Monsters and Maidens (123 to 129)(Volume 3 Start) (Patreon)

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Start of Volume 3 (Yay!).

Time to get the ball rolling, and see how things progress.

Just a PSA, this Volume will have a stronger emphasis on character development and world-building. The various groups finally have the chance to relax and not worry too heavily over catastrophe, so they'll start getting a chance to set a rhythm to things.

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[123] [Rick]

The sky was sunny with barely a cloud in sight. The warmth it provided countered the slight humid chill that the breeze carried with it. The visage was equally beautiful, lush green forests to the left just on the other side of the small river, and also to the right. But the road itself was well away from either, and there was not a single tree near the road to provide so much as a speck of shade.

The empty space was clearly man-made, an effort that felt odd if only compared to the dirt road they were walking on. But it wasn’t something that really bothered Rick, because as tranquil as the day might seem, other things were not as peaceful.

A constant growl and a tug from Rick’s left arm kept him all too aware of Monica’s presence. Her eyes would move from looking around and then to Dia. The nurse was pretending not to notice, walking down the road just within arm’s reach, carrying a backpack no woman her size had the right to lug around so easily.

Rick was quite sure that if he had to carry the thing, he most certainly would not be keeping that pace.

“If you focus really, really hard, the sound becomes part of the background. Like the chirping birds or a flowing river.” Kat pipped up with a chuckle, noticing the exasperated look the teacher shot her way.

“If you hear chirping, ma’am, it would be best to stay away from it.” The one to speak up had been Ginny. The Draco, daughter of Major Huge, smiled nervously as she received the focus from the other humans in the group, the maiden coughed, quickly adding. “Normal birds don’t make sounds. It would attract ferals. The only creatures that chirp are ferals, usually ones that use the chirping as a way to communicate or lure prey.”

“Such as feral Dracos?” Tomas pipped up with a slight look of curiosity.

“… yes.” The maiden grimaced, gaze flickering towards Rick and immediately turning away. “Feral Dracos hunt in packs more often than not, and are very smart.”

Rick glanced at her for a moment, watching the young maiden scratch the red-green scales of her wrist. The teacher guessed talking about the ferals of one own’s breed wasn’t the most comfortable subject to focus on. “How much longer until we reach… what was the next place’s name?”

“The town of Seledo, sir. We are still at least a week off.” Freya was the one to speak up, reaching into her bag and pulling out a piece of paper with some scribbled notes. “Though the Major did request we check some settlements along the way.”

Though Rick nodded at the statement, he couldn’t help but notice Dia grimacing and lowering her gaze slightly. It made him want to sigh and shake his head. If he had to guess, the whole fiving coin incident still weighed on her, even if she didn’t want to show it.

He still couldn’t recall the name of the city he’d been born in… as well as that of other places. As far as the Hunter’s psychic had been able to tell, the damage might recover with time. Or never at all.

Rick was just thankful it had been something comparatively minor to what it could have been.

“Good thing gramps’ not slowing us down anymore.”

“Shut it.”

Mr. Gabriel was, perhaps, second to Monica in levels of annoyance.

Because, apparently, he was the only one with a ride.

A Centaur kind of maiden.

And he didn’t like that.

The poor girl, Rose, was about as nervous as Tess, the mousegirl. The equine maiden kept a very healthy distance from Monica, and every time she looked away, her ears would remain firmly pointed at the feline. Mostly because she’d been one of the few who’d survived the Baron’s death and had had a front-row seat to what said feline could do.

Rick would probably also be terrified had he been in her shoes, erm, hooves. Though for the life of him, he couldn’t quite fathom how or why she’d volunteered for this job to begin with. The Baroness likely had been the one to make that choice.

“I smell old smoke.” Ginny spoke up, and the group tensed, the Draco glanced a bit to the side, in the direction the wind was blowing from. “Coal, no active flames.”

“We’re close to one of the settlements.” Freya nodded, glancing at Tomas and then at Rick. “The report mentioned no responses from attempts at communication from miss Miranda, so it was likely overrun.”

“That’s…” He nodded, realizing the words were a warning of what they might find, rather than one for his opinion. “Let’s move cautiously, then. There might be ferals near, right?”

The Elf nodded in return, which felt off on so many levels to him. As if he was the one being considered in charge of the group in some shape or form. With his gaze moving towards Monica as she’d not so much as twitched, he could guess why that was the running supposition.

Which was quite frustrating, considering the Elf had at least two decades on him in years alone, even if she didn’t show it. And she definitely had infinitely more experience in what one ought to do under these circumstances. The cultural norms made those things moot, however, and Rick was left feeling as if he was walking on eggshells.

“Monica.” He called out, her head snapped down to look at him, ears perked, growl instantly gone. “Hurt?”

He pointed in the direction the wind blew, and the feline took a long sniff. “No hurt.” She proclaimed, calmly keeping his arm in her fluffy grip. Her ears rotated slightly and her focus shifted to the side. “Yes hurt?”

“I’m not sure why she’s asking.”

“Likely someone was wounded, but they’re dead now.” Mr. Gabriel spoke with a grunt, shaking his head.

Another sniff, and Monica’s ears perked, her whole body straightening slightly, eager smile spreading fast. “Food!”

And she very nearly let go of Rick’s arm, taking a whole step away from him before she suddenly realized the hand she was holding was still very much attached to the rest of him. The maiden hesitated, looked at Dia, at the others, and then ahead. “Ride?” She repeated, hopefully at him, lifting her arms in that ‘bridal-carry’ gesture he had become familiar with.

“No, no rides.” Rick quickly replied, shaking his head emphatically.

Monica’s ears drooped, shoulders slumping as she sighed. The Sabertooth could only really keep herself walking at his own pace, a pout on her lips as she kept her gaze in the wind’s direction. At least her focus on Dia had evaporated. The maiden’s ears kept rotating this way and that.

And she kept licking her lips.

“Food rationing is not a meal-plan Monica agrees with, huh.”

More than one set of eyes shot Kat a glare.

“It is quite rough, ma’am.” Ginny spoke with a nervous chuckle, keeping her gaze slightly downwards. “Though we can survive eating as much as a human would, for maidens such as Dracos and… Sabertooths, it’s…”

“Not ideal,” Tomas said.

There were more than a few questions Rick preferred not to ask regarding details over the whole food situation. Instead, he just kept quietly doing his best to avoid getting dragged by the increasingly eager feline.

It didn’t take them long to find the aforementioned settlement, or more like the debris of what was left of it. The road dipped down the slope, and between where they stood and the debris were dozens of dirt walls that had crumbled, wooden stakes splintered or burnt, and all of it leading towards the remains of a sad dozen wooden houses that had either been knocked down or burnt. There were signs of there being a wall around the place, and a couple farms on either side, but overall the whole place felt like it had lost all signs of life for at least a week if not more.

“I will scout ahead.” Freya spoke, pulling out her bow and nocking an arrow. “In case there might be-.”

