Chapter 28: Dreams Of The Wary Wanderer

Emi and Fred held off the fortress again, the hound servants of Nephthys wandering close by.

Emi pricked her finger with a small needle, and summoned a wall of protection.

"These creatures don't know when to quit! Damn... to think we were able to stay hidden for two years! Two fucking years Fred!... Dammit."

Fred gave a solemn sigh.

"It was quite the impressive feat, yes... sadly, we must keep moving Emika."

Tears threatened to surface...

She ignored them.

"Alright then."

She looked back.

"Okay you five! We need to move again, we've been discovered."

They stood at attention, saluting.

"Yes general Emika! We are at your disposal general!"

She nodded.

"Good... George! Look for the nearest escape route. Omar and Mathias!"

"Yes Ma'am!" They both chanted in sync.

"Gather all supplies. Take only what we need, and nothing else!"

They began gathering supplies.

She looked toward the last two.

"Maren and Artemis, scout ahead after George."

"On it!" They replied.

They went off to catch up with George.

Emi looked forward.

"Dammit! We've been trapped inside of this hole for for over seven years! Is there an end to this madness!?"

Fred shook his head.

"I'm not sure. The only way to find out is to keep moving ahead like this. You know that."

(Oh, and happy birthday by the way!)

Is it already that time!? Damn, 24 and I already feel like I'm 45...

(Nonsense! You don't look a day over 20!)

Emi grinned.

"Yeah right, but thanks anyway! That's alright, this place ages you. I think it looks good on me!"

One of the raging hounds phased in front of Emi, teeth bared for the kill.

Emi slid back and charged her already bloodied finger with magic, a chronos lion phased at her side and she mounted her.

"Come and get me! Ya fucking mangy mutt!"

The hound phased it's jaw inside of Emi's skull, crunching down and ending her...

-...-

..."Come and get me! Ya fucking..."

Emi shifted her weight on the chronos lion, causing her to stumble to the right.

She held out her dagger above her head to the left, and watched as it plunged into the hounds skull, ending the hound.

She shook her head.

"Deja Vu... Thanks Sarea."

The lion laughed in an elegant and feminine voice.

"It's no trouble! I do like helping you live, for you are quite a resourceful bunch."

Emi was grateful for Sarea.

If it weren't for her appearance, none of them could have survived Nephthys's wrath.

She appeared one day out of nowhere, the day that four leviathans were simultaneously slaughtered by rift hounds.

They had been in hiding for the first two years, and we're finally discovered.

Sarea had appeared, and all hounds had been dispatched and dealt with.

She said she had seen the deaths of all of them, and was impressed at how long Emi and the leviathans could stay hidden. She saw potential, and has been helping the group ever since.

A scampering sound was heard in the distance.

...In an instant the hound appeared dead on the floor in front of them, fading into darkness.

"She was young and reckless." Sarea stated.

"So much for her."

Emi heard a pause.

"Here's our window...!" She whispered frantically.

Sarea formed a bubble around them, and caught up with the others.

She looked down sadly at the sight of only four leviathans.

"So... this was the best possible outcome."

Maren was in tears, holding George's medallion with her cupped claws.

"H-He sacrificed himself to save us! Th-There was a hound sc-scouted ahead, and-!"

She began to wail, no longer able to speak coherent words.

Emi pushed back more tears.

"We have to keep moving Maren! I-I'm sorry, but he would have wanted you to live. We have to find another haven, or else we're ALL going to die!"

Maren fell into a silence that seemed to last an eternity.

She spoke.

"No more... No more hovels we name as havens. No more waiting to be killed."

Emi scoffed.

"What in the hell do you mean by-!?"

Maren crushed the medallion into a spike, and lodged it into her skull.

She collapsed, and faded into darkness.

Emi trembled for a moment.

She shook her head.

"She made her choice... the rest of you, keep moving! I won't ask again!"

The remaining three minus Fred gave her a quick salute, and went forward to search for another place to stay.

Sarea nodded.

"If we wait precisely three minutes and forty two seconds, these three will succeed."

Emi nodded blankly.

"I understand... thank you."

...

They appeared inside of their new home, and Emi felt the strain of at least three hours of constant and straining work on her back.

Sarea shook her head.

"They said they had it handled, but you insisted. Just as well, your construction tactics are... how do I put this? More subtle. Yes, that's it."

Emi let out an exhausted sigh.

"Damn... I did a great job."

Fred smiled. It seemed forced.

"Get some rest, you look like you need it."

She nodded sleepily, retiring to her quarters.

Somehow after having no memory of building the place, she knew exactly where her quarters were.

Sarea was definitely a trip, that's for sure!

She climbed underneath her linen covers, and rested her head.

She felt Fred on the edge of her mind.

Yes?

(Emika, you need to cry. The pressure you are holding in is damaging you. I figured you needed your privacy, but still, you really need to do this for me okay?)

What!? I'm fine! I mean... Okay, I see what you're saying.

Emi let herself relax...

Nothing.

Fred, I cant.

(You cant...? Oh, you're numb now... Damn.)

I'm okay now, so you don't need to worry about me.

(You may be numb now, but you are far from okay. Please... I'm so sorry. I can feel your pain...)

Fred, I wish there was more I could do.

(I wish there was too... I'm going to miss Maren.)

Me too fred.

That makes me sad, but I still can't cry.

(I know. I'm sorry Emika.)

It ain't yer...

Your fault. It wasn't your fault.

She felt a smile from Fred.

(It was your original dialect. You will never truly lose it Emi.)

Yeah, I know... I would rather not anyway.

