(Author's Note)
Okay, so allow me to explain what's happened.
I have completely caught up the rewrite, sorry about the wait on an update, I wanted to drop everything at once and that… took a bit of time.
Not to mention I've been busy with school and stuff. Honestly, I'm uploading this right after I've an assignment for summer school. Wow, do I hate working on essays…
Anyways! This means that as of right now, the story has moved from the crossover section to the general MGQ fanfiction archives.
With that said, enjoy the next… five rewritten chapters, enjoy!
ONTO THE STORY!
My feet connected with the ground, I squinted my eyes, looking to my left and right.
All Clear.
I opened my door, walking the halls of the building. I slowly started to hall down said hallway, quickly (but not really) finding myself in front of… That Door.
I slowly opened the door, looking at the figure asleep in the bed. At the realization that the she-leviathan (Bitch Tornado, either or) was still asleep, I quietly closed the door.
I eventually reached the front desk, where I said a quick goodbye to the innkeeper, and moved on my way.
My next stop was Po's blacksmith, and so with haste and gusto, I sprinted to his shop, as I felt a chill go down my spine as I realized she found out I already left.
As I reached the shop, I walked into the room, realizing from the lack of well… her, that the dragon pup was still asleep, so it was just the resident blacksmith manning the station.
"Morning Po." I said, waving at him as I walked into his shop. He turned to look at me, he was currently helping one of Illias' Heroes pick out a new weapon. (Which, might I say, wasn't really a… good weapon.)
"Morning Bryce. Just give me a sec, I'll be right with you." He said, continuing his work.
The sound of a door opening brought me out of my thoughts, as I turned to see The Dragon Pup walk into the storefront, rubbing her eyes.
She did, however, immediately snap awake as she noticed I was here. "Bryce!"
"Hey!" I said, standing up straight. "So, it's your first day today huh?"
"Yep! I'll be helping with the smithing work more really…" The Dragon Pup responded.
It was at this moment that I realized I didn't really know… ANY of the girl's names.
"...So… awkward question… but you and your friends never really… told me your names." I said.
"Oh yeah!" The Dragon Pup realized. "I'm Zyavan, Shysie is our resident vampire, Anthelsa is the Lamia of our group, and Gobby is the Goblin Girl."
"...Gobby? You three have really hard to remember names… and Gobby is… Gobby?" I deadpanned.
"She doesn't really have a name, so we gave her that name." Said Zyavan.
"That… actually explains a lot..." I said, looking off to the side.
"Now then." I turned to see Po walk towards me. "I see Zyavan is awake… So, Bryce! What can I help you with?"
"I'm looking for a map with Enrika Village on it." I said. "I'm heading there next. While it's mainly to see the area… It's also to see about getting a custom order done."
"What are you thinking of?" Asked Po.
I shrugged. "Honestly? Not too sure. I was wondering if they did custom orders on armour, maybe some pants, gloves or boots I could get ordered in. I already have the shirt, and having another layer of armour like the black coat I currently have on would be overkill in my opinion."
Po seemed to think on this for a second, before pulling out a map of the continent. He picked up a quill he had on his checkout, before marking a black X over where Enrika was generally.
"I'd recommend following this path here to Enrika. It's the quickest, and safest." he said, marking the path down, before folding the map up and handing it to me.
"Thanks." I said, picking it up, before shoving it in my coat. "Alright, I think I'm ready to go…"
"Oh! Hold on a sec!" Zyavan rushed into some of the shelves of the shops, before coming out with a small metal chain, before she pulled a scale off her person and attached it to the chain, handing it to me.
"Thanks, Zyavan." I said, wrapping the chain and scale around my wrist. "Alright, I'll see you guys later. Tell the others I said Hi!"
I closed the door behind me, as I found myself face to face with Alice.
"...So about not waking you up this morning…" I began, only to be shut up by Alice's glare. "Alright, I got it…"
"Okay… so we go southeast of Illiaburg, and we should be there eventually." I said, looking at the map. "Po said to take this path when we reach the forest front, so we should get there without too much trouble."
"I still don't see why we're dealing with this." Said Alice, as she lazily looked over my shoulder at the map. "Let's just skip it and head to Happiness Village." She pointed to the area northeast of Illiasburg.
"Ah, but you see!" I began, as I swear I heard Alice facepalm. "While I understand your anticipation for 'THE QUEST FOR STICKY LIQUIDS!'," I shouted this part, pointing my finger towards the air, as Alice's right eye twitched, her tail waving in quick bursts like a cat about to pounce.. "The main reason that I even plan on going here is due to protection."
"Protection?" Asked Alice, as she gave a look at my current outfit.
"I just happen to like being careful, what can I say?" I said, shrugging, before looking to the side. "Especially so after that fight with Granberia a few days ago…"
I then smirked slyly at Alice. "Also, there IS the possibility that they may have some sort of special dish there..."
"Special dish?" Asked Alice.
"Yes. Since it IS a village hidden away from most people's knowledge, it would come to mind that their hidden nature could ALSO be passed onto other aspects of their life in the village, IE: Food." I finished, giving a smug smirk.
Alice seemed torn for a second, before just giving me a HARD glare for doing this to her.
"...If we don't find anything of note, your ass will be the next thing on a platter." She threatened.
"And here I thought you were a semen kind of girl, didn't know shit was the thing that got you off…" I said under my breath, which I regretted saying, as I didn't really have any other breaths to take, since Alice was using her tail to choke me.
"In retrospect, I do remember Po just giving me a rough estimate…" I said, finding the map was now useless.
"Hmm? That's an unusual monster..." Said Alice.
"Eh?" I turned back to Alice, only to find her gone. "Of fucking course…"
I grabbed Angel Halo, pulling the sword out as I got into a stance.
…
…
…
,,,,
(Wait, that ellipse was off!)
"I know you're there." I said.
A second later, a Dark Elf made her way out of the bush, as she looked at me.
"Go back from whence you came." Said the Dark Elf. "This is a place man must not approach."
I got out of my defensive stance, looking to my left and right, before looking at the Dark Elf, deciding to have a little fun. "Oh, I'm sorry… I just didn't realize racism was something both monsters and humans did equally." I smirked at the edge of the left side of my mouth. "Of course, if I'm wrong then that just means it's all from your side."
"I've told you once…" The Dark Elf seemed unfazed, as she pulled out a dagger. "Then I will have to use force.
"Ooh… scary." I said, leaning forward. "But I feel the phrase you're thinking of is: YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"
The Dark Elf just gave a sly smile. "If you won't retreat, then I shall force you into deprivation." She said. "I will contaminate you with my darkness, and make you into my thing!"
I stopped, a sudden chill going up my spine. "Eugh, no thank you. Besides, I'm not into mind break porn."
The Dark Elf circled me, I kept my eyes on my opponent, as I spun my sword in my hand.
She went for the first strike, as I brought up Angel Halo to block the oncoming strike. I felt my feet dig into the ground, as I swung my blade to the right, before I swung it diagonally to the left.
"So that whole corrupting darkness thing," I began, jumping to the side as I avoided the attack from the dark elf. "How exactly do you even do that? What, you distant relatives with Mr. Negative or something?"
The Dark Elf paid me no mind, as I spun Angel Halo around in my hand. "Alright, fine, I can tell when a conversation doesn't want to be had. Let's end it here then!"
I charged forwards, before swinging my sword right at the Dark Elf's neck, the attack connecting as I slid behind her.
"...Demon Decapitation." I said, flicking Angel Halo to the side, as the Dark Elf slowly faded into…
"...The fuck?" I asked, looking at the tiny Dark Elf in front of me, before I decided to walk away from the monster, as she had apparently not had enough, and was now trying to hit me with a tiny stick.
"Okay, so apparently Enrika… doesn't like men… So is this now a sexist problem or is it still a Racist thing?"
