Chapter 24 – New Life
The rest of the day was spent outside the capital hunting monsters. There were more than enough to be found in the nearby grasslands. Nothing particularly strong, of course, since the capital was right there.
The monsters weren't enough to get the three of them to the next level, but that wasn't entirely the point. It'd been a few days since their last fight, so they wanted to keep in practice. Plus, Reina could always use more tokens and monster corpses for her power up methods.
The templar that had guided them out of the large city showed them the way back in the evening. Vyrdrun was able to walk outside without much difficulty, due largely to the vest he wore over his armor. It signified him as being owned and not a threat, something that irked Reina. Since Vyrdrun didn't mind due to the necessity of it, Reina held back her complaints.
Once they had a light dinner and returned to the church, however, Reina realized a slight problem. Specifically, it dawned on her when they returned to their room for the night.
"So…" Maria trailed off, looking away.
There was only one bed in the room. There was a mat on the ground as well, but Vyrdrun took that up.
Both women had on what they'd been sleeping in recently: shirts from dead bandits. Maria had started using one much earlier, largely because Reina demanded she wear something if she was going to use the shorter girl as a body pillow. Still, she only wore it while they were in a town, and even then only about half the time. Reina had reluctantly started to wear one too, as opposed to what she wore before. Maria had gotten the blood out of them with her spell and it was more comfortable than the padded shirt from her old armor.
The two had spoken about it before.
"I still don't know how you can sleep in that shirt." Reina had said.
"What do you mean?"
"It was worn by a dead person!"
"I cleaned the blood out of it."
Really, she could have gotten something to wear at night, especially since they got her clothes that day. It's not like they were expensive—especially considering some of Reina's other expenses—but she didn't think of it at the time. There were more important things happening then.
"We could always ask for another room." Maria offered.
"I'd rather not ask them for more." Reina countered softly. "Besides, we don't really need to…"
Things might have been done out of order, but Reina didn't want to change things now.
"It's just, with how things between us are now, maybe we shouldn't sleep together." Maria gave her view.
"But you've been cold at night, right?" Reina pointed out.
The day they visited that Gromnar village—as well as yesterday—Maria didn't sleep next to Reina. She understood the reason, but she also knew it didn't help Maria in other ways. Lacking body heat at night made her sleep less soundly, something Reina was able to pick up on.
"Well, there's always Vyrdrun…" Even as Maria brought up an alternative, Reina could tell she wasn't enthusiastic about it. Neither was she, for that matter.
"I don't mind helping." Vyrdrun said from his place on the mat.
"Please read the room!" Reina wanted to retort, but knew that probably wouldn't do much good anyway. For someone who's been shown to be observant, he can be a bit absentminded at times. Despite Vyrdrun not having any romantic disposition, Reina was secretly glad Maria didn't sleep with him on either night.
"Let's just sleep together like we have been." Reina said, moving closer to the bed and setting the egg on it.
"Boss, it's a little…" Her voice grew quieter.
Reina sighed. "You're really going to make me say this, aren't you?"
There was another reason why Reina wanted to continue as they had been. It wasn't because she wanted to be closer with Maria, though that was also true. It was something she discovered the first time they slept apart.
Knowing she was failing to hide her blush, Reina looked over at Maria. "I…don't sleep as well when you aren't next to me."
Somewhere along the way, Reina had become more-or-less dependent on Maria for sleep. It took much longer to fall asleep in that Gromnar village and she didn't feel as well-rested in the morning. The same was true last night, though for different reasons. Running into Lola and Maphai had shaken her, and she found she really missed having Maria next to her.
A goofy smile started to form on Maria's face. "W-Well, if my little hero needs this, I have no choice but to help!"
Reina could tell she was forcing it a little, but the prospect of good rest outweighed that.
With sleeping arrangements settled, Reina climbed into bed, Maria following shortly after. With a wave over her hand, Maria put out the lamp in the room and dismissed the light she conjured.
"Comfy~?" Maria asked, her arm wrapped around Reina from behind.
"Very." Reina sighed, holding the dragon egg against her.
"Good."
Everything was as it should be.
"I know you're uncomfortable, so thanks for this." Reina whispered.
"Just a little." Maria whispered back, her breath hot against Reina's ear. "Knowing you want to be with me…I'm just conscious of that, is all."
Reina could feel a smile spread on her face.
"If I'm being honest, I wanted to kiss you again since our date ended." Maria continued. "It's been a bit hard to resist."
"…Me too." Reina admitted.
To her, it felt like trying to do anything like that would pressure Maria into talking about things she didn't want to just yet. She figured Maria felt somewhat similar. If she were to kiss Reina without opening up about what she deemed really important, it would just be a physical connection and not something deeper.
Reina didn't want to take their potential romantic relationship lightly. While whatever Maria wanted to say was probably important, Reina didn't think it would cause her to hate the woman. There was still the possibility, and Reina didn't want to belittle whatever it was Maria had on her mind.
"Please grow to trust me more soon!" That said, the physical attraction was much stronger than Reina initially realized. It only really dawned on her now that she had that woman's arms wrapped around her stomach. And, of course, the large mounds that pressed into her back.
Reina wanted to be closer, both in body and in heart. Since one was still out of reach, she'd settle for the other at the moment, even if it was only a small amount.
~Forging Legends~
Morning seemed to come in the blink of an eye, something Reina wished against.
As she tried to stretch, she realized she didn't have the freedom to. One arm held the dragon egg against her side. The other arm was trapped by the woman she slept next to.
Reina looked down to see Maria sleeping peacefully against her chest. To be precise, Maria still had he arms wrapped around Reina, who had found herself on her back. Her arm was underneath Maria's back, but its exact position alarmed her.
Her hand was dangerously close to Maria's chest. If it was just a few inches higher…
"I'm glad she's still asleep." Reina breathed out a relaxed sigh. If Maria didn't sleep so much, she might have woken up first.
