“Not that I’m complaining, Lynnria,” I murmured sleepily, “but I only get my Life Energy secondhand. You’d probably get more out of this from one of the others.”
Lynnria pulled herself up from my thoroughly moistened—and aching—flag pole just long enough to fix me with a disgusted look.
“Ew.”
I stifled a laugh. That had been the first coherent thought to come out of her mouth since we had let her loose. Prior to that, she had been so totally fixated on me, I had been concerned she might just go ape-shit. However, she had not uttered a peep of complaint about her treatment at the hands of my companions.
Or not yet anyway. We would have to see once she got her fill.
She had already managed to pull two loads from me and was busily working on a third. Not that she was some master technician. Despite her usual self-confidence, at least in this her age and inexperience were telling. She tended to be a little robotic in her motions and, as she did not have the help of my emotions to guide her, she seemed driven more by her hunger than any enjoyment I might have been getting out of the experience. Still, she was going at it was such enthusiasm—growling and moaning over me like I was some kind of succulent—it more than made up for her shortcomings.
That said, a man’s sexual prowess can only be so Herculean. Between the lilim and now Lynnria, my balls had gone from the bluest of berries to the most shriveled of raisins, and no amount of enthusiasm was going to make up for my dwindling sperm count. Or electrolytes.
“I have it!” Mia shouted jubilantly.
Out of nowhere. And scaring the shit out of me.
While I struggled to pull my heart back out of my throat, I had a moment to reflect. It had been a good decision to favor the carrot over the stick. Though, I was lucky I even had a carrot to use. Where I was supposed to find a stick was beyond me. Which was not to say that I was completely over the Faen taking my Class in a direction of her own choosing, but now that we had reached an understanding, I should not have to worry about that anymore.
It is never wise to neglect a woman. I would need to remember that moving forward… though that might be easier said than done. I had been attracting them like flies.
Still, just the bit of pampering had done wonders for her mood. And it had not even taken all that long. Unlike my corporeal allies, hers was a simple matter of sexual frustration. Once satisfied, she had been happy to direct her energies toward her own mysterious endeavors.
Which is not to say it had been less than fun. Or demanding.
That levitation spell was still quite the doozy. My most recent Layer had done nothing to alleviate the problem, either. The ‘800-pound gorilla’ as I liked to call it. So either my spell-related stats had not yet risen to the point of being able to support it on my own, or I simply needed more practice. Time would tell.
It was strange, though. None of my other spells had such a huge effect on the Faen. But was that because it was her spell? Perhaps having to provide the necessary Will to make it function sent her into some kind of orgasmic feedback loop. Or it might have been a byproduct of the difficulties I faced in casting the thing.
Either way, I was just fortunate Arx had been so into it. Something about using her as Mia’s body-double had turned her on. A lot.
And me. But for entirely different reasons.
If I had not been struggling to maintain the levitation spell on her, having the image of one weightless woman overlaid over top of another like some kind of sci-fi hologram all while desperately milking me for all they were collectively worth, it might have been one of the singular highlights of my life. It had been a fantastic workout, too. I had gained four whole points of advancement in the spell before we were finished.
Arx’s personality had certainly taken a turn, though. She seemed to regard my—I hoped—rare possessive tendencies as some sort of delicacy and in much the same way as Jax did my desire. Maybe because of that, she had been trying to coax every ounce of it from me that she could. To the point of declaring herself some possession of mine that I should feel free to use at will.
That did not sound like the healthiest of mental attitudes… but who was I to kink-shame?
Though, it did make me wonder why it was the two of them were so different in their appetites. Jax’s preference was pretty easy to justify. When I found her, she had been a Bandit, divinely outcast from all of society. Worse, she had been horribly disfigured… and, depending on one’s interpretation of events, the entirely wrong gender. So it made a sort of sense that she might want to be wanted.
But for someone to value possessiveness? I knew Arx had been a drunkard, but that sort of thing generally stems from a desire to push people away, not draw them in. Not that I was qualified to make such an assessment. Still, it did pique my curiosity.
Of course, all of that was predicated on the assumption that their preferences stemmed from something more than simple taste. It could be something as innocuous as a predilection for artichokes.
“Well, don’t leave me in suspense, Mia,” I said after a moment’s thought.
Lynnria’s tail twitched at the sound of my voice, but she did not otherwise react. Or pause.
“Aww… come on,” Mia replied, pouting. “You deliberately avoided the question.”
“And now you’re deliberately avoiding answering it,” I shot back. “Besides, I thought you liked it when I did that. You said it was cute.”
“I did not. I said it was sweet! You and your deficient memory…” She let out a huff in annoyance. “Well, no matter. We will fix that in time.”
“Mia…” I began warningly.
“I’m not going back on my word,” she said in quick defense. “But you will need to work on your Intelligence eventually, if for no other reason than to even out… certain things.”
“Such as?”
She sucked in a breath. “Oh~ yes. There it is. I knew I could get one out of you eventually.”
I rolled my eyes, then jerked when one of Lynnria’s newly sharpened teeth nicked me ever so slightly. She did not stop, but her claws did dimple my thighs. Whether that was out of a desire to apologize or a warning not to further move, I could not say.
“Anyway, I’ve figured out where that ‘Engraving Intricacy Capacity’ your Dolilim mentioned is coming from. And now that I have, I should be able to continue granting them skills as per their previous set-up.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, still trying to relax. “But I had the impression you didn’t like how Xhinn was handling things. Something about… blasphemy.”