"From the way the Dark Elf acted, telling you to leave, and not just going after you for your dick, I'd guess it was more for protecting the village." Said Alice, putting in her two sense. "So with that being said, it would beg to say that Enrika Village is probably a secret monster village. And right under her dumb nose as well…" Alice seemed to be smirking at that last part.
"Well, we might as well still continue." I said, looking at Alice. "We're already this far in, might as well finish what we started. Let's continue walking."
Not even a few steps later, and I'm stopped by another monster… well, it was really just another dark elf. If said Dark Elf was wearing a dress and had tentacles coming out from under it… Welp, everyone has their fetishes… and this one is NOT mine.
"I won't let you go any further than this…" Said the Dark Elf. "I'll summon a tentacle for you, and make you its prey…"
"...YEAH, that was NOT an image I wanted in my head anytime soon…" I responded, drawing Angel Halo.
The Dark Elf sends volleys of tentacles at me, as I feel my body curve and twist around each one, as I roll to the side, gritting my teeth.
"You're going to have to do better than that!" I shouted, grabbing the handle of my weapon with both hands.
I sprinted at the Dark Elf, dodging and slicing her tentacles. I leaned to the left, swinging Angel Halo at her head. I watched as she leaned her head to the side, before I felt a tentacle slam into my chest, knocking me off my feet
I jumped up, rolling my neck. "Let's end this." I said, taking a stance. "DEMON DECAPITATION!"
I sprinted at the Dark Elf, before sliding down. I waited until I was underneath her, before pushing myself off the ground, swinging my sword at her neck.
My attack never connected though, because my leg had a tentacle grab and pull before I hit, breaking my momentum.
"I'll wrap around you…" Said the Dark Elf.
"Fuck!" I shouted, as the rest of my Limbs were quickly restrained. I struggled, before quickly increasing my pace of struggling as I felt a tentacle get a bit too close to my nethers than my liking.
"Fufu… You can't move now." Said the Dark Elf. "Let me suck everything up like this…"
I inhaled, before violently swinging my left arm forwards, ripping the tentacles off of the limb, as I grabbed Angel Halo and cut the other tentacles off as I landed on the ground, as the bindings slowly fell off. I jumped back, avoiding another attempt from her to put me back in the last situation.
"Oh thank god…" I said to myself, as I zipped my pants back up. I turned to the Dark Elf, picking Angel Halo back up. "Enough games…"
I broke into a full sprint, dodging tentacles at the last second before stabbing Angel Halo straight through the Dark Elf's chest, sealing her. Eventually, she's small enough to fit into my hand.
"This is… A seal!?" Asked the now tiny Dark Elf. "How can a human use magic this powerful!?"
It was then that the now sealed Dark Elf ran away. I let out a long sigh, before sheathing Angel Halo.
"Another Dark Elf…" I heard Alice say, as I turned to face her. "They usually don't hang out in groups like that…"
"I think your idea of it being a monster village might have been true…" I said, starting my walking back up again. "Let's finish our trip and head back to Illiasburg as quickly as we can."
3 hours. That was how long it took to finally find Enrika Village. Mind you, those three hours were really as long as they were because we had to deal with the occasional monster.
As we broke the tree line, Alice changed into her human disguise. I looked around, seeing very few people, and even those I did see seemed to be tense at our arrival.
"...So it's like that…" Said Alice to herself. "...I guess I was right."
"Alice?" I looked at her, before hearing the sounds of footsteps. I turned to see a lone woman walking towards us. She stands out a fair bit, the strange atmosphere of this place seemingly passing by her, as she executed one of her own.
"You… don't appear to be a merchant." Said the Woman.
"Um…" I looked to my left and right. "And this place doesn't appear to be outsider friendly."
"That is correct. Other than merchants who trade things we need, we don't allow anyone else in the village." Said the Woman. "...Please go away."
I looked to Alice, as she raised an eyebrow at this. I turned back to the woman, before giving a slight smile.
"I understand. I had heard of this place from a blacksmith in Iliiasburg, a man by the name of Po." I said, before pointing to the shirt I was wearing. "I just came to ask about the possibility of getting something custom made, since the shirt I'm currently wearing came from your village, and excuse my way of saying this, but is fucking amazing. If you want us gone, I can easily accept your reasoning."
"Thank you for your understanding." Said the women.
I gave a look at Alice, deadpanning, before I bowed, looking at Alice as she seemed to be scanning the woman with her eyes. I poked her, before getting slapped on my back, as I fell face first onto the dirt.
"Ow…" I muttered, stretching my hand out as I pushed myself back up.
"That ring!" She said, almost immediately. I looked at Alice with a subtle look, before looking back at the woman. "You look a bit different than last I say you but… could you be Luka?"
I stand up straight, looking at Alice for a second, before looking back at the woman. "I uh… think you have the wrong person."
I wasn't sure if Alice felt it, but I'd be surprised if she didn't, as I suddenly felt something crawl up my back, as the woman in front of me looked me dead in the eye.
"...Would you mind coming with me for a second?" She asked, as I looked from side to side, before nodding.
The woman looked at Alice. "I'm afraid I'd like this chat to remain private."
Alice just shrugged, indifferent as always, before she walked off to who knows where, as I suddenly found myself getting dragged to a nearby house.
The interior was nice, reminded me a bit of the house back in Illiasville. However, I do have to say that I didn't have a good feeling about this, especially with the Fallen Angel behind me about to probably kill me for the same reason Illias was mad at me for. It's fun knowing knowledge from the game, that way I know just how I could die right now.
I heard the door close behind me, as I turned to look at it, before looking back at the woman only to get thrown at the opposite wall.
"...Okay… that was uncalled for…" I groaned, picking myself up, as I stared the woman down. "And here I thought this would be a pleasant visit."
"I'd prefer if you cut the chatter." Said the woman. "I'm going to ask you this once, what did you do with him?"
I let out a sigh, before looking at the house. "...This house have a silence spell or something over it?"
The woman seemed to raise an eyebrow at me. "Yes… why?"
"Okay, so it's not as dangerous to say it aloud here then, good to know…" I muttered. "Look, Micaela, can I call you Micaela?"
"Answer the question and maybe you'll live long enough to remember the name." Said Micaela.
"Okay, one, that's a terrifying image." I said, pointing at her. "And two, I don't have any clue what you guys keep asking about what I've done with Luka."
"But you wear his ring." Said Micaela, pointing at my hand. "So you obviously have something to do with him."
"Yeah, probably." I said, shrugging my shoulders. "Doesn't mean that I have any idea what that is."
Micaela didn't seem to like my answer, as I raised my arms up in surrender as she took a step closer. "Woah! Woah! Easy… I don't know what you're talking about! I would love to answer, but I'll give you the same answer I gave Illias that one time she visited me via dream. I don't know."
Micaela's eyes seemed to widen, before she narrowed them. "Illias spoke with you?" She asked. A moment of silence rang true, before Micaela gestured to the nearby couch. "Sit."
I took the initiative, and sat down on the rather comfortable sofa. Micaela sat down oposite of me, a teapot in hand. "Tea?"
"Oh, no thanks. I'm… not much of a tea person." I said, slightly raising my hand.
"Well, what kind of person are you?" Asked Micaela.
"...Not a tea kind.." I said, before sighing. "Now… I guess I should start explaining about myself."
"And why you share a resemblance to Luka." Said Micaela. I rubbed the back of my neck, as I fiddled with the purple hair atop my head.
"I actually… don't know why my hair is like this. I had brown hair before I woke up here." I said, leaning back.
"Before you woke up here?" Asked Micaela.
"...This place IS protected from outside detection… or something those lines, right?" I asked.
"It is soundproof, yes." Said Micaela.
I nodded, swallowing, before I looking at the ceiling. "...I'm not from your world… I'm from one where your world, the current story and the events of such, are recorded as… well, a story."
Micaela raised an eyebrow, as she poured herself a cup of tea, before she looked to the side. "That just begs the question of how you ended up here."