ROAAAAR

Rick had flinched as Monica unleashed the blast of sound, the proclamation loud and clear. And suddenly there were no less than a dozen figures bolting out of the debris and making a run for the forest up the hills and through the farms.

Freya grunted. “Ferals, one and all.” She confirmed, preparing her bow.

“Food?” Monica smiled at Rick, watching the figures and then Rick, and then the running figures again, a lofty grin that went from ear to ear, her tail moving back and forth excitedly in a slow rhythm.

He looked over to the other maidens, Freya and Ginny in particular, and cursed at having given them the chance to put up a stony, blank face. They’d clearly been trained on how to avoid letting their emotions show to their superiors.

Kat and Tomas, though, grimaced.

“No food.” Rick shook his head. This was not something he wanted to make a habit out of.

And yet the Sabertooth let go of his arm, still looking thoughtful rather than disappointed as she abruptly leapt down the hill and towards the nearest likely target. “WAIT!” Rick shouted after her, but she paid him no mind, speeding off faster and faster. The human frowned at the feeling of eagerness he could sense from her, it was clear she would not come back any time soon.

“Let’s check the place for signs of survivors.” He called out to the others, keeping Monica in the corner of his eye. “And… see what we do from there. Let’s be safe about this.”

“Yes sir!” Freya and Ginny tightened their shoulders. They shared looks, and the Draco broke into a sprint towards the settlement while the Elf stuck to the group.

Just as Rick was about to sigh, a warm hand slipped into his grasp, fingers entwining with his own. Dia quietly smiled up at him as she leaned into his shoulder.

Edogia Map:

[124] [Rick]

Rick looked around the barely standing remains of the settlements.

It took Ginny a whole of ten minutes to claim the area safe. And it took Monica a whole two hours to do… whatever it was that she was doing. At first Rick had suspected she was trying to catch and kill, but it was clear Monica was playing with the feral now, chasing her down, catching her, and then tossing her very high into the air.

The feral would land, sometimes well, other times not as much, and make a run for it. And Monica would repeat the chase.

The group unilaterally decided not to pay further attention to her. The trio of younger humans grimacing and focusing on the exploration of the area while Mr. Gabriel, Tess, and Rose stayed at the periphery and well away from everything that might pose a threat to them.

“There were survivors, but they left. At least a week ago.”

Freya’s declaration drew their attention. They found a dozen lumps of ash, each no larger than a bowl. “Are those…?”

“Symbolic burials.” The Elf shook her head, pointing at the pieces of wood that had been placed next to each lump. Each piece of wood had a circle carved into it. “Whoever their owner was, they survived, but they couldn’t find the maiden’s bodies. Ferals likely took them.”

“How do you figure he survived?”

“A full circle means they fulfilled their final task: protecting their human.” Ginny muttered with a bowed head. “They died with honor.” The young maiden pressed her palms against her shoulders.

The gesture was repeated by Dia and Freya, the moment of quiet having the three humans awkwardly lowering their heads in sympathy. Rick noticed Dia’s face darken as she lowered herself to her knees, placing her hands on the opposite shoulder. The bond with her was tenuous, but he could feel… shame.

With a sigh, Freya stepped away from the planks of wood, glancing around before directing her attention at Rick. “We’ll look for the black-box, hopefully we’ll find some details there.”

Tomas jumped up at that. “Black box?”

“It’s a book.” Dia explained softly, standing up and drying a tear from the corner of her eye. “It contains the logs for all important activity in a settlement, be it a village or a city. It’s meant to never leave the location, and whoever the last survivors are, they’re meant to also be the ones to leave the final log.”

“But why is it called a black box?”

“Because it’s put into a black box, one made out of heavily enchanted murisium so that it repels ferals.” Ginny replied with a simple shrug.

“I can’t be the only one who finds that weird… right?” Tomas glanced at Rick and Kat.

“Do you have black boxes too?” The Draco blinked, a bit surprised.

“For planes, they’re meant to be pretty damn hard to destroy, and it’s also meant to keep a record of what happened, in case one falls.” Tomas waved his hands around slightly, a slight eagerness in his voice. “And I’m sure this world has something to do with ours, because of all the weird coincidences.”

“Like everyone speaking English.”

“Exactly!”

Rick shook his head. “Let’s look for this box and get out of here. It’s not safe to stick around, and I doubt we’ll find many answers about why people speak and write in English here.”

That popped Tomas’ eagerness, but he would survive. The chemistry teacher had other things that were bothering him, more immediate ones. Such as how he could spot Monica fast approaching the group. He could vaguely sense that she was eager about something, though for the life of him he couldn’t tell what.

Which made him slightly nervous when he realized she was holding onto the feral she’d been toying with. The feral didn’t look alive. But as Monica slowed down, Rick could make out the feral was a Mousegirl, and barely breathing at that.

The feline was all smiles, hips wiggling wagging back and forth as she came to a stop in front of Rick. “No Monica food.” She said, tossing the nearly dead mouse at his feet. “Rick food.”

He paled as she looked down at the feral. The mouse’s arms and legs were bent in the wrong way, her body battered and bruised, cuts littering her dirt-caked body. The human’s stomach did a somersault. “Monica-.”

“Rick food.” The feline spoke proudly, stepping over the mostly immobile feral and tapping the scabbard on Rick’s hip. The one that had the short sword. “Rick kill food.” Monica nodded emphatically, putting her hands together and doing a downwards motion.

As if stabbing something with the sword.

“Monica, no.”

His growl made her ears flatten, brows furrowing in confusion. “Rick?”

“Monica, NO.” He stepped towards her and frowning, keeping his voice steady but firm. “Rick no kill food.”

She growled back, gesturing at the whimpering feral. “Rick hurt food, hurt food, hurt food.” She waved again, harshly this time, claws coming out as she clawed at empty air, like she was… fighting? “Food no hurt Rick. No hurt Rick.”

A singular emotion twinged through him, frustration, followed by concern. The sensation was brief but intense, enough it knocked his annoyance down a peg as he looked at the feral and then at Monica. Putting aside the instinct to just flat out refuse her again, he grit his teeth, trying to puzzle what she was attempting to tell him.

“This is the deadliest game of charades I’ve ever had.” Kat muttered under her breath.

That popped any energy Rick had right away, he sighed and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. Failing at guessing Monica’s intentions, he grasped one of her clawed fingers. “Monica follow,” he declared, tugging for her to trail behind him. She tried to grasp the feral as he did. “No. Monica follow… no food.” His gaze darted towards the others, a quiet plea for them to handle the feral while he handled Monica.

Dia was included in that gaze. The nurse quietly nodded, staying behind.

Monica clearly did not like this, but a pointed look from Rick was enough for her to falter. It bought him the time he needed to get away from the others. He came to a halt after a quick check that there wasn’t anything of note around him besides crumbled houses of stone and wood. He turned his focus on Monica.

Deep breath, how to approach this? There was no room to try to explain… anything close to morality, not with the current limitations on her vocabulary. But he had to try something, right? Break the problem into smaller parts.