There was a moment of silence.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever said anything like that. But even if it was, it changes nothing. I cannot undo what has been done. Only make use of it.”
“Uh huh.” I knew a pedantic side-step when I heard one. “I don’t suppose you would be willing to elaborate. I would like to avoid causing trouble with any more deities than I already have.”
“Look, even if it was blasphemy—and I’m not saying it is—it wouldn’t be the sort you need worry about,” she assured me unhelpfully. “Nor would I be able to explain the reasons why. Not that I would have any need to.”
I did not reply. The doubt plastered over my face was doing all the talking I needed.
Also, Lynnria had apparently taken some offense at my distraction and begun to redouble her efforts.
“On a completely unrelated topic… haven’t you noticed how different your skills are when compared to those of your Dolilim?” she asked. And if her tone was any guide, the question was anything but unrelated.
“Uh… not really,” I admitted, struggling to focus beyond the over-stimulation going on at my crotch. “Unless you’re talking about how I have to cast spells all the time. But I thought that was because I’m a wizard.”
“You are not a Wizard. Your Class simply has a focus on spell casting. Those are not the same things.”
“Whatever. You know what I meant.”
She sighed. “You are on the right track, at least. Perhaps it may help to take a more… active interest in their skills? I’m sure they, at least, would be curious to learn about some of the things you’ve discovered lately.”
I grunted, trying to sift out the hints from the chaff. But again, concentration was not a thing I had a great deal left to spare at that particular moment.
“We’re going to need to pick out some skills soon anyway.”
“Good enough.” She clapped her hands together, punctuating the end of that topic. “In the meantime, you need to make a decision about our young companion. Shall we continue nurturing her as kind… or as Dolilim?”
“Um…” I grimaced. That had sounded like a really important question. “Lynnria could you…? Isn’t that something you should be asking her, Mia?”
“Don’t be absurd,” she replied somewhat haltingly from my thoughtless question. “I would—oh~ my. Just look at her go. Uh… That is, I would never grant any facet of my lord’s power to another without his explicit say so. Besides, that one is taking you so deep, she… or… Well, she aspires to much, I mean. That girl would leap at any chance to further her own ambitions.”
“What kind of ambitions?”
Lynnria’s furious ministrations ground to a sudden halt. After a moment’s pause, her eyes flicked up to meet my own, then she slowly dragged herself off of my engorged manhood just enough speak freely… though only just.
“Donum? What exactly is that Faen of yours talking to you about?” she asked between licks and caresses.
“Um…” I murmured, twitching and jerking with her every touch. “Something about how to nurture you?”
She narrowed her eyes fractionally. “And? What about it?”
“Ah hah… well,” I stammered. The abrupt change to these micro-stimulations were sending little shocks up and down my spine, and every one seemed to reset my brain. “I don’t really know. We were just get-hing t-to that.”
“Tell her… hmm,” Mia began, thinking aloud. “Tell her we remember the dreams of her childhood. And we know what made her set them aside. Tell her we can make them a reality… and surpass every expectation ever laid upon her. We can make her more powerful than she could possibly imagine. All she need do is take one last step off the uncertain path of mortal kind. And become… other.”
“Yeah, okay, Palpatine. Let me get right on that,” I groaned sarcastically. Never mind the quasi-villainous monologue, I would have had a hard time repeating that back even if I was not being fondled.
“No good?” she said innocently. “Well, that was more for your benefit, anyway. I’ll just be a moment…”
With that, whatever internal microphone she had been using clicked off, and I had to wait while she repeated some version of her spiel over in Lynnria’s head. The girl listened with half an ear, giving me a little time to recover but still toying with my wooden mast.
“Aren’t I already a Dolilim?” she asked after a moment, eying her claws. Then, “Lesser? That won’t do. How do I raise my rank? And what’s the difference?” She glanced at me somewhere in the middle of the reply. “Then I don’t understand. If he can’t even do it yet, what is this choice?”
I had to wince at the lengthy pause. That had been an awful lot of questions, and I had little doubt they had sent Mia into a fit of tics. Which was not to say that I was not also curious. I wanted to know what the Faen was telling her almost as much as I wanted Lynnria to quit being distracted and finish the job!
Damn it. What was all that about hopes and fantasies? And expectations? Didn’t she want to be a Warrior?
“That’s… utterly insane. They would kill for abilities like that. Anyone would. Why would I even consider the alternative?” she asked finally, and doing nothing to satisfy my interest. Who was she talking about? “You’re dodging the question. Mia, come back here this instant!”
“The nerve. The—cunt-slug—should be grateful to get even that much,” she grumbled. “Why do mortals always assume they are entitled to answers? She’ll have to figure it out just like everyone else!”
I closed my mouth, half a dozen follow-up queries dying on my lips. I figured it best not to be the example that proves the rule.
“I think that’s your lot,” I said instead, addressing the mortal in question. “You’re going to have to take a stab at it and see where you end up.”
Lynnria finally let my length go in favor of restless pacing. “Bloody useless… ugh! There has to be a consequence to this, or else she would never have bothered bringing it up.”
I nodded along, a tad mournful at having been left half-finished. But this seemed important.
“That seems reasonable,” I said, following her with my eyes. “We had been assuming you would want my next lilim slot anyway, but that won’t be coming for a while. So I don’t see how you could step off any paths, mortal or otherwise. Unless… would this grant her immortality, like the others?” I asked inwardly.
