That's it, then? Will our life together end just like this? Tears trickled down Estelle's face as she tried to bring up her staff one more time. Is he just going to kill me before he can wake up?
Amidst the view of impending doom, there was a dull roar. It was the sounds of Reynauld and Dismas' desperate struggle against the Siren's fish-freak army. Amidst gunshots and clashing blades, Estelle made out Reynauld exhorting Dismas and herself to not lose spirit against the overwhelming odds.
No. This won't be it.
Many would fall in the face of chaos, but not Estelle – never her. Things suddenly became clear to her. It was a triage situation, like Aeolia had taught her and Joshua back in Crossbell a year ago. She didn't want to hurt Joshua, but fighting back was better than allowing him to hurt her — or her companions — in his daze. If she had to injure him, even maim him, to buy time for Joshua to snap out of his fugue, then so be it. At least he'd be alive to listen to her tearful apologies.
This will hurt me more than it will hurt you. Estelle tucked in her legs and shot them towards Joshua. The kick connected at the vulnerable junction between Joshua's legs and judging by the agonized look on his face it worked immediately. Estelle winced as he cried out in pain while awkwardly tumbling through the cavern before slamming into one of the Pelagic Guardians. To his credit, Joshua recovered almost immediately and decapitated the octopus freak before half-dashing and half-hobbling towards Estelle.
He's still up. Time for plan B. Next came a technique Estelle had perfected in the past few years in order to subdue difficult criminals: the Wrist-Breaker Special. She knew Joshua well enough to anticipate a distraction, and a distraction he did provide. A smoke grenade clattered to her feet, and she quickly kicked it towards the Siren. Next came the Pelagic Guardian's still-blinking severed head, which she dodged deftly.
Straight into the path of three throwing knives.
"Give me a break already!" Estelle shouted as she tried to swat them aside, only for one to slip past and nick the side of her neck. She grunted as she clamped down on the wound with one hand while still keeping an eye out for Joshua. It's not that deep. Thank Aidios.
A fist-sized rock sailed towards her, and Estelle simply sidestepped.
Finally, Joshua came dashing towards her out of the shadows.
I'm so sorry. Estelle weaved to the side. Letting out a battle cry to amp herself up for the deed, she slammed the end of her staff into Joshua's right hand. The blow connected with a meaty thunk, and Joshua let out an agonized scream that mirrored Estelle's own. He stumbled around as he clutched his clearly deformed hand, his swords clattering to the stony ground.
"Joshua, please! Wake up!" Estelle choked out as she held her staff in a defensive position, not bothering to wipe off the tears that were now streaming down her face in full force. "I don't want to keep hurting you!"
Joshua mumbled something as he stumbled towards her.
"What is it?" Estelle got closer, full of concern and hope that he was finally himself again.
"I'm sorry, Estelle," he mumbled. "I failed you."
"No, Joshua, you didn't," Estelle tried to reassure him as she lowered her staff, allowing him to step closer to her. "It wasn't your fault. Come on, let me heal you."
"Stop," Joshua's head snapped up, his amber eyes locked in a rage-filled glare that made Estelle's blood run cold. "You won't trick me, impostor!"
He dashed forward, drawing back his good hand before shooting it towards her neck. Estelle had cross-trained enough with the likes of Anelace and Arios to know Joshua was using a throat strike move straight out of Eight Leaves One Blade's unarmed from.
She knew it too. She and Joshua always trained together, after all.
"I love you, Joshua," Estelle tearfully mumbled as she let go of her staff.
At such close range, it would be more of a hindrance than anything else.
Estelle closed in before the staff hit the ground, using her right arm to deflect Joshua's strike even as his momentum kept carrying him forward. Then she slammed her forehead straight into his nose.
A sickening crunch followed, accompanied by a dull pain on Estelle's forehead and her ears ringing from the blow. Blood from Joshua's collapsed nose splashed onto her face, mixing with her tears as he fell backwards.