"If I could tell you, I would." I said, sighing. "All I know is that once I woke up here, I think… I think I incorporated some of the DNA from Luka, or something along those lines."
"Incorporated?" Asked Micaela, as I nodded, slowly getting into my meditating position, as the slight wounds I had received from the first few minutes of our conversation faded away.
"I don't think wounds heal that easily." I said, opening my eyes. "That's something I'm pretty sure only Angels are capable of…"
"So you know Luka's origins then…?" Asked Micaela.
"Yeah… and I guess, MY origins now as well." I said.
Micaela's face grew serious. "Then you know that you need to be careful with that power. Too much holy energy in a mortal body can kill you, turning you completely into holy energy."
I nodded. "I haven't taken the ring off yet, and don't plan to."
Micaela nodded, before she stood up. "Alright, while the disappearance of Luka isn't good, I can say that you aren't going to do something terribly evil anytime soon."
"If that's the case, I'll take my leave then. It was… nice to meet you." I said, walking towards the door.
"Before you go!" Said Micaela, as I turned around. "You said you wanted a custom order?"
"Uh, yeah! Just some extra armament for my pants, gloves, maybe some steel toed boots or something." I said, slipping the black coat off of me. "This, I should probably stop wearing at this point."
Micaela nodded. "You said Po was the one who pointed you our way? Then I'll have the order delivered to him."
"Thank you, I'll take my leave then." I said, walking out, leaving the black coat behind to probably be thrown out.
"You know, in retrospect that didn't really take as long as I thought it would." I said, as we were camping out about halfway between Illiasburg and Enrika Village in a small forested area.
"We spent the last 10 hours walking in silence." Said Alice, seemingly annoyed.
"Sorry? I… had things I was thinking about." I said, staring at the campfire in front of me. "...Is it normally this cold?" I asked, rubbing my arms with my hands.
I felt the impact of a blanket, as I looked at Alice, as she wrapped herself around a tree.
"...Thanks." I said, slipping into my sleeping bag. Closing my eyes, it didn't take long before I passed out.
"Hey."
"...Hey!"
"...Wake up already!"
"Gah!?" I bolted upwards, as Alice looked at with a relieved look.
"Finally," She said. "Why does it take so long to wake you up anyways."
I gave her a look, only to see Alice looking at me expectantly. "Make breakfast."
"...Yeah, sure." I sighed, stretching out, before getting to work.
"Yeah, I guess I should have told you that they aren't the most open to outsiders…" Said Po, sweat dropping as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"That WOULD be something people normally say first." I said, sighing aloud. "But, it doesn't matter right now."
I looked around the shop, it was the slowest time for business, so it was the perfect time to have a chat.
"Side note, nice job on swindling that guy yesterday." I said.
"Hey, it's not swindling if he wanted it in the first place." Said Po, as I shook my head.
"So I hear you're going to Happiness village now. To see what's going on over there?" Asked Po, as he picked up a nearby hammer and started pounding out some imperfections in the sword he was working on.
"That's the plan." I said, checking on the water in my cantine. "I don't think calling it what I did put myself on Alice's good side though…"
"What did you call it?" Asked Zyavan, as the Dragon Pup went back to drinking up a glass of milk.
As I was asked this, I sprung to my feet, knocking the chair I was sitting on onto it's back. I inhaled deeply, before letting it out in a loud yell.
"THE QUEST FOR STICKY LIQUIDS!-Gak!" I had only finished my exclamation, before I felt a hand smack me upside the head.
"Would you shut up about that?" Asked Alice, as she stood behind me in her human disguise.
"NEVER!" I shouted, only to be slapped to the other side of the room. "Never….!" My voice was muffled, but carried the same force as the last one.
"Can you please not slap him into the walls of my shop please? Some of the stuff here was expensive to get." Said Po, as he peered at the sword in his hand. "Could use another round of heat treating…"
"Alright, I think we've been here too long anyways." I said, picking myself up. "Po, I trust if my items come in before I get back, that you'll watch it and don't sell it?"
"What do you take me for? I'm still pretty sure Zyavan wouldn't let me do that even if I wanted to." Said Po, as he pointed at said Dragon pup with his thumb.
"Alright then! Alice, let's go… ONWARDS, TO THE QUEST! FOR STI-GAK!" I wasn't even allowed to finish my sentence as I was delivered a swift punch to the gut by Alice.
"By the way…" Alice asked, as we walked through the forest to the area of where Happiness village was located. "Do you know why it's called Happiness village?"
"I've never heard of the village before we arrived at the Sutherland Inn so… no." I said, rolling my shoulders.
"The name is derived from the nearby Harpy Village." Said Alice.
"Well, a nearby village like that would probably make some men happy…" I said to myself under my breath, but knowing Alice still probably heard me.
"Being close to the harpy village, and hearing they're having a problem, I can take a guess as…" Alice stopped, looking ahead of us. "Hmm?"
"Alice?" I looked at her, only to see bland air. "If other people hadn't acknowledged her, at some point I think I'd probably just she was a figment of my imagination with how often she just kinda vanishes."
"Fufu… and unbaptized traveler." My head snapped towards the sound of the voice that had just spoken, finding myself in front of a bee girl. "You look delicious."
"Haven't heard that one before…" I said under my breath, drawing Angel Halo. "I'm going to ask this once. Leave me alone."
The bee girl didn't seem to listen, as she just seemed to be thinking on her next 'meal'.
"...Please?"
There was again, no response. I rolled my eyes, before rushing the bee girl, quickly ending it with demon decapitation.
I stood up, sheathing my sword as the bee girl turned into a tiny bee behind me.
I watched as the bee flew off, silently thanking the face I avoided being stung.
"It seems that roadblock has been dealt with." Said Alice, as I nodded.
"We should be almost there, come on." I said, starting my walking back up.
"This must be it, huh?" I said, looking around the village in front of us. Alice in her human disguise as she seemed to be looking for anything out of place. It was calm, from just a single look, it didn't seem like anything was wrong with the place.
I however, knew better than just leaving things like this up to the first glance.
"From a first glance it doesn't seem like anything is wrong…" I said, looking at the women tending to the nearby crops and beehives. "But it doesn't sit well with me…"
"You may be blind, but you have the idea." Said Alice. "Do you see any men?"
"One sec…" I said, looking around. "...None. ...Oh… Okay there's our problem."
"Wait, there is a small boy helping the others… Unless it's a trap." I said the last part to myself, probably confusing Alice with my use of 'Trap'.
"Trap?" Knew it.
"Someone who looks so convincingly like a certain gender, that by the time you realize you have made a mistake, it's already too late." I said.
"Ah…" Alice understood my meaning at least.
"Oh a traveler? A young one in fact." Said a nearby Woman, working at a nearby beehive. "You came all the way out here, but we don't really have anything to entertain a traveler with."
"Due to a shortage of manpower, we have a shortage of our specialty happiness honey, to…" Said the Woman.
I scratched the back of my neck. "That… isn't really why we're here."
"Why would that be then?" Asked the Woman.
It was at this point that the young boy from earlier starts screaming, I snap my head in the direction before sprinting off in that direction.
As I close in, I see a harpy grabbing the boy in her talons, about to take off.
"Let him go!" I shouted, planting my foot onto the ground in a halt.
The Harpy turns to me, still holding on to the boy in her talons. "Huh? I haven't seen you in this village before… Are you a traveler?"
"You could say that…" I said, shrugging with a smirk on my face.
Her eyes on the other hand, seem to be sizing me up, before she releases the boy and smiles, licking her lips.
"Alright… I'll let the boy go." Said the Harpy. "Instead, I'll kidnap you~!"
"That's nice. Kid, now would be an EXCELLENT time to run!" I shouted, drawing Angel Halo.
"O-okay…!" He said, running away into a nearby house. At this point, I notice the fact it's just me and the Harpy out.
