Eostia: Harem Quest

by EostianScribe

The Gods have given mortals the power of The Gamer as a pass time. A hobby. A means to compete and relax. One goddess, however, sees it as a means of salvation; starting with one world. As such, she rolls the dice... (Harem, Citrus and Eventual Dark Content Warning)

88. Act III-Ch XV: We Need To Talk

[ - Author's Note - ]

Well... Here we go...

The Chloe section here is something I've had in mind for sometime. The Olga section less so but it's a case of how well it meshes with Chloe's that I felt it would complement it.

To that end I feel I need a fair warning; there will be a fair bit of shifting in perspectives between Chloe and Olga planned. There will be the usual page breaks I use to signal the shifts, of course, but I feel it's important to mention. Some people have complained about it but I sometimes do this to help with the flow and keep things from getting too stale by not focusing one on part for too long.

Speaking of; as you have likely guessed Olga has her court and Chloe ends up with her own little talk... And we also take a couple peeks into Garan and see how things are holding up there.

Right then... let's just get into it!

[ - Act III - Chapter XV: We Need To Talk - ]

Many make too much of the power of violence and force but not enough fully understand or respect the power words can have on the course of history. Hurtful words can linger for years and poison souls while uplifting words can guide hearts just as long with effects lasting generations in some cases.

Likewise much is made of the outcomes of wars, it's glories and the bravery of those who fight and die in them yet few offer such applause to those who make peace with nations with words, avert destructive conflict with diplomacy, win wealth through trade and cooperation or unite through leadership and wisdom. Tales of great battles makes for better stories then a bunch of people collected around a table in some room, putting ink to paper, cracking little jokes or making small talk.

The truth is this; more is won in peace by words then in wars by arms while less is lost. That's not to say some wars are unjustified nor some peaces untenable but the importance of diplomacy is unquestionable and that requires the power of words.

~Dominic James Pencraft, The Eostia Historia

[-]

Nightsong Palace Ballroom
Mooncast City

With the available Cloud Riders nearly two hundred people of Garan had been ferried into Mooncast City from across the Garan Occupied Regions. Most were nervous, even knowing who they were set to meet... mostly because of who they were set to meet. Iryna Syniy stood by the entrance, greeting the people and offering reassurances, as did the sight of all the guards within the room at the sides including a large group of female guards in matching, skimpy armor; the Dawn Templars.

Chairs were set up in rows with four columns down with groups of four seats in each segment. Some chose a spot near the front, others by the back. It wasn't just those outside of Mooncast City but those within it that arrived to be a part of the strange, unique court. This small group would be the first time that Olga Discordia held any form of open court for the laborbrone to voice their concerns to her; not the highborne, not the lowborne, them.

It was... a strange novelty.

A busty high elf was seated in a back corner of the room with long, blonde hair and a skimpy, white outfit; some who lived within Mooncast City might have known her as Celestine Lucross, High Queen of Eostia who was on hand to observe, curious of how Olga would do in the current situation. Indeed, dark elves from across Garan were seated as light conversation was had, each offered a small plate of dried meats, dried berries and cheese along with a flash of water, left to await for the strange event to start.

Finally the woman of the hour had arrived and soon all in the room stopped speaking; from the side of the room and escorted by a quartet of Dawn Templars Olga Discordia, Rightful Queen of Garan, entered the room and walked to the front of the gathered peoples. At the front of the room was a raised platform with a throne set upon it; the one from the Nightsong's throne room moved over for her comfort and use. The use of a raised throne was common, both to give the seated ruler a better view of the subjects they were speaking to but also to raise them above those being ruled.

She instead would gaze up to the throne for a long moment before she moved to the side of the room, muttering rising and even Celestine raising an eyebrow as she picked up a spare chair, one like the ones her people sat in and carried it to the front of the room, moving to the first step of the raised platform and setting the chair there before seating herself upon it.

To Celestine it was a curious move; holding herself above her people, as rulers did, but no where near the usual and bringing herself closer to her people and their level... Was it something Olga was feeling that she was wishing to express the High Queen didn't know but opted to wait and see what she had in mind. Olga looked over her collected people and took in a light breath, the only hint to her feelings. "I have never held court with laborborne before." She began. "I have been under the impression that the lowborne and highbrone were better suited to handling such things. I have now been made aware of their failures. These failures were enabled by my ignorance. In turn they are failures of my own. Even if, somehow, they were not my failures correcting them is my responsibility. But I do not know enough to begin corrections. If I am to resume my role as Queen and repair what was damaged I need to be educated on the ills. Please. Assist me in this."

Silence was the answer that she got in return and after a long moment she looked about over the crowd... and for the first time she really, and truly looked over her subjects to see their response.

Awe. Fear. Worry. Wonder. Confusion. Those were all common enough. But there was another she could make out.

Loathing...

That hurt more then the fear and she wasn't sure how to manage the situation only to have one man stand up; one who might have been considered one of the first traitors, Prostoy Earthtone, commander of the Ghosts of Arblade. "And why in the name of the Giants should we trust an idleborne like you!?"

Olga sucked in a breath and shut her eyes for a moment. Well...

They deserved an answer, didn't they?

[-]

Back to the grindstone, as they say. The grindstone, in this case, being Chloe's tour of the city. She was in a bit higher spirits then last time as we went back into Riverport City with both the Dawn Templars and South Point's finest as escort, even without Beckett around. Riri joined in as well, speaking openly with Chloe as we went about. There were some differences, mind you.

I made the executive decision to leave Chloe uncuffed and with her weapons back in her possession. Celestine or Claudia might reverse that choice when we returned to Mooncast but until then I was the one in charge and what I say went; in the event someone else wanted a go at Chloe I wanted her ready to go and able to defend herself.

Speaking of which she wore her cloak once more but kept the hood down this time as she looked about, letting her face be exposed. She didn't look happy but looked... relaxed and casual. Brighter then usual, anyway. As for the people there within the city they were also... less upset then the other day.

I didn't know it at the time but the the story of the three slave hunters attacking her made the rounds as well as a hint of Chloe's history as a slave; while the 'Dark Queen's Whore' was a sore point for everyone 'former slave of humans' earned her some sympathy points. All I knew in the moment were people were less hostile to her and I was fine with that.

"Really? Her old man abandoned her to try and give her a chance at living?" Chloe snorted softly as Riri replayed the Ungla'pul; namely then Mir'Mokria's (Now just Mokria) tale of how he was supposed to kill Miria, spared her via abandonment and how she found herself to our house. "Do any of the races have only decent people?"

"Pffft... no." Riri let off with her own snort, shrugging. "There's enough horrible people of every race out there."

"... Well, I guess that's true..." Chloe let off with a huff... and then stopped dead in her tracks, head turning. Once I noticed I stopped and followed her gaze; she was looking to a bar that didn't seem that interesting named the Speaking Cups. Then I noticed who she was looking at; Issac Smith, the guy who tried to get into Chloe's face the other day... and also got it on like Donkey Kong to keep slavers off of her. It was a contradiction to say the least. "...James."

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to be here for a bit. There's someone I need to talk to." She said to my reply as I looked back to her. She looked back to me as I nodded once and looked to the Templars.

"Stay with her but give her enough space to talk and have her privacy." Myna nodded to me as I looked to Riri who gave me a thumbs up. Chloe would turn to walk into the bar, her escort following her along with Riri. I was curious about what would happen there but... I think it was better that I not hover around for that.

I opted to go and check the markets and stores in the meantime. If something happened Riri would be on hand and I trusted in her abilities.

[-]

A bell sounded as Chloe entered the Speaking Cups and she heard a silence wash over the building as she walked on it's wooden floor; the sort of silence that appears in a sudden moment. People looked at her, a stranger in a strange land and not a fully welcome one. The place was... cozy, she supposed. The walls bore plastered, whitewashed walls, sturdy, wall made table that had seen years if not decades of use and abuse, matching chairs with pillowed cushions on the seats. She ignored the bulk of the people and instead moved to the bar; located at the right side of the room where as the door was on the left side. And it was that bar she started to walk to with a man at the bar looking over his shoulder as his face, under his thick beard, twisted into a frown as she approached; her escort moving to a table near the door.

"Drow." The man let off as she frowned back for a moment... before cooling her composure and walking to the stool next to him. The man behind the bar was a high elf with his blonde hair tied back into a braid, blue eyes watching her coolly as she moved onto the stool and took a seat.

"Human." She replied simply as she looked to his drink; a basic ale. Had James been there he made have made a 'Wrex-Shepard' joke that no one would understand. She would pull out two coins from her armor, a pair of copper, and set it on the table, looking to the bartender, pointing to the ale then the man next to her and after he looked over the coin and weighed them in his hand he nodded; the elven bartender would serve the frowning man another drink as she looked straight ahead. "I need to ask the question; why?" She said as he looked to her with a hint of confusion.

"Why what?" Chloe felt like she had this conversation before but the bearded man's barked back replied was nothing like James' previous relaxed and polite tone.

"You've made it clear you've no like or love for me or any dark elves." Chloe let off, looking to him now as he glared to his new drink. "And yet you nearly died trying to save me. I find it a little unusual." The man snorted for a moment and glared to the drink before finally reaching for it and took a swig of it.

"I like slavers less then drow. That's all." He grumbled with a huff. Chloe... felt it was not enough of an answer for her.

"Why, however?" She let off as she frowned in reply. "Look... Humans have done horrible things to dark elves and dark elves have done much the same to humans. I don't know if anything happened to you or not in Garan but I don't see how you can hate a slaver more then a dark elf."

"... I hate'em both, you're right." He grumbled out as he took another swig. "I got drafted to the front years ago. Spent three days limping back to camp with two arrows in my knee. Hurt like hell and lost friends there too..." Chloe winced; she had very few friends in Garan... and lost some of them as well. "But not the worst of it; my sister was a knight..."

"A knight?"

"Yeah..." He let off softly, his voice turning... tender in remembrance.

"...What happened to her?"

[-]

"And why in the name of the Giants should we trust an idleborne like you!?"

Olga sucked in a breath and shut her eyes for a moment. Well...

They deserved an answer, didn't they? "You should not." Olga replied as the man nearly stepped back in surprise. "Understand this; I do not debate nor deny you and yours have been wronged, even if I do not know the full extent of it. This time two months ago I would have said being your Trueborne Queen was all the reason you needed. In light of what I know now I that trust, I understand, is broken and was broken centuries ago. Let us not pretend you should just trust me for reasons due to my station. I will ask you trust I speak truth. Beyond that any additional trust I must earn; not be granted blindly."

There was a brief level of muttering as Prostoy glared over to her, silent for a moment before speaking to her once more. "And you think you can just fix things? Just wave your hands and undo all that's been done? Heal the cripples the lowborne and highborne made? Replace all that we lost to them unjustly? Do you think it's easy!?"