Before he could hit his head on the stony ground, Estelle seized his arms and gently guided him to the floor. While stealing glances towards Reynauld and Dismas' battle against the Siren and its fishy minions, she dragged Joshua behind one of the rocks and propped him up in a shadow-covered section of the cave wall. Estelle's heart sank as she examined Joshua with the help of her Orbment's backlight. The love of her life looked absolutely pitiful with the busted nose, broken hand, and blood trickling down his face. She fought the urge to cry as she surveyed him for any further injuries, knowing the fight still wasn't over and that she still had a job to do. Fortunately, Joshua was simply unconscious, and the injuries Estelle saw – and had caused – was all there was to it. Next came retrieving both their weapons. She put Joshua's swords a little out of arms reach on his right-hand side. Can't be too careful with the Siren, after all.
Taking some time to wipe away the blood and tears on her face, Estelle weighed what options she had. Joining the battle with her other two companions was important, but there was the matter of what to do with Joshua. She figured there was a fifty-fifty chance that the Siren's influence would have completely worn off by the time he woke up, but the last thing she needed was taking that chance and risking a surprise blade to the ribs in the middle of a fight.
I can't just tie up Joshua and leave him defenceless. What if the Siren's minions find him?
Still, Estelle could at the very least heal Joshua after what she had to do to keep him from hurting her. She fished out a Teara Balm from her backpack. Estelle was about to dump the contents into his mouth when she realized something.
Hold up. His wounds are debilitating but not fatal. Estelle thought. I could just leave it in his hand and let him heal himself when he wakes up. That – and putting his swords slightly out of the way – will buy us time in case Joshua still isn't himself.
She glanced at Reynauld and Dismas, who were clearly within Arts range but are barely holding their own.
I could keep an eye on Joshua while still being able to help the others, but we need to go back on the offensive sooner than later. Estelle pulled out her ARCUS. Plus, I don't want to burn up more EP than I need to. What to do? What to do?
Estelle grunted in frustration. She was a woman of action, not a woman of "what-ifs"! She always believed doing something, no matter how miniscule, to help was always better than doing nothing. So, she started by casting a Chrono Drive to make her two companions faster, taking advantage of the casting time to figure out her next steps.
Keep Joshua safe, but also protect us from him…what to do? Definitely need Earth Shield, but what else? I wish my Orbment can use Petrosphere and Hollow Sphere, but somehow they're not compatible with ARCUSes. Estelle thought bitterly as she followed up Chrono Drive with a La Forte to make Reynauld and Dismas stronger. Gah! We really screwed the pooch by turning in our ENIGMAs so soon! Stupid Olivier and his stupid deal with smuggled ARCUSes! Still…
First things first, Estelle cast an Earth Shield and summoned a layer of rock to wrap around Joshua and shield him from harm. I could slow him down with Chrono Break. That we we'd have a head start if he's still not himself by the time he wakes up. That's it!
With a course of action set, Estelle followed up with two Chrono Break Arts to slow Joshua down as much as , Estelle put a Teara Balm in his good hand and closed his fingers around it. Finally, she pulled out a less potent Tear Balm and drank its contents. Estelle sighed contently as the refreshing healing balm worked its magic and knit up most of the wounds that had accumulated during her fight against Joshua.
Tearing her eyes away from Joshua, Estelle thumbed the activation sequence for an Art. Time to take some more heat off of Reynauld and Dismas.
"Hey, She-Bitch! Let's go!" Estelle called out to the Siren as a glowing halo appeared at her feet. Hope you like lightning, you Aidios-damned homewrecking freak.
Where am I? Why is it so dark? Joshua woke up groggily amidst the darkness, his head pounding and ears ringing. He tried to take a breath, but the sheer pain in his nose and face as a whole sent him sprawling on his side. He sucked in deep breaths amid coughs, as if he woke up from some kind of fever-induced dream. There was a warm wetness all over his nose and mouth, and the red liquid trickling onto the ground was a good indication as to what it was.
