Chapter Ten
Her Excitement
"Can I go up front?" I ask Erza as we chew on our beef-jerky snacks, ignoring Natsu's rumbling snores. I have to wonder if he's actually asleep this time, but seeing as he's not bothering either of us, I assume yes.
It's been three days since we left Jellal's cabin and to Erza's delight, we are back on schedule. We are supposed to be due in at the first stop by tomorrow afternoon, but Erza is hoping to make it tomorrow morning. We've only been taking small breaks and eating on the go, the three of them working in shifts to drive.
It makes me wish I had learnt how to direct horses when I was back in the Stars.
Erza's eyes widen at me before she smiles, "Of course! You'll just have to pin your hair up, it's sort of a giveaway."
"And yours isn't?" I tease and she laughs, "That's why I wear a hood when I get in the drivers seat. Did you want to borrow it?"
"Yes please!" I tied my hair up in a ponytail, leaving out the strand that has the feather cuff in it. I gently tuck that behind my ear, not wanting to harm it too much. She riffles through a bag, before handing me a dark brown half-cloak, which I pull on.
"If you see any patrols, or people you recognize, you'll have to tell Ultear, or if there isn't enough time, come back inside immediately. I know it's a bit much, but it's all about safety. Of course, the Star's are a particularly recluse land and what you are wearing now, makes you seem like a noble woman in the least."
I nod understandingly, knowing that if anyone recognized me, it wouldn't take my Father long to begin tracking me as she smiles, "Okay then. Let's go."
Of course, Loke was still able to find me even though I was very careful before.
When we both stand up, I remember what Natsu and I were talking about the other night and stop her.
"Natsu and I have been playing around with the link. He tells me my magic feels different to him, like it's adapted to my thoughts or something like that. Do you mind if I try and see if it does the same with you?"
She shakes her head, "Of course. It's only natural to gather evidence from a different, more superior source." I giggle at her haughty tone before slipping off my cuff. The minute I do, I feel my power pinch at me, not exactly threatening but just letting me know, it's there and not going away. I push away the fear that comes with that realization and reach out to touch Erza's arm.
Her face remains impassive before she smiles, "It has changed. It's not… Hmm, the sensation is hard to explain. When we first linked, I felt pins and needles on a larger scale. This just feels ethereal, and almost like a wind. It's gentle right now, but it's still very… protective. As if threatening protection but knowing it doesn't need it against me."
I beamed, "That's great! And your magic settles me similar to Natsu's. I don't need the cuff if I'm with him, and it's seems like I don't need it when I'm touching you either."
Her eyes glow with hope, "Excellent. It seems like our links are healthy then. I was worried that with your state, you'd reject them."
"Erza, you are practically my best friend. My sister. I could never reject you." I tell her seriously, enjoying her pleased smile and flush before questioning, "When we linked, my power was in lion-form. Can you tell me if it goes back to pins and needles if I quickly morph it?"
"Do so, Lucy. I will tell you the utmost truth." She smiles encouragingly and I close my eyes, focusing on creating the shape in my mind and pulling my power into it. It comes together much better than before, and that delights me.
When I open my eyes, the lion is staring up at me, her fur almost as white as Lisanna, the swan maidens feather. But somehow I know, in the light of day, she'd glow golden just like I did.
"It's familiar to fur." Erza smiles widely, "It's actually quite pleasant. It seems that your power in lion form is much more accepting than your power in it's proper form."
"What do you think that means?"
"I will get Ultear to pull over and allow you to sit with her while I discuss these new… findings with Mother." The way she says 'mother' always tickles at me, and I know it feels the same way to her, since she so often says 'Eileen' despite Eileen disliking it.
"Alright. Thank you for letting me investigate."
"The pleasure is all mine." She gives my hand a soft squeeze, before we pull away. I slip the bracelet back on, and watch as she reaches out the window and knocks firmly on the wood twice. The carriage begins to slow and I begin to feel excitement over the prospect of riding up front.
I never had before, always stuck in the carriage and I was beginning to suspect Natsu was right. This journey was all about finding myself and trying new things.
We stepped out once the carriage stopped entirely, the rock of it, knocking Natsu off his slouched position. I winced at the loud smack but Erza smirked, leading me out. Ultear stretched and asked, "What's up?"
"Lucy wants to ride up front. Once I've finished my discussion with Eilee- Mother, I will take over the shift."
Ultear smiles easily, and gives me a wink, "Sounds good. You first, my Lady."
