ hand.
¡°Certainly. Just don¡¯t expect me tough.¡±
¡°I would never,¡± Dys nodded withplete seriousness before pulling the taciturn woman out onto the floor.
For the next couple of hours Jadis danced, changing out partners every few songs. Vraekae and her lovers weren¡¯t the only ones to join her in her wild dance, though. Sometimes one of A or Eir¡¯s parents would join her, or one of the nicer older nobles like Lord Kernagin. Since her endurance was endless and her happiness contagious, the musicians kept the beat fast and bouncy while many of the more daring nobles jumped in and out of the fray. Not all of the nobles seemed to find the event as amusing as the others, but that was fine. Jadis was happy to dance with those who wanted to join the fun and ignore those determined to be sticks in the mud. As she passed along the dance floor, Jadis noticed that one of the number who did not dance at all was Elodie. While Jadis would have thought the annoying woman would have been drawn to such a shy affair, she apparently had no intention of participating. Jadis even saw her decline several invitations from the few handsome young men who were present.
Whatever. If Elodie didn¡¯t want to dance and have fun, that was her problem. Jadis didn¡¯t need to concern herself with someone who was so ready and willing to be a fool for no reason.
Eventually the music slowed as the orchestra tired. The songs slowed and the dancers dispersed to talk and drink and eat. Feeling a little winded but satisfied, Jadis escorted hertest dance partners away from the middle of the room towards the stairs that led up towards the second and third floors where tables and chairs had been set up for people to rest.
¡°You¡¯re a really amazing dancer,¡± Jayplimented with sincerity. ¡°I feel like I should ask you for lessons.¡±
¡°My parents insisted I learn for formal asions such as these,¡± Severina replied as she walked with her hand resting on Jay¡¯s arm. ¡°I always take all of my assigned duties seriously. I can introduce you to the madame who taught me, if you like.¡±
¡°Maybe someday,¡± Jayughed. ¡°I¡¯d make the time if you were the teacher, but otherwise it¡¯s not a priority.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Severina said, her cheeks turning pink for just a moment. ¡°Well, I will keep that in mind should there be another asion such as this that we are both invited to. I can teach you a new step next time.¡±
¡°I look forward to it,¡± Jay grinned.
Walking up the stairs with Severina, Jadis saw that most of herpanions were already up there, mingling with the crowd and talking amongst themselves. Somehow, the environment felt more rxed after all the dancing. That might have just been Jadis¡¯ imagination, but she liked to think that all the movement had loosened the stuffy nobles up a bit.
Heading towards where most of herpanions were gathered, Jadis smiled as she thought about the night toe. The ball would go on for hours longer, she was certain, but she¡¯d have to head back to the temple district in the next hour or so to avoid beingte for her curfew. She was certain Roy wouldn¡¯t let her forget, much less Severina. That was fine, though, since Jadis was already eager to drag her gorgeous lovers back to their bedroom. Maybe tonight was the night the others would be open to sharing their intimacy with Alex? Kerr had been eying the Demon quite a lottely.
Such happy thoughts filled her mind as she approached the group and her gaze raked across the sexy women who shared her bed. She didn¡¯t see Sorcha or Sabina, and there were a few other people around talking with them so she still had to show some restraint, but she couldn¡¯t wait until¡ª
Jadis¡¯ mind froze as one small figure in the crowd came into view. Her bodies followed suit as all three of her stopped moving, eyes locked onto the brown-haired boy. He was small, maybe nine years old, and had bright hazel eyes. His wavy hair had been allowed to grow out long so it covered his ears, and a small scar from when he¡¯d fallen down the stairs when he was six was visible on his chin. He wore blue jeans and a red, long-sleeved shirt with a picture of an obscure superhero that only nerds like him would know about on the back. His white sneakers still had blue and green marker stains on them from when Jadis had tried to color them to match the pair he had wanted for his birthday.
He looked exactly like how she remembered him.
¡°An?¡±
Chapter 380: POV Light
Chapter 380: POV Light
Bridget took a long, deep drink of the cool wine she had snagged from one of the servers walking around with full trays. After all that dancing, she¡¯d needed something to wet her throat. Wine probably wasn¡¯t the best choice, since she was already feeling a little giddy and light-headed, but she had already thrown caution to the wind a few hours ago.
Thank the gods Jadis had more courage than she knew what to do with. Bridget had been feeling lost from the moment she¡¯d been put into the ridiculously expensive dress she now wore and things hadn¡¯t improved upon arrival at the ball. She didn¡¯t know any nobles. She¡¯d never spent any time around them in her life, but she¡¯d certainly heard plenty of rumors and stories about them. Tales of power, excess, and intrigue were frequently told around the tavern in the little town she¡¯d grown up in. Some were told by the few men and women who served as guards or soldiers for the local lord who ruled over theirnd, but most were stories brought by the merchant caravans that passed through the town every month. Those sorts of stories made the nobles seem like distant figures from myth; no one real or living, just a figment of imagination that had been drummed up by a half-drunk merchant who had too much time on their hands while on the road. No one really wore dresses made of pearls, or tiaras with diamonds as big as apples, or shoes trimmed with gold.
And yet, there Lady Brunholt was, wearing a dress made of pearls. Charos¡¯ balls, she really was wearing a dress of pearls. The single gown had to cost more than her entire hometown ten times over. Abyss, even the dress Bridget was wearing could probably buy a decent-sized cottage. And there were dozens, maybe hundreds more dresses all around her that were just as expensive as her own, if not much, much more. And those were just the dresses she was looking at. There was jewelry and ornamental swords and food¡ªgods, the food. There were enoughvish dishes of such expense that Bridget was fairly certain a whole town could be fed for a month. It was all just so ridiculous. How was she supposed to deal with the reality of nobles when what she had thought had been over the top fantasies paled inparison.
But Jadis, gods bless her, didn¡¯t care. She really didn¡¯t. The dresses were nice and the food was good but ultimately, none of that made a difference to her. She didn¡¯t see them as lords anddies. Well, maybe she did, Bridget wasn¡¯t sure, but she didn¡¯t care that these were people of a higher station. To her, they were just people. And because Jadis saw them as just people, it helped Bridget see them that way as well.
The dancing had definitely made a difference. Bridget really wasn¡¯t much of a dancer but getting out there with Jadis and just having some fun had turned the fancy ball into something more like the festivals that her little town had used to throw when she was a child. The wild movements and openughter had actually made her nostalgic for her family, and she wished it was her mother and father dancing with her in the crowd. But Eir¡¯s mother had turned out to be a decent stand-in, for the moment. Bridget had danced with Svana, as well as her friends and lovers without a single care for what the nobles around her might have thought. She¡¯d even danced with Alex, which had been far more fun than she¡¯d expected. Those tentacles were certainly dexterous¡
¡°This has been more fun than I thought it would be.¡±
Bridget blinked as she was drawn out of her thoughts. ncing to her left, she saw that A was next to her, a mostly empty ss in her hand and a pleased smile on her face.
¡°Uh, yeah, it has been,¡± Bridget nodded in agreement. ¡°Not exactly the town fair, but I guess the music¡¯s alright.¡±
A chuckled at Bridget¡¯s joke, her face a little flushed from all the wine and dancing. Her eyes flickered to the side, and Bridget followed her gaze.
¡°I thought my mother was going to go into hysterics with so many nobles around, but she¡¯s actually smiling.¡±
Bridget smiled herself as she watched A¡¯s mother talk animatedly with Eir¡¯s parents. The way they were getting along so agreeably gave Bridget some hope that her own parents would fare as well once she introduced them to Jadis and everyone else.
¡°She¡¯s a strong woman,¡± Bridget told A. ¡°Just like you. And I¡¯m pretty sure that Svana could get along with anyone. Her husband¡¯s a cold fish, but she makes up for it.¡±
¡°He¡¯s alright,¡± A quirked an eyebrow as she watched the blue-skinned elf. ¡°He¡¯s just the quiet type. Or maybe I¡¯m just used to that sort of thing because of my father.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Bridget shrugged. ¡°My Da is a talker. It¡¯s getting him to quiet down that¡¯s the trick.¡±
Taking a second to finish off the wine in her ss, a rted thought popped up in Bridget¡¯s mind.
¡°I wonder what Jadis¡¯ parents were like. I mean, I know she doesn¡¯t talk about them much since her vige was destroyed and all. I don¡¯t want to poke a fresh wound. Still, I wonder. Do you think they were, you know, women like her? Or a man and woman Nephilim? Not sure how that works.¡±
A looked down at Bridget with some surprise, a pucker forming between her eyebrows.
¡°She hasn¡¯t told you yet?¡±
¡°Told me what?¡± Bridget asked, confused by A¡¯s reaction.
¡°Gods damn it all,¡± A sighed with no small amount of frustration in her voice. ¡°Jadis told me she was going to tell you during her date time with you. It seems she forgot.¡±
¡°Well, we were pretty, uh, upied most of that day. And night,¡± Bridget said as her face flushed with heat at the erotic memory. ¡°Not that much talking going on. What was she going to tell me?¡±
¡°It¡¯s better that you ask her yourself,¡± A said. ¡°It¡¯s not my ce to say. But it is my ce to knock some sense into our scatterbrained lover.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Bridget let out a huff ofughter. ¡°You¡¯re first wife, or however that¡¯s supposed to work out. Look, there¡¯s Jadis now. I can ask her before I forget.¡±
Bridget motioned towards the stairs where she had spotted Jay, Dys, and Syd. All three of Jadis¡¯ selves had lingered on the floor below to finish ast few dances while Bridget and everyone else in their party had gone up to the second floor where most of the food and drinks were. Seeing her Nephilim lovere up the stairs, she saw that the Seraphim Severina was walking along next to her Jay body, one hand on her arm.
Well, wasn¡¯t that interesting? Kerr had told Bridget about the haughty pdin¡¯s reaction to her and Jadis¡¯ date night at the Bounding Buck and both had spected as to whether or not the woman was interested in their Jadis. It looked like Kerr was going to win that bet, at least from the way the pdin¡¯s cheeks were flushing pink as she talked with Jay.
¡°I think you should probably wait,¡± A told Bridget quietly as she leaned in slightly closer to her. ¡°It¡¯s not the sort of information we would want overheard by anyone in this crowd.¡±
¡°Oh, that kind of thing, huh?¡± Bridget said, intrigued by what the secret might be. ¡°I¡¯ll ask when we get back¡ª¡±
¡°An?¡±
Bridget looked back over at Jadis, herment interrupted by the loud exmation. She was immediately startled by the look of pure shock on Jadis¡¯ face. All three of Jadis had frozen in mid step, unmoving as they stared unblinking with their mouths open. Severina was speaking to Jay, her own confusion evident as she looked between her and the person who Jay was staring at.
ncing that way herself, all Bridget saw was Sorcha. The witch was standing with a goblet in one hand and a te of fancy pastries in the other. She looked just as confused as Severina with her head tilted to one side as she regarded Jay.
¡°An? What¡¯s an An?¡± Sorcha asked as she looked at the te of sweets like the answer could be found there. ¡°Is that a Nephilim word?¡±
Jadis recoiled from Sorcha, all three of her stepping back as her face contorted in horrified confusion. The reaction was so unlike Jadis that others began to turn towards her. Bridget took a few steps forward, as did A, as they both tried to figure out what was wrong.
Severina firmly took hold of Jay¡¯s arm, her expression turned serious as she tugged on her to get her attention.
¡°Jadis. What¡¯s happening? What are you seeing?¡±
Jay looked down at the Seraphim and immediately yanked her arm away. She stumbled back, her feet unsteady as she snarled at Severina, her voice breaking.
¡°What the fuck is going on!? You aren¡¯t my mother! You aren¡¯t real!¡±
Severina whipped around, her expression cold, as she called out to the guards.
¡°Someone¡¯s casting a spell! All guards, take up arms and¡ª¡±
Severina¡¯s shout was cut off as the building around them shook with a sudden explosion. Screams echoed in therge hall as people lost their footing and fell to the floor. ss shattered as stone crumbled and fell from the walls and ceiling. The air was filled with a rush of smoke and dust that billowed up from the floor below them.
Scrambling back to her feet, Bridget quickly looked over the edge of the railing and saw a cloud of noxious smoke had covered the first floor. The cloud wasn¡¯t normal, its color a mix of ck and sickly green, and she could smell a terrible stench of decay rising up from it. Only shadows of movement were visible in the gas cloud at first, but then Bridget saw various colored lights sh into existence as arcane spells were cast. Fire, water, ice, and stone spells went off as some of the screams changed from those born of fear to those made by the dying.
¡°Demons!¡± someone screamed from below.
It felt like ice water had just been dumped down her back. Bridget turned to look for the others. She didn¡¯t have a weapon. She didn¡¯t have her armor. People were running around in a chaotic panic, knocking into furniture and each other in a desperate attempt to escape from the danger.
How had Demons gotten into the restaurant? Into the city for that matter? It shouldn¡¯t have been possible. Not with the magic barrier that surrounded Eldingholt.
A st of fire struck the balcony rail near Bridget, sting chunks of marble that peppered her exposed skin with shrapnel and drew blood. Fucking Abyss, she could worry about where the Demons hade fromter. For the moment, she needed to focus on fighting back and surviving.
Looking around, it was easy to spot Jadis, even with the chaos and smoke. All three of her stood tall, back-to-back like a pir that towered over the horde. People in the crowd were bouncing off of her as she shoved them away, sometimes pushing them hard enough that they flew off their feet from the strength of her arms. Bridget ran towards Jadis, calling out her name, hoping to get through whatever spell was being cast on her.
¡°Jadis! We need to get everyone together and¡ª¡±
¡°Get away from me!¡± one of Jadis shouted as tears streamed down her face. ¡°You aren¡¯t real!¡±
She swung an arm at Bridget, the motion clearly one more of panic than ill-intention, but even that caused Bridget to be knocked back by several feet. She mmed onto the cold floor, her back aching from the impact as the breath was momentarily knocked out of her.
¡°You can¡¯t get through to her, she¡¯s out of it!¡± a familiar voice called out to her as a pair of small hands struggled to help pull her upright. ¡°She can¡¯t see us!¡±
Bridget blinked, clearing her vision. Sorcha was above her, trying to lift her. The goblin woman had a tear in her dress that exposed her left side. Wine and bits of bread and cream were spilled all over her upper body, like she¡¯d had a tray of desserts dumped all over her. Her expression was grim as she continued to struggle to get Bridget up.
¡°There are dead headsing from the first floor,¡± she shouted over the screams so she could be heard. ¡°I saw them! The guards and pdins are fighting them off, but we¡¯ve got to move! Something is happening outside!¡±
Bridget nodded, understanding the danger they were in. She¡¯d never seen a dead head, but she knew they were a deadly Demon that even experienced mercenaries struggled against. The best thing they could do was rally on A and Eir since they could still cast spells. They couldn¡¯t do anything about Jadis at the moment, but maybe A could figure something out. As she started to rise from the floor, Bridget nced past Sorcha to the ceiling above. A flicker of strange shadows and unnatural movement caught her eye. As she opened her mouth to say something, the illusion that had cloaked the ceiling fell away, revealing the terrifying figures that had been hidden beneath.
¡°Crawlers!¡± Bridget shouted in warning as she grabbed hold of Sorcha and rolled to the side.
Her warning came just in time as one of the dozens of disgusting demonic abominations detached from the ceiling and fell right where she had been lying a moment before.
The creature was a nightmare made possible only by the twisted cruelty of Demons. The strangling crawler was a random collection of more than a dozen arms and legs, some from people, some from animals, all radiating outward from a fleshy mass in the center. The thing had no front or back, just a ring of limbs that had been taken from the dead. If the arm or leg didn¡¯t naturally end in a hand, the demonic transformation had split the foot or hoof into a ragged, broken approximation of a hand that dripped a vile, noxious ichor. In the center of the mass was a ring of fangs that surrounded a gaping maw that went all the way through the center of the Demon, with more sharp fangs visible on the underside.
All around them strangling crawlers dropped from the ceiling,nding on top of the panicked nobles, their putrid ws tearing into the crowd. Screams were cut short as some of the crawlerstched onto people, their many hands choking the life from them.
The one that hadnded nearly on top of her and Sorcha lunged for them, its filthy fingers grasping. Bridget kicked out, her foot connecting with one reaching limb and knocking it back enough to give them a second to scramble to their feet. There was no time toe up with a n, though, as the crawler leapt forward again, trying totch onto her or Sorcha.
A sudden bolt of semi-translucent energy struck the Demon, sting half of its limbs off in a gory mess. It skittered uncontrobly across the floor, the remaining limbs on its body iling as ck blood poured out of its gaping wounds. Acting quickly, Bridget grabbed a chair that had been knocked over raised it overhead. With all her strength, she mmed it down on top of the crawler, crushing the creature¡¯s center mass. The chair broke apart in her hands from the power of the blow, but with one of the legs in hand Bridget made sure the job was done by stabbing the piece of wood into the Demon¡¯s flesh.
|
Congrattions!
Strangling Crawler Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
|
Bridget quickly dismissed the notification, only using it to confirm the Demon had been in. Looking around, she saw more Demons dead or dying on the ground in a circle around a cluster of people.
¡°Bridget, Sorcha, get over here!¡± Kerr shouted at them as she used a table leg to bash a wounded crawler to death. ¡°We could use the bloody fucking help!¡±
Most of Bridget¡¯spanions had gathered together in one spot, forming a protective circle. She could see Kerr with the table leg, Thea wielding a silver dinner tter, and A casting spells. Eir was behind them, the look of concentration on her face making it clear she was healing others with her ranged spell. A and Eir¡¯s mothers were both huddled in the middle with Eir, but their fathers were standing shoulder to shoulder with the others. Vikwas had his own chair in hand and was using it to knock and crawlers that came close away, while Einer had drawn his saber and was shing through demonic limbs with practiced calm.
Sabina wasn¡¯t visible, nor was Alex. ncing around, Bridget tried to spot the two but the chaos of the people and Demons running and fighting around her made it difficult to spot either. The explosions of magic going off on the floor below definitely weren¡¯t helping her concentration, and the smoke was making her eyes water.
Deciding it was best to get join up with the allies she could see, Bridget took a couple steps towards the group before her progress was blocked by another crawler leaping in front of her. A pointed a hand and another bolt of her arcane energy struck the Demon, sting it into pieces, though not doing quite enough damage to kill the abomination. Bridget briefly wondered why A wasn¡¯t using her more powerful spells, before realizing that there were too many people around. There were men and women mixed in with the Demons, and many of the crawlers were only yards away from A and the group, if not less. If she used any of her explosive or wide-ranging magic spells, she¡¯d risk hitting others or even herself.
The one most at risk was Jadis. She still stood in the middle of the floor, her three bodies back-to-back and her wide eyes seemingly unable toprehend what she was seeing. Bridget could hear all three of her shouting, crying out their names. When she heard Jadis shout for her, Bridget nearly broke and ran towards her. But she hardened her heart and instead lifted Sorcha under her arm and dashed for A and the others. She couldn¡¯t help Jadis by just stupidly running towards her. Whatever spell had been cast, she was being robbed of her senses and couldn¡¯t see what was happening around her.
¡°Stay in the middle!¡± Bridget warned the goblin woman as she set her down.
¡°Where are you going!?¡± Sorcha shouted back as Bridget turned and sprinted for the nearest wall.
¡°To get a light!¡±
Chapter 381: Family
Chapter 381: Family
¡°Jadis, honey, where have you been? We¡¯ve been looking for you for months! We called the police, the FBI, everyone we could think of! You just disappeared from school, no one knew what happened to you! Honey, you need toe home, please!¡±
¡°You aren¡¯t real,¡± Dys ground out through clenched teeth. ¡°Stay the fuck away from me!¡±
¡°Jadis, don¡¯t talk to your mother that way. She¡¯s worried about you. I¡¯m worried about you. We all are. You¡¯ve been gone for months. No one¡¯s mad at you. We love you. We just want you toe home.¡±
¡°Shut up!¡± Jay screamed at the apparition. ¡°You aren¡¯t my father!¡±
¡°Jadis, stop being a witch,¡± An told her, crossing his arms and shaking his head in that familiar gesture of frustrated patience. ¡°You¡¯re freaking mom and dad out. Just calm down and we can go home. I gave up a whole semester of college toe looking for you. Don¡¯t make it a waste.¡±
¡°Fuck off An!¡± Syd swung her arm, batting the false image away. ¡°You¡¯re not real! None of this is real!¡±
No, Jadis was certain. None of what she was seeing could be real. She couldn¡¯t be seeing her mother or father or brother. It was impossible for them to be there. She was on Oros and they were back on Earth. She had died and been reborn as a Nephilim.
Hadn¡¯t she?
Jadis didn¡¯t remember dying. She had no idea how she had died at all. D had said that he¡¯d found her soul bouncing around in the ether, lost and falling apart. But he had never actually said how she had died. Had she had an ident? Did she have some random brain aneurism? A heart attack? Choked on her own spit? Was she murdered?
She didn¡¯t know. She hadn¡¯t bothered thinking about it much. She was reborn. There wasn¡¯t much point in thinking about the past when she couldn¡¯t change it, especially since it hurt so much to remember the family she had left behind. But now she couldn¡¯t help but think about it as images of what she had lost were thrown into her face with no way to escape them.
¡°I made you hot cocoa with milk and cinnamon, just the way you like it,¡± another vision of her mother told her in a sweet, kindly voice. ¡°Come sit here with me and we¡¯ll drink some together.¡±
¡°Get away from me!¡± Jay swiped her hand through the illusion. ¡°You aren¡¯t real!¡±
Her mother was knocked back by the swing of her arm, her body skidding across the floor. The sight of her mother lying on the ground, hurt and confused, caused her heart to clench like it had been put into a vice. How could she strike her mother? How could she cause her pain like that?
¡°Because that wasn¡¯t my mother,¡± Jay growled to herself even as the tears rolled down her faces. ¡°That was something else. That wasn¡¯t her.¡±
She knew what she was saying was true, but it was so fucking hard not to see the figures as anything other than her family. The illusion was insane. Everywhere she looked, she saw different versions of her family, her mother and father, her older brother, and others like her grandparents, her aunts and uncles, and her cousins. They were all looking at her, all talking to her. It was a cacophony of familiar voices all vying for her attention, all asking her about what had happened to her, where she had gone. All asking for her toe back with them, to return to her old life, to go home.
They weren¡¯t real. Obviously. Looking around, Jadis could see that she was still in Trummelton¡¯s, the halls of the restaurant still shining with overt luxury. Besides, the illusions copied more than just her more recent memories of her family. She could see that the version of her mother who had offered her hot chocte was from years ago, when her mother¡¯s hair was still brown and not streaked with gray. The mother lying on the ground was wearing a Christmas sweater she¡¯d worn when Jadis was seven, an ugly image of a knock off Frosty the Snowman on it. The version of An who was helping her to her feet was just a kid. An was two years older than her. He should be twenty-four, not nine.
Jadis saw this all and recognized that the various duplicated familiar members were all an illusion that someone had cast on her. But she couldn¡¯t tell what was under the illusion. She knew something bad had to be happening. She hadn¡¯t been able to see it, but she¡¯d felt the ground shake under her feet. She¡¯d felt bits of stone and other debris strike different parts of her bodies as well. She couldn¡¯t hear or see it, but she thought for sure that something had exploded. She couldn¡¯t smell it, exactly, but she could sense something foul in the air, like there was a feeling of smoke¡¯s grittiness in her mouth that was somehow being masked.
¡°A, where are you?¡± Dys called out, trying to spot her lover in the crowd of fake faces. ¡°Eir? Thea? Which one are you!?¡±
¡°I¡¯m here, honey,¡± four different versions of her mother called out to her, and two of her grandmothers. ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be alright. I love you, juste home.¡±
It was useless. She couldn¡¯t tell who was who. It didn¡¯t matter which of her lovers she called out to, anyone could be an enemy trying to attack her, or nothing at all. But just as easily, anyone could be one of her lovers. There was no way to tell. At least, no way to see or hear a difference. Touch, though. She had felt the ground shake and felt the bits of debris strike against her. She could feel heat and cold and she could tell there was smoke in the air, even if she couldn¡¯t see it or smell it. The illusion wasn¡¯t interfering with her sense of touch.
Seeing all the figures moving around her, she decided to take a chance. Reaching out, she grasped the hand of the closest figure.
¡°Jadis, I¡¯ve missed you,¡± her father said in his kind, soft-spoken way. ¡°You left us so suddenly.¡±
¡°I missed you, too,¡± Jay couldn¡¯t help but gasp out as her eyes met her father¡¯s gaze.
He was exactly the same as thest time she¡¯d spoken to him at the end of summer break. His brown, wavy hair had more gray in it than it used to, a sign of his age. He¡¯d just turned fifty and was stubbornly refusing to use any kind of hair dye even though her mother had teased him about it. He still had a young face, hardly any wrinkles, and the gray hair was the only thing that made his clean-shaven face look older. His round sses sat low on his nose, as always, giving her an unobstructed view of his sad, dark green eyes.
¡°Come back home,¡± her father said as he firmly took her hand. ¡°I know I told you that you had to at least finish your bachelor''s degree before leaving university, but I don¡¯t care about that anymore. Your mother and I just want you safe.¡±
¡°I¡ªI want to¡ Ow!¡± Jay winced as she felt something biting into her hand. ¡°Dad, stop!¡±
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked as he stood there with a concerned look on his face, simply holding her hand. ¡°Jadis, honey, tell me what¡¯s happening?¡±
¡°Shit!¡± Jay cursed as something wed and scratched at her hand and arm, sharp and jagged points digging into her flesh.
Jadis couldn¡¯t see it, but she could feel that whatever was pretending to be her father was attacking her. It felt like there were many things, many hands or ws or whatever it was shing at her skin, trying to cut her. It wasn¡¯t having too much sess, likely due to her high Fortitude stat, but the pain was growing as she felt the attacks gradually sinking deeper. She couldn¡¯t see any of it though, her vision entirely reced by the sight of her father.
Bracing herself, Jay grabbed hold of the hand she had taken and squeezed hard while simultaneously lifting the attacker up into the air.
¡°Jadis!¡± her father yelped, pain screwing up his face as he dangled from her closed fist. She could see that her grip had crushed his hand. She could even see the bones sticking out from under the torn skin of his palm. ¡°Jadis! What are you doing!? Jadis, you¡¯re hurting me!¡±
¡°You aren¡¯t my father,¡± Jay snarled through a clenched throat, using the pain that was radiating from her own hand to prove it. ¡°You aren¡¯t my family or anything else to me but an enemy. Whatever you are, you¡¯re fucking dead.¡±
On her left and right, Dys and Syd grabbed hold of the obscured figure held up high by Jay. To her eyes, she saw that she¡¯d grabbed hold of her father¡¯s other arm and his leg, but she knew it was a lie. There was no other choice. It had to be.
With a shriek of pain and fury, she closed her eyes and pulled.
Wet blood sttered across her arms as she felt whatever it was go limp in her grip. Letting the thing drop to the ground, she heard a wet plop of gore and viscera hit the floor. She didn¡¯t want to look. She couldn¡¯t. If whatever that thing had been still looked like her father, she didn¡¯t think she could stand it. She already felt like she was going to throw up. The smell of blood was growing strong and her fears were growing worse.
What if that had been someone she loved? She knew it wasn¡¯t her father, but what if that had been A, or Kerr, or any of her lovers? Or one of their parents, or even just some poor, innocent server who just happened to be in the wrong ce at the wrong time?
No. It had been a monster. She had felt it. Too many arms, too many hands. It had felt like cold, pallid flesh on one part and fur like an animal on another. That had been a monster, probably a Demon of some kind. She couldn¡¯t know for sure, but she had to believe.
As Jadis stood there, eyes closed, trying not to think about what she¡¯d just done to something that had looked like her father, she felt a familiar sensation. It was warm, like a fire, but not just warm. It wasforting, while at the same time energizing, like being given a warm ss of hot chocte on a cold day. The feeling suffused through her bodies and she knew in an instant what it was.
¡°Bridget?¡± All three of Jadis opened her eyes to look around.
There were still just more false images of her family all around her, moving amongst each other like they were talking to her or about her and just trying to vie for her attention. Unable to help herself, Jay briefly nced down. She saw a sh of the ruined corpse of her father and quickly looked away, the bile rising up in her throat.
It was just an illusion.
Moving towards the source of the feeling that she recognized as Bridget¡¯s Stamina Beacon, Jadis blindly ignored the false imagery surrounding her. Soon enough, she was standing before a cluster of fake family members. One she recognized as the nine-year-old version of her brother, calmly holding the hand of their grandmother.
¡°Is Jadis going toe y outside with me?¡± An asked, looking between her and Grandma Ste.
¡°Of course dear,¡± Grandma Ste said, her voice rough from years of smoking. ¡°And when you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll serve you both a slice of my pumpkin pie. With whipped cream on top, of course.¡±
Jadis ignored them both. The beacon wasn¡¯ting from them.
The feeling of stamina-restoring warmth wasing from the version of her mother that she remembered from Christmas so long ago. She was standing there, wearing that stupid sweater, holding a ss of eggnog and smiling warmly at her. She held out one hand, beckoning for her toe closer. Her bright brown eyes promised her a hug and forgiveness for any past sin.
¡°Come here, honey,¡± her mother said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just close your eyes and everything will be back to normal.¡±
Jay knelt down before her on one knee. The hand she reached out to take her mother¡¯s trembled as the thought of what she¡¯d just done to her father reyed in her mind.
¡°Please, please, please be Bridget,¡± Jay pleaded with the illusion. ¡°I can¡¯t see you or hear you, but I can feel you. Please, for the love of D, be Bridget. I can¡¯t¡ªI can¡¯t do that again.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything,¡± her mother reassured her. ¡°Your father and I are going to take you home and nothing bad is ever going to happen to you again.¡±
¡°She¡¯s right,¡± an illusion of her father said as he walked up to join them. ¡°Just rest here for now. I¡¯ll sort things out and we¡¯ll get back to the house before you know it.¡±
The younger version of her remembered father smiled as he wrapped an arm around her mother¡¯s shoulders. The sight of his smiling, bespectacled face made her shudder as she thought of the terrible image lying on the ground behind her. It took every ounce of willpower to not look back.
Closing her eyes, Jadis focused not on what she could see or hear, but what she could feel. In Jay¡¯s hand was a warm, familiar hand. Small in her own, but strong and roughly calloused. It had to be Bridget¡¯s hand. She was mmy with sweat, moving around like she was struggling to get away, which Jadis didn¡¯t understand. Why was Bridget trying to get away from her?
Was she under some illusion too? That was entirely usible. Her Resilience stat was much lower than Jadis¡¯ so if someone was capable of casting a spell on her, then Bridget and pretty much everyone else was just as vulnerable. What if it was a mass illusion spell and everyone was seeing things differently, just like her? Bridget might be seeing some false image of her parents, too.
It was hard to know what to do, but Jadis figured that if Bridget was affected too, then the best thing she could do was hold onto her and keep her close until the spell wore off. It had to have a duration, just like Sorcha¡¯s spells. Maybe it was a set time, but it could also be affected by her Resilience, which meant the illusion would wear off of her first before anyone else. Once she could see who was who, Jadis could act. She could grab hold of any of her lovers that she could see and protect them until they also came to their senses, while also hopefully going after whoever was doing this to them.
And by the fucking gods Jadis was going to vent her wrath on whatever sick fuck had cast the spell.
So, who was the person behind the illusion of her father? Opening her eyes, Dys reached out with one hand to take hold of the person, hoping it was one of her other lovers who had also sensed Bridget¡¯s beacon.
The flesh she touched made her recoil. It was not one of her lovers. Cold, sticky, and studded with sharp bits that dug into her skin, she recognized that the image of her dad was covering another one of those monsters that she had¡
Jadis didn¡¯t want to think about it, but she didn¡¯t have the luxury not to. It was an illusion, nothing real. It didn¡¯t matter if it looked exactly like her father, because it wasn¡¯t him. She wasn¡¯t going to let false images scare her into inaction.
Lifting the struggling thing high, whatever it was, Dys winced as it wed at her skin as she held it at arm¡¯s length. In doing so, she felt Bridget rise up too, which meant the thing had to have a hold of her orcish lover as well. Carefully, trying her best not to hurt her, Jay and Syd both felt around Bridget¡¯s body for where the demon or possessed thing had grabbed her so she could pull them apart. As she did so, she changed her own grip on the warrior and she felt Bridget il around, her hands grabbing hold of her as she struggled to find some purchase.
As Jay tried to whisper a fewforting words, doing everything she could to ignore the illusion of her mother speaking to her, she felt Bridget try to put her arm around her neck. Her hand must have slipped, though, and she felt a sharp tug as the chain of the flower pendant she wore broke.
¡°Jadis, get this fucking thing off of me!¡±
The whole world exploded in a jarring burst of sound as the omnipresent murmur of her illusionary family trying to talk to her was reced by screams of terror, shouts of rage, and the sound of battle. Jadis jerked in surprise, nearly dropping Bridget as the sudden shift in sound took her by surprise. There was so much noise that for the first couple of seconds, she could barely make sense of what she was hearing. It didn¡¯t help at all that she could still only see the false images of her parents and family around her.
¡°Jadis, please!¡± Bridget screamed, practically in her ear.
¡°I can hear you!¡± all three of Jadis shouted, stirred back into motion. ¡°But I can¡¯t see! What the fuck is happening? What¡¯s attacking you?¡±
¡°Crawler!¡± Bridget choked out, her voice changed as though something had suddenly grabbed hold of her throat. ¡°It¡¯s on¡ªon you! Kill it!¡±
¡°I can¡¯t see it!¡± Jadis repeated, momentarily paralyzed by the thought of identally hurting her lover in her attempt to save her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you! I can only hear¡ª¡±
She could hear. She could hear, but still not see. From the sounds of the spells and explosions going off around her, she should be able to smell smoke, too, but she couldn¡¯t. But her hearing had been restored the moment the ne had been¡
Reaching to her necks, Dys and Syd immediately tore the remaining two pendants from her person, tossing them onto the ground.
The smell of blood and smoke and putrid flesh rushed into Jadis¡¯ nostrils, making her gag. In the same instant, her sight was restored and what she saw only made the urge to puke worse.
Bridget was held suspended between her three bodies, alive and holding what looked like a decorativentern that she must have torn off of a wall. A thing that was made of a dozen different mutted and rotting limbs was holding onto her, two of its grasping hands around her leg, a third on the arm that held thentern, and the fourth partially wrapped around her neck as it tried to strangle her. The rest of the rancid abomination¡¯s limbs were holding onto Dys¡¯ arm, its torn and rotted nails struggling to dig into her skin. The worst part of it was that Dys¡¯ forearm was wearing the Demon like a fucking bracelet. There was a hole in the middle of the thing¡¯s body that was ringed with stabbing, slicing fangs on either end. It had put her arm through it, seemingly with the intention of severing her limb off her body with its gruesome teeth. By the blood starting to pour from the wounds on her arm, it was starting to make progress.
¡°What the fuck!?¡± Jadis screamed at the sight,
Without hesitation, Jay and Syd grabbed hold of the arms that had Bridget grappled and squeezed hard enough to make the monster¡¯s flesh ripple and burst like bags of ground beef. In the same moment, Dys used her free hand to grab the Demon around its inner ring and yank. Hard.
With a terrible ripping sound, the Demon¡¯s flesh was torn to pieces as ck blood and ichor sttered across her dresses and the floor.
¡°Are we getting attacked by fucking evil Demon donuts!?¡± Syd shouted as she pulled the remains of the creature¡¯s arms from Bridget.
¡°Are you okay?¡± Jay asked at the same moment, unable to keep herself from speaking at the same time. ¡°Where¡¯s everyone else?¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to fucking kill whoever cast that spell on me,¡± Dys growled as she turned towards the noise of the battle. ¡°They¡¯re dead!¡±
Chapter 382: Dead Heads
Chapter 382: Dead Heads
¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Bridget coughed out as Syd held her in her arms. ¡°Behind you!¡±
When a person had three bodies, ¡°behind you¡± was not a terribly useful piece of guidance. However, since Jadis was already oriented in three different directions, she was able to quickly spot what Bridget was warning her of.
Jay spun around with lightning speed and intercepted the flying object in mid-air. The soft and fleshy thing sttered blood against her front as she caught it in her hands. Since she was still disoriented by the change in what she could see and hear, it took a moment for her to realize what the object was. When she did, she dropped it in disgust.
It was a torso. Male, and probably human, it had all of its limbs and head torn off which made it hard to identify. The ruined clothing on the mutted body looked like something a server would have been wearing, though it was hard to tell since there was so much blood. Looking in the direction the torso had been thrown from, Jay caught the tail end of some horrible creature as it crawled along the balcony rail of the second floor, disappearing into the chaos below. The little she had seen looked like some kind of fleshy centipede, with dozens of mismatched arms and legs attached to a long body that bulged in all the wrong ces.
Jadis didn¡¯t bother asking what the thing had been. Whether it was somemon variety of Demon or a Greater Demon or even a Matriarch didn¡¯t matter. The fiend was killing people and she needed to stop it.
Acting without any further dy, Jadis moved. Syd carried Bridget over towards the cluster of familiar faces that she had spotted, arriving next to Kerr and Vikwas so quickly that both of them almost swung at her with their makeshift weapons.
¡°Stay together in one group!¡± Sydmanded as she set Bridget down. ¡°Where are Sabina and Alex?¡±
A, Eir, Kerr, Thea, Bridget, and Sorcha were all ounted for in the gathered group, as were Einer, Svana, Vikwas, and Senta. Jadis didn¡¯t see Vraekae or Severina, but those two were skilled warriors and would no doubt be in the thick of things. They could handle themselves. Sabina, however, was not a fighter and Jadis needed to get her into a safe location as quickly as possible. Alex was powerful, so Jadis wasn¡¯t worried about that aspect. What she was worried about was that as a Demon, she could get caught up in the fight and targeted by the guards and city defenders by mistake.
¡°I don¡¯t know where Sabina is,¡± A started, but was cut off as Thea jumped in.
¡°B¡ªbathroom!¡± Thea pointed towards the third floor. ¡°That way!¡±
¡°I saw Alex a second ago,¡± A continued. ¡°She was on the other side of you, but I lost track of her.¡±
¡°Shit,¡± Syd cursed. ¡°Okay. Any idea on what the fuck is going on?¡±
¡°No,¡± A shook her head, her face cold and deadly serious. ¡°But by the sounds of things outside, this isn¡¯t the only location being attacked. The bells.¡±
Right. Jadis hadn¡¯t been focused on it, but over the sound ofbat and people screaming, she could hear a constant, omnipresent ringing sound. It was like the clocktowers throughout the city were all going off at once, filling the streets with a warning that not even a deaf woman could miss with how it vibrated in her chest.
¡°Stay with me,¡± Syd told A and the others. ¡°Jay and Dys will get Sabina and Alex.¡±
With that, Syd turned around and looked for the nearest Demon. Spotting one of the grabby, handsy monsters attacking a guard who was struggling to keep it from strangling him, she dashed forward and took hold of the Demon¡¯s arms, crushing them and then, a secondter, the rest of the putrid thing.
|
Congrattions!
Strangling Crawler Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
|
¡°Thank you!¡± the man panted as wobbled to his feet, blood dripping from several wounds on his face. ¡°I couldn¡¯t get my arms free¡ª¡±
¡°Go there!¡± Syd told the man, not having any time to waste on being polite orforting. ¡°The priestess there will heal you!¡±
With that, Syd moved on to the next person, pulling another ¡°crawler¡± off of them.
While having multiple priority-one objectives would mean other people would have to make a hard choice about which to focus on first, Jadis didn¡¯t have to worry about that particr problem. With three pressing concerns and three bodies, she was able to act on all of them simultaneously. So, while Syd stayed on the second floor where herpanions and family were and worked to clear the area of threats, Jay and Dys moved to locate and retrieve her two missing lovers.
Dys went right, sprinting up the stairs to the third floor where even more chaos awaited her. She could see crawlers all over the ce, attacking nobles, servers, and guards alike. Some of the nobles were faring well as they cast spells or used makeshift weapons to defend themselves, but others were obviously notbatants and had no skills they could use to fight off the Demons. There hadn¡¯t been many guards stationed on this floor, but the few who were had rallied together and were trying to form a defensive circle around those who couldn¡¯t fight.
Dashing forward with Knight¡¯s Daring Charge, Dys practically materialized next to a guard who was fighting off two crawlers with his sword. She took hold of one Demon¡¯s arm and forcefully swung it around, sending it flying at terminal velocity. Its body was sttered against the marble wall some fifty feet away, which Jadis only acknowledged by dismissing the notification that had appeared in her mind.
The guard, for his part, used the opportunity to deliver a powerful strike with his sword that cut the Demon¡¯s central ring-like body, killing it by splitting it in half.
¡°Head towards the stairs,¡± Dys told the man. ¡°Make your way to the second floor!¡±
¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± The guard didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment as he followed her orders. ¡°Everyone, move! Move! Second floor, now!¡±
Dys didn¡¯t see Sabina among the circle of defenders, nor did she spot her among those were still fighting on their own, or those who had fallen. She wanted to go help those who were struggling against Demons and were cut off from the guards, but she couldn¡¯t spare the time. A fourth task was too much for her three bodies.
Making a note to send Syd up to help as soon as the second floor was cleared out, Dys sprinted for the opening to the back halls she saw on the far side of the third floor. That was where the bathrooms would be, as well as the stairs that led to the floors above them.
At the same time as Dys was running across the third floor, Jay was looking for Alex.