He tried to flex his hands, only for his right one to flare up with stabbing pains. Joshua waited for a few moments for the blurriness in his vision to fade and for his eyes to adjust to the dark before taking a good look at it. He gasped out of reflex, only to swallow too much blood and sending him coughing like mad. Three of his fingers were bent at an unnatural angle, and the remaining two were hanging loosely. There were definitely broken bones in there, barely held together by swollen flesh. There was also a dull ache between his legs, as if someone had smashed into the delicate region with a hammer. By Joshua's estimates, there had to be bruising there.
What happened? He laid on the stone cave floor, trying to retrace his steps. There was the victory against the Drowned Crew, the trek down the tunnels, and then…then…Then what? Why am I drawing a blank?
The ringing in Joshua's ears began to subside, replaced with the frantic sounds of clashing steel and fighters trying to coordinate their movements. His vision had mostly returned to normal, and he could tell that he had been sequestered behind a large rock with his twin blades close by. If he wasn't so worried about aggravating his wounded hand, he would have crawled out from behind the rock to get visuals on the source of the racket. As the world around him cleared up, so did Joshua's memories.
That's it…I was walking down the tunnels…and I think I fell asleep? Joshua blinked and saw the Teara Balm clutched his left hand. What's this doing here? Where's Estelle?
He remembered waking up to Estelle standing right in front of him, gently singing a song that put him at ease. They had been in their room back home in Liberl, and…
Wait, that can't be right! Joshua quickly gulped down the Teara Balm's contents. He gasped from the tingling and grinding sensations in his nose and hand as bones knitted together amidst a series of cracks and pops. We're still stuck in the caverns in the other world!
He crawled out of the shadows and glanced at the source of the racket. There was Estelle locked in combat with several of the fishmen, accompanied by Reynauld and Dismas. He sighed in relief upon seeing she was all right, but the respite did not last long. More memories began to come back, and he recalled being locked in battle against some thing that was impersonating Estelle and…
Oh, no…A pit formed in Joshua's stomach. Aidios, don't tell me…
A screech echoed throughout the cave, followed by a horrendous human-fish hybrid covered in burns and cuts slithering towards Estelle and her companions. It raised a conch and blew, causing several barbed tentacles to shoot out and trying to latch onto Estelle. Fortunately, Estelle was quick to react and swatted them away. It then withdrew and began to sing a beauteous melody that contrasted sharply against its grotesque visage. He had only encountered it once before in the Farmstead's endless void, but he had traded enough notes with the others in the Hamlet to know it was called the Siren.
As well as what it was capable of, even though he hadn't realized it until it was too late.
That song! I know it! Joshua pressed his newly-healed right hand against his temples. There had been brief flashes of reality where Estelle and the sight of their home had been replaced with the creature and the cavern he was currently in. His blood ran cold as he quickly connected the dots between this event and his past actions as Weissmann's puppet.
"Oh, Goddess," Joshua muttered. "What have I done?"
His heart sank into the pit in his stomach as horrid realization hit him. He had fought the woman he dearly loved, called her an impostor – possibly breaking her heart in the process, and tried kill her. All for the sake of the thing that had simply used him as a tool. All that after a gruelling battle where he had fought against his basic instincts to keep her safe for the sake of victory.
Still, apologies and whatever punishment he deserved could wait. Estelle and Reynauld were now on the defensive against a hypnotized Dismas and the rest of the fishmen, with the Siren itself fallen back to the edge of the lagoon. It had committed all of its forces to the fight against the team and did not appear to be in a hurry to summon any more.
A foolish mistake.
You. Joshua saw his twin swords on the right.
YOU! He slowly crawled back towards his weapons and picked them up. The rocks dug into various spots on his body, but he didn't care. He had a request to finish. Not just for the nobleman who served as the client, but also for Estelle.
You took control of me, turned me against my Estelle. Joshua hunched over, his eyes boring a hole into the unsuspecting Siren.
Die.