"Heehee… You're much nicer than that little boy~." Said the Harpy. "I'll take you back to my nest, and we can make lots of children. Or we can start mating right here…? Be a good boy and make lots of children with me…"
"Hmm… interesting proposal, here's my counter argument." I said, before rushing her, slicing at her before she had a chance to take into the air.
"Ow!" The Harpy flew away from me, squinting in pain.
"Sorry, not sorry!" I said, returning my stance to a neutral stance. "I don't support rape aggressors anonymous!"
"I'll… I'll let you go with just this much today!" The harpy yells at me, as she flies back to where I can only assume Harpy Village is located.
I let Angel Halo hand loosely at my side, before falling onto my back in exhaustion. Walking for a few hours and then fighting 2 monsters almost in a row can do that to a person.
"The traveler drove the harpy away? Amazing!" Said a nearby Girl. I rolled onto my front before picking myself up. As soon as I'm fully standing up, all the villagers start crowding around me. The sight of no older men proves what Alice was saying earlier.
"Driving off the harpy… You must be really skilled!" An old woman gave praise.
"I like to think so…" I said, before asking her something. "Who might you be?"
"I'm the village chief's wife." Said the woman (Who I will now dub as Elder since that's how she is known as in game). "Since he has been kidnapped, I am acting village chief."
"Barricading yourself in a house, even as a child is being abducted?" Alice seemed to be patronizing the elder. "Can you really call yourself a chief like that?"
"Actually not a single person in this village tried to help..." Said Alice, her eyes looking around at the people surrounding us.
"Oh boy…" I said under my breath, realizing where this was going.
The women just go silent, as all of them stare at the ground in silence.
"...I am VERY uncomfortable right now…" I said to Alice, under my breath. "Thanks for that."
"...What can weak people like us do?" Asked the Elder. "Now traveler. We hate to impose, but we have a favor to ask of you…"
"Hahaha, here it comes hero." Alice seemed to continue her patronization spree, dragging me into the crossfire… not that she hadn't earlier. "Now they're going to try to force their problems on you."
I see the Elder's face flash with anger, before she begins, but I stop her.
"I'm going to ask this once." I said as calmly as I could. "How many others have you asked to help you with this?"
The elder doesn't respond, before a girl in the crowd speaks up.
"So far seven people have headed off to defeat them." Said the girl.
"Oof…" I bit the bottom of my lip, as I turned to the elder. "And you wish for me to attempt to do the same?"
"...Yes." She responds.
I stop, looking at Alice with a raised eyebrow, a smirk forming on my face, before I looked back to the Elder.
"Okay, what do you want me to do? Rescue the men? Kill the harpies?" I said, looking at the group around me. "Because I could do that."
Alice coughed into her elbow, something along the lines of 'bullshit'.
"But uh… I'm not doing that." I said, much to the shock of the people around me. "Don't get me wrong! I'm totally going to rescue the men, just… I won't go about it by basically committing genocide."
"I will go to the Harpy Village, and ask their reasoning… because everyone has a reason to do something, even if it's a stupid reason. I won't go out of my way to hurt anyone that I know for sure didn't have a good reason for it." I said, before turning to a woman close by. "Can I get a map to their location?"
She hesitated, before the elder nodded, as she quickly went off to get me one.
"...I'll wait until evening. Then I'll head out." I said, looking at Alice. "Now excuse me… but I need the bathroom."
"This is it." Said a girl, as she and an older woman brought me to the outskirts of the village, a bit away from the Harpy Village. "A little bit further, and you'll come onto the harpies village."
"Got it." I said, walking forward, before being stopped by Alice.
"Hey Bryce." I turned to Alice, as she seemed to be looking to the side of me. "...Make sure you come back. Don't lose in a place like this."
I smiled, before taking a mental image of this moment for blackmail later. "Trust me, I'll be fine. It all depends on how everything else is when this is all said and done."
"You two." I said, looking at my 'escorts'. "Head back to the village. I can find my way back myself, and I expect to be here for a day at least if it all goes smoothly."
"Okay…?" The girl said, as they turned around and headed back to Happiness Village.
I looked back to where Alice was, only to see nothing.
"I guess she went with them…" I said to myself, before turning around. "...Here we go."
I was on the outskirts of their village, it was dusk now, the sun just set and the area still lit slightly by the moonlight.
"I'm amazed no one has found me yet." I said to myself, as I took a sip from my cantine before putting it back, the object hanging off my belt now that I left my bag at the village.
I suddenly felt wait on the large branch I was sitting on, as I snapped my head to the right.
"Same, honestly." A voice responded, as I jumped, falling out of the tree, only to be caught last second by some talons.
I looked up, only to see the Harpy from earlier holding me upside down by the leg with her talons.
"Oh this is perfect…" I said to myself in annoyance.
"Oh hey! You're that guy who hit me!" She said in realization, before abruptly dropping me, as I fell onto my back in pain. "What is a jerk like you doing here!?"
"You were kidnapping a kid! I think I had all the reason to do what I did!" I said, standing up, as she landed in front of me.
"Details…!" She said, looking off to the side, before looking back at me. "Wait, don't change the subject! Why are you here!?"
"If you MUST know," I began, crossing my arms. "I'm here to speak to whoever is in charge of your village. Happiness Village called, it wants it's manhood back."
My reference seemed to fly over her head (Ironically enough), as she seemed confused at my saying of words and such. "...Huh?"
"I'm here to know why you guys started to abduct the men from that village." I deadpanned, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I'd like to hear BOTH sides of the story before I just go up and outright go on a rampage on someone's ass."
"And no, not in that sense!" I quickly shouted, seeing the mischievous look in the Harpy's face.
"You're no fun…!" The Harpy said, before stopping to think. "Hmm… I don't really like him, but he doesn't seem to be wanting to inflict harm on us…"
I just stood there, waiting, before she turned back to me. "Alright, you see that BIG tree over there?" The Harpy pointed to it with her wing, I nodded. "That's where you'll find our Queen. I'd suggest you be respectful around her."
"What, did you expect me to NOT do that?" I asked, before nodding.
"Also!" The Harpy stopped me. "Walk in plain sight. If you just do that, they may treat you like less of an intruder and more as someone else."
"That… is actually helpful. Thanks. Maybe I'll see you around." I said to the Harpy, before walking forward, the sky now dark.
As I approached the big tree, I found myself leaning back a bit to see the top. As I looked at the area of said tree in front of me, I found myself face to face with a rope ladder.
"Makes sense… If you have wings, ladders aren't really a thing you need." I said to myself, tugging on the rope to make sure it wouldn't snap if I started to scale it. "Probably for the human residents… or young harpies who can't fly yet."
As I placed my foot against the rope and started to ascend, I looked behind me, taking in the sight of the Harpy Village. I had to admit, the Harpies built themselves a nice treetop town: their wooden houses looked very cozy and comfortable. It all really depended on if you were a fan of heights, because this kind of setup was probably a nightmare to those with Acrophobia.
I mean, I also had that, so yeah… it kinda was.
I continued my look, before seeing a few Harpies sprinkled about. A few looked at me with curiosity, but none bothered me. My first guess would be that the Harpy from earlier helped me out on that, but she didn't really… leave her position, as when I looked at her (Even if it was a small area from how far away I was) I could still see her… and now she's waving… great.
After taking a second to make sure I wasn't going to freak out, I continued my climb, as I reached the top of the ladder and pulled myself up on the wooden platform surrounding the Queen Harpy's house. I dusted myself off, taking a single look down before instantly regretting it and looking back towards the house. My eyes made contact with two armoured Harpies in front of the door to the Queen's house, and I raised a hand and waved it slightly.
They nodded, before moved slightly, allowing me passage. I nodded back, before taking a deep breath, stepping through the doorway, whilst also leaving Angel Halo near the front, far enough to show I mean no harm, but close enough for me to grab… just in case.