A had said that Alex had been right next to her a moment before, but looking around, she couldn¡¯t spot her. Considering she was a figure who stood out in just about any crowd, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how she could be missing her. Deciding that something must have drawn her away, Jay headed for the stairs that led down to the first floor in search of her. As soon as she got to the stairs, she found Alex amidst a sea of carnage.
Dozens of strangling crawlers were scattered across the steps, some of them in broken, twisted pieces while others had been crushed and ttened like roadkill. All of them were dead, in and left strewn in a circle around Alex. The demonic pdin hovered near the center of the stairs, a constantly moving mass of arms and tentacles that seized any Demon that came in range and thrashed it to pieces. One crawler leapt at Alex from the stair railing and was instantly snatched out of the air by one of her threerge tentacles. The lesser Demon was quickly constricted and summarily crushed, its bones cracking like chopsticks before being tossed aside.
As much damage as Alex was doing to the crawlers, she wasn¡¯t herself going unscathed. The many grasping, wing hands of the foul Demons tore at Alex every time she took hold of one and she didn¡¯t have anywhere near the level of Fortitude that Jadis had. ck blood was welling up from a multitude of wounds across Alex¡¯s body, the worst of them found on herrger tentacles.
Those flesh wounds weren¡¯t what concerned Jadis, though. Well, that wasn¡¯t true. Any harm being done to her lover concerned her. But the two things that caught Jadis¡¯ immediate attention were the two horrifying Demons that were attacking Alex from lower on the stairs.
There was a great deal of smoke in the air on the first floor, some of it from a fire that had been started, but a lot of it a noxious gas that had no doubt been created by the attacking Demons to sap people¡¯s strength, hurt their vision, and eat away at their health. The gas cloud made it difficult to see, but what she could see of the two Demons further down the stairs was nothing good.
The bodies were human. Almostpletely unaltered, it was easy to see that the one on the left had been a human male somewhere in his fifties or sixties while the one on the right had been a woman in her thirties. Both had on clothing, but the garments were ragged and dirty, with great rips and tears that exposed the pallid, bloodless flesh underneath. The true horror was what had been done to their heads. Or rather, theirck of heads.
Where the man and woman¡¯s heads should have been were just gaping holes, like they had been plucked from their necks like flowers from a stem. From out of the raw, torn stumps grew nine tentacles, each one at least six feet long and around two or three inches thick. Unlike most Demons, these tentacles weren¡¯t a dark, purple-ck color but were instead bright. The one on the left had varying shades of ming red while the Demon on the right had tentacles in different shades of brown. In both cases, the tentacles were twisting and curling in almost mesmerizing patterns as arcane symbols were drawn in the air before them.
As Jay leapt down the stairs, she saw the demon on the left finish casting its spell. The arcane sigil floating in the air transformed into a gout of me that poured out like dragon¡¯s breath before the Demon. The spread on the attack wasrge, but Jadis knew Alex was fast and could easily dodge out of the way. To Jadis¡¯ shock, instead of avoiding the me, Alex rushed into it, purposefully throwing her body into the spell. The mes engulfed her, creating a terrible smell as her flesh was burned, but the fire was almostpletely halted in its tracks from progressing up the stairs.
The reason for the self-sacrificing move became at least partially evident as Jay spotted a figure huddling in the middle of the stairs where Alex had been. She was a young elven woman, purple-skinned and dressed in the clothing of server, and she was crouched low with her arms over her head. Clearly, Alex had been protecting the elf, though why she had rushed away from everyone else to protect this one person on the stairs Jadis wasn¡¯t sure.
With how fast Jadis could move, she was down the stairs and on top of Alex and the other Demons in a second. Reaching her lover¡¯s side, Jay lunged forward and mmed her fist into the fire-spewing Demon¡¯s chest. As her fist flew, Jay felt resistance as an arcane barrier appeared between her and her target. The fiery shield manifested instantaneously as a nine-pointed star that burned as hot as a forge. As Jay¡¯s fist connected, the shield burned her skin with intense heat. Jadis was sure the burning shield was capable of scorching almost any attacker with even brief contact.
But most people didn¡¯t have Jadis¡¯ two hundred and nine Fortitude.
Jay¡¯s punch shattered the Demon¡¯s conjured shield like ss, the burning me no worse than putting her hand on a hot pan for a half second. When her fist struck the Demon, its chest crumpled inward like a soda can before it was hurled away from Alex, its me-spewing spell broken.
As Jay caught her bnce from the lunging jab, she felt the other Demon on the right strike her with its own spells. Fleshy tentacles hit her body on her arms, shoulders, head and torso. Everywhere the Demon struck, a thick coating of hard stone appeared, wrapping Jay in a bindingyer of rock that was no doubt designed to constrict her movements.
Flexing her muscles as she spun in ce, Jay broke free of the conjured stone. It took a moment to shed the binding, but only a moment. Reaching out, she grasped hold of four or five tentacles in one hand while her other hand held onto the shoulder of the human body that had been usurped by the vile Demon. Yanking with all her might, Jay pulled on the tentacles.
The twisted, malformed insides of the Demon squelched out of the human husk with a sickening pop. The bulbous sack of ink-ck organs dripping with ichor had a single purple eye that blinked in the light.
¡°Get the fuck away from my Demon!¡± Jay shouted in rage as she swung the abomination down hard onto the marble steps.
The sack of twisted flesh exploded like a ballon filled with slime, sttering across Jay¡¯s shoes and the poor elf who was still cowering behind her and Alex.
|
Congrattions!
Dead Head Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
|
¡°Alex, are you alright?¡± Jay turned to check on her.
¡°I am¡ Well¡¡± Alex said in her usual tone as she unfurled the mass of tentacles she had thrown up in front of her face and torso. ¡°Are you¡ Seeing¡ Better¡?¡±
Alex didn¡¯t look great. A lot of her limbs had been charred by the st of fire and she was still bleeding from many cuts and gashes in her sides and back. Her head and body were still in good condition, though, so Jadis had some hope that her health pool was still at a decent level.
¡°Seeing better? Ah, yes, I am,¡± Jay quickly realized what she had meant. ¡°I was confused by an illusion. But I¡¯m better now.¡±
¡°Are you¡ Certain¡?¡± Alex asked as she motioned towards the server who was only just starting to look up at them with wide eyes. ¡°You are¡ Still¡ Crying¡¡±
¡°What? No I¡¯m¡ªthat¡¯s not¡ Alex, how many of me do you see here right now?¡±
¡°Two¡ Of Jadis¡¡± Alex answered with absolute certainty.
¡°No, that¡¯s not me,¡± Jay hastily told her lover. ¡°Touch her! Someone¡¯s casting an illusion on you, too. That¡¯s someone else!¡±
Alex acted without hesitation, reaching out one of herrge arms to take hold of the woman. The server rocked back, likely afraid of Alex, but she was on the ground and nowhere near fast enough to dodge away. Alex¡¯s hand brushed against the elf¡¯s arm and instantly Jadis saw the confusion as Alex¡¯s demeanor shifted to confusion.
¡°This tastes¡ Like Jadis¡ But does not¡ Feel like Jadis¡¡±
¡°Because it isn¡¯t me,¡± Jay told her. ¡°Look, let¡¯s get you back upstairs so Eir can heal you.¡±
Alex didn¡¯t protest as Jay directed her back up the stairs, though she could tell that her Demonpanion was still confused. Jadis didn¡¯t think Alex had anything on her that was cursed like those pendants had been, so that meant there likely was someone in the building who was casting illusions.
Wait. The pendants Jadis had been give had been checked by Eir and a High Priest of Lyssandria. There hadn¡¯t been anything wrong with them. Had something been missed? Or had someone tampered with them after the fact? Whatever the case, Jadis would have to look into it after the immediate crisis was over. It wasn¡¯t like she could start interrogating people in the middle of a battle.
The fact that Jadis had only received one notification of dead head death had not gone unnoticed. The Demon with fire spells was still alive, and from what little Jadis could see through the noxious cloud on the first floor, there were a lot more Demons in the mix. Still, she wasn¡¯t going to go charging into disadvantageous terrain with just one of her unarmored, unarmed bodies. Jadis was bold, not suicidal.
¡°Come on,¡± Jay helped the elf to her feet. ¡°Let¡¯s get you somewhere safe.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± the woman sobbed as Jay escorted her up the stairs. ¡°Thank you!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything¡¯s going to be¡ª¡±
Jadis¡¯ words offort were cut off as a set of massive jaws lunged out of the cloud of foul smoke. Reacting with lightning speed, Jay caught either side of the jaws that were split vertically, rather than horizontally, before they could snap around her or the elf. Looking inside the huge jaws, Jay could see a human-like face in the middle where the throat should be. The face was hairless and strangely chubby, almost like a child¡¯s face except that it was far too big. Where its two eye sockets should have been nests of small, wriggling tentacles. A single,rge, dark blue eye the size of a grapefruit rested inside of the child-like face¡¯s mouth.
The elf woman screamed. Jadis was tempted to scream along with her.
Chapter 383: Betrayed
Chapter 383: Betrayed
Jay strained against the jaws that tried to crush her, surprised by how much effort it was taking to keep them from snapping shut. Despite all of her immense strength, she could feel her bones creaking as the Demon clenched down on her. Sharp, jagged teeth that looked more like pieces ofrger bones that had been snapped into pieces dug into her hands. Blood trickled from the wounds just as sweat trickled down Jay¡¯s back as she struggled to hold the Demon in ce.
Arge, ck tentacle struck from the side, cracking against the monstrous Demon¡¯s side. Several hands, each one a stolen limb from some unfortunate man or beast, blocked the blow but not without being broken from the power of the smiting strike. A burning blue aura suffused the attacking Demon and while there was no physical indication, Jadis could practically see the bastard¡¯s health being depleted by the effect of Alex¡¯s Bold Smite.
As Alexunched herself at the Demon attacking her, Jay shifted her weight in an attempt to yank the abomination forward and over the balcony edge and onto the stairs. She was confident that once she pulled it into easy view, she and Alex could crush the freaky fuck in a unified attack. However, as she started to drag the Demon forward, the elf woman who Alex had been inadvertently protecting let out another shriek of terror.
The woman hadn¡¯t been idle: she¡¯d tried to run away, but with all the blood and Demon bodies strewn across the stairs, she¡¯d slipped and fallen. Unfortunately, the spot she¡¯dnded at was directly in Jadis¡¯ intended path. If she pulled the Demon forward, she¡¯d be dragging it on top of the elf.
The split second of hesitation Jay showed was enough for the Demon to act. Twisting around, it spun like a corkscrew, jerking away from Jay as her grip slipped. Alexnded next to them in the same moment and shed at the Demon with one of herrger arms, but the blow was ncing as the monster spun away in a chaotic mess of iling limbs. Reaching out, Jay grabbed hold of one of the legs, one that had probably belonged to a cow or an auroch at some point, and tried to pull the Demon closer. However, the limb sloughed off the creature like the discarded tail of a lizard, leaving Jay unbnced as stumbled backwards. In the next moment, the long, centipede-like body of the Demon had disappeared into the shadows of the toxic gas cloud that had enveloped the first floor.
¡°Back up the stairs,¡± Jaymanded again without turning to look at Alex. She wanted to keep her eyes open for the centipede horror. ¡°Quickly!¡±
Alex moved up again, this time picking the elf up as she went. For her part, the elf didn¡¯t struggle against Alex anymore, which was a small favor, Jay supposed. Following right behind, Jay climbed up the stairs without taking her eyes off of the cloud. There was a lot of movement, a lot of spells being cast, and the swirl of partially obscured activity was a perfect cover for the ambushing Demon. She wouldn¡¯t let the noxious thing get the drop on her again.
Back up on the second floor, Jay quickly reconnected with her other self, Syd, while checking on everyone else.
Herpanions had maintained their defensive circle and had even added to it, rallying other survivors of the attack to them. With Syd running around and picking off every crawler in sight, the second floor was rapidly bing a defensive point clear of enemy assants.
The guards who had rallied together on the third floor were already moving down the stairs, doing everything in their power to protect the nonbatants they had rescued, but Jadis knew from when Dys had passed through that more Demons and victims of the attack still lingered on that floor. There was also three floors above the third floor to consider; Jadis had no idea how many people would have been up there, much less how many Demons could be attacking on those upper levels.
¡°I haven¡¯t found Sabina yet!¡± Jay told A as she and Alex dropped the sobbing elf off with her and the rest of the survivors. ¡°I¡¯m moving to clear the third floor!¡±
¡°Not alone,¡± A said as she sent another bolt of arcane energy to destroy a strangling crawler that was skittering over the edge of the balcony.
¡°I¡¯m never alone,¡± Jay shot back, but she didn¡¯t argue further. ¡°Alex, stay here and get healed, then help Syd deal with the Demonsing up from below. Kerr,e with me for support. Everyone else, hold the line and keep yourselves and the survivors safe!¡±
Jay¡¯s tone left no room for debate. She rushed up the stairs with Kerr following right behind. As she ran, she checked her status sheet to make sure her condition wasn¡¯t worse than she felt. With her adrenaline pumping and the rage burning in the back of her mind, she barely felt the pain of the injuries done to her so far. That didn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t in danger, though.
Jadis¡¯ max health was a massive two thousand and forty points, an amount ten times greater than most other physicalbatants that she knew. With the damage done to her by the Demons so far, her reserve had barely been scratched as it sat at a total of one thousand nine hundred and ny-five. That was good, since Jadis was certain that Eir was going to need to save as much of her magic power for healing others as she could. There were a lot of wounded people who were in greater danger than her.
During all the time that Jay had been busy retrieving Alex from the stairs and fighting off the attack of the demonic centipede man, Dys had been searching for Sabina.
Therge, open archway on the back wall of the third floor led to a grand stairwell that continued upwards to the floors above. The open area before the stairs, though, split off in an intersection with a hall that went towards the back of the building and arge, closed door that went to the right. Jadis hadn¡¯t had cause toe up to this hall before and had no idea which direction she had to go to find the restrooms. However, the immediate concern was the group of people being attacked by Demons.
Dys picked up a crawler that had grappled onto a young guard and crushed the Demon¡¯s ring-like body. She had to be careful how she killed the Demon, since its many hands had grabbed hold of the man and pulled him close, limiting the ways she could attack the Demon without hurting the guard. Once the Demon was dead, Dys was able to pull the man free and he stumbled to his feet.
¡°Thank¡ª¡±
Dys didn¡¯t wait to hear the man¡¯s gasped gratitude. There were many more people being attacked in the hallway and stairs and she didn¡¯t have the time to linger.
As Dys crushed multiple crawlers in quick session, she saw that while some of the people had been unable to defend themselves against the attack and were severely wounded or worse, others had managed to fend off the Demons with greater sess.
¡°Bastard spawn of Samleos!¡± A familiar voice cried out in mixed anger and pain. ¡°I will not die to one such as you!¡±
Tossing another crawler corpse aside, Dys turned to see that Margrave Kernagin was wrestling with his own Demon. The old man had blood on his previously immacte clothes and one side of his droopy mustache had been ripped off, but he was fighting the crawler with surprising vigor. He had what looked like a club or mace in one hand, but as Dys closed the distance, she saw that the weapon was madepletely out of a brownish gray stone. She noticed that his left hand and arm were also coated in the same stone material, like a stone gauntlet. Before she reached the Margrave, he knocked the Demon onto the ground and with a quick gesture of his left hand, a rock the size of a softball materialized and sted into the crawler¡¯s body, crushing the spot it struck.
¡°Abyss take you!¡± Kernagin cursed as his spell finished off the abomination.
Spinning around as Dys dashed up next to him, he raised his mace to strike at her before realizing that she wasn¡¯t attacking him.
¡°Ah, Lady Ahlstrom,¡± he panted heavily. ¡°I¡¯m d to see you still fare well.¡±
¡°You too,¡± Dys rushed out. ¡°Have you seen one of mypanionse through here? Sabina. The half-elf with ck curly hair.¡±
¡°Oh, ah,¡± Kernagin said as he looked around, clearly still reeling from the sudden demon attack. ¡°I believe I may have seen her towards the restrooms,¡± he motioned with his mace down the hall. ¡°At the end of the hall.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Dys said as she moved to race down the hall. ¡°Gather the others and head to the second floor!¡±
¡°I will do so!¡± the old man said with conviction before he turned to strike at another crawler that was scurrying across the wall towards him. ¡°Gentlemen! Ladies! If you have a drop of righteous honor in your blood, rally to me!¡±
Jadis didn¡¯t pay any further heed to the margrave as she sprinted down the corridor, passing a few lifeless bodies thaty mutted and limbless on the floor. Reaching the end of the hall, Dys checked the doors she found there. The first door was locked, but that wasn¡¯t much of a barrier to someone of her strength. With a solid push, the wood cracked and split apart as she threw the door open.
Inside two young women that Jadis didn¡¯t recognize screamed as they cowered in a corner of the room. Neither were Sabina.
¡°Get out and head to the second floor!¡± Dys shouted at them before quickly moving on.
The next few rooms were empty and Jadis felt a rising panic fill her as she failed to locate Sabina. She pushed that panic down, not willing to let it consume her. She needed to keep calm. Panicking wouldn¡¯t help Sabina or anyone else, much less herself.
Kicking open another door, Jadis found two strangling crawlers on top of the corpse of another woman. One had her leg in the open ring of its maw and was in the process of chewing the limb off like a grotesque cigar cutter. The other had one of her freshly severed arms and was busily attaching it to an open spot on its body. Small, thread-like tentacles reached out and connected to the limp arm and she could see where they entered the gapping wound, the flesh turned gray and corrupted.
It only took a few seconds to destroy the two Demons. Dys turned away from the face of the shocked woman, not wanting to linger. She¡¯d met her hours ago but had already forgotten her name in the whirlwind of introductions and activity. All Jadis could do was hope that the poor woman hadn¡¯t suffered, and that she wouldn¡¯t find Sabina in a simr state in the next room.
Out on the main part of the third floor, Jay and Kerr were thrashing the crawlers that were attacking the partygoers that still remained. Kerr had picked up a sword from a dead guard and while she was an archer, not a swordswoman, she was still an experienced mercenary and had a huge boost to her Strength from her Lover¡¯s Bond. Jay had not found any convenient weapons to wield, but she was used to improvising. Arge, heavy table worked well enough as a bludgeoning instrument and had the added bonus of making a halfway decent shield. Between the two of them, Jadis felt like they had already killed twenty or more of the crawlers, and yet more remained.
¡°Where are they all fuckinging from?¡± Jay shouted as she swatted a crawler off of a wall. ¡°There¡¯s no end!¡±
¡°From below,¡± Kerr pointed with the sword before using it to split another Demon in half. ¡°They¡¯re climbing up from the first floor!¡±
From Syd¡¯s perspective on the second floor, Jadis could see that Kerr was right. Dozens of the nasty crawlers were making their way up from below. They appeared from out of the poisoned cloud, a tide of decaying flesh showed no signs of slowing. Were theying from outside? Possibly, but Jadis didn¡¯t think so. Trummelton¡¯s was in the middle of the city, literally thousands of feet from the closest outer wall. There was no way such arge number of Demons had stormed through the streets of the city and gotten to the fancy restaurant without the rms going off earlier.
No, in Jadis¡¯ opinion, the most likely source for the Demons was the Undercity. Somehow, the Demons had gotten into the underground and wereing up from below. Jadis had no doubt that the restaurant had some connection, be it a drain or basement ess. The floor might have even been broken through. Whatever the case, Jadis wanted to get into position to cut the Demon¡¯s entry point off. Running around and ying the horde was spreading her and the other defenders too thin. They needed to cut the attackers off at their source.
But first, Jadis had to find Sabina.
Reaching thest two doors at the end of the hallway, Dys chose the one on the right and smashed it open with her fist. It banged against the wall, having already been partially open. Inside was a man in a server¡¯s jacket with a single silver knife in hand. He let out a yelp of fear at Dys¡¯ abrupt entrance and brandished the silverware at her with a trembling hand.
¡°Get to the second floor,¡± Dys shouted at him, same as she had done for the others, before turning away.
With a kick, Dys knocked open thest door. Her breath caught in her throat at what she saw. Sabina was lying on the floor in a crumpled heap, face down. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if she was dead or unconscious, but she still had all her limbs attached and Dys didn¡¯t see any obvious blood. The only thing that prevented her from instantly rushing to her lover¡¯s side was everything else in the room.
Three men stood above Sabina. One was an orc, one was a gnome, and thest a human. The orc was wearing a white serving uniform but the other two were wearing what looked like the kinds of clothing cooks or kitchen assistants would be wearing. All three were holding wickedly curved daggers that looked out of ce, their design unlike anything else Jadis had seen in Eldingholt. The men stared at her with a mix of expressions that didn¡¯t match the situation. The gnome smiled up at her, a jovial look on his face, while the human looked tired, like he was struggling not to yawn. The orc, standing in the middle and just over Sabina¡¯s head, had a nk expression that showed no emotion at all. His dead eyes regarded her with no more interest than if he had been staring at a piece of lint.
Raising up the dagger in his right hand, the orc pointed it at Dys.
¡°Drop your weapon,¡± he said in a strangely familiar monotone.
¡°I don¡¯t have a weapon,¡± Dys growled out as she considered how best to take out the three men before they could stab Sabina with their daggers.
¡°Sorry about that,¡± a man¡¯s voice said from behind her as she felt the sting of a de stab into her back thigh. ¡°They only know a few phrases.¡±
Spinning around with supernatural speed, Dys knocked the hand of the server who had been in the room behind her away with enough force that she heard the bones in his arm crack. He stumbled back, clutching at his broken arm as the silver knife fell from his hand. His expression was twisted with the pain of the blow, but his eyes glowed with a mad light.
¡°Kill her,¡± hemanded.
Reacting to the man¡¯s words, Dys turned and dove into the restroom. All three of the men inside lunged at Sabina upon the server¡¯s order. Using her body as a shield, Dys protected Sabina from their attacks. She winced as she felt the sharp knives pierce her flesh, the pain of the des greater than she expected. She could also feel a growing, sharp pain spreading out from the spot on her thigh where the man had stabbed her, but that was a secondary concernpared to Sabina¡¯s safety.
Lashing out, Dys punched at the gnome and the human on her left and right, causing both to smash into the walls of the restroom. At the same time, Jadis activated her Mirror Shine spell. She wasn¡¯t sure if it would work, but any distraction she could use to keep the assants from attacking her defenseless lover was a tool she would use. As she punched the two men away, she felt therger orc m his dagger down into her back near the base of her neck, the cold de scrapping against the bone of her spine from where it struck. All the breath was knocked from her lungs and she felt like she wouldn¡¯t be able to take another breath, even as he pulled the dagger out of her back to stab again. Her body went half limp as it felt like something vital had been cut and she lost control of her limbs.
The moment the de had cleared her flesh, Jadis used Mirrored Body¡¯s shifting reflection to shift the stab wound from Dys to Syd. Instantly, Syd copsed onto the ground as the damage and pain was transferred, though Jadis noted that the burning sting in her thigh hadn¡¯t left Dys. Checking her status sheet, Jadis saw that her health had dropped by over five hundred points from the attack. Worse, it was still going down, the number steadily ticking lower every second.
¡°Poisoned!¡± Syd called out from where shey on the ground a few yards away from her otherpanions. ¡°Assassin on the third floor!¡±
Syd had been defending the stairs with Alex¡¯s help from any crawlers or dead heads that tried toe up that way. As she struggled to get to her feet, Thea and Bridget rushed over from where they had been defending the second-floor railing from the crawlersing up that way to drag her over to where Eir was.
At the same time, Jay and Kerr sprinted for the hall leading to Dys on the third floor. With how fast Jadis could move, it wouldn¡¯t take long, except for the fact that both Demons and the survivors that Margrave Kernagin was escorting were in the way.
With her wounds immediately transferred to her other body, Dys snapped her hand up and caught the orc¡¯s arm before he could plunge the dagger back into her. With a vicious twist, she broke the arm in two, folding the forearm back onto itself. The curved dagger ttered to the ground as his fingers went limp.
¡°Drop your weapon,¡± the orc repeated as he struck at her with his other fist, his attackspletely ineffectual without the dagger.
¡°Fuck off,¡± Dys snarled before taking hold of the orc with her other hand and using his body like a club to crush the gnome that was getting back onto his feet.
Both orc and gnome were pulped by the power of her bludgeoning attack. As their bodies were crushed, she saw wriggling tentacles try and slip out from between the buttons on their shirts and jackets.
The men had been possessed by Demons. It exined their unnatural expressions andck ofprehension. They wouldn¡¯t have any true understanding of the things they were saying, they were just mimicking what they heard. Or had been taught.
Grabbing hold of thest possessed server still standing by his arm, Dys crushed the limb in her grip before tossing the figure on top of the other possessed bodies, creating a pile of mangled men. They weren¡¯t all the way dead yet, but they were more than disabled as Dys¡¯ rough treatment wrecked their flesh and bones. She didn¡¯t bother finishing them off, though. There was a greater threat to deal with.
Spinning around on her knees, Dys managed to face the other way just in time to stop the assassin from stabbing her with his silverware knife a second time. As his right arm hung limply at his side, he struggled to pull free from her grip so that he could use the poisoned de, but hecked the strength to make her even budge.
¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± Dys demanded, her barely constrained rage tempting her to simple crush the wretched worm like the piece of slime that he was. ¡°What did you do to Sabina?¡±
¡°I am but a servant of the Father,¡± he replied with a pained fervor. ¡°You and she will soon know His embrace, just as the Betrayer will be punished!¡±
It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out who the Father was that the man was rambling about. Samleos. Which meant this idiot was one of the cultists she had heard so much about.
¡°Samleos can eat my shit!¡± Dys shouted in the man¡¯s face before tossing him away from her.
At that same moment, Jay and Kerr had arrived. Jay immediately picked the man up, one hand around the back of his neck and the other holding his unbroken arm. She didn¡¯t want to kill him. Well, no, she absolutely did want to kill him, but she wanted to interrogate him first. After she¡¯d wrung some answers out of him, then she would toss him out of a very, very high window.
¡°What¡¯s wrong with her,¡± Kerr asked as she knelt down next to Sabina and Dys.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Dys said as she carefully lifted the unconscious smith into her arms. ¡°I think she¡¯s been poisoned.¡±
Sabina was definitely still breathing, but her breath was shallow and her chest barely moved.
¡°Let¡¯s get her back downstairs,¡± Kerr said as she got back onto her feet. ¡°And maybe we can persuade this czubek to tell us how to cure her.¡±
¡°You will rot with the rest of them,¡± the man choked out augh. ¡°May you and the Betrayer be forgiven for your sins!¡±
¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Jay said as she mmed his face into the wall, breaking his nose. It took a lot of restraint not to do more damage.
The man onlyughed further before shouting out another word, his one something Jadis didn¡¯t understand. However, as soon as he did, she saw that his whole body began swell as bubbling pustules formed under his skin and grew to incredible size in mere seconds.
¡°Shit!¡± Jay, Dys, and Kerr all cursed as they simultaneously realized what was about to happen.
As Jay and Kerr raced up the hallway back the way they came, Dys tossed the swollen cultist into the bathroom with the bodies of the three men who had been possessed. As she pulled the door closed, she heard his gurglingughter choke off. A secondter, she felt an explosion go off on the other side of the door as noxious greenish yellow gas seeped out from the cracks in the door. The smell was horrendous, worse than anything Jadis had ever experienced before, and the scent burned her nostrils like acid.
Quickly backing away, Dys dashed down the corridor to follow Jay and Kerr.
¡°We need to get back downstairs!¡± Dys shouted as she scooped Kerr up from behind as she and Jay sprinted.
¡°Obviously!¡± Kerr snapped as she iled for a moment in Dys¡¯ grip. ¡°Sabina needs Eir!¡±
¡°Not just that!¡± Dys said as they rounded the corner and came out onto the open space of the third floor. ¡°That freaky fuck said that the Betrayer would be punished! There¡¯s only one person I can think of that Samleos would call a Betrayer!¡±
¡°Alex!¡± Syd shouted as she struggled up to her feet.
Eir still had her hands on Syd¡¯s side, her healing power not yet done fixing all the damage that had been done to her body when Dys had transferred it to her. The constant damage being done by the poison in Dys¡¯ flesh seemed to be actively slowing down the healing process.
Alex was at the top of the stairs, looking better because of the healing Eir had given her. She was in the middle of striking down a Dead Head that had tried to climb the stairs, but Jadis could tell she had her lover¡¯s attention by the way her tentacles moved.
¡°Get away from the edge!¡± Syd called out her warning. ¡°Get back over here!¡±
As Alex moved to obey, a malformed shadow rose up out of the putrid smoke cloud. With the speed of a true ambush predator, the centipede Demon snapped its jaws around one of Alex¡¯s monstrous arms and several of her tentacles. In one smooth motion, it pulled back, yanking her over the edge. For a brief moment, Alex resisted the centipede¡¯s strength as her tentacles wrapped around the stone railing of the stairs.
Then the stone broke and Alex was pulled down onto the first floor.
Chapter 384: The Chaos of Battle
Chapter 384: The Chaos of Battle
Jadis¡¯ hearts leapt up into her throats as she watched Alex get dragged down to the floor below. The danger she was in could not be understated. Not only had Alex been caught in the jaws of a Demon that was physically strong enough to contest Jadis¡¯ raw Strength, but there were also an unknown number of Demons fighting the gods knew how many guards andbat-capable nobles in the swirling toxic gas. With how badly the smoke cloud was blocking vision, any of those defenders could attack Alex, mistaking her for a hostile Demon in all of the blind frenzy of the battle.
The instinct to leap over the edge after Alex was immediate, but Jadis resisted the impulse. She still had Sabina in Jay¡¯s arms, Syd was at least partially disabled, and a powerful poison was coursing through Dys¡¯ veins that was eating away at her health pool. She still had two thirds of her health left, but that number was going down, not up, even with Eir¡¯s healing. Jadis couldn¡¯t just blindly jump into the fray and hope to survive.
Of course, none of those obstacles were going to stop her from going down into the smoke and rescuing Alex. She just wasn¡¯t going to do it blindly.
¡°Heal Sabina!¡± Jaymanded as she slid across the ground on her knees,ing to a stop next to Eir. ¡°I can take the damage while you heal her!¡±
Eir didn¡¯t waste any time arguing. She immediately switched her attention from Syd to Sabina, her hands glowing with healing light. Syd was already up and moving by that point as Jadis switched the damage again, putting all of her physical wounds onto Dys. Since Dys still had the poison in her body, that part of her multi-bodied self was the greatest liability inbat. Dropping Kerr from her arms, Dys fell to one knee as the umted wounds suddenly appeared on her.
¡°I¡¯m going downstairs to get Alex!¡± Syd called out as she headed out of the gathered circle of herpanions. ¡°Thea, Bridget, protect Eir and Sabina! Kerr and A, support me from above!¡±
The crowd of survivors who Jadis and herpanions had saved on the second floor, as well as all of the survivors from the third floor, had formed a sizable crowd by that point. All of the nonbat capable nobles and civilians had concentrated in the center of the group around Eir, while the guards and nobles who could fight ringed them, creating a defensive wall that fought off any crawlers that came at them from over the railing or the stairs. Jadis noted that Eir¡¯s father, Einer, had takenmand of the guards and nobles around him, calling out simple and direct orders with a calm and clear voice that was at odds with the chaotic situation. With Margrave Kernagin and his group joining up with Einer, she saw that the two men acted with a familiarpatibility as they actively worked together to face the crisis.
The fact that Vikwas, who did not have abat ss, was still standing side by side with Einer and the guards, was not lost on Jadis.
As Jay moved to join up with Syd at the top of the stairs, a sudden shout behind her made her pause and look over her shoulder.
¡°Where are you going!?¡± Senta cried out as she held onto A¡¯s arm. ¡°Stay here, where it¡¯s safe! Let the people who can fight be in front!¡±
¡°I can fight!¡± A shot back, her voice raised but calm. ¡°And I am needed in the front!¡±
With that, A pulled out of her mother¡¯s grasp and ran forward, pushing past the nobles and guards who ringed the gathered crowd.
¡°Stay at the top, here,¡± Jay told Kerr and A as she pointed at the top of the stairs. ¡°If I call, rain death on the fuckers.¡±
¡°Go get our squid,¡± Kerr told Jay with a fierce snarl. ¡°I¡¯ll keep A safe.¡±
¡°I have half my magic reserves left,¡± A quickly informed her. ¡°No canteen, so I can¡¯t replenish. I¡¯ll hold back until you call.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Jay and Syd told her two lovers in unison before charging down the stairs.
The toxic miasma that flooded the first floor burned Jadis¡¯ eyes and stung her lungs as she breathed. Her vision wasn¡¯tpletely obscured, but anything further than ten feet away was no more than indistinct shadows. The constant tearing of her eyes didn¡¯t help with visibility, nor did the constant urge to cough and sneeze. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Jay and Syd could see that the floor around the stairs was littered with bodies, most of them Demons, though more than a few were innocents caught in the attack. Blood, bodies, and all manner of stone and wood debris littered the ground, making every step an unstable gamble.
Inwardly cursing at the situation, Jadis kicked her high heels she had been wearing off, preferring to rely on bare feet than the impractical shoes. As she did so, she called out through both of her selves, hoping for an answer.
¡°Alex! Where are you!¡±
Her conjoined shout was answered by a st of ice magic that struck Syd in the side. A spike of icicle the length of a spear hit her just under the ribs, the icynce shattering on impact. The spell hurt, but Jadis was certain that anyone else would have been skewered through and through rather than just gaining a nasty welt.
Turning in the direction of the attack, Syd saw a shadow figure in the distance. She could just barely make out the telltale sign of arcane magic glowing around the silhouette. Not wanting to wait and see what else was going to be thrown at her, Syd and Jay both charged at the figure.
It was a dead head, this one with the body of an elf with blue tentacles. Reaching it, Jay and Syd both began punching in a simultaneous barrage of blows that struck so fast they were practically a blur.
A powerful ice shield appeared around the dead head, acting as a solid barrier that shot out a spray of icy flechettes with each punch. The shield showcased the immense magical power of the dead head as it managed to withstand Jadis¡¯ double-bodied barrage. For all of two seconds.
The moment the shield was down, the dead head was struck by two simultaneous haymakers that struck with enough force to stter its body like pudding. With the threat eliminated, she moved on, trying to find Alex.
Since her sense of vision was hindered, Jadis focused on her sense of hearing. There were clusters of loud, violent actions happening around her, with at least four points of majorbat that she could identify. Normally, she would split her bodies up and investigate as many as possible at the same time. But with how disadvantageous the conditions were, Jadis kept her two bodies close. She could handle the dead heads individually, but without her Mirrored Strikes, they would take too long to y and would slow her down more than she could afford.
Rushing towards the clot of shadows she heard crashing together in the space under the second-floor overhang, Jadis hoped she would find Alex there since it was close to where she had been pulled down. Instead of Alex, however, Jadis was greeted by a chaotic line of guards led by Roy, the goblin pdin. There were maybe fifteen of them, and they had formed a wall between the open space of the first floor and the entrance to the hallways that led to the back of the building. Having been to Trummelton¡¯s previously, she knew that the open archway was where the first-floor restrooms were located. Looking beyond Roy and the soldiers, Jadis could barely make out a crowd of mostly women who were packed in behind them, protected from the attacking Demons. Among them Jadis spotted Lady Vanessa Brunholt, Egilhard¡¯s wife. She was standing off to one side, eyes closed as she held her hands together in what looked like a prayer but had to be something more as a sparkling shine of arcane energy flowed from around her and reinforced the guards nearest to her with magic light.
Crawlers were throwing themselves at the line of men, but these guards were armed and armored and were making quick work of the Demons. The real danger from what Jadis could see were the dead heads. None of those creatures were nearby. They didn¡¯t need to be, since not only were they ranged spellcasters, theck of vision wasn¡¯t much of an issue for them. Demons didn¡¯t care about friendly fire. As long as they had an idea of where their targets were, they would just attack.
A ming orb rocketed through the miasma,ing from an angle out of Jadis¡¯ view. Before it hit the line of soldiers, Roy leapt into the air and intercepted it with the sh of his sword. The ball of mes dissipated into mist, the magicpletely negated by whatever skill or spell the goblin man possessed. As hended back on the ground, he struck a strangling crawler that was creeping along the ground, cutting it in half with one blow.
¡°Jay!¡± Roy called out when he spotted Jay and Syd approach. ¡°Be on guard! Crawlers, Dead Heads, Belgramathr, Wights, and at least two Greater Demons!¡±
The warning, while appreciated, wasn¡¯t wholly clear. Having killed them, Jadis knew what crawlers and dead heads were thanks to the death notifications, but wights and¡ belgramathr? She didn¡¯t have a clue what they were.
There wasn¡¯t any time to stop and ask questions, though. From what she could see, Roy and the guards with him had things under as much control as could be expected. Shouting out a quick word of care to the Goblin, both of her selves rushed off to the next cluster of activity.
As Jay and Syd moved across the floor, she tried not to pay attention to the things she was stepping on. The wet of blood, both red and ck, was everywhere, as were pieces of both bodies and stone. Nothing was sharp enough to cut her skin just by treading on it, but the disgust and revulsion of who she could be putting her bare feet on, or into, was nothing she wanted to focus on. Which was why she almost didn¡¯t notice when something wrapped itself around Jay¡¯s left foot.
The thing she had stepped on was lumpy and slick, almost like a wet leather bag. As soon as her foot was on it, the thing snapped up, wrapping around her leg all the way to her knee. It wasn¡¯t actually that much of a hinderance since the weight of it was nothing to her, and it didn¡¯t get far enough up her leg to impact her movement, but she could feel the sting of something trying to burn its way through her skin where the thing had enveloped her.
Swinging around in a horizontal kick, Jay brought her leg up to Syd so that she could rip the thing off of her.
It was skin. A moldy, decaying, nket of thick skin. Syd could see the pieces that hade from a human body clearly, as the torn face and scalp of an old man was visible on one side. The rest of the mass looked like pieces of smaller animals, like dogs and cats, that had all be smushed together into a single rotten sheet. There were signs of fungal growth all over the surface, with threads of slime mold running across it and pockets of oozing stinkhorn mushrooms. A constant stream of yellowish fumes leaked from holes in the surface, adding to the thick cloud of stinging gas filling the air. On one side of the skin-thing, an apple-sized red eye blinked.
Syd grabbed hold of the edges of the disgusting Demon and tore it off of Jay¡¯s leg. It put up some resistance, but ultimately couldn¡¯tpete with her strength. As the nasty thing was ripped away, more noxious gas that had been filling the space it had created around her leg puffed out, releasing a nauseating smell that made Syd gag involuntarily. Whipping the Demon away from her and Jay, she heard it stter against a wall some yards in the distance. To her surprise, there was no notification of having in the Demon.
Well, she wasn¡¯t going to go chase after it to finish the filthy piece of shit off. She had more important things to worry about. But she wouldy down money that that had been a belgramathr. Mostly because she didn¡¯t have a fucking clue what else she would call a monster that looked like that.
Recovering from the momentary distraction, Jay and Syd made it to a tangle of shadowy knots she had seen through the obscuring miasma. She judged that she was on the far side of the room, close to where the musicians had been set up to y in their alcove. What she found was not Alex, but another ally she had been worried about, to a lesser degree.
Severina stood against a semi-circle of Demons. To her back was the alcove, inside of which was a crowd of people, many of whom looked like they were injured. Severina herself didn¡¯t look great, as blood poured from a ragged wound on her left shoulder and another on her left hip, staining her dress and the floor below her. Despite the wounds she had suffered, she stood strong and tall, her sword glinting with a golden light in one hand. Her wings were spread wide, with more light shining from them that seemed to cleanse the air around her, purging the noxious gas in a ten-foot radius.
The Demons attacking her were a mix of dead heads and something¡ else. At first, Jadis thought the assants were more of the tentacle-headed spellcasters since they were humanoid in shape, but as she neared, she saw that they were very different. These Demons were roughly human-looking, but instead of a stolen corpse, it looked like they had made their own bodies out of transparent slime.
The transparent Demons were around six feet tall, maybe a little less, andcked any kind of surface features. Their flesh was almostpletely see-through, with only the barest hint that they were there, like looking at a jellyfish in seawater. While their shape was humanoid, Jadis could see that their arms were elongated and instead of hands, they hadrge, scythe-shaped ws, two on the end of each arm. Looking closer, Jadis could just barely make out transparent intestines or, more likely, tentacles wriggling around inside of the center mass of the creatures.
As Jay and Syd charged up behind the semi-circle of Demons, she saw a grapefruit-sized orb inside one of the ghostly creatures swivel around to re at her with a mostly transparent, glowing purple eye.
Jay and Syd let out a joint battle cry as they charged into the Demons. Swinging at the closest ghostly Demon with a powerful backhand, Syd was shocked to find that she hadn¡¯t connected with anything. Not because the Demon was incorporeal like the ghostly form it mimicked, but because it had actually moved fast enough to dodge out of her way.
With a flurry of savage swings, the transparent Demon counterattacked Syd, wielding its scythe ws with such speed that they were like a thresher in motion. Syd felt her dress and skin shred along her stomach and hip as it struck her multiple times in less than a second.
The Demon¡¯s assault was abruptly halted as Jay swung a dead head she¡¯d grabbed by a leg into the ghost, mashing them both together in a tangle of tentacles and limbs. With a swift stomp, Syd crushed the two Demons underfoot, triggering Mirror Strikes. It took a second stomp to finish them both, but after that Jadis received the notifications she was expecting. One was for the dead head, but the other confirmed what she had guessed about the transparent Demon.
|
Congrattions!