“Torture is bad.” Rick muttered to himself. Great, morality, there’s that wall again. “Don’t torture?” Close… “I don’t like torture.” Maybe that was the way to go?

“Tohr-tur?” The feline she tilted her head.

Hurting without reason, hurting in general? The white-haired Sabertooth kept her gaze focused on him as he paced back and forth, her head tilted a bit to the side. Nodding as he felt the idea materialize properly, Rick stepped to her. “Word.” The term used to signal there was a new term to be learned. “Hurt.” He said, pinching his arm. She nodded.

“Hurt.” She nodded, mimicking the gesture, pinching her own arm.

“Torture.” Rick then proceeded to pinch himself a lot all over his arms.

She tilted her head again, repeating the pinches. “Hurt, hurt, hurt, hurt, torture?”

Close enough. “Yes.” Rick nodded.

“Torture… no?”

“Torture no.”

“Food hurt yes?”

“Food kill yes.”

She frowned. “Food kill yes, food hurt… no?”

“Food torture no.”

This time Monica crossed her arms, cocking a brow at him in the most challenging look he’d seen her send his way. “Hurt food yes? Hurt food no?”

He grimaced. “Hurt food… yes, torture food no.”

Snorting loudly, the feline made an annoyed growl. “Hurt Dia no, Hurt Ginny no, Torture food no, no, no, no, NO!” She paced back and forth, grumbling, throwing her paws back and forth, using a gravely tone of voice that… was she trying to imitate him? She looked at Rick and… was she having a tantrum?

The feline got closer, poking his chest and making him step back, slightly surprised. “Bahron hurt Rick, food hurt Rick. Rick hurt Rick!” Snarling, she let out a growl, turning around, gesturing in the direction of the others. “Hurt hurt HURT!” She proceeded to grab his hand, moving it to the pommel of the short-sword. “Rick hurt Bahron, Rick kill Bahron, Rick hurt food, Rick kill food. Food no hurt Rick. Bahron no hurt Rick.”

This time she roared, stomping her feet, crossing her arms, and shooting a look at him that was so damnably close to disappointment he was surprised. There was something else in what she was trying to say, and it wasn’t making its way through the language barrier. She just didn’t have the right words.

Grimacing, he stepped close, taking her paw in his hand and slowly caressing the back of it. With an apologetic look, he rubbed circles into the over-sized claws, focusing on the puffy pads. He focused his mind on their form, hands that were half-way to paws, thick slightly stubby fingers that had room for retractable claws, but lacking in the dexterity for fine manipulation.

They were meant to fight.

Rick swallowed the knot in his throat.

“Word.”

Sighing, he pinched his chest. “Hurt.”

Monica snorted, rolling her eyes. “Hurt.”

Slowly, he pulled her paw against his chest, making a show of leaving it between himself and the pinching hand. His fingers pinched at the stripped fur. “Protect.”

“Prrroh-tec.”

“Hurt.” He removed her hand, pinching his own chest, then moved her paw back down. “Protect.”

“Prrotec.” Monica paused, frowning.

“Monica protect Rick.”

The feline focused on her paw, then at him, then on her paw again. She pulled away, stepping closer. “Monica hurt Rick.” She poked his shoulder with her claw, then moved to put her other claw in the way. “Monica… prrotec Rick?”

“Yes.”

She deflated, sighing as she shook her head. “No.”

“No?”

Leaning closer, she knelt in front of him, her head level with his chest as she wrapped her strong arms around his hip. “Monica prrotec Rick.” She declared, squeezing him, looking up into his eyes, then moving to grab his arms and pull them to wrap around her head. A second sigh. She breathed in and leaned into him. “Rick prrotec Monica.”

She was still frustrated, but at least in this shared hug, she eventually relaxed.

“Rick protect Monica,” he muttered, kissing the top of her head.

[125] [Mark]

“We’re running low on supplies.”

“Pretty sure you can find some ferals to eat.”

“Fuck you.”

Mark glared at Brye. She glared back. A soft breeze blew through the forest.

“Either you kiss and makeup, or we can keep walking. It’s bad enough super-cock here is slowing us down.” Shery rolled her eyes, shifting her shoulders and causing Noah to squeak. The Mousegirl was tied up and gagged tight, getting carried by the gray-skinned maiden like a sack of potatoes.

“Aren’t both of you supposed to be good at this kind of shit?” He glared at them.

“Not sure if you’ve noticed, we’re not Hunters.” Shery rolled her eyes.

“Or feralborn.” Brye added. “Give me a well stocked hole to lounge in, maybe some girls to kill, this shit? Fuck this shit.”

It was impressive how quickly the domineering facade fell off the moment hunger started gnawing at the fox’s heels. Mark just rolled his eyes in return, focusing ahead and on pushing himself to walk faster. The forest had turned into an annoyance of shrubbery and thickets. It was a pain to walk through, and the human was ever thankful for his jeans. Even if they were getting mangled up.

“Fucking finally, a hog-trail.”

Brye growled, pointing at the barely visible ‘line’ of missing vegetation.

“Is this thing even going in the right direction?”

Mark glanced upwards for a second, confirming the sun’s position through the shade of the trees. “Trail’s headed West.”

“Close enough.” Shery shrugged. “Aubria is in that general direction, we’re bound to stumble onto an actual road sooner or later.”

“Kinda surprised our otherworlder pet knows navigation but not survival.” She quirked a brow, and Mark felt something twitch in the back of his mind. The fox smirked. “Ah, your brother knew this kind of thing, and it rubbed off on you?”

Mark snapped. “Stay the fuck out of my head you fr-.” He halted his word before he could finish it, noticing Shery tense and Brye’s hackles already rising. His mind returning to the river, the drowning, the fox saving his life. The human shook his head. “I’m not your fucking pet.”

There was a moment of surprise on the fox’s expression, quickly replaced with an amused smirk. “Once we get to Aubria, you can tie me up and spank me if you’d like. Until then, you’re going to be the pet.”

Snorting loudly, the young man just kept moving, glaring at the fox as she took the lead and Shery covered the rear. His eyes trailed over her two tails as they danced back and forth. Her humor had clearly improved from just that interaction, and the human was left all the more confused for it.

“MFFFF!”

The muffled shout came from Noah, the mouse abruptly becoming far more animated, shaking her head against the blindfold and mouthpiece desperately. Instantly, the group froze, not paying so much attention to the Mousegirl as much as their surroundings.

Brye was the first to act, jumping out of the trail to the right and vanishing uncannily fast. Mark realized she’d used an illusion of some sort, but he couldn’t get the chance to ponder over it as a rumbling growl from his left. The human lifted the stick of wood right as Noah squeaked when she was dropped.

Shery pulled out a far thicker stick of wood, looking mighty heavy.

“Feral mutt, run or get pummeled.” The gray skinned maiden threatened, raising the stick as she stepped closer to Mark, keeping slightly ahead and to the left.

A shriek from behind them made them freeze and spin around. Yipping and barking sounds followed, ones that were getting further and further away quite quickly. Human and maiden hesitated right until Brye stepped from the bushes, wiping away blood from her fingers and grimacing. “Kitsune, was trying to trick you to steal the mouse for a quick meal.”