She freed herself from Maria, moving from the bed and getting dressed. "I might actually want to look into that whole 'chaste maiden' thing."
Looking into it might be a bit hard. Maria didn't know much beyond the few bits she shared. Asking the church might not be good, since they might give her a skewed view that Reina couldn't necessarily parse out from the whole truth. She'd really like to read about it herself, but she still needed to learn the language. Fortunately, today's plan could easily incorporate that.
Reina leaned up to see Vyrdrun eating breakfast. Meals were provided to them during their stay, though getting their own food was preferred on both sides. Her movement was enough for Vyrdrun to cast his gaze at them. He sat there, saying nothing.
Reina stared back at him. "What? Are you looking at me with contempt for nearly feeling up a sleeping person, or do you think I secretly wanted this?" Reina paused, seeing Vyrdrun wasn't responding to her mental assertions. "…Or, is that just your standard, neutral expression and I'm just projecting?"
With a few shakes, Reina as able to wake up Maria. They dressed and ate their breakfast without a fuss, then got ready for today's activity.
Reina wanted to accomplish a few goals, preferably before the Wave in two days. The first was to meet an archmage and see what they were about. The second was to find another spirit to contract with, since that could only increase her power. Both of those could be accomplished with a trip, though it would take at least half the day to get there.
There was a town Maria knew of that housed a powerful spirit.
The two of them rode in the cart the nipeigh pulled, Vyrdrun matching pace next to them. Bishop Valais wanted to send templars with them as an escort, but Reina refused. She didn't want to owe the church any more favors than she already did. Besides, the road was well-traveled enough that only weak monsters would appear and bandits would be at risk of encountering knights.
So, on the way there, Maria began teaching Reina how to read. She had a book from her pack she was using. Reina saw enough of the language before to tell it wouldn't be as difficult as she first thought. Language wasn't her strong suit, but luckily, this language seemed closer to Japanese than English, so she'd have a much easier time.
The hours passed them by. The occasional doll troupe broke up their studying here and there, but Reina was getting a decent grasp of the language's structure. It would still take her a while to read it, though. Maria was good at teaching magic, but that was something she was heavily interested in, given her occupation.
They were also able to stop by two other spirit locations on the way. Both places were guarded by a handful of templars, but Reina only had to show her forged spirit to gain entry.
Contract: Enchanted Fist
Restriction: attack down
Contract: Barkskin
Restriction: agility down
The effects and restrictions were pretty apparent, but Reina tested them anyway. Enchanted Fist would increase the power of unarmed attacks, also adding a magical component. Barkskin gave a modest increase to defense.
Reina could only see herself keeping the first spell. The bonus to her attack—thus her forged spirit's attack—was much higher than the reduction. Her forged spirit benefited from her own increased attack and having the spell cast on it.
The second one wasn't bad, but the restriction made it too difficult. The increase in defense was good, but it took away from her ability to dodge, which she should focus on more. It also slowed down her forged spirit, so intercepting attacks would be harder as well.
Additionally, having to use so many spells would be difficult. Maintaining the spells wasn't a problem, since she got a few basic rings as drop items. The problem was casting so many spells at the start of combat, assuming she had the time. Plus, each casting took MP, with a very small amount being consumed while remaining in effect.
Just getting the contract for a moment increased the strength of her skills and spells, so it was still worth it.
By late afternoon, they came across the town.
"Wow." Reina uttered.
"Surprise~!" Maria held her arms out.
Whatever ideas Reina had about a town that housed a spirit were quickly thrown out. It was built into the side of a mountain, spreading wide instead of having a big, central area. There was a path leading partway up the mountain, possibly to where the spirit was. What really got Reina's attention was the sight before her, as well as the smell.
"Is this a hot spring town?" She asked as they parked the cart at a stable.
"It is!" Maria floated off the cart. "It's thanks to the spirit that lives up the mountain, and the cult that revers it."
While that might have sounded bad, Reina knew Maria meant that more as a smaller religious group rather than a fanatical or dangerous one.
"This seems like a good time to switch studying topics." Maria started leading Reina and Vyrdrun toward the mountain trail. "Answer me this: what are gods?"
Reina pulled her knowledge, both what Maria already taught her and what she learned on her own.
"In reference to the churches, a god is a group of spirits that have agreed to work together. They're able to exist in multiple locations, those designated by people as belonging to that god. They share traits and tend to have similar restrictions, even if the spells are vastly different."
She recalled that the Azure Star had healing, wards, and smite spells.
"Also, the gods don't answer prayers, despite what people outside the church might believe. They don't really make their wills known, just conceptions based on the spells they grant and their restrictions."
"Very good." Maria nodded. "And how do priests get their spells?"
"The short answer is from higher ranking priests." Reina said. "A high priest is chosen by the god, who then selects others and grants them the ability to confer certain spells to even lower ranking priests and acolytes."
In essence, the high priest had all the spells available. The next rank down had fewer spells to use and allow others to use, and so on. Second to last are the priests who can only give out a single spell, like the Crimson Blade priest when they first entered Lespax, and the lowest are those with only one spell to use and can't bless others. Templars tended to have more spells, depending on their station, but rarely could they bless people with additional spells.
"I see someone was paying attention~. And here I was starting to worry you just saw me as a noisy woman~." Maria said with a wink. Reina gave her a strange look, but Maria continued to speak. "Now, what about unique spells?"
Reina had to think for a moment. "You mean spells that aren't granted by spirits. Those are made…by combining other spells together?"
Maria was a good teacher, but she did speak about a large number of topics. A good chunk was lost in their weeklong journey to Lespax. Since Reina had little experience casting spells, and none with combining them, that part easily fell away.