Scythe Wight Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
|
As Jay and Syd hit them from behind, Severina attacked Demons from her side. Her sword rang with the sound of a bell every time she struck a Demon, and afterwards Jadis could see a holy light burning inside the flesh of the dead heads and wights. The pdin¡¯s smite seemed particrly effective on the wights as it lit up their partly invisible forms, making it easier to see them.
With Severina¡¯s help, Jay and Syd made quick work of the Demons, clearing the immediate area while suffering minimal damage. The wights didn¡¯t seem to have much health as they died quickly, but they were fast and hit hard, cutting through even Jadis¡¯ Fortitude. If it weren¡¯t for her Dys self getting intermittent healing from Eir, Jadis was fairly sure she would have been in much worse condition.
¡°Have you seen Alex?¡± Jay asked Severina as she tossed another dead wight onto the ground between them. ¡°Or a centipede Demon?¡±
¡°Not Alex,¡± Severina replied as she held a hand to her own side. A gentle glow suffused her and Jadis could see the wounds on the Seraphim close up. ¡°But I saw the centipede a few moments ago. It was¡ª¡±
¡°There!¡± Syd shouted as she pointed at the wall over the top of the musician¡¯s alcove.
From out of the fog Jadis saw the centipede Demon crawl with lightning speed. It was moving in erratic patterns, twisting and turning as it scurried across the wall. It was bigger than Jadis had first thought, stretching at least twenty-five feet, though it was hard to judge with the way it kept curling in on itself in twisting motions. The head of the abomination was wrapped up in a cocoon of ck tentacles, and Jadis could see part of Alex¡¯s human shape crouched on top of the Demon, her right-side monster arm still caught in its jaws. In the split second the two passed over the top of the alcove, Jadis saw Alex strike the Demon with her other huge, wed arm, causing a neon-blue light to burn the flesh.
¡°Alex, I¡¯ming!¡± Jay and Syd shouted after the two struggling Demons slipped away into the shadows of the miasma.
Chapter 385: Unexpected Rescue
Chapter 385: Unexpected Rescue
¡°A! On your right!¡± Dys shouted from where she knelt next to Eir.
Whipping around on Dys¡¯mand, A fired a st of her arcane magic in the direction of the centipede Demon as it crested the fog on the far wall. The spell went wide, aiming too far behind the rapidly moving Demon to be a hit. However, as Dys watched, the translucent ball of arcane might curve in its flight path, homing in on the nightmare centipede. It struck near the tail end of the beast, sting a chunk out of its body and sttering ck ichor and broken limbs across the marble.
The Seeking Modification was a powerful tool, but the cost was double that of a normal Arcane Bolt, so A was even more limited in her ability to cast. Still, the expensive spell had been worth it.
Jay and Syd dashed after Alex and the centipede. Using Knight¡¯s Daring Charge, she drastically increased the velocity of her already incredible movement speed. As the two of her leapt into the air,unching her selves at the Greater Demon, Syd was caught in the side by an unseen attacker.
The wight rocketed out of the toxic smoke cloud, its approach unnoticed as it blended in with its surroundings thanks to its transparent nature. The Demontched onto Syd, shing its foot-long scythe des into her shoulder and neck.
¡°Fuck!¡± Syd cursed as she twisted in mid air to pull the wight off.
The distraction of having her throat slit was more than enough to cause Syd to miss her mark. She mmed hard into the wall of the building, cracking the stone under her bulk before crashing to the ground. With a few quick punches, she managed to kill the wight, but not before it had turned her exposed neck and right shoulder into a bloody mess of sliced flesh.
Acting to save her own life, Jadis transferred the wounds from Syd to Dys so that Syd could immediately get back up on her feet. In consequence, Dys staggered as gaping wounds suddenly appeared on the right side of her body. The men and women around her recoiled at the sight, some letting out shouts of rm as her blood spilled onto the floor.
¡°I have you,¡± Eir said as she ced her hands on Dys and poured her healing magic into her. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±
¡°What about Sabina,¡± Dys asked as she put her hands over her neck where the blood was the worst. ¡°You need to keep her health up from the poison.¡±
¡°She¡¯s stable for the moment,¡± Eir spoke with a calm voice. ¡°I can¡¯t purge the poison in her, but its effects have slowed with her low health. I think the damage it does is based on current health percentage. I¡¯m sensing the same for whatever has poisoned you.¡±
Checking her status sheet, Jadis saw that her health had dropped significantly. She had a little less than half her health left thanks to the constant poison damage and being struck critically by the wight. While the poison continued to tick her health points down at a fast pace, Jadis could tell even with a brief nce that her health wasn¡¯t falling as quickly as it had been earlier.
Her health wasn¡¯t the only thing falling, though.
Jaynded on the back of the centipede with the force of a freight train. She struck somewhere around the back third of the Demon, somewhere near the part where A¡¯s force bolt had hit it. Wrapping her arms around the crushed, bulbous body, she dragged the centipede off the wall as she fell. All three of themnded in a iling heap on the ground.
As Jay wrestled with the gasping limbs that wed at every part of her, Syd dashed up to assist. Rearing back one fist to strike the Greater Demon, it did something she didn¡¯t expect.
Twisting around, it lurched towards Syd and put its front half in her way. In consequence, Alex was put in the path of Syd¡¯s attack. Pulling her punch, Syd barely managed to avoid smashing her fist into Alex¡¯s body, though the maneuver unbnced and she fell partially into the tangle of Demons.
¡°Jadis¡¡± Alex said in her usual t yet dissonant tone, ¡°You are injured¡¡±
¡°So are you!¡± Syd shot back as she grabbed one of the centipede¡¯s legs and violently tore it off its body. ¡°Let¡¯s get you back to Eir!¡±
Jay grimaced as she got one arm around the Demon while the other dug deep into the open wound that A had created with her magic st. Tearing away at the horror¡¯s flesh, she felt something vital break as the back quarter of the centipede broke off and flopped onto the marble floor.
The Demon shook violently as it tried to disentangle itself from Alex, Jay, and Syd, but Jadis wasn¡¯t about to let it get away now that she had it at a disadvantage. Her two selves and Alex all hit it together, destroying even more of its rancid body in a concerted effort to kill the resilient abomination. A sudden burst of movement on Jay¡¯s side of the Demon caused her to recoil as the torn flesh there split apart even further, catching her off guard. In less than a second, the back end of the Greater Demon transformed into a front end as the ragged split morphed into a set of toothy jaws that snapped at Jay¡¯s face. She managed to pull back just in time to avoid losing her head, but the teeth tore at her cheeks, leaving behind bloody runnels in face.
As Jadis struggled to deal with the new change in the Demon¡¯s anatomy, Severina¡¯s voice alerted her to iing danger.
¡°Jadis! Get down!¡±
Reacting to the warning, Jay and Syd threw themselves low, making sure to drag Alex down with them. Doing so, she just barely avoided a huge, spiked tentacle whipped overhead. The tip of the translucent limb tore through the wall, spraying chunks of stone as it passed by. The tentacle was at least as wide around as Jadis¡¯ waist and was serrated with wicked spikes on two sides. ncing in the direction it hade from, Syd saw the outline of several barely visible figures in the cloud, one of which had to have been the source of the tentacle as it stood taller than even her. Severina¡¯s glowing wings were also visible through the fumes, as was a dark red, familiar glow.
Watching the red point dart through the air in a whirling pattern, Jadis realized that it was Vraekae¡¯s orb of doom. Whatever the Demon was, it seemed Vraekae was fighting the source of the giant tentacle. Considering the way the ball of red light was moving, Jadis figured that Vraekae and her foe were moving all over the middle of the first floor¡¯s open area in a deadly version of the dance Jadis had shared with the magistrate an hour or so ago.
The chaotic frenzy of the battle was dizzying, even for Jadis with her partitioned mind. There were too many individual fights going on at the same time,ing from different angles and intersecting with each other in potentially deadly ways.
Taking advantage of Jay and Syd¡¯s momentarypse of attention that came from avoiding the giant, scything tentacle, the centipede Demon suddenly shot out of Jay¡¯s grasp. She tried to renew her hold, but the limbs she clutched sloughed off like dead skin. On Alex¡¯s end, a whole five-foot section of the Demon simply broke off, sttering gore across the ground as the now shortened, fifteen-foot-long centipede scurried away into the shadows of the noxious cloud.
¡°Come on,¡± Syd coughed as she started pulling the remains of the Demon off of Alex. ¡°We need to get out of here before we get hit by another Demon.¡±
¡°Or friendly fire,¡± Jay added as she joined the effort.
Alex¡¯s right arm was still caught in the jaws of what was left of the centipede Demon. Pulling the jaws apart was like trying to rip open a steel bear trap, but between the two of her selves, Jadis managed. Once freed, Jadis could see that Alex¡¯s arm had been broken and mangled, but it was still mostly there, so it could be healed.
ncing inside the jaws of the Demon remains, Jadis noted that the disgusting child-like face wasn¡¯t present anymore. She didn¡¯t want to think too hard about how exactly the biology of that particr monstrosity worked to make that happen.
Jadis¡¯ priority was to get Alex back to the second floor where the rest of herpanions were. Alex had her regeneration skill, so as long as she was in a safe spot, she would heal, so she didn¡¯t need Eir to treat her. But she did need to get to a safe spot to recover. Jadis had no doubt that Alex was running on empty from the centipede¡¯s attack. Thanks to Dys being on the second floor, Jadis knew the direction she needed to go to get back to everyone, despite the obscuring cloud of noxious smoke. She always knew what orientation her bodies were in rtion to each other. The problem was, she couldn¡¯t see whaty between them, which was shown to be an increasingly dangerous proposition.
ncing behind her, Jay saw the glow of Severina¡¯s wings sh through the fog further down the wall. Jadis guessed that she was probably staying near the alcove where so many had taken refuge. Jadis was tempted to run back in that direction and help the Seraphim but decided against it. It would be better to coordinate with the now sizeable group of fighting guards and nobles that had gathered on the second floor. With them and herpanions working together with her undamaged selves, she could sweep down the stairs and attack the Demons in force. Besides which, she still needed to get Alex somewhere secure to recover.
With Alex in tow, Jay and Syd moved along the outer wall of the first floor, circling around the wide-open space where Vraekae was battling therge thing in the center. Several other Demons were dodging in and out of the fray, and there were several moments where Jadis took advantage of the confusion to grab a dead head or a wight and kill the thing before it could disappear back into the smoke.
As they passed by a few turned over tables, Jay¡¯s foot stepped on something that moved and cried out in pain when she put her weight on it. Fist raised, she almost attacked the movement out of battle instinct. She held back, though, when she saw a delicate, shoeless foot pull underneath a tablecloth that was hanging off of the edge of a toppled table. Quickly pulling the cloth up, she eximed at the sight underneath.
¡°Elodie?¡±
Lady Elodie Brunholty prone under the tablecloth, her hands covering her head. She¡¯d lost one shoe, and Jay could see blood staining that side of her dress. She nced up at Jay from under her tangled hair, and Jay could see that she¡¯d suffered a jagged cut across her brow that was bleeding badly over her right eye.
¡°Jadis?¡± the injured woman coughed out in a tiny voice. ¡°Please, save me!¡±
There was no decision to be made. As much as Jadis didn¡¯t like the woman on a personal level, there wasn¡¯t a chance in Samleos¡¯ rancid ass crack that she would abandon someone to die among a horde of Demons.
¡°Come here,¡± Jay said as she pulled the woman to her feet. ¡°Can you walk?¡±
¡°No,¡± Elodie coughed out as she faltered, clearly unable to put any weight on the leg that was bleeding. ¡°I think my knee is broken.¡±
Briefly taking Elodie in her arms, Jay passed the enfeebled noble to Alex, who without hesitation wrapped her human-like arms and a few tentacles around the woman.
Elodie let out a fearful cry of dismay when she realized who was carrying her, but Alex shushed her with a stern look.
¡°Be quiet¡¡± Alexmanded as she followed behind Jay and Syd. ¡°Or I will¡ Drop you¡¡±
Elodie didn¡¯t protest further.
Continuing onward, Jay and Syd ran interference for Alex and Elodie, escorting the two around the perimeter to get to the front of the building. Several more Demons attacked from out of the dense fog, but Jadis¡¯ two selves were generally fast enough to end them before they could threaten either Alex or the helpless woman she carried with her. At one moment, though, a dead head that Jadis did not spot early enough appeared out of the miasma, its glowing blue tentacles forming a spell. Elodie let out a scream of terror as the magic shed and a thin wave of cutting water materialized, slicing through the air towards her.
Alex bobbed low in a move no human could make, dragging Elodie along with her and dodging the spellpletely. Reaching out with one powerful tentacle, Alex¡¯s smite crackled against the blue shield of magic energy that formed around the dead head. The barrier shattered at the touch, blown away by Alex¡¯s magic, and her tentacle struck the Demon¡¯s body hard and knocked it to the ground.
Syd ended the downed dead head with a definitive stomp of one foot.
¡°Thank you, Alex,¡± Syd said as she moved around to check behind and make sure no other Demons were sneaking up on them.
¡°You are wee¡¡± Alex replied, no different in tone from when she¡¯d been asked to pass the salt.
Elodie, for her part, looked between Alex and Syd with eyes as wide as saucers.
In the next minute or so, Jay and Syd reached a point near the front of the building when another strong explosion shook the ground underfoot. The floor trembled, but Jadis kept selves bnced. Whatever had caused the explosion, it hadn¡¯t been inside the building, but somewhere nearby outside. The sound of the city bells ringing was a reminder that Trummelton¡¯s wasn¡¯t the only ce being attacked. Jadis wondered how bad it was outside, but as she passed by one of therge, stained-ss windows on the front of the restaurant, she couldn¡¯t make out anything. The cloud of toxic gas was too thick and it was dark outside, so¡ª
¡°Fucking moron,¡± Jadis cursed herself for not thinking of it sooner.
Grabbing a table off of the ground, Syd smashed the ss open, allowing the gas inside of the building to release as cold, fresh air rushed in. Jay and Syd ducked outside, bringing Alex and Elodie with them.
For the first time in minutes Jadis was able to take a breath of clean air. As she took a deep lungful, she immediately let out a violent series of coughs that shook her whole body, a natural result from having to breathe in the terrible fumes inside for so long. As Jay, Syd, and Elodie all hacked and coughed in the cold night air, Jadis briefly envied Alex who waspletely unphased. Not needing oxygen to live had advantages.
Blinking hard to clear her eyes, Syd scanned the immediate area while Jay kept an eye on the window they¡¯d juste out through.
Snow was still falling, a gentle curtain of white that instilled a sense of peace on a night that was anything but peaceful. Different men and women, some guards, some servants, and others dressed in fancy clothes, were running around the streets and between the buildings in a panic. Several dead Demonsy on the ground, as well as a few dead civilians. From what Syd could tell, it looked like some of the Demons had spilled out of the building in the initial attack, but the guards outside had responded quickly and mostly contained the threat. To her left, Syd could see that most of the guards were concentrated around the entrance to Trummelton¡¯s where the doors stood open. They had formed a shield wall and were blocking anymore Demons from escaping that way.
Bted, Jadis realized that she¡¯d just made the guards¡¯ job a little harder by making a fresh opening for the Demons to exit through. Still, from what she could tell, it was only a matter of time before more Demons charged through the windows as several smaller breakouts had already urred on some of the other windows. As she backed away from the broken window, she saw four guards rush towards her, already responding to the threat.
A sh of light caught Syd¡¯s eye and she turned to see a bright, golden bolt of magic light up the night sky a few blocks away. Now that she was outside, she could hear the sound of battle beyond the restaurant. The cry of soldiers calling out orders, the screams of civilians trying to stay out of the way, and the rumble of powerful spells being cast. In the far distance, Jadis could see a light blue glow surrounding the horizon. It took a moment, but she soon realized that it was the massive arched wall surrounding the capital city. Whatever magic it possessed had red to life, creating a glow of magic energy.
Another bolt of bright golden light shed through the sky overhead, the spell mming into the ground somewhere in the near distance beyond buildings that blocked Syd¡¯s view. In the afterimage of the light, Syd saw arge, winged creature flying overhead. While it was hard to make out the details with her eyes still watering from the stinging fumes, she thought she spotted an armored figure on the winged creature¡¯s back, with a golden sword raised high.
¡°Ladies!¡± The guards who had rushed over called out to Jay and Syd. ¡°Please, back away from the window and take refuge somewhere safe!¡±
¡°Fuck that,¡± Syd shot back as she moved towards the front door of the building. ¡°I¡¯m going back in.¡±
Alex followed behind, still carrying Elodie who was still violently coughing in her arms, as Jay and Syd sprinted over to the doors of the front entryway. The horrible gas was pouring out of the open doors, blinding the guards who were blocking any Demons from exiting, but Jadis knew from both experience and from how her three bodies were oriented to each other that there was a straight shot between the doors and the stairs leading to the second floor.
¡°Make a corridor!¡± Jay loudly ordered the men and women. ¡°I¡¯m pushing through! There are people trapped inside!¡±
¡°Alex, stay here with Elodie,¡± Syd told her Demon lover as they paused further out near the street. ¡°I¡¯m going to clear a way for everyone else to start evacuating out of the building. It¡¯s best you stay safe until your health recovers.¡±
As she spoke, Syd heard the sound of a multitude of boots running across the cobblestones. ncing in the direction of the sound, she saw a contingent of soldiers making their way around the corner of the street, heading towards Trummelton¡¯s. Backup was definitely a wee thought.
¡°Clear the way!¡± Jay shouted again, forcing the guards to stand aside as she prepared to rush into the building again.
¡°Be safe¡¡± Alex told Syd as leaned forward to kiss her on the lips. Elodie let out a squeak of rm as she was momentarily pressed between their two bodies. ¡°I love you¡¡±
¡°Love you, too,¡± Syd said before turning away Alex.
Jadis was already rying what was happening outside to the others through Dys, causing amotion as the gathered learned that help was on the way. Preparing to rush into the fray to help clear out the Demons, Jay and Syd moved through the crowd of guards. Just as her two selves started dashing inside, Jay in the lead and Syd behind, she heard a powerful, coarse voice shout out in a tone that echoed in the cold air.
¡°Get away from my Elodie!¡±
Syd jerked around to look at the source of the shout as she ran behind Jay. What she saw was a man sprinting ahead of the troop of soldiers, heavily armored and wielding a massive square tower shield that had Valtar¡¯s symbol emzoned across the front. A faint glow of magic shimmered across the man¡¯s shield and armor, and she could see a mace in his other hand that had a huge stone head that looked like it weighed as much as an anvil.
What Syd also saw was that the man was charging straight for Alex, who still held Elodie in her arms.
Chapter 386: Bigger Problems
Chapter 386: Bigger Problems
Reversing course as hard as she could, Syd skidded across the smooth stone of the entry walkway to Trummelton¡¯s. Jay turned as well, bouncing off of the door lintel in her haste to reverse her sprint, but her reaction was slightly behind Syd¡¯s and was a half second dyed since she had been in the lead. Clenching her teeth, Syd felt her toes crack the surface of the stone walkway as she propelled herself back towards Alex.
The charging man was in full te armor and had his huge tower shield held in front of him. With his stone-capped mace raised high, it was clear that the knight had every intention of using it on Alex. As time slowed with the sense of clear urgency Jadis felt, she could see the dark opening of the knight¡¯s visor and the glint of light ying off of the man¡¯s eyes as he ran with single-minded purpose towards Alex and Elodie.
Alex wasn¡¯t slow; her Agility was numbered in the sixties, which meant she could dodge most people of a simr level without issue. But this charging beast of a man was barreling towards her like a runaway truck and Jadis could see that Alex wasn¡¯t going to be able to get out of the way in time.
Launching herself with one powerful push of her legs, Syd flew through the air, rocketing past Alex¡¯s left side, on a collision course with the knight.
¡°Wait¡ª!¡± Syd heard Elodie cry out, her voice cut off by the ringing sound of Syd¡¯s fist striking the man¡¯s shield.
It was like punching a solid steel wall. Syd felt the skin on her knuckles split as the bones in her hand cracked under the strain. Her whole forward momentum was stopped as she bounced off of the man¡¯s shield like a ricochetting boulder. She was knocked back the way she¡¯de, tumbling through the air beforending on her feet several yards back as all of the energy of the attack was spent.
By the same token, the charging knight was stopped dead in his tracks. While his shield remained held solidly in front of him, the golden light that had suffused it was snuffed out like a candle. Rebounding from her blow, he skidded backwards, leaving long tracks in the snow-covered ground with his heavy steel boots. The arm holding his mace rotated wildly as he acted to keep his bnce, and while his face was coveredpletely by his thick great helm, Jadis could practically feel the stunned look hidden behind his helmet. Of course, that might have just been projection on Syd¡¯s part at having been knocked back so hard herself.
Whether the punch had left him feeling stunned or not, what he most certainly felt next was the ground as Jay charged in next to him an instant after Syd struck his shield. Getting her arm past his shield thanks to her height and reach advantage, she grabbed him by his armored shoulder as her momentum carried her past him. With a tremendous flex of muscle, she mmed the knight down on his back with enough force that the cobblestones below him exploded from the impact in a wide web of expanding cracks.
Before the knight had even finished rebounding off of the cold ground, both Jay and Syd were over him, pointing fingers down at his helmeted head.
¡°Don¡¯t you fucking attack my lover!¡± both of her selves shouted at the knight.
¡°Your lover!?¡± the man¡¯s stunned voice echoed from under the helmet. ¡°She¡¯s my bride!¡±
Moving with greater speed that Jadis expected, the manunched himself up off the ground, bashing into Syd with his shield as part of the movement. By the same smooth motion, he swung his mace in a sweeping arc that forced Jay to dodge back or be hit by the weapon.
¡°Elodie!¡± he cried out, his ent thickly Germanic. ¡°Elodie, my love!¡±
His shout was apanied by him leaping towards Alex and the noblewoman. Alex, for her part, confused by the man¡¯s words and actions, hurriedly backed away. That had the unfortunate effect of carrying Elodie further away from the knight, since she hadn¡¯t yet put down the injured woman. The panicked man only became more frantic as he watched a Demon drag away his ¡°bride¡± while no one did anything to stop it. Most of the guards were too busy trying to deal with the Demons that were attacking the doorway and a few of the broken windows to focus on what was happening behind them, and those who did look back at themotion were just trying to stay out of the way of battling titans.
As Alex backed up against the front of Trummelton¡¯s with Elodie still clutched in her arms, the knightunched himself at her in a desperate attempt to get her free from the perceived threat.
¡°She¡¯s not hostile you moron!¡± Jay shouted as she charged after the bulky man, but her words fell on deaf ears.
¡°Stop charging!¡± Syd shouted as well as she recovered from her knockback, though she was hindered by several of the surrounding guards scrambling to get out of the way.
¡°Ludger, I¡¯m fine!¡± Elodie screamed at the same time, though she was no more heard than Jay or Syd.
The knight, who Elodie had just confirmed was Ludger from the Hero¡¯s party, was barreling forward on an unstoppable track. The situation needed to be exined, but the middle of a massive battle with Demons attacking everywhere was hardly the best ce for a calm conversation. Seeing no other option, Jadis did the only thing she could think to do. She redirected his charge.
Jay hit the man from the left, wrapping her arms around him in a flying tackle. The Bulwark¡¯s momentum was immense, and even her strength had trouble handling the power. But Jadis was no lightweight. Her bulk mming into Ludger at speeds that would make a cheetah weep in shame forced him off course. As Alex used her tentacles to scurry up the wall and out of the way, Jay and Ludger crashed directly into the stone surface. They broke through the solid stone barrier with a tremendous noise, tumbling together for several yards beforending in a heap on the other side.
¡°She¡¯s not hurting Elodie!¡± Jay shouted in the man¡¯s helmeted face, coughing as she choked on the dust and noxious gas in the air.
¡°That was a demon!¡± He shouted back in less than eloquent terms. ¡°How is she not in danger!?¡±
¡°She¡¯s not!¡± Jay repeated as she pushed herself up off the floor by shoving him down onto the ground. ¡°But we are!¡±
Jay¡¯s pronouncement was coupled with the sudden appearance of a massive translucent tentacle that swiped through the air like a scythe reaping wheat. Jay ducked down, falling to the floor to avoid the attack while Ludger, having rolled up onto his knees, brought his shield up to block the attack.
The tentacle mmed into the tower shield with what had to have been incredible force, but the Bulwark didn¡¯t move an inch. Instead, the sharp des lining the edge of the tentacle screeched as they slid across the metal surface before slipping away into the obscuring fog where Jay could just make out Vraekae¡¯s orb of doom still doing battle.
¡°How did a greater wight demon get in here?¡± Ludger cried out in rm as he finished climbing to his feet.
¡°I have no fucking idea,¡± Jay screamed over the sound of another couple of spell-created explosions. ¡°Just help me kill it!¡±
¡°But Elodie¡ª¡±
¡°I told you she¡¯s freaking fine!¡± Jay lost patience as she picked up a heavy piece of broken stonework from the ground. ¡°Get it through your thick skull that Alex isn¡¯t a fucking threat!¡±
¡°Alex? You mean that was¡ª¡±
The huge tentacle struck at them again, this timeing from above in an overhead blow that cut deep into the marble floor where it sliced between Jay and Ludger.
¡°We will discuss thister!¡± Ludger shouted as he turned towards the looming shadow of the Greater Demon.
¡°Fine! Whatever!¡± Jay hurriedly agreed. There were certainly more pressing matters to deal with at the moment.
With a bellowing war cry, Ludger led the way with his shield raised high. Jay followed directly behind, hefting the rock in one hand while having odd shbacks to the first fight she¡¯d ever had on Oros.
Outside, the soldiers who had been following behind Ludger had caught up and were already working together with guards to clear the entryway of Demons. The consensus among them was that the civilians still inside needed to be evacuated right away, which was a n Jadis could easily agree with. While the capable fighters inside the restaurant had done well so far to keep as many people safe as possible, the longer people were in the building and in close proximity to Greater Demons and dead heads, the higher the chance that something catastrophic would happen and a great deal more lives would be lost.
¡°There¡¯s a Greater Wight Demon inside and to the left!¡± Syd told the man in charge of the troop of soldiers, using the info that she¡¯d gleaned from Ludger. ¡°Straight ahead are the stairs to the second floor where a lot of people are gathered. They¡¯re ready to move out as soon as the way is clear!¡±
¡°Then we will clear it!¡± the gruff older man shouted as hemanded his men. ¡°Form ranks! Two deep! Move in!¡±
As the soldiers pushed into the building with their shields raised and spears out in front, Syd turned to Alex and Elodie. Alex was, for reasons that Jadis was sure made sense to the Demon, hanging off the wall ten feet up and to the left of the hole Jay had just made.
¡°Can you two coordinate a ce for the injured to be taken to? They need to get out of this snow and somewhere warm as soon as they get out of the building.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡ª¡± Elodie started to say.
¡°Yes¡¡± Alex answered without hesitation.
Elodie blinked, startled by the certainty in the Demon¡¯s confident word. She nced up at Alex, then back down to Syd. When she spoke again, her voice had firmed with resolve. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll do that. Alex, take me to that building there,¡± Elodie pointed at a neighboring structure that had a few lights on. ¡°The first floor is a pastry shop. The bakery¡¯s ovens will still be going and will provide warmth. I¡¯ll talk with the owners.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Syd nodded at the noblewoman. ¡°Keep her safe.¡±
¡°I will,¡± Elodie and Alex both replied to Jadis¡¯ surprise.
Turning to the side, Syd grabbed two nearby guards and physically lifted them and set them down next to where Alex and Elodie wereing down off the wall. Then, for good measure, she grabbed two more.
¡°Guard them with your fucking lives,¡± Syd bared her teeth as she motioned towards the two women. ¡°Or you¡¯ll answer to me when this is over.¡±
¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± the guards answered without even a hint of dissent.
With no time left to spare, Syd shot Alex one more look before she ran in through the entrance to the restaurant where the soldiers had been busily clearing a safe path. She needed to check on the progress there, since she had to get her Dys self and all of the injured people out as quickly as possible. She¡¯d feel a lot better about letting Alex leave her side if she could get the rest of her lovers gathered with her. But she was being pulled in too many different directions at once. Her real concern was getting Syd into the fight again with Jay, because the Greater Wight was a monster not easily reckoned with.
¡°Get ready to move!¡± Dys called out to the men and women who had gathered together around her.
With the third floorpletely evacuated to the second floor, the whole crowd of survivors had shifted into position at the top of the stairs. There were still lesser Demons popping up over the railings oring from down the third-floor stairs, so the situation was far from safe, but it looked like far more people were getting out of the building alive than otherwise. There were many, many injured though, far more than Eir could handle all on her own. Her focus was on those with the direst of wounds, as well as keeping Jadis up and in the fight by healing Dys. First aid was being applied where it could, but none of the other people had sses with magic healing.
From what Dys had overheard from Margrave Kernagin and Eir¡¯s father speaking to each other, there were more nobles and people likely trapped on the fourth floor and above. Guards had cut off the only stairs leading up there, ording to Kernagin, which meant the Demons wouldn¡¯t have a hard time breaking through their defenses. But it also meant that none of those people could get out, unless they wanted to jump out a window.
Jadis felt like she needed to have a long conversation with the Eldingholt City nning Department about emergency exits once everything was over.
Syd rushed through the entrance, zing past the guards and troops. From what she could see, the soldiers had formed a line two men deep that stretched from the doorway to the base of the stairs, creating a shield wall that blocked a pathway off for the people on the second floor to move down and out. Demons were already attacking them, but the soldiers were efficient in their defenses, not breaking ranks even when a wight attack struck a man down with his arm cut off. The man behind him immediately took his ce while a runner dragged the wounded man away. It was about as good an opportunity as they were going to get.
¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Dys shouted at the crowd as soon as the way was clear. ¡°Down the stairs and outside!¡±
¡°Move, move, move!¡± Kerrmanded as she ushered person after person forward.
She and A continued to stand at the top of the stairs, guarding against attacks while the nonbatants made their escape. Many of the guards, including Margrave Einer, stayed on top with them, making sure that everyone else got out first.
¡°You need to move now,¡± Dys told Eir as the elf continued to alternate between healing her and several other guards and victims who had been injured in all the fighting. ¡°You and Sorcha and Sabina need to get away from all the fighting.¡±
¡°So do you,¡± Eir said as she stood up, still pouring her magic into Dys.
¡°We all do,¡± Sorcha said as she helped a nearby injured woman to her feet. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about it, let¡¯s just go!¡±
¡°Here, let me help,¡± a quavering voice said at Dys¡¯ elbow. ¡°We need to work together to get out of this mess.¡±
It was the elf who Alex had been mistakenly protecting thanks to illusion magic. The woman still looked like she was about to die of fright, but she put on a brave face as she helped lift Sabina up. Dys took Sabina from the woman, who then turned and helped the next injured person lying on the ground up to their feet. Between her, Sorcha, and Eir, they quickly got everyone who could stand up and moving, while those who couldn¡¯t walk were picked up by those who were able-bodied like A¡¯s father.
¡°Hold your breath,¡± Dys told them as she led them down the stairs, still limping from all the damage being transferred to her from her other selves. ¡°Keep moving!¡±
Chapter 387: Dread
Chapter 387: Dread
Keep moving. That was the word.
Jay dodged to the side as a tentacle as wide around as her waist swiped diagonally through the fumes, nearly bisecting her from shoulder to hip. She was fast enough to get out of the way, but her reactions had to be hyper focused due to limited visibility, as well as the other dangers lurking in the fog. All around her were crawlers, wights, dead heads, and those disgusting skin-mat things. Turning one way meant encountering a scythe-wed wight. Turning another meant getting her ankle grabbed by a crawler. There was no dodging one thing without running into another. It wouldn¡¯t have been such a problem if she had her armor on, but without it she was taking small amounts of damage constantly. The injuries were stacking up, even with her high Fortitude.
¡°Shit!¡± Jay cursed as a wight she hadn¡¯t seen sliced at her calf, cutting the flesh deep.
She immediately transferred the wound to Dys while whipping around and grabbing the Wight. It wasn¡¯t easy, since the slippery fuckers moved fast and erratically, their human-like limbs bending their joints in ways that didn¡¯t make physiological sense. She still managed to get a hold of the Wight, though, and as it struck wildly at her arm, she tossed it into the air towards Ludger.
The Demon was sttered to pieces as the huge, ded tentacle mmed against Ludger¡¯s sturdy shield, catching the wight between them. The Hero¡¯s Bulwark didn¡¯t budge an inch from the blow, but he did let out a grunt of disgust as the smaller wight¡¯s entrails managed to drip onto his helmet. He didn¡¯tin, though. Just like Jadis, he had bigger things to worry about.
The Greater Wight Demon was a twelve-foot tall, vaguely humanoid figure with translucent flesh just like its smaller counterparts. Other than its size, the big differences between it and the other wights were its head and its arms. The head of the monstrosity wasn¡¯t human at all, but instead had an elongated neck and the sphincter-like maw of amprey or a leech. Its left arm was thick and long and had a ten-fingered hand with far too many joints. The right arm was just one massive tentacle that had to be thirty or forty feet in length, with serrated, knife-like spikes running down opposite sides of the limb. Of final note were the eyes. Multiple deep-purple eyes floated around inside of the transparent flesh of the Greater Demon, watching in all directions and making it impossible to sneak up on. Put all together, it was an imposing demonic entity and Jadis wasn¡¯t at all surprised that Vraekae was having so much trouble with it.
¡°Duck!¡± Jay shouted as she ran by the Magistrate, dodging low herself as she avoided a zing spell whizzing by her head that hade from somewhere in the fog.
Vraekae leaned back, showing a surprising amount of core strength as she bent over backwards without shifting her feet. The scything tentacle whipped by, barely brushing past a strand of her red hair as it followed along after Jay. As it cleared her, Vraekae instantly righted herself and shot a hand out, pointing at the tentacle. A burst of red energy erupted from the tip of her finger, swirling in a corkscrew pattern as it tracked the limb. Before the beam of concentrated magic struck the limb, an asymmetrical shield made of pulsing water appeared and blocked the attack, preventing any damage from being done.
The Magistrate¡¯s ordinarily immacte uniform was a torn-up mess, with blood and other fluids sttered across her front and left side. Some of that blood was definitely hers, as there was a foot-long piece of a wight w sticking out of her left upper arm, like it had been broken off in a scuffle. While still obviously in control of her emotions, Vraekae¡¯s face was an angry mask of intense concentration as she focused on the Greater Wight, as well as the person it carried in its ten-fingered hand.
The woman was a gnome and she was wearing the torn robes of a priestly schr. Jadis had seen the same robes worn by the many schrs who she had met when she visited the High Temple of Metethys. Her dead eyes stared lifelessly ahead of her as her hands moved almost mechanically in the patterns of a wizard casting spells. From what Jay could see of her partially exposed torso through the ragged robes, the squirming mass of a Demon had invaded her body and was controlling her through possession. How the schr had gotten to Trummelton¡¯s when it was so far from either the temple or the academy, Jadis didn¡¯t know. But it was clear that the Greater Demon was using the possessed caster as some kind of personal defense system as it carried the gnome around in its hand like a doll.
¡°I need you to neutralize that caster!¡± Vraekae told Jay as she passed by the Magistrate again. ¡°I cannot finish this Demon so long as it is so well defended!¡±
As she spoke, Vraekae¡¯s red orb sliced through the air and struck at the Wight, crashing against another barrier that appeared in the air to block her attack. Her spinning orb rebounded, then rocketed off into the mist as it was directed away.
¡°Working on it!¡± Jay shouted back as she dodged another flying crawler. ¡°But this isn¡¯t fucking easy!¡±
It really wasn¡¯t. Every time Jay tried to get close to the Greater Demon, it would whip its tentacle at her and she was forced to dodge. If she had been armored, she would have risked catching it. But unarmored, and considering how hard the regr wights could hit, Jay wasn¡¯t going to chance getting cut in half. There were limits to what Eir could heal.
¡°Get behind me!¡± Ludger called out his ownmand to Jay as she neared him. ¡°I¡¯m going in!¡±
The man¡¯s shield had proved to be able to handle the Demon¡¯s ded tentacle, so Jay chose to put her trust in Ludger¡¯s skill. Even if he¡¯d made a wildly incorrect assumption on first sight, he was still on the same team as her and was probably even more experienced than her with killing Demons. Just as the frightened server had said earlier, they all needed to work together to win this fight.
Ludger charged forward, his speed elerating to such a degree that Jadis knew a skill had to be involved. She activated her own Knight¡¯s Daring Charge and followed right behind as he sprinted at the Greater Demon.
Naturally, it saw theming and brought its tentacle around to swipe at them. The attack came in low, only inches above the ground, with the clear intent to cut their feet out from under them. Abruptly halting his charge, Ludger mmed the edge of his heavy shield down into the ground and caught the Demon¡¯s tentacle, keeping it from moving forward. Whatever feeling of sess might have gone through Ludger¡¯s head was cut off as the tentacle wrapped around his legs. With a powerful yank, the Greater Wight pulled Ludger off of his feet and hurled him away into the toxic fog where, a secondter, Jadis heard the sound of something heavy impacting the wall.
Whatever that attack might have done to Ludger, he had given Jadis the opportunity she needed.
Sprinting in, Jay aimed at the possessed gnome with the heavy rock she had been carrying with her. Now only a few yards away, she knew she had a sure hit on the target. With all of her might, sheunched the hundred-pound stone at the caster.
A hexagonal barrier of arcane energy formed in the air before the mage as the Greater Wight held the possessed figure out in front of it like a shield. Jay¡¯s projectile was caught by the barrier as it rippled like water. For a scant moment, Jay felt her heart drop into her stomach as she realized what was about to happen but had no way to stop theing counterattack.
The rock hurtled back towards her in a spray of pressurized water that shattered the stone to pieces, turning it into an almost pointnk shotgun st. Ducking her head, Jay managed to avoid getting shot in the face. Mostly. A good deal of the stone debris hit her right arm, shoulder, and side, while some of it struck the side of her head and face. The st was strong enough that her forward momentum waspletely reversed and she was sent back the way she hade, tumbling heels over head.
There was a ringing sound in Jay¡¯s ears as she struggled to recover from the counterspell, and she was only faintly aware of the fact that the liquid running down her face and side wasn¡¯t just water. Coughing as she raised her head to look around, she saw nothing but dead Demons littering the floor and the broken surface of a wall a few feet away.
How far had she been thrown? Jay wasn¡¯t entirely sure. She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d been so near to the edge of the room.
The inconsequential thought was a sign of her being stunned, Jadis recognized as her other selves were physically unhindered by what might have been a concussion. Still, that didn¡¯t stop her Jay self from being out of it; functionally, it was no different from when one of her selves went to sleep while the others stayed awake.
Before Jadis could even begin to make the choice of who to switch the damage to, she felt a gust of air on her back and the ring of a bell just above her. Rolling onto her side, she looked up to see Severina standing over her, her sword raised and a light shining from her as she blocked the follow up attack that came from the Greater Demon.
¡°On your feet!¡± Severina shouted at her. ¡°You will not die here!¡±
In response to the Seraphim¡¯s orders, Jadis transferred part of the damage on Jay to Dys. Dys was carrying Sabina out of the building at that moment and if she put everything onto that part of her, Jadis was certain that Dys would copse and be unable to keep moving. Even with Eir¡¯s healing, Jadis¡¯ physical damage was immense and her health pool had dropped below one third.
Getting to her feet and wiping the blood out of her eyes, Jay charged back into the fray. Severina pped her wings and rose above her, blocking a spell that had been shot in their direction. The pdin didn¡¯t charge in after her, instead staying behind to protect the people who were trapped in the musician¡¯s alcove. But Jadis could feel a bolstering Divine spell suffuse Jay¡¯s body as Severina passed a hand over her.
Jadis said a silent thanks to the literal angel as she ran towards the deadly wight. She definitely owed her a debt after that, and provided they both lived through the night, she would be sure to repay her in whatever way she wanted.
A bestial, almost inhuman roar came from somewhere to Jay¡¯s right as she ran forward. Reaching the Demon, she found that it hade from Ludger, who had recovered from being tossed away like a tissue and was charging back at the same time. He looked like he was in far worse shape than a moment before, as his armor was badly dented and one pauldron had been partially sheered off and was pping with his every step. His helmet had caved in on one side and Jay could see the blooding out from the holes and gaps along the bottom edge. With his mace raised, he roared like a lion and renewed his attack on the Greater Wight, seemingly unbothered by the damage done to him.
Reaching the Demon at the same time, Jay grabbed the tentacles of a in dead head that was missing its lower half and swung it around like a il. As the gigantic wight turned to face Ludger, she hurled the dead head at it, letting the grisly projectile fly at the center mass of the Demon. In the same moment, Jay could see the glowing red orb of Vraekae¡¯s spelling at the Greater Wight from the opposite side. Even if the Demon could see all attacksing, it couldn¡¯t block them all at the same time.
With a dexterity that matched the ability of the lesser wights surrounding it, the Greater Wight twisted its body around like a contortionist. It leapt into the air as it swiped its huge tentacle at Ludger, mming it against his shield and forcing him back with the power of the blow. In the same moment, it twisted its other arm around and used the possessed mage to cast a spell that blocked her orb of doom before it could drill through its body. Simultaneously, it kicked out one leg towards Jay, catching the corpse she¡¯d hurled at it with the edge of its shin, causing the broken body to stter from the force of Jay¡¯s ranged attack.
It was a ncing blow, but it was still a blow. And as Jadis had learned ever since she¡¯d first unlocked Mirrored Strikes, that was all she needed to proc the skill.
Syd charged out of the fog,ing in from an angle that the Greater Demon couldn¡¯t use its remaining leg to defend from, even with its disjointed anatomy. As the massive wight flipped overhead, blocking every other attack, Syd unleashed all of her strength into the most powerful uppercut that she could manage.