Both of them glanced at the blindfolded and muffled maiden that was still wriggling and trying to escape the wires that kept her tightly bound.

“When the fuck can we get rid of this piece of shit?”

“When the bond breaks and killing her won’t cause our human to get all traumatized.” The Nogitsune’s gaze flickered towards Mark, and then back at the mouse. “Resilient little fucker doesn’t even feel worn down.”

Shery nodded, picking the mouse back up and slinging the maiden over her shoulder. “How the fuck does a bond last through her trying to kill him?”

“Not really our job to play the psychic. Just get him to the Boss and see what we do from there.”

“Bitch, you ARE psychic.”

Brye rolled her eyes again, turning to follow along the hog-trail with the others close behind.

The hours just ticked by, with Brye managing to find some of those edible over-sized berries that Mark had long since grown to hate. “How come these are all over the place?” He didn’t take a bite. There was a general agreement no one would unless they didn’t have much else of an option.

“Ferals love the stuff.” The Nogitunse just shrugged.

“You’d think they’d also love the more edible crap.”

Shery growled. “Pretty sure Brye’s cunt is attached to her nose, and that’s why she only ever picks up on these.”

“Feel free to find something else that you’re sure is edible.” The fox glanced over her shoulder at Shery.

“Boar.” Shery and Mark replied in unison, frowning at her. “And there’s birds too.” The human added.

There was only a shrug in response. “If you find one, tell me, I sure as fuck haven’t been able to pick up on anything.”

“Turns out the wildlife is smarter than you.”

Brye growled, but didn’t reply, just continuing her walk.

Things rolled slowly like this. Walk, break, and walk some more. Everyone in the group kept eying the handful of fist-sized berries being carried, and none wanted to take a bite until it was time to settle for the night. At that point, it would be easier to at least set-up someone to guard things over.

Mark was not looking forward to being the sex-toy of the two maidens.

Which was why he felt infinitely fortunate the moment they’d spotted an actual honest-to-God road. Dirt and well trodden, with the patches of forest cleared out at either side to give good visibility for anyone moving through. It meant there would be other people, sooner or later, at the very least.

Maybe even someone with real food for a change.

His stomach grumbled just from imagining it.

“We’re pushing things a bit hard.” Shery glanced back and forth, confirming there was no one traversing the road currently. “Think we should pull a snatch-and-grab?”

“Definitely.”

“A what now?”

Mark felt a trickle of concern.

“We could pretend to be some hunters, claim Noah’s a feral we caught, remove the collar and all that.” Brye pointed at the squirming mouse. “But that only really works if you’re not going to try to sell us out just so you can escape.”

“Which you tried.”

“Which you tried.” Brye nodded along with Sherry. “We’ll keep you nice and away from the action while we do the work.”

He almost jumped out to complain, before reminding himself exactly what he was going to complain about. Mouth shut, he left it at that. If they wanted to do all the work, then better for him. He was just a payload to them, after all.

[126] [Mark]

“She’s a Tigermouse, don’t remove her blindfold.”

Mark blinked slowly up at Brye. “You’re joking, right?” He showed his tied wrists up at her.

“Hey, you behave, and I’ve got a nice reward for you later.”

With a sigh, he just sat back against the tree, glancing over at the mouse. Noah was hanging upside down, wriggling, ankles tied up to the branch and hands tied behind her back. She very much looked like some prized fish that was being left up. The maiden was quite lively, wriggling and moving about.

“Right, almost forgot.”

Brye took one of the purple berries out of the bundle of cloth they’d been using as an improvised backpack. Approaching the wriggling mouse, she squeezed it over her thighs, allowing the purple liquid to splash down and cover her groin, her stomach, her petite breasts, dribbling all the way to the top of her mousy ears. The purple juice sparkled against the deeply tanned skin, goosebumps chasing the fruity substance.

Noah groaned, wriggling harder against the ropes as Brye used her coated hand to properly spread the juices on the maiden’s front and back. The fox took more than a few liberties with the diminutive maiden, squeezing her breasts, caressing her lower lips. The upside down woman grunted and squeaked, thrashing against the rope.

“The fuck’s that for!?” Shery jumped, glancing over with a scowl. “That scent’s going to draw attention.”

“She’s a psychic now.” The fox shrugged nonchalantly, whipping her hand against Noah’s rope-like tail. “Can’t have her trying shit while I’m not around.” Pausing, she glanced at Mark, the young man having quickly looked away in an attempt to ignore the mildly erotic display. “Enjoy the show.”

With a sigh, he shook his head, curling against the tree and watching them leave. The sound of their footsteps eventually died out, and the only sound remaining was that of the squirming, wriggling mouse. Mark’s eyes turned towards her, hanging from her ankles, body naked and slick with the purple juices.

He’d seen plenty of feral mice, but Noah didn’t look like they did. She was far closer to human in looks. Smooth with tanned skin, tight nubile physique, she would’ve certainly passed for a gymnast. The changes she’d gone through since her ‘shift’ had been noticeable, her skin having gone from pale to darker, and the fur on her ears having turned white.

Brye kept insisting the mouse had gained psychic powers, but Mark hadn’t exactly witnessed any of it.

Sighing, he glanced down at the wire they’d put on his wrists. It wasn’t tight, and they’d certainly been sloppy about it. But what was the point? His mind turned to Veronica. The woman hadn’t been one to care about his life, and Noah had attempted to kill him the only way she’d been able to, that really only left…

Shaking his head, he didn’t want to think about that, how the fox was the only thing that had reliably gone out of its way to keep him alive. To hand him over to this “Boss” person. But…

Noah moaned, wriggling, shaking her head violently. Her head whipped about as she was trying to desperately remove the pieces of cloth binding her mouth and eyes.

“Stop.”

Mark’s word made her freeze in place. Noah was breathing fast, chest heaving for air through the cloth. “MMMFFF!” She tried to speak against the cloth that stuffed her mouth, the maiden breathing hard through her nose, the only part of her face that wasn’t covered up.

“I said STOP!” Mark raised his voice now, feeling the anger flare back out, his voice loud and clear.

The mouse froze in place, shivering slightly as she did. The young human took the chance to glare, even if he was sure she wouldn’t be able to tell. “And stay fucking still for a change.”

His gaze turned back down to his tied wrists. The wire was still there, and it was annoying him. So he started working on removing them. It only took him a couple minutes, and by the time he’d been done, a new sound was coming out of the bound maiden. Sobbing. It… irked Mark. She’d tried to kill him, used him for her… what? Suicide wish?

He finished removing the wire and stood up, approaching her once, sure there wasn’t anything else in the surrounding area. The anger from the river came back, mild, muted. He was tired and hungry, annoyed, but the fury had washed out slightly.

Mark knew better than to trust her. Brye’s warning rang clearly, so he avoided touching the cloth covering her mouth and especially the one covering her eyes. Her breathing had caught in her chest, fast and short, very close to hyperventilating. Her belly-button was eye-level with him.

