Jax’s head jerked up.
For a few moments, her eyes scanned the horizon, but there was next to nothing out there to focus on. The reaction had been more instinct than anything. What had startled her had been internal. Her master’s presence had just… exploded? That was the only way she could describe it. It was still there, though. Weaker now but… fuzzy?
Before the… whatever-it-was, she could have confidently pointed a finger straight toward him. She still could. Probably. But there was an uncertainty about it that had not been there before.
He was still alive. Of that she was certain. Ultimately, that was all that mattered. If he had died…
The thought had scarcely occurred to her before her heart jumped into her throat, and tears sprang to her eyes. She had to dig a claw into her arm to dispel the horrid image. A long and slow breath came and went as she sought to calm herself, but that only drew her attention back to the uncomfortable constriction at her chest and the people now resting below.
She had been tailing them for some time now in an attempt to discreetly feed from their emotions. Not that she wanted to, per se. Fear and anxiety made for meager rations, but they were something. And she was absolutely starving.
Had been in fact, ever since waking up in that blighted crystal.
“Why do you hesitate?” the voice asked.
Jax pretended not to hear. She had been hoping that if she ignored it long enough, the bloody demon would get bored and leave her in peace.
“Those two are no threat. One touch and they would be at your mercy. Ride the man until you are sated, and be away.”
A wave of revulsion crawled up Jax’s spine at the suggestion, and she snapped her teeth angrily. “Away with ye, manky Faen!” she hissed quietly.
“The woman, then? After you drain the other’s Life, you could even take her as a prize for our lord master.”
She snarled softly, but then her eyes went distant. That idea held some merit. But then she shook her head. She was thinking with her stomach. Or whatever it was she fed with. The Empathy-Absorbing… something-or-other. She had forgotten.
“T’would only put the rage in him.”
“He would forgive you.”
Jax scoffed. Of course, he would. But that was not the point.
He was the single most precious thing in her world. She would sooner waste away than upset him. Besides, no matter how nice it might be to have an extra source of emotions following them around, until he could convert the woman into a proper ally, she would just be another mouth to feed.
On the other hand, just passively feeding from the pair was not cutting it. Surely some concessions could be made…
For a few moments, she considered the idea seriously.
She had the advantage for now. The two of them did not even know she was here. All they had to do was look up, and they would have spotted her immediately. People almost never did, she knew. It was why trees were so useful for banditry, but any convenient perch would do.
It was what came after that troubled her. The main thing was not to kill either of them unprovoked. If anything was going to upset her master, that would be it. So then, maybe she could just approach them? If they attacked, she could feed without worry.
Should they not, however… well, then she would still be hungry. And she was not sure she could resist the temptation once they started lusting after her. And they would.
She remembered these two from when they were guarding the gate at Raialie. The man had barely been able to keep his eyes off her, and that was before she had carelessly discarded her top back on the hill. Now? She could just imagine his reaction when she walked up with her tits out.
Pure reekbeek, that one.
As for the woman… well, that armor was not doing much for her figure, but from what Jax could tell, she was a bit narrow in the hip for her taste—and by extension, her master’s. But at least she had enough of a head on her shoulders not to look at Donum for long. Even so, all it would take were a few honeyed words in her ear, promising his touch. She would fall easily enough.
Jax sighed the fancy away. Technically, she would not need to kill either of them. Her master could convert them both, given the time, but the idea of seducing the man made her want to boak. If only she could separate them somehow…
“Well, you’re going to have to do something,” the Faen said impatiently. ‘Mia,’ or so she had claimed.
She had claimed a lot of things, each more implausible than the next. Jax was not certain she believed any of it. She could not get a read on this one at all, and that made her uneasy. It was like the she-devil was not even there. Or one of the Shepherdess’ creatures.
Then again, she had helped her out of her prison. Who knew Shadow Shift could be used that way? Jax would have never even considered it. She was still a little unclear about the whole thing.
As far as she knew, the ability just made her a bit lighter on her feet, but Mia had kept on about the extra ‘stuff’ still being a part of her no matter where it went. So there was no reason it had to come together exactly where it had started from once she was done.
Something like that. The short of it was she could use it to get through cracks. Handy sort of trick, that. And one she would remember.
As far as the crack, though, that had been all her. No peebrusht crystal was going to keep her in. No sir! And she was still fully intent on raking the eyes from whomever it had been that had torn her from her master’s embrace. She had just started in on the second course, too!
“We both know you’re not about to leave until you can feed properly, and our lord master needs you.”
She grimaced. It galled her to admit it, but the demon was right. Again.
Seleroan
Hey folks!
I've got merch! That's right, about a month ago, I hired an artist to do some character portraits, and I figured, 'What better way to use them, than letting you guys buy your favorite girl. As a mug!'
Yeah... what can I say? I like coffee.
Anyway, here's the store:
https://the-quest-of-words-merch.printify.me/products
Currently, it only ships to the US. Can't seem to figure out why. Nothing on the webpage mentions that. But that's how it is. If I can figure out a way around it, I'll let you know.
For those of you outside the US, I also still have the Patreon available. And you gain access to the most up-to-date chapters.
Come on down! We'd love to see you.