"Understand I intend to fix and replace what can be mended and restored." Olga replied, a hint of firmness to her tone but leaving it mostly soft and tender. "But I am not unaware that some of what was done cannot be fixed nor healed nor replaced. Nor shall it be easy; had I the ability to wave my hands, as you say, and make it all better I would. Would my blood spilled to the streets heal the wounds of the people I would cut myself with the knife of your choice. But no; what I need is your input and knowledge."

"... Where is your fabled pride..?" Prostoy let off as the muttering let off as he looked over at her, frowning. "I have never heard of you speaking to such a manner to your subordinates, let alone us."

"Some of the reasons my pride is shattered I shall keep to myself..." Olga replied calmly. "But I have been bested in single combat by one, lone human. What I thought was our greatest defense was defeated. Our armies, great in number, was brought low. But above all else what troubles I did not see was thrust to my face. You and yours, taking the field opposing my forces hurt me more then the blade that plunged into my flesh." Prostoy, for his part, looked surprised as she gave him a saddened look. "My pride will be rebuilt with Garan. Once the laborborne are cared for and raised to the station of respect they should have been then, and only then may I reclaim my pride."

A long amount of muttering followed as the people gathered looked about with Prostoy looking like he would say something else but seemingly unable to form a question. While she didn't appreciate the tone he started the court with as she looked on Celestine did acknowledge that it did lead to something that would help the situation; Olga's calm reaction. She didn't bark back, yell or raise her voice. She spoke calmly, evenly and, in her opinion, honestly. The words she spoke also helped paint a picture of a humbled queen asking not just to help her people but how she should help them. Finally another woman stood and raised her hand.

"What of the lowborne and highborne houses?" The woman began; simple tunic in a dark green and black, cotton pants over her legs, white hair tied back in a braid. "What will be done of them?"

"The youngest will be spared. The remainder will be imprisoned until a proper investigation can be done." Olga began. "Once I have a proper idea of what was done by them I can choose my course from there. Abolishing some or all of the houses is not off the table." There was a muttering as she spoke of abolition of their long standing houses of nobility.

"And... what of the gap they would leave if such is done?" The woman asked as Olga nodded to the question. "As much as I despise them they have a role..."

"Any houses that remain will be allowed to continue, even if members are punished. Any houses that are removed will be replaced; my own aide Chloe would be worthy of founding such a house." She began as more muttering rose; the idea of a halfborne founding a house was unheard of. "Other promising laborborne can be raised to the ranks of the lowborne. If no suitable lowborne remain to make for promising highborne we may establish those from laborborne as well."

That left stunned silence in the wake of her voice. No laborborne had been raised to the level of the highborne. Even the most promising of the lowborne struggled to marry into highborne houses and even then the only reason it happened was due to how close relations inside such houses would be otherwise.

"If I may inject..." Celestine began from her spot. "Those that would be equivalent to Eostia's laborborne has risen to comparative ranks to both low and highborne houses, rare that it is. Indeed, a former High Governor of Geofu, Alexandria Freebird, was once a slave before uplifting herself by her efforts to such a role." The crowd muttered around the room at the thought of that; someone from such a lowly position rising up so high?

It was as if an earthworm became a dragon...

"Indeed; while adopting Eostian solutions is... odd for me, it is the best route to correcting the problem." Olga replied as she nodded to Celestine before addressing the crowd once more. "That isn't to say we can just elevate anyone and leave them to their own devices; we need those who can lead and manage. We must also avoid uplifting those within the laborborne who are corrupted; if we bring up laborborne to fill gaps we must be careful not to recreate the problems we aim to fix."

Whispered conversation among the people followed; almost all were victimized by the assborne and toddlerborne or knew someone that had been but also knew crime in their own ranks wasn't unheard of; those willing to step on or over their own for a little extra... and willing to harm or kill for it...

"What about peace with Eostia!?" Another let off, a man in a Ghost of Arblade armor as he lifted his hand. "We're tired of fighting but we don't wanna have the humans here forever; even if they haven't been so bad."

"I assure you while formal talks have yet to start I have spoken with Celestine informally." Olga began. "We agree that Eostian troops shall leave once a peace is secure; we've been their main concern for seven hundred years but not their only one. More over some will remain to assist in keeping the peace until we can fully regenerate enough force to police and guard our own. The idea of trade between nations is also being floated but until this court is over and I understand the needs of yours I cannot, in good faith, barter in diplomacy. To that end for the moment ask me nothing. Tell me everything."

Celestine let off a breath she didn't know she had as the man frowned but then started to speak to her of a story of how he was conscripted. Things were, so far, going well...

[-]

"...What happened to her?"

The man huffed and glared to her but rather then glare back she gave him an even, calm look. Her interest was genuine as he finally looked ahead. "Why do you wanna know, drow?" He let off as he swigged his drink once more.

"... Because these past few days I've realized something... Something that I sort of hate to admit." She said softly, the man turning his head a bit to hear. "...I'm tired. I'm tired of hating you humans. My mother, my own, dark elven mother sold me for a single copper... all because I was a halfborne..."

"Halfborne?"

"Half human, half dark elf." She replied as he grunted. "I was old enough to know that I was 'tainted', sold off and sent to a horrible, horrible human... That man in the black armor? One of his old friends... I know what shit tastes like because of them." She all but snarled out, hearing a cough beside her as the man sipped his drink before what she said caught him off guard, looking wide eyed and without the usual scorn he had used on her until now. "I escaped, got taken in by my queen, endured the scorn of my so called betters and got caught once more before being set free by a seemingly, random child... I've always used that hate to push forwards, gain strength, gain skill, gain the will to serve my queen and see her will be done... and I lost. I failed. I failed to protect her in her lowest moment... And the two of us were set into a set of quarters since and... ... To be frank I've had time to think. Time to speak with my queen. Time to reflect and... what I gained was from love for her as opposed to hate for others... and all of a sudden hate became... exhausting... I still hate humans... After all that was done to me I can't forget it... never... But I'm getting tired of it..."

There was more to it of course... the humans, since she and Olga were captured, treated them with respect and dignity; ironically it was James, who was the one to both offer them help and friendship that had captured them... and the one to get in her queen's face, talk back and slap the panic out of her. Beyond that the Dawn Templars were, at worst, professional with them, Celestine was kind and willing to reach out to them and that doctor was always helpful, if a bit... sarcastic.

Hell, this human had helped her at his own risk despite hating her kind!

"...Her name was Elsa." He began with a sigh. "Unlike me she had some magical potential. Not a great one, she was never going to be a great mage or the like but she had some. So she focused on weaker, faster spells, picked up a spear and became an adventurer. Became good enough to afford some chain mail even." He looked ahead, a finger moving back and forth over the rim of the mug her held over the handle.

"One of the minor nobles found her, thought she was able and knighted her all good and proper." He carried on, huffing at the memory softly. "Joined the Eostian regulars and went off to war. By contrast I was conscripted; made a spearman." He went quiet for a long moment before moving to sip his drink. With a sigh he kept speaking his tale. "We dunno what happened but they were surrounded and taken down; the men killed outright and the women caught. Brought to an Aberrant camp." Chloe winced at that... even before this incursion the thoughts of what was done there discomforted her to say the least... The fact she and her queen had not been treated in a likewise manner made such camps more shameful for her, even if she had no say over their construction and use. "Then I heard the camp she was in was attacked and disassembled by Jetra forces. At first I hoped she'd be saved and I could bring her home... but she seemed to vanish into nothing..."

"Took a year for me to work out what happened... Fucking monsters..." He hissed out, his hand gripping the mug's handle hard, squeezing it as his knuckles shifted color towards white. "They didn't free the prisoners... they took them as slaves..." Chloe gawked to him before something nagged at her mind as she frowned and looked ahead.

"I heard something like that too... where laborbonre, our commoners, were rescued form an Eostian POW camp and tossed into an Aberrant breeding camp..." It was one of the tales she heard when Andrei and his high elf friend (Girlfriend?) assisted her in learning of what was done to the laborborne... it was one of the worst things they heard. He winced in response. "It was disgusting once I learned of it."

"Yeah... like that... And the guy that bought her was a real piece of shit too." The man huffed out as he shook his head. "Took a year for us to find her. Once I learned where she was I got a few, old, war buddies together and pulled a rescue. Wasn't easy; my knee's better then it had been but it still acts up, time to time... Still we got her back, stuck a blade through his throat and let fire burn his blasted manor down... I took her home just... glad to have her back... told her it would all be all right, we'd fix her, help her heal... Set her down on a warm bed for the night promising myself we'd take her to the church, ask the local Azure for a hand..." He took another swing, his hand quivering as he drank, holding back his rage. "Next morning she was hanging by her neck from the rafters by her own bed sheets..."

"...Fuck..." Chloe let off softly. "I... can't blame her... not fully... The thought of a chance of going back to what I went through... it terrifies me." She let off, unsure why she'd admit so much to him. "If I was forced to pick between a noose and ending up back with him... I'd tie the noose myself... But to do it when you were safe..? I know that kind of hell... but still..."

Indeed she knew that hell well; it was her life once... She barked and rebelled all she could and was punished for it each and every time; sleeping on cold stone was well known to her and a thin layer of hay could be considered a luxury at times. She was punished in many ways with being dragged behind a horse by her ankle a favorite (Thankfully not at high speed) or simply being flogged or worse.

Her unusual drinking partner noted her demeanor shift; a hundred yard stare not uncommon to former regulars and conscripts who had seen thick, deep, hellish fighting. He was told that he himself took on such a look, time to time. A gesture and coins set to the table would have a stiffer whiskey poured and then slid over to her as she jerked from her thoughts, looking to the drink then him. "...Even a drow like you don't deserve that." He said with an almost tender softness.

"...Chloe." She said ,moving to take the chilled glass. "My name is Chloe."

"...I'm Issac..." He let off as he sipped his ale for a moment more, thinking for a long moment. "...So... this asshole, ex-master of yours..? He sounds like a piece of shit."

Chloe responded with a snort. "You have no fucking idea... Anytime he pulled out the bed of nails it was going to be a bad day..." He winced as she mentioned the physical object.

Then she explained what was done with it.

[-]

"Indeed... Opening up more farmland would be a benefit of leaving the Dread Field down... We've clearly no more use for it, at least." Olga mused as she stroked her chin with a thumb and forefinger; things had drifted from conversations of the lowborne and highborne and into other subjects that were more important for the day to day living of the people; in this case the production of food.

"That being said we do have a problem, your highness..." One man let off as he stood. "If you want to abolish the chainborne how are we to mine? We... do not have experience with it."

"Hmmm..." Olga let off; indeed she had mention that she fully expected all humans and those with human ancestry would be freed once talks began in earnest and, as such, the chainborne would be abolished in full. "I admit, the laborborne would needs be paid for it, but I am otherwise at a loss..."