"That's one way, yes." Maria led them up the winding path. "While difficult, a mage or priest can combine a few spells together to form another one. An example would be Force Darts and Fireball. Take from the former the ability to track a target after being launched and from the latter fire damage in a small explosion. Both effects would likely be reduced, but a competent mage could still make a better spell than the two individual ones."
Maria then looked over her shoulder, a smile on her face. "But a Wizard can do more. When a spirit contract is broken, the spell itself is lost, but what it unlocked, the spell outline, still remains. With enough experience, spell outlines, and a base spell suitable to the task, a wizard can cast a spell they once had. Of course, casting these spells takes more time, depending on the wizard."
Reina couldn't recall ever seeing that in action.
"For example, I have the Twin spell modifier from a spirit, which I regularly use with Fireball. I can increase that to Triplicate, but it takes too much time to be effective. Casting Twin Fireball already uses more MP than using Fireball twice. I can even go up to four fireballs at once, but that would take even longer, and it would use more MP than casting Twin Fireball three times."
It was obvious why Maria would use the Twin modifier at all. A lot could change in just a few seconds. It could make the difference between whether or not an enemy got the chance to attack, so using a little more MP would be a good trade.
"Priests can do that too, but they usually rely on the extensive experience of their order rather than personal research. That limits them a bit. Practicing magic helps, but so does gaining levels. I wouldn't be surprised if, after this next Wave, I can use Triplicate at about the same speed and efficiency as I use Twin right now." Maria finished her explanation.
That would be a very nice addition to their fighting power.
"Do you cast any spells using old outlines?" Reina asked. "I remember you said you had other spells that aren't so great in combat. Is that what you were talking about?"
"A few." Maria nodded as they neared the top of the trail. "It's pretty rare that I'd need to. Plus, the ones worth maintaining constantly consume a fair amount of MP. Getting a good accessory helps with that." She flashed one of her rings to Reina, the one that looked far more elegant.
The rings Reina had would allow her to maintain a few spells with a small amount of MP. If she got better ones, the MP consumption could drop to nothing. Something to look forward to, once she got stronger spells or learned how to craft ones.
The group arrived at an archway leading into a cave, guarded by a man and a woman who looked to be in their mid-forties. Both of them were dressed in red robes, resembling something she might expect a monk-mage to wear.
"What business do you have at the Shrine of Fire?" The man asked.
Maria floated forward, gesturing to Reina. "This is Reina, the Spirit Forger. She's here to make a contract with the Fire Spirit."
The man looked Reina up and down. "Do you have any proof you are who she claims you to be?"
With that, Reina gave the same demonstration she gave twice already today. "Forge Spirit!"
The flaming zombie appeared before her, floating in the air.
"Insufficient." The woman spoke up. "Such a thing can be replicated."
"Huh?" Reina looked over at her. Other people could make a spirit like that? She hadn't seen anyone else do anything similar.
The man raised his hands and brought them together in a clap. "Conjure Elemental!"
The air around them turned hot. From his hands, a gout of flames sprung forth. They curved and bent in the air, seeming to form into a solid mass. At the end, the wavering face of a snake formed. It hissed, fire leaking from its mouth. From head to tail, it looked just long and wide enough to completely wrap around Reina's forged spirit.
"Wow…" Maria gazed at it in awe. If that was her reaction, not only was she not able to do something similar, but the spell was also likely powerful.
A moment later and the flaming snake disappeared. Reina opted to dismiss her spirit as well.
"Do you have any other proof?" The woman asked.
"I have my weapon around my neck." Reina gestured, her weapon in one of the amulet forms she copied recently.
The woman waved Reina forward. Once she was close enough, the female guard looked down at it. The purple gem that was always present in every form was clear to see. To add to the proof, Reina swapped it out to another form before changing it back.
The female guard leaned back up. "She is who she claims to be."
"Very well." The male guard nodded. "You may enter, but your party must remain outside."
Reina looked back at Vyrdrun and Maria. "Even though they're in a hero's party?"
"We are selective of who we allow in." The man said.
"No worries, Boss~! Vyrdrun is more than close enough to meditate." Maria happily called out as Vyrdrun nodded in agreement. "And I've already made a contract with this spirit."
The male guard looked over at her. "You seem familiar, but I do not recognize you."
"Oh, well, it was so long ago~." Maria playfully answered.
The man didn't look impressed by the response, but he didn't pursue it further.
Reina walked through the archway into the tunnel. The walls were lit with fire, though no torches were visible. The path sloped down, cutting off direct light from the outside.
After a minute of walking, Reina found herself in a small, circular room. It looked dug out, almost as if a monster once resided here. There was nowhere else to go, so Reina assumed this was where the spirit was located.
She eased herself to the ground, careful not to tip over with the egg on her back. Just like she did for every other spirit, she closed her eyes and began to meditate. She waited for the usual popup to appear in her status.
She waited. And waited. And waited.
Still, the usual sensation didn't come, nor any message in her status. It made her wonder if this spirit was somehow different. Maria didn't say much about it, other than it was really powerful.
In fact, it was supposedly so great, the cult itself would normally be either under threat of the churches or in their control from the start. They'd found a protector of sorts in an archmage from the Wizard College. While he wasn't guaranteed to be here, there was a good chance.
Deciding to see if she was missing something, Reina opened her eyes. Instead of the red-tinted walls she saw before, only darkness was around her. It wasn't that the lights had gone out. She was perfectly able to see her own arms. There was simply nothing there.
"It has been a long time, Hero of the Holy Ritual Implement." A deep voice emanated from behind.
Reina looked over her shoulder.
If someone were to ask her what would embody fire, three things would come to mind: a fire elemental, a demon, and a dragon, in that order. The second one already had a place in this world in the Demon Lords, so she was thankful that's not what she saw. Instead, it seemed to be a combination of the first and third.
The corpse of the black dragon in Gathana was big, but not overwhelmingly so. It was about the size of a normal Gromnar, comparable to a lean elephant. Easily ridable, assuming it would let a person ride it.