Slowly, he reached out, pressing a finger against her navel.

The maiden squirmed, squeaking through the cloth and trying to fight her way free. “Stop,” he commanded, and she bolted stiffly once more, his finger tracing from her navel to the side of her hip. Another slight sob escaped her. He could only frown further. “Just stop this stupid asinine game. Stop.” Mark pulled his finger away when the digit started to tingle, wiping it off against the tree-bark. “You did this on yourself. You fucked up big time, turned yourself into this, and then tried to kill the one person who didn’t hate your guts.”

Noah had become quiet, the sobbing started to grow louder, and Mark growled again.

“No, just… no. You don’t get a pity-party.” He stomped his foot, glaring at the bound mouse. “You wanted to die, you opted to throw your life away. Well, we’re putting that life to damn use. Once we’re done with it do whatever the fuck you want if you still want to off yourself.”

A long pause followed, Mark glaring at her, watching the mouse stop moving, only a long sniffle followed, shuddering as goosebumps coursed through her body. A slow whimper, and a nod. A quick nod, and then many more, the maiden desperately moving her head back and forth, talking into the cloth again.

Mark sighed, pausing just as he’d been about to pull on the gag to let her talk. He’d seen what those teeth could do first hand, how they’d pierced through maiden skin when he hadn’t been able to with a knife. It wasn’t worth the risk, he turned in the direction Shery and Brye had left towards, forcing himself to look away from the squirming maiden.

His mind turned towards the larger picture, the prospect of running away. Where? To whom? Not like there was safety. With one last look at Noah as she hung from the tree, his eyes coursing through her juice-covered body, he followed the direction the other two maidens had taken.

The edge of the forest was only a couple dozen meters away, and from it, he got front-row seats to the road. Things had not been calm, Mark saw traces of scorched dirt, and there was a corpse near the road, bleeding out. Maiden if her brightly lit hair was anything to go by.

There were two others. A human lay on the ground, Brye had a short-sword pressed against the back of his neck. A maiden knelt nearby, hands raised and head pressed into the ground. They were a bit too far away for Mark to hear what was being said, but there were clearly cries for mercy.

These were strangers, and they needed the food, but…

“Just stop this.”

He spoke under his breath, frowning and shaking his head.

He didn’t expect the fox’s head to snap in his direction. Her eyes widened before quickly turning back to her captive. Mark felt a sudden shiver. Her hearing was THAT good? His brows narrowed. “They’ve done nothing to us.”

The fox’s tails stopped their wag, raising and then lowering. She spoke to Shery, the fellow maiden appearing confused at first, until she caught sight of Mark in the tree-line. She too appeared surprised. Brye appeared to deflate slightly before grabbing a hold of the guy’s shirt and vanishing.

She reappeared near the tree-line at the side of the road opposite to Mark. A second jump and she popped into existence near the tree-top. There was screaming, there was shouting, and there was begging. But the fox didn’t drop him, instead taking rope and tying him up, leaving him to hang from the branch in much the same way she had Noah.

Except she didn’t tie the other end, tossing the rope down for Shery to grab and tie to the remaining maiden’s wrists. Behind her back. The situation looked simple enough. If she loosened the rope, the guy would fall, and if she didn’t catch him in time, that would be it for him.

The duo proceeded to leave them there, quickly moving towards the sacks and bags that were littered around the bloodied corpse. They picked up most everything there and rushed in Mark’s direction, the human having the sense of mind to dip back into the forest and avoid being spotted by the surviving duo.

“If this comes to bite our tails, it’s on you.” Brye declared dryly, moving past him without further regard, continuing in the direction of the mouse they’d left hanging.

Shery however, stopped next to him. She met his gaze with a slight frown. “Don’t meddle in things unless you know what you’re doing.”

“What?”

She didn’t respond, shoving one of the sacks onto his arms. “There're clothes there, see what fits, leave the rest.” A loud moan caught both their attentions, a squeaky sound that made it all too clear what was going on. Shery sighed and shook her head. “We’ll eat while we walk. Got to get some distance from here.”

[127] [Alice]

Alice glanced at the green-collared winged woman that stood in front of her.

“My name’s Helga. It’s a pleasure to meet you in person, ma’am.” The blond maiden was smiling from ear to ear. “I’m sure I will be of great service.”

“In person?”

“I’ve been in sentry duty, so I’ve spotted you a couple times.” The woman made a gesture towards the radio tower. Or more accurately, to the top of the radio tower. She quickly did a brief salute, placing her right hand on her left shoulder.

“You… don’t have to do this.” Alice grimaced slightly. “I don’t really need to… own… anyone.”

“Ma’am, the Major mentioned your… opinions in this matter, and asked only for volunteers. I volunteered.”

“To be my property.” The teacher rubbed her temples. “Helga, look, I’m not…”

The maiden stepped closer, light gray wings rustling. “Ma’am.” She smiled brightly. “It is illegal for a maiden to not have an owner, and considering my duties are to assist and protect you. Being under your ownership is the most convenient arrangement.”

Alice frowned. “Willingly, not coerced or bribed or…”

“I am able to wield radiant energy, I could use it to cast a truth spell if you’d prefer?” She was not deterred an inch, grinning brightly.

“No, no, let’s… not go into that particular hole.” She sighed, shaking her head. “Could you at least tell me… why?”

Helga blushed slightly, her eyes widening along with her smile. “I’d been hearing much about your group from the Baroness’ guards, especially over how you specifically had tried to attack the Baron when he’d threatened you.” The pale-gray wings spread behind her before quickly retracting. “That shining determination even in the face of impossible odds was so…” A little squirm before quickly making another salute. “It would be a great honor to serve under you, ma’am.” And then, hesitation, the smile tightening at the corners. “Would you take me?”

“I, erm, uh…” Alice felt like she was looking straight at the sun, she felt like the young woman was being, perhaps, a bit too intense. “Could we try to see if things mesh and see where it goes from there?”

“A trial?” Helga nodded eagerly. “I will do my best! What task would you have me do first?”

The teacher coughed, nodding slightly. “How about just… staying together for now? See how we get along? I heard the Major was calling out for the… recruits?” Her brow furrowed slightly. “Is that how it’s called?”

Helga nodded. “Technically, citizens are enlisted into working for the league in fighting the feral threat. So ‘enlisted’ is the terminology used in the laws. But they have different names, especially depending on who’s calling it and on what they do.” A little nod followed. “Though out here so far from civilization, the enlisted are kind of slotted into doing a bit of everything. The people over here tend to just call them ‘militia’, and most just follow the Hunter’s directions.” Helga frowned slightly. “I also heard some folk call them ‘tamers’, but that’s mostly for those who’ve been listening a bit too much to the radio.”

“Huh.”

Walking across the village, Alice nodded slightly, trying to put together how to approach this brand new conundrum that had been shoved onto her lap.

“Is there anything else you’d like to know, ma’am? I was born in Balet, but grew up in Seledo and Astunes. I’ve studied a bunch about the law ever since the Major got into that spat with the Baron, so there’s much I can answer if you’ve got doubts!”