"If I may..." Celestine let off from her corner of the room. "Eostia's halflings would, for the right price, be happy to take up such mining jobs and both work and teach the skill sets for it." Olga nodded and hummed.

"That would be an answer, yes. I imagine the amount paid for minerals will rise by necessity but the Garan of tomorrow will not be the Garan of yesterday..." She mused for a moment before looking up. "That said there will be a tougher question we must ask... In this case a question I shall needs ask of you. The fate of the Legion."

There was a long moment of muttering as people looked to one another. Olga would speak once more as a calm came to the room. "Understand; we kept and bred them for the means of war. If we have no needs for war we have no needs for them and their troubles. And yet some are loyal and would follow us still; casting them out does not seem fitting for services they've rendered. That said we will no long be granting them the unwilling to breed with."

"So... cattle and the willing then?" One person let off as Olga winced and nodded. Some Aberrant wanted only humans to fuck with and the bulk preferred them. They would still happily claim an elf or halfling as well but if given the choice all but a few Aberrant would take a human female over anything else.

"We have plenty of the first... I do not imagine we'll have much of the second." She mused with a frown. She had considered capturing and breeding harpies for her army, once upon a time, but the Aberrant were adamant on not having it. "I imagine compensation would be required... and even then I am not sure how much would be fair, let alone required. But I digress; I would hear your opinions on the matter." One person would raise a hand and with a gesture and a nod said person, a dark elf woman, would stand.

"Honestly, I could understand keeping them about for war but... well, to blunt they've always been rowdy and noisy." She let off as she huffed. "And on top of that the way you look at you... it's often... well, uncomfortable; like they'd jump you if they thought they could get away with it..."

"I've had that with my fiancee." One of the men let off, raising a hand. "Anytime I'm passing goblins alongside her they look like they want to put her on a plate and devour her; and not as food."

"I've had the same with my sister; one even stuck it's head up her skirt."

"I've been groped... a few times..."

Olga winced as more and more comments came up as she frowned. After a few moment she held a hand up to speak. "Clearly standards of behavior will need to be established and enforced. Given their service over seven centuries we should not just discard them... but I also imagine that many would not accept the new standards and I do not know what will happen with those who reject them..."

[-]

Southwest Blazecrown
Fifteen Miles North of Napreryvnyy City
Farming Town of Pshenitsagrad

"Push the bastards back! Cut them down if you must!" Rubin let off as she used a massive great sword and a tower shield made of mana as she cut her weapon into the flesh of an orc. This was... a new problem for them.

One of the defecting sub-commanders of the Legion, a young hobgoblin named Steel Conquest, managed to pull nearly two hundred Aberrant under his crude banner; just a deer hide with a crude, spiked axe painted to it and decided it would be a good idea to attack Pshenitsagrad, one of the key bread baskets they still had at their disposal for the purposes of breeding and raiding food and goods. Garan were not in a position to allow the town to fall to such debauchery and both Matrons Rubin Drakepyre and Tsarina Goldtomb marched out with a force of five hundred men-at-arms to deal with them...

One to meet a force nearly four hundred strong including five trolls and a goliath. As it turned out the hobgoblin had pulled an additional force of traitors to his orbit making what should have been an overwhelming force into something more even. That led to a battle with a town alight as the laborbrone fought the fire as best as they could while the military fought the traitors. It was a fitting summery of Garan as a whole; fractured, panicked and turning on itself.

She grit her teeth and shoved the blade into another orc before letting it go, forming a double ended dagger made for throwing and threw it into a goblin's head before making a battle axe to as she spun and took off an ogre's head. A harsh bellow made her turn as a towering troll lumbered over her; she was aware of it. Twenty seven feet in height it bore a thick, white bread that hung down five feet. Facial hair was rare on Aberrant as it only grew on the eldest of them outside of a few, rare cases, an age few reached. The troll was known as the Hammer of Blazecrown; victor of a hundred battles, survivor of another hundred, or so it was said. That was not what she needed to see as she grit her teeth.

But she was now Matron of the High House Drakepyre; Strongest of the Highborne! It was her duty to help Garan pull together and protect it!

She let her shield vanish as she spun her spear once, reforming it to bear a halberd end before taking a combat stance. The massive troll bore it's own weapon; a twenty foot long chain with a stone the size of a horse at the end of it with additional chains wrapped about it. The troll snarled and started to swing the massive flail about as it grinned before lunging forwards and swinging hard for her as she charged in turn. She would dart to the side to dodge the weapon-

-and met it's foot; blocking with her weapon's shaft as she skidded back only to see the troll pull the flail up with a hard pull up, spinning it once before sending it back at her. The troll, she was forced to remember, was a veteran of hundreds of battles (Even if that fact was an exaggeration it's experience wasn't in dispute) and was smarter then it let on.

Not that she was incapable either as she aimed her off hand to the weapon's head and fired a powerful spell; Oil Surge. When the war was about to start her mother taught it to her; Garan was always fond of darkness based hybrid spells and one they knew was a darkness/water one as she let off a surge of thick, black water that resembled crude oil.

The force of the spell was enough to push the massive flail back into the troll, not with a heavy force beyond a mild impact as he caught the stone ball and used it to block the stream of oil like water impacting directly it as it splashed onto him. She would end the spell and charge as it groaned out and started to swing it's flail once more but slower; the effect of the oily water from darkness/water hybrids was to weaken those struck by it, even the caster in one of the few cases one could be harmed by their own spell. The effect would last anywhere from fifteen to thirty seconds meaning the window of weakness she had to use was limited; she would start by launching her weapon at the Aberrant as she waited. The troll would lift it's left arm up and let the weapon drive through it; trusting it's regeneration to handle the damage before throwing it's weapon at her.

Instinct and timing was what she needed as she leapt up, rising just over the weapon as she saw it's eyes widen and yank it's weapon back to try and strike her. In response she felt it impact her feet, legs taking the impact as she 'crouched' on the weapon before using a Combat Art to leap for it's throat, forming a claymore and swinging as she used speed and force to strike before it could defend. She felt the mana forged blade cut through it's neck, decapitating it as she moved to use a Levitation spell to look about and get a lay of the situation; even as the Hammer of Blazecrown's head hit the ground and crushed a goblin before it's body fell back and impacted the ground with a loud crash.

She would opt to rush the lone goliath from the air and remove it from the battle next.

Elsewhere on the same battlefield the other deployed matron was having her own troubles. "Shove! Them! Back!"

Rubin was young for war leader (By dark elf standards) but she had seen her share of battles; Tsarina Goldtomb was both younger but also inexperienced in combat and leadership with this year being her first in battle, first to kill an opponent and first to see real warfare.

Much of it in defeat.

By all rights she should not have been leading in this moment but with all of her betters in her house dead and the rest too young, too incapable or too unwilling she was stuck with the job. She wasn't an idiot; she knew she wasn't fit for the position she was pressed into but with all counting on her she opted to do her best. To that end she appointed Commander Platon Uchitel as her primary aide and advisor and made him the one responsible for House Goldtomb's tactics and logistics while helping her learn. That left her with the task of shouting at the front lines and pretending she knew what she was doing.

If nothing else shouting was natural enough; her mother did it all the time to her! She just had to do the same to others!

It seemed to work, anyway, but she also had to fight and well enough to give those following her confidence in her strength. One thing she had going for her was the massive reach of her weapon; the Devil's Fang's spell stone blade, which she set Flaming Weapon (What humans called Blazing Weapon) to it and swung with wide arcs to handle goblins, hard stabs to orcs and orges and adapting as needed. Despite her inexperience she was well trained and skilled for her age and was able to hold her own.

She slammed her weapon's point into an orc's gut before slashing to the side and up as she sidestepped, cutting an orge's throat as she panted stepped back and holding her weapon before her with both hands as she took a quick stock of the situation; a glance that would save her life as she casted a shield before her, using the Devil's Fang as a focus to cast a shield spell before her before a heavy and powerful fire spell exploded into it (In her rush to cast the shield was larger then intended... which bore the side effect of guarding those behind her) as she turned to look at where the magic came from...

"Ha... The little matron isn't so weak then." She heard as she saw him walk out; the hobgoblin, Steel Conquest. She knew of him as he stomped out with a grin, spinning his weapon of choice, a two handed, falchion, in one hand. The blade of the weapon was two and half inches wide with a slight curve to it and an aggressive clip point end. The cross guard dropped down over the hand to protect it further, making the blade look like a lowercase 'h' with a rounded, red colored, spell stone pommel. In addition a slot was cut out in the blade just under the clip point in the middle of the blade with another red spell stone set inside of it.

The blade was also curious as it was made of a rare alloy of mythril when it was combined twelve parts with three parts of copper and two zinc; forming red mythril, also known as blood mythril which bore a tint not unlike rose gold but with streaks of red in various, damascus patterns with the blade in swirling waves...

The same could be said of his armor; a breastplate with extra thickness over the chest and layered, connected plates over the front and back in a sort of plated skirt, a set of gauntlets with a rounded elbow cover and studs over the knuckles, armored boots with rounded parts over the knees a simple barbute helm with a red spell stone over the forehead in the form of a small diamond and pauldrons that were rounded and double layered. Under it, covering the thighs and biceps was normal, steel chain mail and a black cape that was over his shoulders, hanging behind him with tattered edges.

At six foot four the hobgoblin was massive and she knew she could be in trouble. Steel Conquest was one of their better Aberrant sub-commanders and one of the first to make a fighting retreat after the failed Battle of Mooncast City, understanding where the battle was going. The blood mythril armor and weapon was won off an Eostian knight who bore the nickname of 'the Flameborne', a fire casting crusader. Supposedly Conquest faced him in single combat during a battle in the rain and nearly died but was able to tackle his opponent into a deep puddle and kept his head under the water with both the puddle and rain limiting the burns from his magic. The blood mythril fitted both the Flameborne and Steel Conquest well as both of them favored fire based magic.

Blood mythril was a hybrid mix that made all elemental enchantments and spells made by those wearing said armor or using said weapons more powerful, especially in the cases of lightning, fire and ice based magics and all while maintaining mythril's usual strength with a hint more weight. That said there were downsides; it was more receptive to temperature changes so fire and ice magic was more effective against the material and wearer both (Although enchantments could mitigate this for the wearer at least) and resisted holy, darkness and arcane magics meaning that while more effective at resisting these sort of spells it also meant one couldn't benefit well from them either. A further hindrance was that blood mythril didn't agree with every combat art; weakening ones such as Arc of Steel and Sonic Wave. Helms of such were, as she had heard, strapped to the heads of captive dragonborne to prevent them from using their powerful Dragon's Breath attacks.