What she saw before her, however, was far beyond that.
She's played video games with giant monsters, but they usually weren't overwhelmingly large. It wouldn't be fun to hack away at a creature's foot and all that. Even with the game she played with her group, it was played on a grid mat, so it wasn't visually daunting. But the drawings in the rulebooks gave a good comparison. The largest creatures were shown to be at least a dozen times a person's size.
That's what she saw right now. A dragon made of pure fire that was bigger than she could imagine possible. What she saw in that cave before was a dragon. This was on a whole other level.
"Your body may have changed, but your reaction has not." It spoke again, seeming to smile viciously down at her.
"Oh god…" It was all Reina could say, barely remaining standing. It was at that moment she realized that she even was standing.
"You seem to have forged contracts with a few spirits already." The dragon grunted. "Annoying, but an exception can be made for the Holy Ritual Implement Hero. And, I see you have the right quality to wield my power."
Neither she nor the dragon moved, and yet it seemed to grow closer to you.
"You have a deep passion in you, though it appears to be for something rather useless. Used only for a recreational game of sorts, is it? No matter. I sense other things around you that you can use that passion for."
It lifted one of its massive claws and slowly brought it toward her.
"I do enjoy meeting every Holy Ritual Implement Hero that comes to this world, even ones that cannot wield my power. Enjoy my blessing, Hero, and let the fires of passion burn in you."
The dragon's claw reached her chest, piercing her. She felt no pain or discomfort, only the gentle heat of its body. Warmth spread throughout her, as if she soaked in the very springs she saw in the town.
In the next moment, Reina found herself sitting in the circular room again. It was as if the whole thing was a dream, but a notification in her status told her it was real.
Contract: Fire Attribute
Restriction: increased energy consumption
It didn't seem to be an actual spell. Reina didn't feel what she normally felt when she focused on it. She'd have to ask Maria to explain.
"That was…intense." The words fell from Reina's lips. Still, she had done what she set out to do.
"Indeed! The evil eye is strong in this one!"
"Gah!" Reina fell to the ground, spinning in place. She looked up to see an older man standing there, looking down at her.
"Fear not, young hero! I am a friend in this desolate and dangerous world!" He said, one arm to his chest with the other stretched out in the air.
"Wha…" Once more, Reina was at a loss for words. This time for an entirely different reason.
The old man chuckled, placing a hand over one eye. Reina realized he was wearing an eyepatch over it. In fact, she took a look at his clothing as well. His outfit practically screamed 'evil sorcerer'. His pants were red, but only one leg was visible. The other was covered in numerous belts, leading up past his stomach, leaving his chest bare. Around his neck and back was a long, bellowing red cloak. His graying hair was short, pulled back slightly, and somewhat spiky.
"Let us leave this infernal place with all haste! My own dark power threatens to spill forth!" With that ominous declaration, he sprinted up the only pathway to the room.
Again, Reina wondered if what she just saw was real. She didn't have any way to prove it, other than going outside again.
Deciding to do just that, Reina climbed to her feet and went on her way. A minute later, she was back outside. The man was, in fact, not a hallucination. He was animatedly talking with Maria, who looked to be doing her best not to sigh.
As if sensing her presence, the older man turned around and pointed at her. "And here is the newest member of our dark coven!"
Maria closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. The two guards also looked to be holding back their emotions at the sight.
"What's happening right now?" Reina asked with a deep confusion, walking toward her group. That unfortunately meant she was getting closer to the man who may in fact have some mental condition.
"Well, Boss," Maria opened her eyes and pointed to the older man, "this is Archmage Irumarimindeltor. Just call him Iru. He's the archmage that has an agreement with the Fire Cult, and…he's my old master."
"Uh-huh…" Reina looked disbelievingly at the man. He'd taken his cloak and wrapped his front with it.
"And now, perhaps another seeks my unsurpassable tutelage!" He slid closer to Reina, making her take a step back. "Do you too wish to walk the path of burning darkness?"
"…No." Reina had enough sense to reject his inane offer right away.
"But you must!" Iru raised his hand, letting it tremble in the air. "You are the chosen one! I can sense it! That was why you were summoned!"
"She is chosen." Maria floated next to her, snaking an arm around her side. "Chosen by me."
"Oho!" Iru stepped back, as if recoiling from some great news. "Have you found what is dearest to you and must hold close? How wondrous!"
Maria flinched at his words. "Yeah…"
"And with someone who looks so young! I knew you had a sense of humor."
"Mm-hmm." Maria let out through pursed lips.
For her part, Reina was too focused on the arm around her to react to Iru's words. "Did this always feel so nice?" Most of her touching had subsided since their kiss in the Gromnar village, aside from sleeping next to each other. Right now, this felt nearly as good as when they kissed after their date.
"Oh, kids grow up so fast these days!" Iru laughed, hands on his hips. "It wasn't so long ago that—"
"Master Iru, it was nice to see you again, but isn't there something you came here for?" Maria quickly interjected. If Reina had to guess, she didn't want him to say anything to embarrass her. Given what she'd seen of him so far, it was a more than reasonable assumption.
"Why, I came to see my old apprentice, of course!" Iru bellowed. "You up and disappeared one day, making me believe you were consumed by darkness!"
"I left you a note." Maria deadpanned.
"A forgery, surely!" Iru countered.
"Well, this has been nice, but we have to get going. Boss just contracted with the Fire Spirit. Right?" She looked down at Reina.
"Uh, right." Reina gave a hesitant nod.
"Ah, right, of course." With his eyes closed, Iru nodded. "Then you must make haste. But first, let us show the world that our burning hearts will never be swayed!"
"Master…" Maria let out a sigh, but then immediately perked up. "Actually, yes. Let's do that."
Iru smiled manically. He jumped back and struck a pose. It was the only way for Reina to describe it. It wasn't a battle stance or anything like that. Just a pose, one that made Reina question if he was as old as his graying hair made him look.