“Spat?” The teacher quirked a brow.

“Yeah, it was about his son.” She shook her head. “Lost him to the Pyrebear six years ago. There was a dispute over how the Baron had meddled with the Hunter’s job and that’s how things went wrong, but… well…” Helga shrugged slightly. “It was messy, and the Earl determined the Baron had been within his rights.”

Alice’s lips thinned but didn’t mention anything else, following the general directions towards the building the Hunters used as a base of operations. She tried her best to avoid paying attention or noticing how every maiden that crossed her path would quickly look her way and then attempt to pretend to not have done exactly that.

It seemed the novelty of the whole “human females” thing had yet to wear out amongst the locals. What was slightly unnerving was how the human males seemed to be far more openly willing to gawk. None had approached, but the psychology teacher was quite willing to bet it would only be a matter of time.

“The Major’s this way, ma’am.” Helga pipped up, pointing to the side.

They circled around the building and into a large patio. There were several groups of people, the first of which being Major Huge and Irene, standing in the center of the area. In front of them stood eight men, students and parents from the field-trip. Alice noticed Victor as well and quickly turned her attention to the other half of the patio.

There were three metal cages, with four Hunter-uniformed maidens standing at each corner of each cage. But the teacher’s attention was quickly drawn towards the contents of the cages. Within each one there were between three and four other maidens. Naked, gagged, and bound in wire.

“What the…!?”

“They’re ferals, ma’am.” Helga quickly spoke up in a hushed voice. “The Major’s likely prepping them for their first maiden.”

Alice promptly snapped her mouth shut, eyes turning intensely towards the Major. The man hadn’t looked her way, but his broad shoulders stiffened as if he’d been able to detect the gaze all the same. With a nervous cough, he gestured at the cages. “They’re all Doggirls, found injured during the rush. We put them to sleep, patched them up, and have some black collars to help break them from the feral state.”

“They won’t wake up naturally, I am keeping them under.” Irene pipped up, her red gaze sweeping over those present, pausing on Alice last. “Please pick whichever seems best. They’re all Doggirls, one of the easiest maidens to bond to, and regardless of what task or role you wish to take, they’ll prove useful, if nothing else, to keep you safe.”

Already she could hear her jaw tighten as she watched him.

Huge’s posture tightened further, shoulders drawing back as his spine arched like a bow ready to snap. “Though some might consider it best to make the decision while they’re conscious, they’re ferals and still dangerous, so prioritizing one’s safety should always come first.”

The crowd of men glanced at one another, nodding and splitting up, approaching the cages. Alice took the chance to do the same and head towards Huge. Though Irene stepped in her way, the naked red-skinned woman keeping a stony cold look.

“Ma’am.” She spoke the word curtly. “Unless you intend to enlist, we would appreciate you refrain from potentially disrupting a lesson that might save the life of your companions.”

The psychology teacher paused. “Shouldn’t you seek to have these girls taught by experienced people and then given the option on whom to join?”

“Ma’am, a feralborn’s best teacher is the one they bond to, as they’re far likelier to pay close attention to their human. By bonding them from the start, it lets them adjust to their partner’s idiosyncrasies and preferences.” Irene didn’t so much as blink. “This also gives them valuable experience. Being able to tame a feral now while under safe circumstances allows them to be likelier to not die when trying their hand on their own.”

“We… also don’t have enough greenie’s that we could spare.” Huge added, scratching his chin. “Ma’am.”

“But Helga-.”

“It was under the Baroness’ insistence.” Irene snapped up. “Since you and many others have opted to postpone your enlistment, potentially to join the military academy instead, then having a Hunter-experienced maiden would be a minimum to ensure everyone’s safety.”

“What she said.” The Major nodded emphatically. “We’re stretched thin enough we can’t even send your group off, we have to wait for a sortie from the Earl so they can safely escort you to Balet… I mean, those wanting to join a military academy, and anyone wanting to tag along… ma’am.”

“Besides.” The psychic’s lips cocked upwards ever so slightly. “Would the lady prefer these ferals learn from the values of OUR society and culture, or yours?”

Alice’s mouth snapped shut, brows furrowed for several long quiet seconds as she turned to look at the others. “And there’s not one woman here amongst the volunteers?”

“If any women from your group have opted to enlist, we’ve not heard about it.” The Major declared.

With a slight frown, she crossed her arms, trying to think it over. Was this yet another move from the Baroness? Maybe Ms. Dodson had stuck her nose into someone’s business? Or… a grimace followed, the only one she’d seen enthused with the idea had been Kat, and she’d left with Rick.

“I’d like to stick around and see how this works.” She finally pipped up, watching the Major squirm a little. Irene glanced at her, and Alice added. “Regardless of if I enlist or not, or if I end up joining a military academy or not, this would be a learning experience all the same. No?”

The psychic’s lips pursed, eyeing the Major a little.

“Very well, ma’am.”

[128] [Alice]

“We… will start with a simple acclimatization exercise.”

Alice quietly watched from the sidelines, doing her level best to purely observe the unfolding events rather than judge them.

The sleeping ferals had been given a black collar, put in place, and then a single one was dragged out of the cage as she slumbered. Laying downwards, they tied her wrists to the ground with wires, and her throat was put into a metal-lasso that would bite into the flesh if tugged hard enough.

A maiden straddled the feral’s hips as she kept the other hand on the lasso. In front of this was none other than Victor, the teacher grimacing just as much as the others as they watched.

“We will wake her up slowly. Be sure to keep your fingers out of her reach.” The Major explained slowly. “She will panic and attempt to escape, you should try to soothe her. Shushing sounds work, no need to touch, just stay in front of her and wait things out. Eventually she’ll tire and calm down.” He nodded slowly. “Whenever she’s calm, try to put your hand near where she can smell, but not within reach. Repeat until she smells you without reacting violently.”

“And then?”

“This might take the whole day, Doggirls have good stamina.” The Major answered with a sharp nod. “But you should try to move closer, turn allowing yourself to be sniffed into touching her arms. Once she’s used to your touch, you can move into feeding her.”

“What’s the end-goal?” Alice whispered at Helga.

The Valkyrie’s eyes lit up. “The goal is to form a strong sense of submission and trust, the collar boosts those emotions on the unbonded, as a way to promote bond formation.” There was a slight sing-song to her voice as she said this. “The Major usually prefers trust, but if you want to get submission, one of the better options is to pummel them until they realize they don’t stand a chance.”

“… and that works?”

“Sometimes?” A slight shrug of her wings. “I’ve heard it’s quite tricky. Stronger maidens don’t admit defeat easily, and are very slow to trust. But weaker ones could react with more fear and anger than respect.”

“Wait, how long do these things take?”

“Anywhere between a few days and a few months.” An apologetic smile emerged.

“A few days before they’re safe?”

“Oh no, that would be until the bond forms, ma’am.” Helga shook her head. “Once bonded, the maidens are to remain contained for at least a few more days if not potentially months until they’ve properly learned how to hold back.”