“It’s not really immortality, my lord,” Mia corrected me gently, almost like a cat leaning into a head-scratch. “It isn’t as though they revive themselves under their own power. And without the binding in place to make it work? Well, I very much doubt it.”
“I guess that’s out then,” I grunted, turning back to Lynnria. “What did she tell you?”
“Some… personal things,” she said evasively, halting her pacing.
For a few moments, she seemed hesitant to elaborate. There was a deep pain there, just behind her eyes. It pulled at me. I needed to comfort her. To tell her it was okay, but those words could only ring hollow. I did not know her pain. Who was I to tell her anything about anything.
Still, if she did not want to talk about it, that was okay, too.
However just as I was about to lift myself from the bed and gather her into my arms, she seemed to reach a decision.
“Do you recall the difficulties I had when choosing my first skill?”
I nodded slowly. I had always encountered difficulties when it came to that, so her experience had not stood out as particularly unusual. It was easy enough to put it down to a combination of an unfamiliar Class and Mia having forgotten so much, but it seemed there was more to it.
“I… already knew there was going to be a problem,” she admitted, slowly shrinking into herself. “It was… Look, it’s… it’s complicated, Donum.”
I had to smirk. Turnabout was fair play.
“What ain’t?” Jax said, plopping onto the bed beside me.
To that point, she and Arx had been quietly ‘getting to know’ one another better on the other side of the room. In the biblical sense. One of the perks of being a lilim was that they could feed just fine no matter who was demanding my attention, and they had been content to let their little sister have some private time.
But now that we were talking…
“Clan troubles?” Arx asked while settling into a casual lean against the bedpost.
“That’s… a bit of an understatement,” Lynnria confirmed, eying the two of them warily. And blushing from their unabashed nakedness. “I think you two might be even more unrestrained than Donum.”
The lilim turned to look at me, their collective eyebrows crawling up their scalps.
“Wasn’t me getting ideas all the time,” I grumbled under my breath. Then, a little louder: “Like I’ve said, it comes with being a Quester. You stop worrying about it after a while.”
“I think we passed worrying by when she got to choking on yer knob,” Jax quipped.
“Anyway,” Lynnria squeaked, “that was part of why Grandfather was training me to become a Warrior. Their skills are much less demanding on your Core, early on. We had thought that might be enough to overcome my issues, but… well, you saw.”
“And as I was explaining,” Mia cut in, “Her situation would be greatly improved were we to implement your Dolilim’s version of Core management. With your permission, of course.”
“So what’s the problem?” Arx asked. “Won’t all that happen anyway once she’s bound?”
“I honestly haven’t a clue. As far as I can determine, most of it was a result of the Fifth’s lack of… of experience.”
Jax’s eyebrow twitched. “If that one’s so inexperienced-like, why’s Her version more powerful, then? Eh?”
Mia growled with frustration. “Because, I—wanna eat your asssshit… I’m starting to get a headache again.”
Arx crossed her arms. “I thought you didn’t have a head.”
“Quiet, you. Look, none of this is anything a bunch of mortals need ever worry about. I swear it. And while I’m being honest, I mostly just wanted to see what would happen. If we’re lucky, it might prompt the rest of her evolution. We can’t have the girl ripping our lord’s pants down every time she gets a little hungry.”
“I can think of worse things,” Jax said, licking her lips. “Unless she was to do it with people about. Then he’d just get all shamed and foul the taste.”
“Wait, what?” Lynnria cut in. “What would I be doing?”
“Knob gobbling, of course!” Jax growled before I could change the subject. “Me mum’s arse, yer doing me head in. I says we switch the girl over. Maybe then we won’t have to play this game of ‘she said, she said’ no more.”
“That’s a solid argument, if I’ve ever heard one,” Arx agreed.
“But what about the consequences?” Lynnria persisted. “Did she say anything about that?”
Mia sighed heavily. “Like I keep saying, it isn’t a mortal concern. Besides, the only—” She stopped abruptly, as though choking. “Ooh… ouch. I’m going to feel that one later.”
“Is this one of those forbidden things?” I asked. “Is that why you’re being so evasive?”
Mia gasped, an ecstatic moan ripping from her throat out of absolutely nowhere. “Oh, yes! Very much so. Thank you, Master!”
Jax frowned and slowly pushed herself up off the bed, consequently setting her breasts to dangling. Not that I was looking. “Wait a scanty… why’d that make ye jump like ye took a cock up yer arse? Master, I think that Faen of yor’n gets off on riddles.”
“You may be onto something there…” Mia cooed.
“She didn’t swear at you,” Arx observed.
“Hello? Can you four stay on topic, please?” Lynnria cut in. Again. “We are talking about my future here, right?”
“Right.” I turned back to her. “To sum up, we don’t know what the hell we’re doing, but it might be considered blasphemy—”
“Never said that…”
“—so it might piss someone off—”
“It won’t.”
“—but we think it’ll make you more powerful?”
“That part’s true.”
“And possibly push you along to be closer to a full Dolilim.”
“And that’s a complete stab in the dark.”
Lynnria went silent for a while after that, trying to digest what little we had been able to share—both in regard to the situation at hand and overall. I felt for her. She was only now coming to grips with the fact that she was changing at all, and now having to decide whether to kick the rock the rest of the way down the hill?