Her blow struck the center mass of the Demon. The creature¡¯s form was solid, and while Jadis was certain that if she¡¯d hit a lesser wight with such a perfect, dead-on hit, it would have been liquidized by the force of her Mirrored Strike. Instead, the Greater Demon, which was already airborne, was sent tumbling skywards by the impact. The Demon cleared the gas cloud, then kept going as the blow sent it up. It didn¡¯t quite reach the ceiling high above, but it got high enough that it could havended on the third floor, if it had been closer to that edge of therge, open room.
Jay leapt into the air after the Demon, also clearing the cloud as she followed after it. She didn¡¯t want to lose track of the wight, since the toxic gas obscured her vision. As she made it above the cloud, she saw the tumbling Demon strike out with its massive tentacle, spearing it into the ceiling and using that as an anchor point to stop its uncontrolled movement. In the brief instant that it righted itself, Jay could see the spot where Syd had struck. Its translucent body had deformed around the impact, almost like a crater, and she could see that several of the eyeballs floating around inside of the Demon had burst like grapes as the force had rippled through its flesh.
Angling its arm towards Jay, it pointed the gnome at her. Jay could see the possessed figure already weaving another arcane spell. But what she could also see on the other side of the greater Demon, was the top of the stairs that led down to the first floor. And A.
A ball of ghostly arcane energy floated almost gently up behind the wight. As it reached the dangling Demon, it detonated in a transparent explosion that allowed Jay to see all the damage being done.
It was like watching gtine being scrambled in a blender. The Greater Demon¡¯s giant tentacle arm was shredded to pieces along a ten-foot expanse, cutting itpletely from its body. Its shoulder and head were deformed into a rippling, ttened state as chunks were ripped off by the st. Whatever spell the gnome had been casting was interrupted as the explosion knocked the Greater Demon¡¯s arm around and sent the whole beast back down into the mist faster than it could fall.
As soon as the disabled wight was back in range, Syd grabbed hold of the Demon¡¯s arm and used it as a fulcrum to swing the huge creature around and down onto the ground with even more force than its elerated fall would have managed. The impact shook the floor, sending a spiderweb of cracks out as the marble cracked from the force. A secondter, Jaynded feet first, her double-fisted hands mming into the point where the Demon¡¯s remaining arm met its body. The creature¡¯s boneless limb was crushed into paste, allowing Syd to tear the arm still holding the possessed mage away.
Before Jadis could turn either of her bodies on the still squirming Greater Wight, Vraekae¡¯s red orb of doom struck. It hit the Demon right in its eel-like head, drilling through the transparent flesh and pushing deep into its body. The red spell spun with demonical speed as it prated the wight¡¯s body, ripping and tearing everything inside to pieces in a gruesome and all-too visible disy.
|
Congrattions!
Lurking Dread Defeated.
Bonus Experience Points Awarded
for Defeating a Demon Spawn of Samleos.
|
Jadis let the notification pop up into her vision for just an instant, confirming the death of the powerful Demon. The monstrous wight had put up a bigger fight than Jadis would have thought possible against so many skilledbatants, but that was in part due to the ambush, and also due to the possessed mage it had been using as a tool. Speaking of, Jadis dealt with the possessing Demon before it could do any further damage.
Syd took hold of the gnome and ripped it from the clenched fingers of the severed arm. It was immediately clear that the mage was beyond saving. Ignoring the feeling of revulsion that came from what she was doing, Syd reached into the gaping wound in the side of the gnome and grabbed the squirming mass of the Demon and pulled it out. She could have just crushed the two, but she didn¡¯t want to do any more damage to the corpse of the woman than she had to. Jadis had no doubt that she had family in the city who would want to bury their dead.
With the wriggling mass of the many-tentacled Demon in hand, Syd almost dropped it to the ground and crushed it underfoot. However, Jadis had a sudden thought. Instead of killing it, Syd made sure to catch all of its slippery limbs in one fist and carried it with her. She didn¡¯t know how intelligent this particr Demon was, but she knew for a fact that Demons were far more intelligent than they seemed. And with Alex, she now had a way to effectively interrogate one.
Outside, Dys nearly copsed with each step as she moved with Eir and the many injured civilians towards the safe building where she could see Alex, Elodie, and several guards waiting for them. Jadis had been shunting all the damage she¡¯d been taking during the fight onto Dys and she was a walking mess of wounds. The poison was still wreaking havoc on her health, and she was down to only a little over four hundred health points. Eir was healing her, but her own reserves were starting to run low as she switched between Dys and Sabina, as well as healing others who were in critical condition.
A bolt of holy energy shed in the dark sky above, signaling that the fighting was far from over, but it felt like a turning point had been made. As both nobles and regr people entered the building, Dys could see even more soldiersing from further down the street. It seemed like all of the city¡¯s defenders had been mobilized, which Jadis was sure was no small number. She also knew the Hero and the rest of his party had to be in the city since Ludger was, which inspired confidence that the attack would soon be settled.
Back inside the restaurant, Jay and Syd rejoined the line of soldiers that had been safeguarding the survivors escaping from the second floor. Bridget and Thea were there with them, as were A and Kerr,ing down the stairsst. Seeing her loversing out of the mess safely was all Jadis wanted at that moment, but she knew her job wasn¡¯t done. Roy and Severina were still inside, protecting all of the other people who were trapped by the Demons. With the Greater Wight dead, getting them all out seemed like a far easier prospect, even with the many lesser Demons still running around.
¡°Form up and take your men that way,¡± Vraekaemanded the soldiers as she took charge. ¡°Keep aware of your footing, there are belgramathr everywhere.¡±
The direction Vraekae was taking the soldiers was towards Roy and the people trapped there. Pointing off to the left, Jay shouted down at the elf as she and Syd started moving.
¡°Severina and more survivors are over there! I¡¯ll clear the way and let them know to get ready to move!¡±
¡°Understood,¡± Vraekae said with a nod. ¡°Once everyone is evacuated, I need you by the doors leading to the kitchen. That¡¯s the main entry point for the attack.¡±
Moving quickly, Jay and Syd headed off into the obscuring noxious fog to find Severina. The cloud was starting to disperse thanks to all of the broken windows and the hole in the wall, helping with visibility somewhat, but it was still difficult to navigate the utterly destroyed ballroom. As Jay and Syd neared where she was certain she¡¯dst seen the Seraphim and all of the survivors she had been protecting, all three of Jadis froze in shock as the world around them went wrong.
All around her, the men and women who were with Dys in the bakery had suddenly transformed into various versions of her mother, father, brother, and the rest of her family. They still sounded as they should; Jadis¡¯ hearing had not been altered, nor had her sense of smell. But her vision had once more been obscured by a powerful illusion.
Jay and Syd couldn¡¯t help but recoil as the bodies of the many dead Demons all around her transformed into the mutted corpses of her family. It was a horrific sight that made her stomach lurch. Looking down at her hand, Syd could see her brother hanging there, his arms and legs broken as he silently screamed in pain.
The impact wasn¡¯t as bad as the first time, though. Jadis knew without doubt that the horrible visions were just that, only visions. The fact that she could still hear and smell normally greatly helped keep the illusion from bing overwhelming. Nevertheless, it was still disorienting, and Jadis needed to get rid of whoever or whatever had cast the spell on her again. It was difficult to know who was friend and who was foe with the illusion obscuring her sight, and even if she knew that a figure was an enemy, she couldn¡¯t urately see what their body was doing. That made it near impossible to fight, since all of her attacks were basically blind.
¡°Someone cast an illusion on me,¡± Dys said to a version of her grandmother that she knew had to be Eir. ¡°I don¡¯t know how they got through my Resilience again.¡±
¡°Check around you,¡± Eir said, her voiceing from her grandmother¡¯s image. ¡°Did someone put something on Jay or Syd?¡±
Not that she could see. Jadis had thought of that, too, and was checking both of her bodies as best as she could. It was hard to do a thorough check, though, since she was still in the middle of a battle with Demons attacking her. Since she could only see illusions of her family, she just grabbed everything that came close to her. If it felt or sounded like a Demon, she used her two selves to pummel it. At one point, though, as a figure of her grandfather came near and she grabbed it, she was greeted with an indignant grunt.
¡°What are you doing?¡± Ludger¡¯s voice came from the mismatched illusion.
¡°I can¡¯t see,¡± Jay shot back as she let the man go. ¡°Someone cast an illusion on me.¡±
¡°Go that way,¡± Ludger shoved her to her left. ¡°Lady Severina is over there!¡±
Following the man¡¯s direction, Jay and Syd headed for the musician¡¯s alcove. Ludger followed behind her, then veered off as another illusion charged out at them. To Jadis¡¯ eyes, it only looked like her grandfather was talking with her cousin Lia, but from the sound, she could tell the man was fighting a wight. As the alcove came into view, she could see dozens of her duplicated family members milling about, as well as a version of her mother that was floating a few feet off the ground. That, Jadis realized, had to be Severina. Still struggling to find what had been put on her, Jay and Syd rushed towards the Seraphim, calling out to let her know that evacuation wasing.
Nearing Severina, Jadis noticed another figure, this one a copy of her brother again, only he was older than the younger version Syd was carrying in her hand. The fact that this older version had to be a Demon was evident, since he was hanging off the side of the wall above the alcove like he was a rock climber. There was only so much an illusion could do, Jadis supposed. Pointing, Syd shouted a word of warning to the floating pdin. As she called out, the image of her brother leapt from the wall, arms outstretched and a smile on his face, like he was only trying to hug their mother.
¡°Behind you!¡±
At the same time, Jay charged forward and jumped into the air to intercept the Demon. With her fist outstretched, she swung at the chest of her illusionary brother, trying to knock down the crawler or wight or whatever it was before it could pounce on top of Severina.
Jay¡¯s arm passed through nothing, her attack striking only air. Instead, she felt something heavy strike her chest at the same moment as the image of her brother made contact with the image of her mother that was obscuring Severina. Both she and Severina were caught in what looked like a hug but felt like a many-limbed Demon digging its ws into her flesh.
¡°Jadis!¡± Severina let out a scream of pain as Jay felt hot blood stter across her face and chest.
¡°No¡ª!¡± Syd let out a broken shout as she rushed in after Jay, seeing the dual illusion of her brother and mother hit the ground.
Groping blindly, Jay punched and kicked at the Demon, grabbing hold of any part that she could and pummeling it into pieces in an effort to make the thing let go. She couldn¡¯t see what had happened, but the sense of dread filling her was immense as she heard the terrible, familiar sound of flesh and bone being ripped apart as Severina screamed in agony.
¡°Jadis!¡± Sorcha called out by Dys¡¯ side, her figure obscured by another image of her brother when he was young. ¡°Your wrist! There¡¯s a pendant on your wrist!¡±
Checking her arms, Dys saw that Sorcha was right; one of the flower pendants that she had torn off of her selves earlier was wrapped loosely around her left wrist. She hadn¡¯t even felt it hanging there. Ripping it off, Jadis¡¯ vision was instantly restored, though she almost wished it hadn¡¯t been.
Severinay on the ground on her back. Her right arm, shoulder, and wing were gone, with nothing but a bleeding, gaping mess of gore where they should have been. Above her was the centipede-like Greater Demon. From between its jaws Jadis could see feathers sticking out, as well as the tip of Severina¡¯s sword.
Chapter 388: The Light
Chapter 388: The Light
¡°No, no, no,¡± Jay and Syd both said as Jadis scrambled to save Severina.
¡°Get the fuck off of her!¡± Jay continued her panicked, shouted words as sheunched herself at the head of the centipede.
She was already half on top of the monstrosity, grappling with its many arms and legs, so it shouldn¡¯t have been hard to get to its head. However, instead of striking back at her, the Demon dodged away, discarding several more arms as it scurried off across the floor. She was left holding another human arm, this one much fresher than any of the others and with clear signs that it had belonged to one of the nobles at this very party, going by the torn sleeve still dangling from it. Before she could toss the limb away and grab another piece of the Demon, it had all but disappeared into the fog.
¡°Hold on, hold on!¡± Syd said as she knelt on the floor next to the fallen Seraphim. ¡°Don¡¯t close your eyes! Stay awake!¡±
With one of Syd¡¯s hands upied with the squirming possession Demon, the Greater Demon escaping, and Severina bleeding out on the ground due to her horrible wound, Jadis had a difficult choice to make. She only had two of her selves avable, and three objectives. Four, technically, since the men and women cowering in the musician¡¯s alcove had just lost their only protection with Severina falling.
Syd toss the squirming tentacle monster to Jay, who caught it blindly before standing and moving to the front of the alcove to block any more Demons from getting to the people there. Syd, meanwhile, tore the cloth from her dress¡¯ skirt and wrapped it around Severina¡¯s gaping wound.
¡°Come on, don¡¯t you fucking die on me,¡± Syd told the deathly pale Seraphim. ¡°You¡¯ve got too much left to do to die now!¡±
¡°If Valtar¡ calls for me¡¡± Severina mumbled with barely moving lips, ¡°Then I must¡ answer¡¡±
¡°Fuck that!¡± Syd shouted as she pulled the torn clothing tight around the wound to staunch the bleeding. ¡°You think Valtar wants you dead more than he wants you here, doing his work?¡±
Syd¡¯s angry question seemed to spark a light in Severina¡¯s eyes as her vacant, pained gaze hardened for a moment. She red at Syd with her strange, cross-shaped eyes before cing her trembling left hand over her own wound.
¡°No¡ No he damn well does not.¡±
A golden light suffused Severina as she cast healing magic on herself.
¡°Damn straight,¡± Syd growled as she lifted Severina and carried her over to the alcove.
By the time she gently set the Seraphim down on the alcove a few secondster, the light had faded and Severina had slipped into unconsciousness. Pointing at the closest person, an older man who looked like one of the musicians, Syd told him to watch over the pdin before she turned away to help Jay with the defense. Jadis needed to get Severina out of the building and into Eir¡¯s care, but she couldn¡¯t do that until Vraekae and the soldiers had made it to the alcove to protect and evacuate the survivors.
Of course, there was also the issue of Eir and those around her not being safe, either.
¡°Someone here has to be a cultist or possessed,¡± Dys spoke quietly to Sorcha and Eir. ¡°There¡¯s no other way this fucking ne got onto my wrist. Someone had to slip it onto me without me noticing.¡±
Dys held the ne up, the flower pendant dangling from her clenched fist. Jadis knew she had torn all three of the nes from her selves as soon as she had figured out that it was somehow the cause of the illusions that had gued her at the start of the Demon¡¯s ambush. She hadn¡¯t been careful about what she¡¯d done with them in the moment; she had simply ripped them off and tossed them to the ground. Since that had happened when all three of her had been on the second floor, that meant someone had to have picked it up while they were on the second floor, and then found an opportunity to slip it onto Dys¡¯ wrist without her or anyone noticing during the fight.
¡°What do we do?¡± Sorcha asked with a worried frown. ¡°How are we supposed to root them out? I mean, if it¡¯s someone possessed, a detection stone should find them easy enough. But if it¡¯s a cultist, there¡¯s no way to know.¡±
¡°We should alert the guards,¡± Eir said as she continued to heal Sabina, who was still unconscious. ¡°They need to know.¡±
¡°Yes, we should,¡± Dys agreed. ¡°Sorcha, can you please get whichever guard is in charge over here? If they give you any shit, tell them I¡¯ll drag them over if I have to.¡±
¡°Got it,¡± Sorcha nodded before hurrying off to the front of the building.
Dys, Eir, and Sabina were in the back of the pastry shop, where severalrge ovens were located. They were mostly alone in their small, warm corner, though with all the people crowded into the shop there wasn¡¯t a lot of privacy. The most injured people had been moved into the back where it was warmest and Eir was constantly darting around,ying hands on those who needed immediate healing before rushing back to Dys to heal her or Sabina.
Alex and Elodie had done a great job of getting the ce open and secured in a very short amount of time. Not that Alex did much talking. She mostly just acted as Elodie¡¯s legs as she carried the woman about the store and helped her arrange things so that as many of the injured could be put somewhere safe and secure as possible. Water, nkets, and even the leftover pastries were being passed out, all by the young noblewoman¡¯s direction. Dys even overheard her briefly discuss with the owner of the shop that her family would be paying for the cost of all the goods used that night twice over. For being a catty bitch, Elodie had proved to have a decent head on her shoulders during a crisis.
Almost everyone who had been evacuated from the second floor of Trummelton¡¯s had been escorted to the pastry shop. Some of the guards had stayed in the fight, as had Eir¡¯s father and Margrave Kernagin. A, Kerr, Thea, and Bridget had also stayed, picking up weapons from the fallen soldiers and diving into the fray. Other than them, though, all of the nobles and servants had been gathered into this one building.
¡°You called, ma¡¯am?¡± A middle-aged human man in a guard¡¯s uniform said as he hurried up to Dys with Sorcha.
¡°Yes. Don¡¯t spread it around because I don¡¯t want people panicking, but there¡¯s a strong chance there¡¯s a cultist or maybe someone possessed among the crowd in here,¡± Dys told the guard with her voice low. ¡°Tell your men not to let anyone out of here. Not until they¡¯ve been checked over.¡±
The man¡¯s eyes went wide at her words, but his grim expression showed how seriously he took hermand.
¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± he nodded and gave her an imperial salute. ¡°No one leaves.¡±
¡°What about the guards?¡± Sorcha asked, drawing the head guard¡¯s frown. ¡°Couldn¡¯t one of them be a cultist?¡±
¡°No,¡± Dys shook her head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t near enough to any guards for one of them to slip this shit on me,¡± she raised the dangling pendant. ¡°It had to have been someone close enough to touch me. That¡¯s not a small list with all this chaos, but I know I wasn¡¯t close enough to any guards for one of them to have done it.¡±
How exactly they were going to track down who the culprit was, Jadis wasn¡¯t sure, but not letting any of the suspects slip away in all the chaos seemed to be the best first step. They could sort out how to question peopleter. There were more immediately urgent concerns to deal with.
Back inside the besieged restaurant, Jay and Syd were busily crushing any Demons that got close to the alcove while trying to keep an eye out for the centipede Demon that had slipped away. The Greater Demon wasn¡¯t like others Jadis had fought. Most Demons, including the strong ones like the greater and matriarch varieties, were so set on killing that they would sacrifice their own lives to do so. Not this one. The centipede had abandoned the targets of its attacks multiple times now, if it looked like it was in danger of being in itself. It utilized hit-and-run ambush tactics, and it used them well in the environment that had been created by the attack.
Twice since Jay and Syd had taken up a guard position around the alcove, she had seen the centipede Demon¡¯s shadow move through the fog. It never tried to attack her outright, instead probing for weaknesses as the other, lesser Demons attacked. Nor did it linger in one spot. For long stretches Jadis lost track of the centipede as it disappeared into the toxic cloud. She had no doubt that it was attacking others in those moments, striking at whatever opportunity it could find.
There wasn¡¯t much Jadis could do to stop the Demon. Not without exposing Severina and the other innocents to attack. In the moments of tense quiet that came between killing the crawlers and wights that rushed her from out of the fog, Jadis had the time to realize that she had been well and truly outmaneuvered by the Demon¡¯s attack. Any action she took other than being on the defensive would put others in danger of being killed. All Jadis could do was stand her ground and keep guard over the dying Seraphim and the people she had been putting her life on the line to defend.
¡°Jadis!¡± a familiar voice called out through the obscuring gas cloud a few minutester. ¡°Where are you?¡±
¡°This way!¡± Jay shouted back to Kerr. ¡°Back wall!¡±
After a few tense seconds, Jay saw arge group of soldiers push through the cloud. They were led by Kerr and Bridget, both of whom had taken up discarded spears. Bridget was still holding themp she¡¯d ripped off of the wall and the blue light of her magic was pulsing from it, invigorating all of the soldiers in a radius around her. The soldiers formed two walls as they came, creating a corridor that would protect those who moved between them.
¡°Fucking Charos¡¯ balls,¡± Kerr coughed as she came up to where Jay and Syd stood. ¡°Nobles sure know how to throw a party.¡±
¡°I think I¡¯ve had enough of this one,¡± Syd answered dryly. ¡°In get enough of this shit at work.¡±
¡°Can you hold this?¡± Jay asked as she held the squirming Demon out to Kerr.
¡°Oh, fuck, really?¡± Kerr curled her lip at the Demon. ¡°I don¡¯t think any of the ass stains attacking the city here are going to turn out like Alex, you know.¡±
¡°This one¡¯s for interrogation,¡± Jay said as she passed the possession Demon to Kerr. ¡°Don¡¯t let it die or get away.¡±
With her hands freed, Jay turned and carefully lifted Severina up. The men and women who the Seraphim had been protecting were already moving out of the alcove, rushing past the soldiers to get to safety. Jay went with them, carrying the nearly lifeless body with her. Severina was still breathing, Jadis could tell, but her breath was shallow and her skin was pale from blood loss. She needed real healing as quickly as possible, or she wasn¡¯t going to make it.
¡°Where¡¯s Vraekae?¡± Syd asked as she guarded the rear to make sure everyone made it out and no attacks came at them from behind.
¡°With the Bulwark,¡± Kerr said as she pointed off in one direction. ¡°They managed to block off the kitchen where all the Demons have beening from. I helped push with them over there, Syd. It¡¯s a fucking charnel house.¡±
Jadis could imagine. The air was actually starting to clear a little already thanks to all the broken windows and the hole in the wall, and what she could see of the ground was a nightmare. Bodies were strewn across the marble floors; most were demonic, but far too many were not. There was so much blood and gore that the only reason Jadis wasn¡¯t slipping was because of all the broken stone and debris that gave her bare feet traction.
¡°Roy was protecting a bunch of people by the bathrooms,¡± Syd said as she followed the soldiers back towards the entrance. ¡°Have they been evacuated yet?¡±
¡°I think so,¡± Kerr shouted over the noise. ¡°It¡¯s a mess outside! Hard to tell who is where and doing what.¡±
Indeed, as soon as Jay reached the exit, she saw what Kerr meant. There were soldiers, guards, and well-meaning civilians running around everywhere. It was barely organized chaos. There were some recognizable figures, though, including Eir¡¯s father, Einer, standing in the fore and helping the troops organize and tend to the survivors who were being pulled out of the first floor. A and Thea were with him, but as soon as Jay pushed through the crowd at the door and met their eyes, both women rushed over to where she was.
Without wasting any time to stop and talk with her two lovers, Jay sprinted past them and through the crowd, literally leaping over heads to get to the pastry shop where the survivors of the attack were congregating.
¡°I need to get Severina to Eir before she bleeds out,¡± Syd told A and the others what Jay was doing as she also reached the exit with Kerr. ¡°She was badly wounded by a Greater Demon. But I need to get back in there to help Vraekae clear out the Demons.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure you¡¯re going to be needed,¡± Kerr said, drawing a surprised look from Syd.
¡°What? Kerr, a Greater Demon is still in there and D knows how many Demons. I need to support them or even more people could be killed!¡±
As Syd angrily turned on Kerr, she saw that her Therion lover wasn¡¯t looking at her but up at the sky. Following her gaze, she and the other women looked up as well.
A shining golden light was gliding in from on high, swooping low through the buildings to follow the street that led up to Trummelton¡¯s. The many soldiers and civilians who had started to crowd the area quickly rushed out of the path of the descending figure as it touched down on four wed feet without much slowing its speed until it was practically on top of the restaurant¡¯s entryway. When it did finallye to a stop, Syd could see that the creature was a beautiful, golden-winged griffon the size of a draft horse, if not bigger. The griffon wasn¡¯t the source of light, though.
From the back of the beast leapt a figure wearing shining armor that glittered with rune enchantments. The symbol of Valtar shone brightly on his breastte and a rich, blue cloak fluttered in the wind off of his shoulders. In his left hand was a longsword that radiated the golden light. It was the perfect sword, simple and elegant, yet so impossibly perfect in the straight lines of its edges and the bnce of its weight that it almost didn¡¯t look real. As hended on the ground, the man gave the sword a small, almost unnoticeable flick. Instantly, all of the demonic toxic gas that had been leaking out of the building was purged in a twenty-foot radius around him.
¡°Wilhelm!¡± one of the soldiers in the crowd shouted suddenly. ¡°The Hero!¡±
In moments, half the crowd was chanting the name of the Hero as he strode forward towards the doors to Trummelton¡¯s where Syd and lovers stood nearby.
¡°This is going to be interesting¡¡± Syd heard Kerr grumble under her breath.
Jadis couldn¡¯t help but agree.
Chapter 389: In the Company of Heroes
Chapter 389: In the Company of Heroes
Wilhelm, the Hero of Valtar, strode forward with quick, confident steps. His shining armor and golden sword were every bit as grandiose as Jadis had expected. His knightly visage was like something out of a storybook and even though she had been fighting for her life and the lives of her friends and loved ones right up until that moment, Jadis couldn¡¯t help the thrill of delight that stirred within her inner nerd at the sight of the man. This man, who hade riding in on the wings of a literal griffon, gave off the sense of a hero. A True Hero.
He was also, Jadis noticed as he rapidly drew up next to Syd, not particrly tall. That wasn¡¯t to say that he was short. He definitely wasn¡¯t a short man like Runar¡¯s fist-fighting second inmand. No, Wilhelm was just¡ average in height. No taller or shorter than the rest of the soldiers running around them. It was an odd break with Jadis¡¯ expectations, since Ludger, the Hero¡¯s best friend and Bulwark, was probably half a head taller at least. Jadis figured he would have been at least as tall as hispanion, if not taller, to keep up hisrger-than-life appearance.
As Wilhelm approached, he called out to the captain of the soldiers who wasmanding the shield wall blocking the way in and out of the restaurant. His voice was tinged with the same Germanic ent that Ludger had, though his wasn¡¯t as thick. His tone was soft, but firm, and it rang with the same air of vibrant power that his sword radiated.
¡°What¡¯s the situation inside?¡± he asked. ¡°Are there any civilians still trapped within?¡±
¡°There are most certainly some trapped on the fourth floor and above,¡± the captain replied, sounding harried from the intense situation. ¡°But they are likely secure enough for now. There may be more on the first floor, but the second and third have been cleared. Demons are still inside and there appears to be a breach in the kitchen area where the demons areing from.¡±
The captain paused in his exnation to order a couple more men over to another window to cover it from any demonic breakouts. Not wanting to just passively stand by while others took control, Jadis took advantage of the opportunity.
¡°Magistrate Vraekae and Ludger are in there blocking them off, but there¡¯s a Greater Demon still stalking the first floor,¡± Syd jumped in with her own information. ¡°I was just about to get in there and back them up, if you can help.¡±
The Hero turned to look up at Syd, almost as though he was just noticing her for the first time. His expression was hidden under his helmet and his bodynguage didn¡¯t change at all as he regarded her, so it was impossible for her to judge what was going through his mind. She could guess some of his thoughts, though, considering how she knew she looked.
Syd¡¯s dress had been torn half off around the skirt by her own hand. She was shoeless, her feet covered in dirt and gore, and there was blood and demonic ichor sttered across every visible part of her. Her white hair had been stained with the grime of battle, and the fingers and knuckles of her elbow-length gloves had been torn away due to all the powerful punches she had thrown. She looked like aplete mess, and not a little bit crazed considering herbined tension over the tenuous fates of Sabina and Severina, her concern over her own dwindling health, the possibility of one or more cultist still running around near Eir and the rest of the survivors in the pastry shop, and her eagerness to hunt down and kill the centipede Demon that had so grievously wounded both Alex and Severina.
Whatever the Hero¡¯s thoughts might have been concerning what he saw when he looked at Syd, all he said in response to her statement were three words.
¡°Lead the way.¡±
Syd immediately turned to make her way back into the building. As she did so, she motioned to Kerr and the possession Demon she still held in one hand.
¡°Get that over to Dys for safekeeping,¡± she told the archer. ¡°I don¡¯t want any stupid idents to happen in all this mess.¡±
Kerr frowned and muttered a curse under her breath in anguage Jadis didn¡¯t understand, but she didn¡¯t put up an argument. She did nce at the Hero as she passed, though, and the Hero nced back at her. As well as at the Demon that dangled from her hand.
¡°How¡¯s your magic?¡± Syd asked as Bridget, A, and Thea followed her back into the building, with the Hero right behind them.
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Bridget told her as thentern she carried continued to pulse its warm, energizing light. However, that light was almostpletely overshadowed by the Hero¡¯s presence thanks to the golden glow that came from his sword. ¡°More than enough to keep going.¡±
¡°Down to myst third,¡± A admitted, her tone all business and almostically normal considering the situation. ¡°I was worse off earlier, but a soldier gave me a healing restoration potion that gave me back fifty points.¡±
Thea said nothing, since she had no magic from her two sses. Her eyes kept drifting over to look at the Hero, though. Jadis supposed she couldn¡¯t me her. It was faintly surreal to have the famed, almost mythological, figure actually jogging along with them into the embattled building.
Unexpectedly, the man himself spoke up.
¡°Here,¡± Wilhelm said as he pulled a small sk filled with a dark green liquid from a belt pouch. ¡°Drink this.¡±
A almost flinched when the Hero addressed her directly, but as he held out a hand to her, she took the proffered potion with a mild word of gratitude before quickly downing the sk. From the way her eyes widened a momentter, Jadis could guess that the effects of the potion were powerful.
By that point, they had pushed their way past the soldiers and into Trummelton¡¯s. The somewhat thinned cloud of noxious gas was still obscuring the area, but once more the Hero flicked his sword and caused the air around him to be purged. The effect wasn¡¯t strong enough to clear the whole first floor, but the further they went, the more of the gas that expunged, allowing for far greater visibility.
Without the fog, the extent of the damage was far clearer, as were the figures rushing about. Jadis could see lines of soldiers moving up the stairs to secure the upper floors, and more heading in the direction of the kitchens where Vraekae was. Then there were the Demons. The ghostly wights were a lot easier to spot at a distance without the cloud, as were the less stealthy monstrosities like the dead heads and crawlers. Jadis was even able to spot a few more of the t and disgusting belgramathr slowly oozing across the floor as they continued to spew the green gas from their corrupted fungal growths.
Several of the wightsunched themselves towards their small group, their translucent forms rippling with the golden light cast by Wilhelm¡¯s sword. Behind them, Syd spotted a dead head forming the arcane runes in midair that would cast an ice spell, based on the color. Whatever the spell was, it looked like it was going to be big.
Syd darted forward to intercept the closest wight. As she punched down at the smaller figure, she called out to A.
¡°Shoot the dead head over¡ª¡±
A shining arc of holy energy zed across the ballroom, striking the dead head directly across its torso. The icy shield that materialized to block the magic proved to be no barrier at all as the arc passed through it to hit the Demon unhindered. In the next heartbeat, the two halves of the stricken dead head copsed onto the ground, a golden me slowly burning out on the gaping wounds.
Wilhelm recovered from the broad swipe he had made with his sword with a smooth, practiced motion. With the same move, he closed the distance on two wights who were rushing towards them. With one sh and a forward lunge, he killed the two wights with a speed that Jadis barely kept up with. With another swipe of his sword, he killed a third wight with another gold arc of holy light before it could reach Thea¡¯s shield. Then, turning on the ball of his right foot, he spun towards Syd and swung his sword, beheading the final wight that she had almost forgotten about before it could reach her.
When thest Demon fell dead at Syd¡¯s feet, she gave the Hero a surprised look. He tilted his helmeted head up at her for a moment, then turned away to nce around therge room.
¡°Which way to the kitchen?¡±
The Hero really was the powerhouse Jadis had been told he was. She could see that clearly now.
What Syd could not see was the centipede Demon. The creature was nowhere in sight, either dead or alive.
Jadis had every intention of hunting the cruel Demon down as soon as possible, but she wasn¡¯t going to rush off on her own. Not even with someone as powerful as the Hero around to watch over everyone else. She didn¡¯t have any idea where the bastard had disappeared to, for one thing. After that disy, she had growing confidence in the Hero¡¯s abilities, but that didn¡¯t mean she was going to repeat her previous mistakes of running around blindly without backup again. And for another thing, blocking off any more Demons from entering through the breach was a bigger priority than her revenge.
Not that Jadis couldn¡¯t focus on more than one priority at once. Case in point, Jay had reached the pastry shop with Severina in her arms and had gotten the badly wounded woman to Eir.
¡°Is she going to make it?¡± Jay asked as her priestess lover pressed one hand against the Seraphim¡¯s pallid forehead.
¡°I think so,¡± Eir said as her healing magic poured into Severina. ¡°I should be able to heal her enough to staunch the internal bleeding. But I¡¯m running low on magic reserves.¡±
¡°Okay, hold tight,¡± Jay told her as he got up from her kneeling position. ¡°Some of the soldiers have potions to help with that. I¡¯ll get some for you.¡±
Eir nodded her head in thanks as she turned her attention back to the unconscious Seraphim. Wrapped in the bloody remnants of Syd¡¯s skirt, Severina really did look like a corpse with how pale and unmoving she was. She wasn¡¯t the only one who looked rough, of course. Sabinay on the ground nearby, physically fine but still unconscious thanks to whatever poisons had been pumped into her by the cultist. There were other badly injured men and women as well, many with missing limbs or terrible wounds that had been inflicted on them by the demonic attack. Looking at her other self, Jay could see that Dys was among the worst-looking of those gathered. Not only was she covered in the gore of Demons from the fights she had been in, but she was also covered in her own blood. All the wounds Jadis had sustained throughout the fight had been shunted onto her, and while Eir had been pouring hundreds, if not thousands of healing points into Jadis, the poison that even then still ate away at her health was countering all of her attempts to heal her. The many terrible wounds still covered Dys, some of them partially closed but still raw, while others were still practically wide open and still weeping blood.
Turning away from Eir and her other self, Jay rushed to the front of the shop where most of the less injured people were as well as many of the guards. Jay could see that A¡¯s mother and father were there, busily tending to some of the wounded with bandages and clean water, but she didn¡¯t have time to stop and check on them. Instead, she made a bee line for the head guard who was at the entrance to the shop. Sorcha was there with him and the two were directing who was allowed to enter and leave as they did their best to follow Jadis¡¯ order to prevent anyone from fleeing.
¡°No ma¡¯am, you cannot leave yet,¡± the guard said to a matronly noblewoman whose face was streaked with tears. ¡°Everyone must stay here until we¡¯ve had time to check everyone for injuries as well as demonic possession.¡±
The guard did not bring up Jadis¡¯ suspicion that there was a cultist hidden among their number. Checking for possession was a far more reasonable excuse for holding everyone, one that most wouldn¡¯t argue with considering the circumstances.
¡°I need to find my daughter!¡± the woman cried out as she barely contained her tears. ¡°She¡¯s not here! I must go find her now! You can use a detection stone on me, just let me go so I can find my Letty!¡±
¡°It¡¯s dangerous out there,¡± Sorcha told the woman in her matter-of-fact way. ¡°There are soldiers and Demons running around and if you go out there, you¡¯ll just be getting in the way.¡±
¡°But I need to¡ª¡±
¡°Go! Sit! Down!¡± Sorcha cut her off before the weeping woman could continue. ¡°If you were strong enough to fight Demons, you would have helped earlier! You didn¡¯t, so you can¡¯t, so go sit down and let the professionals work!¡±
Sorcha¡¯s blunt assessment worked to back the woman off, much to the relief of the guard. The man didn¡¯t look like he wasfortable telling nobles what to do. Sorcha did not have that problem.
¡°Do you have any magic potions?¡± Jay asked the guard as she rushed up to him and Sorcha. ¡°I mean, potions to restore magic reserves? Eir is running low and she needs to keep healing.¡±
The man shook his head, having nothing on him that could help. As he looked around, possibly searching for someone in the ranks who might have something, a feminine voice at the door called out in answer to her plea for help.
¡°I have potions, both for magic and for healing. Let me pass and I¡¯ll help.¡±
Looking past the guards who blocked the door, Jay saw the most unusual sight of the night. Possibly of her life. And that was not a thought she entertained lightly, considering all she hade across since being reborn on Oros.
Just outside was a Lares. The Lares, was, in of itself, not all that unusual. Like others of her kind that Jadis had met, she was a feline the size of a house cat whose fur was made of mes. This one was a little smaller than Vita, and had a pattern of bright orange and dark smokey stripes across her mes that made her look almost like a tiger. Her eyes were two different colors, one green and the other blue, and they shone like burning jewels.
The Lares wasn¡¯t the weird part, though. The weird part was the cauldron that the fire cat was sitting on.
The ck, cast-iron cauldron was set inside of a strange, four-legged construction made of gray stone that stood somewhere between four and five feet tall. The stone legs were blocky, but the feet were modeled after a beast¡¯s paws and had actual ws at the tips. Around the rim of the cauldron were root-like limbs that looked like some mix between spider legs and a cat¡¯s paw. All were long and thin and while most were tucked up tight against the sides of the cauldron like a crown of vines, a couple were stretched out and had potion bottles held in their ws. The cauldron itself had a purple liquid brewing inside of it, a constant flow of light steam rising from the bubbling concoction. The Lares was sitting on the back lip of the cauldron where a small perch had been made for a creature of her size.
Of course, the weirdest part of the whole thing was that the cauldron was moving.
¡°Well?¡± The Lares said again, her high-pitched voice carrying over the noise outside. ¡°Will you let me help, or are you going to make me stand out here all night?"
¡°No, of course not,¡± Jay said as she motioned for the guards and Sorcha to make way for the cat and cauldron. ¡°And you are?¡±
¡°Amarantha,¡± she replied as her strange cauldron casually strolled into the pastry shop. ¡°A pleasure, I¡¯m sure. No need to ask who you are. There can¡¯t be too many marble giants running around in the capital.¡±
Amarantha. That was the name of the Mystic who served as one of the Hero¡¯spanions. Vraekae had told her that she was a witch-like ss of some kind, and that she was a young Lares who had unlocked her ss while working with the Hero in the early days of the demonic invasion. The fact that she rode around on a walking cauldron had failed toe up in conversation.
¡°Everyone!¡± Amarantha called out in her almost squeaky voice. ¡°Line up and take a drink of the potion I have brewing here! It will cleanse you of any minor negative effects and grant some regeneration!¡±
As she spoke, one of the arms of the cauldron pulled out adle and began passing out portions to the people who gathered close for some of the bubbling brew. A different arm reached around the back of the construct and took two bottles out from a pouch and held them out towards Jay.
¡°These should help your friend, Eir. Have her drink both right away and she should be able to continue for quite a long while yet.¡±
By the color of the liquid in the small bottles, Jadis could tell that at least one was the same kind of potion that Wilhelm had given to A to restore her magic reserves.
¡°Thank you,¡± Jay said as she took the two ampules from the cauldron. ¡°These will save lives.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the idea,¡± Amarantha replied with a catty smile.
At that moment, Kerr had arrived and was pushing her way past the protesting guards, the squirming Demon clutched in one of her hands.
¡°Here, Kerr, take these bottles to the back with that Demon,¡± Jay told the archer who gave her a frustrated look.
¡°What am I, a courier?¡± Kerr groused ass she violently shook the Demon to get it to keep still. ¡°Where are you going?¡±
¡°I need to get back into the restaurant!¡± Jay shouted over her shoulder as she pushed out the door.
She really did need to get back as quickly as possible. Her other self, herpanions, and the Hero had reached the kitchen, and it was a lot worse than she had thought it would be.
Chapter 390: Kitchen Nightmare
Chapter 390: Kitchen Nightmare
Blood and bits of unidentifiable meat were sttered across the floor, walls, and ceiling. Shreds of what had likely once been unforms were scattered among the gore, as were the bent and broken remains of every imaginable kind of kitchen utensil. All manner of foods and ingredients were mixed in with the stinking piles of mutted flesh, creating a nauseating morass of already badly dposed organics.
Trummelton¡¯s kitchen had certainly seen better days.
Syd winced as she had to step barefoot through the vile swamp of rancid gore. How everything could already look halfway dposed when the ambush had only started less than half an hour ago could only be exined by magic. She didn¡¯t have to guess why the Demons would turn everything to rot, either. With so much stinking filth, it acted as both a passive defense by triggering an intense gag reflex in every person who came near the kitchen, it also acted as a means to infect anyone who had an open wound with foul diseases. Jadis was d she could transfer any injury Syd had onto her Dys self, as otherwise she was certain she¡¯d catch something truly terrible from the demonically induced rot. She wasn¡¯t entirely certain she wouldn¡¯t catch something anyway just from breathing the noxious fumes in.
Jadis didn¡¯t have to guess how the Demons had corrupted everything organic, either. The source of the rot was visible from the far back of the kitchen area, where she could see Ludger and Vraekae as well as a handful of the braver soldiers facing off against a¡ thing.
¡°What the fuck is that?¡± Syd coughed out as she hurried forward to join the magistrate and the Bulwark.
¡°A cultist,¡± Ludger replied, his tone grim. ¡°Fanatical bastard.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a cultist?¡± Syd asked with disbelief. ¡°How?¡±
¡°He has sacrificed his life for Samleos,¡± Wilham answered quietly as he drew up next to her. ¡°Empowering his foul maledictions with his own soul.¡±
The back of therge kitchen area had an open archway that led to what Jadis presumed was either more kitchen space or a storeroom of some kind. It was hard to tell what the space may have once been used for, since so much of it was covered with the branching mass of what had once been a person.
Near the center of the room stood a figure, approximately five feet tall. It had certainly once been humanoid, possibly an elf or an orc, but what remained of its flesh was discolored with rot. Its legs had been twisted together like twine and its arms were held out to either side of its body like a scarecrow. Most of the flesh of its limbs and torso had shifted upward, crowding onto the shoulders of the figure to create a massive meaty lump. Jadis could see the person¡¯s organs, as well as features like its mouth and eyes, mashed together and mutated beyond recognition in the pulsating lump. From the top, Syd could see an open sphincter from which spewed a constant stream of dark liquid. It was a fountain of filth, and it was watering its own roots.