Joshua shot towards the Siren, seeing nothing but red as he focused the entirety of his rage on it. He quickly closed the distance, but the Siren was just as quick and blew its conch. Barbed tentacles shot forth, forcing Joshua to slice them to ribbons. There was no time to correct his path nor halt his momentum, so he slammed into the creature with his shoulders - sending them both onto the cavern floor. He recovered before it could.
He reckoned there wasn't a whole lot of time before the Siren recovered what passed for its footing, but he didn't need much time anyway. Unlike Estelle's burning rage, his own fury was frigid – at least at the beginning. It helped him focus and to tune out everything else as he went about delivering grisly vengeance on the object of his anger until nothing remained. A blade went into the Siren's left shoulder, followed by a pop and a crunch as Joshua wrenched the Siren's arm out of its socket before slicing it off entirely. Its pained shrieks made for a beautiful accompaniment as Joshua repeated the same thing with its right arm, leaving the Siren nothing more than a bleeding worm.
Die, die, DIE!
A roar sounded in Joshua's ears as he stabbed the struggling Siren over and over. Blood poured freely from every new wound like rivers as he made sure to plunge his blades as deep as he could before rinsing and repeating. The Siren's shrieks quickly subsided, replaced by pathetic gurgles.
DIE!
Even when the Siren stopped struggling entirely, Joshua's relentless assault continued. With the latest object of his rage being what passed for the Siren's neck, Joshua stabbed and stabbed until its head barely hung off a thin strip of flesh. A swing followed, and even that was severed.
"Joshua?"
He continued to plunge his blades into the headless corpse wherever he saw fit. The blood flow was beginning to subside, and so was his anger. He soon realized that the roar he had heard earlier had been his own, now replaced by deep ragged breaths.
"Joshua!"
He looked down and saw that his clothes were almost entirely drenched in the Siren's blood, and so were his blades. As for the Siren itself, its carcass was simply a dismembered bloody skeleton with strips of flesh clinging on like pieces of confetti.
"Joshua, it's okay!"
He snapped his head towards the source of the voice and found Estelle looking at him with trepidation in her eyes. What remained of his rage melted away in an instant, and he quickly sheathed his blades.
"Estelle…" He couldn't bear to look her in the eyes. Not after what he had done. What could he possibly say to the love of his life after trying to kill her? Could things ever go back to the way they had been before being spirited away to this accursed world?
Estelle's footsteps drew closer, followed by her gently cupping her hands on his cheeks and guiding him to look into her eyes. He responded in kind by wrapping his arms around her waist. There's only one thing to say, and the sooner I say it the better…
"I'm sorry," the two blurted out in unison, and both perked up in surprise.
"What are you sorry for?" They asked each other in unison. "I should be the one to apologize."
"Okay, let's slow down a bit." Estelle smiled weakly, her outfit having its own share of blood stains. It wasn't enough to mask the pain hidden beneath or the fact she had clearly been crying. "You woke up with a broken hand, a broken nose, and Aidios-knows-what in your family jewels. That was all me."
Estelle's voice cracked as she began to weep.
"You were under the Siren's control the entire time and kept trying to kill me and calling me an impostor," Estelle mumbled weakly as she wept. She was telling Joshua what he had already deduced, but it hurt him to hear her say it nonetheless. "Goddess…I didn't know what else I was supposed to do. I love you, and I never wanted to hurt you. I'm so sorry, Joshua!"
Estelle buried her head into Joshua's shoulder – totally disregarding his blood-soaked clothing, and he responded in kind by pulling her even closer. He took a few moments to take it all to heart – her warmth, her words, her tears, and her love. It was all real, and he wanted to commit all of it to memory so he could never be fooled like this again.
"Estelle, I love you too and I'd like to apologize to you as well. I allowed myself to fall under the Siren's thrall, and to let it exploit the opening Weissmann created years ago," Joshua gently murmured in her ear, his vision blurring a little from his own tears. He paused a moment to collect his thoughts and steady his breathing before continuing. "There were moments I should have realized what was happening and fought back, but I was weak and allowed myself to remain in the illusion. I hurt you, I said things to you I never should have, and I tried to kill you. For all that, I apologize from the bottom of my heart. I will be stronger, I promise."