The rarity wasn't just from the difficulty of making the alloy; it was it's unique applications and drawbacks that made it rare as it required someone able to use elemental magic to get the most of it as the limitations on Combat Arts made it unpopular for pure physical combatants. "You betrayed us!" Tsarina let off as the hobgoblin chuckled and swung his weapon once more. He paused by a fallen ogre and leaned over to pick up it's shield; whatever banner was painted to it was covered with black paint and the red, spiked axe emblem he was using.

"Well... in my defense you snooty highborne sorts have been getting your arses stomped by the humans." He sneered as he gripped the shield in his left hand as he chuckled. "I mean if your going to lose your queen and your country then I see no reason to keep my lot in with you wimps." He let off walking towards her. "After all, in a world like this all that matters is strength... and why should I add mine to the weak?"

"You think me weak?" She hissed out as he stopped fourteen feet away as she aimed her weapon to him before lifting it up; blade pointed slightly back as she held it nearly vertical upwards as she glared to him. Despite her bold words she didn't feel fully confident in the fight. Even so she couldn't be seen as weak and would be forced to make the challenge regardless.

He chuckled at her, lifting up his shield before snapping his weapon down and to the side as he casted his own Flaming Weapon spell, sending flames up and down his blade... and making the red patterns of the blade glow brightly as well. "As a kitten." He let off, sneering as both drew mana for an attack.

Both stared at one another for a long moment before he chuckled. "What's wrong, sca-"

He didn't get to finish as she slashed down with a spell that sent a wall of fire at him, making him gawk and stomp his lead foot, casting an Ice Wall before him to block the impact of the flames before leaping away before the Devil's Fang smashed the wall apart; the young matron following her attack as it rushed to him before she thrust at him. He blocked it with his shield by getting it under the attack and pushing it up and to the side as he thrust his own weapon to her; she in turn used the handle of her weapon to block... before the flames around his weapon flared up as she yelped and hopped away as the hobgoblin chuckled before he moved to follow up with another strike. She blocked with a swing of her blade as she stepped back and casted another spell; on herself this time. He wasn't sure what but assumed a healing spell; even through her Scale Weave the blood myhtril bolstered heat must have scorched her.

Opting to press his attack he rushed her with his shield first with his weapon pulled back. To his surprise she used a combat art to slam the point of her weapon to his shield and punched through it as her spell stone blade glowed before the flames on her weapon flared up making him wince as his armor heated slightly under it as he swung for her with an overhead, diagonal slice as she brought her left bracer up to block. She only just managed to not buckle under the impact as he flared his weapon's blade once more to scorch her once more, forcing mana into his Flaming Weapon-

-only for her to tear her weapon out of his shield and slammed the butt of her weapon at his face; had the stone in his helm not held a shield spell over the facial opening he would have been struck directly as he realized she didn't heal but used a Flame Guard spell on herself.

"Clever girl..." He'd admit softly, even as was forced to stumbled back as the flames vanished from her blade and became covered in a thin layer of ice as it gave off a frost mist as she slashed down with it; moving to swing with both hands. He blocked with his damaged shield and felt the wood of it crack and break, the edge of the weapon now touching his pauldron before a harsh chill went over his whole body as she flared the cold of her Frozen Weapon spell to the point his armor was coated in frost.

She was knocked back as he punched her in the side of the head, her Armor Weave blocking it as he followed up with a slash, catching the side of her head once more as he tossed his damaged shield aside to grip his weapon with two hands as her weapon shifted back to Flaming Weapon as she swung it at him. He blocked with with his blade with a hand shifting to the blunt edge of his weapon to better absorb the impact as she flared her weapon heat again. "Stupid whelp, that's getting annoying... I can take a little heat or chill..."

"Then why do you mind?" She shot back... before he headbutted her roughly; the force knocking her back and making her stumble down to one knee. He moved to kick her to the ground but she used a casted shield to block before shifting back to Frozen Weapon as she rose back to her feet and slashed down with force, making him block as she flared the spell once more, hard, sending it's cold over his body, shifting back to Flaming Weapon and flaring once more before he pushed her back as he grunted and sneered at the heat over his body as she spun and with her off hand sent an orb of frosted mana at him; he slashed at it but there was a significant amount of mana in it as the cold washed over him once more, frosting his armor as his own Flaming Weapon spell helped melt it.

"I'll grant, you're at least as strong as a puppy." He let off as she rushed him once more, flaring her blazing weapon as she thrust at him... only for him to block with his own blade and spin it to one side before throwing a close range Fireball into her. The explosion knocked them both back from the shock wave but he was able to stay on his feet while it knocked her to the ground hard to her back and with her weapon dropped and skittering away from her some five feet as she struggled to sit up. He chuckled as he started to stalk closer, spinning his blade as she lifted a hand up to cast a simple spell he'd seen a hundred times in his career; Magic Missile. It fired to him as he ignored the desperate attack of a fallen child, knowing his breastplate could take such an impact, hardened against arcane magic thanks to it's unique properties-

-only to be caught by surprise as he felt the impact slam into his chest and go through his lung, deflect off the back of his armor and into the side of his other lung with no resistance from his armor. He dropped his weapon in shock and breathless pain, breathing becoming an agonizing chore in a second as his eyes widened as he realized one lung was destroyed and the other damaged before he looked down, confused... and saw a fist sized hole in his armor that bore cracks leading across it's surface... only to realize what happened after a moment of bewilderment as he fell to his knees...

Heat and chill... heat and chill... heat and chill... Blood mythril channeled heat and cold better... but was also affected by shifts in temperature much, much more and as such hard shifts to it's thermal condition would make it more brittle... and it was his own Fireball that cracked his armor and blew off a chunk of his own breastplate; enough of a chunk that let the arcane spell enter his chest without resistance as only a padding layer of padded gambeson was left there to guard him... and it was nowhere close to being up to the task of defending it's wearer.

He coughed blood up as he shivered, weakness over coming him before he felt his helm pulled off his head, turning his head and eyes to look up to see Tsarina there, lifting her weapon with no spell upon it. "Bad dog." She let off before slashing downwards.

The last thing he'd see was his collapsing body as she stood over it as his head rolled away a full rotation.

[-]

"You're shittin' me? That rat bastard was charitable!?" Issac let off as Chloe huffed.

"Oooooh yeah. You'd be surprised." Chloe let off, pausing to sip at her third whiskey as Issac started on his second as she spoke on about her former master. "He'd often toss some copper to some beggar or another, offered the local church food to feed the needy, found jobs for some of them... I swear; in the same day he'd hand a man a bread bowl of stew because he looked hungry and homeless he'd whip me while making me pull a small wagon for him barefoot. One moment he's talking about how hooooooorrible it is that we cannot do somethin' to uplift every beggar and bum to somethin' decent and the next he's tryin' a new torture on me. He'll cry for a man dyin' of an illness or buy medicine for some random man or woman who's sick before seeing what happens when I eat some rottin' chicken..." She said, making a face; rotting chicken tasted worse then shit.

Sadly she knew first hand. That said she often wondered if it was genuine charity or just a desire to appear gracious before the people... She couldn't rule out the first but suspect the second much more.

"The fuck is with guys like that..?" Her new drinking partner let off as he sipped his own drink before sneering. "I mean... fuck if I was some slavin' guy I'd treat'em with respect and decency... if only so they don't slit my throat if they ever get free. I mean damn, I'd surprised you didn't take the chance to murder him in his sleep before you left."

"I fuckin' would have if he was home at the time... Wouldn't be gentle either..." Chloe let off darkly. "I'd cut his dick and balls off, force feed them to him, gag him and then gut him so he'd bleed out, slow and over a full night of pain and sufferin'... Bastard... For all he did I'd need decades to repay what he did to me and others..."

"Damn... I'd just bash his head in and let Lord Hallow sort him out." Issac snorted.

"Lord Hallow?" Chloe let off, looking to him confused.

"They say he's the god of death. When you die and see him in the afterlife they say he takes your heart and sets it upon the Scales of Judgment." Issac said with a chuckle. "He then weighs it opposite of the Weights of Truth, Honor and Bravery. If your heart is weighed too heavy with lies, treachery or cowardice then you'll be punished. If it is equal then you'll be granted passage to the underworld and a field of paradise. If it is lighter then you can leave the fields to enter the Halls of the Honored. Or, so they say, anyway."

"Pffft..." Chloe let off as she finished her whiskey, Issac following after. She set coins down to pay for both of them to have another glass. "I'd make him pay a little first then send him on his way. If Lord Hallow wants the leftovers he's welcome to them."

"With luck the King of Bones got a lot to talk about with all the slavers. Fucking assholes... Honestly, one of the worst things about livin' in South Point is watchin' go by and not able to do much."

"This is a slave state?" Chloe let off as Issac shook his head. To the people outside it seemed rather odd; a dark elf and a man with no love of them being drinking partners...

"No, it's what we call a limited state." He let off. "Aside from Classa that means you can't own slaves but you can transport them. House Silversail ain't keen on it but they've got an old treaty they need to honor."

"Eostian politics suck."

"Hear hear!" Issac let off as he took a sip of his next whiskey once the bartender filled it. "What's it they call it, 'the necessary evil'?" Chloe snorted.

"Peh. Sounds a bit like how the High Houses back home will bicker with one another. No wonder our commoners call them toddlerborne."

"Pfffft!" Issac let off before huffing and giving a long chuckle. "Yeah, guess that's a constant about nobility no matter where you go."

"You guys got any... fun names for yours?" She asked him as she took a long sip of her own drink.

"Eh, nothing as spot on. Just things like snooty, childish, high and mighty..." He let off, shrugging as he sipped his own drink. "I mean I guess we have it pretty good here; Siversail ain't so bad to serve under and make sure there's good trade and shite. Honestly, most of the local nobility might be snobs but they keep their noses out of us lower classes' noses so I'm content with them."

"Really? They don't go around... causin' trouble?" Chloe let off, frowning as she caught a slight slur to her speech that was improper, even as she sipped at her drink.

"Nah... not here, anyway. Now if you go to Anvil and piss off them nobles, wellll, I'd leave in a hurry cause life is 'bout to become very painful... or very short." He let off with a snort. "Duchess Bludhorn is supposed to be a real piece of work. I mean let me put it to you this way; if the Anvil folk had a choice between her and that Dark Queen o' yours, who ain't popular here and is seen as kind of an evil witch... well, most of them would rather lick Olga's boots then hers."

"My Queen's not evil but... well... I guess I can see how that impression can come about..." Chloe said with a sigh.

"Right, right, you work right under her, don't ya?" Issac let off with a soft huff. "So, what the 'ell is she really like? I mean you hear rumors and shit but it's not like all that many folk get to sit down and chit chat with her, not from Eostia anyway..."

"...What have you heard?" She asked as he sipped his glass.