I laugh and pull myself up onto the seat, looking down at the horses curiously. Eileen had offered to saddle her unicorns, which were known to be faster and more dependable, but we had all agreed - Natsu not included - that it would be a little too obvious. Natsu was all up for unicorns, apparently seeing their horns amused him.
I would never understand the inner workings of his mind.
Erza returned to the carriage and Ultear gripped the reins, clicking softly with her mouth as the horses shook lightly, hitting the floor with their hooves.
"What are they doing?"
"Warming up. When you stop them, their muscles still rather quickly. Seeing as we are going at a ridiculous pace, and they are keeping up very well, it's important that they stretch and warm-up also." Ultear explains and I nod, pulling the hood over my hair, finding two metal clips on either side. I slip them into my hair, realizing that are meant to keep the hood up.
Erza knocks on the wood paneling of the carriage twice and Ultear gives the reins a little shake, clucking at them. They start out in a slow trot but soon begin to canter. A few minutes into cantering, they take off and I'm almost thrown back at how fast they suddenly go.
Ultear laughs, and I strain to hear her over the thundering hooves, "Incredible, right? These guys are born for this, stamina and speed."
"It's incredible." I agree, smiling as the window whips around us. I tug the hood down further, making sure that my hair is covered despite the clips. The forest rushes past us in a blur, a few travelers wandering down with baskets filled with goods and clothes. Some kids wave and Ultear waves back but I remain silent, amazed by this experience. My cheeks are flushed, my heart is racing and the world is whizzing by.
For what feels like only while later, Ultear nudges me, "Want to give it a go?"
My eyes widen as apprehension fills me, "I've never tried it before!"
Ultear grins, "You can do it. Just look!" She shakes her hands and I pay attention as she explains.
"They respond to tugging and spurring mostly, especially if they can't hear the noises. If you want them to go faster, spur them. Like this!" She quickly whips the reins, the leather smacking lightly against their coats. I don't think they feel it, it just makes this noise and they seem to go a little faster. I worry at my lip, and nod as she continues explaining.
"If you want to go slower, don't yank at the reins. That can cause an accident. Lightly tug a few times and they'll get the message." She demonstrates with a firm, but light tug, and the horses slow down just slightly, keeping up a ground eating pace.
"Wrap the reins twice around your hands, once around your wrist to elbow, the second between your thumb and your fingers. This will help you control the pull. There's no turning involved, it's just straight for miles!"
"Okay!" My voice shakes but it doesn't bother her as she offers some encouragement.
"You can do it!" I nod but I doubt myself. I focus on keeping my breathing steady as she slowly hands me one reign. She waits patiently as I follow her instruction. Then she gives me the second and I'm suddenly in the middle of the front seat, looking down at the two horses that don't even notice the change in rider.
I hold it there for a bit, getting used to the vibrations before giving the reins a quick flick, attempting to spur them on. It's too light at first, and Ultear just states loudly, "A little harder. They need to feel it!"
I do it again and a smile breaks out when they increase the pace, legs working fluently. I notice they aren't even out of breath and they've been keeping this pace for a while now. I knew they were born and bred for this, but damn, I'd be dead by this point.
Or maybe I'd finally be rid of my whorish hips.
"Great work!" Ultear cheers before her next words make me still.
"I'm going back into the carriage. I'll send Erza out in a few minutes!" I glance at her in shock and fear but her shit-eating grin makes me feel even worse.
"That is a terrible idea!"
"You'll be fine!" She laughs wickedly before shouting right in my ear, "By the way, horses can sense fear! So don't you dare get scared up here!"
"Ultear!" I shout back but she's already climbing off the seat, slipping herself around the edge. I turn back to the road, my nerves rattled and watch as the horses continue their pace. I bit my lip and take long deep breaths, which is hard, considering the air that whizzes past me. But after what feels like ages, I relax into the rhythm of it.
Tree's soar by as blurs, the only sound to my ears is the beating of their hooves on the ground. A smile makes it way over my face and I loosen the reins just a little, holding both with one hand so I can adjust my hood, which has only slipped back a little. I adjust the clips before fixing the reins back up.
The horses don't even care, they just continue on and I forget all about Erza coming back out. And when somebody does come out, it isn't Erza. Natsu slips in next to me, leaning a little so he can see my face before he grins.
"Having fun?"