Obviously, I had tried explaining the situation once or twice in the past but, thanks to random memory edits and a healthy dose of deserved skepticism, she had been dismissive. Now, seeing my mates sitting right in front of her, being able to compare her features to their own, and combined with the onset of these new cravings? There could be no denying what was happening to her.
Arx was even beginning to grow out a respectable tail—amongst other things. It was still almost hairless, though I could definitely see a bit of white peach-fuzz coming in along its tip. Somewhat like Lynnria’s, though whether it would end up that way was still a mystery.
I wonder why Mia’s is so fluffy?
Arx caught my eye and smiled, making certain to emphasize the rather more significant assets nestled between her arms. I had already given them a thorough round of appreciation earlier, but a little extra never hurt. She winked at me.
“I’ll do it,” Lynnria said finally.
“Told you.”
“Yeah, yeah. Go ahead then,” I said. “You have my permission to do whatever it is you need to.”
“Yes, my lord,” Mia intoned. “Give me a few moments to set things up.”
Pretty much the instant the Faen left my head, I felt Jax’s hand curl over my shoulder. When I turned, I found her sitting very close, her face unreadable.
“Have a care, Master,” she whispered softly. “Yer girl’s a troubled one. Lot going on under her skin. Too much to get a handle on so quick-like.”
I nodded my understanding. “I do seem to have a type, don’t I.”
She snorted. But there was a gentle smile hidden beneath her scowl. “I’d nay like to see ye hurt, be all. Don’t put too much of yerself into that one. Not til the bind’s done.”
I chuckled then gave her a soft bump against the shoulder. “No one could replace you, Jax.”
“Again with yer mince,” she growled before pulling me into a quick but fierce kiss. “I don’t trust that Faen of yor’n, neither. Can’t read that one at all, but even the sallowest numpty’d know she’s got plans fer ye. All that talk of what’s mortal and what ain’t stiffs me short hairs, ye ken?”
I actually had to think for a minute before I ‘kenned.’ Jax was as perceptive as they came, but picking out any sort of meaning from her mishmash of lingo was often an exercise in futility.
“Oh… you mean the hair on the back of your neck, don’t you.”
She shook her head in confusion. “Where else?”
“Well, it’s just… where I come from… never mind.”
“Okay, I’ve got it all set up. You can begin any time you’d like,” Mia announced about then—saving me from the mental hamster-wheel squeaking away behind Jax’s eyes.
“I’m going to need you to be a little more specific, Mia.”
“It’s all very technical, but… well, I suppose there really isn’t any easy explanation,” she admitted. “I cannot precisely duplicate Xhinn’s methods. I am not Her nor ever any part of Her. I am you, my lord. And I have seen you do it. In your own way.”
I blinked once slowly. Then a few more times in rapid succession. “That… huh?”
“No more than I expected,” she said with a chuckle. “I can only explain more by way of metaphor. What I have done is to prepare the soil, but it is you who must plant the seed. From that, your tree will grow.”
“Tree?” Arx straightened, understanding suddenly. “You mean—?”
“Yes, exactly the same. But I doubt doing this on purpose will come as easily as did your own.”
She placed a hand over her abdomen. “That was real?!”
“Uh… guys?”
“It was,” Mia affirmed, ignoring me. “Do you now understand the opportunity you missed?”
“But I didn’t know it was growing out of my Core!” She turned to me. “Donum, we have to go back to sleep! I want to try again. And without Mia, this time! Just you as you are.”
“We’re the same person, you twat!” Mia yelled with a relatively mild swear on her lips. Which was a bit surprising. She usually avoided those unless forced. “Besides, our lord’s dreams are still too chaotic to be able to control on a whim. Why did you think I wanted to work on his Intelligence?”
“Guys.”
Jax raised a finger, drawing my attention away from the growing argument. “Master… be this a sex thing?”
I opened my mouth in thoughtless dismissal, but then realization set in. Whatever else she was on about, Mia had said I needed to ‘plant a seed.’ And that would be spectacularly on-brand for this group.
“Sex?” Lynnria said, stiffening suddenly. “Nobody said anything about… Donum, we’re not having sex are we?”
“Now yer nervous? Ye was happy to bob on his boaby not five minutes ago.”
“Well, I mean… I couldn’t help it, could I?” she tittered. “With this, I—I… well, that is…”
Jax narrowed her eyes, then slowly crawled off the bed, stalking her way toward the girl. “Fear? Why fear?”
“Now, hold on, Jax. There’s no need to pressure—” I began, but she held up her hand, forestalling me.
“What pressure?” she shot back. “The girl knows ye’d not touch what ain’t yer own to touch, nor enter where y’ain’t invited. And on silver besides. Or I’d’ve cut her down where she stands. No.” She turned back to Lynnria. “I feel yer aching, girl. I feel yer heart pounding away. The fire in yer veins. Ye been wanting this. Why fear?”
“W-well, it’s just…” Lynnria stammered softly. “I’m… I’m not very good at it, is all.”
Jax tilted her head, frowning suspiciously. But then her scowl slowly gave way into a knowing grin.
“Ah… Ye was a laoi, wasn’t ye. That’s got it.” Laughing good-naturedly, she swung an arm over her shoulders and all but dragged the girl forward. “Well now, ye’s about to get a lot better at it!”
Seleroan Come and read ahead over on the Patreon. Currently up to Chapter 55 over there. Always appreciate the support!