Maria, on the other hand, gave Reina a sly smile before floating near him. She pulled her staff from her back and lowered herself to the ground, as if standing. Her feet were spread wide with her back to Reina, one leg slightly bent and being shown off much more than normal. She faced away from Reina at an angle, allowing Reina to see the most prominent feature on her front. With her staff, she pushed her cloak to the side. The staff was held behind her, perpendicular to her body. With a smile, she pushed it down, accentuating her plump rear. She shoved her chest forward and threw her head back.
As if to complete the view, a small explosion came behind the duo. The resulting wind caused Maria's dress to flap, giving Reina an even bigger show. The whole thing seemed straight out of a morning anime.
Wordlessly, Reina placed her hand against her chest. "Did my heart just skip a beat?" She couldn't exactly place what she felt. It wasn't the cheesy display, but something about Maria. The woman seemed so radiant in that moment. Although, something did feel off about her action, but Reina paid it no mind.
"And now, a dramatic exit! Fire Jaunt!" Iru didn't even hide his intent. With his spell, his body lit aflame. He leapt to the air and dashed away, seeming to make footholds in the air and jumping off at high speeds.
Reina stood there and watched as the man she'd known for only a few short, painful minutes flew off into the distance. The whole experience was so surreal, she wondered if it even really happened.
"That was a human archmage?" Vyrdrun asked, clearly distressed. It was one of the few times Reina saw him show a strong emotion like that. He also mirrored Reina's exact thought.
"Unfortunately." Maria sighed, returning to her normal posture and replacing her staff on her back.
"He seems…" Reina couldn't find the right words to say. Maria seemed to pick up on this, rubbing her face.
"I know, Boss. Don't worry. Most archmages aren't that crazy."
"That man is an embarrassment to our cult." The male guard spoke up. "If he wasn't so powerful and useful, we would have severed ties with him."
Reina's only connection to the archmage was through Maria, and even that was too much.
"He acts like that, but he's damn good at magic." Maria sighed. "It's because of him that I learned so much about magic. I would have been able to visit a lot of spirit locations with him, but…well, you saw how he is."
Reina walked over and placed a hand on Maria's back. "I'm going to explain to you what a chuunibyou is."
Maria flashed her a smile. "Sounds good~! We can talk over dinner, then go visit a spring!"
"W-What?" Reina stuttered. While the idea was lovely, they just had a date yesterday. And now they were going to essentially bathe next to each other?
"What's wrong, Boss~?" Of course, Maria immediately zeroed in on her thoughts.
"I-I mean, should we be doing that? We should probably be preparing for the Wave more." As much of a deflection as it was, it was true. The Wave was in two days, after all.
"All the more reason! We need to make sure our bodies and minds are well-rested!" Maria grinned. "Besides, this town was partly set up by the same Spirit Forger that helped form the churches. I guess hot springs were a part of her culture. Is that true?"
"Well…" That wasn't exactly wrong.
"Then let's go! Besides, I'm sure you're hungry~." Maria very clearly licked her lips in a sensual way.
"Why are you doing this to me!?" Reina wanted to cry out, but Maria did have a point. Her stomach began to rumble, demanding food.
"Alright then." Giving up, Reina agreed to her wizard's suggestion. Besides, she was supposed to go on a class trip to a hot spring around this time, if she hadn't died and got summoned here. This was as good a time as any.
~Forging Legends~
And so, a second outing took place.
This town functioned not only as the location of the Fire Spirit, but also as a vacation spot. Hot springs were the main attracting, but saunas and other places were here as well. The prices also fit into that.
The prices given to them were rather high. Fifty simoleons for a room for the night, though it was bumped up to one that had its own spring attached. Apparently, that was with a discount for Reina being the Spirit Forger.
She didn't notice it in the capital, but prices had started increasing, both for necessities and luxuries. Supply for food decreased, increasing the price. Opposite, not as many people ventured out to this town as before, so businesses wanted to keep profits up by increasing prices. There were two reasons for this, but they were related.
One was due to the Waves. Trade was being interrupted and supply lines interfered with. It wasn't just the increase in monsters, but bandits taking advantage of the situation. A certain Red Brotherhood seemed to be the main agitators. If they weren't connected to Derdir, Reina would want to do something about the group in Keston's capital. Well, she did want to for that exact reason, but the consequences would be dire.
The second was because of the attack on Savia. Since it was a major trade hub for this part of the world, goods weren't going around as much. Resources were needed in the capital, where apparently the queen had returned. Maria heard a rumor when she was in Keston's capital that the queen was already having her own capital rebuilt. Reina hoped things would go better for them.
Reina couldn't really complain about spending the money, either. The seal on the dragon egg cost 200 simoleons. It was needed, sure, but it was still a big expense. Compared to that, 50 simoleons spent on all 3 of them didn't feel as bad.
Before they went to the springs, they had dinner. A meal was included in the price, and Reina was extremely thankful for that.
"How am I this hungry!?" She'd shouted before stuffing her face.
Maria happily explained after watching in amusement. It was the same thing that happened to her.
The restriction from the Fire Spirit had a wide range. The increased energy consumption applied to what her body needed, namely food. It was why Maria regularly ate more than Vyrdrun, though even Reina sometimes did that before. When someone first makes a contract with the Fire Spirit, they tend to each much more before settling on a new regular amount.
After dinner, they went to their room, but only two stayed. Vyrdrun didn't care for the hot spring, but he was interested in the saunas. Reina was thankful for that, given what going into a hot spring usually entailed. And the fact that they'd all be pretty close in the small spring.
With nothing but the dragon egg to hide behind, Reina slipped into the water. Since black dragons were somewhat aquatic, the egg would be fine, even in the higher temperature. It wasn't going to cook or anything like that.