"I can't feel my arms!" I beam and he laughs, though his eyes are soft, full of fondness. He nudges me softly and I move over, carefully handing over the reigns one at a time. Once he adjusts his grip, urges the horses on with a quick flick and they seem to catapult forward, going much faster than Ultear ever went.
"Is that safe?" I shout and he glances over, raising his eyebrow at me quizzically.
"To go this fast?" I clarify, and watch as he gives me a crooked smug grin. Something low inside me clenches and rolls around at the look, but I will myself to keep any sort of blood away from my cheeks. Out of sheer will, I manage it, just in time to hear his reply.
"This isn't fast."
"They can go faster?" I ask, surprised by the notion. Surely, the speed they were going was their limit. It felt like the air was propelling me backwards, that's how fast we were going. Natsu shook his head and leaned closer to me so he could speak without shouting too much.
"No, this is pretty much their capacity. Whenever I get in the driving seat, Erza wants me to push them as fast as I can. My eyes pick up motions quicker than hers, so it's less of a risk."
"Does that mean you can go this fast when you have wings?"
"I can go this fast without wings." His grin widened and he dropped his head further down to state, "With wings, it's about twice as fast."
"Do dragons have any weakness?" I laugh, amazed and he shrugs, but the glitter of smugness in his eyes is hard to miss. Mr Natsu is happy that he's faster than the horses. I wonder if he constantly makes everything a competition just for his own amusement or if it is a need to win that drives him.
"Igneel doesn't like grammar much, but that's it."
I giggle at the idea of the great Fire Dragon King frowning at a book before going silent, inching closer to Natsu to leech off his body heat. With the air rushing past us like this, my eyes are watering slightly and my cheeks feel numb. After what feels like ages, I tug Natsu's jacket and he leans down to listen to me, my voice a little croaky from the necessary shouting.
"I'm going to go inside."
"Do you want me to stop?"
"Please." I wasn't brave enough to attempt climbing into the carriage at this speed, and even though I felt like a pain, Natsu didn't complain, he simply slowed the horses down gradually. I guessed it was because going from a fast speed to an abrupt halt would be a bad idea.
Once he stops, he slides out of the seat, and reaches to help me down. I slip down slowly, bracing my hands on his shoulders, as my feet touch the floor. He goes to let me go when my knees buckle, and I fall into his chest. His arms quickly steady me, warm lean muscles tensing as they squeeze my waist, keeping me up right.
"Ow." I pull back to rub my nose before looking down to my legs which feel boneless, and tingly. The feeling isn't exactly comfortable or pleasant.
"I think my legs are asleep." I tell Natsu just as Erza and Ultear exit the carriage, finding Natsu's arms securely wrapped around my waist. Erza's eyebrow twitches but I give her a smile, trying to calm her down.
"It's not his fault, my legs aren't awake yet." I inform her, and her shoulders relax, but I catch her giving Natsu a nasty, 'be good' glare when I go to look down at my legs and will the circulation of blood to return.
"Maybe Natsu should take her into the carriage and let her rest. Erza and I will take turns until we get to the first town." Ultear holds up her orb, peering into it before nodding, "It shouldn't be long now."
"Natsu barely got an hour of driving in." Erza states, and it almost sounds like a complaint, but Ultear wisely ignores it and just climbs onto the driving seat, patting the other spot invitingly. Erza sighs and gives me a once over before hoisting herself up.
Natsu crouches a little, and I squeak when he effortlessly rearranges his hands so one goes underneath my knees and the other is along my back. He lifts me up and I'm momentarily mortified, and appropriately distracted by the way his muscles tense to accommodate the sudden weight.
"You were planning on hobbling to the carriage door?" He sounds amused and I feel my cheeks heat because I was actually planning on crawling if I had too. I turn my face away from his and try my hardest not to pout, but it finds my lips anyway and soon I'm mulishly relaxing into his embrace.
He enters the carriage with two large steps, and places me gently on my seat which is designated in the corner, at the back. Once I'm stable, he surprises me by getting onto his knees and deftly taking off my shoes.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to get the circulation in your leg started again." He explains and I frown at him, confused and suspicious.
"What does that mean?"
He laughs a little at my antitrust look, "I'm just going to massage your ankles and calf for a bit, to loosen the muscles and get the blood pumping."
"Why?"
"Because if I don't, your legs will fall off." His lips twitch and I scoff, but can't help the grin on my lips at how obvious his tell was.
"Liar."
