Memories of Ages Past, a dungeon ni deai o motomeru no wa machigatte iru darou ka fanfic

AN: Howdy, this my first fanfic and it's long… I know… I actually meant to get this out about 8 months ago on new years day… but for life reasons and me being a perfectionist it has taken a bajillion and a half years to finally get released. I also want to say… Yes, I know it's long, but please, bear with my silly over-descriptiveness, it gets better in the second half… any future chapters that will inevitably come out will not be so over-indulgent on details because honestly… taking two days to write 20k words was absolutely terrible. It also makes the flow a bit wonky but by that point I realized that I was being way over-descriptive, it was already too late at 12k words and I didn't want to rewrite the entire thing. Hence why the second half is so much better. Thank you for your understanding and please, do enjoy my silly writing :)

Also, shout out to Schlumpf and Trooper for being my proofreaders and helping me out with my ideas and being awesome people :)

Check out their fanfics too!

Schlumpf: "Two of the Same Kind - The Fox and the Wolf" Excellent writing :)

Trooper: "Is it wrong to try to be a Mother in the Dungeon?" I help proofread this one and offer ideas, it's great :)

I have so many other ideas that I wanted to write and have written… but I wanted to finish this one first :)

Edit 1: I added some visual aids for... their Goddess and this version of Lefiya at the end of the chapter on Ao3 if any of you would like to check that out... I like visual aids, helps with the imagination when reading... heres the link for that...

archiveofourown [dot goes here] org/users/Falo/pseuds/Falo
Just go to "Works," and click on "Memories of Ages Past," there and scroll to the bottom.

obviously you remove the "[dot goes here]" and replace it with an actual dot to complete the url :)

Heat.

Heat was the first thing she registered. How the intense heat assaulted her feeble body. The intense, scorching heat that caused her body to sweat uncontrollably and her skin to blister. As she struggled to open her eyes, the acrid smell of soot subsumed her sense of smell. Through her muffled hearing, she could faintly hear the sounds of howling wind and roaring flames.

As she finally managed to open her eyes, she was greeted with an unfocused vision reminiscent of the stories she heard of hell. The sky was dark; the sun blotted out by dark clouds. Her world was tinged orange and red. Blotches of red and orange danced all around her as they roared with a fervor, threatening to consume all.

As she strained her senses further, her scope of the world widened. She could see the fainted tops of the grand trees around her shrouded in the glow of orange. She blinked rapidly, trying to force the world to come into focus. Faint blotches of orange seemed to dance and jump from tree to tree.

Her lungs burned, struggling to breathe. She tried to breathe in but was met with the bone-chilling realization that she couldn't. Terror began to flow through her veins. She tried to expand her lungs, to force herself to breathe, but they merely trembled in agony.

Her lungs finally gave way and violently quivered, causing her to hack and cough. The taste of soot-filled her mouth, the hot air burning her throat and lungs. She tried to scream as the soot burned her throat, but she couldn't. Her voice would not work.

The heat was so intense.

Tears welled in the corners of her eyes as her vision finally came fully into focus. Her body shook uncontrollably. The heat was just too much.

It burns!

Make it stop!

Her hearing was muffled, however, she could see with clarity. The surrounding forest was alive in dancing flames. Her head drooped to the left. She watched with horror as a once-grand tree — older than the elders of the villages — swooned side to side, its base blanketed in fire; began to fall. It listed to its side and with a mighty groan, fell parallel to herself.

She felt the ground shake, her body being lifted off the ground by the impact. She heard the loud KABOOM as it came to rest on the forest floor. It fell directly onto the edge of the forest clearing, landing barely ten meders away from her. Yet she could barely hear it.

Her world was so quiet, the howl of the roaring flames a mere whisper that tickled her pointed — but rounded — ears.

PAIN. AHHHHHHH GODS.

Pain seemed to permeate every facet of her lower extremities.

A cold heat.

A glacial flame.

It was so hot, so intense, it seemed to cook even her very bones. She peered down through tear-laden eyes at her legs. She hadn't noticed it before, too distracted by her other overloaded senses to realize that a sizable branch pinned her legs.

One that was on fire. The flames licked across the bark, skirting dangerously close to her crushed legs. Cinders of charred wood fell and came to settle on her panted leg. They smoldered the fabric, causing small holes to burn beneath the cinders.

The flames salivated at her trapped extremities, falling off the bark like droplets of water off a leaf. They dripped onto her pant leg, causing the cloth to be set alight.

She tried desperately to move her arms to swat out the flames, the flames which caused her legs to boil, her skin to melt, her body to quake in agony as it set her mercilessly ablaze.

However, she could not. Her body was so heavy, every action she attempted to perform felt sluggish and muted. It felt like she was trying to move her body through viscous water. She felt so weak, so heavy. Her breathing came in ragged, frantic breaths. Unable to get enough of the blisteringly acrid air.

She was stuck, utterly helpless as flames crawled up her legs and threatened to melt her like a wax-made candle. She was too weak, too tired. Exhaustion assaulted her body.

Tears flowed freely from her eyes as the pain became too much to bear. Her tears rolled off her cheeks and fell to the verdure blanket that was the ground beneath her. Her tears evaporated as soon as they touched earth, the heat dispelling them immediately.

She cried out in pain, in agony, in frustration and hopelessness. Exhaustion strained her cries of agony. The type of fatigue that built over years of mistreatment and bitterness. The draining weakness that was deep-rooted, festering in even the bones themselves.

Her throat was burning, her cries of pain only adding to the agony as they shredded her throat. Such was the intensity of her suffering. The fervor of her screams. She could feel her legs giving way as the flames burned through her clothes and began to violate her body. The flames licked and caressed her supple, unspoiled flesh. The flames ate away at her skin, cooking her alive. Another spark of life for the inviting flames of purification to enrapture. They gnawed away hungrily at her blossoming life. More nourishment for the flames which consume all to feast upon.

But even as she began to cry uncontrollably from the pain of being cooked alive, tears streaming out in rivers as she burned, her body thrashing unconsciously to escape the inescapable flame which snuffed out her life. Her senses still returned to her as the world around her came into focus. The quiet that assaulted her hearing assuaged and gave way to the howling of roaring flames. The forest crackled and burned around her. She could hear the faint kaboom in the distance as once-great trees that stood mighty, that made up her home, came to rest upon the dirt of the ground from which they came. She could hear the hot wind screaming in her ears, the wind driven crazed by the burning forest of life.

And lastly, she could hear her pitiful screams as she endured the heat which would set her soul alight and burn the last vestiges of her life.

Her screams of agony, strained by weakness, strained by her choking voice, laden with the tears that strewn down her face.

But even as she screamed and cried, her sensitive ears stretched her sense of hearing ever further.

That was when she heard the sounds which burdened her with anguish and guilt.

Her screams, which flowed through the burning forest undaunted, her agony which signified the last moments of her life, did not stream through the burning flora of the forest alone.

She could hear, just on the cusp of how far her hearing could stretch, the screams of others. Screams laden with suffering, agony, and tears, just as hers were.

She could faintly make out the suffering of others.

Men.

Women.

Ahh, it burns, it hurts, make it stop! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!

Children.

She could hear the wailing of children.

Their cries, young and supple. Tinder that was young and gave way to brilliant flames that were a product of all the years that were to now go unlived.

Innocents.

Innocents screamed in agony at the unfair flame that would use their years yet to be lived as the tinder for magnificent flames.

Children.

Children cried for their parents as they were blanketed by the freezing heat which would consume them whole.

Women.

Mothers who held their charred kin as they burned screamed in agony and loss.

Men.

Fathers who held the last vestiges of their families, trying to give them any semblance of comfort as they burned together.

And so, she cried in anguish, in loss, in guilt, in suffering, in agony.

They were innocent.

Innocents in this forest of beauty, purity, and life burned.

Innocents were burning.

And they were burning because of her.

I'm so sorry.

It burns.

Forgive me, please.

It hurts.

I couldn't control it

It's blistering.

It was an accident.

It's so hot.

Please

I feel so cold.

I beg of you.

Is this how I die?

Please forgive me.

Is this how the innocents are dying?

I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

Please forgive me.

PLEASE IM SORRY!

I DIDN'T MEAN IT!

I CAN'T CONTROL IT!

PLEASE I BEG OF YOU!

I'M SORRY!

I'm sorry!

I'm sorry.

i'm sorry.

…

I feel so weak.

As her life burned away, she reached a hand towards the heavens that she would soon be joining. Her outstretched, trembling hand hovered shakily in the air.

Wait for me.

I'll be joining you soon…

She could feel the sweet embrace of sleep tugging at her consciousness. It's sickly sweet embrace whispering words of comfort and serenity as she wails in agony. The lulling embrace of total rest. A deep, final sleep marred in the facade of a quick rest.

Her body felt so weak. She let her hand fall to the side as weakness subsumed her. She blearily blinked tears out of her eyes as the corners of her vision drowned in darkness.

However, just before she could close her eyes one last time and join the ever-encroaching darkness of an endless embrace, a faint and brilliantly blue light enveloped her body as her world faded to darkness.

…

I'm sorry!

Please, I beg of you, forgive me!

Lefiya tentatively opened her eyes. Her lidded eyes flitting open to reveal a world blanketed by darkness. Her cheek was tickled by something sliding alongst it. Bringing her right hand up to her cheek, coming into contact with a streak of wetness. She closed her fist and wiped it away. She brought her other hand up to her face and began wiping away at the tears tracts that had marred her face.

She rubbed her eyes, hoping to quell any trace of the tears that had been there.

Her heart was beating with intense fervor, rapidly pounding away at her ribcage. She could feel the rush of blood reaching her brain, the sound of a constant thumping flowing through her ears. She could essentially hear her own heartbeat through its fervent racing.

She breathed heavily through her mouth. As if she couldn't get enough air. As if at any moment she wouldn't be able to get air. She felt terrified. She moved her right hand toward the sky above, mimicking the movement she did earlier in her dream. It shook slightly. She clenched her fist and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in from the mouth. She held it for a moment before letting the cool air flow through her nostrils.

She repeated this a couple of times, trying to get a handle on the rapid pace of her heart and the panic she felt.

She breathed in deep; her fist shaking less than it had before. She opened her eyes and, in a measured manner, exhaled deeply out of the nose, extending it as long as possible.

She looked at her trembling fist and then at the ceiling above.

I'm sorry.

She sighed. Her breathing now felt a little less panicky, but not by much. She felt out of breath. As if she had just been running for hours.

She let her outstretched fist fall onto the damp bedding beside her.

…

Damp?

She clasped her hand together and clutched the bedding. Damp. She brought her other hand — her left — up to her nightshirt to find it, similarly, soaked.

Completely and utterly drenched in sweat. It was then she realized she felt clammy and sickly. She felt way too hot, her clothes clung to her damp skin, clothing similarly damp, laden with sweat.

Lefiya looked down and groaned in exasperation. It happened again. She completely soaked her blanket, sheets, bedding, and probably her pillowcases in her own sweat. A strand of hair fell in front of her eyes, resting on her cheek.

Yup, pillowcases too. She looked back up at the ceiling and closed her eyes. The damp strand of hair rolled off her cheek.

It happened again, another nightmare.