Her gorgeous wizard sat across from her, shooting flirtatious looks all the while. Unlike Reina, she didn't bother to hide anything, as much as Reina wished she did. And didn't. It wasn't as if she wanted to jump Maria at the first opportunity or anything. She just had to keep telling herself that. She had to ignore the shape of the woman's shoulders. She had to ignore how her breasts practically floated on top of the water. She had to ignore the almost hungry look in the eyes of the large-breasted predatory animal sitting across from her.
Needless to say, Reina tried to focus on anything else.
The water itself was nice, but not as warm as she thought. In between remarks that made Reina's heart swell, Maria explained another facet of the restriction. Her body temperature would increase to a higher amount. Biologically, Reina assumed this was in part of her using up more energy from her food, thus making her warmer.
Still, it was nice and relaxing. No worries about fighting, no wondering what politics people were planning around her, no nothing. The church hadn't made any requests yet, but that could easily change in the future. Since they had shimmers, Reina was a little worried they might send one to watch over them anyway, but Vyrdrun hadn't detected any. She was again glad shamans could sense magical effects like that
Although, the relaxing part of the hot spring had a side note attached to it. She would be doing that even more if Maria wasn't acting like her old self. Reina couldn't complain. The moment she realized Maria was showing weakness from that first kiss, she wanted to mess with the woman. In retrospect, that might have been a good time to set boundaries or something, but it is what it is. Maria had the sense to not make physical contact in the spring. Otherwise, Reina really would have pounced on her.
Once they were dried and clothed in provided robes, it was at last time for bed. While still early, Maria assured Reina she'd need the sleep. That was the third part of the restriction. She would require more rest to function normally.
"It can be annoying at first, but the benefits greatly outweigh the costs." Maria assured her as they both sat on one of the beds. "You remember what I said about spell outlines?"
"Y-Yeah." Reina muttered, holding the egg close. She wasn't looking at the busty wizard. The robe she wore was clearly not meant for someone of her…proportions.
"Well." Maria leaned forward, clearly unknowing or uncaring of how her clothes shifted. "What you gained from the Fire Spirit is like the base component. With that alone, wizards can craft countless spells. It's harder to do than combining two spells or a spell and an outline, but you'll be able to adapt it to combat easier once you get the hang of it. Plus, since you're basically designing the spells yourself, you'll be able to modify them more easily, too!"
That was an interesting idea. Reina had always assumed Maria's Fireball spell came from a spirit. But it wasn't. Specific spells from spirits that had the same name also had small difference between them. With this spirit's power, she could hammer out exactly what she wanted to do. So while other spirits' Fireball would just be Fireball, the one she could make would be more like Reina's Fireball Version 2.173c. It was a bit of an exaggeration, since Reina couldn't see herself going through a lot of iterations to be perfect…
Except, she actually could see herself doing that. Min-maxing was something she enjoyed doing. It would be more work, sure, but it could be something fun. And Maria knew a lot about magic. The two of them could work together on something they both enjoyed, and then they'd have a shared interest.
Suddenly, gaining this contract had a whole lot more perks than she initially thought.
"You look happy~." Maria leaned closer.
"Ah!" Reina had to pull herself away. If she didn't, she might have done something she told herself she wouldn't.
Maria just smiled at her innocently. That smile only made Reina's heart beat faster. She already missed the time she had the upper hand in this relationship.
Thankfully, Vyrdrun chose that moment to enter the room, dispelling whatever notions Reina was cooking in her mind.
"Well, this seems like a good time for bed." Maria announced, scooting over on the bed.
"R-Right." Reina nodded in agreement.
"Did you enjoy the sauna, Vyrdrun?" Maria asked.
"Hm." Vyrdrun grunted. Since they weren't expecting a Gromnar to visit, there weren't any robes his size, so he simply wore what he usually did, minus the more armor-like pieces. "It was relaxing. I was even able to converse with a few of the human men there. They were surprisingly lax with a Gromnar present."
"Of course! It's a town to relax in. No one wants to pick a fight here." Maria explained as if it made perfect sense.
"That seems to be the case." Vyrdrun agreed.
Even with everything going on in the world, the town did seem rather lively. Reina supposed a world-ending catastrophe and city-sacking Demon Lord weren't good enough reasons not to live your life. If anything, that could make people want to enjoy whatever time they had left.
Morbid thoughts aside, Reina was starting to feel a bit tired, so Maria's suggestion for sleep was a good one. With the egg still with her, Reina positioned herself under the covers. Two soft spheres joined her at her back, along with an arm around her waist.
"Maria!" Reina looked over her shoulder at the woman, who continued to smile.
"You'll be cold at night~. I'm just here to help~. Besides, we slept like this yesterday~. Or, did something change~?" She clearly had ulterior motives despite the truth in her words.
Reina likened the fourth part of the contract's restriction to making her like a reptile. It was more a matter of comfort than physical capability, but the point remained. Her body temperature would lower while she slept, so she could either bundle up with blankets or have someone next to her. Since she'd grown so needy, the latter was the better option.
"Have a nice sleep, Boss. Try not to think of me too much~." Maria said, resting her head on the pillow.
Reina decided not to think about anything except the warmth on her back. Sure, it had a distracting element, but as long as Maria wasn't agitating, it also felt extremely nice.
It wasn't long before sleep took her.
~Forging Legends~
"Mmph!"
Her sleep was one of the more relaxing ones she's had, that was for sure. It felt like she slept for a long time. Seeing as that was probably the case, it made sense. After contracting with the Fire Spirit, the rest of the day seemed to pass by in a flash. She wished it lasted longer.
"H-Hah…"
Staying at this inn was the right call. It was as if all of Reina's worries had melted away. Well, most of them, but Maria wasn't a bad worry. She just needed to make sure she didn't do anything to egg Maria on and just keep the warm feeling in her chest.
"Mmm!"