"Apology accepted! Let's be stronger together just like always, okay?" Estelle smiled. "That means I'm gonna keep you on a leash whenever we come out for these requests, got it?"
"Gladly." Joshua smirked. Suddenly, someone coughed off to the side. The two reluctantly let go of each other and turned to the source of the sound. It was Reynauld and Dismas, standing around sheepishly as if not knowing whether interrupting Estelle and Joshua was actually a good idea.
"Hey…uh…I don't mean to be rude, but you two can have your moment after we get back to the Hamlet," Dismas said. "I don't know about you, but I sure don't want to stick around in this waterlogged tomb. Mind giving us a hand in looting this place for treasure? The sooner we finish the sooner we can get the hell out of here."
"Right, sorry." Estelle and Joshua said in unison.
Okay, maybe we sync up a bit too well.
The four pilfered whatever valuable-looking things they could find before leaving the cave behind. The return trip was uneventful, with the crew unharried by the Cove's denizens or the horrors that plagued the Weald. Estelle and Joshua stuck close to each other the entire time, eager to finally get cleaned off and enjoy some quality time together.
Tavern
Joshua was glad he had taken a nap after the tedious unloading, debriefing, and cleaning. Perhaps it was the fatigue from having to fight two gruelling battles in a row, but he barely paid attention to the Heir's remarks during the debrief. It had been mostly about how Joshua had acquitted himself well in combat and that he'd be watching the Bracer couple's careers with great interest. Nothing too different from the overly drawn-out speeches by high-society clients from back home. After an eternity that had felt even longer than the trek back, Joshua was finally free to enjoy a meal and some quality time with Estelle.
Of course, quality time didn't mean it was quiet. The Tavern was packed with the assorted hired hands the noble in charge of the Hamlet had picked up. Aside from Barristan, Dismas, and Sarmenti, there were quite a few faces he didn't recognize but Estelle seemed to know well. Despite the couple's best efforts at finding a quiet table, their meal together was frequently interrupted by revelers and well-wishers who sought to congratulate Joshua on his first sortie. He was surprised that they had been able to finish the hearty fare before it went cold.
Interesting. They may look like ruffians, but everyone is mostly pleasant to talk to. That, and Estelle seems to have given them her full seal of approval. Perhaps…
"Estelle, you've been here longer than me," Joshua spoke up after a thoroughly-drunken Sarmenti briefly stopped by to play a tune. "Do you mind introducing me to the friends you've met here?"
"Nah, I don't mind at all. Anything for you," she beamed at him, her face clearly flush with liquor. Joshua's own face warmed up out of reflex. "Although…do you really want to cut our date short?"
"No, that's not what I meant at all. I'll just meet the others, get a good first impression," Joshua answered. "Then we can continue where we left off, perhaps even rent a room like last time."
"Oh, I like the way you think," she smirked before leaning into his ear. "You still hurt down there?"
Joshua raised an eyebrow as he shook his head.
"Good. I figure we can run some tests tonight." Estelle nibbled on his ear, forcing a surprised yelp from him. "Gotta make sure all your gear is in working order, right?"
"O-of course." Joshua's face grew even warmer as he tried to scour his mind for a remotely suitable entendre. "Let's test all of our equipment tonight, yes?"
Olivier's…colorful vocabulary would have been helpful here.
After polishing off the last of their drinks, Estelle and Joshua went around the Tavern where Joshua introduced himself to the adventurers he hadn't met before.
"About damn time you two…hic…decided to join us!" Dismas barely slurred out those words as he raised a tankard before taking a long chug from it. Soon after, the Bracer couple was swarmed by people giving them free liquor.
"Is all of this necessary?" Joshua asked as he looked at Estelle, who was clinging to his arm. She's definitely becoming more like Schera, from the looks of things.
