I quietly walked through the candlelit hall of the inn, towards Teach’s room, knocking on the door gently before walking in.

“Ahh, hey, you’re back,” Teach said, not moving an inch from the book she was buried in. She was surrounded by stacks of old books; a common sight whenever we stayed in one particular spot for more than one night.

My teacher, Deleim; she was from the same small village Ange and I were from, infact, she was our teacher there. When I decided to go after the Blood Hounds, she along with Ange tagged along. She usually stays back from the combat, so I don’t get as stressed, and because she researched ruins before everything went sideways in our lives she was readily able to provide amazing and valuable insight. One of many reasons I was happy to have her.

“Yeah, I’m back. Met Hanna too.” I replied as I quietly brought the door to a close.

“Peculiar young lady isn’t she?” Teach replied as she tucked her bang behind her ear and stretched her shoulder, “I’m afraid I haven’t found anything concrete, but there is something familiar in the one thing she knows,” I walked over to her; she hadn’t noticed; she was still facing her book, “That’s our best clue so far. I hope to have a strong list of options soon.”

“I see.” I came up behind her seat and put my hands on her shoulders, pouring pressure into them. Her body seemed to heat up under my grip and she threw her head back, her crown connecting with my torso. “Ouch, pointy,” I said as the tiara-like protrusion she had dug into my skin.

My teacher Deleim was of a race of sentients called an Amethyst Gemian. Gemians had bodies that were a mix of flesh of mineral; the mineral that composed my teacher being amethyst. It’s why she had such lustrous skin and hair. She was kind of similar to Ange in that her racial traits also manifested with extra, sometimes pointy protrusions. That’s why however, she was a big part of helping Ange feel comfortable with the body she had. Actually, she was helping us both come to grips with our bodies.

“Can I help you, Mr Fin?” Deleim asked, looking straight into my eyes with a devilish smile.

I released one of her shoulders and dug into my coat, gently putting a certain garment on the table in front of her, draping it over her books.

She looked down for a few seconds then looked back up at me, a little bit surprised.

“What? Do you want me to wear this?” she asked, sizing up my intentions; I wasn’t going to tell her who got this.

“Yes.”

“Make me,” she replied, with her tantalizing, soft whisper.

Our secret affair was afoot, after a playful tussle away from the books, I had gotten the sexy pair of intricate underwear on her after she was satisfied that I had done enough to appease her. She was a naturally well endowed and glamorous woman and the underwear with it’s black mesh and floral print only further turned her into a forbidden fruit.

We had moved through the entire room like a tornado and were now nearing the climax, with Deleim bent over the bed with me right behind her. I had taken hold of her arms as I worked on her, her hair jolting every time I pushed forward.

“Make me hurt!” she panted, “Grab me harder! Make me crack!” she said. She was reaching her peak as well given the escalation she was begging for… but I wasn’t sure.

“Are you sure, I’m not sure I-”

“Fin!” she screamed, “Do it. Ange told me you had it under control- Even if you go too strong I can take it!” she continued screaming before returning to her grunts.

I grit my teeth and focused. My arms grew larger and the strength my grip could exert increased. Other parts grew larger as well, and I increased my efforts in time with Deleim’s escalating moans.

Crrk-Crack.

The sound of Deleim’s arms cracking reached my ears, but she wasn’t protesting nor did I want to stop mid way to the end. The doubt however caused the other aspect of my Incarnate form to slip out.

From my palms, I could see shadowy smoke leak out; I needed to get that under control.

“Fin!” Deleim screamed, “Do NOT let the element discharge! I can’t take that. Get it under control or no more this.”

“Yes ma’am!”

I focused harder, squeezing tighter on her arms, til small cracks ran up her entire arm.

“YES!” she shouted as I went faster and harder until finally everything went white.

The time was over and we were lying together in her bed, under the covers. Deleim was resting her head on my small arm, facing me, still basking in the ecstasy of the moment. She seemed to be so enraptured, her skin was glinting more than usual. Meanwhile, I was reflecting on our journey so far.

“You know,” Deleim whispered next to me in a voice softer than her usual, “It’s only a matter of time until Ange finds out. She’ll be gutted.” Despite where Deleim was going with her conversation, she nestled her breasts up to my side, the strange mixture of stone-coolness and the heat of flesh penetrating into my awareness. “You should be more sensitive to her feelings.”

“You say that all the time.” It was true, Deleim always seemed to bring up Ange whenever the deed was done. Maybe it was just her way of looking out for her?

“I know. Doesn’t make it any less true. That girl might very well love you. If you two were to get a Bond mark…. Well I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“The Bond…”

The Bond referred to a mark that would appear when two people truly loved each other. That mark; it was like your relationship was blessed by the God that created the system.

Thinking of the mark, I glanced over to Deleim’s left breast while she still had her eyes closed. Above her left breast was a faded out mark, Deleim’s own mark, the only thing she had left; the only proof of the love she once shared with her late husband.

“Teach… No, Deleim, I promise.”

“Hmm?” She opened her eyes once more.

“I know you disagree with the deal I struck, with Impeerio I mean, but I promise I’ll get revenge for your husband and son.”

Deleim, like Ange and I, had lost her family and home thanks to the Blood Hounds. It’s why the three of us were together, it’s why we stayed together through the years going from place to place.

Deleim sighed, “Haven’t I told you,” she said sternly, “Don’t bring that stuff up during times like this.”

“I just needed you to know.”

“Right,” she said before sitting up with a huff, her breast falling into form under gravity’s pull. “You need to perfect knowing when to bring stuff up.” She sounded angry, the angriest I heard her all day.

“Do-Do you want me to hurt you again?” I asked as I grabbed hold of her arm. She seemed to like this kind of play-

“Hey!”

“Sorry!” I said, quickly pulling back, “My bad, I misread the situation,”

“No! Look over there!” Deleim directed my gaze over to the room door and a mysterious purple smoke that was seeping in from outside.

I jumped out of bed and tossed on my bottoms while keeping an eye on the door, “What is that? Is it an enemy attack?”

As I inched closer to the door and the smoke, I ran through my head what could be going on. Was it a fire? Some sort of magic smoke? Was it a racial trait? The smoke was coming into the room quickly.

“What does it smell like? Is it a fire?” I asked aloud as I brought my nose closer; if it was poison a quick sniff wouldn’t hurt me thanks to my immunities as an ogre.

“Don’t sniff that!” Deleim screamed.

But it was too late, I had taken a quick whiff and had turned around to look back at her. She had covered her face in a mask made of amethyst that she conjured.

Did she figure something out?

But before I could vocalize my thoughts, I felt myself stumbling backwards and experienced my vision going black.