He wisely ignores me, and the carriage begins to move again when he rubs his hands together. He starts on my right foot, rubbing, kneading the flesh of my feet, before moving up to my ankle. He's all concentration and no playfulness, eyes narrowed in stern absorption of his task. I try to be as serious as he is, but it's a lot hard and plenty distracting considering his fingers are warm, firm and a little rough.
When he finishes pinching and rubbing his thumb along my Achilles heel, his hands move up to my calve and it's another level of euphoria. I let out a little moan of pain when he hits a bruise that I didn't know I had and he looks up, concern flicking over his features.
"Too rough?"
"Shh, my leg is having an intimate moment with your hands. Let's not interrupt them."
His lips quirk into a small grin, and he shakes his head but obeys my command, and just focuses his effort with massaging, kneading motions that make my head dizzy with pleasure and relief. I was always a bit spoiled and liked the finer things in life, but damn, Natsu would probably give the roughest traveler a massage and they'd faint with pleasure.
My leg was heavy, but operating by the time he was finished and he wasted no time until he moved on to my left. I stretched the limb with a satisfied smile before glancing over Natsu. I always had the sneaking suspicion that men needed to be praised for their good efforts every once and a while.
"That feels great." I tried to make it comradely, but a lovely firm stroke of his thumb against the sole of my foot made it turn breathy.
Oops.
He grunted a little, but I noticed the slightest bit of red on the tips of his ears that pinked out underneath that mop of hair. I smiled a little more and just relaxed into the seat, closing my eyes to hopefully fall asleep with his massage lulling me there.
Unfortunately, lefty was more co-operative with him that rightie and soon he deemed it alive and kicking, so he stopped.
"Hungry?" He turned away to rummage through a sack, giving me time to sort out my frown and settle with a chirpy.
"Yep!"
He threw me a wrapped object and once I opened it, the smell of bread, pork and spiced leafy greens met my noise. I ate it greedily, almost finishing it at the same time Natsu did, and that was surprising considering Natsu inhaled food. I sometimes watched to see if he actually chewed.
As of yet, no chewing motion has been detected.
"I have a question."
He looked up from crumbling the wrapping into a ball and smiled a little, "You always do."
"It's only because you are so good at answering my questions." I told him charmingly, and he laughed, shaking his head in amusement.
"Alright, your flattery has granted you answers until we get to the village."
"What happens if I have questions after we get to the village?" I wonder and he sends me a smirk, that's filled with mischief. That place deep inside my stomach simmers with an edge of heat and for some reason, the look in his eyes paired with that smirk makes me flush.
Deciding that we should definitely move on, for my own health and safety, I ask the question that I have been worrying about since we left Jellal's cabin.
"When I stopped Loke… I felt, strange."
He leaned forward, "I know. I sensed it."
I frowned, "What do you mean?"
"When dragons fight for dominance, it starts with power. But baser instincts kick in. How did you feel when the kitten buckled?" I gave him a sour look at the fact he was still calling Loke 'kitten' but thought about his question. When I asserted my dominance, it was like a rush of power. The thrill of being stronger, the rush of someone else finding my resolve absolute against theirs. But then, it turned a little more.. animalistic.
I closed my eyes and sought out my power, watching as it lingered at the cave entrance inside me, a mist like substance, that was stark white, full of untrained power.
"I felt like I wanted to bite him." I muttered, a little embarrassed but also thoughtful because I really wasn't a biter. I mean, given my numerous experiences, I didn't think I was.
"Was it sexual?" His blunt question made me look up, but instead of seeing anything like judgment or disgust on his features, he just looked calm, almost peaceful. Something inside me rolled around uncomfortably at the thought of Natsu ever wanting to bite someone in a sexual way. I figured the feeling was apprehension about his dragon side, even though, I had seen it a few times now and it hadn't bothered me.
Realizing he was still waiting for my answer, I shook my head and spoke truthfully, "No. I wasn't looking at him like he was somebody attractive. It was like he was… food or just, someone to force into submission. It felt like if I didn't bite him, he wouldn't get the message of who was stronger?"
I wondered if I was making any sense, but Natsu just nodded, and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest with a speculative look, "If it was sexual, I'd say you acknowledged a possible partner to mate with." I screwed my face up at the idea of having any sort of intercourse with Loke, he was like a brother.
Granted, a stupid one, but a brother nonetheless.
"But since it wasn't sexual?"
"I'm kind of flying blind here." He admitted, "We don't know anything about Banshee's besides some very scare details about your screams and it's affect on the world around you. We don't know anything about your origin, or if Banshee's have a sub-type."
