"Do we have everything?" Vadei asked me once again as her fingers slowly moved about. And when each sluggish flick of the fingers was done, the airship followed suit. Almost as lethargically as her.
"Again, yes, we have everything you asked for." I told her from my seat just before she sighed again. The frown that had become so typical of her as of late moved slightly, but it did not go anywhere. She was stuck in an eternal state of depression. Something her family could not help her with from what I have seen.
"Va, you need to sleep, come on." her mother encouraged as she shook her daughter about. But, Vadei stuck her nose up at the idea and got out of her grip.
"I'll sleep when we get back home..." Vadei snapped up at her with barely any energy before she began to lean forwards. Then, she went back up all of a sudden as she forced her eyes open.
"Vadei, get some sleep." her mother repeated as she began to stroke her cheek after she put her head on her belly. Vadei would then shiver before she just started crying again. This was something that had happened quite a bit as of late. So much was going through her head and it just exploded out every now and then.
Thankfully for me, Liadanann came onto the bridge with her tools, "Nin, can you come here for a moment?" she asked me with a smirk as she dangled a wrench from her finger. Hips stuck out while her tail swished from side to side.
"Going to show me your latest attempt at vandalism, are we?" I jokingly asked her as I moved to leave the bridge. Watching carefully despite not wanting to at how Vadei's mother held onto her protectively as I passed on by. Nearly sneering at her before Liadanann's smile took the sneer right off of my face.
"Improvements, they're called improvements." she told me as she spun around and slithered her thick tail across my front.
"Most of them have done nothing to help the ship." I say as we go by some of her strange additions to the ship. In this case, a strange and peculiar set of lines she had etched into the hull. Which, admittedly, was all the cases from what I have seen. All lines that have been etched into our precious airship.
"Because it is not done yet!" she once again reminded me as I raised a brow at her.
"And when will it be done, exactly? We've been at this for weeks. Emphasis on the 'we' given how you like to do it as a pair." I ask while smiling a bit at her growing grin and what should've been a light blush. She wasn't as prone to looking like she was blushing as the others, but she had many tell-tale signs. First of which relates to her tail as it gets all wiggly when she is happy. Her toe-claws also get quite active when she is praised or our relationship is mentioned, as well.
"I could not even tell you, but, I will know when it is done!" she informs me as she confidently sticks her chest out with a tool held above her head. I nearly moved backwards, however, when her swollen chest bounced into me. And it had predictable results as she too went backwards while softly moaning and groaning before she stabilised herself.
"Is it about that time of day again?" I asked with both a knowing grin and a sense of concern. Her reluctance to accept help from anyone but me has caused some complications with her healing. Being stuck in a cage as she was had also caused some issues. She had to be fed steady, small amounts in a comfortable manner otherwise her body would reject it.
An odd kind of spell she developed in order to mitigate the damage of that harness. However, if it did anything but make the issue worse is something else entirely. Thankfully, however, we got along and helping her out wasn't too hard. In fact, it was quite an enjoyable affair!
"Indeed it is." she nodded with a sultry grin as she grabbed her straps and lowered her top. Exposing a big, juicy pair of crimson-tipped, pale-red mounds covered in dozens upon dozens of little darker red lumps. Each one of them was the sign of her former captivity and I was working on getting rid of them. The injuries on her lower half, though, might take longer as I was unwilling to touch that place.
Not because I might hate the feeling or be grossed out by it. But, rather, I did not want to go that far with her while Lari was at the centre of my mind. Maybe if I finally let go of her, maybe then I'll check there. But, for now, she can just apply the necessary makeshift medicine to the injury.
Whatever it was that Lari had tried to make so Liadanann could heal down there. It was quite difficult to make, as well. Not so because the ingredients were uncommon or hard to find or troubling when you refined it. The issues came entirely from Liadanann's want to be near me...
She won't accept the gel if she knew Larishazza made it on her own. So, I needed to hide and pretend that I made it myself. Thankfully, for her own good, she does not have an acute magic sense. So she has not picked up on its watery and arcane nature.
"Well, I'm waiting, handsome." Liadanann reminded me as she moved her chest up and down a little. Something that made my nostrils flare open as I moved in to help her. And, slowly and carefully, I took hold of them and moved her against the airship before massaging them. Listening to her breaths and moans carefully as I started to let my magic flow into her.
I had found it quite funny how seriously I took this whole affair. Even with my increased willingness to play around with the girls, I still kept my priorities in order. If I was doing it to heal them, I did it to heal them. I did not play around with it and just focused on that.
Of course, this did not mean that Liadanann was treating it like I was. She was buckling under my grip and putting her arms around my neck. Her weak body was so desperate in its attempts to get me closer. And maybe it was a good idea, I could breathe magic onto her, after all.
One of the many benefits of being in a land full of wind magic. But that also made me wonder why she couldn't just apply magic to herself with a hairdryer or something. Like, I clearly understood why she preferred this way of doing things, her body moved the way it did for a reason. But, still, she could be far further along with the process if she just did more of it herself.
"Alright, we're changing positions." I then complained when her reactions were getting in my way. So I spun her around and pinned her against the wall. My claws weren't slowed down by the sudden pressure I was applying to them and my legs kept her tail still. And, maybe she preferred it this way, her lower body certainly wanted to try and make it so.
"Come on, Nin... You know full well that machine also damaged better places." she cooed with a sigh as my claw tips traced the lumps on her breasts. Gently pushing down on each one like a needle before moving along. I did not know if the process helped, but it made sense in my head. After all, I was focusing the magic right on the injury rather than slathering it about her chest like lotion.
