It had almost been an hour since Vai was last caught by the mysterious magic that restrained her. She wasn’t afraid of what’s to come. After all, in her line of work, it was obvious to her that only torture would come next so she would provide any information. It’s a pity her captors will receive none, however.

She was confident in her ability to resist any form of torture, even to her death. Why? Because she was cursed.

Since her days within an orphanage, she had been unable to feel pain, pleasure, warmth, and even coldness. She couldn’t even taste the food she ate. Because of this, Vai believed she was a living corpse, alive yet unfeeling and without purpose to live.

However, one day she had heard the owner of the orphanage speaking about her condition to someone and found out a curse had been put on her, and that there may be a way to remove it if she was able to save enough to have the church purify her.

This news brought her hope and soon she started working hard to save up as much money as she could. Being a child and an orphan, it was difficult to find honest work not involving going out of the city and facing monsters and beasts, so most of her work involved hard labor where some was questionable even for men to do.

As she grew, her body became a means to earn her more money as well. Not being able to feel, it was in a way a blessing to her, as she would be able to take even the more deviant of clients. Those that would take joy in violating her without pay, however, will be gifted with a blade to their heart.

In due time, she had made enough to pay for the expensive purification ritual that could remove even the most vilest of curses. As she stood within the purifying bath, the priest and priestesses cast their holy magic while she closed her eyes and waited… and waited… until she realized that the prayers had stopped.

Confused, she opened her eyes and looked towards the holy men and women, with questioning looks of their own. It wasn’t until the head priest had told her that the ritual was over that she realized… that it failed.

Still numb to the waters of the purifying bath… realizing that all her years of hard work were worthless… it was then that a feeling she had long forgotten stirred within her for the first time… despair.

Feeling hopelessness, Vai made to kill herself then and there, but she was stopped as a hand caught her. There stood before her a tall black man with a pale face, hawk-like nose and long black hair… a man she recognized… the man who always spoke with the orphanage’s owner…

 

“How truly an unfortunate girl… it seems not even the Church of Seraphaem could relieve you of your curse. If that is the case, then come with me… I will show you a way to live… and in return… I will give you a semblance of what it is you seek.”

 

That man’s words were like poison to anyone who heard it, but to the hopeless Vai, it was like a drug that would help relieve her torture.

The man would keep his promise, and as long as she would work and succeed in his order, the means to wield Rune Magic will be given to her, a power that would let her feel the magic flow within her.

She fought, trained, bled, and murdered like no other using her curse to succeed where others failed. With her curse now a gift, it wasn’t long until she became one of the Serpent Shadow’s sharpest young Fangs.

Despite what she had achieved, however, it was an empty life filled with nothing but death she didn’t enjoy. The feelings that Rune Magic gave her were akin to what others would feel as worms crawling beneath their skin and thus didn’t give her any comfort.

Indeed, the life she had lived was pitiful and pointless… to the point that she didn’t mind dying at this very moment. After all, she owed the Shadows for what semblance of a life she had, and coming back after a failure meant death in the organization anyway, hence her apathy to her whole situation.

If she had one regret, it was the fact that she was caught so easily despite being one of the Serpent’s sharpest Fangs, by a brothel mistress no less. Even her magic was sealed, and any form of self mutilation was denied from her by the magical bindings around her.

As she wondered where else she could have gone wrong, the door to her room opened and the white haired foxkin mistress entered. It seems her torture would soon begin.

 

***

 

As soon as I got into my room, I made for the bed to sleep… but… I couldn’t.

Ca… mus…

Grrr. Annoying… I keep thinking about that annoying church… that annoying noise… everything is so annoying…

Camus…

That blasted voice again. Why won’t it leave me alone? I just want to sleep! Sleep… do I want to sleep?... no… what… do I want… I…

Camus… li…sten… o… me…

Graaaaagh! Frustrating! Why won’t you all leave me alone! Ellen… I miss you so… I want to hug you in my arms… give you a kiss… lick your face… ravage you… violate you… Ell… en…

Oh shi… well… I… ried…

 

***

 

“Nya… nya nya… nyaaa nya♫“

 

Humming in the corridor, Cheshi skipped merrily as she headed towards Camus’ room. Now that they took care of the troublemakers and had assistance from the Guild, she felt it was time to reward Camus for his help.