This wasn't a totally uncommon occurrence, but it had been getting better these last couple of years… Who was she kidding? They hadn't gotten any better; they came as frequently and were as intense as when she had been a little girl.

Her nightmares, or is it night terrors? Sucked for especially for this reason. Whenever she had her nightmares — especially of that dream — she sweated profusely and uncontrollably. Sometimes she screamed in her sleep, waking up the others.

It wasn't something she was particularly proud of, but she still sometimes wet the bed. Her night terrors were just that bad. She hadn't wet the bed in months, but still… It was embarrassing. However, drenching the bed in her own sweat was something that was a weekly occurrence. Sometimes it happened as frequently as every other day.

She just wished she could just sleep and not have to worry about seeing those images of her past, which she remembered just as clearly as if she were living them again.

She knew it was an unrealistic wish, but she could hope for it all the same.

Lefiya opened her eyes once more and was greeted with the same darkness she was met with prior. She turned her head to the right, seeing how the corner of her bed snuggled up to the corner of the wall. Her bed was pushed into the corner of the room.

Turning her head, now looking at the left side of her bed, she traced her eyes along its edges and then turned her attention to the window in the wall. She could see that the light of a virgin sun had yet to flow through the window. Indicative that the morning sun had yet to crest the horizon.

She turned her head back to the ceiling. She was awake before anyone else, probably. Their Goddess might be awake given her… eccentric peculiarities. However, she didn't bet on it. She was notoriously fond of her sleep.

Wet. Damp. Clammy. Icky. Sticky. She threw off the blanket and sat up, swinging her legs off the bed. The tips of her toes were just barely suspended off of the sandstone floor.

She breathed heavily, letting the cool morning air flow through her body. The beating of her heart had yet to assuage. However, she had her breathing mostly under control now.

She inhaled heavily through her nose, and then gently exhaled out the mouth. She put her hands on her knees and scrunched her eyes closed and tried again. Breathe in. Breathe out.

She tried again, in and out. Breathe in, and breathe out. She opened her eyes, looking at the wall in front of her. She pictured the person sleeping soundly behind that very wall as she took a shaky breath and tried again. Breathe in and out. The corners of her mouth curled upward as she imagined his silently sleeping figure.

She pictured his smiling face, his brilliantly colored eyes gazing into her similarly colored pair with a calmness and kindness that said 'everything will be alright'. She remembered a memory, one where he had been a lot younger than he was now.

One where he was looking up at her with doleful eyes and a panicked expression. Tears welled in his beautiful eyes, threatening to pour down at any given moment. His small hands clasped her own as they ran. Running further and further away.

She shook her head — dispelling the memory — and stared at the wall. Imagining him as he is now. Her only blood. He was probably sleeping soundly, without a care in the world. Sleeping blissfully.

She felt a small tinge of jealousy, but quickly stomped it out. It wasn't as if she was the only one who had night terrors of days long past.

He was probably sleeping with a completely calm face. Sleeping on his side with his hair curtaining his eyes. The calm rise and fall of his chest continued unabated. The barely audible exhale as he breathed. The way he clutched his blanket as if he was mimicking clutching to something — or someone — as if his life depended on it.

She knew he was asleep. Considering how the connection they shared was completely silent. The thread was still.

Her rampant heart had calmed considerably now. She looked down at where her hands were clutching her knees and breathed in and out. The — what felt like — minotaurs that were beating against her ribcage with clubs gradually died down. She returned her gaze to the wall and continued breathing her measured breaths.

She exhaled deeply and brought a hand to her chest, just over her heart. Her heart had calmed. It was ok. That was a memory. It can't hurt us now.

But that still doesn't change what I-

She shook her head to dispel that train of thought. It would not yield anything productive.

Looking at the wall once more, she imagined that gentle smile. A smile adorned her lips. She was calm.

Lefiya sighed and leaned back on her hands, looking up at the ceiling. It was then that she felt the cool air gently caress something that definitely should not be caressed by the air as if she were naked. She was an elven maiden, after all!

Her eyes snapped down to her chest clad in a simple long sleeve, white button-up nightshirt. Looking there, she saw something that caused her face to pale in horror.

To say what she was seeing was lewd was an understatement… Well, for her Elven sensibilities anyway. The damp cloth of her nightshirt clung to her body, highlighting the sculpture and curvature of her body… including her c-chest. Her breasts were covered, however, because it was white and sweaty. It. It. Was. Se-See. T-Through.

Y-You can even se-see th-th-th-th-th-

Her face flushed crimson up to the tips of her ears. Steam poofed out of her ears. She let out, in barely a whisper, "H-how le-l-LEWD!" She was too embarrassed and just barely squeaked the words out.

She quickly covered her chest with her hands, consequently falling back onto her back. Face and ears still flushed crimson.

W-what if someone sa-saw me!? I could never become a bride! Her damp flesh would be molested by the gaze of someone who was not to be her intended!

It didn't matter to her that the sun wasn't up, and the only people who could waltz through the door were either her blood - who was sleeping soundly behind the wall in front of her - or her Goddess who was allowed to see her skin for updating her status.

It didn't matter that the only things who could see through the window were just creatures of the night.

Her face was the color of a tomato as she took a tentative look down towards her - now covered - chest. Poof! More steam came out of her ears. She just looked so l-lewd. Her gaze wandered downward when she let out a high-pitched squeak. Y-You ca-can even s-see the b-belly bu-but-button!

She bolted upright and slapped her cheeks before returning her hands to her chest. Now thoroughly awake, she scooted her legs further off the bed and contacted the sandstone floor.

She began tiptoeing her way to the door, taking extra caution as to not elicit a single sound. Not even the sound of her breathing was tolerable for this mission. If anyone saw her as she is now… No, unacceptable! She would never be allowed to be a bride as her Elven pride demanded!

She silently crept her way to the door, her bare feet resting atop the cold, hard stone floor. Standing now just in front of her door, she leaned forward and pressed her ear to the door. She listened intently, straining her hearing as far as the Elven blood that coursed through her veins and status would allow.

She listened silently with bated breath, listening for the slightest movement, pitter-patter, squeak, or indication of life being beyond the safe confines of her door.

She counted the seconds. Ten. Fifteen. Thirty. She heard nothing. It was… suspiciously quiet. Too quiet.

Her eyes narrowed as she leaned back from the door, staring at it inquisitively, as if the door itself might come alive. She flitted her eyes down to the handle, and - taking a hand from her chest - with shaky hands from trepidation, clasped the handle.

She waited for a few more painful seconds, straining her hearing as far as it could go. She turned the handle slowly. Seconds passed as she turned it. The mechanisms in the doorknob squeaked quietly. She grimaced. Why couldn't doorknobs be silent? Was it too much to ask!?

Finally, with a click, the handle was turned all the way. She opened the door — just barely and leaned forward, peeking a single eye through the small gap she had created. She scanned the dark hallway, making doubly sure that it was safe of any would-be perverts. Listening carefully, there was no change.

She pulled the door inward, slowly, and… In one swift movement, she opened the door completely and slinked outside of it, closing it behind her, and moving her hands to her chest. There was absolutely no way anyone would have been able to see her most sacred of places, not even if they were a high-level adventurer with their massively increased dynamic vision.

The door clicked quietly behind her, indicating it was closed. She snapped her head left and right. Peering down the hallway… looks all clear.

She looked to her right, towards her destination. Down the hall were a few doors on either side and the hallway itself ended in the living room.

The distance between Lefiya and her destination was four doors.

She took one quick look behind her and deemed it safe. Lefiya then began to tentatively tiptoe her way down the hallway.

The journey would be painful, treacherous, and dangerous. She did not know how long it would take to traverse the barely ten meder long hallway. It could take minutes, hours, days, years?

And so she began her long journey. The journey would entail dangers that would make most tremble in fear. She was sure they would write tales about her long and treacherous journey across unknown lands. The adventures she would experience would be the beginnings of a new Oratoria. A new age! Had she picked up her little brother's flair for the dramatic? Maybe. Who could blame her? The way he recounted tales with such passion was quite awe-inspiring.

Each step entailed danger. The slight pit-pat her feet made along the cool sandstone floor could give away her location to the deviant lechers that would surely try to peek at her thinly veiled flesh.

The consequence of failing would be too great for her to continue living. The shame alone would shock her heart into failure.

Her heart pounded in her ears, her trepidation and fear of being discovered causing her breathing to become strained as she tried her utmost to remain silent.

However, in the end, she made it to her destination unmarred by lecherous gazes. The grand adventure… had come to a close.

After three agonizingly long minutes, she reached the end of her epic journey. Her hand darted out from covering her chest to the door handle and she quickly pushed the door in and spun inside. She closed the door with a loud THUMP and quickly locked it.

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in and leaned against the door, letting her hands dangle uselessly by her sides. She sighed. Finally, safety.

She peered around the dark room. The room she was in was their washroom, meant only for bathing. The room was split into two parallel parts. First on the right was where the counter, washbasin, and pitcher were situated. The counter which extended along the wall had an assortment of drawers filled with various things and such. Next to the sink was a rack that held a collection of towels that were neatly folded. Additionally, on top of the counter were a handful of candles.

The left side of the room was dedicated entirely to bathing. This part of the room had tiled walls and floor. The floor appeared to be flat until you reached the center, which was visibly depressed into the ground. However, the entire surface was depressed slightly towards the center to allow water to drain away without issue.

In the corner of the left side of the room was a small wooden tub. Next to that, along the wall, were three vertically stacked racks. Each rack held aloft three jugs, amounting to a total of nine jugs. Under the racks were two small buckets, one was chockful of bars of soap, the other was empty.

As they lived in a desert, running water was a luxury that only those living in the capital cities of some countries could afford. Typically, only the wealthy.

To bathe and drink, they collected water from a nearby oasis and brought it to their home manually. It was a part of their daily routine, refilling their water jugs before bed to have fresh water in the morning. It was a labor-intensive process, however, it couldn't be helped. Water was a luxury, after all. A necessary luxury.

She peered to the right side of the room, where a small window was next to the countertop. The sun had yet to rise, no inclination whatsoever that it was occurring soon. However, she sensed from her internal clock it should be soon-ish.

The window was not made of typical glass. It was made of clouded glass that allows light to flow through without issue while denying anyone the ability to peek inside. It even obfuscated the general outline of a person, granted they were standing not directly in front of it. As such, it was totally fine for Lefiya to feel no need to hide her body from any potential peepers.

Lefiya looked down and then to the bucket and then to the counter. She sighed and slinked forward off the door toward the counter. She unbuttoned her nightshirt as she walked over and opened a small drawer. Inside of it was a box of matches. Grabbing the box and fumbling with the opening, she opened it and grabbed a match and set it alight

Even with her status bestowed by her Goddess and her race's enhanced senses, she still struggled to see clearly inside the dark room. As such, additional lighting is necessary. She didn't want to experience another incident where she tripped over the tub… that would just be embarrassing.

She took the match and began lighting all the candles before extinguishing the flame.

Technically, she didn't need to use the candles to provide light for her. She could just do that again… but she didn't want another accident to happen. She closed her eyes, remembering how the flames danced and licked her skin. Shaking her head from side to side, interrupting that train of thought. Nope. Don't need any more accidents. Besides, it's easier to just use the candles.