Speaking of lotion, however, "And you know full well that I gave you a routine regarding that." I remind her just before she suddenly shivered and gasped.
"B-But... Your claws would feel so much better..." she pointed out as she slowly licked her lips.
"This is for your health, Liada." I say, using that nickname that Larishazza often uses despite the protests.
"Mmmmm... But so is getting these feelings and thoughts I have of you out." she giggles before I began to test her breasts. Bouncing each one up and down as if I was juggling them in order to test the magic.
"How do they feel?" I asked as I exposed her front to the air and the view beyond the airships railings.
"G-Great! Oh, how I wish Iderim-Ovi would grant you his reckless confidence so you did more!" she told me, but I ignored everything but the first word to come out of her mouth.
"Perfect, we'll do it again later and then I'll come by before you go to bed." I explain as I let go. Enjoying the way she pouted as I helped her cover her breasts up.
Then, I let her press up against me when she was dressed again, "Won't you anyway, it is my turn to share your bed, no?" she asked me with a cheeky smile as my claws went down to her hips.
"There's no schedule or rule with my bed, Liada. We have been over this." I remind her with a little chastising slap. Given where the slap was, however, it might as well have been a sexual tease. She certainly took it that way.
"There should be, I am getting tired of that girl." she gently growled into my chest. The sudden suction I felt on my chest was also followed by her suddenly calming down. If I knew my smell was that helpful in keeping her calm, I'd avoid showering or washing myself! Alas, that would be disgusting.
"What there should be is harmony between you two as I am getting tired of you two arguing." I pointed out only to get a scoff as a response. So, in order to make my point clear, I pinched her skin.
"Ow! Ow!" she repeated over and over until she forced her side out of my grip. A slight whiteness now tainted her skin and she rubbed it tenderly.
"You two have done nothing to either, I don't need you two making up reasons as you go along."
"Well forgive me for struggling to find common ground with a human!"
"The ones who've hurt you are gone," I begin to say before I felt a sudden surge of controlled anger, "all gone..." I finished in despair before I shook it out violently. Letting her sudden yelp fill my ears as I grabbed onto her and pulled her in for a hug. Purring with my chitters as I kept my head nestled near her neck.
"Alright, I'll give it a go..." she answers uncomfortably as I hug her. Why she was uncomfortable, however, I could not tell. Was she not a hugging person? That couldn't have been right all things considered...
"Good, and when you two learn to get along, we can just enjoy ourselves without issue." I answer with a chirp as I hop out of the hug. Moving against the airship until I was looking at the spot where her tools were.
"Right, the improvements." Liadanann then admits while rubbing her head as she kneels down before falling onto her hip. Her claws began to move some things out the way but it seems that she mostly wanted me to look at it.
"What am I looking at?"
"N-Nothing, I just need you to apply some magic to this spot." she mumbles in embarrassment while looking at herself.
"Alright." I let out as I do what was asked of me. Watching with minor curiosity as the patterns she had been making lit up before going dark. I followed the magic as it travelled across the metal but I could not sense any real changes. Maybe I had to put more in?
"No! That was fine, that is all I wanted to show you." she sheepishly tells me as I moved to put more in. But, she steadily starts to look away nervously.
"What did you do?"
"N-Nothing..." she tells me while scooting away.
"What did you do!?" I repeated louder before she smirks and gets up. Only to run off into the airship with a laugh booming from her lungs. Then, I swear I could hear someone screaming at another point in the airship. And I swear it sounded a little like Einervaene...
I didn't rush after Liadanann, but, I wasn't slow about it either. I got up with a sigh and I followed her tracks. Which, thanks to her toe-claws, actually were a thing as she left these short-lived scratches on the floor. And I say short-lived because it was more of a smudge mark, really.
"NIN!? NIN!?" I then heard Einervaene call out in panic to which I sped off in the direction of. Then, I came to a confused stop when I found her on the floor moving her hands about aimlessly.
"Yeah, I'm here." I told her as I put her hand into my claw. Growling slightly at the sudden shock she sent my way before she crawled onto me. And she patted my body down in the process. Almost as if she was blind...
"I... Everything has gone blurry." she explained as she calmed down. My touch must've been quite something if it made her calm down this quickly!
I frowned, firstly thinking of Liadanann's work, "Alright, explain to me what happened. How did this happen?" I asked her as my grip became firmer. If this was what I was suspecting then I'd be having words with Liadanann.
Then, oddly, Einervaene suddenly blushed, "I... I was rubbing my eyes after having used a bit of magic and I shocked my eyes..." she muttered with an increasing squeal to her voice.
I started chuckling, "Oh... You stupid girl, stupid girl." I said between chuckles, much to her further embarrassment.
"Sh-Shut up!" she said to me as she held onto me tighter. Not that it would help as my mockery filled her ears, not her sight. But, that would be enough for the moment as I needed to find Liadanann. And, maybe, if I brought Einervaene along then I could try and see things get patched up between the pair.
But, where had Liadanann gone? I had lost track of her given the sudden case of Einervaene bringing back an old favourite. It made one thing clear, too! It wasn't just in baths or showers that she could shock herself!
"Alright, come on. Get up, Einy." I said as I stood up, making up a nickname on the spot as we rose.
"Einy...?" she repeated in confusion before a warm smile went on to dominate her face. Her hand even took on a more tender grip when we started walking. I think I could even hear her humming a delicate tune as I guided her about.
"Oh, it's back." I then commented when I saw a magic pulse travel through Liadanann's things again. Was it perhaps decoration she added onto the ship? Decoration based on what she has seen back at her own home? Or was I still right to assume something worse?