From the feet of the figure spread awork of fibrous fleshy growths that covered the floor, walls, and ceiling. The roots were stuck across every surface, to the point where the stone was barely visible beneath. There wererger lumps, though, particrly in corners, that looked like the remains of people which had been decayed down to little more than rot and bones.
It was one of the vilest things Jadis had ever witnessed, and she felt an intense need to burn the mass and then bathe herself in gallons of soap just from looking at it. Burning the transformed cultist didn¡¯t seem to be an option, though. Not immediately.
A barrier of translucent dark energy was blocking the open archway. The magic barrier was the color of a midnight sky and a dark red symbol burned in the very center of it. Jadis recognized it as Samleos¡¯ icon, a symbol that had been stricken from the traditional circle of symbols that the temples used to represent the gods of Oros.
¡°This is also the only way down to the basement storerooms,¡± Vraekae added with a wrinkled nose. ¡°This fool¡¯s sacrifice is blocking our path and allowing the Demons to pass. The breach must havee from down there.¡±
Jadis agreed with Vraekae¡¯s assessment. There were dozens of crawlers and wights on the other side of the barrier, as well as a few of the demonic throw rugs and a couple of dead heads. Ludger stood with his tower shield pressed up against the archway, blocking the mass of Demons from pouring through the opening. From around the sides of his shield, many of the Demons were reaching out with ws and tentacles, trying to get at him or anyone else close enough to attack. The five soldiers who had made it into the kitchen with Ludger were hacking at any of the arms and limbs that stuck through the gaps, and Vraekae was asionally sweeping her death orb across the surface of the barrier to mow down any unlucky limbs as well, though even her magic didn¡¯t seem to be capable of passing through the demonic magic.
Inside, Syd could see that the Demons who were injured were visibly regenerating their lost limbs. It wasn¡¯t fast, but they were being healed by the effects of the corpse flower thing in the center of the room.
As Syd observed the disgusting vision for a moment, she spotted some movement in the back of the room where a set of stairs that led downwards were just barely visible through the crowd of Demons. The elongated, many-limbed body of the centipede Demon was there, its various open wounds closing up as it regenerated. Syd could see that it had taken the corpse of a in crawler and was tearing off the limbs from its ring-shaped body and adding them to its own mass, recing the limbs that it had lost.
¡°We have to get in there,¡± Syd growled around the bile in her throat.
¡°Yes, we do!¡± Ludger gritted his teeth as a particrly powerful shove from the Demons knocked against his shield. ¡°Willy! Do your thing!¡±
Willy?
Syd stopped short at the unexpected nickname. ncing around, she didn¡¯t see anyone else reacting to the moniker. They were all understandably focused on the Demons. She knew she needed to stay focused as well, so she mentally reoriented herself to the task at hand. But still.
Willy?
Stepping forward, Wilhelm readied his sword while taking a firm, two-handed grip on his longsword. At the beat of some kind of silent signal, Ludger pulled his shield away from the blocked archway. In the same moment, Wilhem lunged forward, his sword zing with a fierce golden me.
The tip of the Hero¡¯s sword impacted the center of the demonic barrier with a sound like a thousand pounds of molten steel being dropped into a frozenke. The concussive hiss was earsplitting, and everyone who had a free hand reflexively tried to cover their ears. Even the Demons on the other side of the barrier recoiled. Rainbow-colored sparks cascaded around the point of contact as Wilhelm forced the point of his sword against the dark magic that blocked the way forward. He leaned his whole weight into the thrust, one hand on the pommel of his golden de as he forced his way forward. There was an excruciatingly long second that dragged out like nails on chalkboard as the barrier resisted the Hero¡¯s attempt at breaking it.
Then a thin crack split across the surface of the dark blue magic, radiating from the tip of the sword to the furthest edge of the archway.
That was all the warning they got before the barrier fractured across its whole surface. In the next instant, the demonic magic exploded outward, showering them in a rain of ss shards. The blowback was strong enough that those standing close to archway were thrown off of their feet. Except for Ludger, of course, who stayed firmly in ce as he blocked the pressurized explosion with his massive shield. Vraekae had the good sense to be standing behind the big man, so she was fine. A, Thea, and Bridget were all far enough back that they only stumbled a bit. The soldiers who had been supporting Ludger were tossed to the side in a tter of armor, though, and even Wilhelm was knocked back several feet and struggled to maintain his footing.
The barrier was broken, but the stone archway was also left undefended by the shattering explosion. A sudden flood of Demons threw themselves out of the storeroom with eager fury as they strove to take advantage of the opening. Crawlers and wights surged forward while the magic spells of dead heads flew out through the gaps.
¡°Fuck off!¡± Syd shouted as she punched the forward-most wight with a straight right jab.
The force of her attack sent the jelly-fleshed Demon flying backwards at a downwards angle, bowling over those Demons who were behind it from the power of the blow. Spinning with the momentum of her punch, Syd brought her left arm around in a wide sweep that caught four or five of the closely packed Demons in the arc. She sent several of them crashing back into the ruined storeroom while those on the edges were crushed against the edges of the archway.
¡°A!¡± Syd shouted as she directly absorbed a fire st from one of the dead heads on her shoulder. ¡°Explosion!¡±
There was no hesitation from her lover. With a motion from one hand, A shot out one of her ghostly arcane force bolts into the corrupted room beyond. As it passed through the air towards the open archway, Syd followed along with the momentum of her attacks and threw herself upwards with a push of her powerful legs. She made it out of the way with barely a microsecond to spare, her whole body going horizontal as her back brushed against the kitchen ceiling. A¡¯s arcane bolt passed underneath her, slipping by the Demons that Syd had knocked back to reach the mass of Demons and fleshy cultist-flower in the back.
Considering the nature of A¡¯s force explosions and the close quarters of the demonically infested kitchen storeroom, Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely certain how safe this particr maneuver was. It seemed like Syd and several of the others could very well be in range of the explosion¡¯s sphere. That probably wouldn¡¯t be a problem so long as Ludger repositioned his shield to block the archway again, but the Bulwark didn¡¯t have the experience to know what Jadis wanted in the moment. He was a powerful and experienced warrior, but there was no bond there.
That was okay. Jadis had wonderfulpanions she could rely on to know what she wanted. And even in the rare circumstances where they, too, failed to know what she needed in the moment, she always had herself.
Jay crashed through the kitchen, knocking everything that stood in her way aside as she carried a heavy, solid oak dinner table in front of her. Everything that didn¡¯t want to be crushed underfoot had to move, forcing even the Hero to spin aside as he dodged the running wooden wall. In the half second after A¡¯s force spell entered the storeroom, Jay mmed the table against the edges of the archway, blocking the entrance off.
The detonation inside the enclosed space caused the table to buck and break against Jay¡¯s shoulder. She held firm, keeping the makeshift barrier in ce, but the thick oak nks around her cracked and popped like plywood in that single instant of mass destruction. Jay had to use all her strength to keep the table from blowing backward, but she managed.
Unfortunately, Jay¡¯s focus on the table meant that she wasn¡¯t able to assist her other self innding from her dodge upwards.
Syd bounced against the top of Jay¡¯s head as she grabbed at her other self¡¯s shoulder. Fabric tore on her ruined dress and Syd¡¯s grip slipped as she floundered in midair before flipping forward. Her bodynded heavily against Ludger¡¯s shield and she felt her heel strike the top of the man¡¯s helmet as shended poorly on the back of her shoulders.
¡°Fuck. Sorry,¡± Syd hurried to say as she righted herself while trying not to get even more of the nasty filth on the ground into her hair.
Ludger grunted ufortably as Syd disentangled herself from his shield. It wasn¡¯t her most elegant disy, but function counted more than form, in her opinion. She could live with making a fool of herself in front of people like Ludger and Wilhelm if it meant she and everyone else actually lived.
¡°Get ready!¡± Jay shouted as she reared back one fist. ¡°Breaching!¡±
Jay crashed forward, breaking the damaged table to splinters as she punched it with all her might. She wasn¡¯t sure what was going to be waiting for them on the other side, but she figured leading with an attack would be best, just in case.
Apparently, Wilhelm had the same thought, as he appeared on Jay¡¯s right. He shed his sword as he entered the room with her, sending out an arc of golden light that swept the side of the storeroom he faced. On her left, Ludger pushed his way in, mace raised high to strike at anything that came at them from the side. Jay even felt the whir of Vraekae¡¯s red orb as it spun over her head, entering the space with them with all its spikes extended.
What greeted them was pure carnage. The storeroom, already a ce of vile destruction before A¡¯s spell, now looked like it had been put through a blender. Pieces of Demons were scattered everywhere, with many of the oozing chunks pushed around the edges of the room from the force of the explosion. The fleshy mockery of a flower that had once been a cultist was gone. Only the twisted stem of its legs remained still stuck to the center of the floor, with jagged bones sticking out of roughly where the thighs would have been.
Not all the Demons were dead, though. There were plenty of them just stunned by the st and pushed towards the edges. Even as Syd and the rest entered the room, she saw the abominations wing themselves back upright to continue the fight. The worst ones, the dead heads, were the most intact thanks to their magic shields. Considering what Jadis had seen the Hero do against them already, she doubted they were going tost much longer.
There was no sign of the centipede Demon, though. Just the dark, yawning maw of the cer below Trummelton¡¯s, the presumed source of the demonic breach.
Chapter 391: For Now
Chapter 391: For Now
¡°Do you have anything that can detect cultists?¡±
Amarantha tilted her head to one side as she turned her gaze on Dys. The Lares had maneuvered her walking cauldron so that it was blocking the path between the front and back of the pastry shop, where the most injured people were. The Mystic¡¯s construct continued to autonomously dole out portions of the bubbling purple liquid to those gathered in the front of the shop while Amarantha focused on the people in the back.
¡°Cultists? No, that¡¯s not something I¡¯ve worked out a potion for just yet,¡± the small fire cat said in her adorably squeaky voice. ¡°Jocelyn has a way, though. So does Lucia. If either were here, one of them could probably hunt out any cultists nearby.¡±
¡°Where are they?¡± Dys asked pensively. ¡°Can we get either of them here soon?¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± the ming ball of fluff shrugged somewhat carelessly. ¡°Maybe not. Lucia¡¯s a couple of districts over with Halvor and Jocelyn is near the northern pce bridge with Rein. Or they were,st I saw them. Hard to keep track when we split up like this, you know.¡±
So the Hero and hispanions had split up. Jadis had guessed that was the case since by the sounds of all the rms going off throughout the city, the Demons hadunched attacks at different areas simultaneously. Wilhelm must have decided to divide his party and send them after different points of conflict to help the defending soldiers. That Ludger had shown up at the restaurant where his fianc¨¦ was located couldn¡¯t have been coincidence, which meant he¡¯d purposefully run off to protect Elodie. Amarantha had probably been the otherpanion paired up with him, but the big man had likely panicked at the thought of his love being attacked and rushed ahead. Jadis had acted simrly herself in the past, so she could well understand.
¡°Alright, well, we¡¯ll just have to keep holding everyone here until we can get one of them or someone else who can do something to root out cultists. At least we¡¯re good on healing for now.¡±
Indeed, healing had be far less of an issue with Amarantha¡¯s arrival. The potions that the Lares had given Eir had greatly restored her magic reserves and the cleric had been pumping healing into everyone she could at even faster speeds than normal. Apparently, one of those potions had temporarily boosted how fast her channeled spell could be cast, which was a pretty nice boost.
¡°Where¡¯s the wizard?¡±
¡°Hm?¡± Amarantha hummed as she turned to look at Kerr.
¡°You know, the wizard. Tiernan? You didn¡¯t say where he was at,¡± Kerr pointed out absently as she worked on putting together a container for the possession Demon that Jadis had put in her hands.
¡°Even less way of knowing that,¡± Amarantha said with a sniff. ¡°He¡¯s flying somewhere in the sky, raining down destruction wherever he might be needed. Wilhelm should be doing the same, but I saw him rush inside the building over there for some reason.¡±
¡°The Demons breached through the basement of that restaurant,¡± Dys informed the Mystic cat. ¡°He¡¯s helping us cut them off.¡±
¡°Helping us? Or helping you?¡± Amarantha said as she hopped off of her cauldron.
The small catnded on Dys¡¯ knee, bncing there as though it was apletely eptable perch for her to im. Her two-toned eyes gazed up at Dys, and she felt for a moment like she was some kind of particrly interesting tidbit of meat that the Lares was examining with a mind to decide whether she was going to pounce on it or snub it.
¡°You¡¯ve caused quite the stir, haven¡¯t you? Three Nephilim sisters showing up out of the wilds of Weigrun. Or one Nephilim with three bodies? The rumors are divided and seem entirely based on which version the teller feels is more likely. Ulya has been quiet on that question. She won¡¯t lead me one way or the other, which just piques my curiosity even more.¡±
Ulya was the goddess of the hearth, and the mother of the Lares. It made sense that Amarantha would turn to her goddess for guidance on a question like the Nephilim, though why Ulya wasn¡¯t being forting with her, Jadis couldn¡¯t guess.
¡°He¡¯s helping us,¡± Dys emphasized, ¡°because it¡¯s not just me in that building, but mypanions in there, and others as well.¡±
¡°Ah ha¡¡± Amarantha said, her eyes twinkling. ¡°Halvor owes me a gold piece.¡±
¡°Merde! Get the fuck in there you little scum stain!¡±
Dys and Amarantha both nced over to where Kerr was wrestling the small Demon into the small wooden box she had emptied out. While it was physically weak, the possession Demon was slippery and trying hard to wiggle away.
¡°But it seems I owe Rein a gold coin in turn,¡± Amarantha noted with a frown in her voice. ¡°I had thought the demon Alex would have been more well behaved than that.¡±
¡°Alex?¡± Dys asked, surprised by thement. ¡°That¡¯s not Alex. That¡¯s a Demon I caught to interrogateter.¡±
¡°Interrogate a Demon?¡± Amarantha showed true shock on her feline face. ¡°What a silly notion. But wait. If that is not Alex, then where is your demonic friend?¡±
A good question. With how active and chaotic the scene was, Dys had lost track of her Demon lover. ncing around, she didn¡¯t spot her.
¡°Sorcha! Where¡¯s Alex?¡± Dys called out over the noise crowd.
¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll get her!¡±
A few momentster, Alex made her way through the open front room of the shop,ing from a doorway that led to a set of stairs. Rather than push through the crowd, she simply crawled across the ceiling, prompting a few gasps and exmations from the crowd. Most didn¡¯t give her more than a nce, though, since by that point they had to have gotten used to her and Elodie running around the shop organizing things.
Speaking of, Elodie wasn¡¯t with Alex. When the blue-eyed Demon came to a stop next to Dys, she was alone.
¡°Are you okay, Alex?¡± Dys asked, checking on her since she was still only partially healed from all the fighting earlier. ¡°Does Eir need to heal you?¡±
¡°No¡ Thank you¡¡± Alex replied as she stared at Amarantha. ¡°I am¡ Regenerating¡¡±
¡°Gracious¡¡± Amarantha said in a small voice as she stared right back at Alex.
¡°Where¡¯s Elodie?¡± Dys continued her line of questions now that had Alex near her again. ¡°Why were you upstairs?¡±
¡°Elodie¡ Is upstairs¡¡± Alex told her while taking Dys¡¯ hand and giving it a squeeze. ¡°Making room¡ For more¡ Who need shelter¡¡±
¡°Okay, that makes sense,¡± Dys nodded. Since no one who hade from the second and third floor could be trusted, it made sense to separate them from all the injured survivors who wereing out from the first floor. Jadis was d that Elodie had taken the initiative to handle that aspect. ¡°Is anyone giving you trouble? Do you need anything?¡±
¡°No¡¡± the demonic pdin answered without further boration. It seemed to be an answer to both questions, so Jadis simply epted it and moved on.
¡°Alright, just wanted to make sure,¡± Dys gave Alex¡¯s monster-sized hand a squeeze back. ¡°Also, this Amarantha. She¡¯s apanion to the Hero and is helping us.¡±
Alex met the Lares¡¯ eyes unblinkingly. After a moment of silence between the two, she bobbed her head in acknowledgement.
¡°Charmed,¡± Amarantha said as she gave the Demon a mysterious smile. ¡°Perhaps it is Rein who owes me a coin, after all.¡±
¡°Alright, here,¡± Kerr interrupted them as she shoved the box containing the hostile Demon into Dys¡¯ hands. ¡°Unless you need anything else here, I¡¯m going to go steal a crossbow or something from the guards and get back to Trummelton¡¯s. I swear, this is thest fucking time I leave the bedroom without a gods damned weapon. This shit is nuttier than squirrel cum.¡±
While Jadispletely understood where Kerr wasing from and fully agreed with her that this would be thest day she ever went out in public unarmed, the metaphor that her lover had used was¡ disturbing. It took her a second to process, which was why Kerr managed to take a few steps towards the cauldron-blocked doorway before she reached out to stop her.
¡°No, Kerr, don¡¯t go. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be needed.¡±
¡°Quoi?¡± Kerr turned back to look at Dys with great offense. ¡°What do you mean not needed? I don¡¯t give a flying fuck about the Hero or whoever being here, no offense,¡± she motioned towards Amarantha, who for her part just looked amused. ¡°My mate just got attacked by these fuckers! You almost died tonight. A lot of us did! Alex almost died! Sabine might still die with that fucking poison in her system. Je veux les tuer! I want my fucking revenge!¡±
¡°I know, I know,¡± Dys said as she reached out and pulled Kerr close to her, paying no mind to the little meow of protest Amarantha gave to being dislodged from her perch by the movement. ¡°I feel the exact same way. Whoever orchestrated all this shit is going to have their eyeballs pulled out of their ears, I swear. But you¡¯re not going to be able to help much over there, even you if do steal a weapon from some soldier. We already got into the cer. We found the breach. It¡¯s a tunnel, and bows and arrows aren¡¯t going to be much use.¡±
¡°Fuck,¡± Kerr cursed, her arms wrapped firmly around Dys¡¯ neck in a tight embrace. ¡°Shitty fuck. I want to get them.¡±
¡°Me too,¡± Dys rubbed her bonded lover¡¯s back. ¡°I do too. But sometimes, we¡¯ve got to pick our fights.¡±
¡°What does it look like in there?¡± Amarantha asked, her small paw tapping at the side of Dys¡¯ foot for attention. ¡°It¡¯s rare to have the ability to know what is going on in more than one ce at once. Has the restaurant been made safe?¡±
¡°Safer,¡± Dys answered with a sigh. ¡°Though we aren¡¯t entirely done.¡±
As Dys filled her small audience in the pastry shop in on what was happening, Jay and Syd discussed what to do about the roadblock they¡¯d encountered with the others in Trummelton¡¯s cer.
¡°That greater Demon definitely fled down this tunnel,¡± Jay pointed at the dark opening.
¡°We have to hunt that fucker down.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± A calmly agreed. ¡°That abomination needs to be found and in before it can harm anyone else. But this is not something we should do. Not right now.¡±
¡°Look, I know I don¡¯t have my weapons and armor, but I¡¯m still strong enough to¡ª¡±
¡°No one is doubting your strength,¡± Vraekae interrupted Jay¡¯s words with her own firm tone. ¡°Do you doubt mine? You have seen what I am capable of. Yet you do not see me rushing down that tunnel. That is because tactically speaking, it would be a mistake. Restrain your anger and think about the situation.¡±
They were right. Jadis knew they were. She didn¡¯t have her weapons or armor, which put her at a disadvantage, but more than that she was still injured. Her health hadn¡¯t risen above the one-third mark, not even with Eir constantly pumping her magic into her between other patients. The poison in her system grew worse every time her health rose above a certain point, eating away at her reserves. She was also limited in how far she could split her selves from each other. Her Dys self had all the physical injuries on her and was in no condition to be on the move. They had no idea how far down the tunnel went, so it was a stupid risk to even entertain the thought of diving in after the Demons when she knew she¡¯d have to turn back.
Jadis was angry. She was enraged. She was so unbelievably furious about what had happened that night that she was practically ready to start tearing the stone floor apart with her bare hands to get at the Demons below. But she wasn¡¯t going to do that. She had learned from past mistakes. She wasn¡¯t going to rush in blindly and stupidly. There was a big difference between acting boldly and acting rashly, and the distinction was clear in this situation.
She still wanted to go down the tunnel.
¡°Jadis. Do you understand?¡±
¡°Yes, I understand,¡± Jay answered Vraekae¡¯s insistent question. ¡°I really do. But if we¡¯re not going down that tunnel, what now?¡±
The blue elf paused at Jay¡¯s question, her eyes travelling across the ruined cer for a few seconds. Jay turned her own gaze to follow Vraekae¡¯s and took in the scene.
With Wilhelm, Ludger, and Vraekae present, it hadn¡¯t taken long at all to destroy the remaining demons in the storeroom above. Jay and Syd had pushed ahead to get down to the cer as quickly as possible and had found it in pretty much the same state as it was now. The ruinous rot that had infected the floor above wasn¡¯t quite as bad in the cer. Most of the huge room was filled with wine casks and crates of preserved foods, which the Demons hadn¡¯t bothered to touch. There were a few patches of gore where some poor soul had clearly met his or her end, but the majority of the remains had been swept up by the invading force. When Jay and Syd had made it down the stairs, there had been a few Demons standing in her way, but for the most part the resistance had been light.
The obvious spot of destruction in the cer was the broken wall on the far eastern side of the room. The cut stone block that made up the wall had been knocked down in a section that was about five feet wide and seven feet tall. A tunnel had been dug, and it had likely happened that very night, as evidenced by the rocks and dirt all over the floor. Jadis would have questioned how something like that had gone unnoticed, but considering the illusion magic she¡¯d seen at work so far that night, she could definitely understand how simple kitchen staff wouldn¡¯t have had the means to see through whatever had been used in the cer to cover up the disturbance.
The tunnel itself was a winding one and had clearly not been made by human hands. From what little Jadis could see of it, the passage had no clean footing and went down at a steep angle that would be a problem for most people, though no issue at all for wall-crawling Demons. Even if Jadis had been fully equipped, the tunnel would have been a daunting prospect. The sight of it gave her shbacks to the tunnel in the Kalters Wall mines she had almost been cooked alive in.
The difficult tunnel entrance hadn¡¯t stopped Wilhelm, though. The Hero had jumped right in, his steel boots sliding across the rough surface as he disappeared from view around a bend in the passage. Ludger hadn¡¯t followed, but instead had posted up at the entrance, blocking anything froming out, but also preventing any of the more zealous soldiers with them from following the Hero. The big man simply waited by the rough-hewn hole, standing watch for his friend¡¯s return.
¡°We should head outside,¡± Vraekae finally answered Jay¡¯s question. ¡°We need to learn more about the situation elsewhere in the city. Others may have already found the source of the demonic breach and may already be attacking it directly. So long as we have this point secured, we can take a moment to convene and assess.¡±
A sensible n, one that Jadis couldn¡¯t really see a w in. Nodding silently, she agreed to Vraekae¡¯s suggestion. In short order, Jay, Syd, A, Thea, Bridget, and Vraekae all made their way out of the cer and through the destroyed kitchen. The main chamber of the first floor was a gruesome sight, but looking around, Jadis could see that the building had truly been secured. There were dozens of soldiers swarming the ce, checking behind every tapestry and under every turned-over table for survivors and Demons alike. It looked like the people who had been trapped on the floors above were already being evacuated as well, judging by the stream of men and women being led down the stairs. Outside, the chaos of soldiers and civilians was starting to look far more organized as people in charge called out orders and put people where they needed to be. When Jadis and the others made their way outside, she could see that the streets were filled with soldiers, most of whom were filing into the restaurant. Wilhelm and Ludger would have no want for backup.
In all honesty, Jadis probably wasn¡¯t needed anymore. Everything was well in hand. The Demonic incursion had been repelled, or at least it looked like it had been in this area. The Hero and hispanions were here and they were taking care of the Demons. The army had rallied and the guards were out in full force. It was an entirely reasonable course of action for her to simply slip away, find a quiet spot, and crash.
But Jadis didn¡¯t want to crash. She didn¡¯t want to sit around and wait for others to handle things. She wanted to take action. She wanted to get out there and find every damn Demon and cultist who had attacked her and her family. She was far, far from done with her fight that night. She was seething with righteous fury and she would not rest until she found the people who had done this to her. Those people were dead and she was going to be the one to¡ª
¡°Jadis.¡±
Jay and Syd blinked, pulled out of her thoughts by the quiet voice that spoke between them. Looking down, Jadis saw that Thea was standing between her two selves, one hand on Syd¡¯s arm. She was looking up at her with deep concern in her warm brown eyes.
¡°It¡¯s t¡ªtime to rest.¡±
¡°No, I need to help Vraekae and the others find those Demons,¡± Syd said with a shake of her head. ¡°I can restter. There¡¯s still too much to do.¡±
¡°No,¡± Thea said firmly. ¡°It¡¯s t¡ªtime to rest. Now.¡±
Syd opened her mouth to reply, then paused as she reassessed. Looking around, she saw that A and Bridget were both looking at her with worried expressions. Even Vraekae was giving her a concerned look.
She had just been standing there, staring at nothing, hadn¡¯t she? Here she was, standing with her bare feet in the snow and mud, blood still dripping from her ruined dresses, and she was lost in thought. She was exhausted, that¡¯s what was what. Not just physically, but mentally. After everything that had happened, everything she had seen¡
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s get over to that bakery with everyone else.¡±
¡°I hope they have some kind of alcohol in there,¡± Syd said in a tired voice as she started leading the way. ¡°I could really use a drink right now.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure we can find out,¡± A said. ¡°And if we have to fight off a crowd of nobles to get at a bottle of liquor, then we¡¯ll handle that. You, Jadis, need to take a breather.¡±
Jadis didn¡¯t argue. Instead, she simply led them all into the pastry shop, which was blessedly warm, and cleared a nice spot in the back room where Dys and the others were. There, Jadis¡¯ three selves settled down on the floor, leaning against the toasty walls of the still-burning ovens, and waited. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure what she was waiting for anymore, but she could take a minute to wait.
She was safe. Her lovers were safe. Their families were safe. Even Severina, who was horribly injured, was at least stable thanks to Eir¡¯s healing. Jadis let out a shaky sigh from her selves as the adrenaline slowly left her bodies.
They were safe.
For now.
Chapter 392: A Private Conversation
Chapter 392: A Private Conversation
¡°May we speak for a moment?¡±
Jay startled to full wakefulness, her attention having drifted away for some time. Her two other selves were asleep, her bodies having crashed hard once the adrenaline had left her systems. Dys and Syd were pressed up close against each other, wedged between two of the bakery ovens in the back of the shop. Sabina was lying on top of theirps, still unconscious, but safe. Jay had perched on top of a heavy barrel to stand watch over her sleeping other selves as well as stay informed of what was going on around the restaurant and city. Things seemed to be moving towards being under control, but there was still a lot of activity going on around them, so she wanted to stay vignt in case she was needed again.
Apparently, though, Jay had drifted off a little bit even with her eyes open. She wasn¡¯t sure how long she had been staring down at the bucket filled with dirty water that she had used to clean off her hands and faces. She wasn¡¯t even entirely sure where all of herpanions were at the moment. How long had it been since she¡¯d sat down? Ten minutes? Thirty? Longer?
¡°Yes,¡± Jay answered the question reflexively, before she had even fully reoriented herself. Looking over at the person addressing her, she realized that she really was out of it. ¡°Yes, we can talk, Wilhelm.¡±
The Hero stood a respectful distance away from her, one hand resting on the hilt of his sheathed sword. There was some Demon blood and dirt sttered on a few different spots of his shining armor, but he otherwise still looked every bit the heroic figure. There were still some injured people rtively close by, but it looked like they were trying to give the Hero and Jadis some space. Wilhelm looked around, his helmeted head swiveling around before he motioned with one hand towards the back wall.
¡°This way, please.¡±
Jay stood and followed the Hero to a back door that led out into the dark and snowy courtyard behind the pastry shop. There were two guards stationed at the door outside, but with a soft order from Wilhelm, both quickly left the area to give them some privacy.
Inside, Jadis brought her other two bodies to full awareness and used her Syd self to go looking for A and Eir and everyone else. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure what the Hero wanted to speak with her alone about, but she wanted her lovers in on the situation.
¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Jay asked with a casualness that came more from her overall tiredness than any purposeful intent.
¡°A moment,¡± Wilhelm held up a hand. ¡°Ludger and Amarantha should be here shortly.¡±
The Hero¡¯s voice was soft. Not weak or shy, but gentle, like a man who was used to speaking to animals who would startle easily at too loud a word. Jadis noticed that was how the man moved as well. His steps were light, considering the heavy armor he was wearing, and practically without noise. Now that he wasn¡¯t inbat, his motions were calm and smooth,pletelycking the harsh firmness of his previous sword style.
As they waited, he undid the straps to his helm and pulled it off, revealing his face to her for the first time.
Wilhelm was, unsurprisingly, a handsome man. Jadis had expected he would be, if for no other reason than she was sure someone would have said something if he was known for being particrly ugly. What did surprise Jadis was how young and unassuming he looked. His hair was dark brown, while his eyes were a brighter, honeyed brown color. His skin was the tan of someone who spent a lot of time outdoors but had a naturally paleplexion. He even had a few freckles. His nose was sharp and his lips were thin, but his expression was mild which made him look younger than the age he had to be.
¡°Sorry about your dress.¡±
¡°Huh?¡± Jay responded, somewhat nonplussed by the unexpected apology.
¡°Your dress,¡± Wilhelm said as he motioned with one gauntleted hand. ¡°It looks like it was once very pretty. And expensive. I¡¯m sorry it, ah, was so ruined.¡±
By the tail end of his words, Jay could see that a blush had creeped up Wilhelm¡¯s cheeks that had nothing to do with the cold. His eyes weren¡¯t looking directly at her, either.
Looking down, Jay took in her appearance. She was, as expected, a mess. There was blood and ichor and gods knew what else all over the tattered remains of her dress. Her legs and arms weren¡¯t much better. Her face and hands were rtively clean, or at least cleaner, thanks to the bucket of water someone had kindly fetched for her earlier, but she still looked like she needed about two hours scrubbing in a bath before she could actually be considered clean again.
The issue, Jadis realized, was that earlier on in the kitchen fight, Syd had identally torn the shoulder strap of Jay¡¯s dress. She was still decent, fortunately, but her dress was exposing a lot more of her skin than it had been originally designed to do, and since she wasn¡¯t wearing a bra, shew as in danger of letting at least one of her girls fly free.
¡°If you are cold, I can lend you this,¡± Wilhelm continued as he removed the blue cloak from his shoulders and offered it to her. ¡°Or I can fetch you something else.¡±
¡°Thanks, I appreciate it,¡± Jay said, taking some pity on the bashful boy. She wasn¡¯t actually all that cold thanks to her resistances, but she didn¡¯t see any need to torture the guy with the threat of her nudity. ¡°That¡¯s kind of you.¡±
An odd thing to get stressed over, Jadis supposed as she took the cloak from Wilhelm and wrapped it around her shoulders. The man had just sliced through horrifying Demons like it was nothing, but the idea of possibly seeing her boob made him shy away like a spooked horse.
As Jay situated the cloak onto her shoulders so that she was less exposed, the tromping sound of Ludger¡¯s heavy steps echoed from around a corner. The big man came into the courtyard with his shield up and mace still held in hand, but Jay noticed that the stone formation that had crusted around the head of the mace was gone, leaving it a more normal, nged steel head. Amarantha was sitting on his wide shoulder, and she had a small velvet pouch held in her mouth. As the two came up close, Wilhelm cleared his throat and addressed them.
¡°You¡¯ve brought the privacy powder?¡±
Amarantha nodded her head, then let the small pouch fall from her mouth as she caught it on one outstretched w.
¡°Of course. Here, you put it down.¡±
¡°What, don¡¯t want to get your paws cold?¡± Ludger asked in his thick ent as he worked to remove his dented helmet with one hand after setting down his mace.
¡°Your shoulder is no warmer,¡± Amarantha sniffed at the Bulwark. ¡°But there¡¯s over a foot of snow on the ground. You won¡¯t even see my ears poking over the top if I jump into that.¡±
Wilhelm took the pouch withoutint. Opening the drawstring on it, he carefully poured a small amount of the sparkling green powder onto five points on the ground around them in the courtyard. As soon as thest point was set, Amarantha uttered a word and a faint green light rose up out of the ground, forming a prism around the four of them. The light faded away after a few seconds, though Jay could still sense a faint muffled presence of magic surrounding them.
¡°We should be free to talk now without anyone overhearing us,¡± the Lares exined, then let out a sudden curse. ¡°Stop shaking you lug, I¡¯m going to slip off!¡±
¡°My helmet¡¯s stuck,¡± Ludgerined as he tried twist the deformed metal off his head. ¡°Scheisse.¡±
¡°Here, let me help,¡± Jay said as she reached over and yanked hard on the helm.
The helmet came off with a grunt of pain and a whispered curse from Ludger, but he was freed from the dented steel. The face that greeted Jay underneath was¡
Holy shit Ludger was hot.
Jadis didn¡¯t have any attraction towards men, but that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t recognize a handsome face when she saw one. And Ludger was a very handsome face. Blond and blue eyed, Ludger had a strong, chiseled jaw that was coated in a dashingyer of stubble that elevated his supermodel good looks to fucking sexy. His lips were full and his teeth so white that they practically shone in the moonlight. The only thing that marred his features was the bleeding wound on his left temple that hade from when his helm had been damaged. He managed to even make that look sexy, though, as the injury just made him look formidable, rather than damaged.
Ludger gave Jay a nod of thanks as he took his helmet back from her, but she noticed that his expression was pensive, maybe even annoyed, as he looked at her with furrowed brows.
¡°Just so you know,¡± Amarantha said as she settled her perch on Ludger¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Jadis here knows what all of her bodies are doing at all times, from what I have observed. Anything we tell this one, the other two will know.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Wilhelm said as he turned his gaze back onto Jay. ¡°I needed a private moment to talk with you. Who you share our talk with is your business, but I would ask that you be discreet for the time being.¡±
¡°I can be discreet when I need to be,¡± Jay answered after a short pause. ¡°What¡¯s this all about? Also, call me Jay.¡±
¡°Jay,¡± Wilhelm nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°I first wanted to ask you, before talking with anyone else, do you think there is any remote chance that your demon, Alex, was involved in this attack?¡±
Jadis¡¯ first instinct was to punch the Hero in his face for even suggesting that Alex could be involved in something so heinous. She immediately squashed that impulse. Wilhelm¡¯s question was reasonable. He didn¡¯t know Alex. All he knew was that there was an attack on the city and a ¡°tame¡± Demon was present. It wasn¡¯t an illogical conclusion to draw that she might have some involvement. He was being far about it, though. He wasn¡¯t even using Alex of wrongdoing, just asking if Jadis thought there was a possibility.
¡°None at all,¡± Jay answered firmly. ¡°If anything, I would say she was one of the primary targets of the attack.¡±
¡°What makes you say that?¡± the Hero asked, his expression unchanged.
¡°She¡¯s chosen to actively ignore Samleos¡¯ wishes. She ignores every message he sends to her, from the moment she hatched. She hates him and the Demons who follow him just as much as we do. Maybe more.
¡°Also, I was attacked by a cultist and some possessed people in the bathroom on the third floor of the restaurant. Before the cultist killed himself with some kind of suicide spell, he imed that he was there to punish ¡®the betrayer¡¯. I¡¯m all but certain that he was talking about Alex.¡±
¡°Betrayer?¡± Ludger asked with his brows raised high. ¡°What does that mean?¡±
¡°That she betrayed the death god¡¯s will,¡± Amarantha said, her expression intrigued. ¡°That would be my guess, at least. Ooh, this is getting interesting, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°She didn¡¯t seem all that cooperative when I saw her with you,¡± Wilhelm continued as he addressed Jay. ¡°In fact, she looked like she was trying to struggle out of your hands. Are you certain in your judgment?¡±
¡°What?¡± Jay asked, confused by the man¡¯s description of events. Then she realized what he was referring to and shook her head. ¡°That wasn¡¯t Alex I was carrying when we met. That was a Demon I caught for interrogation.¡±
Wilhelm looked surprised, but when he nced at the other two, both of them nodded.
¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Amarantha said. ¡°Alex is in there. I think she went upstairs to help Elodie with organizing things again. Quite the helpful soul, really. She looks a fright, but her demeanor is as far from demonic as you can get.¡±
Wilhelm looked down, his expression thoughtful for a moment, before he looked back up into Jay¡¯s eyes and nodded his head once.
¡°I believe you.¡±
Looking into the man¡¯s eyes, Jadis could tell that he wasn¡¯t lying. There was a clear sincerity in Wilhelm that seemed to prohibit even the idea of him being duplicitous with his words or actions. He had asked his question and was satisfied with the answer. Jadis could respect a person who was so forthright in their ways.
¡°Good,¡± Jay nodded, letting out a small breath of relief. ¡°I¡ I¡¯m d you do. I wouldn¡¯t want to have to fight you over it.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t either,¡± Wilhelm said with a widening of his eyes. ¡°I saw the way you tossed those demons around in the kitchen.¡±
¡°You didn¡¯t even see her fight the Greater Wight,¡± Ludger grunted. ¡°This giant¡¯s arms aren¡¯t just for show.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the n now, though?¡± Jay asked after a moment of silence. ¡°What happened in the tunnel? Are there still Demons loose in the city?¡±
¡°The tunnel led to the under city,¡± Wilhelm exined. ¡°There are water reservoirs carved into the stone. It looks like one of them was at least partially drained and the Demons have been hiding in there for some time. The emperor has already been alerted and that area of the undercity has been cordoned off. I met with soldiers at the other end of the tunnel who were already coordinating to clear the reservoirs.¡±
So the Demons had been hiding under the city. For how long? How did they get there? Who had helped them? There were a lot of unanswered questions. Not the least of which was, why now? Whyunch an attack at that very moment? Jadis guessed that Alex was the primary target, but that couldn¡¯t be the whole reason. Nor did she think it was pure coincidence that Wilhelm and his party had managed to arrive in the capital just in time to fend off the sneak attack.
¡°How is it that you intend to interrogate that other demon that you captured?¡± Wilhelm asked after a moment of silence.
¡°I was going to ask Alex to talk to it for me,¡± Jay replied. ¡°She can trante.¡±
¡°I would like to be present for that,¡± Wilhelm stated with determination. ¡°I have my own questions to ask.¡±
¡°So do I, actually,¡± Jay said as she put one hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side. ¡°How did you and yourpanions get here right when the attack was going off? The timing is wildly convenient.¡±
¡°Not convenient enough,¡± Wilhelm frowned. ¡°Otherwise we would have stopped this from ever happening.¡±
¡°Jocelynmuned with Valtar,¡± Amarantha spoke up. ¡°We were given the warning that an attack was imminent on the city and rushed her as soon as we could. Now, the real question is, did Valtar tell us at the right time for us to arrive on the night of the attack? Or did Samleos order his Demons to attack as soon as he realized that we wereing to disrupt the ns of his followers?¡±
¡°Enough with those kinds of questions,¡± Ludgerined, his voice strained with exhaustion. ¡°I have no energy for such philosophy tonight.¡±
¡°Just a question,¡± the Lares said in a sing-song way while smiling like a cat who had gotten the cream.
Jadis suddenly wondered if Jack had some rtion to the fiery little cat witch.
¡°Well, if you want to try and get some answers, I can ask Alex toe out here right now and we can see what we can get out the slimy fucker I¡¯ve got locked in a box. Or we can go somewhere a little more secure?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s find a room,¡± Wilhelm said as he nced towards the others for confirmation. ¡°This warding spell is secure enough, but I¡¯d prefer somewhere less open, just in case. I¡¯ve sent for the others as well, so we may need a ce that all of us can fit. I was told of your suspicions that there is a cultist hiding in our midst, here.¡±
Jay nodded and turned to reenter the bakery. She had, of course, already ryed most of what was being said to herpanions and they were already working on a secure location to have the interrogation. Before she could turnpletely, Ludger held up a hand as he called out to her.
¡°A moment!¡± he said as his worried expression deepened into serious frown. ¡°Before we move on, I have one question of my own that I must have an answer to.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Jay said as she turned back around to face the blond man. ¡°What¡¯s your question?¡±
¡°What exactly is your rtionship with my Elodie?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°You said earlier that she was¡ªthat she was your lover,¡± Ludger said as his voice grew a bit hoarse. ¡°I cannot believe that my love would be unfaithful to me¡ Are you and she truly in love? If she doesn¡¯t want me and wants you instead, I¡ I can¡¯t¡¡±
¡°You¡¯ve got to be shitting me,¡± Jay let out an exhaustedugh. ¡°Look, there is no rtionship, physical or otherwise, between me and Elodie. I barely know her. I was talking about Alex before, not your fianc¨¦. I can promise you, Ludger, Elodie and I are not lovers.¡±
The look of relief that washed over the big man¡¯s face was palpable. He sagged slightly, like all the wind had been taken out of his sails, before he let out a small chuckle.
¡°Oh, thank the gods! I am sorry for the confusion! The heat of battle and all, I just assumed¡ªwell, it matters not! I must buy my lovely Elodie a thousand roses for letting the thought enter my mind for even a moment!¡±
Ludgerughed then, pping Wilhelm on the shoulder who gave him a bemused look.