Returning to the task at hand, she unclasped the final button at the hem of her nightshirt and slid the damp nightshirt off of her shoulders. It fell to the ground with a fwump noise. The sweat it had accumulated earlier caused it to be much heavier and slap the ground when it landed. She leaned over and grabbed the hem of the shirt and tossed it near the door. She then clasped her damp sleeping shorts and panties and slid them off her hips. Stepping out of them and tossing it to the same spot where she threw her nightshirt.

She moved the tub and two jugs of water to the center of the room, next to the depressed drain. She emptied the contents of one before deciding to test the water with her foot.

Much too cold.

She turned around and walked through the softly lit room towards the counter and opened a drawer. She palmed the small object and closed the drawer, walking back to the wooden tub.

The small object she held in her hand was one of the few magic stone luxuries they owned. It was expensive, but it certainly did as advertised, plus it came from Orario. It was a small, pill-shaped magic stone heater. Comprised of two similarly colored metal ends; by rotating each side in the opposite direction, it activated the magic stone inside and heated up.

It warmed up rather quickly, but wouldn't heat beyond a certain temperature. That made it extremely useful for heating things such as water because it ensured it would never get too hot if you left it unattended.

She took the small magic stone contraption in her hands and rotated both ends in opposite directions. It immediately warmed in her hands. She outstretched her hand over the tub and watched the small pill-shaped device fall into the cold water with a plunk.

She waited for a few moments before bubbles breached the surface of the water. She nodded to herself, satisfied that the water was heating at an acceptable rate.

She made her way over to the racks, fetching two small buckets and a bar of soap. Coming back to the tub, she gauged the temperature once more; warmer, but not warm enough.

As she waited for the water to continue warming up, she let her mind wander as it pleased.

It had been a long time since she had that specific night terror. She hated that day. She hated why it happened, how it happened, where it happe-

She shook her head from side to side. There is no point in dwelling over the past like this. Instead, why not think about something more important.

Like, why on Gekai did she still use her white nightshirts? Like come on, this is a frequent occurrence! We should know by now that white equals see-through when sweaty, right?

Oh… wait.

…

We're broke…

Forgot about that, and besides, colored clothing was super expensive in this part of the world. Out here in the Kaios desert, it's hard enough just to get water to hydrate yourself.

Assuming you weren't Uber-rich or a traveling merchant, the chances of you finding quality-made goods were next to none. It was hard enough to find nightshirts that wouldn't scratch her skin because they were made of something like wool.

Plus, you know, they lived out in the middle of literally nowhere. The nearest settlement of people was a small village northeast of here, about twenty kilomeders away. The nearest large city was probably the trading port of Lioad. But that was a two to three-day journey on camelback, and that's if the winds are favorable.

Plus, it wasn't like there was some road packed into the sand. No. You had to walk over the dunes. Even then, you still had a good chance of getting lost.

The only saving grace about where they were living was the small and quaint oasis just a few minutes' walk outside the house.

Other than that, they were literally in the middle of bum… nowhere.

She couldn't just replace her white nightshirts. Even if she found one that was in a suitable color, condition, and miraculously fit her, it would probably be exuberantly expensive.

Was the cost of a super expensive nightshirt that wasn't white enough to weigh over her Elven pride?

…

Yes.

Yes, it was.

With the option of getting a new nightshirt thrown outta the idea pool, she dredged up a new idea. What if she used gauze and wrapped her chest with bandages?

While bandages were typically white, they don't become see-through when absolutely drenched.

Lefiya tilted her head back and forth considering the possibility but eventually just shook her head.

No, even if we had enough bandages to spare for me to use them like that, it would probably itch and chafe her supple skin. They had to keep their supply of bandages on hand for stuff that mattered, like injuries.

So bandages were off the table. Plus, she heard that if you compress your chest too tightly with something for long periods of time, it can cause nerve damage and impede its growth.

She looked down at her modest chest. They were a good size for a young woman. Definitely more room to grow, however. Plus, she was a Half-Elf, she would live for a super long time, she couldn't just have nerve damage at such a young age. She hadn't even reached her second decade, much less her first century.

Her gaze drifted from her chest to the water below, the water now bubbling a lot more than before.

She reached down and moved her hand through the water. The water was now just barely at room temperature. That wasn't saying much, as the nights in a desert could get quite cold.

However, it was sufficient. She stood, carefully placing her feet in the wooden tub. The water felt colder than it actually was. Feet were just sensitive like that.

She crouched down and sat in the tub, leaning back and relaxing into the water.

She sighed in contentment as she let the warming water flow over her body.

Peeking open her eyes, she peered down at her form. Depending on how you looked at it, it could be considered lewd. It was just mostly an unrefined pose. However, that was only for an outside observer. Her legs dangled over the edge of the tub, the walls of the tub seemingly just covering her modesty to the outside world. Her breasts sitting just beneath the water.

She used her left hand to fumble around the water, searching for the small magic tool.

She found it and held it between two fingers.

Lefiya brought her left hand up and rested it on her stomach, still submerged in water. She held the small device between her index finger and thumb. It began to spin of its own accord. Circulating the water around it while simultaneously heating it.

She leaned further back into the tub, causing some water to flow over the side. Whoops.

She closed her eyes and breathed in a controlled manner. In and out. In and out.

Focus on nothing but your breathing and your state of mind.

In and out.

…

In. And out.

…

In. And out.

…

In.

…

And out.

…

In.

…

Out.

…

In.

…

Out.

Lefiya's eyes flitted open in a relaxed manner. All the stress of her dreams gone. She felt relaxed. Her being one with her state of mind.

She brought both of her hands up to her eyes, a warm metal pill coming to rest on her abdomen. She hadn't even been aware that she was still holding the warmer.

She groggily rubbed her eyes and yawned. She let her hands fall back into the tub and she strained open her eyes.

The washroom was now much brighter. Light, while faint, was now streaking through the window. It seemed like the sun had just barely peeked over the horizon, causing the sky to become brilliant shades of red, pink, orange, and blue.

The tub was also now much warmer.

It seemed as if she had been meditating for longer than she intended. It didn't matter that much, but it still irked Lefiya that she had still yet to master her meditation.

She closed her eyes and leaned her arms backward as she stretched, eliciting a moan from the heavenly sensation that was a good early morning stretch assaulting every fibre of her being.

She opened her eyes with a lazy smile. Surely she could just soak in here for a while more, right? It wasn't as if someone was waiting for her to finish washing up. She had all the time in the world. She slumped down into the water, letting her lips be submerged, and made bubbles with her mouth.

She reached for the small contraption with her hands and twisted the ends of it. It instantly stopped generating heat. She let it fall to the bottom of the tub.

She closed her eyes lazily as she breathed in through her nose and began making bubbles with her mouth again.

Hehe.

Early morning baths were the best. No rush, and no semi-warmed up water. She could take all the time she wanted to and enjoy the warm water.

She allowed her mind to clear as she simply enjoyed the hot bath.

…

Simply, glorious.

She sighed contentedly as she enjoyed her bath.

…

Eventually, however, she would have to get out and start her day.

After about ten minutes, Lefiya decided it was time to get out.

She sat up with a groan, her thoroughly relaxed muscles complaining about being used so suddenly.

She sat crisscross applesauce in the small tub, her knees firmly pressed against the wall of the small tub.

She leaned over and grabbed the small bucket and bar of soap to lather her limbs. She used the small bucket and soapy water to clean the soapy rufuse off. She saved her hair for last because it was a long and arduous process as compared to everything else.

She then began combing her hands through her dampened hair, soaping it up as much as possible.

Technically, it was supposed to be used solely as body wash, but this was all they had. Soap was soap and it would work well enough for her hair.

It was a lot easier to get things like shampoo and conditioner in large cities where such items of luxury are commonplace.

Alas, they were in the middle of the desert. Plus, the bars of soap lasted longer.

She grabbed the soap and lathered her hands and ran them through her hair a few more times until she had reached the bottom. She stood up, letting the water run down her body.

She stood up out of the water and lathered the things she previously couldn't such as her legs… after she was done she grabbed the small magic tool and stepped out of the tub and promptly emptied the used water down the drain. She placed her used soap and tool into the now empty bucket.

Turning her attention to the small empty bucket and jug of water, she filled it with the remaining contents of the water jug.

She picked up the bucket of water. She walked over to the drain and stood above it, the lowest point in the room.

Lefiya breathed out, bracing herself for what was about to come.

She inhaled and carefully raised the bucket over her head.

…

She dumped it.

The cool water rushed over her body, causing her to gape and gasp like a fish out of water. She almost dropped the bucket on her head. Which definitely hasn't happened before.

Lefiya lowered the bucket with one hand as she gasped for air, the shock from the sudden core temperature drop still fresh in her mind.

She gasped, her shock finally dissipating as she breathed. Dropping the bucket next to her feet and shivering, she brought both hands up to her shoulders as she tried to rub warmth into her body.

She let herself warm up a bit before moving to return all of the bathing materials back to their respective places before moving to the sink with two towels in hand. She promptly dried herself before throwing the towel to lay next to the rest of her damp clothing. She wrapped the other around herself to protect her modesty from all prying eyes… someone might come through that thoroughly locked door after all!

She opened a drawer at the sink which contained a wide assortment of things. A handheld mirror, a couple of styles of hairbrushes and combs, a couple of bottles of reddish liquid, and some other assortment of things.

She grabbed a brush, a comb, and the mirror.

The mirror was a simple thing, a small handheld mirror with some black spots marring the reflective surface. The spots where it was black were a product of its age, the metal having rubbed off.

She gave herself a once over in the small mirror and put it down, grabbing the comb.

Combing her hair, untangling it, was something that rarely took too much effort when it was damp like this. Making it dry straight, now that was a hassle. It was super annoying and if she did it wrong, it would make her hair look frizzy in some areas.

Lefiya took her time, making sure that every strand of hair was properly combed.

When she was finished, she grabbed the mirror once more and inspected her hair. Her hair seemed to look… ok. She moved the mirror to the roots. You can only just barely see the actual color of the roots. Good. I don't have to reapply it just yet. Probably in a few weeks, though.

She opened the drawer once more and put the mirror back inside.

She leaned back from the counter and peered through the clouded glass. From what she could see, the sun had just peeked halfway over the horizon. A mirage of beautiful colors danced in the glass.

She smiled, looking forward to the day ahead.

It was then she felt a small tug in the corner of her mind. A tug that was just barely noticeable, but it was enough for her to know that her only blood left had awoken.

Her little brother was just waking up. She focused on that feeling, that tug; that thread which tethered them together, the thread that linked their very souls through the divine script that adorned their backs.

She brought her hands to the counter and leaned forward on them, peering at the wall, imagining the person who lay just a handful of meders away.

She closed her eyes and followed that feeling which tugged her brain. That thread which bound them together. She focused on that foreign feeling, the tug feeling more intense as she did so.

She mentally gripped that thread and yanked. She could feel the connection becoming taut and ready to be used.

She focused on the taut thread, feeling and imaging the meaning and words she wished to send through that connection. She settled into the feeling of the taut thread and voiced her thoughts aloud in her mind, [Good morning, Bell. Sleep Well?]

She could feel the connection vibrate at her words, sending her message through the thread. Waiting for a response, she opened her eyes and began peering at the wall in front of her once more. She imagined she was looking directly at the person to whom she had sent the message.

