“Coo coo~” [Master Lou, it’s time to wake up.]
I’m slowly pulled out of my dreams by a sweet voice. One eye opens and I see Bell crouched beside my head, one small hand on my cheek. The precious creature is holding a glass of water with her tail and offers it to me as I sit up. I rub her smooth head as I down the water, loving the smooth texture even more than wetting my dry throat.
“Bell~ You’re so good to me. Unlike these deviants…” My eyes go to the other occupants of the bed. Fen is beside me with her arm around my waist wearing a sloppy smile. Drool leaks from the corner of her mouth. This woman is dreaming about eating me, isn’t she? I teased her by partially transforming last night but she never got a bite. I mean, come on. I’m not going to throw myself to whatever elemental wants a taste.
I’ve got standards.
On her opposite side is Kierra holding Geneva to her. Those two are just something else. My wife is exhausted, hair strewn about wildly. Geneva is resting more comfortably but she is covered with scratches and love bites. Knowing that she can heal it, Kierra must have told her to leave them. After my strength gave out, I could still hear them going at it, coloring my dreams. Animals, the both of them.
I hand the glass back to Bell and carefully leave the bed. As a more upscale hotel in the capital, the Golden Feathers’ rooms have attached bathrooms and plumbing. With my connection to the Guiness family, we have the best suite at the top of the building, which includes a bathroom the size of a living room with a bath that could be used as a swimming pool.
Bell goes off to fill the bath while I wash off. The room turns misty as a sweet smell hangs on the air. Before coming to this place, I had no idea what bath salts were. Now, can’t imagine bathing without them. Going to be one of the worst parts of being on the road.
Clean and feeling much more awake, I enter the bedroom and set about waking up the others.
Fen is easy, though I have to fend off her reaching hands. Geneva as well and she helps with the problematic thrall. Kierra is resisting the urge to wake. In the end, I carry her into the bathroom. A little straining in my human body but no longer impossible.
In the bathroom, I lovingly wash my wife before carrying her into the bath. Submerged in the hot water, her eyes finally blink open. She looks over her shoulder and gives me a sweet smile. “Hello.”
“Hey, yourself. Ready for our big trip?”
She yawns, flashing those sharp teeth. “I believe I’ll be sleeping through the morning. Our pets are very energetic. Though I was a bit surprised that your favorite didn’t join in.”
I follow her gaze to Bell who is currently being scrubbed by Geneva. “Probably for the best, Master,” Geneva answers with a chuckle. “Bell has certain tastes and needs a firm hand.”
“Hoh? Sounds interesting.”
“Shall we say she’s more of a giver than a taker? Not something her previous contractor appreciated I bet. Poor Bell was forced to hold back for years while that man enjoyed the harem she made for him. Wouldn’t you feel bad for Lou having to endure all those passions without any…experience?”
Kierra chuckles. “Ah, that might be a bit unfair.”
The look Bell gives me is uncomfortably intense. “Coo~” [Master Lou’s first time…I want it…]
No, not you too! You were supposed to be the only one I can depend on in this storm of lust my wife is conjuring around me! Just thinking about them plotting against me makes me shiver. Holding Bell against my chest is never going to feel as innocent as it used to but I’m not prepared to give it up. Sigh.
After a long soak, everyone is rejuvenated and we prepare to depart. Geneva leaves to check the luggage and pull our carriage around while Kierra dresses and finishes a quick breakfast.
I give our hotel room a final look. We stayed here for a season and made many fond memories but it’s time to move on to the next phase of our lives. I fully intend to make even better memories in the future. With a smile, I close the door for the last time.
I return the key at the front desk and I step outside, ready to begin the long journey to the Grand Hall. My carriage is at the curb as expected. However, there’s several more carriages about. Nothing unusual but…amongst them I spot a shining gold carriage with several white doves mid-flight along the side.
I’ve got a bad feeling.
A feeling that is confirmed moments later when Maxine Guiness steps around the back of my carriage and waves to me. Her usual dress is replaced with a lighter white number that is more suitable for travel and compliments her sparkling gray eyes.
“Max,” I shout, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Guess this is just another one of those coincidences.”
“Would you believe it? My father has suddenly appointed me to help manage a small store in Quest.”
“Of course he did.”
“And since we are headed the same way, I thought it would be rather enjoyable to travel together.”
“Of course you did.” I’m not terribly upset. Though the Guiness family has made no secret about wanting to profit from the elves, they’ve been nothing but friendly and Maxine is rather useful to have around. There are few places the Guiness crest is barred from. Besides, if Jac’s ambition becomes a reality, I imagine our two families will become a lot closer. “I take it you’re ready to depart? We aren’t waiting.”