"They say she's a frigid 'itch... Cold and frosty with no emotions at all." He replied, as if recalling something. "They tell ya stories in basic training as a conscript, ya know? Like some that says she no dark elf, but some devil or fallen angel sent down to bring hells and damnation... Some go so far to call her the Daughter of Dagon and think that's why the Aberrant follow her." Chloe snorted as she sipped her own drink for a moment.

"She's not friggib... frigiid." She let off, waving her off hand as she forced herself to steady her voice. "But she's very calm and collected. Stoic is the better word; she has emotions but she controls them very well... when she does express them is a real treat." Well, usually... memories of her bellowing out 'inconceivable' at a volume no one knew she was capable of was more painful then anyone could have known. "But no, she's a dark elf, just trueborne. I dunno why the Aberrant follows her, but she's a dark elf."

"...The 'ell is a 'trueborne'?"

"It's... a little weird, but in the north they live near this... thin', the testicle of a giant, one of the ones that formed the continent... but I think there's like two or three dozen versions of the story..." She snorted and sipped her drink for a moment. "Anyway, anyway... it's supposed to be full of the giant's seed and if you go and bathe in it you get a daughter and that daughter is trueborne... And it's supposed to be rare back in Niddivellir these days... I dunno, never been there."

"Huh... Fuckin' weird, yeah..." Issac said as he sipped his drink for a moment. "... Then again they also say every time the Goddess Reborn has... that time of the month, flowers around her grow more... I mean it's more then like bunk, but still..."

"Pffft... Some people back home thinks my queen doesn't take shits."

"Oh? You hear that of Celestine too."

"Well I know Olga shits! It's the reason she doesn't eat shellfish anymore! ... ... Why did I say that?"

"Yer tipsy." Issac said with a snort as he finished his glass. "Fuck, so am I... ..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Another round, please." Issac said, setting two coins down.

The drinks would keep flowing.

[-]

"I thank you for coming... All of you." Olga made it a point to be at the door before everyone left, both to thank them all for coming but to also shake their hands before they left. Two would refuse her touch but the rest would accept and shake hands with the Queen of Garan; some eagerly, some nervously and some reluctantly... but it gave her a new feeling of hope; she was truly worried she couldn't gain the favor of her people after failing them but it had become clear that she could; there might be a few fully beyond her reach now but not the bulk of them. Once the last one was gone and the guards shut the door she sighed and moved to a seat, setting her hand on it's back and leaning on it as she heard Celestine walking towards her.

"You did well, I'd say..." The High Queen said to her counterpart who sighed. She giggled and smiled as she moved to stand beside her as the Dark Queen moved to stand up fully. "Your situation is not enviable but you've taken to correcting it well. You are rising to the challenge."

"Thank you." Olga said with a sigh as she smiled gently. "I am more hopeful now then before... and I have enough confidence to begin talks formally. If I can ask, any word on Chloe's tour?" She asked... and was worried as Celestine's face turned neutral.

"She is well, but something happened that you should know of. Let us go to the dining room; I've asked for us to be served a late lunch and it will be ready soon; so as we wait I can brief you." Olga nodded as she to schooled her face to a neutral look as the pair moved to leave the throne room and towards the dining room, the guards either moving with their task tone or following in escort.

"I imagine there would be some troubles; I'd expect the same if you had a human aide touring my cities under opposite situations." Not that they'd be as gracious, something Olga felt was a bit shameful. "I imagine she wasn't welcomed warmly."

Celestine would sigh; it took little time for them to arrive and to seat across from each other. "That's... there's more to it then that." She began before starting to explain all that happened in regards to the three slave hunters, their suspected connections to Chloe's old master and who they suspected told him about it... as well as their lack of proof for it all. Olga's frown grew as she was told of what happened but she stayed calm the whole time.

"So, that aged, old man holds tight to what he thinks is still his. Fool..." She let off before she looked to Celestine. "You must know I am not pleased hearing this. I thank you for telling me anyway."

"I am sure Chloe would have informed you regardless." Celestine replied as she sighed. "Regardless while we cannot do anything direct to him we can make life a little harder for him in the short term, anyway. More over once the peace is secure and you've had time to improve Garan's situation I am hoping to bring you into the greater politics of Sererus; while a pain it can be, at times, a benefit and bring more wealth and prosperity to your people."

"I imagine it would be nowhere as troublesome as speaking with the United Kingdoms..." Olga let off... as Celestine tilted her head slightly in confusion.

"You've had contact with the United Elven kingdoms?"

"You're surprised?" Olga let off, blinking back in turn. "They've offered some trade in magical knowledge and some rare items; mostly enchanted weapons and armor. They usually arrive on their flying birds. Once, three hundred years ago, the Diamond King arrived to speak with me directly." Celestine shut her eyes for a moment as she mulled over it; while not allies the UEK and Eostia were on friendly, peaceful terms and had diplomatic relations with one another... although one that was recently strained, thanks to the actions of the House of Willowglow and the Emerald Throne. She had asked the UEK ambassador what level of contact they had with Garan and the answer she was given was none. She had then thought back then that she was being lied to but had no evidence to the contrary... until now.

She would take a moment to express this to Olga as both women frowned in thought with Celestine breaking the silence. "It is possible the ambassador himself was ignorant of such dealings but I doubt such a high ranking official would be unaware of these things. More over while expensive trade for elven enchanted weapons and items does occur with Eostia."

"... Strange..." Olga let off as she shut her eyes in thought before opening them and speaking once more. "What aims do they have?"

"That is difficult to say. It could be simply they do not care as the Kingdoms have been... indifferent to humanity for the most part but it could also be that different factions within boast different aims; one willing to make a profit off of humans, one seeking to prolong the war or see humans dead. It's hard to say for sure; there are a few political blocks inside the kingdoms, as much as they act as if they are of one mind."

"In fairness we have always tried to do so before Eostians." Olga replied as she thought. "And our own people. For that matter the Pure Council did the same... Why has your nobles never done so?"

"Have you met them?" Celestine let off with a scoff. "They can do so as several political blocks but they can't come together in a single block." She said as their lunch was brought in on a wheeled cart. "The people know that as well... and trend to support their own, preferred blocks. I do, however, find that a populace able to vocalize their objections and problems are more willing to stay docile then those who are unable to vent them. It also assists a wise ruler in understanding what his or her people need. I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to give you an overview of Eostian political factions; if only because you'll likely need to deal with them in the future."

"I see..." Olga let off as the food was set before her; a thick looking soup, a well made sandwich and a small salad. She was more then pleased to see a grape juice on the tray as well. "Perhaps they are merely more honest. ... I do wonder what the matrons are doing in my absence? I've never had to leave them be for such an extended period."

"Indeed; I often worry what is going on in Skyguard in my absence and my departure was planned." The High Queen replied as the pair started to eat. "With luck they'll do nothing foolish..."

"...These days, I have no confidence in that..."

[-]

"You... you don't need to-"

"Nonsnese, M'Lord Noxdecus! Really, for all you've done you've earned far more!" I had planned to buy a few books as Chloe went to the bar for... well, I assumed she was there to talk to Issac for reasons of her own. I did my best to not think of it and opted to focus on my own situation of shopping. I would have a few things sent to the Castle to bring home with me; namely a series of spices for Sora, a small cask of honey and another small cask of elven berries. For myself I bought a grab bag of spell stones (Including a sizable grade four; like double the size of the original X-Box controller. That could have some use.

Currently however I was at a store that specialized in magical books buying a series of three on spell crafting, one on enchanting, another on what was learned of elven magic and one on hybrid magic. In short I was stocking up for my work over the winter. In total it was worth twelve platinum; expensive for books but half of them hadn't had copies made via the printing press yet.

I was being charged a mere six platinum.

"Really, I'm not one to use fame to have prices undercut by such a deg-"

"I have two brothers in the war..." He let off, cutting my words before I could finish them. "Younger ones. Last letter I got from them says you defeating Olga made sure they'd see the end of things." Said man was a kindly sort; bald head with a halo of brown, slightly graying hair and a matching, bushy mustache, kind brown eyes behind rounded glasses and a slightly large, rounded nose. He stood some five six, fairly short all in all, and wearing a well, green tunic with gold patterns along the trim, black pants and brown boots; answered to the name of Carl Houser. "It is not fame that has me do this... it's thanks." I sighed and shook my head but smiled none-the-less.

"Fine... But at least let me pay eight so I don't feel guilty tomorrow."

"If you insist, M'Lord." He said, finally relenting... somewhat as I paid up and loaded the books into my armor's bag of holding. One last shake of his hand and I was off.

Honestly I had done all I wanted to do, even stopping for a bite (Treating my escort, of course) as I wandered back to the Speaking Cups to see if Chloe was still there. Instead I saw her about half way there... and swaying on her feet, red faced with a slightly, cheerful grin as Riri kept a hand on her arm to both steady and guide her. I blinked as Riri waved with her other hand as I got closer. "Chloe... are you drunk?" I asked as she looked to me.

"Meeybe... Dunno... Been 'while since... that... th'ng where a bottle of vood-ka was poured into my ass..." She half spoke/half slurred as she looked to me. "Wazn't mean'nen ta dr'nk a while... Jus' wannad ta ask that Issac guy, 'is name 's Issac, yeah, why he 'elped me back 'ere... then I bought 'im a dr'nk, he boughta me one, we talk-eed... ... I th'nk were friends 'ow... Dunno..." She said as I sighed and shook my head... but smiled, happy for her as I moved over, pausing only to pass Riri the Shining Gemini.

"Here. Hop on my back." I said as I smiled to her, turning around and crouching. "I think you can use a nap after drinking all that."

"Meeybe..." She let off with a soft giggle. It took her only a moment to hop onto my back, arms around my neck as I slipped my arms under her thighs and grabbed her shins to hold her up (I didn't want her legs catching on my weapons handles) as I carried her with ease, standing up as we started to walk back to the castle. She was light enough I didn't fully feel her weight; more like I was carrying a sleeping bag on my bag. Then again I was a lot stronger these days then I had been. She hummed into my ear, staying otherwise silent as I walked back; pausing only to give random, wide waves to the odd person who were initially confused why a hero of the war was giving a cheerful dark elf a piggyback ride and then why a hero of the war was giving a cheerful, drunk dark elf a piggyback ride.

We would reach the carriage we were using (Leaving the Cloud Rider parked in town seemed like a bad idea) and rode back to the castle before I would carry her to bed (Making sure to let Riri help her use the bathroom first to avoid her waking up to... unneeded moisture), took her boots off, tucked her in and let her rest; she conked out as soon as head met pillow.

Once the door to her quarters were shut I sighed and looked down to Riri. "Well?"

"They really did just talk." She said as she waved with a hand, walking and guiding me down the hall. "There was a bit of snipping at each other to the start but then... she opened up a little... he opened up a little... and then they just slowly... bonded..."