She focused on the thread, waiting for a response. She leaned forward slightly more and stared harder at the spot on the wall where she imagined the person she was communicating to lie.

The thread vibrated, and she could feel emotions flood the connection they shared. Warmth and affection, but also grogginess, washed through their connection and into her mind. He was almost always like this.

From when they were little, he always liked to laze in bed, unwilling to leave the warmth it provided. It could get quite annoying when she needed him to be up and about, but sometimes his grogginess was quite funny.

She leaned back off the counter and stopped her intense staring contest with the wall. She peered down at the wrapped towel and patted down its surface. Hoping to absorb any stray water droplets that clung to her skin. She didn't want them rolling off her body and getting the floor wet. Someone could trip!

She paused in her patting down, feeling the thread vibrate in her mind as the person on the other side responded with more than just his base feelings.

[Good morning, Nee-san. I slept fine. How about you?] To describe how it felt to have words that weren't your own become manifest and speak in your mind was truly difficult and was easier to just experience than describe. It felt really weird and very foreign.

It was like thinking words in your mind, except for it being in your voice, it was the other person. Sure, you got used to it eventually, but the initial shock of hearing it for the first time in a day never truly went away.

She returned her hands to the counter, leaning on them once more. She frowned slightly at his question. The images of that burning forest came to surface in her mind. The feelings of panic, anguish, and helplessness came back to her. How the hot, frenzied air tickled her ears, how the smell of soot overwhelmed her sense of smell, how her throat burned from the blistering hot and acrid air that filled her-

She clenched her fists on the counter, trying to get a grip on her emotions and the crescendo of runaway memories. In doing so, she unintentionally let her emotions slip through the taut thread.

The response she got was immediate. She could feel his feelings clash with her own through the thread. A wave of comfort and worry flowing through. A lot of worry.

Lefiya took deep, measured breaths and shook her head to and fro; forcibly making the memories disappear from her headspace. She took a deep exhale and cleared her mind. Eliminating all traces of those memories.

She exhaled and focused on their connection once more, still feeling the overwhelming amounts of worry that were now turning into anxiety.

She gripped the thread and sent out her words. The sensation of panic carried along the thread with her words. [I'm fine Bell, promise. Just some nightmares is all.]

She wasn't lying to him per se; she was fine.

Physically, anyway.

Sure, maybe having to relieve that traumatic memory again put her just slightly more on edge than she was expecting to, but that was fine.

Maybe she also tried to pretend that she wasn't gripping onto the counter so tightly that it was liable to crack at any given moment because she was afraid that the world around her itself was a dream and she was in reality trapped and dying beneath a burning log. Surely not.

Her heart roared in her ears.

She was totally fine. Absolutely nothing wrong at all in the slightest.

There wasn't any reason at all as to why she desperately clamped down on those feelings and memories to keep them from reaching their shared thread at all. None at all whatsoever. It wasn't like emotions were the easiest thing to transmit over their shared thread. That would just be silly.

She felt cold and shaky.

As such, she was definitely not lying at all.

…

She felt hesitation flow through the thread. His reluctance to continue prodding was palpable. The person who knew her best was on the opposite end of the thread, and he had a very good guess as to what she was going through right now. He knew from experience the very steep and dangerous cliff his sister was just teetering on, just barely managing to not fall into the endless expanse of darkness.

Lefiya grit her teeth, forcing her hands to unclench from the countertop. She forced her breathing to stop at an inhale. Holding the breath in her lungs. She closed her eyes and took a step back from the counter.

She focused on her surroundings, hoping it would be enough to distract her from what was feeling inevitable.

She felt the warm light of the sun comfort her exposed arms, gently caressing them with warmth. Her feet rested upon the slightly wet stone floor. The slight itch of coarse fabric rustled over her bare skin as she shook from the exertion of keeping her lungs from exhaling.

She felt like she was drowning.

She felt so very cold.

She felt as if she was on fire.

Her world swam, spinning around her.

She felt as if she would be robbed of air at any moment.

She could feel her heart begin to-

If she didn't do something-

Her right hand darted out from where it had rested — clenched — by her side and came to grip her left upper arm.

She squeezed harder and harder, trying to distract herself from the darkness that seemed to want to drown her.

She trembled as she gripped harder and harder, trying to keep herself grounded in reality.

…

She couldn't feel her feet touching the stone floor anymore. She felt weightless.

…

Just when she thought she would slip into… Her arm and fingers burst into sharp, prickly pain. Her eyes shot open, and she finally exhaled. She coughed and shook as she let go of her arm. A very red mark appeared where she had just been gripping her arm.

She inhaled cool, refreshing air as the world snapped back into focus. She had starved her arm of blood flow, causing it to protest and feel prickly and painful.

She had just barely skirted…

She leaned forward onto the counter, her hands catching herself before she could fully impact the counter with her face. That would be very painful indeed.

She let out a shaky breath; she had been dangerously close. If she hadn't been able to pull herself back, she-

She shakily let out another breath. She propped herself off the counter and stood straight, finally wrangling her emotions under control.

What had she been doing again?

…

Oh!

Lefiya quickly took to staring at the wall once more, imagining the person who was beyond a few walls. She could feel the worry and anxiety starting to reach a fever pitch coming over their connection, and she honed in on it.

She exhaled and imagined his worried face. His stupidly adorable worried face as he was internally debating jumping out of bed and rushing to her side. She imagined how his jaw quivered slightly while staring at his closed-door ready to bolt out of bed as soon as he decided on what to do.

She smiled. Her little brother was always such a worrywart. She loved her brother; he was so kind, caring, and considerate of others. He always helped people, even those who didn't ask.

She remembered a day, one where they were a lot younger than they were now. The first day, she finally understood the person she called her brother was. She remembered how she had been crying, sad that her mother wasn't with her, how her little brother did everything he could to make her feel better. She had asked why, why did he care so much. He simply looked up at her, his brilliantly gleaming eyes piercing her own similarly shaded pair, and with a wide toothy smile boldly declared, "I don't want anyone to be swad! I wanna make evewyone smile, Onee-chan! So, If I can't even make my sistew smile then I can't evew do it! So I am gonna make you smile! I am gonna make you happy! You look vewy pwetty when you smile, Onee-chan!"

She remembered his words. How pure and genuine they were.

She smiled unconsciously, her heart filling with warmth at her reminiscence. She focused on their shared thread and pushed forward as much warmth and affection as she could muster, sending the words on their way.

[I'm fine, really. Promise.]

However, she knew he wouldn't be satisfied with just leaving it at that. It was in his nature to care. He would probably sigh in acceptance and try to bring it up later. It was a little annoying but what could you do? Her little brother was worried about her.

Her prediction fell just in line with reality when the thread sent through reluctant acceptance. He was definitely going to bring it up later to make sure she was ok. He always went out of his way to make sure she was ok.

She sighed and shook her head. It's just who he is. His kind heart was always something that she had tried mercilessly to beat out of him before. He was so kind and caring; it was one of the things that she loved most about her little brother.

However, that kindness was manipulatable. His caring nature, easy to take advantage of.

His pension for getting into trouble was simply astounding!

He was unfit for the role he was supposed to play. But now… he has the chance to follow his dreams.

[Are you done in the washroom, Nee-san?]

Lefiya immediately patted herself down once more, completely distracted by the past few minutes. [Just a sec!]

She leaned down and patted down her legs; standing up, she made her way to the door.

Lefiya crouched down and collected her still damp clothing and spare towel. She brought her clothes to her chest, holding them with one arm. Reaching for the door lock, she was about to twist it when. [I just finished drying up. I'm coming out now, so you better not peek!]

She waited for a moment before, [Ehhhh! I w-wouldn't I swear!]

She twisted the lock, unlocking the door, and pressed her ear to the wood.

She listened intently for a moment before nodding, deeming it safe. [Good, now be patient and wait in your room.]

Her hand moved to the handle and began twisting, feeling fear come over their connection. A very good idea of which memory had surfaced in his mind.

The door clicked open, and she pulled it back. Peeking her head outside of the room, she looked back and forth down the hallway. She quietly stepped out and, bringing her hand back to the towel and doing a quick glance down both hallways once more, made a very silent approach to her room.

…

She bolted towards her closed door. Each step elicited a loud slap, or plap against the hard sandstone floor as she darted for the safety of her room.

She opened the door and slammed it shut. She quickly dropped her held pile of clothing and turned to lock the door.

She let her forehead careen into the door. She simply slumped against the door as she breathed out a sigh. [I'm out of the bathroom, Bell.]

She waited for a moment, expecting to hear the opening of a door but was instead greeted by, [I know… I heard Nee-chan.]

Her cheeks flushed crimson as she then heard the door to his room open.

Of course, he heard, how couldn't he? She'd be more worried if he didn't hear. What a cruel fate it would be to go hard of hearing at such a young age. But he didn't have to point it out! Her retreat to her room was only the most elegant and refined retreat a young Elfess such as herself could muster as demanded by her Elven pride.

It was most certainly nothing less as indicated by her rapidly flushing face, even going so far as to up her ears.

If a God or Goddess of agriculture stumbled upon her face now, they would surely wonder how a tomato managed to grow arms and legs.

She scrunched closed her eyes and yanked the thread so hard she wondered if she pulled it out of his stupid head!

[Sh- SHUT UP! DUMMY! STUPID! BAKA! DUMMY STU-!]

She unconsciously focused her Mind causing magic to swirl around her feet. Its potency picked up with rapid pace as it seeped underneath her bedroom door.

A very feminine squeal was heard and — for very obvious reasons — the survival instincts of a certain boy kicked into high gear and he made a mad dash towards the washroom. Pure terror washed over their connection.

She heard the washroom door open, and SLAM shut.

"I'M SORRY!" her brother yelled from the safety of the washroom. Lefiya promptly humphed and let her unconscious hold on her magic dissipate.

She forced the thread to close, and she sighed, taking her head off the door and turning around.

Her room was fairly simple. A little plain, but that could be excused because they were broke.

Where she was now — directly in front of the door — her bed was directly in front of her, its headboard pressed along the far wall, nestled into the left corner of the room.

At the foot of her bed was a simple, small chest.

To the right of the bed, in the middle of the far wall, was a simple window with blinds drawn open.

Nestled into the right corner of the room was her dresser.

Next to that, resting along the wall to her right, was a small desk and chair for her to study at. She also had a small bookshelf that was sitting next to the desk, an assortment of books sitting neatly on its shelves.

Her eyes settled on the window, the morning sun now resting comfortably along the horizon. The shining sun illuminated her room in a soft orange hue.

She made her way to the window, holding a hand to her towel to make sure there was absolutely no way it fell off her. She took her free hand and drew closed the blinds.

She then moved her hand — which was holding up her towel — causing the towel to fall away from her body.

Lefiya stepped out of the towel at her feet and made her way over to her dresser. It was a relatively simple dresser, one made of very thin and brittle wood.

She opened the dresser to reveal a mostly empty cubby. The dresser was separated into two sections, the first dedicated to hanging her tops, the second being an assortment of drawers to hold her other clothing and accessories. Some drawers were larger to accommodate larger clothing, such as pants or skirts.

The relatively few clothes that she did own were kept in excellent condition. Most of which were white or black simply because of how easy they are to make. That's not to say she didn't own a blouse or shirt that was of different colors. They were just scarce and not cheap.