"Niiiiiiiinnnnnnnnn!" she called out with a singing voice. Something that made Einervaene move closer to me in a more protective manner.
"Go away!" she said as she swatted the empty space before us. But, as this meant she was getting in my way, I just moved to pick her up by the rear. And when I started walking again, one claw was clasping the right cheek while the other claw was on her thighs. Each spot was tender and soft and had a certain spring to it.
Both spots made Einervaene as red as the woman we were looking for too.
"Why'd you run off?" I then asked once I found Liadanann again. Seems she has taken up residence in the male bunk space. And as soon as I entered, the few oxfuine still in here left with haste. Not that many were here, it seems they've learned to avoid Liadanann as well.
"You were following me!" Liadanann countered with as she sashayed on over to me and Einervaene. A strained smile came to her face, but it steadily went away as she shifted her focus to my face. And then it came right back when Einervaene began to spread herself over me.
"At first, but that still doesn't answer why you just ran off after I did whatever it was you had me do."
"I had you apply some of your magic to my runes..." she complained with a pout, and, interestingly, her disappointment sounded professional. As if she was upset I did not grasp the intent of her work despite my prior background. Which, did not come as a surprise, everyone I have explained this to took it with a grain of salt. Why is it so hard to believe that I was nothing special before all this bug stuff!?
"And the runes do what exactly?"
"They just circulate your magic around the area... It makes me feel safe..." she admitted as she kicked her right foot's largest toe-claw along the floor. Clawing up the carpet in the process until I got in close and put a stop to it.
"Alright, one moment, Einervaene." I told my current passenger before I put her down so I could properly address my old cell-neighbour. Taking her into my arms and putting my claws through her loose, red hair so I could soothe her. Feeling as she steadily opened up to the gesture and returned it in kind.
"I know they aren't humans... But they all look so alike them... You're the only one who doesn't look like one!" she explained with growing frustration as her grip tightened. But, I made sure to keep her a little distant so we did not aggravate her injuries. On the topic of that, though, I might need to get Einervaene to soften her outfit a bit. I know it might be difficult given our resource limits but I am worried about Liadanann's injuries.
"Liadanann, I get that you've been through a lot. Possibly for longer than I can grasp. But, please, no one here will hurt you. If you want to be near me, that is fine, but this paranoia needs to stop." I said to her while holding onto her as caringly as I could. I do not want her to misinterpret my intentions so maybe if I kept up the caring tone she would get it...? I hope so, I don't think explaining my personal experiences would help.
"They violated my most precious spaces with a machine that shocked me viciously until I complied... Don't just tell me to let it go..." she sobbed as her arms moved to cover her chest and crotch. In another situation, this might have been a beautiful woman covering up her shame. But, this time was only slightly like that. I knew from the way she slept that it still disturbed her.
"Don't worry, Liadanann, I understand that more than you know." I admit to her as I move our bodies over to a bed. Even going so far as to take on a blank expression as I thought on my current body.
"Then you should know why I need this... Why I needed to make a way for your magic to always be near me..." she said to me slowly as she slowly slid down until her head was on my crotch. She even moved one of her hands onto my claws so she could keep it on her cheek. She also tried to smile through the tears but she was struggling. It seems speaking of it was enough to make her spots ache a lot despite our recent check-up.
I sighed out a noisy thought before I brought something before her, "Then, how about this, keep this with you." I said before I covered her face with my hat. Hearing a quiet laugh come from her before she took it off her face.
"I'll be fine with that." she tells me before her body began to move up. But, she stopped just short of my face and instead went around to my cheek. I got a little kiss from her and she was soon back on her claws with her tail moving about. A little hat that struggled to stay on now complimenting her looks.
"You know, it's a good thing you have your clothes made out of my old ones. The hat fits a lot better." I say to her as I watch her try and balance the hat on her horns. Watching with a small smile as she became frustrated by how it stayed on. And even though I took some joy in it, I was cautious as I suspected this was her just trying to vent some other frustrations out.
"It doesn't fit at all!" she stropped before nearly throwing the hat to the ground.
"Well, we don't need it to fit on tightly, we just need it to stay with you." I said to her as I had a go at it. But, my blocky six digits spread across two limbs weren't the best for this. And, I was not surprised at all. I had to master wrapping myself up in bandages just to get changed!
"I-I can help with that." Einervaene then spoke as she slowly got up and moved to rub her eyes. Something she stopped doing before she even started. A light chuckle left me as a result as she would often get briefly paranoid of her magic after moments like this.
"Does she have to...?" Liadanann asked me with displeasure as she sneered in disgust.
"I'm the one with the sewing expertise, so yes!" Einervaene snorted before she snatched the hat. Something that made me glare at her but I let it happen regardless. Yet, as punishment for that act, I did not help her as she stumbled out the room.
"Come on, we'll go sort it out then we can go find something else to do." I told my red-skinned friend as we got moving once more.
"Once this is done... Can I show you how my rune system works?"
"If you want, it's not like there's much to do aboard this airship." I joked seriously as I was indeed running out of things to do. Sure, teasing the girls was fun and all, but I needed something else to do and all the airship fixing was done! All thanks to Liadanann as well...
Selfish one she was...
Liadanann then giggled, "I could always teach you how to play a game I made up with all the spare nuts and bolts we have."
"As long as it is not something that frustrates me to the point of death."
"It's not that bad!" Liadanann gasped in fake-shock before we finally reached Einervaene's makeshift workshop. Something that took a while longer than I thought as, well, she was partially blind.
"Can someone grab me a needle and some strong string, please!" Einervaene loudly asked as she plumped her rear onto a stall. Her drawings then swished about behind her as she flailed about.