"My friends, you are the champions of the expedition," Sarmenti said as he shoved a glass full of some murky unknown liquid in Joshua's hand. "Dismas told me about your exploits in both these fights, and boy were they the stuff of epics."
"Take these gifts!" A tall, stout woman with her long red hair tied up in a ponytail shoved a full tankard into Estelle's hand. "The spirits will take offense should you refuse the hospitality."
Can't argue with that logic. We're here for the foreseeable future, so it's best not to offend anyone here, especially by accident, Joshua thought before slowly lifting the glass to take a sip. He took a sharp breath from how potent the liquor was. The couple spent some time mingling with the others, and the liquor kept coming. Soon, Joshua was beginning to feel a little dizzy and struggling to stay focused. I need to speak to Dismas about something. Better get to it soon while I'm still on my feet.
He looked for the Highwayman and found him still sitting at the same table. He was happily engaged in a drinking contest with a man wearing a familiar-looking full-body armor and only had the lower half of his face exposed. Come to think of it, wasn't that his opponent in the knife game as well?
Dismas reached the bottom first, then he slammed his mug on the table and let out what's best described as some tribal war cry. He's clearly more emotive when he's drunk. Good to know.
Joshua then scarfed down most of the liquor in his glass. Here goes.
"Estelle, can you go talk to the owner about getting a room for us two tonight?" he asked her. "I need to discuss some…critical issues with Dismas."
"Really? First you cut our date short and now you're sending me away?" Estelle's face settled into a familiar bemused frown. The moment he looked into her eyes, he felt guilt surging up inside himself. He struggled to find an answer.
"I'm just kidding. Lighten up, well you? We're here to have fun and unwind," Estelle laughed as she let go. "If you want to squeeze in some man-to-man bonding, I won't stop you."
The two shared a quick peck on the lips before Joshua went to find Dismas, who had already poured himself a new stein and was already halfway through it. He turned his gaze to meet Joshua's own and lightly raised his stein in salute.
"Dismas, got a moment?" Joshua asked. Let's get this matter settled.
"Sure, what do you need?" Dismas replied, and Joshua pointed at the door. The Highwayman nodded, then stood up and headed outside with his drink in tow.
Joshua's eyes quickly adjusted to the dim nighttime streets, and the smell of woodsmoke soon gave way to a crisp ocean breeze that nevertheless had an underlying rotten scent.
"So, what's this about?" Dismas asked.
"First of all," Joshua replied. "I'd like to apologize about what happened earlier."
"When you conked out thanks to the Siren and fought Estelle? Don't worry too much about it. Shite happens, and when it's happening around the Hamlet, the shite gets really bad. Besides, I heard your little heart-to-heart. You two worked it out way better than the first group that tried to ice that thing," Dismas said as he sipped his beer. "The poor sod who got hypnotized almost got murdered by the Hellion after the fact, and the other two guys had to pull her away from him then tie her up for an hour until she calmed down."
"I wasn't talking about that at all," Joshua said. "It was about that earlier thing, from when we fought the Drowned Crew."
"What earlier thing?" Dismas raised an eyebrow, seemingly confused by Joshua's remarks.
"I know we do have one issue to settle. I lost my nerves, and I attacked the Drowned Crew. You were particularly adamant about me possibly ruining our chance to put them down, and you were right. We Bracers always strive to complete our client's request to the best our abilities, both for our own sakes and for the honor of the Guild as a whole," Joshua sighed. "Estelle and I are no exception, and it's been that way since we first started at sixteen. Don't get me wrong, I love her from the bottom of my heart and pray to Aidios every night nothing bad ever happens to her. That doesn't take away from the fact my clouded judgement…"
"You seriously still hung up on that? I forgot it even happened until you brought it up. Yeah, I did let my temper get the better of me back then, but you've clearly proven yourself in combat afterwards, and that's all that matters," Dismas said. "As long as you're not totally useless, harm the team, or literal dead meat, I can handle an odd quirk or few. Besides, any expedition you come back alive from is a good one. Life around these parts is too short to be stuck in grudges or obsessing over small details."