However, she was a little hesitant about what to pick, primarily because of the activities that were most certainly going to occur. She usually just wore her plain nightshirt and either shorts or a skirt and then changed out of it later.

She cast a tentative glance to her wash basket next to the door, right next to her dropped pile of clothes. A basket that was practically overflowing with clothing. It's not like she didn't wash her clothes every week… Ok, she may have forgotten last week, but it's not like you could blame her, it wasn't even half full!

She looked back into her dresser and scanned through the meager amount of tops that weren't in the wash basket.

There wasn't much competition in that regard, there were only two. A normal shirt and a more daring nightshirt that she rarely wore. Why was it daring you ask? Well, the hem rested just above her navel, revealing her flat tummy and belly button. Quite bold, if she did say so herself.

She reached her hand out for the other option and brought it to her chest, holding it there with her arm.

She had picked out a plain white top with long sleeves which was adorned with frills at the cuffs and hem. It had a black trim along the collar and just over the cuffs. It also was slightly open in the front and it could be closed with a black string. Just in case it got too hot, or she needed extra space to accommodate her bosom.

Lefiya didn't have that second problem just yet, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to either. She would have to buy a whole assortment of tops and nightshirts and… best just to be happy with what she had at the moment.

It's not like she would complain about having that problem either, but… given how often their Goddess complained about it hurting her back…

She shook her head to get back on topic. Lefiya opened a drawer and picked out a black skirt. It was very plain, and it was quite comfortable as well. The skirt went down to just underneath her knees and whenever she sat down; it didn't ride up her leg.

Lefiya then opened another drawer and picked out a pair of simple white thigh-high socks. She then moved to another drawer… she grabbed a pair of simple black cotton panties.

And lastly, she opened yet another drawer and reached her hand out for a small silver circlet. It was one of the nicer accessories she owned. It was a small metal hair cuff that would hold her ponytail in place.

She had a few other accessories for holding up her ponytail, but this one was her favorite. It was simple, lightweight, and held her hair up nicely.

The silvery metal color also fit in well with most of her outfit options.

She stepped back from the dresser and turned around. She kicked her foot out and closed the door of the dresser. Lefiya then made her way to her bed… the sheets and bedding still looked very damp.

She rounded the bed and plopped the clothes she was holding onto the chest. Her long hair tickled her back and chest as she did.

She then looked at her bed and sighed. She just had to have another night terror. Though she would get a majority of her laundry done all at once. Sure, it might take longer than it usually did to completely wash out her clothes with the washboard, but such was life.

She stripped her bed and scrunched the bedding, laying it together with the drenched clothes from this morning atop the now overflowing clothes basket.

She used her foot to jam all of her clothes and bedding into the basket. Definitely should've done it last week.

Lefiya then turned and walked to the chest, picked up her clothes, and dropped them on the exposed mattress.

She began to dress herself, careful not to get her top wet with her damp hair.

She leaned back and grabbed her hair cuff and began pulling her bunched-up hair through the small metal circlet.

Once she slinked it up her hair, she let it sit for a moment before taking away her hand and seeing if it would fall.

Once it didn't, she was satisfied and looked down at her untied front. She then moved the black string through the holes like she was lacing up her boots and finished it with a cutesy bow.

Now properly dressed, she did a little twirl and watched the skirt flutter about. She nodded to herself, satisfied with her chosen attire.

Lefiya leaned down and picked up her discarded towel, and made her way over to the door. She put the towel in the wash basket and picked up the basket.

She fumbled with the door lock for a moment before she heard a soft click.

She stepped out and made her way down the dimly lit hallway, pausing in front of the washroom. She heard the sounds of a tub being dragged across the floor, her little brother preparing for his morning bath.

She smirked to herself.

Time for some payback. She focused her Mind and acted as if she were preparing the makings of a spell. She felt the magic pool around her like droplets of water; pouring even more mind into it, she let her control on the magic gradually lessen.

The magic flowed outwards and headed underneath the washroom door. It didn't take long before she heard a yelp accompanied by a crash as her brother tripped over the wooden tub.

She stifled her laughter as she walked away from the door, acting none the wiser to the very irritated shout of her brother. "H- Hey that's not fair! I'll get you for that!"

She paused and looked back towards the door, a very gleeful smile adorning her lips, "Nope!~"

Lefiya waltzed into the living room. The blinds along the right wall were all closed, which were situated right next to the front door. In the center of the room, a small table accompanied two couches that faced each other.

She could just faintly make out the sounds of an ever-present rumble and flowing air.

Lefiya set her wash basket on the ground, right next to the exit of the hallway, and made her way to the couch in front of her.

Its back was facing her, but she knew very well that the source of those sounds was coming from it.

She walked forward and leaned over the back of the couch, and located the source of those soft noises.

Lefiya's eyes drifted across her sleeping form.

Her sun-kissed skin was ethereal, perfected by her many hours spent out in the harsh sun of the vast desert.

Her perfectly sculpted figure seemed to be the very embodiment of what it meant to be voluptuous.

A personification of beauty.

The envy of any woman.

The desire of any man.

Her shoulder-length chocolate-colored hair was sprawled lazily over the arm of the couch.

A pair of chocolate-colored cat ears stood proudly on top of her head. A golden ring along the edge of her furred ear pierced the leftmost.

She adorned little in terms of wear, a thin dark robe being the only thing to veil her perfectly divine features.

A singular, chocolate-colored tail peeked out of the robe and wrapped around her fairly exposed and chiseled left leg.

And to top it all off, she was drooling on the arm of the couch.

This. This was their Goddess.

Bastet, Goddess of cats.

…

Well, she wasn't just the Goddess of cats, but she was mainly the Goddess of cats. Once Lefiya had been foolish enough to ask about what other things she was a Goddess of…

…

It was a mistake she was never going to make again.

Bastet was slightly curled in on herself, laying on her side. A constant low rumbling noise accompanied her soft inhales and exhales.

As the Goddess of cats, Bastet was naturally a cat person. She came equipped with all the makings of a cat too, complete with cat ears, cat tail, heightened senses, and sleeping habits.

She also purred in her sleep too; Or whenever she was happy, calm, or content. Sometimes quite loudly.

Their Goddess had a plethora of strange cat-like abilities, most of which Lefiya wasn't even aware of. She also seemed to have a strange understanding of all cat people she came across.

You could make the argument that Bastet — being a Goddess of cats — was also the Goddess of all cat persons.

Anyhow, it was time to wake up their Goddess.

Lefiya outstretched her hand and poked Bastet in the cheek, "Wake up Goddess." A slight twitch of Bastet's ears was the only response she got.

She tried again, "Bastet, come on, wake up it's morning."

"Ngnh…" a small grunt escaped Bastet's lips.

Lefiya pouted. Seriously, how did she manage to sleep so deeply all the time? She's a cat for Genkai's sake, aren't they supposed to be light sleepers?

She tried again, this time tugging on the Goddess's cheek as she spoke, "Bast, wake up already!"

The Goddess groaned, swatting away the offending hand and rolled over onto her back. This had the unintended side effect of… revealing Bastet's rather exposed chest.

The robe had become undone during the Goddess' nap.

The supple mounds of heavenly flesh presented themselves proudly for all to see.

…

SLAP

The Goddess bolted upright, spinel colored eyes snapping open and darting around wildly. She rapidly swiveled her head around, looking back and forth, "Nyaa~! What's happe-nying! Ny-I'm up! Ny-I'm up!"

Something let out a rather meek and adorable squeak to her left and she honed in on it, "G- Goddess!"

She peered up at the girl, one with elegant orange-blonde hair, adorable outfit, and red steaming skin.

The girl was hiding her face behind her hands, absolutely refusing to look at the Goddess. She had her face turned away and Bastet swore she could see steam wafting out of the young girl's ears.

Bastet brought a hand up to her very sore cheek, looking up confusedly at the decidedly Elven maiden.

She watched as the young elf stammered and fumbled with her words before she finally stomped her foot and yelled, "C- COVER YOURSELF THIS INSTANT!"

The young elf promptly spun on her heel and turned away from the Goddess.

Bastet tilted her head in confusion. Who was this elf with glowing, steaming, red skin? She didn't even know having red skin was possible, something which was amusing to her because she had been around for a very long time.

Wait… Elf? Oh! It's Lefiya!~ My kitten!~ She glanced downward and smirked.

Heh

"Nya!~ Lefiya nyou knyow ny-I don't mind nyou peeking~" She leaned over the couch and presented her sizable bust to the back of the practically glowing elf.

Nothing wrong with teasing the kittens early in the morning.

Lefiya squeaked, "NOW! COVER YOURSELF NOW!" It was highly entertaining watching her kitten become so flustered by simply seeing her exposed breasts. They were just boobs, nothing to get so freaked out about.

Besides, it's not like she hasn't seen them before.

Bastet just sighed and leaned back onto her haunches, "Ny-I suppose ny-I could, my little kitten."

She fumbled with her robes, muttering something under her breath that Lefiya didn't quite catch. She closed the front up and tied the sash that had become undone during her nap, "There, Happ-ny?"

Lefiya tentatively turned her head around and peeked an eye through an opening in her fingers, "Y- Yes, very much so." She turned around to face her Goddess, her cheeks still very much flushed pink.

Bastet grinned and leaned forward, propping her head up with her hands, "So, why did nyou wake me up~ Nya!~"

Lefiya brought a fist up to her mouth and coughed into it, clearing her throat. "It's morning now, you know," she gestured over to the closed blinds.

Bastet leaned her head towards the windows, "Ny-I suppose ny-it is! Nya~ what of ny-it?"

Lefiya looked at her Goddess angrily, "Stop talking like that! No one can understand what you're saying!"

The Goddess leaned back and pouted, slapping her hands against her thighs, "Mwouf~ You kittens are no fun! You should be able to speak cat just fine by now, anyway! It's your fault for not picking it up after all these years!"

Bastet crossed her arms and turned away, pouting even harder than she had before. Lefiya stared at her Goddess in disbelief. She can't be serious, right?

Right?

Lefiya's eye twitched. "How were we supposed to pick up on something you never taught us! … Besides, 'cat' isn't even a language! It's just a thing you do with your words to make you sound cutesy."

Bastet snapped her head back up to Lefiya, staring directly into her eyes, "Cat is a language."

Bastet donned the most resolute and determined face she could and tried to stare into Lefiya's soul.

Lefiya was momentarily taken aback, pausing with her mouth agape, "… No, it isn't! Not one person does that besides you."

Bastet humphed and looked away, she mumbled, "It is a real language…"

Lefiya just rolled her eyes. "Find me one, ONE, other person who speaks it, and I'll ask you to teach it to me."

The Goddess sat up on her knees and brought her hands to Lefiya's cheeks, firmly clasping them. She dragged her face closer to her own, "You promise!~"

Lefiya gulped and stared into the pair of gleaming eyes. She felt a shiver go down her spine. Why did she feel like she just made a very terrible mistake?

"Y- Yes."

Bastet let Lefiya's face go, and she stumbled backward, "I'll hold you to your promise, my little kitten!~"

…

"… So… did you wake me up for any other particular reason?" She tilted her head and looked inquisitively at her kitten.

