Aunrae gave a shrill, inhuman scream as Osilliaice entered the room still partially covered in blood. Leaping for the vent the drider swiftly vanished again, only this time a long spider leg slipped out to catch the cover and pull it back over the hole. Xing Lei's mate blinked looking up where the blue of darkness had vanished, "Xing Lei, what was that?"
Xing Lei smiled walking over to hug the lizardess' waist, "An ally I think, one we'll need if this situation continues as it is."
"Dangerous?"
Xing Lei nodded, "These drow are no joke, even the most benign one had an aura of death that would make most hardened killers sweat, and he passes himself off as a harmless deviant fop. One can well imagine how the rest are, but this latest meeting showed promise."
"Help!"
Both reptiles turned to regard the bathing chamber, Alustriea's cry drawing them through the door to see the naked elf fighting the layer of filth that had gathered on the floor from their barrels. The roiling mass of dark impurities was slithering across the stone floor trying to get at the elf who had taken refuge in the water, Xing Lei blinked, he could honestly never recall impurities gaining sentience ever in his old life, much less slithering from the tub to attack their original host.
Holding Osilliaice back who was about to charge forward, Xing Lei breathed in before exhaling a gout of flame across the roiling mass of sludge. Both of the others blinked watching him exhale a stream of fire that incinerated the mass of foulness. Coughing lightly he caught his breath and looked to Alustriea, "What happened?"
The elf sighed submerging herself deeper in the cleansing waters looking to the barrels, "We'd just finished when Osilliaice left, while she was gone I got out of my barrel and got in the water. When I turned the sludge in both barrels had slithered out and came after me."
Xing Lei squatted low to wipe at the ashy residue, breaking it apart between his finger and thumb, "Must be something in the environment, must breed evil in everything. How unique, we'll have to immediately burn our cast off each tempering to be sure nothing truly dangerous forms."
Osilliaice moved into the water to help get cleaned off and help Alustriea calm down while Xing Lei collected the barrels disposing of any more of the vile sludge that might have remained. When Xing Lei emerged from the bathing chamber he found a flustered dark elven Alustriea fidgeting near the bed, glancing to Osilliaice she chuckled and leaned down to whisper by his ear, seemed the elf had finally noticed there was only the one bed, there wasn't even a couch or armchair which in her mind was putting her in the same bed as Xing Lei and typical of Alustriea, her mind was running away with the possibilities.
Shaking his head he looked to his mate who looked back and nodded softly, chuckling he leaned in and kissed her, their tongues sliding together in mutual understanding. Both were well aware of Alustriea's interest in Xing Lei, even back in the kobold village she had almost joined them then but with a way out, her stricter elven upbringing won out and she retreated from the situation of sharing her crush with two others. Now this day there wasn't an out, she could no more seek another room than she could make do with a comfy chair, in her mind fate was conspiring to bring her into her crush's arms after years of fantasizing and dreaming.
Her onyx skin had turned somewhat ruddy as she blushed hotly watching the two reptiles walk to her, she saw no judgement in Osilliaice's eyes that she was resentful that her friend wanted her mate. Likewise in Xing Lei's gaze was that same insufferable arrogance like he knew she would come to this point eventually. She wanted to smack him for making light of her embarrassment that burned through her hotly. Looking between the two she tended up when both hugged her, wrapping the slender elf turned drow close and drew her to the bed.
Helping each other disrobe they pulled the barely concious elf between them, her lithe elven frame was bundled tightly against the warm scales of her friend and protector while her crush had curled against her front, the three hearts beating against each other, a pair of calming rhythmic drums boxing in her own galloping heart, forcing it to calm. Unlike her dreams and fantasies Osilliaice did not hold her down while Xing Lei ravaged her body, they did not combine to become a lustful orgy of elf and reptiles. The pair simply held her between them until weariness claimed her thoughts.
She awoke like that some time later, nestled between the lizardess and kobold, the scaly pair sandwiching her between them tenderly. Tears rimmed her eyes as her arms wrapped around Xing Lei, her body shaking until Osilliaice wrapped her arms around Alustriea. Sniffling she tried to glare at them, "You two don't play fair..."
Xing Lei lifted his head looking into her red eyes and chuckled, leaning in his wet tongue slid along her cheek as he whispered lightly, "You love us all the same." Alustriea tensed up when she felt Osilliaice lick her shoulder, a shiver coursing through the elf as the two affectionately welcomed her to a new day.
Crawling from bed Xing Lei chuckled watching the naked elf-drow ran to the bathing room with a chuckling Osilliaice her heels. Xing Lei shook his head and pulled on a robe as a knock came to his door, opening it up a man in dirty rags stood beyond the portal silently, motioning for Xing Lei to follow. Waiting patiently the man stood ram rod straight but silent as a tomb, scarring around his lips told Xing Lei the muting wasn't self imposed or natural, likely he had been caught saying what he should not and had his tongue removed.