¡°Of course you would not be speaking of my Elodie. You were only protecting your own lo¡ª¡±
Ludger froze in mid step, his expressionpletely still has the realization of who exactly Jadis had called her lover seemed to finally solidify in his mind.
¡°The demon is your lover?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Truly?¡±
¡°Yes, she is,¡± Jay confirmed with her own bemused smile.
¡°Oh.¡±
Ludger deted as he took the unexpected information in, while Wilhelm blushed and squirmed like a kid who had just heard adults talk about an embarrassing fact of life for the first time. Amarantha had a whole different reaction.
¡°This just keeps getting more and more interesting!¡± Amarantha grinned with delight.
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 393: Sweet and Sour
Chapter 393: Sweet and Sour
¡°Oh, my heart, your face! Look what they did to you! Are you alright? Have you been healed yet?¡±
¡°A scratch, my love, nothing more. What about you? Your leg¡ª¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Elodie assured Ludger as she ced a kiss on his lips to silence his concern. ¡°Priestess Eir was able to set the bone and heal me some moments ago. But what about you? Are you sure you aren¡¯t hurt?¡±
¡°I could be pierced by a thousand arrows and I would be well, now that I know you are safe,¡± Ludger said with utmost sincerity as he gazed lovingly into Elodie¡¯s eyes. ¡°There is no number of demons in the world that would stop me froming to your side.¡±
¡°I knew you woulde for me,¡± Elodie whispered as a deep blush colored her cheeks. ¡°Even at my most frightened, I knew you would be my hero and rescue me¡¡±
The disy was almost sickeningly sweet. Jadis did her best not to intrude on the private moment, but there wasn¡¯t a whole lot of space in the front disy room of the dressmaker¡¯s shop. Even averting her eyes, she could still hear the distinct sounds of the couple¡¯s public disy of affection. Their words and expressions were, in her opinion, overly melodramatic, but she did her best not to roll her eyes. Ludger just seemed to be that kind of expressive personality who spoke every sentence like it was a so. Especially when it came to something he was passionate about. As for Elodie¡
To Jadis¡¯ surprise, the affection she was seeing on disy from the bratty woman looked to be genuine. The way her eyes were locked onto Ludger, the blush in her cheeks, the little movements she made with her hands and how she angled her body; Jadis was convinced the love was real. Which was really quite the shock, since she was certain that Elodie was just marrying the big man because he was one of the Hero¡¯spanions.
From what Vraekae had told her, Ludger had been pining after the young noblewoman since they were both youths, yet she had spurned his advances because he was amoner and she was the granddaughter of the local duke. However, now that Jadis had met Ludger and seen just how astonishingly handsome he was, maybe that story had a different side to it. Elodie definitely came across as smitten with the man. Maybe that attraction had been there all along and she had pushed it away for purposes of duty to her family? It would make some sense, since Jadis doubted nobles often married purely for love, and more often for political gain. Ludger bing the Bulwark would have solved that problem for Elodie nicely, though.
Whatever the situation was between the two, Elodie and Ludger¡¯s love life really wasn¡¯t Jadis¡¯ business. The only reason why she was putting so much thought into it at all was because she was distracting herself while they all waited for one of Wilhelm¡¯s otherpanions to arrive.
The pastry shop where Elodie and Alex had set up the injured from the demon attack to be taken was part of a five-story building that had a different shop on each level. The second floor was a high-ss shoemaker¡¯s shop, which was where the rest of the injured had been moved to in order to keep them separate from the initial bunch that had been led out of the restaurant. It was still possible that some in that number could be cultists, but the people in the pastry shop were Jadis¡¯ prime suspects.
The third floor of the building was a dressmaker¡¯s shop, which was where Jay, Syd, Alex, Wilhelm, Ludger, Amarantha, and Elodie were. There were also several soldiers stationed by the stairwell that led in and out of the shop, as well as one of the guard captains who had taken a position ofmand in the area during the crisis. The man¡¯s name was Rond, and he was still busily giving orders to military runners who were taking his messages out to the soldiers and guards in the area. Wilhelm had asked him to join them since they might need to send out some urgent messages, depending on what they learned from the Demon that they were going to interrogate.
¡°Do we have to wait for both the Oracle and the Pdin?¡± Syd asked Wilhelm as she tapped her bare foot on the plush carpet. ¡°The longer we wait, the more time we give the cultists to do something.¡±
¡°No, we don¡¯t have to wait for both,¡± Wilhelm shook his head. ¡°Either Jocelyn or Lucia would be of help here.¡±
Jocelyn the Oracle and Lucia the Pdin. Jadis knew a little about both from Vraekae¡¯s information, but she didn¡¯t know too much, either. The Oracle was human and had already been known as a skilled healer even before bing one of the Hero¡¯spanions. Lucia was a therion, Jadis had been surprised to learn. Considering what she knew of therion¡¯s from her lover Kerr and her mentor, Noll, she had trouble imagining one as a holy knight. Still, Lucia had evidently been a rising star among the ranks of Valtar¡¯s holy order of pdins when she had heard the call and joined up with Wilhelm and be ¡°The Pdin¡± instead of just ¡°a pdin¡±. Not the most clearcut naming convention, in Jadis¡¯ opinion.
Apparently, both women possessed some means of detecting if a person was a cultist. Jocelyn had a ritual she could perform that would let her know if anyone in the vicinity possessed a cultist ss, or a ss dedicated to Samleos. Lucia had a spell that let her know if a person was ¡°dedicated¡± to Samleos, whatever that meant. She wouldn¡¯t know their ss or anything, and she needed to be able to touch the person to cast the spell on them, but she would know if they were involved with the god of death.
Jadis understood why Wilhelm wanted at least one of the two to be around for the interrogation, since they would be immediately helpful in confirming any info on who was a cultist or might have been involved in the attack, but that didn¡¯t mean she was happy with the dy. There was, Jadis was certain, a cultist down on the first floor who had managed to slip one of the cursed pendants back onto Dys during all the fighting. A and Eir¡¯s parents were down there. As were most of her lovers. The idea of the bastard being down there, basically free to do gods knew what, was making her tense. She wanted the cultist dealt with, and not just for her own sense of vengeance for what they had put her through.
At least her lovers were in the know and doing what they could to make sure everyone was being watched. Thea was practically glued to Eir¡¯s side, and A was sticking right next to her parents. Kerr and Sorcha were keeping close to Eir¡¯s parents, Sabina was still with Dys, and Bridget was wandering between the different groups while keeping her ears and eyes open.
¡°I believe Lucia has arrived,¡± Amarantha called out from where she sat on the windowsill at the front of the shop. ¡°Along with Halvor. And a gaggle of priests, by the look of it.¡±
Jay took a few steps closer and leaned over to take a look out of the window. The street down below was still chaotic with the number of soldiers running around, but it was more organized than it had been an hour ago. A group of riders on horseback hade to a stop in front of their building and Jadis could see that Amarantha was right about the priests. A group of ten men and women were dismounting, all of them wearing priestly robes and disying the symbols of various gods. Jadis recognized one man as a priest of Charos who she had sparred with in the temple district, though she didn¡¯t remember his name at the moment. The priests were quick to disperse into the crowd of soldiers, the glow of their healing magic easily visible despite the manynterns and torches lighting the street. Jadis was certain that anyone who was still injured from the attack was about to get some excellent treatment, though the healing wasn¡¯t going to help those who hadn¡¯t survived the battle.
Among the priests, Jadis saw two figures who stood out. One was a broad-shouldered human man with red hair and that had been shaved on either side of his head to give him a thick mohawk. His goatee was thick and the hair on his chin was long enough to reach his chest. His upper body was bare; no sign of armor or even a stitch of cloth, but his skin was covered in dark blue tattoos. The man had two axes on his belt, but the moment he was off of his horse she saw that he had drawn the weapons and was looking around the area with sharp eyes.
The other was a woman wearing chainmail and a steel breastte that had the symbol of Valtar emzoned across the front. She was a pale woman, almost as pale as Jadis, with a mane of thick white hair. She had two ck horns that curved out from her forehead, though they were nowhere near as long as Kerr¡¯s horns, probably no more than six inches. She was carrying a sword on her back that was nearly as tall as she was, and when she turned her back towards the building to speak with a priest, Jadis saw that the sword¡¯s de was wavy in the style of a mberge. When she turned back towards the building and looked up, Jay could see that her cat-like eyes were an unsettling shade of red, not too dissimr from Vraekae¡¯s irises.
Wilhelm quickly disappeared down the stairs and, a minuteter, led the Pdin and the Berserker into the shop. When the two entered, Jadis saw that Halvor was a few inches taller than Wilhelm despite his hunched posture, but still shorter than Ludger. Lucia was the same height as the Hero, though she seemed taller thanks to her short horns and her rigid posture.
As the three entered the room, Jay saw Halvor¡¯s dark eyes instantly shoot towards Alex who was standing next to Syd. The man let out a deep growl and bared his teeth like a wolf.
¡°Calm yourself, Halvor,¡± Wilhelm said as he put a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Alex is our ally, in this endeavor.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t see how a demon can be trusted,¡± the man growled as he continued to rake Alex with an angry eye. ¡°Even if you put it in a dress and teach it a few words.¡±
¡°Talk shit about Alex and I¡¯ll put your head through that wall,¡± Syd calmly pointed at Halvor, then at the wall behind him. ¡°Touch her without permission, and I¡¯ll break you in half.¡±
¡°Hvem tror du at du snakker med?¡± the wild man puffed his chest as he turned on Syd. ¡°I¡¯ll rip your tongue out if you keep wagging it like a bitch.¡±
¡°Stop!¡± Wilhelm shouted as Halvor took an angry step towards Syd. ¡°That¡¯s not why we¡¯re here!¡±
Syd had taken her own menacing step forward, but reined her impulse in. She could kick the shit out of the barbarianter.
¡°Then why are we here?¡± Halvor shrugged Wilhelm¡¯s hand off of his shoulder but took a step back. ¡°Something about cultists?¡±
¡°An interrogation, supposedly,¡± Lucia spoke. Her voice was calm and her ent tinged in that French way that Jadis was familiar with from others in the city. ¡°Who are we questioning?¡±
Wilhelm looked towards Syd, which she took as a signal. Cracking open the sealed wooden box she held under one arm, she pulled the wriggling form of the possession Demon out of it and held it up for the room to see.
¡°This little shit,¡± Syd exined. ¡°Alex is going to get whatever information she can out of it. This one was possessing the body of a schr from the academy, so I assume it¡¯s higher level than most and must have been around a while. It¡¯s probably seen things that can help us root out any cultists or conspirators, if Alex can get it to talk.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a big if, if you ask me,¡± Ludger said as he inserted himself into the conversation. He had left Elodie sitting on one of the plush benches by the wall and took up a position next to Wilhelm. ¡°How would you convince the swine to say anything? Death is no threat to a Demon, and I cannot think of any bribe you could coerce one with.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Syd shrugged. ¡°But I¡¯m going to try. If you all want to help, you¡¯re wee to. If not, then go do whatever it is you¡¯re going to do elsewhere, because I¡¯m too tired to dick around right now.¡±
¡°This is a Nephilim, hm?¡± Halvor said as he crossed his arms across his muscr chest. ¡°Not as prissy as I had feared.¡±
¡°Go priss your face,¡± Syd flipped the barbarian the bird.
¡°Sallow hag.¡±
¡°Pig fucker.¡±
¡°You are¡ Both being¡ Rude¡¡±
Alex¡¯s interruption caused Syd to cut off her next words as she realized she¡¯d gotten caught up in the moment. Halvor was also silenced as he stared at the frowning Demon woman with his jaw hanging open.
¡°Perhaps we should¡ proceed with the interrogation?¡± Wilhelm asked as he, too, stared at Alex with some measure of disbelief.
¡°Yes, we should,¡± Syd nodded. ¡°Come on, Alex. Let¡¯s see what this little shit has to say for itself.¡±
Chapter 394: Interrogation
Chapter 394: Interrogation
¡°Anger¡ Hatred¡ ughter¡¡±
¡°About what I would expect out of a demon,¡± Ludger grumbled from the sideline.
¡°Shush,¡± Amarantha told the Bulwark as she watched the scene with fascination. ¡°I am trying to see if I can pick up on how they aremunicating.¡±
¡°A lot of it¡¯s bodynguage,¡± Syd whispered to the Lares from where she stood nearby. ¡°But there¡¯s also a lotmunicated by taste or smell, which I can¡¯t really parse. Sound doesn¡¯t y into theirnguage at all.¡±
¡°That makes some sense,¡± Wilhelmmented as he rubbed his chin with thumb and finger. ¡°Demons do not have ears in their natural state, after all.¡±
¡°I said shush!¡± the ming cat demanded as her squeaky voice rose in pitch. ¡°I can¡¯t concentrate if you keep distracting me!¡±
Syd obeyed Amarantha¡¯smand as she focused on the ¡°conversation¡± happening between Alex and the possession Demon. Not that much information had been revealed since they had begun. The Demon had been less than forting with Alex so far, which was something that Jadis had expected. There really wasn¡¯t much reason for the demonic squid to cooperate with them, after all. Straight answers were never her expectations, though. Jadis hoped that Alex would be able to glean some useful information just frommunicating with a creature that likely wasn¡¯t used to being ¡°verbally¡± deceptive.
The small but hostile Demon had been ced on a table in the middle of the dress shop. Alex stood before it, fully focused and engaged with the creature, while Jay stood just to the side of her, ready to act if necessary. While her Syd self, Wilhelm, Ludger, and Amarantha stood a distance back to give Alex room to work, Lucia and Halvor had stationed themselves close to the table in case the Demon tried to escape.
Well, the Demon had tried to escape, several times in fact. But Alex was faster than the smaller Demon and she had kept it on the table with her superior speed and strength. ording to Alex, the Demon hadn¡¯t said much at first. After a few minutes of fruitless attempts it had stopped trying to escape and was instead venting its anger at Alex, while also tossing abuse at the gathered force.
¡°Your flesh¡ Is food¡ For worms¡¡± Alex tranted thetest round of hurled insults. ¡°Die¡ Crumble¡ Rot¡ Feed for insects¡ And fungus¡¡±
¡°Is that really what this scum is saying?¡± Halvor asked with one lip curled as he stared at the pale green eye of the Demon.
¡°That doese across as far more coherent than I would expect,¡± Luciamented, her stance wary but less on-edge than Halvor. ¡°I would have thought its vocabry more limited.¡±
¡°Words are difficult¡¡± Alex said as she nced up at Halvor and Lucia, though Jadis noticed that her middle eye stayed focused on the Demon. ¡°Concepts¡ Emotions¡ Intentions¡ We speak clearly¡¡±
Halvor snorted, but he didn¡¯t say anything further.
¡°Oh, that twist of three tentacles!¡± Amarantha eximed suddenly. ¡°It keeps doing that! What does that mean?¡±
¡°Betrayer¡¡± Alex answered. ¡°She calls me¡ A Betrayer¡ Because I will not¡ Follow Samleos¡¡±
Jadis had heard that more than a few times so far during the course of the interrogation. While a good amount of the angry sentiments being expressed by the Demon were directed towards the group atrge, the bulk of the hatred was focused on Alex in particr. It, or she, knew that Alex was the enemy of Samleos, likely due to Samleos pressing his thoughts upon her.
¡°Perhaps I should begin searching for the cultist hiding in the crowd below?¡± Lucia asked the room atrge as she watched Alex and the Demon continue their exchange. ¡°It does not seem as though much information of relevance will be forting, at least not immediately.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a fair point,¡± Wilhelm told the pale therion. ¡°I will send for you if we gain some information that will aid you in the search.¡±
With a silent nod, Lucia took her leave as she politely pushed past the guard captain who had stationed himself near the doorway leading to the stairs.
For his part, the guard captain looked equal parts confused and disturbed by the scene, but he had the good sense to keep quiet. Jadis could sympathize with the man. He looked like he had been dragged into a situation that had gone way over his head. She knew the feeling.
¡°You are certain that the people downstairs unknowingly harbor a cultist still, yes?¡± Wilhelm asked as the Pdin¡¯s footsteps echoed behind the closed door.
¡°As certain as I can be,¡± Syd shrugged expressively. ¡°Someone slipped that cursed pendant back onto my other self. It¡¯s possible they managed to sneak away already, but the guards were pretty careful to keep everyone together.¡±
When Syd shrugged, her ruined dress lifted high, exposing more of her already exposed thighs. Fortunately, Jadis had worn some veryfortable underwear on her bodies that night, but Syd¡¯s long legs were still on full disy thanks to her having torn her skirt to wrap the material around Severina¡¯s injury. It really wasn¡¯t an issue for Jadis to be so exposed since she didn¡¯t have a problem with others seeing something as rtively innocent as her legs, but she noticed that Wilhelm was being exceedingly careful to keep her thighs outside of his peripheral vision. He really was blushing like a schoolboy over the smallest hint of sexuality.
Sure, Jadis knew she had a trio of killer bodies, but she didn¡¯t think her beauty was that distracting.
¡°This isn¡¯t working,¡± Halvor grunted with impatience. ¡°A brainless slug like this isn¡¯t going to have anything to say worth hearing. We should kill it and be done!¡±
¡°Keep your panties on,¡± Jay frowned at the barbarian. ¡°It¡¯s only been fifteen minutes.¡±
¡°Still a waste,¡± the copper-haired man said as he paced back and forth like a dog on a chain. ¡°Even if it has something to say worth hearing, it¡¯s not going to betray its own for no reason. Tell the damned thing that I¡¯ll crush it to paste unless it voices something worth saying in the next minute!¡±
¡°That will¡ Not work¡¡± Alex carefully shook her head at Halvor. ¡°She would¡ Prefer Death¡ To being here¡¡±
¡°She prefers death?¡± Jay asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°She wants to die?¡±
¡°Death¡ Is a Return¡ To the Father¡¡±
¡°If all these Demons want is to return to their father, why don¡¯t they all toss themselves into a fire and be done with it?¡± Ludger asked with his arms folded. ¡°It would save us all a lot of trouble.¡±
¡°They want¡ To please¡ Samleos¡¡± Alex said as she turned to look at the Bulwark. ¡°They will¡ Kill¡ Many¡ Before dying¡ If Possible¡¡±
¡°And why do you not want to please Samleos?¡± Amarantha abruptly asked.
¡°Ama,¡± Wilhelm said quietly in a scolding tone. ¡°That¡¯s not polite.¡±
¡°My apologies,¡± the Lares said, though she didn¡¯t sound terribly sorry. ¡°Just a question I had nibbling my ear. Feel free to ignore me.¡±
¡°Samleos desires¡ Destruction¡¡± Alex answered Amarantha¡¯s question without any sign of being offended. ¡°He is¡ Wrong¡ I wish¡ To please¡ Jadis¡¡±
¡°Hm, I¡¯m sure you do,¡± Amarantha hummed as her two-toned eyes flicked between Alex and Jay.
¡°Getting back on track,¡± Jay coughed into her fist. ¡°We¡¯re trying to figure out how to get answers out of the that Demon, not this one.¡± She ced a hand on Alex¡¯s shoulder for emphasis. ¡°None of you have any other suggestions, do you?¡±
Wilhelm shook his head in the negative while Ludger shrugged. Amarantha¡¯s expression was contemtive, but she didn¡¯t voice any ideas.
¡°If death doesn¡¯t scare it, maybe pain will,¡± Halvor said as he pointed one of his axes at the Demon on the table. ¡°I bet if I start chopping off tentacles, it¡¯ll be of a mind to talk.¡±
Both Jay and Syd grimaced at the suggestion. The idea of torture didn¡¯t sit well with Jadis, not after her previous experience with threatening the act back in Weigrun. Her temper back then had been at its worst and she¡¯d been raw with pain and emotion, so torturing someone who she med for a lot of the trouble she¡¯d gone through had seemed reasonable. In hindsight, not as much. Even if the Demon was a truly evil creature that wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill everyone she loved if given half the chance, it was still an intelligent, living being. Hacking limbs off until it talked felt¡ well, it made her feel like she wasn¡¯t the good guy in the situation.
ncing over at Wilhelm, Jay saw the conflict on the man¡¯s face as well. He didn¡¯t look any morefortable with the idea of torturing the Demon than she did. But he also wasn¡¯t objecting, either. Maybe he was thinking the same thing that Jadis was. Being the good guy was a somewhat na?ve idea, after all. Wilhelm was the Hero. She was here to change the world. Neither job description said that they¡¯d be keeping their hands clean.
¡°I do not understand why you are hesitating.¡±
Jay turned to look at Elodie, who had up to that point remained silent during the interrogation. She was looking far moreposed than she had fifteen minutes ago, sitting with her hands held demurely together in herp while she watched the proceedings. When her eyes met Jay¡¯s gaze, she tilted her head upwards and raised a single eyebrow.
¡°You¡¯ve all killed dozens, if not hundreds, of Demons. Certainly thousands between you all. You¡¯ve hardly balked at your duty before. If torture is what is needed to save lives, then it is justified. After all, other than pain, what else is there to threaten the putrescent monster with?¡±
Jadis hated to admit it, but Elodie had a point. She knew that under different circumstances, she wouldn¡¯t think twice about killing the green-eyed Demon. She¡¯d do it in a heartbeat, since she knew the fiend had murdered many innocent lives already. There really wasn¡¯t any good reason to hesitate, other than her personal sense of morality. She wasn¡¯t even sure if the gods would care if they tortured a Demon. She doubted D would, and he had guaranteed her a spot in his afterlife anyway.
If there was no religious or societal objection to be made, then why balk now?
¡°Then there¡¯s no reason to wait,¡± Halvor said after no one voiced any objections. Raising his axe, he continued, ¡°I count twelve tentacles on this one. That¡¯s twelve chances to talk before ending this farce.¡±
¡°One¡ Moment¡¡±
Alex raised one hand to forestall Halvor¡¯s chop. The man stopped, his axe suspended over the squirming Demon, though he didn¡¯t look happy about the dy. Jadis was curious, too, but she remained silent to let Alex make her own decisions.
¡°I have¡ An idea¡¡± she said as she began motioning towards the Demon again.
This time, the interaction between the two Demons was a far more fric one. Alex¡¯s movements were moreplicated, with twisting and curving patterns as well as a stronger series of scents that came in quick waves, fast enough that Jadis could barely process them. There were even times when her tentacles would reach out and touch the smaller Demon, grabbing and prodding in ways that looked far more domineering than Jadis had previously seen Alex behave. The possession Demon, for her part, grew wilder with its motions by the second, eventually reaching a point where Jadis wasn¡¯t even sure it was fully in control of what its limbs were doing.
¡°That looks like fear, to me¡¡± Amaranthamented as she watched the disy.
¡°Yes, it does,¡± Jay quietly agreed.
¡°She will¡ Tell us¡ What she can¡¡± Alex suddenly spoke up as she turned her neon-blue eyes onto Jay.
¡°What did you say to her?¡± Jay asked, surprised by the abrupt change of heart.
¡°I told her¡ That she would¡ Be sealed¡ In a ss cage¡ Forever¡¡±
¡°That threat forced her to speak?¡± Wilhelm eximed. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°She would never die,¡± Syd murmured as the realization of what the threat truly meant to a Demon came to her. ¡°They don¡¯t eat. They don¡¯t breathe. It would be forced to watch us, continuing to live and be healthy, for eternity. A fate worse than death, for a Demon dedicated to Samleos.¡±
Jay gave Alex a look, fully understanding exactly what had inspired her toe up with the threat, considering how the Demon had spent the first few months of her adult life.
Alex gave her a shrug.
¡°Alright then,¡± Ludger heaved in a big lungful of air as he seemed to mentally ept the change in circumstances. ¡°What does the little fiend know?¡±
What followed was a long and drawn-out interview that really only took about half an hour but felt like an eternity due to the trantion dys. The Demon¡¯s understanding of the world was limited by its own narrow perspective, so a lot of the information was difficult to parse. Alex¡¯s vastly superior understanding of non-demonguage helped, but she still had gaps in her ownprehension that caused confusion. As difficult as the interrogation was, it was ultimately worth it. By the end, they had a much better understanding of how exactly the Demons had managed to pull off the surprise attack.
A sect of cultists operating inside the empire had been secreting the Demons into the city for over a year. Hundreds of Demons had been transported from the borders and secretly hidden inside a drained reservoir in the city¡¯s underbelly. The green-eyed Demon hadcked the context and understanding to be able to exin the deeper details of how the smuggling had been aplished, but they were still able to glean a good bit of information. At least thirty-nine cultists were involved, a number the Demon was certain of since it knew a different scent for each one. They were even able to get the race, sex, and approximate age of each cultist since those were identifying features that the Demon understood. No names, though, since personal identification like that wasn¡¯t something that came naturally to Demon kind.
They were also able to determine that the Demons had been smuggled from multiple different borders, not just a single location. The Demon knew that from what other Demons had described from their journeys and their origins. The cultist¡¯swork was widespread and reached the far corners of the empire. While only small shipments of Demons came in at one or two at a time, there were many, many shipments that were spread out over a wide range, or so it seemed from what the Demon was able to exin.
One of the biggest pieces of the puzzle that they were able to learn, though, was why so many Demons had been able to remain inactive inside of a city filled with life. The orders to do so hade directly from the Demon Lord.
¡°The Demon lord ordered them to stay hidden?¡± Wilhelm asked Alex as he stood nearby, a pensive expression souring his face. ¡°He had enough sway to keep them in check for that long?¡±
¡°Yes¡¡± Alex answered the Hero. ¡°She says¡ The Demon Lord¡ Is strong¡ Is cunning¡ He knows¡ To kill many¡ Requires patience¡¡±
¡°Great,¡± Syd ran her fingers through her dirty hair. ¡°Just fucking great. He¡¯s not just a monstrous, murdering prick, but he¡¯s a patient prick.¡±
¡°Why does that matter?¡± Ludger asked as he furrowed his perfect brow in confusion. ¡°So what if he¡¯s patient? That just means he¡¯s slow to act.¡±
¡°No, my love, it does not mean that,¡± Elodie corrected her beefcake of a fianc¨¦. ¡°It means that the Demon Lord is the type to n things out well ahead of time and has the patience to wait to see his nse to fruition.¡±
¡°This n¡ Was rushed¡ In the end¡¡± Alex added.
¡°Why was it rushed?¡± Jay asked, though she felt she already knew the reason.
¡°Because of you¡ And me¡¡±
Of course. The Demon lord had been waiting for more than a year to gather a secret force under the city. It had to have taken an immense amount of nning and care to make it all happen without anyone in the city discovering the danger. Jadis had no doubt that the culmination of that long running and expensive n had nothing to do with attacking a fancy restaurant.
They had been after Jadis and Alex. Jadis because she was trying to bring an end to the cycle, and Alex because she had betrayed Samleos. That was Jadis¡¯ guess, at any rate. Maybe the Demon Lord had learned that persons of interest to Samleos were going to be in the city and had told the cultists and Demons to attack at the best opportunity. Maybe the Demons had more than just their own intuitive connection to Samleos directing their actions. The other gods had oracles. Why not Samleos?
¡°So they nned on attacking with arger forceter,¡± Wilhelm mused out loud as he stared unseeing up at the ceiling. ¡°Likely when as few of the city¡¯s defenders were around as possible.¡±
¡°They attacked the temple district,¡± Halvor growled as he tugged at his beard with one hand. ¡°And the academy. And the bridge leading to the pce.¡±
¡°They also attacked here and the city barracks,¡± Amarantha added. ¡°Many targets, even for asrge a force as they managed to muster.¡±
¡°They had some sess,¡± Wilhelm shook his head as he crossed his arms. ¡°The military was forced to respond to multiple locations, primarily the pce bridge and the temple district. That meant the other attacks had more time to progress before city defenders could be brought to bear against them.¡±
¡°Imagine if they had a few more months to gather forces,¡± Jay murmured as she mulled over the possibilities. ¡°Or even another year. Hundreds, if not thousands more Demons. It could have been overwhelming.¡±
¡°Even with what they had here today, they could have done a lot more damage if you all hadn¡¯t arrived in time to fight them,¡± Syd added.
It really wasn¡¯t the mostplicated n, but it had been masterfully executed. Even with the attack going of prematurely, the cultists and Demons still managed to target an event where they were able to kill off who knew how many members of the nobility. They hadn¡¯t seeded in their attempt at killing Jadis or Alex, but the overall n hadn¡¯t been a failure, either. Jadis figured the city would be counting its dead for days.
¡°And there¡¯s nothing else the Demon can tell us about the cultists?¡± Amarantha asked after a pregnant pause. ¡°No further information on their whereabouts or how we can identify them?¡±
Alex shook her head firmly before answering.
¡°Nothing¡ More¡¡±
So, that avenue was a disappointment. The Demon couldn¡¯t tell them who the cultists were individually. But still, the interrogation had given them some good information to act on. They could at least start their search now that they had a better understanding of just how big of a problem they were dealing with when it came to thework of cultists. Jadis doubted even Kestil, as devious a man as the prince was, had any inkling to just howrge of a threat the cult of Samleos had be.
¡°Any¡ More questions?¡± Alex asked the room atrge.
¡°Nothing more I can think of,¡± Jay said as the others murmured simr sentiments.
¡°Good¡¡±
With that pronouncement, Alex suddenly whipped one of herrge tentacles down at the smaller Demon on the table. A blue me of burning magic cracked like lightning as the possession Demon was sttered to pieces across the wooden surface.
¡°What the fuck, Alex!?¡± Jay and Syd both eximed.
¡°Our bargain¡ Wasplete¡¡± the demonic pdin said as she faced Jay fully. ¡°She wished¡ For death¡¡±
¡°Good riddance,¡± Halvor spat at the smeared remains.
¡°We might have had follow-up questionster, Alex,¡± Jay chided the Demon.
¡°It was¡ A bargain¡¡± Alex argued back. ¡°I Promised¡¡±
¡°Okay, well, next time,¡± Jay sighed as she pulled Alex closer for a hug, ¡°Give me some warning, okay?¡±
¡°Okay¡¡±
While Jay and Alex hugged, the Hero¡¯s party started talking as they moved towards the stairs. Wilhelm and Ludger were already talking to the guard captain, giving him orders on who to send information to so they could start the search for anyone involved in the transportation of the Demons immediately. Halvor was talking about heading into the reservoir to search for leads, with or without the army¡¯s help. Even Elodie was adding to the mix of voices as she told Ludger about some merchant connections her family had that might offer some insight into the underbelly of smuggling that could have been involved in the transportation of Demons.
¡°A shame that we could not learn anything to narrow down who the cultist might be downstairs,¡± Amarantha¡¯s voice came from somewhere around Jay¡¯s feet. ¡°But not to worry. Lucia is the tenacious sort. She will sniff them out.¡±
Jay looked down to see the small fiery cat sitting on the floor. She was poking at one of Alex¡¯s ck tentacles with her paw, like she was curious about the texture.
¡°Hopefully she can,¡± Jay said. ¡°If he or she hasn¡¯t already managed to slip away in all the chaos.¡±
¡°A distinct possibility,¡± Amarantha agreed. ¡°If they are a master of illusions, as it seems likely they are, then they could have escaped using some form of invisibility or deception.¡±
Leaping up from the ground tond on a clean spot near one corner of the table, the Lares looked up at Jay and Alex with an earnest expression on her feline face.
¡°Do you remember anyone? Anyone at all who could be a stronger suspect than just the crowd atrge? Your memory may be the only evidence that we have to go on, if Lucia cannot identify anyone.¡±
Jay shook her head slowly as she went over the events of the evening. Her memory was a little muddled from the frantic activity and her own growing exhaustion, but nothing immediately came to mind.
¡°There were a lot of injured people around my other self. I was helping move people where and when I could, so any of them could have slipped the bracelet back onto my wrist when I wasn¡¯t looking. Especially if they were using illusions to hide their movements.¡±
¡°Was there anyone you interacted with more than once?¡± Amarantha pressed. ¡°If the cultist was trying to get the item back onto you, they might have had to try more than once before getting the right opportunity.¡±
¡°That doesn¡¯t narrow it down too much either,¡± Jay shrugged. ¡°With how chaotic it all was, I was talking to just about everyone multiple times while we tried to keep everyone safe. I was helping everyone from Lords to guards to servants; anyone who was injured. And there were plenty of people who were helping me, too. I just can¡¯t think of anyone who stood out more than anyone else.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± the Mystic sighed. ¡°I suppose that was a little too much to ask. In any case, it looks like the others are leaving us behind. We should get downstairs and see what more needs to be done.¡±
Jay nodded along with the Lares¡¯ words as she moved towards the stairs where her Syd self was already waiting. There was still a lot to do, even if her more active role was over for the time being. Sure, she wasn¡¯t going to be running out and fighting any more Demons for the moment, but she wanted to make sure that all of her friends and family were safe. She couldn¡¯t rest until she knew that was the case, even with all the injuries that she had piled up over the course of the evening.
¡°I hope we can get Sabina to some better healing soon,¡± Sydmented tiredly as she shuffled down the stairs. ¡°Eir¡¯s doing the best she can, but we need someone who can purge whatever poison is in her system out of her. And out of me, for that matter.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure Jocelyn will be able to handle that issue once she arrives,¡± Amarantha said as she bnced on the stair banister. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you are so sturdy. I do not think many people could handle being as injured as you are, even with three bodies.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Jay let out a weary halfugh. ¡°I¡¯m d for a lot of things tonight. My own big health pool is one of them. Alex¡¯s health is another.¡±
¡°She was in the jaws of another greater Demon,¡± Syd exined when she saw the question on Amarantha¡¯s face. ¡°And that was after she spent I don¡¯t know how many minutes defending a woman on the stairs from dozens of Demons attacking her. She really had me worried that she wasn¡¯t going to be able to survive all that damage.¡±
¡°But Alex is tougher than she looks,¡± Jay smiled as she walked down the stairs with the Demon held close against her side. ¡°And she already looks tough. Right Alex?¡±
¡°Man¡¡±
¡°Hm?¡± Jay gave Alex a confused look. ¡°What was that?¡±
¡°Man¡¡±
¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Jay rified her confusion as she slowed her pace on the stairs. ¡°Why are you saying that word?¡±
¡°I defended¡ A man¡ On the stairs¡¡± Alex slowly exined. ¡°I thought¡ He was you¡ But that was¡ An illusion¡¡±
¡°Right,¡± Jay said as she frowned down at her demonic lover. ¡°It was an illusion making it seem like that woman was me. But it was actually an elf woman, a servant, you were protecting.¡±
¡°No¡¡± Alex said with perfect confidence as she looked Jay in the eye. ¡°That was¡ Not an elf¡ Or a woman¡ That was¡ A human¡ Man¡ I tasted¡ Him¡ When I¡ Touched him¡¡±
There was a short, tense silence as Jay and Syd both stopped walking down the stairs. It was broken by an exmation that echoed in the stairwell and could also be heard a couple floors down inside of the bakery where Dys sat staring with her eyes wide.
¡°Motherfucker!¡±
Chapter 395: Unexpected Results
Chapter 395: Unexpected Results
¡°Where the fuck did she go!?¡±
¡°He¡¡±
¡°Right, yeah, he, whatever,¡± Jay growled as she glowered at the rapidly emptying bakery. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the backstabbing bitch actually managed to escape.¡±
Jadis was furious. Beyond furious, actually. She was so angry that all remnants of her exhaustion had been wiped clean from her mind and bodies. As her mother used to say, if she cracked an egg on her forehead then she¡¯d be ready to serve breakfast in two minutes.
The cultist had been under her nose the entire time. She, or rather, he, had been posing as the elven serving woman that Alex had been protecting on the stairs. In reality, the elf had actually been a human man who had disguised himself with an illusion.
Jadis didn¡¯t me Alex for not saying anything. Why would she? She had no reason to suspect that the man posing as a woman was doing so for nefarious purposes. After all, from the Demon¡¯s perspective, putting on an illusion to change your appearance was no different from putting on clothes. It was just the same kind of pointless window dressing that everyone who wasn¡¯t a Demon did.
The person Jadis med was herself. She should have known, or at least suspected that the servant was rted somehow. Sure, it was possible that the illusionist could have cast a spell that made some random person look like Jadis so that Alex would be confused, but it made far, far more sense that they would make themselves look like Jadis, so that they could maneuver Alex where they wanted rather than relying on chance. She¡¯d also been staying close to Dys the whole time. Not that she didn¡¯t have cause to; she was a frightened woman who wanted to stay near the strongest person in the room. But Jadis saw now that she¡¯d just been waiting for an opportunity to make another attempt at fucking with her mind. And she had gotten one, too, when she had helped Dys carry Sabina. It was the perfect chance moment of contact that allowed her to slip the pendant onto Dys¡¯ wrist without her or anyone else noticing.
No, not she. He. Jadis trusted Alex¡¯s perception. The cultist was a man wearing a disguise. Maybe it was all a misunderstanding and the guy was actually just a simple crossdresser or the like, but Jadis knew in her heart it was nothing so innocent. The fact that the purple elf had disappeared from the crowd of injured people wasn¡¯t coincidence. The fucker had likely stolen the identity of some poor servant and worn her face like a mask. Jadis had no doubt that any person capable of casting illusions powerful enough to mess with both her and Alex, could certainly use a spell to appear as a different race and gender to everyone else if they wanted to.
¡°There¡¯s still a chance we might find him.¡±
Jay nced at A, observing the calm way that she held herself, even in such a stressful, angering situation. The sight forced her to take a breath and try to calm herself. Flying off the handle wasn¡¯t going to help anyone.
¡°Maybe,¡± Jay said in a more subdued tone. ¡°But I doubt it. The shitbag probably snuck out of here the moment the Hero showed up. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s smart enough to get out of the area once he saw that people who could identify him were on their way.¡±
¡°Language¡¡±
¡°When did you be so opposed to cursing?¡± Jay huffed at Alex. ¡°It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t heard me cuss a thousand times before.¡±
Alex leaned in close to Jay, two sets of arms and a few tentacles clinging to her side. She had her head nestled against Jay¡¯s shoulder and had closed her eyes in apparent bliss.
¡°This is¡ Politepany¡¡± Alex said without changing her expression. ¡°Manners¡¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think any of the nobles care right now,¡± Jay rolled her eyes. ¡°And even if they did, I wouldn¡¯t care if they cared.¡±
Most of the nobles who had been gathered inside of the pastry shop had been escorted out. Lucia had been busy, using her spell to check each person in turn to see if they had any connection to Samleos. Once she had checked the individual, she had ordered them out of the building, so that they couldn¡¯t get mixed back in with the rest. Less chance for an illusion specialist to use their spells to avoid detection that way, and Lucia could avoid scanning the same person twice. The spell did cost magic, after all, and apparently Amarantha¡¯s magic restoration potions were costly and in limited supply. The less magic spent, the better.
¡°I¡¯m with big stuff,¡± Kerr said as she crossed the floor to join Jay, A, and Alex where they stood against one wall together. ¡°He¡¯s not here. The only ones left are the badly wounded who can¡¯t even move. No way he¡¯d pretend to be one of those.¡±
¡°If he did, the first time a healer used their magic, they¡¯d know he was faking because he¡¯d be at full health,¡± A exined before Jay could ask the question hanging off the tip of her tongue. ¡°Eir would have spotted him by now. She¡¯s been healing everyone.¡±
Indeed, Eir had been running around the shopying her hands on every person, making sure that their health was as good as it could get with the power she possessed. Jay watched with a mix of pride, love, and concern as her tired elven priestess hurried back and forth between different patients. No matter how many people needed her, Eir was constantly checking on both Dys and Sabina, topping both of their health up to about half whenever it dropped below a quarter full.
The poison that was in both of their systems seemed to work off of their current health percentage. If they had more than half of their maximum health, the damage was greatly increased. But under the half mark, the damage was reduced enough that it was manageable. The poison never stopped eating away at their health, but it slowed.
While Eir kept up her healing rotation, Syd, Thea, and Bridget were searching the pastry shop from top to bottom. There was always the possibility that the cultist could have tried to hide in a cupboard or in a barrel, so they were making sure everyst nook and cranny was checked. They were even being careful to physically touch everything they saw, just to make sure there wasn¡¯t an illusion blocking their vision.
¡°C¡¯mon, up you go,¡± Sorcha told an older nobleman with some pretty serious damage to his leg. ¡°Time to get you checked and then back to your house or mansion or whatever.¡±
Jay watched as the goblin woman helped two guards escort the man to where Lucia was. Despite herck of social standing, or manners, she was doing well keeping everyone calm and moving. Jadis figured it mostly had to do with how abrupt and matter of fact the goblin was, which helped keep the panicked and injured from focusing too hard on things that would just make their mental states worsen.
¡°What are we going to do after this?¡±
Jay nced down at A. Her redheaded lover hadn¡¯t looked at her when she¡¯d spoken. Instead, she was just staring out the front windows with an empty expression. Jadis knew that despite A¡¯s impassive appearance, her mind was no doubt running overtime.
¡°Go back to the temple and drink my own body weight in wine and ale?¡± Kerr idly replied with a tired note to her voice.
¡°Definitely sleep,¡± Jay said. ¡°Maybe after a drink or two. But sleep, definitely. I don¡¯t think either of you can really understand just how much pain my Dys self is in right now, and just how exhausting dealing with that is.¡±
¡°No, I don¡¯t think I do,¡± A agreed after a moment. ¡°But I mean after we recover from this ordeal. What are we going to do?¡±
¡°I¡ don¡¯t know,¡± Jay murmured as her mind shifted tracks. ¡°I mean, on one hand, nothing about the ns we¡¯ve already made really have to change. We can keep going with what we¡¯re already doing.¡±
¡°Yeah, but on the other hand, I want to track down those cultists and rip their balls and or vaginas off and stuff them down their throats.¡±
Jadis absolutely agreed with Kerr¡¯s crude sentiment. She wasn¡¯t the type of person to let someone knock her on the chin and then just move on without doing something about it. She wanted to go after the assholes who had gone after her and her family. Leaving the investigation up to the Hero and his party, or imperial investigators, or whoever, was not an option.