…

She really was a good mama. Just look at how her kitten mimicked that adorable head tilt! She really had taught them well… Bastet rubbed her eyes and Lefiya shook her head, remembering what she had wanted to do.

"Do you think you could make breakfast?" Bastet peered up from behind her hands to look at her kitten.

Lefiya turned her head away to avoid eye contact and clasped her hands behind her back. Bastet's eyes focused into slits, a predatory glint in the eyes accompanying a toothy grin, one that perfectly displayed her sharpened canines, "Any particular reason, little kitten?~"

It truly was adorable seeing her little kitten fidget nervously and blush slightly in embarrassment. Really, she couldn't get enough of it. It pained her so much for having to show restraint, otherwise they'd get used to her teasing.

"… You make it better than I do…"

Bastet rolled her eyes. She had to act the part after all, "Oh really huh~~~ You wouldn't mind repeating that while I use my Godly intuition would you?~"

Lefiya just blushed even harder, shaking her head from side to side. She let out just a barely audible whisper, "… Maybe I just wanted to remember what it was like when we were little…"

Bastet let a real, genuine smile spread across her face. Only for a moment, though. It was quickly replaced with a teasing grin, "Lefiya~~~ If my little kitten wishes to be coddled like a baby kitten again, all she need do is ask!~"

Before Lefiya could stammer out a response to Bastet's words, Bastet turned and lay back down on the couch with a sigh. "I don't feel like it though," she outstretched her hands towards the ceiling, "Sleepy!"

Lefiya stomped her foot on the ground. Heh. "If you weren't going to make it anyway, you could have just said no!" Lefiya shouted and stormed off towards the kitchen. It wasn't far, it was just right there, connected to the living room.

Bastet stretched her arms over her head and began her post nap stretch. "Nnnghh!~ Hah~ Ahhh!~" Being a cat, she naturally had to stretch after every nap. She had also perfected the art of getting a perfect stretch too! She was a Goddess after all, having all the time in the world to do it.

"Ahh…" Bastet laid on the couch, resting her hands behind her head. Just a little more couldn't hurt. "Maybe I don't wanna make it because a certain kitten of mine slapped me awake during my catnap!~"

She heard a groan of exasperation as she looked towards the kitchen, hearing the various cooking instruments being moved and clanging against each other as Lefiya searched for what she needed.

Was what she did a little mean? Sure. There was no denying it. But come on. You had to understand this from her point of view. She had been starved of her adorable Lefiya blushes and stutterings for too long. Two days?! That was simply too long. No self respecting Goddess such as herself could allow such a blatant violation of the natural order be permitted to continue.

It had genuinely tempted her to cook for her kitten when she asked, but she saved that for special occasions. She knew her kittens would never admit it, but they liked it when she acted all mama for them. To be fair, she enjoyed it too. They were her kittens, after all. She had to baby them every now and then.

Besides, they could cook for themselves! She had taught them, after all. Knowing how to cook was a very attractive quality. It would be a failure on her part if she didn't provide her kittens with the skills necessary to woo a mate. After all, she was going to get some adorable grand-kittens. Sure, one of her kittens might take longer than the other to do that — longer life spans and whatnot — but she wanted some, dammit!

Sure, they were out in the middle of the desert where there wasn't a human settlement within a quick thirty-minute walk, but like, come on, when were they gonna get on that?

Obviously, she would have to approve of them first. She needed to make sure they were worthy of her kittens!

She peered over at her kitten in the kitchen, watching as she moved between the food she was preparing and the drawers of supplies she needed to cook.

She smiled softly.

She could wait.

She was happy right now.

It'll happen when it happens.

…

She was definitely gonna tease the daylights out of them, though, when it happened. She giggled to herself while imagining teasing her kittens about their first crushes. It will be an absolutely glorious day when that happens for sure!

Bastet sprung to her feet and began making her way to the small table that was just next to the entrance of the kitchen.

It was a small circular table with three chairs. They could technically eat at the counter and peer into the kitchen, but this was more personal. She liked to look at and talk to her kittens as they ate.

Plus, when the blinds were open, the table was just at the optimal angle for sun bathing.

Speaking of open blinds, she twirled on her heel and skipped her way over to the blinds. She threw them open and hummed a tune to herself as she hopped and skipped her way over to the table.

She pulled out a chair and sat down, letting herself slouch down into it. Peering down at herself, she now noticed the slight wardrobe malfunction she had while skipping about. She tightened the sash before her kitten could notice and acted as if nothing happened.

She leaned back in her chair, causing it to nearly tip over. The only thing keeping it from tipping over completely was her incredible sense of balance.

She watched her kitten cook upside down. She grinned. Funny. "So~ whatcha making kitten~" Lefiya paused and looked at her Goddess with a deadpan expression, "Soup."

…

"Great!" Bastet leaned forward — causing the chair to have all legs back on the ground again — and let her elbows rest upon the table, propping up her head with her hands. "Are you going to put any lamb chops in it?"

Lefiya merely proffered a non-committal grunt and continued cooking.

They should still have some salted lamb left. It wasn't like they had the means of freezing meat in the middle of the desert. The best they could do was to salt them. It completely dried out the meat, but it killed any bacteria forming. Salting the meat caused it to keep for a very long time.

Sure, it didn't taste the best, but it had good nutrients in it. Her kittens still had room to grow, after all.

Bastet peered over her shoulder to watch her kitten with a watchful eye. She watched her movements as she cooked, the slight shake of her hands when she messed with an open flame. The slight twitch of her eyes whenever the ladle hit the edges of the pot. The barely noticeable clenching of her hands when she grabbed a new ingredient.

She had noticed it in Lefiya's eyes earlier when she grabbed her face. Normally, whenever she did that, Lefiya's pupils would dilate and her ears would twitch cutely. That time, they constricted and her ears drooped slightly.

Bastet stopped looking over her shoulder and looked through the window. She would have to make sure her kitten was ok. She knew Lefiya had another night terror.

If her brother had been around, he would have told her himself, but she had known her kitten long enough to pick up on when something was bothering her.

More accurately, she was so perfectly attuned to the slight physiological mannerisms of her kitten that she could read her like she was an open book. She had seen this pattern enough times before to know she had that dream.

Whenever Lefiya had her night terrors, depending on what it was, she behaved in slightly different ways. Perhaps it was just one of her natural feline talents, but she was pretty sure not even her brother could read her to the same extent that she could.

That was exactly why she knew that asking how her morning was so far was a very bad idea.

To remedy this, she began humming a tune that she used to sing to her kittens when they were still little. The same tune she used to soothe their nightmares and to lull them back to sleep. She sang that song to them to let them know they were safe in her embrace.

She smiled back at the memory with a sense of saudade. (This word basically means a nostalgic, sad and happy feeling. It's a Portuguese word with no English equivalent. )

She loved them, truly she did. Chuckling to herself as she remembered how they used to clutch to her as they slept, afraid of losing the warmth and security that she embraced them with.

She continued to hum her tune as Lefiya cooked. Closing her eyes and letting her hearing wander, she searched for a noise, not the sounds of Lefiya cooking, her breathing, or even her heartbeat. She let it wander farther and farther away.

It was then she heard the dumping of water and the sound of something akin to a gasping fish.

Bastet leaned back in her chair once more, "Lefiya dear~ is it done yet?~~ I'm hungry!~~~" Lefiya just sighed and said, "Almost done Bastet."

Bastet opened an eye and looked at her kitten. She pouted, "Come on now~, call me Mamma~" Lefiya regarded her out of the corner of her eye. She scoffed and resolutely replied, "No."

Bastet sputtered and nearly lost the balance over the tipped back chair before she caught herself, "Please kitten~ just like you used to!" She had to let Lefiya even the score after she had teased her so mercilessly. It was only fair.

"No."

Bastet pouted and slid down her chair, folding her arms over her chest. "Mwouf… fine, my kitten is going through her rebellious phase already… truly, the greatest torture a mother can endure is when her little ones refuse to call her mother."

She huffed sadly. Her kitten pretended to ignore her and not acknowledge her existence.

She heard the washroom door open and close. Bastet smiled. Finally, breakfast was going to be ready soon. She always looked forward to eating with her kittens.

Bastet looked out the window and watched as the calm gusts of wind caused the sand to pick up on the dunes and skate along its surface. She continued to watch, simply passing the time.

…

You know, watching sand flutter about in the wind isn't the most interesting thing in the world, but it can certainly look pretty.

Watching how the tendrils of wind skirted along the tops of the dunes and brought with them the small granules of sand was mesmerizing. Experiencing it, however… Awful. Just Awful.

A frown tugged at her lips as she remembered her… troubles while traveling through the desert.

Sure, it might look pretty and sometimes the sand might catch the light at a certain angle and make pretty colors dance in your vision, but sand got everywhere.

That was especially true when you had to traverse over the dunes. It got in your hair, ears, shirt, pants, shoes, even your nose. Your nose!

Don't even get her started on how uncomfortable it was to get sand stuck in her large ear canals. If she was walking against the wind, her ears would get completely inundated with sand by the end.

What made it worse was that the sand stuck to the inner walls of her ears too because it was oily and her fur got all dried out and dusty. It was awful. Even when she wore a hood, sand still found a way into her ears. She was convinced that even if she wore a mask, her ears would still get sand in them.

…

Sand sucked.

Really, there was no way the idea should have gotten past quality control.

Bastet nodded to herself, convinced of her position. When she got back to Tenkai — whenever that may be — she was going to have a very lengthy conversation with the person who suggested sand and about why sand was stupid and should have never been made in the first place.

She was then going to throttle the people running the lower world until they removed this god awful desert and replaced it with something a little more hospitable.

Something like a savannah.

Savannahs were much more pleasing to the eyes, much better than all these mounds of sand. Plus, they were way easier to take catnaps in. You could wake up and not be almost half buried beneath a foot of sand.

She didn't know a single mortal who liked this landscape of unending sand. They would praise her as a savior if she got rid of it.

…

Ok, there might be some people who like deserts, but those people are just weird. Plus, the last one she knew died like three hundred years ago or something. There was a fairly good chance that no mortal alive today liked the desert.

She closed her eyes and nodded. First thing she did when she got back to Tenkai was nuking this desert out of existence and replacing it with a comfy savannah, complete with excellent cat nap locations.

The sound of a door opening and closing tickled her ears. She smiled. Finally!

Bastet leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms as far as they could go and opened a small cabinet. She grabbed three bowls and three spoons. She closed it and leaned forward in her chair, causing it to once again rest with all four feet on the ground.

She had just begun setting out the crockery and cutlery when the last person of the household walked into the living room.

He was around the same height as his older sister. The only physical similarity they shared was their eye color. A striking, brilliant shade of ruby red.

Like most days, he donned plain clothing. A simple set comprised a black long sleeve shirt and black pants. The only article he wore which was of a different color was his brown belt.

He had soft, unassuming features. He looked like he would lose a fight against a stiff breeze. Bastet knew differently, of course. Underneath his clothes, he had a rather lean physique, kept in shape through his own efforts.

However, if one was asked to point to the person they first noticed in a large group of people, Bastet was sure that nine out of ten times, they would choose him.

The reason for this was his head of long white hair. Hair that was as white as virgin snow. The color corresponded well with his personality, soft and pure.

He scanned the room and his eyes landed on her, a dazzling smile flashing across his face.