Like the time period before Xing Lei was lead through a veritable maze of halls and walk ways when he was delivered to the main hall. As he walked to the door he glanced aside, as he expected the slave girl wasn't to be seen but a dark dry blood stain was where she knelt. Shaking his head he walked in to a similar situation as before, this time the Matron Mother sat in her chair carefully, it looked like she was still sensitive to what he had done to her. Burryna and Malice flanked their mother looking fit to be tied, each seemed to barely hold back the desire to rush him again.
Like before he walked up before the trio crossed his arms and looked into the Matron Mothers gaze. She frowned, "Kobold do you know how many have had the gall to do as you did yesterday?"
Xing Lei shrugged, "Don't really know, or care. It's enough I did it and will do so again if you wish to test my patience again."
Before the sisters could advance the Matron Mother lifted her hands, "Enough! All of you! Well Kobolicus I am told Pellanistra has given you her mission will you be making your move?"
Xing Lei shook his head, "If you mean guiding your paths, any time any student is ready to listen. As for the other matter, that depends. I owe Pellanistra nothing, I fully expect the meager pittance I extorted after to be withheld, thus I am leaving the matter up to how badly your daughter's annoy me."
Watching to the two seeth with rage he chuckled, "You presume my inferiority based on my appearance. Such short sightedness begs the question how you both survived this long? I am more than a kobold. The sooner you all accept that, the less likely I present your heads to your younger sister on a silver platter."
The Matron Mother frowned, "You also presume us helpless before your strength..." Her words trailed off as he vanished and seemed to appear behind the trio, two drow crafted sabers were extended from either hand, the sharp edge rested on the shoulder of either daughter, a thin line of blood trickled against the hungry metal from a pair of small nicks on either throat.
"I do not presume you helpless, I presume I'm strong enough to bring ruin to your faction within the house that my death will momentarily proceed your own. Again, do not think me weak Matron Mother, save your threats and bold words for lesser beings. As a mortal addressing an immortal I advise you simply..." His words cut off as blades and kobold vanished again, a vicious dagger dropping from on high slicing open the thin material of the Matrons corset before sinking into the stone of her throne neatly between her thighs, as the fabric tore revealing her chest the kobolds words whispered from around the room, "... remember your own place Matron Mother."
The throne room fell into silence save the whispered words of Malice, she clutched an ornate symbol in one hand holding it aloft as her spell took hold, "The kobold has left Matron Mother."
Looking at the dagger that sat between her thighs the drow matron trembled in rage. Twice now she had been shown wanting before her family, twice it had been the kobold creature that defied all logic. Her voice was calm but the shake of her body spoke just how enraged she was, "For now do not act against him, consult the House Wizard, see if he can boost the wards to prevent that little bastards coming and going. Learn what you can from this guest but if the opportunity presents itself.... cut out his still beating heart."
Listening from the corner Xing Lei stretched and glanced to the other occupant of the shadows, Aunrae was listening in much as he was. Reaching over giving her spider abdomen a swat he took his leave while the drider nearly jumped out of her carapace and danced around trying to see who or what had smacked her butt. Casting a look at the plotting trio he shrugged, if the ones in charge felt a counter offer beneath them then, much like old King Ironhand, he didn't mind playing a hand in the further death of stupid royalty.
Walking out to the slave he was lead back to his room, oddly enough Osilliaice and Alustriea were not training, rather they sat talking on the bed, both looking up as he made some noise. The pair smiled at him, the lizardess chuckled, "Aggressive negotiations?"
Xing Lei gave a helpless chuckle and shrugged, "I played nice this time, no one bleeding or unconcious. The Matron Mother will need a new bodice but other than flashing her daughters it should not be a big deal."
Both women face palmed then laughed at each others actions at how in sync they had been. "The rate you're going Xing Lei, you'll have the entire House thirsting to eat you alive at this rate." Alustriea sighed in exasperation.
Xing Lei chuckled slipping between the two, an arm sliding around his mates waist while the other held Alustriea's hips, leaning up to lick Osilliaice's muzzle he glanced to the elf-drow to the other side, "Now dealing with stupid people aside what have you two been discussing to not be tempering?"
Osilliaice chuckled licking his cheek back before looking over him to the squirming Alustriea, she wasn't quite ready but put on the spot it wasn't like she could shy away again. "I was talking things over with Osilliaice, and she was helping me make some choices." Fidgeting the elven woman turned her face away and bit her lip, with Xing Lei so close and Osilliaice watching she found the words she wanted to say twisting in her guts again. Talking over it woman to woman was one thing, but now to tell Xing Lei to his face? Alustriea felt like finding a hole to throw herself down.
Shaking her mane of white hair she breathed deep and turned to face Xing Lei...