The first thing I noticed, was the room… because it felt so… normal, I guess?
The room was basically the world's version of the common house, since technology isn't really a thing, and I'm pretty sure they still think consuming mercury is something that's supposed heal you of the hiccups or something like that. A few chairs, a sofa of sorts, a big ass bed… the other necessary essentials were there as well, but my focus was more on the person I'm supposed to be having a conversation with right now.
It took me a few seconds after looking at the room around me, that the Harpy Queen was patiently waiting for me to finish my look around, as her eyes were probably on me the entire time. I walked calmly towards her, before kneeling in front of her.
"So… you are the traveler who boldly walked in our village and wished to speak with me..." she murmured in a soft, low tone as she regarded me speculatively. "I am Diantha, the Queen of this Harpy tribe. And you are...?"
I looked up, seeing as she allowed me to stand. I stood up, before taking in what the Harpy Queen looked like
She was considerably taller than the other harpies, with very soft, almost fur-like feathers. She had a striking combination of blue hair and deep green eyes, with a single purple feather plume standing up from her forehead, as if it was a regal crown itself. Her wings were also purple-colored, while her legs were covered in soft pink feathers. The elaborate circlet and elegant silk shirt she wore, along with her necklace and bracelets, made it very obvious she was of high standing.
"Bryce. Bryce Bridged." I said, straightening myself out. "And if my casual walking into your village is considered 'bold', I'd love to know what you think of someone slowly walking away from an explosion is."
The queen seemed to suppress a small laugh, however not hiding the smile on her face.
"I'm a traveler, your highness… a hero is also probably another thing people would label me as." I said. I could see her smile she had quickly turn into a frown. "Not in that sense." I quickly said, muttering a quick 'I will not be labeled!' under my breath. "I'm not baptised, and if I WAS a quote on quote 'Hero'," I said, using the quote thing with my fingers. "Then I probably would be walking away slowly from an explosion resonating from around here."
"You don't seem to think anything high of the church's heroes." Said the Queen.
I rolled my eyes. "Well… you're not wrong? Honestly, most of them are arrogant assholes that think the universe's center resides with them, while others are a bunch of mouth breathing idiots whose brain intelligence is about as large as how sharp a ball is. Which, it isn't."
"You seem to have some… choice words on them." She said, raising an eyebrow.
"Those kind of people have warped what the title 'hero' should really be." I said, before realizing I was getting off track. "Anyways, as we were saying."
The Harpy seemed to nod, before speaking. "I must admit, I was alarmed when you claimed to be a Hero." she admitted. "But... you seem to be courteous and well-mannered, unlike those barbarians who claim that title for themselves. I will hear you out. I assume you wish to discuss something with me?"
"To say, I'm probably not very well-mannered." I said, moving my left hand for emphasis. "But you are right about the discussing part."
I took a breath, closing my eyes, before exhaling, as I looked at the Harpy Queen. "...It's about Happiness Village and the kidnapped men."
The Harpy Queen sighed, closing her eyes. "I guessed as much. So allow me to guess, you're going to defeat me and bring the men back to the village safe and sound now that they're away from the monsters?"
I looked to my left and right with a dumbfounded face, before looking back at the Harpy Queen.
"...Did you… Even HEAR what I said about the so called 'Heroes'?" I asked, as the Harpy Queen's eyes opened up, as she looked at me with wide eyes. "I came to be civil about this. I want BOTH sides of the story before I go all one man army on a side."
"Which…" I began, rubbing the back of my neck. "I most probably can't pull off so…"
I relaxed my posture a bit. "See… I know Monsters use semen as a source of food, but I also know that it isn't the SOLE thing monsters can consume for nourishment. So that's why I'm asking. The Villagers think you apparently are eating the kidnapped men, which I presume is false, but I'm still lost on why you're kidnapping them."
"...You really don't know? Well, you are young so it makes sense…" The Harpy Queen said the last part more primarily to herself. "We aren't kidnapping those men for food. We need them for mating. Without them to fertilize our eggs, we cannot have children, and would die off."
Her words hung in the air for me, as I stood there for about 15 seconds taking what she just said in, before realizing that I knew this when I was preparing, but forgot it because I was caught up in other things.
I facepalmed. "Hindsight, why must you fail me in my time of need..."
"I see you understand." Said the Harpy Queen.
"I do… But I don't see why you didn't just… you know… ask." I said, raising an eyebrow.
"If it was that simple we would have done that, but due to your religion, men aren't quite willing to mate with monsters, so we unfortunately must resort to kidnapping." Said the Harpy Queen. "It's… not something I am proud of, but... as the Queen of the tribe, I have to look out for my subjects' well-being. Even if I have misgivings, I have to ensure our survival."
"I can see that. It was either this or well… Extinction, I can understand why." I said. "And I also believe you know that most of the men in that village had families."
The Queen's eyes casted downwards. "I do. As I said, I'm not proud of it. But I've also said my reasoning." Said the Harpy Queen, before she looked dead straight at me. "With that said, I assure you the kidnapped men are cared for and kept safe and happy. We would never dream of harming the fathers of our children, after all. We aren't savages." Said the Harpy Queen.
"I never thought that wasn't the case." I said. "I was just asking."
"I would welcome any other solution, but negotiating with humans is impossible... their religion makes it nearly hopeless to even approach them without being killed, much less talk." Said the Harpy Queen.
"...Well… You ARE having a conversation with one now…" I said, putting my arms and hands into a 'what?' position. "...Look. I don't want to have to fight you. I don't want to fight the people of Happiness Village… I don't want to fight anyone!"
The Harpy Queen looks at me with eyes that seem to ask me to go on.
"...If the issue is that you don't think humans are open to negotiations, then let me help." I said, a determined look now in my eyes. "I'll make sure everything goes smoothly and make sure that there aren't casualties on both sides."
The Queen seemed to think about it, as she put one of her hand… wings… thing on her chin.
"...It's negotiations, so I need to make sure it's even ground on terms of… well, negotiating." I said, before shaking my head, and muttering to myself: 'eugh, grammar…!'. "Of course, I will go out of my way to make sure things go smoothly. You can trust me on that."
"You would... do that for us...? You're a strange Hero, But I appreciate your generosity," The Queen Harpy replied with a small smile. "I... believe I will trust you, for the time being. Please, young Hero... do not let me down. I'm placing my faith in you with this."
"I won't let you down, I hope..." I said, extending a hand. "...Wait, you don't have hands to shake… ...Well, this is awkward." I said to myself, scratching the back of my neck.
The Harpy Queen gave a motherly smile. "Mmmm... I have a good feeling about you," she nodded. "You said your name was Bryce, right? Well then, Hero Bryce, I hereby authorize you to negotiate peace terms with the nearby human village on my behalf. All I and my people ask is that we be allowed to have men for mating... and if at all possible, that they be allowed to see the families they built in this village over time."
"It all depends on how well the negotiations go…" I said, kneeling down. "Now, I must excuse myself. I should head back ASAP."
"Now? It's about to be night." Said the Queen. "You're welcome to stay in our village until morning."
"Well… Since I'm not crazy, I'm going to agree. It's also got nothing to do with the fact that I've basically slept in a sleeping bag for the past 2 days." I said. "So, I'll take you up on your offer."
"I will order that you not be disturbed. You are my guest and my representative, right now. It would not do for one of my subjects to kidnap and rape you, after all." Said the Harpy Queen.
"Thank you, your majesty." I said, standing up. "A good night sleep should do me some good."
"Have a good night sleep." She said, as I walked out the door. I felt a wing on my shoulder, as I turned to see one of the Harpy Guards.
"Please, follow me." She said, as she led me to a nearby cabin on a nearby tree.
I entered the house, before I heard the door close and assumed that I was alone.
"...Welp… Now the question is… Did I complete the quest or fail it?" I asked myself.
"...Oh who am I kidding, this is going to go well enough." I said, sitting on the bed provided to me, before laying down.