"Well... we're not so different, under it all." I replied with a sigh, moving to my own quarters and, with a nod of the head, gestured to go in. I would unload my books into a trunk before moving to sit down and sigh. "We all have our sufferings and pains, if different in origin and scale. I guess once you see a mutual pain... race becomes a little less important... Either way, I think we've done our job well enough... I think we'll leave for home tomorrow and then head to Mooncast after."

"Sounds good. Need a drink?"

"Hmmm, maybe just some tea." I mused at Riri's offer. "After seeing Chloe stumbling around I think I'll skip anything like that for a bit."

[-]

I offered some healing for the hangover once Chloe was awake in time for supper and while her drunken cheer vanished she still seemed to be in a good mood afterwards, even cracking the odd smile now and then. To me it seemed as if she dropped a weight off her shoulders and was glad to be rid of it; I wasn't fully sure but in the end her talk with Issac seemed to do her a lot of good. It did me good as well; if two people like them who hated each other on what they were could make peace then it was sign it could be done on a larger scale.

Come the morning we loaded up, this time landing in Geofu overnight before moving on to Mungale the next morning, arriving not too long before lunch. I was piloting once more and bringing us down gently, landing us and driving us into the manor grounds, giving the guards a wave as we went past, and parked before our doors. I clambered out and soon Riri, Chloe and the Dawn Templars followed out; they were all in the back playing poker for most of the trip. As it turns out Chloe had a decent poker face; even so she only won a little more then she lost. Riri brought her stuff along as I opened the door with Sora arriving in the entrance hall to greet us. "M'Lord, welcome home."

"Good to be back, Sora. For a day even!" I said with a playful tone. "I assume Miika has been well while we were gone?" I had mentioned Mokria and Miika to Chloe before (I think Riri did as well, but still) and I was curious to how the little munchkin had been doing.

"Ah, yes... It's like having a young Miria here a second time." She said with a smile as I tilted my head.

"Oh, how so?" I let off... before something soft and light hit me on the back with small arms wrapping around my neck from behind. I blinked for a moment as Sora tried not to snicker, my eye twitching as I slowly reached my arm back and grabbed something, lifting it up and holding it before me; the thing being Miika, my hand holding the back of her dress as I looked to her face. "Hello Miika."

"Hiiiiii!" Came the cheerful reply as she giggled and squirmed in my grip. Yeah... Miria used to tackle me out of nowhere too until we grew up a bit... Catalan thing, I guess.

Well, Miria was able to knock me down back then, given we were closer in size. I turned to face Chloe and moved my hand to face Miika to her as well. "This is Miika. Miika this is Chloe." I said... before adjusting my grip to the girl's hips and softly tossing her to Chloe who yelped and caught her about the waist. "You two are friends now."

"Yaaaaaay!"

"N-now hold on!" Chloe let off as Miika cheered, blinking at me. "I don't know how to interact with a child!"

"Good time to learn." I replied with a chuckle. Then I paused before looking to Sora. "Speaking of, I presume you've been teaching her in our absence?"

"Mostly Riri has been; she's learned to read a few words but we're still working on her alphabet." Sora explained... as Miika hugged a confused Chloe about the neck, bouncing softly in her arms. "She's also found the old fencing foil you trained with as a child her age."

"Huh..." I mentally noted to have her checked for magical potential; just in case. Sure, Miria had no talent for it... but both my mother and her sister didn't despite grandfather being a notable mage of his era; one member of the family hosting magical talent didn't mean another would and one not having the talent didn't mean another wouldn't. A case in point was Arnold von Blitzhaus; he wasn't a mage by any means but of his four children half were. Regardless; I recalled that her Squire trait only applied to melee classes and magical ones didn't apply.

(We did test her later on, for the record, the answer was she had a very low amount of magical talent. Not enough to become a mage of any sort but enough to use magical weapons without command and maybe use some, weaker spells or an elemental weapon spell or two.)

"Oh, right! I like it! Hang on!" Miika let off, squirming and soon Chloe set her down as she ran off. Shrugging I followed, hearing Riri dismiss the Templars for the moment

before following me with Sora and Chloe. I ended up following her to the training room and a bit of odd nostalgia came to me via the memories I gained when I entered the world when I saw what Miika was holding on one hand as she walked back over.

Training foils were... well not unlike my old world's one; a thin, spring steel that was a bit soft (For steel anyway) to limit damage. The blade was a slight oval shape to give it rounded 'edges' and bore a small, rounded ball on the tip. Unlike most the ball tip was a spell stone that would cast a light shield spell around the blade designed to further soften the impact; said stone was low grade but did the job. It was sized for a child too; with a blade under two feet long. I was amused she found it.

I was less amused when she showed off by moving to a dummy and swung the blade at it. No, I was offended; the fencer in me didn't like seeing a foil used as a bludgeon.

I moved to get another foil and moved over to her, setting a hand to her shoulder and gently pulling her back as she blinked up at me as I shook my head. "No, not like that. Watch." She stepped away and watched as I took a half step back and then thrust in with the end of the blade, rocking the dummy softy. as I started to speak, going through a simple thrusting pattern. "The rapier isn't a weapon that you bash things with. Yes, you can slash and cut with it and it's decent at it but it won't match a katana, falchion or even a long sword for cutting power. It is a weapon designed to thrust with a weight similar to other one handed blades but with the weight closer to the grip. This makes control of the point much eaiser."

"Oohhh." She let off as I moved to hold the blade before me.

"When you do slash you want to put more of your wrist into it then the arm; make it quick and snappy." I said, showcasing a few such slashes, adding an extra snap of the wrist just before impact. "Remember the blade itself, comparable to others, is light and can't be used in the same way; the weight, as I said, is closer to the handle and pommel." I said, stopping and stepping back. Getting the idea she would move to stand before the dummy once more, look at her foil and then move to mimic my thrusts. I watched for a bit, gauged how she was doing, paused her to adjust her stance then let her go again.

After a few minutes she seemed to get the hang of it as I gave her small tips here and there. It came to mind that it was possible she could have a natural advantage in using the rapier over most others; as a Catalan she had a tail... which didn't sound like much until you remembered that cats used them for balance and while you couldn't be weak to use a rapier (It still weighed as much as contemporary, single handed swords) it was still a weapon of finesse and precision... things that require a good deal of balance to manage.

"Perhaps you should offer her more tutelage in the blade?" Chloe suggested as she crossed her arms, watching on. I shook my head as I looked back.

"I'm less sure, the style I rely on depends on magical abilities; if she lacks them I can still help but it'll require a different mindset." I replied, cupping my chin for a moment. "Still... I can show her a few things, when time permits." That earned me a big grin from Miika as she squealed lightly... I had to ruffle her hair as it was so cute. She giggled a bit before I looked to Chloe. "What about you? Anything you could think to teach her?"

Chloe narrowed her eyes at me. "Why are you trying to make me engage with a child?" I sighed and moved over to her, leaning close to her ear; I expected her to flinch a bit but she didn't.

"Because you never got to be one." I said softly as she stiffened for a moment but nodded at my meaning... and given what I knew of her she was enslaved as a child and... likely didn't have much happiness before that. Chloe looked to the side and as I looked we noted Miika had walked over to us, looking up to her with an innocent, childish smile.

"...Fine... I guess I show her... something..." She said, sighing. "...Like... I'm not sure..."

"Well maybe share a hobby you have with her." I suggested... as she moved a hand to rub the opposite bicep. "...You... have a hobby, right?"

"...I train to be a better commander and warrior." She said as I sighed.

"We need to change that."

[-]

I wasn't exactly sure what we could have Chloe pick up and take an interest in. Drawing was out; she knew how to but it was forced on her by Mandeville as a means of making pictures of targets. Games like chess were out; she could play but was isolated from many of her peers due to their prejudice. She read but that wasn't something one shared often with others (Although she could read to Miika, I suppose). She didn't care for the ideas of metalwork, pottery or woodworking of any sort beyond what she needed to know to repair things.

Then I suggested trying to learn a musical instrument.

Chloe gave a huff and asked what I knew of music. To that I whipped out the ole' flute and played a flute only remix of the Gravity Falls theme.

She offered no more push back on the subject, even after I told her my cousin was more talented in that regard. The manor had some instruments to choose from and I was versed in them enough to play at a basic level; that said I was only truly proficient in the flute. Still I knew enough to show them the basics and get them started... although I had to pull Miika away from the piano as she just started banging on the keys and making noise as opposed to music. Instead she settled on the harp which Cress showed me a bit more of while we were on the road. I was able to direct her to make a basic song and while... she needed improvement that's how it starts.

Chloe choose, interestingly, the violin which I got her started on... and she'd wince every time she made a harsh note. I gently coached her, noting it looked like she expected to be slapped or something after each mistake; given her upbringing I wasn't surprised and while Miika was enthusiastic about learning the harp (Perhaps too enthusiastic by half) Chloe was more subdued but still frustrated; huffing and looking to me after a while. "I'm not that talented at this." She remarked after another screeching note.

"Maybe. But a lot of things start like that." I said with a chuckle. "At first you suck. Then you suck less. Then you stop sucking and get decent." I said as I smiled and looked at Miika, snapping my fingers. "Here. This is what I'll do; I'll play a song and then you two start playing with me."

"Wait... how do we join you if we don't know the song?" Miika asked, tilting her head to one side as she blinked to me.

"That's not the point; what I want you to do is go with the music's flow." I replied gently. "You don't need to know the song; play how you want. Just try and make it harmonious. It doesn't matter if you don't get it right or miss a couple notes; just play." I said as I leaned over to the piano, tapped the flute gently (And I mean very gently) before moving to start playing. This time I opted to pull from the sixth Final Fantasy game for Terra's Theme as I let them prepare a moment before I started. It was maybe a few seconds before Miika joined in, plucking her strings. It was... interesting. Terra's Theme was always... how do I put this? Beautiful but a bit haunting with an undertone of being uplifting; as if you know the journey ahead will be hard and unyielding but there was true hope at the end of something greater. That's my interpretation, anyway.

As Miika plucked she added a more uplifting tone to it; in a clumsy, awkward 'I know the basics and nothing else' manner, likely using her Catalan hearing to guide her more then anything else. Chloe would jump in a moment later and after a moment begin to play in a likewise awkward manner (Elven hearing likely helped but it wasn't nearly as acute as a Catalan's) and focused on the more haunting and forlorn aspect of the song.

It kinda made sense overall; Miika was young, innocent and despite her current difficulties being so far from her tribe she got to meet a sister she never knew she had, got to see a new land and explore new things she never had before. Sure she was, in the moment, separated from her father (Who I knew made it a point to call once a night to check on her) but was surrounded by friendly, caring faces.