¡°We¡¯ll need to see how we can best get involved once things settle down a little,¡± Jay said with some judicious reserve. ¡°We¡¯re going to get the bastards. But we¡¯ve got to go slow. It¡¯s not like fighting Demons on the battlefield. We need to use some finesse, I think.¡±
¡°That is extraordinarily restrained of you,¡± Amented with one of her slender eyebrows raised. ¡°I am d to see that some good sense has rubbed off on you after all this time.¡±
¡°Yeah, well, you and I do a lot of rubbing,¡± Jay said dryly. ¡°Something had to rub off.¡±
Both A and Kerr chuckled at the joke, but there wasn¡¯t much energy left for them to break out into full blownughter. Jadis was sure they were just as tired as she was. Everyone had been driven to the brink, but they¡¯d survived. Having made it through the debacle of a dinner party, Jadis felt it probably was time for them to get some real rest. Just as soon as they were done confirming no hidden cultist lingered on the scene.
¡°On a more immediate note,¡± A said brightly after a few minutes of silence. ¡°I leveled. Thrice.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Jay said. ¡°I¡¯m kind of surprised. The experience point leech has to have been terrible with so many people in close proximity to all the fighting.¡±
¡°True,¡± A nodded. ¡°But there were a lot of Demons, too. Many of them were quite powerful, including that huge wight. I would be shocked if we didn¡¯t all level.¡±
¡°I gained¡ Four levels¡¡± Alexmented, her eyes still closed as she continued to snuggle against Jay.
¡°Lucky,¡± Kerr groused. ¡°I just checked and I only got one. I didn¡¯t get to do much fighting.¡±
¡°You will¡ Grow strong¡¡± Alex consoled the archer, even going so far as to pull her close with a few tentacles around her shoulders and waist.
¡°I¡¯m already strong,¡± Kerr said, not pushing the Demon away and instead rxing into the embrace. ¡°I could kick your inky ck butt in the ring, I guarantee you.¡±
¡°Maybe¡¡± Alex replied with a distinct taunt to her tone.
Jay smiled at the two¡¯s antics as she delved into her own notifications. There were literally hundreds of messages about Demons being in, but those were easy enough to dismiss. Once she had gone through the unimportant notes, she found a few that were of far greater interest.
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Level Up!
Mirror Knight has Reached Level 33.
1 New Skill Avable for Selection.
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Level Up!
Mirror Knight has Reached Level 34.
2 Attribute Points Awarded.
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Jadis had gained two levels in her primary ss. She was still a little surprised considering what she knew of the way bonus experience was spread inrge groups, but she supposed she had done a lot of fighting all in one night. She had encountered several new Demons types, fought and killed dozens of opponents, defeated a far superior enemy under disadvantageous circumstances, and just generally been using a lot of her ss skills. Apparently, that had been enough to role her over the top twice.
As eager as Jadis was to check out what new skills she had to choose from for her Mirror Knight ss, there was something even more momentous that she wanted to look at first.
¡°I leveled up too,¡± Jay grinned. ¡°I¡¯m at CLR sixty-one now.¡±
¡°Fuck, really?¡± Kerr grinned back up at her. ¡°C''est fantastique!¡±
¡°Then you¡¯ve unlocked your tertiary ss,¡± A smiled warmly. ¡°I cannot even begin to imagine what insane nonsense you will have to tell us about. Please, don¡¯t keep us in suspense.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Jay continued to grin as she pulled up the new options she had avable to her. ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s on the menu¡¡±
To Jadis¡¯ surprise, there were four options waiting for her. Typically, there were only three new sses avable to select from, as well as the older sses that she skipped. However, A had told her that there were times when individuals might get more or less sses to choose from, depending on what they had qualified for. Apparently, Jadis had done enoughtely to warrant four new options for her tertiary ss selection.
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Bonded Harem Leader
You have many lovers, and all of them love you with enough fervor that they have bonded their fates to yours. This ss will grant you rituals that will allow you to both protect and empower your many lovers, with particr benefits for those who possess a ss that binds themselves to you.
|
Jadis wasn¡¯t wholly surprised to see a ss like this one. It felt like just the right kind of cheesy and perverted, while still being kind of sweet, that D liked to throw at her. She didn¡¯t think it was a joke, though, like some of the other sses she¡¯d been offered. The Bonded Harem Leader would probably give her some strong rituals to empower her lovers. That wasn¡¯t anything tough at.
Rather than read the description out loud right away, Jadis decided to scan the other three options as well, just to get an idea of which one she wanted to tell the others about first. Some options were clearly better than others, in her experience, so she wanted to start with the weakest first and go from there.
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Champion of D
You have dedicated your existence to promoting the cause of Destarious. Oros needs a little chaos injected into it, and you are just the soul to do the deed. The skills and spells of this ss will allow you to warp the fates and fortunes of those around you; sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. The choice will not always be yours to make, as any true champion of the God of Madness would know.
|
That was interesting. From the wording, it almost felt like the ss was some kind of semi-hero ss. She guessed that the fact that she was being offered such a ss meant that D was pleased with her performance as ofte. The fact that the ss was focused on altering fate was intriguing, but something told her the ss was going to be more than a little chaotic in nature.
Jadis wasn¡¯t sure whether this was more or less powerful than the Harem ss, but she felt like it was probably the bigger deal. She could picture other people getting a Bonded Harem ss. She couldn¡¯t imagine many had been offered the¡ honor of being D¡¯s champion. Either way, she kept reading.
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Cycle Breaker of the Gods
Your soul hase from beyond the veil to bring an end to the cycle of death and destruction that has for too long gued the world of Oros. More than one God supports you in this endeavor, and this ss will grant you pieces of their power to help bring an end to the endless cycle.
|
Holy shit.
Jadis wasn¡¯t even sure what to make of the second ss on offer. ¡°Cycle Breaker of the Gods?¡± Plural? Gods? From the wording of the ss description, both in tone and content, it was clear that D wasn¡¯t the only deity involved in the offering of this ss. This wasn¡¯t a joke ss. It didn¡¯t even look like one of those weird sses that was kind of cool but probably had a lot of weirdness to it built in like D typically offered her. No, this ss was just straight up an offer from the gods to empower her so she could end the cycle of Heros and Demon lords.
That was¡ a lot to process.
¡°Well?¡± Kerr said expectantly. ¡°We¡¯re waiting.¡±
¡°Oh, uh, one sec,¡± Jay murmured as she tried to clear her mind from the shock. ¡°Just reading thest ss now.¡±
Jadis didn¡¯t expect much out of the final new ss on offer. Clearly the gods intended for her to take the Cycle Breaker ss, and D probably wanted her to take the Champion ss so that she was solely dedicated to his will. Whatever was left was probably one of D¡¯s jokes.
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Progenitor of the Subus
You have sessfully managed to breed a new species of sapient life into existence. Congrattions. Your offspring will need great care and guidance to survive on Oros. This ss will grant you skills and spells that will help your offspring thrive and earn their ce in the world.
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¡°Oh my god.¡±
¡°What?¡± Kerr asked.
¡°Something wrong?¡± A questioned her as she ced a hand on Jay¡¯s arm. ¡°Was a ss that surprising?¡±
¡°Jadis¡? Alex prompted as she lifted her head to look Jay in the face. ¡°You taste¡ Strange now¡¡±
Jay just stared at Alex. Her other two selves had stopped moving as well. Jadis didn¡¯t have the attention to spare anymore to direct her separate selves. She having too much troubleing to grips with the fact that she was¡ a mother?
Jadis wasn¡¯t just a mother. She was the mother to a new species. A species that the system, or the gods, or maybe D, had named Subus. From what Jadis knew of what a subus was, that sort of narrowed down the possibilities of who the other party was who was carrying her child.
Jay¡¯s eyes were drawn down to Alex¡¯s t belly. There was no sign of anything different. It was the same stomach she¡¯d been idly tracing with her fingers for the past few minutes. But now¡
¡°I¡ I, uh¡¡± Jay fumbled with her words, not even sure where to start with the startling revtion.
¡°Hey, Jadis!¡± Sorcha called out, cutting Jay off from what she was struggling to say. ¡°You better get over here!¡±
¡°Why? What is it?¡± Jay managed to get out, though her thoughts were still racing over how she was going to broach the topic of what she¡¯d just learned from her ss options.
¡°There¡¯s a big procession of soldiers and knights and shiting down the street! I¡¯m pretty sure Prince Hraustrekr is the guy leading them!¡±
¡°¡D, you¡¯re a fucking bitch.¡±
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Chapter 396: A Hero, an Oracle, and a Prince Walk Into a Pastry Shop
Chapter 396: A Hero, an Oracle, and a Prince Walk Into a Pastry Shop
¡°That is most certainly Prince Hraustrekr,¡± Lucia said after ncing over her shoulder. ¡°It appears that Jocelyn and Rein are with him. They were at the pce bridge, so I suppose he was involved in the defense as well.¡±
The Pdin was still scanning each person before letting them be escorted out of the building and herment was spoken between instances of her spell being cast. The serious therion was focused on clearing everyone as quickly as possible, so even the arrival of the first prince of the empire came across as a minor concern.
Jadis appreciated that attitude of unbothered calm, because at the moment she was freaking the fuck out.
Alex was pregnant. They were going to have a child together. She was going to be a parent. The very thought was astounding. Jadis¡¯ whole reason for wanting toe to the capital of the empire was so that she could safely impregnate her lovers, and she had been actively trying for a baby with Eir while also being less careful than normal with the others, so the idea that she was now most definitely a mother was good news. Great news. Incredible, stupendous, indescribably amazing news. But the reality of the situation was still hitting her like a truckload of cribs. Having actual confirmation that she was bringing a new life into the world was¡ It was a far, far bigger deal than she had anticipated.
Then there was the fact that Alex was the one who was pregnant. Her Demon. Jadis hadn¡¯t even been sure that Alex could get pregnant. Now she was, and apparently the mixing of their two different sets of DNA had led to the creation of a whole new species. How was she supposed to react to that? How was everyone else going to react to that? The gods or system or whatever had already preemptively named her Demon-spawned progeny ¡°Subi¡± which was a massive basket of crazy to unpack. Oros didn¡¯t even have a concept of what a subus was, but now she¡¯d apparently just¡ bred them into existence. What did that mean they would be like? What manner of creature was her child going to be?
Jadis felt giddy. She also felt dizzy, a little nauseous, and vaguely like she was going to startughing, or possibly crying. Her emotions were flying every which way and she just didn¡¯t know how she was going to handle them.
¡°Jadis?¡±
A¡¯s concerned voice brought Jay solidly back onto the ground. There were more things going on at the moment than just Alex¡¯s pregnancy. She needed to keep her cool, remain calm, and focus on the here and now. Lucia had said that Jocelyn had arrived with the first prince. If nothing else, the healer¡¯s arrival was a major point for her to focus on. Jadis just needed to reorganize and prioritize. She would get through this. She would get Sabina and herself the healing they needed, then deal with whatever bullshit the prince was going to be bringing with him. Then she could get her girls somewhere safe and they could talk about her sses and levels and everything that Alex¡¯s pregnancy meant.
Gods, she was about to throw up.
¡°You¡¯re right, I did get some pretty crazy ss options,¡± Jay understated the situation. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t think I should say what they are until we get somewhere safe where we can all sit down and discuss them. Let¡¯s focus on wrapping things up here first, okay?¡±
¡°That¡¯s a fair n,¡± A said after a slight pause. By the look on her face, she knew that there was a lot that Jadis wasn¡¯t saying, but she didn¡¯t press the matter. ¡°We do need to be careful about who overhears sensitive information, after all.¡±
Kerr narrowed her eyes and gave Jay a low hum under her breath, but she didn¡¯t try to pry any more information out either. She did, however, reach up and tug Jay¡¯s shoulder down so that she could whisper into Jay¡¯s ear.
¡°Whatever¡¯s got you spooked, lock it down. If that fat head prince sees you looking this nervous, he¡¯s going to fuck with us.¡±
Jay nodded, doing her best to calm her heart and school her expression. Pivoting her thoughts away from the news of her imminent parenthood as well as the various implications of the sses she¡¯d been offered was the best thing she could do. Kerr¡¯s assumption about the prince was likely right. She didn¡¯t know what kind of shit the asshole might try to push onto her under the circumstances of the night¡¯s extreme event, but if she looked like a nervous wreck, he would probably try to take advantage of a perceived weakness. Maybe even me her for the Demon attack, as ridiculous a thought that was.
Forcing herself to refocus, Jadis got her three bodies back onto task. Syd resumed helping with the search of the pastry shop while briefly filling her nearbypanions in on what was happening. Dys rose unsteadily from her seat on the ground, carrying Sabina with her while also whispering a few words to Eir. Jay went to the front window of the shop with A, Kerr, and Alex in tow. Sorcha was already there waiting for them, standing on top of a chair so she could more easily look out therge window at the goings on outside.
Jadis wanted to get a look at the man who had caused so much trouble for her.
The gathering of soldiers outside wasn¡¯t the ornate, overblown military procession that Jadis had expected. She had envisioned the slimy snot sucker riding in with no less than a hundred knights, all with banners flying and armor polished to a mirror shine. Obviously, Hraustrekr would have been wearing borately decorated golden armor and he would have been safely surrounded by multiple extremely powerful guards who would do all the fighting for him while he just pretended to be apetent leader.
That expectation proved false. While the first prince hade with what looked like at least a hundred soldiers on horseback, they weren¡¯t ornamental in the slightest. The knights were a heavily armed and armored regiment that had clearly seen battle already that night, judging by the signs of Demon blood on their shields and breasttes. There was a single banner on disy, but it was just the imperial standard, acting as a focal point for soldiers to gather around.
Spotting the first prince in the crowd wasn¡¯t hard, though he wasn¡¯t equipped the way Jadis had imagined. Hraustrekr was not wearing gold armor, but instead something simr to what Wilhelm was wearing. The te armor was clearly heavily enchanted with runic engravings and had also been made out of cold me steel, judging by the dark color. His sword was unsheathed and looked like it had seen recent use. The visor of his helmet was up, revealing his face, which was how Jadis knew without doubt that he was Hraustrekr, even thought she had never seen the man before.
Hraustrekr bore a striking resemnce to his younger brother, Prince Kestil. They were both handsome elven men with golden skin. They weren¡¯t exactly twins, but their faces were so simr that if it weren¡¯t for the differences in their hair and eyes, Jadis probably would have had a hard time telling them apart. While Kestil had light blue hair and silver eyes, Hraustrekr had much darker blue hair and emerald-green eyes. His expression was cold, though,pared to his younger brother¡¯s almost taunting smirk, and he looked every bit the highborn aristocratic prince that Jadis had figured he would be.
One aspect of the first prince¡¯s appearance she had not expected was his mount. The fierce horse was the size of a Clydesdale. Its coat was a beautiful shining gray with dark dappling on its legs and ck feathering around its hooves. The barding it wore was a match for Hraustrekr¡¯s armor and looked like it probably cost more than Elodie¡¯s ridiculous pearl-studded dress. The truly interesting aspect of the horse, though, was the curved horning out of its forehead. At first Jadis had thought it was just a part of the armor the animal was wearing. But as the prince rode closer to the shop, Jadis could see that it was an actual horn, not a piece of the horse¡¯s armor, and was just capped with a sharp steel point.
¡°Is he riding a unicorn?¡±
¡°Shit, he sure is,¡± Kerr cursed under her breath. ¡°It sure does pay to be the future ruler of the most powerful nation in the world. Unicorns are damn rare.¡±
¡°I thought unicorns would be more¡ delicate,¡± Jay said as she eyed the huge, muscr beast. ¡°That thing looks like it could crush a tan¡ªer, a tavern.¡±
¡°Unicorns are beasts of war,¡± A exined. ¡°They are one of Charos¡¯ most favored creatures. All followers of the war god dream of having a unicorn as their mount.¡±
¡°They¡¯re so damn good at fighting,¡± Kerr said as she eyed the beautiful creature enviously. ¡°They make the best mounts for war. Way better than horses. They¡¯re aggressive and don¡¯t shy away from blood and death. Plus, they can do some real damage with that horn of theirs. There¡¯s a tribe of my people back in the Verdant Sea that breed unicorns. I always wanted one, but there¡¯s no way I can afford one.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll have to see about that,¡± Jay murmured at the thought of Kerr riding a unicorn into battle. Her attention was drawn to other things, though. ¡°I think that must be Jocelyn.¡±
Two figures were riding near the prince, one of them wearing strangely glossy-looking blue armor and the other wearing a royal red robe with blue and gold trimming. Since the blue-armored man was wielding a long spear with a serrated de, Jadis figured he had to be Rein, the Lancer. That meant that the smaller, robed figured had to be the Oracle, Jocelyn.
Jadis watched from her spot in the window as Wilhelm appeared from a cluster of soldiers,ing from the direction of Trummelton¡¯s and heading straight for Prince Hraustrekr. The Hero drew up next to the prince, his helmet still under one arm, and spoke with the domineering presence. Jadis couldn¡¯t hear what was said and it was hard to tell the tone of the conversation since Wilhelm¡¯s back was to her and the prince¡¯s expression was solid stone. But at one point Wilhelm did gesture in the direction of the bakery, and Jay saw Hraustrekr¡¯s eyes briefly flicker up to meet hers through the ss of the window.
After a minute or two, Wilhelm broke away from the prince and approached his twopanions. He spoke with them both for a moment, then helped the robed woman down from her horse. The blue-armored man leapt off his own mount and immediately headed for the restaurant where Jay could see Halvor waiting for him. Wilhelm and Jocelyn, however, made a bee line for the bakery.
¡°Jadis?¡± Wilhelm called out as he entered the pastry shop. ¡°I¡¯d like to introduce you to Jocelyn. She should be able to heal you and everyone else gooddy Eir has not been able to cure.¡±
¡°Hello,¡± the Oracle said as she bowed her head and curtseyed. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Jadis of the Nephilim. I wish it were under different circumstances.¡±
Jocelyn was a small woman, about the same height as Eir in fact. However, where Eir was voluptuous and shapely, Jocelyn was thin and petite. Her appearance of smallness was further reinforced by her seemingly timid demeanor. Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper, and from the way she hesitated it was clear that the words she had spoken had been rehearsed. While Jocelyn didn¡¯t have a stutter like Thea, Jadis could tell that the Oracle had the kind of meek personality that made talking to strangers a challenge, much less public speaking.
In terms of her looks, Jocelin had blonde, wavey hair that was cut to about chin length. Her light blue eyes and small nose gave her a doll-like quality, though for some reason her pretty face was marred by a scar that ran vertically down the right side of her forehead and cut across her eyebrow. Scars weren¡¯t all that umon, but in a world with magical healing, most people didn¡¯t have serious scarring since healing magic left little trace behind, if anything at all. Further, people like Eir existed, who could cast spells that could erase cosmetic damage easily. For whatever reason, Jocelyn had elected to not have the scar on her face removed.
¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, too,¡± Jay said as she turned and gave the small woman a smile and a nod. ¡°I really do wish circumstances were way, way different than they are. But I¡¯m d you¡¯re here to help.¡±
Jocelyn didn¡¯t respond right away to Jay¡¯s words, and it was easy to guess why. The timid Oracle was frozen in ce, staring at Alex who was still practically hanging off of her side. She looked like a deer caught in headlights, and Jadis wasn¡¯t sure how to politely snap the woman out of her frightened trance.
¡°Jocelyn, it¡¯s alright,¡± Wilhelm whispered into hispanion¡¯s ear. ¡°This is Alex, the Demon we were told about. She¡¯s really quite safe and, well, friendly.¡±
¡°Oh, ah, yes,¡± Jocelyn blinked as she came out of her startled condition. Audibly swallowing, she took a step towards Jay and held out a hand. ¡°I¡¯m¡ d that you and yourpanions are safe. But you have been poisoned, correct? I¡¯ll take care of that.¡±
Easily epting the assistance, Jay took the Oracle¡¯s hand and let her do her magic.
The feeling of Jocelyn¡¯s healing power was almost indefinably different from any other magic healing that Jadis had received. While most healing was soothing, like a warm bath or a toasty fire on a cold day, Jocelyn¡¯s magic was almost startlingly invigorating with the way it rushed through her. It wasn¡¯t quite at the level of a cold shower, and it wasn¡¯t like taking a shot of caffeine either. The closest thing Jadis could liken it to was chewing on fresh mint, except the tingle was across her whole body and not just her mouth.
The constant pain of the poison that had been eating away at her health was erased with a rush of magic power. Jadis almost sagged with relief but restrained herself to a small sigh.
¡°Goodness,¡± Jocelyn murmured with her eyes half closed. ¡°What a terrible mdy. That was a superior grade poison, born from a malediction. I don¡¯t think it would have killed you, though.¡±
¡°It wouldn¡¯t kill me?¡± Jay asked, surprised by the Oracle¡¯s assertion.
¡°No, ah, probably not on its own,¡± Jocelyn replied, her voice turned timid once more by Jay directly addressing her. ¡°It seemed it was designed to lower your health to a specific percentage. Once there, it wouldn¡¯t have killed you and simply kept your health under that threshold.¡±
That actually made some sense. Jadis was fairly certain that Sabina had been inflicted with the same poison, and she had nowhere near the same amount of health as her, yet the smith hadn¡¯t died. Jadis suspected that the reason for the poison not being able to kill was so that the victim could be killed by other means, or possibly to make it easier for a possession Demon to take over the body. That seemed exactly like the kind of spell that cultists hiding in a city would use.
¡°Well, that¡¯s good,¡± Jay nodded. ¡°Sabina would have been in far greater danger otherwise.¡±
¡°Sabina?¡± Jocelyn asked as she continued to hold Jay¡¯s hand. ¡°Who is¡ªoh gods!¡±
The healer¡¯s exmation came from Dysing into view from the back room. She was, without a doubt, in a terrible condition. Eir¡¯s healing had helped, but Dys was still covered in all of the half-healed wounds that Jadis had sustained over the evening. She was walking, but with the amount of dried blood and how many of the cuts were still open, she looked more like a zombie than a living person.
¡°Sorry,¡± Jay winced as she nced at her other self. ¡°That¡¯s one of my other selves. I, uh, got a little roughed up without my armor.¡±
¡°I was wondering why your health looked so low and yet you looked so healthy,¡± Jocelyn said as she rushed over to Dys.
¡°Please, heal her first,¡± Dys said as she held out Sabina¡¯s unconscious form before her. ¡°I can wait.¡±
¡°No, you cannot,¡± the Oracle said as she put both of her hands over Dys¡¯ where she held Sabina. ¡°This will only take a moment.¡±
The feeling of tingling, minty healing rushed through Jadis. The sensation was disorienting as her injured self just¡ instantly healed. There was no dy at all. Jadis even checked her health to be sure, but her character sheet showed it was true. Jadis¡¯ health had jumped from around six hundred points to two thousand and forty in less than a second. All of Dys¡¯ wounds had sealed up so rapidly that she hadn¡¯t even felt it. Whatever healing spell Jocelyn possessed, it wasn¡¯t channeled like Eir¡¯s spell, requiring time to heal. This spell had been one massive chunk that had burst her up to full health in a single go.
Before Jadis could even voice her surprise, Jocelynid her hands on Sabina. In the next moment, her half-elf lover¡¯s eyes fluttered open as she came to full awareness in just a second.
¡°What?¡± Sabina uttered in a confused, groggy tone as she looked between Dys and Jocelyn. ¡°Who? Why are you all in the bathroom with me?¡±
Dys immediately clutched the bewildered woman to her chest, hugging her favorite enchanter while trying not to squeeze too tightly. Sabina continued to voice a litany of questions as apparently, she had no idea what had been going on. Dys let her talk. She was just happy to hear her voice.
¡°Thank you,¡± Jay said as she drew Jocelyn away from Sabina and her other self. ¡°Truly. I don¡¯t think I can repay you for this.¡±
¡°There is no need,¡± Jocelyn bowed her head as her cheeks turned a rosy pink. ¡°I am simply doing what is right. I think I will need to take another magic restoration potion, though. You have¡ quite a lot of health.¡±
¡°Here,¡± Wilhelm said, having been hovering nearby without getting in the way. ¡°Take one of mine. Ama will be upset that we¡¯ve gone through so many tonight.¡±
¡°I¡¯m certain,¡± Jocelyn let out a shyugh as she took the potion from the Hero. ¡°I¡¯ve already used all of mine.¡±
¡°This was a terrible attack,¡± Wilhelm nodded. ¡°Too much blood has been spilled, and we still have more to do to both root out the infestation of cultists and make certain no more Demons remain in the city. Presentpany excluded, of course,¡± he hastily added as he looked towards Alex.¡±
¡°Indeed.¡±
Jadis had been about to respond to Wilhelm¡¯s words, but the unfamiliar voice that spoke first caused her to pause. ncing towards the door, she saw the face of the new person and felt her hackles rise.
Prince Hraustrekr had just walked in through the door.
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Chapter 397: Audience
Chapter 397: Audience
¡°Pdin Lucia,¡± Hraustrekr said as he passed by the pale therion.
¡°Your majesty.¡±
The woman nodded at the prince, her face impassive as she continued to check thest of the injured nobles and servants who were being taken out of the pastry shop. There weren¡¯t many left, but those who were still inside stared at the gathering with wide eyes. Jadis had no doubt that the meeting of the First Prince, the Hero, and the Last of the Nephilim was going to be a hot topic on the rumor mill, even with the attack on the city. Maybe more so, because of the attack.
There wasn¡¯t a ton of space in the front end of the pastry shop, but there was enough room that as the prince strode into the space, everyone seemed to make way for the man. Jay, Wilhelm, and everyone else who was near her were clustered around the shop¡¯s main window, which was a decent number of paces away from the front door, but not so far that the people being escorted out wouldn¡¯t be able to overhear anything said. Jadis wasn¡¯t sure if having an audience would affect whatever the idiot prince was going to do, but she doubted he was going to have anything nice to say.
¡°Prince Hraustrekr,¡± Wilhelm said as he turned towards the approaching elf. ¡°Lucia has almost finished checking everyone here, and Jadis and herpanions have searched the whole floor. It seems the cultist who was hiding in their numbers has slipped away, your majesty.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± the gold-skinned elf said as he took the helmet off of his head. ¡°Not much has gone right this night. No reason to hope for better results now.¡±
¡°Things could be a lot worse,¡± Wilhelm started to say, but Hraustrekr waved him off.
¡°Yes, yes, your timely arrival has saved many lives. But the utter failure of the city guard or any of the many pdin orders who are supposed to protect the city is undeniable. Measures will have to be taken to make sure nothing like this ever happens again. That is a talk forter. We will need to focus on the here and now to resolve the immediate threat.¡±
Putting his hand on the Hero¡¯s shoulder, Hraustrekr gave the human a firm nod and a grim smile.
¡°Runar has already led hispany down into the tunnels that the Demons used to breach the upper city around the pce bridge. Tiernan is with him. I want you to take the rest of yourpanions down this breach, along with the royal knights I have brought with me. Make sure the undercity is safe. I will be at the north side upper river port, another site that was attacked. Send word if you find anything of note.¡±
¡°Of course, sir,¡± Wilhelm said, his voice stern as stone. The Hero took the helm from under his arm and reequipped it. When he spoke again, it was with that vaguely hollow echo that came from wearing a helmet. ¡°We won¡¯t let another innocent life be lost this night.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Hraustrekr said as he pped the Hero¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Now, off with you.¡±
With that, Wilhelm departed. Jocelyn followed right behind him, tossing a wave and a hasty bow towards Jadis and the others as she left. The rest of the Hero¡¯spanions were already outside, except for Lucia, who continued her duty by the door, making sure that every person was checked before leaving. Jadis and herpanions were, essentially, left alone with the First Prince.
The others were quiet as they watched the armored elven man. Jay was at the fore, Alex still hanging on her shoulder, though the Demon had shifted around slightly so that more of her was between Jay and the prince. Jadis knew that her positioning was an attempt at protection, but considering what she knew of Alex¡¯s condition, she wasn¡¯t particrly happy with the move. As subtly as she could, Jay angled herself so that Alex wasn¡¯t between her and Hraustrekr. While most everyone else stood to the side and behind Jay, with even the confused Sabina having gone silent, Kerr had stubbornly moved so that she was standing partially in front of Jay on Alex¡¯s side. The extrayer of protection was appreciated, though the thought of the outspoken archer addressing the First Prince was almost frightening. Jadis could just imagine what A was thinking.
Syd, Thea, and Bridget hade out from the back room and stood further away, watching the confrontation as well. Jadis was d the two were far enough away that they were outside of the prince¡¯s immediate attention, as Thea looked like she was about to have a meltdown and Bridget had turned several shades of green lighter from the blood draining from her face.
Jadis hesitated for a moment. The bold approach usually worked for her, and she didn¡¯t have any qualms about facing the prince who had been such a bane to her existence as ofte. However, now that she had him in front of her, she wasn¡¯t entirely certain what she wanted to say to the elf. Her sudden indecision probably came from her frazzled and exhausted mind; recent revtions and the many trying events of the evening hadn¡¯t left her in the best state to try and engage in verbal banter.
Hraustrekr was the first to break the brief silence
¡°Jadis,¡± he said in a calm, emotionless tone. ¡°You are past your curfew. Go back to the temple district.¡±
Jadis blinked, disbelief momentarily stunning her like a blow to the head. She stared, dumbfounded, as the prince casually turned away from her, then paused as something caught his eye in the pastry shop window disy. Reaching down, he took a small round bun from the disy, sniffed it, then took a bite. As he started to walk away, chewing on the treat he¡¯d just taken, Jay finally recovered enough to call out to him.
¡°That¡¯s it? That¡¯s all you have to say to me?¡±
The prince stopped and turned halfway back towards her, a slight frown puckering his brow. He finished swallowing the mouthful he had bitten before motioning with one hand towards her.
¡°If you had been raised in proper society, then you would know that it is only correct to refer to me as ¡®your majesty¡¯ upon first addressing me, then sir afterwards. Since you are an uneducated rustic, the breach in etiquette can be overlooked. But to answer your question. Yes. That is all I have to say to you for the moment.¡±
Uneducated rustic? Etiquette? She almost couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing.
¡°All the shit you put me through and you don¡¯t have anything else to say? You¡¯re going to just chide me like a kid up past their bedtime and then walk away like you didn¡¯t almost get me killed in Weigrun by sing your pet bear on me? Like you haven¡¯t been using me of terrible crimes with no evidence? Like you haven¡¯t been a colossal prick to me when we¡¯ve never even met each other before?¡±
Hraustrekr gazed at Jay for a brief moment, his green eyes unblinking and his expression unreadable. Then, he strode forward and closed the distance so that there were only a few feet between them. He didn¡¯t spare Kerr a single nce, simply forcing her to back away by his very presence, though Syd could see that her lover wasn¡¯t cowed, going by the look on her face. His focus was solely on Jay, though, and all others present were disregarded. Due to the height difference, he had to crane his neck back to continue to meet Jay¡¯s eyes. Yet, despite the awkward angle, he somehow managed to make Jadis feel like he was still looking down on her.
¡°Yes, I am telling you to go back to bed. Like a child. A child who has no experience and no inkling as to what it means to make hard decisions that could affect the lives of millions. I will not apologize for taking the course of action that I did, as it was what I thought was best to do to make sure my people are kept safe. Perhaps someday you will have the proper perspective to be able to understand. Until that day, know your ce. Mind your elders. And get your pale ass back to the temple district, along with that damn Demon of yours. We shall see about having your restrictions lifted in theing days. But for now, your job is done here. Goodnight.¡±
Jadis almost punched the man in his face. Jay¡¯s fists had clenched so tightly that her nails had dug into her skin and she could feel the blood dripping from the cuts she had gouged into her palms. She was inches away from assaulting the prince, so close that she could already feel the familiar sensation of his nose breaking against her knuckles. She¡¯d gotten one prince already, after all. Hraustrekr was overdue.
A¡¯s hand on her arm was the only thing that stopped Jay fromshing out. That calming touch of reason that reminded her that punching this particr prince in his haughty face was not a move she could make lightly. There was a time and a ce for everything. This wasn¡¯t the time or ce for her revenge. Not with witnesses nearby who would report what happened to the emperor and everyone else in the city. Not when the damnable man had power over her.
¡°You aren¡¯t going to try and me this attack on me? Or Alex?¡± Jay said instead of breaking the man¡¯s face, hoping to prod the prince into saying something helpful to her while there were witnesses around to hear his words. ¡°You¡¯re so quick to toss usations around. I figured you had to have at least a couple more for me.¡±
¡°Why would I use you of having involvement in this?¡± Hraustrekr said, giving her a patronizing look. ¡°You¡¯ve quite obviously been the victim of the attack, as many witnesses can attest, as has your pet Demon for that matter. I¡¯m sure Lucia can already confirm that you and Alex are not followers of Samleos. Is that not correct, Pdin Lucia?¡±
¡°Yes, your majesty,¡± Lucia called back without taking her eyes off of her task. ¡°I checked them earlier. They are not followers of the Death God.¡±
She had? Jadis didn¡¯t remember the woman casting any spells on her or Alex. But as she looked more closely at what the pdin was doing, Lucia¡¯s magic wasn¡¯t disying any overt signs. There was no glow or sparkle. She was just touching the person for a brief moment, no more than a few seconds, and that was it. Had Lucia managed to sneak a touch on both her and Alex without Jadis noticing?
¡°There you are,¡± Hraustrekr turned his head back towards Jay. ¡°Evidence strongly indicates you were not involved. Now, if any new evidence should be discovered that shows you did have some connection to all of this, we¡¯ll revisit that assessment. But for now, I see no reason to waste any more time on a matter that isn¡¯t going to go anywhere, and clearly never was.¡±
The next words that the elf spoke were so soft that Jadis almost didn¡¯t hear them, and Hraustrekr was careful to keep his face angled so that only Jay and herpanions could see his lips.
¡°My brother has wasted more than enough of both our time as is.¡±
When Hraustrekr turned to leave again, Jadis didn¡¯t try to stop him a second time. She watched as the haughty asshole exited the building, and listened as he called out orders to soldiers in the distance before leaping on the back of his armored unicorn. In just a few moments, the man was gone, riding off down the road towards the riverside, where he was apparently dealing with another area the Demons had attacked.
The whole interaction had just left Jadis puzzled and exhausted. Why wouldn¡¯t the antagonistic bastard take advantage of the opportunity to screw her over? She could easily see how the man could try and me the attack on her and Alex. He had already used her of being rted to the cult of Samleos. The rumor mill around the city was rife with stories of her consorting with Demons thanks to her rtionship with Alex. It wouldn¡¯t be that hard to tweak the narrative and further ruin Jadis¡¯ reputation. Maybe even turn the night into something he could use to more permanently imprison her. Why would he back off now?
One possibility stuck out to Jadis¡¯ mind.
¡°I am so confused,¡± Sabina broke the silence.
¡°You and me both,¡± Kerr growled. ¡°Why in the abyss is that no-dick duck fucker just walking away? I thought for sure he was going to try and arrest us.¡±
¡°Because he hasn¡¯te this far by being foolish,¡± A sighed. ¡°If he was, Kestil would have taken the crown from him already.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Jay huffed. ¡°He¡¯s smarter than I thought he would be. He¡¯s not treating us like criminals anymore because he knows that the Hero would know that it would be a lie. I bet if Wilhelm hadn¡¯t made it to the city tonight, Hraustrekr would have absolutely used this as an opportunity to go after me. Now he can¡¯t because Wilhelm and hispanions know that¡¯d be bullshit.¡±
¡°And I am quite certain that Sir Wilhelm has far more sway with the public atrge than Prince Hraustrekr does,¡± Eirmented, speaking up for the first time in a while. ¡°You will also find that far more nobles are on your side now than there had been before tonight. You saved many lives.¡±
Jadis hoped that was true. She still wasn¡¯t certain that Prince Hraustrekr wasn¡¯t nning on trying to use the attack against her in some way. But if the jackass was going to be smarter than she would have liked, backing off from this particr fight because he saw no way to use it to his advantage wasn¡¯t something Jadis could reasonablyin about. There would be other battles to be fought, she was sure.
¡°No, that¡¯s now what I¡¯m confused about,¡± Sabina said as she twisted around in Dys¡¯ embrace. ¡°I mean, yes, I¡¯m extremely confused by everything the prince just said and what you all just said and all of that, but I¡¯m still confused about what happened? I mean, what happened? I assume there was some kind of Demon attack, but why are we in a pastry shop? And was that the Hero just now? I¡¯m really lost.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Dys smirked as she patted Sabina on the back. ¡°We¡¯ll exin on the way back to the temple. This whole night turned out way, way different from what I expected, in a more ways than one.¡±
¡°Speaking of heading back,¡± Sorcha perked up as she looked out of the window at the dark, crowded street filled with soldiers and snow. ¡°What are the chances of our carriages still being around?¡±
Jadis let out a long, weary sigh. It was going to be cold walk back to Lyssandria¡¯s High Temple.
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Chapter 398: Terrible Explanation
Chapter 398: Terrible Exnation
Despite Jadis¡¯ intentions to go back to the temple as soon as possible and put as much of the terrible night behind her as she could, she ended up staying in the pastry shop for close to an hour longer. She wanted to make sure that every single person was checked by Lucia, which took some time, and she also wanted to make sure that Severina got somewhere safe.
The badly injured Seraphim had been unconscious ever since she had fallen inbat, even after Eir stabilized her with some significant healing. However, not long after Prince Hraustrekr had made his appearance and subsequently departed, the pdin hade out of her faint. Despite being obviously unsteady on her feet, the now one armed, one winged woman insisted on checking on the status of the defense efforts before being taken away to a temple for further healing. While Jadis was certain that Severina wouldn¡¯t have been able to put up much of a fight in her condition, Jadis wasn¡¯t interested in arguing with her. Instead, she got a hold of a soldier who fetched Magistrate Vraekae.
Vraekae was a bit rough looking herself, with red hair out of ce and grime smeared across her face and clothes, but she was still actively coordinating the guards and soldiers in the area. When she came to the shop, she spoke quickly with Severina, answering a lot of questions about what was happening with the soldiers and the Hero who were working on rooting out anyst remnants of the Demons. While she was present, Jadis asked a few of her own questions, just to make sure that nothing was missed.
She made sure to tell Vraekae about the jewelers who had crafted the three flower pendants and given them to her as a gift. Jadis had no idea if the two were involved or just unsuspecting pawns who had been caught up in a greater plot orchestrated by the cultists, but they definitely needed to be checked out. Vraekae sent word to have the jewelry shop investigated immediately, and also made sure that the soldiers being sent were prepared for a potential fight. If the two were actually cultists, they could have fled already, or they could havein traps for anyone who woulde to search their home and business.
Jadis also made certain that Vraekae knew where to look for the other two pendants that had been discarded on the second floor. She had the one at hand and had every intention of having it checked with all of the high priests to figure out how whatever curse was on it was missed, so she didn¡¯t necessarily need the other two, but she didn¡¯t think they should just be left lying around where anyone could take them, either. For all Jadis knew, the cultist who had hit her a second time might have already grabbed the other two, but it was best to make sure.
One of the things that Severina asked for an update on was the casualty list, specifically who had died. Jadis had only a little knowledge about the people who had attended the ball, but that was news she wanted to hear as well. While an exhaustive search had yet to be done, Vraekae did have some preliminary reports she could share, both for Trummelton¡¯s and the other sites that had been hit.
Thergest attack had been on the northern bridge leading to the pce ind, though the number of wounded and dead there were minimal. The guards had been able to respond to the attack immediately, and Prince Hraustrekr and his personal cavalry unit had been on the scene quickly enough to prevent the stymied Demons from spreading beyond the gatehouse and surrounding square. Simrly, the attack on the temple district had been rtively unsessful. There had been many powerful clerics and pdins present, including Runar¡¯s order, and so they had been able to deal with the Demons there with minimal casualties.
The attacks on the city barracks, the academy, and the northern river port had been far more deadly. Most of the guards in the barracks had been either asleep or rxing while off duty, so the Demons had killed hundreds before any kind of effective defense could be made. The port had suffered simrly, as there weren¡¯t many guards present; most of the people who had been there had been civilians. The academy had also seen loss of life, though not as many as the others. The main damage in the academy had been to the library and the stock of magical enchanting supplies that were kept in the ancient building.
While Demons were vicious and attacks on key figures and weak spots weren¡¯t unheard of, the fact that the academy¡¯s books and records were purposefully targeted was practically unheard of. Demons almost exclusively attacked life. To have an assault made directly against objects, even valuable ones, just didn¡¯t happen. But in this case, destroying knowledge seemed to have been the whole point of the attack on the academy.
From what Jadis was learning of the current Demon Lord, she wasn¡¯t quite as surprised.
The attack on Trummelton¡¯s had not been the worst in terms of lives lost, but several of the known victims were important political figures. While Jadis¡¯ first instinct was to scoff at the idea of political figures being overly important to anyone but themselves, she had to remind herself that in this case, they truly were of significance. These were nobles who were not only part of the chain ofmand of a massive empire and were thus directly involved in the coordination of supplies, taxes, military recruits, and countless other aspects of rulership, but they were also members of the political factions that supported one prince or the other. With the deaths of even a few of those nobles, the bnce of who was receiving the most support could easily change, leading to a significant shift in the empire¡¯s future. Hraustrekr was the current crown prince, but that had the potential to change, depending on how many nobles supported his rule, among other considerations.