"Let's hope so." A voice said, as my head snapped to my left, seeing Alice in her normal form standing in the center of the room.
"HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN THERE!?" I asked, pointing a finger at her.
"Since the guards set this place up for you." Said Alice, slithering towards me. "Speaking of, I'm amazed that you not only got the Harpy Queen to agree with negotiations, but you also managed to give such a serious meeting a light hearted undertone. Anywhere else would probably make people not take you seriously."
"...Thanks?" I said, unsure. "...I'm gonna have some explaining to do when they realize you're here."
"You won't. I'll take care of it." Said Alice, turning to the door.
"Also, I swear to god if you somehow make the situation worse for me, you are dead!" I said, pointing at her retreating form.
I let my body go limp, my head landing on the pillow beneath me.
"...I may need another of these." I said, folding the pillow so it was more comfortable.
*THUD!*
"Ugh…" I barely opened my eyes, finding myself face to face with the wood flooring. "How are you this morning, wood?"
"Are you always this out of it in the mornings?" A voice asked, as I quickly rolled onto my back, seeing the form of a Harpy Gaurd. "The Queen wishes to speak with you. I'll leave you alone so you can get yourself ready."
The Harpy Guard turned around and left the room, as I rolled onto my front and pushed myself up.
"I… am not ready for this…" I yawned, before fixing my shirt and walking outside.
The Harpy Guard escorted me to the Harpy Queen's house. Along the way, I saw several of whom I only could assume were the men from Happiness village outside, or inside the nearby literal treehouses.
The Guard stopped in front of the Queen's residence, as the Guard standing… well, on guard, nodded, as they let me past.
I walked into the room, as the Harpy Queen turned to look at me.
"Uh… Morning?" I asked, my eyes tired, as I looked as if I had bags under my eyes. "...How sleep deprived do I look?"
"You do have bags under your eyes." The Queen said, as I took this moment to remember that she was a queen and I kneeled. "...I'm about to go on my morning stroll, would you accompany me to the village edge?"
"Sure, there's probably things you need to ask me about. And… something I need to ask you about." I said, looking off to the side.
"Hm? Come with me." She said, as we walked out of her house and she glided down to the ground.
"...So am I taking the ladder or…?" I asked, looking down. My question was answered as I felt something grip my shoulders, as I soon found myself slowly descending to the ground. Of course, I was internally freaking out, but hey, I wasn't in control of my descent so…
As my feet connected with the ground, and was let go, a combo which then resulted in me hopping around for a few seconds to exhaust my now acquired adrenaline.
After calming down, I turned to the Harpy Queen, as she seemed to be smiling at my antics.
"Come, let us talk." She said, as we started walking. "What expectations do you have of this negotiation you are going to start today?"
"To be completely honest, I don't know." I said, looking at a bunch of Harpies flying around, doing what I only could assume as their normal lives. "I expect it to end up fine, but I don't know how bumpy the ride will be on our way to that point."
"Then I will eagerly await news of your success." Said the Harpy Queen.
We continued our walk, before we reached the halfway point.
"...So… I guess you met Alice." I said.
"I did. I was surprised at first, as were my passed out guards, but she seems to have good intentions." Said the Harpy Queen.
"I'd hope so." I said. "...She didn't ask about food did she?"
The Harpy Queen thought on that, before nodding.
"Of course she did…" I muttered, putting my hands to my face.
We continued walking in silence, before the Queen spoke up.
"I don't suppose that you're planning to stay once it's all done?" The Harpy Queen asked.
"Not really." I said, putting my hands in my pockets. "I plan on going attempting to do what I'm doing here, but on a global scale. I want to see Humans and Monsters co-exist. Which, isn't going to be the most… easiest of matters. But it's happened before, and I expect to see it happen again."
"I presume you're referring to Remina… before the slaughter?" Asked the Harpy Queen.
"Yes, I am." I said. "I must say though, I don't think all the things we're told about Remina is correct."
"You are correct…" I looked at the Queen. "Your religion says the only casualties were Human, but the slaughter was mutual."
"...Monsters as well then?" I said. The Queen nodded, as I looked ahead. "Of course, I guess Illiasburg also counts…"
"Illiasburg?" The Harpy Queen asked. "What do you mean?"
"Let's just say there 'Bandit' problem was dealt with." I said. "In reality, it was just 4 monster girls, who were probably like… 7-8. Who were behind it. They're living in Illiasburg now. Of course, Amira was living there long before that…"
"...That dragon scale you have wrapped around your wrist…" Said the Harpy Queen. "...Was that from one of the 'Bandits'?"
"Yeah… It is." I said, moving my hand up. "Why do you ask?"
The Queen gave a soft smile. "I've heard of when someone of Dragonblood gives you a scale from there person, it means you're their chosen."
"Chosen!?" I asked, stumbling a bit.
"Of course, I still hear you need to take the Dragon Seal Trial to actually be married to a dragon…" Said the Harpy Queen, looking up.
"This is just causing more problems…" I said to myself, massaging my temples. "Anyways, we're here. I should go… If you so wish, your highness." I bowed.
"I can tell you're not exactly alright with bowing and kneeling." Said the Harpy Queen. "You're dismissed. And please, kneeling or bowing isn't needed. You are someone of importance yourself now."
I smiled. "I'll keep that in mind. See you sometime tomorrow, or later tonight. One or the other."
I broke into a jog, which turned into a run, as my form eventually was lost in the forest's foliage.
Okay, time to make an entrance… how the hell am I going to do that?
I could make an explosion go off and walk slowly behind me… No, that's something I can save for later…
Screw it, I'm just going to calmly walk into the village.
As I came into view of the gate, I started seeing the villagers crowd around it… before I was air tackled by a bee girl.
One seal later, I walked out of the treeline I had been thrown into, as I sheathed Angel Halo. As I walked through the gate, the elder walked up to me. "I see you have returned." Said the Elder. "Good to see you're safe. So, have you found the men?"
"Well… It's complicated." I said, rubbing the back of my head. "See… Well, it's best I say first that they are all fine and well… and that I spoke with the Harpy Queen at length about it."
"...And?" Asked one of the women in the crowd.
"Well… It's best if I explain WHY they were kidnapping the men." I said, before looking around. "Is there anywhere I can sit?"
So after sitting down, I retold the conversation I had with the Harpy Queen. I made sure to go into as much detail as I could, also explaining the Queen's reluctance to do it in the first place in length. All of them payed attention to me, all of them quite. Alice ended up showing herself halfway through in her human form.
"And that's about it." I said, standing up. "At this point it's a matter of if you all will agree to make negotiations or not. I should also put it out there that some of them have families there now, as well."
The Elder nodded. "I cannot blame her for thinking negotiations would be a waste of time. Most humans would, indeed, attack first and ask questions later… As for negotiations, the fact that some of them men have new families may complicate things a little, yes." Said the Elder. "What do you all think? I would like your input on this. One at a time, please; I've only got so many ears."
I sat down, as I watched as the villagers discussed it with each other. Eventually the quieted down, as the Elder looked back to me. "We have talked it over, Hero, and decided we will entrust you with the negotiations as well." She said. "All we ask, for the time being, is that the men be allowed to go back and forth from the villages as needed. As for the rest of our askings, would you kindly ask the Harpy Queen if her tribe would be willing to help out with chores and work in the village? Harpies can fly, and are far stronger than we are. Their help in running the village would be invaluable."
I nodded, making a mental note. "Alright, got it. If that's it, I should probably be heading back-"
"Wait." Alice said, as everyone looked her way. "You should also tell the Queen Harpy that she will have to see about limiting the amount of breeding her people will do."
"Right, population control and all that." I said, pointing at Alice.
"Your friend there has a point, young man." Said the Elder. "Harpies are quick boomers, so eventually the male population will be spread too thin to keep up."