By contrast Chloe bore decades of a hard life; slavery, combat, disdain from humans and dark elves alike, her past was rough and an anchor to the soul. More over she had lost in battle, found herself and her beloved queen captured, dug up problems previously hidden from them and even had her hellish past resurface. Uncertainty ruled the day for her, to be sure... and yet...

Miika kept her song as it was, clumsy, missing notes or misplacing them (My former high school music teacher would scream about how her ears was bleeding over their performance... but she was always a drama queen, soooo...) and I could hear Chloe's violin change a bit... a hint less clumsy but more a change towards an uplifting tone... The haunting undertone stayed there and stayed strong but there was a change... Was there a meaning to it or just Chloe learning a little more by doing..?

Who knows...

[-]

After some music, a late lunch and some talk I left for the training room and began to practice by new spell and, after sometime, had something to show for my work.

(-)

Holyjolt Weapon [Lvl I] (0/1000)
Magic Type: Holy/Lightning Hybrid
Cool Down: Low
Mana Cost: High

Imbue a weapon with a Holy/Lightning Hybrid Element; the weapon gains Holy and Lightning Elemental Damage each equal to a quarter the weapon's damage (Rounded Up), increasing the overall damage by half. Additionally it will also drain your target's mana (If it has any) and returns a portion of it to you..
(This Combat Art is also considered a Magic Spell)

(-)

I chose Holyjolt as a name as that Holy fit the naming trend I had going for my hybrid spells that were part holy, I just needed an electric based name to go with it. I chose 'jolt' as I felt it was a cool sounding word and 'volt' might be overused. And so Holyjolt Weapon was born with soft, golden lightning crackling over it!

I planned to add it into Gregory's weapon once it was prepared and it should add some more punch. I was also already planning to adapt both it and Shine Cracker to Darkness/Lightning Hybrids. After that... well, I wasn't sure. I wanted to make more hybrid spells but I felt I should start leaning away from holy and darkness fusions. After all based on what I knew there were some real cool effects if my research was right; water/lightning could make freakin' laser beams for starters, ice/fire should make scalding or burning hot ice and earth/lightning was supposed to cause explosions on the point of impact (If it was the ground) or directly under what's hit (If it's on the ground). And that was where it started.

I was kinda giddy at the thought.

Once done I opted to do a little more magical training; focusing on Physical Burst, Dark Flare and Holy Flare but mostly on Shine Cracker and my new Holyjolt Weapon as they were the ones I'd be enchanting into a weapon. That was my day until dinner; after which I bathed went to my own room for a rest. I also took sometime to read on some history; there was some interesting books on Roxford and Camafran made by the Historian Guild's Peter Sullivan.

As a general rule I tended to trust what the Historian Guild published as they were reliable in their standards; they made mistakes, to be sure, but in a world like this 'mostly accurate' was often good enough. I also had a bad feeling I was going to be more involved with politics whether I liked it or not and House Noxdecus had trade agreements with Roxford and Camafran was an ally to Eostia as a whole. I got a good deal in when a knock sounded on my door. I had a feeling of who it was as I bookmarked my tome. "Come in." Sure enough, opening the door and slipping in was Chloe. What I didn't expect was she would turn as she shut the door and I head a click as the door locked. I raised an eyebrow as I set my book down. "Evening Chloe."

"Hey." She said, breathing out in nervousness. "...Can I... talk for a bit? I... I think I need a favor."

"Of course." I said, moving to stand and grab a second cup; I had coffee out and would offer her a cup to which, once she walked over and took a seat, she's add a single spoonful of sugar to before mixing. Once we were both sat down I gave her a nod and waited to see what she had to say.

"... Before we left I talked to Iryna. And while... I agreed with what she had to say it wasn't until after Gwyn reappeared that I realized something in full." She said, taking in a breath before looking at me. "...Sex... the idea of sex... scares me..." She let off a breath before sipping her drink slowly.

"I can imagine. I think I was only okay talking anything sexual around Riri after she made a couple lewd jokes."

"Yeah... Honestly that's fine with me but... the idea of laying with anyone scares me..." She said to my reply. "Iryna said it was the last chain that old bastard had on me... And once I saw Gwyn again all I could think of was the sexual hells he put me through... and that I need to face that fear... break that chain before I can be free of him fully."

"Okay. That makes sense." I said with a nod. "So... what's your plan?" I asked... as she gave me a flat look. "What?"

"I've been told you've had enough women coming to your room late in the evening to work it out." She said with a deadpan stare before taking another sip of coffee as I blinked then blushed.

"In my defense most of those women are Eostian. And, well, not sexually traumatized ex-slaves." I replied as she nodded after a moment. "And also... why me? You don't... ya know, have someone back in Garan that's-"

"No." She said sharply and suddenly; as if slaying the thought itself before it could move. "There's not many outside of my queen who offers me much respect and the few men that show interest... they see me more as a piece of meat that they can stick a dick into. So yes, a human is the only one I can trust with helping me break the chain of another human. Such irony is not lost on me."

"If it helps, I am honored." I said as I looked her in the eyes. "But are you sure about this? Riri took five years of knowing me before she was ready and while I'd like to think we are friends-" She snorted but offered no more then that. "-it would be insulting to say we were particularly close right now, much as I'd prefer to be." And in response to that her look softened slightly. "You don't need to force yourself if your not ready."

"Heh... I think I can trust you... If nothing else you've been good to your word so far." She said as she bit her lip. "But no, I need to force myself... If I don't... ... I need to break that chain..."

"Chloe..."

"I'm scared... I'll admit that, but I've not let that stop me before, so why now?" She let off with a soft chuckle. "... So... can you... help me with this?"

"I'll admit, a lady of your beauty is always tempting." I said as I stood up and, after a moment guided her to her feet and pulled her close, moving my hands to the sides of her shoulders as I rubbed softly. "Are you sure about this?"

"You're a guy. Don't you just wanna... stick it in?"

"I do." I replied to her accusation, chuckling a bit as I did. "But if it hurts you then I won't." I said as she snorted in response.

"I've been hurt plenty. I doubt you could do worse if you tried." She replied... and to be fair, she wasn't wrong...

Stupid old man...

I leaned in and gave her lips a soft, gentle kiss as I moved my arms down and around her waist. "I'll be gentle, don't worry." I kissed her once more before letting go and stepping back before starting to disrobe down to my boxers. She squirmed a bit; as if unsure what to do which... I didn't blame her for; she likely either had someone act upon her or control her actions. I gently took her hand and led her to the bed and guided her into laying down. "Let me know if it gets too much."

"Just do it..." She said, nerves in her voice as she gulped. "I... I need to push through this..."

Brave girl... A little stubborn, but brave. Once laid down I cupped her cheek and moved to kiss her lips once more as I moved over and to the side of her as my hand drew down to her breasts; rather then grab at them directly, however, I opted to rub her chest above them. She seemed to tense up as my hand moved down but as I rubbed her with my palm she seemed to settle down a little. Only after she settled down did my hand moved down and over her breast, cupping it softly.

I could also feel the enchantments of her Armor Weave but also a weaker one on it's under layer and, once I worked it out, I was able to gently peel the cloth off and grope her more directly. She stiffened under my hand so in response I let myself rub over the side and base of the breast, ignoring the more sensitive nipple and it's surrounding area for the moment. Only once she relaxed did I move my hand up and softly pinched her nipple as she flinched softly. She tensed once more but rather then back up I kept things going as I gentle rolled the stiffening bud between my thumb and forefinger.

"It's... weird..." She let off as the kiss ended, panting under me as I toyed with her gently as she gripped the sheets under her. "I... I never had it feel like this, like... something's not there..."

"Do you know what it is?" I asked as she shook her head. She looked back at me with a blushing, panting face, eyes glazing over a bit in pleasure, even if a bit of fear remained, if controlled. I pressed on her nipple like it was a button and ground it down softly to pleasure her, getting a soft moan from her before moving to pull the other panel off the other breast and gave it much the same attention; she tensed up as I did but relaxed quickly.

"N-no..." She let off as she mewled softly, having thought of it for a long moment. "It's just... something's different..."

"Relax..." I said, moving my lips down to kiss at her nipple. "Don't fret on it... Let yourself enjoy it." I said, licking at her nipple as I suckled on it, wondering on her words... and as I moved a hand down to her groin I had an inkling as to what it was but opted not to mention it yet. She tensed, as I half expected, and rubbed over her sex as I waited for her to relax for a moment and only then did I slip her panties down. She mewled and moaned under me as I looked to her face; fear showed in her eyes but I could see some trust as well.

It was sad that I was likely in the top five of people she trusted.

I rubbed the inside of her thigh with my hand and slid them up closer and closer to her sex before cupping it with my palm, slowly and gently adding pressure as she started to squirm and after a moment I pressed two fingers to her lower lips and rubbed it up and down. Naturally she tensed up but once more relaxed, only tensing as I pressed the fingers up into her, pressing in until I could get my thumb onto her clit before rubbing it slowly and gently. I rolled the clit about as she quivered and even clenched up softly as she started to pant. "Wh-what... I don't... What is...?"

"Shhhhhh..." I let off as I moved to peck her cheek. "It's okay... Relax and let go." I let off as she mewled, almost sounding uncomfortable.

"It's... It's... It's too gentle..." She let off as I smiled to her.

"It's okay... Relax and let go..." She let off, squealing as she tensed up but for different reasons. "Just let go..."

"N-no... It's... too gentle... Why doesn't it hurt!?" She let off, whimpering with a few tears welling into her eyes as I moved my thumb a little faster but keeping the force down.

"It's not supposed to." I let off, trying to keep my own emotions in check and not cry for her. I was more and more sure about that inkling I had being right; Mandeville and his goons had made every sexual experience (Or at least nearly every single one) painful for her to the point she's never experienced pleasure without pain until now... It was honestly heartbreaking. She whimpered and after a moment her back arched, mouth opening without any noise for a long moment before finally squealing out as she quivering hard under me as she came, squirting on my hand as I pulled it free as she shivered hard and rocked her hips up into the air, almost thrusting it before collapsing to the bed and shaking in a full body shiver as she panted for a long moment.

As she recovered I slipped my own boxers off and laid down next to her. As she settled down I adjusted her to her side a little and lifted her leg up as I moved my cock to position. "W-what was..." She let off as I rubbed my cock to her sex from behind as I spooned her.

"That... was an orgasm with someone not hurting you as you came." I said, kissing at her ear as she turned her head to me. "I'm going to make love to you now so... Don't worry about anything... Relax, don't hold back and let me make you feel like a woman should feel..." I said as I started to press myself into her and once my cock wedged in I moved my hand to her hip the other sliding under her to pull her closer to me before I started to rock my hips; making her mewl deeply as I drove in slowly.