As she found his room, she knocked as she gently opened the door with the key she ‘borrowed’ from the Mistress.

 

“Camus nya© Cheshi has come to reward… you… nya… huh?”

 

As she entered, Cheshi was surprised to see that Camus was still awake and standing. Feeling something was off; she slowly walked backwards towards the exit. But just as she was about to close the door, soon ‘Camus’ turned his head towards her and there she saw… the glowing red eyes and mouth of a hungry beast.

 

“NYAAAAAAA!!”

 

*SLAM**SMASH*

 

“GRAOOON!”

 

“Cheshi is sorry nyaaaa! Cheshi isn’t food nyaaa!” screamed Cheshi as she slammed the door and ran as fast as she could.

In a sense, it was a blessing that most of the girls had been asleep in their rooms and weren’t loitering the halls… but the same couldn’t be said for the residents of the room Cheshi chose to run into.

 

***

 

“Hmm…”

 

Bound by special ropes tied to a device on the ceiling, Vai kept silent as Sorena circled around inspecting her.

 

“Is something wrong, Mistress?” asked Azula as she stood guard in case their prisoner tried anything violent.

 

“…it’s interesting actually.” replied Sorena. “Her body is… quite special… will you stop looking at me like that, the both of you?”

 

Serena fumed as she realized both Vai and Azula looked at her as if she was some sort of deviant. With a huff, she proceeded to the back of her desk as she brought out a ‘smoke’ stick and attached it to the end of her holder. After letting out a puff, she continued her explanation.

 

“The thing is… this girl’s body is incapable of feeling. Pleasure, pain, hot or cold… she is numb to all senses. Because of that, I can understand why she’s acting so indifferent around us.”

 

Vai’s eyes widened when she realized her condition was found out so easily. Whoever this mistress of a brothel is, she is no ordinary person for being able to identify what was hidden from even the most complicated of magecraft detectors and magic inspectors. The church’s curse identifiers couldn’t even determine her curse, so for the woman before her to identify it so easily was quite a shock to her.

 

“Who… are you?”

“Me? Hmhm. Merely a woman who runs a noble’s playground, someone of no importance.”

 

If she was truly an ordinary woman, then Vai was a Merkin princess. That’s how absurd Sorena is to Vai. When she realized that she wouldn’t get any straight answers she gave up and narrowed her eyes to address Sorena in a more serious tone.

 

“I see… then now that you know of my curse, you may as well give up in interrogating me. I will not speak regardless of what you do to me, so you may as well kill me now.”

“…curse?”

 

Sorena looked at Vai incredulously at first, but then came to a realization that Vai may not truly understand her condition.

 

“I see… I guess most would think what you have is a ‘curse’ considering what the current effects are. This may be presumptuous of me, but you probably tried to have this ‘curse’ removed at any of the church branches am I correct? If so, then it would have most definitely failed.”

 

Vai shuddered when she realized this woman was right once again. Despite her numbness and dulled feelings, it was twice now that this woman before her made her emotions rage.

Does she understand what’s wrong with her? Does she know of her condition? Or even more so… could she possible have the cure? So many questions appeared in her mind and for the first time in the longest time… hope blossomed in her heart – hope… that she may finally have the answers she’s been seeking for so long.

 

“Hoho. From your face I can see that you really want to know the answer to your condition. Very well… how about we make a deal? You answer our questions and in return… I’ll tell you about your body’s condition as well as to how it might be… uh… ‘cured’.”

 

Sorena herself wasn’t entirely sure if the answer would be able to help the assassin since it was only possible in theory. That’s why she felt troubled and ended up wording it ‘suspiciously’. However, Vai’s current state wasn’t what could be called stable as the suspicious words only sounded like salvation to her.

 

“Could I truly… be… freed from this curse?”