“Wait, then Monica?”

The Valkyrie’s smile tightened. “The Baron thought he could contain a Sabertooth, and he had more resources to spare than the Major.”

Alice could only nod at that, feeling keenly aware how fragile a situation it was to have someone like Monica walking around and being entirely unable to stop or contain her. They could only play nice and hope for the best. A howl drew their attention back to the unfolding scene, the Doggirl had awoken, and she’d begun struggling wildly against her bindings.

“As you can see, the feral is, understandably, in a panic. This is one of the most dangerous parts.” Huge spoke up over the howls. “There are ways to forcefully calm her down, maidens that wield psychic or corrosive energies in particular are quite adept at it. But for the sake of experience, we won’t be using any of those methods. We will assume you are without aid.” The man reached into the ruck-sack that hung at his side and he pulled out a large purple berry. “These are usually called passion-fruit. They grow in the wilds, the bush they grow from absorbs ambient elemental energy, somewhat. The fruit’s juices heal wounds, but that same component generally causes arousal and lightheadedness.” A slight pause, his eyes moving across the crowd. “There’s a trick to reduce the kick, if you don’t have a maiden to suck up the elemental energy, you can rub it against the leaves of the bush it comes from.”

“Can a bond even be formed while under the effects of some drug?”

“It’s not impossible, just harder, ma’am.” Helga spoke with a lowered voice, moving a step forward and making sure she was slightly ahead of Alice. The maiden’s hand was firmly on the sword on her hip. “The less aware, the tougher it becomes.”

The teacher could only really nod along, glancing back at the demonstration as Huge tossed the fruit at Victor, telling him to rub the skin against his fingers and to use that to let the Doggirl to smell them.

The man followed the instructions close enough, and they just about did nothing, the Doggirl kept struggling and whining all the way.

“Just keep at it, be patient, she’ll tucker herself out. Once she’s receptive, you could give her a bit of food, though it’s unlikely she’ll take it until hunger starts kicking in sometime tomorrow.” Huge nodded along. “How about we bring out the next lass?”

“So we’re meant to just… stay here for the whole day?” One of the students raised his hand.

The Major scowled when he heard that. “If things go bad, these girls are going to be your lifeline. Do you have any better ideas over what to spend your time on?”

The hand was lowered, worried looks were shared, and Alice could only grimace at the rawness of it all. They’d escaped the forest, but the danger never left. The young teacher could only sigh and watch as, one by one, the canine maidens were tied down, pinned, and woken up.

“Wouldn’t it be better to have them be separate?” She asked the Major as he’d been about to leave. “I mean, having them all howling at once like that… doesn’t it make them encourage one another?”

“It… um… Irene?”

“The idea isn’t to just teach them to trust the human they bond to but humans in general, ma’am.” The maiden spoke up smoothly. “Though it might take them longer, once the first of them caves in and accepts food and water, the others will follow along. Doggirls have a strong pack mentality, so they have an easier time accepting others as part of their group so long as the conditions are right.”

“You need to understand the feral’s breed as well as the individual’s disposition.” Huge nodded along, throwing a slight smirk at Irene, his large hand gingerly reaching out to her shoulder. “Having a psychic can help things along plenty.”

“Or a charmer.” Helga declared.

That made the Major flinch as if struck by lightning, his lips pursing and gaze turning away.

“What’s a charmer?” Alice quickly asked, noticing how the Major and Irene were apparently busy looking at something else.

“They’re maidens with very powerful abilities that let them influence others in certain ways, ma’am.” The Valkyrie declared with an enthusiastic nod. “There're breeds like the Mazouku and Demoness that can create fear, or the Harlequin that can create powerful self-doubt.”

“I fail to see how fear or self-doubt could charm anyone, but I’ll take your word for it.” The teacher replied with a quirked brow.

“Charmers have powers meant to manipulate others in a rather direct fashion. The Kingdom has some strict laws involving ownership of such breeds.” Irene declared with a slight scowl.

“Unlike psychics.” Alice frowned at the red-skinned woman.

“Though the average psychic does have the capacity to manipulate someone experiences, the best we can hope for is to place our targets into a temporal altered state of mind.”

“A psychic can only influence as long as they hold power over the target.” Huge nodded.

“Not really much of a difference.”

“A very important one, ma’am.” Irene declared coldly. “If I wish to cause someone to feel fear, I need to find something that scares them and present it to them. Charmers have no such limitation, a Demoness for example can cause fear with just an exertion of their power, unconditionally. The subject is left fighting a source-less panic.”

Alice nodded ever so slightly at this, the concept feeling a bit convoluted.

“Thus the restrictions and oversight.” Huge added, sighing. “Anyway, the enlisted will be having their hands full for the next few days. If you’ll excuse me, ma’am, that’s about it for today, I have to return to the important things to attend to.”

Irene nodded along, both of them walking off.

And the psychology teacher being left to watch as the group spent the remainder of the day trying to get the canines to calm down and accept their scent. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of wrongness growing within her.

Was this really the best way to tame a feral?

[129] [Barry]

Shirtless, Barry shifted uncomfortably in the chair, the sensations running through his skull like a thousand ants crawling directly over his bones.

“Stay still, dammit.” Lala grumbled.

The maiden whose hands were causing his head to feel like it had been turned into an ant-hill was growling in frustration. She stood behind him, her chest pressed firmly against his back, her fingers stroking his hair. “I need to get a good feel for the problem.”

“I-If you say so,” Barry stammered, face lit up as he closed his eyes and tried not to think too much of how soft she felt against his skin. “H-How does it work? Will I… be able to see normally?”

“I can heal just about as well as a Mousegirl can fly. What I’m going to do is put a little curse on you.” There was a little chuckle as Lala pulled back from him, hurrying over to the piece of parchment on the table. Grabbing a piece of coal, she began drawing some lines on it.

The small reprieve left Barry sighing and relaxing his shoulders. His eyes moved towards the half-naked maiden. Her dark skin was a dark chocolate, and there was plenty of it to see because the only clothing she wore were a set of green pants, which only helped make her pronounced hips all the more alluring. Barry swallowed and turned the other way, cheeks alight.

“Does… do you need to touch me so much?”

“Consider it a free service, handsome.” There was a little amusement in those words as she hurried to the stool behind him, hopping on and then pressing herself against his back once more. With the touch of her fingers on his head, the young man grimaced once more.

“And… how are you going to curse me?”

“When you were talking about lenses, it kinda got me thinking. If I curse you with the right kind of bad eyesight, it should cancel out your own bad eyesight.” A slight chuckle. “I’m so going to win that bet.”

“… bet?”

The question made the maiden stiffen slightly, a nervous chuckle right as she pressed herself slightly harder against him. “Please don’t tell Lady Embla? She might get pissed off.”

“But… bet about what?”

“Oh, we have several bets going around in regard to our famous otherworlder guest.” She chuckled. “Who gets to fix your eyesight, whose name will the Hound speak first, who gets to fuck you first… you know, standard stuff.”