“Not that I’m complaining, Lynnria,” I murmured sleepily, “but I only get my Life Energy secondhand. You’d probably get more out of this from one of the others.”
Lynnria pulled herself up from my thoroughly moistened—and aching—flag pole just long enough to fix me with a disgusted look.
“Ew.”
I stifled a laugh. That had been the first coherent thought to come out of her mouth since we had let her loose. Prior to that, she had been so totally fixated on me, I had been concerned she might just go ape-shit. However, she had not uttered a peep of complaint about her treatment at the hands of my companions.
Or not yet anyway. We would have to see once she got her fill.
She had already managed to pull two loads from me and was busily working on a third. Not that she was some master technician. Despite her usual self-confidence, at least in this her age and inexperience were telling. She tended to be a little robotic in her motions and, as she did not have the help of my emotions to guide her, she seemed driven more by her hunger than any enjoyment I might have been getting out of the experience. Still, she was going at it was such enthusiasm—growling and moaning over me like I was some kind of succulent—it more than made up for her shortcomings.
That said, a man’s sexual prowess can only be so Herculean. Between the lilim and now Lynnria, my balls had gone from the bluest of berries to the most shriveled of raisins, and no amount of enthusiasm was going to make up for my dwindling sperm count. Or electrolytes.
“I have it!” Mia shouted jubilantly.
Out of nowhere. And scaring the shit out of me.
While I struggled to pull my heart back out of my throat, I had a moment to reflect. It had been a good decision to favor the carrot over the stick. Though, I was lucky I even had a carrot to use. Where I was supposed to find a stick was beyond me. Which was not to say that I was completely over the Faen taking my Class in a direction of her own choosing, but now that we had reached an understanding, I should not have to worry about that anymore.
It is never wise to neglect a woman. I would need to remember that moving forward… though that might be easier said than done. I had been attracting them like flies.
Still, just the bit of pampering had done wonders for her mood. And it had not even taken all that long. Unlike my corporeal allies, hers was a simple matter of sexual frustration. Once satisfied, she had been happy to direct her energies toward her own mysterious endeavors.
Which is not to say it had been less than fun. Or demanding.
That levitation spell was still quite the doozy. My most recent Layer had done nothing to alleviate the problem, either. The ‘800-pound gorilla’ as I liked to call it. So either my spell-related stats had not yet risen to the point of being able to support it on my own, or I simply needed more practice. Time would tell.
It was strange, though. None of my other spells had such a huge effect on the Faen. But was that because it was her spell? Perhaps having to provide the necessary Will to make it function sent her into some kind of orgasmic feedback loop. Or it might have been a byproduct of the difficulties I faced in casting the thing.
Either way, I was just fortunate Arx had been so into it. Something about using her as Mia’s body-double had turned her on. A lot.
And me. But for entirely different reasons.
If I had not been struggling to maintain the levitation spell on her, having the image of one weightless woman overlaid over top of another like some kind of sci-fi hologram all while desperately milking me for all they were collectively worth, it might have been one of the singular highlights of my life. It had been a fantastic workout, too. I had gained four whole points of advancement in the spell before we were finished.
Arx’s personality had certainly taken a turn, though. She seemed to regard my—I hoped—rare possessive tendencies as some sort of delicacy and in much the same way as Jax did my desire. Maybe because of that, she had been trying to coax every ounce of it from me that she could. To the point of declaring herself some possession of mine that I should feel free to use at will.
That did not sound like the healthiest of mental attitudes… but who was I to kink-shame?
Though, it did make me wonder why it was the two of them were so different in their appetites. Jax’s preference was pretty easy to justify. When I found her, she had been a Bandit, divinely outcast from all of society. Worse, she had been horribly disfigured… and, depending on one’s interpretation of events, the entirely wrong gender. So it made a sort of sense that she might want to be wanted.
But for someone to value possessiveness? I knew Arx had been a drunkard, but that sort of thing generally stems from a desire to push people away, not draw them in. Not that I was qualified to make such an assessment. Still, it did pique my curiosity.
Of course, all of that was predicated on the assumption that their preferences stemmed from something more than simple taste. It could be something as innocuous as a predilection for artichokes.
“Well, don’t leave me in suspense, Mia,” I said after a moment’s thought.
Lynnria’s tail twitched at the sound of my voice, but she did not otherwise react. Or pause.
“Aww… come on,” Mia replied, pouting. “You deliberately avoided the question.”
“And now you’re deliberately avoiding answering it,” I shot back. “Besides, I thought you liked it when I did that. You said it was cute.”
“I did not. I said it was sweet! You and your deficient memory…” She let out a huff in annoyance. “Well, no matter. We will fix that in time.”
“Mia…” I began warningly.
“I’m not going back on my word,” she said in quick defense. “But you will need to work on your Intelligence eventually, if for no other reason than to even out… certain things.”
“Such as?”
She sucked in a breath. “Oh~ yes. There it is. I knew I could get one out of you eventually.”
I rolled my eyes, then jerked when one of Lynnria’s newly sharpened teeth nicked me ever so slightly. She did not stop, but her claws did dimple my thighs. Whether that was out of a desire to apologize or a warning not to further move, I could not say.
“Anyway, I’ve figured out where that ‘Engraving Intricacy Capacity’ your Dolilim mentioned is coming from. And now that I have, I should be able to continue granting them skills as per their previous set-up.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, still trying to relax. “But I had the impression you didn’t like how Xhinn was handling things. Something about… blasphemy.”