“In theory… yes… your condition should be reversible. The problem, however, is that the conditions are quite… difficult to meet. Luck would also be a large factor since… as I said… it is only possible in theory. Knowing this, are you still willing to know?” feeling bad at how emotional and teary-eyed the woman is becoming, Sorena replied honestly despite knowing it may relinquish their chance of easily obtaining information.

To Vai, however, the words only sounded more earnest. The Church of the Five Gods and the Serpent’s Shadow claimed they could resolve her curse and even guaranteed it, but none of their solutions could even give her any relief. The Serpent’s Shadow at least gave her a means to use her curse, but the livelihood they proposed never gave her any comfort, let alone joy.

Seeing the determination in her eyes, Sorena smiled as she tried to answer her, “Very well… to start things off, I should probably tell you what your condition really is… first, I should tell you that your condition isn’t actually a curse. Quite the opposite, your condition is actually –“

 

But before she could finish, a loud bang and a scream interrupted her words.

 

“NYAAAAAA! MYASTER SHAVE CHESHIIII!”

 

Cheshi burst in with a face covered with tears and snot as she leapt towards Sorena embracing her.

 

“Cheshi, what are you –“

“GRAAAOOOOON!”

 

A familiar roar resounded within the hallway. All eyes turned towards the door as they saw a familiar figure enter, currently more towering and menacing than they remember.

 

“Camus? What are –! Oh no! That’s Dragon’s Madlust!” loudly said Sorena in a panic. Grabbing Cheshi, she called for Arwen who was hidden within the walls.

“What’s Dragon’s Madlust?” asked Azula while keeping her eyes and staff on Camus.

“It’s when a Dragon is driven mad when they haven’t made love to their mates for a long time. He’s had a woman before and I warned him about it, but…”

 

Sorena frowned when she remembered how Camus rejected her. She understood his feelings at the time, but it doesn’t lessen the hurt in her heart.

 

“So basically, he’s gotten so sexually frustrated that he’s gone nuts?”

“Well… somewhat… in this case, I think it was more due to stress from the fight, but…”

 

Sorena couldn’t retort when his condition was worded as simply as that since it was more or less true.

 

“…Alright, I understand. Arwen, take the Mistress and Cheshi. Leave this big oaf to me.”

 

“!! Azula, no! When Madlust drives a Dragon, they become extremely violent putting any regular mates at risk! He needs another Dragon to mate with him!”

 

Realizing what Azula intends to do, Sorena tried to stop her, but knowing there wasn’t much of a choice, Arwen listened to Azula as she emerged from the wall and caught Sorena and Cheshi.

 

“Sorry Mistress… besides, where are we gonna find another Dragon at this time? Also, you should already know about my people. We’re made of sturdier stuff since we do it rough.”

 

Azula smiled fiercely as she kept Camus in place. Knowing there was no more to do, Arwen escaped along with Sorena and Cheshi while leaving the words “Barbarian woman… don’t die…”

 

“Heh… silly elf. As if I’d die from something my people takes pride in.”

 

Despite her strong words, she was actually sweating from the pressure emitted by the 3-meter dragon man before her.

 

“Grrr…”

“You know what they say… the bigger they are, the harder they fall!”

 

Azula was proud of her strength. Amongst her kind, she was one of their strongest and most skilled even though she was still on a journey to become a full-fledged warrior of her people. Because of this, she was confident that she’d be able to take Camus down, especially now that he only had the mind of a wild beast.

When her low kick with all of her power connected, she had fully expected Camus to go down the same way as he did before. What she didn’t expect was her suddenly feeling like she had kicked a steel mountain.

 

“Gaaah!”

 

Injuring her leg, she fell on her back as the tables had been turned on her. Teary-eyed as she rubbed her shin from the pain, she slowly looked up as Camus towered before her.

 

“Ugh… to think I failed so quickly… dammit… I should have used Steel Skin when I had the chance…”

 

Regretting her mistakes and at how quickly she lost, she soon felt hands grab hold of her upper arms keeping them firmly in place as she was lifted up to face him.

 

“Uh… hm… is it too late to ask for a do-over?” she said jokingly in a nervous manner as the last thing… before Camus thrust his tongue in her mouth and began to ravage her throat.