She felt a smile cross her lips as she fell asleep.

...

The light shining through the trees was an intense and vivid golden green... it was so surreal, as if the color shouldn't exist.

Emi grinned.

"This is a dream. Nori, where are you?"

She loved these dreams, because she was always a couple years younger, and felt at least ten years better.

She heard a soft giggling in the distance.

"You will have to find me Emika!... Hey, guess what I'm wearing?"

Emi felt her face burn a bright red.

"Th-That lingerie from the last dream...?"

Nori gave a happy sigh.

"Mmm... worse."

Emi burst into laughter.

"You tease! Aww man!... Don't leave me hanging again! You know what happened last time."

Nori laughed.

"Yes, and I wish I would've stayed asleep! That was, well... um... how do I put this?"

Emi caught the edge of Nori's head poking out from behind a tree.

She snuck up behind her, and wrapped her arms around her, nibbling her ear.

"Pretty amazing...?" She whispered.

Emi realized what she was wearing, and blood could have practically shot out of her nose.

Nori flipped her around, and held her to the tree.

"Yes, but this time? It's my turn to be on top."

Nori was dressed in entirely fishnet and leather.

The stockings were fishnet, her gloves were leather.

The center piece which consisted of straps, just barely covering her breasts and nether regions?

Yeah, also leather.

Nori held her arms to the tree, pulling off her shirt with her teeth.

Emi grinned.

"Impressive! You're getting good at that..."

Nori slid her tongue up Emi's chest.

She tilted her head back and moaned as it trailed up to her neck and jawline.

Nori gave her ear a small bite.

"I'm also getting good at this..." She whispered softly.

Emi's breathing became shallow.

"Y-Yeah, you.. you are getting... very good at... oh my god."

It very quickly moved to a different room.

Emi was naked, strapped to a dining room table, and Nori licked her lips...

"It's been too long Emika, and I'm very hungry you see..."

"Damn!" Emi exclaimed.

"I guess it's true, virgins are naughty as hell!"

Nori began to tease her breasts.

"Oh? So I'm the naughty one? Do tell..."

Soft moans escaped her lips.

To Emi, being bound made every touch maddeningly pleasurable.

"You're the one who kept me waiting after all..."

Her lips began to move lower, and Emi felt her chest jolt up in the air, loud moans escaping her lips.

"Beg for it..." Nori commanded.

She spoke softly, but her voice held the aura of a queen.

"D-Don't stop!" She moaned.

Nori began to tease around it with her tongue.

"Not good enough." She taunted.

Emi felt her eyes roll back.

"Don't stop! Don't stop! Please! keep going!"

Nori laughed softly.

"Good..."

Nori began to pleasure her and Emi felt her mouth open wide, feeling warmth spread across her body as she finished her...

She felt like she was floating.

The straps released their hold on Emi, and Nori curled up beside her.

The room shifted into a bedroom.

Emi let her self relax, her lips parting softly as she smiled.

"Where have you been all my life...?" She whispered.

Nori gave her a soft kiss on the lips.

"Right here, right next to you... I missed you."

Emi gave a heavy sigh.

"I'm so sorry... it's been busy you know. We had to move again."

Nori's features held a solemn sadness.

"How many?" She pried.

Emi's lower lip quivered.

"T-Two..." She said softly, tears filling her eyes.

"A-And Maren, she..."

She began to sob softly.

Nori pulled her in close.

"Emika..." She whispered.

"It's all going to be okay... I'm here... always here love, always here..."

Emi clutched onto her and cried.

"Sh-She couldn't take it any more! N-Not Maren... No..."

Nori began to cry softly.

"I wish I could take you away from this..."

Emi sighed as the soft grey strands on her hair returned.

"Nori, this place is going to fully age me some day soon, you know that right?"

Nori trembled as she cried.

"I don't care! You're beautiful, and you are my partner, y-you hear!? I will not let you be alone, and I can't wait to see you again... I love you."

Nori wrapped her into a firm and embracing hug.

"I know. I love you to... hey, I think I figured out how fast this place moves in comparison to your timeline."

Nori perked up.

"Has Sarea been helping you!? Fantastic! This will help Shisuta and I greatly!"

Emi smiled.

"Yes, the difference in pace is multiplied on your timeline by 1.5 years. Oh, by the way I turned 24 today."

Nori grinned.

"Well then, I hope my dinner surprise sufficed! Happy birthday Emika."

Emi blushed.

"Well, actually that was wonderful. Thank you..."

Her features became light again, her hair a deep and auburn red.

Nori kissed both of her cheeks.

"See? Hope will fill your life with love and youth, and you're going to be okay! We'll get you out of that horrible realm. You'll love the cavern, and everyone else except Max and Hiro are there. Eiji too... I do worry about those three often. Kuhn doesn't seem to mind much, but he never knew her, so I suppose there's no harm. He misses Kahn though, and no one quite knows what happened to him..."

She went on about her life in the cavern, and the three children everyone looked after, along with Shisuta and the many experiments they had made and tested together. She then commented on never putting Sora and Shisuta together on a project unless you wanted to lose half of the cavern.

Emi liked listening to Nori, because it helped her release her own worries for a little while.

Besides, she was so entertaining.

"...And then Uwayaku-kuhn was so mad both Shisuta and I swore he should could have hemorrhaged at least once, or maybe he just..."

Her words trailed off, and the room faded into blackness.

Nori...?

Damn, she's waking up.

I wonder though...

How are those kids doing?

It's been too damn long, and hell, I hardly remember what they look like.

...Oh well, another thought for another day.

I just hope we all get out of this mess.