One of those shifts that Vraekae could already tell would cause chaos was the death of the magistrate who oversaw the capital city, Magistrate Hob. Jadis had only briefly met the man; he had been the older, sour-faced human who Vraekae had been talking with when Jadis had arrived at the ball. She couldn¡¯t say that she was sorry he was dead, since he had been one of Prince Hraustrekr¡¯s supporters and had used his political clout to inconvenience her when she had first arrived in Eldingholt. However, the loss of one of the primary legal administrators in the empire was going to cause ripples that could be felt for years toe, as many would be jockeying to take the dead man¡¯s position.
Honestly, Jadis wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind to trulyprehend all of the ways the demonic attack had changed the politicalndscape. While she was trying not to freak out over it, she was still extremely freaked out over the fact that she was now an expecting parent. Then there were the ss options she had been given, as well as the direct threats that had been made against the lives of her lovers. She was, all in all, a mess. Though she was at least managing to keep things together on the outside.
When rescue finally came, it was in the form of Eir¡¯s parents. Eirner and Svana had been busy in the background, assisting Vraekae and doing what they could to help the soldiers and the wounded. Jadis had honestly lost track of them for a time, though she trusted Eir to let her know if there was anything to be concerned about, just as she knew A would keep tabs on her own mother and father. While Severina was still peppering Vraekae with questions on who was unounted for from the ballroom disaster, Einer appeared in the doorway of the pastry shop.
The stern elven man smoothly managed to divert Severina, advising the pdin that the seneschal of her family¡¯s manor house in the city had sent a carriage to bring her back to the estate, and a whole contingent of guards to escort her. Somehow, and Einer was not forting with the answer, her servants had found out about her wounds and were beside themselves with worry for her well-being. While Severina was the scion of her house and technically in charge, Jadis got the feeling that the seneschal was not going to take no for answer when it came to her return that night.
Fortunately, Severina didn¡¯t argue too much and they were able to get her into the carriage with minimal struggle. Jadis had to admire the woman¡¯s sense of duty. She really did seem willing to keep going, even missing an arm and a wing. The fact that it was the head servant of her family and not her parents calling for her return did make Jadis wonder what exactly the family situation was with Severina, though those thoughts didn¡¯t linger. She had her own family to worry about.
After the wounded Seraphim had been sent on her way, Einer had quietly informed Jadis that arge wagon had been summoned, one that his vassals used for the transportation of goods from the docks, that could amodate all of Jadis¡¯ selves and herpanions. She thanked the man profusely for his good sense in getting them some transportation. It would have stunk to have to walk home after the long night they had all had. Einer also made sure to assure A that her parents were safely in his and Svana¡¯s care. The two humans were, in fact, with his wife and would be joining them back at their manor house for the remainder of their stay in the city. It was left unsaid that the reason for their change in address was because of the implicit threat that was directed towards them, simply by being A¡¯s family. With cultists roaming the shadows, there was a not small chance that they could try to go after Vikwas and Senta, just to get at Jadis.
The list of concerns Jadis needed to deal with was just getting longer and longer.
The ride back to the temple district was a quiet affair. None of them were in terribly chatty moods, least of all Jadis as she slumped in weary exhaustion against the walls of the wagon. All of her girls sat so that they were touching her, even Sorcha, which was a greatfort. Just having them near did help quell much of the turmoil in her mind, which had the unwanted effect of causing her to nearly fall asleep when she closed her aching eyes.
Sleep was a mistake, though. As soon as her mind began to drift, images of her family back on Earth shed before her. Most of them horrifying visions that had been conjured by the terrible illusion spell. Thest thing she wanted was to be reminded of the horrors she had seen thanks to the cultists¡¯ twisted magic, so every time she did start to drift, she forced herself back awake.
When the wagon came to a stop in front of Lyssandria¡¯s High Temple and they piled out of the back, Jadis found that the district was a hive buzzing with activity. Clerics and priests were everywhere, from all the temples, and were either busily escorting people who were too injured for normal healing to fix into the temples or were themselves being escorted by soldiers out into the city where they would be providing healing directly on the scene of Demon attacks. While Jadis didn¡¯t spend too much time outside, she did spot one section of therge open area near Metethys¡¯ High Temple where piles of Demon bodies were visible, a thinyer of snow starting to cover them. That seemed to have been the main point of attack, or at least where most of the fighting took ce, though Jadis would have to askter about the details.
High Priestess Irene was who greeted them once Jadis and herpanions entered the temple. Aurea and Aimery, the other two high priests dedicated to Lyssandria, were out already lending aid to the many injured in the city. While it was clear that Irene wanted to ask a lot of questions of Jadis, likely because of the terrible state she was in, the older woman didn¡¯t even try to question them. Instead, she simply led them to the temple baths, calling on a few acolytes to fetch fresh clothes for all of them. Jadis didn¡¯t even have to ask Irene or the acolytes to give them privacy. Once the high priestess had made sure that they had everything they needed, she shooed the younger women out and left Jadis and herpanions to themselves in the steamy open room of the bath.
Jadis didn¡¯t pay much attention to the quiet conversations happening around her. The silence of the bathhouse, empty except for her and herpanions, gave her time to reflect on everything that had happened. She wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good thing.
¡°So, uh, who¡¯s An?¡±
Syd blinked, her eyesing back into focus as she realized the question had been directed at her. Looking to her side, she saw that Sorcha was sitting on a small, goblin-sized stool next to her. The green-skinned witch was carefully cleaning the magically crafted prosthetic leg she had received from the Dryads, so she wasn¡¯t looking directly at Syd as she focused on her task. Her eyes did dart up to meet Syd¡¯s gaze for a moment, though.
¡°I mean, I can kind of guess, since you were talking about your family and all back there. But, uh, just curious, I guess. You don¡¯t have to tell me. In fact, you probably don¡¯t want to talk about that right now. Forget I asked.¡±
¡°He was my brother,¡± Syd said after a moment. ¡°My older brother. Not sure why the illusion decided to make you look like him when he was a kid, but yeah. My brother.¡±
Sorcha nodded, her expression purposefully nk. She spoke in a casual tone, as though she were trying to avoid poking any open wounds, yet still determined to keep the conversation going.
¡°I¡¯m guessing¡ he isn¡¯t with us anymore.¡±
¡°No, he¡¯s not,¡± Syd confirmed, though in truth she really didn¡¯t know.
For all Jadis knew, An was still alive back on Earth. He could be dead. In fact, since she had no idea how long her soul had been lost in then void, her whole family could have been dead years, centuries, or even millennia ago. For all intents and purposes, though, Sorcha¡¯s assumption was urate. An wasn¡¯t with her anymore. None of her family were.
¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± Sorcha said after a few beats. ¡°I mean, that had to be rough, seeing him like that. Sorry you had to go through all that earlier. If, um, you need to vent about it, you can do that, you know. Vent. I¡¯ll listen. We¡¯ll all listen.¡±
Jadis could see that her lovers were all listening in, some more conspicuously than others. Their warmth and closeness, the way they so obviously cared, wrapped around her like a warm nket that smothered her darker thoughts. Heaving a deep sigh, Syd wiped a few droplets of what had to be bathwater from her cheek and grinned down at the goblin next to her.
¡°I know. You were all there for me earlier. I wouldn¡¯t have survived that shit without you all watching out for me. It¡¯s kind ofme to put it like this, but¡ thanks.¡±
Sorcha blushed and looked away, but the tension in her shoulders lessened as the concern she had for Jadis cleared up. Knowing that her lovers worried over her was nice, but she didn¡¯t want them to fret, either. It had been a rough night, but Jadis knew she could push past it. They had just been illusions, after all. She wouldn¡¯t let the trick the cultists had yed on her put baggage on her soul.
¡°There are some things that I think we should discuss before going to bed, though,¡± Jay called out to the group atrge. ¡°Now that we¡¯re in private and all.¡±
¡°Yeah, there are,¡± Kerr said as she dunked her head under the running water and then shook her hair out like a dog. ¡°You hit CLR sixty! You were going to tell us about your new ss options.¡±
There were some exmations from the girls who hadn¡¯t heard the news yet, as well as a few murmurs that showed that others had leveled as well and had only just then thought to check their notifications. There was definitely a lot to discuss when it came to their sses, both theirs and hers, but Jadis had one topic she felt was far more important to tackle first, before they got into any of the finer details.
¡°I don¡¯t know how else to say this,¡± Jay said as she moved to stand in the center of the bath area. ¡°So I¡¯m just going to say it.¡±
¡°What, you aren¡¯t about to tell us that you got an actual Hero ss or some shit like that, right?¡± Kerr scoffed.
¡°No,¡± Jay shook her head, even as she thought about the cycle breaker ss she had been offered. ¡°This is way more important than sses. This big news is¡ I¡¯m going to be a mother.¡±
The room wentpletely silent except for the sound of the running water. No one moved. Jadis wasn¡¯t even sure if they were breathing.
¡°You¡¯re p¡ªpregnant?¡± Thea asked, her expression a mask of extreme confusion.
¡°No,¡± Jay quickly corrected. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±
¡°Fucking abyss,¡± Bridget let out a breath, her whole body deting. ¡°What a statement! We know you¡¯re going to be a mother eventually with what you had to arrange with the temple, but I didn¡¯t think any of us even had any cocks ontely to impregnate you.¡±
¡°Right, no, I¡¯m not the mother mother,¡± Jay forged on. ¡°But I¡¯m sure as fuck not calling myself dad. So, yeah, I¡¯m going to be a parent¡ª¡±
Jay briefly paused halfway through her statement as literally every one of her lovers looked down at the bellies in unified shock. Even Sorcha did, and Jadis had never done anything beyond kissing the goblin woman. The only one who continued to just cidly stare at Jay was the one who most needed to be aware of the change in herself.
¡°¡ªand Alex is the mother.¡±
Once more, all of her lovers turned their heads as one, their shocked expressions focused on the Demon. Alex continued to sit calmly on the edge of the pool, her legs and some tentacles in the water while herrger pair of arms leaned on the ground behind her. When everyone directed their attention at her, Alex slowly tilted her head down to look at her own bare stomach.
¡°Is that¡ What that is¡¡±
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Chapter 399: Baby Talk
Chapter 399: Baby Talk
There was a storm of shouted questions and excited activity as the revtion of Alex¡¯s pregnancy truly hit all of Jadis¡¯panions. Multiple voices called out to Jadis directly, their owners focusing on whichever of Jadis¡¯ body happened to be closest. Not all of the attention was on Jadis, though. Eir practically pounced on the startled Demon, almost knocking them both over into the water as she slipped on the marble floor in her haste.
¡°You¡¯re certain you¡¯re pregnant!?¡± Eir gasped, her hands grasping hold of Alex. ¡°You¡¯re with child!?¡±
¡°I am¡ Uncertain¡¡± the confused demonic pdin said as she held onto the overly excited oracle. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ What this is¡ Supposed to¡ Feel like¡¡±
¡°How do you know she¡¯s pregnant?¡± A was demanding as she held onto Jay¡¯s hand. ¡°Was this some kind of guidance from Lyssandria? Or D?¡±
¡°No, it wasn¡¯t an avatar thing,¡± Jay tried to exin, though the questionsing from the other women wereing fast enough that even her refracted mind was getting somewhat overwhelmed. ¡°One of the ss options I was given revealed it to me.¡±
¡°A ss option?¡± Kerr poked Dys with a wed finger. ¡°What the fuck!? How does a ss option tell you that Alex is knocked up?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think ss options can tell things like pregnancy,¡± Sabina said on Dys¡¯ other side. ¡°Not unless you got a midwife ss, which I can¡¯t imagine why you would, and I don¡¯t think the ss description would say something so specific.¡±
¡°It¡¯s pretty explicit,¡± Dys replied as she batted Kerr¡¯s finger away from her exposed thigh and tried to talk over Sabina¡¯s continued rambling. ¡°Unless having a baby with one of you is going to cause the birth of a whole new species that is absolutely demonic in nature, then it really only leaves one option.¡±
¡°A new species?¡± Bridget gaped. ¡°What does that even mean?¡±
¡°Oh, Alex! You are with child!¡± Dys¡¯ next response was cut off by Eir¡¯s exmation. ¡°Lyssandria be praised! Bless you!¡±
Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure what Alex had said to Eir while she¡¯d been distracted by the others, but now the red elf was crying tears of joy. Her arms were wrapped tightly around Alex, who was for her part hugging the woman back, though she looked confused about the whole situation. Jadis had known that having children was one of Eir¡¯s biggest dreams, but she hadn¡¯t expected her baby-crazed lover to be so emotional over one of her other lovers bing pregnant.
¡°Congrattions,¡± Thea was quietly saying to Alex at the same time as Eir sobbed into her chest. ¡°I h¡ªhope you¡¯re ch¡ªchild will be b¡ªborn strong.¡±
¡°What exactly do you mean by a new demonic species?¡± A asked, once more tugging on Jay to get her attention.
¡°This is not the way I thought this day would end,¡± Sorcha shook her head, still sitting next to Syd. ¡°Demon attacks and Demon babies. What the fuck.¡±
¡°Since we¡¯re all together, does this make us co-mothers? Aunts? Guardians? How does that work, exactly? Also, is it too early to think of names? Because I¡¯ve always thought Alexa was a good name so if Alex has a baby girl that would be a nice fit. I¡¯d name my daughter Alexa¡ª¡±
¡°Stop!¡±
Jay¡¯s shout was loud enough to cut through the noisy confusion, bringing everyone to a silent pause. Even Eir settled enough that she was just letting out the asional sniffle rather than outright bawling.
¡°Okay, this one¡¯s on me. I shouldn¡¯t have announced it like that. Let¡¯s all just calm down. This is getting way too chaotic. I¡¯m going to sit down in the bath. Let¡¯s all do that, okay?¡±
They were, after all, still just standing around naked in the bathhouse. Jadis wasn¡¯t entirely sure how long they would have the space all to their own; she figured Irene would probably bar anyone from entering until they left, but that didn¡¯t mean priestesses wouldn¡¯t be sent to check up on them. The hectic and confusing scramble of questionsing from all directions wasn¡¯t going to work. A little bit of order was needed.
¡°Okay, let me start with how I found out,¡± Jay said once all of her lovers and her two other selves had settled in therge, heated pool together. ¡°Like I said, one of my ss options revealed the pregnancy to me. I¡¯m going to read the description out loud, then we can calmly discuss what it means.¡±
When everyone had acknowledged Jay¡¯s words in agreement, she recited the passage out loud for them all to hear. Once done, she waited to see who would speak first.
¡°That description certainly seems to indicate you¡¯ve managed to impregnate one of us,¡± A was the first to find her voice. ¡°However, are we certain that Alex is the one pregnant? Could it be another one of us?¡±
¡°She must be pregnant,¡± Eir insisted as she clutched onto Alex¡¯s hand with two of her own. ¡°She can feel the new life growing in her womb.¡±
¡°Can you?¡± Syd asked. ¡°Really?¡±
Syd was sitting to Alex¡¯s right, while Eir was on the Demon¡¯s left. Alex¡¯s general action and appearance was contemtive. She didn¡¯t look confused, necessarily, just thoughtful. One of her hands was resting on top of her stomach, and an asional expression of deep concentration would appear in her eyes as she focused inward.
¡°I feel so¡¡± Alex answered Syd a few heartbeatster. ¡°The life is¡ Small¡ Hard to touch¡ But something¡ Is there¡ Within me¡¡±
¡°Holy crap¡¡± Syd croaked as her throat tightened up. The realization was still setting in, but hearing Alex confirm it the facts was hitting her harder than any Demon had ever hit before. ¡°Alex¡ We¡¯re going to have a baby¡¡±
Syd couldn¡¯t help but lean in and nuzzle against the side of Alex¡¯s face. She ced small kisses all over her cheek and jaw, finding it easier to show her love physically rather than by words at the moment. Alex leaned into the affectionate touch, happily wrapping her tentacles around Syd.
¡°The child¡ Will be¡ Perfect¡¡± Alex said before catching Syd¡¯s lips with her own for a lingering kiss. ¡°She will be¡ Our Joy¡¡±
¡°I think settles the question, Blue,¡± Kerr said somewhat gruffly, though Jadis noticed she was discreetly wiping at her eyes. ¡°Fuck. The squid got bred first. I didn¡¯t see thating. I figured Eir would have been the chief baby-maker.¡±
¡°I have faith my time wille,¡± Eir said as she made no attempt to hide her own tears. ¡°This is truly a joyous asion. Lyssandria has blessed you both, Alex and Jadis. I fear my heart is going to give out, I am filled with such tion!¡±
¡°Hey, I¡¯m with you on that,¡± Bridget said as she shifted forward slightly to lean towards Eir. ¡°This is the best news I¡¯ve heard all night. I mean, that¡¯s not hard considering the night we had¡ªfuck, not the point. What I¡¯m trying to say is, we¡¯re all happy about this, but how is everyone else going to feel? Jadis just made a baby with a Demon. That has got to be a first. What happens when the temple finds out about this? Or the public? What are either of the princes going to do with this news?¡±
Bridget¡¯s pragmatic question brought the mood down hard. Jadis didn¡¯t know for sure, but it wasn¡¯t hard to guess. Alex had barely gained a measure of tenuous eptance herself. From a legal standpoint, she was still basically little more than chattel. She had to wear a cor or else her life was assumed forfeit. She had no agency, no rights, and no defenses other than what Jadis could provide.
¡°I think the ss description says it all,¡± Sorcha chimed in. ¡°It said, ¡®your offspring will need great care and guidance to survive on Oros.¡¯ That¡¯s a pretty clear warning, in my opinion. Not everyone is going to be okay with a new half-Demon race being born.¡±
¡°Half-Nephilim, though,¡± Jay pointed out. ¡°I¡¯d hope that Lyssandria¡¯s followers would side with us on this. Plus, I don¡¯t think the gods would be offering me a ss intended to protect my children if they didn¡¯t think they should exist.¡±
¡°That is true,¡± A said with a small frown. ¡°Though it can be argued that the ss was offered by Destarious, since you are his champion of sorts.¡±
Jadis winced slightly at how close to truth A¡¯s remark had unintentionallye. Most didn¡¯t seem to notice, though Thea gave her a narrow-eyed look.
¡°Destarious would offer a ss just to sow chaos,¡± A continued. ¡°His support isn¡¯t necessarily a point in your favor in that regard. And while I do not believe this is the case at all, Samleos could have been behind the offering of the ss. He is a god, just like the Nine who oppose him. If he can give Demons and Cultists sses, what¡¯s to stop him from offering one to Jadis?¡±
¡°You really think he would do that?¡± Bridget asked, her tone showing deep concern.
¡°Personally, no,¡± A shook her head firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that any offspring that woulde from Jadis and Alex would be part of some terrible n that Samleos has to make a new Demon race. But I can see how others could take that stance. It¡¯s not impossible.¡±
¡°No, you¡¯re wrong about that,¡± Dys spoke with quiet conviction. When A opened her mouth to speak, she cut her off. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. None of my children are ever going to be manipted by Samleos or anyone else like that. Ever. It just isn¡¯t possible.¡±
But the chance, no matter how much Jadis wanted to deny it, was there. She didn¡¯t think the Progenitor ss was something malign that Samleos was trying to use to control her future children. But what if it was? What if, by taking the ss, she was opening up a door that would otherwise remain closed to the destructive and maniptive god. Subi weren¡¯t exactly known for being benevolent creatures in Earth mythology. What if, by choosing to be the progenitor of the Subi, she was twisting the oue of what her children were going to be? Of course, the opposite could also be true. What if she didn¡¯t choose the ss, and thus she missed the opportunity to keep her kids from bing something evil?
What if the ss didn¡¯t make any difference at all?
¡°You¡¯re an Avatar,¡± A spoke, her voice somewhat gentler than before. ¡°Avatars cannot help but be influenced by the gods. At least a little. Even by denying everything their patron says to them, as Alex does, they are still being influenced simply by the act of denying influence. Some degree of maniption is inevitable.¡±
Jadis normally loved the brutally intelligent brain of her redheaded lover. This was not a situation where she much appreciated her honest and unfortunately urate assessment.
¡°Would these, uh, Subi, even be Avatars, though?¡± Sorcha asked. ¡°I mean, does that happen when different avatar races mix together? Do avatars ever mix?¡±
¡°That answer isplicated,¡± Eir answered, her expression having sobered significantly. ¡°From the recent research I¡¯ve done sinceing to the capital, the children of two different avatar species are exceedingly rare. More so even than the offspring of an avatar and one of Valtar¡¯s children, such as Elves or Humans. Most of what I read indicated that the resultant offspring are usually of one race or another, and only share some superficial traits of the parent they did not take after.¡±
¡°How am I not surprised that making babies with avatars is something you¡¯ve been researching in your spare time?¡± Kerr said as she leered at Eir.
¡°It seemed a relevant topic to read up on,¡± Eir answered somewhat primly. ¡°In any case, I would think that any child born of the union between Jadis and Alex would be either a Nephilim, or a Demon. That is what the schrs who had written on the general topic indicate, at least.¡±
That was interesting news to Jadis. One of her biggest concerns about repopting her species as Lyssandria and her worshippers so desperately wanted her to do was the problem of incest. Even if she did impregnate herself, as some had suggested to her as a possibility to get a purebred Nephilim baby rather than a hybrid, that problem of who were children were supposed to eventually mate with was still there. If one of her kids turned out to be one of the Nephilim genders who could reproduce asexually, then the issue was null and void. Jadis didn¡¯t even know if her giving birth to a different Nephilim gender was possible, though. For all she knew, mating with herself would just cause her to pop out baby Jadis clones.
However, if Eir¡¯s research was right, that meant that having a baby with another avatar race had a fifty-fifty chance of the resultant offspring being a Nephilim. That opened up a wealth of possibilities that Jadis could explore. She wasn¡¯t interested in having any kind of intimate contact with a bear-person like Runar, not unless Valbjorn women were like therions in terms of their sexual dimorphism. And Lares were justpletely out of the realm of possibility for obvious biological reasons. There was no chance in the world Jadis was going to stick her dick in a cat. But Dryads were absolutelypatible with Jadis¡¯ tastes, as were Seraphim. Even Fetch could work, if Jadis could find one that wasn¡¯t aplete ass hat like Jack.
There was a more significant detail in Eir¡¯s exnation that Jadis focused on first, though. The reproduction of Nephilim could wait.
¡°You said ¡®usually¡¯ of one race or another,¡± Jay pointed out. ¡°Does that mean there are examples of the children being something else? Like with me and Alex?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t recall any such examples,¡± Eir said as she looked uncertain. ¡°Not in what I read. But one of the books seemed to indicate a third possibility, as I recall. I don¡¯t think the author went into any detail, though.¡±
¡°Sounds like we need to visit the temple of Metethys again,¡± Dys said with a frown. ¡°We need more information on exactly what a whole new race means. Something like this must have happened in the past. I can¡¯t believe this is the only time in history a new hybrid species has been born.¡±
¡°Yes, we¡¯ll certainly need to research all this further,¡± A agreed. ¡°But I feel we should be careful with who we tell until we have a better idea of what to do. If the priests of Metethys find out about Alex¡¯s pregnancy, then there will be no keeping the secret.¡±
A was right about that. The knowledge-obsessed schrs weren¡¯t the type to hide information. It was practically antithetical to their faith.
¡°There is someone else we c¡ªcould ask,¡± Thea spoke up, her quiet voice just barely audible over the sound of the running water in the bathhouse. ¡°It has b-been more than a month.¡±
It took Jadis a second to realize what Thea was suggesting, long enough that Eir beat her to it.
¡°We could perform my oracle ritual,¡± the elf said as she nodded appreciatively towards Thea. ¡°In all the excitement, it slipped my mind. D could settle some of our questions nicely.¡±
¡°Yeah, he could,¡± Jay nodded, though she was more cautious about the idea. ¡°He¡¯s always a bastard about his answers, though. I¡¯m not sure we¡¯ll get a full exnation out of him, even with three clear, well-worded questions.¡±
¡°It¡¯s still worth a shot,¡± Kerr said as she leaned into Jay¡¯s side. ¡°Besides, maybe Lyssandria will be there again, all proud and shit because you¡¯re making babies. She might slip a few details.¡±
¡°Good point,¡± Jay couldn¡¯t help but smirk at the thought. ¡°I have a feeling Lyssandria would like having Subi grandkids, if they¡¯re raised right.¡±
¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Sorcha asked, her head tilting far enough to one side that the tip of her right ear dipped into the bath water. ¡°What¡¯s a subi mean, anyway?¡±
¡°Subus is the singr,¡± Dys answered, then hesitated as she realized she had no easy way to exin what the mythological creature was since Sorcha didn¡¯t know about her non-Oros origins. ¡°It¡¯s something from old Nephilim stories. Nothing real. I¡¯ll tell you about themter.¡±
¡°We¡¯re going to need to take some careful time formting proper questions for you to ask Destarious,¡± A mused out loud. ¡°We might even want to consult with one or more of the high priests first. Just to get their advice.¡±
¡°Maybe¡¡± Jay frowned. Now that the potential dangers had been brought up, she was feeling particrly protective of Alex and their unborn child. ¡°We¡¯ll have to talk about which can be trusted to keep it a secret for now.¡±
Eir looked vaguely offended at the idea of the high priests not being trustworthy, though the rest of herpanions looked far more understanding. Just because the high priests were good people who were generally on her side, that didn¡¯t mean that they couldn¡¯t disagree on things or have their own agendas.
¡°Definitely can¡¯t do the ritual tonight then, huh?¡± Bridget said. ¡°Not unless we cane up with some good questions really fast?¡±
¡°No, not tonight,¡± Jay shook her head at the thought of having sex at the moment. ¡°I just¡ not tonight.¡±
¡°Then we talk,¡± A nodded. ¡°And we figure out as much as we can before we seek more information out from the schrs and their books.¡±
There was general consensus with that n, with murmured agreement and nods of approval. One of their number didn¡¯t nod, however, and instead focused her eyes thoughtfully on Jay.
¡°Jadis,¡± Thea spoke up once more, her quiet voice tinged with curiosity. ¡°What were the other c¡ªss options you were offered?¡±
¡°Oh, uh, yeah,¡± Jay blinked as she reoriented her attention. ¡°That¡¯s sort of a whole different discussion, but probably just as important.¡±
¡°Actually, it¡¯s pretty rted to the Progenitor ss I¡¯ve been offered,¡± Dys grimaced in thought. ¡°I mean, the other options are almost all just as nuts, in different ways.¡±
¡°Okay¡¡± Kerr sighed heavily. ¡°Spill the sausage already. I don¡¯t think Eir¡¯s heart can handle too many more surprises, though, so go easy on us, big stuff.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Jay shrugged helplessly. ¡°But softening the blow isn¡¯t exactly my specialty.¡±
From there, Jadisunched into an exnation of the other three sses she had been offered that night, much to the growing amazement of herpanions. They stayed quiet while she read the descriptions of each ss, though their expressions were varied and, in some cases, spectacr. When she was done, Jay took a deep breath and asked them all the question that had been at the back of her mind since she¡¯d checked her new levels earlier in the night.
¡°So? Which ss should I pick?¡±
Chapter 400: Difference of Opinion
Chapter 400: Difference of Opinion
While there were many wonderful things about having a bevy of beautiful lovers to share her life with, there were a few drawbacks as well. One of those drawbacks was actually a boon in most cases, but at the moment, it didn¡¯t feel like one. Multiple lovers meant multiple perspectives and opinions. And with such a varied group with strong and differing personalities, as well as different backgrounds and life experiences, those opinions didn¡¯t exactly line up all the time. Jadis was reminded of an old saying: put two people together and you¡¯ll get three opinions.
¡°Bonded Harem Leader is perfect,¡± Kerr insisted once more. ¡°It¡¯ll boost our power, which will boost Jadis¡¯ power! And it¡¯s a bonded ss! Come on!¡±
¡°It¡¯s not evenparable to Cycle Breaker of the Gods,¡± A calmly reasoned. ¡°If multiple gods are offering their support, how can you simply walk away from that offer? The power such a ss would grant has to beparable to a Hero ss.¡±
¡°That may be true,¡± Eir said, her tone no less certain than A¡¯s clear voice. ¡°But the Progenitor of the Subi will help ensure the safety and growth of Jadis¡¯ children. A new race born onto Oros, one with our Jadis¡¯ bloodline at the start. I do not believe such a unique and unheard-of ss is something to be dismissed out of hand.¡±
¡°Just because it¡¯s unique doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯ll be any good,¡± Bridget reminded Eir. ¡°I started with a pretty unique ss and it was basically trash until I met Jadis and she was able to give me the stat boost I needed. Progenitor might be great, or it might have some weird, hard to please requirements for its skills that make it basically unusable.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think that will be true,¡± Sabina argued. ¡°This is Jadis¡¯ tertiary ss. It¡¯s very rare for a tertiary ss to not be something that is geared specifically towards the person it is being offered to. Not that I¡¯m saying that it should be chosen over the other sses, I¡¯m really not sure which I would pick if I were in Jadis¡¯ shoes, which are shoes that definitely wouldn¡¯t fit on me because her feet are huge, but I don¡¯t think the Progenitor ss would have skills that Jadis couldn¡¯t use since she¡¯s both extremely capable and she has all of us to help her as well.¡±
¡°Still might be a trap, though,¡± Sorcha frowned in thought. ¡°From Samleos, I mean. Probably don¡¯t want to get your hopes up around that ss when it could be something that Samleos is trying to bait you into picking. For that matter, Cycle Breaker could be a trick, too. I¡¯ve never heard of a ss where multiple gods lend their power before. Not even with Heros. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s kind of suspicious?¡±
¡°No¡¡± Alex said in her simple terms. ¡°Cycle is¡ Still wrong though¡ Choose¡ Progenitor¡¡±
¡°Oh,e on, Alex!¡± Kerr groaned as she shook a hand at the Demon. ¡°You¡¯re a Bonded ss too! The Harem Leader will benefit you just as much as me! And you know that everyone else here is going to get a bonded ss. I bet even the green gloom butt will get a bonded ss! Just look at how much she ogles Jadis when she thinks no one is looking.¡±
¡°Hey!¡±
¡°Well you do!¡± Kerr stuck out her tongue at Sorcha. ¡°It¡¯s not like it matters. We all stare at Jadis. She¡¯s hotter than dragon fire on a summer¡¯s day.¡±
¡°Okay, fine, I stare at her,¡± Sorcha crossed her arms in front of her while glowering at the therion. ¡°But I¡¯m not a ¡®gloom butt¡¯ you prick. And put a shirt on!¡±
¡°Why? Are my bare tatas too distracting for you?¡± Kerr teased as she shook her chest back and forth.
¡°Yes!¡± the goblin yelped as she pushed Kerr back when she got too close. ¡°Your boobs are very distracting when I¡¯m trying to think about actually important things! Jadis, help me out here!¡±
Withoutment, Dys whipped a nket around Kerr from behind, covering her torsopletely before dragging the struggling woman back and onto herp. She would have forced a shirt over her head, but Kerr¡¯s horns made that sort of maneuver tricky. So instead, she treated her like a disobedient cat and wrapped her up like a burrito, ignoring her muffled protests. When Dys was done, she set Kerr down on her side on the bed next to where she sat, letting her head rest in herp. Though Dys kept one hand on the therion¡¯s horns to keep her from poking the tips into her stomach.
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°No problem,¡± Dys nodded. ¡°Please continue.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t I get a say in this?¡± Kerr grumbled.
¡°No, you get a ten-minute time out for lewd taunting,¡± Dys warned her. ¡°Remember, we¡¯re trying to focus here.¡±
¡°Fucking Metethys¡¯ tits¡¡± she groaned as she wiggled around inside her woolen cocoon. After a few seconds though, she looked up and smirked at Dys. ¡°This would make for a pretty kinky sex thing, though. You could do anything you want with my mouth right now.¡±
¡°Another lewd foul,¡± Dys said, though her she felt her cock twitch at the suggestion. Maybe she wasn¡¯t as dead tired as she had thought. ¡°Another five-minute penalty.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± A spoke up, ¡°Weird punishments aside for the moment, let¡¯s review what we know again. Which isn¡¯t much, I know, but let¡¯s see if we missed anything.¡±
Jadis didn¡¯t mean to sigh, but she couldn¡¯t help the mental one. After several hours of circr debates, she could feel her patience waning. Part of that was due to it being somewhere around five in the morning. She was tired, exhausted really, and starting to feel a little sleep-drunk. Not that she felt like she could actually sleep. She still felt so wound up from everything that happened. Yet, at the same time, she wanted nothing more than to just let her heads hit the soft pillows on the bed and fall into a dreamless slumber for the next week or two.
The discussion of Jadis¡¯ four tertiary ss options had gone on so long that they had been forced to abandon the temple bathhouse. The girls were turning into prunes from soaking for so long, though Jadis was surprised to learn that her fingers didn¡¯t prune. She hadn¡¯t known that about Nephilim biology. A minor point, but still. In any case, they had made their way back to their shared suite and had continued to discuss the options in privacy.
There were basically four camps of thought among Jadis¡¯panions. Excluding her own opinion, the others had drawn lines of sorts and were each arguing for their own perspective on what was the best ss to choose.
A strongly argued in favor of the Cycle Breaker ss, with Bridget adding her own support to that opinion. From their mixed perspective, Cycle Breaker was simply too powerful both in raw potential and political capital to not take. Just having a ss that proimed she had the support of multiple gods was by itself a massive boon, since it cut through any argument that others might have against her purpose in the world. She was blessed quite literally by the gods. Cycle Breaker was essentially a Hero ss without the Hero, at least on the face of it.
The arguments against Cycle Breaker mostly revolved around how others felt that their own choice of ss was better. No one thought that Cycle Breaker was a bad ss, except that Sorcha had put one seed of doubt into the mix. They didn¡¯t know which gods were offering their support. Jadis presumed it would be D, Lyssandria, and maybe Villthyrial since he had given her the magic grub. They didn¡¯t know for sure, though, and that left things nebulous. While the others didn¡¯t see that unknown factor as too much of an issue, Jadis agreed with Sorcha on that point. She didn¡¯t like the idea of potentially binding herself to patrons that she didn¡¯t know. She didn¡¯t think it would be a problem, but there was some nagging doubt in her that she couldn¡¯t quite set aside.
Eir and Alex were adamant that Jadis choose the Progenitor ss. Alex¡¯s reasoning was simple enough. From her perspective, the only priority was making sure that her and Jadis¡¯ children were given the best possible chance at life. They had no idea what challenges a Subus might face, both from the world and from their own unknown biology, but a ss that was centered around aiding the new lifeform was the obvious best choice so far as the Demon was concerned. Eir felt the same way, though her own opinion had some additions. Her interpretation of the ss description was that since it said ¡°your offspring¡± instead of Subi specifically, that meant the skills and spells could be useful for any of Jadis¡¯ children, not just her and Alex. Since Jadis, Lyssandria, and pretty much everyone rted to Lyssandria¡¯s faith, wanted the Nephilim to be repopted, a ss that was beneficial to her progeny, even as a side effect, could be a great help.
One point that Eir had made, which was both a pro and a con in terms of the Progenitor ss, was that Jadis and Alex¡¯s children, should they have more, were not guaranteed to be more Subi. Since they were both Avatar races, that meant there was actually a better chance that if either were to impregnate the other again, the resultant offspring could be either a Nephilim, or a Demon. Having a ss that could potentially help Jadis deal with having literal Demon kids might be a good idea. If the ss worked that way, which was a big If.
Kerr was the primary proponent of the Harem Leader ss. From her perspective, anything that helped Jadis¡¯ lovers grow stronger was something that would enable all of them to better protect both themselves and their future children. There was definitely some selfish motivation in the mix, Kerr freely admitted. The idea of Jadis being bonded to them with a ss was deeply enticing to her. Even the others had to admit that the thought was attractive. Kerr knew her love for Jadis was true, and that Jadis loved her back in equal measure. She didn¡¯t need Jadis to have a bonded ss to know that. But she still wanted Jadis to have a bonded ss.
In all honesty, it wasn¡¯t a bad argument. Putting aside the purely personal reasoning, Kerr was right that the more she and the rest of Jadis¡¯ lovers grew in power, the more they and their little tribe would be protected from harm. That was a desirable oue, so far as Jadis was concerned. The counterpoint that others made though, was that Jadis already had her Ritualist ss. She was already capable of empowering her lovers, and chances were good that she¡¯d get more rituals to empower them further as she leveled that ss. Additionally, as A logically pointed out, they were all already very dependent on Jadis¡¯ rituals to remain powerful. Making it so that they were even more dependent on Jadis for power wasn¡¯t a tactically sound strategy. As they had just experienced when Jadis had been knocked out ofmission for weeks on end, they couldn¡¯t guarantee that they would also be able to rely on Jadis being around to empower them.
Sabina and Sorcha were in what Jadis was referring to as the fence-sitter camp. Neither argued strongly for one ss or another. Sabina tended to focus on the good points of all the sses, while Sorcha had a habit of pointing out the potential pitfalls. Both offered useful insights, but since neither could fullymit to a ss, they weren¡¯t acting as any kind of tiebreaker. If anything, they were keeping the debate going.
Thea, on the other hand¡
¡°Hey,¡± Jay tapped her quiet lover on the shoulder. ¡°You haven¡¯t said anything for a while. Don¡¯t you have an opinion on the sses?¡±
Thea¡¯s lips thinned in a slight frown as she considered Jay¡¯s question. She was sitting on one of the couches, a nket wrapped around her shoulders and her legs tucked up underneath her. She had said a few things earlier in the conversation, though for a long time now she had been silent. Jay sat on the floor near the brte, half turning around to look Thea in the eye.
¡°I d¡ªdo,¡± she said as she took Jay¡¯s hand in hers. ¡°But I think your, ah, opinion matters more. It¡¯s your c¡ªss. You should d¡ªdecide. Not, ah, me or anyone else.¡±
Jay¡¯s lips quirked up in a mile.
¡°Thanks Thea,¡± she said sincerely as she ced a kiss on the back of her sweet shieldmaiden¡¯s hand. ¡°I know. I¡¯m just not too certain what I want myself. Hearing everyone¡¯s opinions is helping me sort out my own thoughts.¡±
There was one ss Jadis knew she absolutely was not going to pick: no need to sort her thoughts on that one. Champion of D waspletely out of the running. The main reason behind her choice was the stated ss mechanics from the description. Jadis had already been offered some random chance skills and spells with her Mirror Knight ss and they had been far too unreliable for her to consider taking. A whole ss dedicated to spells of that nature sounded like a nightmare. Jadis had no doubt the Champion ss was powerful, maybe even Hero levels of powerful, but the potential cost was too great. Maybe if she didn¡¯t have lovers to worry about or future children to care for, she might have chosen Champion of D. But that version of her would have been the kind of lonely person who didn¡¯t much care about what happened to those around her. That wasn¡¯t who Jadis was or ever wanted to be.
¡°Look, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any point in going on with this any longer,¡± Jay interrupted A¡¯s recounting of the facts. ¡°I mean, we¡¯re all exhausted, so we aren¡¯t thinking straight. Alex excluded, of course.¡±
Alex nodded once in acknowledgement. The Demon didn¡¯t need to sleep, after all, so the time of day made no difference to her.
¡°We need sleep. We also need to talk these options over with some other people. I want to do the oracle ritual with you, Eir, before I make any decisions. I think I might want to talk with Aurea and maybe some of the other high priests, too.¡±
¡°Probably Vraekae,¡± Dys grumbled. Seeing the look the others gave her, she shrugged her shoulders. ¡°She knows he shit when ites to politics. Getting her perspective on all this isn¡¯t a bad idea. She¡¯d keep her mouth shut, too. I don¡¯t want either prince to know beforehand. I don¡¯t want them trying to interfere.¡±
¡°I think we may want to consult with Lady Jocelyn,¡± Eir suggested. ¡°I believe speaking with the gods is the right choice. If she can also consult with the gods on our behalf, that could help us answer more questions.¡±
While Jadis agreed in theory, she wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to know whatever answers woulde from Jocelyn¡¯s ritual. She was Valtar¡¯s oracle, after all. She wasn¡¯t sure what D¡¯s stepfather had to say about her attempts at breaking the cycle, and she almost dreaded to know the answer.
¡°We¡¯ll talk about it,¡± Jay said after a pause. ¡°Not to sound like the voice of reason or anything, but let¡¯s all try to get some rest now. Maybe we can go over the other ss options we all unlocked in the morning. I did get an odd-numbered level, after all. I¡¯m sure some of you did, too.¡±
There were general nods of agreement around the room, which Jadis took as a sign that they all had new ss features to go over as a group, and also that no one was objecting to the idea of resuming their talks in the morning. Everyone looked just as tired as Jadis felt. They all really did need to get some sleep. Even if all they wanted to do tomorrow was spend all day talking about their ss options, chances were good that outside forces would be interfering in those ns. They needed at least a little rest before the responsibilities of the next day fell upon them.
¡°Hey, uh, one question,¡± Sorcha held up a single finger as they all began to rise and make their way towards the bed. ¡°Before we go to sleep, I just have got to ask. What exactly does Cycle Breaker mean when the description says, ¡®Your soul hase from beyond the veil?¡¯ That¡¯s kind of a weird statement. It makes you sound like you were dead or something.¡±
¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± Bridget frowned and nodded. ¡°I was kind of ignoring that part since we had so much to talk about, but that is a weird bit, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Oh, that?¡± Sabina blinked in surprise. ¡°Jadis didn¡¯t tell you she¡¯s from another yet?¡±
There was a general silence in the room, broken only by Kerr¡¯s sudden cackles of wickedughter.
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