There was a moment of silence.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever said anything like that. But even if it was, it changes nothing. I cannot undo what has been done. Only make use of it.”
“Uh huh.” I knew a pedantic side-step when I heard one. “I don’t suppose you would be willing to elaborate. I would like to avoid causing trouble with any more deities than I already have.”
“Look, even if it was blasphemy—and I’m not saying it is—it wouldn’t be the sort you need worry about,” she assured me unhelpfully. “Nor would I be able to explain the reasons why. Not that I would have any need to.”
I did not reply. The doubt plastered over my face was doing all the talking I needed.
Also, Lynnria had apparently taken some offense at my distraction and begun to redouble her efforts.
“On a completely unrelated topic… haven’t you noticed how different your skills are when compared to those of your Dolilim?” she asked. And if her tone was any guide, the question was anything but unrelated.
“Uh… not really,” I admitted, struggling to focus beyond the over-stimulation going on at my crotch. “Unless you’re talking about how I have to cast spells all the time. But I thought that was because I’m a wizard.”
“You are not a Wizard. Your Class simply has a focus on spell casting. Those are not the same things.”
“Whatever. You know what I meant.”
She sighed. “You are on the right track, at least. Perhaps it may help to take a more… active interest in their skills? I’m sure they, at least, would be curious to learn about some of the things you’ve discovered lately.”
I grunted, trying to sift out the hints from the chaff. But again, concentration was not a thing I had a great deal left to spare at that particular moment.
“We’re going to need to pick out some skills soon anyway.”
“Good enough.” She clapped her hands together, punctuating the end of that topic. “In the meantime, you need to make a decision about our young companion. Shall we continue nurturing her as kind… or as Dolilim?”
“Um…” I grimaced. That had sounded like a really important question. “Lynnria could you…? Isn’t that something you should be asking her, Mia?”
“Don’t be absurd,” she replied somewhat haltingly from my thoughtless question. “I would—oh~ my. Just look at her go. Uh… That is, I would never grant any facet of my lord’s power to another without his explicit say so. Besides, that one is taking you so deep, she… or… Well, she aspires to much, I mean. That girl would leap at any chance to further her own ambitions.”
“What kind of ambitions?”
Lynnria’s furious ministrations ground to a sudden halt. After a moment’s pause, her eyes flicked up to meet my own, then she slowly dragged herself off of my engorged manhood just enough speak freely… though only just.
“Donum? What exactly is that Faen of yours talking to you about?” she asked between licks and caresses.
“Um…” I murmured, twitching and jerking with her every touch. “Something about how to nurture you?”
She narrowed her eyes fractionally. “And? What about it?”
“Ah hah… well,” I stammered. The abrupt change to these micro-stimulations were sending little shocks up and down my spine, and every one seemed to reset my brain. “I don’t really know. We were just get-hing t-to that.”
“Tell her… hmm,” Mia began, thinking aloud. “Tell her we remember the dreams of her childhood. And we know what made her set them aside. Tell her we can make them a reality… and surpass every expectation ever laid upon her. We can make her more powerful than she could possibly imagine. All she need do is take one last step off the uncertain path of mortal kind. And become… other.”
“Yeah, okay, Palpatine. Let me get right on that,” I groaned sarcastically. Never mind the quasi-villainous monologue, I would have had a hard time repeating that back even if I was not being fondled.
“No good?” she said innocently. “Well, that was more for your benefit, anyway. I’ll just be a moment…”
With that, whatever internal microphone she had been using clicked off, and I had to wait while she repeated some version of her spiel over in Lynnria’s head. The girl listened with half an ear, giving me a little time to recover but still toying with my wooden mast.
“Aren’t I already a Dolilim?” she asked after a moment, eying her claws. Then, “Lesser? That won’t do. How do I raise my rank? And what’s the difference?” She glanced at me somewhere in the middle of the reply. “Then I don’t understand. If he can’t even do it yet, what is this choice?”
I had to wince at the lengthy pause. That had been an awful lot of questions, and I had little doubt they had sent Mia into a fit of tics. Which was not to say that I was not also curious. I wanted to know what the Faen was telling her almost as much as I wanted Lynnria to quit being distracted and finish the job!
Damn it. What was all that about hopes and fantasies? And expectations? Didn’t she want to be a Warrior?
“That’s… utterly insane. They would kill for abilities like that. Anyone would. Why would I even consider the alternative?” she asked finally, and doing nothing to satisfy my interest. Who was she talking about? “You’re dodging the question. Mia, come back here this instant!”
“The nerve. The—cunt-slug—should be grateful to get even that much,” she grumbled. “Why do mortals always assume they are entitled to answers? She’ll have to figure it out just like everyone else!”
I closed my mouth, half a dozen follow-up queries dying on my lips. I figured it best not to be the example that proves the rule.
“I think that’s your lot,” I said instead, addressing the mortal in question. “You’re going to have to take a stab at it and see where you end up.”
Lynnria finally let my length go in favor of restless pacing. “Bloody useless… ugh! There has to be a consequence to this, or else she would never have bothered bringing it up.”
I nodded along, a tad mournful at having been left half-finished. But this seemed important.
“That seems reasonable,” I said, following her with my eyes. “We had been assuming you would want my next lilim slot anyway, but that won’t be coming for a while. So I don’t see how you could step off any paths, mortal or otherwise. Unless… would this grant her immortality, like the others?” I asked inwardly.