Jax’s head jerked up.
For a few moments, her eyes scanned the horizon, but there was next to nothing out there to focus on. The reaction had been more instinct than anything. What had startled her had been internal. Her master’s presence had just… exploded? That was the only way she could describe it. It was still there, though. Weaker now but… fuzzy?
Before the… whatever-it-was, she could have confidently pointed a finger straight toward him. She still could. Probably. But there was an uncertainty about it that had not been there before.
He was still alive. Of that she was certain. Ultimately, that was all that mattered. If he had died…
The thought had scarcely occurred to her before her heart jumped into her throat, and tears sprang to her eyes. She had to dig a claw into her arm to dispel the horrid image. A long and slow breath came and went as she sought to calm herself, but that only drew her attention back to the uncomfortable constriction at her chest and the people now resting below.
She had been tailing them for some time now in an attempt to discreetly feed from their emotions. Not that she wanted to, per se. Fear and anxiety made for meager rations, but they were something. And she was absolutely starving.
Had been in fact, ever since waking up in that blighted crystal.
“Why do you hesitate?” the voice asked.
Jax pretended not to hear. She had been hoping that if she ignored it long enough, the bloody demon would get bored and leave her in peace.
“Those two are no threat. One touch and they would be at your mercy. Ride the man until you are sated, and be away.”
A wave of revulsion crawled up Jax’s spine at the suggestion, and she snapped her teeth angrily. “Away with ye, manky Faen!” she hissed quietly.
“The woman, then? After you drain the other’s Life, you could even take her as a prize for our lord master.”
She snarled softly, but then her eyes went distant. That idea held some merit. But then she shook her head. She was thinking with her stomach. Or whatever it was she fed with. The Empathy-Absorbing… something-or-other. She had forgotten.
“T’would only put the rage in him.”
“He would forgive you.”
Jax scoffed. Of course, he would. But that was not the point.
He was the single most precious thing in her world. She would sooner waste away than upset him. Besides, no matter how nice it might be to have an extra source of emotions following them around, until he could convert the woman into a proper ally, she would just be another mouth to feed.
On the other hand, just passively feeding from the pair was not cutting it. Surely some concessions could be made…
For a few moments, she considered the idea seriously.
She had the advantage for now. The two of them did not even know she was here. All they had to do was look up, and they would have spotted her immediately. People almost never did, she knew. It was why trees were so useful for banditry, but any convenient perch would do.
It was what came after that troubled her. The main thing was not to kill either of them unprovoked. If anything was going to upset her master, that would be it. So then, maybe she could just approach them? If they attacked, she could feed without worry.
Should they not, however… well, then she would still be hungry. And she was not sure she could resist the temptation once they started lusting after her. And they would.
She remembered these two from when they were guarding the gate at Raialie. The man had barely been able to keep his eyes off her, and that was before she had carelessly discarded her top back on the hill. Now? She could just imagine his reaction when she walked up with her tits out.
Pure reekbeek, that one.
As for the woman… well, that armor was not doing much for her figure, but from what Jax could tell, she was a bit narrow in the hip for her taste—and by extension, her master’s. But at least she had enough of a head on her shoulders not to look at Donum for long. Even so, all it would take were a few honeyed words in her ear, promising his touch. She would fall easily enough.
Jax sighed the fancy away. Technically, she would not need to kill either of them. Her master could convert them both, given the time, but the idea of seducing the man made her want to boak. If only she could separate them somehow…
“Well, you’re going to have to do something,” the Faen said impatiently. ‘Mia,’ or so she had claimed.
She had claimed a lot of things, each more implausible than the next. Jax was not certain she believed any of it. She could not get a read on this one at all, and that made her uneasy. It was like the she-devil was not even there. Or one of the Shepherdess’ creatures.
Then again, she had helped her out of her prison. Who knew Shadow Shift could be used that way? Jax would have never even considered it. She was still a little unclear about the whole thing.
As far as she knew, the ability just made her a bit lighter on her feet, but Mia had kept on about the extra ‘stuff’ still being a part of her no matter where it went. So there was no reason it had to come together exactly where it had started from once she was done.
Something like that. The short of it was she could use it to get through cracks. Handy sort of trick, that. And one she would remember.
As far as the crack, though, that had been all her. No peebrusht crystal was going to keep her in. No sir! And she was still fully intent on raking the eyes from whomever it had been that had torn her from her master’s embrace. She had just started in on the second course, too!
“We both know you’re not about to leave until you can feed properly, and our lord master needs you.”
She grimaced. It galled her to admit it, but the demon was right. Again.
Seleroan
Hey folks!
I've got merch! That's right, about a month ago, I hired an artist to do some character portraits, and I figured, 'What better way to use them, than letting you guys buy your favorite girl. As a mug!'
Yeah... what can I say? I like coffee.
Anyway, here's the store:
https://the-quest-of-words-merch.printify.me/products
Currently, it only ships to the US. Can't seem to figure out why. Nothing on the webpage mentions that. But that's how it is. If I can figure out a way around it, I'll let you know.
For those of you outside the US, I also still have the Patreon available. And you gain access to the most up-to-date chapters.
Come on down! We'd love to see you.