"I see," Joshua sipped from his glass. "So I suppose our problem is all settled?
"I'd say so. I've always doubted new people until they've proven themselves. Like I said earlier, you've definitely proven yourself," Dismas said. "Don't have a whole lot else to add."
"Very well, then," Joshua said. "I'm glad."
The two toasted and took a drink, standing in comfortable silence and taking in the nighttime breeze. After a minute or two, Dismas turned to Joshua.
"You're pretty good with your knives. Care for some five-finger fillet? Between us two, that stern fart Tardif, and the Jester, we can make a mini tournament," Dismas said, accentuating his message by partly unsheathing his dagger. "I'm sure your girlfriend would love to cheer you on. Besides, she can both act as referee and patch up our mangled fingers after the fact."
"That sounds like an interesting proposition, but I'll have to decline," Joshua replied. "Estelle and I have already made plans for tonight."
"Ah, I see. You two enjoy yourselves, then," Dismas said, clapping Joshua on the shoulder. "Wouldn't want to get in the way of true love now, would I?"
As Dismas walked inside, Joshua couldn't help but notice the Highwayman had seemed wistful – perhaps even rueful over some event in the past. He shrugged before finishing his drink, then headed inside to join Estelle and the others. He gently placed a hand on her back as he approached and guided her close so he could whisper to her.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Ready as ever." Estelle grinned as she showed him the room key.
"Good," Joshua said. "Let's make like shadows and disappear."
"Wise words coming from an expert," Estelle chuckled. Joshua then led her away from the crowd and to the stairs, making sure not to draw any attention. Then, he lifted Estelle to a bridal position and proceeded upwards. His footfalls did not make a single sound thanks to years of assassin training. Although trying to navigate Estelle's distracting wriggles and kisses – on top of trying to hush her up lest they draw attention – did prove to be a bit of a challenge. Finally, they were in front of their room and Joshua finally set Estelle down.
Her reprieve on her feet didn't last long.
The moment she bolted the door behind her, Joshua picked her up and began planting kisses all over her face and neck. The pair moaned and giggled until Joshua dropped her on the bed and proceeded to straddle her.
Goddess, she's so beautiful and lovely. He thought as their arms intertwined in a tangled mess in an attempt to strip off each other's clothes.
Eventually, two became one once more.
After a few rounds of cozy lazy lovemaking, Joshua found himself on his back with Estelle tightly clinging to him. Both of them soaked in the blissful afterglow, and Joshua began to feel the urge to close his eyes and doze off.
He had a question first, however.
"So, Estelle," he asked. "Did everything still work properly like you wanted?"
"Oh, they sure did." Estelle said, a satisfied smirk adorning her face.
"Good." Was Joshua's only reply before he closed his eyes and entered the realm of dreams.
The Deep
When word of the Sea Mother's death had first broke amidst the kingdom of the abyss, the realm had been thrown into disarray. How could it be that the Sea Mother, the mighty Pelagic Queen and Bride of the Sea Father, had fallen to surface-dwelling filth? There had been scenes of hysterical despair, mass suicides, and even outright battles between different fiefdoms attempting to usurp the throne. Yet order had been soon restored when the oldest and wisest of shamans gathered together in a forbidden conclave, secreted away in one of the deepest trenches on the sea floor.
Several moons later, they emerged, and the pelagic kingdom rejoiced at their revelations.
The Sea Father, in his great unknowable wisdom, had bestowed a vision of a distant land beyond the veil where many glories and conquests lay in wait. All the Sea Father demanded was sacrifices.
And so it came to pass that the shaman council took full control of the undersea kingdom. Hunting parties were dispatched in greater numbers to both land and sea to gather sacrifices, the depths of occult knowledge were scoured, and construction on a sacred circle was begun. In due time, the ritual would start, and the kingdom will rise from the briny depths to greater heights than ever before.