"Good morning Goddess!"

"Morning Bell!~"

Bell started walking towards the table Bastet was sitting at and he peered into the kitchen, noticing his sister. A flash of concern spread across his face, but it was quickly replaced by the same dazzling smile he flashed his Goddess with.

"Good morning Onee-san!"

Lefiya looked over from where she was cooking and gave her brother a devious smile, "Good morning Bell, how was your bath?~"

Bell had just placed his hand on the back of the chair and was about to pull it out when he froze. Bell gave his sister a strained smile, a corner twitching slightly, "Great with n- no problems at all."

Bell pulled out his chair and sat down sitting to the left of the Goddess.

Bastet turned to face her kitten, cupping his face with a single hand. "Did you sleep well, my kitten?"

Bell blushed furiously at the intimate action. He tried to pull away, but Bastet merely strengthened her grip, gauging his reactions.

Her kitten wasn't a terribly difficult specimen to read like his sister could be. In fact, most people could do it with relative ease. He was a very expressive person. Still, get him blushing and you could essentially read his mind.

All one had to do was know how to read it. And read it, she could.

"Y-Yes Goddess, I slept fine." His eyes darted from literally anywhere besides his Goddess to his sister, who was now entering the living room holding a small pot and a mat.

Bastet pouted, increasing her grip tenfold. "How many times do I have to tell you, kitten. Call me Mamma or Bastet!~"

Bell's face continued to heat up as she held him in place with her iron grip. She put on the pressure and he let out a small groan of pain, "But Goddesh!"

Lefiya plopped down a small mat in the center of the table and placed the pot atop it before taking her seat to the right of Bastet.

Bastet's pout slowly morphed into a scowl. "Bastet. Or. Mamma."

Bell yelped in fear and tried to pull away, but Bastet just dragged his face closer to hers. He gave in, "Yesh Bashetsh!"

Bastet let go and Bell stumbled back, almost out of his chair, but righted himself before he could. He rubbed his sore chin.

"I swear, kitten, every morning you do this. Do you not learn!" Bastet stared at her kitten, who was trying his best to avoid eye contact.

Bastet gave a resolute, "Hmph!" and folded her arms over her chest.

It was then she noticed the food that Lefiya had set in the middle of the table. She squeaked in delight and grabbed the ladle before anyone else could. She poured herself a couple of spoonfuls of soup before placing the ladle back in the pot.

She took a small spoonful of soup and slurped it. Bastet smiled lazily. Lefiya really has made leaps and bounds in her cooking. "Euphoric as usual little kitten!~"

She gave her kitten a dazzling smile — complete with fanged canines — and a thumbs up. Lefiya smiled hesitantly as she watched her brother fill his own bowl with soup. "Thank you Bastet…"

Bastet began eating her soup but kept a trained eye on her kitten. Her kittens never noticed, of course, when she was observing their every move. She was a cat, after all. She would lose her pride as a Goddess if she were ever discovered.

Stalking prey came naturally to cats. This was just using those skills for a more motherly duty.

Bastet secretly watched as her kitten filled her bowl. She saw the way her hand would lightly tremble as she poured the soup into her bowl. She heard the way her breathing was quicker and more erratic than usual. Each breath interrupted by the intensity of her heartbeat, causing her breath to come out in pulses.

It was just barely noticeable to Bastet. Her kitten had always been really good at clamping down her emotions and muting her reactions. It was something she had learned out of necessity…

It was rare, seeing her kitten having such an adverse reaction to her dreams. It had been months since the last time it had lingered this long. Which could only mean she had that dream.

She turned her gaze back to her soup and slurped another spoonful. She pondered her options and decided on the one that seemed to work most often.

She waited for Lefiya to bring the spoon up to her lips, "So little kitten, I forgot to ask, but how did you sleep?!~"

Lefiya and Bell both choked on their soup. Wow. They both coughed and hacked while Bell hit his chest repeatedly with his fist and looked to with a gaze that said, 'what're you doing?'

Bastet waited until Lefiya had stopped coughing and grabbed her left hand with both of her own. Bastet waited patiently for Lefiya to settle down and look her in the eyes.

Bastet could see the roiling emotions swirl around in her eyes. She purred softly, letting the vibrations course through her hands into Lefiya.

This served a couple of purposes, but the main one is that it was familiar to her and was associated with feelings of serenity and security from when they were younger.

Lefiya looked away tentatively and gazed towards the front door. Bastet followed her gaze and saw that she was looking at her wash basket.

"I…"

…

Bastet scanned her kitten's face as she waited, casting a quick glance over to Bell, who was watching the whole interaction with concern.

"… I…"

Lefiya shakily looked down at her bowl of soup. Bastet could feel Lefiya's heart rate pick up as she held her hand. Lefiya's grip on Bastet's hands steadily increased in pressure.

Just when she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Bell was moving a hand over to his sister, she finally whispered, "… dreamed of that day."

Lefiya's eyes glazed over as Bastet's suspicions were confirmed.

Well, that won't do. Remembering traumatic memories at the table, unacceptable.

Lefiya's hold on her Goddess' hands became like iron as she became overwhelmed by memories of that day.

Bastet watched her kitten begin to drown in the darkness of memories. Even though it really hurt her hands, this was something she had to do. Bell half shouted at his Goddess, "Bastet, what are you doing!"

However, she couldn't respond to her other kitten. This one needed her full attention. Bastet scanned her face, feeling her heart race through their hands.

Her face scrunched up in concentration as she brought her other hand in front of Lefiya's face. She pulled back her middle finger and pushed it against her thumb. She pushed with all her might against her thumb until her hand visibly shook from the exertion… and released.

Her middle finger launched forward with tremendous speed, causing a small whip to crack the air. It collided with something soft and malleable and let out a dull thud.

Lefiya's grip instantly slackened as she recoiled from the blow, bringing her hands up to her nose. "What was that for!?"

Classic distraction and redirection, coupled with a nose flick and viola, problem solved!

Bastet crossed her arms and humphed, giving her kitten a pointed glare, "No kitten of mine will have such a look when looking at her own cooking. We are all enjoying it, isn't that right Bell." She glared at Bell.

"… uhhh, mhm! Yeah, it tastes great as usual, Lefiya."

Bastet glared at Bell a little while longer, making him retreat to the safety of his bowl, going back for another spoonful. Bastet looked away satisfied and back towards Lefiya, who now had a considerably redder nose.

The glaze was gone from her eyes, and serenity and life flourished within them. Good.

Bastet returned to her bowl herself, following Bell's example.

…

She looked up towards Lefiya, who now ate her cooking once more. Bastet cleared her throat to get her kitten's attention. "If you still are having issues later, you can come talk to me about it if you want to. I will always be here for you. I'll even let you wake me from my cat nap!" She gave a cutesy little thumbs up to reassure her kitten.

Lefiya just nodded and dug into her food.

Truthfully, her kittens were the only ones who ever got to see this side of her. She was always worried about her kittens, especially given everything that's happened in their pasts…

Bastet grabbed her spoon and dug in at a relaxed pace.

She was a dignified Goddess, one who just woke up and can't be bothered with things such as raising a spoon this early. She had already done so much like setting the table and teasing her kittens.

The soup landed on her tongue, its contents spilling out and warming her mouth. Ah~, simply glorious! She might even surpass me one day.

…

Bastet slurped on her spoon, content with simply lazing back in her chair and observing her kittens eat. She enjoyed the simpler pleasures of life.

Bell was leaning down for another spoonful of his soup when he winced in pain, bringing his free hand to his shoulder as he rolled it back. He placed his spoon down on the table and was about to open his mouth to ask his Goddess a question when he looked at her for the first time that morning.

Sure, he had looked at her earlier, but he hadn't truly looked at her. Honestly, it was a bad idea most mornings, as her usual attire was something thin, easily removable, and prime for sleeping in.

Bell coughed and looked away while blushing furiously.

Bastet looked over at her kitten, tilting her head cutely in confusion at his reaction. She looked down at her robe and smirked at the opportunity for more teasing.

Because Bastet really enjoyed bathing in the early morning rays of the sun, she sat in the spot with the most sun shining on her. The sun was bearing down at just the right angle to make her relatively thin robe… see through in certain places.

Lefiya's ears twitched, and she blushed, knowing full well what was about to transpire. Better to just finish her food and escape while she could.

Bastet giggled to herself and looked up at her blushing kitten.

Seriously, she suspected her kittens were actually tomato plants in disguise, given how often their faces matched the fruit. Maybe they grew them somewhere… A question to answer for another time!

She folded her arms under her chest and raised it slightly, wiggling back and forth in her chair. "Mwouh~, my little kitten, you know I have no problems with either of you getting a look-sie~, hehe~" she giggled to herself as she watched both of her kittens' ears redden.

Bell shook his head back and forth while shutting his eyes, "I wasn't looking on purpose I swear!" Lefiya wisely stayed quiet as she heard her brother dig himself a deeper grave, refusing to look up from her bowl.

Bastet covered her chest with her arms and looked away, pouting, fake tears brimming in her eyes. "Are you saying you don't want to look at me anymore? Old age finally caught up to me and now I am ugly and wrinkly?"

Bell stammered and fumbled with his words, unsure of what to say. Lefiya just prayed, PRAYED, he didn't look to her for an escape line. She had already been teased enough this morning she didn't need anymore.

"Wuh!? That's not wh-what I-I of course you, you a-are, I didn't mean… because I-I you're b-beautiful b-but I…" Bastet merely giggled to herself as she watched Bell's brain short circuit as she bopped him on the nose, "Relax kitten, I'm just messing with you. You don't have to look if you don't wanna!~ I don't mind!~ It's not like cats or people were meant to wear clothes in the first place, that's something you mortals came up with… a bad idea in my opinion, but I'll cover myself up for the sake of you two adorable little kittens!~"

Bastet returned her attention to her bowl, filling her spoon with more soup.

It was then that Lefiya stopped eating her soup, the spoon pausing halfway on its journey from her bowl to her mouth. She had… a strange premonition. Something that they could get out of doing was about to be made unavoidable.

She looked up to her brother, who had now just gotten his blushing under control and was starting to move his lips.

Oh…

Oh no!

"Hey Bastet, do we have to do sparring today? My shoulder is absolutely…" His eyes wandered over to his sister, who was now giving him a shell-shocked expression. A look of total befuddlement donning her face. Returning his gaze back to his Goddess, "Killing me because of yesterday. Do you think we could take a break for today?"

Bastet paused, her spoon mere celch away from her lips. He felt a shiver go down his spine as he cast a tentative glance towards his sister. Her eyes were closed, and she was giving him a smile that promised pain.

He looked back at Bastet and felt fear permeate every corner of his body. Her eyes gazed directly into his own. Her pupils focused into slits, the corners of her mouth upturned into a smile, her sharp canine peeking through her lips. A predatory glint in her eye. "Ah, yes. Training~."

He then felt the thread he shared with his sister be forcibly reopened and explode with activity.

[YOU IDIOT, BAKA, DUMMY, BELL WE WERE ALMOST FREE, YOU IDIOT WHY WOULD ASK. DUMMY BELL!]

…

He wondered where it all went wrong.

Was it the fact that he was born?

Maybe.

Was it the fact that one of the strangest Goddesses he had ever met picked them up?