“It’s not really immortality, my lord,” Mia corrected me gently, almost like a cat leaning into a head-scratch. “It isn’t as though they revive themselves under their own power. And without the binding in place to make it work? Well, I very much doubt it.”
“I guess that’s out then,” I grunted, turning back to Lynnria. “What did she tell you?”
“Some… personal things,” she said evasively, halting her pacing.
For a few moments, she seemed hesitant to elaborate. There was a deep pain there, just behind her eyes. It pulled at me. I needed to comfort her. To tell her it was okay, but those words could only ring hollow. I did not know her pain. Who was I to tell her anything about anything.
Still, if she did not want to talk about it, that was okay, too.
However just as I was about to lift myself from the bed and gather her into my arms, she seemed to reach a decision.
“Do you recall the difficulties I had when choosing my first skill?”
I nodded slowly. I had always encountered difficulties when it came to that, so her experience had not stood out as particularly unusual. It was easy enough to put it down to a combination of an unfamiliar Class and Mia having forgotten so much, but it seemed there was more to it.
“I… already knew there was going to be a problem,” she admitted, slowly shrinking into herself. “It was… Look, it’s… it’s complicated, Donum.”
I had to smirk. Turnabout was fair play.
“What ain’t?” Jax said, plopping onto the bed beside me.
To that point, she and Arx had been quietly ‘getting to know’ one another better on the other side of the room. In the biblical sense. One of the perks of being a lilim was that they could feed just fine no matter who was demanding my attention, and they had been content to let their little sister have some private time.
But now that we were talking…
“Clan troubles?” Arx asked while settling into a casual lean against the bedpost.
“That’s… a bit of an understatement,” Lynnria confirmed, eying the two of them warily. And blushing from their unabashed nakedness. “I think you two might be even more unrestrained than Donum.”
The lilim turned to look at me, their collective eyebrows crawling up their scalps.
“Wasn’t me getting ideas all the time,” I grumbled under my breath. Then, a little louder: “Like I’ve said, it comes with being a Quester. You stop worrying about it after a while.”
“I think we passed worrying by when she got to choking on yer knob,” Jax quipped.
“Anyway,” Lynnria squeaked, “that was part of why Grandfather was training me to become a Warrior. Their skills are much less demanding on your Core, early on. We had thought that might be enough to overcome my issues, but… well, you saw.”
“And as I was explaining,” Mia cut in, “Her situation would be greatly improved were we to implement your Dolilim’s version of Core management. With your permission, of course.”
“So what’s the problem?” Arx asked. “Won’t all that happen anyway once she’s bound?”
“I honestly haven’t a clue. As far as I can determine, most of it was a result of the Fifth’s lack of… of experience.”
Jax’s eyebrow twitched. “If that one’s so inexperienced-like, why’s Her version more powerful, then? Eh?”
Mia growled with frustration. “Because, I—wanna eat your asssshit… I’m starting to get a headache again.”
Arx crossed her arms. “I thought you didn’t have a head.”
“Quiet, you. Look, none of this is anything a bunch of mortals need ever worry about. I swear it. And while I’m being honest, I mostly just wanted to see what would happen. If we’re lucky, it might prompt the rest of her evolution. We can’t have the girl ripping our lord’s pants down every time she gets a little hungry.”
“I can think of worse things,” Jax said, licking her lips. “Unless she was to do it with people about. Then he’d just get all shamed and foul the taste.”
“Wait, what?” Lynnria cut in. “What would I be doing?”
“Knob gobbling, of course!” Jax growled before I could change the subject. “Me mum’s arse, yer doing me head in. I says we switch the girl over. Maybe then we won’t have to play this game of ‘she said, she said’ no more.”
“That’s a solid argument, if I’ve ever heard one,” Arx agreed.
“But what about the consequences?” Lynnria persisted. “Did she say anything about that?”
Mia sighed heavily. “Like I keep saying, it isn’t a mortal concern. Besides, the only—” She stopped abruptly, as though choking. “Ooh… ouch. I’m going to feel that one later.”
“Is this one of those forbidden things?” I asked. “Is that why you’re being so evasive?”
Mia gasped, an ecstatic moan ripping from her throat out of absolutely nowhere. “Oh, yes! Very much so. Thank you, Master!”
Jax frowned and slowly pushed herself up off the bed, consequently setting her breasts to dangling. Not that I was looking. “Wait a scanty… why’d that make ye jump like ye took a cock up yer arse? Master, I think that Faen of yor’n gets off on riddles.”
“You may be onto something there…” Mia cooed.
“She didn’t swear at you,” Arx observed.
“Hello? Can you four stay on topic, please?” Lynnria cut in. Again. “We are talking about my future here, right?”
“Right.” I turned back to her. “To sum up, we don’t know what the hell we’re doing, but it might be considered blasphemy—”
“Never said that…”
“—so it might piss someone off—”
“It won’t.”
“—but we think it’ll make you more powerful?”
“That part’s true.”
“And possibly push you along to be closer to a full Dolilim.”
“And that’s a complete stab in the dark.”
Lynnria went silent for a while after that, trying to digest what little we had been able to share—both in regard to the situation at hand and overall. I felt for her. She was only now coming to grips with the fact that she was changing at all, and now having to decide whether to kick the rock the rest of the way down the hill?
