Chapter 5: Swan song, sing for me!

Orion stared at the albino elf before him. His white hair was long, and tied in a braid. His blue eyes were sparkling. His heart-shaped lips were rosy. His nose was scrunched up.

That was the hitch in the vampire's plan. The elf had taken one look at Orion's pale skin, and figured out what the vampire was. So, now, he was looking pass the two of them, Orion and Ossilo, and staring at the door.

"I..." Orion tried to talk to the elf. He could sing his prizes the entire day. He looked to Ossilo, who was pouting. "Ossilo, could you please stand by our host?"

Ossilo slithered next to the elf, still pouting. Now, Orion could compare them well enough. Ossilo was tanned, the elf was creamy. Ossilo had a six-pack, the elf was fragile.  Orion then used hypnosis on both of them, and grinned.

"Now, kiss," the vampire said, and the two turned towards one another, and did just that. Orion felt a tightness in his pants as he watched them, and that confirmed his fears.

He was not straight. The system had known that for a long time, but he had deluded himself that he appreciated just women for his entire life. All 502 years of it. A droplet of blood fell down his nose, when Ossilo bent the elf backwards, and began kissing up and down the creamy neck.

The spell was broken, and the elf shoved the Naga off of himself.

"What is the meaning of this!" The elf demanded, face red.

"I come in here to make you my lover," Orion blurted out. "You and Ossilo are mine, and I will not hear your arguments."

"Where did this assertiveness come from, virgin?" Ossilo teased. Orion went to him, and kissed him on the lips. Licking the Naga's lips before moving away.

"You will provide me with blood, and I will give you all that you desire," Orion began, and then pulled out a golden brooch from his bottomless bag. He handed it to the Swan Song. "The first gift of many."

"Get out of my house!" The elf snapped.

"Give me your name," the vampire demanded. He was smitten. No way was he going to just give up now.

"Ethinir," the elf said, thinking nothing of it. Orion gave him a winning smile.

"Well, Ethinir, I will have your hand in marriage. Put me to the test. I am sure I will be able to complete any test you put before me," Orion boasted. Ossilo glared at him.

"And I? Am I not worthy of putting you to the test?" The Naga snapped.

"You too as well, The Brightest Star of my heart. Put me to the test. I will do anything for the two of you!" Orion assured them.

The Naga looked the elf in the eyes, and they huddled together.

"I saw the virgin first," Ossilo snapped at the elf.

"You can have him. I think of asking the impossible of him," the elf told him. Ossilo bared his teeth at the elf, and the albino backed away.

"Is that poison?" Ethinir asked. Ossilo nodded.

"You will not ask for the impossible. If you ask for the impossible, I will bite you," Ossilo snapped. He was not going to just stand by, and let some elf toy with Orion.

"Ok, ok. How about this. If you go to the grove of the golden boar, which is in a cave in the heart of the forest, and bring me a golden apple from there, I will consider your proposition," Ethinir spoke. He was staring straight at Ossilo, who was nodding along to the words.

"Yes, bring the apple. Bring me one as well," Ossilo agreed, and he hid his fangs again.

"Just apples? I have been there before," Orion spoke, and he pulled out two golden apples from his bottomless bag. "I have raised the golden boar since he was a piglet. I can fetch you fresh ones, if you'd like?"

Both elf and Naga gaped at the vampire.

"This forest is your territory, isn't it?" Ethinir asked, his eyes wide.

"All of it, Ethinir. Every shrub, every cave, every tree," Orion spoke, and he handed them each an apple.

Ethinir bit into his own, and let the mana wash over him. He looked relieved then, as if he had been in pain not but a moment prior.

Ossilo spared the elf a look, and handed his own apple back to Orion.

"Hold on to it for me, will you?" Ossilo said, and then turned to Ethinir. "Now you have no other choice, but to become our lover. The challenge was clear."

"I suppose that I have to be with you," Ethinir said, blushing. "All I ask for is some time to get used to it all."

"You can have all the time in the world, considering that you ate a golden apple," Orion told him, and then went to the elf. "You are called the Swan Song. Please, sing something for us?"

"I suppose I can sing something lighthearted?" Ethinir suggested, as he went and took out a harp from next to the bed. He began to play, and then he began to sing. Ossilo went to Orion, and then took the vampire's hand in his. They listened to the music, and, when it was done, gave the elf enthusiastic applause.

"So, I have a plan," Orion spoke, as he sat down on the floor. His two mates sat by him. "We will hit this forest with the silk trade. With such high-quality silk, that even the villagers would come and buy some, from time to time. And, from the villagers, I will trade other things. Such as wool, cotton, and foodstuff."

The two nodded, not questioning him.

"And I will sew the best clothes," Ossilo said. The sun was dipping under the horizon, and so, Ethinir looked to his bed.

"My bed is big enough for three, even if Ossilo's tail would be a tight fit," the elf suggested, and Orion grinned.

"Just to sleep?" The vampire asked, hoping for a negative answer.

"Give me time, ok?" Ethinir asked, and Orion sighed. Still, he would get to cuddle with the two. He counted that as a win.