"Alright then. I got it." I said, nodding. I stood up, turning to leave. "I'll be back tomorrow, either I'll be alone, so I can bring you to their village for the negotiations, or they'll be here."
"Alright, best of luck to you." Said the Elder.
I started on my trek back, Alice walking up next to me.
"That entrance sure was 'epic'. "Alice said sarcastically.
"Oh shush!" I said, playfully punching her shoulder, before regretting it instantly as she then punched me into a tree.
"You don't know how to take a joke, do you?" I asked, as Alice laughed, before she helped me out of the indented tree.
(LINE BREAK)
"Well, that went about as well as someone could hope." I said, walking into the Harpy Queen's house.
"Well, what did they say?" Asked the Harpy Queen, who was sitting on a sofa.
The Harpy queen raised an eyebrow, as I looked to Alice to explain.
"Harpies are explosive breeders, sometimes laying multiple clutches of two or more eggs in a season, and they grow to maturity sooner than humans do, as well. If they breed without restraint, there will soon be too many of them, and the male population will be stretched too thin to keep up." Said Alice. "Also, you'll want to talk to both sides about allowing men to partner with multiple human women, because if the Harpies' breeding rate isn't met by an increased birth rate on the human side, the situation will quickly get out of hand. Even then, this village will have to find a way to get fresh blood in the form of men moving in."
"She has a point." I said.
"That is indeed a fair point," Queen Sophie nodded. "I will have to discuss it with the tribe. Many of us dearly love children, and want to have as many of them as possible, so they may not be too happy with such a limitation, but I think I can make them understand."
"Well, if that's all, then I think we're good to move onto negotiations tomorrow." I said. "Now to ask, shall you travel to their village, or the other way around?"
"I do have one request on a condition to the limitation for breeding." Said the Harpy Queen. "The condition is simple: that I, as the tribe's Queen, be allowed to pick any one male of my choice to mate with, for at least one clutch of young. The Queen is the center of the tribe, and as such, it is my duty to regularly provide fresh blood of the highest quality possible. Therefore, I must insist on this concession."
"I don't see an issue with it." I said, looking to Alice, as she seemed to be giving me a deadpanned expression for something. "...What?"
Her expression changed back to her stoic one, as I was even more confused. "WHAT!?"
"This is all going better than I expected. I am truly thankful to you, Hero Bryce. You have been a blessing to us." Said the Harpy Queen.
"I'm glad you think so." I said.
"Let her know that as long as my presence will not unnerve her fellow humans, I will gladly meet her and speak with her in person." Said the Harpy Queen.
"Then I guess I shall take my leave." I said. "I'll head out back to the village tomorrow then."
"Since you are still under my protection, don't worry about worry about my subjects assaulting you." Said the Harpy Queen.
"I didn't expect to." I said, as I turned around, walking out of the house, being escorted back to my 'house' in the village.
"...Wait, where's Alice?" I asked myself, as I looked around me. "...Well, She should be fine."
Okay, so here we are. In Happiness village, Everyone from each village there to discuss negotiations. And yes, this includes the men.
I will say that everyone did get a bit… startled at the Harpy Queen's entrance, but I don't think it had an effect on the outcome really.
As for the ACTUAL negotiations… let's just say that things ended in probably the best way I would've hoped it would. With a literal party going on afterwords.
"That went about as well as I thought it was going to." I said, leaning against a wall, looking out at the people and monsters… well, they're having a party for a reason. "Don't you agree?"
"I'll admit." Began Alice. "I expected this to crash and burn in front of your eyes, but It seemed to work out in the end.
"Yeah… i guess so." I responded, before I looked to my left, seeing the Harpy Queen and Elder approach me.
"Hey." I said, putting my flask away, as I was handed a glass of punch. "...This better not be spiked…"
"It isn't trust us." Said the Elder. "There is still a lot of work to be done, but that's for us to worry about. You have done everything you could to help us, Hero. The rest is up to us."
"Well, good luck. I hope everything goes well." I said, taking a sip, before immediately clutching my throat with my left hand. "Like hell this isn't spiked!"
"Loosen up a bit." Alice said, as I turned to face her. "It'll probably help you be a bit more social."
"I am 17, what part of that do you not understand?" I said. "Alcohol isn't something on my 'to drink list' at least until I'm 19!"
Alice shook her head, while I just sighed. I looked over at the Harpy Queen, and said. "Anyways, I'm gonna head back to Harpy Village soon. There is… a lot of sleep I'd like to have right now."
"You enjoy your rest, Hero." Said The Harpy Queen.
I nodded at both the Elder and Queen, before stopping and realizing something.
"...So I guess this means you'll all be able to export your happiness honey again?" I asked.
"That is correct." Said the Elder.
I quickly turned to Alice, as I broke into a smile, while her eyes widened, I'm not sure if in excitement, or realization.
"THEN THE QUEST FOR STICKY LIQUIDS! HAS BEEN COMPLETED!" I shouted, pointing my finger to the sky, before an audible facepalm came from Alice's position.
"I would like to thank you again for all you've done for us." Said the Harpy Queen.
"I would like to take a moment to say that your thank level is a bit too high now." I said, giving a slight smile. "So I guess everything is going according to plan?"
"Yes, aside from ironing out a few spare details, everything is going just perfectly." Said the Harpy Queen.
"That's nice." I said, taking a seat. "I won't lie, I was slightly worried this would end badly. Your majesty."
"You've done so much for us already, please, call me Diantha." Said the Queen.
"Diantha… It fits." I said. "Now I presume there's something else you need to talk to me about?"
"I merely wished to inform you that I have reached a decision on who my pick will be. I have decided I'd like to have you as my mate." Said Diantha, as her words hanged in the air for a second.
'...What is this? When the hell did THIS normally happen? What, did some fanfic thing get involved or something?' I thought, before actually thinking on what I was just told. '...Wait, what!?'
"I'm sorry if this sounds bad of me, but did I hear you right?" I asked. "If I DID, then I am VERY confused as to why you'd choose me out of literally ANYONE else in the village."
"You don't give yourself enough credit." Said Diantha, as she gave a motherly smile. "You put a great deal of effort in helping us reach a peaceful coexistence with humans, and thanks to you, our future is no longer uncertain. Day after day, you tirelessly went back and forth between the two villages, spending time and effort for the sake of others. Not once did you complain, nor did you ever ask for a reward. Is it really so strange that so many of us - myself included - find you a desirable man and wish to have your children? There aren't many men like you, of any age."
"While I understand what you're saying." I began, before trying to think of something to say. "...Alice is going to want like… 10 jars of happiness honey." I don't think that worked the way I thought it would've, and I don't think Alice likes what I did, as I felt a pebble hit the back of my head.
"You seem to be very reluctant to consider my request. Is there something that displeases you about me? If so, perhaps I can do something about it...?" Asked the Harpy Queen.
"No! It's not like that…!" I said. "...I... " I am just digging myself a hole here. "Look, as much as your offer sounds like a good thing… I have a mission to do, and…"
I took a breath, as I focused my thoughts.
"Just… There are a lot of things in life I find uncertain, and the current stage I'm in feels so much like a dream that if I stop for a second, I feel it might disappear." I said steadily. "I don't… want to be the guy who just... What happens, if I can't be there if something goes wrong…"
"Once again, I think you aren't giving yourself enough credit," she said. "You have misgivings about leaving your children. That by itself shows you care, and your caring makes you a good man. You attract us for a reason, Bryce. We can see you as the good man you are. Try having more faith in yourself."
"...Diantha, as much as I'd like to agree… I don't know if I can go through with this…" I said.
"...I believe you, and I understand your hesitation." Diantha nodded. "Nonetheless, I ask you to please take some time and carefully consider my request. I am willing to do whatever you ask of me if you will just agree to this. I will not try to force you, either, but I want you to understand something: I am not choosing you out of instinct or duty."