Obviously, I had tried explaining the situation once or twice in the past but, thanks to random memory edits and a healthy dose of deserved skepticism, she had been dismissive. Now, seeing my mates sitting right in front of her, being able to compare her features to their own, and combined with the onset of these new cravings? There could be no denying what was happening to her.
Arx was even beginning to grow out a respectable tail—amongst other things. It was still almost hairless, though I could definitely see a bit of white peach-fuzz coming in along its tip. Somewhat like Lynnria’s, though whether it would end up that way was still a mystery.
I wonder why Mia’s is so fluffy?
Arx caught my eye and smiled, making certain to emphasize the rather more significant assets nestled between her arms. I had already given them a thorough round of appreciation earlier, but a little extra never hurt. She winked at me.
“I’ll do it,” Lynnria said finally.
“Told you.”
“Yeah, yeah. Go ahead then,” I said. “You have my permission to do whatever it is you need to.”
“Yes, my lord,” Mia intoned. “Give me a few moments to set things up.”
Pretty much the instant the Faen left my head, I felt Jax’s hand curl over my shoulder. When I turned, I found her sitting very close, her face unreadable.
“Have a care, Master,” she whispered softly. “Yer girl’s a troubled one. Lot going on under her skin. Too much to get a handle on so quick-like.”
I nodded my understanding. “I do seem to have a type, don’t I.”
She snorted. But there was a gentle smile hidden beneath her scowl. “I’d nay like to see ye hurt, be all. Don’t put too much of yerself into that one. Not til the bind’s done.”
I chuckled then gave her a soft bump against the shoulder. “No one could replace you, Jax.”
“Again with yer mince,” she growled before pulling me into a quick but fierce kiss. “I don’t trust that Faen of yor’n, neither. Can’t read that one at all, but even the sallowest numpty’d know she’s got plans fer ye. All that talk of what’s mortal and what ain’t stiffs me short hairs, ye ken?”
I actually had to think for a minute before I ‘kenned.’ Jax was as perceptive as they came, but picking out any sort of meaning from her mishmash of lingo was often an exercise in futility.
“Oh… you mean the hair on the back of your neck, don’t you.”
She shook her head in confusion. “Where else?”
“Well, it’s just… where I come from… never mind.”
“Okay, I’ve got it all set up. You can begin any time you’d like,” Mia announced about then—saving me from the mental hamster-wheel squeaking away behind Jax’s eyes.
“I’m going to need you to be a little more specific, Mia.”
“It’s all very technical, but… well, I suppose there really isn’t any easy explanation,” she admitted. “I cannot precisely duplicate Xhinn’s methods. I am not Her nor ever any part of Her. I am you, my lord. And I have seen you do it. In your own way.”
I blinked once slowly. Then a few more times in rapid succession. “That… huh?”
“No more than I expected,” she said with a chuckle. “I can only explain more by way of metaphor. What I have done is to prepare the soil, but it is you who must plant the seed. From that, your tree will grow.”
“Tree?” Arx straightened, understanding suddenly. “You mean—?”
“Yes, exactly the same. But I doubt doing this on purpose will come as easily as did your own.”
She placed a hand over her abdomen. “That was real?!”
“Uh… guys?”
“It was,” Mia affirmed, ignoring me. “Do you now understand the opportunity you missed?”
“But I didn’t know it was growing out of my Core!” She turned to me. “Donum, we have to go back to sleep! I want to try again. And without Mia, this time! Just you as you are.”
“We’re the same person, you twat!” Mia yelled with a relatively mild swear on her lips. Which was a bit surprising. She usually avoided those unless forced. “Besides, our lord’s dreams are still too chaotic to be able to control on a whim. Why did you think I wanted to work on his Intelligence?”
“Guys.”
Jax raised a finger, drawing my attention away from the growing argument. “Master… be this a sex thing?”
I opened my mouth in thoughtless dismissal, but then realization set in. Whatever else she was on about, Mia had said I needed to ‘plant a seed.’ And that would be spectacularly on-brand for this group.
“Sex?” Lynnria said, stiffening suddenly. “Nobody said anything about… Donum, we’re not having sex are we?”
“Now yer nervous? Ye was happy to bob on his boaby not five minutes ago.”
“Well, I mean… I couldn’t help it, could I?” she tittered. “With this, I—I… well, that is…”
Jax narrowed her eyes, then slowly crawled off the bed, stalking her way toward the girl. “Fear? Why fear?”
“Now, hold on, Jax. There’s no need to pressure—” I began, but she held up her hand, forestalling me.
“What pressure?” she shot back. “The girl knows ye’d not touch what ain’t yer own to touch, nor enter where y’ain’t invited. And on silver besides. Or I’d’ve cut her down where she stands. No.” She turned back to Lynnria. “I feel yer aching, girl. I feel yer heart pounding away. The fire in yer veins. Ye been wanting this. Why fear?”
“W-well, it’s just…” Lynnria stammered softly. “I’m… I’m not very good at it, is all.”
Jax tilted her head, frowning suspiciously. But then her scowl slowly gave way into a knowing grin.
“Ah… Ye was a laoi, wasn’t ye. That’s got it.” Laughing good-naturedly, she swung an arm over her shoulders and all but dragged the girl forward. “Well now, ye’s about to get a lot better at it!”
Seleroan Come and read ahead over on the Patreon. Currently up to Chapter 55 over there. Always appreciate the support!