"One hat, one needle, one strip of bandages."
"I said string." Einervaene repeated with an attempt at an annoyed tone. But I could see that smile of hers. Even if she and Liadanann didn't get along when they interacted... She did try to make a relationship work.
Or, maybe she just liked the gesture of me using one of my bandages as it was more stuff that smelled of me. Who knows, I suppose only she did unless she explained it to me. And while Einervaene slowly got to work, I looked back at Liadanann as she played with my bandages. Carefully I would watch as she fiddled with them.
"These have been through quite a lot..." she would mutter as she held them under a light. Sometimes she would frown and other times she would seemingly smile at the stains. Maybe she was both worried about the injuries and fantasizing about them? Or, maybe there was just a funny picture I had not noticed.
"Yeah, I know, they need to be replaced, really." I then say as I watch the near-equal giant sniff some of the various patches of colour.
"I don't think so, they all have a story to them. This bit here, for example, it was closed up after something shot it. This bit is burnt and this bit is just muddy." she said, showing off both a love for story and her knowledge of what things did to cloth.
"And that story ends with them being replaced." I then added with a grin as I watched Einervaene finish up her work. And soon, I had a modified hat in my claws. One that I generously offered to my friend who took it with a smile. And even if she could not get it on properly, the fact the little bandage string kept it dangling on her made her smile.
"And my story has just got a lot more interesting, thank you." she told me while sending off glances towards Einervaene.
"Thanking me? Oh, ho! No, you got to thank our sewmaster here." I told her before I gave Einervaene a firm pat on the back. Then, I caught her by the breast with my other claw as she quite literally did not see it coming.
"Erh..." Liadanann let out before she started to moved towards the door. And I got a very good idea when I saw that.
"Well, I'll leave you to it." I loudly dismissed before I picked up Einervaene and slammed her on her desk. Making her legs wrap around my torso before vibrating my jaw up to her torso. A mixture of shock, squeals and gentle moans filled my ears.
"W-What...?" Liadanann let out as I put on the impression I was going to go a bit further with Einervaene than I had before.
"Just making sure Einy here gets the appreciation she deserves." I purred into the woman's ear as little sparks began to shoot out her skin. And while my grip kept her still, she was shaking with so much anticipation that she might as well have been a running motor.
"All I did was not thank her!" Liadanann tried to counter my actions with as if it didn't paint her in a bad light.
"Exactly." I whispered as I made it clear my lips were going near Einervaenes.
"Alright! THANK YOU FOR THE HAT!" Liadanann then shouted in Einervaene's face before she started dragging me off of her. Something I let her do while my mouth let out cackle after cackle.
"Calm down, it was only a joke." I told the angry redskin as she wailed on me with her hands. And then, I was suddenly struck by a magical bolt of lightning that paralysed me.
"A JOKE!?" Einervaene roared in fury as she suddenly shot up with her hands dripping with voltage. Each little bolt of her anger even seemed to be directed at me as they all sparked off her and then went to me.
"If it was going to hurt this much I wouldn't have!" I explained through laughter as I spasmed slightly at the feet of two buxom women.
"You're such moon-tongued beast!" Einervaene nearly spat out before she stomped off away from my laughter.
I then slowly got up as the lightning began to dissipate out of my body, "Come on! I already made it clear beforehand I wasn't going to do certain things!" I explained as my laughter came to an end. A blissful sigh was the last noise I made as I calmed down.
My body then shook slightly when a hard fist bashed against my arm, "Don't make those kinds of jokes..." Liadanann chastised shyly as that fist took my claw into its grip.
"No." was all I had to say as the grin came back before a brief laugh too.
And, in a bid to forget what happened, Liadanann tried to make it about herself again, "So... My runes, you wanted to know about them?" she asked.
"Yeah, explanation, demonstration and all the other good stuff and that game if you're still up for it?" I told her as I listed off what she could do.
"Runes first, that will be more fun!" she says as she suddenly perks up at the mere implication.
"Well, go on then, how do they work? You had me insert my magic and now it follows you...?" I tell her before commenting on the glowing lines on the walls.
"Indeed, the runes I used are tracking ones and I linked them to my blood. Then, with your magic being injected into their completely independent magic circuit, I now have the means to keep your power always near me!" she explained while puffing out her chest.
"So as it is on its own, it won't interfere with the airship in anyway?"
"I don't know about that, it won't say, cause us to suddenly crash, but it might interfere with finer details like sensory data." she admits with a casual shrug while rubbing a finger on one of her runes. A small smile on her face as the magic went past her red finger like a river did a bridge's support pillar. If it had one, of course.
"Might as well be no issue then, as, well, I doubt I will miss the truly dangerous stuff with my magic sensing."
"You know, I wouldn't mind running some experiments on you, you know?"
"We just got out of one and you want to run some...?"
"Not like them... No..." she told me with clear discomfort before she perked up, "I just want to measure your magic and take some notes on it! As, I'm sure you can tell, I'm not exactly a user of magic..." she told me as she brought my pointer-claw across her palm.
"You can always learn how to cast spells and that, you know? There's plenty of magic to go around." I point out as we stroll outside. A green wisp blowing by as we turned away from a mountain that was in our way. And, just below us was a herd of creatures I was unfamiliar with. But, from what I could see, they were rather normal compared to what I have seen here before.
"So there is..." Liadanann admitted with some amazement as she tried to reach out to the nearby magic wisps. With one of them even seemingly acting as if it was alive as it went across her extended arm before flying off. She giggled before bringing her arm back to her side.