In fact, Reina felt far warmer than she thought she would. Maria never complained about the cold, but Reina assumed she'd wake up and want to either bundle up or roll next to a fire. Instead, she felt relaxed and warm. Her bed was incredibly soft. It even felt heated.
"What's this even made of?" Reina idly wondered. "Is it from some crops or sheared from monsters? And this pillow—"
"Ah!"
The moment Reina went to test out what she was already holding, she heard a soft cry. There was no mistaking what it was, but Reina wanted to deny it. She didn't want look, didn't want to push herself up, but she did anyway. Slowly.
Violet hair strewn over white sheets. A blushing face as beautiful as the morning sun. Breasts so large and soft she could sink her whole hand into them. Currently, she was doing just that.
"…" Reina opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't even hope to form any words.
She was situated on top of Maria, whose red face looked a cross between pained and pleasured. They both originated from the same source, which Reina slowly looked to.
Her right hand on Maria's left breast. She really couldn't hold the whole thing, since she had apparently been trying to for some time. This wasn't like when they were in the Cathedral of Unity. Back then, a dress was in the way of Reina's hand. This time…
The robe Maria wore to bed was completely open. Everything Maria had was in full view. Unlike Reina, Maria hadn't deigned to put on anything below. Reina was sure it was to mess with her, but now it came back to bite them both.
Reina was thankful her own robe was in order. If it wasn't, her stomach would be directly touching Maria's lower bit. Her body was situated between Maria's open legs. If Reina was any less dressed, she was sure she'd be going mad right now.
Speaking of stomachs, Reina got a better look at Maria's. She tried not to in the spring, but it was clear how much of an hourglass figure Maria had. Not that she doubted it before. Her clothes left little to the imagination.
And now, she was barely wearing any.
Reina wanted to remove herself, but she couldn't. She could feel what was between her middle and ring fingers, so she dared not move an inch. The slightest move could cause another moan from the beautiful woman beneath her. If she spoke or reacted, the spell would be broken and she'd have to face what she did.
Instead, she retreated into her mind.
"So, let's assess the situation: TWO DAYS! I didn't want to get too much closer physically until she was ready to talk. I wanted to give her time, to not pressure her. Clearly, my body and I aren't on the same page!"
She had to do something. She had to say something. She didn't want her sort-of-girlfriend to think she was some wild beast that couldn't restrain herself.
"…Say something…" In the end, a quiet request as all she could muster.
"I want to wait. I told her I would wait for her to tell me what she needed to. So why is it so hard to resist right now?"
What she really wanted to say was "please tell me to stop." She didn't think she'd be able to if Maria didn't.
The woman in question just lay there, unmoving, unspeaking.
How long were the two of them staring at each other? Reina didn't know, but it felt far too long.
When Maria did move, she swallowed. She looked at Reina, her face as red as the fires she's thrown around. Then, she gave Reina a single nod.
There was a snap. Just like that, Reina lost all the willpower she had keeping her from acting. Two days after promising herself to give Maria time and she was already breaking that promise.
But she didn't care. If Maria was fine moving forward, then so was Reina.
She slowly pulled herself forward with one hand while keeping the other in place. The movement caused Maria to let out a soft squeak. It felt like a weight was holding Reina back, but nothing could stop her now. The beautiful woman beneath her was ready, and so was she.
Reina didn't realize just how much she wanted this. Sure, being flirted with last night brought it back up, but not to the point where she felt like she couldn't control her own body. It was almost as if she was possessed.
That might not have been far from the truth. The Fire Spirit mentioned passion being important to it. She supposed this was that. There would be time later to figure out if that spirit did something to her to increase her desires, or if she was just this horny on her own.
Nevertheless, Reina brought herself completely over Maria. With one hand right where she wanted it to be and the other holding onto the taller woman's shoulder, Reina lowered herself gently. She'd see how much passion was in her for this woman.
"The egg is hatching."
In a flash, Reina found herself on the ground, clutching at her chest. Her heart was beating so fast she was afraid it would burst out of her.
"I FORGOT ABOUT VYRDRUN! AGAIN!" Her mental anguish knew no bounds.
As she lay there, shaking, she saw Vyrdrun lean over the side of his own bed. "What are you doing?"
"Having a heart attack!" She yelled up at him.
That wasn't the right thing to say, since he then immediately reached over and placed the palm of his hand on her chest where her heart was.
"Hm. I don't feel anything wrong—"
"Vyrdrun!" Reina swatted his hand away while pulling at her robe. She knew she only had herself to blame, but she just woke up to a horrifying, wondrous experience.
"That's it! We're getting another room from now on!" She vowed. At the same time, she quietly ignored the fact that it would let her and Maria do what they almost did uninterrupted.
After taking several long, deep breaths to control her racing heart, Reina pushed herself off the ground. She looked to Maria, who had already covered herself with her robe, holding it tightly against her. Her face was as red as an apple, and Reina doubted she looked much better.
Instead of worrying about that for now, Reina turned to the egg. From where it sat, it was likely settled on her legs before, acting as the weight she felt when she was still on top of Maria and was about to make love—
"Enough of that, brain!" She chastised herself.
The egg rocked back and forth, ignorant of its owner's plight. The surface began to crack and break. Bits of shell fell onto the bed as a black claw peaked out.
Reina noticed a bit of webbing around the claw. It made sense—black dragons being aquatic and all—and that the parent was in an underwater cave. At the time, its body was just too degraded to notice.
Soon enough, the rest of the egg broke away, revealing a baby black dragon.
"Gau!" It gives off a chirp.
"Aw~!" Despite still having a flush face, Maria cooed at the baby. "Adorable!"
"So cute!" Reina wasn't exactly a cute-enthusiast, but she could definitely appreciate the appearance of the dragon.
"Gau!" Responding to her voice, the dragon hobbled and crawled over to the side of the bed and stared up at Reina. "Gau!"