"Sub-type?" I repeated, before wracking my brain for the meaning of the word, "As in, a creature that is a descendant or ancestor?"
He nodded, "Dragons descend from nothing. We came from the elements, the first dragons were simply created by the land, ocean and sky. If anything, my ancestor would be lava, since my line originated from a volcano. As for descendants, we haven't created anything that rivals our strength. Igneel told me that one of the first Kings of the Moltens created salamanders, but they aren't exactly magical. Just impervious to fire."
"So it's sort of like mermaids, and sirens. Mermaids came from the ocean first, but sirens were the work of thousands of years of evolution. Sirens aren't as powerful as mermaids by a long-shot, but they are the children of the mermaid species." I clarified and he nodded, reaching his hand up to brush through his hair and give the back of his head a small scratch as he thought.
"Were-lions are supposed to be descendant from griffins, although scholars haven't been able to fully prove it. And immortals refuse to confirm or deny the theory." He mumbled to himself, but I was momentarily amazed. I had known Natsu was intelligent but it seemed that animal-lore and it's counterparts were his strong point. As rising Queen of the Stars, I learnt mostly about nymphs and their heritage.
"Nymphs are descendants from the Goddesses of Love but that's speculation as well. They aren't strong enough to simply be born from nature, so it's always been assumed that Aphe, the Goddess of Sensuality, reached into the earth, had sex with a bunch of women and that's how we came to be." I blinked before muttering softly, "That's how nymphs came to be."
I wasn't a nymph. I'm not a nymph.
Natsu looked up with an odd look in his eyes, but it vanished, leaving a frown on his face, "I know a little bit about Aphe, but… isn't she a woman?"
I simply blinked at him before laughing, "Oh! No, I'm sorry. That wasn't… I explained it wrong. It was sex in the form of an intimate bond. There was no… semen involved. Aphe didn't trust man to not covet her daughters, so she simply touched a worthy woman, gave her hours of pleasure through her magic then inserted the seed of life inside. The legends say that's why nymphs can't live without touch, because we ache and pine for hers only."
Natsu's lips twitched, "So does that mean nymphs are lovers of women at heart?"
I struggled not to flush, instead smiling sweetly at him, "Maybe it's because a man could never compare with the touch of a woman."
He laughed at my words, the noise deep and filthy. A shiver crawled up my spine and I struggled to stay focused, shaking my head lightly as Natsu stated, "Like I said, without knowing how you came to be, and if you have ancestors or descendants, then I'm shooting in the dark."
I looked away for a second, and focused on my power, molding it easily into my lion, something that I had grown so comfortable seeing. Looking at the cloud of mist, the cloud of danger and hurt, scared me so. Maybe since I had controlled my lion before, it made it easier to accept my power in that face than it's original form.
"But everything seems to be pointing to the fact that Banshee's have some sort of animal in them. Isn't that the only way to explain… When I shape my power into a lion, it's not like it was before." I frown, running my hands through my hair, "It's like I can feel her. I know it's just my scream, or my magic, but when I morph it, I can feel the fur. When I forced Loke to submit, I wanted to bite him so I could taste his blood, make him realize that I had won."
Once I admitted, a sense of horror rushed through me. I closed my eyes tightly, and fisted my hands, wishing that I had the secrets to what I was. Wishing I had answers as to why I felt this way. I wasn't a were-lion, I was a Banshee.
Why would I want to bite into someone just to prove my dominance?
I felt the added weight of someone sitting down on the cushion beside me, and opened my eyes, glancing over to find Natsu. I startled when I saw his eyes, wondering if I would ever not be surprised and captivated by the amazing glowing color. Inside me, my lioness stretched, content to be grazing, not paying either of us attention.
"You know what I see when my eyes turn?"
His question makes me frown harder but I shook my head, remaining silent. His eyes roamed my features for a second before he spoke, his voice deeper, rougher.
"I see the vein in your neck. I can see how the blood rushes all over your body." I flushed, and felt my heart race a little faster at his words, shocked at how honest he was being. I don't know why I was shocked, he hadn't been anything but honest to my knowledge.
"See, right there." He murmured, eyes focused on my neck, "Your heart is beating faster, it's making that vein pulsate a little. Not that anyone with a human eye could see. Only an animal."
"Why are you telling me this?" My voice shook, not with fear, but anticipation, arousal. Something about this was making my stomach warm, my legs tense and my heart to thud faster in my chest, the noise almost drowning out Natsu's voice entirely. But his voice was hard to ignore, and I soon felt my entire being melt into listening to him speak.