"And even if we have some trouble with teaching you spells or any of that stuff," I begin to explain before facing her towards her work, "we can always fashion you something that might work." encouraging her to find a solution with her current knowledge. And, it should work, shouldn't it? Vapooliar's sword had magical runes in it, her palm too!
"Which is why I would need to experiment on you." she clarified slowly while also nodding slowly.
"That is fine, so long as you try your best at it." I reaffirm her with vocally before giving her hand a little squeeze.
"I don't think I have ever done something without trying my hardest. Like, even this system I put the utmost care into." she explains while slowly stroking the pooling up magic.
"Now that's a lie, everyone half-asses something every now and then."
"I'm not lying, I'm being serious!" she says before looking up at me with an offended frown.
"And I'm cute and fluffy." I say back to her, not believing her at all.
"No, no jokes, Nin. I've never really had the room to perform a half measure when doing my work. We could not afford mistakes back home..."
"You had it rough?"
"Let me put it into perspective for you... This airship and all its passangers?"
"Yes?"
"That is all we know of my kind. It could possibly be that the ark I was kidnapped from is the only holding of my people left in this world!" she explained as her grip tightened.
"A single airship is all you have...?" I question with some disbelief as I assume this 'ark' must've been one.
"It's a lot bigger than this tiny little thing, but, yes... Last I heard, all of my kind could be found onboard that one vessel. A testament to the brutality of the vile Thunder God." she bitterly comments while sneering at the mere thought of Thurnmourer.
"The gods haven't been here in... Well, only they know how long." I tell her.
"Yet our god, our most honourable, dependable Singular God. Our Father, Iderim-Ovi... He has not answered our prayers. He's answered none of them...! You know why...? Because that thunderous bastard slaughtered him because he tried to protect his people!" she nearly screamed as she aggressively approached me after leaving my grip. I stared back at her and tried to think of something...
"I don't think this airship has a shrine or anything... But, try calling out to Iderim-Ovi with this." I say to her as I put my bracelet-wearing wrist near her face. Watching with a frown as she shot her head away from it as if it was cursed.
"You better not be mocking me, Nin..." she growled while keeping her glare directed at Motrtha's symbolism on the bracelet.
"I'm not, just, try, okay?" I say to her as I hope she might be able to get the religious closure she needs. If Liadanann was indeed a member of the people of the Red Beast, the one Ancient Thunder stood up against... Then she should be able to speak to him, no? I did save him from that church after all back when I was just a soul.
"This is stupid... Hello? Can anyone hear me!?" she comments before making loud requests of the bracelet. She nearly moved to walk away in frustration as well before suddenly stopping. Then, she started crying like a child who had just broken down in their parent's arms. I was a little shocked, to be honest, and I did not know what to do at first.
Thankfully, I soon did, "Are you alright?" I asked her before she suddenly leapt at me and hugged me as tightly as she could.
"THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Thank you..." she began to shout in joy as she peppered my face with kisses. I take it that whoever answered her showed her or explained to her what happened in that church
"Again, you alright?" I asked again as I smiled at the relaxing woman.
"Somehow... The most surprising bit of that is seeing you as a human... Not what you are now..." she says to me, giving some insight as to what it is she has seen. Then, all of a sudden, my bracelet began to glow and something dripped out from it. And we reacted at first with fright but, when it was done, there was a single crimson scale on the ground.
"Well. Uh, I got nothing." I said as I tried to pick it up, only to watch with a pout of my own as Liadanann laughed at me. She instead would be the one to pick it up and the scale would change slightly. Crimson chains shot out of its top until they formed a hook at the back. Gold slightly rimmed all the chains and some had little green gemstones settled into their loops.
"Maybe I should use that bracelet of yours more often." Liadanann giggled before she lifted up her hair and offered me the necklace. And I was surprised by how easy I found it was to put on her despite my complications with my digits...
"Any idea what it is...?"
"It's a talisman of prayer." she told me as she picked it up and held it before her smiling lips. A quick kiss was then given to the scale before she let it rest above her impressive bust.
"So did he give it you so you could pray to him...?" I asked in some confusion while cautiously keeping an eye out for any peculiar drippings.
"He did... He told me to ask him for his help whenever I needed it and he would help me however he could. He even said the necklace would give me power...? I'm not sure what he meant by that, though."
"As in magic power?"
"I would not know how to use that, though." Liadanann reminds me with a shrug before I grabbed her arm. Standing behind her and fiddling with the limb until a green light surrounded her. But, it wasn't like the magic we saw fly about us. Instead, it had a more fire-like behaviour to it. Either way, it had Liadanann laughing in anticipation.
"Well, plenty of time to learn." I say as a smile forms before I let go of her arm so she can mess with it herself. Watching carefully with an excitement that was only overshadowed by her own until it suddenly went. A projectile of some kind shot out of her palm and the results were interesting. Mostly because it spread itself out on the mountain it hit and did nothing of note.
"There's our first lesson, I guess." Liadanann lets out with an excited tone as she shakes her arm back to normal.
"One way to do it." I then comment after seeing her handle her magic like that. If only it was so simple back when I was learning my own magic. But, given how this seemed to come directly from her patron god... Well, I don't think we can apply the prior rules to it.
"Any idea what it is doing?" I was asked as Liadanann started to lean over the railing. The mountain her magic shot out towards was getting distant but her spell was still there. At least, until she started waving at it which then caused it to vanish.
"Again, simple." I would say as I vocalised my thoughts about the issue. It would be a nice change of pace to learn someone else's magic, but it would have to wait. As right now, Vadei was dictating our course. And, when you looked down, you could see the signs of distant villages and settlements.
