The coming storm, didn’t come. At least, not for her. Estaria was expecting something, but not the complete lack of something that happened after. Filnon made a few pleasantries, introduced herself and Estaria, and then left. With the dress, no less, which was a big win in Estaria’s book. They were silent on the return to the Coven, and then once they got to their room, Filnon left. Not a word said or gesture made the whole way there…Fucking hell this whole thing was so complicated, why couldn’t she just be a Druchii and jump her bones already? Estaria would have a lot less of a problem surrendering to in this situation, than she would just having to…actually deal with them.

Stress mounting in waves, she got out of her clothes and into her battle garb, deciding to go run herself an A-rank dungeon. Either it’d burn out the stress, or she’d die and that would also burn out the stress because it would be really sucky to have the debuff. Fortunately, she did not get that far, as just after finishing her dressing, Fukuri would appear at the door. 

“Hey, Fukuri. You, need something?” Estaria asked.

“Well, yea, but. Why does it look like you are gearing up to go kill something?” Fukuri would ask, her head slightly cocked.

“Don’t worry about it, dear” Estaria would walk over and stroke her head, smiling warmly to the woman. While all the tales about the Druchii weren’t entirely false, it was always good to see Fukuri, the living example of how rumors tend to grow more wild with every telling.

Though Fukuri seemed irate at being treated like a child, and pouted for a bit before finally coming out and saying it.

“I wanted to work with you in the training ground. You’ve grown so much and I wanted to get your help in keeping up with you and Filnon” Fukuri would explain, her tone a little more brash than usual, because she wanted to keep up with the woman, currently treating her like a young girl.

“Me and Filnon have unfair advantages to our growth and experience. Don’t use us as goals to strive towards, it will only hurt you when we grow further and further away despite your efforts” Estaria would tell her, taking a step towards the door. “But don’t be discouraged from training because of that. Come on, I’ll help you out any time you ask”

The next two hours were spent tutoring Fukuri in combat, sparring, training and advising until Estaria decreed - to heavy opposition from Fukuri - that she it was time to take a break. The gathered Witches seemed to find it amusing, and there was a lighthearted banter about the place to make Fukuri feel less bad about herself. All in all, it was a nice day.

The night was less nice, however, since Filnon was still gone, and didn’t come to bed, nor was she here in the morning. Getting up and hurrying out, she would look around the Coven and note that a dozen or so Witches were gone from the place along with Filnon. Maybe they were dealing with the ‘coming storm’ that was mentioned, but it was annoying she had not even said anything to Estaria.

“Fine, just be like that” Estaria whispered to herself, resisting the urge to check the mini-map, and just going about her day as normal.

Or as normal as she could be in a new city where everyone was watching her, anyway. It was strange, to be the center of attention like this, and kind of flattering to boot. The irritation of Filnon’s departure melted some, and by noon the following day, Estaria was browsing the shops, looking for something to welcome her Mistress home when she was done with whatever it was she had been tasked to do.

It took her a few days to browse all the shops between her duties, but eventually, in an upper class quarter of the city, she found the perfect shop, selling extremely high quality servant uniforms of both males and females. Even the overproud slavers that were the Druchii had a few of their lesser number as servants, and the occasional human proved to be of enough worth to earn a spot above the muck. One dress caught her eye, however, as it stood out from the rest. Full length and beautiful like the rest, it shown softly, and had a strange feel to it. Like nothing she had ever seen before.

“Just in from Lustria, that. Apparently some sort of plant down that way gives off a sap they have worked into clothing. It looks great, is skin-tight, and apparently keeps the wearer very happy” the shopkeeper exclaimed. 

“Very happy?” Estaria asked, raising an eyebrow. She didn’t get any response from that, just a smirk. 

“Expensive though, supply and demand you know? We’ve only got about four of these in the entire city” he continued, nodding towards it.

“Pah, I am the Chain-Witch. You think fiances are ever my concern?” Estaria would be a little surprised at the tone of her own voice, and quickly pull out her money pouch, shoring it up with some of her System Gold to meet the hefty price tag, and taking the uniform home.

It looked strange, and she didn’t want to get caught off guard by anything when she wore it for Filnon, so hung it up and began to get into it. First the underwear, then the knee-high stockings and elbow-length gloves. He was not joking about it being skin tight. The dress went on next, a bit of a struggle given how tight it was, but eventually she pulled it off. Tight around the arms and torso, but easing up just below the waist for the skirt to flair out. It was surprisingly heavy as well, heavier than she expected it to be. 

Taking a few steps around the room, and then going outside to help the slaves with their duties some, Estaria became intimately aware of what the Shopkeep meant by keeping them very happy. The smell quickly became enarmouring, and the tight feel of it fought her body’s natural gyration, rubbing and stroking all the right places to heat her blood. The unpourous nature of the material mingled her body scent instead of letting it disperse, and her wild state right now made it all the more intoxicating than it had any right to be. People seemed to pick up on this, and there was ribbing and teasing aplenty in the Coven that day.

Come the night, Estaria returned to her room. It was a true torture device, this dress. Never did it ever allow her to get off completely, and it was far too gauche to roll up a floor length skirt to get in and ease the pressure that way. So she was wildly on edge as she entered into the room, unable to think of anything but getting it off, getting a shower, and relieving the pressure inside her. So she was mightily pissed off when she got a popup that read ‘Poison reduced by High Constitution’

The man who had hit her with the pair of darts seemed shocked when she punched him in the face, and then turned to him with a face like thunder.

“Do you mind?!” she asked the man, who’s nameplate marked him an Assassin. “Why couldn’t you have come ten…twenty minutes later?” she asked, pulling the needles out of her side and equipping her gauntlets.

“Do you even know what assassinating someone means?” He asked, rhetorically. “I hit you at your worst, not your best. Obviously it is going to be now”

“Well then come on” Estaria exclaimed, slamming her fists together. “I need to burn off some pent up emotions anyway”