"Because I want you to understand, having urges, feeling wild and animalistic, isn't a bad thing. It's natural. Even if we don't know what line Banshee's come from, and if they have some connection to an animal; that doesn't make it bad. You are doing what your instincts want you too. And there is nothing wrong with following your instincts."
"But what if I don't understand my instincts? What if I hurt someone?"
"You didn't bite the kitten, even though you wanted too. I think you doubt your self control." He stated and I shook my head.
"You controlled my lioness form for me. The minute you touched me, the power got distracted by yours and that's why I didn't bite Loke." I admitted softly, closing my eyes tightly once more as a wave of shame washed over me.
"Is that such a bad thing? When Igneel was training me in controlling that side of me, he gave me an anchor to focus on. It sounds like you've decided to use me." He shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal, and I simply stared at him before I leaned closer, curious about something he said.
"What was your anchor?"
Nothing about his face changed, but I saw the slightest flash in his eyes that gave me the impression that it was a touchy topic. I opened my mouth to draw back my question when he smiled a little, his eyes carefully blank.
"Fire was my anchor."
I simply nodded, dropping the topic of conversation before something more suitable.
"So you don't mind that you are my anchor?"
"As long as you don't throw me in the ocean, I'm okay with it." He smirked a little at my disgusted look and I almost laughed at how horrible that joke was.
How the flip are we at ten chapters already?/
*looks at time-line and frets about how close shit is*
I fully blame ALL of you for leaving such amazing comments! You gave me thirty comments in a little over 24 hours? LIKE HOW. CAN U. PLEASE. EXPLAIN.
So in this beauty, you address some important information that WILL come up later. Because, Lucy is a Banshee, so why would she be adopting lion traits when her power is in that form? Does Banshee creatures have a link to an animal that we (well I mean, you because I know where this is going) don't know yet? Is that why she got that urge to bite Loke?
I have to admit fam, it's fun asking the questions and reading your responses. Some of you get alarmingly close, and then others just scream for Nalu. Which I will never say no to tbh.
Can we all just give a round of applause to Ultear. I really don't want her to seem like a B character in this story. I love her and she deserves some credit.
Question Time!
Are we to assume there is some tie between Natsu & Zeref? *sweats nervously* W-Well I mean, that's crazy! *laughs anxiously*
Can I take Natsu out of the story and keep him to myself? Sure! But I will warn you, he sometimes slips Lucy into his pocket. What can ya do? ;)
Do you update on the weekend no matter what? Qui!
How does Jellal know that dragons can't do what Natsu can do with reading peoples thoughts and communicating through them etc? Jellal's intelligence mostly comes through his experience. he has experienced countless battles, and knows the basics on how Dragons work. That's all I can really say without spoiling some of the story!
Has Lucy's hair attracted Natsu similarly to how Lisanna was attracted? Yes. YeS. YES.
I can't see Mira being afraid of Natsu though? I can't see Elfman turning into a beautiful swan, but hey, I did it though ;)
Does that mean that there aren't beings that can shapeshift into whatever they want? Swan-maidens are mythical beings that were said to be able to change into a swan through a powerful talisman made out of swan fur. They are NOT wereanimal/ were animals are able to adopt some parts of the animal into their human state. With swan-maidens, it is a swan or a person, no between. (:
Will we see the Strauss siblings again? Yep!
Do you know how hard you make it for me to focus on nursing school? Ohohohohohohohoho. This makes me feel a great evil.
I was wondering how you came up with the mythos for this story & like what inspired you to use the creatures and magic in this story? Well, originally, you were going to meet Lucy in a dungeon and she was going to be locked up among the other royal princes and princesses. That's what I had planned. But with much deliberation, I decided to ease into this world instead of throwing it out there. As for the mythos and creatures, my beta Dim and I spend hours discussing the creatures and what they should do, what powers they have, how they act etc etc. A lot of the time, I take as much information as I can then mold it with my own imagination. Then it just comes out as the jarbled mess you see today. (:
I'm upping the ante to 30 reviews, to give myself time to edit and get a chapter a head. Currently, I have the next chapter written, and the chapter after that almost done but I like to be a little more organized.
(not really)
But considering how fast you guys gave me thirty before, then I'm expecting to be uploading the next chapter tomorrow ;)
As always guys,
stay fresh and pretty
xo freshprincess!