Also, if you looked carefully, with magic enhanced senses, obviously, you could make out tails. So, that could only mean we were getting close to Vadei's home or we were in the land owned by her kind. If there were any major political players in the area I could not say, it might've been an obvious for me. But, to repeat an obvious fact, Vadei wasn't human.
Rules could quite possibly be so very different. Or, I was just overthinking things and there was just a city-state around the corner of the next mountain. But, now was probably a good time to go back to the bridge. To hopefully get some questions answered or details explained.
Assuming she was up for it and her mother or sister would not get in the way. Her mother probably would, but the sister I have barely seen around. So I assumed she was taking it just as bad as Vadei. Then again, I like to think the reason I barely saw her around was the fact I was a nice big osibindah.
"Oh, yeah. Shit." I then spoke as my expression straightened out and I became slightly rigid. Certain memories flashed through my head and across my eyes as I stood there. Thoughts of Tryhpeltzweig haunted me in these moments. Paranoia of a second Suhurlodst made me shiver with fear...
Enough to catch Liadanann's attention, "Nin? What's wrong, you suddenly seem bothered..." she asked me with a sweet voice as her hand went to my cheek.
"Just living some memories I'd rather not."
"If it helps, I can return a favour?" she said to me with a smile. But, I would return the smile because I already had that someone. Her name was Larishazza and she was the woman I loved so much yet could never say so... If it was because I knew the answer or was just scared to hear it, I did not know.
I didn't want to make our relationship awkward with a random admission of love and desire...
But, as I did not want Liadanann to develop problems with Lari either, I was prepared to lie, "An offer which I accept."
"Is there any way I can help now then? I do owe you quite a few free offers of help, don't I?" she asked me with a laugh at the end. I smiled slightly and shook my head at her offer.
"I need to treat getting help as a currency? I might be going broke, then." I said, adding my own little touch to her words.
She giggles at me and slaps me lightly, "I'm sure we can arrange a bulk-buy, lovers discount and all." she said as she moved onto a more sultry tone and moved her mouth about my neck.
"Lovers? Now, I appreciate the adoration, but, Liadanann, you're playing the game a little quick, no?" I jested with not much seriousness. I was quite into the whole bodily teasing thing at the moment so long as it did not escalate. But, I was a little serious, I had only recently met her. Well, recent when compared to the others here.
But I knew what was responsible for any exaggerations in her feelings. Not that I had much of an issue with it. I was rather joyous at the idea these feelings actually existed inside Liadanann's heart. And the less the bracelet was needed, the better.
"My parents did teach me to be blunt, as did my old profession. Besides, you've done quite a bit to make any woman want you. Much to my annoyance." she explained as her arms wrapped around my neck. Her ample bust squished up against my chest as my claws moved towards her tail.
"If saving a woman's life was all that was needed to get her love, then I am surprised planned incidents don't occur more often." I say as I think about our new passangers. They all hated me due to what I was, yet none tried any elaborate plans. Surely one of them was taking advantage of the women's fear, no? Not that I would, but still.
"It's more than just that Nin... I'm sure you remember how we first met?"
"Balling your eyes out at me?" I answer with a smirk before she snapped her razor-sharp teeth at me. A grin of her own formed as she backed those throat-rippers away from my face.
"Yes... But, to keep it serious, please. Up until then, I had no kind voices enter my ears. No calming touch," she explained slowly as she became distant, "maybe I am just being a bit weird, making a deal out of nothing. I could undercut it as you just being in the right place at the right time. I could explain the variables and the pedantic annoyances of it all. But... I do have feelings for you either way, even if I do or don't know how to go about it. The bottom line is that you make me feel safe, Nin."
And, for a moment, I felt like I was speaking to Vapooliar again for some reason, "And I can only hope you can make me feel safe, too." I started to say to her before a kiss on the cheek interrupted me.
"You best be a good teacher, then, after all, I have no preference for a human teacher." she tells me with a smirk as her warm breath drowns my nearest ear with its heat.
"I'll have to be quite the teacher, then, because Einervaene already has the lead in the keeping me safe department." I inform her with a cheeky smile as I watched her expression sour.
"That human makes you feel safe!?"
"Indeed, comes along with the title of Wyvern-Slayer." I joke with a made-up title.
"My work is cut out for me, then." she confidently declares before something catches my eye.
"Oh, no... This isn't good..." I muttered down to the lands below as I caught sight of rolling devastation. But, as Liadanann's eyes were not particularly laced with magic, she could not tell what I was looking at. All she likely could see was green plants and grass between endless grey spikes.
"Wh-Where're you going?" she asked in worry as I got out of her grip and moved towards the bridge. Ignoring her for the moment so I could then see if Vadei had seen it. And it seems like she has indeed seen all the destruction below. But, she did not react, at least, not until I entered her field of view.
"Your kind have been here..." she tiredly explains with a miserable frown before a whimper came out her mouth.
"Can you lock the doors first?" I request of her as Liadanann comes in after me. And, thankfully, Vadei complied and now it would just be us three for the moment.
"What do you want to talk about?" she asked as the airship came to a stop before a mountain she had apparently been driving us directly towards. And noticing that gave me quite the fright as sometimes the old me still came through. The fears and worries of a young human man who could cut himself on paper.
"You know why." I tell her as her gaze slowly shifts towards the projections of destroyed villages and ruined farms.
"Osibindah have picked the area clean." Vadei says as a long tired sigh leaves her lips. I would frown at this, however, as it was becoming clear how bad her state was. She had grown pale and her hair was losing its colour. To say nothing of the way her lips and skin seemed to be cracking and how thin she was getting.