"You're not?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm choosing you because I like you. There may be better men than you, from a physical point of view... but you are the one I am attracted to. Just this once, I want to be selfish and follow my own feelings, rather than be dutiful." Said Diantha.
"...I understand." I said, standing up. "...I'll think about it. Tomorrow, I'll let you know. I should sleep, it'll clear my mind so I can think straight."
"Go rest, you've earned it." Diantha said, as I gave a quick bow, before heading back to my temporary house.
"Mmmm… WHY IS THIS SO HARD!?" I questioned myself, throwing my pillow across the room, before fidgeting around in my bed. "Why can't I decide!?"
I shot up, running my hands through my hair. "Ugh… Why must this decision be so hard…?"
I walked over to my thrown pillow, picking it up. I turned back to my bed, before the door to my room opened up, as Alice slithered in.
"...Having trouble sleeping?" She asked.
"...Yeah." I said, looking at the floor.
"...I heard what you said to the Queen." I slowly looked at Alice
Alice closed her eyes, before opening them. "I understand now. Trust me though, I think things may go a bit differently than you expect." Said Alice, before she left the room.
I stood there, before feeling the urge to just pass out come over me.
"Oh now you want to do that Body?" I asked, before landing face first onto the pillow I had picked up, passing out on the floor.
"Okay, you got this. You have this down… and..." I said to myself, outside of the Queen's house, as the guards stood a bit away from me, slightly smiling at my misery. "...Why does this feel worse than that?"
"So you're going with it?" I turned to see Alice.
"I uh… I'll find out when I go in." I said, super nervous. "...I just… I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about this now. Ever heard of butterflies in your stomach? It's like that, but they were equipped with knives."
"You're fine." Said Alice. "If only I could set this moment of you freaking out on loop… that would be the greatest thing right now."
"Yeah I got it…!" I said, walking up. "Note to self: Don't let Alice discover Video Recording…" I murmured the last part to myself.
I entered the room, finding Diantha sitting down, before she looked at me surprised.
"Oh, hello Bryce." Diantha said. "I didn't expect a visit from you this early. Do you perhaps have any further questions for me? I will be more than happy to put any doubts you may have to rest."
"No… I've made up my mind. I… accept this proposal…" I said, as I let out a sigh of relief. "...As much as the thoughts in my mind may tell me to think it over more… I can't. I've made my decision.
"You... will?" the Queen murmured, taken aback by the sudden declaration. She gave me a worried look. "Are you absolutely, positively certain about it? No one coerced you into it?"
"No one did." I said. "Look… I am… super nervous saying yes to this… but this was of my own choice." I said.
"I'm truly happy you accepted." Said the Harpy Queen, who now had her wing covering her mouth, probably hiding a smile. "I promise, you won't regret it."
"Okay… I assume you need some time to yourself then?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, uncertainly.
"That would be best." She said. "Then, may I invite you to my chambers after sundown?"
"...Sure, I guess." I said, slightly uncomfortable with how close she now was. "...Well, I'll leave you to it Diantha…" I left the room, both knowing what was happening tonight… and what was happening tonight.
"...I am not prepared for this…" I said to myself.
"I was not prepared for this." I said, standing in front of the Queen's house.
"Okay, so shall we get out the mandatory jokes, such as the house isn't soundproofed or that basically everyone will be outside listening?" I asked the two Guards in front of me.
"...Well… let's just say we won't be joking about those two probably true things." Said one of the Guards.
"...Mother fucker…" I said to myself, before shaking my head. "...Here we go…"
I walked into the house, finding that the house was now filled with lit candles, probaby to set the mood.
'If only I had my phone, then I could play careless whisper and everything would be better…' I thought to myself.
As I closed the door behind me, I found myself face to face with Queen Diantha… wearing what was basically a translucent nightgown.
"Welcome, Bryce." She said, before gaining a seductive smirk. "Like what you see?"
"...What the hell else do you expect me to say?" I asked rhetorically. "I'm not a dumbass, and while I may like being a sarcastic asshole sometimes, this is CLEARLY not one of those times."
(LEMONS! WARNING: I'm not good at this! So It'll probably be shit! You've been warned.)
"Hahaha, I like your honesty," the Queen replied. She then gave him a meaningful look. "I do think you are a bit... overdressed for the occasion, though. Am I not allowed to also enjoy the view?"
"...No…" I said sarcastically as I quickly removed my clothes. When I looked back, Diantha had done the same… Welp, that explains my boner.
"My, what a nice reaction," she said, sounding very pleased.
"I try my best." I said, feeling a sudden breeze, causing my dick to twitch.
"Well then, shall I play with you a little?" Asked Diantha, as she walked towards me and pushed me onto the sofa.
I felt her wings on my legs, holding them apart as she stared at my dick, it being only a few inches in front of her face.
"...No turning back now." I said to myself.
"I'd hope not." Said Diantha, as she licked her lips before taking a quick lick to the back of my dick.
"Mhmm…!" I relaxed into the sofa I was sitting in, as I felt a wave of pleasure run over me.
For the next few minutes, I let her do as she pleased, as I just relaxed and took it. About 3 minutes in, and I was reaching my limit.
"Guh… I… I'm close…" I said, before she suddenly stopped, smiling slightly.
"It would be a shame if you came before enjoying my pussy, wouldn't it?" Asked Queen Diantha. "Besides, there is no point in mating if you don't impregnate me."
"A Queen's pussy is so exquisite that a normal man can barely last ten seconds." Said Queen Diantha. "Shall I give you a taste…?"
The Queen Harpy grabs a hold of me with her wings, before pushing me into her.
I gasped, a wave of pleasure rolling over me. Her insides were slimy and warm, but slightly loose. Her walls were covered with rough spots, and the grainy texture of them sent chills down my spine with every movement.
"Do the soft bumps inside of me feel good?" Asked Diantha. "Just being inserted is an unbearable pleasure, isn't it?"
"Can confirm… it is." I said, my face strained as I was dealing with the earlier bombardment of pleasure.
"Feel free to come anytime you like. We have all night, after all... I'm not letting you go until morning." Said Diantha.
"...Oh… It is way too long past to be able to hit the evac button huh?" I asked.
"Yes." She gave a soft smile, before she started moving.
"Gah!" I gasped, as a strange pleasure spreads throughout my dick.
"At the deepest place inside of me is a special part that fits the tip of the penis." Said Diantha. "With it, I can specially massage the tip separate from the rest of the penis."
I decided if it was inevitable, to go flip a giant middle finger to the option of sit there and take it, and proceeded to try moving.
"Mh-!" I Gave a quick groan, as I pushed into her, my dick going a bit deeper.
"Taking charge? How bold," she commented, relaxing a bit. "Very well, do with me as you will. I have never been in a passive position before. It could be an interesting change."
I nodded, inhaling deeply, before thrusting in. If it wasn't for the fact that I was on the edge almost the entire time, I would have done more than 1 thrust every 3 seconds.
It was after 15 seconds that the Queen seemed to be done with my attempt at 'Taking Charge', as she quickly pushed me fully into her, the act which finally pushed me over the edge.
"Ahhh!" I exclaimed, as the metaphorical dam broke, as I exploded inside her.
"I'm impressed," she murmured into my ear. "You lasted an admirable amount of time. This is turning out to be a very enjoyable night… But don't think we're done… we have all night, and we're just getting started."
"...Uh…" I just groaned, as I felt her inner walls move again.
I was not prepared for tonight…
(LEMON DONE)
"Ugh…. What… what time is it?" I asked, looking to my left.
"It's about noon." Said a voice, I turned to my right, seeing Alice in the room.
"...Alice? Why are you... Ugh, I need a drink." I said, my mouth dry.
"That would make sense, she DID just basically drain you." Said Alice, with a slight smirk. "They weren't kidding when they said the house wasn't sound proofed."
"Ugh…" I just rolled to the other side. "...Just… can i get some… orange slices or something?"