If the flush before was strong, now it became intense, steam practically felt like it was about to explode out of the red-head’s ears. “W-W-wha-aT!?”

The door opened instantly, and a naked black-haired Hound pounced inside, fangs out and eyes gleaming sharply. Both people froze, though it was Barry who reacted first, raising both his hands. “It’s ok, it’s ok. Orion, calm down, nothing… nothing’s happening.”

“He’s ok, see? Your human’s all safe and sound.” Lala chuckled, ruffling Barry’s hair before lifting her hands.

The Hound glared, scoffing, and without another word, turning around to step right out the door once more. Though she did not close it, standing at the edge of the room and sitting right in the middle of the entrance. She chose a position where she could look over her shoulder and towards Barry.

“By the by, my bets are on her being the one to get you to do the dirty. So if you want to help a girl out…”

“I don’t, this isn’t, I erm… are we done?” He stammered, eager to stand up from the wooden stool.

“You’re more than welcome to stick around, you know, check my angles and lines and stuff.” Lala’s smile was earnest, though considering the way she was smirking and leaning slightly forward, Barry was fairly sure she was also intending to tease him the whole way.

“I can’t read without my glasses, so… maybe another time.” He quickly put his silk shirt back on, waving the tinkerer goodbye as she headed towards the door. “Same time tomorrow?”

“Sure!”

With that, Barry stopped at the door’s threshold, looking down at Orion as the Hound looked up at him in turn. “I… need to step outside.”

Her face remained impassive, and the young human sighed, side-stepping her before turning to look her way. Except she was now gone. The young human’s shoulders deflated as he looked down at his own shadow. The coloration was ever so slightly blacker than the surrounding shadows, the only sign the Hound was there at all. He deflated slightly further, turning his steps towards the large tree in the colony’s center.

The monster of a plant was comparable to the giant trees from the area the bus had crashed into, four of them put very close together, and the main structure that was called the ‘palace’ being where Barry was living at right now.

His steps slowed as he caught sight of a streak of blond hair. His chest seized up as there was only one person with such brilliantly golden hair in the whole Court. The human hurried his steps as he saw Pan stepping into the wooden palace, the Valkyrie was stomping her way across the place. Barry had no intention of engaging with her, making extra sure to wait to determine the direction she’d taken before taking the opposite one.

A longer route to his room, but one he would be able to avoid trouble.

“Barry.”

The human almost shrieked and jumped in surprise as the familiar voice rumbled and bounced across the wooden walls. Every maiden in the immediate vicinity abruptly found they had something to do elsewhere.

Lady Embla looked down at the human with her ever-present frown. “Heading to your room?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“I’ll accompany you.”

There was little room for rebuttal, he nodded in agreement. The dark-skinned maiden reached down and took his hand in her larger palm. It was soft despite the callouses, and Barry couldn’t help but turn to look up at her as she marched down the corridor. Everyone they stumbled along the way would quickly march right back out of the way.

That is until Pan showed up.

The maiden glanced at Barry for a flicker of a second, her expression stilling right before she turned to the taller maiden.

“Lady Embla.” She approached hurriedly. “I have-.”

“Unless it’s an emergency, our meeting is not due for another three hours.” The dark-skinned maiden declared, throwing the most intense glare a stony still face could manage as she did so. “IS this an emergency, miss ambassador?” Pan hesitated, tensing for only a moment. “I thought so.”

Lady Embla walked straight past the Valkyrie, pulling Barry along the way. The maiden’s hand gripping his own squeezing ever so slightly right as he’d been about to turn in the blond-maiden’s way. It made him look up at her in confusion.

“I heard from Kajou what that Valkyrie did to you while under her captivity.” Embla spoke with a firm growl. “Do not let pity taint your views, she is owed none.”

There were no more words spoken between the two, Barry nodded as they continued through the corridors and stairs until they reached one of the rooms nearest to the top of the building. Also one of the largest, the place certainly had more than enough space for a whole apartment.

The two guards at the entrance stepped aside to let them through, the doors locking behind them.

The instant the door had closed, Lady Embla sighed, her stiff statuesque shoulders relaxing as she let go of Barry’s hand. The maiden carefully raised her hands to her leather armor, undoing the straps with short simple gestures, efficient. She moved like a soldier who’d gone through the process a thousand times over, her steps leading towards the bed and making Barry hesitate.

“Come.” She commanded, dropping her shirt and exposing her large pillowy breasts, sitting at the edge of the bed and patting her lap. Barry gulped and nodded, moving closer and pushing back the embarrassment as he sat on the taller woman’s thigh.

Embla regarded him for a long moment, closing her eyes and raising her chin.

“Touch my neck.” A moment of hesitation. “Please.”

With a nod, he reached up, fingers caressing the patch of discoloration on her throat, the one that had been occupied by a collar not that long ago. The woman shuddered and relaxed, sighing. Her hands reached out to pull him closer against herself, leaning down and kissing him for only a brief moment.

With her palm holding his back steadily, she pulled away, meeting his gaze with emerald green determination.

“You didn’t bond Lala.” Her tone was soft but reproachful. “I specifically sent you to her since she looked the most eager.” Leaning closer, her free hand lifted his chin, and she kissed his throat. “I still smell her on you.”

“She was… touchy.”

“She is bonded to a prisoner, and would gladly take your advances. You need just offer.”

“I-.”

Slowly, Embla pulled away once more, keeping his chin raised so he could not look away from her gaze. “Barry, you must learn to conquer. Lala would have succumbed under your touch like a leaf falling in autumn.”

“I just… I’m not that confident.”

“No one is born strong in spirit. You must learn.” Embla touched his thigh softly, his body becoming warmer under her caress. “But you must be willing to learn, only then can you grow.”

“H-how’s your mother?”

Embla hesitated, her brows lowering, the statuesque expression faltering as it darkened. “I know of a way to fully heal her, but I will need your aid, Barry.”

The human perked up. “If I can be of help…”

“Then dedicate yourself to growing stronger in spirit.” Embla said firmly.

“I… how can that… Help?”

The woman glanced back down at him, her arm circling around his hip. “There are several maidens who have the knowledge and power that could aid her Ladyship, but they are under the kingdom’s control.”

“Wait, you want me to… bond them?” Barry blinked. “Forcefully?”

“They have grown up as slaves, they know nothing else, they fear freedom. With the bond, you could help them learn the truth.” She replied. “But most importantly, we need to be able to trust they will not harm her Ladyship. If, once done, they still wish to return to slavery, then we will not stop them.”

The young man hesitated, lowering his gaze in thought. “I… I’ll do it.”

“Then prove your resolve.” Her gaze twinkled with an approving smile, her hand pulling his palm against her soft pillowy breast. “Conquer me once more.”

-------

And so starts Season 3!

Also, if you guys want to lend a hand, you could always rate/review the story over at RoyalRoad! Trying to get attention for more readers is always something I have to keep in mind (And generally suck at).

Ah, PS, tomorrow Aria quest live! (hopefully getting back my bearings properly).

See you guys next week!