"Now, I know I asked for-"
"I will not be eating anything or drinking anything, I am fine."
"No, you're not, Vadei." I point out as I move closer to her. Moving down to a knee and staring her right in the eye. My dull blue full of concern looked right into her bloodshot silver eyes that let out nothing but misery-driven apathy.
"I am... Your kind won't want a corpse, so I can just flop down right next to..." she began to say before she started violently coughing.
"Hey, hey!" I said as she did so before I grabbed hold of her. Her body was by no means powerful, so I barely felt the vibrations her coughs caused. But, did not need a layer of unobstructed skin to feel or understand her pain.
"Let go of me..." she then said as her arms weakly pushed me away. She even tried to claw me, but they had turned brittle due to her lack of nourishment. They quickly broke on my carapace as a result. And I would have to take her chin so she would look at me.
"This isn't your home, is it?" I asked her in the hopes we just found an unlucky village. But the way she smiled in a demented manner before her face contorted into a state of dry crying worried me. It must've been if she was now beating herself up over it.
"Why does everything go so wrong in my life, Nin!?" she then asked me with a wail as she tried to pull me into a hug. Something I let her do as she really needed this by the looks of it.
"It hasn't, it hasn't..." I repeated to her in as soothing a voice I can.
"YES, IT HAS! DAD IS DEAD AND NOW I COME BACK AND FIND... This!"
"If it helps," I began to say before gulping as I remembered Tryhpeltzweig again for different reasons, "then I can go and check for signs of a hive. Me and Einervaene and Larishazza! We can all go purge those monsters from the area and save your home!" and the way I ended it seemed to cause a lot of strain in my voice. Maybe because it was so sincere...? I didn't really want to think about it...
"You want signs, there they are!" Vadei reminded me as she stuck her weak finger at the enlarged screen. A clear view of what had happened to the village below. The farms were filled with giant holes and the signs of manipulated stone filled the area. I could even catch a glimpse of a harsh, dark line or two, their bolt-like arrows if I was to guess.
"Unlock the doors, Vadei, I want to speak to my friends." I then said as I gestured for Liadanann to stay put. Then, when I got to the doors, I patiently waited for Vadei to do as I asked. Only to come back to her when she made no moves to do so.
"There's no point... It will just be like with Tobaballe, they will just get out only to turn into a monster like you!" she laughed in anguish before breaking down again. Yet, when she mentioned my home, I found myself filled with flaring anger.
"Open. The. Door." I slowly growled out as my magic began to pour out so close to her face. Watching her was like seeing someone suddenly gain all the energy they needed. Her tiredness seemed to go and she quickly opened up the door for me. My magic would slightly calm down after that, but this anger I felt would not.
And, for some reason, I felt determined. So determined that I was convinced I could charge through a valley of golden blades with no magic. No matter how many slices I took, no matter how many limbs I might lose in this valley. I would keep going, that was the strange anger-determination cocktail I was digesting right now.
"EINERVAENE! LARISHAZZA!" I then roared out once I entered the halls of the airship. Footsteps could be heard but for all I know they were just the scared oxfuinei. Each one of them shivered in fear whenever I saw one and Vadei's mother collapsed as she tried to get past me. Yet, despite seeing a terrified mother at my feet, I did not lower my magic aura to something safer.
I kept it going until I saw the faces I wanted to see, "Has something happened!?" Larishazza asked in worry as she quickly helped Vadei's mother get away from me. A few seconds later, Einervaene would show up as well with a hobble. It seems I caught her as she was trying to get her heels on.
"We're above Vadei's village, problem is, we got a bug infestation." I explained as I walked away from them. Forcing them into following me outside where I would then carry on.
"Bugs as in...?" Einervaene began to say with a notable uncomfortableness about it. But, I nodded as my anger was focused on something else. I did not have the care to get annoyed by her dodging the issue.
"So we are going to go and try and solve the problem?" Larishazza then asked as she curled a hand into a fist and showed off her determination.
"Indeed, we'll sort it and rescue who we can." I tell them before recklessly hopping off the airship. And, probably creating a needless bit of damage to the landscape near the village. But, I was also filled with a soft pain after doing that. My knees were hurting quite badly for just a little bit.
"Nin... I could've taken you down, you know..." Einervaene commented from up top as she nervously looks down at me. A slight wobble in her movements as her eyes blinked harshly.
"When did you get here...?" I asked as some confusion took over. I didn't hear the sound of a lightning bolt coming down... Did I?
"Before you, we both did. Lightning bolt, remember?" Einervaene points out with a smile as I take her hand in order to get out of the crater. Stumbling past her at first before I was stopped by her grip. Something I returned so I could stabilize her in turn.
"Now, let us get to work..." I muttered as I began to walk into the ruined village with the other two. Almost instantly bending over to pick something up when we passed on by what looked like a simple wall. What I picked up wasn't hard to figure out, it was a muddy toy. A stuffed one that had gone slightly hard due to the mud staining its outside.
"That mud has been freshly upturned." Larishazza commented as she leaned over my shoulder. I blinked a few times and looked up at her.
But, Einervaene beat me to the punch, "How do you know it has been a recent thing? It's mud." she asked in confusion while looking about for other signs of recency.
"Remember? I jump in the mud a lot back at Suhurlodst." Larishazza clarifies with a smile before she skips off towards a destroyed home. A cloud of steam soon washed over her after she shot some water at a building. Even more, once she moved onto the other small fires she could see.