Possibly.

Was it because he was as big of an idiot as his big sister said he was?

It was certainly plausible.

Was it because he had opened his big mouth without thinking first…

Absolutely.

His entire body ached as he was laid out in the sun atop the hardened sand.

His lungs cried out for air as they had just been forced to expel all the air he was previously breathing.

His shoulder cried out in pain as it throbbed a dull ache.

He felt the arm that was being held aloft by his assailant be dropped as if it were boring prey.

It landed pitifully next to his sweat covered body. The intense heat of the scorching desert bearing down on his thoroughly beaten body.

He just had to open his mouth.

His lungs quivered in agony as they failed to gulp in the air he so desperately needed. His diaphragm spasmed as his lungs finally began to fill with scorching air.

He coughed and hacked but breathed in large sums of air. His aching lungs were briefly quelled.

He struggled to open his eyes, he was woosy and drowsy from the intense beating he had just endured. He raised his good arm to his forehead, wiping away at the sweat that had been coming out in rivers. He panted and let the hot air soothe his starved lungs.

He heard the sounds of combat going on somewhere around him. The passionate sounds of heavy panting and fierce blows being exchanged tickled his sense of hearing.

However, he knew the truth.

That intense resistance, the desire to survive, the need to just escape the never ending rush. He knew that in the end, none of it mattered. The pitiful struggle of those that resisted were only delaying the inevitable. Nothing could stand against that darkness which consumed all.

Her fingers were as sharp as claws.

Her fists, as immovable as the ground beneath you.

Her elbows, as piercing as javelins.

Her legs, as impactful as an artillery barrage.

Her knees, as crushing as a mountain.

Her speed, as quick as the predators that lurked in the shadows.

All that struggled, eventually fell.

And following that fated path, the fierce resistance he listened to ceased just as abruptly as a predator striking at prey from the shadows.

Another victim.

This was merely the natural order of things.

Entropy.

He heard a loud boom relatively close to his right, a loud cough erupting from the one who had resisted.

He drooped his head to the right and was greeted to the sight of his sister being laid out in the sand. She coughed and curled in on herself, clutching her stomach as her tears dropped into the sand beneath her. Drool — or bile — ebbed from her mouth.

Then, a dark shadow loomed over the two half-siblings. A visage of destruction and death. They instinctively cowered in fear.

It mattered not who you were, men, women, black dragons, Gods, all those who gazed upon the shadow in front of them would tremble in fear.

Her red eyes pierced the ever encroaching darkness that seemed to seep off her very body and blot out the light from the world. Darkness radiated from her aura, threatening to consume even the sun itself.

Her presence was overwhelming.

All those who did not kneel would be forced to kneel.

All those that resisted inevitably fell.

Her predatory red eyes glinted with a deep seated amusement and hunger. A lioness playing with her food was not an uncommon occurrence. Her dagger-like canines bore themselves and she licked her lips with a greedy fervor. More prey for her to devour.

More spoils for the Queen Apex of nature.

And just as that darkness threatened to drag them down, drowning them in her cold embrace the shadows retreated like it was the coming of day.

Bastet plopped herself down next to Lefiya. Sitting on her right, holding hair out of the way of her mouth. She didn't want her kitten getting her fur messy if anything more than bile came up from her stomach.

Bastet brought her free hand up to her forehead and wiped away the sweat, leaning back, "Hah ahh! You kittens are getting quite good at playing with Mamma!~" She then let out a hearty giggle as she flashed the thoroughly beaten pair a beaming smile.

Bastet brought both of her arms undreath Lefiya's and propped her up to a sitting position between her legs. Bastet moved Lefiya's ponytail over her own shoulder, "I'm sorry for hitting you so hard my little kitten. However, you will not learn unless it is thoroughly beaten into your bones."

Bastet moved her hands to Lefiya's back and made circular motions with them trying to soothe the desperate attempts to breathe air. Tears still streaking down Lefiya's face.

It was an involuntary response to the way that Bastet had hit Lefiya. A solid jab to the solar plexus and diaphragm combined with a blow to the throat finished with strike to the ear.

Those four simple movements were all it took to make someone become like wet clay in her hands.

The first hit knocked the wind out of the lungs, the second made a person unable to breathe in, the third closed the passageway to the lungs trapping any escaping air, the fourth completely disoriented a person making them unable to stand.

Bastet would then take you by the arm and flip you over onto your back causing your already arching lungs to cry out in agony as air tried to escape your lungs while trying to breathe in while being unable to.

Add the cherry on top of being unable to tell up from down and it makes for a pretty awful combination.

Even when your diaphragm stopped spasming you still couldn't breath as you normally did. All you could do was take short erratic breaths as the pressure equalized to normalcy.

The first time Bastet had done that on Bell he had passed out in a pool of his own vomit.

Bastet kissed the back of Lefiya's head and whispered in her ear, "I know it's not your strong suit but it's still necessary for my kitten to learn how to defend herself and those she cherishes."

Lefiya simply nodded, still unable to speak.

This… This is what he wanted to avoid.

…

Their morning training sessions.

…

Bell had always had his mind set on a goal. It was a stupid and childish dream, but a dream he could never let go.

He knew he would probably never get to have the chance to chase his dream, but that all changed on that fateful day.

When he met the Goddess, he told her his dream.

She smiled softly and told him that it was a foolish dream, but one she could understand.

She said if that's what her kitten really wanted to do, she would help him develop the tools necessary to reach his goal. Their training was a part of that.

His sister joined in so that she could keep her brother safe and so he wouldn't die like an idiot little brother.

But also, she too had her own dream. One that she wanted to achieve no matter what.

Lefiya had never spoken to Bell about what had happened to her. Well, not fully anyway. He knew bits and pieces but she always refused to tell him.

One day, he hoped she would.

Only Bastet knew the full extent of what happened. He had told his sister and Bastet what happened to him. It felt like she didn't trust him enough… He knew that wasn't the case but he couldn't help but feel that way.

She just wasn't ready.

However, he knew that whatever did happen to her was the motivation behind her dream.

He knew that the mountain he and his sister had to climb would be vast. They didn't even know if they could reach the top but they would try all the same.

And so, in order to reach the precipice where their dreams lay, they had to become stronger.

However, they couldn't rely solely on brute strength alone to climb that imposing mountain.

Strength without direction holds no purpose. Intellect without focus is wasted. A sword without a whetstone will become dull. A tool left ignored will be lost when needed most.

They could not rely on only their natural talents alone to reach their dreams. They could not solely crutch upon the gifts bestowed by the Falna.

Bell had been blessed with agility. Lefiya had been blessed with magic.

But if they relied on their gifts alone, they would fall before they could reach their dreams.

When a rabbit is deprived of its legs to run, what then? They are devoured.

When an elf is deprived of a voice to sing, what then? They are trampled.

When they were put out of their element, they would be useless.

Bell could not solely be a fighter without regard to thought because he could easily escape if anything went awry. Lefiya could not solely be a mage without regard to her self defense because she could annihilate anything before it threatened her.

The mountain was cruel, and used your weaknesses against you. If an avalanche came and you were unprepared, you would die beneath the snow.

If Lefiya settled on being solely a mage she would be unable to defend herself if she didn't have time to sing. Their training now proved as much.

Lefiya had completely maxed out her magic stat. No matter what she did, it did not budge any higher. If she wanted to improve her magic even further, she needed to level up, which Bastet refused to do until she was sure her little kittens were ready. It was why Lefiya had joined her brother in his training.

Bastet had once told them about the many domains she ruled over. Honestly the amount was ridiculous. Besides being a Goddess of cats, she is also a Goddess of warfare, warriors, and protection.

Because of that she was exceptionally skilled at beating her lessons of war into their bodies. Once they had learned enough of war, they would learn to protect themselves through war.

Bastet had told them that through technique alone they could defeat an opponent who was much stronger than themselves. It was how she was able to completely overwhelm them in their training. Even though her kittens had high stats she danced around them, surgically pummeling their weak points, tearing them apart until they were reduced to prey that whimpered helplessly beneath her foot.

Her skills as a warrior were certainly Godlike. Fitting for a Goddess of warriors.

Such was the difference between the Gods and Mortals.

It also didn't help that she — as the Goddess of cats — had the reflexes of a cat.

It was as if she was responding to their movements before they could even think of doing them.

She pushed her kittens to the brink, pushing their bodies as far as they could go before they broke. She thoroughly beat their bodies through every opening they had, expertly jabbing, punching, kicking, and pummeling their exposed weak points.

A person could only take so much precise combat before they were merely on the ground crying out in pain.

She was like a scalpel, perfectly cutting through their means of resistance.

However, she did not do this out of cruelty, she did not bring her kittens to tears for nothing. No. If anything, it is the most sincere form of love she can show for her kittens.

Through their training she is helping them develop the tools necessary for them to reach their dreams. She is giving them the knowledge, through every kick, punch, and jab, necessary to defend those who they love.

She is ensuring that her kittens could defend themselves, and those they care about from anything that may harm them.

But… she also did it for herself.

It wasn't inherently wrong that she just wanted to make sure that no matter what obstacles they faced, they would always come home to her. It would be wrong of her to deprave her kittens of their claws and fangs. She would help them sharpen them, ready to be used at a moment's notice.

It would be a failure on her part if her kittens passed before they were ready to stand alone, or before they could sire her some grand-kittens.

…

Bastet continued to rub circles along the young half-elfess' back, her breathing becoming more stable and less erratic.

Bell sat up, his body aching in protest. His right shoulder was absolutely throbbing in pain.

The heat of the desert washed over him, his sweat caused sand to cling to his skin wherever he had lain. He looked over to Bastet who had a very content smile on her lips as she soothed his sister's wounds.

"You know, I am very proud of you both. You have both learned so much in these past couple of years. Your statuses reflect that as well. I am especially proud of you Little Lefy for recognizing your weakness and striving to better it. You as well Bell, you have taken great strides from being the weak and scared little boy that you once were." A soft smile flashed on Bastets face, "I love you both my kittens."

Their Goddess draped her arms over Lefiya's shoulder and began to purr. Nuzzling against her cheek.

"G- Goddess, what are you-?" Lefiyas ears flushed crimson at the very intimate contact and as to where her Goddesses hands were dangling.

However, before she could finish her sentence Bastet jumped up and put her hands to her waist, striking a pose, "Which is why I believe it's time for us to head to Orario. I think you are finally ready to start taking your first steps towards your faroff dreams."

The two of them were stunned for a moment before, "E- Ehhhhhhhhh! Really Goddess? Orario? We'll finally be going?" Bell shot to his feet and put his hands on her shoulders. Lefiya similarly stared wide eyed at the Goddess who was standing behind her.

"Hehe~, yup! Plus when we do finally make it to Orario I'll give you two the opportunity of leveling." She flashed her smile with her canines bared, a glint in her eyes, "I expect you two to give it your all and not start slacking off and become fat in the power that you have now." The two of them nodded vigorously adding a yes Goddess to it. "Good. Now let's update your statuses and after that, I'll take a nap and you two can start doing chores." She began walking back towards their relatively quaint home a pep in her stride. The two siblings glanced at each other and then sighed, eyes downcast. [Chores right after training again. She really doesn't let up.]

They both made their way toward the house, smiling giddily wondering what joys the morrow would bring.