With a soft smile, Reina extended her arms and lowered herself. "Alright, come here."
"Gau!" Taking the invitation, the dragon clung to Reina as she held it close. "Gau!"
"Yes, yes, you're very cute. No one's going to deny that." Reina let out a laugh, the situation from before easing from her mind.
While she wanted to keep going—she freely admits that would have been nothing short of amazing—it might not have been good for Maria afterwards. She'd just have to take things slowly, just like she planned.
Of course, the next time they slept next to each other could put a stop to those plans in a heartbeat. Who knew how long she was groping Maria?
"What're you going to name it?" Maria asked, moving closer to the edge of the bed.
"I'm not sure." Reina said. Names were never her strong suit when making characters, and that extended to having a magical pet.
"I have some ideas~." Maria said, her usual demeanor starting to return, despite her red cheeks.
"What?" With the look on her face, Reina could tell she was going to regret asking.
"How about Jotaro?" The moment the name left the woman's lips, Reina could feel her body freeze. "Or maybe Joseph? Jonathan? Jousuke? Giorno? Jolene? Johnny?"
The massive grin on that woman's face…
"I can't believe you…" Reina let out a sigh. What she really couldn't believe was how good Maria's memory was. She only told her about all that once!
"It's your fault for acting all shy about telling me~!" Maria stuck out her tongue. "I'm just glad I was able to finish my teasing with you from before. This morning, well…"
She laughed nervously, but she didn't look disturbed by it. Hopeful, maybe, but also possibly relieved. Her words made Reina realize something. She'd been messing with Reina yesterday, and not just in that seductive way of hers. The "noisy woman" comment, the strange posing…
"I really need to stop geeking out about things." She'd only done it twice, but this time really made her want to hide. Maria's final strike was a powerful one.
Instead, she would focus more on how to make Maria more comfortable with her. She clearly already was, if Maria was comfortable enough to flirt with her that much. She wanted to be in the same position as before, just without any need to hesitate or hold back. Then she would see how far her newfound 'passion' would take her.
~Forging Legends~
It was dark. So very dark. He couldn't see anything around him. He didn't even know where he was.
There were sounds. Muffled voices from somewhere reached his ears.
They didn't keep up for long. Or, rather, they got louder and more discernable.
The darkness faded away as well. There was light now…no, he was reaching for the light already. It was there before. His eyes just didn't notice.
With his hands out, he pushed away what was in front of him. It was some sort of mud that let light in. He wasn't really sure. He only knew he had to get out. It was time, but for what he didn't know.
"Ah, he's out!" A girl's voice called.
He looked around, trying to find the source of the voice from his positon on the floor. His body was covered in mud, including his face, making it hard to see. It blurred his vision, so he swept it away with his hand…
After he cleared away the mud, he looked at his hand—or where his hand should be. In its place was a black claw. The same was true for his other hand. As he moved his arms, he found something else moving with them. It was strange. He'd never felt this before, but it was almost like he had two sets of arms.
When the second set came into view, he realized what they were: wings. He had claws and wings now.
"You seem to be adjusting well." A deeper voice said, drawing his attention.
When he looked around again, he saw he was in a stone room. Torches lined the walls, lighting up everything around him. What he saw was six people, all of them with claws and wings. They were different heights and weights, but one stood out from the rest.
That man stepped forward and kneeled down in front of him. "Do you know who I am?" The man asked.
He knew. The memory was a bit fuzzy, but he knew. "F-Father." He croaked out with a cough. It seemed some mud had gotten in his throat as well.
Father nodded. "Yes, good. And, do you remember what your name is?"
"I…" He wanted to answer, but he couldn't. Try as he might, he couldn't remember.
"I see." Father nodded. "Until you do, I will give you a name. You will be…Aermith."
"Aermith." He tested out the name. It felt right to him. If Father gave it to him, it must be a good name. Better than whatever his name used to be.
"Good." Father placed his claw on Aermith's shoulder. "You have an important role here. I expect great things from you."
"Yes, Father." Aermith said.
"Now that I see your transformation is complete, I have other tasks to do. To help you adjust…" Father looked over his shoulder.
A girl who was practically jumping in place ran over. "Hi! Do you know who I am?"
As Father stood, the girl took his place. She pointed at her face, looking hopeful.
"You're…Sister." The boy said, trying to remember.
The girl beamed at him. "That's right! I'm your new big sister, Lola. That's Brother Gau, and Sister Maphai, and…"
She helped to his feet and went on to introduce everyone. The tallest one, Brother Gau, draped a blanket over Aermith's shoulders. It was a good thing he did, since Aermith realized he wasn't wearing anything under the strange mud that still covered his body.
Once she was finished introducing everyone…all his new brothers and sisters, Lola pulled him toward a doorway. His big sister was pretty strong, but that wasn't surprising. She was at least a foot taller than him.
Before they reached the door, something else caught Aermith's attention. As Father was speaking to his oldest sister, Maphai, Aermith noticed something that seemed out of place on Father's hip: a chisel.
He didn't recall Father having that before, but his memory was a bit foggy. Still, it was so strange that he had it. But, he did remember something. Stories about heroes that had powerful weapons. One of them was a chisel and it had a gem on its handle, just like the one on Father's hip.
If Father had that, that meant he was a hero now, right? He must have done something really great. Father had asked Aermith if he wanted to come with him. Even if everything else after that didn't happen, seeing Father with a hero's weapon confirmed that Aermith made the right decision.
Author's Notes:
Me: "But…But I don't want to write big chapters for this story!"
My muse: "Well that's too damn bad!"
I debated whether or not I should cut up the chapter, ending it after the archmage left, but I kept it as is. It would have been a nice way to set up a backlog, but it just didn't sit well with me for some reason. I think mostly because I didn't want to write another date chapter so soon.
Keston's Wave might be next chapter, but if not it'll definitely happen by the chapter after that.