And that gave me some hope, it made me feel slightly at ease, "Wood was still ember-hot, we must only be a day or so after this all happened!" I say with slight cheer before I focused exclusively on the roads and paths. Tracking the brick-like tracks before confusing myself into a stop. My own feet were getting in the way of this.
"No, don't." Larishazza then said to me as she grabbed my curling up claws and patted them open again.
"I wasn't going to punch anything..." I mumbled in agitation before she took the lead on the track following. I would go on to linger behind a little and just sort of watch her. Initially, wanting to see if I could find Einervaene before stopping. She was still blind, can't exactly go far, can she?
"A lot of these tracks all circle around to here..." Larishazza began to explain before she brought herself over to a giant pattern in the dirty road. Actually, no, it wasn't a pattern, it was all the foot-steps congregating into a single column. Whatever happened here ended with the osibindah dragging their victims off into this direction.
"Our best bet is to follow these." I tell her as I began to slowly walk alongside the markings on the floor. My stomach also began to get upset as we walked. Stores were burst open with their contents just lying about. More toys and pieces of clothing just left about.
Even a few corpses of those who tried to defend this village from the attack. And, to my delight, a few of the attackers were dead as well. But the number of corpses was clearly shifted in favour of the osibindah. If that was good for me or bad, I did not really want to find out.
"Should we go and collect Einervaene? This all leads to the land beyond. Wouldn't want to leave her, would we?" she asked with some humour to her tone in an attempt to alleviate the mood these ruins let out.
"Alright, go find a roof and point out coppery hair for me." I say to Larishazza before helping her up onto a roof.
"That tickles." she comments as my claws go across the inside of her foot as I let go of her.
"And I'll tickle you a lot more if you don't find her." I threaten with a non-threatening smile before moving on to try and hear her stumbling about. If her eyes were still messed up by her accident then it would be quite simple to find her by noise, no? If not, I could always just run back to the place we entered from and find her there. Because again, she most certainly couldn't have gone far.
"I see her, she's bobbing up and down in the fields for some reason and having a grand time." Larishazza explains with a smile as she slides down off of the roof. And what she said confused me completely.
"Bobbing her head up and down?" I ask again.
"Yeah, like this!" she says before she starts imitating something odd. Was she trying to be a person being carried over another's back?
"Oh no..." was all I could say before I ran away from Larishazza. Panic began to overtake me as I shot my gaze about until I heard Einervaene's laugh.
"Nin? She probably just found an animal or somethi-"
"EINERVAENE!" I roared out to the land before me before that distant laughter suddenly turned into screaming. And I shot off the moment I heard that happen, but, I would slow down a little when I saw a blue flash. The smell of cooked flesh soon wafted on over into my nostrils and I calmed down. But my panic returned when I saw the burnt corpse.
"Nin...?" Einervaene let out in confusion as she crawled away from me. I dropped to my knees and held out a claw for her to reach out for.
"Yeah, it is me this time." I tell her before she takes my grip and latches onto me.
"I was confused as to why you didn't make my heart flutter." she admits in embarrassment yet without any fear for some reason.
"Do you not understand what just happened!?" I asked her with panic in my voice as I grabbed onto her shoulders harshly.
"I know, it's why I screamed a little at first. But, my magic just starting up did a lot more damage than I thought..." she explains with a distracted tone before Larishazza came up to us.
"Okay, I think that makes it clear we keep you near." Larishazza says to Einervaene as she gives her head a little nudge.
"I'm not a chi-" Einervaene began to pout before I took her hand into my claw. Carefully guiding her out of this crop field until we reached a pasture with a mutilated farm animal still inside.
"These entrances are quite close to the village..." I said to the pair as we approached several stone circles in the dirt. Peculiar grey stone that was perfectly settled in between the tall grass and other plants.
"There's a few of them, see?" Larishazza commented as she walked around before she went behind me.
"Indeed, I do see, now, let me try to-" I began to say, intent on lifting the stone or breaking it, only for it to open up before me. But, rather than letting out a noise of surprise, I shivered out how it reacted. I was an osibindah in body only... I was an osibindah in body only...
"Incoming!" Larishazza declared before her feet suddenly forced me into the soft, stinky dirt.
"Was that necessary?" Einervaene asked on my behalf as she helped me up while I was still out of it after she stumbled in. And as I stared deep into the tunnel, I began to breathe more raggedly. I was keen on just grabbing the pair and running away as fast as I could. The echoes I was hearing also did not help as those two could hear it too.
"In and out with who we can find." Larishazza clarified as the two women steeled themselves before I did. And when they did not hear my footsteps, they looked back at me with worry. Only for the earth to then suddenly shift with the pair disappearing before my eyes.
"NO!" was all I could roar out as I suddenly charged forth and desperately clawed at the stone in my way. But the ground opened up under me and I would roll down it until I reached the end. Each bump I took on the way served as a fresh injection of fury and wrath. The fuel I needed to bring myself up and lash out at whatever was causing this.
"Son or cousin...?" something chittered through the dirt that was falling apart around me until I was suddenly exposed to a sight I never wanted to see. A writhing, pale and sickly mass made out of fused flesh and bone. I wanted to throw up when I saw this as it was thoroughly disgusting in the most sincere way possible. This thing in front of me was an egg-spewing creature made out of tortured bodies.
And the longer I stared, the more clear it became that these were exclusively female bodies. Each one of them seemingly frozen in terror with the few limbs that remained weakly clawing out from the creature. It wasn't even exposed faces I saw, it was only the vaguest outline as some kind of skin covered each of the mouthes. Yet, something disturbed me a lot about what I saw...
There was no main head on this thing... It was inside my head... This thing was inside my head! I did not want it to be in there, it had no right!