I started to rock into her, slowly, steadily but above all else gently. I hugged her a little tighter as I rocked into her, keeping my pace as she shivered and mewled. "C-come on... it's too... gentle... It feels so weird... I'm scared... it doesn't hurt at all..." She mewled out, arching her back as I moved to kiss her neck.

"Shhhh..." I let off, moving to kiss back at her ear once more. "Shhhhhhh... It's okay, relax... Just let go... It's not meant to hurt, just relax and let go..." I did pick up speed but I didn't add much more force, I wanted to stay as gentle as I could. She deserved something gentle and loving. I kept going, kissing at her neck and ear as I groaned into her; she was hugging my dick snugly. "You're so tight..."

She mewled louder as I worked myself into her, whimpering and mewling as she looked at me. "It's... so intense... So different then all I remember... N-no... I'm scared..."

"It's okay." I said, leaning to kiss her lips gently. "It's okay to be scared... But you'll be fine, I promise..." I did my best to keep my voice soothing as I rocked into her deeper and deeper while staying as gentle as I could; I wanted to make her cum with minimal roughness and kept my motions measured and controlled. As I did she reached over and wrapped an arm around my neck then moved to wrap the other around and join it.

Our eyes locked as I kept up my gentle rutting, rubbing her hip soothingly as I rocked into her, making long strokes (Or at least as long as my position allowed) as I groaned into her as I did my best to work the fear from her eyes as her pants turned to deep mewls and groans, head leaning back even as her eyes stayed locked on mine... and then I found a little spot in her that the head of my cock rubbed into as her eyes crossed and her back arched.

Ah, G-Spot found.

Well what else was I supposed to do? I started to rock my hips to target that little spot and started to grind it softly but a bit firmly, making her teeth grit as she squealed. "Ahhhh! S-stop! S-stooop! It's too much! I'm... Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!" She let off as she came and not gently; she turned about a quarter into my as she game, her pussy clamping down hard as I groaned and held onto her as she all but convulsed next to me for... longer then most of my partners, likely as a result of her 'Sexual Conditioning' trait. Hell, it was her clamping down and convulsing that had me cumming inside of her; for me it wasn't as intense a climax and, yet, I still found it a highly satisfying one as she finally calmed down as I pulled free of her.

She was still shivering and panting as I softly turned her to me, moving to cuddle her to my chest, pressing her head to it as I rubbed her back softly, kissing her forehead. I waited for her to calm down before speak. "Do you feel okay?" I asked as she nodded once as she finally stopped panting quickly.

"F-fuck... I nearly passed out..." She let off as she gave a long groan. "What... what was that?"

"That was sex." I said with a chuckle. "Although some also call it 'making love'." I said as she snorted... but I could see the small, honest smile she had.

"It sounds corny... But if that's what corny is... I'll take corny." She let off... before yelping as I pinched her ass.

"Shut up and enjoy it." I said, chuckling as I let go to sit up. I would lift one of her legs and undo the boot on it, taking it off and tossing it aside before doing the same with the other. Once done I laid down and pulled her onto my chest as she blushed but curled into me.

"...Are we... ummm, doing more?"

"We can if you want." I replied as I smiled to her, stroking her side with my palm. "But we can also cuddle and just relax."

"... That sounds... nice to be honest..." She said, moving a hand to her head and, after a moment, her ponytail was undone and her hair let free. She threw the tie aside as I moved a hand to pull my finger through her silky locks. "I've never done this before... Just... curled up into someone... I like it..."

"So, you're a cuddle virgin then?" I teased as she slapped by abs in response.

"Shut up!" She let off, but not a hint of anything stern reached her voice as she shyly blushed at me, that small smile staying put. "...But you are the first person I chose to sleep with..."

"Well like I said with Riri, as good as a virgin to me." I said as I moved my other arm to stroke her side as I looked up to the skylight. "... For what it's worth, you're a strong woman, Chloe. For all that's happened to you that you can let yourself trust once more speaks volumes. I'm glad to be able to call you a friend... and I suppose lover as well."

"Mmmm... Thanks, lover boy." She said as her hand stayed on my abs and stroked softly as she shut her eyes. "You're warm."

"So are you." I replied as I chuckled lightly, moving my hand to her waist and letting it rest there. "... I called Celestine earlier, it sounds like she and Olga are making... Chloe?" I let off, as I looked to her face.

She fell asleep, leg moving over to hook mine as she let off a snore so soft I almost mistook it for a deep breath. I chuckled once more and said nothing more. I would, eventually, get up long enough to pull out a couple spare blankets for us, but I went right back to cuddling with her.

She deserved it.

[Banged List]

Banged Chloe the Unbroken=100xp x 5 First Time Bonus=500xp
+20% Rising Star of Eostia Bonus
Gain 600xp Total

Achievement Unlocked: From Enemy to Lover
Bed a woman on the enemy side that you have fought at least once before.

[-]

Napreryvnyy City, Magical Laboratory
Southwest Blazecrown
Near the Borders of Blackshard and Onyxcloak
Kingdom of Garan

"Everything is healing nice..." Stasia let off as she looked over Bronka's new, right arm. The stitches had been cut free before being removed and the skin healed well. She applied a bit more healing magic to close the stitch holes as she spoke. "This'll be perfect once we're ready."

"So, when will we be ready?" Bronka asked as she pulled her arm back once the healing was done, flexing her arm and testing it. It didn't feel right, it didn't feel like her arm... but it felt like an arm and for what she needed to do it was what she could use. The table she was sat at was off to the side of the laboratory where the Abomination stood in it's scaffolding, a sight that dominated the room. Various elven mages were working on the scaffold testing and working, placing spell stones and taking readings. The Abomination was a worthy name, even if not chosen by it's creator; it loomed over the room in a lifeless manner and yet it looked as if it could break free and destroy them all in a moment. That it had no mind of it's own was the only reason it couldn't... or so it felt.

"We'll be ready to begin testing in a couple of days." The operator said as she took a moment to stretch her back (With a soft, audible 'pop' from her spine) as she sighed. "What we'll do is hook you into the Rebenok Giganta so you can test how well you can control it's mana systems. I've spent the last three years pulling mana into it and have it stored inside of it and the spell stone core. We've kept pushing it in, making sure not a hint of mana escaped to make it as powerful as possible, stretching and expanding it's system."

"In short you'll be in control of the psychically and magically most powerful being in the world since the giant walked the realm." Stasia finished as she grinned openly. "And then you'll be able to run roughshod over the humans... free our cities and then level theirs. This is the power of my true genius!" Bronka said nothing to that for a long moment; she wasn't sure if the other elf was crazy or not... but it didn't matter, as long as she got her revenge. Although... she had to ask...

"Is that why you made it? To prove how smart you are?" Bronka asked her as Stasia went silent and turned to face the creature; what she called the Rebenok Giganta, what everyone else called The Abomination.

"...Did you know I was adopted into House Highcraft?" She asked her as Bronka blinked to her. "I'm a laborborne, abandoned to the streets and left doing what I could to keep my ribs from meeting my spine. Often it was running small jobs, running things to and fro, helping smuggle odds and ends in and out of the city... and then some lowborne disagreed with a street rat crossing their path and had me beaten... and when I mean beaten I mean beaten. My left side was broken; arm, hand, leg, ribs, the side of my skull... I was only able to crawl, painfully and then collapsed in hurt and hunger. I thought I was going to starve there in a broken body and passed out."

"When I woke up I was in a bed, warm and partially healed and bandaged. A kindly man came in and started to feed me, asking me my name, my story." She said, moving to sit on a chair, turning it sideways as she kept looking to her creation. "His name was Vasiliy Highcraft and he wasn't... all that popular with his house and, well, unlike the rest of the lowborne he took pity on me and opted to keep me around until I was healed... at least until I proved to have magical talent and more then a little cleverness. Then he adopted me into his care; quietly at first. The House was... not happy when they learned of it but by then I had proven enough worth by both excelling in my schooling and showcasing my enchanting abilities to be properly considered lowborne."

"Not that it stopped my now 'peers' from pushing me around, stealing credit and more... I took on the project that led to Belyy Klyk's creation as an aide, absorbed everything about spawnborne, transmutation and even stone to flesh mana transfusion." She listed out as Brokna's nodded; surprised at the last one as transferring mana from a person to a spell stone as well as the inverse was difficult at the best of times. "After that failure I managed to pitch an idea that would promise the power of a spawnborne with the control and focus of an elf... And now... it's almost here... My revenge against all those who'd see be brought down and ruined... to those who would beat me and leave me for dead in an alley... All will know this, the hammer that will destroy the humans once and for all... was made by a laborborne... and I will force the Low and High Houses to pay attention and respect what we can do."

Bronka was of... a mixed opinion. Once more she was dealing with someone trying to rise well over their station of birth... well beyond what they should have been trusted with... and yet she herself was highborne, the cream of the crop and she had failed, then failed and the failed once more, even losing an eye and an arm in addition to her sister... And the low and high houses were being beaten back now more then ever, even losing their Trueborne Queen...

More over she was reminded that some lowborne who uplifted from the laborborne were fully capable and more so then her; Commander Chloe being an example. If Stasia could prove herself... showcase that her creation could turn the war around for them should she not be given the chance?

She lifted her right arm up and flexed it to the point it strained as she looked over it. "Then let us both gain our revenge... together..."

[ - Author's Note - ]

Whew... That was a chapter.

So Olga is being questioned openly and is starting to establish a relationship with her people with a few unsteady steps, Chloe and Issac ends up in a strange sort of friendship, Rubin and Tsarina have a moment to be on the winning side of a fight for once, we see Miika once more and Chloe finally gets laid by her own choice.

The two biggest things I had for this chapter was the chat between Chloe and Issac and the love scene at the end. On the first I felt it would be more impactful on her if she and someone who shared animosity for one another talked, found common ground and even befriended each other to a degree. The inspiration to the scene was the story of a friendly, honest black man who was told a member of the KKK hated him, wondered how a man who didn't know him could hate him... and opted to go talk to the guy and, eventually, befriend him and even deescalated his views. It's easy to think that every racist is some sort of irredeemable monster or base fool and not see old wounds and pains or poor upbringings and consider them beyond reach.

In short; hate is easy. Understanding is hard.

As for the other the idea was always to have Chloe a bit scared and even unsure during it because she's so used to pain being a part of the pleasure she's not sure how handle pleasure without it... leading to something more intense and meaningful in the end.

Or at least that's the aim; if it worked or not is up to you.

On another note; we are now in the official tail end of Act Three with one, big event to come and one smaller one after. I don't think I have to explain what the big event is centered on.

And with that I'll ask you to do the usual; leave a comment, tell me what you liked, didn't like and think could have been done better. And let us all thank [Insert the God/Entity of your choice here] that it's not going to balloon to the levels of Act Two!

Until next time!

~Eostian Scribe