“Whenever you’re ready, Lou.” Giving me a quick bow, she turns to board her own carriage.
I shake my head at the sight. “Persistent.”
“I rather like her,” Kierra says. “You and I are her only chance to stand out amongst over a dozen siblings for a share of her father’s empire. She’s clamped onto us like a twilight leech. It’ll take more than a few tugs to pull her off.”
“Great comparison.”
“Ah, I misspoke. The leech can be used for brewing. Far more valuable.”
I turn to her with a raised brow. “Leeches? Seriously?”
“If a twilight elf offers you a drink, there’s no telling what’s in it but you’ll definitely enjoy it.”
“Huh.” Learn new things every day. With the cheery thought of leech ale in my brain, we board our ride and pull away from the hotel. Maxine’s convoy pulls in behind us and together we make quite a commotion as we leave the capital.
Why no intense orgy scene? you've left us dry for a long time, why do you persist this drought with grey clouds of false hope?
Have Ye forsaken thy children in favor of dark humors? What would sayeth the all mighty Cosmo, if he were to know of this heinous treachery?
*cough cough potential side story cough*
I’m giving you a thumbs up purely for the wording.
“If a twilight elf offers you a drink, there’s no telling what’s in it but you’ll definitely enjoy it.” I love this line. Evocative, succinct.
Shall we say she’s more of a giver than a taker?
I want to see it.
Partially transforming? You do mean reverting, right? Its a bit heretical to consider that weak human form your base form, don't you think? Silly Lou.
On the subject of alchemy, one of my biggest surprises in chemistry was that it’s technically possible to turn lead into gold forcibly by changing it at a subatomic level. It’s also potentially easier than turning gold to lead since removing protons and neutrons would theoretically be easier than adding them.
Not cost effective, but it’s a weird fact that’s been stuck in my head for 12 years now.
I imagine it would be cost effective for a civilization that can harness and control all the energy a star radiates. I mean, what else are you gonna be doing with all that energy but to transmute ultra rare materials you need and create antimatter eh?
@N0xiety If matter can become massive amounts of energy under certain circumstances (say, a nuclear detonation), a limitless supply of energy could become matter.
In a more concerning train of thought, you could literally create life from energy.
“If a twilight elf offers you a drink, there’s no telling what’s in it but you’ll definitely enjoy it.”
Don’t worry about it...
Also, isn't Kierra looking down on others a bit much? Leeches can be used for brewing, but what Maxine offers is far more valuable than any single brew. Strange thing to say.
More of a joke. She values Max, but yes, she definitely is looking down on her. After all, Kierra only truly respects strength...
The more I read, the more annoyed I get with the MC. She lacks compassion, humility and empathy. She is full of overtly masculine energy (honestly, she reads more like a male than a female), has a rather sharp narcissistic streak that is thankfully hides itself some of the time, arrogant, egotistical, shortsighted, chaotic and generally an all around bit*h (or bastard since she comes across as more male than anything).
My feelings on the character is that she isn't someone I can empathize with or really feel any sort of camaraderie with. In the first arc, I was able to buy in. I felt sorry and pity for her cause it seemed like she had truly been dealt a shitty hand by life.
Now that she has overcome that to begin to find herself in a situation in which she can finally take charge over her own destiny, I find that she is in, a lot of ways, just as bad as the very people she despises, just in different ways.
It is making this a struggle to keep reading. I'm trying, but... I seriously hope Kierra can help her dedia do some serious maturing and growing as a person. Lou's power is growing too fast for her to continue to remain so shallow. If she can't grow and mature, that very power is going to corrupt her and she is going to wind up the villain in the long run.
EDIT: If I had to summarize the main character, "This person is shallow, self absorbed, narcissistic and both out of touch with reality as well as out of place." If this was an MC set in our modern world, then I could remove the 'out of place' bit; the rest would still hold true. I am just having a really hard time believing that someone would turn out like how Lou has in a fantasy setting without the sorts of modern distractions and information systems both distract and spread the sorts of mental conditions she seems to have.
Binging this. But i have to say, i am starting to sort of dislike kierra? Not much, just a tiny bit. But the fact that not only does she still want to f*ck other trolls when she has Lou. She seems to be the actual one in charge, filling her harem, and Lou is just a simple figurehead or puppet to her. I have no idea what to say, figured she would be a biiiiit less interested in others since she has Lou
Idk. I'm gonna keep reading obviously though.
Poor Lou! Needs a normal non degenerate friend, a fellow summoner maybe?